SNAKE OIL/ JIM VENTURA: 2013

Sunday, December 29, 2013

January 2014 Snake Oil/Cold and flu season, time to get sick?

Snake Oil

Cold and flu season, time to get sick?

It is amazing how you can get a flu shot so easily now. During the winter months it seems nearly everywhere I go, there are places that offer flu shots. I guess, in some respects this is a good thing. If it helps anyone to avoid going through the agony of a flu, then it may be of value. I have never gotten a flu shot in my life and probably never will. I have had the flu a few times, but it has been about five years since I have been sick with a cold or influenza. The last time I had the flu it was actually more of a stomach virus. I found myself frequently vomiting and subjected to diarrhea as well. I couldn’t keep any food in my body and it seemed that I was frequently emptying out every bit of food I had ever put in it. I was visiting a friend of mine who had a one year old that was sick. While I am usually not one to carry babies around, I found myself carrying her all over the room during my visit. The next day I had the flu. From past experience, I thought that a head cold type of flu was the worst thing a person could ever experience. I painfully learned that an intestinal stomach flu is even worse.

An understandable part of me was irritated with myself for exposing myself to my friends daughter and “catching” her illness. As horrible as it was to get sick, I knew that I really didn’t “catch” her illness. Germs didn’t jump from her into me. Some part of me agreed to allow myself to get the flu. Maybe I needed the body flush, although next time I will find a skilled practitioner to give me a colonic if I feel that need. Doing an occasional detox can definitely of value and help to avoid getting sick. There are all kinds of excellent methods to clear toxins from the body. The weeks before I caught the flu were intense ones. I was juggling a lot of things, and more stressed than usual. I was tired from lack of sleep and worrying about some financial and emotional issues. The illness forced me to rest, and as shitty as the week of the flu was, I did feel really good again when it was finally over. Clearly for a number of reasons, I needed to rest and my illness made that a priority.

Colds and flu’s serve a purpose. At a physical level, when we are tired, not eating right or exercising in a healthy way, our immune systems are weakened. This makes us more susceptible to illness. Our bodies natural defenses aren’t as strong and germs and viruses are more likely to take hold in our bodies. This makes sense to most people at a physical level. As I continually remind my readers, all events have a physical as well as emotional and psychological origin. When we look at the reality of how our thoughts create our experiences, we can recognize that we create a cold or flu for other reasons that coincide with physical weak points. In the case of colds, mass suggestions from the media about “cold and flu seasons” are a huge part of this process. We are bombarded with these suggestions from television, magazines, newspapers, radio, billboards, and the internet more often at certain times of the year. When the fall ends and winter begins the amount of suggestion is multiplied tenfold. Cold and flu products need to be sold. The suggestions and mass belief that we are more likely to get sick in the winter is a profitable one. In addition, people around us at work and home get sick or sneeze on us and we begin to believe that we will probably get sick, and lo and behold we often do.

All seasons have an overall general feel and purpose. Winter is typically a time for more rest and introspection. Often a cold or flu actually forces us to slow down, rest and be more introspective. The energy pattern behind colds is often mental confusion and too much going on all at once. When we have a cold it is often difficult for us to work at all. We are tired, irritable and often need to simply sleep and rest in order to heal. Usually when you have a bad flu your primary goal is to get a tissue before mucous pours out your nose. We often have to make sure we are near a bathroom so we don’t have an “accident.” Sometimes we get so sick that we may even need to ask someone to help us, often testing our loved ones to see if they really love us. Even eating or drinking can be a chore. Our main goal is to rest and sleep so we spend more time in the Otherworld. We can’t worry about looking good, paying credit card bills, pleasing our boss, shopping for food and all the the other million responsibilities that make up our normal lives. We slip into reevaluation and simply focus on basic survival and rest. These things force us to minimize our focus with the outer world and focus inward and on ourselves, with the primary goal of simply healing.

There is another way to avoid colds and flu’s other than flu shots. I have been doing it for many years now and I have not had a cold since I started following this plan. I make some time each week to rest and recuperate. Getting enough sleep is a major priority for me. I generally eat well and exercise regularly. I take time nearly every day to meditate or even take brief naps. I take two to three day vacations every two months. When I am stressed and overloaded, I choose to rest and release even more to balance the extra energy I am spending. In the winter I carve out a little extra time for all of these things. I take baths a few times a week in the winters. Many people won’t prioritize doing these things and are convinced that they can’t spare the time. In this case you may be better off getting a flu shot. When you prioritize the health of your body and spirit you will find yourself getting more comfortable with your own natural rhythms. When you are comfortable with your unique rhythms you will find yourself more in tune with the seasons. We are not above or below nature, we are part of nature. Our individual cycles are as natural as the cycles of the seasons. If you can allow yourself to ignore the mass feed about “when you are supposed to be sick” and simply take care of yourself you won’t need illness to force you to rest. Then you can truly enjoy each season and all the gifts and challenges they offer us.

Jim Ventura

12-2010

Editors Note:

The holiday season has come to an end. I can comfortably admit that I enjoyed the decadence of all of it. I also put on 8 pounds since mid November when my “indulgence” cycle began. Now its time for healthy eating and a gradual process of losing the extra weight. As much as I love the feasting excessiveness of holiday time, I also enjoy the cleansing that comes in January as well. My cleansing period corresponds well with the “7” year energy coming in for 2014!

This month’s column originally ran in January of 2011. As we step into a New Year we also begin another Universal year as well. While our individual Numerology cycles are even more personal to our focus and energy patterns, the Universal Year does impact us all in some respects. 2014 is a “7” year in Numerology. Themes for the “7” year are:

7 - The year of reflection, adjustments, and study.

This is a year to contemplate and reflect upon your life to date. It is time to discard the things in your life that are no longer working for you. You may find yourself becoming more critical, and become more discriminative with your personal choices. There is a need to learn to let go. If you find yourself stubbornly holding onto old patterns you may find yourself dealing with illness or surgery. This is just a way for your body to express that old ways need to be discarded. The need for exercise, healthy eating patterns and eliminating addictions is at the forefront of your awareness. The need for more quiet time is essential. Meditation and spiritual studies may become more important to you. The mind and body need time to revitalize. The pace of the 7 year is slow. Utilize this time to rid yourself of old baggage. Since this year is one of reflection, you may find yourself being critical of your relationships. Take time to talk with partners about how you feel, and bring up any issues that may have been suppressed. Your mind is your strength now, and you may choose to read more or go back to school. You may find yourself doing research for future goals. The 7 year is about becoming more discerning. What you fine tune, perfect, and even eliminate this year will bring rewards, and a new sense of confidence next year.

It is a brand New year! All New Years bring new opportunities and challenges. It can be beneficial to do a New Years spread with some of the many different types of oracles I work with this January. I am running a New Year promotion for $10 off my normal rates for the month of January. More information about this later in the newsletter.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year! Jim V

"A man should never be ashamed to own that he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday."

~ J Swift

Channeled corner:

“You must begin to believe that every difficulty that comes into your awareness is your mirror. YOU have called into your lives all these people and events to show you the parts of your consciousness that you have not wished to see clearly. This does not mean that if you have met a lecher, that your are one. It means that you have judgment against lechery. And be assured, if you judge against others, somewhere in your psyche, you have judged against yourself. And that is the place that you must go to and examine; that part of you that needs to feel superior and does so by judging another. Every time you judge my friends, understand what you are doing. You are stepping on somebody’s neck in order to stand up that much higher, not in the world’s estimation, but in your own. The quality of judgment is the most divisive quality that you possess, because it will, at any cost, prove itself to be better. But all you are really trying to do is make yourself feel equal. For if you truly knew yourself to be “better,” you would manifest compassion, because you would understand that judgement is not a quality that EVER heals. Judgment does not heal any one, or any thing, at any time. Judgement is the killer. So those who judge against their fellow man have to be responsible for realizing that they are desperately trying to keep their own self-judgment locked up in another area of their life. There is a part of your psyche that doesn’t want to look inward, so it tricks you into looking out there. If you have judgment, you do not have compassion, because they cannot exist together. If you have compassion you cannot judge, because you understand from the point of compassion that the person who is before you in this moment, CAN ACT NO DIFFERENTLY. And you cannot impose your rules on them because there is always some part of your consciousness that other people can look at and judge to be wrong.” From the book, I Come As a Brother by Bartholomew

January’s New year newsletter Special!

January is a good month to have a New Year overview session to look at primary themes, challenges, and opportunities for the coming year. One symbol from each of the many different oracles I work with will be pulled to highlight 2014 for you. A New Year reading is a great way to start off your New year! Your new year reading will include:

Angel cards

Viking Rune stones

Druid animal totems

Lakota Indian cards

Egyptian Cartouche

Tarot Archetypes

Your session can be a 45 minute or full 70 minute reading. Mention the January new year reading special and you get $10 off of my listed prices (normally Snake Oil subscribers get $5 off) for booking this session in January of 2014 only. Local in-office clients who pay for their session in cash get another $5 discount! Email or call to set up your appointment, Venturasag@yahoo.com

"Grudges are the perfect excuse to not fulfill creative dreams. We can blame someone or something else and never take responsibility for our own part in not living our creative dreams."

~ SARK

Spring Classes

ASTROLOGY-101 (two beginner classes)

Whether you have some astrological knowledge or if you are a beginner, this series will teach you the basics of Astrology. By the end of this class, you will be on the road to knowledgeably interpreting your own chart, as well as those of others. You will learn about the house placements, signs, symbols, angles, and a lot more! We will explore how powerful the influence of astrology is in our lives. You will not only truly understand your own life, but become even more aware of why the people around us have a different focus and perspective! If you already have your own chart, please bring it to the class. If you need your chart done, information will be given beforehand about how to get your free chart for the classes.
Sundays noon until 2:30 pm March 2, 9th. Two classes $35.00 (prepaid $30.00, $25 for current Regular clients pre-paid). Maximum of 8 students for this home class (one student may call in out-of-area on speaker phone) and minimum of 4 sign-ups to hold the classes. A $10 deposit is required to hold your space in this series.

MICHAEL MATERIAL CLASSES
* What is your soul age? The soul age of friends and family ? How does soul age influence us?
* How do past lifetimes influence us in the present ?
* What does karma feel like, and how does it work ?
* How does your chief negative feature impact your life, and can it be changed?
* What happens when your partner is an idealist and you are a realist ?
* What is your life goal? Is it dominance, acceptance, flow, discrimination, growth, or submission ?
*What is your essence, your soul mate’s essence ? Artisan, priest, king, server, sage, warrior or scholar ?
* What is a soul mate, task companion, heart link ?
* What do the higher centers feel like?
After this workshop you will understand all of these questions and many more, and more importantly have the answers.
There are no tests to pass, just some great information. 5 classes, 2 hours each.

What is the Michael teaching?
The main goal of the Michael teaching is agape or unconditional love. The teaching views life as a learning game in which fragments of the Tao - that essential part of each human being - set up lessons which continue over lifetimes. These lessons are learned via the personality which Essence chooses each lifetime. Michael teaches us what the components of the personality are so that we can learn to use and see these components in ourselves and in others. In that way we can learn to understand why human beings behave as they do. Michael is composed of 1,050 individual Essences who have lived on the physical plane and now teach from another plane. One of the most basic and important principles of the teaching is that it is not a religion or a belief system. Michael encourages their students to self validate all of the information they receive. The system was originally in print in over 12 volumes of information. “My studies of this material have been extensive and now I offer what I have learned to my students” Jim Ventura (Old Scholar). The classes will help you to use and understand the material without the need to read all the out-of-print books.
Saturday mornings 10 am till noon, March 29, April 5, 12, 19, 26th. $90.00 for all five classes ($80.00 pre-paid and for current Regular clients). Maximum of 8 students for this home class (one student may call in out-of-area on speaker phone) and minimum of 4 sign-ups to hold the classes. A $20 deposit is required to hold your space in this series.

“I want to let you know what some of your teachings have meant to me, particularly the "Michael" teachings. For the past year and a half, I have been married to a dear sweet man, whom I happened to have known for over 35 years. We have had a good friendship and mutual respect and admiration for each other all those years. When our relationship became romantic, it was and is the most incredibly beautiful relationship I have ever experienced. And you know my history with relationships hasn't been very successful. How does this have anything to do with you? Well, if I hadn't learned so much about myself through some of your classes, I'm not sure I would feel so peaceful with my husband today.
You see, we are both "servers". Recognizing that in each other, it's been so easy to put the other one's needs ahead of our own without any resentment or animosity.
It's important to me to let you know that your influence has helped to make my "golden" years so wonderful. Don't stop doing what you do.” Former Michael student.

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” Gandhi

Snake Oil Radio

Thursdays at 3:30 pm (there will be three live broadcasts this month)

My next live broadcast of Snake Oil Radio will be Thursday, January 2nd, at 3:30 p.m. (MST -AZ doesn’t use daylight savings time). Almost every Thursday you can catch a new show. Each 45 minute show will expand on my current column’s subject matter. It will also offer an opportunity for you to call in live (or chat with other listeners in the chat room) with comments and your thoughts about the topic of discussion. Halfway through some of the shows you can even ask me for a free 5 minute mini reading with your personal question. If you miss the live show, you can catch any of my previously recorded shows on the web site’s archive. You can also catch Snake Oil Radio on I-tunes (download my pod-casts there)

Join me on January 16th for an interview with Michelle Lee:

Michelle Lee, CH, is the founder and owner of Athena Rising Now. A program dedicated to freeing teen girls, their mothers, and all women from ancient cultural programming to become the leaders they were born to be. As an intuitive, certified hypnotherapist, emotional freedom technique (EFT) practitioner, author and mother, Michelle has more than 12 years experience working with women, helping them to discover and release their subconscious agendas so that they may fully express their highest potential. Michelle is the author of “Women: From Power to Profit: Your Guide to Claiming YOUR Worth” and of “Fall in Love…with your Self” hypnotic journey CD. You can discover more about Michelle’s programs, services, and products at www.AthenaRisingNow.com.

To hear a live show, all you need to do is be at a computer and tuned into: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Jim-Ventura You may also access it by going to blogtalkradio.com. Type “Snake Oil” into the search option.

You can also go to the shows that are currently “On air” at that time and find me. The call in number is 646-200-3966 for questions and comments.

Here’s my contact information to make an appointment for a session, or information on current classes: Phone: (602) 957-3035 text: 602-349-0746 Email: Venturasag@yahoo.com

Information about the different sessions and types of readings and services, past Snake Oil columns, and how to order my books and audio CD’s can be found at my website: Http://JimVentura.com

“Friend” me on Facebook to get other extra offers and in between column extras! Signing up for my fan page will get you even more extras and first shot at reading specials. Simply click on “like” on the fan page and you will automatically get my weekly updates.

All sessions/readings for 2013 are: Full (70 minutes) $110.00; Shorter session (45 minutes) $80.00; Extended session (90 minutes) $130.00 (two people can split an extended session back to back for $65.00 each). Email me for information about my Regular Client Program for even bigger discounts on session prices with the added benefit of monthly or quarterly check-ins.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

December 2013 Snake Oil

Snake Oil

Christmas gifts in the attic

The magical window of my childhood belief in a Santa Claus was only a brief one. Even as far back as five years old, I remember wondering how it was possible for all of the department stores and malls to have Santa Claus at their specific location at the very same time. I couldn’t imagine how one man, even if he had an army of supposed helper elves, could possibly deliver presents to children all over the world in one night. I also noticed how my wealthier friends often got more expensive gifts than our family did. Why did the poor kids end up with nothing at all? Was Santa only catering to the wealthy? Santa was supposed to come down your chimney and leave you your Christmas gifts. We had no fireplace in our house at all, yet we still got presents. And even if we did have a a chimney, how could such a lard-ass fit down one in the first place? These and similar thoughts started extremely early for me, and I wondered why other kids bought all of this malarky.

The observation that nailed the door closed on idealistic fantasies about Santa Claus and solidified my realist-cynic approach to Christmas was because my parents were not very good at hiding our presents. I would often see many of our gifts unwrapped at the bottom of Mom’s closet, or in the attic. I also saw Easter candy long before the “bunny” arrived, so that illusion was blown early as well. When I was six years old I remember being awoken on Christmas eve by the sound of the attic stairs opening. My father built the pull down stairs to our attic facing the bedroom my brother and I shared. He had to open the door to our room to get up into the attic. I clearly heard my mother’s and father’s clumsy attempts at putting out our presents most years. They were often punctuated by their usual irritation with each other. “Frank don’t forget the ones for Kathy.” “Hurry it up, I want to get to bed already.” “ What are you trying to do, break my arms.” “Wait for me to put these down first!” I would have had to have been a complete imbecile to still buy the magic fat man story after all of these theatrics.

Many of my dopey friends still believed in Santa Claus. Apparently they were not “blessed” with the mind of a detective and happily enjoyed their delusions. I found myself feeling it was my duty to burst their bubbles early on. When I told them the truth they would often disagree at first and be mad at me. Eventually they would realize I was right. Still, I often reminded them that it would be wise to play along with the charade. The benefits of pretending to believe in all of the Christmas crapola were numerous. A good, sweet, oblivious child performance could bring tremendous rewards. I had no issue with pretending to be a dumb, naive little kid for adults and I made sure my friends were smart enough to do the very same thing.

While my parents didn’t do an ideal job of giving us the illusions of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny when it came to the holidays, they did a great job in other ways. While a lot of the presents Mom (Santa) bought us were mediocre, lame stuff from church bizarres and clearance sales and not what we really wanted, she put in some real effort. She had seven children and that was a lot of presents to buy. She always got us at least one or two things that were on our Christmas lists. Opening our presents on Christmas morning was always really fun. Even when I knew what half of the gifts already were because I saw them or snooped around, I always enjoyed the process of opening the presents just the same. The excitement of opening gifts was really exciting and my parents made a point to make sure we had the experience.

We had some wonderful Christmas traditions we always followed. For many years we got a real tree (until I was about 17 when they finally opted for a fake one). We baked cookies and decorated the house, and some years we made gingerbread houses. We decorated our tree together weeks before actual Christmas. We sometimes made Christmas ornaments and even strung popcorn. We hung lights outside, listened to Christmas albums, watched Christmas specials like Mr. Magoo’s Christmas, A Year Without a Santa Claus, and A Christmas Story. We did Christmas up in a big way every year. There are still boxes of Christmas pictures and hundreds of great memories and funny stories associated with all of them. December was a really cold time in New York, but we had warm traditions in our home.

While I missed out on believing in Santa Claus and many of the other holiday illusions, I got to experience elements of family and holidays that really mattered. The cohesiveness of a family and celebrated traditions were priceless. We learned about giving and receiving and developed a healthy sense of the importance of all of it. When I was a kid, and even into my teen years, I would often get up in the middle of the night and look at the presents under the tree (the Christmas eve gifts we bought for each other were often wrapped and left out weeks before). Some nights I would clear a space and lay underneath the tree for an hour or so. I would turn on the lights on the tree and feel the soft white sheet we placed underneath it. The smell of the tree, the twinkle of the lights and the excitement of things to come were only a part of why I loved doing this. Some wiser aspect of me knew I would only be a child for a short time and I wanted to fully allow myself to feel every moment of it. I was safe and loved in a family and I knew I was blessed. I sensed that I had lived other lives in different families, times, and places that were not as wonderful when it came to my experiences in this family. I also knew that there were people all over the world that did not get to experience many of the things I was so blessed to have. I had friends who would have killed for what I had. So I savored those moments underneath the colorful lights of our Christmas trees. I allowed myself to be happy and I completely immersed myself into childhood and the magic of Christmas. So much for silly Santa stories and fairy tales, the real thing was so much better.

Jim Ventura 10-2011

Editors note:

I wrote this Christmas story almost three years ago and thought it was time to re-run it. A lot of new readers have been added to my mailing list in the last few years, so many of you have never read this piece. I really do enjoy the month of December. Here in Phoenix the weather is often perfect. It is typically lows seventies during the daytime and forties to low fifties at night. I especially love getting to wear some winter clothes for a few months-just a few months though! I allow myself to eat a bit more excessively than I normally do the rest of the year in December. Aside from the Christmas Eve lasagna that I make every year, and I make extra and eat it until New Years, I definitely allow myself extra cake candies and cookies in December. Putting on a few extra pounds (usually about 3-5) is worth it to me, and I am always eager to eat healthy again every January and drop the added weight! I have lost my interest in decorating the house and getting a Christmas tree. I haven’t done things like that in over a decade. I think if I had children, I would make a point to do more of these types of things though. I just enjoy the more decadent aspects (food!) of Christmas season, and that is enough for me!

I always appreciate when my readers comment and offer insight on the different Snake Oil columns I run. While I may not always be able to answer right away (I have reached over 1000 subscribers), your thoughts and perspectives are appreciated. In the future, please make any comments about columns directly onto the Goggle page where they are posted as opposed to emailing me with your thoughts. Comments directly on my blog page in the long run will get me more hits on search engine sites and increase the amount of traffic to my site!

I have a guest writer this month. Check out Michelle Lee’s article about the power (of the fear) of words. I will also be interviewing Michelle sometime next month on Snake Oil radio!

It is the holiday season, so take advantage of this months special and get a discounted gift certificate(s) for your friends and family as well as yourself. More information about this offer is in this newsletter. Wishing everyone a Happy Holiday Season and a Happy New Year! Cheers, Jim V

The Power (of the Fear) of Words by Michelle Lee
Many of us are learning that our words have power. We are even beginning to be more conscious of the words we use and choose to focus on using positive words when speaking to and about others. We are blessed with such talented authors as Mike Dooley of “Thoughts Become Things”, because of his work and the work of many other authors and we are beginning to understand that we do indeed create our own reality. But has it gone too far? Have we relinquished our power to our words?

This past weekend I had the pleasure and honor of contributing as a speaker and teacher at a women’s retreat. I delivered my workshop about how ancient programming determines our self-worth, how this programming is only a story, and finally how to be free of the story and the associated emotions that go along with it. As always, I teach the process of emotional freedom technique (EFT). For those of you that don’t know, when you use EFT, you focus on and speak out loud the undesired emotion, be it anger, sadness, fear, or whatever, while you tap on the meridians of your body. As an example, as you tap on each point you may say, “I feel angry”. I know this goes against the grain of all of the positive thinking lessons we have ever read or heard, but after more than 8 years working with clients with trauma, anxiety, depression, you name it, I’m very intimate with effectiveness of this process.

During this type of workshop, I teach the participants how to “tap together” for the benefit of themselves and the volunteer. This is actually known in the EFT world as Borrowed Benefits. Over the years, I have found this to be extremely powerful in a workshop setting.
The hiccup came when a couple of the participants were literally too frightened to speak the words of the undesired emotion, fearing that it would be “tapped in” to them. I was astonished at how strong this emotion was for a few of the participants. If we would have had more time I would have loved to have lead them through an EFT session to release that fear, but we didn’t. But this is why I wonder, “Have we placed too much power on words?”

Abraham Hicks is only one author to state that positive thoughts are 100 times more powerful than negative ones. We have to remember that we are the thinker doing the thinking and in order for a negative thought to become a negative emotion it must be repeated over and over and over again for days and months. Unfortunately, many of us do this unconsciously.

EFT literally gives us dominion over our emotions. You must not fear the words that describe your emotions or the emotions themselves. The fear of our emotions and the fear of putting words to them is what causes us to become stuck in the ruts that we find ourselves in today. EFT is a powerful tool that gives us permission to not only acknowledge our emotions, but to also love, accept, and forgive ourselves for having them; this in itself is powerfully healing. You are bigger and more powerful than your words and your emotions put together. Yes our words have power, but only the power we give them.

We are Divine creators created in the image of God. God would never fear a word or an emotion. I spend many hours every week tapping with women on their emotions and issues, I say words that may or may not pertain to me and NEVER do I take on their emotions or “tap in” to me their issues. I am literally invigorated after each session. The greatest gift I can offer my clients is to see them as the pure Divine creation that they are, even though they are wrapped up in their story. I can have empathy for them as they feel stuck, but I never allow myself to believe their story. It’s just a story and I am available and capable to lead them out of it.

“There is nothing to fear, but fear itself.” …and we can tap on that!

Bio:
Michelle Lee, CH is the founder and owner of Athena Rising Now. A program dedicated to freeing teen girls, their mothers, and all women from ancient cultural programming to become the leaders they were born to be. As an intuitive, certified hypnotherapist, emotional freedom technique (EFT) practitioner, author and mother, Michelle has more than 12 years experience working with women, helping them to discover and release their subconscious agendas so that they may fully express their highest potential. Michelle is the author of “Women: From Power to Profit: Your Guide to Claiming YOUR Worth” and of “Fall in Love…with your Self” hypnotic journey CD. You can discover more about Michelle’s programs, services, and products at www.AthenaRisingNow.com.

Gift certificates:

The holidays are approaching. Give a gift to someone you love that they will really appreciate: a reading/personal session with Jim Ventura. All gift certificates purchased from now until December 31 st, will be at a discounted rate for all of the clients who are currently on my mailing list (receiving Snake Oil or following me on FaceBook)
Special rate:
$15.00 off my current listed prices for both 45 and 70 minute sessions. If you purchase 2 gift certificates they are each $20 off my listed prices. If you purchase 3 or more, you get $25 off the purchase of each gift certificate!

Price list for services are at the end of this newsletter and on my website. The gift certificates are good for one full year and can be used any time in December 2013 and all of 2014. I will either mail them to you or, if you prefer, mail them directly to the people who you want to receive them (snail mail or email). You may want to buy a gift certificate(s) for yourself as well - do you know anyone else who deserves a gift as much as you do? Sessions can be in person or by phone for out-of-area clients.

You can also add a copy of my first book or audio DVD version of Dirty Little Secrets, or Snake Oil Volume One for an extra $12.00, including tax. ($3.00 shipping charge is waived for the month of December!) If you want to sweeten the package.

Order both books and shipping is also free! ($24.00 total for a copy of each) Email or call to purchase your Gift Certificates. This discount offer is good until December 31st of 2014.

*If anyone in your family has recently had a new addition (child) a 45 minute Astrology chart interpretation (session is recorded on audio cassette tape - I will be able to do digital versions in the spring of 2014 as well) is also a great gift idea. I often get letters from people telling me how useful and “right-on” the chart interpretation I did for their son/daughter 10 years ago was.

"Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent." --Eleanor Roosevelt

Snake Oil Radio

Thursdays at 3:30 pm (there will be three live broadcasts this month)

My next live broadcast of Snake Oil Radio will be Thursday, December 5th, at 3:30 p.m. (MST -AZ doesn’t use daylight savings time). Almost every Thursday you can catch a new show. Each 45 minute show will expand on my current column’s subject matter. It will also offer an opportunity for you to call in live (or chat with other listeners in the chat room) with comments and your thoughts about the topic of discussion. Halfway through some of the shows you can even ask me for a free 5 minute mini reading with your personal question. If you miss the live show, you can catch any of my previously recorded shows on the web site’s archive. You can also catch Snake Oil Radio on I-tunes (download my pod-casts there)

You can also go to the shows that are currently “On air” at that time and find me. The call in number is 646-200-3966 for questions and comments.

Alexander on Relationships:

“All too often you see people clinging to relationships that have served their purpose and can only lead to stasis or, worse, harm to the individuals involved if they try to pretend that what once existed still exists. It is the great fallacy of your plane (well, one of many) that a romantic love relationship must last forever-till death do us part-or that somehow those involved have failed if it does not.

Nothing could be further from the truth, or sillier. Life is not meant as a straight-jacket, where you are strapped into a given set of relationships at an early age, never to freely explore the bounty of human relationships with freedom again. It may well be that the intent behind a relationship is so strong, the opportunities for mutual growth and learning so great, that a marriage can last a lifetime. But it is unnatural to expect all such relationships to endure until death. It is a violation of the great flow and flux of your being to consider that all romantic relationships must last forever or be considered failures.

You live many lifetimes within a given human span of years. Are you the same person you were at three weeks? At ten years? Do you expect to be the same person at 80? We hope not. The energy that powers your life is a vast swirl, a constant dance, its overriding characteristic being randomness evidenced in the electron’s spin. You construct infinite grids of intent to experience over the span of your life, some lasting its length, most not. Every relationship has a given ‘span’ after which it can serve no benefit to maintain...” Ramon Stevens from Whatever happened To Divine Grace.

Here’s my contact information to make an appointment for a session, or information on current classes: Phone: (602) 957-3035 text: 602-349-0746 Email: Venturasag@yahoo.com

Information about the different sessions and types of readings and services, past Snake Oil columns, and how to order my books and audio CD’s can be found at my website: Http://JimVentura.com

Monday, October 28, 2013

November 2013 Snake Oil

November 2013 Snake Oil/Jim Ventura

Snake Oil

Energizer Bunny

I have always been very loyal to my friends and the people I care about. I have a number of friendships that have been part of my life for decades now. Consistent commitment is something that is quite natural for me. The majority of friends that I have lost over the years either sabotaged our relationship or wandered away for their own unique reasons that I don’t take personally. Life and the people in ours change and I comfortably recognize that not every friendship or relationship is meant to last for an entire lifetime. Most of the jobs I have had lasted many years. I have some regular clients that I have consistently worked with for over a decade now. I have been doing this column since 2003, I now I have over one hundred columns. I have been doing navigational consultations for a living for over twenty years now. My skills in this area have grown and become more polished. Some people mistakingly think I do things this way because I am stubborn. Stubbornness is a fear of change, and I have no fear of change. I know that change is a natural part of life and more often than not, a good thing. The truth is I am hard-wired to be perseverant. If I am pointed in a specific direction and I like that direction, I am a bit like The Energizer Bunny who just keeps going and going...

The first time I realized I was in perseverance mode was when I was twenty-two. I was studying an amazing series of channeled books called the Michael material.The Michael material pinpoints how seven different soul ages, life goals, modes, attitudes, chief negative features, and other aspects of human personality operate. All human beings have one of seven types of modus operandi; the way we achieve our goals. Our mode is set at birth (part of our astrology or over-leaves) and the way we accomplish things for an entire lifetime. While reading about the seven possible modes, perseverance made the most sense to me. The positive pole of perseverance is persistence. It’s negative pole is immutability. About a year of Michael study, I was able to pinpoint my specific mode, and I had an actual Michael channeler who reconfirmed this.

Even though there are seven different types of modes for accomplishing goals the most common mode is actually observation. About 55 percent of the worlds population is in observation mode. The positive pole of observation mode is clarity. The negative pole is surveillance. When there is an accident or incident on the side of the road and it seems that most drivers have an obsessive need to slow down and make sure they see exactly what has occurred, and further slow down traffic movement, is a great example of how common this mode is. The sometimes obsessive popularity of television and sporting events are other examples of how widespread this mode is among the general populace. One of the benefits of observation mode is that it can slide into any of the other six available modes and perseverance is one of the places it can slide to. The other five modus operandi are: Caution mode with its positive pole of deliberation and its negative pole of phobia. Power mode with its positive pole of authority and its negative pole of oppression. Reserve mode with its positive pole of restraint and its negative pole of inhibition. Passion mode with its positive pole of self-actualization and its negative pole of identification. Aggression mode with its positive pole of dynamism and its negative pole of belligerence. If you can see yourself sometimes using some or all of the listed modes from time to time, you are probably a person in observation mode who slides.

Perseverance mode is all about staying on track. It is frequently chosen by our Higher Self to give one the ability to accomplish long term goals and to pay off karmic debts. There are some definite perks to having access to this mode. I workout and go to the gym four days a week, even when I don’t feel like going. My perseverance mode and tendency to be comfortable with routine overrides my laziness. Perseverance has helped me develop a very healthy, fit body. When people in perseverance commit to a specific direction we truly commit. Because perseverance enables one to stay on a path we are able to plow forward through mistakes and learn how to inevitably make less mistakes. We can truly become experts because we dissolve obstacles with repeated efforts. Perseverance mode people can seem very much like brave warriors who remain undaunted in the battles of life. We are less likely to give up no matter how difficult something is. Even physical illness will not stop someone in perseverance mode. One of the most common mistakes human beings make is the tendency to give up, quit, or pull back in fear right as they are about to move to a new level of internal or external success. Perseverance gives one the persistence to follow through and not waver.

There are some negative aspects to this mode. I know this firsthand. I sometimes get caught in the negative pole and trap of immutability. When I was younger I stayed in a few unfulfilling and even abusive relationships because even though I was unhappy, I still stayed committed. I held onto jobs for months longer than necessary because even though I was no longer fulfilled I was both comfortably and uncomfortably used to them. The “choo choo train” of perseverance tends to stay on track and keep moving even if the track is running off a cliff. While I know that beliefs form our reality, I have had difficulty shaking and letting go of negative beliefs, even when I knew that they were only leading to unhappiness. Old, unproductive habits can be difficult to let go of with this modus Operandi. I have overindulged more than a few times with ice Cream, and other physical pleasures that tasted good, but were not beneficial to me in the long run. I would keep indulging because “I just wanted to get rid of it.” Dissolving bad habits can be a challenge when you are in perseverance mode. Thankfully even with the negative pole aspects of this mode, when perseverance leaves a bad relationship, or any toxic situation behind, it will never return to it. We can choose to commit to a better road. We just have to recognize that it’s a wrong road and have the willingness to put ourselves on a better track!

If your Modus Operandi is not observation mode, perseverance, or aggression mode (aggression mode is able to slide to perseverance as well) then you can still benefit by committing to using some perseverance in your life. Commitment can be an extremely attractive quality in relationships, family, and work environments. Perseverance appears to be a type of loyalty that can seem quite chivalrous to others. Proper use of perseverance can make us respond to things like a trained athlete, who knows when its time to step up one’s efforts and also when its time to take a needed rest. Wise use of discernment combined with persistence is a powerful combination. Being discerning is knowing when to stop following a path that is leading to a potential blind alley. When you choose a goal or course of action that has the potential for real success, a dash of perseverance can help you to commit your Energizer-Bunny-self to it, and keep going and going and going...

Jim Ventura 10-13

Editors Note:

A few of my readers may recognize that the material I talked about in this months column was taken from the Michael teachings. It has been a few years since I have run Michael classes out of my home. I will be scheduling these home classes again for a small group of students in March of 2014. Information about this and other classes will be in my January 2014 newsletter. I will also be scheduling online Michael classes in the spring for anyone out of area who wants to take these classes via Skype. If you are not able to take these classes and prefer to learn the material (Essence, soul age, and over-leaves) you can find more information about scheduling a Michael interpretation session with me on my website and in this newsletter. You can even come with another person to split the session price!

A number of people on my mailing list received a ridiculous email about me being robbed in the Philippines last month. After 15 years of email use I finally had an email hacking! It lasted about two hours before I caught the problem. Thankfully some friends sent me messages thru Facebook immediately, so I was able to reset my passcode. Unfortunately a few emails were also lost from clients because the hackers messed up my ability to receive emails before I changed my codes. When I signed in on a mobile device while in Las Vegas on my last night, I was tired and foolishly re-signed in again from a BS prompt from hackers and they got me! Definitely a pain in the ass getting that all straightened out but it was fixed, and I learned some valuable skills toward making sure it never happens again!

I did have to laugh when I read the hackers scam attempt email though. If you weren’t “lucky” enough to have received it, here it is:

“Good Day,

Sorry for any inconvenience, but I'm in a terrible situation. I came down here to Manila, Philippines for a program,last night on my way back to my hotel room I was robbed at gunpoint, my wallet and other valuables were stolen off me, leaving my passport and life safe. My luggage is still in custody of the hotel management pending when I make payment on outstanding bills I owe. I called my bank for a wire transfer but it has proven almost Impossible to operate my account from here as they made me understand international transactions take 7 working days to be effective which i can't wait. I will be indeed very grateful if i can get a loan of ($2,500) to settle out my hotel bills, I will reimburse you soon as I get back Home. I will appreciate whatever you can assist me with. Let me know if you can be of help.

All hopes on you. Jim”

The thieves were located near the Philippines (not the thieves who “robbed me,” they don’t exist). The message was poorly written. I am a writer, so I don’t write things in broken English! They asked for way too much money, and why would I send an email to a client when I would just ask for help from my family? Best of all, if I could send an email out, why wouldn’t I just make a phone call? Not the smartest attempt from hacker thieves, but it must occasionally work or they wouldn’t do it.

Like any difficult experience, it has a positive side. I will never get suckered again, and it can be valuable for me to share the experience so others don’t get pulled in to things like this. If you ever get a link without explanation from anyone on your email list, don’t click on it. If you ever get anything from your email provider saying you are over your quota limit and need to sign in to save you account from being shut down, it’s BS. It is a good idea to change your pass-codes on your email accounts and Facebook every six months to protect anyone from getting access to your accounts. It only takes a few minutes to do and it’s worth the effort.

It is the last month of my new client promotion special for $20 off all listed prices for 45-90 minute sessions. All the promotional work I have been doing has paid off so I may not continue past November with this particular special. If you are looking to book an appointment whether you are a new client or repeat client, keep in mind that I do have a Regular Client Program that offers significant discounts on session prices. Don’t hesitate to ask about that. I also give all my current Snake Oil, and FaceBook fan-page subscribers a small discount on sessions as well. Booked sessions with local clients can also take another $5 off listed session prices for paying in cash.

The holidays are approaching quickly. The Fall (my absolute favorite season) always seems to pass by so quickly though. Wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving. Cheers, Jim V

How oracle reading sessions work with Jim Ventura:

Many people are confused about how cards, and other oracles work. The cards, stones, and other divination tools I use are packed with insight and wisdom that come from hundreds of years of acquired knowledge and healing energies within them. On their own, they can be extremely powerful tools in increasing your understanding of what is happening in your life. The authors whom I often quote in sessions, have some powerful perspectives to share. When a client works with me, I do not absolve them of the fact that their thoughts and beliefs form their reality. The cards (maps) act a a connective point between me, my clients, and their Higher selves, spirit guides, and other intuitive connections to help them see into their own creation process. Both the positive opportunities and challenging aspects of one’s present, past, and future experiences of your unique reality creation are highlighted. My skills in interpreting the oracles after decades and thousands of sessions with other clients combined with my intuitive abilities make the benefits of a reading even more enlightening. Working with me not only involves getting insight and clarity, but also the benefits of my healing suggestions on how to resolve difficult experiences, and to open doors to creating a more empowered and fulfilling life!

“If you want your life to work you have to set priorities. This begins with the best use of your time, daily planning and long term goals.” Dick Sutphen

MICHAEL CHART INTERPRETATIONS SESSIONS

The Michael material is one of the most effective systems for understanding who we are and our place in the universe. We will explore your over-leaves: Soul age, life goal, modus operandi, attitude, centering, and chief negative feature. Many of my clients do not have time to attend Michael classes (or have attended, but still need assistance in interpreting their chart and over-leaves). This 90 minute personal one-on-one session will help you to understand the Michael material and how to recognize and use the positive poles of your over-leaves to create more essence contact (Agape), and how to use the positive aspects of your over-leaves.

90 minutes $100.00

“We are re-introducing this knowledge to you, as we have historically during times of great change, to help you with your current shift to the mature soul stage. You have been dominated for thousands of years by young soul lessons and play. You have amassed power, wealth, influence, and you have learned lessons about competition and personal glory. Now, the majority of you are ready to grow to a new level of perception that focuses on the value of relationships and growth through self-understanding.” Michael

New Client Promotion -Last month for this promotion

New clients who have never had a session with me before can take advantage of my current Fall special. Any of the sessions I offer (check out the different options on my website) are discounted $20 off my listed rates! 45, 70 and 90 minute sessions all receive the discount. No other offers or discounts apply with this special. The new client’s $20 discount is good for in office or phone sessions and will run from September 1st, 2013 through November 30th, 2013. You can buy one for a friend (new client) at this rate even if you have already had a session with me in the past if you want to give someone a gift!

November Extra!

Get a discounted copy of my first book in either audio Cd or print for $7 (plus $3 for shipping if mailed) all during the month of November. Ask for a signed copy!

Dirty Little Secrets was first published in 2007.

Storyteller and professional oracle reader Jim Ventura takes his readers on a wild literary ride. Dirty Little Secrets is a collection of short essays. The book explores some of society’s perceptions about what people often consider to be dirty little secrets best kept to oneself. The book tackles subjects with unflinching honesty: drug use, sexual addiction, unrequited love, revenge, childhood weirdness, homosexuality, and the old soul’s quest to experience magic and miracles in everyday life. The author holds little back in expressing his quest for enlightenment. Dirty Little Secrets illustrates how meaning, spirituality, and humor can be found to be embedded in every experience.

Excerpts from Dirty Little Secrets:

Light as a feather, stiff as a board “Childhood for me was a time of experimentation. I was attracted to the occult, there was something about its danger and mystery that was compelling...”

What’s wrong in this world? My belief has always been this: life is meaningful and safe, and people are basically good by nature...”

Criminal “My nightmare with the bad-boy showed me parts of myself that were not honorable. While I never even came close to the type of thievery Jim was involved in, I had still been a thief when we met. I tried to manipulate this young man, by making him need me, and he manipulated me right back, tenfold...”

The Raven “I began to remember every violation done to me in past relationships, every client who was loving and kind in relationships and was treated like garbage ran through my head. Every piece of slime who walked all over my brothers and sisters, and close friends passed through my head. I felt rage, someone needed to take a stand, someone needed to fight back. I appointed myself, through an imaginary election, to the position of righter of all wrongs...”

Another queen singing I’m coming out! “Everyone who knew me was comfortably aware that I was gay, except my parents, After they went back home it nagged at me for days. I could not carry this anymore, it no longer mattered that they might be upset. It was the truth; it was who I was and the last part of me still in hiding...”

To order a CD audio recording of the book (this is a dvd audio and will play on most computers and dvd players) read by the author, or a soft cover print version of Dirty Little Secrets, contact the author directly at Venturasag@yahoo.com

Either CD recording or print version is normally $15.00 including sales tax and shipping. Any orders in November 2013 are just $7 before shipping (you can pick up a copy at my home office for this price also). Please include $3.00 for shipping ($10.00 total) if you need your copy mailed.

Send a check to Jim Ventura 2515 N 52nd St. #206 Phoenix Az 85008. I can also be contacted my e mail if you want to use a debit, charge card, or pay-pal charge to order. (Venturasag@yahoo.com)

Dirty Little Secrets is also available at Amazon.com

Snake Oil Radio

Thursdays at 3:30 pm (there will be three live broadcasts this month)

My next live broadcast of Snake Oil Radio will be Thursday, November 7th, at 3:30 p.m. (MST -AZ doesn’t use daylight savings time). Almost every Thursday you can catch a new show. Each 45 minute show will expand on my current column’s subject matter. It will also offer an opportunity for you to call in live (or chat with other listeners in the chat room) with comments and your thoughts about the topic of discussion. Halfway through some of the shows you can even ask me for a free 5 minute mini reading with your personal question. If you miss the live show, you can catch any of my previously recorded shows on the web site’s archive. You can also catch Snake Oil Radio on I-tunes (download my pod-casts there)

Join me on November 14th for my one hour interview show with:

JIVANA KENNEDY who is a first generation disciple of the Indian Mystic and Tantric Master Osho.

TANTRA is a spiritual path that helps people close the gap between sexuality and spirituality.

Jivana has had a private tantric healing practice in Scottsdale for the past 20 years.

She works with men, women & couples, helping them enrich themselves, their intimate lives, their health, and their relationships.

JIVANA says that one of the key factors in creating a deeply fulfilling intimate life is the principle of ENERGY MASTERY for MEN.

ENERGY MASTERY helps a man have complete control over his ejaculation, and allows him to be more present to deeper states of intimacy.

She created a coaching audio program called 'FORGET ABOUT THE LITTLE BLUE PILL ' which teaches the principles of Energy Mastery to men of all ages.

And she also guides men in this practice in her in-person sessions.

Jivana teaches women to not settle for partners who make love like hit-and-run drivers, and supports women to reach for the fulfillment of their deepest hearts desire, in intimacy .

JIVANA hosts a global online group called MAKING SEX SACRED on LinkedIn

Jivana Kennedy www.tantrichealingtouch.com

www.inhonoroferos.com

You can also go to the shows that are currently “On air” at that time and find me. The call in number is 646-200-3966 for questions and comments.

Here’s my contact information to make an appointment for a session, or information on current classes: Phone: (602) 957-3035 text: 602-349-0746 Email: Venturasag@yahoo.com

Information about the different sessions and types of readings and services, past Snake Oil columns, and how to order my books and audio CD’s can be found at my website: Http://JimVentura.com

All Current Snake Oil subscribers get $5.00 off all listed prices for any 45-90 minute sessions. Local in office visits receive another $5 off listed prices for cash payments.

I accept cash, checks, debit cards, Master Card, Visa, and PayPal for payments on sessions and for books and classes. Send me your birth month, day and year to get added to the yearly Birthday mailer promotion.