Spiritual Lesson in a Verizon Store

Lessons can appear in the strangest ways. The other day I went into the Verizon Store to replace my phone screen. It was a mess, and I was having trouble seeing through it.

When I got home, I realized that I couldn’t hear any incoming or outgoing calls unless I put my phone on speaker.

The next day I woke up and it had snowed. Not wanting to slip on the ice I walked slowly down the street, I went back to the store and explained what was going on. The young woman working there looked at my phone and said, “the screen protector is too big, and it is covering the speaker”

At that moment I got it! Too much protection is not a good thing.

I realized how I was so focused on protecting myself against Covid, slipping on the ice, speeding bikes and other things that I had walled myself away from hearing, seeing and being present.

Taking a deep breath, I centered and as I have done for years in my practice, connected to the Light, and plugged in. Immediately, I felt clearer, calmer, and more present.

So instead of focusing on protection focus on expanding your Light which will give you the protection you require.

Work with Barbara:

Mercury is moving into retrograde (back up everything!) and this is the perfect time to tune in to what is working and what isn’t. What do you want to say No to? What do you want to say Yes to? Open to possibilities.

Book an intuitive Tarrot Reading for Clarity, a Ritual to Clear out your space – physically mentally and emotionally, or book a Coaching Package to strengthen your spiritual muscles and guide you on a new path for 2022.

VISION 2022 ILLUMINATION
 OPEN TO SPIRITUAL EMPOWERMENT 
with our Transformational Online Retreat
January 15th-16th, 2022

Vision 2022 is a mind-opening, energy-shifting, manifestation event designed to solidify your higher calling, help you create a visual representation of that calling and provide you with the practical steps to answer that call now.

Special guests include astrologer Rebecca Gordon, sound healer Joule L’adara and Parashakti (moment as medicine). You will experience:

•  Heart opening activation that plugs you into your truest self

•  Intuition initiation that links you to the wisdom available to you

•  An energetic empowerment that can boost your ability to create

•  Astrology Overview for 2022 that will give you insight on where to best focus your energy

•  Movement techniques that physically move out stagnant energy and allows the powers of creation into all your cells and muscles.

•  Sound healing that amplifies your personal vibration to match all these new energies opening up your body and soul.

•  A Fire release that burn up and pound out the old, stuck, toxic cycles you haven’t found a way to move away from…until now.

•  Vision board creation that emerges from the new, empowered, enlightened YOU: This will serve as a visual reminder of all the power you have claimed by showing up for yourself and participating in this weekend.

•  Small-Group sharing to get expanded insights and support

• YOU WILL STEP OUT INTO THE WORLD A STRONGER, MORE AWARE AND FOCUSED PERSON THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE.

>> SIGN UP NOW <<

PS If you missed this event, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of this page to be notified about our next VISION workshop!

Until next time,
Barbara

Here is What One of My Personal Rituals Revealed to Me 📖

Happy 2022! We made it.

One of my personal rituals that I like to do is randomly open a book for guidance. This is what I picked today.

"Before embarking on an enterprise of any importance, the first thing to do is to enter into yourself and make contact with the invisible world so as to ensure the best possible conditions for action.

…You must first seek the light you need. Isn’t this true on the physical plane? Suppose you woke up in the middle of the night by a noise. Would you rush off to investigate in the dark? No, you know that would be dangerous. Before doing anything, you switch on the light. And, in every circumstance in life, the same rules apply: you must begin by switching on the light." (Golden Rules for Everyday life: Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov)

We are now in the year 2022 and the forces are stirring. Don’t be in too much of a hurry to set goals because the bigger Ah ha’s will probably come later in the month when we have clearer access to Divine Downloads.

This is why I am so passionate about VISION 2022 ILLUMINATION this year. Watch the video I recorded for you here.

Until next time,
Barbara

New Year's Rituals for Health, Prosperity & Love in 2022 🥂

2021 gave us the opportunity to do things in a different way. But did we? I think it was a mixed bag and now it is time to say goodbye to 2021 and really take some time to dive into what we have learned this year and what we want to change. Begin to be aware of what wants to live through you.

We live in extraordinary times. As I have been saying all year, the vibrational frequency of the planet has shifted, and we are required to shift with her. We must expand and ground our energetic containers. We can only receive what we have the capacity to hold. Think of a high voltage of electricity going through a small light bulb. It will shatter it. And it cannot be done through the mind: it is only possible through the heart center.

2022 is the year of the Cosmic Mystical Heart: of Spiritual Empowerment and Illumination. It is a year of Either/And where we have the potential to move into a more holistic way of being.

And we cannot do it alone. Let us shape our collective destiny together with love, grace and joy!

MY GIFT TO YOU:

As always, I am offering my FREE 12-day intention intensive. You will be receiving one guided meditation recording daily starting January 1st to guide you in setting intentions for 2022. As my teacher Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov taught, the first 12 days of the year set intentions for the entire year. If your friends want to receive these, have them go to BarbaraBiziou.com and sign up for our newsletter by January 1st.

And to lighten your spirits, here are some global New Year’s Rituals

Spain: Eat 12 grapes at midnight for good luck in the coming year.

Southern USA: Black eyed peas and collard greens are believed to bring money and abundance into your year.

Greece: Vasilopita is eaten (cake with a coin inside). Whoever finds the coin in their piece of cake will be especially lucky during the coming year.

Italy: Throw out old furniture, clothes, pots……open the windows to throw out the old. I DO NOT RECOMMEND YOU THROW THINGS OUT THE WINDOW. Best to put them out on the street for people to take.

Japan: Eating soba noodles on New Year’s Eve or Day is believed to bring in longevity and abundance.

Brazil: New Year's Eve priestesses of the local macumba voodoo cult dress in blue skirts and white blouses for a ceremony dedicated to the goddess of water, Yemanja. A sacrificial boat laden with flowers, candles and jewelry is pushed out to sea from Brazil's famous Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro.

South America/Mexico: For travel in the coming year, walk around the block with an empty suitcase.

Cuba: Water represents both cleansing and renewal, and the New Year is celebrated with rituals of splashing water. Water is tossed out of doors or windows (checking first for passers-by!) or into public fountains.

And don’t forget to wear something red to bring in Love and Passion. ❤️

Work with me:

It’s a New Year and a perfect time for a personal reading to gain clarity into the past, current and future events. Space clearings are also great to do at this time to open any stuck energy.

I am also available to speak at your company (zoom or in person) on Starting Your New Year with Intention, Clarity and Connection: Simple Solutions for Success.

Until next time,
Barbara

How To Create a Solstice Wish Tree 🎄 + My Gift To You 🎁

Although traditions vary greatly around the world, the spirit of Christmas transcends all differences. No matter what religion or culture you come from, watching the lighting of the tree in New York's Rockefeller Center is an awesome experience. Children from all countries delight in meeting Santa Claus. Listening to Christmas carols gladdens the hearts of millions.

When we thrill to such sights and sounds, though, most of us don’t realize that the roots of Christmas date back to the 4th century, when the Catholic Church began celebrating Christmas as a way of competing with the festivals of the rival pagan religion in which the Romans celebrated the birthday of their sun god Mithras. The Church’s intention was to hold an annual celebration on the evening of the shortest day of the year and thereby replace the pagan celebration with a Christian one.

Pope Julius I chose this time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ—although his birth is actually thought to be in the spring—because December 25th coincided with the ritual of winter solstice. Therefore, these original Christmas celebrants rejoiced at the return of light and the coming promise of spring. This holiday was also called Yule, a form of which is still celebrated today in the Wiccan tradition.

Many of the traditions associated with Christmas also have ancient roots. Evergreen, which symbolizes the continuity of life, rebirth, and protection, is found in Roman, Celtic, Teutonic, and Christian cultures. The Druids believed that holly stayed green to keep the earth beautiful when the sacred oak lost its leaves. Holly was also the sacred plant of Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture, and was used at the Saturnalia festival to honor him. The Romans gave one another holly wreaths; they decorated images of Saturn with holly. To avoid persecution, the early Christians decked their homes with Saturnalia holly. Eventually the holly lost its pagan association and became a symbol of Christmas.

Since I believe in the power of group intention, I want to invite you to Create a Solstice Wish Tree. I recommend using a living tree which can be planted in the earth at the appropriate time. Or you can decorate a tree outdoors. If you already are planning on a Christmas Tree, try adding some of the elements below.

Make some ornaments out of any arts-and-crafts material, or simply use plain store-bought ornaments which you can paint and personalize. These ornaments are not merely decorations—they are wishes. You can write words on them, such as peace, good health, prosperity, loving partner. Or you can paste pictures on them—for example, you might paste a picture of a wished-for car on one of your baubles, or the photo of a place you want to visit next year. Make some wishes for yourself and some for friends, family members or for the greater good.

My Gift To You This Holiday Season: Grounding Meditation

No one is exempt from stress, disappointment, trauma, physical and emotional disease in our complex and unpredictable world. Meditation has been used for centuries to elevate consciousness, achieve presence of mind and manifest health and wellness.

Listen to this guided meditation when your mind is racing, and you are feeling overwhelmed or anxious. This will bring you back to the here-and-now and is very helpful in allowing you to calm down quickly.

LISTEN HERE >>

Work with me:
Limited spaces available for readings and rituals. See what needs to be cleared out to make space for the new energy of 2022. Book a reading, coaching session or a ritual >>

Until next time,
Barbara

How to Tap Into the Biggest Area of Growth and Transformation

A friend of mine just sent me a picture of her adventure on a flying trapeze. It took my breath away since this is something I have always wanted to do. And it reminded me of an article I read many years ago called Fear of Transformation from the Essene Book of Days.

To paraphrase, most of us spend our lives hanging on for dear life to the old until something calls us to let go and take a leap of faith into the unknown. It can be terrifying, yet we know we must release our hold on the past (the old trapeze bar) and soar across the vast void of unknowing to reach the new one.

We may feel scared, excited, confused, or disoriented, but this is where the real change happens… As we give ourselves permission to hang out in this transition between trapeze bars, we learn to fly!

As we move into the last few weeks of 2021, I invite you to spend some time looking back on what 2021 was about for you. Just BE present with what is. We are moving into 2022—a year of true Spiritual Empowerment: Illumination of the Cosmic Spiritual Heart and right now we are in the growing pains of this shift of consciousness.

“We are each of us angels with only one wing and we can only fly embracing each other.” - Luciano De Crescenzo

That is why I have created VISION 2022 ILLUMINATION. Together we are stronger. Together we are more creative. Together we can build the structures necessary for true manifestation. And together we bring in more love, joy, and success.

Maybe this will be the year you find your love relationship, bring in a baby, create your dream project, travel to a far-off land, buy a home, boost your health, reclaim your old dreams and discover a sense of magic and excitement.

Until next time,
Barbara

A Simple Morning Ritual To Shift Your Day ☕

How often do you say to yourself, "This day started off bad and just kept getting worse"? We all know that it's important to start the day with a positive and open attitude. But what happens when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Or the first thing in the morning, you get a text bringing unexpected bad news? A morning ritual helps you remember that even when your day starts badly, that doesn't mean it has to continue along that path.

In fact, taking five minutes for yourself in the morning will change the entire energy of your day. You will have more focus, energy, and creativity, and you will more likely appreciate what life has to offer you. When we are grounded in the present moment-we can make authentic choices that are based upon our spiritual needs. We can act appropriately, responding to what we truly need and want, instead of doing what we think we should do. Remember that many of our shoulds come from another place and time when we ourselves were different. I like to start off my day with a ritual of blessing; a reminder to pay attention to what has heart and meaning for me.

A cup of blessings

Fill a cup with your favorite morning beverage or simply warm water. Consciously take 4 sips.

1. Honor your ancestors and everyone who has added to your life.

2. Commit to being open to the new and allow in all the support you may require.

3. Dedicate this to all who need your help and who are marginalized by society

4. This last sip represents hope for a future that is heart centered, joyful and abundant.

Until next time,
Barbara

Prepare For The Big Shift 🌟

Monday was my birthday and this year I had a mystical experience, which I will write about in detail another time once I have fully processed it.

The main theme was: the old stuck patterns were being flushed out and I was being held in the loving embrace of the Divine Feminine. There was a flow and gentleness that was around me to prepare me for stepping into the fullness of my life.

Then this book jumped out at me when I walked into my office. My dear friend Elizabeth Rose Campbell (RIP) wrote this about Sagittarius in her brilliant book, Intuitive Astrology:

“Imagine yourself as the cosmic travel agent able to write yourself free tickets any trip. You are also able to do this for everyone you love and even people you don’t (but what might improve if they took a trip and got a fresh perspective.) As you write your own ticket, fears fall away about the unknowns involved.”

Pass on the faith in the adventure of life and every aha! through the flow…

The key here is FLOW.

Although it may feel chaotic out in the world, we are all being given a chance to make new choices aligned with our real purpose so we can share our unique gifts with the world. 2022 is around the corner and we no longer have the luxury of sitting on the sidelines.

Together we are strong. Together we can create miraculous shifts of consciousness. Together we can joyfully manifest a new vision. Together we can invest in ourselves and our communities. And it is not about pushing through, rather it is about being fully present and riding the waves of Spirit to become a spiritual surfer.

VISION 2022 ILLUMINATION - REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
January 15th-16th, 2022

Are you ready to activate your potential?
<< SIGN UP AT THE EARLY BIRD PRICE >>

Work with Barbara:
31 days until 2022! This is a perfect time to get a personalized tarot reading to discover the predominant energy that is coming in for you and what may need discarding and healing. Book online now >>

Until next time,
Barbara

My Personal Thanksgiving Recipe 🕯️

As I was teaching my first in-person Prosperity Ritual Saturday, I realized how connected the principles of abundance are to having a happy and connected Thanksgiving holiday.

For many of us in the USA, this will be the first time that we are getting together with our families since the Pandemic (or Global Pause Portal as I like to say) and it is bringing up a mixture of joy and fear.

Joy that we can finally travel and see our family and friends.
Concern that it may not be safe and worry about how to negotiate this new reality.

Abundance is a state in which our requirements are easily met, and our desires spontaneously fulfilled. We feel joy, health, happiness, and vitality in every moment of our existence.

Abundance is knowing that we are energy: that we are all connected to everyone and everything in our lives. Therefore money, love, joy and success are all a part of us. We are love. We are money. We are joy. We are success.

To truly live in the abundance paradigm, it is crucial to be in a state of gratitude for all that we have. For me, that is the real meaning of Thanksgiving.

I love what my friends Frederick and Mary Ann Brusset said in their article in Spirituality and Practice:

“The writer G. K. Chesterton had the right idea when he said we need to get in the habit of "taking things with gratitude and not taking things for granted." Gratitude puts everything in a fresh perspective; it enables us to see the many blessings all around us. And the more ways we find to give thanks, the more things we find to be grateful for.”

Here is my Thanksgiving Recipe:

1. Ask each person at the dinner table to light a candle. Let this represent bringing Divine light into our lives. Then each person shares what they feel grateful for this year.

2. Have someone do a blessing over the meal. Here is one that I really like, however feel free to use one in your tradition or create something new.

From the Native American Iroquois Tradition:
We return thanks to the corn, and to her sisters,
the beans and squashes, which give us life.
We return thanks to the bushes and trees,
which provide us with fruit.
We return thanks to the Great Spirit,
in who is embodied all goodness,
and who directs all things for the good of his children.

3. A pinch of kindness mixed with compassion makes everything better. Remember that everyone has a different comfort level, so be extra patient at this time and set your intention to really listen to each other.

4. Reach out to those who cannot make it in person. Zoom, Facetime or a call goes a long way in making friends and relatives feel connected.

5. Plan in rest stops. You may not be used to being with a crowd of people so take care of yourself and take whatever alone time you require to recharge.

Hannukah: Festival of Lights starts on Sunday.

I will be doing a special IG Live on Sunday at 6 PM EST to light the first candle. To all who celebrate Hanukkah Sameach!

Until next time,
Barbara

Dealing With Hurt: The Consequences Of Spiritual Bipassing

This past weekend has been an emotional rollercoaster for me and as I do everything wholeheartedly, I felt I needed to share about it in today's newsletter. (*Vulnerabiltiy alert)

“She is in a better place.” "Everything happens for a reason." “It is all part of God’s plan.” are some of the lines I heard from many of my well-meaning friends who attempted to comfort me when they found out that one of my friends had suddenly passed on.

All my inner child heard was “Your feelings don’t matter, “You’re not really spiritual if you are feeling upset”, and “Don’t wallow in the pain”.

This reminded me of a story. Many years ago, while doing teacher training for a personal growth seminar, one of the participants in our group was mugged and had her wallet stolen at lunch. She returned to the seminar distraught and shaken. As she was sharing her traumatic experience, the teacher just looked at her and said, “What did you do to create that?”

Rather than simply being present with what was in the moment and exhibiting compassion, he immediately went into what therapist John Welwood in his book Toward a Psychology of Awakening called Spiritual Bypass.

Yes, I do believe that there is a lesson in every challenge, however it is not always apparent in the moment, and I know that it is important for me to be conscious of what I am experiencing in my emotional and physical bodies.

When I don’t acknowledge the small and large losses, I tend to carry this energy into the future. Grieving is a necessary process that will lead to healing and a new level of understanding and joy. As I wrote in The Joy of Ritual, feelings are energy and can easily get stuck in the physical if not expressed.

As a gift to yourself and others, the next time you immediately go to:

*Believing that traumatic events must always have a silver lining
*Focusing on the spiritual and ignoring the emotional
*Shifting to the positive before you or the other person has had time to process the experience

Take a breath. Sometimes you just need a hug, a good cry, a kind word, or the space to simply grieve.

Until next time,
Barbara

Preparing for High Frequency Energy Portal Opening on 11/11

There are 52 days left in 2021! We are also entering into a high frequency portal of energy on 11/11, where we are able to receive extra Light, support and guidance to intensify our spiritual practice at this time. It is vital that we focus on co-creating the patterns of respect, peace, abundance, collaboration and true wisdom without getting pulled into the collective energy of fear and separation.

Throughout history, it is during difficult times that communities have leaned on their spiritual journey for guidance to stay well – mentally, physically and emotionally.

Right now, we are being challenged to build stronger spiritual muscles, create powerful support teams, and have faith that peace and harmony are possible. Now is the time to focus on developing spiritual resilience and true wisdom.

It is time to personally reset and rebalance to maintain your best health and wellness while sharing joy and love with others.

Here is an exercise that I find really useful at this time: some of you may remember it from The Joy of Ritual or a past session we did together.

• Sit quietly with a pen and paper handy

• Focus on your heart center by taking 4-6 deep slow breaths

• Then write these phrases, leaving plenty of space after each one:
  I feel
  I need
  I want

Don’t censor yourself or worry about spelling. Then notice what you expressed. Think of this as a mapping ritual to see where you are at this time. As you strengthen your skills to be with your current reality (the what is not as well as the what is) it will become easier to make conscious choices to move forward.

Make sure to listen to whatever guidance you receive then ask yourself, What can I do alone? Where do I need help?

Work with Barbara:

If you are being called to work on your own “stuff,” I’m here to help. And if you are running a business, I am also offering personalized sessions and guided visualizations to prepare you and your team for your zoom meetings, brainstorming sessions and to deal with the anxiety of the unknown.

Many of my clients have created quantum leaps this past year in their business and personal lives. It is a four-fold process.

• Get clarity on where you are and where you want to go

• Release the old patterns that keep you stuck

• Integrate practical strategies to move you forward

• Have structured accountability

My commitment to myself and my tribe is to get our “spiritual muscles” strong and re-energized. Then create the container that will allow for new growth, abundance and an expanded vision. 2022 is a time for healing, uncovering our gifts and living on purpose with support.

VISION 2022 is coming!!!

Save the Date: January 15 and 16th - this live online workshop is very interactive and includes sound healing, movement, ritual and art. You will have the opportunity to share in small groups as well as participate in larger group exercises.

VISION 2022: ILLUMINATION will enable you to connect to a field of infinite possibilities and restructure your energetic blueprint to sustain your vision for 2022 and beyond. Stay tuned for further details.

Conscious Gift Giving:

Hannukah, Christmas, and Kwanza are right around the corner. Gift Certificates are available for readings and ritual. Magical Aromatherapy Sprays: buy 3 and get Free Shipping. Order early to make sure your gifts arrive on time!

Until next time,
Barbara

Teaching of the Mandala - turning emotions into wisdom

Sunday, before we ventured out to the Village Halloween Parade, I took my brother and sister-in-law to the Rubin Museum to experience the Mandala Lab. For those of you not familiar with this museum, it is dedicated to the art and cultures of the Himalayas, the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia and other regions within Eurasia, with a permanent collection focused particularly on Tibetan art.

Within the hustle and bustle of NYC, this is a sanctuary of peace and calm.

Using the teachings of the mandala to be able to turn emotions to wisdom is the theme of this exhibition. Here you can see how complex feelings show up in your everyday life and then you are given ways to transform them.

Scent: First we got to experience scent through the lens of the different artists to see how scent affects your brain both in a positive and negative way. As you all know, I am a great believer in using scent to change emotional states which is why I use my aromatherapy blends daily.

Breath: Next, we sat down on a cushion and did some deep breathing while watching a pulsating light in front of us. Again, a good reminder how easily we can shift with some simple breath work. Remembering that when we are stressed our breath gets shallow and exasperates the stress levels in our bodies. The artist advised us to breathe in joy and breathe out envy.

Sound/Sight/Feeling: Our favorite was the gong experience where we felt the power of sound and physical action. Gongs were hung above a long rectangle of water. Here you were encouraged to release anger as you struck the gong…feeling it in your body. Then we were guided to pull a lever that gently lowered the gong down into the water. Seeing the ripple effect of the sound waves moving in the water and hearing how the sound changed for me was profound.

Experiment with one or more of your senses this week and notice how you can move from one state of consciousness to another.

Until next time,
Barbara

Five Things You Can Do this Halloween Weekend 🦇

The Village Halloween Parade is back again, and Greenwich Village is buzzing with Halloween. For most of the country this holiday is about candy, costumes, and trick-or treating.

Yet, as I shared on Ask the Oracles with Amy Zerner, Monte Farber, and Jeff Pulver, Hallows or Hallomas started out as a festival to honor the Wise Woman/ Crone. Over the years it has been transformed into wicked old witches flying on broomsticks with black cats. Even the cauldron has changed meaning as it represented the womb of the Goddess –a symbol of rebirth.

Did you know that the idea of going from door to door to ask for candy and sweets comes from a British custom of asking for money for the poor?

For the Celts, it is called Samhain- summers end- and it is the beginning of the Celtic New Year. From darkness, endings and death comes light and rebirth. Something we all need to remember. In Ireland, it is believed that the fairies come out on this special night.

This is a holy time when the veil between the worlds is thin. For many cultures this is a time when the ancestors return to visit and communicate with the living.

The Sage card from The Wild Goddess Oracle

In Latin America, El Dia del las Muertes is celebrated at the cemetery. Families sweep the graves, bring food, create altars with marigolds and sugar skulls and celebrate those who have died. It is also a way to teach children that death is part of life and not to fear it.

Five things you can do this Halloween weekend:

1. Create an altar to your ancestors. I like to put photos of my ancestors, symbols of their lives and even some of their favorite foods. My Grandparents loved Halvah!
   

2. Do a meditation to connect to your inner Wise Woman/Man/Sage. Journal what comes to you.
   

3. Connect to those less fortunate than you. Donate socks, underwear and/or food to a homeless shelter or your place of worship.
   

4. Work with oracle cards or get a reading.
   

5. Have fun! Just play and embody joy!
   

   Until next time,
   Barbara

How to change your habitual behavior to create a better life

Do you see what I see? At times you probably do and at others you may have a totally different view of the world.

I remember walking down the street and seeing a homeless man asking for money. I noticed that he was surrounded by a pile of pennies and nickels. “Look at the money at your feet” I said to him. “Ugh, these are only pennies. They are worthless, he responded with disgust”.

Yes, in the scheme of things, it was not enough for him, yet the Universe was surrounding him with money, and he refused to take it. Most of you know, that whenever I see a penny or any coin on the street, I pick it up and give thanks for the abundance the Universe is sending me no matter how large or small.

When I find a coin I think abundance. When he finds a coin he sees lack.

In order to change our habitual behavior it is important to become aware of why we do what we do and why we think what we think. Instead of going on automatic, we require a new awareness of what is possible.

I am reminded of this story of a young woman who loved her mother’s pot roast and asked her for the recipe. Her mother handed her a notecard with the recipe on it. “Why do you cut both ends off the roast before it is prepared and put in the pan?” the woman asked. Her mother replied, “I don’t know. I cut the ends off because I learned this recipe from my mom and that was the way she had always done it.”

The young woman was really curious so she decided to reach out to her Grandmother to find out more. “Grandma, when we make the pot roast, why do we cut off and discard the ends before we set it in the pan and season it?” The grandmother thought for a while, since it had been years since she made the roast herself, and then replied, “I cut them off because the roast was always bigger than the pan I had back then. I had to cut the ends off to make it fit.”

It is time to look at what we are doing and question the rationality behind our thoughts and actions.

I recommend that we stay open to receiving new insights into our habitual way of thinking. This takes living with awareness. Be like a tourist in your own town looking at things with fresh eyes.

To Jumpstart your old habitual behaviors and open your intuition and creativity, join me tonight for a fun interactive workshop on Zoom!

Next week as the veils between the worlds thin, I will be sharing rituals around the holidays of Halloween, Samhain, and Day of the Dead.

Until next time,
Barbara

How to spot a blessing 🦋

When I graduated from college, I was offered my dream job working in Rome. Ten days before I was about to fly out, the job cancelled. I was devastated, but something told me to go anyway. So, I packed up with the small amount of money my parents gave me for a graduation present and began an adventure that would take me in a totally different direction.

Because I trusted my guidance, I wound up working in films, meeting incredible people many of who are still in my life today, and eventually moving to London.

Although I do believe in setting clear goals, I have learned that when I limit the way I am able to receive I just may miss out on the gifts the Universe is sending me.

The man whispered, God, speak to me, and a meadowlark sang.
But the man did not hear.
The man looked around, hearing nothing so the man yelled, “God, speak to me! And the thunder rolled across the sky.

But the man did not listen.
The man looked around and said, God let me see you”
And a star shined brightly.
But the man did not notice.
And the man shouted,
“God show me a miracle!” and a life was born.
But the man did not know. So, the man cried out in despair, touch me, God and let me know you are here!”
Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man, but the man brushed the butterfly away and walked -on.
- Author unknown

Don't miss out on a blessing because it isn't packaged the way that you expect.

Until next time,
Barbara

9 Days to achieve your spiritual goals

On October 7th we begin the Hindu Holiday of Navratri (or nine nights of the goddess) that honors Shakti or the Divine Feminine/Mother and looks to her for spiritual cleansing, guidance, and enlightenment. It lasts for nine nights and ten days.

The nine nights are broken up into sets of three, and during each set a particular aspect of the Divine Mother is meditated upon. Each set of nights also corresponds with a particular spiritual goal and task.

Whether you practice this traditional holiday or just want to focus on bringing in more awareness to the Divine Feminine within you (regardless of your gender) here are some guidelines.

Days 1 - 3: Focus on your inner power and strength. Traditionally one meditates upon the Divine Feminine in her powerful and destructive aspect known as Durga or Kali.
Write down the qualities or habits that you have that are not helpful or productive. Those that you are ready to let go of at this time. Pick one of these and begin taking small steps towards letting go of it.

Days 4 - 6: Focus on your inner life-giving force and nurturer. Write down the qualities or habits you wish to cultivate. Pick one of these and practice incorporating it. Lakshmi is the goddess that is the focus for these three days. This is a good time to develop patience, forgiveness, compassion and to be open to abundance.

Days 7 - 9: Focus on your inner wisdom and guidance. The third 3 nights are spent meditating upon the Divine Feminine in her spiritual wisdom-bestowing aspect known as Sarasvati.

Write down the spiritual teachings you wish to learn or better understand. Take at least one action step a day towards realizing your goals.

The tenth day is spent offering gratitude to the Divine Mother.

Invoking three powerful Goddess seed sounds for beauty, wealth and fulfillment of all desires. If you choose to do this mantra, repeat 108 times. You can do it 27 times 4 times a day, 54 twice a day or 108 once a day. Feel free to repeat as many times as you want to.

OM KLEEM SHREEM HREEM SWAHA

Until next time,
Barbara

Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

Since we are all dealing with chaos and adversity, I thought I would share this story with you today.

CARROT, EGG, OR COFFEE BEAN
(you will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again)

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved then a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs and the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they had gotten soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee.

The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What's the point, mother?" Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity--boiling water--but each reacted differently. The carrot gone in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however, after they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?" Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Until next time,

Barbara

Affirmations to help you write the last quarter of 2021

As many of you know, I love ancient Egypt and the mythology of that culture. As we move into the Fall Equinox let us take a page from her book: to bring in balance and harmony, you need a heart that is light as a feather.

Goddess Maat blesses us with forgiveness and teaches us to have compassion for ourselves and others. The past is over and right now we have the choice to move forward and make choices that support us in taking our rightful place in the world.

What story do you want to write in this last quarter of 2021? Invite the Universe to deliver whatever gifts are for your greatest good this season.

Pick one to 5 of these and write them every day and say them out loud:

• My life is balanced inside and out

• My life is filled with joy and love

• I am free to say NO and prioritize my time and energy

• I am open to manifesting and receiving an abundance of blessings.

To develop and unleash your creativity and intuitive gifts, join me on September 27th, 2021, for a fun and engaging “Playshop” on Zoom. Life is waiting for you to show up!

Work with Barbara:

We are coming to the last quarter of 2021 and now is the time to get clear on how you want to use this important time. Gain clarity, release stuck limiting energy patterns, learn tools to focus and create goals that resonate with who you choose to embody. Powerful Tarot Readings, individual and group Rituals for all of life’s transitions (space clearing, weddings, fertility rituals, baby blessings, new business rituals, love, prosperity and more.)

“I refer to Barbara Biziou as “the Queen of Rituals.” Her wealth of knowledge and spiritual insights run deep. She is gifted, authentic, and inspiring beyond measure. I love having her at Unity of New York to share her wisdom. Barbara has the ability to empower you and to transform your life. Let her!”

- Reverend Britt Hall, spiritual director, Unity of New York

Until next time,
Barbara

How to go from upset to thriving

New York has been feeling open, vibrant, and creative. We have fashion week, amazing art shows, Broadway has opened, and kids are back in school.

Yet, at the same time I am noticing a lot of people acting out with a lack of respect and anger. At times I am clear and centered, and at other times I can feel the matching vibration pounding in my body and energy field. My priestess/clergy personality wants to open their hearts and transform the negativity and I personally want to feel better.

As I meditated on this dynamic, I realized that I needed to first feel the feelings, then decide how to use them in a structured way to create something positive. As Abraham would say, “it is in the contrast that clarity can come in to show you what it is that you do want." If we just believe that things must be a certain way before we can be happy, then we tend to resign ourselves to living a powerless life.

There is a saying “the person who angers you controls you”, so our challenge is to learn to be proactive not reactive no matter what is going on. Then we are in the vibrational match to achieve what we desire.

Easier said than done, so here are some things that I find work for me when I am confronted with things that annoy or upset me:

1. Notice what I am feeling;
2. Take a deep breath (or many);
3. If something is really upsetting me, I need to do something physically:

• Scream KRING…watch my video here

• Take a walk/run/swim

• Work out/dance/ do tai chi

4. Shift to what makes me feel happy and in a state of gratitude. I visualize myself at the ocean, bless my family and friends, listen to “happy” music, spray my favorite scents around me (Happiness and Love are two of my favorites) or sometimes I just watch a comedy that makes me laugh;
5. Focus on what I really desire;
6. Take at least one action step towards this goal.

Work with Barbara:

We are coming to the last quarter of 2021 and now is the time to get clear on how you want to use this important time. Gain clarity, release stuck limiting energy patterns, learn tools to focus and create goals that resonate with who you choose to embody. Powerful Tarot Readings, individual and group Rituals for all of life’s transitions (space clearing, weddings, fertility rituals, baby blessings, new business rituals, love, prosperity and more.)

** Barbara will be in LA October 5-7 and October 11, 2021 and has a few sessions available - in person for fully vaccinated people, or via Zoom.

Until next time,
Barbara

My spiritual lessons during 9/11

As we approach the 20th anniversary of 9/11, I found this article that I wrote in 2012 and feel it is just as true today as it was then.

In this time of existential uncertainty, it's often difficult to trust that the Divine has placed us exactly where we are meant to be. On September 10, 2001, I arrived in Paris for a holiday with one of my dearest friends. I awoke on 9/11 with a sense of foreboding and anxiety, which was unusual in one of my most favorite cities in the world. Sharing this with my friend who felt a similar sense of uneasiness, we decided to distract ourselves with window-shopping. But after twenty minutes of aimless gazing, we realized we needed to ground our energy. What called us was the chapel Notre-Dame de la Medaille dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. As we sat and prayed and meditated the first plane hit the WTC.

On the way home, I stopped at an Internet café and in reading my e-mail I discovered what had happened in New York. As we ran back to Eleanor’s apartment in a panic, we learned that all borders to The United States had been closed. I was trapped in foreign country, unable to reach friends and family. We spent hours listening to BBC broadcasts, talking on the phone, and reading e-mails. Any American whom we saw instantly became a new friend. Parisians who heard our foreign accents expressed their heartfelt grief for our loss and shared endless cups of café and glasses of wine telling us of their experiences in our homeland.

I desperately wanted to go home, but it was impossible. As the Jewish New Year approached, I searched for a temple. I longed to connect with anything familiar. But the American embassy advised all U.S. citizens to stay away from all public gatherings.

At one point, around a few days after the attack, I was invited to attend a Tibetan Buddhist empowerment ceremony. It was taught by a famous Rinpoche in English to a French audience in the Arab quarter of Paris. It was there that I recognized the universality of Spirit and the splendid gift of comforts large and small that I had received during my Paris sojourn.

From the student who mournfully hummed God Bless America with no lyrics to strangers who waived our flag in solidarity, to the flowers placed on our doorstep, I experienced the truth that God is a God of all Comforts and that as we connect with the essence of the Divine our troubled hearts can be filled with simple moments of joy.

A week later when I returned to New York, the fires of 9/11 were still smoldering. As a spiritual teacher in New York City, I found that everyone I came in contact with was struggling to make sense out of our new reality.

In the shadow of 9/11 the legendarily tough New Yorkers, always good in a crisis, now reached an even higher plateau, had softened into a palpable resolve to give aid and comfort to one another.

A life-long New Yorker myself, I immediately felt part of the greater whole. We vowed to be strong and fortify friends, neighbors and strangers against the unknown. No matter what our life station or ethnicity we were compelled to impart strength and hope to others and ourselves. We tried to relieve pain and suffering and encourage one another that we had what it takes to “stay the course.” This need to see and be seen, to acknowledge and be intimately connected in the face of our collective catastrophe was rooted in our primal human need for comfort.

We were in search of far more than a pat on the back; we longed for a transcendent source of consolation. And we found it by glimpsing the Divine in countless human forms. From office workers to rescue teams, estranged relatives to the familiar faces at our neighborhood stores, we joined together in countless unspoken comfort rituals. In those communications we exchanged the positive pleasure of being alive, reduced our pains, and rekindled our hopes and dreams.

9/11 - and, in fact, every crisis humankind faces - teaches us that comfort in the face of life’s challenges is not a luxury but a necessity. Comfort rituals are the universal lifelines that offer us deliverance from fears real and imagined; they resurrect us from the heart of despair and return us to wholeness.

Yet as time passed, I noticed that many people began to bury their vulnerabilities and their need to be comforted and feel connected. They unwittingly deluded themselves into believing that they could substitute "cold comforts” like drinking, smoking, and drugging (legal and illegal), overeating or workaholism for genuine comfort.

Cold comforts numb us to the sometimes overwhelming conditions that we cannot or chose not to face. For instance, I am reminded of a young student I saw in the park who struck an impressive yoga posture while smoking a cigarette, or the lawyer who wanted to meditate after three glasses of wine. Cold comforts devitalize us and ultimately drain us of our energy and resources.

How can we find positive sustainable comforts in our age of anxiety? A comfort that connects us to the Divine, regardless of our religion or spiritual tradition? In my work, ritual is the key that turns the lock and opens the mind and heart and shifts us from unconsciousness back into consciousness.

Through comfort rituals our blocked energy can be opened and our vitality restored. No matter what form our unique comfort prescription takes it is only when our energies are flowing that we are truly able to give and receive comfort.

They take us to a place where our inner resources can fuel our outer expression and they return us to our center, the surest place of comfort in our soul.

For all of you who celebrate Rosh Hashanah (The Jewish New Year) Shanah Tovah! May this be a year of healing, joy and possibilities for all.

Until next time,
Barbara

"UNTIL NOW" - Simple Technique To Rewire Your Brain

While being interviewed by David Letterman in 2018, Former President Barack Obama talked about how algorithms can play a potentially harmful part in driving the content we are served by social media and search engines. He shared this example.

“Somebody took a liberal, a conservative and a moderate and sent them on a Google search for Egypt. For the conservative, it came up “Muslim Brotherhood,” and for the liberal it came up “Tahrir Square” [the site of mass public protests in Cairo] and for the moderate it came up “Vacation Spots on the Nile.” ...whatever your biases were, that’s where you were being sent." — Barack Obama

The point is we all live in a bubble composed of our friends and colleagues who tend to share our views and reinforce our biases.

The same concept is true of our brains. We can spin the same old story thousands of times and see life through our own limited viewpoint. That is why it is so important to change our thinking so we can change our lives.

I love this technique that I heard the Rev Mary Beth Speer share at a Unity Service last week.

1. When you hear yourself saying an old limiting belief like “it is too hard”, “I don’t know how to move out of this situation”, “I’m not creative enough”, “I’m too old (too young)” just say :

UP UNTIL NOW it was too hard,
Up until now I didn’t know how to move forward
Up until now I wasn’t aware of how creative I can be
Up until now I let my age run my life

2. Then put in a new thought like:

“I have overcome challenges in the past and can do the same now.”
“I am getting more creative every day.”
“I am learning new skills to move forward.”
“I no longer allow my age to influence what I can or cannot do.”

Try this for at least 40 days and see what happens. Remember it takes at least 40-66 days to change a habitual thought and reprogram your brain. At times it can seem overwhelming, however the end results are worth the effort.

Be gentle with yourself as you move forward. As we enter this new season, set your intention to live an awakened life and open to spiritual solutions that you may not have thought of before.

Until next time,
Barbara