October 2004

Angelic Greetings,

Well, it certainly was a September to remember! Those of us in Florida have had our spirits tested by hurricanes, hurricane preparations, fatalistic weathermen, wind and rain, and power outages.

There are always silver linings, though. My heart was warmed by the stories I heard and read about the miracles of survival and about the kindness of neighbors and strangers helping each other. I especially loved the stories in which people spoke about how the only things that pulled them through the storm were prayer and faith.

One man I was speaking to in Palm Beach told me "air conditioning is overrated." I couldn't believe my ears. He went on to say that he has never spent so much quality time with his family. When the air conditioning is on, he said, everyone goes into their own rooms. But without it, they all had to gather around the one fan that worked off of the generator. He also got to know his neighbors because everyone was outside and everyone was helping each other. It was like the old days, he said, when people used to sit on their front porches and visit with each other, and he thoroughly enjoyed that sense of community. This man really found a silver lining.

At the same time, we have to remember that there are so many around Florida and in the Caribbean who are still struggling and enduring as a result of the storms. So let's keep them in our prayers and continue to send love, light, and angels their way.

A Prayer for Mother Earth

With all those hurricanes brewing, I took some time recently to connect with Mother Earth and the fairies. What I felt was a lot of sadness. And this is the message I got: "Have compassion for others. For yourself. For Mother Earth. This is a healing, a cleansing for her and all is in Divine Order. Listen to her. Acknowledge her pain and this will ease the fury."  A couple weeks later, it became even clearer to me. When we are ill, it is often because of stress or imbalance or not nurturing ourselves enough. In order to heal, our bodies react to the illness. We may get fatigued, causing us to get much-needed rest, or get a fever so that our bodies can kill off the unwanted germs. We may sweat, shake, or vomit to release and get rid of toxins.

This is exactly what's happening to Mother Earth right now. The hurricanes, the earthquakes, and the volcanoes erupting are just symptoms of her illness. The good news is that she is healing. She must.

But just as we all need and desire extra nurturing and attention when we are ill, Mother Earth needs our help right now. So let us surround her with healing angels and let us keep her in our prayers and add her to our healing lists. Take a moment in your day to walk barefoot on the grass or sand and really connect with Mother Earth. Talk to her and let her know you care. Ask her what she needs from us. And then let us all have the courage to do whatever needs to be done.
I'd like to share a prayer that came to me when I first connected with Mother Earth. I invite to join me in this prayer or create your own.

"Mother Earth, we hear your cries for help. Your cries of pain. We send you the highest healing light and ask you to receive our prayers. We see peace and crystal clear clarity at your very core. We focus on this peace and clarity, helping you to amplify these qualities within you and within ourselves. We honor the fairy and elemental kingdoms, your beautiful plants, trees, and animals, and all of your waters. We honor the air, the water, the fire, and you, the earth. We honor ourselves, the human kingdom which relies on your greatness for life. We ask God and the angels to bless you and protect you, Mother Earth. We surround you with a vibrant spectrum of rainbow light. Thank you, Mother Earth, for sustaining and blessing us."


A Prayer for the Presidential Election

On the eve of the U.S. Presidential Election - November 1 - Doreen Virtue will be leading a prayer vigil in California, asking for spiritual assistance for a fair and just election. Regardless of political affiliations, we all pray for an outcome that is for the highest good of our country and the rest of the world. I hope that each and every one of you will cast your vote and let your voice be heard. And if you feel guided, please join in the global prayer for the elections. Doreen will be holding the prayer vigil at 8 p.m. Pacific time (that's 5 p.m. for those of us in Florida). You can join at any time that day, however, with the intention of joining all those around the world who are also praying. Here is the prayer Doreen will be saying:

"Creator . . . Divine spirit of wisdom, love, and intelligence: we come to you today in trust and faith. We ask that you shower us with additional angels, and illuminate the light of fairness, truth, and justice within each and every person. We're asking for additional spiritual help, intervention, and illumination during the United States Presidential election process. Please insure that the entire election process accurately reflects the wishes of the majority of the population; that it follows Divine will; is based upon truth, honesty, justice, and fairness; and is for the highest good of everyone on the planet.

"We call upon the sacred Feminine spirit of Creation, honoring the intuitive, perceptive, and nurturing side of life. We now call upon the Goddesses of Wisdom, Justice, and Fairness: Athena, Themis, Maat, Astrea, and Liberty. We ask that you watch over the entire Presidential electoral process, and infuse it with honesty, fairness, and truth. Please heal anything within us which could block us from receiving our good abundantly.
"Archangels Michael, Haniel, Raziel, Raphael, Gabriel, Jophiel, and Uriel, we call upon you now! We ask for your participation in the United States Presidential election. We ask that you shine the light of Divine love so brightly, that no darkness can possibly hide or exist within the election process or results.
"Ascended Masters Jesus, Saint-Germaine, Hermes, and Francis Bacon, the Americas were your vision for a new world based upon the highest human values. We ask for your help in invoking those values within us all, and especially during the United States Presidential election process and results. Please open the hearts of the political leaders, members of the media, and anyone else involved in the electoral process, and strongly guide them to live according to the highest ethics and values.
"Divine Love, in all of its aspects, this is our prayer: please watch over the entire electoral process and ensure that it's a living example of truth, honesty, fairness, justice, and peace. Please help us to elect a President who will bring the most integrity and peace to the office, to America, and to the world.
"From our heart to Yours, we stand in gratitude, trust, and faith for all these gifts that You bring.

"And so it is. Amen."

Advanced Classes Rescheduled

The new advanced angel classes at Crystal Vision have been moved to Tuesday, Nov. 16 and Tuesday, Nov. 23. We are opening the classes to anyone who feels guided to move a little deeper in their work with the angels. We will be learning and experiencing some new methods of Angel Therapy^TM, as well as working with auras, Third Eye opening exercises, and practicing more angel readings. If you have any questions, please email me.

Buy an Angel, Help a Good Cause

I want to let you know about a couple of fun ways that you can help a cause that is very dear to my heart. Angel Haven, a wonderful little store on Las Olas which sells beautiful gold and silver jewelry with the Archangel of your choice, as well as every kind of angel merchandise you can imagine, has offered to help the Forget-Me-Not Event and Fund this month. Through Oct. 31, they will donate 10 percent of your purchase to the event and fund when you mention the Forget-Me-Not or the agency that operates it, Healthy Mothers-Healthy Babies. (Thanks Ron and Judy!)

The Forget-Me-Not event and fund help families who have lost babies through miscarriage, stillbirth, or newborn death. I have been personally involved with the event since it started 8 years ago, which was about a year after my first child, Ariella, was stillborn. During the event, which is being held on Saturday, Oct. 16, at 11 a.m. at Tree Tops Park, families who have lost babies come together for a picnic, planting in the Butterfly Garden, and a butterfly release to remember the babies. Proceeds go toward the Forget-Me-Not Fund, which provides financial assistance to families who cannot afford to bury or cremate their babies. We've helped 35 families so far!
In addition, Angel Haven is hosting a networking morning at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 28. Any donations collected at the event will also go to the Forget-Me-Not event and fund.
When you stop by Angel Haven, they will tell you (for free) which Archangel is assigned to you, according to your birth date. It's fun and a great place for angel lovers. They are located at 1318 E. Las Olas Blvd., #102.

Angel Blessings,

Ellen Valladares,
Angel Therapy Practitioner^TM
www.connectingwithlight.com
ellenwv@aol.com

November 2004 NOV2004

Angelic Greetings,

I think we all are grateful that the election is over at last and that we made it through without any major crises. I must tell you that I have a feeling of calm and peace about the elections, despite the fact that I was personally hoping for a different outcome. That feeling just reassures me that everything really is in perfect order.

More than anything, this election achieved a major result where it most counts. It jolted people out of their apathy. Not only did more people learn about the issues, but they also learned about the deception and trickery that is innate in our political system. It’s nothing new. It’s always been there. We are just becoming more aware, and awareness is the first key to effecting change.

That said, let’s not focus on what is “wrong” but rather on the fairness and justice that we believe in. If we expect integrity and honesty from our political leaders, perhaps that is what we will get.

Now is the time to pray, heal, and send light to those who are leading our government. It is time to let go of our judgments of others and forgive. Let us ask God and the angels to surround us, transmute all the darkness, and assist us collectively in moving forward, in peace.

Take a Chance There’s a song out now by Kelly Clarkson that sings “I’ll take a risk, take a chance, make a change, and break away.” For many of us, that is easier said than done. I’ve always been a “play it safe” kind of girl myself. Give me a choice between climbing a steep, rocky mountain, or taking the sky lift to the top, and I will be happy to purchase my tickets for the smooth and easy ride to the top.  Just for a moment, however, I want to extol the benefits of risk-taking.

First let me clarify a couple of points. Risk-taking can mean different things to different people. You don’t have to be Evil Knievel or go bungee jumping to be a risk taker. And you don’t have to walk away from life as you know it.
For the purpose of this article, a “risk” shall mean anything that takes you, personally, out of your comfort zone. Something that requires you to gather up your courage, face your fears, and just do it.

I will give you my own personal example. Just recently, I moved out of my comfort zone to record my first meditation CD. Now that may not sound like a big “risk” to you. But for me, it was about entering a whole new world that I have never explored. I had to overcome my fear of the unknown, as well as my fears about “speaking up.” And I had to conquer all those inner doubts that said, “who you?”. As I have discovered on this wonderful journey, the Universe and the angels love to gently nudge us to do those things that challenge us and push us upward. When we pay attention, we will see the doors opening and hear the messages of support and encouragement that come our way. And we will realize that doing this thing is not about success or failure. It’s just about trusting ourselves enough to take that chance.

At this moment, I can say that I am thrilled that I did it – that I walked through the door and took that chance. The experience has already been an adventure and I am having so much fun, creating and learning. I feel alive! I suppose the feeling can be likened to the thrill-seeking skydiver who feels the adrenaline pumping and begins to really feel his aliveness as he soars through the air. But I didn’t have to jump out of a plane to feel my aliveness. I only had to follow my heart and trust. And there will be no regrets.

It’s so easy to get into ruts and to remain stagnant. When I took my first Angel Therapy^TM course with Doreen, she signed one of my books with a message from my angels. It said in part: “Be open to exploration, twists and turns on the wonderful adventure of your life. Too much stability makes you stale.” I wasn’t sure how to take that at first. But I have come to understand. The journey has been filled with many exciting twists and turns that I never expected.

And that is what has made it so magical. With the angels’ guidance (and nudging), I found the courage to walk into that first shop and inquire about teaching angel classes. I took up a yoga class and have become so much more flexible than I ever dreamed. I created a website. And now I’ve created a CD.
The fact is that we are all beings who long to create – whether it’s through artistry, friendship, spiritual growth, parenthood, cooking, gardening, a chosen career, or absolutely anything you can think of. I am currently listening to a fabulous tape by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D., about creativity in which she talks about the chispa, Spanish for spark or ember. She says that the chispa lies within all of us. It may be dim and small, but it never goes out. Just like a tiny ember of a dwindling fire, when the chispa is fanned, it is easily ignited into the brilliant, shining creative fire. We simply need to breathe life into our own chispa to reignite our passion for creating, our passion for life itself.

Is there something you have been guided to do, but are holding back for fear of taking a chance, or making a change, or of failing or succeeding? If it seems too big and daunting, then start smaller. Take one baby step toward your goal. That’s how I did it with my CD. One day, a year ago, I asked for help/advice from others who had created a CD. That was a step. Many months later, I thought about what would go on the CD. One day, I contacted an artist to do the artwork for the cover. It was a long process, but those little steps I took intermittently served to keep the project (at least the chispa of the project) alive.  Most importantly, do not berate yourself for what you haven’t done yet.

Instead, take an inventory of all that you have accomplished so far (and I know you’ve accomplished a lot!). Pat yourself on the back for all the projects you have completed, for all the times you did take a chance, for all the lessons you’ve learned along the way. See how everything has led you perfectly to this moment and how you are exactly where you need to be. If you are feeling stuck, ask the angels for help. Meditate. Pray. Ask for guidance and pay attention. Know that we all have cycles in which some periods of dormancy are necessary. Know that Divine Timing plays a part as well.

And then, when you are ready and the door of opportunity presents itself, walk through it. You can do it. Yes, you!! Then feel the chispa expand within you. Feel the blood flowing through your veins. Feel life.

As Clarkson’s song goes, “I’ll spread my wings and I’ll learn how to fly. I’ll do what it takes ’til I touch the sky.

Ellen Valladares,
Angel Therapy Practitioner^TM
www.connectingwithlight.com
ellenwv@aol.com