Hypnotherapy Level II

Register NOW for Inner Resources Hypnotherapy Level II at Twin Lakes College of the Healing Arts
with yours truly, Kayla Garnet Rose, CHT

Intermediate students will build upon techniques learned in level I in addition to Transpersonal and Spiritual hypnosis.

 Includes lots of yummy techniques such as
Dream Work
Shamanic Journeys
The Shadow
Past Life Regression
Future Life Progression.

Prerequisite: Level I or already a certified Hypnotist

Tuesdays, Feb 12-Apr 9, 9am-1pm Plus Sat, April 13, 9am-1pm
50 hours $500
Contact Twin Lakes College today at (831) 476-2152

Full Moon in Leo

Full Moon in Leo causes us to pause and ask, What will peak your interest this winter? Put on a song and dance, show the world your charm and grace, and humble yourself before the applause. Everyone loves you and the Universe is encouraging you!

Blossoming Heart Mandala

For my master's degree, I took an elective on mandala art. We worked from a few texts, my favorite being Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing by Judith Cornell, PhD. I will be posting my own mandalas here on my blog, and encourage you to create your own. It was therapeutic, engaging, and most importantly, fun! I used colored pencils on black construction paper, both purchased from my local art store.

Upon meditating with the intention to journey into the divine realities of nature, I was surprised not to receive animal guides but instead plant guides. I created a mandala of a blossoming lotus, with a heart at the center and surrounded by a circle of green leaves. In particular I enjoyed creating a system for out lining the petals, doubling their number with each ring. I thought about how my health is blossoming, especially after a long winter.

Happy New Year!

Laughter is still the best medicine. This humorous meditation was inspired by a spelling error in a comment on one of our other videos: "clam" instead of the intended "calm".

Heart Mandala

For my master's degree, I took an elective on mandala art. We worked from a few texts, my favorite being Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing by Judith Cornell, PhD. I will be posting my own mandalas here on my blog, and encourage you to create your own. It was therapeutic, engaging, and most importantly, fun! I used colored pencils on black construction paper, both purchased from my local art store.

For this exercise I found myself creating the outline of a heart in the center of the page in a deep red. Radiating out were rays of orange and yellow, with blues and greens creating a background. It was interesting to contemplate the " black void" of the heart as a contrast to the outpouring of rainbow colors. I enjoyed this a meditation to cultivate light heartedness.

Peace Mandala

For my master's degree, I took an elective on mandala art. We worked from a few texts, my favorite being Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing by Judith Cornell, PhD. I will be posting my own mandalas here on my blog, and encourage you to create your own. It was therapeutic, engaging, and most importantly, fun! I used colored pencils on black construction paper, both purchased from my local art store.

After blessing my materials, I sat to contemplate a healing symbol, my intention being to focus on peace. Of course, the peace symbol popped up in my mind's eye, and I created a large white peace sign centered on the page.

Next, I outlined the peace symbol in rainbow colors. I filled the background with vines and roses. I felt this was a very useful tool in a current conflict, and can easily see myself sharing the image with them now to literally bring peace to the situation.

Secrets to Success

“The most important promises are the ones I make to myself.”

- Maryanne Radmacher

• I use tarot and astrology as a daily meditation tool, to focus on my career, my relationships, and my creativity. They serve as moment in my journey where I look at the map of my life and decide which direction to take. But I don’t just stay stuck looking at the map - journaling is one of the steps I take to put into action what I have been contemplating.

• You can have many different kinds of journals, that you write in at different times of your life. Just as your checkbook is a record of your spending habits, journals can reflect your patterns and serve as a reminder of the positive “emotional deposits” of life.

• Kinds of journals: Business notes, daily affirmations, dreams (night and day), poetry, sketches, coloring books, blank books or notebook paper put into a binder, a photo album or scrap books, engagement calenders.

• Who is your audience? Well, you, of course, but it also could be your children, your spouse or lover, your business colleagues, your therapist, your best friend.

• Privacy: there is so much temptation to read someone else’s journal. When my lover read mine, I stopped writing for 5 or 6 years. When getting divorced, I read my spouses' journal and found out things I really didn’t want to know. Talk about Pandora’s box.

• There is a lot of power in writing in your journal (or on loose leaf paper) all your thoughts and feelings, and then burning or otherwise destroying them. Recently I drew a horrible picture of myself being controlled by my last lover - it was quite a relief to destroy it.

• Time: even just five minutes a day can grow into a disciplined practice (like flossing your teeth or exercise). This is time for YOU, time to focus on achieving something you desire. keeping a little notebook in your bag is helpful for those odd moments of standing in the bank line. Putting the TV on mute and jotting down thoughts during commercials can reactivate your brain waves.

• Your other favorite tool is your PEN: do you like blue or black ink? Pencil? Colored pencils? Markers? Paints? I highly recommend crayons...

• To quote from the 5 of Wands card - Keep your expression flowing. Stop editing yourself and let go of concern about what comes out. Be playful. The openness of play allows for inventiveness and newness in a way that high expectations do not. (from The Tarot of Transformation by Willow Arlenea & Jasmin Lee Cori)

• You are writing your story and you can change your story - one exercise I did was to divide the page into columns and in the first write a sentence that begins “I wish...” the second column is the same sentence that starts with “I will”. This takes you out of wishful thinking into your will power, because it pushes you to the next step of figuring out HOW to achieve your goal. Examples:

I wish I had more money to I WILL have more money

I wish I was friends with my ex to I WILL be friends with my ex

I wish I had more tome to write in my journal to I WILL have more time to write in my journal

• Other exercises:

- Goals in the next month, year, five years

- List what you are afraid of. Burn it.

- List what makes you happy. Keep it.

- Pull a tarot card, medicine (animal) card, or angel card. Sketch it.

- Cartoons of you

- Songs, poems, quotes by others that inspire you

- Same as above, go from “I fear...” to “I wonder...”

- Pure color (finger painting)

- Create a couples journal, or a friendship journal

- That letter you would never send

- Who am I?

- Love letters to yourself

• Some book recommendations:

Earth Art Critters coloring books by Sue Coccia

The Coloring Book for Big Girls by Sudie Rukusin

When Your Heart Speaks, Take Good Notes: The Healing Power of Writing by Susan Borkin

The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity -- by Julia Cameron

The Creative Journal by Lucia Capacchione

“Turn your wish bone, daughter, into a back bone”

- author unknown

The Hobbit Tarot

Who could resist a hairy toed tarot? The Hobbit Tarot created by Peter Pracownik and Terry Donaldson follows Bilbo Baggins in his adventures as a parable for our own quests and challenges. The mythic world of JRR Tolkein combines with the symbology and system if the tarot, which represents our sties to self actualization.  As the author says,  "the beauty-and genius- of the Tarot is that as a set of simple pictures it holds universal appeal. It provides a very simple, yet profound way of looking at ourselves... (which) can lead to greater understanding and self-realization."

Three new card spreads are presented: a twelve card "Ring of Gollum" spread that puts the card in a circle that follows the houses in an astrology chart; Then a nine card "Sword of Aragon" spread, which looks at both past influences and future expressions; and a very pleasing fourteen card spread, where the cards are laid out in a spiral and read in a storytelling fashion, starting at the center and moving outwards.

This is a wonderful deck for anyone who was entranced with Lord of the Rings. The 96 page booklet is very detailed in it's description of the card and it's divinatory meaning, including reversed cards. Shuffling through the cards face up, the images reminded me of first reading of the epic back in the fifth grade, and I thought about my own journey on the earth over the last forty six years. I cut the deck into three, pulling cards:

Where am I now: Nine of Coins -  Bilbo is seen with the Arkenstone out under a new moon, making the difficult decision to turn it over to the Bard. This card brings a sense of arrival, achievement, heightened self reliance and self worth with a warning against excessive enjoyment.

Where am I coming from: Eight of Cups - two eagles swoop in the sky while the silhouette of a horse and rider head towards the mountains. The traditional card of retreat or withdrawal, the divinatory meaning speaks to looking for something on a deeper level, commitments, and trust in being guided.

Where I am going: VIII - Strength - Gandalf Leans against a rune stone, taking a moment to fill his pipe and find the strength in resting awhile. The message here is take control by accessing inner strength and a need fir determination. A gentle touch combined with emotional strengths can be a way to deal with problems.

Blessed be.

Dark Heart Mandala

For my master's degree, I took an elective on mandala art. We worked from a few texts, my favorite being Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing by Judith Cornell, PhD. I will be posting my own mandalas here on my blog, and encourage you to create your own. It was therapeutic, engaging, and most importantly, fun! I used colored pencils on black construction paper, both purchased from my local art store.

For this mandala, i have to say I love how the luminous effects are an interplay between dark and light, and I found myself thinking a lot about the recent work we did on "owning the shadow" in the hypnotherapy program that I teach at Twin Lakes College, and the need to embrace and integrate all the aspects of the self to create that feeling of enlightenment.

Secrets to Abundance

• In the ancient art of Feng Shui, spaces (home, office, room, property) are divided up into nine sections, each with a specific “life value” or focus. For today's talk, I am focused on two: Wealth & Abundance (always the furthest corner in the room from the door) and Helpful Beings, (found in the first right hand corner in relation to the door).

• As opposites attract, and balance is often key to resolving any blocks in energy flow, we as business women are often aware of how being in service has a correlation with our income and cash flow. One way to increase our positive cash flow energy is to focus on helpful beings, ie helpful people, friends, family, colleagues, team members, networks and community as well as spirit guides, angels, ancestors  - “all visible and invisible beings”.

• Cigar boxes, pencil boxes, hat boxes, a large bowl, a mason jar - anything can serve as your helpful people box. Nothing too big - you don’t want to psychically burden yourself! Personalize by decorating with pictures of friends, family, spirit guides, goddesses, angels, pets, animal guides, etc. Images of multiples e.g. a ring of fairies has a different feel than a single fairy.

• Helpful people boxes bring chi, positive energy to this life station, whether or not you reinforce it by also placing the helpful people box in the helpful people corner. Bring intention to another life value if placing it in another area e.g. “I now invite helpful people into my career and on my life path.”

• What do I put in it? Business cards, Leads slips, post it notes, index cards, magic money (if making a check out to yourself, mark it VOID), prayers, quotes, fortune cookie messages, written intentions (80% of what we write down comes true in a year - Well Adjusted story), something to represent YOU, your business (gift certificates, flyers). I keep a small notepad in my morning meditation space & start each day by putting in my clients.
• These are emotional deposits- prayers for people who have been helpful to you, e.g. “ Joanne Gramo has always been a helpful person to me. Let her now receive all the help she needs from all the visible and invisible helpful beings, this or something better now occurs for the greatest good.”

• “Unhelpful People” - people who are a pain in your life, soon either become helpful or become resolved. Praying for your enemies builds compassion as well as frees you emotionally - you know you’ve done your best, by turning it over to a higher power(s). E.g.. “May my annoying neighbor now receive all the help he needs to find a different home & move out, or become a helpful person to me by shutting the f* up, this or something better now occurs for the greatest good.”

• It is a symbolic act, and each time you see or use your box, you will be affirming the messages inside. It acts as a psychic “back burner”.

• Clean it out! Don’t let it get cluttered - I clean mine out with each change of season, and any other time I feel my “Power & Money” feels stuck - back to opposites attract, remember? Acts as a psychic “tickler” file for those spells in progress. It’s okay to have more than one - helpful people & spells in progress, home & office, individual & shared, etc.

• Feel the power of focusing your intentions, and visually see your emotional deposits grow. Feel gratitude for your connections and feel your true success.

Thank you for allowing me to be a helpful person to YOU!
Please feel free to contact me for more information, future workshops & lectures or for a personal session.

Kayla Garnet Rose, CHT
Certified Hypnotherapist, Santa Cruz, CA

Reiki Hand Mandala

This was one of my favorite exercises. After outlining my left hand, I felt the use of the white pencil to radiate the shape was the perfect symbol for reiki energy. I added a quote my Assata Shakure, " ...I believe in the magic of the hands and the wisdom of the eyes..."

Note: For my master's degree, I took an elective on mandala art. We worked from a few texts, my favorite being Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing by Judith Cornell, PhD. I will be posting my own mandalas here on my blog, and encourage you to create your own. It was therapeutic, engaging, and most importantly, fun! I used colored pencils on black construction paper, both purchased from my local art store.

Art Through The Eyes of The Soul Oracle

 "As an artist my highest aspirations is the infusion of Spirit into matter."- Cheryl Yambrach Rose

Access mythic beings and divine entities that exist in sacred sites through the recently released Art Through The Eyes of The Soul Oracle, painted and written by Cheryl Yambrach Rose, published by US Games Systems. Fifty-two over sized cards with gilded sides have images from original oil paintings andare accompanied by 108 page guidebook. Romantic, visionary and inspiring, these cards provide mystical guidance as well as deep insights into personal solutions by meditating upon the image and the sacred texts provided.

Each card is anecdotal in itself, reminiscent of fairy tale illustrations combined with the tapestries that graced Avalon of old. An affirmation is written on each card, however the guide book provides an expanded meaning with history, mythology and suggestions for incorporating the wisdom offered in everyday life. Rose suggests drawing a single card for daily guidance, or a three card spread - present, influence and guidance. There are iPhone and iPad apps that do three card layouts as well.

After opening the deck for the first time, I smudge the cards with sage and carefully look through the deck, noticing which ones catch my attention, speak to my deeper self. Then I shuffle the cards over and over, infusing them with my energy while creating chaos in the random disbursement of cards. I do my own personal favorite layout. I pull the first card with my left hand, coming from the heart. The second is with my right hand, coming from my head. The third card I use two hands, combining my heart and head together, creating my soul's purpose.


Heart card - A priestess is pulling a purple hood from her face. She is arising from a turquoise sea, and her braids that did into the primordial water are really spirals of DNA. She wears a gold crown and in the background is the new moon clustered in the Pleiades. Entitled "Beneath the Veil of Sophia" this card affirms create, activate your DNA, let the arts be a catalyst to bringing ideas into form, to create from one's dreams and heart's wisdom.

Head card - An angel dressed in white robes and veil crosses her hands over her heart. Between the tips of her lavender wings we see the planet earth, while in her lap there is a gold medallion. This card is called "Earth Rapture" and posits protection, guidance, feelings of being cherished, universal love and the golden age being born.

Soul card - A woman stands at the base of a mountain holding a lamp and walking stick, looking towards the rising sun. This is "The Hermit" who is here to encourage sharing wisdom, speaking one's truth and shining one's light. New life is beginning to take form and wisdom is waiting to be taught.

These are sumptuous cards, the Godiva chocolate of oracle decks, meant to be savored slowly, shared only with those who truly appreciate the finer things in life. Gift yourself or a loved one if you are a connoisseur of mythic art and would like to experience excellence in spiritual portraiture.

Blessed be.

Galaxy Mandala

For my master's degree, I took an elective on mandala art. We worked from a few texts, my favorite being Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing by Judith Cornell, PhD. I will be posting my own mandalas here on my blog, and encourage you to create your own. It was therapeutic, engaging, and most importantly, fun! I used colored pencils on black construction paper, both purchased from my local art store.

For the beginning exercises, I enjoyed creating the scale of light, playing with the subtle pearl shades of a nautilus shell unfolding across my black paper. It felt very tranquil and relaxing, just listening to the scratching of the pen and the rain outside while the drawing seemed to simply spiral out by itself. Here I tried a few variations, my favorite being a spiral unfolding into a galaxy full of stars and moons. It felt light and playful, a joyful moment in creation.

7 Affirmations for Inner Balance

I am balanced in my mind.
I am focused and engaged in creative and productive ways.

I am balanced in my vision.
I allow myself to dream and I follow through on my ideas.

I am balanced in my communication.
I listen attentively and I speak my truth compassionately.

I am balanced in my heart.
I am here to give love and I am here to receive love.

I am balanced in my belly.
I am beauty and I am laughter.

I am balanced in my boundaries.
I take in what I need and I let go of what no longer serves me.

I am balanced at the root of my being.
I attract what I need to grow and I fulfill all my desires.

Blessed Be.

(kgr 2006)

Ghosts and Spirits Tarot

While are ancestors and those who have passed are always around us, certainly it is at this time when the veils are the thinnest at Samhain that the Ghosts and Spirits Tarot by Lisa Hunt seems the most appropriate tool. Published by US Games Systems, this 79 card deck explores international supernatural lore and legend. Messages are delivered from the beyond through these ethereal images, illuminating our current situations, bridging past, present and future.

The author was always a sensitive child, picking up energies in her surroundings and compelled to transcribe her visions in order to bridge the physical and spirit worlds. She was fascinated, like all of us, by how do we as humans reconcile life and death, honor the dead, and prepare for the afterlife as expressed through many sources of lore and legend. As Hunt puts it, "Let the ghosts and spirits talk to you and help you dissolve the barriers between conscious constraint and objective inner reflection... (they) are messengers (and) a conduit for further communication and understanding."

Hunt presents a five card spread called The Realm of the Spirits spread to unearth whatever haunts your past and to free yourself to enjoy the present. The five cards pulled are:

1. Spirit of the Present: The right now, inspirations, concerns, anything that feels missing.
2. Ghost of the Past: whatever is lurking from the past that needs liberating
3. What frightens you: What is buried in the subconscious and needs to be faced and confronted.
4. What lifts your spirits: that which brings joy and liberation that needs to be embraced more fully.
5. Spirit of the Future: one you have removed the cobwebs of doubt, you are ready to move towards your chosen destiny.

I shuffle the deck, first the standard seven times for randomness, then thirteen times as it seemed appropriate. I am a wimp by nature and my daughter laughed when she saw the deck, knowing I am easily spooked. With the intention to look my demons in the eye and bid us to become allies, I pulled the following cards:

1. Present: Queen of Pentacles. A pale yellow card reminds me of the harvest, a dour looking queen wanders the fallow fields surveying the first sprinklings of snow. Dressed in white, she carries an amulet. Here is Cailleach Bheur, the Scottish bringer of winter storms, a reminder of the necessity for cycles of change and to make plans for the future.

2. Past: 3 of Pentacles. Three wraiths seem to juggle three different disks deep inside a cave, blocking a pathway that has stone spirits guarding the way. Considered the Divine Dead, the Manes inhabit crypts and burial monuments. The card represents a time to renew or create skills, and to acknowledge how individuals contribute to team effort.

3. Fear: 8 of Swords. A skeletal being reaches for the hilt of one of eight swords. In the background are many skulls, seeming to me like the echoes of the past, regret and remorse. The Flying Dutchman represents being indifferent, restrictive thinking, and feelings of futility.

4. Joys: 8 of Pentacles: one of the more positive images, a small bald headed gnome in a green tunic pauses between two enchanted trees who seem engaged in gossip. You know, they herd it through the grape vine. The Kobold from Germany is a household spirit who are helpful as long as respected, a reminder to work hard, be skillful and invest wisely.

5. Future: The Chariot. The only major arcana pulled, a figure labors through the snow by the edge of the treelike, staff in hand. In the background we see skeletal figures on horses, blades drawn, trampling across the night sky. More spectral faces fill the cosmos as birds take flight on the horizon. This is The Wild Hunt, signifying the polarities and a time to take action.

I love stories and mythology, and certainly the Ghosts and Spirits Tarot has added to my repertoire  of lores and legends. I intend to convey to my clients in order to give them comfort, hope and ways to let go of the past, to properly grieve and mourn that which has died, whether a relationship, business, deeply cheriched concept or actual being who has passed to the other side.

Blessed be.

Star of Life Mandala

In creating this mandala, I liked the build up of the numerology: from one blank page, to the duality of white pencil on black paper, the introduction of the three primary colors, now adding the secondary, creating a six, just like the star of David shape in this exercise. I added three pencils to my mix and pondered the ways I have added new tools to my practice over the years, and how this has allowed for a finer refinement of tints and shadows, literally and metaphysically.

8 Tips for Transformation

• Drink water: no ice – you’ll drink more; same with using a straw. When you urinate, consciously let go of whatever has been pissing you off lately. Same when you defecate – say out loud, “I now release all this old crap.” Notice that as you release the accumulated emotional and physical toxins, the sense of well being and serenity that permeates your body.

   • Breathe: take in what you need, and let go of what no longer serves you. Take deeper and deeper breaths until you feel the richness in your veins. Laughter is the best medicine – Breathe into your Buddha belly and feel a big belly laugh whenever you want to feel high.

• Purify: hot showers, hot baths, hot tubs saunas: release toxins naturally and effectively. Transmute old poisons, shed your skin, wash away the past to feel cleansed and renewed. Neti pots cleanse the sinuses & clear the head of congested thoughts.

• Cry: with a friend, a counselor, your favorite pet, a sappy movie, or yourself. Release grief, disappointment, guilt, heart break, frustration and the chemical compounds found only in emotional tears.

• Combine modalities: Chiropractic, acupuncture, traditional therapy, Reiki, nutrition and massage support the mind-body connection made during hypnosis. Ask for personal recommendations.

   • Meditate: Start your day by simply stating your intentions, take a moment to visualize them as if they have already occurred, feel that in your body, and breathe it into every cell of your being. To further amplify this frequency, write in your journal, speak your truth, or better yet, sing your truth. Attract what you need in order to grow.

    • Love your body: Feed yourself good, yummy foods that you truly enjoy to nourish your whole being; play with your body, dance, do yoga, go roller skating, get an exercise ball, stretch. Get rid of your scale – you’ll be surprised how much happier you’ll feel.

   • Sleep: as much as you want to. Take naps. Remember your dreams. Your mind and body are doing the repair work. This is where deep healing occurs. Allow yourself to go to bed when you want to, and to wake up when you want to. Get rid of your alarm clock – you’ll be surprised how easily you wake up when you need to, feeling rejuvenated, relaxed and refreshed, ready for a new day.

• Laugh: all the way to the bank, in your car, during dinner. make people wonder what you are up to. Smile at strangers. Make eye contact. Make “I contact”.

• Have fun!

copyright kayla g. rose 2008, 2012

Pick a card, any card: The Playing Card Oracles

By their numbers, suits and pictures
The cards communicate
And begin to tell their story
Each time we shuffle fate.
-CJF

The Playing Card Oracles Divination Deck by Ana Cortez and CJ Freeman has a regular deck of 52 playing cards, each transformed by original artwork to invoke the wisdom of the ancient oracles. Here, the LWB is definitely our friend and guide to interpreting the archetypes and symbols of each card and revealing hidden meanings. With irrisitable names such as 10 of Diamonds, Tendra and 9 of Spades: The Throne of Spiders each card beckons for more investigation. Ultimately though, as the author states, "let the images, the colors, and the total picture of the cards in your layouts inspire your interpretations. The magic is inside *you*."

Very clearly not a tarot deck, instead the author links the 52 cards with the calendar and 52 weeks to a year. Cortez presents two spreads, the Present Spread and the Cats Spread, both of which use the cards in a way to look at the weeks and months to come.  She also suggests to look at the 4 card spread as if looking at a person, the bottom card relating to issues of the earth, feet, home, career, possessions etc of a foundational nature; the next card relating to water, the torso, love and emotions; the third card speaking to the air, throat, ideas and communication; and the top card representing fire, the head, what is dominating the reading and what the seeker is most aware of in the current situation.

After shuffling the deck seven times, focusing on what was grounding me (feet), what was moving me (heart/womb/torso), what was I talking about/listening to (throat) and what was most on my mind (head) I pulled the following cards:

For my first card I pulled 11 of Spades, Pampero, a shirtless man in striped tights is holding a thin épée loosely in his hands, looking somehow both amused and battle scarred. "This Jack makes a loyal ally or formidable adversary. Unlike his one sided brother in hearts, La Hire, who hides his other side, Pampero seems to be lacking in any great dimension."

The second card was 9 of Clubs, Galahad, a knight in full armor kneels upon a cushion win the clouds while gazing upon a Grail centered in the sun. "...associated with idealistic vision, and the tendency to become disconnected from reality."

The next card was 2 of Diamonds: The Rivals.  My first instinct was to say a succubus in evening gloves lounges on a cloud while a man gasps for air below her, his body half buried in the earth. "Rivalry or clash within our lives can create the push that brings our personal best." originally the card I resisted the most when I pulled it, this lesson actually rings the most true in my life right now.

The last card was 2 of Hearts: The Lovers. A man and a woman are back to back, bound together by ropes, both at the chest and one arm at the elbow. Each has their free arm outstretched, pointing or beckoning to something beyond our sight. "Two hearts are bound together in a relationship, tethered by the sweet and bitter cords of emotion." for what is most on my mind, this certainly ran true.

A very different reading from the upbeat, optimistic Art of Life reading, I certainly know the perfect goth person who would enjoy these cards and get a lot out of them.  There is also a full length source book available, The Playing Card Oracles by Ana Cortez, presenting the history and methodology for card reading. Beautifully illustrated by her father, C. J. Freeman, who also provided stories and poems for the book.

Blessed be.

Thoughts on Reiki

What is Reiki? A good question. I have been an astrologer and tarot reader for a number of years, and I noticed that during my sessions I would run incredibly hot. I learned to wear short sleeve shirts and slip off shoes even in winter, to send the nervous energy through my feet into the earth to be grounded for my client. Then I heard about Reiki, the passing of energy for the most beneficial good, and instantly became intrigued. It has been an amazing way to help my clients get unstuck, whether combined with hypnotherapy or as a modality on it's own.

Developed by Dr. Usui in the early 1900s in Japan, Reiki is one way to tap into universal energy and channel that energy into a being, space or situation. When I enrolled in my first course, I expected to learn some techniques much like my notion of learning massage. To my surprise, what we really did was about fifteen hours of meditation, after being attuned and learning secret symbols that facilitate the flow of energy and the release of blocks and negativity. I had a profound vision during my Reiki I class, that included being deeply in service and a vision of washing Jesus's feet with my hair, cleaning his wounds and assisting him. I was not brought up Christian, so this was a very unexpected. After this class, I was qualified to perform self reiki, to pass energy through my own body to facilitate relaxation and thus the healing process. I also noticed a new relationship with animals - cats would come running up to me in the street, a phenomenon I like to call reikitty.

After year of practice,  I went for Reiki II in order to learn how to assist others. Another fifteen hour meditation ensued, learning more symbols and becoming attuned to Reiki energy through the Reiki master. Once again I set my intention to being in service for my clients, and this time I saw myself before Mary Magdalene, washing her feet with my hair, wiping away her tears, knowing my role is to offer comfort and compassion to those who have suffered loss and grief.

And so I decided to go for my Reiki mastery, the ability to do distance healings as well as deepening my wisdom. I had been through a period of conflict and inner confusion, and I set the intention to experience clarity. On the second day of our atunements, nine women circled me on the massage table, the last one to receive the Reiki energy that day. One woman laid her hands on my temples, another on my ankles, the others forming a linking bridge to continuously pass energy through my being. Clarity, clarity, clarity, I chanted when Jim Carrey appeared...

Yes, Jim Carrey, snorting like crazy, a bottle of sinus medication in one hand, laughing at me, saying, "Clarity? You want Clarity? Try this for clariry, Kayla! Try lightening up!" Yes, how to cultivate lightheartedness, how to see humor in my situation, how to in ire my clients through the ultimate medicine, laughter.

I have a deep respect for Reiki and practice every day, both on myself and with my clients. But I always have a secret smile before we begin, blessing the situation in the name of Jesus, Mary and Jim...

Just for today...

I let go of anger, knowing I can gently express my inner needs
I let go of worry, choosing to trust that I have been heard
I am deeply thankful, to a kind and benevolent universe
I am focused on my work in creative and productive ways
I am kind and loving, to myself and all beings

I am willing to laugh, at myself and all that delights me...

Blessed Be.

(Adapted from the 5 principles of Reiki)

Art of Life Tarot

 The real voyage of discovery lies not in finding new landscapes, but in having new eyes. -Marcel Proust

As I have confessed before, I am a quotaholic: I am powerless over a good quote. And what better way to have a quote a day to fulfill my quota than the  Art of Life Tarot Deck by Charlene Livingstone. This stunning deck combines three of my passions: art, tarot and quotes, but what really impressed me the most was the packaging. The cards come in a box where the lid folds up into a nifty little pop up frame, complete with a clear plastic cover, making this a wonderful accoutrement for your desk or altar.

The Art of Life, recently published by US Games Systems, can be used for traditional tarot readings but for me works best as my daily affirmation. For years it has been my practice to pull a tarot card everyday, and these delightful cards have added a new layer of literature and art appreciation to my life. While the oversized cards were difficult for my small hands to shuffle, they truly do the art and quotes justice, any smaller and details would have been lost. The card backs have a beautiful detail of The Tree of Life by Gustav Klimt.

Developed by Livingstone when her husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, she found herself using the tarot as a way to find meaning and comfort rather than a mere hobby. A vivid dream inspired her combine her experiences and sense of purpose to give others a means to also help themselves. She writes in the LWB, "most importantly, I created the Art of Life because I wanted to empower the reader...to give (a) sense of strength, possibility and optimism... To encourage contemplation and for the reader to discover that the answers to life lie within."

Indeed, The Little White Book(LWB) is quite sparse in it's description and meaning of each of the cards,  but it will be clear to the expert reader that each one is a good representation of traditional meaning. Novice readers might find the deck confusing if they are trying to learn basic numerology and the five elements, but certainly they will enjoy the rich tapestry of images and inspiration that the cards provide.

I decided to do the Creativity Spread provided in the LWB:
Card 1 - Inspiration: What inspires you to do the best work possible?
Card 2 - Influences: Who or what has influences you in your decisions and endeavors?
Card 3 - Challenges: What current challenges do you face in your life?
Card 4 - Process: Where are you in your current process? What do you need to do to reach your goals?
Card 5 - Final Outcome: What are the results of your creative endeavors or current projects?

I shuffled the cards, thinking about my current creative projects, ranging from rearranging the furniture recently with more of a feng shui approach to revamping my website while Mercury was retrograde, playing in my garden after a long hiatus and my recent introduction to ballroom dance classes with my sweetie. I thought about my own long term plans create a tarot deck, how slow the artwork seems to be coming along although the writing is done. After cutting the deck three times and asserting no attachment to outcome, I drew the following cards.

Card 1 - Inspiration: Four of Wands (Harmony, Fulfillment, Growth) "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant." - Robert Louis Stevenson. Art: Red Vineyards at Arles by Vincent Van Gogh, 1888. Interpretation: A good reminder to review my long term visions and goals.

Card 2 - Influences: The Lovers (Love, Beauty, Choice) Quote: "The heart has reasons that reason cannot know." - Blaise Pascal. Art: Endymion by George Frederic Watts, 1869. Interpretation: Working with my partner in creative ways is a positive influence now, for example, our video series.

Card 3 - Challenges: The Magician (Will, Determination, Creative Power) Quote: "I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul." - William Henley. Art: Opus 217. Against the Enamel Background Rhythmic with Beats and Angels, Tones and Tints, Portrait of Felix Feneonin by Paul Signac, 1890. Interpretation: Yes, it is challenging to do it all by myself, but it is up to me to do the work.

Card 4 - Process: Page of Wands (Enthusiasm, Ambition) Quote: "It's never too late to be what you might have become." - George Eliot. Art: The New Armor by Franz Meyerheim, 1858. Interpretation: This is a message of energy to me,  as well a seeing being a teacher a part of my process.

Card 5 - Final Outcome: I was not content with drawing a minor arcana to end a reading, so I ended up pulling three cards, the first two being my steps to outcome.

• Two of Pentacles (Harmony, Achievement, Balance) Quote: "Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort." - Franklin D. Roosevelt. art: Blue Dances by Edgar Degas, 1899. Interpretation: Enjoy the journey as well as the destination.

• Queen of Wands (Affability, Growth, Motivation) Quote: "The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own."- Benjamin Disraeli. Art: Madam Heriot by Pierre August Renoir, 1882. Interpretation: Nourish my energy and share the abundance of my wisdom.

• The World (Self Actualization, Fulfillment, Wholeness) Quote: "All that Adam had, all that Caesar could, you have and can do... Build, therefore, your own world." - Ralph Waldo Emerson. Art: The Proportions of the Human figure by Leonardo da Vinci, 1492. Interpretation: I am a co-creator of this universe and I am now creating my reality exactly the way I want it.

Certainly a positive and optimistic reading, I am aware of pulling three wands (enterprise, development, creativity) and three major arcana (universal life stagehand major events) but the most significant card for me was The Lovers as my influence, for certainly my sweetie has been my muse, support and inspiration.  The Art of Life Tarot is indeed a treasure and will be treasured for generations to come.

Blessed be.

Chop Wood, Scratch Itch

Right now I am at happy hour at my favorite local restaurant. The sun is hot on my back, the music a pleasant background noise, the day feels unhurried and  accomplished at the same time. I love my California life, all that I have created, from the order and routine to the sudden surprises and chances for spontaneity.  It feels so good to be in a significantly different place than a few years ago - enjoying a relationship, enjoying a steady stream of clients, excited about future projects while staying present in the here and now.

I have a mild case of poison oak on my thumbs, either from weeding or the cats, and I ponder what has been nettling me, what irritants have crept under my skin to boil and itch. How does this excess fluid serve to protect, to heal, to bring awareness and attention where my body needs it most.

I spill salsa on my iPad, taking a moment to dab it off the virtual keyboard, pondering the changes in technology in my lifetime, all that has yet to come. I saw an article on wrist chips, saw a Dick Tracy type watch. Soon our children will be cloning sparrow wings to their backs, growing antennas from their heads as the click their jaw to make a phone call. I'm sure I'll seen old fashioned and obsolete, she who still marvels at texting.

As we move to more voice commands, clicking of icons and using abbreviations to communicate, I wonder not just at a basic loss of literacy and a turnoff a more symbolic time, just as the development of the funnies arose from the need to illustrate current events in the times of illiteracy, I wonder what will happen to our left brains, as the right more symbolic side is found reflected in society, as surely as videos and visual, passive culture has replaced Sunday drives and mornings with the new york times.

I rub my nails against my thumb and wonder if in the future a simple gesture would start my laundry, wash the dishes, have dinner prepared before I get home. Or does it just keep me grounded, in the here in now, chop wood, carry water, scratch itch...

The Power of Affirmations

Focused Intentions
When a client comes for a session, the first step is to identify their goals and desired outcome. During hypnosis in particular, the client can imagine a new way of being and can take the steps to have it happen, as well as tap into their motivation as a program to success. During trance, the client is given suggestions to support their solutions. For example, I am relaxed and centered, and every moment counts. Affirmations are used in transpersonal psychology, but are also cross cultural. Prayers, mantras, chants, and blessings affirm one's place in the universe. Even something as little as saying bless you or Gesundheit after a sneeze is that affirmation of May you be blessed with health. We are also familiar with the expressions Bon Appetit or One day at a time.

Positive Thinking Works
Affirmations can be found everywhere: fortune cookies, horoscopes, angel cards, bumper stickers, quotes, and even lines from your favorite songs. I recently read that Melissa Ethridge kept a scrap of paper on which her surgeon had scribbled "You will be fine" next to her bed during her treatment for breast cancer, and how important it was for her to repeat those words as part of her healing process.  

Power of Suggestion
 The suggestions used are affirmations, a positive way to reinforce the client process. Affirmations work both during trance and as an anchor in daily life to continue to activate the subconscious mind and create constructive associations. As seen the documentary, What the Bleep Do We Know? it is in this way you can create new neural pathways to release different neuro chemicals then the ones you could be addicted to out of past programming.  

Gentle Reminders
Affirmations can be placed anywhere: in your bathroom, on mirrors, in your car, your fridge, your wallet, your computer screen saver. In my car I have a little dashboard compartment that when I flip up reveals the quote, "She Who Laughs, Lasts."
Affirmations are especially effective when put into the third person, and when put into the past tense. They change wishful thinking into willful thinking. Notice the difference in the saying "I wish I didn't have a broken heart"to "I will heal my broken heart" to "You have healed your heart."

Power of Affirmations
  From the dictionary - To affirm: to state or assert positively; to maintain as true; to confirm. Quite simply to make firm - to use as a foundation or basis for one's beliefs. Affirmations offer comfort, support and motivation.One of favorites, "...you are a child of the universe no less than the trees or stars, and whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should... -From 'Desiderata' by Max Ehrmann

Emotional Deposits
When we compliment another person, we are affirming their reality, we build their bank of self esteem by giving them an emotional deposit. Affirmations repeated for yourself add to your own bank of self-esteem for a feelings of confidence and personal success. Practice saying, I am a co-creator of my reality. I am now creating my life exactly as I want it.  

Engage Your Senses
Affirmations are especially effective when used with other modalities, for example using a hand mudra or other physical cue, or associating it with a scent. One client had a fear of flying, but through hypnosis she associated the smell of lavender with being relaxed, and before each flight would breathe in a sachet of lavender to feel calm and at ease.
  Change is Our Friend

When you stop seeing your affirmation, it's often because you have incorporated that message, or that message no longer serves you. Change your affirmations as you evolve into who you want to become. As my friend Laurie Biggers says, "Embrace Change as a doorway to a more peaceful existence."

Hypnosis to Quit Smoking for Good

Hypnosis to Quit Smoking for Good

Smoking is an interesting habit - people quit smoking for as many reasons as they started smoking - and absolutely hypnosis is helpful in changing any habit. Hypnotherapy allows you to discover the deeper purpose behind smoking and how to fulfill that purpose in a new, healthier, deeply satisfying way. Because all of this is happening in your own mind, it is always the perfect right solution for you.

Some interesting facts: In breaking smoking cycle, it takes 3 days for the nicotine release; 21 days for the emotional release; and almost 2 years for the plaque build up to clear your arteries. Hypnosis is helpful for the immediate withdrawal symptoms; for processing the release of emotional toxins over the mid range; and for managing/decreasing stress in the long run.

I do a minimum of three sessions over one week to quit smoking for good. The first session is the “getting to know you” session, My intake includes looking at what is your main motivation, your 3 strongest reasons to quit; past success with quitting; support systems in your life; and what affirmations are you making now. Some examples: “I smell fresh”, “ I reach for health” and a personal favorite, “Every breath is a gift”.

During the first session I teach a simple, one minute self hypnosis technique that effectively anchors the feelings of whatever it is that smoking brings you into a part of the body. Repeating the technique while tapping that part of the body instantly brings you to that place, circumventing the need for an actual cigarette.

The second session is almost completely done in trance, and is to quit smoking entirely. This can include imagining all the future situations where you would be tempted to smoke and seeing yourself as a permanent nonsmoker. It also includes visualizing releasing all your smoking paraphernalia, from ash trays to lighters to packs or cartons of cigarettes. This reinforces your self-programming, especially when combined with your anchor.

The last session is a goodbye ritual, acknowledging how Father Tobacco has served you in life, and honoring Spirit of the Plants. I combine reiki in my sessions, using the energy to further dissolve any stagnation. According to chinese medicine, grief is stored in the lungs, and often folks who smoke are stuck in some sort of grief, and hypnosis allows for a symbolic death, mourning, and most importantly, moving on to reaffirm life.

Some folks feel it’s about having enough will power, but really I see it as changing wishful thinking into willful thinking. Feel the difference in saying out loud, “I wish I could stop smoking” and “I WILL stop smoking” When you say, “I will” your brain says, “How?” and is all excited to participate. The simple truth is: You will know when it is time to quit. I had one client come to quit smoking, which she did in 3 days, after over a year of weekly hypnotherapy sessions to address the real reason behind her smoking: stress (the proverbial smoke screen). Once she had built up the internal resources to manage her emotions and discovered ways to release her stress in a positive way, she was ready to let go of her smoking habit. Allow yourself all the time you need, and remember to embrace change as a doorway to a more peaceful existence.

I hope this is helpful. Call or email for an appointment when you are ready to quit smoking  for good!

Summer Personal Enrichment Sessions

Journey with the Goddess

Come and journey with the Goddess to learn poetry, mythology and rituals for personal enrichment, transformation and growth. Choose to work with one Goddess or learn how to combine the energies of several through guided meditations.

• Amaterasu: Goddess of Beauty, Self Esteem, Joy
• Aphrodite: Goddess of Love, Self Love, Self Care
• Baba Yaga: The Wild Woman, Creativity, Vitality
• Changing Woman: Celebration of Cycles, Transitions
• Durga: Goddess of Good Boundaries, Sacred Circle of Self
• Freya: Goddess of Sexuality, Sensuality
• Hecate: Goddess of the Crossroads, Perspective
• Innana: Embracing the Shadow, Reclaiming Wholeness
• Isis: Goddess of Mothering, Birthing and Nurturing
• Kuan Yin: Goddess of Compassion, Deep Listening, Release
• Lakshmi: Goddess of Abundance, Prosperity, Opening to Flow
• Pele: Goddess of Awakening, Awareness, Transforming Anger
• Shakti: Goddess of Energy, Recharging, Revitalizing, Balancing

 Astrology Lessons

 • Basic Astrology: 
Sun, Moon and Rising Signs
3 sessions devoted to the basic astrology chart

• Beginners Astrology: 
10 session course is an introduction to learning how to read the birth chart. Topics include:
• The 12 signs of the Zodiac
• The Planet and Asteroids, Myths and  Meaning
• The Houses and their importance
• Understanding Aspects

• Advanced Astrology:
10 session course designed to delve further into the birth chart, as well as cover
• Transits and Forecasts
• Major Life Cycles
• Relationship and Synastry Charts

“Kayla is an amazing, multi-talented woman.... In the year that I’ve been meeting with her, she has assisted me in working through several big life changes. I consistently come out of our meetings feeling I received a wealth of ideas and insights, and that I am more capable of meeting future challenges.” - Ginger McClesky, El Cerrito

Journey Through The Tarot

Want to know just what's in the cards, for you or your friends? Whether a complete beginner or already an experienced reader, come to a series of refreshing classes to learn the tarot at your own pace. Topics include:

• The importance of play
• Basic numerology
• The five elements
• Major and minor Arcana
• Intuition and storytelling
• A variety of card layouts

I really got a lot out of Kayla's class "Journey Through the Tarot". I was actually looking for an astrology class when I found this class on the internet. I learned a lot about the tarot, numerolgy and even some astrology. I highly recommend Kayla as a teacher, she's engaging, funny and very knowledgeable, I looked forward to my class every week! I'm now more than capable of doing tarot readings and I'm really enjoying it. Thanks so much Kayla!
Lanee Buchholz

  

Creative Abundance - 10 Weeks to Greater Prosperity

Engage both your right brain and your left brain in an interactive 10 week program with Kayla Garnet Rose, Certified Hypnotherapist, designed to activate greater abundance and prosperity into your life. Includes:

• Vision Boards
• Money Meditations
• Helpfy People Boxes
• Paths to Abundance

 and other tools to continue to generate money, support, energy, love and all that you need to create abundance in your being.

This class is awesome! I took it last year and went on a 23 day vacation (to Brazil and Antartica) this year! It works! - Lisa Carter, Santa Cruz

This class was beyond expectation. Now I am grounded, guided and have a thriving new business. I will take this class again and again. This timeless information indeed opens you up to Abundance. Thank you Kayla - Kristine Barnes Garbini, Aromas

Regular sessions are 60 minutes:
Individual sessions $95
Prepay 3 sessions $270 (save $15)
Prepay 5 sessions $425 (save $50)
Prepay 10 sessions $795 (save $155)

Summer Special: Sign up for any 
Personal Enrichment Program and bring a friend for FREE! 

Call (831) 435-5182 or email to start your Personal Enrichment Program today!

What am I discovering about myself in relationship to gratitude

I am discovering that gratitude lives in all the parts of my body, not just in my heart. My feet are grateful for warm clean socks, to walk the narrow path by the roadway, to feel sand between my toes.

My body is grateful for being warm, for a good nights sleep, for a breakfast I would never make myself, hot turkey eggy bready thing seeming to be most delicious and nourishing thing I have ever eaten.

My hands are grateful to write. It is so different not using a pen but to tap out the letters on the keyboard, I notice my writing is much slower, yet keeps up with my thoughts. My hands are grateful to touch Chips, feeling the warm pulse where his thumb joins his palm, the quiet connection as we each are absorbed in our thoughts.

I am discovering that my eyes are grateful, from seeing the stark cement and asphalt that makes up San Francisco to truly appreciating the colors and textures here, the mossy greens and golden sunsets, the rich browns of the dorm room beams, the way the stain glass changes every time I walk up the stairs.

My ears are grateful for the silence, for the rest from constant chatter, the radio, the tv, of having to listen closely to every word a client says, every nuance in the cats meow. I didn't realize my ears were tired until they could just rest in the quiet.

My throat is grateful too. All day long I talk and talk,whether giving my students a four hour lecture or conversing with my clients, catching Chip up on the details of the day, practicing French with Amber. My mouth appreciates whispering, smiling, my tongue being still, content to rest in it's bed, a lazy day weekend feeling in my teeth.

I am discovering gratitude in my brain, flashes of insights like fireflies in the dusk, prayers and blessings running through my mind like a gentle stream, with no need to try to catch and bottle each essence, trusting that the source will continue to flow.

My bones are filled with appreciation, for creating structure in my life, my joints grateful for being flexible. I notice my spine loving the cushions, the couch, for being fully supported while relaxing into the ease of each moment.

And yes, I am discovering gratitude in my heart. What it means to be grateful, to be great and to be full. I notice my heart feels calm and peaceful, safe in my chest, open to possibility and expanding in awareness with each pulse, each breath.

Blessed be.

Journey through the Tarot: Major Arcana

INTRO TO THE TAROT: MAJOR ARCANA
Kayla Garnet Rose, CHT
Arcana refers to wisdom, and the major Arcana are the cards depicting the major life lessons on all the planes, physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual. Learn about using the tarot as a personal mandala for guided meditation. No experience necessary!

Saturday 1-6pm June 9 $49

How to Apply
Call the office (831) 476-2152 to request an application or
download application from website: twinlakescollege.org/enrollment.php.

What do I take for granted in my life

I take my house for granted. There are times when I realize an earthquake could completely destroy my castle and all my possessions, but mostly I just depend on it being there for me. I remember to thank my parents on a regular basis for this amazing gift, and I clean and repair it too, but after 18 years in one place I know there is much I no longer see.

I do see it when other people come over, who exclaim at the murals, the artwork, how light and airy it is, clean and spacious. I take for granted that I have a garden, even resenting at times the constant weeding and pruning, but when I see other yards that are just patchy grass and maybe a jade plant or two that I come back to appreciating the landscaping I have done over the years.

I even take living in Santa Cruz for granted, having now spent over half my life here. When we go to San Diego is when I remember that I live in paradise, that I am blessed to live in a place where I can walk everywhere, where people smile and are genuinely friendly. Santa Cruz is the third most expensive place to live in the country, people come here to vacation or retire and then there are those of us who are in service.

I love my community and take for granted that it is a peaceful place, and the recent deaths of two teenagers whose parents I know came as a shock and a dismay. The good times posted an article about serial killers tom the 70s, when Santa Cruz was known as the murder capital of the world. I take for granted feeling safe, I walk the streets of my neighborhood at 2 am feeling secure, feeling that anyone I run into simply can't sleep either, rather than intending me harm.

I take being an American for granted. I lived in Europe until I was 15, and used to be much more aware of how amazing it is to live in this country. I have become complacent, not following politics although I always vote, not appreciating the freedoms and liberties we enjoy here, especially as a white middle class person living in California.

I take the Internet for granted, and get miffed when loading time is slow or net flicks stops to reload. The Internet is a modern miracle that my daughter cannot imagine living without, that for me has replacing the phone, an instrument I really hate to use. This weekend being here with to Internet let's me appreciate how it keeps me connected, socially and professionally, as well as it's slightly addictive qualities.



It all starts with an awareness. Let me change what I take for granted into an even deeper gratitude...

Blessed be.

Journey through the Tarot with Kayla Garnet Rose

INTRO TO THE TAROT: MINOR ARCANA
Kayla Garnet Rose, CHT
Want to know what’s in the cards for you and your friends?
Whether a complete beginner or already an experience reader,
come to an introductory workshop on learning tarot.
Saturday 1-6pm April 14 $49

INTRO TO THE TAROT: MAJOR ARCANA
Kayla Garnet Rose, CHT
Arcana refers to wisdom, and the major Arcana are the cards
depicting the major life lessons on all the planes, physical,
emotional, intellectual and spiritual. Learn about using the
tarot as a personal mandala for guided meditation. 
Saturday 1-6pm June 9 $49

How to Apply
Call the office (831) 476-2152 to request an application or
download application from website: twinlakescollege.org/enrollment.php.