DEAR YOGIS

In this unusual and complicated time of social-distancing and “home-stay”, what most of us are craving more than ever is connection.  

That’s why I’ve decided to officially open the doors to my TEA&TAROT READINGS Goodbye waitlist!  

More and more people everyday are turning to Tarot and other such disciplines, but finding connections isn’t always easy. When I first started reading the tarot and the tea leaves like my mum and aunts (and doing yoga’ish stuff),  I didn’t have books, or a library available…..I didn’t even have a deck, no problems with tea leaves though.  I was about 5 or 6 when my friends started asking me,  and I was told not to do it, so I read stones in the dirt or clouds.  I remember some of my readings even now – they were bizarre!   I was forced at that age to be so private about it – I would hide the fact I did readings, and swear my friends to secrecy.

I kept reading, it was illicit, it was “unchristian”, it was forbidden.  However, I loved what I was learning and experiencing, but there was no way I was able to tell anyone about it.

You can imagine how conflicted I felt.   On the one hand, I felt so connected, so excited  by this skill of mine and yet… ashamed of it at the same time.   One day, I realized the truth.  It wasn’t that I felt ashamed,  I just didn’t feel safe.  I didn’t feel safe to express myself, explore my craft or share my skills with others – I didn’t feel safe to be me.   That feeling didn’t stop when I was a child.  There are times when it still doesn’t feel safe – there were times when not even yoga was safe.  

The light bulb moment came later.  If I’m feeling this way, then someone else might be too!  So, what started as a way for people to know they weren’t alone and get real life TEA&Tarot reading practice has now turned into classes.  A community – not just for tea leaf reading, but yoga, and all things metaphysical.  For me it is all connected.

Our Studio and our community wherever you are,  is home; a place where you can feel safe to enjoy your journey,  safe to express yourself, to learn, to grow – to be YOU!

And with the doors now (almost) officially open, I’m more excited than ever to welcome in new members. Will you be one of them? Tarot/TeaLeaf Reading Classes start on the 6th of June (2pm to 4pm), which is not far away.  I am planning a TEA LEAF READING AFTERNOON TEA at the end of June.  A lovely HighTea, with a tea leaf reading for everyone.  Limited to 10 guests. Interested? Email me: yogafirst2@bigpond.com.  Not local? Not available?  You can always have a reading on line via email or the phone..   

YOGA CLASSES – limited to three per class at the moment and Start on the 20th May.   The time table is on the www.yogabeautiful.com.au site.  We are opening again next Wednesday, in a limited way.  There are rules as set out by YOGA AUSTRALIA.  You will find the details on the site under “CLASSES”.  If you want Tarot News you will find that under “TAROT” on the same site.

I look forward to seeing you all again. In the meanwhile, stay happy. (Even when we go back, I will keep doing the newsletters!)

NAMASTE  JAHNE

HI THERE YOGIS,

Thank you to those people who rang yesterday and today for consults by phone.  I just loved hearing your voices, we really made a difference, got some break throughs, and I started to feel useful to you again.  I am reminded of the Queen (she is shrinking to the size of a SMURF – but she doesn’t do yoga).  We both have been doing our job in the one area for a very long time – she is about 15 years ahead of me.  She is like a queen-bee.  She gets looked after, fed and clothed for as long as she is useful.  Her job really is to stay useful, and keep her family on the throne, and pretend she is running the country.  That’s all.  At this moment I prefer to be me.  The Queen hasn’t really got a job at the present, just the occasional address to the nation.  I do my address to the “nation” daily – this is it.  I too am pretending that I am running my little yoga country – but really, COVID is.

Today I didn’t intend to bake, but I found myself in the kitchen, and homestay being what it is I just did it.  In ordinary times I would not.  However, things have changed, and because one thing led to another thing,  to another – it didn’t take much time, and all the washing up got done at once.  I made some cheese.. which was necessary because I was running low on cheese, and I got a litre of milk for 86cents which was OK.  Not as good as last week when I got a litre for 10cents at Coles! True.  My “cheese milk” usually costs between 5 cents and 85 cents.

I just buy (cheese milk) when I can get out of date cartons thrown out cheaply, and then make cheese – which today started the whole baking momentum.  I heated the milk and added the vinegar. When I had done that I decided to make bread – my “wonder loaf” – and then while that was baking (It stands for 12 hours, but it was ready to bake), I made a “seed, coconut and date” cake.  I cooked the bread in my table top oven, and whilst that was baking,  the cake took 10 minutes to mix and 6 minutes in the microwave.  While that was cooling I strained the cheese and hung it to dry (which will take about 2 days).  When the cake has cooled I will slice it and bake in the oven to crisp up, like biscotti.

Altogether I think the whole “bakeoff” took about and hour and a half.  Nothing like the two hours bakeoff contestants get to make just one cake!  You will find the recipes and photographs on www.wildnweedy.blogspot.com

Below is the WONDER LOAF.

I am always put off by recipes with masses of ingredients, however, I have got an old dutch dresser which is usually used for plates, but I use it for spices, flours, nuts and lots of different chillies which I bought in Texas,   And when I am baking/cooking I just  walk up and down and randomly use extra ingredients from the dresser – lots! I will try and remember what I put in my bakes for the blog, but you can always experiment.  I have been having the most wonderful food that I have made and grown and found and baked.  And girls and boys, I have not put on an ounce of weight.  I was a bit worried about getting on the scales… but, joy.  I am the same as before COVID! and… I am eating a whole lot better I think!!!  I still have the champers occasionally, and a wine.  I am not deprived (as you can tell by the recipes above).

I am still moving the rooms of the house around,.. the energies are so different in each corner of the house, and if I try to do the wrong thing in the wrong corner, well it goes badly.  I can’t paint or draw  in the front room, I can’t teach yoga other than in the studio, and I need to re-organise a special place for tea-leaf and tarot readings.  I haven’t found the right place yet – but I will.  I do have some good ideas which you will see the result of – if you come for a consult, (or a massage when we can).

Looking forward to seeing you all again….  the cavalry are coming.

Keep well, keep baking and stay happy – NAMASTE.   JAHNE

 

 

Dear Yogis,

I am hoping for your help/advice.

I am considering building a new site for all my artwork, and it’s easy to be overwhelmed.  I really like a web builder called WIX.. very easy, comprehensive, and middle of the road regarding charges….They even have PAY PAL.   I appreciate that method of payment (it is so easy), and I wondered if you did too – or if it doesn’t matter to you?  Please let me know.  WIX has so many other super features.  I have looked at many website builders, WIX has everything I want and more.  Even it seems, PayPal.   The choice is to bring my own site up to date.. or start a new one specifically for the things usually on ETSY, which it seems few of you visit – and now that postage is so expensive overseas sales are not easy.  Your opinion please…

AS with most things it is easy to quietly resign ourselves to how things are, take the easy road, resign ourselves to the status quo.  “I can’t change the world, and I am not even sure that I can (or want to) change the way I do things/my lifestyle/the way I work (?) so I had better just leave things as they are.  Nothing ventured nothing lost!

It is when we reach that point that we are most often tragically mistaken.  We have a great deal to lose! Simplicity is part and parcel of our call to the spiritual life.  It is not an extra that we can tack onto our experience, in the same way that we can add a new app to our phone.

The fantastic paradox is that whilst simplicity is complex, it is also simple.  There are not many things that we have to keep in mind.  Really, only one decision we have to make – that is to be attentive to the word of the Universe (or God).  We only have to BE, at every moment, attentive to the Universe.  And as we keep our focus on this,  there comes welling up in us whispers of Divine Guidance and love that makes life radiant.

And speaking of radiant, I hope you can get the video I have attached (Just click on the orange “A DOGS DAY” below).  If you can’t get it let me know.  When I was first shown it I just was breathless with laughter, and it hasn’t eased.  Every time I watch it I just burst out laughing.  I have cousins who speak like this… but they are not half so funny.  Enjoy.

A DOGS DAY

Have a wonderful day.  Keep happy (I know the video will help).  PS If a dog using the occasional “F” word offends, don’t turn it on, however I wouldn’t have sent it if it was offensive.  Just enjoy.

 

Love and Blessings.  NAMASTE  JAHNE