April 2013 Snake Oil

April 2013 Snake Oil/Jim Ventura Blog

Snake Oil 

Sensitive Suzy

I was hanging out with a long time friend a few weeks ago when I told him that I experienced a night during my last vacation where I drank way too much alcohol. I usually have one drink a night when I go to las Vegas for the three day and night trips that I take every other month. The bartender in the Diamond lounge over-poured my Courvoisier to make it more like three drinks. As opposed to one strong drink, I figured since I was on vacation and not driving, what would it matter if I indulged beyond my normal limits? Of course my intuitive self, and practical self told me that it was not a good idea. I foolishly ignored those wiser voices. I drink infrequently and very little when I do, so this heavy amount made me a bit drunk. Like most intoxicants it was fun for a few hours then quickly followed with a headache and other discomforts. I crashed in my hotel room that night early and had a lousy night of sleep. I woke up every two hours to urinate, and I did not feel well rested when I got up the next morning. I felt crappy for most of the next day and I couldn’t seem to drink enough water to feel comfortably hydrated. Indulgence in any form usually has a expensive price tag attached to it. The fun of indulgence usually isn’t worth the after effects.

The buddy I told about my brief indulgence with alcohol is Mormon. I told him that I think the Mormons are right about the negative aspects of intoxicants like alcohol, drugs, and caffeine. He was thrilled that I validated the wisdom of an aspect of his religious and spiritual convictions. He is a good friend, and my designated driver when we go out to bars, or other events 4 or 5 times a year. Even though I often don’t actually drink most of the time, his willingness to be a driver is greatly appreciated. I realized that I often forget to verbally acknowledge the wisdom and value of my friends. I have great friends and thats why I hang out with them in the first place! This experience reminded me to compliment them more often.

My sensitivity to certain foods, drugs and alcohol became noticeable in my early twenties. All fast food ended at about age 23. Diet anything ended the first time I tasted something with artificial sugar. It always tasted lousy to me (Crystal light nightmares of my mother trying to sell us on its benefits and tastiness!) and any product that contains it never appeals to me. In my late teens and early twenties I briefly experimented with a few harder drugs like cocaine, and even ecstasy, but they were never things that I was truly comfortable with. I always found that the toll of these substances on my body, spirit, and wallet didn’t justify their value. Even over the counter medications like allergy medication and pain medications have always made me feel uncomfortable. They would temporarily fix what was wrong, but ten other negative things would be the uncomfortable price I payed for using them. The only “drug” that never seemed to really bother me or cause me any real ill effects was marijuana. I am guessing this is because it is a natural plant from the Earth and less harsh to the body. I was happily stoned a lot while I was in college. 

In my late twenties and early thirties my tolerance for alcohol began to wane as well. I would be fine when I drank top shelf alcohol and good wines and beers, but still in small doses. I discovered that I was able to drink reasonable amounts of alcohol if I had a bottle of water between drinks (now when I drink its usually 2 bottles of water for each drink). Caffeine became far less tolerable when I got into my early thirties. When I would go back to New York to visit friends and family the straight (not cut with decaf) coffee we would drink would leave me feeling irritable and uncomfortably wired for hours. At home when I make coffee it is generally 75 percent decaffeinated. Now that I am in my forties, I even have difficulty if I have too much sugar. Over time, I have definitely become a “sensitive Suzy.”

I have already discussed the emotional and psychological influences of intoxicants in previous Snake Oil columns. Things like alcohol, tobacco, sugar, caffeine and other “drugs” all mask uncomfortable feelings. Like fear, anger, feeling unlovable, and a bit of everything - respectively. If we are moderate with these types of things they actually can be enjoyable and not necessarily damaging to our bodies. Yet, when we begin to develop spiritually then there are other difficulties that can surface as we awaken. Not only our physical bodies become more sensitive, but out emotional and intuitive bodies become increasingly sensitive as well. Hard to absorb substances become not only uncomfortable, but difficult people, environments, and many other things can also become toxic to us.

Many years ago I noticed that when I am in bars, or places where people are “checking each other out,” that I often have to frequently urinate. Even if I haven’t had a lot of liquids, I still notice this frequent need to eliminate. Often when I get home I still find myself going to the bathroom more than normal when I am trying to sleep at night. When people are attracted to us or simply energetically “poking around” this can be pressure on our second chakra. The second chakra is the energy center below our navel that governs relationships, balance, and much of our sexual energy. I find a similar thing happens when I am around couples that are fighting or arguing around me. This area of my body gets uncomfortable and instinctively wants to release more than usual.

On a more positive note, as we develop our intuitive abilities and our vibrational level increases (we become more enlightened) we can become more tuned into knowing how to avoid toxic environments and difficult people. Our increased intuitive development can help us to avoid things that can harm us. We link our intuitive and instinctive centers in a productive way. There are many different benefits that can come from developing our intuitive abilities. We can actually train ourselves to allow negativity to flow through us, yet this is not always easy to do. 

While I have never been able to completely commit to a vegetarian diet, I do respect and understand why vegetarians have chosen this path. Eating meat that is pumped up with antibiotics and other toxic substances can be extremely hard on the body. Much of the meat most Americans ingest is also from animals that are treated quite poorly. To a large extent the energy of cruel conditions, animals being killed in inhumane ways, and the fear they experience becomes part of their meat and by-products and can be energetically and physically uncomfortable to put in our bodies. I have committed to eating a lot less meat over the years. When I do buy and cook meat I purchase free-range and organic meats. It is a bit more expensive, but worth it. I find that the meat I eat at some restaurants and buffets where the meat is a poorer quality usually ends up making me sick.

It may seem that we are not becoming weaker as we develop spiritually and the extra sensitivity limits us in some ways. Other people may see us as “too fussy” because we can’t eat certain things or avoid some people and places. Yet, the benefits to the increased sensitivity and fussiness will often allow us age a lot better, become less likely to develop illness, and we will become healthier physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The good news is that no matter how “good” or ‘”fussy” we become we can still have a little indulgence from time to time if we keep it reasonable. My “bad thing” is an occasional cigar. The buzz from tobacco is a little hard for me to handle, especially if I smoke before going to bed. Still, an occasional good cigar is just so good, and if I go there I only smoke high end tobacco. Not surprisingly, the cheap cigars make me physically sick. One of the great things about being alive is to enjoy the sensual delights of this world. Even if you are becoming more and more of a “sensitive Suzy” like me, you can still enjoy an occasional indulgence. It can be a bit of a balancing act, yet it can be done! And, no matter how much more sensitive I become I am never going to give up cheese, eggs, bagels and really good chocolate - damn-it!

Jim Ventura 3-2013

Editor’s note:

The last Mercury retrograde in Pisces (Mercury went direct again on the 18th of March) really brought up a lot of issues around how we protect ourselves and our need for personal boundaries. For many of us, it brought to the surface viewing where we may even be victimized by others because we may be too kind and tolerant in ways that gets us “walked all over.” The positive side of this retrograde was a reminder to reconnect us with our source God/All That Is/Higher Self and a reconnection to who we really are and what we are willing to sacrifice to achieve our goals. The clients I worked with during this time really did some excellent work in healing some difficult aspects in their lives and many were successful in charting a more empowered course for their future - well done!

Now we are firmly in Aries. The push of many planets (Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Uranus) currently in Aries will fire us up again to begin new projects and may even reignite us to finish some things we may have put aside for awhile. The house in our chart where Aries is will show us more specifically where this fire energy and some new beginnings will be likely to ignite in the near future!

In the next few months I will be scheduling some of my classes via Web Seminars. You will be able to join me and other students all over the country via Skype! I will be posting more information about this and upcoming WebSeminars in my June newsletter. There are still a few openings in the Rune class (here in my home for locals) in May. Contact me before the class fills.

I have not done much with marketing a program that I started two years ago, but I am opening my calendar to allow more students to participate. It’s called the Apprentice Program. Some of my Snake Oil subscribers are eager to advance their studies of Oracle reading. Whether you are new to studying and working with Oracles or just really want to advance your current studies, the program is an inexpensive and incredibly comprehensive way to increase your abilities to read any Oracles you are interested in learning. You can choose Astrology, Numerology, Tarot, Runes or any other type of oracle that interests you. Some of the apprentices I have worked with in the past have gone on to helping friends and family with their increased skills. Some have moved on to working professionally in either  part-time or full time work in this field.

If you receive this monthly newsletter, keep in mind that your email address is hidden from other subscribers. If you receive any marketing materials from anyone else these things are not connected to Snake Oil. Also, the ads that are placed from Goggle on my pages for astrologer, readers, and anything else are not placed or endorsed by me. I have no idea whether they are worth checking into, this is entirely up to you if you want to check any of these services out.

Wishing everyone a happy Spring. Cheers. Jim V 

“When a true genius appears in this world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him.” Jonathan Swift

Apprentice program

Many people come to a point when they recognize that they have intuitive and psychic inclinations from early childhood, or that surface later on in their lives. While many people have these skills not everyone is willing or interested in learning to hone and develop these talents. Reading books, taking classes and self study can be an excellent way to develop ones psychic abilities. These are some examples of the methods I used when I began to study many different types of metaphysical disciplines back when I was 17 years old and started exploring. 

The benefits of working with a gifted Master/teacher can be tremendously invaluable. I often do some of this type of training with my Regular clients. Most of them still prefer to leave the expertise and study of oracles to me. I have had some requests over the years from students who are eager to master intuitive skills, oracles, meditation and other metaphysical arts with a true passion. Rather than rely solely on me to interpret for them, they prefer to learn how to develop their intuitive abilities with my guidance. 

I developed the apprentice program with the goal of helping a select group of students to fine-tune their abilities. Whether the goal is to simply be able to read oracles for yourself, friends, and family, or to inevitably start a career in metaphysics, the apprentice program is an excellent way for a committed student to develop their skills.

Right now I have 3 openings for apprentice spots. I have chosen at this time to only take on a maximum of four apprentice students each month. Apprentices come in once a month for 70 minute instructional sessions. Different metaphysical arts will be taught each month. The program is tailored to specifically fit each individual. I do require an interview to talk with each potential student to lay out a plan and to see how far along each candidate is with their intuitive abilities. Some of the sessions will be geared toward learning different types of oracles such as  Astrology, Numerology, Tarot, Runes and other tools for divination. Some of the sessions will be for fine-tuning skills like clairvoyance, dream analysis, meditation, astral projection, psychometry, channeling, etc.

Apprentices sign up for 6 month blocks (generally six sessions) of monthly instruction. I also offer the apprentice program for clients by phone for out-of-area students (I will soon be doing many of these Via Skype.) Each instruction session is $55.00. If three to six sessions are prepaid they are discounted to $50.00 each. I also allow 2 apprentices to share sessions together. This can be with close friends or family members. The cost for these sessions are $70.00 per session ($35.00 each) ($65.00) prepaid. 

If the student’s skills notably increase and the desire (and Dharma - direction karma) to move toward helping others professionally is strong we will also devote sessions to practical development of learning how to advertise and get yourself out there to do this work professionally full or part-time.

If you feel this program would be of benefit to you, contact me for more information and to check availability. 602-957-3035 Venturasag@yahoo.com 

Spring classes

VIKING RUNE STONES (3 spots remaining as of April 1st)

“The Runes will speak to you of change and growth. The only negativity you will find here relates to the blockage of appropriate growth, while all the positive aspects are transcendent, transforming and lead to breakthroughs...” Martin Rayner

 This class will focus on understanding the meaning and rich symbolism behind the Viking Rune stones. The Runes are an easy-to-learn Oracle. Study of the Runes can rapidly increase your spiritual growth. Runes can be used as a navigational aid for correct conduct. We will also explore how to inexpensively create your own personal set of Runes.  Saturday May 11th, 10 am - 12:30 pm. 8 students maximum (minimum of 4 to hold class). $20 pre-paid or $25 if space is available on day of class. Class will be held at my home in Phoenix. Contact me to reserve one of the spots in this class. At this point there are still five openings available. 

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, April 4 Th., at 3:30 p.m. (MST). 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).

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.

Join me on April 18th for my interview show with karla Lamley:

Karla is a Transformational Life Coach, Mentor and Healer with over 25 years experience in the field of human potential and spiritual growth. In addition to her Life Coaching she has a Masters degree as a Nurse Practitioner working with clients with both alternative and conventional therapies. Karla has studied both Eastern and Western philosophy which has helped to shape and develop her unique understanding and ability to assist individual to integrate spiritual living-ness into everyday life.
She has studied and worked with the Tz'utujiil Mayan Shaman in the highlands of Santiago Atitlan Guatemala for the last 7years She works with both individuals and groups to assist in spiritual development, to open the communication between the seen and unseen aspects of life to create oneness consciousness .

Sessions
Individual session packages are available.For more information or to schedule an Appointment Call 602-509-0185
Email: Heartofeverything@me.com
If you are ready to increase and expand your intelligence, we are ready to support and guide you.Join me, consciously, on this sacred journey we call Life!

Continuing with the 11 human rights (by Dick Sutphen) and of course with added comments by Jim Ventura

3. It is your right to be what you are without changing your ideas or behavior to satisfy someone else.

“ No one can change someone else nor should they expect another person to become anything other than what they are. This is faulty thinking, for any forced change will not last or will result in new eruptions of unsatisfactory behavior. We are all free human beings and should be respected for what we are, not what someone else wants us to be. If your behavior makes someone else uncomfortable they have the right to leave. The same goes for you. 

Often in close relationship one person will compromise in hopes of achieving harmony. They change, and thus the other person in now reacting to a different (changed) person and often they also change. In this sort of situation the change is natural and will probably last.” D. Sutphen.

“We often battle with others (especially close relationships) by wanting to change the ones we love. Unless the other person recognizes that an aspect of who they are is not working and is willing to change for the better any pushes on our part will usually be met with resistance. In addition, the things we react to most in others are frequently aspects of ourselves cartoonishly exaggerated in the people (the good and the bad stuff) who we are intimate with. A willingness to heal the areas of fear and dysfunction in ourselves is the most powerful trigger that can open the door for the people we love to make positive changes in themselves (people are more apt to learn by example). Stop wasting your energy in trying to change anyone who has not actually asked for your help.” Jim V

Number 4 It is your right not to care.

“Life is filled with ‘you should’s.’ You should improve yourself. You should care about all 500 of the charity operations in this city. You should care about banning the bomb and Aunt Nellie’s broken leg. Your mother is getting old and is worrying about it, so she thinks you should be concerned about old people in general. The PTA thinks you should attend monthly meetings and the FCC thinks you should be concerned about violence on television. Your husband thinks you should roll his pairs of socks together instead of just dumping them all in a heap in the dresser drawer. There are so many ‘should’s’ that if ‘you did,’ you’d have no time left for anything else. You, and you alone, should decide what to care about.” D.S.

I remember when I first read this (when I was in my early twenties) and I thought this sounded really harsh. Yet, it is completely true. If we are concerned about everything, then we become effectively useless in accomplishing anything, Dump your internal and external “should’s” unless they are in alignment with your intuition and ethical priorities. Jim V

Here’s my contact information to make an appointment for a session, or information on current classes: Phone: (602)957-3035 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.

All Current Snake Oil subscribers get $5.00 off all listed prices below.

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). 

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 and year to get added to the yearly Birthday mailer promotion.