I would like to share a dream I had the other night. I dreamed I was in my car traveling to an unknown destination. The road was steep and curving around a mountain. I was happy as I travel led along, singing along to the music playing in my car. Suddenly someone stepped out in front of my car with their right arm outstretched. 'You cannot go this way. It is too dangerous and your car is not sturdy enough to make it.'
'But this is the direction I need to go', I replied. 
'There is another way and I can show you how to get there,' the person said as she got into my passenger seat.
The road up was only one way, so I had to reverse my car back through the curves and potholes i had already come through. Even in a dream my reversing skills were sadly lacking. I was scared and i couldn't always see where I was going. My passenger kept insisting I carry on, insisting on pointing out the mistakes I made along the way. 
Suddenly the road fell away and my car fell horizontally into a swimming pool. I got out and looked despairingly at my beautiful car submerged in the water. My husband and I had purchased this car before he passed and there was a fear that I didn't have the skill to buy another car that would be anywhere near as good without him running through my mind. How could I be able to keep going without his expertise in that area? I asked myself.
All seemed lost and I felt sad and powerless. 
Some friends came to my aid, using a crane to hoist it out of the pool and onto dry land. 
A little while later, I got back in my car, and although it looked a little worse for wear, it still went well. In fact it seemed to be going a lot better than it had before, I mused, as I continued on my journey. I carried on my way, up the road I had previously been on. All of a sudden I realized that I wasn't as worried and scared as I had been before. I knew I was heading in the right direction and that everything was going to be alright.
When I woke up that morning I thought about my dream and the implications it had had, with regard to my current life situation.
When we dream about a car it is usually significant to our journey in life, the road is the path we have chosen and water is repressed or unresolved information. 
I had had a rough month where the path I had chosen had been fraught with difficulty. Others had been trying to tell me that what I was doing was wrong and I needed to 'back up'. Reversing my journey had been hard to do, because it meant going back to a way of living or being that wasn't being true to who I was, or my journey. I felt alone and abandoned by those who had tried to 'turn me back', the road seemed unclear, and fraught with danger, resulting in burying myself within the emotion of other people's wishes and opinions, as well as my own, of not being able to 'go on'.
However, when friends had helped me to retrieve myself and enable me to go on my journey there was a sense of peace and fulfillment as I resumed my journey. I knew that 'carrying on' was being true to me and what I needed/wanted to do.
And so it is with life. Often we 'reverse', our intent to try and please others, when essentially, we are here to travel our own path, regardless of what others perceive or believe to be our truth.
This dream highlighted this aspect of my life for me and enabled me to see that I am not alone. I can ask for help and assistance if I need to, but most importantly I am able to move forward in a way the resonates with me and my purpose.
Remember to be true to you, who you are and your chosen path - after all this is what you were born to do and what you chose to do in this lifetime.
With love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx 

There are times when I am shown a past life through a vision and other times it is within a dream. This morning I was shown a past life as a Jewish woman in Auschwitz. When I learned about Hitler in my teens, I was fixated on that period of time in Germany. I read everything I could about it, exhausting first the school library and then the town one. I had such an urge to know everything about it. I was sickened, sad and frantic without ever knowing why. Now it all makes sense.
I was with my mother (father from this lifetime) at some kind of doctors surgery. I was in my late 20's, around 26 I believe. I feel this started as a 'normal check up and I fit the bill for some kind of research they needed to do. My mother was led out of the room, helpless to do anything and I was left there, absolutely terrified. I was examined and even at that age, in those times, I had never shown my body to a man before and here I was being inspected by a small group of them!
At the beginning I cried and I screamed. I begged for mercy, but by the end of my time there I was disconnected and devoid of all feeling.
Memories of those I loved were running through my mind. My best friend (mother this lifetime), my sister and older brother (daughter and son this lifetime).
One of the older uniformed men tried to get through to me and be friendly. He had such soft sad eyes. 'We are not all bad you know,' he said as I cowered in the corner. He reached into his pocket and gave me a heart shaped stone of some kind. As he did so, I saw a flash of him as a younger man and recognised him as my husband from this lifetime.
I was then shown an experience from my current lifetime where I was out exploring with a group of cousins and friends. We visited an aunty I didn't know. I had never liked her and although she was sweet and kind, I was cross with her and scared of her at the same time. I was shown that she was one of the men who had 'operated' on me. It is important that I share this story with you to remind you that we are continually surrounded by our soul family. Sometimes they get the 'shit' assignments, where they are cruel to us. Sometimes they only play a bit part, but often, they are the nucleus we find within each lifetime. Its harder to love them when they are bad or mean, and they knew that when they 'agreed to their assignment'. Our soul mate can be anyone within our life, a good friend, a lover, a sibling, a parent, or maybe someone who helps us to believe that there is good in our life. Sometimes our 'gut feeling' of someone isn't because they are bad or wrong in this lifetime, but because they left a huge impression in another.
For me, this has opened my eyes to my fixation with Hitler as a teen, my fear of hospitals, drugs and needles, the cancer I developed at around 26, where it was and how panicked I was, until they explained what would happen and why (I refused to allow them to anesthetise me until it was explained in full - much to their frustration of those in theater!). Even hearing about nazi Germany makes me feel physically sick to my stomach, but I know that they were all a symptom of their times, just as we are of ours.
As I lay there, afterwards, I sent healing to my past lifetime and all concerned. I asked for healing to myself, to remove the physical, emotional and soul-ular scars that I have brought in with me. I asked for integration of that lifetime into my present one. Healing a past life isn't about deleting it or fixing it. It is about accepting it and knowing it is a part if who you are, regardless of the person you were at that time. Healing a past life isn't about judgement. It is about acceptance and love. 
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

I'd like to tell you the story of two clients of mine, Pamela and Janine. They were roughly the same age and had similar life stories.
Both of these ladies were in their second marriage and had been in a relationship with their current husband for 15 plus years.
Both had had unhappy first marriages, but it appeared to be an incompatibility problem. Both of their ex husbands had also moved on and were in happy relationships.
When they came to me for their first visit, they both had much angst and anger directed to their respective exes, as well as a lot of pain attached to these past relationships.
It was strange to be seeing two women with exactly the same issue. Although they were happy in their current relationships, they resented the fact that their ex husbands were also happy. They had a lot of 'unfinished business' between them and it was affecting their health and their weight.
Over a period of six months, we talked about their expectations, their hopes, their dreams, their pain and how they could move on from the situation in a positive and uplifting manner.
I used reiki healing, sound fork therapy and crystal healing, as well as 'love yourself' boot camp, Numerology and Psychic insight.
Pamela was keen to create change in her life. She was tired of being angry. She wasn't happy with her weight, which had eventuated into Type 2 diabetes. She worked really hard at forgiving everyone involved, including herself. She did regular release rituals as well as abundance rituals (in fact I think she still does).
Janine was not so eager. She believed everything was everyone else's fault and there was no way she needed to release anything or forgive anyone, including herself. As far as she was concerned she was blameless and she wasn't going to let anyone get away with what they had done to her. They owed her!
After 6 months, they both decided they were ready to 'go it alone'. Surprisingly, I have heard from them both recently.
Pamela has lost weight, is happier and more at peace with herself, her past and her future. She has reversed her diabetes and life is great. Her current marriage has gone from strength to strength and they have even been in a social environment with her ex and his partner, which has resulted in a friendlier atmosphere around them.
Janine has doubled her weight, is still surly, awaiting apologies from everyone she ever knew, especially her ex husband. She is bloated, has blood pressure problems and tells me that I didn't 'heal her'. I explained that healing has to come from within, but she doesn't see it that way.
All too often we have traumatic, sad or aggravating events in our lives, but we choose what happens next. We can choose to heal, or we can choose to hold on to that pain.
When I look at Pamela and Janine, I know which path I want to choose. How about you?
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

The past two weeks, actually the last two months have been a build up to a past life healing for me. Around about two months ago, I had a slight tickly cough and felt an immense heaviness in my chest. I assumed this was mostly due to the way the holiday season brings my grief to the surface as I consider another Christmas or new year beginning with Butch....and in truth, some of it was. However, this became all consuming, I struggled to breathe, as it caught in my throat and forced me to cough to create air intake.
As you know, I believe that whatever we are feeling or emoting at any given time is relative to the symptoms and signals we are receiving from our bodies. I knew the lungs was where my grief and heartache were centred, my frustration at life and feeling constricted or bound by the life I had, instead of the one I had planned. The throat is where we speak our truth, are heard or release our grief, so at the time it made perfect sense....until about two weeks ago!
Karen was doing an acutonics treatment on my back (which is relative to not feeling supported by the Universe - just saying!) one day and this awesome healing chant came on her ipod.
I had a sense of many people in the room, and later we discussed various things that had happened during the treatment - the blockages I was experiencing, where and why; the extra pair of hands on my forehead; the music that totally resonated with me and how I hadn't coughed once during the treatment (and many others that I can't remember).
I asked Karen if I might borrow the CD with the healing chant on it, and I felt there was some kind of urgency attached to it. Of course she agreed - thats what good friends do! ☺
I took it back with me and as soon as I was in the door, I had it playing in my laptop. I became quite fixated with this hour long chanting, playing it over and over, wondering why I felt as if I should know the words, as I could certainly feel the emotion behind it. I even played it before I went to sleep, hoping my guides would give me some insight or advice. Nothing.
Two days later, I was having breakfast, with my feet dangling in my current house-sits pool, listening to the the chant. Water is a great conductor for emotion. Next thing I was given a visual of a group of people standing on a hill, chanting, while their assailants rode around them, killing them as they stood. I felt that these were a peaceful people and they had chosen not to war with them, instead singing in unison to prove that they would not be changed by those that were around them. I also had the impression it was in 1890, and happened around Christmas time, hence the extra emphasis on my grief this time.
(If you are wondering why I never noticed it in other Christmases, I believe it is because I wasn't ready for it or open to it until this year....and possibly I would have struggled to differentiate between the grief I already felt with Butch's passing)
I could see the chief/leader, and he was only wearing a single feather or headdress, which I felt was strange given that I would have thought he would have had the big regal one - but then, would that have been tantamount to a challenge in a very aggressive way - who knows? He was very tall, almost freakishly tall.
I sat there crying my heart out as I saw those I once loved fall around me...and then the vision stopped. I wanted more! I tried everything, but nope, apparently I wasn't ready for the rest of this story yet.
I kept listening to the healing chant continuously, feeling a sense of peace that I couldn't explain. However, my breathing and heaviness got worse. I had various excuses for it, cutting back on various types of foods, concentrating on my vege juice and immunity supplements. When I coughed I felt like I was turning inside out! I made my never fail cough mix to help prevent the coughing which had made my throat raw and sore. It eased the throat, but the cough just got worse.
Christmas night onwards, I felt like I was truly dying. I know that sounds dramatic, but the coughing was leaving me light-headed, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't talk, I couldn't sleep, and I felt like there was an elephant sitting on my chest, who only moved when I doubled up in pain.
Finally the 27th came and I could get a doctors appointment... As I spoke about my symptoms and the lead up (without explaining the spiritual side of it, of course) to that day, he smiled and nodded. I had asthma! I have never had asthma, so I found that quite interesting...and annoying.
All day I thought about what asthma meant to me. I had established the sore throat was merely an on going effect of the asthma - coughing to produce air obviously inflamed my throat.
Asthma tells me I don't want to be here, that I am done. I feel suffocated, angry, unable to vent my emotions, deeply depressed and grief devastated. I pulled faces at this thought, as it didn't quite fit how I believed I felt.
This morning, as I was pondering this and listening to the chant. I was given the final part of the vision. I was a young girl of around 10 or 12 when this massacre had happened. As my people were falling around me, my brother had thrown me on the ground to protect me, landing on top of me when he was killed. I was SO angry. I wanted my chance to die with pride and he had cheated me out of that! I fought against the dead weight of his body until I was so exhausted, I could move no more. Our 'enemies' left, not realising I was still alive.
I wasn't shown what happened after that, but I get a huge sense of displacement, intense anger, feeling cheated out of a glorious death, losing everyone I loved and forced to live a life I would never have chosen. I wanted to scream at my brother for what he did, but that would have disrespected his spirit and the love he had shown.
A couple of days ago I went on facebook to ask if anyone knew of a massacre that took place in 1890, without the group fighting back, and was told of the Massacre at Broken Knee (my knee just happened to be one of the blockages I had when Karen did the treatment - a hint perhaps?!). It took place on the 29th December!
Now I can't say unequivocally that this is where it took place, because my inner skeptic refuses to take anything at face value without heaps of  evidence. (and skepticism is healthy!) The chief was tall and although it doesn't appear he was wearing a single feather on that day, here is a picture I found. His name was
Miniconjou Chief Big Foot, meaning 'Touch the Clouds'.
Perhaps this needed to be healed before the actual date, or maybe there is more to the story, who knows?!
Today I feel peaceful, at peace and grateful for the ability to breathe once again.
...and it all started with a cough and a healing chant....
Who knows what past lives we carry within us that can be healed and accepted? We have all been here many times before, it makes sense we carry soulular and cellular memories. After all, can you remember something from Christmas Day that touched or upset you? Memories are powerful things.
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx
PS. As a by the by, I have established who my brother was in that lifetime, and now understand why every time I see him, I feel an irrational sense of betrayal, anger and sadness.
This also explains why I have taken to plaiting my hair a lot more and in a different way in the past two months. I have always loved all things from this culture, but have felt myself strongly drawn to clothing, etc that pertained to this lifetime in a way I couldn't explain before.... Interesting stuff, hey?

I should warn you that this picture doesn't do my mood justice...
Just recently I have been hearing stories about people who have been ripped off by psychics, even some of them asking for ridiculous amounts of money, or they will lose contact with their loved ones in Spirit.
I have also heard stories (and been one of the people who experienced this in my early grief days) about terrible things being said to those wanting to hear from their loved ones.
I get really angry when I hear that these psychics are charging ridiculous amounts of money for their 'messages', and because we live in a world where we believe that the more we pay, the better the message will be, or the more powerful the psychic. I just want to say, and I know Brian (my guide) will back me up here...What a crock of shit!
The reason why some people will charge more is because they have huge egos, they believe they are powerful and the best reason of all, they know they can make a killing out of the customer who is on a grieving expedition.
Sure, in any type of work, we all deserve to be paid a reasonable sum of money for our services and our time. That is only fair, but really, is $300.00 for an hours work, what your loved one expects or wants you to pay to 'connect'?
I am not dissing anyone for what they do or how much they charge. I accept that some people will charge more and if thats what their clients want, then fine and good. But, I do get angry beyond belief, when I hear that that their customers are told that unless they pay lots more, they will lose contact with their loved ones in Spirit.
We are all born psychic, we all have the gift, even if most of us don't believe we do. Even a child can (and will) connect with our loved ones to tell us what they want us to know. We don't have to be all powerful, we don't even have to look any different or stand out in the crowd. Those that can connect are everywhere and anywhere we look.
AND.....but wait there's more!
Our loved ones in Spirit have no hidden agenda. They hold no grudges. They don't seek to hurt or harm us in any way...not even a teeny tiny bit. They might give us a heads up about something that is coming e.g. remember to be careful with your purse, so we can, hopefully, avoid losing it. BUT, they will NEVER NEVER EVER tell us bad shit! They will not give us really bad news. They will not tell us someone is going to die. They will not tell us if someone is cheating on us. They will not tell us how we upset them while they were alive.
They have absolutely no need to do any of that crap! (sorry, I am still angry...)
Where they are it is love. Love is the question. Love is the answer and there is nothing else.
They know the whats, whys, whos and any other answers that they didn't have while they were on this physical plane. They know why things happened the way they did. They know all the answers, while we are still struggling with the questions. They can't tell us all the answers, because that is part of our life journey and life purpose. Why would they cheat us out of a full and wonderful physical experience?
So, if you feel like you are being charged too much, the chances you are!
If you feel the messages you are receiving aren't for your highest good, then its time to find a new psychic, or just walk away from the one you have.
Don't be pressured, guilted or blackmailed into handing over all of your money. You just know that your loved one would not want to be a part of that, now would they? ....so, doesn't that make you ponder the question: 'Well, who is it that they are talking to?!' Trust in your intuition, instinct or gut.
with love, respect and integrity, but no more rage!
Cherie xx

As some of you may know, I do house-sitting. I love it because I get to experience many different places and areas I wouldn't normally get to see. I also get to meet some wonderful animals that teach me about being still or loving life out loud. I also 'meet' various spirits who are guardians of the homes I stay in, or welcome guests.
The last one I was on had an older African man, complete with long dark pointy mask, who wasn't impressed that I was there on my first night. I wasn't in the mood to ask if he was friendly or otherwise, so instead I cleared the energy in  my share of the house with my pendulum. This didn't mean he had to leave, because it is not my right to tell him whether he should stay or go. This was a way of setting boundaries between us. He was allowed a certain area of the house and I would have the best part with the lounge, my bedroom and kitchen attached! He went quietly and didn't cause any fuss. For a week we lived in harmony. He would give me little surprises every now and then by dropping or rattling things, or letting out a deep noise, that wasn't so much a moan as just reminding me he was there.
As I was cleaning and preparing to leave, I had a CD on quite loud, and I could hear he wasn't happy, as the voice I heard at one stage wasn't compatible with the song playing. It sounded like a 'Noooooo-oo!' My music obviously didn't appeal. I just smiled and carried on singing at the top of my voice. And then the fun began.... He started jumping the CD back and forth, between songs and repeating some of the lines. Each time I would get 'into' the song, dancing or singing, and the music would change or repeat. I told him that I can't do housework without loud music (because then its more like dancing than working) and he was just going to have to deal with it. He still messed around with it for a while, but he must have eventually got bored, because the rest of the CD played without incident.
This week has been a difficult week for me, I have been pondering on my life before Butch passed and how different things could have been. Despite what other people think, I don't always have it together and I certainly don't have all the answers. I wallow in self pity and wishful thinking, just like the next person.
So, the next CD I played was one that Butch and I loved. As I sang along, I could feel Butch around me...and then the CD started to do strange things. It paused and skipped to the very last track. The song was extremely relevant to my week. It spoke of things happening within our lives, and sure, we could have avoided them, but, how, if we had done that, we wouldn't have had some of the great experiences we had had. I had tears in my eyes as I sang along. The CD stopped, so I pressed play, hoping to hear the rest of the CD....but it would only play #17 (the same song). I gave in, saying 'Okay, I get the message.' The CD stopped and then went to track #7, which was a song about learning to live again. (coincidentally, that is what my grief website is called!)
I finished my cleaning and sat outside to enjoy my cup of tea.....and realised after a while that the same song had been playing over and over again. I laughed a little to myself and knew I was being told to pay attention. The song playing was our song. The one we had played at our wedding, whenever we were feeling mooshy and at Butch's funeral... *sigh* Love that man! ♥
So I encourage you to listen to the music that is around you. Be aware of the messages you are being given....and always listen to loud music when you do housework! It makes a huge difference to your attitude!
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

You will need:
Candle of colour choice/fragrance
Pick a time when you wont be disturbed.
Turn off your mobile phone, etc
Play soft background music if you feel it will help you to 'connect'.
Sit quietly before you light the candle and imagine a beautiful bubble of protective energy around you and your candle -you choose the colour!
Ask your guides and angels for assistance and ask that only that which is for your highest good may enter your bubble.
You can place a photo of the person you are trying to connect with either under the candle or beside it.
*Intent is everything. If you dont have a photo, simply write their name on a piece of paper
Light your candle and just sit quietly while it gets into a 'state of rhythm'.  
When we first light a candle it either has a little time it needs to get going, or if it has been used before, it may need time to 'get past' the wax etc from last time to be burning in the 'now'.
When you are ready ask your loved one to 'come in'. You don't need to speak it out loud if you don't want to. If you would prefer to 'think talk' then simply state your intent that your loved one has access to your loving thoughts.
Be aware of the temperature of the room, how you feel and what you can sense during this time.
Wait a bit. If the candle begins to flicker differently, or you feel you have waited long enough, ask if your loved one is there. Ask for a tall flame to signify a 'Yes'. (Now as I am a skeptic a tall flame isn't enough for me. I tend to say 'a little bit higher please', unless of course it is a proper tall flame!)
Ask questions that require 'yes' and 'no' and take notice of the flame.
Sometimes, as I stare into the flame, I can see my spirit family, but everyone is different and what works for one, may not work for all.
Using a candle may not work as well as you would like the first time, but keep trying. Practise makes perfect, not just for you, but for your loved one in spirit as well.  I can remember being so disheartened when I first started using a candle flame and walking away in disgust. As I turned my back, the flame went really really high and separated the tip of the flame  with a 'poof'! The person I was  with suggested I had just been given not just a lesson in patience, but a bit of a telling off as well!
When you are finished thank your loved ones, your guides and angels for their assistance.
Don't just keep doing it when nothing happens out of stubbornness, when nothing is happening.  Spirit also have things to do or places to be and you may have caught them at a bad time. Try again later!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

According to Chinese Medicine unbalanced emotion is the biggest cause of blockages in the body.
Anger and anxiety affects the liver, fear the kidneys. Sadness and depression create issues with our lung energy. Over-thinking can affect our stomach and pancreas.
For example. when a person gets angry, for example, the automatic chemical activity of the body cause energy to form in the liver. If this energy is not removed from the liver, a blockage gradually forms and our liver can become 'sick'. (Have you ever heard the comment 'Wow, you are in a shitty liver today'? Well, this is one of those phrases that tells you what is really going on in our body)
As these emotions begin to affect our organs, we may find that we wake at the same time every night, or feel sluggish at a certain time of the day. Generally, our body is saying 'Hey, you got an issue with your organs! Work through that emotion and let it go, so we can get back to normal.'
So, lets look at a few of our organs and what is causing our body to send us a 'wake up call'.
Heart & Small Intestine: Negative feelings: Hate, Impatience, Cruelty, Heartache
Physical Symptoms: Heart Palpitations, High Blood Pressure, Chest Pain/Ache
Spleen, Stomach & Pancreas: Negative feelings: Worry, Anxiety, Mistrust, Finding life unfair/unjust
Physical Symptoms: Trouble with digestion or elimination of food
Lungs, Skin & Large Intestine: Negative feelings: Sadness, Depression, Anger, Fear
Physical Symptoms: Red Rashes, Breathing problems, Less oxygen in the blood, Constipation - a sure sign we are 'holding on' to our 'stuff'!
Kidney, Ears & Bladder: Negative feelings: Fear, Feeling unsupported, Anger (Peed off), Ready to take flight
Physical Symptoms: Loss of libido, Dwindling life force, Issues with nervous system, Body becomes acidic, Knot in lower stomach, Ache in area of kidneys, Urinary Tract Infections
Liver, Eyes & Gall Bladder: Negative feelings: Anger, Frustration, Jealousy, Envy, Being one-eyed or believing we know more than anyone else
Physical Symptoms: Increase in cholesterol, Bile production is impaired which affects digestive system, Liver becomes a dumping zone, this reducing the body's ability to self de-toxify
When release this energy we are holding within, we can begin the process of healing our organs. You body is constantly regenerating itself. Your skin regenerates itself every 4 weeks, your liver every 6 weeks, your blood every 16 weeks. Even your bones completely regenerate themselves over a period of time. It is possible to repair the damage we create with our emotions/feelings. We do, however, need to remember that what took months or years to create will take at least as long to repair.
After Butch passed away, I woke up every morning at 3.30am - during the 'Grief Hours'. There was a time when I got angry with the medical profession and the untruths we were told. When this happened, I began waking up at 2.30am every day. I developed a nasty rash and had massive headaches (a sure sign of repressed anger).  After that phase of my grief wore off, I went back to waking between 3-4am.
So next time you wake up in the night consistently, perhaps your body is trying to tell you that you have unfinished business to 'sort out'.
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx
*This is not medical advice, and not to be construed as such. If you have a symptom you are concerned about, you should consult your medical professional of choice.*

As you know, I believe that our spirit family visit us within our dreams, mostly because thats when they can get past the constant chatter in our minds, or the energy that surrounds us.
Last night I had a visitor during my dream. She was in her late twenties and absolutely stunning. She kept asking me if I knew who she was. I told her I felt I should recognise her, but I just couldn't work out who she was. 
She said 'I'm your Aunty Kath.'
I replied 'Wow! You are beautiful!' (I had never seen her as a young woman)
She nodded and said 'I know!' 
She told me of a few things that were to do with my family, including old health problems they had had and how they were 'fixed'. As she spoke, I found it hard to focus. It was almost like I was getting an information overload (like when you start learning something new and your body just wants to sleep). She spoke at length, and by the time she was ready to leave, she was once again an old lady. I wasn't disturbed by this at all. It seemed perfectly normal. 
As she walked away I was thinking about how they (our spirit family) have to lower their vibration to be seen by us, and it requires a great deal of energy for them to do this. I couldn't help wondering if that was why she had lost her youthful vitality, because she had been using all her energy to stay long enough to say all the things she needed to say.
What are your thoughts? Has this ever happened to you? 
I'd be interested in hearing of your experiences.
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

The next morning I told Gae I wanted to take Grandma 'flying' again. I felt it would be different after last night's conversation.
There weren't many visitors around 10am, so we settled down beside her, 
As I took her hand, we were suddenly standing in front of a circular glass elevator. At the time I thought it was a bit strange, but decided it was probably easier than flying. 
We stepped inside and I reminded Grandma we could come back whenever she wanted, and that if she wanted to stay, she only had to let go of my hand and I would come back by myself. The lift whooshed up and suddenly we were flying!
We travelled to all manner of places to visit Grandma's relations and friends in spirit. We went to beautiful gardens, simple houses, and even to other planets. Each time there was someone who called out in greeting to her. I wasn't privy to the conversations, waiting in the background until Grandma was ready to fly to the next place. There was much joy and excitement everywhere we went.
At one stage a face appeared directly in front of Grandma's and she let out a startled moan (which I could hear on a physical level). The spirit stepped back a bit and Grandma smiled in recognition. 
After what seemed to be hours, but was in actual fact only 10 minutes, we were brought back by a knock at the door.
It was another magical night with music, laughter and many visitors. Grandma's breathing was quite laboured and we took turns giving her reiki.
Later that night, when there was only two of us in the room, I was told that Grandma wasn't getting enough oxygen for full brain function, that the only part working would be her primal functions located in her frontal lobe. (This is also the place in our brain where we connect to source or meditate)
As he was telling me this, Grandma's eyes were looking at me. I 'told' her that this was just one person's belief and I would still talk to her. She relaxed.
Sometime later my Dad and I were sitting on either side of her, holding her hands. I said to Dad that I would give her reiki once someone else came to hold her hand.
Another cousin, Kaye, came into the room, sitting on the bed against the wall. We chatted for a while. Suddenly Grandma slapped my hand four times. I looked at the other two and asked 'Did you see that?!' They hadn't. They did see it when she did it again. We all laughed, remembering this was Grandma's usual way of saying 'Make haste!'
When she did it for the third time, Kaye said 'Perhaps she's telling you there is someone else to take her hand now and it's best if you 'make haste' and give her some reiki!'
When I moved up to the top of the bed and placed my hands under her head, she visibly relaxed and sighed, before falling asleep.
I woke up frequently during the night, emulating Grandma's breathing, so I could 'see' if it was becoming worse. There was a buzz of voices in the room, as the 'welcoming committee' chatted amongst themselves.
The next morning, Grandma's breathing had eased off and her pulse was strong and steady. I went to have a shower, while different 'angels' went home for a quick trip. 
In Grandma's bathroom was a commode on wheels. I pushed it up into the far end of the room and faced it away from me.
As I was drying off, the commode turned and came towards me, stopping about 40cm away.... A short time later, Kaye knocked on the door, telling me to hurry up and come out. Grandma passed away quietly and peacefully soon after, with us all around her.
It was only later we discovered that all of us had received a sign or a 'thought' which preventing us from leaving her place as planned...and some of us had felt an urgent need to be at her place at that particular moment.
....there is no such thing as a coincidence...
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

Late at night, after everyone had left, my Dad and us night angel cousins, would prepare and get comfortable in our sleeping areas on chairs, couches, mattresses. Sometimes I would doze on the mattress, often aware we weren’t alone in the room. There were times it was like being at a large party, as I would overhear snippets of conversation from our combined spirit family. I would look up from my mattress to see if it had been a part of a ‘physical’ conversation and would be rewarded with a blank stare or strange look from everyone else.
I was chatting with my cousins one morning about signs we receive when those we love in spirit visit. Poppa had died over 50 years ago, so we were trying to work out how we’d know if he was in the room. Later that night while I was in Grandma’s room and I heard something I hadn’t heard in a while.
I ran out to the kitchen with a huge grin on my face. ‘Whistling! Poppa used to whistle!’
‘What made you think of that after all these hours?’
I just smiled, knowing that I’d been given an awesome hint.
Grandma’s radio had always been temperamental (with a little help, I’m sure) and when I’d visited her last time, it had driven me crazy as it flicked on and off, the volume went up and down, or it just flat out refused to play some of my favourite CDs. Of course the gospel ones seemed to work no problem…
Most of the time we didn’t bother with it, there were plenty enough of us around the house, we didn’t need background music, until the music angels arrived, anyway. One day the radio started, then stopped. A couple of people tried to get it to work, and I laughingly said maybe it needed me to come over and give it a ‘rev up’.
I had almost reached it when it flicked itself on again. Hmmm...
As I mentioned earlier, my Grandma was deaf and had no hearing aids. I am a light speaker, even when I yell, so I didn’t bother trying to make myself heard. Instead I began talking to Grandma telepathically. At first I wasn’t even aware I was doing it, it just felt normal. It wasn’t until I was telling her something that she clearly disagreed with, and she was shaking her head at me, that I knew she could hear me.
Gradually people had to go back to their homes and our numbers thinned. It was sad to see everyone go, and sad for them to know they were leaving Grandma too. 
The music still played every night and those wonderful food angels kept us well fed.
One day, there were just two of us there with Grandma, my cousin Gae and I. Gae told me a wonderful story about how everyone in their family had the opportunity to say goodbye to her Mum by telephone, even though they couldn’t be there personally. 
I loved the idea and, as we were there alone, the timing was perfect. I sent texts to my Mum, and children, asking them if they wanted to ring and say goodbye to Grandma. I cannot explain the emotion of that time, as they each rang and said their final farewell. Gae and I sobbing as Grandma acknowledged them by making a noise or flickering her eyelids. It was beautiful and heartwarming to know that although they were so far away, they had had the opportunity to do so. There are times when technology is our best friend.
It felt as if something or someone was preventing Grandma from leaving us behind. I have to admit there was a lot of healing taking place, old rifts were patched up, disagreements forgotten and all of us remembering to be grateful for the love Grandma had instilled in us. Still, it felt as if something wasn’t quite ‘finished’ yet.
We began talking to our respective fathers, making sure they had told their Mum that it was okay for her to leave. Some found it harder than others, but they all did it.
As her health deteriorated, there were some who couldn’t bear to see her and we made sure to let them know that they didn’t need to, that she knew they loved her and that was all that mattered. There is no right or wrong when it comes to someone you love passing. It’s about being true to you and not forcing yourself to do something you aren’t comfortable with. All too often people do whats expected and regret that they didn’t just follow their own wants or needs.
Three days before Grandma’s passing, I had a nudge, an urge to take her flying. I’d never done it before, I didn’t even know if I could, but I felt I really needed to try…and it needed to be today. I explained to the other ‘day angels’ what I wanted to do and we pushed a bed up against hers. I lay the opposite way, holding her hand in mine.
Almost before I had a chance to close my eyes, we were off flying. Grandma wasn’t so sure it was a good idea, and let out a groan as we went up. I kept saying ‘It’s okay Grandma, I’m just showing you around. We can go back anytime you like. I just want you to see what’s waiting for you.’
She was okay for a while, and then she pulled my arm, saying ‘Kar go!’ (Norfolk for ‘Can’t go!’)
I told her it was fine, there was nothing to be scared of, she didn’t have to go if she didn’t want to and she could come back anytime she liked. She grabbed my hand and pulled me back down on the bed. We tried again, with the same result. As keen as she was to explore, I knew there was something holding her back and there was no point in pushing her.
Later that night, I was chatting with someone, with the same religious beliefs as Grandma, on the other side of the bed. Now usually I avoid any kind of religious discussion. I believe everyone is entitled to their opinion and beliefs, I don’t want to convince them otherwise and I certainly don’t want them to try to tell me what’s what either!
Needless to say, I was shocked when the words came out of my mouth: ‘Do you believe in the afterlife?’
‘No, there's nothing!’
‘So you don’t believe that our spirit family come back to take us home?’
‘No, there is nothing. We are buried and after a thousand years, God calls us from our graves to take us home. What do you believe?’
‘I believe that our spirit family returns to take us back to Source/God’
‘Ah, so you are a Creationist? We are not of God, we are created from the breath of God’
‘Really? I think if you read your bible, you will see that we are made of God and in his own image.’
‘I believe that none shall pass into heaven, unless they accept God.’
‘Ahh, so that means you can be a paedophile, a murderer or such like and as long as you repent before you die, you can still go to heaven?’
‘Well, yes, as long as you have accepted there is only one God. Do you believe in hell?’
‘I don’t believe you have to be a church goer to be a good person. I also believe that hell is what you make it. It can be here on earth if that is what you believe.’
‘So how do you feel about evil?’
‘I believe there is balance in all things. There is no good without bad, no positive without a negative.’
‘How do you work that out?’
‘There has to be good and bad, to create balance. We try so hard to hide our shadow side, but it is in accepting all of ourself, we are able to achieve balance. You can call me a bitch, as if that’s a bad thing, but when I need to stick up for myself, it is important that I tap into my ‘inner bitch’ that rests in my shadow side.’
‘Well what do you think happens when you die?’
‘I believe that dying it is like taking off a suit. Our spirit returns to Source/God and the physical body or suit is discarded.’
‘So why do you think we are here?’
‘We choose various life lessons to learn on this earthly plane. For example, supposing we choose to be born into a life with no money, become rich and then lose it all, but reconcile to the fact that money wasn’t what made us happy in the first place. We go back to God and he says ‘Well done! You did a great job!’’
‘And what if we didn’t achieve all that?’
‘Then he still says ‘Well done! You did a great job!’’
‘So, what is your take on the Godhead?’
About now, I’m thinking I have bitten off more than I can chew, but I can see Grandma is listening intently to everything that is being said.
‘Hmm, you better explain what that is and I will give you my opinion, if I can.’
‘Well, there’s God, the father, Jesus, who came down here to show us the error of our ways and then there’s the Holy Spirit.’
‘Ahh! So what you’re saying is that there is God, the Creator, the Source. Then there’s Jesus, who lived a physical life here on earth and then there’s the Holy Spirit, which is our soul or life force that goes back to God, the Creator.’
There was silence for a moment, as he thought about what I had said. I changed the subject and left the room a little while later. Not one person had wandered into the room during our half hour discussion, so I knew there was a reason it had happened.
Later, I overheard him talking to one of my cousins, saying ‘It’s amazing what you learn that’s not in the manual.’
Dare I mention I was doing a victory dance in the hallway about then? I now knew why Grandma felt it hard to believe there were spirit family in the room or that we could fly. Within her belief system, she probably thought she was hallucinating.
I couldn’t have had a conversation like that in my younger days. It is only now I realise how important it is to respect others beliefs and not try to sway them, but perhaps to ‘create a question’, so they can look at things from a different perspective.
Okay, that’s enough for now for part 2. I’ll finish Grandma’s journey in the next part.
With love, respect and integrity
Love Cherie xx

As some of you know, I recently made a trip to Norfolk Island to help nurse my Grandma. It was such an honour to be a part of her last physical journey.
Grandma had a large family – 7 children, 37 grandchildren, approx 50 great grandchildren and around 14 great great grandchildren, so as you can imagine there were a few of us.
It was a few days before we realised she had ‘called in’ her grandchildren, and a lot of us answered the call - some from close by and others from overseas.
There was a constant stream of family popping in to see Grandma, kissing her, talking to her and letting her know how much they loved her. It was beautiful. I cannot begin to explain the energy of Grandma’s house. It was positive, it was uplifting and it was love! Those who could play instruments did, those who could sing, sang (even those like me, who couldn’t, sang anyway)
One night, as the family ‘orchestra’ and ‘choir’ were playing, I was sitting beside Grandma, holding her hand, and singing along to some of the old favourites from my childhood. Big family dinners and sing-a-longs used to be a common occurrence in Grandma’s house. A younger cousin sat down and asked me if I believed Grandma could hear us talking to her. Grandma had been using a hearing aid for many years, but it had been misplaced somewhere between the hospital and home.
I explained that although Grandma couldn’t hear on a physical level, she could ‘hear’ on a soul-ular level. I then smiled, adding that it was just as well her hearing aids had been lost, so she couldn’t hear me singing. My cousin said ‘Oh, it can’t be that bad!’
I pointed at the front window, saying ‘See that crack in the window? I did that!’
Grandma, opened her eyes, lifted her head off the pillow slightly and said ‘That window has always been like that!’
To say my cousin almost fell off her chair would be an understatement!
(when I lived on Norfolk, many years ago, that window had been cracked…)
Days were spent with the daytime angels either lying or sitting beside Grandma, talking to her, gently and lovingly massaging her hands, legs and feet, chatting amongst ourselves or singing. We took turns keeping her company, ensuring she was comfortable and happy, helped with household duties and keeping other family members up to date with her progress. There was a bed set up on each side of hers, so we could lie next to her as she and we rested. When visitors arrived, we pushed the beds against the walls and pulled up chairs.
Early evening, the ‘food angels’ would come, bearing the most amazing dinners. For over a week, I forgot how to cook, as meals, cakes and cups of tea were continually appearing. We had plenty of fruit as well, especially watermelon, which fast became a family joke, as we tried to fob off the surplus to anyone who stated they were peckish.
The ‘music angels’ would begin playing music or singing as the ‘dishes angels’ worked their magic. We all knew our strengths and fit together like a much loved jigsaw puzzle. If one of us was uncomfortable doing one chore, someone else would step into it.
The ‘night angel’ shift comprised of the ‘day angels’ who didn’t have family to take care of and those who worked during the day. We all slept in her room, on mattresses or on the beds/chairs.
Most of the time there were two of us in the room with her, although sometimes we organised for our own ‘special time’ alone with Grandma. When a family member arrived, there was no ego or selfishness, we would all step away to allow them to ‘have their time’ with her. In fact, when someone walked in the first thing that was said after hello, was usually ‘Do you want to sit here?’ We all wanted to be around Grandma, but we all respected and loved each other enough to share.
When Grandma was restless, I would give her reiki. I didn’t do it in a ‘Stand back, I’m a powerful healer’ way. Instead, I would subtly step up to the bed and hold the front of her ankles, which is an awesome entry point for reiki energy. Almost instantly and visibly, she would begin to relax.
As time went by, other family members didn’t find it so strange that the room was so warm, or that I would hold her hand and ankles. In fact I encouraged some of my cousins to learn how to give her reiki too. Mind you, I am of the belief that we all have energy healing power within each and every one of us, but sometimes we need the extra push, that validation or just to experience it firsthand before we will believe it to be so.
I gave them a very basic first lesson and we practised on Grandma and a few cousins, with very positive effects.
As we laughed, joked and talked through our sessions, the mystery and strangeness of reiki disappeared and others showed an interest in what we were doing.
Grandma loved the reiki and we could almost hear her body ‘sigh’ as we sent loving energy her way – not to heal her, but to help her on her transitional journey.
I have always believed that the higher the vibration or energy field around you, the easier it is for our guides, angel and spirit family to make contact. As they have to lower their vibration so we can be aware of them, which can be extremely tiring for them, which is why, quite often, the visits are brief. The energy field around Grandma’s was so incredible, with all this love energy, music and singing, I believe it was a lot easier for our spirit family to visit, and stay a while.
As a psychic, I was aware of the masses of spirits who had come to see Grandma. There was a line out the door and quite often they were three deep in the room. I remember one day standing at the top of Grandma’s bed giving her reiki as a lot of her spirit family filed into the room. As each person appeared in the doorway, I felt such a beautiful feeling of love, respect and anticipation. They were ready to take her ‘home’, when she was ready to leave. As I recognised those familiar faces, the tears welled up in my eyes and coursed down my face. It was like a beautiful reunion and I felt so honoured to be able to see those loved ones I hadn’t seen for so long.
I’ll write more in my next blog.
With love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

I want to share a funny story with you that I have been getting a lot of mileage out of since my trip to Norfolk Island. I have changed the names so that I don't upset anyone inadvertently.
I am a widow, and as such, I have been subject to expectation, perception and opinion that, apparently, dictates I am prone to stealing husbands/partners and boyfriends. This has annoyed me for some time and created a 'defensive' attitude (another one of my 'attitudes'!) Even on the day that Butch passed this judgement was surprisingly passed on me (pfft! as if that would be uppermost in my mind!). I won't go any further into that particular subject as I don't want to get up on my soapbox!
During my Grandma's transition journey, there were many spirits around her home, both inside and lined up outside. She would have been 103 this month, so I can confidently say she had contact with many people in her lifetime.
One morning I was walking between my Dad’s and Grandma’s and said without thinking ‘Hello Marcus!’ I stopped dead in my tracks and asked ‘Marcus? Who’s Marcus?’ At that moment a beautiful spirit stepped forward and told me his formal name. I repeated my greeting and carried on to Grandma's.
A few of my cousins were in the kitchen and I asked, as I sat down ‘Does anyone know a Marcus?’ I then repeated his full name. It turned out he was the father in law of one of my cousins and he'd passed on years before. Another cousin showed me a photo with a group of men I didn’t recognise, but one seemed strangely familiar. It was Marcus.
After the funeral, I was at Grandma's 'wake', standing around awkwardly, as you do. A woman walked up to me. She stood directly in front of me and said "I hear you've been seeing my husband!'
I immediately went into defensive mode, throwing up my hands, taking a step back, saying 'Not me! I'm not that kind of woman!'
She looked at me strangely as she told me Marcus was her husband!
...see what happens when you 'buy into' someone else's perception of who you are?!
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

I don't know whether you know this, but I am not one of those psychics that believe totally in all things spiritual. I am a huge skeptic, always preferring to see with my own eyes what other people tell me is truth. As much as I know I have a gift that I share willingly, there is also a part of me that tests my boundaries and encourages me to question everything.
So, when someone suggested I have some angels come and 'visit' me for five days and five nights, my skeptic radar was going off the Richter scale.
I was actually feeling a bit low when it was suggested to me. It was almost Christmas and it's around that time a lot of grief bubbles to the surface and I can sometimes struggle to stay 'connected with my present moments'.
When I received the message from a friend through Facebook, I thought to myself 'Scam!' and ignored it completely. A couple of days later, I was answering another friend's message and the angel message caught my attention.
After a few moments deliberating, I decided to answer the message. After all, I reasoned, it couldn't possibly do me any damage, and who knows, it might help me with my runaway emotions. There was every chance my friend had already found someone else, especially as I hadn't even replied.
Fortunately for me, she hadn't rushed off and found someone else, so I was going to get visitors on the 20th of December 2012!
I followed all the instructions, found another three people to send them on to after my 5 days and nights were up, organised a plant, candle and my wishes. I created my 'sacred space' and was more than ready when the big night arrived.
I have to tell you, that although I had done all the preparation, there was still that part of me that said this was going to be a huge waste of time and money. (the candle cost me $2.10 on special!) I had no expectations at all, I was quite prepared for nothing at all to happen.
The night they arrived, I opened the door to welcome thin, as per my instructions, and to my surprise, I sensed the presence of five angels, but shrugged it off, putting it down to tiredness. I'd stayed up, waiting for them to arrive, and was ready to go to bed. It seemed a bit rude to just say 'Hi, good night', so I sat there in the lounge, thinking about what I wanted the next five days to bring. High on my list was a sense of peace and resolve about my life. After a bit, I decided I was just being silly and I went to bed.
I hadn't slept a full night in about three months, not because I was stressed or sad, I just wasn't sleeping. That night I slept the best I had in such a long time. I felt energetic, relaxed and ready to face the day when I awoke. 
As I went about my day I felt 'different'. I couldn't explain what it was or why. It was just this sense of being safe and peaceful. I was different around others and they noticed and commented on it as well. There were other small signs that there really were angels around me, but if I wrote about them all, we'd be here for a very long time. 
Each night, I felt a sense of healing around me. I had severely damaged my foot about three weeks prior and was still hobbling around in a restrictive bandage, when the angels had come to visit. The emotional source of my injured foot was about feeling constrained or restricted with what I needed to do next. I'd been struggling for some time with a few issues, problems and directions I wanted to travel in, with no real idea of how I would achieve them. 
On the last morning I woke, with a sense of 'intent'. It was as if everything was clear in my mind. I knew exactly what it was I wanted to do and how it would unfold. My foot no longer hurt and I knew I was ready to step up and into the next part of my journey. As I walked to work that morning, I realised that the last five days had left me feeling 'peace, love and harmony'. I knew I'd received healing on my heart space and I could physically feel the difference. My aura had become brighter and I could feel and see it's resonance. 
It was sad to say goodbye to my angels. My place felt quite empty without them, and the temperature was a little cooler in my place, after I escorted them to the door.
I am forever grateful to the angels who visited me, in spite of my skepticism and also to my friend who was patient enough to wait for me to realise a visit was just what I needed.
It was an awesome experience and I have to say that it is less than a month later and two of my wishes are already well on their way to being granted. 
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

Sometimes the strangest things push our buttons. It can be the way someone looks at us, the way they act or speak to us. It can be the way the world looks today, it can be the way it feels and it can just be how we feel.
Quite often I tell my clients they need to write the 'Because..' letter. When something makes us angry or fearful, we can use this as a strategy for finding out why we feel this way.
So, if you are feeling cranky with the world or a specific someone and you can't really explain why, maybe this is a good thing for you to try too.
Start your letter with a sentence that says how you feel right now. For example,' I'm angry at Simon'. At the end put 'because'. Start a new line and follow on from that first sentence. Add 'because' again. Keep doing this until you run out of things to write...don't finish too soon, allow whatever thought pops into your head to be written down. Don't overthink it. 
You will know when you're done...but don't stop because you subconsciously don't want to know the answer.
I love doing this because you just never know where it might end up. For example, it could turn out that you are angry with Simon because he took the last piece of cake and somewhere along the way you remembered that your younger brother always did that and your Mum always let him 'get away with it'. 
Sometimes the things that bother us the most that we can't explain have roots deep in our childhood. Once we have worked out what they are, we can heal that part of us and move on.
Alternatively, you can do it for something that's good in your life. It may turn out that the reason why you like red roses is because your Great Aunt Freda, who used to give you chocolate cake wore a fragrance called red rose...or she had an apron with a red rose on it. There's nothing like a pleasant memory we can call upon whenever we see red
It's an interesting way to look at things, isn't it? As we unravel those reasons, we also heal some of those outdated belief systems from when we were children and adults told us life was black and white while we were exploring the greys! 

Tonight I'd like to talk about the power of the mind. Sometimes what we perceive to be our truth is really someone else's perception we have adopted as our own.
I have been getting 'nudges' all day to share this story, and tonight I have been reminded of it again.
About 15 years ago, I hurt my leg, which quickly gravitated to my lower back, thanks to some well-meaning but incorrect specialists who struggled to diagnose what was wrong. The pain was unbearable, I couldn't stand, sit or lie down and walking any distance was simply out of the question. Finally, I found a specialist who told me that my spine was compressed and twisted, thanks to medical misadventure. I wore a full body brace to help support my back and was on a variety of pain killers to help me cope with the pain. In a follow up appointment, I was told that nothing would ever change, that it would not improve and I should resign myself to a sedentary lifestyle. read: I would spend the rest of my life practically immobile and unable to do very much of anything. In those days I was very fit and active, I did aerobics, dancing and gardening. All of a sudden I was restricted to reading and watching TV. I was also told not do anything strenuous and restrict my movement or I was in danger of ending up in a wheelchair.
How I grieved for my life. I mourned the loss of my fierce independence, my favourite hobbies and the stuff I could do that I used to take for granted. I could have stayed in that state and spent the rest of my life sitting there feeling sorry for myself...and for six months that's exactly what I did!
One morning I woke up and was determined that this wasn't how my story would end. I was going to fight back and do as much as I could with what time I had left.
I gradually began strengthening physical body, I asked for help from my guides and angels and I decided I wouldn't give up.
After five years I was able to run up stairs, walk for 10 kilometres, I'd thrown my brace away and I stopped taking those pain killers. 
Since then I have become a massage therapist, a beginner belly dancer and have done various other things my younger self would not have believed possible after such a gloomy prognosis.
Last weekend I danced for several hours and woke up the next day with only the normal aches and pains one would expect after a vigorous workout on the dance floor.
Those well meaning doctors who told me my life was over were probably looking at a text book case. Well, I've never been one to follow the crowd. (Non-conformist is my middle name!) 
I don't believe anyone can dictate my life, or how to live it anymore - no matter how educated they are. I learnt from that experience that it is only my reaction to what others believe is my truth that decides whether I succeed or fail. 
I encourage you to listen to your intuition and inner wisdom and know that only you know how your story will be written. If we are positive and believe we can overcome the odds with all our heart, mind, body and soul, we can move mountains...or at least nudge them!
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

About nine years ago I had a flashback while my husband and I were horsing around. The room changed for a moment in time. We were in a room with stone walls. I saw heavy drapes and strange old fashioned furnishings. When I looked down at Butch, his face was slightly different and he had long curly dark hair as he laughed up at me. He was wearing clothes that were typical of a nobleman of that era. I, however, was wearing a barmaid type dress, complete with push up bodice. We were happy and I felt sure we had been in love within that lifetime too. It felt so real and yet surreal, I could hear the fire crackling behind me and the animal skins below my knees....and then it was gone...
Although I mentioned it to a few people and wrote it in my diary, I completely forgot about it until last Thursday...
I was lying in bed, sick and tired of being sick and tired. I was thinking about the grief expedition I'm on and wondered aloud whether there was more to why it was so all-consuming at times.
Past life healing has been nudging me a lot these past few months so I asked my guides and angels if there was more to my grief 'pain' and could they show me if I had any past life issues I needed to look at.
I was instantly taken back to that scene I described earlier. This time I wasn't a partcipant, but an observer.  In this past life, Butch had been a nobleman who had 'sought out my company' while he waited to get married. Although I worked in a tavern, I had a strong moral virtue and he had to work hard before I would agree to go to his bed. I was about 20, had a pretty face that always smiled and long red curly hair. We had lots of fun and laughs and I think we fell in love, even though it was never destined to be any more.
His future wife knew of our dalliance, but was resigned to it at first. After a while she began to question the duration of it and his reply was 'She amuses me.'
I fell pregnant and confided in my best friend, who then told the future wife. To prevent me doing any further damage, his wife to be arranged for me to be brutalised and beaten by some local louts.
I was then dumped on the side of the road. Although my injuries were horrific, I still carried the baby full term, leaving our son at an abbey where I stayed until he was born.
I couldn't bear to leave him, but I couldn't bear him to see how his mother looked. My left eye socket had been moved up and the bone had mended in such a way as to leave that eye unable to shut properly. My nose had been broken, as had my jaw, and my hearing had been affected. I now had a hideously deformed lump where my right shoulder should be and my arm was almost useless from having my arms pinned back. My beautiful red hair turned white and stringy almost overnight and I limped quite badly. I was so ugly, I felt ugly and I had lost all joy for life.
I walked painfully out of the village and spent the rest of my life in an old cottage in the mountains with an owl, a rat and a dog. I found a sort of pleasure discovering about herbs and flowers. People in the village closest to me thought I was a witch and asked for potions, which I made from nature.
The grief I felt about love lost and knowing I'd never see my nobleman again felt very real and I experienced this pain, even as an observer.
I died many years later, while gathering wild flowers on the mountainside, falling to my death on the rocks below.
As the scene disappeared and I returned to my bedroom, I asked my angels and guides for healing and realised there were a lot of similarities between my beliefs in my current life and those that I would have had in that one.  I never knew why groups of loud loutish men made me nervous. I've had serious shoulder problems for years...and yes, it's the right one! About the same time my shoulder began giving me grief, pain in my lower back sometimes affected the way I walked.
There have been a few Aha! moments since that day, as I realise some of my belief systems are cellular memories I've brought in with me this lifetime.
with love respect and integrity
Cherie xx

When my Grandma passed, I was in my early thirties. I was devastated. She was the first really close family member I’d lost. We used to talk for hours every day on the phone for as long as I could remember.
She was my mentor, confidante and constant source of inspiration. I couldn’t imagine life without her, so I cried solidly for two weeks. At the end of the two weeks I had a dream/vision.
As I lay there sobbing, my Grandad, who had passed over six months prior, brought her into my room. He told me Grandma was extremely weak and couldn’t stay long, but she wanted to see me before she went to 'hospital'. Grandma was leaning heavily on him and looked exhausted. He placed her in the bed beside me and we hugged and chatted for some time. Well, I did most of the talking, telling her how much I was going to miss her and I didn’t know how I’d cope. She reassured me, smiling weakly. 
All too soon, my Grandad came to take her away.  I could feel my body cooling where she’d lain next to me. 
 After Grandma’s visit, I found my loss easier to bear, because I knew she would always be around me, even though I couldn't have her here physically. She has visited me many times since, still imparting her wisdom and love.
I was luckier than most, even though I didn't appreciate it at the time. A few days
before she became incredibly ill, we'd had thanked each other for the love and fantastic memories.  I treasure those moments of gratitude we shared. Even now, when I remember that day, my eyes tingle and leak.
As we were chatting, she pointed over to the window, telling me my Grandad was standing there, waiting until she was ready.
In hindsight, I should have taken her passing with a lot more grace, given that we had been lucky enough to have such an opportunity to talk frankly, openly and lovingly with each other.
Time passes, sadness fades a little but love lives on forever!
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xxx

Sometimes we have crazy dreams we can't possibly explain.  I believe dreams are the result of messages our unconscious, our intuition or our guides want us to listen to. Although some of them seem to have such strange content, we can always find a gem within that tells us something we aren't looking at or attending to within our lives.
Our subconscious uses dreams to help us to think about things we are repressing or trying to bury/hide from ourselves. It's usually a wake up call. It very rarely means exactly what the dream portrays. Our subconscious speaks to us in pictures we understand and the emotions that go with them.
Dreams aren't always as straightforward as we think they are.
Sometimes our subconscious or our guides are trying to tell us something
important. Each persons dream will be unique to them and their thought patterns,
values and mindsets, so we need to unravel these for you to discover what your
dream is trying to tell you.
The only time our guides and spirit family can get into our minds is when we are asleep or meditating - when our busy minds are at rest. Otherwise it's like trying to cross a busy highway, it's hit or miss for our spiritual companions.
Although dream books are extremely helpful, if a definition doesn't resonate with you, then you may find it difficult to make sense of it. Everyone's dream is unique to them, as what one thing symbolises a certain thing in one person's mind isn't always the same in another, so it's important to look at the symbols in a dream and what they mean to you. Once we establish what they represent, we may discover you have an Aha! moment. Once you have reached this stage you may find the dreams stop because your subconscious has made it's point.

 Here's an example of a dream to give you an idea of what I mean.
Supposing you had a dream where you were in a house, pregnant and very unhappy. Your partner was extremely happy. Next thing you were in a car and it spun out of control...and then you woke up.
These are some of the questions I would ask you:
Being pregnant to me means you have an idea, something you are thinking
of doing or a project, etc. What does pregnant mean to you? When you think of
being pregnant, what do you associate it with?
For me a baby is usually about a new beginning, so it could be a fresh start, new venture, something different about to happen in your life. What does this mean to you, not in actually holding one or having one. Is it a sense of fulfilment? A burden? A struggle? Contentment?
If you knew the sex of the baby, to me a girl would mean it is either to do with your femininity or something that affects you personally. So are you acknowledging your feminine side? Do you feel desirable? Are you being all you can be? A boy would be about being strong, taking action, feeling confident in yourself. Are you feeling overwhelmed by the will of others? Do you feel stuck? Are you feeling unhappy or stifled at work? Do you want to change your career direction?
Are you and your partner happy? Do you feel something is lacking? Do you feel less than desirable? Is there something you want to sort out within your relationship but don't know where to start? Do you have an idea for a venture that you would like to pursue but you aren't saying it out loud? Are you buying a house or taking a
risk financially and it is worrying you? Do you want to buy a house or take a risk and your partner doesn't?
I believe a house is usually symbolic of our soul, the place where we truly live. Do you feel happy in yourself? Do you feel you are being all you can be? Do you feel like there is more to life?
Are there any other specifics in the dream? Rooms? Colours? Where do you think you are? Country? Time, as in present time? Is anyone else around you? What else is happening?
If it's a kitchen, what does a kitchen symbolise to you? For me a kitchen is all about drudgery and boredom, never-ending sameness. If it's a bedroom, what does that mean? Is it about your inner sanctuary? Is it your cave away from the world? Is it a place for sleeping? Or is it a place full of romance and sex?
When I define my own dreams, a car typically symbolises our journey through life. What type of car was it? Is it your current car? Is it better? Is it worse? What colour iss it? What does that colour mean to you? Were you cramped? What does a car mean to you personally? What springs into your mind immediately when you think about a car accident? Could it be a fear for the person/people in the car's safety? Or for your relationship with yourself? Does it feel like your life is out of control, that you aren't driving your journey?
Is there a part of you waiting for something bad to happen to you....your partner, family or your relationship. Do you feel as if it's too good to be true? Do you feel unworthy or that he/she could/should have someone better?  Do you feel like your relationship has changed for better? for worse?

It is important to break your dream up into the bigger symbols and then look
at what each one means to you. I used to write down each item and list what they
represented to me; what I feel when I think about them and anything else that
popped into my mind. As I did so, I would usually have an Aha! moment and
understand the message. I love the challenge of defining what my message is. In
fact I'm disappointed when I don't get to dream! Having done it for so many
years, I don't need to write it down anymore. I wake up in the morning and think
'Okay, I need to address that issue, or I need to do that for me, etc'

Of course there is another theory as well.  As I say in another chapter, I believe we currently live on many planes, that major decisions we make impact how our life pans out (similar to the movie Sliding Doors). Generally it feels like we are a bystander, or that they can't see us. However, when we visit these alternate planes in our dreams it is possible to feel all the pain, emotions and anguish, because we are that person too. So in a different plane, someone may have been killed or the outcome may have been different.
I know that when I 'visit' another plane, although I am watching what is happening, I feel all the emotions of the person in the dream so acutely as if I was experiencing it, and in a way I am.
I'd be willing to bet that the next dream you have, you will look at it differently.
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx
(picture by Zen Gardener)
 


  
 

(excerpt from my book)
We are each given guides to help us along our life path. Some are from past lives, whether they are friends, family or enemies. Some of our guides 'owe' us for a misdeed in a past life. Others have a specific personality trait we need to draw upon and some are here because they agreed to help us during our
journey. There is no limit to the number of guides we have, some are here for a specific time frame or until we resolve an issue or past life emotion we have brought through into this life and others are here for our entire life.
I've had many guides through my life and I'm going to use some of them as an example of why they were here.
I have (had):
Alfie, a 'boat' man who did me wrong in a past life, messing with my affections and deserting me when I became pregnant. He stands guard over me and helps me rediscover my inner strength. He uses his oar in a way a soldier might stand at attention with a rifle.
Maria, is a spanish dancer, who encourages me to dance and enjoy life.
Carlos is a gypsy I helped to escape when fortune telling was illegal in Spain. He is repaying a debt and tried for many years to get me to accept my psychic-ness.
Sarah was my younger sister, who had played for my parent's affections and landed me in trouble many times because she was cute and I was 'old enough to know better'. She was here to show me that I can still be child-like and use my imagination.
I also have a High Priestess, whose name I've never known. I also was a High Priestess in that lifetime and we were like sisters. She spent a fair amount of years trying to help me see the divine being within me. I died a horrible death in that
lifetime, swearing never to put myself in that position ever again. Over time,
she has convinced me that times are different and it's safe to be all I am. She appeared in my life at a time when I was heartsick and didn't want to  be a part of this world. She would assume my reflection in the mirror. Synchronistically, the time she began to be a part of my life and when I was giving up on life is about the age I had died in that previous lifetime. We wrote a contract on the etheric plane where she agreed to help me through that difficult time.
Peter is a son I miscarried in this lifetime. He appears as a 15 year old, because that is the age he 'chooses' to be. He helps me to remember how amazing I am, that I am lovable even when I feel I'm at my most unlovable! He knows everything about me and still loves me unconditionally. He gets a bit annoyed with me sometimes when I forget to do the same, or to ask for help.
Brian has been with me since birth. He's a bit of a straight talker and doesn't
mind giving me a bitch slap from the other side now and then. I don't believe we
shared any lifetimes together, he just signed up to be my babysitter! He helps
me in all things.
Butch, my husband, is also around me, helping me to learn to live again and he puts in a good word with other people's guides to help smooth the way. I'm told he feels responsible for leaving me to struggle, which is sad and uplifting at the same time. He also makes me realise I am loved and that although his physical presence is gone,I am never alone.
My Grandma is also around me, helping to smooth the way and provide comfort when she can.
I also have a guide who is a Light Spirit. His name is complicated to say, so I just call him Sam. He's taller than the ceiling in my room and has to bend in half if he visits. I have met with him in a meditation and danced with my feet resting on his. He carries me effortlessly and I feel such joy around him. 
Guides can come and go continually. They don't just stand around waiting for
us to need them. They have 'lives' to lead as well. I know that Carlos, Sarah
and the High Priestess are no longer around me. They have achieved what they
were here to do. The rest are still around me, and I know Ihave a few new ones waiting in the wings as I evolve, appearing as my needs and lessons change with me.
Some people see their guides, others feel, sense or hear them. I could feel
Alfie, can hear Brian and I would see the High Priestess as I looked in  the mirror. 
I love all my guides and spirit family, they each bring something different
to my life, so I know I have all the bases covered. I know that whatever happens
I can call on them for assistance. I know they whisper to me as I sleep, hug me
when I'm miserable and inspire me to be all I can be.  They laugh and cry along with me, and will cheer from the sidelines when I most need it. However they never interfere with my free will, and will only step in to offer guidance or assistance if I ask them. If I have a difficult issue with someone or something, they will 'chat' to the guides of others involved to help resolve the situation.
I believe that sometimes the orbs that show up in photos are imprints of the energy from our spirit family and guides. I also believe that not every reading or visit to a psychic will immediately allow us access to all our guides. Sometimes they only step forward when we need to know about them and the reason th
Discovering who our guides are and why they are around us is important. We are better able to see what challenge we are facing and know we aren't alone. We never are, it is only our perception that we are.
As beings of source, we are always connected, even if we don't see or realise it at the time. There is a lot of comfort just in the knowing!
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

In 1999 I suffered from a back injury. I was told I would only ever live a sedentary life, that I could look forward to doing not much more than reclining on a couch for the rest of my life. In those days I wore a back brace and couldn't wear shoes with backs on them due to incessant pain. Walking or standing was difficult. For six months I passed most of my days, half sitting/lying on a couch. I kept myself busy learning how to write better, how to play the harmonica and reading.
For those six months I grieved for the body I had taken for granted. I'd been extremely active, exercised daily and felt that not being able to dance, do my household chores and even go shopping signified my life was over. I mourned not being able to play or lift my grandchildren if and when they eventually appeared in my life. 'Depressed' was too light a word to use to explain my state of mind.
Then one day, I decided no one was going to tell me my life story, that I was the mistress of my destiny and I had a choice. Gradually I worked on my muscles, I started walking a little each day, then joined a gym when I needed to step up my exercise program. We moved to Australia in 2003. At that time I would take a lift because walking up stairs was just too difficult and painful. We walked almost every day as well as attending a local gym. After six months, I was racing my husband, Butch up four flights of stairs.
Yesterday I went to the Botanical Gardens with my daughter and my wonderful grandchildren. As I was looking at the photos, I was reminded of how dark and dismal my life once felt. I was also reminded of my stubbornness and determination and willingness to adapt.
In the above photo, I am showing Ella, one of my granddaughters how to jump on leaves to create a satisfying crunching sound. Where once jumping was something I could never have contemplated, where walking for a long period of time was out of the question, where carrying either of my grandchildren wold have been considered an impossible dream, I now know that when we set our minds to it, anything is possible. We can overcome great odds, if only we believe in ourselves and trust that we know ourselves better than anyone else ever will.
Today I celebrate my stubbornness, my willingness to adapt and the resilience of my spirit. My back injury is by no means fixed or cured, but I have found ways to ensure I have a quality of life that far exceeds the dire predictions of doctors and specialists.
In my list of accomplishments I list being a massage therapist, a belly dancer, a fun grandma and an active participant in my life.
I thank those people who said I couldn't, wouldn't and shouldn't. They were the same people who inspired me to believe I can, shall and will. I am grateful for the encouragement they gave by being so negative, because it was within their negativity, I found the positivity I needed.
Are there people in your life or your past who you need to be grateful for? For without their input, you may not have strived to follow your dreams and to be all you can be?  Remember to thank them.
Sometimes events, situations and people present in our lives to prove how strong and amazing we can be...if only we try!
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie  xx

Some time ago I attended a christening/baptism and was taking photos to mark the occasion, using a new camera.
Later, wehen I looked through the photos, I found this amongst them. I was going to delete it as a freak of photography, but when I looked closely at the picture I could see a person lying in a bed, (or perhaps a coffin) with angels comforting and embracing them.
I couldn't help wondering whether this was a sign that someone had been receiving healing as they slept, or if it was the energy left over from a funeral held recently at the church.
There was no indication that any of the other photos were related to this one. It was smack dab in the middle of two shots of the godparents.
Regardless of how I interpret this photo, I felt it was validation, a sign that there is more to our world than what we see though our eyes. Angels are amongst us, loving us, comforting us and a part of our life journey.