December 2014 Snake Oil
Snake Oil
Tinfoil Covering The Baby Jesus
I grew up in a large Catholic family where Christmas rituals were an important part of our holiday experience. Amidst the craziness of Santa Claus, Christmas shopping and stuffing our faces full of sugar through most of December, our family still celebrated “the true meaning of Christmas.” It was the time when Christ the savior was born. Like almost every child raised in a Christian home, we were taught the importance of remembering “the truth” about Christmas. Even from what we believed to be our enlightened perspective, we were still all about the indulgence that Christmas seemed to usher in, and as a child I loved every minute of it.
During the holidays, atop the television set was placed a small figurine of the baby Jesus. The figurine was part of a nativity scene. In our family we placed a piece of tinfoil over the small statue. My mother explained this practice to us: “until Christmas Day comes, Jesus had not yet been born.” She would inevitably ask us each Christmas morning if we had pulled the tinfoil off of Jesus before we began opening our presents. We never remembered. The excitement and lure of greedily tearing open presents far outweighed any interest in mom's custom. Still, we dutifully faked reverence in front of Mom, pulling off the tinfoil only to instantly place all of our attention back to the presents.
Young children, understandably, aren't into philosophy, morality and religious rituals. As a child, most of the things I was taught about Christian teachings weren't really interesting and were often scary. Pictures of Christ nailed to a cross with bleeding hands and feet were horrifying. The picture common in Christian homes of Christ praying with a huge beating, burning heart in his chest terrified me. To please my mother, I pretended to be interested in the Bible. Our children's Bible was illustrated with pictures that mostly gave me nightmares. Stories and pictures of pestilence, lepers, children being sacrificed, people dying and a man who was hung to die on a cross did not make for comfortable bedtime stories.
Understanding parables, Christ's message of love and other biblical stories can be excellent ways to connect to our spiritual sides. Children, though, simply are not ready for this type of thing. I can safely guarantee that any child of any religion that is happy about learning this stuff is faking it to please their parents or guardians. Young children are not able to grasp the significance of spiritual teachings, and that is exactly as it should be. Why not let children enjoy Santa Claus, the Easter bunny, and all the fun stuff until they are old enough to grasp the deeper meanings of religion and spirituality?
Even as we approach our forties, around Christmas, my little sister and I still tease each other about whether we have pulled the tinfoil off of the baby Jesus. We playfully and sarcastically joke about this and some of the other bizarre rituals we were taught. Maybe we haven't really grown up yet, maybe we never will.
Jim Ventura 10-2003
Editors Note:
This month’s holiday column was originally printed in 2003!
Last months column must have hit a few nerves for a number of my readers. Every few months I get a request or two to “unsubscribe” from receiving my monthly column. There are many reasons why this happens, so it doesn’t concern me. I see it as one of the realities of reaching a large audience (Snake Oil is sent out now to about 1400 people each month). People will understandably decide for their own unique reasons why they no longer want to receive the column. But, when I get a number of requests to be removed in the same month, I often wonder what the trigger was. In this case, my column about people writing mean comments thru the internet (cyber bullies) and this being one of the five evils that are part of human nature must have made some people really uncomfortable. I had 7 “unsubscribe” requests after this one! This ties my previous record back in 2009 when I published a column about why I was against war, explaining that this creates difficult karma, and more importantly, because we don’t take care of our soldiers the way we should when they return. In the book the Secret Language of Birthdays, my birthday is the “day of the instigator.” I think they got it right. I really do enjoy pushing a few buttons from time to time. People seem to love me or hate me, but at least I trigger a response!
The holiday season is here again. December is a free pass for me to eat a lot more of the crap I try to keep down to a minimum the rest of the year. My Taurus rising personality does enjoy the excuse to indulge! Last year I gained six extra pounds in November and December. It is worth it though. Getting the weight off again in January and February is usually not very difficult. One of the responses I normally have after indulging is to lose interest in indulging again for a while! I see cake, cookies, turkey, lasagna, and a lot of “bad” stuff in the cards for me for the rest of the month. I also see salads, very little sugar, and remarkable self control again when 2015 kicks in!
I have decided to keep my prices for sessions at the same rate for 2015. There will be no price increase for sessions this coming year. I am also offering a really good special this month. ALL sessions booked for both new clients as well as returning clients, and anyone who receives Snake Oil currently will be at my REGULAR CLEINT rates for the whole month. Regulars always get $15-25 off my normal rates, and this December, so do you! You may also purchase gift certificates at these discounted rates for friends and family, and yourself to use anytime in the coming year ahead! Quarterly clients in my Regular Client program pay $90 for a full session. $65 for 45 minute sessions and $105 for extended 90 minute sessions. Any appointments for December of 2014 will be at these rates. This special ends on December 31st. Email me at Venturasag@yahoo.com to book your December session, or to purchase gift certificates.
I have some new classes scheduled for Winter/Spring 2015. Check out the class options if you are interested. Wishing everyone a Happy holiday season and a great start to 2015! Cheers, Jim V
“The price of being negative to another person is turbulence or disturbance within yourself.” Dick Sutphen
Gift Certificates and an Extremely Good Snake Oil Subscriber Special for December 2014
December 1-31st 2014: ALL sessions booked for both new clients as well as returning clients, and anyone who receives Snake Oil currently, will be at my REGULAR CLEINT rates for the whole month!
Regulars always get $15-25 off my normal rates. Quarterly clients in my Regular Client program pay $90 for full sessions. $65 for 45 minute sessions and $105 for extended 90 minute sessions. Any appointments for December of 2014 will be at these rates. This special ends on December 31st.
You may also purchase gift certificates at these rates for friends and family, and yourself to use anytime in the coming year ahead! A maximum of three gift certificates can be purchased at these rates this month. Any of the many different types of sessions I offer are options for this special. You can get more information about the different sessions available on my website at JimVentura.com.
Channeled corner. I read many, many books from different trance channelers in the 80s and 90s. Unfortunately many of them are now out of print, but I still have a huge collection and will share some of the best material I have collected over the years.
One’s astrological birth chart has been described as the blueprint of one’s soul. Could you comment?
“Indeed I can. A natal chart is a bit like a chess problem, in which your beginning position determines how you will play. Rather than start the game neutrally, with rooks, pawns, and knights in their traditional places on the board, you array them in ‘conjunction’ or ‘opposition’ to one another, so that they can exert challenges of different sorts.
You astrological birth chart is not as deterministic as you may have heard. Rather, it is a symbolic statement of the ‘game plan’ you have chosen for yourself. But you want to use a diving board as something to propel you, not to restrict you.
A typical Gemini or an archetypal Capricorn has, in a sense, chosen to play from his or her natal power base. But like a chess piece, even they can move to a different square! If others do not at all fit the astrological pattern, the astrologers say, ‘Ah, this person was not born at the stated time,’ or ‘One planet must have been overlooked when the chart was first drawn up.’
You are not bound or ‘ruled’ by your natal birth chart. It is more of an opportunity. But because opportunities are usually grasped, you take advantage of it. Because the positions of the planets at your birth do give a certain emphasis, you are more likely to run with these existing energies than you are to rebel needlessly.”
From: Answers from a Grander Self Channeled and edited by Tam Mossman
Classes for 2015
Getting Your Star On The Map And Making It Shine!
This class will focus on how you can successfully market your own business. If you already have a business or are contemplating launching one in the near future, this class will help you to do this successfully. You may be looking to create a side business in addition to your current job, or may be contemplating working completely for yourself. There are now many options for a creating a successful home based business! My self included, I know a number of people who have successfully done this.
Instructor Jim Ventura is a navigational consultant who started his own home based business twenty-two years ago. His background as an advertising art major, in addition to perseverance through many difficult types of marketing trial and errors has given him quite a bit of information that he will now share with his students in this class.
Nearly any type of business can become a successful one if you know what tools are available. We will also go deeper into looking at how to recognize and eliminate the internal blocks that may keep you from being a success. This class will help you to identify and remove these blocks permanently.
Some of the areas we will cover are:
Yelp and other review sites
Marketing with Business cards, brochures, and building your own website.
Social media
Internet search engines
Radio and television
Practical business planning for establishing your own home based business.
Managing the practical details of home (or other locale) based businesses.
Students who already took my Prosperity classes in 2014 will get first chance to take the available spots. Because I am doing 2 different dates there will likely be some openings for others in this class. Ask to sign up early to reserve a spot. $25 on day of class, or $20 pre-paid before February 1st 2014. (Current Regular clients get a $5 discount). Maximum of 8 students (one call in) in each class. There will be 2 dates available for this class. Saturday February 7th at 10 am until 12:30 pm. Sunday March 8th noon until 2:30 pm. Email me to reserve a spot(s).
HIGHLIGHT ON READINGS:
This reading example illustrates how I often combine two different types of oracles in one session.
Jim Remembers that he can read his own cards!
It would be easy to assume that because I am able to read my own cards (Tarot and other Oracles) I would be doing it all the time. Yet, sometimes many months go by before I even remember to sit down and do a spread to get a feel for the opportunities and challenges present and likely to surface in the next few months.
I had a day off in early November and decided it was time to do this. After 30 years of working with these tools, I am still amazed at how often accurate and helpful Oracle readings can be. Here are just a few highlights of the reading:
My Tarot card spread for next few months came up Ace of Cups reversed in the past, or basis of question position. This means a period of being closed off from intimate relationships and partnerships, or not finding a suitable match. This is correct. I have been single for many years now. I am VERY comfortable being single, but I have been thinking about opening up to the idea of a relationship again. The recent past position came up Death Archetype (13) upright. This means a period of change and movement from one stage of life to another. My present came up the 8 Cups reversed covered me with the Empress (3) crossing me. This combination suggests a period of prosperity and celebration. It can suggest a bit of indulgence as well. I am leaving for Vegas next week for a few days, there is definitely going to be some indulgence. I even packed extra cigars for the trip! It also suggests that many of the seeds I have planted in business, friendships and other areas are flourishing at this time. The Empress also highlights creativity. I started working on a drawing for my next book (I was an art major in college and quite good at it) which is something I haven’t done in a number of years. Business, health and life in general are good right now, so this combination of cards really fit. The near future came up the Fool card (0). This means a period of risk and opportunity ahead that is likely to be beneficial. Life force, opportunities, and new enthusiasm make life exciting. The 8 Wands reversed hangs over me; this means there may be a few delays ahead in some areas, and to not try to push or force anything. The delays will be frustrating at times, but temporary and may prove useful. There are some annoying things happening in my HOA right now and I am pretty sure this card primarily refers to this issue. The outcome for the next few months came up many different Court cards, and the 2 of Pentacles upright. Court cards are the people currently in my life and also a suggestion of new people coming in. All the court cards came up upright, this suggests more harmony as opposed to challenge in my relationships with others. The 2 of Pentacles shows juggling many different things, but also being able to go with the flow of life’s changes.
I also pulled some animal totems. The (Sow) Pigs came up reversed in my present. It can represent overindulgence and being a little bit of a Pig. This is funny and true. After almost 8 months of purposeful celibacy, and reasonably curbing other potential indulgences I broke and did a few “bad boys things.” I am sure a few of the people I briefly went out with have decided I am a pig! I never called any of them back afterwards, even though I could see that a few were interested in me. My dipping briefly into some meaningless sexual play was beneficial though. I needed a little fun and it just reminded me that while enjoyable, it is ultimately a hollow experience and not where my energy needs to be at this time. I indulged a bit in other a few other ways, and even put on a few pounds from eating like a pig for the last few weeks. A few nights last month I baked homemade chocolate chip cookies and ate them at 10 pm, delicious but not wise...
The near future totem came up Hawk upright and the Water Dragon. Hawk suggests being able to see the puzzle pieces of one’s life coming together. He helps us develop confidence, nobility and a broader view of things. The Water Dragon suggests emotional memories from my past resurfacing that both clear old patterns, and bring up hopes and dreams that may have long been buried. It can also suggest new emotional connections. I feel good about this reading. It really fit, and I actually feel very clear again. I like having the assistance of a Tarot and animal totem map!
I always remind my clients that we create our own reality through our thoughts and beliefs. A good reading will be able to give you clarity and an increased awareness of your own reality creating process. You can clearly see what is working and not working! When you are open and willing to use oracles to assist in your growth, you can enhance your own intuition and awareness while navigating through your life in a much more empowered way. The cards (and my intuitive feelings, guidance, and suggestions in sessions) are not meant to replace your intuitive wisdom and creative process, they are meant to provide validation and help you see even more clearly! Jim V 11-12-14
Snake Oil Radio
Thursdays at 3:30 pm (there will be two live broadcasts this month)
My next live broadcast of Snake Oil Radio will be Thursday, December 4th at 3:30 p.m. (MST -AZ doesn’t use daylight savings time). This month’s second show will actually be on Wednesday the 26th at 3:30 pm. Most Thursdays 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).
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 (best method for contact)
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 2014 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.
All Current Snake Oil subscribers get $5.00 off all listed prices for any 45-90 minute sessions (except when using a special discount promotion). Local in office visits receive another $5 off listed prices for cash or check payments.
I accept cash, checks, debit cards, Master Card, Visa, and PayPal for payments on sessions and for books and classes in office. Phone session will need to be by check or thru Paypal.
Send me your birth month, day and year to get added to the yearly Birthday mailer promotion.
