As I was driving to work this morning, I was struck by how much I take for granted....even the big things in life. I was coasting over the gateway bridge at the time and I realised how I have never considered that the bridge is there every day, the amount of traffic  that flows over it and it doesn't collapse. The thought and design of this bridge withstands a phenomenal amount of traffic all day every day...and in all the times I have crossed back and forth, I never once thought 'O my goodness (OMG), I wonder if the bridge will collapse today', or 'perhaps I should wait until there is less traffic in case the burden is too much to bear for this bridge.'
And so it is with many things in our lives, especially our backs. We store a lot of emotion in our backs, the times we have been hurt, abandoned, scared, all the negative stuff we don't want to face, or let go, we tuck away nice and close to our spine. We carry our worries and burdens on our shoulders, sometimes taking other people's burdens and carrying them as well. We store our stress in our neck and head, sometimes over-weighting it with thoughts that just don't make sense, or are distorted according to the emotion we are currently allowing to peer out from behind our spine.
...and with all that, we never say, 'OMG, (o my goodness), I wonder if my body will collapse today', or, 'perhaps I should offload or release some of this past stuff in case the burden is too much to bear for me.
So tonight I'd like us all to look at the burdens, emotions, hurts, thoughts we carry around, those things that weight us down and see if we can't offload a couple (at least) and make our load a little lighter.
...and then lets show some gratitude for the wonderful job our bodies do....They not only do all things physical for us, they also carry our emotional 'weight', even when we aren't even aware how heavy that baggage is.
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx
PS. And lets be grateful for the designers and builders of this world who make all things possible. 

While I was out yesterday, I was asked about my 'journey' to being a psychic medium (although, I have to say that at size 8-10, I am more of a small!). As I spoke about some of my experiences, one lady said to me 'Ahh, but that's because you were born with that power and those gifts.'
There is a perception, and may I emphasise that it 
is just a perception, that some of us are born with bigger and better gifts than everyone else. This just isn't true. We all have the power within us, we are all born incredibly multi-talented, but we choose which ones resonate best with us. We come into this world all-knowing, with all our gifts and talents from past lives as well. There are so many options for us, but it is all about choice.
Imagine that there is a huge energetic dome around each of us, and listed in a pale white colour, are all the talents we can draw upon in this lifetime. As we reach up and touch any, they glow a beautiful gold colour and are absorbed through the tips of our fingers and down into our present body.
However, if we don't believe we are a 'part' of this talent, if we aren't really interested in that talent, after we have absorbed it, it can fade away into the background. Later on, we may decide to call on it again and it will 're-ignite' for us.
Quite often when we follow one path and then head in another direction which leads us to a place where our original path would have led us, we can see that the talent or ability we chose was definitely for us, just maybe not at the time we first selected it.
We all have the power to heal, to sense spirit and to receive messages, just as we all have the power to sing, dance and draw. The only thing that prevents us is our mind!
I can even give you proof of this. I can't draw well, although I desperately want to. As a child I was belittled by a teacher, and even though I'm an adult now, there is still a doubt placed in my belief system from that experience. 
I was once asked to draw a baby on a paper plate, while holding it against my forehead. I joked that I could probably do quite well, because my thoughts and belief systems couldn't affect the outcome without seeing what I was doing. When I took the plate down and looked, I couldn't believe how much my picture looked like a baby. Even without seeing what I was doing, the arms and legs were attached, facial features were in proportion and I had even drawn a belly button in the right place! 
I was thinking earlier about how, as a 20-30 something, I tried my hand at many activities; sewing, knitting, painting, making dolls, embroidery, screen printing, writing articles, gardening, growing roses from cuttings, learning french, designing websites, making candles, catering, acting, producing a concert...well, hey, the list is probably too long to keep going, but I'm sure you get the idea. I would do all of these things, until I had mastered them and could do them perfectly, and then I moved on, usually never bothering to do it anymore. I know now that I was touching all those gifts within my energetic dome, to see if I really could use them all.
Back to my conversation from yesterday...We all choose which skills and talents we want to choose every moment of every day. It is up to us to believe we can - to actually reach out and touch our dome, to remind us that we have everything we need right at our fingertips.
A lot of what I tried in my 20-30s span are still a part of me and I reignite them when I need to....I had a client the other day who was pretending to speak french, and I blew him away by replying. We never forget what we learn, we just stash it away for later or when it's needed or necessary. Although I have a first aid certificate, if you asked me how to respond to a specific first aid emergency, the chances are I would fumble my answer, but when confronted with the actual event, my inner knowing would ignite and I would do what was necessary.
I'm sure there are parts of you that you recognise right now that you know would be the same, that you have allowed to 'sit' in the background. I also would wager that you can think of lots of gifts you have 'tapped into' and absorbed during your life, without even realising you were doing it.
You have everything you need within you and within your energetic orb. No person has more than the other, we are all given the same chances and the same gifts. If anyone seems to be more powerful, it is just because they believe in themselves, and what they can do. They don't have limits or boundaries.
The power is within you and its ALL about self belief and self confidence!
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

We all get signs in various ways and sometimes if we're aware of the synchronicity around each message, we can take notice of what we are being told or nudged to change within our lives.
As I've mentioned before, it isn't until after the third similar sign or message that I usually have an Aha! moment, (much to the irritation of my guides and angels, I'm sure!) 
So, the other week I noticed a pattern forming. The first sign I had was as I was walking through someone's lounge and Big Bang Theory was on. (I love this comedy). They were talking about psychics and how Sheldon couldn't believe he was dating a girl who believed in psychics.
The next day I overheard a conversation,while at work, about psychics and lets face it, it wasn't the most complimentary debate.
That night I was getting my hair done and, although the radio was on the whole tim,e it wasn't until they began pooh-poohing psychics that I took any notice.
That weekend I was talking to my good friend Karen about the synchronicity of these three, obviously connected, signs. I asked her what she thought it was all about, and if there was a message I might need to take notice of.
She thought for a few seconds and asked 'When you introduce yourself to people and they ask what you do, what do you reply?'
I smiled and said 'I work part time at a bank'
She said 'So, do you tell them what else you do?'

'Umm, well I might tell them I am a massage therapist, reiki practitioner, an author or teacher...'
'Do you say you're a psychic?' When I shook my head, she asked 'Why do you think that is? And why do you say you work at a bank when it's only part-time and everything else you do is part of who you are?' (you can always rely on Karen to cut to the chase)
'Ahh, well, umm, I....guess it's because there is less fear and less judgement...and less pressure'
Actually when I tell some people I'm a psychic, for some reason I can't fathom, they instantly believe I can read their minds. I watch as they struggle not to 'think' anything with this whole conversation going on in their head 'I mustn't think...I mustn't think..I wonder how long it will take before she stops looking into my head, oh crap, I did it, I just thought of something...now she knows what I thought...stop thinking...stop thinking...!'
The mischief side of me watches and desperately wants to say 'I bet I know what you're thinking...!'
Of course there's also those that say 'Well, what do you get from me? Who's around me? What does my guide look like? What does the future hold for me?'
Anyway, back to my original story...
I am who I am. Being psychic or a healer is all part of what makes me who I am, so why didn't I say 'Hi, I'm Cherie, I'm a psychic, an author and a healer, oh and I work part time at a bank...'
A part of me understands why I didn't, but another part doesn't. I need to change the way I view myself, or lets face it, the messages and signals will just get bigger and more obvious. Its time to 'own me' and honour who I truly am. Since then I have made a concerted effort to be true to my gifts, instead of only taking them out when it suits. It has been surprising to discover that, the majority have been extremely receptive and willing to talk (and think) about their own experiences that they too had kept hidden away.
So, my question to you is, what parts of you are you keeping hidden? What hidden parts of you need to be acknowledged and honoured? Is it time you celebrated all of who you are as well?
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

As most of you are aware, I am a firm believer in the effect our emotions have on various parts of our bodies. I also believe there isn't a need to spend oodles of money to 'address' some of these issues.
This is my belief and I wouldn't say it is the only one in the world, or that you shouldn't visit a doctor.  Each case is an individual experience and a decision must be based on what you are feeling and how it affects you. It is not up to me to dictate what you should or shouldn't do. 
I would like to share a little story about my day yesterday.
Some of you may be aware that I do mobile massage/reiki /card readings.
Due to someone doing something that may or may not affect my personal safety, I had to remove any advertising from my vehicle. To say I'm wasn't happy about it would be an understatement. As I scraped and removed all signs of a business I have worked hard to establish and maintain, I did a lot of that muttering we all do when we are feeling unsupported by the Universe. Things like 'Well, how am I supposed to advertise what I do now?' 'Is this a sign I'm not meant to do this?' Is the world full of weirdos and why do I always seem to attract them?'  and 'Fine! Well, I'll just sit on my butt and do nothing from now on, 'cos obviously that's where I'm headed!'
Okay, so I was really angry, having gone past my usual balance of reasonableness and finding fault with everyone and everything.
I'm just like everyone else. I try to accept others as they are and 'allow' the Universe to send me signs or give me directions, but yesterday I was in a place where everything was against me, and life was just another big struggle I was sick and tired of fighting against.
I spent the day working on 'other things, like creating booklets and handouts for my upcoming classes and reading. I refused to think about massage, reiki or card readings, as I stayed in my 'fug' about how life wasn't fair and how upset and angry I was.
About 4pm, I had lower back pain, but I shrugged that off due to the position I'd been sitting in all day. A couple of hours later I had a UTI. (for those of you who are blessed enough to never have had one of these, it is when it burns and stings when you pee. It's very painful.) 
It was then I had an Aha! moment and began to listen to my body. I knew the lower back pain was about  not feeling supported by the Universe, reliving old emotional struggles and comparing then to this present day one and yes, there was an element of fear and lack of personal security attached to it. However, I also knew that the UTI was  because (and I'm sorry of you don't like the following word, but it's the only one that fits) I was incredibly pissed off, to think that this person could affect my life so much and create a change that I wasn't ready to accept. I was also a little annoyed with myself, to be honest, for being so upset about something so insignificant as car advertising.
 So, I sat down and had a talk with my body. I acknowledged my anger, my fear and told it I realised it wasn't the same as any other experience I had been through. It was slightly similar or familiar, but it wasn't the exact same experience or situation. I admitted I felt like I was being punished by the Universe and I knew that it wasn't my truth, it was my reaction to the situation. I had picked the wrong attitude as I created the change in my life (and car!). I realised I hadn't been embracing myself with honour and appreciation, I had turned my feelings inward instead of acknowledging how I truly felt.
Within half an hour (I had to do a bit of sweet talking to myself!), my lower back pain had disappeared, as had the UTI. Coincidence? I think not.
...something to think about, isn't it?!

Sometimes we can experience situations or issues that repeat within our life that can be the leftover residue of a past existence. These can be unexplained symptoms, relationship problems, certain things that trigger a strong response from us or repetitve events, to name a few.
These can make us feel as if everyone is treating us unfairly and it must be a 'pattern' we attract. They can also cause severe reactions when things happen in our life. We don't understand why we've responded in such a way, sometimes we're even shocked at how we acted as a result.
On a cellular and a soul-ular level, we 'remember' events from our past lives, especially those ones that weren't completed in another lifetime.
For example, if you were stabbed in the throat you may find it difficult to swallow tablets. If molten metal was poured down your throat for speaking out, you may not want to speak your truth in this lifetime. If a huge slab of rock fell on your foot, you may have issues with that same foot within this lifetime.
We are fascinated in past life readings, we all want to hear about a time we were here before, to identify why we have a passion for a specific culture, or why we feel a sense of 'knowing' when we visit other countries.
Most of us (including me) hope it will be positive and uplifting, but sometimes this isn't the case. If we are carrying a 'lesson' we didn't learn in a past lifetime, there may be a disappointment attached to it.
With a past life reading it is important to look at what similarities there are in your past life and your present one to discover whether you have now resolved it within this lifetime or if you need to pay more attention to a particular issue. For example, if you were stabbed in the back by your men during a war, you might ask yourself if you are being 'stabbed in the back' by those you trust at work. 
Learning about a past life doesn't mean you need to get therapy or 'work on' yourself. The most important thing is to acknowledge the past life and it's lessons or pain, compare it to this one and decide whether you have finished with that particular lesson. A healing afterwards can be a good thing, to re-align your soul-ular and cellular body, but an ongoing permanent regular therapy isn't required.
Don't be disappointed if your past life reading isn't as positive or as uplifting as you may have expected. Instead, look truthfully at the lessons you attempted to learn in that lifetime, ask yourself if it's repeating within your present life and does it need closure or do you have it sorted this time around. After you have done that, acknowledge it for what it is and then let it go....
You might be surprised the difference a bit of knowledge makes!
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx
 

The other day I was doing a Reiki treatment for a dear friend and client. It was such an amazing experience, I wanted to share it.
The past week or so 'past life healing' has popped into my world in many forms and I was debating whether I was getting a nudge...until I got a shove!
When I begin a treatment, I tell clients what I feel and ask if they have noticed these symptoms or we define them energectically and emotionally. As an empath, I 'feel' what is going on in my client's bodies as we 'connect' energies.
I was receiving a pain in my stomach I could only describe as severe anxiety. When I asked for confirmation, and she told me this happened whenever she was worried about what would happen to her ten year old son if she passed over. I had  severe ringing in my ears and pain in my forehead as we carried on, which we agreed was related to the anxiety as well as feeling disconnected from her spiritual side. 
I asked about her angel wings (located between the shoulder blades) and she said she couldn't feel them anymore. The sensation I had was of them being crushed. Suddenly I had a sharp pain in my left lower back, above my hip bone. I asked if that had any significance. She told me that when she was pregnant she felt like she had torn a ligament or something similar and that it often acted up when she was extremely stressed.
As I sent energy into her shoulders, I could feel a tingling where my angel wings are, and a sensation as if they were being unfurled. At that point of time, she raised her upper back and told me she felt like she needed to adjust how she was lying, because there didn't seem to be enough room between her and the table. We hadn't been speaking at that stage, so this was validation for both of us.
I had a sudden visual of what had happened in her past life. She'd been a soldier, sometime in the Roman era. He was stabbed through the hip in a horrific battle and as he lay there dying, his last thoughts were for his wife and two children. I described his wife Sandra, and mentioned her long black hair.
Instantly my client began to cry, telling me that as a toddler she'd had a strange attachment to a long black wig, wearing it continuously until her mother hid it. She'd always wanted long black hair and was disappointed that it didn't suit her. Having come back as a female this lifetime, she'd wanted to be the woman 'he' had loved in that lifetime.
The position of the hip pain and the stomach anxiety explained why my client had such an intense fear of the future for her child and herself.
I explained that Christophe, the soldier, had helped her to get to where she was right now, but his time was now over and it was time for her to take charge of her life. He had helped her when things had seemed hopeless, when she struggled to keep going, by reminding her of this past life emotion. When things were at their bleakest, the thought of her son had kept her battling on.
Christophe stood before me (as close as he could, I might add!), a handsome man in full battle gear. He would have been around the same age as my client.
It is my belief that when we have a past life guide like Christophe, that as we reach the same age they were when they passed over, this is the time we need to take over.
I thanked Christophe for his assistance in her life thus far, for keeping her on track and reminding her she had much to live for, even when it didn't feel like it. I told him she would now take over and he could go home to Sandra now.  I then asked my client to ensure she did the same.
I had the distinct sensation of the sword being gently removed and the space where it had been, being healed over. My client said she could also feel sensations in that area. We both felt a great sense of peace and love fill the room.
A short time later, as I was packing up, a candle that had been burning during the healing was knocked over - in the opposite direction that the wind was blowing the curtains.... Christophe had left the building!

The next day, my client sent me a text
'Oh wow, that reiki and reading were amazing. I feel amazing, confident, inspired, energetic, peaceful and calm and an amazing secure feeling about what the future holds. It feels like I need to share this feeling of kindness to everyone I know. Feels like the world is my oyster! Never felt like this before. I am in control of my life and feel I can do anything with my head held high! Thank you...

Sometimes we have strange fears and emotions we can't explain. Situations and  events can create a sense of 'knowing' or a repeated reaction to them from our
past lives. We may not remember, but our cells, inner wisdom and energy do.  
It's putting the puzzle together that creates a sense of  understanding and realisation. Isn't it awe-inspiring to know that you may be receiving guidance from another you - for as long as you need it?!!
Thanks to my wonderful friend and client who allowed me to share this as well as her message. x
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

For the last couple of months, I've been freelancing as a psychic reader for a couple of other companies. It wasn't about the money (because the payment was
extremely low) it was more about stretching myself, seeing what I was capable of doing. I was reading for people all over the world and it was kinda cool being
able to get visuals of people and places I had never visited..
 It was incredibly interesting to see that it doesn't matter where in the world a reading is purchased, most of the questions are similar - love, career, money, family. 
The difference was that I noticed that some people would pay for a reading every
week - it was as if they couldn't make a single decision without consulting a psychic. I found this incredibly sad that so many people give away their power to someone they think has all the answers.
As you can imagine I struggled with the flowery talk that some psychics use, but in
the end they decided I could just 'be me'! Hah! As if I would even attempt to be
anyone else!
Each of my readings had a message in it, empower yourself, believe in you, don't take any crap, you are cleverer than you think and you are worth more. I like to
think I made a difference. I did receive some feedback, so I know I changed a few people's perceptions of themselves.
It was kinda sad to stop doing it, but it was taking up way too much of my time for  no real financial gain. That makes it sound like I'm all about the money, but even psychics have to pay bills!
My message tonight is to remember you are a powerful being, you are intuitive, you
have access to inner wisdom, don't give away your power, ever!
A reading should be a tool, it should inspire you, empower you, encourage you and tell you things about yourself that you maybe hid away and needed a nudge from Spirit.
It can have guides, guidance and visits or messages from the other side, past life information and information that you have requested the reading to be about. It should never make you feel 'less than' or encourage you to become dependent on anyone. Think of it as turning on the GPS as you travel on your life journey.
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

The other day I was doing a Reiki session with a client and as part of it I re-energised and cleared her chakras. Later I explained which chakras had been  out of balance and why. She asked me what she needed to do to be able to 'fix' it, did she need to work on herself, attend a class or have many reiki  sessions to rectify the problem.
I assured her they were working fine now, she didn't need to work on them, she merely needed to acknowledge what the issue was. I said it was up to her whether her chakras went back to the way they were before the session or not.
We have different reasons why our chakras get unbalanced and stay that way.
For example, someone who has emotional and personal power issues with their throat chakra, may find that emotions prevent them from speaking their truth and stepping into their own power. This could be due to a on old pattern or an outdated belief system. Imagine it as an old movie reel that kicks in anytime we want to respond to someone or state our opinion. It automatically begins running when we are faced with stating our truth or opinion.
Now my client knows there is an issue there, she can choose to pause before she reacts or speaks and ask herself, 'Do I want to run the old tape, I have been running
forever, or do I want to start using a new blu ray disc to change and move forward.
The choice is always ours, we decide how we act or react and whether we want to change the ways in which we do. We have the power to change, no one can do it for us. Self love and awareness are the first step!
with love, respect and integrity,
Cherie xx

Worthiness is on my mind again today, so I'm going to tell you a little story...
I had a friend who complained to me many years ago that every man she met treated her the same - They started off as Prince Charming and over time she always became the punching bag. I said to her 'You will always meet these men as long as you have such a low opinion of yourself. How can things change if you believe thats all you're worth, that you should settle for whatever or whoever comes along?' 
  When we believe we aren't worth any better, that we can't expect to meet a 'prince' who stays a 'prince', that we can only expect the dregs of life, that we don't deserve to have a soulmate experience, or worse, we aren't prepared to wait for it, things generally start to go wrong.
As we grow up, we're led to believe that we aren't 'part of a couple' we are a failure or an oddity. When we become a couple, we introduce the other as our 'other half', implying that we weren't whole until we met. So from an early age we believe we aren't whole, that we need to seek a mate and we don't need to be choosy, as long as we're a part of society's expectations.
When things go wrong, we split up, divorce or become widowed, we can feel like a failure thanks to society's standards.
Some quickly search for a replacement, and I'm not saying that's wrong, it is their life and they are free to live it their way, just as we all are free to live our way...that's the beauty of our earthly journey.
However, if we believe we 'need' to be a part of a couple and we have a low self esteem or feel we are an unworthy individual, we can attract the wrong relationships, with people who are looking for someone they can manipulate or bully. (They have
internal radar systems!)
If we don't believe in our magnificence, if we feel 'less than' or undeserving, then we tend to attract relationships and people into our lives that will play on those feelings.
How do I know this? Well, I had several disastrous relationships, followed by an unhappy marriage, which all followed a predictable theme. Then one day I woke up and my first thought was 'I'm worth so much more than this!' and changed.
I believe this was the first step toward my spiritual and personal empowerment. I met my soulmate who I spent 25 wonderful years with. He encouraged me to grow, to be my own person and to believe in myself. Thanks to him I know what I'm worth, I'm not prepared to settle for anything less, no matter what it is I'm searching for. 
I encourage you to realise your worth, to know that you deserve the best life can
offer, to believe in your capacity to give and receive love.
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie  xx