When I was in my thirties, I lost a good friend. When I say I lost them, they didn't die or move away. They misused our friendship and I was left totally devastated. Not only did they hurt me irrevocably, they then lied to me, telling me that my extended family believed there was something wrong with me. We had been best friends for many years, and I was absolutely sure we would be lifelong friends. However, she had a perception of me that wasn't true to who I am. I may have once been that way, but we all grow and evolve. That's what life is all about. I embraced and accepted the changes in her, but she was unwilling to do the same.
Just lately (over twenty years later), she has been 'popping into' my head. In the last month or so, I have been wondering how she is, not to reclaim our friendship, but perhaps because there was a piece of me that wanted to heal the pain from our parting.
I was out shopping the other day and, while waiting at the bookstore checkout, I became 'present in the moment' and realised I was standing next to this friend of my past. As we chatted, I realised I had almost bumped into her about ten minutes prior. As I had come out of the post office, I almost tripped over a woman who had bent over to pick up her car keys. I had, on some level, noticed her necklace, but, because I was so lost in my thoughts and what I needed to do, I hadn't really taken any notice of who she was.
After we had finished speaking, we both separated a little to go to our respective cars. The third coincidence was when we discovered that we had parked right next to each other. Now, as you know, three is always a charm for me, and a sign that the Universe was assisting me in some way.
Although we didn't 'kiss and make up' and we didn't speak of the past, there was a sense of peace and closure when we parted.
As I drove away, I thanked my guides for allowing me to release the old emotions and pain from the past. It was interesting to note that the old anger I had thought I had forgiven and resolved came through as I drove home. I was surprised that they came from a place deep deep down, hidden away from my conscious thought. I listened to these feelings. I honoured them and then I released them.
Sometimes, when we see someone who has hurt us in the past, and allow those little knots to loosen up, we can move forward a lot lighter and freer. We don't forgive so the other person feels better. We forgive for our sake, because we don't need that extra weight within our energy field.

With love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

As some of you know I am a house-sitter. Sometimes the houses I sit have extra special things 'going on' while I am there. It is not uncommon for me to have serious issues with my phone or laptop as the house spirits let me know they are around. Sometimes its amusing, sometimes frustrating but always unique!The house I have been sitting in for the last ten days is 110 years old so I knew I was in for an interesting time....and I have not been disappointed. When I first visited the house to meet the owners, I could sense a few friendly spirits. I went to my friends afterwards and as I was sleeping that night a young girl in period dress, around 8 years old, came to 'visit' me. She told me that she had lost her parents and didn't know where to find them. Given the style of her dress, I assumed they had probably passed over and told her as gently as I could. I fully expected to be asked to help her cross over when I arrived at her old home four weeks later, but she had already gone. Perhaps 'knowing' where they were had been enough?! It turns out that the house was brought into this area and cut in half, with one half being placed on the other side of town. Interesting stuff. My first night there I had serious trouble with my phone. It kept disappearing. I got pretty tired of this after the first four times, knowing exactly where I had left it. I gave the spirits a piece of my mind, telling them I was there for the next ten days and they had better get used to it. (I admit I did use a few expletives and stamped my feet as well!) That night I was woken three times with different faces appearing over me. I didn't feel threatened at all, they were obviously 'checking me out'. I told them to go away as I was trying to sleep...or words to that effect. The first week was full of bumps and things, internet issues, lost 'stuff' - that appeared as soon as I got cranky and told them to stop playing games. The lights flashed, the doors opened and closed by themselves and. I swear I could hear them talking about me...in not so hushed tones. I'm okay with all that. Its one of the 'benefits' to being psychic and spirits knowing I can see/hear/sense them. And don't you worry I gave them a rev up whenever the situation called for it.  Last week I went out for tea, returning around 11pm. I had complained to my friend that I had forgotten to leave a light on in my haste to leave.
As I pulled up I found I could see my way quite clearly and thanked the Universe for the light in the fishtank. However, when I got inside, I found the TV on with no sound. I had been busy with clients and studying all day and knew the TV hadn't been turned on at all. Funny, I mused. I went to get ready for my shower and heard a noise, similar to someone getting off a chair. As I headed back through the lounge to get some clothes, I noticed the TV was now switched off.
I laughed, wishing them a good night and thanked them for waiting up for me.
The last morning, I was 'dreaming', even though I could hear/sense what was going on around me, like the birds singing and the cat meowing...I was taken on a guided tour of the house from when it was 'complete'. It wasn't until later I realised that I had seen parts of the house that were not there...
One day I had a busy day with clients and they fooled me again. The electric clock gained an hour...but I didn't realise this until I arrived at my appointment way too early! Gotta love sassy spirits with a sense of hunour! They are so gonna miss me when I leave!

Remember to look and listen for signs from your loved ones. There is nothing to be fearful about, they are just letting you know they think about you just as much as you think of them. ...and if the spirits that 'reach out to you' aren't yours, you can be sure they are just letting you know they are there and saying 'Hi!'

With love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

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 

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?

As some of you may know, I do housesitting. I love the variety that it brings into my life. I get to visit areas and places that I wouldn’t normally. If there is a dog to walk, by the time I leave, I have a reasonably good idea of where I am and how to find certain streets/places – extremely handy for someone like me who is directionally challenged.

I love the energy of other people’s homes, and I will admit, in some cases, I have cleared their homes of spirits that weren’t there for their highest good. I also let others be, because it is not up to me to decide whether they come or go. If they need help I’m sure they could get it, one way or another.

Originally, it was a great way to rediscover my gypsy roots, long forgotten under a pile of lists and forward planning. I loved the idea about learning to be spontaneous and relatively carefree. I have met some beautiful souls, spirit, human and animal.

I also learnt how to downsize and recognise what was truly important to me, and what was best released or removed from my life.

It was daunting at first and I was so stressed as I contemplated not knowing where I would be, sometimes from week to week…

Everybody is different, all housesits are unique, each animal(s) special in its own individual way. Each animal I have housesit for has held a place in my heart, and sometimes I am more than sad to say farewell to them. They all teach me a lesson of sorts. Through them, I have had lessons on stamina, trust, capability, joy, peace, tranquility and unconditional love.

Each kitchen is set up differently. Right down to the dishbrush, each person has a different view of how an efficient and happy kitchen is run….and every one of them works!

As I was doing the dishes this morning and mastering a strange shaped dishbrush, a thought struck me. Being a housesitter has encouraged me to see others as they are and to leave them that way. I don’t have to tell them which is the best implement, how to clean their home, where things should go or what they should use. Their way is perfect for them. It may not suit me, but I only have to do it their way for a brief moment in time. I don’t have to like their way and I don’t need to get my own way.

And you know what…that’s how it is with life. We don’t need to love or even like what other people do. It is not up to us to choose who is right or wrong – because we are all right. We all do what is right for us and what is perfectly normal for our ‘self’.

Sometimes it is better to take the focus off what we believe is the right and true way and accept that we will all be different. We will all approach things differently and none of us is wrong.

When we can begin to accept that this is the truth of the matter, that this is a major clincher on our life path, we are better able to accept others as they truly are, instead of who we want them to be.

…and all that from doing the dishes….!

With love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

About 20 years ago, I developed a back injury. At the time I was unhappy in my 'going nowhere' job, but I didn't have the guts to take that leap of faith and resign.
The Universe stepped in. As I was lifting an empty box, I felt a twang in the back of my heel. Nothing painful, it felt as if someone had snapped a rubber band and flicked the back of my foot. After a couple of days of strange tingling sensations, I decided to go and see the doctor. The doctor could see nothing major wrong with me, although he did mention one leg was slightly shorter than the other. As such he couldn't refer me to a specialist, so he suggested I try a few of his 'other colleagues' to see if we could resolve the issue. First I went to a physiotherapist, who insisted I should be able to put my feet behind my ears, and did his utmost best to prove it was true. He would push my leg straight up and lean into me with all his weight. He called me a wimp as I cried tears of pain. After two visits, I had had enough of him and went back to the doctor.
Next I visited a reflexologist, who, as it turned out was much more interested in replacing his mistress, as she would be moving soon. (His wife was his receptionist and only in the next room! Tact, much?) One visit was enough to give this charlatan a wide berth...and a good thing too, now that I am older and wiser and realise that never once did he touch my feet!
By this time I was getting shooting pains down the back of my legs and experiencing alternating bouts of numbness and sharp pain in my right heel. My doctor suggested an acupuncturist. Bad idea! It turns out that needles and I didn't work so well together. I would stagger home bleeding and bruised after each appointment. In those days I didn't have the balls to say I wasn't returning, so it took five visits before I 'grew' some. On my fifth visit, he told me he was very excited because he was going to teach some new students and could he video me to demonstrate how to do the needles. He said I merely needed to agree it hurt every spot he touched. Some time later I was very much a pincushion, he packed up his video camera and took it to the other end of the office. I lay there for an interminably long time, waiting for him to return and remove the needles, my bladder sending me urgent messages. Did I call out? Not on your life! About 50 minutes later he walked past the door and said 'Are you still here? You can get dressed and leave.' I won't tell you what I said, but let me tell you, he was my first lesson in knowing what was right for me, what was wrong, and saying 'My body. My choice.' Prior to that, I had believed anyone in a white coat was an authority on my body.
As I stumbled across to the other side of the road, one of the shop owners suggested I stop going there, as I seemed to stagger over and almost crawl back. Not a good advertisement they said jokingly. There was no way I was ever going back anyway.
After that, I began having issues with my nerve endings and lower back pain. The doctor, telling me he still couldn't refer me, suggested I go to his osteopath friend. Ahhh, how naive I was in those days.... I assumed an osteopath was like a remedial massage therapist - no body cracking here!
About ten minutes into my appointment, the whole street would have heard how surprised I was when he picked me up and 'dropped me', cracking and I was almost certain, demolishing my spine. My friend kindly told me that she had heard the expletive I screamed out from the coffee shop next door! Thats what friends are for, apparently!
By the time I went to see the doctor again, I was struggling to walk. My back was aching continually and he had to prescribe me some pain killers and anti inflammatory tablets to help me get through the day.
By the time I did manage to get a referral to see a specialist, I was wearing a brace 24 hours a day, having to wear heel pads to avoid the nauseous feeling I got while walking, on extremely strong pain killers and unable to walk/stand or sit for any period of time. I couldn't wear shoes with 'backs' on them, and certainly no heels. All the 'work' everybody had done on me had exacerbated my problem. I was told I was but a fine line away from being in a wheel chair.
Now I'm not telling you all this to get sympathy, I am merely trying to set the scene for you.
Although I managed to make improvement to my lifestyle with exercise, etc, I was still in a bad way. I still wore my special heel pads, everywhere...
About ten years later, thanks to some synchronistic opportunity, I met a past life healer. I decided I would 'give it a whirl'. The first visit, she told me about a past life when I had worked in Egypt and helped to build the pyramids. A large slab had slipped and sliced off the back of my right heel. This made sense to me, when I considered the alternating pain and numbness of my heel. The healer told me I would feel a marked improvement the next day. I was skeptical to say the least and wasn't surprised when it hadn't improved as completely as she had told me it would. A week later I was looking at one of my old dream notebooks and found an entry I had written when I was in my twenties. I was a young boy in Egypt, with aspirations of being an architect. I would draw in the fading light on whatever I could. The dream confirmed other facts the healer had mentioned, which was awesome and mind boggling!
I had another past life healing and we talked about my dream and a few other pertinent details that obviously needed to address.
The next morning I woke up and bolted out of bed, remembering I had visitors coming soon and I needed to do some baking. I raced down to the supermarket, and was halfway around before I realised I could feel the sensation of my thong under my heel. Anyone watching me would have seen this woman with a dopey smile on her face, as she 'walked with intention'.
So, just in case you didn't work it out, I never wore the heel pads again. I had only been taking the medication periodically at that stage...I have never taken it again. My point is, all the medical professionals in the world couldn't fix the problem with  my heel, because it was a soulular and cellular memory. My body/soul remembered this past life injury and had replicated it around the same age that it had happened within that lifetime. I didn't need to spend masses of money, dedicate half my life meditating or be healed over a period of years. All I needed to do was acknowledge that this was my truth, to release my old way of being and thinking, to allow that past life with all its issues, to just 'be' and let them go.
We have been here many times. We have specific memories that we hold onto, that may be holding us back, whether its an injury or a vow we have taken during that lifetime. By discovering what happened in a prior lifetime, we are better able to understand why we act or feel certain ways within our present journey.
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

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

I'd like to share a story with you. The plant in the bottom left hand corner of this picture has a special significance to me. When Butch and I got married, it appeared in the background of all of our ceremony photos. After Butch passed away, I took this plant with me wherever I lived. Not all these homes had the same airy semi shade area as it was used to, but I needed it to be around me, so there it was.
It was an amazing plant. It didn't matter what happened to it, it still survived. As I walked past it, I would pat or stroke its leaves. I would thank it almost daily for being there whenever I returned home, as I am well known for my 'plant cemetery' full of good intentions and dusty plant pots of years gone by. I know it sounds strange, but there were even times when I would brush against it and I could feel a dampness and see droplets, as if it grieved alongside me.
I have recently moved and couldn't take it with me, but whenever I went to stay with my daughter and her family, I would be able to visit it, so it wasn't too bad.
One day my daughter rang me, most upset and worried. She told me that the plant had snapped off the day before and they hadn't known whether to tell me, because they knew how much it meant to me.
I reassured her that it was okay, that what is meant to be is meant to be. A week later I was visiting and noticed they had stuck the broken part of it into the pot as well. I didn't hold out much hope for either piece and said so.
Each time I visited I could see the top part had deteriorated more, the leaves were collapsing and dying. Yesterday, I decided that I needed to accept the inevitable, that this plant was beyond help.
As I went to empty it out of the pot, I noticed some new growth under the original stem. How exciting!
I looked at the other section of it and resolved to throw it away later. As I was preparing to do so, I mused that the plant was teaching me a lesson - that from old and broken parts of our life, there will always be new beginnings.
Imagine my surprise when I pulled the broken stalk out and found there was a whole new root system on the end of it!
The other part of my lesson is that although something may appear broken and will never be the same again, it can still be a part of my life, it will just be altered and different.
And thats how it is with life. We hold onto some things because of how they make us feel or the emotions they invoke. We want them to stay the same because thats how we remember them and need them to be. But nothing ever stays the same, change is an integral part of our lives. And sometimes things have to break to remind us that life is worth living, that there is more to look forward to and that change isn't all bad, it's just different!
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie. xx

The other day as I was driving I saw a sign outside a church, saying 'You must be Reborn'. As I drove by, I pondered about the bible and how we all have our own perspective on what is happening around us, what we say and what it means when we do.
I started thinking about when the bible was written and how the person who wrote it wasn't the person who did the talking. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not bible bashing, I am merely pointing out a truth of life.
We could have an event happen in a room full of people and not one person will tell the story the same, because we all have our own unique view of the world. The emotions and energy around us dictates what we have to say and why. It also decides how we interpret something, whether it is a thought, a word or an event.
I also struggle with the idea that I must be 'born again' to live the 'right kind of life' that makes me a good person.
Having had a large taste of religion as I grew up, I cannot believe in a God that is vengeful, angry and thinks I am bad. The God I believe in knows that I am always thinking of others, I am almost always kind, compassionate and caring, that I will put others before me sometimes, that I never intentionally do harm of any kind and that I am doing the best with what I have, what I know and the resources I have at my disposal in this lifetime. He understands that I don't believe I should go to church to be this good. He knows that 'his church' is everywhere - in nature, in others, in situations, wherever I am standing/sitting/be-ing, right here, right now.
...anyway, back to my car musings....
As I was considering the possibility that someone may have interpreted the words in a different way to which they were intended. I pondered on the fact that I have my own beliefs on the whole 'reborn' issue, and what could possibly have been an alternate definition....and then I had an Aha! moment!
We chose to come here on the physical plane. We chose to have a human existence, to learn various lessons, but most of us 'forgot' what we had come here to achieve, thanks to natal amnesia*.
We have various ways of 'remembering', whether it is snippets of deja vu, synchronistic meetings and signs, dreams, readings, the 11:11 shout out to the lightworker and many other variations on a theme. Even books and movies can help to jog our memory about what we need to look at in this lifetime, or what we need to remember from past lifetimes.
What if the message wasn't about being 'reborn? What if it was a wake up call? What if it was a reminder to remember? What if we are meant to awaken our senses, all of them? What if we are meant to rise from our earthly slumber of constantly 'do-ing', so we could awaken and begin 'be-ing'? What if we were meant to remember the strong and powerful person we all truly are?
Wouldn't that be amazing? And wouldn't it make a lot more sense than being reborn? When you think about it, wouldn't living be more about being totally us, immersing ourselves in the total experience of our existence, not just on a physical level, but also on a spiritual level, embracing all of who we are, knowing that we are magnificent?
We don't need to be reborn...but we do need to wake up, to 'awaken' and be who we are meant to be and be sure to love the person that is us, totally and unconditionally.
Quick! Stretch! Yawn! Be Awake!
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

*We each have a life plan that we created on the etheric plane. However, until more recent times, most of us 'forgot' as we came into the world. This is known as Natal Amnesia.
**If you would like to more about our Life Plans, or The Story of our Life, contact me to purchase my mini ebook 'Life Plans', or to ask about others in the series.**

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

Tonight I am going to share a personal story with you. As some of you know, almost 5 years ago, my husband Butch passed away (actually it is 4 years, 11 months and 13 hours, but who's counting?!). After he passed I pretty much lost my faith in everything, even Spirit....but at the same time, I desperately wanted to hear from him. He was sending signs and letting me know he was around, but like everyone who loses someone they love deeply, I wanted more. I was also profoundly depressed, so my vibration was so low, him coming to visit me would have been as easy as a plane landing in super thick fog....
So, anyway, a group of us decided to go on a road trip to the Gold Coast to see a highly recommended psychic. It was all going to be very exciting. We were going to stay the night there in a flash hotel, drinking strawberry daiquiris and chilling.
When it was my turn to have a reading one of the first questions I was asked was how long Butch and I had been together. (I have a feeling the first question, which should have got my antenna twitching was whether I was happily married, and I replied 'Well, I would be, but he's no longer here!')
I told her we'd been together just over 25 years, and she  said 'Oh no, only 12 years.'  I told her, 'No, we had definitely been together for over 25 years.'
She looked me in the eye and said 'Yes, but he didn't love you for the last 13!'
Well, I was shaken to the core. I was already depressed, this helped me sink to an all time low. I couldn't ask Butch to confirm or deny, and although she spoke for the best part of an hour, I didn't hear a word she said. All I could do was sit there, stunned, wondering if what she said could possibly be true.
I made light of it when we left, but within the hour, I had become really ill. Every part of me ached, I couldn't stop coughing and sneezing. I wanted to vomit so badly, I didn't think I would make it to the hotel.
We had all had 'interesting' readings, as I found out later, but in my weakened and grieving state, I was susceptible to the words she spoke. I won't go into my emotional, mental and physical state, but I can assure you it was very difficult to do anything except cry (or try not to, in front of anyone else).
This reading had a huge profound effect on me. I felt as if the rug had been pulled out from underneath me and that I had been living a lie for the last 13 years. I inspected every memory from the past and looked for clues or hints that would confirm what the psychic had said.
I became more insular and hid away from everyone, using my subsequent illness as an excuse. I actually felt ashamed, believing the truth had been staring me in the face and I had never noticed it. It took six months before I could even tell my Mum and daughter about what she had said. They both told me that it was a 'crock of shit', because anyone who knew us, knew how amazingly in love we were and how wonderful our love and relationship was....and you know what? Deep down inside, I knew that!
In time, I realised that what my family said was true, that this woman had not spoken my truth, or Butch's. I learned a valuable lesson from this, I learned that words have the power to maim, and sometimes kill. I also learned how not to do a reading. I learned never to allow my emotions to affect what I had to say to anyone, in a reading or in my day to day life.
Now you're probably wondering why I am sharing this story with you. Well, this morning, as I was about to leave for work, a strange thing happened. I tried to turn off my stereo, but the remote wouldn't work. I changed the batteries, still it wouldn't work. I listened to the words of the song, because I knew then that I was receiving a message. The song was 'True Love' and I stood there in my lounge listening to the last half, pushing the 'off' button. The song almost finished, and the radio station changed by itself and another song with a poignant message was playing. I found I could increase or reduce the volume using the remote, I could change the setting to dvd/cd, etc, but I couldn't change anything else (because you just know I had to try...!). The second song finished and my stereo switched off.  Message complete.
As I stood there, I could feel Butch's presence and arms around me, pretty much like in the picture above. What a beautiful way to start my day.....even if my eyes seemed to have developed a leak!
Our loved ones send us messages all the time, in so many ways. Sometimes we need to be open to what they are trying to say. I can't remember the title of the second song, but the words finally put to rights what this woman had incorrectly  told me a couple of years back. If only I had taken more notice then and trusted in what I believed to be true...
If someone does a reading for you, always, always ensure that it resonates. Don't just believe they have the answers just because they can talk to Spirit!
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

For quite some time I have been getting nudges to write a book by Spirit. I had already begun one, which I was halfway through, when the nudges started turning into jostling and then full out jostling.
In June I went to visit my Mum and I told her that I felt I really needed to pause on the other book briefly so I could start writing this one. She asked why I was resisting writing the new one. I didn't really have a valid reason...don't you hate it when that happens?!
On the flight home, I pulled out the huge notebook I take everywhere, and began rapidly writing. The passenger next to me made a comment about how fast I was writing. It was almost as if my fingers had a life of their own, as the pages filled in a short space of time. After two hours, I put the pen down, knowing that , apart from a little proof reading and editing, the first part of my book was complete.
That same passenger turned to me and said 'As you wrote that, I was reminded of a song my Mum used to sing "I'm going to write the story of my life".'
I looked at him and said 'Well, that's pretty close. It's the story of 'our' life.' As I said that, I knew I had the name for my book.
This book will be written in separate 'parts', which eventually, will combine to create the 'whole story'. Each section will cover a different aspect of our lives, life plans, why we are here, karma, dis-ease and problems within our energy fields as well as what happens when we pass over. Of course this is only my perception, opinion and belief. I don't expect everyone or in fact, anyone to agree with me. What I do expect is that this book will create a question, discussion as well as being thought provoking.
If you purchase the first part, you will be notified when Part 2 is finished and given the option of buying it for AUD $2.00 as well.
If there are any changes to Part 1, ever, you will receive an updated copy by email at no extra charge.
When the book is complete, if you have purchased every 'Part', you will receive the whole merged e-book for free, in the format of your choice.
To purchase Part 1, please visit the Contact Cherie page. The details are at the bottom of the page.
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

We never really know what each day holds for us, but as long as we adjust the wind in our sails as we go, and allow the Universe to guide us, it is amazing where we can sometimes end up...This morning I had an urgent need to go to the local markets. I had got it firmly entrenched in my head that I needed to go and buy some books, and that was clearly why I felt drawn to go.
When I arrived, my usual book stall wasn't there. I was a bit disappointed, but walked around looking at what else was available. There were other book stalls, but they just didn't have the books I was looking for, and I look forward to catching up with the lady who usually sells me books. I wandered aimlessly for a while, wondering why I was there. Surely there was a reason why I had felt such a dramatic pull this morning, in fact all week? As I walked along I asked my guides 'So, if I'm not here to buy books, why am I here?'
I paused to look at some crystals that were on display and was enjoying the energy of picking them up and holding them, when a young lady came up and stood next to me. She picked up a pendulum and began playing with it. I asked her 'So, did the pendulum tell you it was yours?' She looked up, surprised and asked me why I had said that.
I explained that crystals and pendulums 'choose' us. They call out to us, so we cannot resist picking them up and trying them out.
And so began an impromptu lesson on crystals and pendulums. When we had finished playing with the pendulum (the stall owner she was otherwise engaged doing a reading), she grabbed my arm and said 'I think I was meant to run into you today.'
I smiled, finally understanding the true synchronicity of this meeting, and my visit to the markets. I won't go into any details, but she needed some guidance and hadn't known where to turn. We sat on the garden wall and, with the help of my guides, I gave her some insight, inspiration and advice.
After we had said goodbye, I walked back to my car, realising there is no such thing as a wasted trip or a waste of time....as long as we remain open to what could happen.
Sometimes we get so caught up in what isn't going right for us, or that things haven't gone the way we planned, we forget to allow the Universe to offer some input.... We sometimes need to allow always for synchronicity, chance and magic, even if it takes us away from what we thought we were about to do!
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

Do you notice this too? As I look around I mostly see people listening to their mobiles, tapping messages, checking facebook/messages and emails, making calls as they stand at a set of lights. What on earth do we do before mobile fones and technology became so advanced.
I see this every day and I can't help thinking that there is some amazing birdsongs and children laughing that are going missed while we listen to our favourite tracks. There are amazing cloud formations, beauty in nature and amazing spectacles along the way, if we but look up.
As we are 'plugged in', we miss out on meeting people and creating connections, seeing the beauty of the world around us, and possibly, just possibly, we might be missing out on synchronicity, magical opportunities and people who might become important in our lives.
~ Something to think about, isn't it?
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

Have you ever asked for a sign that you are on the right path? Have you had a moment when you doubted what you were doing and whether it was meant to be a part of your journey, or just something you enjoyed so much you didn't want to stop? Well, I was having one of those days on Friday. I'd woken up feeling lacklustre and although I managed to 'adjust' my attitude before I got out of bed, it still felt as if something wasn't quite right. I had an awesome day at work as usual, but every now and then I would get a whisper of this unnamed and unexplainable feeling. During my break I checked my messages. emails and facebook pages. (please don't judge me for not looking at all the spam that is located in one of my email accounts - 75 unread emails!) I saw 11 notifications on the 'page' icon. When I opened it, there were 7, definitely not 11. I didn't think anything of it and closed out after checking all my pages (I have 5, including my personal page).  According to the icon, I still had 11 notifications. I opened up.....nope, nothing new happening there...
That 11 stayed there all weekend. Every time I went to look at my pages, there was an 11 beside the icon. It began to irritate me. I restarted my mobile...nope, still 11. I checked off any notifications on all the pages...nope. I turned on my lappie and made sure I checked off all my notifications there...back to look at the mobile...nope, still 11. I tried everything  I could think of, but it stayed on 11. All weekend I was checking to see if they had disappeared or the number had changed. Nope. How frustrating!
This morning as I was driving to work I was thinking about signs from angels - I'd just spotted a cloud in the shape of an angels wing. I was thinking how often the number 11 features in my life, that almost every time I go to look at my mobile, the time always has an 11 in it, especially when I'm about to check my facebook pages....And then, BANG! It hit me! The 11 continually showing up on my pages icon was a sign, a validation from my angels! (yes, I know you were way ahead of me there!) I couldn't wait to park my car so I could have a look at my mobile and see if it still had 11 on it. Yes it did!
I was doing telepathic air punches, thinking 'OMG! All this time I've been getting a sign, but I've been so busy getting frustrated about the fact that I couldn't clear the notifications, I almost missed it!' (about now I could hear my angels and guides cheering and doing High Fives!)
I don't know whether I have mentioned this much, but I have a healthy amount of skeptic...so it was no surprise to me when that kicked in a few seconds later. I remembered that I am an extra admin on my son's page as well, maybe he had 11 notifications. (cue the groan from my angels and guides)
When I checked the 'pages settings', there were 11 notifications on his page. I must admit I felt a little disappointed, but took a screen shot anyway to put with this post, because even though I am a skeptic, I still believed it was a sign. Just because a sign has a logical explanation, doesn't make it any less a sign.
I checked to make sure the picture had worked out okay and can you imagine my surprise when I saw I had 2 notifications for Angelic Messages with Attitude? That would make my total notifications 13! I quickly closed 'pages' and looked at my mobile....and yes, there were still 11 notifications on the icon. I could hear my angels and guides heaving a sigh of relief and congratulating each other on a job well done, as I turned off my mobile and headed to work with a huge grin on my face!
Remember, all signs from our guides and angels aren't big or noisy. They don't always stand out. They don't always make us feel happy (some of us can get frustrated and irritated). They don't always make sense....until we are ready to make the sense of them.
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx
**For those that aren't familiar with the significance of '11', it is a spiritual number first and foremost. It is also the sign of the 'light worker'. My message is that I'm on the right track, that what I'm doing is what I'm meant to do.
[Before we came to this physical plane, we chose the number 11 as a reminder of our life purpose/calling, or to heed the call to be a light worker.]

I know I have talked about this before, but I have an urge to 'chat' to you about it from a slightly different perspective.
I believe that before we come down to this earthly plane, we make a life plan, involving the people around us, what country we are born in, the bodies we are blessed with, the experiences we will have and the lessons we will learn to help us complete our life journey. Some of them were/are pleasant, some not so - and that is applicable for people, places and experiences/lessons written up in our plan.
All too often I hear people complain about their family, their parents who weren't that great, that life surely would have been better if they had only been born to a different family.
We chose our family, we chose our parents, our siblings, our grandparents. We chose them because they all had something to teach us, and in return, we had something to teach them. We may not have always liked the lesson, but we learnt it...well, most of the time....and if we didn't, we met someone else later on who provided the same lesson with a different slant to it.
We chose our names, we chose our birthdate, because we knew that the vibration we entered and lived in this world was important. We knew that we could 'tap into' some of our lessons and get some inside knowledge through astrology, palmistry and numerology. We knew there would be hints, signs along the way...some that would be subtle and comforting and others that were 'slap in the face' brutal and confronting.
We chose our bodies, we knew the lessons we would learn through the amazing physical form we had chosen. We knew part of our life plan was to learn to love ourselves unconditionally.
All the important people around us that are a part of our life, the good, the not so good and the downright nasty, we also chose...actually, we asked them to help us to learn specific lessons....and because they loved us, they agreed to come down to the physical plane with us. Such unconditional love! Some agreed to be our worst enemy, knowing we would not remember while we were down here that last lifetime we were best friends, lovers, siblings or family.
And anytime you feel there is no truth to what I'm saying, I want you to remember the image attached to this post. I received this earlier this year from a friend. This little girl (whose name has been changed for the purpose of this post) started this conversation out of the blue...without prompting, without knowing that what she said would be so incredible or validating...
The children coming through now remember so much more than the rest of us who came before. They are 'aware' and 'knowing', and there is less chance of them being 'squashed' by parents, family and society, as more of us embrace the knowledge that there is so much more to life than we could begin to comprehend.
Its important we honour their inner wisdom and sensitivity as well as nurturing our own. For they will help to bring about huge changes within our world....and we knew that before we came down to this earthly plane. We agreed to help!
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

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 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