No year is without challenges. And no year is a cakewalk. All of us can remember some years in our life which were life changing. And some which just passed by. 2010 is a powerful year in many ways for a lot of us. It may provide us with grim moments and yet at the other hand may usher in such joy and peace into our lives. Let’s take a look at what the Tarot cards have to say for all 12  Zodiac signs on the challenges and joys of the year ahead.

Aries

The card of self honesty reminds us, that as long as we remain true to ourselves and know what we believe to be right, we can spare ourselves a lot of stress in 2010. This does not mean being ruthless or critical about ourselves, it means we learn to accept our shortcomings and work towards making ourselves better as human beings. You may be in for a very pleasant surprise when you realize something you lost made you find something or someone even more wonderful than ever before.

Healing Scent : Lemongrass

Taurus

Whatever you fear is not going to happen. This message reminds us that fear is nothing but false expectations about reality. 99.99% of our fears do not come true. Analyse it for yourself with examples in your life. Use logic, reason and your innate sense of practicality to help you emerge stronger and wiser in 2010. One of your most happiest moments could come during a relaxing holiday in the months ahead.

Healing Scent : Lavender

Gemini

Speak out and stand up for yourself is the message for Geminis in 2010. Nobody wants battle cries, but if you express your perspective or your individuality you’ll see new respect in their eyes. Do not allow anyone’s demands to drain you. Say no and  define your limitations, how much you can do and cannot do for others. Your most positive moments could arise when you discover unexpected opportunities arriving from the unlikeliest of sources. Pleasant surprises in short.

Healing Scent – Jasmine

Cancer

Your toughest moments to overcome could be regarding another person who’s behaviour or attitude may insult or anger you. Choose your words carefully while communicating with this soul. Aim for peace. Your happiest moments could come when you discover that you have achieved one of your cherished dreams or have gained success in some project or endeavour.

Healing Scent : Lemon

Leo

Worrying is not the solution to your money matters. And you know it. You could find yourself getting more stressed out than necessary. Instead of worrying the cards ask you to take immediate action and execute all the promises you’ve made to yourself. Happiness will come your way when you find yourself listening to your heart and doing something you love.

Healing Scent: Rose

Virgo

Choices choices, making them is hard. But sometimes we all have to. A tough choice may be presented to you, or you may find yourself at a crossroad. Don’t get daunted, get brave. Take a deep breath and take the leap. Peace is yours for the asking after you realise a disappointment or let down was actually a blessing in disguise in the long run.

Healing Scent : Neroli

Libra

Politics is everywhere, and you may have to face your fair share of gossip and hypocrisy be it in the workplace or in the family. Drop down to their level and you may feel drained, close yourself off completely and you may miss a warning sign or two. The key to managing the months ahead is with a sense of balance and moderation. Know when to listen and speak, and know when to back off. A young child will be a source of soul stirring joy for you in 2010.

Healing Scent – Pine

Scorpio

At the end of the day we are all responsible for the choices we have taken and the road ahead of us. Even if we make mistakes, maturity requires we learn from our errors and see where we can change and grow. One of the challenges ahead of Scorpios lies in the card of blame and responsibility, and learning the difference between the two. Peace and relief will come to you in 2010 when you discover a nagging complaint is over and done with.

Healing Scent – Peppermint

Saggitarius

Anger is good if it’s channeled in a peaceful manner. Keeping the anger within may lead to some uncomfortable explosions in 2010 for you and your loved ones. Repression is one of your biggest challenges ahead and the more you suppress your feelings the more they will revolt and surprise you. Before the explosions begin learn to let go of the anger nonviolently. Start meditation or exercise and discover a greater sense of wellbeing. Pleasant surprises are in store for you in the financial sphere.

Healing Scent – Cinammon

Capricon

Do you doubt your abilities at times? If you continue to compare and not learn to accept and appreciate yourself 2010 may bring quite a few lessons in your way, nudging you in to learning to trust yourself at all time. Be your own best friend in the worst of moments. And the best of moments in 2010 has to do with soul connections of a deep, endearing kind. Singles may meet their soulmates and married Capricornians may meet a kindred spirit.

Healing Scent – Geranium

Aquarius

Expect a busy year which is good if you remember to listen to the signals your body is giving you. Avoid overdoing things especially if you know it’s not good for you. Overwork or overeating may rub off on your health so make sure you get plenty of rest and recreation between your busy periods. Joy comes to you in the form of a celebration, engagement, marriage, promotion, you name it.

Healing Scent – Lavender

Pisces

You may be forced to let something go in 2010. It could be a job, a relationship or an attitude that’s served no purpose. Goodbyes can be painful but sometimes it may be for our own highest good. Peace comes to Pisceans when they discover one of their gut feelings came true. Trust your instincts.

Healing Scent – Lemongrass

The perfect antidote to stress is Conscious Relaxation, which is simply allowing our bodies to relax bit by bit in a controlled, aware manner. Not only is it extremely refreshing and rejuvenating, with every exhalation we release the build up of negative energies, toxins and tensions.

Many techniques exist for Conscious Relaxation including Meditative techniques, Yoga Nidra, Progressive Muscle Relaxation and techniques used in Hypnotherapy available in the form of classes, CDs and books.

Conscious Relaxation needs no added skill and simply taps into what our human bodies are designed to do naturally, which is breathe and relax. And if practiced daily for as little as 20 minutes, it can benefit us in the following ways:
1.    Boosts of our energy levels. We automatically experience increased energy levels when our bodies relax. This allows us to be more productive and focused in our tasks and chores.
2.    We smile more and feel better about ourselves. Studies have revealed those who consciously relaxed were more positive in their outlook and generally optimistic about life.
3.    By consciously letting go suppressed emotional energies like anger, anxiety and sadness we end up feeling lighter after a session of conscious relaxation.
4.    Body organs function normally and over time, immunity increases.
5.    Decreases muscle tension and allows the release of suppressed mental and emotional energy, promoting feelings of well being and harmony.
6.    Better problem solving abilities and greater concentration especially for students.

Conscious Relaxation is easy to practice and requires no more than 20 minutes per session. A single session of conscious body relaxation is equivalent to hours of sleep and rest.

Recently I met a woman whose fiancé decided to break off the engagement after 2 years of courtship. Shocked by his decision and deeply angered about another woman who had taken her place, she was determined to find her answers with the help of a tarot reading.

Her first question to me was, “How can I heal from heartbreak?” I winced a little more as over the years I had realized that some forms of grief must be experienced and there was no magic pill that would take away her pain. Healing would take time and she would need to be patient.

Her cards revealed a time for absolute self honesty. For a start, it would help to admit feelings of hurt to herself. Hiding behind feelings of anger or calling him repeatedly and demanding explanations was simply aggravating the situation. What would help would be time out for herself, to cry and process the grief.

Further cards indicated a time of confusion, blame and resentment but it would pass. She wanted to know how much time would be needed to go through the period of uncertainty and intense hurt she had bottled up inside. My response was, “As long as it needs.”

Different people respond to heartbreak differently. Some move on after a few weeks, others hold on to the pain for weeks, months and years. Clearly what was required was a willingness to go through this painful process, one day at a time with the knowledge that one day she would wake up and realize that the hurt no longer exists. Patience reveals her lessons in different ways and she would need to accept whatever happened and allow the heartbreak to run its course.

She began to cry again and we sat together in silence. (Her tears would flow repeatedly over the following weeks but somewhere she was learning that heartbreak is a part of growing up).

Her final question was to find out if she would meet someone else. As I laid out the spread, the cards revealed a fresh start with another young man who would shower her with love and affection. The cards also showed she would be enjoying a great deal of success in her job. Her tears didn’t stop at that point but there was a glimmer of a smile. Hopefully I prayed silently, she has found a reason to allow herself to heal and move on.

Her story is not a rare one. All of us have faced heartbreak at some point in time in our lives and though there is no perfect way to heal the pain, here are a few suggestions which might help:

1) Ultimately we all have to move on from the ending of a painful relationship. And it’s different for all of us. Some of us heal faster and some take time. Be patient with yourself if you’ve just broken up, and if a friend of yours is recovering, be patient with him or her.

2) Don’t start thinking about about being friends with your ex lover immediately. Your first relationship has to be one with yourself. Be your own best friend, pick up the pieces and slowly build back your sense of self.

3) Express your pain and anger. Bottling it up only makes it worse; talk to loved ones or a counsellor and simply let it out. Crying helps with this release.

4) Learn to trust again. All relationships involve risks and the expression of free will. Don’t let one bad experience make you believe all men/women will hurt you again.

5) Work on building back your self esteem. Surround yourself by people who love and appreciate you.

6) Rose quartz, rose incense and Himalayan salt lamps are excellent soothers and can aid in the process of healing.

What usually happens is a few days after trying, we actually feel liberated from the confines of the old habit. But just before the smile turns to smugness, a little test is tossed on our path to see if we have truly learnt.

For me, these cosmic-generated tests are regular occurrences. Sometimes I pass them and sometimes I fail miserably.

I have learnt that simply because I make a fervent promise never to be impatient again does not mean my words have the power to dissolve the impulse to lose my temper. Tests will appear before me in the form of a chatty cashier and her mobile phone in the supermarket, oblivious to the long queue or my toddler who is mastering the fine art of selective listening or others who will slowly tweak my resolve till I am tempted to say or do something out of impatience.

These tests do not appear as some form of cosmic mockery but are a self-generated indicator that more inner work needs to be done for our rewards as souls in human forms. We have chosen the human form to learn lessons and certain experiences will be repeated until we learn at the deepest level of our consciousness.

Some lessons are rooted in karmic patterns inherited from previous lives. Some lessons are meant to extinguish ordinary personality traits like impatience or procrastination, but at the end of the day a lesson is a lesson. And even after making a resolve, we need to face a few challenging tests to see if we are willing to sweat for the reward. If you give up soon after promising to change, the tests will keep coming back. Persist and someday, someone may present you with a badge in the shape of a star.

Do you have any habit you’re struggling to break? Why not take a few minutes to ponder on what is causing you to break your resolve? Did you quit the diet? Did you return to smoking when the pressure got too much? Or gave up cleaning out your papers halfway through the exercise? I suggest taking things slowly and setting goals that are achievable. Try saying, “For the next one hour I will be patient,” and when you catch yourself getting impatient again, repeat the affirmation. Do this for several days until you begin to see some positive results.

What is God?
Mita: God is….the warmest pair of hands that carry me through my toughest moments. God has the snuggliest, strongest shoulder I’ve ever known. God’s love is the cosiest and sweetest warmth of a fireplace on a chilly night. able. God is a feeling, a knowing, a calling, a crying, a laugh that echoes through space and time. God can be described by a million and one and still remain an indescribable God.

God or the Big Bang (or both)?
Mita: Both. According to the Big Bang theory, the universe expanded from an extremely dense and hot state and continues to expand today. My 2 bits is that the energy required for that extremely dense and hot source state emanated from none other than God the Source or Divine Intelligence.

God or Darwin (or both)?
Mita: Both. Darwin was a child of God. His purpose as a Soul in this lifetime was to add depth to our knowledge as human beings.

God or Darfur? (How can Darfur happen if there is God?)
Mita: As I learn about Darfur, I learn that it is a test for humanity. Somewhere we learn
to be humbler, more compassionate and unified in our voices.

Who is God’s God?
Mita: All of our souls. We all contain sparks of God and God contains sparks of all of us.

Will the real God please stand up? (Why do we have so many religions?)
Mita: God is a personal journey. What may be real to me may be totally unreal to another. And vice versa. Every path is different in terms of colour, rituals and accents. All religions speak the language of Love and Truth.

Is this just a big lab and are we just guinea pigs and God just a researcher?
Mita: This is funny! Actually it is worse than your scenario. We’re all performing our parts on some cable channel and God and his Divine friends have the remote control to switch channels from all our soap operas/comedies/horror stories etc.

Does unexplained phenomena = God?
Mita: Yes. God cannot be defined perfectly by this mortal. God cannot be explained tangibly and completely cohesively by this mortal. To explain God, I have to understand God more. And for that I need more time to meditate and other such mortally unqualified excuses.

Alternative healers, Vastu and Feng Shui practitioners have long advised people to declutter or clean up their living and working spaces as one form of stress relief.
By decluttering, you free up your mind of space and allow fresh, relaxing energies to come in. You breathe better and you feel a few kilos lighter.

It’s a fact, the more we hold on, the more we suffer. It could be attitudes, relationships or even clothes of the wrong size. Our possessions are symbolic of our mind space – is it crammed with ideas, attitudes and beliefs that are no longer needed.

Are we weighed down by too much to do in too little time or are we daunted by some of our duties? Whatever is the cause of mental stress, decluttering works when we divide and delete by at least 50%. This could involve being a little ruthless in our acts.
The best thing about decluttering is that it can be done anytime and in any quantity.

Here are a few time tested tips I’ve learned from experts over the years.

1. Claim what is truly important to you and discard what is not. Throw away any old and useless stuff. Re-cycle or donate. The act of giving is leads to peace..

2. Spend an afternoon in front of your wardrobe and wear every item you own, then give away clothes that no longer fit or match your image.

3. Clean out your paper and computer files, your address book, old correspondence, etc. How much of that clutter is really relevant any more? Do the same with your medicine cabinet and cosmetic drawers

4. Delete one item from from your diet you know you should avoid. When you get used to life without it, eliminate one more item.

5. Avoid and distance yourself from relationships that drain you.

6. Monitor your thoughts and edit the negative.

Decluttering is nothing but simplifying. The less we surround ourselves with old stuff, feelings and ideas, the freer we feel. Freedom leads to peace. And at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.

Have people been challenging you every time you express an opinion? Do you keep agreeing to do things that you really do not want to do? Have loved ones been demanding more of your time than you can possibly give? Have they been ignoring you or dismissing your importance in a relationship? Maybe you are simply feeling drained by trying too hard to accommodate too many people? Chances are high that your aura is a little too open and your personal boundaries are getting blurred. It is very probable that people are walking into your personal space leaving you emotional, tired, numbed out, confused or scattered.

Defining and maintaining personal boundaries is vital if we are to maintain our sanity and energy levels. And the purpose is simple – we need to protect and take care of ourselves. We need to be able to tell others when they are behaving unacceptably or simply demanding too much of us. All of us have a right to protect and defend our boundaries and it is never too late to start setting limits about how much you want to give of yourself in your relationships.

Even loved ones can sometimes unwittingly drain us with their demands. My four year old son is learning that when his mommy needs “me time” he has to leave me alone for a short time. Not only does he see me emerge happier after a 15 minute break from him, he too is learning that it is important to take time out for himself.

As adults, learning how to set boundaries is a vital part of learning to respect and love yourself. Remember we all deserve to be treated with respect and dignity . No one deserves to be lied to, abused, ignored or belittled. Boundaries help us communicate our needs clearly and put us on the path to self empowerment.

Setting boundaries is not about issuing threats, it is simply a clear communication where you express your demands and state clearly what is acceptable and unacceptable to you. For example, a young man whose father was pressuring him to join the family business found the courage to say, “No, I want to find my own wings.” There is a woman whose angry spouse was draining her with his tantrums. She too, eventually found a way to say, “Don’t vent your anger on me, I will not have it.”

If setting boundaries is new to you, expect a reaction and expect to be tested by your significant others. Your partner, parent, child and friend will find this side of you unfamiliar and may provoke you further or choose not take you seriously. Reassert yourself if necessary and stand your ground. Remember at the end of the day, it is your peace of mind that matters.

AURA PROTECTION

Your aura is your personal shield and it grows more defined as you become more and more aware of your self. Practice saying “No, let me be in peace” silently or aloud everyday.

Your Boundary Bill of Rights by Cat Burton
1. You have the Right to be treated with respect.
2. You have the Right to say NO without feeling guilty.
3. You have the Right to make a mistake.
4. You have a Right to ask for what you want and need.
5. You have the Right to express your feelings and opinions.
6. You have the Right to change your mind.
7. You have the Right to feel good about yourself no matter what others
say.
8. You have the Right to act in your own best interest as long as you don’t
violate others in the process.

Enough said, I do hope this information helps you. Here’s a quote that I hope inspires you the way it inspired me. “We need to find the courage to say ‘NO’ to situations and people that are not serving us if we want to rediscover ourselves and live our lives with authenticity.”
— Dr. Barbara DeAngelis
Peace:)