Last night, I was at a party for a woman celebrating her 50^th birthday.  She had psychics and card readers and even an Oracle. Wow!  My tribe!  I went to every one of them for a reading, and it was exhilarating!  I love people who do the work I do.  There's a magic when you recognize your tribe. 

This reminds me of a friend I had many years ago. He was taking a stab at being a screenwriter, so I suggested he connect with other people doing the same thing.  He refused to speak to other writers.  He felt that they would ruin his mojo and that his "jealousy" would get the better of him. He read books about writing, but never took a class and never formally studied. 

Well, these many years later, he is still writing screenplays. However, he has never sold anything.  I'm not saying that some people aren't self-taught. What I'm saying is that to become something, you have to love it. We can never become what we hate or fear.

My screenwriting pal, in a moment of trust, asked me to read his latest work.  I began reading, but within the first six pages, I was lost. I had no idea what the story was or who was who.  I asked him what he was trying to say.  He became defensive.  His response?  That a reader would understand. 

To date, a year later, he is still working on this piece.

My point?

You must embrace your people.  This is why I love other psychics.

What's the skinny on psychics? We're all really vulnerable and can't "read" ourselves.  At the party the other night, one of the readers recognized that I was psychic.  She grabbed my arm and asked, "Hey I have a problem. Can you give me a quick take on it?"

I smiled. "Sure, he's no good.  Kick him to the curb.  He's too verbally abusive."

She leaned in closer, "Why do I take him back?  I mean, I'm doing all these affirmations to boost my self-esteem."

"Because," I replied, "when any of us make a stand for ourselves, the part of us that is fearful tries to pull us back. It's familiar and safe.  Don't you think it's interesting that you allow a man in who's verbally abusive? Isn't that really about your own self-talk that you're trying to overcome?  Work on it from within.  Then he will go away."

Later on, as the evening drew to a close, she and the other readers came to sit in a circle.  We traded stories and bonded.  I loved it. 

In fact, I love all of it. 

This morning I had a reading with a gay client. She and I spoke about her girlfriend being a Libra. When she had phoned me a year ago seeking love, I had seen a Libra, so this was a key point.  At the end of the reading, my client mentioned how constricted her mother was in her Catholicism. 

In that moment I thought about how taking a stand for who you are is a brave thing to do.  Coming out of the closet with YOUR truth is key to everything in life.  It doesn't matter if you are gay, psychic, black, Latino, or any minority or group off the "norm." Most of the time, people who become angry or bitter have lost sight of who they are. 

Oh...my friend the screenwriter? He's still holding onto his ideas and his words.  But there's something that he's missing and I hope you can grasp: You must risk to gain.  And none of us can ever really be heard until we do. 

Today, right this minute, ask yourself this:  What am I prepared to stand for?

My father used to say that a person who stands for nothing is nothing.

Find your tribe. Join them. Express yourself from a world that supports you. This is what it means to have support.

Many blessings,

Tori

Waiting for the Wave

A client phoned the other day worried about the business decisions he'd made. He was in upset because he's been at a job that he termed "an under-earning situation."

I reminded him that during the past year he left a 20-year marriage and was confused and disoriented when he first took that job. He did not make a bad decision, he made the best one at the time. Who he is today is someone that doesn't fit there.

"What do I do?" he asked.

"Wait for the wave," I said.

"Huh?"

I laughed with him. Sometimes, being psychic is a strange experience.

A few weeks ago, I was out with a few friends. We were chatting and then, out of nowhere, I turned to the bartender and asked when he was leaving for Fiji.

He shook his head and asked me, rather confused, "Do I know you?"

I had pulled an "oops." Sometimes without knowing it, spirit talks to me and I think that I've had a conversation with someone, when in fact, we've never met. I try to keep this at a minimum to avoid freaking people out. I've learned to ask questions.

This guy was in a similar place to my client, Pete. He didn't know what to do, if he should go. There were a few variables.

He was a surfer. I asked him what he did after he paddled out on his board.

"I wait for the wave" he replied.

I waited. He nodded and got it instantly.

Teasing, I said, "So you don't wonder what you can do to make the wave come or if there ever will ever be another wave in your lifetime or if..."

He waved for me to stop, laughing, and then shrugged as he wiped down the bar. "It always comes if you wait long enough."

When we are lost, the key is to wait it out. I'm not talking about doing nothing.

I'm saying that after we make our request to the universe to give us signs (and I often ask that they be billboards, so I don't miss them), we have to wait for the answer...or the wave.

And here's another part to the surf analogy: when you ride a wave, it's the only zone you can be in at that time. You must be present. Your entire being must be in it.

We are always doing the best we can in any given moment, but remember this: even for a surfer, no one can expect to be in balance at all times. Life is about being out of balance and stepping back into it.

Remember that no matter what is going on in your life, you must determine where you are and how to get into the zone.

Are you:

Turning the board into position?

Paddling?

Are you too early? Are you unprepared?

Are you too late? Did you miss this wave?

Are you up? Did you catch the wave?

Wiping out?

Riding the wave?

In the barrel?

Coming to shore?

Here's how to bring yourself into alignment no matter where you are:

Getting into position? You may be changing directions and not sure how to do this next part. This is change.

If you are paddling, focus on the next intended action. Keep paddling.

Scrambling for the wave? Slow down and take stock. Is the moment right? Check for typos, so to speak. Look for mistakes that make you look unprepared. If you feel a panic right now, you may be trying to gain momentum in something that's not ready to happen.

Miss the wave? Forget this part. Don't dwell on it. It's wasted time. That was not your wave, not your moment. "If I had bought that property five years ago..." Well, you didn't. Timing is everything. Again, accept that wasn't your wave.

Did you catch it? Check within. Where are you? What are you truly feeling? Get excited. This is your moment. Try to relax. Often we confuse excitement with worry.

Wiping Out? Yeah, go ahead and chuckle. It'll happen. Get back on the board and paddle.

Are you riding the wave? In the barrel? Smile, enjoy and have fun. Feel the exhilaration of this time. Be in the moment. You are in the zone. This is the reward.

Coming into shore? How will you step off your board? Will you fall? Crash into shore? Slide into shore? Go back out? Take a break?

No matter what phase you're in, there is a different approach to each. It is easy to see that waiting for the wave is the place to do nothing but meditate. This is when the universe is going to send you someone or something that will get you up and running again.

And take heart. This is a cycle we're all on. And once you know where you are, you can determine what to do. Each place has a very real action. Rest assured that you are in motion, even if it doesn't feel like it.

How I started Doing Candle Rituals

Fifteen years ago, I was desperate to create a miracle. I was $5,000 short on my bills, fearful and unsure of how to get it. I prayed, and a friend suggested I pull out a white candle. So I did, and nothing happened.

Then I began studying, pulling out my mother's old books and reading up on the phases of the moon.

As a child, my mother gave astrology readings in the back of her antique store. People traveled from all over to have D read their charts. In those days, charts were done by hand, and my mother was quite good at it.

As I studied, I began to see the correlation between the phases of the moon, the planets and numerology.

As an experiment, I picked the new moon period, which is the time of new beginnings and happened to be only days away. I selected the day of Mars. There are usually three good intention-setting days around the new moon, and I wanted to pick the day that represented the planet for force and action. I pulled out my essential oils and doctored my candle. I spent two days energizing it in the moonlight, and then I added five crystals to represent the five energy sectors.

I did not know at the time that this would be the root of my candle intention work. It was my first experiment. The evening of the ritual, I wrote down what I was going to sit in expectancy of, placed my intention statement under the candle and lit it.

I kept it burning and every day, I read my intention and asked the power of intention to carry my request to those who I could be of service to. Within five days, unexpected checks arrived, and a few clients booked time. I had my $5,000.

When friends saw the work I was doing, word spread. People began coming to me and asking me to work with them on creating an intention ritual for them. At first I was hesitant, but slowly results began pouring in.

One woman came to me determined to heal herself. She had been diagnosed with early stages of uterine cancer. I created a healing intention ritual for her but warned her sternly: I am not a doctor. If it is required, you may need surgery. Don't rely upon this alone!

She lit the candle on the day of Jupiter. She began eating raw foods and completely changed her state of mind. She created her self-healing using the Healing Intention Candle Kit. Eight weeks later, they could not find the cancer. She had transformed herself.

Eight months ago, at the age of 41, she had her fourth child with her second husband. Her other kids are all teenagers.

Another client came to me because her house was in an uproar. Her oldest son was causing havoc with his addictions. Through a reading she discovered her part in the matter and chose to bring harmony to her home. In lighting her intention on the day of the Moon, she asked Spirit to bring harmony into her being.

As her candle burned, she opted to take her meditation to the park and contemplate harmony. She casually struck up a conversation with a young man who, himself, was enrolled in an inner city program that assisted young men in turning their lives around through being of service. He offered to help her.

Two weeks later, her son became involved in the program and today, he is well and working in horticulture. He found his inner harmony through nature and working with the inner city programs to create more natural habitats.

These are a few examples of intentions that have been set with the use of my products. But let me describe the development of these intention candles and what makes them unique.

First, the glass jar. It's sandblasted by hand with a message. Words are vital to the process, and I always wrote a message on the outside of the glass. In the old days, it was with an indelible marker!

Then there are five crystals placed in the jar. The Organic Soy is prepared by a Reiki practitioner who energizes the candles as she hand-pours each one. My candles are blended with the exact color and aromatherapy that resonates with the energy of your intention. And they weigh nearly 3 pounds to burn for seven continuous days.

By the time your candle reaches you, it has been blessed and infused with the power of your intention. Your Intention Candle Kit contains a booklet with simple, yet detailed instructions on how to create your intention.

You are about to step into a new realm.

If you have a must-happen in your life...something that MUST HAPPEN, I can't urge you enough to try one of the Intention Candle Kits. There is no right one. Choose the one that calls to you. And, then prepare for a miracle. Someone or something will shift.

Many blessings!

Visit www.torihartman.com for mroe blogs and to find your intention kit and candles

-Tori

Color Expert, Tori Hartman, Reveals the Meaning Behind the Wardrobes

Chosen by Presidential Candidates on Debate Night

 If you’ve been watching the candidates, you’ve been watching two very different styles of dress, particularly in their choice of colors, or lack of them. 

 The articles of clothing in question on debate night?

 McCain: Grey suit. Light blue shirt. Red and white tie.

  Obama: Grey suit. White shirt. Red tie.

  Both candidates wore grey suits to “neutralize” themselves on television and Internet viewing. The color grey lets people know that both candidates stand in the middle of the road…that neither is an extremist.

  McCain wore a light blue shirt and a red and white tie, most obviously to represent patriotism. Looking deeper, however, blue communicates truth. McCain is driven to speak up what he feels is his truth. He will always articulate what he stands for. The red and white tie tells that he is deeply rooted in staying detached. Red signifies passion and self-motivating energy, yet in McCain’s choice of tie, it is tempered by white, a color that deflects. McCain is a man who understands the need to stay cool under fire. All soldiers are trained in this, and it was the message of his color combination. 

 I give McCain an “A” for his well-chosen colors. They show he is able to stand for his convictions.

 Now for Obama.

   In many pictures of Obama, we see his white shirt sleeves rolled up. This, of course, is an indication to us that he is literally ready to roll up his sleeves and get the job done. This message is congruent with his choice of wardrobe colors on debate night. White indicates an ability to receive but not necessarily absorb information.  He considers but does not take personally what is being conveyed.  The ability to stay detached and uninvolved in others opinions is evident in a white shirt. 

   The most interesting choice of color was Obama’s deep red tie. Red is the color of service, and since the tie was on the darker end of the red spectrum, it suggested the idea that Obama is in deep contemplation. His thoughts are profound and heartfelt. 

 I also give Obama an “A” for communicating his concern and caring through his colors on debate night.

 Let’s now look at the color choices of the potential First Ladies.

    Cindy McCain always chooses to wear something bold to convey the strength of her convictions. Her pure red suit during the debate reveals the message that she is in charge. She is the power behind the throne, and McCain relies upon her to be his supporter. Theirs is a traditional marriage.

    Michele Obama, on the other hand, has been working to convey the image of traditional wife and partner. Her energy is very strong and in an effort to support rather than outshine her husband, she tones down her style. For the debate, Mrs. Obama wore a multi-colored outfit in olive and red. As I mentioned, red indicates contemplation and caring, while shades of green are associated with the heart and healing. This combination was chosen to subdue the powerful aspect of her role in their modern marriage.

   As you can see, color is revealing. Now, if only the colors chosen by the candidates and their wives could tell us who, in fact, will win the election!

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Tori Hartman, color expert, author and intuitive of the Berkley style book, Fabulous You! Unlock your Perfect Personal Style, transitioned from fashion guru to Hollywood psychic and recently launched her new line of spiritual accessories, available at www.ToriHartman.com.                       www.Myspace.com/torihartman