November 2019 Snake Oil
Taking It All Too Hard
In the mid eighties the rock group Genesis came out with an album that had a song called “Taking It All Too Hard.” It was a great album with a lot of popular hit singles, but this was my favorite track. I really resonated with this song, it seemed to put me at ease every time I found myself battling with the intense emotions, hopes, confusion, and seemingly endless fears about my future. All typical things for someone in their late teens to be confused about. I felt intense, angry at times, and had strong opinions about a number of things. At the same time, I was reading a lot of channeled books and other metaphysical wisdom and learning that detachment was a path to enlightenment. I wondered if there was a way to find a balance between the intense feelings that made me feel both incensed and alive, while remembering the wisdom of detachment. Was it possible for me to maneuver comfortably in both worlds?
The Archetypal symbol of Temperance (14) is one of the 22 Major Arcana symbols in the Tarot. This Archetype shows the image of a woman pouring two cups of wine back and forth into each other. She has angel wings and the look of someone who is enlightened as she stands on the edge of a lake. The upright position of Temperance represents the process of stabilizing and developing equilibrium. It reminds us that healthy cooperation and adjusting our responses in anything we commit to can lead to internal and external harmony. We understand we have to work at finding balance through trial and error to achieve our goals. It resonates with the wonderful sense we feel when we find ourselves passing our life tests. The archetype suggests that it is possible for us to find a balance between passion and detachment. In its reverse position it speaks to us about being radical or extremist in our actions. We fail our tests and suffer because we are too heavy handed in our approach and lack moderation. This can be the reaction to the influences of others refusing to adjust by being disruptive or a situation where we are causing the disharmony. In either case, we may find ourselves in painful conditions where we feel defeated, fearful and even “shipwrecked.” Like most people I have experienced both the positive and negative of this archetype.
There are many different areas in life where people become unbalanced and lack healthy Temperance. Some extreme and dark examples are: school shootings, people stockpiling guns “because the government is coming to take them.” Someone committing suicide because of shame around financial failures. A man or woman kills their wife or husband because they were verbally or physically abusive for years, or cheated on them. One parent keeps the other parent from seeing their children to punish the other. All of these examples clearly illustrate extreme responses and a lack of balance. People do crazy and often irreparable damage when they lack temperance.
The majority of us won’t ever do anything this extreme. Most of us get caught up in just a little “crazy” when we lack temperance; Stalking your boyfriend on FaceBook, and compulsively checking his phone or driving by his workplace to see what he is up to. Painfully staying in an unhappy marriage because this is what “till death do us part” means. Stealing from work because “we aren’t getting paid what we deserve.” Obsessing over any difficulty we may be experiencing and not being able to eat or sleep because we are in “so much pain.” We lack temperance when we get so myopically focused on the difficulties and problems that we contemplate or act with extreme responses to attempt to balance the scales. No matter how difficult any experience may be, there are always good things in other areas of our lives. We lose sight of these positive things and often create new problems when we react impulsively.
Relationships in one form or another seem to bring up the issue of a lack of temperance the most for people. I see people all of the time who are struggling with balance in relationships. Whether they be in familial, work, or with a significant other, this is the area that most people seem to “take it all too hard.” Yet, throwing the engagement ring you paid dearly for into a lake because your girlfriend isn’t ready to marry you is a definite example of a lack of temperance. Spreading rumors about a co-worker who pissed you off is a definite lack of temperance. Keying your boyfriend’s car because he cheated on you is not a wise solution. Hurt, anger, and problems surface from time to time in our experience with other human beings. Yet, if we remember the purpose of healthy temperance and wise detachment, we can find a way to navigate through anything with grace. Detachment doesn’t mean we pretend not to care and stop feeling our feelings. Detachment is an ability to have an experience without drowning in it. A recognition that while the situation may be really bad, there is purpose we will someday be able to see.
In order to accomplish anything of value in life, whether that be devotion to a cause, relationship, or any project that really matters to us, we have to allow our passion to rise. We have to let ourselves get excited and fired up! Even when doing something we really love we will experience ups and downs along the way. We can remember trial and error are part of this process. In the book of Runes, the Gateway Rune Thurisaz reversed reminds us “to be certain that you are not suffering over your suffering.”* What this means is that the word suffering originally meant to “undergo.” If we experience difficulties, or a sense of powerlessness in a relationship or situation, while we need to feel the feelings that surface, we also can remember that pain is generally not a permanent thing. Physical and emotional pain are smoke signals telling us something is not working. If we are willing to do what is necessary then the pain will go away. A change in viewpoint may be enough to release our suffering. We often need to look at the situation as it “really is” as opposed to how it “should be.” In some cases we may need to abandon the path or relationship if it’s too toxic, but there is always a solution.
I have had a few times in my life when I was “shipwrecked.” I did a few mildly crazy things in my younger days. I picked mates that couldn’t give back in a healthy way. I struggled with things not going the way they were “supposed to.” I have been guilty of the “poor Jim” stories in my head, and even tortured my friends with my complaints. I played some of these tapes: “Why is God putting me through this?” “I am in so much pain, when will it end?” “I don’t deserve this, I was just trying to do something good.” Thankfully age, wisdom, and detachment have helped me to become more moderate in my approach. At this point in my evolution, victim types of reactions are almost non-existent. I am able to see my part in the creation of every event. We are human beings and we are meant to feel emotions, both the “good” and “bad” ones. Sometimes our struggles are huge and may take some time to solve. If we are suffering in any way we can step back and remember that we always have a choice. We get to choose how we respond. No matter how out of balance we may feel, doing something destructive will rarely solve any problem. Detachment can be a comfort because it reminds us this too shall pass. We can recognize that suffering over our suffering is also a choice, and not a good one.
We can learn to use the Temperance archetype in the best possible way. To some extent, we are always in the process of adjusting and fine-tuning our ability to have balance. A child given two glasses, one with milk and the other empty, will delight in pouring them back and forth until they are perfectly even. The child may spill the milk. At some point he may even knock the glass over completely. He may feel frustrated by his clumsiness and his lack of dexterity. Yet, with patience, practice, and continued effort he will develop a perfect rhythm, and usually accomplish his goal and absolutely enjoy the process itself.
Jim Ventura 2-2014
Notes:
The holiday season is here. The best weather imaginable this time of year (unless you love the cold and snow of course...) here in Phoenix. Basically mid 70s during the day and low 50s at night. This has been a notable roller coaster ride of a year for me and many friends and clients too! I am always compiling data and sharing in a far more personal way with the people involved in my Regular Client Program. It seems the general theme has been some really great stuff dotted with times of real challenge and even crisis for much of 2019.
I am running a great special beginning on November 14th that will run until the end of the year. New clients can take advantage of a $10 discount on 45, 70, and 90 minute sessions and so can returning clients! Local in-office sessions can also use the added singular $5 discount for cash or check payments. Up to two gift certificates can be purchased after your session for an additional $20-$55 discount. More information later in the newsletter.
I originally ran this months column back in 2014. It is a bit longer than most of my columns but unquestionably a valuable read. Consider getting involved in my Regular client program for 2020. It is tremendously valuable to exercise our bodies regularly for health benefits. Committing to exercising your spiritual awareness as well is an investment that pays off in so many beneficial ways. If you were a Regular Client who has gotten behind on your session schedule you can ask about getting back in the program, otherwise you can have sessions when you choose or “feel the pull” but without the advantage of the Regular Client program’s discounted prices.
“My Mom makes something called green pie, which I thought was a delicacy that many people only had at Thanksgiving, but it turns out it was just lime Jell-O with whipped cream on it. And it’s delicious.” Bobby Moynihan
November and December Gift certificates Special: $10-$65 off all sessions!
This offer is for new New Clients and returning clients
The holidays are approaching. Give a gift to someone you love that they will really appreciate: a reading/personal session with Jim Ventura. All sessions booked at this time and all gift certificates purchased from November 14th, 2019 until December 31st, 2019 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 or LinkedIn) and new first time clients as well can take advantage of the special!
Special discounted rate:
$10.00 off my current listed prices for any 45, 70, or 90 minute sessions. If you purchase up to 2 gift certificates (or decide to purchase a follow up session for yourself to use in the coming year after a session at this time) the second gift certificate is $20 off my listed prices. If you purchase a third it will be $30 off that one! A maximum of three session gift certificates may be purchased at this time. Cash or check payments can add an additional $5 off the total price.
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 during the remainder of 2019 and all of 2020. 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 friends, family or for yourself to be used anytime in 2020. Sessions can be in-office 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 ($4.00 shipping charge is waived during this special) 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 2019.
“Every Thanksgiving, we all write down three things we’re thankful for and put them in a hat. Then we pass the hat around the dinner table and everyone has to guess who wrote what! Debbie Ryan
Regular Client Program
One of the best programs I have been doing for 18 years now is my Regular client program. The program is designed to benefit my clients at multiple levels. Clients who enroll in the program come in every three months for personal sessions (monthly or every other month sessions are also an option). This can also be done for out-of-area clients by phone. The focus of the program is on consistent work in developing your intuitive abilities, learning how to use the signs and signals that are all around us, and conquering fear-based programming permanently. We also get to do work with all the many different oracles I currently work with! My Regular client program has resulted in some tremendous spiritual evolution for hundreds of people over the years. Some of my Regulars have gone on to do spiritual counseling, or similar types of work and some are healing and guiding others personally and professionally. The progress I have seen over the years among the majority of my Regular clients has been phenomenal. It is wonderful to see the spiritual, physical, and emotional progress I have assisted in motivating. So many of my Regular clients have dramatically changed the way they now view life and are enjoying a more enlightened point of view. You can join this program as well, just ask.
More about the Regular Client Program... This program was designed to create an easy, cost effective way for my clients to progress in their spiritual development.
When we are consistent at attending to our body/mind/spirit, we naturally move through life with more harmony and greater joy. When our spiritual awareness is heightened and fine tuned we are often happier which helps us to enjoy all aspects of our lives, including occasional personal challenges because we see them as inevitably beneficial. We can truly assist the people around us. Human beings learn by example. Your intimate partnerships, friendships, family, and children benefit when you are in a good space.
The Regular Client Program makes it easier to prioritize keeping your spiritual, emotional and even physical “garden” free of weeds. In China, the professional soothsayer is a reverent and dignified calling. It does not attract the sort of suspicion it does in the western world. In fact, in most eastern cultures, seeing an oracle reader is a sign of wisdom, success, and prestige. If you have an interest in increasing these attributes and working with a highly skilled navigational consultant then the Regular Client Program may be right for you.
Regular client discounted rates for 2014-2020:
Quarterly (every three months) Regulars:
Full 70 minute sessions $90.00 shorter sessions $65.00 Extended sessions $105.00
Monthly Regulars:
Full 70 sessions $80.00 shorter sessions $55.00 Extended sessions $95.00
IF YOU CHOOSE TO PREPAY 3 OR MORE SESSIONS YOU RECEIVE AN EVEN BIGGER DISCOUNT.
(prepaid three quarterly sessions: (3) - 45 minute sessions $175. (3) - 70 minute sessions $240. (3) - 90 minute sessions $285.
(prepaid three monthly sessions: (3) - 45 minute sessions $150. (3) - 70 minute sessions $210. (3) - 90 minute sessions $250.
* Regular clients get to choose whether they will come in for a full, 45, or extended session. You may vary the length of each session each time you come in for your appointments, and still keep your discounted rates.
* I will contact you a few weeks before your next appointment by email or phone for scheduling. If there is a need for a few weeks delay or to come in sooner or for an extra appointment this is also an option.
* Sessions can be used for all of the different readings I offer, transformation sessions, reality change sessions, or personalized instruction on how to read oracles yourself.
* Regular Clients can purchase gift certificates for sessions to give to friends and family at their discounted rates. Regulars also receive discounts on classes, CDS, and books.
* If at any point you decide to come in more often or less often, or even exit the program, simply let me know. I have worked with clients who have come monthly for two years, then switched to quarterly, etc... Clients who exit the program can still come in randomly for sessions, although they will be required to pay current non-regular rates.
When we are out of balance, and not attending to our spiritual sides we are more likely to: hold onto the past, feel anxious about the present, and fearful about the future. Oracle readings and navigational consultations help us keep clear of lower energies and bring us to a higher awareness in all areas of our lives. Developing our intuitive abilities increases our potential for happy relationships, excellent health, and keep us excited about wherever our lives are headed. The majority of my clients come in for a session once or twice a year or when a crisis triggers them. My Regular clients use the sessions as PREVENTIVE MEDICINE.
If you are interested in signing up for this program call or e mail me VenturaSag@yahoo.com
“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” Harriet Beecher Stowe
Channeled corner. I read many, many books from different trance channelers in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. 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.
Camouflage
“...Attempts to explain the ultimate source of life always sink into fragment and symbol, for it transcends the limits of your waking mind to comprehend the hidden realms from which you spring. Every culture has its pantheon of gods, or a single God, as a symbolic image of the unknowable ultimate Source of All Being. These images are most often painted in human terms, in form and behavior, the better to make them comfortably familiar. Yet the Source is not human in form or thought, even while it contains all human experience within the totality of its being.
A common element of many spiritual traditions is to paint the relationship between creator and humanity in terms of spacial distance: God or gods are projected upward-into heaven, onto Mount Olympus, into volcanoes, wind, and clouds-while humanity remains ‘below.’ rooted to the Earth apart from its divine source.
This symbolic picture is valid in that it reflects the slowing of energy which occurs as consciousness springs from the Source and decelerates to animate earthly life. As energy approaches the physical plane, and as consciousness anchors to flesh, it must slow its vibrational frequency to a level comfortable with matter. In purely vibrational terms, then, the ultimate Source is ‘above’ you-its energetic pulsations whirling at a frequency beyond your comprehensions-and this energy must gradually slow to blend and harmonize with earthly life.
The flaw in the ‘heaven above, us below’ image is that it builds separation into the relationship between you and your Source. You feel yourselves cut off from your divine origins, wallowing in your earthly swamp and raising your eyes skyward for guidance and inspiration. This image has suited the religious bureaucracies which inevitably arise to encrust every avatar’s divine insight, for holy authorities can then muscle into the picture as intermediaries between the Source and the common people, be-smocked toll collectors on the road to heaven.
Let us offer an alternative view of the relationship between you and your Source, one which expels clerical middlemen and affirms your intrinsic divinity. Rather than envisioning a heaven of pure perfection ‘above’ you, while you languish ‘below’ on your globe of ice and mud, picture the relationship as your home planet embedded within an enormously larger sphere, the totality of all creation, the Source. In this image, you no longer stand apart from and below the Source, but are cocooned within it, floating securely in its warm embrace and forever nourished by its loving intent...”
Alexander from Spirit Speaks magazine May 1995
Snake Oil Radio
Thursdays at 3:30 pm (there will be two live broadcast this period)
My next live broadcast of Snake Oil Radio will be Thursday, November 21st. at 3:30 p.m. mountain time. Usually one or two Thursdays each month 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 chat with other listeners in the chat room with comments and your thoughts about the topic of discussion. 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 the site and 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.
“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” Edith Wharton
Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” Mahatma Gandhi
Here’s my contact information to make an appointment for a session, or information on current classes: Email: Venturasag@yahoo.com (best method for contact).
Phone calls: (602) 957-3035 text only: (602) 349-0746
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.
You also may want to check out my posts on Tumblr.com: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/snake-oil-blog
All sessions/readings for 2019 are: Full (70 minutes) $110.00; Shorter session (45 minutes) $85.00; Extended session (90 minutes) $130.00 (two people can split an extended session back to back for $65.00 each, although no other discounts will apply). mini phone session 15-20 minutes $35. 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.
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