Mission

Statement

Produced in conjunction with The

Australian College of Mediumship,

inSpirit Magazine is designed to

provide a respectful forum for like-

minded souls to share in a community

which aims to provide informative

views, opinions and education

regarding the experience of living with

Spirit.

CWA King St

Campbelltown NSW, Australia

Ph: 0416 070 141

Web: www.psychicmedium.com.au

in

MAGAZINE

Someday soon, you’re gonna catch that dream you’ve been chasing...

Natalie Bassingthwaite

inSpirit MAGAZINE

Managing Editor: Kerrie Wearing

Phone: 0416 070 141

Published by: ACOM

Website: www.inspiritmagazine.com

Enq: mail@inspiritmagazine.com

V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 2J U N E 2 0 0 9

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

F R O M T H E E D I T O R 3

L I V I N G Y O U R S P I R I TA N I N T E R V I E W W I T H S O N I A C H O Q U E T T E

4

O V E R C O M I N G F E A R 7

A W A K E N Y O U R S O U L ’ S C A L L I N G W I T H A N G E L I T E

8

L I G H T I N G T H E W O R L D , O N E C A N D L E A T A T I M E

9

B R I N G I N G P E A C E I N T O Y O U R W O R L D

1 1

B A C K T O B A S I C S 1 2

H O W W E L L D O Y O U M A I N T A I N B A L A N C E ?

1 3

T O P 1 0 W A Y S T O C O P E W I T H J O B T R A N S I T I O N

1 3

T H E P O W E R O F G R A T I T U D E

1 4

R E S O U R C E D I R E C T O R Y 1 5

Disclaimer:

While every care has been taken to provide the reader with accurate, inspiring and thought provoking

information, the publishers take no responsibility for the accuracy of information and views expressed by the

contributors. The views and opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily shared by the Editor or Publishers.

S

pirit

2

Putting this issue of inSpirit Magazine

together has been an interesting experience, one well

worth sharing with you. Each edition seems to have

it’s own energy and evolves into a life of its own. Back

in February/March, the committee knew that this

edition would be about Living Your Spirit. We

personally live our own lives with this as a mantra and

are huge fans of Sonia Choquette.

When we were planning this issue, we of

course knew, who better to interview and grace our

cover than the Living Your Spirit expert, Sonia

Choquette. There was a time during the planning

when we weren’t sure as to whether or not our

interview would be granted.

So we decided to back ourselves and

manifest it. We created a mock up cover page with

Sonia on it, and decided to not even entertain the idea

Write to Us!

Send your stories, feedback or

just drop us a line to:

InSpirit Magazine

Email:

mail@inspiritmagazine.com

Web:

www.inspiritmagazine.com

FROM THE EDITOR

of a Plan B. Well, our faith paid off and we are delighted to

be able to bring you her wonderful interview. She has so

much to give and is always inspiring. I hope you gain from

reading it.

Also in this issue is an interview with Janice Erwin.

Living her Spirit and following her passion has led Janice to

working with people affected by grief and helping them to

find a way out of that.

We’ve included some articles on Bringing Peace

Winto your orld, Getting Back to Basics and Overcoming

Fear. These are all designed to help you help yourself in

some small way. And remember that should our efforts

lighten your day, we’d love to hear from you, however small

or insignificant your thoughts may be.

Until next issue,

May the Spirit in You seek to be expressed!

With Love and Gratitude,

Kerrie

Regular Contributors: Kerrie Wearing,

Rita Maher,

Andrea Kaldy,

Val Maher.

Contributing this issue: Mark Webster, Ohio, USA

3

At last count the

world was populated by

some 6,780,073,589

people, all of whom are

going about their lives,

some with no direction,

floundering in a sea of not

knowing, while there are

others with inspiration,

drea m s a nd cl ear

direction. Amongst all of

these people there are the

few that shine so bright

you could see them from

the moon.

Sonia Choquette

is one of those people.

From a young age she

knew that she would be

giving back to the world,

sharing with us the inner

wisdom that so many of us

have let go of. She is the

author of many books,

including Diary of a

Psychic, Trust Your Vibes,

The intuitive Spark and

The Answer is Simply Love

Yourself, Live Your Spirit .

S o n i a h a s

inspired change in the

lives of so many people

through her workshops,

mentoring and countless

interviews. She is gentle,

kind and understanding. When you talk to her it is like talking

to your best friend, someone who will give of themselves

without asking for anything in return. In a world where so

often it is ‘dog eat dog’ it is refreshing, uplifting and inspiring

to speak to someone who is changing our world on a daily

basis through her life’s journey and

to feel welcomed to do so. I sat

down with Sonia Choquette for a

one on one interview about Living

your Spirit. Sonia was the inspira-

tion for this edition of the magazine

and we do feel honoured to be able

to talk to her in such a candid way. Here is what she had to

say:

Rita: Firstly, thank you Sonia for allowing this interview to take

place. It is a great honour.

Sonia: It’s my pleasure.

Rita: The first thing people asked me when I told them that I

was going to interview you is when will you be coming back to

Australia?

Sonia: I don’t have any

plans yet but I would like

to get there some time in

2010. I would love to

come back there.

Rita: The inspiration for

this magazine edition was

L i v ing y our Sp i r i t ,

something that you are

passionate about, which is

what immediately drew us

to you. For those who

don’t know, what is Living

your Spirit?

Sonia: Living your Spirit is

l i v ing your utmos t

authentic self, living fear-

lessly, living your passion,

living from the heart and

expecting the best from

life.

Rita: What a great

definition, I love the

fearless part.

Sonia: Yes and it really

does feel like that.

Rita: So on a daily basis

what do you do to live

your spirit? Is there a

routine?

Sonia: Yes I do have a routine. I don’t get up too

early. I set aside some time for meditation, for easing into the day. I set aside time to have some fun. I spend about an hour a day doing something creative.

This can be anything from writing a book, working

on a video or baking a cake. It’s important that every day I

am doing something creative. I like to spend time

connecting with people I love, even if

it’s on Facebook or Twitter. I always

check in with that and send some

friends love and make new friends. I

laugh a lot, I dance a lot and I pray and

thank the good God and Jesus for my

wonderful life.

Rita: It’s so important isn’t it to be praying and saying

thank you?

Sonia: Yes, exactly. To be saying thank you really helps, I

really do thank God for all my blessings, even my

challenges.

Rita: It does allow us to be lifted in those times. In today’s

L I V I N G Y O U R S P I R I TB Y R I T A M A H E R

“Living your spirit is living you

utmost authentic self, living

from the heart…”

4

world, especially when we have so many challenges that are

portrayed by the media, the doubt and uncertainty that fill

some people’s minds. How do you feel about that?

Sonia: Well, what I feel is, that’s a perspective. That’s

someone’s perspective; it’s like someone looking out the

window and their window may be dirty. So I can choose to see

that way from someone’s perspective or I can choose to focus

on what is beautiful in my life even when it is a challenge. I

can learn something from that so I set my intention to per-

form in my life. And this year I have had some big challenges.

I had two sudden deaths in my family, and what I got from

that was to LIVE as both of them were here today and gone

the next day without any warning and it just really left me with

a very strong love of life because what we have we should

love.

Rita: So many of us get caught up in the day to day and we don’t live. We are just walking through life surviving.

Sonia: For many people living is no longer an option. For them

it’s just surviving, and that’s just the ego being afraid. You

know whatever is going on today, we have been through

worse before. This is not the worst in human history, it’s just a

drama. We are resourceful and really say that there is no lack

of abundance, just a lack of imagination. So it’s time to use

your imagination in new ways. Be grateful, you may discover

you have a whole new set of gifts. Twenty years ago I was a

flight attendant and we were all laid off at the same time. Half

the people were like, oh my god, we are laid off and the other

half were instant entrepreneurs. So when we have a

challenge we have a choice. You know, life is life, but we have

a choice whether we are going to embrace it or sit and fear it.

Rita: For those that are coming from the fear base of ego and

they don’t know how to let go of it, what would be your

advice?

Sonia: The very first thing I would encourage those people to

do is to breathe. Fear makes you hold your breath and when

you hold you breath you physically go into a state of fight or

flight. So it keeps the cycle. It is also biologically impossible to

breathe deeply and be stressed out at the same time. So it’s

something everyone can do. Breathe!

Secondly, get outside and start looking around, and

notice all the things that are beautiful: nature, people, life;

just get out of your head. I love this quote that a friend said to

me “A lot of horrible things have happened to me, some of

which actually occurred”. It’s so true, because most of the

time what we are doing is getting so stressed out and drama-

tising our lives with what could happen, instead of realising

what is happening. So, get outside and move - walk about,

say hello to you neighbour, to people in the shop, wish people

well - and that way you interrupt that negative internal

thought in your brain that’s the ego.

Thirdly, you can change your vibration and bring back

the present power. Start by doing one thing a day that is crea-

tive. You have the power: you can rearrange the furniture in

your house, get a new hairdo, you can write a poem, post a

video doing something creative. Because if you feed the right

brain you allow intuition and inspiration and no matter what

you are facing you open the door to that part of yourself that

can find a solution.

Rita: It is such an important thing to be able to open that side

of the brain, to reconnect with that intuition that a lot of us

close down. You grew up in an environment that fostered that,

being a very normal thing to have that intuition. What would

you say to parents so that they can allow this to happen for

their children, so that they are not trying to reconnect as there

has been no disconnection, it is just allowed to flow through

their life?

Sonia: Well that’s a very good question, because intuition is

either cultivated or killed off. I have written a book about it

called The Intuitive Spark. The thing is, children are naturally

intuitive, so you don’t have to make them intuitive. You just

have to get out of their way. So, when they offer feelings about

themselves, give it importance and tell them, “I am listening”.

Instead of giving them answers and trying to control their lives,

ask them early on, from a very early age “Before I answer that,

what does you heart say, what does your instinct say, what

does your spirit say?”. You know, little tiny children from three

to four years old, they understand that, so give them that. Lis-

ten to your heart and follow that and if your body feels uncom-

fortable, then don’t do what you are thinking of doing because

it’s not right for you. If you feel tension, if you feel nervous,

then your body is not comfortable. You have a decision to

make, then let it rest, talk it out and if you still feel tension then

maybe that’s not the way to go.

This is a very good tool for teenagers. They have so

much pressure, so if you start them off early, they have this

tool that they can use when they get peer pressure. I have just

raised two teenagers to adults and when they got pressured

they could say, “No, I have bad vibes”, and that was enough for

people to stop pressuring them. It provided protection and I

think that children do what parents do, so if you show respect

for your intuition, and you treat it as natural and valuable, then

you don’t even have to say anything to your children .

Rita: We do owe them a lot as being their teachers and allow-

ing them to grow up with that lovely gift of having their sixth

sense.

Sonia: It’s our natural inner essence, our inner radar. We need

it to be able to stay on our path.

Rita: I was blessed to have grown up in a family that allowed

that intuition. For those who are not taught about it, what do

you think is the block that stops people from even allowing

themselves to be open to receiving their intuition?

Sonia: Well, they have been seriously injured by things thrown

in to stop that. The good news is that intuition is incredibly re-

silient and it doesn’t take much for even the worst case sce-5

nario to reactivate their intuitive feeling with a little playful

explanation. You don’t approach it like a test as that is way

too stressful. You approach it like a game because that is

more enticing. One of the best games to play is ‘I wonder’

… I wonder who is on the phone … I wonder what the

cheque will be for… I wonder where we should park

our car …I wonder what he really thinks … and opens you

to that vibration. The two words “I wonder” are an invitation

to cross the bridge from your intellectual, logical brain to

your intuitive, receptive part, and it’s fun. Make it fun and

the more you get playful the more it attracts your intuition.

Another thing is talk about your intuition with language that

feels comfortable, like in our family we call it vibes – it’s

comfortable. For some, it’s “my heart” or “my gut”, what-

ever you want to call it. I find that language sometimes is

the wrong language. Some people are very comfortable

with the word psychic, like me, I am very comfortable with

it, but most of the world is not comfortable with that word

so don’t use it. Come up with another word - intuition,

vibes, hunch, my inner voice. All of those words people use

and accept allowing it to be a lot more relaxing, to express

your vibes with a language that doesn’t feel alienating.

It’s important to talk about your vibes - if you name

them you claim them, is the rule of thumb I have. So, one

of the easiest ways to tune into your vibes is to put your

hand on your heart, where your spirit, your centre or

intuition originates from, and just say, “My heart says” and

“My vibes tell me” and speak it out. The reason it works is

because you are giving voice to it. When you say, “My heart

says”, and you give it strength verbally, then your intellect

cannot interfere. You have to speak it out.

Rita: I think intellect is one of the things that can get in the

way a lot of times.

Sonia: This is what I say about intellect: it gives you

information based on the past and from other people,

where your intuition gives you information that is directly

centered on the present and what is coming. It is a more

current perception and more accurate perception because

you are fully in the present, dealing with what is right in

front of you, instead of trying to compare it with something

from your past.

Rita: I have never looked at it that way. That’s very

eye-opening.

Sonia: Isn’t it interesting? You say, well, of course I want to

listen to my intuition. The whole point of Living your Spirit

and listening to your intuition is so you make better

decisions. The best decisions you make come from the

best information, and the best information comes from the

present versus recollection and memory from the past. And

that’s why you should use your intuition as it is the most

current form of information you can have.

People live thinking that this is some form of willy-

nilly weird cloak, when actually it is a very reliable,

predictable part of your sensory awareness. The most

important thing is to make the decision on what is

happening right now.

Rita: What inspires you? What motivates you?

Sonia: Well, that’s a good question. I really love people and

I really love life. I love adventure. I love connecting with

people around the world. I love the fact that as much as we

are different, we are more similar and we are all really

alike. We want the same things, we are all equally unique,

fearful, and creative. It’s so warming to my heart. I love

helping people see through a fresh perception. I love

seeing people get out of jail. I love springing people out of

the jail of their fears, that’s how I feel like I am giving them

life and releasing them from jail.

Rita: If there was only one message you could give to

everyone, what would it be?

Sonia: Love your spirit. Falling in love with your spirit,

falling in love with the blessed things that you have in your

life, your vibes, everything about you and your life, is

incredible. We are all very beautiful, exquisite and

extraordinary people and we are all worthy of love and it

starts from our own hearts.

Rita: It is amazing to see people lift when they fall in love

with their spirit. It is a privilege to be a part of seeing that

gift.

Sonia: Yes, it is incredible and when they fall in love with

their spirit, it’s the gift that keeps giving because others fall

in love with your spirit, the people around you fall in love

with their spirit.

Rita: Yes, it has a wonderful flow on effect that you cannot

ignore.

Sonia: And that’s how I believe that we are going to heal

the planet. A hundred times fall in love with yourself and

that we can do .

Rita: What a wonderful way to heal our world! Thank you so

much, Sonia for your time and your sharing with us today

Sonia: Thank you for allowing me to be able to share these

messages. I am so grateful.

Rita: We look forward to seeing you in Australia in 2010.

6

Any dream where you experience the emotion of

fear in the dream.

An inability to make a decision moving you forward

Overall loss of direction

Frustration

Over the years I have come to understand that

each time I reached a part of my journey where it was time

to receive a new insight about myself and let it go, there

was always fear precipitating the gaining of that

understanding. This reflected directly in my work as a

Medium. Each time I released and overcame such an

obstacle, my Mediumship was vastly improved the very

next time I made a connection with a loved one in the spirit

world. By letting go of any negativity completely and

replacing it with love, my energy and its make-up also

experienced that change. As my aura is heavily involved in

the communication process with Spirit, this change allowed

a more seamless energy exchange between myself and

Spirit, which therefore saw much clearer and better quality

information coming through. Less negativity and

blockages in my own energy meant Spirit having a clearer

channel to communicate through. This to me has been

proven time and time again, not just personally but also

with many of ACOM’s developing Mediums.

We are able to apply this theory in every walk of

life, not just Mediumship. Experiencing the same changes

of new understandings and letting go of blockages and

fears will lead you to assimilate energetically more

seamlessly into the Universe and its power of creation.

This would allow you to bring forth your dreams and

aspirations as you work towards manifesting your goals.

Do not underestimate the power of energy and self-

awareness as you become more aware and uncover what it

is that holds you back.

Now we know what to look out for and how impor-

tant overcoming fear is, what are some simple everyday

actions we can do to move away and let go of our fears?

Breathe

Yes, I do mean that you become more aware of

taking much deeper breaths and really filling your lungs.

Be sure to appreciate and enjoy the gifts that sustain life. I

also want you to think about it on a much larger scale and

ask yourself the question? Am I really “Breathing Life”? Am

I taking it all in?

Take time to come back to what lifts your Spirit

and makes you feel good. Is it such activities as going to

the gym, walking the dogs, being with friends, taking a

bath, enjoying a rock concert? Take some time to just

enjoy!

Fear is an everyday emotion. It drives us to do

things which we would not normally do. It has us acting and

behaving in ways that are not who we truly are: divine

beings of love, created in the likeness of God. Each day, we

are inspired by the energy of love to be who we truly are.

Yet we react with fear, and ultimately let ourselves down by

not believing in ourselves, lacking the faith that we are

beautiful beings in our own right, worthy of giving and

receiving as we so deserve.

When was the last time you truly acknowledged

this to yourself? When was the last time you gave for the

sake of giving, expecting nothing in return but rejoicing in

the feeling and emotion of giving to another in such a way?

When was the last time you gave that very same gift to

yourself?

Self-love is the enemy of fear. Feel fear and do it

anyway because you love yourself enough to overcome

life’s hurdles that are placed before you. Feel fear and do it

anyway because you love yourself enough to say to another,

“I’m sorry, but right now you have hurt my feelings and the

disrespect I feel is unacceptable to me. I need your under-

standing right now”. Feel fear and do it anyway because

you love yourself enough to accept that the Universe is how

it is right now. You may not fully understand it all but trust

and know, that because you are created in the likeness of

God, all will be right in time.

One of the hardest things for any self-aware

traveller to do is to identify when one is operating and living

with fear, especially when it’s influencing our choices and

actions.

Some tell-tale signs to look out for are:

An increase of negative and self-doubting thought

forms

A knot sitting in your stomach which isn’t going away

An inability to see things clearly

Masking your true emotions

Procrastination

Dreams which contain symbols of fear – being

chased, falling, attacked etc.

Overcoming Fear

With Kerrie Wearing

7

Cont’d from previous page.

Take Action

Once you uncover the answers above,

then it becomes necessary to take

action. There is no overcoming fear

without this. Failure to do so will result

in stagnation which can last years, even

a lifetime if we allow it. When it comes

to taking action, it’s okay to take small

steps in your own time, just as long as

you are moving forward. For example,

should you be unhappy in your work but

not quite ready to make a big move,

then start with researching the job

advertisements. It’s a step which can

lead to another. I find at this point it

helps me to play the “worst case

scenario” game. I ask myself, “If I was to

do this, what would the worst outcome

possibly be and if I didn’t do this, what

would the worst outcome possibly be?”.

I find that it helps me to clarify my

thoughts and fears once I realise that

the worst case scenario is usually

something I can quite easily deal with.

There is one other simple, yet

fun technique which I’d like to share with

you. This technique I learnt from Peggy

McColl, a New York Times bestseller and

goal achieving expert. I think it is a too

invaluable tool not to pass on to you.

Take a balloon and as you blow

it up, be conscious that you are blowing

all your fear and negativity into that

balloon. Once you have blown it up

enough, don’t tie it, but let it go so it flies

around the room making that silly noise.

Laugh and enjoy as you let it all go.

Notice how much lighter you

feel.

Fear holds us back in so many

ways. It is our choice however as to how

much we allow it to control who we are

and the lives we live. Breaking down a

little fear each day is progress and goes

hand in hand with allowing more love in

your life. May you find, acknowledge

and love the ugly duckling within as you

release any fear keeping you from being

the beautiful swan.

Have a question

regarding Crystals and

Crystal Healing?

Please Email

mail@inspiritmagazine.com

Crystal Healing

Am I on the

right path? What

is right for me?

What should I be

doing? We have

all asked these

questions at

some time in our

life, probably more than once. Things

get in the way - bills, work, family

commitments. All of these can

weigh on us but we need to stop

and ask ourselves: are these

commitments put there to make us

stronger, can we use what

we have?

Asking the universe

for guidance and strength

in our lives is one way that

we may help ourselves to

learn our true path.

Meditation is useful for

connecting in with our

guides, our angels and

asking what our next step in life is or

how we can use our knowledge more

wisely to make us more aware of the

gifts we have.

One way to help gain more

understanding and greater connection

during our meditation is to hold a

crystal that is appropriate to our needs.

Angelite is one crystal that is known to

open a channel between us and the

angelic realms. It is a beautiful blue

crystal that in large pieces has veins in

it, giving it a wing-like appearance. As

with all blue crystals, it has a peaceful,

calming effect. As it is formed from

Celestite over many millions of years, it

contains many of it’s traits, so when

using this stone, you should also look

into the properties of Celestite as well.

Angelite is a powerful crystal

used by healers, as it brings balance to

both the physical and etheric realms. It

unblocks meridians and energetic

pathways. Angelite deepens attune-

By Val Maher ment and allows for greater perception.

Angelite is the stone of

awareness: it helps us to connect with

our angels, spirit guides and higher-self.

It allows for spiritual inspiration and

raises the connection with universal

knowledge. This is a crystal that brings

deep peace and compassion, allowing

you to understand the things that

cannot be changed. Angelite allows you

to speak your truth as it resonates with

the throat, dispelling fear and anger and

encouraging forgiveness. It is a very

useful crystal in times of turmoil,

allowing you to see the

other side of an argument.

All of these

attributes make Angelite a

great crystal for meditating

on which direction you need

be looking, what questions

to ask or where you should

be headed. It helps to find

your true gift in life. Hold

Angelite during meditation and allow

the connection from the angelic realm

to come through to show you how to use

the gifts you have, whatever they may

be. Angelite awakens your awareness

to all around, both spiritually and physi-

cally, thus inspiring you and awakening

your soul’s calling.

8

Living passionately - how do you live your life?

Are you passionate about it, or about what it can be?

Does your life feel like you are living in survival mode or

are you truly living, and by living I mean with gusto, with

energy that carries you through the day even when the

day is as dark as it can be? Are you living your spirit? How

many of us take the time in our lives here, right now, to

truly live the way we are meant to be living. What is it that

you are passionate about? What makes your spirit soar

higher than the other highs? Don’t know? Give up?

Unfortunately that is what too many of us do: we don’t

know and we give up. Then why is it that among us all

walk a few that dare to live the passionate life? They dare

not to just survive or not to play ‘keep up with the

Joneses’; they dare to walk the path they chose to live

with Free Will and in doing so they change the world by

lighting one candle at a time.

Janice Ervin is one of those people. Just spend five

minutes talking to her and you will know that she is here to

touch the hearts of so many. Janice is a well know Hospice

Specialist, Spiritual Theorist, Paraphysic Lecturer and Event

Coordinator. Her earlier career days saw her answer a patriotic

calling to serve others, so she joined the United States Army for

four years. To this day there are still strong ties to that

camaraderie she shares with being a part of that community.

She regularly donates profits from her Open Mind Colloquiums

events to help those who have served and those who have lost

and suffer with grief.

Janice had a traumatic childhood, suffering abuse and

losing all that was near and dear to her. Rather than wallow in

this, she chose to embrace her childhood. She described it to

me as, “Not all bad things happen because it was designed that

way. It is our free will and we get to choose how to mould it”.

Through death and abandonment she lost all her family, and it

is through this adversity that Janice is now able to truly have

empathy towards others who have suffered. She knows what it

is like to feel worthless and be thinking that, “If you just knew

me you would like me”. Taking that on board she quotes

Tolstoy, “It is only a prison if you make it one in your mind”.

While Janice has experienced great loss in her life, it is

this loss that led her to question what she saw in life, as it did

not fit in with her conservative Catholic upbringing. She

recounts how, sitting down with a priest some 25 years ago,

she was asking the question: Why? The response was, “Have

faith”. Janice questioned this. Sometimes it is not enough to

have faith; they are hollow words to someone who is lost. She

recounts how, sitting with some dear friends over breakfast, the

conversation turned to the loss of the friend’s child. The

mother, a devout Catholic, said, “I always used to think that

God was here, and an integral part of my life. Now he is up

there, far away, watching it all”. That was a dark time for that

couple, and Janice wanted to create a bridge to those who have

lost and have questions. They have nothing to hang on to, yet

they want to believe. This, along with over twenty-five years of

researching and studying Tarot, Mediumship, Kabbalah, stages

of grief and much more, Janice has formed her core value of

beliefs that remain open to new developments, however they

remain true when put against the challenges of life.

Hence, Janice has embarked on her journey. Her soul’s

calling, working as a Hospice Specialist has been integral to her

work on filling the void that is left for the survivors of grief: that

of those whose world has been rocked to the ground, their

belief system shattered and in need to be put back together. A

need to an end saw Janice become an Event Co-ordinator,

where she allows people to find the answer that they have in a

safe and secure environment. The events allow others to

experience and explore healing and delve into the connection

of mind, matter and the eternal consciousness.

She has made a video titled, Health Effects of Grief. She has

written an e-book WHidden ounds - A Bereaved Body After the

Death of a Loved One. She often lectures on the effects that

grief has on our body and has many other articles, that can be

found on her website http://www.janiceervin.com, which are

her truth. She regularly speaks on radio sharing her wisdom

and understanding of the spiritual and emotional knowledge

that helps those left behind answer the question of WHY?

From her work in the hospice, to that of Event Co-ordinator, Author, and Lecturer, Janice is able to help people cross over

Lighting the World, One Candle at a time

Interview by Rita Maher

9

Cont’d from previous page.

the bridge, one that allows them to move back from the depths of despair to a place where hope exists, a place where the sun will shine on a dark day. When speaking with Janice I asked her about what touches her heart and inspires her. She replied, “It’s the moment when the light bulb goes on. When they see that there is a way back from all that hurt and loss.

They will never forget, but they

are able to move forward in a positive

way and be able to live again. Those

people then get to take this learning

forward with them, and it has a ripple

effect, as their positive attitude and new

understanding inspires and touches

others”.

Janice is a big believer that not

everything happens to us for a reason

but more so that we can find meaning

and growth in all that happens. At the

end of the day, it is our free will that will

shape the life that we have. This belief

has inspired her to be currently working

on a set of educational videos which will

allow people to understand that what

happens in life is not always about them.

Sometime they are just the vessel that

another has unloaded on and when we

can let that go we can have forgiveness

and empathy in our hearts for others.

We can move through our life not being

trapped by ego, and therefore enjoy

cherishing and embracing all that life

has to offer and reach our highest

learning whilst we are here.

Her hope for the future is to

cause a global shift. Right now, at this

point, when we all feel so much

uncertainty, she speaks from the heart.

Everything about life is cyclical: the way

we have winter and summer, the

movement of the Moon and the Sun.

There is no end - all storms are followed

by the rainbow. We can move through

the uncertainty of today as it will pass.

You never know what you can handle

until you move through it and then it’s in

the past. I have seen people who have

lost and shown amazing courage to take

one breath.

She has said, “If someone could

hand me a microphone and stand on top

of the globe, that’s how loud I would

talk that this type of awareness

can stem the tide and turn things

around and operate from a place of

heart. I am hoping that this will ignite

others and create a global shift, helping

individuals one at a time as it shuts

down the bad”. Making a global shift and

having us all operate from a place that

comes from the heart, from our divine

centre where ego does not reside and

fear is released, where we have

compassion and forgiveness for our

fellow man, is a true passion for Janice.

When the words, “Have faith” have lost

their meaning and they echo in a hollow

soul, Janice Ervin is there, lighting the

world one candle at a time.

For more information on Janice

Ervin and the incredible healing work

she does with those who are suffering

from grief, please visit her website

http://www.janiceervin.com

Do you have something of

interest to share with others?

We’d love to hear from you to

share your stories and

expertise.

Advertising and Distribution

enquiries also welcome.

mail@inspiritmagazine.com

10

Peace-Tranquility-Harmony-Serenity-

Freedom-Happiness

Take a deep breath; focus on

each of these words for a moment. Turn

off the constant thoughts in your head

and feel the presence of the words

through your mind and body. How does

it feel?

Anger-Pain-Fear-War-Destruction-Greed-

Hatred

Take a deep breath; focus on

each of these words for a moment. Turn

off the constant thoughts in your head

and feel the presence of the words

through your mind and body. How does

it feel?

Although the Peace related

words probably feel much better to us,

we are more accustomed to the words

around Anger. The energy associated

with anger/fear has covered much of

human society for many centuries. It

has kept us from realising our full

potential of becoming divine beings of

love. Throughout the many struggles in

history, the human race has had

multiple opportunities to develop,

grow, and expand their awareness and

understanding of the world around

them. This pattern of thought is no

longer necessary; in fact most of

society has truly outgrown it as a child

outgrows their tantrum fits.

Unfortunately, this anger/fear

energy still seems to have a firm grasp

over our collective human mentality,

but this is quickly slipping away. Never

before has it been so easy for people

to grow out of their fear/anger

perspective to one of love/peace. As a

variety of planetary shifts are going on

in all levels of Earth and her

inhabitants, humanity can now easily

change to this new path of love/peace.

This shift starts off within the

individual. It is done with a choice to

leave behind the mental patterns of

B Y M A R K W E B S T E R

B R I N G I N G P E A C E I N T O Y O U R W O R L D

fear, hate, jealousy, greed, anger, etc.

(lower parts of the brain) and move to

the higher patterns (and more

developed parts of the brain) of love,

compassion and peace. All it takes is

that desire to remove yourself from

the human drama of fear/anger and

shift your perspective to sincere

compassion for all beings. This is

nothing new, as the masters and

saints of all religions have laid out the

same concepts throughout time. As

our culture becomes more globalized,

and our actions have an ever

increasing effect on the rest of the

world, it has become increasingly

important for us to switch to this love/

peace perspective. Each day, more

and more people are awakening to

the truth. Many people know it and

feel it at the core of their mind and

heart. Peace and love are the ultimate

truths and all else is a fabrication of

illusion.

Upon realizing this truth,

one’s life begins to switch gears as

you step back into becoming a

compassionate being. You begin to

shift your perspective into seeing that

you are a spiritual being of love that is

having a human experience. This shift

will let love begin to flow through

one’s heart and out into the world. As

you bring peace into your own life it

begins to ripple out to the rest of the

world.

WMark ebster is a psychic medium that

lives and works in Cincinnati Ohio, USA.

He has used his gifts to connect loved

ones for over 10 years.

11

each time being aware of your lungs expanding and

contracting with the rhythm and the effect the exercise is

having on your physical body.

Taking a walk in nature is another excellent way

to connect with this element. Getting fresh air is always a

good way to clear the cobwebs of your mind. I bet you

haven’t thought of taking a stroll on the beach or in the

park as a way of consciously and deliberately getting in

touch with the Air element of nature.

Burning some incense or smudging your home

can also be part of that exercise. Remember that

reference to “the winds of change”? Think outside of the

square. Singing, for example, is a fun and exciting way to

help bring about the change you require in your Air aspect.

When singing, our lungs get a good workout and our chest

cavity expands as well. We change the vibration of the

atmosphere around us with the music, as well as get more

oxygen to our brain through the breathing. Whether we do

it at a party, playing Singstar® at home with the kids or

just while doing the vacuuming, we still get the full benefit

without having to go out of our way. Not to mention the

confidence boost we get from the liberating feeling of

having sung our hearts out.

Everybody would be familiar with the phrase “go

back to basics”. My yoga teacher uses it frequently. Juggling

career, family, social life, finances, self-development,

health, heaven knows what else. It is hardly ever that we

have time to do maintenance on ourselves. Yes, I use the

word “maintenance”. Is our body not a vehicle for our

Spirit? With our lifestyle being so extremely distracting, we

forget that we need to service out bodies as well as our

minds for them to work for us at their full capacity. We don’t

have warning lights to say that we have reached a certain

number of kilometres and are now due for a check up. With

so many distractions, we only stop to listen to ourselves

when we are made to come to a screeching halt by some

illness, personal trauma or some other kind of dramatic

event that forces us to re-examine our lives.

What could be more common sense to do in a time

of turmoil than going back to the elements that were

considered as the building blocks of life since the dawn of

time. Through the ages many cultures defined the five

elements, the basis for existence, as Earth, Water, Fire, Air

and Spirit. Many cultures have these built into their

spiritualism, with some slight variations throughout the

globe. They are used to describe and denote such things as

archetypal characters in ourselves and our outer world,

aspects of the Divine, medicinal properties of herbs or even

historical eras.

Air is the element for intellect, memory and

communication. If you find that you have difficulties in those

areas, this is the element to work with. As with everything,

balance is the key to working with the elements as well. Too

much of one thing will tip the scales in one direction and

you are back where you started from. We go through cycles

and our needs change. Listen to your body and change your

routine to best suit the path you are on at any given time.

Don’t just stick with something out of habit.

What can I do?

The simplest and most basic thing you can do is

breathe. When I say that, I mean that you breathe

“consciously”. Breathing is the most natural action our body

does but have you ever actually taken notice of your

breath? Sit in an upright position with a straight back and

close your eyes. Take a deliberate breath through the nose

for the count of three and hold it in for the same. Then

release the breath for the same count with the same

deliberation. Continue with that for a few more breaths,

W I T H A N D R E A K A L D Y

B A C K T O B A S I C S

12

How Well Do You Maintain Balance?

If trying to maintain balance

in your life makes you feel

like a tightrope walker,

you’re not alone. Most of us

have so many demands on

our time and energy, life can

feel like a three-ring circus.

Take this quiz to see how

well you are meeting respon-

sibilities, while also recognizing and fulfilling personal needs and

wants.

Circle True or False

T F 1. The only way I can successfully manage my life is to take care of myself physically and emotionally.

T F 2. Nurturing myself enlarges my capacity to help others.

T F 3. I eat healthfully and exercise regularly.

T F 4. I get check-ups, go to the dentist, and take preventative precautions.

T F 5. I set aside personal, quiet time for myself, whether I’m meditating or simply letting my thoughts drift.

T F 6. I experience the gifts of each season: ice skating, sledding, bundled-up beach walks; gardening, hiking, more time outside; camping, swimming, barbeques; harvesting the bounty, gathering wood, spending more time inside.

T F 7. Creativity nurtures me, too. I do what I love, whether that’s cooking, drawing, painting, writing, dancing, singing or another creative pursuit.

T F 8. Reaching out to others enriches my life. I spend quality time with family and friends.

T F 9. Contributing to the world provides connection and purpose, so I give my time, energy and experience where it is most useful.

T F 10. I notice and heed the emotional signals that tell me I’m out of balance: irritability, overwhelm, resentment.

T F 11. If I feel that I’m catching a cold, I realize I may have stressed my immune system with over-activity, so I stop and take care of myself.

T F 12.When I need or want to, I say no to requests for my time.

T F 13. I listen to and honor the requests my body makes for such things as a nap, a walk, green vegetables, hot soup.

T F 14. If I have something planned for myself, I don’t just toss that aside when someone makes a request of me.

T F 15. I’m busy, but I find time to do the things I want to do.

T F 16. I’m happy. I regularly experience well-being, contentment, even joy.

If you answered false more often than true, you may want to take a look at the questions to which you answered false and see if you can incorporate something of it’s message into your life.

Author’s content used under license, © 2008 Claire Communications

Top 10 Ways to Cope with Job Transition

Job transitions can be stressful - whether they’re due to layoff, a new job or working extra hours because other workers were laid off. If you’re facing one, consider the following:

1. Take an honest look at yourself. What are your strengths, weaknesses, skills? How did those influence - positively or negatively - your transition?

2. Step up your self-care. Major changes are physically and emotionally taxing. You need self-care now more than ever.

3. Engage your curiosity. What went wrong, or right? What could you have done better? What worked really well?

4. Focus on what you want, and less on what you don’t want. Keep your eye on the prize.

5. Find support. Since your transition affects your family as well, it may be better to seek the outside support of friends or professionals.

6. Work on your thoughts.Calm your fears and reinforce your sense of hope

7. Reassure (or avoid) those who are threatened by, or jealous of, the change.

8. Create your own rite of passage. Ceremony and ritual help with all transitions.

9. Let go of how things were “supposed to be” and accept “ho w th ing s a re.” Find appreciation for what is.

10. Keep things in perspective.Or try on a new perspective.

Author’s content used under license, © 2009

13

The practice of gratitude as a tool for happiness has been in the mainstream for years. Long-term studies support gratitude’s effectiveness, suggesting that a positive, appreciative attitude contributes to greater success in work, greater health, peak performance in sports and business, a higher sense of well-being, and a faster rate of recovery from surgery.

But while we may acknowledge gratitude’s many benefits, it still can be difficult to sustain. So many of us are trained to notice what is broken, undone or lacking in our lives. And for gratitude to meet its full healing potential in our lives, it needs to become more than just a thanks giving word. We have to learn a new way of looking at things, a new habit. And that can take some time.

That’s why practicing gratitude makes so much sense. When we practice giving thanks for all we have, instead of complaining about what we lack, we give ourselves the chance to see all of life as an opportunity and a blessing.

Remember that gratitude isn’t a blindly optimistic approach in which the bad things in life are whitewashed or ignored. It’s more a matter of where we put our focus and attention. Pain and injustice exist in this world, but when we focus on the gifts of life, we gain a feeling of well-being. Gratitude balances us and gives us hope.

There are many things to be grateful for: colorful autumn leaves, legs that work, friends who listen and really hear, chocolate, fresh eggs, warm jackets, tomatoes, the ability to read, roses, our health, butterflies. What’s on your list?

Some Ways to Practice Gratitude

• Keep a gratitude journal in which you list things for which you are thankful. You can make daily, weekly or monthly lists. Greater frequency may be better for creating a new habit, but just keeping that journal where you can see it. It will remind you to think in a grateful way.

• Make a gratitude collage by drawing or pasting pictures.

• Practice gratitude around the dinner table or make it part of your night-time routine.

• Make a game of finding the hidden blessing in a challenging situation.

• When you feel like complaining, make a gratitude list instead. You may be amazed by how much better you feel.

• Notice how gratitude is impacting your life. Write about it, sing about it, express thanks for gratitude.

As you practice, an inner shift begins to occur, and you may be delighted to discover how content and hopeful you are feeling. That sense of fulfillment is gratitude at work.

The Power of

ThankYou

Author: Kerrie Wearing.

Kerrie is a psychic medium, heart &&&and soul coach. She is also the founder

of The Australian College of Mediumship. You can contact Kerrie at

www.kerriewearing.com.

14

Coming Up Next issue

We are going to delve into the paranormal

, , ,Spirit photos tools near death experiences interviews

And so much more…

!We Want Your Stories

,Write to us about your ghost sightings mysterious

events or unusual experiences.

R Desource irectory

AUSTRALIAN RESOURCES

www.psychicmedium.com.au

Psychics &and Mediums

Rita MaherACOM Accredited Platform Medium

Ph: 0434 867 426

Andrea Kaldywww.intuitivecards.com.au

Ph: 0434 867 426

Healing Modalites

Sophie CramReiki and Spiritual Healing

Ph: 0422 112 795

INTERNATIONAL RESOURCES

Psychics &and Mediums

Sonia ChoquetteInternational Speaker, Author and

World-renowned Psychic

www.soniachoquette.com

Janice Ervinwww.janiceervin.com

Grief Assistance

Would you like your church,

business or resource listed

?here

Please enquire at

@mail inspiritmagazine.com

15