Medium Rare™

WE HAVE A NEW HOME!

2011-08-04T21:07:00.009-04:00

Medium Rare ™ has moved to our new web site. Please click on the links below and follow me on Facebook and Twitter, or sign up for our newsletter so you are kept in our loop!

I look forward to connecting with you again soon. God bless, Linda

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Directing The Energy Current

2011-03-30T15:20:00.016-04:00

It’s one o’clock in the morning and I am tossing and turning while fighting the storm that has entered our atmosphere. With a storm comes lightning and thunder, a combination that stirs up energy, and that atmospheric pressure affects our own personal energy. Depending on the length of the storm, it can be hard not to ride it out by staying up all night, eyes wide open, body buzzing as the mind fights that desire to slowly flutter off to dreamland. It is this “fight” with one’s energy that causes us to toss and turn in insomnia.

Rather than toss and turn, I have always used these times as the perfect opportunity to be productive, and most times, I find myself writing about the things that are most important to me. That opportunity does not lend itself only to storms, but includes new moons, full moons, retrogrades, and even eclipses, that can contribute the same seemingly disruptive energy. It amazes me that someone would think that the moon can move large bodies of water to create tides, yet that it could not possibly affect the movement of a human body, which is almost 75% water! There is a reason why emotion and ocean rhyme. It’s to remind us our that lunar connection has an affect on our responses and we have to consider those responses as we move through our daily existence if we want to establish emotional balance.

People reacting through emotional outburst (and we all have those moments) have allowed themselves to be tempered by the vibrations around them. No matter what shakes you up, the fact remains that your energy is still shaken up, and it would behoove you to use that distraction to your advantage, rather than to toss and turn, literally losing sleep over it. Instead, use that energy to your advantage: journalize, color, read--do whatever you need to so that you expend that energy. If you are determined to get back to sleep, then put soft music in your player and tell yourself, by way of personal “suggestion," that this will ease you to sleep.

My late uncle used to say that awareness is everything in life. So, in my best effort to help you become more aware via my study, trial and experience, I have uncovered ways that help me to not only go with the flow during these energetic times, but to direct the current for what lies ahead so that you are aware of the way your energy ebbs and flows. The easiest way to track your progress is to use a calendar and a journal. It doesn’t matter if you keep records on printed paper or if you use your computer. Let your instincts tell you what feels right for you. The idea is to use it faithfully so you have a heads up on the months ahead, so choose something user-friendly. Mark up your calendar with the dates of the moon cycle, retrogrades, eclipses, and anything you read about that would cause an energy shift in our skies (like comets, for instance). Ultimately, this tracking will help you avoid some of the more negative aspects that touch upon our energy. In this way you will be able to understand your own energy and how you, personally, work with the world.

A Personal Update

2011-03-11T10:52:00.014-05:00

I looked up at the calendar and realized that it is already March and I have yet to put a blog post up this year. For those who have been privy, it’s been a personally strange and surreal time for me. My father is up and down in his status in Hospice care and visiting him at the nursing home has become even more of a priority. My visits over the last three years have gone from once a week to twice a week, to almost every day. I have even opened a Facebook fan page for him, and sometimes he interacts, but oftentimes I am posting for him and reading your posts to him. It's called The Jerryatric News because his name is Jerry and he's 90! If you would like to join his page for updates or to send him cheer, please join: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Jerryatric-News/152257188147162

At present time, we are in the midst of “pick a day that’s good and run with it” because “you never know.” We are three months into “you never know” and we still don’t know very much and I didn’t even know what year it was until yesterday. I am literally forced to go with the flow, and am directing the current by finally opening the Center on Tuesday, March 14, for the first time this year.

I look forward to catching up with everyone, and there are exciting products and services coming your way. I have a book coming out soon, video classes, crystal products and jewelry and a new, affordable way to purchase my energy art. Meanwhile, please know that I am very grateful for all the healing thoughts, prayers and positive vibes you have been sending our way. I thank you for Embracing The Universe with us.

A New Year, A Fun Project!

2010-12-31T19:49:00.010-05:00

SAMPLE COLLAGE

As we enter into a New Year and a new decade, it’s important to maintain focus on what we really want to achieve with this “fresh start,” being afforded us. Since the age of 7, my way of doing that has been by creating a collage of words and pictures that represent my wants and goals. The process is empowering and, though I’ve shared it here before, it is worth repeating. I hope you will gather up some time, material, and create a collage to help you embrace 2011.

You will need the following: poster board, scissors, glue and a lot of different magazines, newspapers, and photos.

The size of the collage is up to you. If you are doing this as a project with family, friends or business partners, you might want a larger piece so that everyone in the can participate.

Cut out images and words of what you want to manifest. Be sure to cut out the New Year date, and remember to include a photograph of yourself and your loved ones. I have seen these collages take on a life of their own and I am amazed at how they become a source of comfort and peace. A collage helps us to do more than “go with the flow” of our intentions. It helps us to direct the current so that we arrive at our destination!

Though you can do a collage on any topic: business, health or relationship and at any time, starting the New Year off with one is effective and powerful in setting a positive tone for the months ahead. God bless. Enjoy a Happy, healthy New Year!

The Medium & The Message

2010-10-16T02:04:00.031-04:00

October 14, 2010 marked eleven years since my mother crossed over, and it felt as if that time never went by. Over the course of the past decade, I have opened myself to receiving her guidance in the only way I know how: as a medium. I have always listened carefully and long enough to allow signs to unfold into a single message. I do that for my clients, but it is never so easy to do that for myself. I was determined, though, and remained positive that opening myself and trusting that it was right to do so, would reward me with a special communication with my mother. I wasn’t disappointed.

So often, people move through life missing the signs that create dialog between themselves and their loved ones on the other side. Some never receive the messages they long for, simply because they didn’t take time to relax and listen. With some people it is a matter of faith, and the loss of it. The only way to become aware of those signs and know how to receive them is through the act of faith. My acronym for faith (which I love so much that it is on one of the cards on my Hope Deck) is: Freely Acting In True Harmony. That is what true faith is. To have faith is to have a belief system that there is a Divine source of light (goodness) that inspires you from afar and is there with answers to the questions and emotions you experience while on this earth plane.

I’m sharing a snippet of a scene of the now-canceled Ghost Whisperer with Jennifer Love Hewitt. I used to record the show and see it on the DVR later. This is the opening scene, but before you watch it, allow me to direct those who don’t know me personally, to the signs that make up this particular “message” from Mom.

Jennifer and her husband are helping their son to bury his turtle.Turtle is my animal totem as it is a reference to both my grandmothers: one we called Mertle The Turtle to tease her, and the other (psychic one) actually OWNED a huge turtle that she had on a leash!

I am Italian. The reference is that the turtle is, too.

Turtle’s name is Giovanni – which means John (my late uncle from California)

Palm tree- California.

Good listener: Mom

Finally, my mother’s name: Frances!

This is just one example of how signs are delivered to create a message. I hope it gives you some insight into the messages that are waiting to be delivered to you.

Angels In The Office

2010-08-11T13:35:00.008-04:00

Angels surround us. They fill a lot of space that we think is “empty.” You don’t have to believe in angels to be surrounded by them, but if you do believe, then it’s important to remember to request help, rather than to simply expect help, from the angels. Here is a personal story to illustrate this Divine connection!

In 1996, after years of reading at my home, other peoples’ homes, and psychic fairs that took me to various hotels, I decided to rent an office of my own. I’m not a living-out-of-the-suitcase kind of person, and that is how it begins to feel after sitting in the energy of so many different venues! Each time, I would have to get used to the new space, find a comfy seating arrangement, and spiritually prepare myself, and the room I’d be working in, for the readings to come. This was a good move, and what better person to look for the rental space than my own mother?

“Feels ok,” I heard Mom say, as the landlord escorted us up the stairs to the offices.

He opened the door to an outer office and into a reception area. Inside were three other offices; one already occupied by an attorney who only used the place a couple of days a week. I would have the third floor to myself most of the time, a free waiting room, and a private entrance for my clients.

“Is this place secure?” Mom was still asking questions.

“We have an alarm system that calls to the police, and I will give you the little key to activate it,” he said. “You can’t get in and out of this building without the alarm key.”

That Saturday evening, we stopped by the new space with a coffeemaker and three gold painted angel figurines that belonged to my mother’s late sister. I set up the coffee maker and positioned the three angels across the desk.

“I’ll be sitting in the waiting room if you need me,” Mom said.

A short while later, I turned out the light and slid the doorknob to the lock position. I locked the door, and, before I even realized it, I could “see” the keys still on the desk inside the room! . It was one of those realizations that make you cringe.

“Please tell me you didn’t just leave the keys inside!” Mom rolled her eyes. “Use the spare--.”

“We have no spare and we’re locked in from the outside, and locked out from the inside office.”

“Try your cell phone.” I could sense the tenseness in her voice as it cracked the words.

“We’re in a dead zone and I can’t get a signal.”

“Is that supposed to be funny?” she was now panicking.
“Who would I call, anyway?” I continued. “ I have no number for the landlord and it’s Saturday and no one is working at this hour.”

“What are we going to do?”

“We’re going to start praying, Mom. We both talk about the power of prayer and how we call on the angels for help. Well, now is as good a time as any to have that faith.”

“Angels, please help us.”

“Please open the door for us.” Mom said sweetly. I turned to her and together we said a prayer and waited.

I went over to the door again and gave it a turn. Nothing. I moved back from the door and shrugged. A few minutes passed, and we both heard a click as the door softly swung open! As it did, the tears in my eyes began to spill down to my cheeks. “

"Oh my God! Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

It was at that single moment that Mom and I mutually came upon the profound awareness that we are not alone; that our angels, too, are watching over us.

Maximizing My Crystal Experience

2010-07-06T15:27:00.005-04:00

As many of you know, we hosted Max, the Crystal Skull, at our metaphysical center in the beginning of June, almost eight years after hosting him the first time. Being surrounded by the vibration of such a peaceful, ancient energy only served to remind me that, though the path to peace has been an arduous one, it is still attainable. I also learned that no matter how much we think we know about something, we really only scratch the surface of knowledge. Life is a lesson, after all, and having the rare experience of touching a “wonder of the world” is something that provides a lesson in understanding what peace and love are truly all about. The lesson is simple: by exposing yourself to positive energy you can achieve all that you really desire. This wonderful pre-Mayan artifact provided a well of peace that was worth the experience. I put together this little video to share our collective experiences with you. It was a very powerful weekend and we look forward to next year’s visit!

Click here for the Max video:

A Personal Feature by ©2009 Erica Welner

2010-06-07T16:15:00.014-04:00

You’re looking for a dream catcher, a beaded curtain, a crystal ball in a window—any indicator, really, that the intended destination is near. Driving down Route 22, you are on the alert for a schmaltzy storefront or, failing that, an overpowering whiff of incense that will point you in the direction of this storefront. You are searching for Linda Lauren’s Embracing the Universe Metaphysical Center, and if your eyes are open for a hole-in-the wall abode, you may well pass it by.

Psychic Medium Linda Lauren runs her business from the Smith Williams House on Route 22, a red brick building that appears small beside the modern Asian restaurant constructed along that same stretch of road. The historic house looks as though it should contain a collection of doctors’ offices or law firms and is as unlike a tumbledown New-Age shack as anything you can imagine.

Within its walls, Lauren says, she uses her gifts to advise clients in the areas of “romance and finance,” among others, as well as to contact the dead. Minutes into speaking with her—perhaps after she has correctly intuited your significant other’s birthday or provided you with a detailed, spot-on description of your own personality after 10 seconds—it becomes apparent that Lauren is as far from a stereotypical, phony “psychic” as the Smith Williams House is from a fortune-telling booth on the boardwalk.

Lauren claims to possess psychic and clairvoyant abilities. While many people may wonder, “What would I do if I were psychic?” most never have to definitively answer the question. Lauren, on the other hand, says she does, and she has decided to use her gifts to bring positivity into the lives of those who seek her guidance. Helping others, Lauren asserts, is what she likes most about her job.

“I can teach people how to create a better world for themselves, how they can reach their goals, how they can talk to the other side,” she says. She has had quite a few years to contemplate how to apply her insight: Lauren is fourth-generation, aware of her abilities since childhood when, according to her website, Lauren’s imaginary friends turned out to be deceased relatives making contact from the world beyond. As far as intuitive gifts go, Lauren has hit the jackpot: She says she can discern information about the past, present and future as well as communicate with individuals who have passed on. Such is the benefit of being both a psychic and a medium.
“It’s a way of helping [people] to see guidance they might not see,” she says of sharing her foresight with others. “I’ll give them the tools of meditation, certain ways to be, certain practices that would help them,” Lauren elaborates. “And then I’ll tell them what I see in their future, or in their present that could help their future.

“As for ‘medium,’” she says, “That’s strictly talking to the other side.” For Lauren, mediumship is not a matter of electing to contact the dead—the dead find her, although this reality is not nearly as ominous as it sounds.
“[Mediums] do not see [dead people] like you see them in “The Sixth Sense,” no matter what anybody tells you,” she says. “It is my experience that the dead are “normal people who just want to talk to you. They want to come in and talk. Do you actually think that one of your relatives who passed away…is going to come back as an axe murderer because somebody’s in their house? No!”

That being said, the constant presence of spirits can overwhelm at times.
“As I’m passing down the hallway, I have to be distracted,” Lauren admits, referring to the corridors of her father’s nursing home where she is sure to encounter the deceased. “But nine out of 10 times, I’ll happen to look…and I’ll see the same little old lady that I waved to in a wheelchair, and right behind her is a man standing with his hand on her shoulder.” Lauren says that she will know this man to be the woman’s late husband.

“But I can’t give her a message. I can’t say to her, ‘Oh by the way, Tom’s standing behind you, and he really loves you and he wants you to know everything’s okay.’ I can’t say that.”

However, frequently it is appropriate for Lauren to relay messages from her supernatural sources. Spirits make contact for a variety of reasons and on occasion this psychic medium will get an especially helpful heads-up. She recounts how once, during an audience reading, the spirit of a man came through to give lottery numbers to his sister. She won.

A well-timed psychic vision can likewise change a person’s life, or prevent that life from coming to an abrupt end. Lauren says that, in one early demonstration of psychic ability, she dreamed of a plane crash before it occurred.

“I saw the [flight] number—everything—and I woke up screaming,” she says. Yet the young Lauren dismissed the nightmare, provoking her mother to respond, “‘Linda, nothing in this family is just a dream.’” Lauren remembers that her grandmother had been scheduled to take the flight but canceled her plans in response to her granddaughter’s prophecy. Later, when the aircraft crashed, Lauren’s grandmother was fortunate enough not to be among the fatalities.

A person hoping to similarly keep one step ahead of fate might be interested to know that when he or she sits down with Lauren, the psychic medium may be taking in more than the individual’s checkered pants or daring AstroTurf handbag. Lauren says she sees color emanating from a client’s person. More specifically, she says she tends to see the “panic” within the color, which she later helps to soothe.

“Purple might tell me that you are…trying to work with stress, but by the same token you are in a place where you are open to receiving help,” Lauren explains, leaning forward in her chair. “I might see red, and red would tell me…that you are looking to move on, but that you are having trouble doing it.

“Green might be that you need healing,” she says, adding that this hue could also mean a client’s financial future is looking sunny.

Color, however, is only one of two unusual qualities that Lauren claims to intuit upon meeting someone new. She says the second quality is energy.

“Energy is a vibration. It’s something that you feel,” she describes. When sensing an individual’s energy, Lauren explains, she may momentarily take on that person’s emotional baggage or physical aches and pains. These sensations “don’t stay long,” she says. Nevertheless, be sure to check any flimsy persona you had planned on presenting at the door. Lauren cautions that she can pick up on states of mind “immediately. People can’t hide that from me.”

The psychic medium says that those not born with supernatural abilities still feel the effects of energy: Energy is the uneasy feeling that has you hightailing it out of a seedy club, or the friendly vibe that draws you to a certain store. According to Lauren, seemingly five-sensory individuals can be taught to focus in on positive energies and to avoid negative vibrations.

“Everything has energy, and you have to use it to your advantage,” she says.
Who, exactly, is “you”? Does Lauren have a prototypical client? “Don’t laugh,” she begins, smiling. “I’m going to say it this way, and it is with a sense of humor, okay? A lot of my clients are antsy.

“Finance and romance,” she chuckles. “So that would be the biggest thing—finance and romance—in terms of the guidance aspect.”

Lauren pauses, then notes that since 9/11 requests for contact with the other side have increased. Popular areas of inquiry aside, it’s a grab bag when it comes to the actual clientele. An equal number of men and women seek her counsel, no one age group drops by most often, and a businessman is as likely to pop in as a college student. To anyone expecting a disproportionate number of billowy scarves in the waiting room: Let it be known that you will be disappointed.

Max, The Crystal Skull is back!

2010-05-04T08:58:00.025-04:00

Max The Crystal Skull, will be at Linda Lauren’s Embracing The Universe in Mountainside, NJ - June 11-13, 2010.

908-518-9001 –for information or to book your session.

Sessions with Max:
Private session for 1 person for 30 minutes is $60.00.
Private session with 2-3 people for 30 minutes $40.00 per person.*
*by appointment and availability.

Saturday, June 12, 2010 – 7-9pm
Lecture and Meditation with Max & JoAnn, facilitated by Linda Lauren
$25.00 per person

*Lecture, meditation and group participation to touch Max or have your photo taken with him.

MAX & JoAnn Parks:

Back in December 2002, we had the pleasure to host Max and JoAnn from our home office. Now, over 7 years later, I felt the need to have Max come back and share with us his healing vibration and positive energy of spirit.

Max is one of the thirteen-original crystal skulls known in the world at this time. Authenticated by the British Museum, Max is at least 10,000 years old and weighs 16lbs. Max was found in a tomb in St. Augustine, Guatemala, between 1924 and 1926 and was used by Mayan Priests for healing and prayer.

Norbu Chen studied to be a powerful healer of the Tibetan sect of Red Hat Lamas, and also in Guatemala with Mayan priests, where he came into the presence of Max. Norbu was given this precious skull when he left the Mayans to continue on his path as a healer. His travels took him to Houston, Texas, where he started a healing foundation. The crystal skull sat on his altar as a healing and spiritual tool.

It was during this time that JoAnn and Carl Parks met Norbu Chen through their family medical doctor when their twelve-year-old daughter, Diana, was dying of bone cancer. JoAnn ended up working for the Norbu and the foundation for many years. Before he died, he gave Max to the Parks with no explanation except that someday when the time was right, they would know what the crystal skull was all about.

After many years, communication from the skull told JoAnn of his name and his desire to assist humanity by direct experience. Now JoAnn travels with MAX across the country and around the world, providing this experience to all who are called. Many who have been in the presence of Max and the other original crystal skulls feel a profound sense of healing and awareness.

An ancient legend tells of thirteen life-size crystal skulls. According to the ancient teaching, one day all of the true ancient crystal skulls will be re-discovered and brought together for their collective wisdom to be made available, but the human race must first be sufficiently evolved, both morally and spiritually, so as not to abuse this great power and knowledge. No one knows if this ancient legend is true. However, one-day mankind may find out.

Max the crystal skull, is known nationally and internationally. In 1996, Max was researched by the British Museum in conjunction with the BBC Network and Everyman Productions, where a documentary ‘Skull Trek: The Journey of the Crystal Skulls’ was produced based on the authentication process of Max and other crystal skulls. This aired on the A&E Network, and the Discovery Channel. Max has been seen in movies including ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’. He was featured on the Travel Channel on a show called "Top 10 Mysteries" and a national show called "Strange Universe". He has done a documentary for Japan and the Spanish Channel, and has been featured in the news, many newspaper articles, books, and videos world wide.

For a private session with Max or to attend the Saturday night lecture, please call 908-518-9001.

Photo credits: Max The Crystal Skull - (c)2002 Linda Lauren

A Visit To Houdini's Grave - Was I pushed? You decide!

2010-04-26T10:55:00.031-04:00

Houdini, Harry (1874–1926), U.S. magician and escape artist; born in Hungary; born Erik Weiss. In the early 1900s, he became known for his ability to escape from all kinds of bonds and containers, from prison cells to aerially suspended straitjackets.

I have long had a fascination with Houdini as an entertainer, and later, as a man who (rightfully) debunked some very famous so-called “mediums” in the days when spiritualism was all the rage in the parlors of the United States and Europe. I championed him for unmasking so many of those that preyed on the loss and misfortunes of others. And I felt sad for him as I followed his plight to communicate and receive a message from his own mother on the side.

Over the years, I have collected memorabilia and read a great deal about his life, and one thing I always wanted to do was to visit Houdini’s grave. Not because I’m a medium, as I usually stay clear of cemeteries because I know the dead are not there. (But that is another story for another blog). I wanted to go because it held the spiritual energy of another time and place. The Society of Magicians had a beautiful emblem made, along with a statue bust of Houdini to mount on top of it. Just like Jim Morrison’s grave in Paris, the bust has been stolen by zealous (or jealous) fans a couple of times and not replaced.

Houdini and his entire family are buried in MachPelah Cemetery in Jamaica Queens, a desolate area of blocks and blocks of cemeteries. This one has been closed down for over 20 years and it is certainly not a place I would go to alone, not as a medium or a woman. I didn’t know anyone else who was shared my passion. Then along came my friend, Steve. It was during a reading with me that Steve mentioned his own long fascination with the great escape artist. We were amazed to have known each other fourteen years and never once had either of us mentioned Houdini. I told him Houdini was an Aries, like me. We laughed and Steve offered to take me on the visit to Queens.

There were several signs from spirit once we were on our way, one was especially attention getting. In the middle of the ride, the keys literally flew out of the ignition while we were driving and landed between my feet on the passenger’s seat. The vehicle, btw, was still moving!

As we neared the rows of cemeteries with stones that spread out for miles, I could feel myself getting a little queasy, nervous, and excited. We had to pull off of the main street and into a carriage port circa 1800s and I was begging Steve to stop his pick up truck and turn around. It was overwhelming and unnerving and I could feel my head spin. I began to walk around with the video camera too soon. As you will see in the video, Steve comes around to help me. I am talking and trying to make light of how frightened I am by the energy I’m experiencing. As we move into the gravesite, Steve notices Houdini’s mother’s plaque. Not only was Houdini, my sign, but also it turns out that Steve discovered something about himself and Houdini’s mother!

I draw in for a close up with the camera so I can show all of you what Steve and I discovered and all of a sudden I have no control of the camera. As you will see, just before the end of the video clip, I am asking what is going on. Right after that moment, I felt people whispering all round me, close to my ears, and I felt a hand both push and pull me just before I took a nosedive into the monument steps. My fall was almost in slow motion.

I was lucky to escape serious injury and had to see the doctor to make sure. When I look back on the incident, I believe Houdini’s mother was trying to make her presence known to the first medium to visit there in a long time. Much of that cemetery has spirit lingering and it came as no surprise to me that she would reach out. Perhaps what I experienced is the residual energy of a mother who, even long after she is reunited with her son on the other side, still attempts to communicate with him.

Creating A Positive Vibe With Your Energy

2010-04-09T13:54:00.004-04:00

Linda Lauren’s Energy Art™ is a reading of the colors of energy of people, places and objects, as it relates to the aura. When certain colors are intuitively combined together with intention, they create a specific energy for a desired result, like healing, harmony or money. Think of an aura photo and its array of colors. Now imagine those colors have a movement and a purpose that is designed to create an uplifting mood. Do you want prosperity? Romance? Good health? Harmony? Peace? You can do that via the vibration and translation of colors that, as a Medium, I read for you and visually express for you.

I have discovered a unique process of breathing life into spirit by way of this new artwork. Each picture is accompanied by a translation to explain what the colors mean to you, as well as the purpose they serve.

Invite prosperity and abundance
Reduce stress
Stimulate creativity
Encourage love and cooperation
Enhance your own energy, and the energy of those around you.
Heal body, mind and spirit
Promote harmony
Stimulate dreaming
Enjoy restful sleep
Embrace peace and love.

Let Color Therapy work for you through my reading of your colors. Call me to learn more about this treat for the spirit!

Note: the artwork above hangs in my Reading Room at our Center in Mountainside, NJ. It is called Making The Connection and it represents my communication with what is above (the other side ) with what is below (this side and the living.) The blue that runs across it denotes communication and the purple and white represent my mission and my work. This piece holds a very spiritual feel when seen up close, in person.

How the Jewelry We Wear Can Help Us

2010-04-09T11:52:00.010-04:00

A while ago, I had to run an errand to my local pharmacy to pick up a prescription. I headed out in the morning so that I would not have to wait in a long line. I arrived to find only one person ahead of me, a beautiful, middle-aged woman in corporate dress. She was leaning in toward the pharmacist and telling him that she was feeling extremely balanced that day.

“I’m amazed at how grounded I am,” I heard her say. “I just don’t know why today is different.”

As often happens with me, I have an intense desire to furnish people with metaphysical facts and/or helpful information that will clarify questions and guide them in a positive direction. Knowledge is power, no matter what it is or where it stems from. I took a very quick ‘read’ on the jewelry she was wearing and immediately found why she felt so grounded. Dangling from each ear was a Hematite earring. Hematite is a very dark gray stone with a shiny finish and is known for its grounding of our spiritual energy to the reality of our daily routine. It is an excellent stone to keep beside your computer as it draws in radiation.

Every piece of jewelry you wear carries a vibration. That vibration is enhanced by the energetic properties of the stone or mineral it is set into. A diamond ring set in gold would represent innocent power and purity of heart, it will ground us to being powerful on a more practical level. It embraces happiness and clarity. When set in silver it works with that energy and will allow more power in communication and help us feel more hopeful.

Turquoise is a gemstone I often see worn as a necklace or a ring. With an origin seeping in Native American tradition, it is known as a truth stone and a powerful sacred stone. It helps with spiritual healing and communication skills and absorbs negativity.

One of the most useful ways to connect to the energy of what jewelry to wear that would benefit you is to relate it to your birth month. We all have a birthstone, and each metaphysical meaning is explained below. There are several schools of thought: Traditional, Modern and Mystical. For our intents and purposes I am focusing on the Traditional gemstones.

BIRTHSTONES (Traditional)

January is Garnet- all about friendship and trust. When set in a ring and given as a gift it promotes a strong bond between the gift and the giver. Good for those who wish to embrace understanding regarding a single topic.

February is Amethyst – connects you to the intuitive energy within you and accelerates the process of clear thinking. Good stone for writers and for people who are working through addictions.

March – Aquamarine – Back in days of old, this stone was one to guarantee a safe voyage. The serenity of aquamarine can cool off the temper so one remains level headed.

April – Diamond – representative of innocence and power, this gemstone draws abundance in terms of happiness and success in all areas of one's life. The diamond helps with clarity of vision.

May – Emerald- has much to do with rebirth and starting over. It has long been known to carry foresight and good fortune. Good for the immune system and to increase intuitive abilities

June – Pearl- allows you to be in tune with emotion and absorbs thoughts both positive and negative. Though it can be soothing, if you are agitated and negative while wearing a pearl, it will hold that energy until cleansed.

July – Ruby – beneficial to the eyes and to promote blood sugar balance, this is a stone of great joy and love. You will always have physical energy and financial prosperity with this stone.

August – Peridot – used for health and wealth, this gemstone assists us in relationships. Known as a visionary stone, it alleviates depression and anxiety and allows us to discover our purpose.

September – Sapphire – used for, inspiration, spiritual prayer and devotion, It works as an antidepressant and soothes inflammation. It is a very calming gemstone.

October – Opal – creates spontaneity and helps with emotional states. Also stimulates visualization and the imagination and activates dreams.

November - Yellow Topaz- this is a stone of mental clarity, focus, and confidence. Helps mood swings, insomnia, depression and exhaustion, turning them around to create a warm feeling.

December - Blue Topaz – offers creative expression and is fantastic for writers and publishers as it helps to focus on your path. It will help you inspire spiritual compassion.

Remember that all crystals and gemstones carry a vibration, and you want that vibration to emit positive energy to you when you wear them. Before you put your next piece of jewelry on, give yourself a moment to investigate it and why you may be wearing it.

I tell my clients to ask themselves this question: Will the jewelry I’m wearing help me move through the tasks ahead of me for that day? Sit quietly for a few moments after you have your accessories on and let the energy speak to you. Allow yourself some quiet moments to gather a sense of companionship with the pieces you have chosen. If something feels “off,” then remove one piece of jewelry. Perhaps your watch, a ring, or a bracelet is interfering with the energy you want to create for your day. By process of elimination and experience, you will learn to enhance and embrace a personal vibration that makes you feel complete and at peace.

Chimes & Signs - A personal story

2010-03-05T14:32:00.015-05:00

Today’s blog comes from an email I received from Carol, a client and friend. She asked that I share my answer with everyone.

Dear Linda:

This morning I was sitting here at my desk and I heard chimes, like the sound of wind chimes. It wasn't a faint sound...I thought it was pretty distinctive. I turned around and asked my co-worker if she has heard them and she looked at me as if I were crazy. Apparently, she had not heard the same thing that I did.

Doesn't that mean something when you hear wind chimes? Is someone trying to contact me from the other side? I looked online but I could only find people that had heard wind chime sounds in their sleep so I thought I would ask the expert.What do you think? - Carol

Hey Carol,

Chimes are an indication that your angels, guides or loved ones are around you and are simply making their presence known. It should always be seen as a sign of comfort, but it is not necessarily a sign of a specific message. Think of “chimes” or even the sound of bells as someone on the other side is announcing themselves at your “door.” Though many times we don’t always answer the door, you can always count on the sound being a welcomed visitor and not one to fear. Chimes never represent strangers; they represent someone who is familiar to us in spirit.

I have heard many stories over the years, and heard many experiences regarding chimes and bells. In fact, if you are familiar with the Frank Capra movie, “It’s A Wonderful Life,” you will note the scene where little Juju is in her father’s arms at the end of the movie. Someone puts money in the cash register and you hear the tinkling sound when the register drawer opens and closes. Little Juju says, and I paraphrase: “Look, Daddy, Teacher says whenever you hear a bell ring an angel gets its wings!” I was brought up on those promises, and in my family, when we hear chimes, we “know” that we are in the presence of divine guidance and it is usually followed by a validation of some kind.

For instance, I lost my godmother awhile back, and I was at the hospital when she drew her last breath. I stood beside her sister (no relation) and out of all the people in the room, we were the only ones who could attest to seeing a mist rise from my aunt’s body at the moment of death. We never really discussed it with anyone, however, when we met at the funeral home, she had an interesting story to share. She told me that when my aunt was alive, she and my aunt were so close that they were in contact every day at around noon. When they would take a break for lunch, my aunt would call her. They always touched base. Well, after my aunt died, her sister shared with me that she had been hearing the chimes in the backyard ring every day, with no wind, at noontime, and that she felt comforted by the fact that my aunt was still stopping by to see her.

Most people who come to the Center for a reading know that there are chimes in my reading room. Long after the battery is dead, they will chime at very appropriate moments during a reading. The experience is extremely heart-warming! In fact, it’s the reason I have chimes also ringing on the opening page of my web site and on our iApp “The Vibe.” It’s my way of acknowledging the guidance of spirit.

So, spirit is communicating when you hear chimes. Embrace them and put yourself in a quiet place so that you can be mindful to what they may be saying.

How Tweet It Could Be!

2010-02-13T18:35:00.009-05:00

I am convinced that no one is really on Twitter, and that it is entirely automated. Auto- messages, auto-follow, auto-answers. There is no communication, just the moving of, for the most part, useless, information designed to make other people rich. Out of over 1,000 people who follow me on Twitter, there are less than a handful who bother to take a stab at actual conversation. Most tweets are talking at me, not to me and certainly not with me.

People who read this will most likely tell me that I don’t “get” Twitter and don’t understand this form of social media. Maybe…and maybe not. However, as a psychic medium I do understand communication and I am more than aware of how to receive and deliver messages. I do it every day as a medium. Those messages come from a place that is a lot more difficult to reach, and yet those messages get delivered and they ultimately change lives for the better. So, how can we get Twitter to do that for us? Join me and let's make a change. After all, as @wisekaren tweeted:

“FB (Facebook) is for people you used to know; Twitter is for people you’d like to know.”

I'd like to get to really know all of you.

Follow me on Twitter....

Shifting Into Awareness

2010-02-08T14:14:00.006-05:00

I am often asked to comment on the state of things in the world and of the universe. For a long time now I have been experiencing a transitional feeling to the vibrations around us. A major shirt in universal awareness is taking place and we are at a time in history that affords us the opportunity to actually create change. But it’s not going to be up to bodies of government or religious leaders to embrace this new awareness. The only way it can be embraced is through the contributions of each person individually. It is first and foremost about your existence in this world and of this universe.

In order to move with the shift that is taking place, we need to observe this energy and, rather than simply “go with the flow,” we have to remember to be involved in directing the current. When we do, we actively pursue the positive vibrations we want to embrace. For it is only through positive awareness that a good life is created.

We are at a global crossroads and we need to empower ourselves through action that moves us forward. Anything that is negative is a movement back. Reality television shows are a perfect example of the kind of negativity I am writing about. They are far from reality because they are still “scripted” and edited for how they impact an audience. If true “reality” were to be displayed on television it would make for boring, rating-less TV. So instead of having some wonderful writers pen compelling drama or comedic entertainment, we have people who are clueless to what entertainment is all about

Let me zero in on the problem in one word: anger. I have never seen so much hate where there should be love, or disgust where there should be compassion, or pain where there should be healing. That has to change with person to person in order for us to raise the vibration around us so that we are establishing energy that will move us along the correct path. Each path is different for each person, and no two people will do the same thing in the same way. That is where guidance comes in, and if I can impart one major insight to you today, it would be to follow your truth without anger. By the very virtue of the Law of Attraction you are only going to create more of the same. You don’t have to believe me. Just try a little test of your own sometime. Tomorrow morning, get up and smile when you want to frown. Count to ten before you “react.” See what feelings resonate with you.

Most importantly, make an appointment with yourself and go within and meditate. Seek to create a response to life instead of a reaction. When we meditate we respond with reason. When we don’t, we react with emotion. We all have a choice. Choose to direct your life towards the most good it can do you and you will be embracing energy that will change the world around you, too.

Meditate. Smile. And turn off the news for a while. Get only the headlines. As to reality TV, don’t let them teach you by example. It’s an example based on ego and instant fame at anyone’s expense. And when we use EGO, we are Edging God Out.

PEACE PILGRIM - An American Sage

2010-01-05T14:37:00.031-05:00

PEACE PILGRIM - 1908-1981

If you are a member of my Facebook fan page,you will have noticed that I have been quoting a lot from someone named Peace Pilgrim. If you’ve never heard of her, it’s time you did. An important American Sage, she embraced peace and she was, and continues to be, a beacon of spiritual light.

As it says on the web site created in her name:

From 1953 to 1981 a silver haired woman calling herself only "Peace Pilgrim" walked more than 25,000 miles on a personal pilgrimage for peace. She vowed to "remain a wanderer until mankind has learned the way of peace, walking until given shelter and fasting until given food." In the course of her 28 year pilgrimage she touched the hearts, minds, and lives of thousands of individuals all across North America. Her message was both simple and profound. It continues to inspire people all over the world:

"This is the way of peace: overcome evil with good,and falsehood with truth, and hatred with love."Peace Pilgrim

Enjoy this special hour documentary, and may she move you toward positive awareness, as she has moved myself and so many others.

PEACE PILGRIM, AN AMERICAN SAGE

The New Year Collage-A "resolutionary" Idea!

2009-12-29T18:01:00.008-05:00

SAMPLE COLLAGE - 2005

As we move into a new year and a new decade, it is the power of our intentions that will drive the energy we want to attract to us. When it comes to succeeding, intention is everything. The actions that accompany those intentions should be clear and concise so that you create movement forward. By the very nature of the Universal Law of Attraction, this kind of preparation for the future will make it easier to fulfill the promises and goals you set for yourself.

Each New Years Day, I get together with family and friends to create something ongoing and interactive by making a collage of what I want to accomplish for the year. The collage allows you to project visual intentions for the future that will encourage you to make the desired changes in your life.

You will need poster board, scissors, glue and a lot of different magazines, newspapers, and photos. (Start collecting the magazines and inspirational words during the year, as this will kick-start this type of project). The size of the collage is up to you. If you are doing this as a family project, you might want a larger piece so that everyone in the family can participate. Cut out images and words of what you want to manifest. Be sure to cut out the New Year date, and remember to include a photograph of yourself and your loved ones. I have seen these collages take on a life of their own and I am amazed at how they become a source of comfort and peace. A collage helps us to do more than “go with the flow” of our intentions. It helps us to direct the current!

Though you can do a collage on any topic: business, health or relationship and at any time, starting the New Year off with one is a positive move in the right direction.

The Chain Gang

2009-11-24T10:23:00.006-05:00

Chain, Chain, Chain…

Every year, at this time especially, I am inundated with emails that are “chain letters that should not be broken,” because they promise that if you “break the chain” you will have bad luck or you will not get whatever wonderful thing these chain letters claim to promise. So, they expect you to infiltrate your address book and dump these chain letters by forwarding them to “people you care about,” as one letter boasts. Well, it is because I do care about those people on my address book that I don’t send them this piece of intrusive mail, and instead, file it in my Trash or bounce it back to the sender. (This includes the chain letters that say "this is not a chain letter..!")

Chain letters are fear based. They feed upon the instinct of desire in a way that prevents one from being open to the very “gifts” the so-called chain letter promises. Trust me when I tell you that if you don’t send the chain letter to five friends, nothing bad will happen to you, except you might get a computer virus (for those with PCs, anyway) and infect your whole list.

Chain letters just promise more chain letters. I would much rather use the Universal Laws of Attraction and Abundance in a more positive manner, so that it benefits rather than detracts from my intention for a better life.

Nothing will happen to you by sending or not sending a chain letter. The most that will happen is you might lose some friends and a great deal of time forwarding mail, rather than manifesting what you want in life.

Blessings…count them…you have many, but you won’t find them in a mass-emailed chain letter.

HEALING FROM WITHIN

2009-10-24T17:43:00.014-04:00

You heal the body and mind by administering to the spirit. It sounds simplistic when you speak it aloud, but the strength behind this statement is a clear indication of where true healthcare lies. It lies in our own hands.

Illness is usually treated for the symptom, sometimes the physical or mental cause is actually discovered, but rarely is the spiritual cause recognized, defined or even addressed.

If your mind is troubled, you might see a therapist. If your body is in pain, you would most likely seek out a doctor. These two experienced professionals of the field of mind and body will forge together to try to help put you back together and ultimately ‘heal’ you.

So, it’s safe to say that body and mind are covered, but what about Spirit? We hear the phrase often in healing that it is “important to keep the patient’s spirits up” for full recovery. But who is doing that, and do they realize how important it is to integrate the recovery of spirit into the one of mind and body?

Spirit is defined as the essence of our being, the light within us that allows us the emotion of sad, happy, or bad, good. It is how we treat our spirit and how we allow our spirit to be treated that decides whether we are healthy, happy and well adjusted.

Chances are that the issue you have of the mind and body are the result of a direct hit on your spirit because it was in a weakened state. There was no one to take you full circle and connect the spirit with the body and the mind. There are many practitioners of the spirit you can seek out and avenues of healing that will act to help guide the healing of the spirit.

The artwork above is part of my Linda Lauren's Energy Art™ and the vibration it embraces is one of deep healing for overall prosperity. Having something so powerful in positive intention is an example of a way to heal the spirit.

Only through the integration of the healing of spirit with that of the body and mind, can true healing take place. Your spirit is in your hands, integrate it into your healing process by administering to its nourishment and including it in your personal health care plan.

WE’VE GOT THE SPIRIT IN US!

2009-09-29T17:51:00.006-04:00

I am excited to write this today because it is about how group meditation is a vehicle for sharing love and energy, and how it can not only raise the vibration in a room, but it can raise spirit as well!

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending an invitation-only event given by Karen Robinovitz of Purple Lab in NYC. Her events are usually in line with spirit and this one was no different. Each guest was treated to yoga and meditation that was facilitated by Libby Weintraub, and afterward I embraced the group by doing readings as they sat in a peaceful circle.

The energy that emerges when collectively meditating with a group of people is truly a magical experience of soft, loving vibrations at its highest intensity. We were blessed with the inclusion of The Didge Project, to provide our meditative music. The didgeridoo is an amazing instrument used in healing, meditation and music, and promotes peaceful harmony. At the very end of the meditation, we took a short break, and listened as the didgeridoo sound continued in our circle. At a certain point, my business partner, Susan Dolinko, got up from the circle and took some pictures to share on the Internet.

The photo above is the result--an amazing display of what happens when spirit surrounds us in peace and love and embraces us in the lavender light. That is not dust, reflection or even moisture that you are looking at. It is the color of spirit and energy generated by a group of like-minded people who enjoyed every metaphysical moment.

We had the spirit in us that night…and I, for one, am grateful.

Managing Mercury In Retrograde

2009-09-08T15:11:00.006-04:00

I am so tired of people stressing out and running scared because someone told them we were in “mercury retrograde” and that somehow is negative. We don’t have negative planets; we have negative people who use the planets as a great excuse for negative thinking, and in some cases, even negative behavior. My mother always said for every down there is an up, so let’s clear the decks, and get a better understanding of this phenomena and how best to flow with it.

Mercury is the planet governing communication, transportation and truth. When it is in “retrograde” it’s movement appears to be streaming backward in the skies, and that backward intention affects all forms of communication: whether that be via computer or person to person. Just because there are more misunderstandings and bad judgment calls made during Mercury Retrograde periods than any other time, does not mean that Mercury is singularly responsible. I am beginning to suspect an uncomfortable pattern. By the very virtue of the Universal Law of Attraction, many people are actually encouraging the frustration experienced during this time, rather than working with the blessings of it.

Breaking it down:
Don’t sign contracts or commit anything in writing, or any other important agreement papers while Mercury is Retrograde.

Back up your computer files regularly because Mercury wreaks havoc with any form of technology, whether that is a computer or a toaster oven. Keep that in mind.

Avoid travel when Mercury is Retrograde, and if you can’t, then give yourself a lot of extra time and confirm your itinerary several times and check all reservations.

Be extra mindful of your words. Be clear and concise about what you are conveying or need and not make or take things to a personal level. Even the most innocent requests can take on total miscommunication with neither side thinking they were wrong.

Favored activities when Mercury is in Retrograde: editing, revising, reviewing, research relaxing, and regrouping. Cleaning out clutter, organizing and catching up on paperwork are highly favored during this time.

Now, take a nice, slow deep breath. (link here) and take a little 60 second breather as you begin to go with the flow, while directing the current to make this the positive that a Mercury Retrograde should be.

Embracing Products: Huge Lips Skinny Hips

2009-08-03T14:51:00.008-04:00

Every once in a while I like to look into the market of products out there for health and beauty and give an assessment of a product I feel benefits the body, mind and spirit as a whole. Most of you know that my company’s motto is “Embracing the Universe from the heart...to the whole.” Today, I want you to embrace Huge Lips Skinny Hips by PurpleLab.

I’ve had the pleasure to know product creatrix, Karen Robinovitz, and her partner-in-crime, husband Todd Cuso, since about 2004. In fact, it was at a dinner for a book party that I “saw” her wearing an engagement ring before she was engaged! I was happy to discover that not only did they get married (that validation is a pleasure) but also that they gave birth to a company and delivered their first offspring!

Huge Lips Skinny Hips lip-plumping gloss brings new innovation to the marketplace by offering a healthy solution to plumping up thin lips without the sting of medication or surgery. But that’s only half of the story. The metaphysician in me was attracted the impressive ingredients. It contains Hoodia, an appetite suppressant; Meadow Foam, which is known to bind moisture to the skin; and Lemon Peel Oil, to offer a cool and soothing feeling. The thoughtful inclusion of Vitamin B3 is a healthy means of stimulating blood flow to the lips. Purple Lab’s unique chemistry blend creates an efficient and fun product that aims to make you feel good. Any product that makes you feel good is a metaphysical marvel because it means it has the potential to make one embrace good vibrations.

Some of the shades available run from a nude to a reddish, and all are subtly pleasing to the senses: Kitty Poledancer, Love Your Thighs, Lychee Martini, No Panty Lines, Red Sole and Worship Kate. Retails at $20.00.

As a personal side note, I purchased Kitty Poledancer, and I have to say that I enjoyed wearing it and noticed a difference in my lips. It tingled only a little, as it smoothed out thin lines and my lips remained moist longer. The taste was on the order of berries, and I definitely found my hunger pangs go away for a brief time, if I licked my lips just prior to lunchtime!

You can learn more about Huge Lips Skinny Hips by visiting Purple Lab’s sexy, sultry home on the web at http://www.purplelabnyc.com

A Ghost Story or Time Travel? You Decide...

2009-07-19T18:52:00.014-04:00

We drove to my friend Todd’s house in Mountainside late one night, the car taking the curves slowly as we made our way through the reservation. The night was warm with lots of stars in the evening sky. It was just getting dark and I was glad that my friend, Sue, was driving. Our dogs panted happily in the back seat and I fiddled with the radio, just as we turned to head up Todd’s street.

“What’s going on up ahead?” I asked as I trained my eyes on the group milling around the entrance to Todd’s driveway. “What’s with all the people? What do you think happened?”

There was a spotlight on up ahead. No painted dividing line in the road, and the area seemed more woods-like than I remembered it. A man in long sleeve blue pajamas, with stripes, was talking and gesturing with his hands to the woman beside him. She was short and dressed in white. A nurse, I thought. The group looked like they were waiting for something. Had something happened? I felt as if something had. The man turned to face the street and I could see he had short brown hair that was parted on the side.

I didn't recognize anyone. I turned toward Sue.

“Pull up.” I turned back to the window and pointed, but the people were suddenly gone. In a flash…poof! “What?”

“Linda, there is nobody there. What were you seeing?” Sue pulled the car into Todd’s driveway and we got out to join him inside the house.

I recounted what I had seen and said that I felt it had to do with an incident that happened in the area many years before. My reading on it was that there was no paved road and it was not as developed, but more rural. The man I saw was in pajamas and barefoot, and the scene of a fire sprang to mind. He was waiting for help while his house went up in flames. There was no line in the road because this was before 1940, and I feel they were milling around to wait for the fire department to arrive. The man was gesturing as he retold what happened to him to his nurse, as I am sure he was a patient of some kind. Or at the very least, under a doctor’s care.

Was this vision a past experience, which means they were ghosts? Or was this a vision of parallel time and the people I was seeing re-enacting a scene that happened in their lives in the spot where the memory of it is strongest?

I’ve yet to decide. Have you?
Send me your comments.

Another Glimpse....

2009-07-06T22:54:00.032-04:00

I try to visit my father, who is in a nursing home, at least once a week. Now that the weather has been nicer, I'm able to take him outside in the courtyard so that he can see our two little dogs and play with them. As I often did, I walked down the hallway, took a couple of turns to the left and headed toward his room to fetch him in his wheelchair. But, on this recent visit, he wasn't in or near his room. I checked the lunch room and the hallways. No Pop. I inquired at the nurses station where he might be. They told me he was most likely watching a movie on the second floor (Amazing that my father is "lost" and no one in charge knows where he is!)

I punched the elevator button and waited for it to come down. One of the residents of the home stood beside me. She was wearing a long-sleeved Minnie Mouse sweatshirt and a pair of black stretchy pants. Her hair was short, curly, thick and silvery, her lips painted a deep red.

"Nice bag," She surveyed me up and down and smiled.

"Thank you."

Her hand reached out to touch the beads. "Where'd you get it? Must have been expensive. I would sure like to have that bag."

"I got it at The Mall," I answered while inching away from her.

"What mall?"

"Short Hills."

"I want the bag," she insisted.

"You can't have the bag."

"Give me the bag!" She reached out.

The doors swung open and she quickly moved away, pressing her back against the wall as a young orderly joined us in the elevator. I smiled at the orderly and said hello, but the old woman did not say anything else. As soon as the doors opened again, I flew out of the building to the parking lot and the safety of my car. It's not uncommon to find mentally unstable people in nursing homes. This sweet little old lady might not be able to control her reactions to things, and could do some damage. I kept this in the back of my mind and promised to do my best to avoid her in the future.

I noticed on my next visit that there were no signs of "the Bag Lady" as I referred to her. However, I did run into the orderly again and stopped her in the hallway.

"I haven't seen the woman who was in the elevator with us. I hope she is OK."

She looked confused. "I don't understand."

"The old woman," I explained, "the one who was in the elevator with me when you got on.

"There was no one but you and me in the elevator."

"There was a woman and she wanted my bag."

"Describe her." She folded her arms across her chest and closed her eyes as if to envision the details to make a proper ID.

"Short, silvery hair, very thick. She was wearing a Disney sweatshirt and black sweat pants..."

"That's Minnie."
"Yes, the mouse on her shirt was Minnie--"

"No, I mean her name was Minnie."

"Was?"

"Yes. She passed away last month."

SORRY, CHARLIE!

2009-07-02T10:54:00.004-04:00

Last night I did a telephone reading for an out-of-state client. The reading was moving right along when I suddenly felt an“energy” (spirit) enter the room. I knew it was a male and he immediately made me smile. I asked the client, “Who is Charlie? I think he’s here.” She explained that Charlie was the name of her brother who passed away. That validation opened up the door, so to speak, to communicate with him. I “felt” him laughing and smiling and being quite the jovial one! However, he soon turned into a very “merry” prankster!

I often tell my clients that one of the major signs that indicate the other side is with us, are electrical: lights flashing, phones ringing with no one on the other end, chimes sounding from nowhere, etc. You get the idea!

The moment my client acknowledged who Charlie was, the phone went dead. I went to my recent calls listing and redialed her number. Instead of getting my client, I got a recording telling me how to get my incoming messages! Though it was frustrating, it made sense because the other side was trying to send a message and wanted me to know that was the case. I tried to get my client back on the phone three times, three different ways, and each time, I got the same recording. So, I turned to spirit and said, “Ok, Charlie. Got it. I know you are here. Now let me get your sister back on the phone so I can finish up her reading.”

The next time I dialed, she picked up the phone. I explained to her that I felt it was Charlie playing with us. She confirmed his prankster ways. In fact, as I write this in my home office, every time I type his name, the lights flicker!

We finished up the reading and after hanging up; I leaned over to check my email and heard a male voice sending “commands” on everything I did. If I clicked the email icon it would say, “Email open.” No matter what I touched, the male voice came on in command. And to make matters more frustrating, the volume could not be turned up or down, no matter what I did! I would have “told” Charlie that this was unacceptable, however, I know better…because when you ask spirit, in frustration, to stop (or you yell at them) you can be sure that will only escalate your problem with them.

I asked my business partner, Sue, to come up to my office and see where I would turn off the commands, and she kept asking, “Why are they even on?” I rolled my eyes. She understood immediately and went downstairs to spray the house with our cleansing spray and double dose it with sage smudge right after. When she returned, we went through the motions of finding what was activated, so that I could return my computer to normal, rather than paranormal. As we went through the list of voice activation, we noticed that most of my system preferences there that had been unchecked were now checked! It took about an hour, and I turned off the computer for the night.

The next morning, I started my day with email and all seemed right with the world...until I tried to turn down the music volume. It not only would not go down, but strange looking frames surrounded all my folders and my screen kept freezing. Frustrated, I begged him to please stop, and then called Sue again. We discovered yet another change on the computer. So, I asked Charlie to return control to me. I told him his family loved him and to move along in peace. I heard one word in my ear, spoken clearly and firmly, in a male’s voice: “Write!”

So, here it is. Sorry, Charlie, that it took me so long to get that message, and thank you for coming through to deliver it. For that, I am very grateful.

I See Dead People…

2009-06-24T13:34:00.010-04:00

“I see dead people” … is one of the most repeated lines to come out of a paranormal movie. It ranks way up there with “They’re heeeeeeere,” from the movie, Poltergeist.

The first reference is to The Sixth Sense, a worthy story until I “see” what they claim he “sees,” and I realize how little progress we have made in the entertainment industry in understanding more about what they are representing. If they did, they would have far more interesting tales to tell that would be remarkably more entertaining and “scary” simply because they depict some of what really happens when one “sees” the other side. Too often, the writers are writing what they think they know, when, in actuality, they are merely rehashing what has already been done, wrong, over the years.

In the movies, they never look like your mother or your father, your uncle, your sister your brother, your cousin. They never look like the people you love—the people they really are. And that is one of the most troublesome things I find about movies that depict my profession. I know that these movies are made for entertainment value, but they also instill a false persona as to what people are like on the other side. People don’t die and become ghoulish. They also don’t “stay” or “live” where they are buried. They are spirit energy and energy does not die.

The spirits I see are your average grandpa in suspenders, grandma in her jewelry. Sometimes I see just their surroundings and only feel their energy. It’s like someone came into the room, but they are hiding just beyond my vision and will reveal themselves when (and, most important, IF) they have a message to be delivered.

The biggest misconception about what I do, is that I have some strange “psychic power.” That one makes me both cringe and smile at the same time. Like I have this strange weird thing inside me that makes me be able to do things beyond human ability.. What I have, that may be very different than someone else, is an awareness with that goes beyond normal connections and creates an ability to communicate.

How can you do what I do? Well, first you would have to be born into my family! But, most of all, it’s really quite simple: you MEDITATE, faithfully, every single day, at least twice a day. That simple act of going within on a regular basis will create a pattern of awareness that will allow you to be open enough to “hear” those on the other side, be they angels, guides or loved ones.

I created a guided meditation CD called Graceful Meditations… to help with this process. It can be obtained at our Embracing The Universe Metaphysical Center or Amazon.com. (Unfortunately, blogger.com will not allow me to do the link right now).

I wish you love and blessings and happy meditations that connect you with the messages you are meant to receive.

Yes…I do see dead people, and communicate with them. You can, too.

I'm forever reading...Bubbles!

2009-06-15T13:38:00.015-04:00

This is a photo of me and Grandma Anna, 1955.
My introduction into reading by way of color and energy happened quite innocently. I was three years old, and we were living across the street from my very psychic grandmother. I remember the day very clearly. My mother had taken me across the street for my grandmother to watch me while my mom went to work in her job as a telephone operator (back when we had live people answering the calls!)

Mom held my hand tightly as we crossed the street. We ran up the steps of Grandma Anna’s small house and through the open screen door, which Mom closed behind us.

“I’ll see you soon,” she said, kneeling to address me. “Be a good girl for Grandma.”

I walked down the foyer to her parlor and sat down on the sofa, the plastic seat cover sticking to my legs as my dress rode up behind me. I sat like this for about five minutes before Grandma came out from behind the curtained off room that was her bedroom. We did not often communicate verbally because she could not speak much English, but I always got her message somehow.

However, today something was different. As she sat next to me talking in her native Italian, tiny purple and blue bubbles came streaming from her mouth. I wanted to ask her to share the bubble blower, but I did not see one.

As she continued to speak, the colors changed again to white, green and yellow. I became very aware of Grandma’s mood just from the shifting colors.

Distracted and mesmerized by these bubbles, I watched them form opaque circles before disappearing into the air. They were coming from Grandma Anna’s mouth in slow and steady clusters. I began to feel emotional. The red made me angry and the green had me wanting to tell Grandma to take better care, while the purple suggested that she was wise beyond my limited three-year-old understanding.

“Eh! Snap over it!” she yelled in her fractured English, her fingers clipping in the air to get my attention.

I moved my eyes up to hers. “Huh?”

She looked confused. “Snap out of it,” she corrected.

I did as I was told, but was still seeing the colorful bubbles.

“Grandma, can I have the bubble maker, too?”

Her eyes widened, and she smiled.

It was at that unfortunate moment, that her next “friend” came to visit. All the people who came to her for advice were never referred to as clients or customers, but as friends.

“Come stai, Mr. Marx,” she greeted in Italian, patting my hand and standing so she could lead the way back behind the curtain. She turned and smiled, her hand on the folds of the curtain, ready to close them. “Is good.”

Something To Consider...

2009-06-05T14:13:00.007-04:00

I have wanted to write this particular blog post for a long while, but waited until the Mercury Retrograde was over so that it was not misunderstood.

When I refer to “no dumping” I am referring to the escalating (and alarming) practice among friends, family and (especially) strangers, to unload their problems, issues and/or general disgruntled (negative) feelings/conversation on people who do not ask, nor want to share it. If you think you can’t handle it, imagine what you are doing to the person you dump on. They are not prepared for the negativity you want to impart, and therefore will not be of much comfort to you because they may not be in the position to give advice. All you will succeed in doing is passing on negativity to make yourself feel better. That is not sharing, that is dumping. If you want to unload, it is spiritually important that you ask permission before doing so, and then do so in a private venue as a courtesy to others.

The most notorious dumping is done via cell phones. For instance, I was at the local beauty parlor, nail salon or spa, where (unfortunately) people are not reminded to turn off cell phones so as not to disturb others. We are there to decompress, relax and enjoy being pampered, not to take in the negativity of someone else. Imagine what it feels like to hear someone talking loud, for all to hear, about the latest disease or death the caller is relating to them over the phone. One such woman carried on so much about how their family member died, that we were all treated to a wonderfully negative blow-by-blow description of the horror of it all. No one told her to stop. The depression just filled the place as a result. No one bothered to ask her to take it outside. We were all held hostage in her little personal phone booth.

In this economy, the owner of the salon was only interested in not offending (thus losing) the ONE customer, in favor of losing the 10 others who were reduced to listening to this. Ultimately, one by one, each person simply got up and left the place. They were angry, and one woman was SO angry that on her way out the door, she actually ripped the phone out of the person’s hand and threw it in the trash, sending shock waves through the salon.

If you want others to be sympathetic to your plight, you have to be sensitive to the fact that they didn’t sign up for your “news,” and should be asked if it’s okay to listen to it. That applies to whether you are on the phone or sitting at the nail dryer chatting with a fellow customer.

Establishment owners please take note: We pay to be pampered. We are not paying to be put upon. We all have things in our lives that we would rather not deal with, but the misery loves company adage no longer works in the world we live in today. The rage, disrespect and outright rudeness needs to stop. NO MORE DUMPING! Ask first. Or, better yet, BLOG it, because only then is it ok because the person has to seek your blog out, and that is by their choice, and by their permission.

So You Think YOU Can Dance!

2009-05-26T16:40:00.015-04:00

...well, it would have been fun to dance with THESE stars.

Sometimes it takes a good old Fred & Ginger dance number to help you "Pick Yourself Up, Dust Yourself Off and Start All Over Again!

For as the lyrics go:
Nothing's impossible I have found,
For when my chin is on the ground,
I pick myself up,
Dust myself off,
Start all over again.
Enjoy!

A Rose By Any Other Name Is Still A Message From Mom

2009-05-13T20:07:00.013-04:00

I have had a lot of things to consider in my personal family life in the past few months, which caused me some undue stress. My father had some serious health issues and was in and out of the hospital. For age 88, he went through a lot of pain and shuffling around, before he was finally settled and happy in a nursing home. Whenever family issues come up, I often sit back and meditate on thoughts of my mother and I ask her for signs that she is with me. She crossed over almost ten years ago, yet if feels like only yesterday.

My mother’s favorite flower was the gardenia, but she had a secret passion for growing roses. She had several rose bush varieties in an array of colors that ranged from red to vibrant pink, all growing along the fence on one side of family home. Each season, Mom would cut a few for me when they were in full bloom. I can remember her cutting the pointy thorns, before tenderly wrapping a wet paper towel around the stems. In remembrance of her, I keep flowers in the small Lenox vase she gave me.

I don’t generally buy roses, but I do try to have the mixture of red and pink in the arrangements of flowers that fill the vases at my Metaphysical Center. An offering of flowers is considered a “thank you” to the angels, guides and loved ones who watch over us.

Right after Mother’s Day, we put new flowers in the vases. In the Lenox vase was an arrangement of 5 pink carnations and one red carnation. Though I know the flowers are there, I rarely look at them specifically because I am usually busy in readings or focused on what I might be writing. Sue, my business partner and personal assistant, came into my office to ask a question and pointed to the vase.

“OMG! That’s weird!” She pointed and we both looked in the direction of the vase.

The pink carnations around the vase were deliberately broken in the very same place on each stem. The red carnation was standing proudly in the middle, unbroken! I approached it to investigate and took a photo. Then “something” (someone) told me to look up the meaning of carnations. Here is what I discovered:

Carnation (General) - fascination, woman's love –which I can understand because my mother shared a passion with me in my work, and we were very close.

Pink Carnation - I'll never forget you, always on my mind.
This would also be true of both of us, even though she has been gone so long.

At first the broken stems alarmed me, and I quickly scanned the web site for the meaning of the only one left standing. I “knew” the message was from Mom, and it was somehow in that red flower. There had to be a reason for it being the only survivor.

Then I saw it. Red Carnation - my heart aches for you.
In that single moment of recognition, her message was received. She was telling me that no matter where she was, she was aware of what I was going through. It gave me pause, and I sat back into my chair and allowed her love to embrace me.
Thank you, Mom, for always being there. I love you.

SPECIAL WARNING: PET TOY

2009-05-07T12:04:00.005-04:00

Today’s blog is a special warning about pet toys, particularly one marketed for dogs. The lines of toys are made by MULTIPET INTERNATIONAL and are called “Look Who's Talking.” The ad on their web site reads that it is “More than your run of the mill plush toys, these cuties talk when your pet squeezes them.”

My Malti-Poo, Gidget, loves the small plush monkey toy that makes the sound of a monkey shouting in the jungle. Over time, she takes the stuffing out of her toys until she gets to the source of the sound. I am often very quick to clean it up, pull out whatever squeeker is inside and toss the toy in the garbage.

Over the past few days, I found two small watch batteries on the rug. I thought maybe it came out of something of mine. However, further investigation proved otherwise, when I pulled out a small square battery pack with an open back and one battery left in it inside the monkey! (The two I found, fit back into it like a puzzle.)

As we all know, dogs and children often mingle happily together in families, and so it’s not unusual for a baby to be crawling on the same floor as the family pet. This only doubled my concern. I had flashes of a dog not as discerning as my Gidget, swallowing one of those! Or a baby playing and finding it, and putting it into his/her mouth, as babies are prone to doing, and swallowing it!

We immediately called the company and a “customer service” rep calmly stated that “there is a cover on the battery pack” (as if was acceptable to have a battery pack like that in a toy in the first place!). We explained that this toy did not have one, and the thought of a dog or child swallowing a battery, and the ensuing complications was frightening, and could lead to a lawsuit. She repeated her mantra about battery pack covers, and then offered to send the same toy! I did not want the same dangerous toy. I wanted a safer one.

We were at a stalemate, so she ended the call for me by saying she was going to “talk to another manager and get back to you.” Right. It does not take a psychic to know that what she is really saying is that she has no intention of doing a thing.

The monkey is not the only toy in the line, but they all contain small battery packs made of plastic that contain at least 3 watch-sized batteries and, cover missing or not, these batteries should not be in a toy! My next call was to the Channel 7 News team to investigate this before something horrible happens…and hopefully, no animal or child has been hurt, yet.

MULTIPET INTERNATIONAL
265 W. Commercial Avenue
Moonachie, New Jersey 07074
Toll Free: (800) 900-MPET
Phone: (201) 438-6600 Fax: (201) 438-2990
Email: info@multipet.com

An Important Universal Message--from The Other Side

2009-03-15T12:54:00.044-04:00

For everyone, especially those who do the kind of work I do, messages from The Other Side come to us in various ways. Each medium you visit, and the medium within yourself, receives and delivers communication from those who have passed on in a way unique to themselves. For me, many of my messages come through particular songs or lyrics of songs that I may not even know in my "normal" state, but yet I know all the words when I'm in my "paranormal" state.

Well, today, I received a sign from the other side that I realize needed to be shared with everyone. If I dont, then I am destined to hear it played over and over in my head until I deliver it.

I want you to click on the video of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and listen very carefully to the lyrics to this song, You are Fred Astaire, singing to your loved ones who have crossed over. This is their message, and it speaks volumes of their love and existence, reminding those of us left here on earth what we do have of them! This sounds little gritty, but you're going to enjoy this, because it is a reminder that energy does NOT die, and our loved ones are only a vibration away!
**NOTE: The actual lyrics follow the video

THEY CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME
Our romance won't end on a sorrowful note,
Though by tomorrow you're gone;
The song is ended, but as the songwriter wrote,
The melody lingers on.
They may take you from me, I'll miss your fond caress.
But though they take you from me, I'll still possess.

The way you wear your hat
The way you sip your tea
The memory of all that
No, no, they can't take that away from me

The way your smile just beams
The way you sing off-key
The way you haunt my dreams
No, no, they can't take that away from me

We may never, never meet again
On this bumpy road to love
Still I'll always, always keep the memory of...

The way you hold your knife
The way we danced till three
The way you've changed my life
No, no, they can't take that away from me
No, they can't take that away from me
©1937 George & Ira Gershwin, from the RKO Movie, Shall We Dance

A Loaded Question!

2009-03-03T09:33:00.007-05:00

Hello, dear friends:

In an effort to get to know me better, one of my clients presented me with a list of questions she always wanted a Psychic Medium to answer. I took the sheet from her, and looked it over and thought it might be a nice idea to maybe present some of those questions, and the answers they inspired.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO BE YOU?
This is a loaded question!
No matter who we are, there are always complexities to each of us that are unique. For myself, I view the life I lead as a Psychic Medium as very normal, though I realize it appears to be very paranormal to others. However, when friends or colleagues pointed out to me certain aspects of daily life that border on the unusual, I realize that though I feel I am the “same” as everyone else in so many respects, I’m very different in the way I have to lead my life. Friends site that not everyone hears “voices” or “communicate with dead people” and that, often, those that do are medicated and treated as unbalanced. Thank God for Mom, then, because I owe the stability in my life to her.

When I was three years old, I began to see color bubbles coming out of people’s mouths when they spoke. Depending upon the color of the bubbles, I could tell them what they needed to know. As a child, it’s fun to become distracted by the bubbles, however, it can be dangerous as you grow into adulthood because I’d wind up staring at people. Not only is it impolite, but imagine how you feel when a stranger stares at you! If my mother hadn’t shown me how I could focus my attention on the information the colored bubbles brought, I don’t know what I would have done. As it is, when I go into a movie theater, I have to go at non-peak times or bubbles and voices filling the place will inundate me.

Forget hospitals and nursing homes. Even stadiums are difficult arenas for me to be in. In a hospital, I have to constantly keep myself shut off so that my attention is focused internally. The best way I accomplish that is by wearing my iPod earplugs and blasting The Doors (any music really; but this works for me) into my head.

It’s a little more difficult when I visit my dad in the nursing home, because I feel so overwhelmed by the thoughts of the elderly, as they live in their remembrances and missing loved ones. Many times, those loved ones have crossed over, and as I pass the wheel chairs lined along the corridor, filled with the sleeping and the disoriented, I often also feel or see a spectral family member beside them. I quicken my steps and turn up the sound, or talk to the person I’m with to avoid spirit communication. For me, it’s an intrusion because I am not prepared to work as a Medium at that moment. I am my father’s daughter on those visits, there to visit my family, not those of the nursing home. That inner turmoil can be disconcerting, and I often lose my sense of time and place.

Yes, I am always a Psychic and a Medium…but that should only be with my permission. Otherwise, it benefits no one and I am left with messages that will be undelivered. That can leave me drained and depressed.

To be continued…

New Facebook Sites for me!

2009-01-31T09:13:00.009-05:00

Hello, again!

I have just finished creating two more sites via Facebook. I want to connect with all of you!

My fan link is: Linda' Fan Site

I am so excited to have an even broader way to create a connection to extend my reach.

Feel free to create discussion and ask question on the fan site, as I will be visiting there often and hope to get us into some really great topics of discussion. Let's learn and cultivate spirit together!

God bless, Linda

EMBRACING CHANGE STARTS WITH YOU

2009-01-31T07:52:00.007-05:00

I was reading a blog this morning, and I was shocked at the hate and venom that was contained in the comments section from people who read the blog. In fact, I’ve been pretty appalled for a long time at the whole reality craze, and the way people treat other people in this country. Now that we have this new administration, I am grateful for at least the kindness it will restore to our country.

I don’t understand why American people have to make negative comment on the looks of a person because they don’t like what the person is doing on a TV show. Just because you don’t like someone on a show, does it mean that you get to insult them for the way they were born. The way they look, the features of their face or the size of their body, are not the factors that are important for critiquing a television show. I can’t believe that people don’t look in the mirror and see their own flaws! I am amazed that the person with a big nose and a potbelly themselves, has the audacity to write a negative comment about someone else’s looks simple because they don’t like the television show. Or the 50 year old man who hasn’t looked in the mirror in 30 years dating a19 year old, and believing she wants him for him! God help everyone. Its time to turn the TV off, get some exercise so you lose weight and perhaps you wont be so angry at someone on TV!

It’s time we all banded together and pulled up positive energy. It is time to restore peace, love and good vibrations to the world. The anger, rage, and appalling use of other people for personal gain that we had during the previous nasty administration is going to stop. And I’m so grateful for that! We have too long lived in an insulting environment that takes advantage of those less fortunate.

If you want positive energy, you have to help create. You can’t expect everyone else to do it for you. It takes a village to raise a child, as they say, so it takes all the citizens to help change the vibration of a country. So let’s start with ours, and set an example of peace and goodwill so that others will follow around the world.

This is not only the time for change, but also the time to create what we really want in life because for the first time in this country is up to us again. And isn’t that wonderful?

So let’s not fall prey to the panic, let’s not fall prey to the anger and rage of the past, and instead move ahead to create positive energy and positive awareness so that we have better lives, better jobs and live longer. After all, isn’t that what we all really want?

EMBRACING BLESSINGS

2008-12-05T15:10:00.010-05:00

According to Dictionary.com, Blessings are a beneficial thing for which one is grateful; and a prayer for God's favor and protection.

Look around you, and you will see "blessings" everywhere you look, and not just at this special time of year....all year long.

Blessings take all forms. There are blessings in the smile you receive, the kind word a stranger offers, the advice you communicated to someone who needed it. You are blessed when you catch your taxi or bus and get the ride, or the when you are given coupons and discounts when shopping. The simple fact that the sun is shining is a blessing.

Look around you, pay close attention to the small details that make for big blessings and remember to give a blessing in return by taking notice and sending your gratitude out into the universe.

Embrace your blessings and light a candle in gratitude for them. It will encourage more blessings to come your way!

THE OTHER SIDE AND BACK - My Near Death Experience

2008-10-15T18:46:00.004-04:00

From puberty, I had suffered from a condition called Endometriosis, and for a long time it was held at bay through medication. As I neared my thirtieth birthday, the condition began to flare up again and I was rushed to the hospital because of intense pain. My parents came along to lend their support and I was rushed into surgery soon after arriving.

I’m told several hours went by before I came to. When I did, it was to the prayers of a priest who was standing over my hospital bed giving me The the Last Rites. The rest of the details from my parents were sketchy as they were trying to keep most of this from me for what they said was for my own protection. My mother said “several minutes” had gone by in the operating room wherein during which I was gone. But I didn’t spend those minutes on the operating table.

I remember the light was bright and I recognized the long tunnel the moment it came into view. When I looked down this tunnel I could see shapes of people, and soon I recognized them, as well. I remember seeing my Grandma Anna, my Aunt Fran, and my great-Uncle Joe. I remembered, too, that they were also all dead. But that bright light beckoned me forward, filling me with a warm, comforting and peaceful feeling unlike anything I had ever felt before. I wanted to go to that light. I wanted that peace. But as those “several minutes” came to an end, I sensed myself being pulled a pull back to the table and the tunnel disappeared. The next I recalled was opening my eyes to the sound of the Lord’s Prayer, my mother squeezing my hand and crying in obvious relief.

It is difficult to put into words what this experience meant to me, except to say that it made me appreciate the precious moments we have available to us and that there is a place awaiting us that is comforting and filled with the love of those who passed before us. We only need to reach out to the energy around us, because they are only a vibration away.

A PERSONAL COMMENTARY

2008-09-20T14:45:00.021-04:00

The other day I received an email from a Republican's Voting Registration Panel asking me the following question: "Tell us! Is America ready for a black president?"

I was more than taken aback, both literally and in actual years. And I responded the same way I did when they sent it regarding Hillary Clinton, as a woman. To even consider this a proper question to ask anyone in the year 2008 is unacceptable! We have learned absolutely nothing from the history that led us here; nor the people who gave their lives to teach us equality.

This is not an election of black vs. white or male vs. female or even Democrats vs. Republicans. It’s a case of RIGHT vs. WRONG and NEW vs. OLD and CHANGE vs. the same old back-stabbing, global damaging administration that we have had for far too long! I know my fellow Americans are not so blind as to vote for political party, rather than political reason. Personally, I am sick and tired of being Bush-whacked by an egotistical administration that has done nothing to bring forth peace and prosperity; but has instead ruined our reputation and encouraged a war, for the sake of money and power.

The Law of Attraction of this universe dictates, factually, that if you keep on attracting the same administration, the same war mongers, the same brainless conservatives with no knowledge of politics or connection (Miss There’s No Global Warming Sarah Palin springs to mind), then you will certainly get what you deserve. I mean, it's not strange to have full grown ripe mature pumpkins in August in my backyard, right? (It just reinforces to me that she is a far better comedian than Tina Fey; and I am shuddering at the thought.)

For anyone who has the mistaken impression that because they are wealthy or Republican that they should vote that way in order to keep their own money and have it grow in their pockets, they are in for the rudest awakening of all: financial loss.

You know, my family always called my abilities “ a gift.” I call it "a knowing.” The gift is only received when the knowing becomes awareness through proper action. Action is the only way to promote change.

Change is Correcting How A Nation Gets Even
I’m with Deepak Chopra who shared his opinion and is repeated below.

God bless, Linda

DEEPAK CHOPRA - "OBAMA AND THE PALIN EFFECT"

2008-09-20T09:25:00.011-04:00

Deepak Chopra

Sometimes politics has the uncanny effect of mirroring the national psyche even when nobody intended to do that. This is perfectly illustrated by the rousing effect that Gov. Sarah Palin had on the Republican convention in Minneapolis this week. On the surface, she outdoes former Vice President Dan Quayle as an unlikely choice, given her negligent parochial expertise in the complex affairs of governing. Her state of Alaska has less than 700,000 residents, which reduces the job of governor to the scale of running o ne-tenth of New York City . By comparison, Rudy Giuliani is a towering international figure. Palin's pluck has been admired, and her forthrightness, but her real appeal goes deeper.

She is the reverse of Barack Obama, in essence his shadow, deriding his idealism and exhorting people to obey their worst impulses. In psychological terms the shadow is that part of the psyche that hides out of sight, countering our aspirations, virtue, and vision with qualities we are ashamed to face: anger, fear, revenge, violence, selfishness, and suspicion of "the other."

Obama is calling for us to reach for our higher selves, and frankly, that stirs up hidden reactions of an unsavory kind. (Just to be perfectly clear, I am not making a verbal play out of the fact that
Sen. Obama is black. The shadow is a metaphor widely in use before his arrival on the scene.) I recognize that psychological analysis of politics is usually not welcome by the public, but I believe such a perspective can be helpful here to understand Palin's message.

In her acceptance speech Gov. Palin sent a rousing call to those who want to celebrate their resistance to change and a higher vision. Look at what she stands for:

--Small town values -- a denial of America 's global role, a return to petty, small-minded parochialism. --Ignorance of world affairs -- a repudiation of the need to repair America 's image abroad. --Family values -- a code for walling out anybody who makes a claim for social justice. Such strangers, being outside the family, don't need to be heeded. Rigid stands on guns and abortion -- a scornful repudiation that these issues can be negotiated with those who disagree. --Patriotism -- the usual fallback in a failed war. --"Reform" -- an italicized term, since in
addition to cleaning out corruption and excessive spending, one also throws out anyone who doesn't fit your ideology. Palin reinforces the overall message of the reactionary right, which has been in play since 1980, that social justice is liberal-radical, that minorities and immigrants, being different from "us" pure American types, can be ignored, that progressivism takes too much effort and globalism is a foreign threat. The radical right marches under the banners of
"I'm all right, Jack," and "Why change? Everything's OK as it is."

The irony, of course, is that Gov. Palin is a woman and a reactionary at the same time. She can add mom to apple pie on her resume, while blithely reversing forty years of feminist progress.

The irony is superficial; there are millions of women who stand on the side of conservatism, however obviously they are voting against their own good. The Republicans have won multiple national elections by raising shadow issues based on fear, rejection, hostility to change, and narrow-mindedness.

Obama's call for higher ideals in politics can't be seen in a vacuum. The shadow is real; it was bound to respond. Not just conservatives possess a shadow -- we all do. So what comes next is a
contest between the two forces of progress and inertia. Will the shadow win again, or has its furtive appeal become exhausted? No one can predict.

The best thing about Gov. Palin is that she brought this conflict to light, which makes the upcoming debate honest. It would be a shame to elect another Reagan, whose smiling persona was a stalking horse for the reactionary forces that have brought us to the demoralized
state we are in. We deserve to see what we are getting, without disguise.

For REAL news visit:
www.lbidemocrats.com

"Projecting" The Future As A Child - Zoning

2008-08-05T09:05:00.017-04:00

That's Mom and me on the right. :) Dressed like twins in outfits she made! The year was 1955-57. Eisenhower was President of the United States, Hoola Hoops were the craze, Kerouac’s book, On The Road was on the best sellers list, Perry Como was singing us through what Edward R. Murrow was reporting, and I was seeing my first “indoor movie’ (so-to-speak) a colorful array of celluloid magic only for my three year old child’s third eye to see.

“Linda, snap out of it. What are you staring at?” I can hear my mother’s voice so clearly, as she asked me to explain something I could only see, not interpret.

I remember running into the house with Mom following close behind, and into the living room where my father had set up a projector screen for us to view his never-ending filming of his first child (me), and now that my mother was expecting number two, he kept the screen set up.
I pointed to it.

My mother shook her head. “There is nothing but a blank screen, honey.”

I nodded. “I know, but I have one too. It's in my eyes. I get to see movies in my eyes all the time.”

My mother thought about this for a moment; probably trying to figure out a way to ask me in my child’s language what I meant. Fortunately, I was around grown-ups for the first 4 years of my life, so baby talk was not big on the list, and I was treated more maturely.

“Tell Mommy what you see on the screen,” she asked, as she bent down in front of me and took my hands into hers.

I explained that I didn’t see things all the time, but when I did I would get what I called “the woo-woos”which were tiny butterflies in my stomach. Only problem was, and today still is, that I can’t always define what they mean. Are they good? Bad? Were they predictions? Premonitions? Or nothing at all?

I told her that the images are on a screen like my father’s, but it is behind my eyes and in the middle of my eyebrows. I try to explain that the "jector" in my head only shows me things when someone has something happening to them. And then I shrugged and gave her a smile, so proud that I had this "jector" all to myself.

So, I’ll tell you what I told Mom over the years, as I began to understand more : I see slow moving scenes that begin in as shaded visions of black and white and transform into colors as the moving image gains detail. The colors emit from the person’s aura like the colors of a rainbow. The rainbow eventually streams out of their mouths like bubbles!. To the child Linda, that was the fun part of having a knowing: the bubbles!

Once the colors in the movie are defined for me, (like on a TV screen), the action ends and the movie is over. This all happens in about 60 Seconds, but I usually come away with a very detailed account of something the person in the movie might need to know. Today they call that Clairvoyance, but when you're a toddler, you can get pretty distracted by these little vignettes and I tended to be stuck in this "daydream" so long that my mother referred to it as "Zoning."

Every time I hear Cher say the words "Snap out of it!" in Moonstruck, I think fondly of my Mom, remembering her snapping her fingers in front of my face to bring me back to the present.

PS: Eventually, we both realized that snapping me out of it that way was not helpful to me as a psychic. I need to have that zoning out moment in order to receive information.

MY TAROT CARD CEREMONY

2008-06-26T15:44:00.005-04:00

Did you ever wonder what happens to a Tarot deck when it becomes so worn from use that it needs to be replaced? Personal decks don’t get much use, but when you are in the business of using them, as I am, you let your client’s energy into the cards in order to read them. Though I know a great deal about the meaning of Tarot, I read by color and energy, and interpret what each card means according to my psychic ability.

Not everyone who gives readings does so professionally. There are many of you out there who are not aware of the precautions you should take when using cards (any cards) to interpret for someone else. The more people touch your cards, the more of their energy and the energy of the other side, is left on them, and that can cause a lot of negativity to infiltrate your world.

I had two Tarot decks that I had not disposed of, and I was beginning to feel really uncomfortable to still have them around. So, the other night I performed a ceremony. Some people bury their old decks, but I feel that only keeps the energy still lingering on yours or someone else’s property. Besides, as 4th generation psychic medium, I had often heard stories of various ways to get rid of a deck of cards. The following is a little big of my ancestors, Sue’s assistance and me.

There is a Chiminea in the backyard. While Sue fired it up with wood, I said a prayer over the decks separately and we tossed the cards into the fire. There was fresh purple sage in the garden, and that was added to our little bonfire to cleanse each deck as we sent them to disappear into the universe.

Once the ceremony was over, we immediately felt a lighter energy in our immediate surroundings. I recommend doing this with your own deck, and purchase a new one to bond with soon after.

THANK YOU....

2008-06-09T11:04:00.015-04:00

A little "thank you" goes a long way, and I am disappointed at how those two little words seem so difficult for so many people to take the time to say. It seems easier to yell a negative prayer at someone by cursing or swearing, than it is to express appreciation by saying thank you.

There are many ways to show gratitude: prayer is one of the bigger ones, and a close second is writing in a Gratitude Journal.

But if you are truly living your truth, and are sincerely grateful, you will take the time to use those two little words to those you encounter. Did the grocery clerk smile at you and make you feel good this morning? Maybe the mailman delivered good news. Perhaps someone held a door open for you when you needed it the most. Did you say thank you to any of them? I will predict that most of you reading “forgot” or “wasn’t thinking” or didn’t notice it at all. If you fall into the last category, I am speaking to you more than the others. For your lack of awareness speaks volumes about how you see your place in the universe. Its not a pretty picture because it shows the ego of your nature, and when we use ego we are Edging God Out of our lives.

It is important to be aware of, and acknowledge those, who fill in your surroundings. They are part of your energy and may even be a part of your karma. "Thank you" creates the tone and vibration of love and respect when the words are expressed, ultimately shifting the energy around us to a more positive place. It's affect is immediate, and can create ripples of positive vibes.

I try to practice what I preach. If I say I am grateful, you will hear me even thank nature for allowing the birds to deliver their morning song. No communication is exempt from my gratitude.

CLEANSING AND RECHARGING THE SPIRIT

2008-05-05T10:05:00.016-04:00

We are around people every day. Whether we live or work with them, or simply pass them on the street, we are encountering energy of some kind from each. Sadness, grief, jubilation, happiness, make up some of the energy we will experience as we walk our normal days through life.

All that energy does not have to be directed at us to affect us in body, mind and/or spirit. But it is important to note that it is still responsible for at least 75 % of our mood swings or negative reactions to things that happen in our lives. It's vital that we recognize this exists and cleanse ourselves with the ceremony of water.

Each day, step into the shower and allow the water to cleanse you of any energy that may not be in your best interest. Visualize the water cascading over your head and cocooning you inside a safe, clear tube of white light. Your intention to to clear your spirit and encircle yourself in Divine love and protection.

Water is a catalyst for many things. It cleanses us spiritually, but it also stirs our creative mind! Allow the meditative spray to bring to the forefront intuitive impressions, and enjoy the benefits of true clarity and rejuvenation. I guarantee you will feel very different (and a whole lot better) when you consciously place your intention on clearing yourself of the emotions of the day.

HILLARY ALL THE WAY!

2008-04-29T09:43:00.013-04:00

According to new Poll from The Associated Press and Ipsos….

If the U.S. presidential were held today, Hillary Clinton would beat John McCain by a 9-point margin, 50 percent to 41 percent.

The poll shows that when Barack Obama faces McCain, the two are statistically tied — though, Obama holds a two point edge over McCain, within the poll's margin of error.

If Hillary can produce these same numbers after the North Carolina and Indiana primaries, she has a really strong case for the Democratic nomination!

Don't forget to: VOTE

The Psychic and The Skeptic

2008-04-24T16:12:00.017-04:00

Every now and then I hear someone say, "I'm a skeptic." I usually look at them and answer, "Wow! So am I." Because, you see, I have to be skeptic in order for my work to be valid to myself. For as much as I thrive on helping others through the miracle of metaphysics and psychic awareness, I can not do it if I do not have those "miracles" proven to myself first.

It amazes me how someone calling themselves a "skeptic" can consider their lack of belief to be the criteria for basing expert testimony!

For one thing, there is no gauge for psychic awareness. No real "degree" except the one we get from Divine Guidance, which the "skeptic" denounces because most true skeptics do not believe in God or form any foundation of religious belief.

My favorite quote on skepticism comes from Jason Hawes, founder of TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) and Ghosthunter and skeptic:

"A skeptic is just someone who has not yet experienced the paranormal."

Precise and to the point.
Someone go tell the skeptics!

SHARING....MY MAIL

2008-04-08T14:28:00.008-04:00

This particular piece of mail is going into my personal Gratitude Journal. So very often I wonder how I am helping, and "if" I am. So it is especially nice to receive an email like this one, which more than moved me to tears. It made me openly sob in gratitude to have made a difference in someone's life. I love you all.
****Edited for content as to privacy. ****

Dear Linda:
I must write to thank you for the peace you have given me. Since my ex-fiance jumped 7 floors to his death I have been in turmoil. Although we broke up nearly 10 years ago and he moved back to Germany, we had remained very close friends and had often said that we should have worked things out and married.

But, I had already remarried and that just wasn't going to happen, so as close friends we kept in contact and involved in each other's lives.

I knew he had Parkinson's, but he always said it was mild. When I wrote him an email the last Friday in February I sent it to his work address, which I usually don't. On Monday I got a reply from his co-worker that his Parkinson's was really bad and he saw no way out, so he jumped. However, someone from the company called his mother and told her that the boss called him in and demoted him, then he jumped.

I talked to his best friend over there and he said no way - that he'd never jump for being demoted. He believes they fired him and he jumped. That is what I believed then too, and you confirmed it when you said it was an act of desperation, not depression.

After reading the email from his co-worker on that Monday I went almost immediately into my first (and last) gallbladder attack which was excruciatingly painful. I was in the hospital within just a few hours of getting the news and had the surgery Tuesday morning. I asked the doctor to keep me on a high dose of pain medicines. I couldn't deal with the mental pain and just wanted to sleep.

When I got out I just could not get over it. I was crying constantly. Some suggested I see a therapist so I went to someone in Westfield and she felt that YOU would be able to help me more than she could. She told me of all the positive results her other patients got from you so I knew I had to do it.

I can't tell you the relief and peace I now feel. I didn't tell you anything about him except that it was the loss of a loved one. He could have been my husband, brother, friend... but you knew it was a relationship of the past and that both of us had gone on and had other relationships. I felt the peace coming on.

After all the things you told me, especially that he wants me to stop crying and that he is at peace, I felt so much better. That's what I needed to know - how he was.

I cried alot after our session - not at all because of being sad, but from being overwhelmed with peace.

When you said my 3rd great grandfather Chester was there I thought I'd fall out of the chair! And then my 2nd great grandmother, Mary was standing next to my ex, smiling - WOW! I had just shown both of their pictures to my girlfriend the day before while we were working on our genealogy.

I've told so many people who now want to come to you. I hope you can give them the comfort you've given me.

Thank you again for bringing me peace.

Sandra A.
p.s. Feel free to use this letter as a testimonial in any books or boards you may have.

ITS ONLY A DREAM

2008-03-10T17:48:00.003-04:00

A peaceful row of clouds slowly moved across a pale blue sky, and as each cloud rolled along, it grew larger in size. I watched this magnificent formation of nature enlarge until it filled my entire vision and exploded. The holographic image of a an airplane loomed menacingly as the metal monster broke thru the clouds, the words Boeing 747 stamped across its side.

“Linda!” It is at this moment that I hear my grandmother’s voice calling me. “Linda!”

My eyes burst open and beads of sweat dotted my forehead as I shot up to a sitting position. My hand glided down to the bed beneath me and I patted the mattress gratefully, my ten year old self relieved to be safe in my bedroom. It was only a dream.

“Are you ok?” My mother is standing beside the bed gently pushing the damp strands of hair away from my forehead. . “Did you have another bad dream.”

“It was only a dream, Mom.”
“It’s never only a dream in this family. Tell me about it.”

I retold the dream to my mother and the first thing she did was to call my grandmother (her mother). “Linda had a dream about a Boeing 747 and that could be your TWA flight.”

“Does it crash,” my grandmother asked.

“Yes.”

“You’d think she’d learn to have these dreams a little more in advance for convenience sake. Now I have to send your grandfather down to the airport to change things.” She blew out a long sigh, as if the weight of the world were on her shoulders.

“Well, mother, at least you’ll be alive to see another trip.”

“Not till your daughter has insomnia.”

My mother laughed. All was safe. Just a normal day in a very paranormal life.

A MEDUM'S MESSAGE FROM MOM

2008-02-11T16:41:00.000-05:00

My mother passed away in 1999 after a long illness. Three days after she was buried, my father asked me to pick up her old mail and paperwork and go through it for him.

Along the ride home from his house, I could feel Mom’s energy jumping off the pages of the miscellaneous papers in the box next to me. Family recipes, old Christmas and birthday cards, and envelopes of photographs that never made it to her photo albums were the legacy she left. I felt an immediate sense of peace just having the box near me, and it was like she was right there in the car.

This was the first time I could actually feel the energy of the presence of someone who passed. That feeling caught me completely off guard, and caused for a lapse in judgment and I had to slam on the brakes, stopping just short of a red light. The box fell off the seat, and a piece of paper flew out. I pulled the car over and parked.

When I touched the paper and brought it up to read, I saw that it was my mother’s handwriting. I no sooner mouthed the words “Hi, Mom,” when I felt immediately surrounded by a warmth that I can only define as a feeling of unconditional love. I looked down at the paper in my hand. It was a recipe for the Easter meat pie Mom used to make special for that holiday. I thought about the significance and realized the message at once. Easter marks the ascension of Jesus Christ. This was my mother’s way of telling me she was okay. I nodded my understanding in silent communication. As soon as I did, the feeling went away and I knew I was alone again in the car. But now something was different. I had invited someone from the other side and she had accepted my invitation. I was now a willing communicator with the energy of the other side.

MOM'S SPIN

2008-02-05T13:34:00.000-05:00

I used to roll my eyes heavenward every time my Mother put a new spin on and old superstition….or “stupid-stitions” as we kids called them. She had the kind of reasoning that put a positive spin on everything.

One afternoon, while having a relaxing cup of tea with her in the dining room, we were discussing the birth of my first nephew. I had made the comment that it rained on the day he was born, and I thought that to not be a good sign.

Mom put her cup back down into the saucer slowly and smiled. “On the contrary. God was actually shedding tears of joy at the birth.”

“Then how do you explain that it rained on my wedding day, and I am now divorced?”

It was her turn to roll her eyes heavenward. “Rain is not always a bad sign, Linda. No sign is good or bad. They are confirmations.” She lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip before continuing. “God was weeping tears of regret that you entered into that marriage. So the divorce, to me, was no surprise.”

I thought about this and in now, 20 years or so later, I know exactly what she meant. I supposed in Mom’s world, you really can win for losing!

WAITING ON THE WORLD TO CHANGE

2008-02-01T15:46:00.000-05:00

I am grateful to say, that in my lifetime I have been a part of some very historical events in the history of our country. From the 1969 Anti-War March on Washington and the first-ever rock festival in Woodstock New York to my work with N.O.W.,(National Organization for Women), I was a part of some pivotal events. I befriended people like Gloria Steinem and Bella Abzug and I worked tirelessly for the women’s movement by educating the women I met, spoke to, or shared experiences with.

Women only got the right to vote in the United States in 1920. Some of us have mothers and grandmothers who were born around that time, so it’s not that long ago, which I find amazing in terms of the big picture. Voting is the number one thing you can do to ensure your rights in this country. It is your voice, and the only one we presently have to speak to our government and show them we mean business.

For me, it is even more important because I am about to be a part of yet another historical event in our country. I am so proud to be witnessing a woman running for office of President of the United States!

Maya Angelou has come out in support of Hillary Clinton. In the new radio commercial featuring her encouraging and captivating voice, Maya Angelou says:

“As a child, Hillary Clinton was taught that all God’s children are equal, so as a mother she understood that her child wasn’t safe unless all children were safe.

I know what kind of president Hillary Clinton will be because I know who she is. Hillary Clinton has always been a strong woman and a passionate protector of families. For 35 years, that’s exactly what she has been doing.

Each generation of African Americans stands on the shoulders of those who came before. Today, the challenges facing us threaten the dreams we have had for our children. We need a president with the experience and strength to meet those challenges.

I am inspired by Hillary Clinton’s commitment and courage — a daughter, a wife, a mother — my girl.”

We no longer have to wait for the world to change…change starts when we have a First Laddy in the White House (and I am not misspelling the word.)

Like Kiann in Florida wrote me: "Hillary Opens People’s Eyes and that spells Hope.”

MEDITATION = COMMUNICATION

2008-01-31T12:20:00.000-05:00

I’ve been receiving a lot of emails asking how to receive signs from the other side. Let me quickly share, in one word, a surefire way I know to ensure communication: Meditation

To “meditate” is to mindfully go within oneself through our own oxygen and vibration. It is no secret that the more we breathe, the calmer we feel. It’s usually the first thing someone says to us when we are upset. “Take a deep breath and calm down.” The more oxygen we circulate though our bodies, the calmer our mind and spirit become. At the same time, that very act of breathing in this oxygen serves to mend and heal our physical body, and helps to prevent disease.

Meditation allows us to be focused and healthy, and that intention, through regular practice, is the single action that is responsible for any direct communication with the other side.

I would like to share with you a quick “centering” meditation.

Set aside a special “appointment” time for yourself when you know you will not be interrupted. Sit in a comfortable chair with your feet planted on the ground. Give yourself a few moments to become accustomed to the energy in the room. Inhale very slow, cleansing breaths by inhaling through your nose; and follow by exhaling slowly through your nose.

It is when we make a point to still the outside voices and listen to the internal ones, that we get the richest dialog. The longer you practice meditation, the more likely it is that you will be able to recognize signs that reveal messages from the other side and those who passed on. You will be further enriched by the guidance you will receive from your angels and guides.

That is really all there is to basic meditation.. However, if you need additional guidance, my meditation CD, Graceful Meditations with Linda Lauren, is available through our web site at www.LindaLauren.com or by going to amazon.com

I welcome your comments on the progress you make in meditation, and suggest that you keep a journal on your progress..

God bless!

SIGNS…SEALED AND DELIVERED

2008-01-11T10:23:00.000-05:00

Signs from the Other Side comes to us in ways that are unique to each person, the messages are magical only in their existence, not in the length of the words or what they may say. Each of our senses can deliver up a message from across the clouds. A name, a reminder or a long ago memory shared; a scent, a taste; or the way something feels.

A sign can come from any source, as it is your connection to the person who passed that enriches such communication. Perhaps you found a penny, a feather or heard the sound of chimes as a validation of your loved one’s message to you.

I don’t often share the real personal signs I receive, choosing to hold them close in private. However, I am going to break my silence and share with you the message I received from my angels and guides this year on Christmas Eve, and how that message was delivered.

Like everyone else, I have my moments of self-doubt. I sat this past Christmas Eve and was thinking about my life as a medium. I was feeling sad, as can happen during the holidays. The question that came into my mind was whether if, by being a medium, I was intruding on grieving families by giving the messages they came to me to deliver.

I asked, God and my angels and guides to help me answer that question. I was not in any kind of meditation, in fact I had been catching up on television that I had prerecorded and had not had the chance to see yet.

After asking that question, I turned the television back on. The movie The Note, (a Hallmark TV/movie) with Genie Francis, was one I had not finished viewing, and the show was in middle of the story when I caught up with it. The two principal actors were sitting on stairs talking. These were the first words I heard spoken, and I took the time to write it down word for word:

“You can either say to yourself: I’m intruding into the lives of these poor grieving people or you can say to yourself, I’m giving these poor grieving people the opportunity to talk to someone. Because in the end, what we all really need is someone willing to listen.”

WELCOME BACK

2008-01-11T10:13:00.000-05:00

I am re-introducing my blog, Medium Rare. Some of you may recall my earlier blog, and have asked me to pick it up again. So…here we are in a new year, with a new blog in which I hope to share with my readers some of the answers to the questions they have about all things psychic. Though I do not profess to have all the answers, I trust that my experience, along with the help of my spiritual teachers, can offer insight and clarification on many of the subjects that I am often asked about.