Daily Messages from Dr. Standley

If you have been coming to this site for a while now or if I have written your Natal Chart then you know how important I think it is that you understand your North and South Node. Quite honestly folks, I don't believe there is anything more important in your Natal Chart than understanding your 'nodal' self. I'm going to list some rules that you absolutely need to adhere to when dealing with your North and South Node and it will keep you more sane than you might otherwise be if you are sitting and pouting in your South Node.

1) The North Node (Cup Runneth Over) - The North Node is your future self. When you focus on your North Node and do EVERYTHING as if you are the sign of your North Node, then you cannot fail. Yep, I typed, "you cannot fail." Example - I have a North Node Virgo; therefore, I do everything I can to become more Virgo-like even though I'm a Gemini (rah-hoo). Virgo rules health by the way so naming a healthcare website after myself was the best career decision I could have made. In each daily horoscope section there is a link to the rulerships of that particular sign. Look up the rulerships for the sign that your North Node is in and you will see that you have already been busy becoming your North "Nodal" Self. If I wrote your Natal Chart then I have included plenty of information about your North Node.

2) The South Node (Bottomless Pit) - The South Node is your past self. In other words, you have already been there and done that in a previous Life and there is absolutely NO REASON to keep pouring energy into this bottomless pit because you will never fill up that hole. The South Node is "the hole in your chart". When you focus on your South Node, then it is a complete drain to your system. Example - I am a South Node Pisces; therefore, I do everything I can to steer clear of Pisces energy or just keep my mouth shut around Pisces people. Now don't start making those people who you know to be your South Node out to be bad people because they are not bad people. That is no way to look at the situation. This is YOUR South Node, not theirs. YOU deal with it! YOU are the one that has to figure out how to co-exist with your South Node and put all of your energy into your North Node. If I wrote your Natal Chart then I have included plenty of information about your South Node.

3) Under no circumstances would I advise having a romantic relationship with a person who is the sign of your South Node. My South Node is Pisces so having a romantic relationship with a man who is a Pisces is completely out of the question. Remember, the South Node is the "hole in your chart". You cannot fix your South Node people so don't try it. Don't waste your time or their's. The South Node is like a drain in your sink without a plug and whatever energy you put into your South Node will fall right through like a hole in your pocket. Folks, you have already been around this block in a past Life so you may feel this "spiritual" connection that pulls you in further (the drain). My advise is just turn and walk away. One kiss with your South Node and it can take you years to get out of a relationship that was only headed in one direction all along . . . SOUTH!

4) What if their South Node is the same sign as your Rising Sign? Since the Rising Sign is your 1st house and rules your personality, then you need to make certain that your personality is not a drain to the other person. If you know this information, then it is up to you to apply the information to your Life and be sensitive to what your energy could do to others. It would be nice to periodically ask that person if your personality is a drain to them. This can help the relationship when you understand why this is so. I am a Cancer Rising, so those who have a South Node Cancer can count on me periodically asking, "What is it about my personality that might be a drain to you?" Folks, be sensitive to each other's South Node.

5) In the daily horoscopes, what should you do when the Moon is in the sign of your South Node? Take those days off or keep busy doing nothing in particular because the energy will probably be headed South (downhill) on those days for you. This energy can show up as defeated, depressed and lethargic or it can show up so busy and chaotic that you are pulling your hair out.

6) What should you do during the calendar month of your South Node? Honestly, you should go on vacation because during the entire month of your South Node Sign, you will probably feel depleted, defeated and depreciated. Those who are in business for themselves may also experience a drain in business. It's just awful. I guarantee next year during the Month of Pisces I will absolutely take that time off and go lay on a beach somewhere. I'll have the horoscopes written for that entire month early because I refuse to wrestle with the Sun when it is sitting on my South Node again. Right now we are in the calendar month of Cancer, so those people who have a South Node Cancer in their Natal Chart will be experiencing "the drain" during the whole calendar month of Cancer, which is from now until July 22, 2008 at 6:43 AM EDT.

7) What if you have your Sun Sign and South Node in the same sign? This is typically a person who is not comfortable in their own skin. In fact, they probably can't stand themselves most of the time. The best thing that person can do is . . . FOCUS ON THE NORTH NODE. The answer will always be "Focus on your North Node." If you send an e-mail or call and ask me a question about your South Node I guarantee that I will say, "Focus on your North Node." No matter what you ask me about that dang South Node, I will say it over and over again, "Focus on your North Node."

This morning my musical DLG (Download from God) was "She's So High" by Tal Bachman. Whenever I hear that song I always cry the ugly cry because it is so close to my heart and how I feel about my daughter Karmen (Leo). The song is really about this guy who admires this girl from afar and knows he can never really have her because he feels she is out of his league. But when I hear this song I think of how Karmen has gone beyond everything I could have ever wanted for her. Where Karmen is right now at nearly 27 years old and where I was at in my Life at 27 years old is so completely different. She has moved light years beyond where I was at that age in Life experience and wisdom. She is more self-evolved than I could have ever hoped to be at her age. And as parents, don't we really want our children to be more evolved than we were at their age? Don't we want them to vibrate at a higher level of consciousness than we did at their age? That's the evolution of family. We should just keep getting better as a family generation by generation or at the very least, striving to get better.

As a young pregnant mother (age 19) and not wanting to know the sex of my baby, I distinctly remember having 'two goals' for my unborn child and that was to raise a child who would choose to be a Good person and the other was raising a child who would choose to enjoy living his/her Life. Choose being the operative word here. I wanted my child to live bravely enough and courageously enough to make choices because as we all know, some people live their Life too fearful to make a choice thereby standing in the same place they were last year. I wanted to contribute to putting a Good person on the planet!

By Good, I mean that I wanted her to be a kind and thoughtful person. I wanted her to be sensitive to the needs of others, sensitive to the needs of herself and be brave enough to defend those who could not defend themselves. I wanted her to be protective, loving and forgiving including those who she felt didn't deserve her protection, Love or forgiveness because it is precisely those people who need it the most. I wanted her to be selfless, humble and emotionally strong. I wanted her to be confident and certain of what she chose, even if later that choice later proved to be a lesson from the School of Hard Knocks. I wanted her to be modest, fair, just, pleasant and sunny with a great sense of humor that gave her the permission to laugh at herself. I wanted her to care.

I wanted Karmen to hand-write thank you notes, hand-write Christmas cards and send invitations to everyone she felt motivated to invite no matter what others may think of her guests. And she does! I remember teaching Karmen one day . . . "Sometimes I don't really want to go to the party, I just want to be invited, so it's always nice to include people even if you know they probably won't show up and that's okay." Further I taught her, "We are all just stumbling, slobbering and tripping all over ourselves just trying to figure it all out and people will have a Life beyond you so don't take it personal if they don't show up. It's okay." Most importantly, I wanted Karmen to be a Good family member and a Good friend.

I couldn't find the exact quote by Maya Angelou as she spoke it one day on Oprah but it goes something like this . . .

I related to Maya's quote so well because that's exactly the way I feel when I see my daughter. Oh Karmen and I have had our differences (heck we're mother and daughter) but still, after nearly 27 years when Karmen and I see each other we lock eyes and smile. We might even giggle for a moment for absolutely no reason. We just find each other goofed-up and silly. It happens every single time, even if just for a brief moment. I don't have to force a smile when I see Karmen, it just comes natural because it is what I choose to do. Next month Karmen will be 27 and she still gives me a 'double peck' on the lips and still ducks out from underneath my arms when I try to give her a big hug just to give me a hard time and I always can't wait to see her. I suppose Tal Bachman's, "She's So High" came to me this morning because yesterday Karmen was busy being a Good friend and arranged an entire fun-fest day with her best-friend Theresa for her birthday. I kept the boys, my grandson Big Tree '5' and Theresa's son Max '7' and we ran around like banchees all day while Karmen was busy being a Good friend to Theresa. When I hear this song, I just cry thinking about how Karmen is 'way more than' I could have ever wanted or imagined. Of course I think my son-in-law Larry is the luckiest man on the flippin' planet! And just remember folks, the kind of relationship you build with your children is a choice no matter what level you choose to meet them.

Note this Daily Message was written yesterday afternoon. This morning (Wednesday) I woke up hearing, "The Game of Love" by Michelle Branch and Carlos Santana. Now who on this planet doesn't think Carlos Santana is a musical genius? Seriously! Actually my favorite Santana song is, "Hold On" but that's a whole other musical DLG (Download from God) saved for another day. I suppose this musical DLG came to me because I've been doing more relationship readings than usual lately and there seems to be an underlying theme that needs to be brought out into the open.

Think about this first line for a minute [video below]. Tell me, just what you want me to be. Meaning, if you just tell me who you want me to be, then I'll be that for you and we can live happily ever after. Well folks, real Love doesn't work that way because sooner or later an individual's basic relationship needs will surface and will need to be met. In the meantime of not getting your relationships needs met, you may pick up along the way anger, resentment, loneliness, jealousy, lust and/or hurt feelings that all began with a lack of-, loss of- or mis- communication.

In getting to know Mr. or Miss Wonderful it is up to you to teach him or her about you. Teach them who you are! Making someone guess who you are and what you need is no way to begin a relationship or continue one if you cannot communicate your needs with one another from the start. Most relationships begin with that magical kiss and as we all know, there is nothing like that first kiss, just as it states in the song, One kiss, and boom you're the only for me. The longing for that same incredible first physical contact can block the most important beginning of a relationship, which is communication and keeps us coming back for more. Next is that burning desire to figure out the other person in order to adjust to what they need and keep that first kiss alive (the candy store). So what I hear on this end of the line is a continual 'compromise of self' that began with a lack of-, loss of- or mis- communication.

Folks, I have brought up the 70/30 rule to you before and about applying it to relationships. Meaning, there are no 100 percent perfect relationships because that would be a severe illusion, not to mention the only thing 100 perfect is God. If things were perfect, then why would we be here? What would there be to learn? If we knew everything we needed to know then why wouldn't we just turn to Light and leave the planet because our work would be done? Strive for 70/30 relationships, meaning 70 percent wonderful and 30 percent challenges because folks, you will have challenges. That's a fact! If you are in a 30/70 relationship, then it's probably not your relationship and there will most definitely be a better one waiting for you if you would just let go. Life is a game and so is Love and it can be one fantabulous 'match' if you would just relax, learn how to play the game and teach the other person all about you. And remember, Love is whatever you make it to be.

This morning I woke up hearing one of my favorite tunes called, "Trouble" by Pink (Alecia Beth Moore). I absolutely adore Pink because she's out there doing her own thing, living her Life bravely and freely and still manages to maintain her wits in a celebrity-obsessed-attention-driven world. The attention she receives is clearly due to the fact that she remains true to herself; therefore, the attention she receives is given and not taken. Her success story on the Biography Channel is definitely worth watching for such a young woman (age 28). Pink even titled one of her albums "I'm Not Dead" because she says, "It's about being alive and feisty and not sitting down and shutting up even though people would like you to." I can certainly dig on that statement.

When I woke up hearing "Trouble" this morning I had a million scenes flash before my eyes on trips that I've made with Christine (Aquarius) over the last few years. Most recently the trip we just made to California this past weekend. On Thursday night we barely had a plan but knew one thing for sure is that our plane took off at 6:20 AM Friday morning. Eight hours before the plane was to take off the next morning we hadn't so much as reserved a rental car and barely had a sense of where this retreat center was located that was 2-1/2 hours north of San Francisco. Half the fun of living in our skin is literally flying by the seat of our pants and letting go of the need to control every single thing and looking forward to the surprise of what the trip had to offer us. We like being in a state of, "I dunno" and somehow we still manage to make it "before" on time. Okay, it can drive our children crazy sometimes (her four children and my one child) but it's not like they don't know who they are dealing with. Oh they remember who raised them. (winky wink)

Once we arrived in San Francisco and decided to go whole hog and rent a convertible, the trip suddenly turned into a full-blown Thelma and Louise experience. My brother Sam (Gemini), his wife Paula (Cancer) and their son Tyler (Leo) just happened to be in San Francisco vacationing, so after we stopped and had lunch with them at Fisherman's Wharf we set out across the Golden Gate Bridge and up Highway 1 we went . . taking pictures as we drove, cranking up the stereo and giggling like schoolgirls with our glamour-girl sunglasses on. Next thing you know we were kicking up dust and gravel as we skidded into a turnabout and changed into our swimsuits overlooking the Pacific Ocean from a monumental cliff. It was absolutely breathtaking and surreal.

Once we finally pulled over and asked for directions miraculously we were only one exit away and 15 miles down that exit from the entrance to the retreat center. Some how, some way and all the time, when we give up the need to control the fun or require our fun to show up in a certain way then it always turns out better than we anticipated. And since Christine and I are only open to fun surprises, then it always turns out more exciting and fun than we anticipated. Once we arrived back in St. Louis at 3:00 AM Monday morning we giggled how the trip was very much like Thelma and Louise (alive and feisty) and how the fun didn't have to end with the two of us driving off a cliff in a convertible. [The words are posted below the video]

No attorneys
To plead my case
No orbits
To send me into outta space
And my fingers
Are bejeweled
With diamonds and gold
But that ain't gonna help me now

I'm trouble
Yeah trouble now
I'm trouble ya'll
I disturb my town
I'm trouble
Yeah trouble now
I'm trouble ya'll
I got trouble in my town

You think your right
But you were wrong
You tried to take me
But I knew all along
You can take me
For a ride
I'm not a fool now
So you better run and hide

I'm trouble
Yeah trouble now
I'm trouble ya'll
I disturb my town
I'm trouble
Yeah trouble now
I'm trouble ya'll
I got trouble in my town

If you see me coming
Down the street then
You know it's time to
Go (and you know it's time to go
cause here comes trouble)

Well I'm back in the saddle from my weekend get-away. If you checked the Daily Message this weekend then you know that I was out of town this weekend. Christine (Aquarius) and I flew to San Francisco, rented a convertible and then drove 2-1/2 north to Saratoga Springs Retreat Center for a wedding by way of the Highway 1 right along the coast which of course was breathtaking. There were about 150 people who stayed the entire weekend (some in cabins and some in tents) at this retreat center so needless to say it was one big three day wedding fest from Friday to Sunday.

The entire weekend was a real 'communal' and very 'organic' experience to say the least. I am a fairly organic consumer and nature-oriented gal except for eating soybean and tofu. Aside from the breakfast sausage being soybean and made into appearing as though it was actually pork sausage (go figure), it was a fantastic weekend and actually THE MOST beautiful wedding I've ever been to. But back to the sausage because it bugs me . . . why create a type of food out of soybean or tofu and make it look like something it's not and something you don't even believe in eating in the first place? I'm just saying, if you don't eat meat, then why make a food look like it's meat? Is that really standing in your belief system? So why not make it look like a vegetable or fruit? But I digress . . .

Christine and I set out early enough on Sunday to meander through wine country with the wind blowing through our hair, which was an absolute spectacular drive. With all that hot sun shining us with the top down, we both pretty much look like crispy critters right now. Once we left San Francisco and stopped in Las Vegas to change planes it was pretty much a flying fiasco from that point on trying to get back to St. Louis. We ended up arriving in St. Louis at 3:00 AM local time this morning.

I'll use this time now before my afternoon readings and health consults to pop over to www.NativeAmericanAnimalMedicine.com and update that site since I didn't get it updated last week due to the sandbagging efforts with the flooding of the Mississippi River. Christine and I were just saying on the way back how we crammed a lot of living into this past week. And now after getting some rest, I'm ready to live it up, live it out and live all over the place once again. Until tomorrow, choose to be in a Good mood . . .

This morning I woke up hearing one of my Musical Totem's called, "Suddenly I See" by K T Tunstall. I deliberated for a while whether or not to share this musical DLG (Download from God) with you because if taken the wrong way, this song could really make it seem as though I'm hung up on myself. But then the more I thought about it, that's exactly what I like about me is that I am hung up on myself. Not in a conceited and self-important way. It's more intrigue, weird captivation and "why the hell did I do that" kind of fascination. (winky wink) I want to know why I do and say what I do, so that I can do and say something better in order to get to the place that I'm supposed to be. Interestingly enough, just the other day a man said to me, "I'm still trying to figure you out Loretta." And my response was, "So am I!" (winky wink)

I embrace this song as one of my Musical Totem's for several reasons. As I have shared with you before, sad and lonely songs do not make me feel Good about myself so I tune them out altogether. I just won't go there. The last thing I'm going to do is sit around and listen to Sheryl Crow sing, "My Favorite Mistake," which is this pitiful relationship break-up song. YUCK! I mean it is pitiful. Not this hippy chick! No way would I deliberately tune in to that kind of self-torture. I deliberately choose to listen to K T Tunstall belt out, "Suddenly I See," so I can "see" myself in the Light that I desire to be in.

The beginning of this song is awesome because when it comes to my work I have this world-wide audience. On any given day I will communicate with people from at least six out of the nine time zones around the globe. It's crazy! The other thing that I like about this song is that there is an intuitive flare about this song in the chorus. When I'm doing readings or even health consultations there is a point at which I can see, that suddenly my client sees. I can feel a release that says, "WOW THEY GET IT!" There is a point at which suddenly they see why something means so much to them and why it all makes perfect sense. And of course, since I call myself a Mentator (who provokes and invokes thought) then the line, "She likes to leave you hanging on her word" resonates with me as well. There is a point in my writing where I like to stop and let you figure it out for yourself.

In the video at about the 1:08 mark you'll see several people walk into the building and they join in on the jam session. Notice how the people who join in are an exact duplicate of the original band only they are in different clothes. Well being a Gemini (the twins), I just Love the duality of this video because it reminds me that . . there I am . . and oh hey, there I am again, just like Crow Medicine the shape-shifter who can be in two places at once. But most importantly this song reminds me, "Why the hell it (my work) means so much to me" . . . AND . . . "this is what I wanna be."

I'm going to keep pressing you to come up with your own Musical Totem's that describe the essence of who you were created to be in the most beautiful and positive Light imagineable. And remember how powerful the Law of Attraction really is. [The words are below the video]

Her face is a map of the world
Is a map of the world
You can see she's a beautiful girl
She's a beautiful girl
And everything around her is a silver pool of light
The people who surround her feel the benefit of it
It makes you calm
She holds you captivated in her palm

Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)
This is what I wanna be
Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)
Why the hell it means so much to me

I feel like walking the world
Like walking the world
You can hear she's a beautiful girl
She's a beautiful girl
She fills up every corner like she's born in black and white
Makes you feel warmer when you're trying to remember
What you heard
She likes to leave you hanging on her word

Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)
This is what I wanna be
Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)
Why the hell it means so much to me

And she's taller than most
And she's looking at me
I can see her eyes looking from a page in a magazine
Oh she makes me feel like I could be a tower
A big strong tower
She got the power to be
The power to give
The power to see

Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)
This is what I wanna be
Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)
Why the hell it means so much to me

Obviously due to the work that I do, trusting my intuition is important, whether that is assisting someone with a health issue or some other personal issue. Following my intuition is a knee-jerk reaction; it's impulsive but in a smooth 'move around the pothole' sort of way. There's no jerking around with it because I trust it and I trust my Source (God). My intuition is not something that I kick around for a while and think, Well maybe I'll do that! It is definitive and dependable, again because I trust my Source and who I am tuned in to. If I turn reckless or irresponsible, then it's clear that I wasn't tuned in to my Source. It's fairly easy to trust intuition when you think of it on those terms, that is if you let go of your mind and turn it over to your Source.

Well this morning I woke up hearing another Jewel tune as my musical DLG (Download from God). The song I heard was, Intuition by Jewel. If you read yesterday's Daily Message then you know that I woke up hearing a Jewel tune called, Hands, which was in direct alignment with me going to bed thinking and praying about the flood victims in Iowa. The tune and video I posted yesterday was a very powerful message about helping others less fortunate and how we are 'never' really broken. Folks, we can always do something. Always!

Interestingly enough, just as I was posting that Daily Message yesterday my e-mail box ticked and it was Christine saying that she and Kyle (her daughter Rachel's boyfriend) were heading north to help sandbag. Not even a half hour later, myself and another friend Steve were piled in the back of Christine's Jeep and the four of us headed north with shovels, gloves and a lot of energy. You see folks, the rising waters are headed down the Mississippi River from Iowa into Missouri, which will affect the small towns and farmlands along the river. The City of St. Louis (and I mean the city itself) is fairly protected because we sit on a hill. The flood waters will rise up the stairs to the Gateway Arch but it will likely not touch the Arch or downtown St. Louis. So the effort North is the urgency right now. Today and tomorrow we will be going back to sandbag as the rising waters are due to crest in a few days. Folks, it's really a dire situation as I'm certain you have probably seen on the news.

Since I will be out of the office today and tomorrow, all readings today and tomorrow (Thursday) are being scheduled in the evening. As usual, I will have my Blackberry with me and will check in on breaks (as I did yesterday) and return phone calls at that time. Honestly, think nothing of leaving a message because it's impossible to continue for hours sandbagging without taking some breaks and gathering your wits. So folks, if you intuition tells you to do something . . . THEN DO IT! All you have to do is let go of your mind.

The reason I'm not posting the video to this song is because it is too explicit for the content on my website, but it is a very Good video in that there is a strong message about intuition. Jewel is sitting on a bench in the city at the beginning of the video. As the video plays out she dreams of making it big as a performer and her dreams take her to wild behavior. At the end of the video she's back at the back bench and then you see her follow her intuition and literally 'walk away' from the life she just fantastized. There is a sense that Jewel wants to make it big the right way without selling herself out and 'branding' herself as we see so many entertainers do today.

This morning my musical DLG (Download from God) came through one of my favorite tunes called, "Hands" by Jewel. I'm guessing that my DLG this morning arrived in the form of Jewel because last night I was watching Nashville Star (a reality TV show like American Idol that is searching for the new "Nashville Star") and Jewel is one of the three judges. Basically, she's the Paula Abdul of Nashville Star only she's a bit fiesty and more honest with the contestants than Paula Abdul probably allows herself to be. So having a Jewel tune sent to me through a DLG was probably no coincidence given what I was thinking when I went to bed.

Rarely do I have difficulty falling asleep. As I have told you before, once my feet come up off the floor and before my head even hits the pillow, I'm asleep. But last night was different. I laid there thinking and praying about the flood victims in Iowa and the different reactions they were all having to losing their "stuff" . . . or the possibility of losing their "stuff". Mindful to withhold judgment, it was interesting to see what some people valued as important. Then my mind switched gears to more seemingly simplistic struggles that other people were experiencing and then my mind switched gears again to even bigger struggles than what the flood victims were experiencing.

Then I wake up this morning to this most incredible en'light'ening song sent to me to share with you through a DLG. The original video can no longer be embedded but in the original video there is a disaster. She gets out of the car and notices the Light shining in the midst of darkness. The couple that she stands next to is fearful of the Light and turns away in the other direction. Others (who may have crossed over) run straight into the Light and still others remain to help those trapped or injured. Jewel sings, "...for Light is the darkness most fear". It's amazing what happens when God shines His Light on the problem and we can see it. And remember folks, it's not what you did, it's what you didn't do.

HANDS BY JEWEL

If I could tell the world just one thing
It would be that we're all ok
And not to worry 'cause worry is wasteful
and useless in times like these
I won't be made useless
I won't be idled with despair
I will gather myself around my Faith
for Light is the darkness most fear

My hands are small, I know,
but they're not yours they are my own
but they're not yours they are my own
and I am never broken

Poverty, stole your golden shoes
but it didn't steal your laughter
And heartache came to visit me
but I knew it wasn't ever after

We will fight, not out of spite
for someone must stand up for what's right
cause where there's a man who has no voice
there ours shall go singing

My hands are small, I know,
but they're not yours they are my own
but they're not yours they are my own
and I am never broken

In the end only kindness matters
In the end only kindness matters

I will get down on my knees and I will pray
I will get down on my knees and I will pray
I will get down on my knees and I will pray

My hands are small, I know,
but they're not yours they are my own
but they're not yours they are my own
and I am never broken

My hands are small, I know,
but they're not yours they are my own
but they're not yours they are my own
and I am never broken
We are never broken

We are God's eyes
God's hands
God's mind
We are God's eyes
God's hands
God's heart
We are God's eyes
God's hands
God's eyes
God's hands
We are God's hands
God's hands
We are God's hands

Saturday afternoon I was riding my bike in the park in my usual enthusiastic manner; jumping curbs and moving about entirely too fast when I came upon an intersection where a father and his two young sons where preparing to cross on their bicycles. I quickly switched my brain from childish antics to parental mode making certain I was not in their way. As the three of them crossed the street I noticed something very beautiful and spiritually romantic about this scene.

As the three began to cross the street, the father was gathering his boys like a shepherd tending his sheep. The boys rode ahead of the father as the father brought up the rear and was literally "watching their back." The older boy swung wide pedaling across the street as the father called, "Tommy, come back this way." The younger boy wobbled across with his handle bars shaking nervously when seeing me on the other side. I could tell he was unclear which side of me he needed to aim. The father (watching his back the entire time) gently called out to him, "Brian, go to the left." It was clear that both boys were keenly aware that their father was behind them watching their back the whole way. There was no thought whatsoever that their father would leave them out to pasture to fend for themselves. Even though the younger boy was showing nervousness, he appeared brave and forged ahead knowing his father had his back and would give him direction. The boys knew their father's voice and obeyed his commands without blinking an eye. The father was tending his sheep.

When I reached the other side of the street, I pulled over into the grass and just started crying at the spiritual romance I had just witnessed. I said outloud, "My God! My God! Father, how do You do it? How in the world do You do it all when we start running off course?" . . . then I heard back through my DLG (Download from God), "It only works when you are listening."

This morning my musical DLG (Download from God) was, "Something To Talk About" by Bonnie Raitt. The most immediate thing that flashed through my mind while laying there listening to this tune play out in my head was my parents who have been married 51 years this past March 2008.

When my parents were married, there was actually a state law in Virginia called, "The Racial Integrity Act" that banned marriages between any white person and any non-white person. My mom is full blood Eastern Band Cherokee and my dad is of course "white" or caucasian. You see folks, my parents were both in the U.S. Army and were both stationed in Virginia; therefore, getting married in the State of Virginia posed a problem. My parents recall one woman at the courthouse saying to my dad, "You can't marry her, she's Indian!"

Below is a picture of my mom and dad (center) with the Principal Chief, Michell Hicks (right). My siblings and I grew up with people asking if my dad was our "real dad," so if you are wondering . . . yes, he is my real dad and he really is blonde. (winky wink)

Back in March 1957 my parents had to go to three places before they found someone who would marry them and ended up finding that place in the State of Maryland. Ten years later Loving vs. Virginia 1967 was a landmark civil rights case where the U.S. Supreme Court declared Virginia's anti-miscegenation statute, meaning mixing different racial groups, the "Racial Integrity Act of 1924", unconstitutional, thereby overturning Pace vs. Alabama (1883) and ending all race-based legal restrictions on marriage in the United States. Can you believe that Loving vs. Virginia was as recent as 1967. That means I was six years old when it was declared "unconstitutional."

The plaintiffs in Loving vs. Virginia were Mildred Loving, (nee Mildred Delores Jeter) a woman of African and Rappahannock Native American descent and Richard Perry Loving, a white man who were residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia who had been married in June 1958 in the District of Columbia, having left Virginia to evade the Racial Integrity Act. When they returned to Caroline County, Virginia, they were charged with violation of the ban. They were charged under Section 20-58 of the Virginia Code, which prohibited interracial couples from being married out of the state of Virginia and then returning to Virginia as a married couple, and Section 20-59, which defined "miscegenation" as a felony punishable by a prison sentence of between one and five years.

Thank God there are people in the world like the Standley's and the Loving's who really don't give a rat what other people think about their Love. It is interesting that my parents traveled across state lines out of Virginia in March 1957 to get married 16 months prior to the Loving's. It just so happened to be The Loving's and not my parents who were the ones caught breaking the law in June 1958. When it comes to Love folks . . I encourage you to Love like it's nobody's dang business, because it isn't.

When I first created www.NativeAmericanAnimalMedicine.com a couple of months ago, I had no idea what I was stepping into. I knew that it would be popular, which is why I created the site in the first place but I didn't realize what it would do to my daily creative writing. In addition to my daily postings on this website (daily message and horoscopes), not to mention my phone consulations/readings and e-mails, I still need to find the time to complete writing projects that are still hanging out there in cyberspace. Believe me, I am more anxious than you to complete these projects because I want you to have the information and I am literally starving to write more. Writing is actually my drug of choice. Writing is my addiction. I feel it IS part of my purpose and I am more than committed to fulfilling that purpose. At the same time, I am committed to having a personal life and taking care of myself so that I can think. Remember, we Gemini's motto is, "I think, therefore I am".

Having said all of that, beginning Monday, June 9, 2008 I will be uploading your Animal Medicine Instinct for the entire week based on one animal. In this way you will be able to apply the information over an entire week. Changing Animal Medicine for each sign every day just isn't enough time to absorb the information, much less enjoy being in the moment of the Animal Medicine. I want you to concentrate on this Animal Medicine and see how easy it is to apply it. I am so fascinated and excited about sharing Animal Medicine with you that I promise, I will load up your spirit with so much information that you will just topple over in excitement because you will feel so wonderful about knowing yourself so dang well. Animal Medicine has a way of helping you look at your Life in a way that you might not have otherwise entertained.

I really do Love hearing your stories about the Animal Medicine you have experienced so please feel free to call or write and tell me all about it anytime. Any personal deciphering or Animal Medicine interpretation will have to be done through an Animal Medicine Reading. I feel very firm about this simply because it is merely a time issue that would take me off my writing game and my entire intuitive thought process would be focused on you. Out of everything that I do, it is Animal Medicine that I enjoy the most and when coupled with your astrology and what is going on in your Life, the enlightenment is just outrageously astounding.

One more thing -- Feel free to pop me an e-mail with the animals you would like to see on www.NativeAmericanAnimalMedicine.com and I will get that Animal Medicine listed with its three keywords so you can at least have an idea what the Animal Medicine means until I get the description written. Thank you so much for being supportive and patient as I figure out how best to serve you.

We know from the comic book and movie series that kryptonite has a detrimental impact on Superman's superhuman abilities. Kryptonite to Superman is the same thing as our Achilles Heal. The achilles heal is that one weakness of an otherwise invulnerable hero. In other words, if we weren't exposed to that one thing then we can handle or take care of everything else. This morning my musical DLG (Download from God) was Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down. I knew exactly what this was about and I felt like a little child getting caught with my hand in the cookie jar. Interestingly enough, I had just recently been thinking about putting my hand in the jar but hadn't actually reached in yet and then I wake up to this song. We all know when something isn't Good for us and then we go ahead and do it anyway. Why is that?

I've mentioned in a previous Daily Message that when it comes to food, my kryptonite is popcorn and taco shells. Actually, these two items are not really my kryptonite even though I can't resist the temptation because I don't really experience any detrimental effects from them. Now if I ate Chinese or Italian food then I really would be a lethargic and sluggish mess. I honestly have to have a conversation with myself ahead of time and agree to experience the effects before I make the choice. Those two types of cuisine will definitely have a detrimental effect on my energy and just take me out of the game of life and put me to sleep. I wouldn't get to experience all of me including my capabilities, nor would anyone else get to experience all of me, which includes those I Love or even you for that matter. Chinese and Italian cuisine? . . definitely my kryptonite.

Let's take your kryptonite and stretch it beyond food and into your relationships. Who is it that obviously weakens your mind, your body or your spirit. When it comes to relationships, I'm a firm believer that a coupling should support you to be all you can be in the most wonderful and positive sense. Seriously, why be in a relationship to be less than you could be? See how that doesn't even make sense? You should be each other's crystal (strength)! Do you think Superman would be attracted to Lois Lane if she had detrimental effects on him? Oh certainly Superman was weak for Lois Lane but not in a kryptonite sense. (winky wink) Unfortunately, many times we will make a bee line to an unhealthy relationship that does everything except make us feel Loved, strong, vital and significant. Folks, know your Relationship Kryptonite.

You can keep stretching your kryptonite into your personal finances, work, family and social interactions. Superman is always a crumped-up mess when exposed to his kryptonite. He can't even function in its presence and he's pretty dang clear about what makes him weak! Write it down folks, so you are clear too thereby minimizing or eliminating what isn't working for you. If you know your kryptonite then it will be easier to migrate to your strengths rather than flying right into it and falling into a crumpled-up mess. And whatever you do, make certain that you do not cop out and point fingers at someone else because the bottom line is you either chose it or agreed to it. OUCHY!

I've often been described as a Pollyanna, which I would certainly have to agree is a fairly accurate description. Besides, why in the world would I deliberately choose to think negative about anything? Negative thinking doesn't even feel Good, so why do it? If I can think my way out of a tough situation by thinking through it positively, then that's what I'll do.

I am a Gemini and our motto is, "I think therefore I am." So I really do think, whatever I think, therefore I am. Further, I just can't deliberately throw myself into self-inflicted torture by listening to depressing songs. My spirit just won't allow me to identify with sad music.

Well, this morning I woke up hearing one of my favorite Musical Totems. I don't happen to be a country music fan but there is one song that I just Love that I have included in my Musical Totems and it's called, "My Maria" by Brooks and Dunn. When I hear this song, instead of singing "My Maria," I change the lyrics to fit myself and I belt out, "My Loretta". Hey, it works for me and the song just makes me feel great, especially when I start to slide into a negative mindset.

When I woke up hearing this song as my musical DLG (Download from God) I started singing with it (inserting my own name where appropriate) and was immediately reminded at the start of my day of the person I not only want to be for myself . . . for my family . . . or for you . . . but most importantly for God. Enjoy the song and the video below and I encourage you to come up with your own Musical Totems.

My Maria don't you know I've come a long, long way
I been longin' to see her
When she's around she takes my blues away
Sweet Maria, the sunlight surely hurts my eyes
I'm a lonely dreamer on a highway in the skies

Maria, Maria I Love you

My Maria there were some blue and sorrow times
Just my thoughts about you bring back my peace of mind
Gypsy lady, you're a miracle work for me
You set my soul free like a ship sailing on the sea
She is the sunlight when skies are grey
She treats me so right, lady, take me away

My Maria
Maria I Love you
My Maria
Maria I Love you

My Maria
Maria I Love you

This past weekend my five year old grandson "Big Tree" came over and we played in our usual . . intellectually stimulating . . no hurry . . but cram as much as you can into the day fashion. For a five year old Big Tree has an unusually high interest in science and nature so my daughter Karmen, son-in-law Larry and myself feed him as much science and nature as we can to keep his brain a frothy science and nature breeding ground. And why not? If he enjoys it, then go with it.

Well this past weekend Big Tree and I set out on our usual weekend jaunts of learning for fun-sake. Big Tree knows my rules and they are the same rules that I had with his mama. The minute we get out of the car, he is in charge of getting us back to the car so he absolutely has to be aware of his surroundings. We also have a rule where he absolutely has to walk in front of me. He knows that as long as he is in front of me, then I can see him. So Big Tree always leads. When we are going somewhere for his experiential journey, why not let him meander to what attracts him and soak it up naturally. If he wants to stand and look at something for 5 seconds or 15 minutes, then okay. It's his exploratory experience.

As Big Tree was enjoying his climb through an intereactive exhibit at the Missouri Botanical Gardens, I noticed that everyone else was in a hurry. After hearing one parent after the next say, "Come on, let's go, look at that one over there," I positioned myself so I could see Big Tree still climbing on the exhibit and watch where the others were headed. It didn't take long to figure out that everyone else was "busy". They were "busy" having fun. Gosh, don't we have enough "busy" in our lives without having to be "busy" having fun too? Now Big Tree and I are all about cramming as much as we can into our weekends but I can definitely say we are not "busy" having fun. We have fun in the moment we are in. So many people were busy rushing their kids to have fun that neither seem to be having any fun because there was so much rushing, whining and arguing. Why was it so important to see it all so quickly and kill the moment? They were sacrificing quality for quantity. What should have been a memorable and fun experience was quickly turning into a pain in the 'Rumpelstiltskin' for several families. Someone is kidding themselves if they think that is fun!

Big Tree and I meandered around the Botanical Gardens with him leading and me following for three hours. We fed the giganto-enormous Koi fish, laid in the grass, ran to the top of a hill to see where the water source was coming from for a waterfall, climbed through some exhibits (not all of them at his choosing), followed some rock pathways to see where they went, sat on every bench that we came to just because it was there, smelled the roses, smelled some trees, walked across several bridges and hung our feet over, held each others hands as we wrapped ourselves around a huge tree (talk about tree-huggers) and ran from two bird-sized yellow jackets. Then as Big Tree found his way back to the front of the Gardens, he saw the Terrace Cafe and wanted to eat outside and watch all the Common Grackles (a type of blackbird) fly around us.

You've probably seen the bumper sticker that says, "Stuff Happens" except another word is used to describe "stuff". Well you know what? "Fun Happens" too. I learned a long time ago that you cannot force fun and you cannot hurry fun. The key to having fun is quality . . not quantity.

Google: Yahoo: BING: ASK: MSN:

Google: Yahoo: BING: ASK: MSN:

THAT DANG SOUTH NODE!

WHAT IS GOOD?

LOVE IS . . .
WHATEVER YOU MAKE IT TO BE

ALIVE AND FEISTY

BACK IN THE SADDLE

THIS IS WHAT I WANNA BE

LET GO OF YOUR MIND

EN'LIGHT'ENMENT

HANDS BY JEWEL

SPIRITUAL ROMANCE

LOVING VS. VIRGINIA

ABOUT ANIMAL MEDICINE

WHAT IS YOUR KRYPTONITE?

MUSICAL TOTEMS CONTINUED . . .

QUALITY VS. QUANTITY

THAT DANG SOUTH NODE!

WHAT IS GOOD?

LOVE IS . . . WHATEVER YOU MAKE IT TO BE

ALIVE AND FEISTY

BACK IN THE SADDLE

THIS IS WHAT I WANNA BE

LET GO OF YOUR MIND

EN'LIGHT'ENMENT

HANDS BY JEWEL

SPIRITUAL ROMANCE

LOVING VS. VIRGINIA

ABOUT ANIMAL MEDICINE

WHAT IS YOUR KRYPTONITE?

MUSICAL TOTEMS CONTINUED . . .

QUALITY VS. QUANTITY

LOVE IS . . .
WHATEVER YOU MAKE IT TO BE