December 24 Musings: What Brought Her to This Point?

Yesterday I did the last of my pre-holiday shopping and errand running, along with just about everybody else in my part of Albuquerque, making the main streets and intersections packed and jammed. The next to last stop on my agenda was my favorite health food store, the Vitamin Cottage. I remarked to the clerk that the store seemed like "an oasis of calm" compared to the madhouse outside. 

  

"A Time For Peace" Card by jan4insight

As I got back in my car, a pleasant-looking young woman of about 20 asked if she could wash my car windows to earn a little money. I was a little flummoxed - the windows actually needed washing but I was in a hurry to get to my next and last stop ( which was Target), so I told her I didn't have the time. She nodded but as she turned away it looked to me like she was trying not to cry.

Boy, I felt terrible for her.

Then as I maneuvered from the Vitamin Cottage into the back entrance to the Target parking lot (the two stores are back to back and share a driveway in the complex), I saw the same woman walking towards the main Target lot. So I pulled up beside her and asked if she'd still be willing to wash my windows. I was going to shop at Target and she could do it while I was there.

The look of relief on her face was like a ray of sunshine. I made some comment about how I hoped I could find a place to park (the lot was packed) and then she spotted someone leaving who was right ahead of us. I parked and she came up and got started while I was getting out of the car. When she pulled her cleaning materials out of the big purse she carried, I was impressed that she was unfolding sheets of newspaper, because not many people know that newspaper is the best thing for cleaning windows.

So, I gave her $2 and went off to do my shopping. When I got back to my car, my windows were nice and clean.

I'm happy that I was able to give someone a little help and a little boost. And I'll always wonder what her story was - what brought her to this point of needing to ask for useful work in a store parking lot?

When I pondered what might have brought her to this, I suspect that she might have been a single mother who perhaps had gotten laid off, and she was trying to raise the money to get something to make her child's Christmas a little brighter. Or perhaps she did have a minimum-wage job, but didn't earn enough to buy something nice for her child. Or maybe she just needed to buy food to get through the end of the month. There's a lot of that going around. In retrospect, I think perhaps being kind to her, and giving her the opportunity to do what she was asking to do, was the best thing I did to help her.

So my holiday message to one and all is - be kind, and extend a helping hand whenever and wherever possible. We never know the kind of struggles that someone might be going through, but we can all know when a little bit of help brings a smile that's like a ray of sunshine.

Note: This blog post is slightly revised from comments I posted yesterday at DailyKos.

Winter Solstice 2013: Morning Crowns the Earth

The Winter Solstice arrives tomorrow, December 21, at 10:11 am Mountain Time. When I asked my cards for a message at this potent time, I was expecting a little homily about light returning and so on  - thus, I was surprised and the profound layers of meaning that were revealed in a simple card spread. It's about how we conduct ourselves in relation to The Earth:

original collage by Jan Burch

The Earth represents the condition of having resources, stability and structure. In this I can't help but see the energy as representing our planet Earth herself, and how she is suffering under the mistreatment our species has collectively given her. The Earth our home could potentially give us all the resources, stability and structure we need - if we go about it wisely. Sadly, we haven't done this.

We need is to bring to our relationship with the Earth a sense of renewal and awakening, the energy of The Morning. Blocking this worthy goal is The Crown, the fulfillment of leadership and guidance. It's no surprise that many of our leaders, at all levels from the individual citizen on up, are blocking any progress we could make in treating the planet, our life support system, as she deserves - even as many other leaders are struggling day and night to do what is right for our long-term survival. Those who are struggling for the good of the planet need our help.

What can we do? Shifting this pattern requires the energy of The Arrow - the attitude of making a decision. At the individual as well as the collective level, we need to decide to make taking care of the Earth our priority. And we need to decide this again and again, on a daily basis, it seems.

What decision can you make today to help secure a liveable future for our planet and all her creatures?

NEW 2014 Calendars at my Zazzle Store!

I've updated two of my most popular calendars for 2014! Yes, it's getting near the time to turn the calendar and start another year (after we plow through the holiday season, of course) so I hope you'll stop by Zazzle.com/Jan4insight* and check them out! They come in three sizes, and if you can get the "Huge" size I recommend it because it really makes an statement on your wall! But they're beautiful at all sizes; the small size makes a nice desk calendar. Without further ado ~

 

For Love of Hearts 2014 Calendar by jan4insight
 

By the way, a customer who bought a previous year's version of the "For Love of Hearts" Calendar said, "It's so nice to look at love and hearts all through the year!" :)

 

Goddesses, Gardens & Views 2014 Calendar by jan4insight
 

The "Goddesses, Gardens and Views" calendar shows off my photographs and mixed-media interpretations of landscapes and womanhood. That's definitely worth a Huge calendar size!

Ladder to the Sun: Intuitive Forecast for Fall 2013 Eclipse Cycle and Mercury Retrograde

After a relatively quiet span in the intuitive energy-weather, dear readers, we find ourselves in another potent cycle. This energy pattern is best described as The Ladder leading us up to The Sun:

October 18 brought us a Lunar Eclipse, and Mercury Retrograde began today at 4:29 am Mountain Time. We have a solar eclipse ahead of us before Mercury goes direct on November 10.

The Ladder inspires step-by-step progress towards the Sun energies of radiance, vitality and optimism. Questions of dominance may arise. What is dominating now in your experience? Perhaps you can hold the contradiction between what you are noticing and the radiant truth of your essence. The theme for this cycle concerns our search for truth, a journey that helps us understand the basic principles in life and reveals what we really value and believe.

Would you like to have a forecast of your personal energy cycles? My intuitive readings will help answer your questions and illuminate your path - and are now available by e-mail!. For information and to request a reading,  click here, or send a message to burchjan@gmail.com. Use the tabs above  for more information about my intuitive services.

DIY Rug-into-Hallway-Carpet Project: Day 1

I was inspired  by this fabulous article on How to Make Rugs With Carpet Squares, which I wrote btw, to do something similar for the stripped-bare hallway in my house. The hallway carpet was pulled up a few years, leaving the world's ugliest subflooring for all to see, and I haven't done anything with it since. So while I was revising the article to meet the demands of a picky-picky editor, I happened to walk down the hallway when the light bulb went on: I can do that right here, yeah! It helped that I already had a room-size rug that I wasn't using. It could be cut up and combined with another rug or two to make something bright and mod.

The Hallway Challenge

My room-size rug was already wild & mod (it's the one in the pics with the red-orange background, turquoise border, and multicolored pods going up & down the pattern). I've long known that if you want to combine wild patterns, you might as well go for it and get wild all the way. I bought two more area rugs that just happened to echo the turquoise and the celery green colors of the mod-pod rug, along with some new scissors and Gorilla brand duct tape, and I'm on my way. So now let's let the pictures tell the story of Day 1:

 Spreading out the working materials

  Spreading out the working materials and showing the Fugly Floor that needs to covered

My weapons of choice - new scissors and Gorilla brand duct tape 

More working aides to the challenge - I bought those kneeling pads (on the left in the picture) a long time ago at Big Lots for way cheap and hadn't used them. When I dug them out for this project, I found they have inch markings on the long edges. That will come in very handy for measuring the pieces I cut, even as they save my poor knees!

Believe it or not, these rugs cut relatively easily with ordinary scissors. This is good because I want to cut from the front so I can work with the designs. Heavier carpet has to be cut from the back with a carpet knife, which I do not want to do.

Next step on the agenda is to wash the rugs. I want to get the new-carpet smell out of them and just start my project with clean rugs. I will spread them out in my driveway, soap them with a solution of Woolite* and water (it works for cars, it should work for rugs), hose them down and let them dry. Then cut and fit together like a jigsaw puzzle in the hallway, and tape them together. This whole project is going to take up the next week, I think. Now that I'm doing it I'm ready to keep going! Stay tuned.

*Actually it's Wool Wash from the Dollar Tree. Can't beat the price! It's wonderful for your car, outside windows and area rugs too. I rated it a BEST on my Pinterest Bests & Busts board.

Excuses, Excuses

My apologies for imposing on you one of those posts (that nobody wants to read) about why I haven't blogged in over two months .... but I haven't blogged in over two months because I've taken on a writing job, plus additional work for a private client, that has left me all worded out by the end of the day. It cuts into my crafting and crocheting time, too. But - it pays the bills, and for that I am grateful. I just wish it didn't involve writing, lol.

I am writing home decor and fitness articles for Demand Media. I've written on such fabulous things as How to Blend Zen and Mediterranean Decor -- How to arrange a vase in a wall niche -- How to make rugs with carpet squares. That last one is why I'm writing this post now, because it inspired to create a rug for my hallway, and I want share as it goes here on the blog. And I want to have all the excuses out of the way before I start that.

The irony of the writer-for-hire life is that these articles would all make great blog posts, but I don't hold the copyright so I can't use them here. But I can share them, and I've been pinning them to my Tips, Tutorials and How-To's board on Pinterest. So fellow pinners, you can hop on over there and partake of my particular wisdom in the decor area. And fitness, too -- I'm expert in the the life of the couch potato, lol.

I've also been expanding my P.O.D. stores, and of all things Cafepress is the one of the new ones that has started selling for me (may it continue). It's kinda fun to design things like flipflops, all-over t-shirts, shower curtains, tablecloths and things that none of the other PODs do. There's that home decor preference again! My CP store is Jan4insightDesigns, check it out. And here's a pretty picture of one of the products I like:

Peace Spirit Dove Kid's All Over Print T-Shirt

And there's still and always Zazzle and the 5 or 6 shops I have there. Zazzle's changes at the beginning of the summer knocked me and lots of my fellow Zazzlers for a loop. But we're still there and still designing, so I'll close with one of  the new products at Zazzle, a jersey scarf with the Ba-gua Turtle. And now that I've got the excuses out of the way, I'll be back soon with pictures from my carpet project. Cheers.

Turtle Ba-gua jersey scarf by TheElementalHome
Browse more Jan4insight Scarves at Zazzle

Got Feng Shui? A Bit About the Ba-Gua

Painted Ba-Gua canvas print with custom background 

by TheElementalHome

The Ba-gua, or Eight Directions, is one the more fundamental concepts in Feng Shui and all of the Chinese arts. This colorful design is my painterly interpretation of the Feng Shui Ba-Gua, which is said to have developed from divinatory practices using tortoise shells. I find it fascinating that he wisdom encoded in the Ba-Gua became the foundation for all of the Chinese arts - and it began with a tortoiseshell: 

Turtle Ba-Gua Mouse Pads by TheElementalHome

I used a variety of real-life and digital painting techniques to create these stunning images, with a classic arrangement of the trigrams and color choices guided by the Black Hat School of Feng Shui. These are just two of the products in my Feng Shui-inspired Zazzle store, TheElementalHome*, which I opened earlier this year -- thereby fulfilling my dream of combining my artwork with my passion for Feng Shui. Do check it out! And read more about the Traditional Bagua plus the Black Hat version in the article at the link. It's one of the superlative articles I've been writing for SFGate.com in my new gig as a writer for DemandMedia. 

Friday Find: Asian Delights on Zazzle

Coy Fish Tattoo Style white vintage womens tshirt by TronRx

Painted Ba-Gua wall decal by TheElementalHome
Check out more Painted ba gua Wall Decals at Zazzle

Great Wave Hokusai 葛飾北斎の神奈川沖浪裏 by masterpiecesofart
Browse more Vintage Teapots at Zazzle

Asian Woman with Cherry Blossom Night Personalized Invitations
by cutencomfy

Got Feng Shui? Open Your Doors To Life Energy!

Summer's approaching - guests are arriving! What better time to make sure your home has a truly welcome feeling? Decorators and real estate agents call it “curb appeal.” In Feng Shui, we refer to the “gateway of ch’i” which brings beneficial life energy into your home, creating a pleasant and harmonious feeling both inside and out. Following these principles will help you “welcome” your ch’i like an honored guest.

A feng shui-enhanced front door. Image courtesy of MorgueFile/jade

Is your entryway bright, inviting, and easy to find, or is it dark, hidden, and foreboding? Why not take some time to spruce up the doorway for your special guests - and your ch'i. Here are some tips for inviting life energy into your home:

• The ideal path to your front door is curved or meandering. If the walkway is straight or angular, you can soften it by adding a border of flowers.
• Can your guests find you? Make sure your house numbers are easily visible and the entry is well-lit at night, without being glaring.
• Red is the color of happiness and life energy. Use touches of red near your doorway. A flowerpot or plantings of red geraniums are great for the summer; winter holiday decorations traditionally incorporate red.
• Wind chimes are wonderful near the front door. Every breeze produces soothing sound and motion that attracts ch'i.

After making these changes, step outside and take a look at your front door. Approach it from the street as if you, yourself, were visiting for the first time. You should feel a new sense of openness, an "aahhhhhhh" sensation. Your surroundings are now filled with life energy. And your guests will feel welcome, too!
~~~~~
And so starts a series of posts about Feng Shui that I've had in mind since forever. I'm pleased to share with you more Feng Shui observations and pointers over the coming months. I'm now also sharing my experience at SFGate online magazine. Here is my latest article: How to Decorate Asian-Themed Designs for Bedrooms with feng shui pointers for your bedrooms. Click here for more information about my Feng Shui consultations and other energetic services.

Friday Finds: Inspirational Gifts at Zazzle

Everyone needs a little inspiration from time to time, and Zazzle's Inspirational Gifts are just the thing! Whether you want serious or light-heartened, sports-themed or everyday, you're sure to find the perfect inspirational quote to make your day!

Surfer Girl with Fitness Goals! Print by GreatMindsThinkFit

Sunset DESIDERATA Posters by jan4insight

Life is too short to be anything but happy. coffee mugs by VectorGraphics

Be Kind Inspirational Words Mousepad by lilanab2

First Eclipse Cycle of 2013, and the energy is The Cave

The first lunar eclipse of the year occurs on April 25 at 1:57 pm Mountain time. It's followed by a solar eclipse on May 10 at 6:28 pm, and a final lunar eclipse on May 24 at 10:25 pm. Eclipses are intuitively powerful times that assist us in shaking off the old patterns, manifesting our intentions, and envisioning the next step forward on our journey. My reading of the intuitive energy pattern for this eclipse cycle indicates that we can make headway in developing our inner strength and resources by accessing the prevailing archetype of  The Cave ~

Datura Cavern Print by jan4insight

The Cave represents the fulfillment of inner resources and insight. This allows to stay in balance as we work through our challenges. It's not about hiding in your Cave, but rather having a place for refuge and regrouping within the self, where you can go to process the lessons you've gained from interaction with others. We'll be buffeted by winds of change in this time period, and see opportunities beckon us along the way. The Cave, representing our insight and inner resources, will be our storehouse of resilience as we journey through this cycle. Don't forget to replenish your cave by taking sufficient "me time" as you embark on your summer adventures!

Would you like to have a forecast of your personal energy cycles? My intuitive readings will help answer your questions and illuminate your path - and are now available by e-mail!. For information and to request a reading,  click here, or send a message to burchjan@gmail.com. Use the tabs above  for more information about my intuitive services.

Friday Finds: Marvelous Monograms on Zazzle

Here is a small sampling of the marvelously monogrammed products on Zazzle. There is such a variety that you're sure to find the right size, style and color for you. Many are even customizable ~

 

Quatrefoil Navy Blue and White Pattern Monogram Vibe iPhone 4 Cover by SocialiteDesigns
Browse other Girly Casemate Cases

 

Monogram Damask Necklace by pmcustomgifts
Make a custom silver pendant at Zazzle.

 

Decorative Monogram Mug by wrkdesigns
Browse more Decorative Mugs

 

W Monogram Earthlight Medallion Canvas Bag by TheInitialShop
Look at other W earthlight medallion Bags at zazzle.com

Friday Finds: Seascape Art and Gifts from Zazzle

By the sea, by the sea... Surround yourself with refreshing views of the oceans and seas. With Zazzle's great choice of seascape products, you can wear them, take them with you, or hang them on your wall for enjoyment every day!

2013 Beach Calendar by emele1
Look at Beach Calendars online at Zazzle.com

I'd Rather Be Sailing mousepad by jan4insight
Browse Dusky sails Mousepads online at Zazzle.com

Warm Tahiti Tees by mixedbrush

Korcula Town photo print by DragansDen

Friday Finds: Disney Designs on Zazzle!

Your favorite characters are all HERE - Mickey and Minnie and Tinkerbell and Pluto and so many more!
 

Classic Mickey Mouse Coffee Mug by disney
Get personalised big mugs at zazzle.com

 

Red & White Minnie 1 iPhone 5 Cover by disney
Check out other Disney Casemate Cases at zazzle.com

 

Peter Pan's Tinker Bell Not Giving In Disney T Shirt by disney
Shop for custom t shirts online at Zazzle

 

Pluto iPhone 4 Cases by disney
Find another iPhone 4 Case online at Zazzle

Mercury Retrograde is over, and Spring is just ahead - my energy forecast is The Lover

Spring officially arrives on Wednesday, March 20, at 5:02 am Mountain time. During these few days of transition (and beyond), dear readers, my guides are telling us to be like The Lover ~

The Lover is a way of being in the world that is giving of ourselves, open to intimacy, and passionate.  This way of being extends beyond the mass-market hype of Valentine's Day, into all areas and aspects of life. Let your self go and LOVE each day as it comes! Love being in the world, awakening to the sunshine, walking beneath green (or winter-bare trees), and viewing the sunset and deepening dusk at day's end. Love each moment you're awake and breathing, and each little thing you do during the day - whether it's washing the dishes, attending to your *work*, creating a masterpiece (or playfully bringing color and form into being). Love the time you spend with others, love your animal friends, and love your time in solitude.



As with all archetypes, there is a down side to The Lover's energy: it can be possessive. While it's true that you can't really let go of something unless you've held onto it, it takes a fine discernment to know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em. Perhaps this month it's best to put our attention into the giving (of ourselves) rather than the holding-on.

Themes for this month revolve around I Want / I Have. The focus on resources at all levels, including pleasure, beauty, and comfort. "More" is not always more, and when you choose quality and substance over the superficial need to possess, you are truly walking under the light of The Lover.

Would you like to have a personal reading of your energy cycles? It's easy to Order an Online Reading - just click the link to go to this blog's order page! For more information about my readings and Feng Shui consultations, you can use the blog tabs or contact me at burchjan@gmail.com 

Friday Finds: Space Paintings on Zazzle - for artwork that's "out of this world"

"Light Echo" Illuminates Dust Around Supergiant St Poster by alandail
Browse other Hubble Posters

Solar System Bumper Sticker by ralfschoofs

Vintage Space Launch Pillow by packratgraphics

Imagined Worlds Postage Stamps by GalacticVisions
View more Imagined worlds Stamps

I have another "tree" spread in my art journal

I've been being really "artsy" the last week or so. Here's the latest page spread in my visual journal collection:

The basic inspiration was a quote I saw recently on Facebook: "You should sit and meditate for 20 minutes each day. Unless you don't have the time. Then you should sit for an hour!" That spoke to me, for some reason - especially after I changed "meditate" to "do art" lol.

Then, because I'd gotten a little extra money (and some Michael's coupons) I added two new items to art stash: Sharpie fabric brush pens (got on clearance at Target) and a set of watercolor crayons (from Michael's with a 50% off coupon). I love 'em both so it was a good haul! This page spread was the first use of both sets and I love, love, love the way they worked. I'll be doing more with these, that's for sure!

One other neat thing about this spread - some of the colored circles are actually fake acrylic "jewels" from a large batch I've had in my stash since forever. The red circles are shiny red discs from the stash, and there is one clear faceted "jewel." I glued them in place with Locktite, a heavy-duty glue I found at the hardware store that's only thing to use for applying fake jewels, imo. (The other multi-colored discs are stickers.) It's unusual for me to put 3-dimensional things in my journals, because I still want it work like a book and actually close. However these jewels don't bother the overall book-ness of this book, and I really like the extra dimension they add.

And that's my "tree" spread for this week. Hope you enjoy it!

Friday Finds: A (small) Sample of the Business Card Templates available on Zazzle

Color Square - Business Business Card Template
Browse other tile business cards

   

Steampunk fish business cards
Look at more steampunk business cards

   

Healing Hands Massage Business Card
Browse more spa business cards

   

Peace, Love, Ladybugs Business Cards
View other ladybug business cards

Mardi Gras Mask business card by jan4insight
Browse other Mardi gras Business Cards

Survival Tips for Mercury Retrograde

It's no secret, we're 5 days into the first Mercury Retrograde period of 2013. It began on February 23 and will end on March 17 at 2:03 pm Mountain Time. You may be just starting to notice its effects - the energy of communications "going backwards" tends to build as we move through this 3-week period. It   happens three to four times a year.

I had my first noticeable Mercury Retrograde glitch this week, when I an email I'd sent to my veterinarian went to the Help Desk of one of my online stores. I communicate with my vet about managing my cat's diabetes, which is very helpful and leaves me in awe of the amount of patience this woman has. Multiply my ramblings by an anxious cat or dog mom for each of her patients .... Anyway, I'm grateful to the Help Desk lady for letting me know that the email was missent. And given that the two email addresses bear no resemblance whatsoever to each other, how that happened remains a mystery. It's classic Mercury Retrograde.

Since we can't change or stop Mercury Retrograde, the best thing to do is roll with it. Here are some "survival hints" I've gleaned from my previous posts on the subject:

We often dread this time because when the planet of communication goes backwards, our plans get messed up. We should be careful about taking on new ventures, double-check important emails, faxes, etc. and expect some delays, especially towards the end of the cycle. If we can't move forward, let's rest, re-group, and review what's gone before us. 

Here are some useful things to do during Mercury Retrograde: take naps - watch a favorite movie - finish reading a book ~ complete a project ~ clean out clutter ~ get outdoors and enjoy the fresh air in these last days of winter. Think of this time as one of the annual "breaks" the Universe sends us.

For myself, I'm going to advantage of Mercury Retrograde's ability to support us in looking back by getting my 2012 taxes done. I've already taken steps to clear the clutter in my office; now I have room to spread out my tax papers and receipts and get them organized. Woo-hoo, won't the Tax Man be surprised when I file my taxes on time this year!

Friday Finds: More Kid's Clocks from Zazzle

What child wouldn't like to dress up his or her room with a wall clock of their very own! Zazzle has a wide variety of fun and colorful designs in clocks that are young at heart and perfect for any kid's room. Most can be customized with your child's name - for that personal touch!

Rubber Duck Pattern Wallclocks by chirpychums
Look at Rubber duck Wall Clocks online at Zazzle.com

Fun kids boys rocket space blue aqua wall clock by Mylittleeden
Browse another Clock online at Zazzle

Best Friends Forever Clock by lesrubadesigns
Check out Bff Wall Clocks online at zazzle

Kids dinosaur Stegosaurus blue green name clock by Mylittleeden
Shop for another Wall Clock online at zazzle.com