What a week it has been.

Wednesday, I awoke to the smell of smoke inside my home. I rushed to my back door and found that smoke filled the air outside as well. Immediately, I knew something was wrong.

I turned on the news and saw that wildfires were raging out of control just a few miles from my home. I watched in disbelief as firefighters battled brush and winds on the hillside along our big freeway, which was engulfed in flames.

It looked like a scene out of a movie, but this was real life. And, it was unfolding in real time.

My daughters called to see if I was okay. One asked me, “What’s happening?” I told them it would be fine, but then a friend called and told me she was evacuating. With urgency in her voice, she told me to grab some stuff and get out now.

Yup, it is that time again! By now, you have probably heard someone say … “Oh, It’s Mercury retrograde”.

Mercury Retrograde is about to begin and many people are beginning to “feel” the energy shifts … possibly without even knowing it … as it moves in. Now, I’m not an expert in Mercury Retrograde … nor am I an astrologer. I’m a psychic medium and someone who is sensitive to energy … just like you. I notice when the energy shifts … especially the strong shifts. As I tune into the energy (and look at the calendar) I usually discover that Mercury is retrograde … and I take a breath, look up how long it will be in retrograde … and then plan to move forward at a slower pace … knowing that it always has something to teach me. Not that I always love this … but, I can either hit my head against the wall, pushing and forcing OR go with the flow of Mercury in retrograde … and embrace it’s teachings. Which do you choose?

Someone asked me if the earth will still be habitable when their three year-old grows up, and is that a part of the cosmic perfection?

More than ever we are awakening to being an integral part of earth’s ecosystem. As inhabitants of this planet we have some responsibility for the nest we live in and maintaining the nest. The same way we clean up our house, we also have to clean up our environment.

Environmental consciousness seems to be happening too slowly. Some people are motivated to keep it from happening. There are economic costs in that awakening — not in the long run, but in the short run – in ways that cause realignment of economic power. People who have that power have a lot of inertia, they want to hold onto it. A company like General Electric may not be ready for dramatic shifts unless they are forced into it because it may change their stockholder dividend.

When the world looks as turbulent and troubled as it does now, people feel trapped. Instead of feeling secure in prosperous safety zones, even developed countries now feel the pressure of uncontrollable forces, including stateless terrorism, a historical peak in refugees, the threat of epidemic diseases, and fast-encroaching climate change. How many people truly believe that these problems will be solved—or are even solvable? An erosion of hope is underway, and this more than anything must be reversed.

I have a favorite author named Ann Lamott who posted a poignant and very funny post on facebook in response to the ever increasing threatening state of affairs in our world especially in the USA. This weekend brought more evidence that things are taking a turn yet again.

When we grasp different aspects of our being, aiming to fix or heal each one, we may end up feeling fragmented and lacking. Another approach is to sit in the essence of flavor that we are, breathing in to the core of our self as though we are a tree, noting that each aspect of our being is a dance in motion. In the center of all this is a stillness that is love.

Humans and animals. How are we different? Or perhaps a better question might be — How are we the same?

Some people believe that animals aren’t conscious and that they don’t have empathy or feel pain. Others believe that humans are above animals and that we can do with them whatever we wish.

But why do we think these things?

Watch the following three powerful and compelling videos and see if you’re thinking shifts.

Video 1: Do animals have emotions?

In this first, very short video, Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard questions why we regard human life as having infinite value but see the value of animals as being almost zero.

By now you have heard about this crazy month of lunar and solar eclipse activity designed to shake us up, support us, and transform us in positive ways.

We have two transformational events occurring in the month of August, first a lunar eclipse on August 7^th, and then a solar eclipse on August 21^st. Lunar eclipse occur during a Full Moon phase of the lunar cycle, and solar eclipses occur during the New Moon phase. An eclipse is always a powerful and potent time to focus attention with the excess energy available for you to utilize. These heightened times can provide you with enormous strength when you consciously direct your energy towards your desire. A lunar eclipse can support powerful release and healing, while a solar eclipse can supercharge dreams and manifestations. The month of August is calling you to step into your divine light, and stop hiding from the world!

Many times, I have received calls from people who thought that their animal friend was angry at them. Ninety nine percent of the time, this was not accurate. Often an animal communicates with heart-telepathy but is not heard. Next the animal uses eye contact. A slight change of behavior may be a third attempt. At last the animal does something highly evident as a last resort of communication.

See what the meat industry doesn’t want you to know in this powerful video …

Factory farms are responsible for the vast majority of the meat, dairy, and eggs sold in the United States. And factory farming is the fastest growing method of animal production worldwide.

When you go on an outing, take responsibility and make sure to take out what you bring with you. Garbage not only makes our beaches ugly, it poses a threat to the animals and the environment.

It’s easy to get stuck in our heads, carry on with the day without realizing that we’ve done nothing deliberate for our own mental wellness. You don’t have to workout or go running, to truly connect with the great outdoors. It’s simply waiting for you and the best part of it, is it’s free! Being outside is good for your health. The vast openness brings endless possibilities to your mindset and makes it one of the most uplifting resources at your disposal no matter where you are. If you don’t have time to jog, or create a picnic or walk the dog, just go outside.

Summertime has always held a special place for me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m actually a big fan of all the seasons. Still, ever since I was a child summer has represented a level of freedom that stands out compared to the rest of the year.

And who doesn’t like freedom?