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Tripping the Light Fantastic

By Diana Neff | Published: December 29, 2010

The phrase appeared in John Milton’s lyric poem L’Allegro, published in 1645.  The Italian title translates as “the cheerful person”, and the poem is directed to the goddess Mirth:

Haste thee, Nymph, and bring with thee
Jest, and youthful Jollity,
Quips and cranks and wanton wiles,
Nods and becks and wreathed smiles
Such as hang on Hebe’s cheek,
And love to live in dimple sleek;
Sport that wrinkled Care derides,
And Laughter holding both his sides.

Come, and trip it, as you go,
On the light fantastic toe;
And in thy right hand lead with thee
The mountain-nymph, sweet Liberty;
And, if I give thee honour due,
Mirth, admit me of thy crew,
To live with her, and live with thee,
In unreproved pleasures free …

Yet again, I am inspired by a new client and am led to create this post.  This is my New Year’s wish for all my friends as well as the entire world.  Please join me on New Year’s Eve 2011 in “Tripping the Light Fantastic!”

Loving you dearly,

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At a loss for a last minute gift?

By Diana Neff | Published: December 23, 2010

Her e are some gift ideas that can be used all year long and even regifted without any hurt feelings!  A friend sent a card by way of email with the following quote:

Holiday gift suggestions:

“To your enemy, forgiveness.

To an opponent, tolerance.

To a friend, your heart.

To a customer, service.

To all, charity.

To every child, a good example.

To yourself, respect.”

~ Oren Arnold

It is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts.

I hope you and yours have a divine holiday season!

Lots of love and heartfelt wishes for a bright future,


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Circles, Horseshoes, and Black Holes

By Diana Neff | Published: December 5, 2010

Seems like yesterday that I was writing here. The end of the year always does this to me and I think it’s because of the way I picture a year.

This is where I feel I fall into a black hole. It seems as if there should be a very long time between the end of the year and the beginning of the next, just like a horseshoe is shaped. There is actually no time at all between them, and I shake my head at myself trying to figure this paradox out. See the image I created to show what I’m talking about? Does anyone else out there see a year the same way?

I chose a rusty horseshoe because I’ve done many years in this shape and it’s getting a bit old. And it doesn’t escape me that the direction I hang my year is pouring all the luck out!

Once more, I have struggled with this image,  and have a sneaking suspicion that it must be because of bulletin boards in school. Remember the rectangular shape that everything had to fit in? No circles anywhere?

So, we started in September, thus the struggling start to get going; then, after having goaded the horse into moving forward, we trotted along at a good, steady pace until the end of the standard year – which is strangely the middle of the school year – and where November and December actually only take up 30 days total.

A school break stuck in at this point feels as if there is a pause of indiscriminate, haphazard time before January. But then, as all things repeat themselves, the year keeps right on running around the track and we find ourselves flung around with it – due to centrifugal force, I suppose.

Now this image of a year is embedded so deeply in me that I can actually feel the void, a black hole sucking me in…causing me to grasp at daily routine as a lifesaving device.  At least I have come to the ability of seeing the void coming and trying to prepare myself for the bone rattling fling across.

Next I will be meditating and visualizing the horseshoe ends coming together and forming a proper circle.  Perhaps I’ll even visualize something stupendous held inside and maybe the horseshoe will be made of something not rusted!

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Bumpy But Beautiful

By Diana Neff | Published: October 26, 2010

Life is a bumpy, dirt road bordered by the beauty of a Renaissance garden.

I have a problem with letting go.  If I let go, it feels as if I’m not caring — and I don’t like that feeling.  I am a caring person and if I let go of caring, about my family, especially, then I feel I’m not loving them as I want to; very difficult to find the right combination.

My family is growing and active.  We are on a ride, that’s for sure.  The roller coaster humps seem to be less high and low than they once were, perhaps more frequent, though; like a washboard, dirt road.  One can get used to that after awhile; if one goes fast enough, it can’t be felt — so much.  The car’s undercarriage gets ruined, though.  LOL

My key to life at the moment:  Stay busy and go really, really fast.  But, what about stopping to smell the flowers?  Haha!  I do that really fast too.  Every moment that I step outside or glance out a window, I praise God and feel the gratitude for the instant of pleasure it brings me.

Sometimes I must step outside.  Maybe this is the letting go part.  What makes me go back inside, that sense of caring and the responsibility it shoulders?

So here I am in a cycle – care, let go, care, let go; the same rhythm the dirt road has.  It will become so ingrained that I will find it feels as if I have completed the letting go, when, in reality, it’s just that I ‘m moving so fast, I don’t notice the caring part anymore.

That has to be it.  ‘Cause I know I will never, never stop caring and dreaming of a Renaissance garden lifestyle; one of quiet repose, meditative bliss, and loving comfort.

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Spirit speaks

By Diana Neff | Published: October 23, 2010

During distance sessions, I use the method called EFT.  That is Emotional Freedom Technique.  (I hold a certificate as a practitioner.)  It is a tapping method and I tap on my own acupressure points as I intend the session for you.  While this is a good means of connecting with you, it also opens the door for messages from God to come through and I write them down.  I tap with one hand, write with the other, and enjoy the time.  Writing in Spirit is an excellent way to commune with the Universe and to allow your inner (Higher) self to communicate more fully with the physical you.

The following are two recent messages from the EFT portion of Long Distance Healing Energy Sessions.  They were meant to be very personal for the clients I was working with, but I chose them because, in my opinion, they are messages we can all benefit from.

“I deeply and profoundly love and accept myself.  (I repeated this phrase until our connection was strong and the session moved along.)  I am grateful for all that my life is.  I am grateful for each breath of fresh air, for each swallow of clean water, for each beat of my heart, and for each step I take.  I am grateful to be filled with God’s love, peace, joy, hope, happiness, energy, health and healing.  These gifts fill me to overflowing.  I am happy to share them and I’m grateful for the people who receive them from me.  I am grateful and show this by returning love to the universe.  I watch as each ripple of love leaves my body, growing larger and larger until they become one with the universe in it’s infinity.  I deeply and profoundly love and accept myself and understand that, by concentrating on fullness, sharing, and gratitude, I turn myself into a magnet for all good things.”

“I deeply and profoundly love and accept myself.  I allow myself to be open to the light and positive energy of the universe.  I am capable of using my intuition and I am not afraid.  I can feel the energy and can tell when it is positive and true.  I am made in the image of God and create my life, past, present, and future.  I am free and unburdened.  I share easily with others and feel the positive connection created by doing so.  I lend love and stability to the common consciousness we all share.  I know I am part of the whole.  I enjoy this feeling, this knowledge, and wrap it carefully, storing it in my heart.  Every beat of my heart reminds me of my worth and abilities.  I deeply and profoundly love and accept myself.”

Please let me know if I can help or assist you in your spiritual walk.  Long Distance sessions are just as intimate, personal, and fulfilling as in-person sessions.

Flickr Creative Commons photo credit Steve Corey

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A Yin for Yarn or Zen and the Art of Knitting

By Diana Neff | Published: October 14, 2010

So, here we go on the subject of what we can learn from knitting and how to apply it to life’s decision making.

I have a friend who asks me to work with her as the occasion arises.  She has been in the process of making a decision regarding a class (one of her final needed to graduate with a Master’s degree).  Should she take the easy one to get a good grade, or take the more difficult one because she likes the subject, but risk getting a lesser grade.  I am pasting in the transcript I sent to her after her session. (This is a good example of what comes from a session with me.)

The text in blue is directly quoted from DreamMoods.com

As I cleared and connected yesterday, I was surrounded by the colors purple and black and found myself at your Brow Chakra.  While meditating on what message these were bringing, I realized the image had changed to two strands of yarn, one green and one black.  I began writing about the fact that I have been knitting lately and this may have a message for life. Just as in knitting (especially from patterns), there are always choices to be made, but rules that need to be followed for the outcome to be something with meaning to it.  The black and purple colors were a feeling, surrounding me.  If you blend the two, the color will become like the night sky.  Then the yarn strands came into the picture, making it obvious that the blending process isn’t the same.  You can twine two together, but their colors will never blend.  They may go well together, compliment each other, either in monochromatic or opposite ways, but they will never become one color.

This is kind of like the choice you are making regarding your class.  Will the choice make a true blending and become part of the whole, or will it stand out, bringing attention to itself, and perhaps make the end result have less meaning?  Just as well in the opposite way…Standing out and lending a beauty that would not be there otherwise.

Green symbolizes new life.

Green signifies a positive change, good health, growth, fertility, healing, hope, vigor, vitality, peace, and serenity. The appearance of the color may also be a way of telling you to “go ahead”.

Black symbolizes the unknown, the unconscious, danger, mystery, darkness, death, mourning, rejection, hate or malice. The color invites you to delve deeper in your unconscious in order to gain a better understanding of yourself. It also signifies a lack of love and lack of support. More positively, black represents potential and possibilities. It is like a clean or blank slate.

The opposites are very pronounced here, aren’t they?

I opened your Crown and found myself looking at a pure white, knitted (again) bag.  Knitting has meaning for me at the moment and I can see that, in a huge way, it represents how we approach life.  The bag was empty, but full of potential and the need to be filled.  It was a roomy bag, with no flaws, and could expand endlessly.

White represents purity, perfection, peace, innocence, dignity, cleanliness, awareness, and new beginnings. You may be experiencing a reawakening or have a fresh outlook on life.

I moved back to your Brow and began having the feeling of an overabundance of mucus there.  Breathing problems or sinus problems.  This would mean stagnation and the need for movement.  Exercise will assist the lymphatic system and that will help move impurities and negative energies on out.  Then you can think more clearly.

At your Heart, I am seeing all white everywhere.  Then a red heart floating in the middle of it.  It reminds me of the Red Cross emblem.

Red is an indication of raw energy, force, vigor, intense passion, aggression, power, courage, impulsiveness and passion. The color red has deep emotional and spiritual connotations. It can also mean you are needing this energy in your life.

I moved to your Solar Plexus and was up on high ground, circling around.

I began shuffling the Tarot deck at your Sacral Chakra and one card fell out.  The IX of Swords.  It speaks of worry and despair, anxiety and depression.  You may be feeling overwhelmed.  I can see that this makes your decision making more difficult for you.  Something that might be easily decided at another time becomes a mountain to climb and you aren’t sure of your footing.  You are dealing with a problematic situation/difficult decision, but your worst fear is unlikely to materialize.  What you are feeling is the aftermath of previous difficult circumstances – classes, work, life.  Don’t lose sleep over this.

I hope you are able to make your choice and know that it will be the right one.  Try meditating on the choice.  Follow through with the decision and see how it feels while you are meditating.  Try both and see what your heart and gut feel like.

Lots of love,
Diana

My friend made the choice to take the more difficult class and I’m happy she is exploring her intuition and using her gut feelings as guides to making choices.  She is extremely happy with her choice.

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So long gone!

By Diana Neff | Published: October 3, 2010

Can’t believe it! What has been going on? For me, it’s been lots of energy work. Lots of running with the kids – theater and swim team. Learning to knit. Can one ever truly say he or she “knows” how to knit? I’ve been sticking to the small projects, learning the basics and now I’m expanding into learning different cast-on’s, bind-off’s, knitting in the round, and have even started reading up on Intarsia and Fair Isle/Stranding. (That’s where a shape or pattern is introduced into the project in a different color.) Oh, did y’all know that? LOL You probably know there’s more than one way to hold the yarn too. I didn’t.

I’ve also been curious about beading, especially making charms to help when working on specific energy imbalances. By curious, I mean I’ve been spending hours wandering the web finding info on what to string the beads on, who has really nifty designs already, what can I expect out of attempting to market them… A couple of years ago, my sister made the most gorgeous book marks from Chakra stones. She used a few embellishments such as Swarovski crystals. Takes time and effort and materials and space and the desire and then clients who might be interested in them.

You know when I am able to do any projects? The kids go to bed at 9pm and I move into the energy sessions which are then done, around midnight. That’s when I’ve been knitting (while I am watching a couple of shows on Hulu). I hit the hay somewhere between 1am and 3am, usually well after 2am. Up at 8am to rest on the couch until about 9:30am when school and running begins. I won’t even go into weekend schedules.

I was working with a client yesterday and found the images being given to me had to do with knitting.  My sister-in-law just gave me a book called, “Zen and the Art of Knitting” and I haven’t gotten to reading it yet, can you imagine?  BUT, I really want to and will shortly.  It came to me that Zen-and-the-art-of means learning about life through the method.  I will present my meandering thoughts on this in a following post.

I am noticing how the pictures and paragraphs above seem haphazard and disjointed, but I’ve decided not to change anything.  Plain old tired and looking for the elusive nap.

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Life and it’s developments

By Diana Neff | Published: August 24, 2010

This is a continued conversation with a young woman who has come up to a point most of us older women have faced.  We didn’t want to miss the right opportunity and we were afraid of being alone down the road.  Most of this fear is due to the background noise we were subjected to all our lives.  I mean the comments about “old maids” and the feeling of inadequacy if no one “wants” us.  We were not raised to be independent and now look to make our lives worthwhile by serving others.  Some people are built that way anyway, I know I am, but society surely has dug a bed for us to lie in too.  I am happy to see that this course is changing and young women are realizing their worth and are enabling themselves as potent and secure free spirits.

Here’s the original post that we opened discussion with.

And here is the latest :

I just feel that I need to feel more confident about my decisions and being comfortable making decisions. Currently after I’ve made up my mind to stay with my bf and go with the flow, someone who I was interested in in the past couple of years re-surfaced ( he has this funny way of coming up every couple of months). Now I feel somewhat confused about my decision about my bf and my heart and my mind are confused again.

And I replied:

Life is full of confusing situations, it’s all for your development.  You’ve just come of age, don’t rush things.  The whole boyfriend, girlfriend thing is a highly inflated subject.  What’s wrong with just having friends?  How can you give yourself completely to someone if you don’t really know who you are yet?  These are my thoughts rambling away.

At this moment, I want to say that life is a smorgasbord.  Sample this and taste that and enjoy the prospects.  You’ll know when the right one shows up.  If you really want to stick with the boyfriend you have, then do it until it doesn’t work anymore.

Isn’t it delightful that you made a choice and then another possibility came along?  Does it mean the first choice you made was wrong?  Does it mean that all your choices have to be set in stone?  You don’t want to be a fickle girl by any means, but allow yourself some freedom, embarrassments, mistakes, and achievements.

You’re okay!  Have you been doing any meditation practice?  I want to encourage you to that.  Some people call it praying, some meditating, some alone time.  It should be a soft and comfortable time where you allow yourself to find what makes you giggle.  Find what makes that thrill come up in your chest and tremble into your throat.  Try some different subjects other than boys.  What do you enjoy doing?

If you do what you enjoy, then there is a good chance that the friends you find there will be compatible with you.

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Energize me

By Diana Neff | Published: August 16, 2010

I’m confused, irritated, bothered, struggling, and anxious.

Now turn all those around.  I’m clear thinking, easy going, in control, strong, and calm.  That’s better.

These are what I truly am after all and that is why it bothers me so when the opposite words seem to apply.  They just aren’t me and feeling that maybe they do apply makes me feel even more yukko.

How many of us believe we are the awful emotions that emerge when we are stewing in our own crock?  My sister once told me that she appreciated being out and around people because they allowed her to be the real her.  I’ve always liked that thought.  The person we are when we are sharing our best with others is who we really want to be, who we are meant to be, and who we really, really are.

The negative attributes are merely the lack of the positive attributes.

Clear thinking – lack of clear thinking (confused)
Easy going – lack of easy going (irritated)
In control – not in control (bothered)
Strong – not strong (struggling)
Calm – not calm (anxious)

I may not have gotten all the opposites just right, but I think you can get my drift.  We are all some form of the positive attribute and function at some degree on the scale of each.  We would like to function at 100 %, of course, at least I would, but it gets just too darn hard to find the energy to do so.  Then we may feel that the lack of the attribute is the true way we are.

If we can find just the right way of filling our energy cup so that we have plenty to be at the top of our game, we will be quite pleased with ourselves.  What is a good way of accomplishing this?  One term that we know and use is prayer.  Prayer seems to have become more associated with a begging or wishing-for mind set, as if it is out of our hands, while others terms are more proactive or action-ary.   I know these terms are becoming more globally known — clearing, protecting, grounding, meditating…

Find your way of filling your energy cup each day, or even multiple times a day if you live in a difficult environment.  The first one I jump on is deep breathing and drawing energy up through my feet into my body and allowing it to flow out of my chest/heart area.  This works very well.  Remember when Mom used to say, “Count to ten?” – Basically the right way to go.  There is another quick fix/fill-up as well.

Emotional Freedom Technique – EFT tapping is a great method.  While you tap on acupressure points, you are opening your energy meridians.  Too, after having done it to the point of habit, you know this tapping to preempt a feeling of calmness, so it acts as your trigger.  If someone else does the tapping for you, you feel loved and energized from this exchange.  EFT is very powerful.

Aspiring to be the best us we can be is not such a struggle if we learn a few little ways of bumping our energy, filling ourselves with love, and allowing greater possibilities of success.

Fotki photo credit: Glamurka

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It’s never written in stone anyway!

By Diana Neff | Published: August 11, 2010

I just found the funniest site with Fortune Telling cartoons.  Click here. I love the one that says, “Your crystal ball has holes in it.”  “When business is bad, I give bowling lessons.”  What a hoot!

The following is a predicament one of my clients finds herself in after having had a future-telling psychic reading done.  She has allowed me to share it here.  I do hope it will serve you well and that it doesn’t hurt anyone’s feelings.  There is always something to be said for moderation in all things.

Here’s what she wrote:

A previous reading I received said that I will walk away from my boyfriend. So now I feel like I can’t get this thought out of my mind.  In my mind I’m thinking if that is the case – what is the point of trying with him now? But in reality I don’t want to walk away, I want to try and see what happens. I’m just having the hardest time letting go of that prediction and enjoying what I have right now and going with the flow.

You have made the right decision.  You are making your choice and now want to protect that choice.  This is exactly why it may not be a great idea to get future readings from psychics.  I think “outlooks of present situations” is a good way to go, but to have someone tell you what is coming can lead to confusion and then you are not able to follow your own intuition and heart.  I only look at the Tarot cards as leads into what I should be thinking about, areas of my life that need my focus.

Many people think knowing the future helps and they search for that information with all their might rather than allowing themselves to “feel” what is right.

Even if you do walk away at some point down the road, you still will have had experiences that you may be needing as part of your life lesson now.  You may meet people, do things, or have thoughts that you have never met, done, or thought before and wouldn’t because you quit before it was time.

I just saw this clip on Youtube.  A bit depressing, but something of the truth.  Even if the future telling isn’t true, can it come true by our expecting it to?


My suggestion is that you get about the business of living your life one moment at a time, planning for the future, and enjoying every breath you take.  Really!  It’s never written in stone!  Let future-telling psychics go, at least for a time.

Posted in Energy Work, Life Modeling | 1 Comment

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