Happy Halloween! Here is an inspiring observation about witches. I wish I could take credit for it, but the least I can do is share it. Wishing you many treats, Mary I THINK IT WAS JUST WOMEN It must have been a terrifying sight to behold, a group of witches gathered...

The first rule in writing is to just write. That is why I had to kick AI off my Word program. It was editing me as I wrote, even though I was not yet clear about my direction, much less where to place a comma or accept a better word choice. Editing in real time can be...

When I store leftovers in a clear glass bowl, they tend to get eaten. When they are in a colored or opaque bowl, they are more likely to go to waste. Apparently, opening all those lids and resecuring them if their contents aren't what you're craving takes too much...

What I think of as a grand and new understanding often leads to what others have known, possibly for thousands of years, latching on to readily available ideas whenever I was ready. Still, whenever that aha moment hits, I feel like proselytizing. Like a newly reformed...

This is me, the groom's mother, and my son, Ben, when the wedding DJ started playing "You Are My Sunshine." Every mom in attendance teared up. Many moms approached me to say that it hit them somewhere deep and meaningful. Who can't relate to signing such a joyous...

In 2020, I “attended” many virtual conferences, spoke on podcasts from afar, conducted phone surveys, and delivered Zoom workshops across the country. Some of the people I met online became friends and clients even though we never met in person. This year, I had the...

What’s the hurry? Being punctual because that is what you value? Missing one minute of a meeting? Five minutes late picking up the kids? I cringe when I think of all the times I ran through a changing light feeling victorious. What was on the other side of that...

One of the best gifts Mom gave her children was certain knowledge of what she did and did not want as she grew older. Mom was clear: Never let me live with you; it's too hard on families. Take my car keys when I am a threat to others. I won’t like it. Do it anyway. No...

We all have stories about what happened to us, who our personal heroes are, and, of course, who the villains are. As the runt of the litter in a borderline neighborhood, I was a tough kid in many ways (mostly with my sassy mouth since my physical stature was less than...

Over the past few weeks, I have dreamed almost nightly of going to every place my mother ever lived, looking for her, only to remember she doesn’t live there anymore. I know it is my subconscious expressing my sense of losing home when I lost Mom. It wasn’t where she...

Brace yourself! Here it comes... Bracing yourself does little to prevent whatever it is and can offer harmful resistance. It's good to brace our abs when exercising and our backs when lifting. But should we brace ourselves against all impacts? In tornados, rooftops...

Even in our final days, we may have one final lesson to learn. For Mom, it’s acceptance. How can we know when it is time to accept something and when there is still time to change things for a different outcome? Hint: when your 92-year-old body no longer works, and...

As a kid, I couldn't wait to be "free!" I am still waiting. I thought being free meant no responsibilities, no rules, could set my own curfew. It turns out there is no such thing as freedom. Yes, I can set my own curfew, but at this stage in my life, I am usually home...

-  Sr. Benedict, fifth-grade teacher Salvation is found in the darnedest places, at the darnedest times. And, often, when you didn’t even know you needed it. Growing up in Catholic schools for twelve years, we heard an awful lot about things that can damage our...

Thank you for all the many messages of support. It warms my heart. At the risk of you clicking off, I have one more observation to share with you. Mom is firmly in the first stage of grief (denial.) She believes she is going to get better. At the risk of being a buzz...

Last night, as Mom lay in her hospice bed, seemingly asleep but aware of everything, I played her favorite opera arias. Her face instantly relaxed, and the corners of her mouth turned slightly upward. Soon, she was lightly snoring and drifting, no doubt to the...

It’s been a rough few weeks having moved my mother into hospice care. We have moved her to varying levels of care four times over the last two years. It is humbling to know that this is the final stop. Not at all what she imagined for herself. When I was growing up,...

I’ve been struggling with a few things lately, but then I realized that struggle was optional. What I really needed to do was make a choice. Choice A: Decide what I was willing to do about it and dedicate myself to the taskChoice B: Decide I am okay with what is and...

I have talked about the grace of gradually letting go twice in the past week.  One friend is dealing with a loved one who often cannot remember her name. Another friend fears she will never have time for herself—and worse yet, isn’t sure she’d know what to do...

Years ago, I facilitated a board retreat. The organization's objective was to revisit the vision and mission statement. It was a group of women scientists whose purpose was to support other women scientists. Many in the group struggled to be heard and taken seriously...

I had an interesting conversation the other day with someone very anxious to spread The Truth about what is happening in the world. It is not pretty, and he believes we all must be aware or face great harm. Interestingly, he and I have read some of the same works,...

In the past month, I have had the privilege of joining two podcasts. I have participated in both podcasts on professional topics before.What was so refreshing is that neither of the podcast hosts know each other or even live in the same part of the country, yet each...

“I’m no quitter” seems a silly thing to say. I embrace quitting when it is time to let go. I am never married to an imperative that no longer serves me. The thought that “I’m no quitter” challenges me to hang on to something that no longer serves me without care for...

Silence can be deafening. Silence can often be mistaken for no one listening, no one seeing, no one caring. Yet, silence is often where the magic happens. It is when your angels are busy putting the things you requested on your path. You did remember to ask, right?...

For St. Patrick’s Day, I had my toenails lacquered kelly green. It’s not my color. I don’t like it on my toes. I would not wear that color sweater, so why did I put it on my toes? You say, “Relax, Mary. It’s only your toes.”  I know! But hey, I look at them a...

Enjoy with the sound just right. You’re welcome. Mary

Generational patterns of unexpressed emotions can be devastating. It’s hard to trust and to lean into another if your childhood has taught you that it is unwise. Sometimes, it can be a matter of giving others some of what you craved as a child. If what you wished from...

Those festively painted stacking dolls always fascinate. They start with a reasonable size doll that twists in half and reveals a smaller version, which then twists in half and continues for another three or four twists until you find a very tiny version of the larger...

Here are just some of the responses I have heard from my clients.             “I feel so relieved!”             “It was so good to hear what I had suspected.”            ...

This message is long overdue on my part. It is something I know but have not shared and may help you feel prepared should you consider having a reading. Before I begin, let me clarify what a psychic mediumship reading is and is not. A reading is:  An implicit...

The movies and horror stories show poltergeists as ghosts that invade your space and scare the daylight out of you. It's true, they are scary. But unlike in the movies, they don't invade our lives. It's more that we create our poltergeist all on our own. The...

My brothers and I discuss our mother thinking we have the bigger picture. My brothers and I discuss our mother-thinking we have the bigger picture. We do, and we don’t. Our lens extends out further than hers. We can see more of what’s happening, cause and effect. Mom...

My 91-year-old mother gave us all a scare last week. She’s doing better but oh so frail. I hopped on a plane to be with her. Finally seeing her brought such sweet relief. I fear that she will someday pass, and I won’t be with her. Of course, it is nothing I can...

I don't like it when the motivation for donors and volunteers is listed as altruism. I just don't buy it. Why would anyone do something that doesn't benefit them in some way? Giving away your precious resources of time, talent, and treasures should feed something you...

“What the actual f**k!” This is a quote from a recent reader who read my book, Being Woo Woo in an Engineered World. And that was only one I’d received lately. The book outlines my journey into my first conscious awakening to my intuition and subsequent psychic...

Opportunity. That’s my word for 2024. I am spending this next year seeking and acknowledging opportunities to grow my soul, spiritual practice, and psychic mediumship business. Grace was almost my word for the year, but I realized it was the Opportunity to experience...

About 25 years ago, I decided to stop sending Christmas cards. What a relief! Of all the things on my plate at that time – work, kids, house, shopping, wrapping, shipping, etc. – holiday cards became optional. Once the decision was made, it was so easy to let go. I...

My sister-in-law sent me the best-ever early Christmas present! An advent puzzle! When I first looked at the picture, 1000 pieces to compile a very busy holiday scene, I thought, “I’m never going to finish this. And, who has time for this?!” Then I opened the box and...

You’re not going to believe this, especially if you’re in the Pacific Northwest, but constant sunshine can make you lose your bearings. December 1 will be one full year of living in the beautiful Nevada desert. One complete cycle of sunshine. Yes, we have bad weather,...

-Spirit of Life This week, I was ready to announce my co-ownership in a metaphysical store. I was very excited, but sadly, and for several reasons, it was not to be. That sense of having a place to go, to be discovered, to convene was filled with hope and excitement....

When I was a little girl, my mother worked in a nursing home as the head nurse on the third floor. She cared deeply for her patients and went the extra mile to ensure they felt seen and heard. I remember her bringing me to work to visit the residents with few or no...

There is no reason to fear for the repose of a departed loved one’s soul. Some fear that a departed loved one might not be at peace because they were agnostic or non-practiced in a specific dogma. Such a misunderstanding of the afterlife! As a traveler into the...

When I tell people what I do they often express fear.They are curious yet afraid of what they might hear. And it makes me sad. You have nothing to fear from Spirit.There is no judgment, no shame, no punishment. We do that to ourselves without any outside help. When I...

Whatever happens to you on one level happens on all levels: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. When you are sick, you are in a state of dis-ease. Where you are sick tells you more specifically what is impacting you. For example, pneumonia happens in the...

A few weeks ago, I talked about settling in. This week, I want to take it one step further. If home is where the heart is, following my passions can only lead to feeling at home because the heart is all about one’s passions. Feeling at home means feeling...

Every few years, I shift the focus of my business. This is one of those years. Now that I’m of retirement age, I love that I can pick and choose how I want to spend my time and be of service to others. It is with great pride and pleasure that I have zoomed in on the...

Getting settled in a new town is especially challenging when there are no office mates or school-aged children to bring you into the core of things.  So, what did I do? I followed my passions! I visited a crystal shop and found a new business just next door,...

I was looking forward to this uninterrupted time to think, write, and be more productive than I have been in a long while. To that end, I have won three straight backgammon games against the computer. Keeping myself on task always seems like such a struggle. Of...

I am late to the party.While a child of the ’60s and ’70s, other than a little pot now and then, I was not really into drugs. I feel lucky that I was not so stressed that I wanted to escape my life and lucky that I was usually too broke to get into too much...