changing phases

I've been so out of sorts lately.

For the past month, I've been feeling as if I were looking out at the world from within a bubble that's afloat in a sea of detachment.

Nothing seems able to touch me too deeply on an emotional level -- not the daily frustrations at work, not the occasional flaps at home, not even what's happening on a national or global scale.

It's not that I don't care. I do.

On an energy level, I can feel the change that's occurring even as I write this. Everyone and everything in the world is affected to some degree.

From the earthquakes and hurricanes the planet is experiencing to the increasing environmental and health issues that we're facing today.

Suddenly, every third person I know seems either to be stricken with, or knows someone who is stricken with, cancer. Others are struggling financially or undergoing career crises.

I've lost count of the number of times that I've been asked what's happening.

All I can say is, it's all part of the transformation that the world and its inhabitants are going through.

Some days, I'm so sensitive to the energy change that it hurts just to brush my hair.

Recently, for no reason that I could see, I was asked to move from one desk to another in the office. I was perplexed and quite a bit cheesed off by the whole exercise.

I went home and did a mini angel card reading for myself to find out why this was happening. And the answer, simply, was that it was time to move. Time to clear my space so that new, positive energy could come in.

So here I am. Writing this from my new desk location.

Who knows what new changes this move will bring?

I can only trust and wait.

my angel healing circle

I held my usual Wednesday fortnightly Angel Healing Circle last night. I just realised this morning that it's been five months since I first began to do this on March 19 this year.

It may not seem like much to most people, but oh what big steps I've taken on my own spiritual path, and how much I've learned and benefited from the experience.

I remember how the angels gently but firmly lodged the idea of conducting the circle soon after I returned from an intense and comprehensive Angel Miracles course with Elisabeth Jensen in Adelaide.

Not having attended an angel healing circle myself, I was doubtful about conducting one.

What was I supposed to do? Would anyone come to the circle? Could I even do it?

I resisted for a while but the angels were so insistent that, in the end, I simply took a deep breath, asked for faith and courage, and plunged in.

Before I could change my mind, I sent a mass email out to all the people who come to me for angel card readings and healings, to tell them that I would be conducting an angel healing circle from home.

Then I asked for divine guidance and help in preparing some guidelines on the structure of the exercise, and on what meditations and visualizations to do.

And the information came. Using a combination of what I'd read and learned from books, CDs, and the spiritual courses I'd been to, I came up with a set of rough guidelines for myself. The rest, I left to the angels on the night itself.

Three people turned up for my first circle. It was three more than I had expected.

Sure, I fumbled a little. I forgot to turn on the meditation music, and I struggled a little at the beginning trying to remember what came next.

But the angels were present. And so were the three archangels who had said they would work with me at my healing circle: Hamied, Michael and Raphael. Throughout the exercise, I allowed myself to be led, and simply did whatever I was guided to do.

Interestingly, no one seemed to notice my initial fumbling. Instead, all who turned up had their own personal experience and healing with the angels that night.

It was an uplifting experience for everyone, especially me. And I learned another important lesson: When you willingly act on divine guidance, there is no lack of aid and support.

The angels and archangels were there in force that first night, as they have been in every healing circle that I've conducted since.

So far, the biggest turnout that I've had for this circle is five. But there have also been a couple of times when no one turned up.

But all this is part of my learning curve as a lightworker.

Ego has no place in lighwork.

Every time I allowed myself to get stressed preparing for the circle -- either because I thought it was taking too much out of me and I wasn't sure I could go on, or when I allowed myself to think hey, I'm pretty good -- the angels firmly made sure that I'd have some quiet time to refocus, re-centre and realign with my higher self and calling again.

I've learned not to base my success as a lightworker on the number of people who turn up for my healing circles or workshops.

I base it, instead, on the joy that fills me when those who take the time and make the effort to come -- be there three, five, or just one person -- voluntarily share their own spiritual experiences, lessons and growth with everyone present, getting to know and encouraging one another as they open their hearts and their lives to more love and light.

I love the fact that the angels honour our fortnightly dates and show up without fail -- regardless of how many people turn up.

And on those occasions when no one did, they still surrounded me with love and light, healing me both physically and on a deep, soul level as I sat and meditated within the circle they formed around me.

For me, that confirmation of love beats having a huge turnout any day.

rip-roaring stupidity

A girlfriend of mine has been having sleepless nights this past week because she is desperately trying to find homes for the stray cats who live in her condominium estate. It seems that the condo's management committee has unanimously voted to cull the stray cats within the estate because they've been "scratching our cars".

Most of these stray cats have already been neutered, and are regularly fed by animal-loving volunteers who spend their own time and money feeding and taking them to the vet for sterilization when they are old enough. So they are actually tame cats without a proper home to call their own.

I wish I could take them all in, but I already have a full house.

But that's the trouble, it seems. People are either animal lovers or animal haters.

Those of us who love them find it hard to stop once we start taking in stray, abandoned or abused animals. It's hard to stop because there are just so many of them and not enough of us.

The sad truth is, we simply can't save them all although we do our best.

But sadder still is the fact that there are educated people who love their material possessions so much that they think nothing of taking another life just because they feel their possessions are at risk.

Listening to them complain, you'd think it was some big wild cat, like a tiger or a lion, that was coming up to their sturdy, heavy metal vehicles and leaving huge scratches on them, instead of a cat who probably scratches at a heavy duty tyre now and then.

Hello?

What will it take to make people learn to respect and value life more than they do inanimate objects?

I wish I knew.

All I can say is, they deserve the rat and roach problems that they're likely to get once there are no more cats around to keep them at bay.

how do i love thee? let me show the ways

Meet Sunny and Rex.



We found Sunny (left), who is now about 11, when she was just an itsy-bitsy kitten playing at a bus-stop near our home late one Sunday morning. She was so little and trusting, and we were terrified that she'd hop off the kerb and right into the path of on oncoming bus without realising the danger.

We hung around the bus-stop, anxiously watching out for her and keeping our eyes peeled for her mummy to come and take her to a safer place.

But about an hour later, with no mummy cat in sight and too many close shaves for comfort, we went home to get our cat basket and brought her home with us.

She's our precious Sunday find; hence the name Sunny.

When she came home with us, she headed straight for Hepburn, our oldest cat, who sweetly took her under her wing and played surrogate mum.

Wherever Hep was, Sunny wouldn't be far away. For Sunny is a cat who isn't shy about showing the world that she loves you. Her nickname is Sunny Hunny, cos she'll just stick to you if she loves you.

She seldom takes no for an answer, and she can't understand why people who love each other should ever be shy about showing it.

We could all learn something from her.

When Hep passed on, she was lonely for a while. And then she found comfort in Rex, the perfect gentleman.

And Rex, who is 14, has found romance in his autumn years.







I love happy endings.

Don't you?

happy birthday, singapore!

Today, Singapore celebrates its 43rd year as an independent nation.

Our country may still be a child compared to other, much older countries in the world, but I learned today that Singaporeans share a surprisingly strong sense of nationality.

As our National Day falls on a Saturday this year, it's a long weekend for most people. But working for the papers as I do, I happened to be rostered for Saturday duty, so I had to go to work.

I took care not to wear red, as red and white are the national colours, and I didn't want to look like some uncool patriotic fashion idiot.

But on my way home on the bus later that afternoon, I was surprised to see the number of people proudly wearing those very colours. There were families with young children, middle-aged aunties and couples, and even grandparents who were either wearing a red top or a complete ensemble in red and white.

It was eye opening.

For the first time, I realised how strongly Singaporeans actually feel for their country.

These ordinary folk in red and white weren't on their way to attend the National Day parade. They were simply enjoying their day and doing what they usually do as families, as couples, and as individuals on a public holiday.

Today, however, they saluted the significance of the date by wearing colours that reflected their pride in their nation.

And that is a good thing.

So what if the fashionistas laugh? Maybe I'll wear my red sleep tee tonight.

But I can't help also thinking:

On one special day of the year each year, one nation in the world celebrates its own independence day. Tens of thousands of dollars are spent to produce and orchestrate parades, shows of military might, aerial displays and spectacular fireworks, and its citizens are united in their sense of pride in being a part of it all.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could, in the same spirit, open our hearts and minds to the bigger picture?

To be united in a global pride of being citizens of the world, and celebrate the beauty and bounty of the Earth in which we live. For there's nothing else like it -- not in this solar system, anyway.

And if each person and every government in the world felt only half the pride and ownership in our planet as they do in their own country, and spent but a fraction on protecting our environment as they do on nation building, then there would be a greater chance of mankind coming together as one in loving, respecting and saving our only home and all its inhabitants.

light a candle

Tonight, at 9pm, millions of people around the world will unite in lighting a candle for Tibet from wherever they are.

Like many others, I feel for the people of Tibet -- just as I feel for all people who are repressed or persecuted for their beliefs and their way of life.

I hope this worldwide movement isn't going to become just another political rally; a means by which some will take to promote and propel their own selfish causes.

I will be lighting a candle tonight. But I will be lighting it prayerfully, with love and hope in my heart.

The candle that I light tonight will represent, for me, the hope for peace in the world.

It will be my prayer to God and the universe that people will learn and realise that we really are all the same despite our language, colour and religious beliefs.

The light that I start in my home tonight will represent, to me, the light of God, which is freely given to one and all.

May my single candlelight join other like-minded people's tonight in spreading God's light of love, peace and truth to the world.

appraisal time

It's that time of the year again, when words like "appraisal", "banding", "promotion" and "salary increment" are on the minds and lips of everyone at the office.

For the past week, my colleagues and I have been stressing ourselves putting together a file of our best work and filling out self-appraisal forms before handing them all over to our supervisors... and worrying about how they will judge our performance this past year.

I know it's important to be recognised at work. After all, we spend about half the day, five times a week, in the office doing what we do.

But today, when I realised how much energy I was giving to worry, I decided that I no longer wanted to give it a hold over me.

I stopped looking for more samples of good work to add to my file, and simply handed in whatever I had already prepared and filled out.

Then emotionally and mentally, I dusted my hands. The sense of relief was immediate.

The truth is, the supervisors very probably already have their own preconceived ideas of me and my work. Whatever I hand in to them or say in my self-appraisal isn't likely to change their minds. At least, not much.

But for me, the most important appraisal will come when my soul returns to God.

When I look back on my life and can say, with truth and joy, that I managed to fulfil what my soul set out to achieve in this lifetime. That's when I'll know I passed with flying colours.

the month of hungry ghosts

Yesterday was the start of the Hungry Ghosts Festival. For a whole month, the gates of Hell will be open, and the spirits of the dead come out for their annual vacation. That's what the Chinese believe.

I used to dread the festival as a result of a few incidents that happened after we moved into our home 14 years ago (but that's another story). So every year on the day before the start of Ghost Month, I'd sprinkle holy water all over the house and outside it.

I'd do it while it was still light, and pray for protection for all who lived in the house and entered it. I'd also sprinkle holy water over everybody in the house, including the pets.

I don't do that now.

Three years ago, I learned that I had 24/7 protection at my disposal.

I simply asked God to station an angel at each corner outside my house, to watch over and protect everyone who lived in it, so that no negative energy or spirit will be allowed to enter.

I then visualised a bubble of bright white light -- God's light -- surrounding the house at all times. And this serves as a holy, indestructible force field.

It worked, and it hasn't stopped since.

Once you realise how well loved and protected you are by God and the angels, the peace of mind you get is truly beyond understanding.