Art Alchemy Workshops in LowellOne of the problems with self-development is that it can sometimes just be…not…fun. Not that everything has to be fun,[…]Read More Your Wild Life Coaching in the New YearHappy new year, everyone! Last year I spent the year writing my way through some of the Major Arcana of the tarot, exploring the themes and archetypes that came up…this year I’d like to do something different…Read More Best Wiccan and Pagan Holiday Gifts 2017It’s getting into holiday purchasing time, and there’s always the question of what to get for your friends or family who are wiccan, pagan, or just spiritually inclined. There’s always underwear and socks, but that won’t make you popular with anyone. Here are ten of my favorite things, which of course means that if you want to buy ME something you’ll have to find something else.Read More GratitudeIt’s commonly known that the best way to attract positive things into your life is to be grateful for what you already have. We’re usually grateful for the good things, for the things we don’t really need to think too hard about. Often, when people keep a gratitude journal, they put down the same things over and over: family, a roof over their head, enough food.Read More How to be StrongI’ve done martial arts for many years now, specifically Uechi Ryu karate, and sometimes it feels hard to take myself seriously, because I’m short and a lot of people are taller and stronger than me…Read More Fermentation FunI’ve been drinking a bottle of kombucha every day lately. It’s a great pick-me up in the afternoon, has all sorts of healthy benefits, and keeps me away from yet more coffee. But that stuff is darned expensive, and the recycling bin keeps filling up with the bottles.Read More Journal Prompt – Let’s Write About Your StrengthsHow many of us can see the strength and good qualities in others, but when looking at ourselves we see only the places we fall short or feel like we’re lacking?Read More AffirmationRead More Thoughts on My Card of the YearEach year, I pick a tarot card out of the Major Arcana to function as my “card of the year.” The idea is that this will either be the needed focus of my life in the next twelve months or will just give me grist for thought in my self-development efforts.Read More Cool Thing–Awesome Planner SuppliesSo if you’re into planners, organization, and journaling, the next best thing to the actual journal or planner is finding nifty stuff to use with it. Pens, ink, stickers, oh my! Here’s some of my favorite sources for accessories:Read More AffirmationRead More Journal Post – Play a Game of “Fortunately, Unfortunately.”Let’s play a game of “Fortunately, Unfortunately.” Have you heard of this one? There’s an old story that goes something[…]Read More How to Start (and Keep) JournalingWe’ve been doing journaling prompts for half the year now–but have you been DOING them? Do you write in your journal frequently or, like many of us, have you just never managed to get a writing practice going? Read More Dragontree Apothecary Dreambook and Planner ReviewIn June, I reported that I was excited to try out the Dragontree Apothecary’s Dreambook and Planner. I’ve had it for a few weeks, and I’ve really enjoyed using it. I thought I’d report back, as promised, and let you all know how it’s been working for me and what I thought about it.Read More The HermitAh, the Hermit. In the Tarot he’s usually a peaceful looking card–again, some old dude, either tall or hunched over in a somber-looking robe…Read More Centered ParentingFinding balance in our entire lives is a pretty difficult thing, but even in one area balance can be a hard task. Let’s talk about parenting–how do you find your “happy place” (and I’m not talking about hiding in the bathroom with a margarita) where you’re centered and act from your highest wisdom, instead of just reacting to what’s going on at the moment?Read More July Affirmation–On BalanceRead More Types of Imagery, Tarot and OtherwiseUsing imagery is a great way to get more mileage out of your self-development time. Journaling is good, but the problem with journaling is that once you write something down, chances are you won’t look at it again (yes, I refuse to believe it’s only me). So how can you remind yourself of any personal insights, growth, or bits of inspiration you found? At least with imagery, you can put it where you can see it daily.Read More Life Coach Question–How do I do it All?Now that we’re talking about balance, let’s bring up one of the most commonly asked Life Coach Questions–“How do I do it all?” Or, more precisely, “How do I rid myself of the existential angst of having too much to do?” Read More Justice, Adjustment, and the TarotThe theme for this month is a nuanced understanding of balance. We’re not talking about the kind where you just carry a ton of shit and don’t drop it, like a waiter with a tray full of dishes…Read More Doing vs. Being, and the Father of SwordsThis past summer, I decided I needed to reinvigorate my morning routine (as in make one). I wanted to exercise, meditate a little, maybe read a few pages of an inspiring book to get my head ready for the day. I really wanted to do these things, or so I thought.Read More Tarot for Teddy – The Three-Card Reality CheckWhile people can work with tarot cards individually, it’s most common that you’ll work with at least a few at a time. An arrangement of tarot cards is called a “Spread,” and each spread is usually designed to either answer a specific category of question, or be a workhorse for asking pretty much any kind of question.Read More What’s a Life Coach?“What the heck is a life coach,” is one of the most common questions I get other than “Why don’t we have any good snacks,” and “Where are my socks?”…Read More How to Keep a JournalIf you want to keep track of your progress, or just have place for recording your thoughts, journaling is a must. There are many options for how to keep a journal…Read More The FoolThe Fool is the first card in the Major Arcana of the Tarot, often depicted as a goofy, innocent youth about to step off a cliff.Read More Tarot for Life CoachingIf you’re not familiar with the tarot, you might only be dimly aware of it as a sort of “woo-woo” thing that people use for fortune telling. The history of Tarot has been truly interesting and weird…Read More BeginningsMaybe it’s cliche, but we get excited at the beginning of the year because it’s well…new. We get to start over, make resolutions, intend that somehow this year will be different than the last.But beginnings are hard, and if we’re honest with ourselves most of the time we tend not to like them.Read More New Year New BlogWelcome to 2017! I’ve spent the past month reworking the blog, and I’m exited to be proving you with new and exciting content this year. I’ve come up with a mix of the following, integrated posts:Read More Five Tips for Getting Unstuck I Learned from my CarMonday mornings are great for metaphors. I thought i’d go with the car for today, and see what exciting life-coaching gems[…]Read More Tarot-based Life CoachingRead More Hold that IntentionGood gosh. It’s the 4th. By this time a good number of us have made our intentions, failed, and are[…]Read More The Ballad of Contrary FrogI was looking for a birthday/christmas card for a friend so I could mail out her gift, and found one[…]Read More New Year, New FunThe new year is a good time to set new goals and intentions for the year, but there’s always a[…]Read More Driving By Cows at NightI like driving at night. Everything seems new and undiscovered, especially when it’s snowing, and the heat’s on, and all[…]Read More Thoughts on WinterBecause I am having some kind of passive aggressive fit with my calendar, I woke up this morning thinking I had[…]Read More Dare RatlyIn an Oprah article, Martha Beck writes about a study on rats that shows that rats kept in tight and[…]Read More Go For the 4-Day WinCommon knowledge has it that it takes 21 days to make a habit. But you don’t need to wait that[…]Read More Embracing TransformationSpring is all about transformation. DIgging yourself out, being reborn, emerging…the metaphors abound. But the whole point of a metaphor[…]Read More Try-it-Tuesday: Life is a VerbHello, grasshopper. It’s spring. Everything around you is changing, moving, building nests and enjoying sunlight. I bet you have a[…]Read More Loving What IsRecently, I’ve been reading Byron Katie’s book “Loving What Is,” which I consider to be a pretty good introduction to[…]Read More Try-it-Tuesday: The Glass is Half Empty. Fill ItIt’s easy to dismiss the people who always look on the dark side of life, but the fact is we[…]Read More How Low Can You Go? Make Your Goals AchievableDo you set goals for yourself, and then fall short, over and over again, week after week? Do you drown[…]Read More Try-it-Tuesday: Advance GratitudeIt’s well-known that keeping a gratitude journal is a proven way to increase positivity and well-being. It’s also been shown[…]Read More May Meet & GreetThe May Meet & Greet for the new cohort of Martha Beck Cadets is coming up in less than a[…]Read More Thanks to my first “muggles!”At the moment, I’m training to be a Martha Beck certified life coach. Trainees do a lot of coaching of[…]Read More Let Me Help You Find Your Way!Are you muddling along with a vague sense of dissatisfaction or a feeling that your real life is somewhere ahead[…]Read More