Snake Oil
Family Takes a Hit
The holiday season is here again. The traditions of Thanksgiving and Christmas, Hanukah, New years, etc... are important parts of American rituals and bring with them the potential of reconnecting with our families as well as turbulence. 2020 has been a contentious year for the most part with bitter camp alignments toward political affiliations, perspectives on the pandemic ranging from either following popular science religiously to out and out defiance about whether there is even a pandemic at all! Somehow, like nearly everything else this year, this too became a political football to kick around. Little tolerance and understanding of other peoples points of view abound, and cutting out friends or family in life or through social media have been growing notably over the last few years. The question then becomes how will all of this impact the holiday season as we close out the last few weeks of 2020 when heightened fear, practical limitations, and stubborn “my way or the highway” anger is added to the mix?
The notable, difficult, heavy impact of astrological influences this year of a heightened Capricorn configuration of Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto has impacted so many economically, physically, and emotionally in ways similar to the early 1930’s. Other astrological similarities to the AIDS crisis in the mid eighties with this pandemic and the fear of getting sick are also in play. Astrology reminds us that planets and signs have aspects (easy or difficult angles) and the sign in direct opposition to Capricorn is actually Cancer. Cancer and fourth house placements in our natal chart represent our family ties, home life, where we feel nurtured, and where we need to retreat inwardly for a sense of calm. We have the family we are born into. We all have a mother and father (at least at the start, but that can go in all kinds of different directions), possibly siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, and other extended or adopted family. Family extends far beyond these aspects for most of us to include things like, groups, friendships, pets, work families, marriage families, and other ways we connect to others and our need to be part of a family.
I was born the sixth of seven children in my large family. While both my mom and dad have passed back into the Otherworld, I have six siblings all over the US, and many friends I feel that are part of my family too. While there were some negatives to being only one small part of such a large family, there were far more positive aspects that I gained from this configuration. The holiday seasons with my large family were really good times. As our family grew with added marriage pairings, nieces and nephews, and friends who became part of our family we had some really amazing times. The most important part of being in a large family was we had no choice but to learn how to be temperate and to get along with many different types of people. Everyone understandably had different perspectives about life priorities, politics, philosophy and the benefits of healthy compromise were a necessity. In our extended family, not everyone was on the same page (and honestly how boring and unrealistic is that anyway?) and while we at times vehemently disagreed, we still prioritized the importance of family unity. We generally still inevitably “had each others back.” This has always remained a constant in my life and it is likely the reason I can be friends and even work with people I might disagree with in many areas by focusing on the fact that there is good in almost everyone.
Having worked in my unique form as a counselor for so many years has put me into the many variations of thousands of very different types of people. Some of the family experiences I have heard about in other people’s past were delightful to hear about. Yet, there are many clients and friends who have been through experiences with family that have ranged from difficult to horrific. An understanding of karma can help to mentally and spiritually navigate through some of this murky water. Still, the emotional wounds of family mistreatment can take decades to fully work to resolve. At the very least working with so many who have struggled has added to my acknowledgment of my childhood being not only easier than average but in many respects outright amazing by contrast!
I Like so many people at this time have found the many different forms of Covid’s impact have not been easy. I am currently single and live alone. The first two months or so of social distancing and staying at home were honestly a blessing providing me with a period of retreat, rest, looking inward, and re-evaluation. After a few months though I was weary of the isolation, while listening to media, and social media rants from people about “how selfish people (including me) were” for wanting to be out in the world again. Many of the most opinionated cushioned at home with their spouses, children, and were financially able to weather the storm. Like almost everyone though I experienced some real losses from the impact of Covid. Some financial aspects and other tests were trying but I think the emotional losses were what made me most uncomfortable. In contrast to those losing family members to illness, business losses, and other difficult tests mine might seem mild though.
A few examples; I have been going to the same gym for nineteen years now. Closed for many months and now finally reopened in a limited way but it’s simply not the same. A good portion of my “gym family” have simply not returned and may never. I felt this loss deeply. My buddies were extended relationships developed over many years and they mattered to me. A good friend of mine for many years has dealt with extreme limitations with his once lucrative bar-restaurant business, dealt with personal illness, an elderly father in-law, and a number of other struggles. His wife and three children have been extended family for me. I saw them often over the last 15 years and even spent many holidays with them. The last time I saw them was nine months ago, when I was scrutinized heavily about who I was around and it was suggested that I was too reckless in my approach. His far left leaning and heavily immersed in politics spouse has been irritated by my more politically centrist viewpoints, and metaphysical perspectives and it was suggested to me on my face-book posts that “I needed to change the way I think.” I have been down this road many times in my life. She is not the first wife or husband of a close friend to be irritated by me! I understand that for her as a mother the need to protect her family and children are incredibly important. They are, like so many people, incredibly fearful of getting or transmitting the virus to others. I saw this clearly when I briefly hung out with my friend (and I have seen this with some clients and many people out in the world too) and could see the caution and trepidation around him. I could feel the fear radiating all around. He, and I am sure his wife, are genuinely scared of getting sick. My emotional body still understandably has some struggle with this sense of family rejection.
There have been good changes as well. A lot of issues in my immediate birth family were resolved or at least balanced after struggles that emerged over my moms passing last year. This insane election and political period gave my siblings and I a chance to discuss aspects of it together on text threads that actually bonded us. We all don’t always see eye to eye but we do respect our differences and like to discuss our viewpoints respectfully. A small metaphysical group I have been part of for the last three years have become another great family that I see about twice a month. We have even traveled together over the summer and have an amazing time whenever we meet up. They are now part of my family. I reconnected with a close friend I had a falling out with over four years ago. We both owned our mistakes and now our bond is strong again. I stayed well connected with some of my friends, especially those with more metaphysical viewpoints, and even have prioritized social distancing hangouts over the summer. We have been practical about it and reasonably safe, but they never hesitated to value the importance of staying connected as friends. I am grateful for all of my extended friends and family for not letting fear shut out important bonds and the value of being involved.
So now the holidays with the added discomfort of strong warnings from public health officials suggest extreme caution. So many already isolated people’s fear of getting sick or getting others sick will inevitably become even more heightened with these messages. Many will forgo some traditions because of these fears. Others will go the other road and ignore any caution entirely. Either extreme approach will likely be a powder keg of hurt feeling, estrangement, and an added dose of financial hardship for many. Everyone of course will have an opinion about the right or wrong of it, and many will resent those whose perspectives are different. I grew up watching All In The Family. A brilliant television show that broke norms by discussing political, societal, and moral questions with brutal honestly rarely addressed on television. It was done with humor and the characters were strangely lovable just the same. The theatrics of the rigid conservative beliefs of Archie Bunker clashed painfully with his extremely liberal daughter and son-in-law. We seem equally cartoonishly polarized now as we were in the seventies when the show originally ran. A heightened underlying theme in the show was that disagreement even extreme ones were normal in families, yet family unity still mattered.
We all have choices whether we politically argue with our family. We can continue to cling to the groups who only reflect our beliefs about right and wrong. And yes, in some cases some people may simply be too far away from our perspectives, or downright reprehensible that it’s just too toxic to be around it. But I would suggest that maybe we can still find some way to ‘break bread” with the majority of our family members. Maybe a focus on the joy of cooking and eating and minimizing political discussions or at least accepting others different perspectives even if we absolutely disagree would be wise. What my family often does is share funny stories about our childhoods, the good ones and the challenging times. We have firm political perspectives but we don’t spend much family time in that space. There are ways to be with our families even if in a limited way by video chats if one is afraid of catching a virus. The “fear of others” itself has torn families apart at this time. The benefits of physical touch, hugs, and smiles hidden by masks are truly a significant loss. Maybe we can find a way to work around that and at the very least we can truly appreciate it more than ever when we inevitably get it back. There is movement astrologically out of some of the heavier Capricorn energy into Aquarius in late December. This should begin a shift in society in positive ways as we see progress and a lessening of the extreme fear so prevalent at this time. We can do our part individually to usher in this change now. We can be more understanding of other points of view even if some of those viewpoints make us cringe! Maybe consider giving up yelling at each other to do things our way, as if that approach has ever worked anyway! We can choose to focus on what commonalities unite us as opposed to what separates us. We can create paths of temperance again or new ones that never existed.
Two months ago I drove through an area I feel is a coordination point energetically while heading back from a fun Vegas that I have talked about before in previous columns. Driving through this area always seems to give me insight or simply realigns me. I began to think about all the different social and familial groups I have been a part of so far in this lifetime, and there have been a lot of them! Childhood memories of school friends as well as neighborhood friends, changing best friends, that were incredibly close for years and then ended for different unique reasons comfortably tucked away in my emotional body were remembered. My childhood even with its challenges was really fun and I was part of many family circles. The many different restaurants I worked at and the family members I formed in each of those places in my twenties and thirties and some are still even part of my life in some respects. Each restaurant was a different cast of characters and we found ways to get along and even enjoy each other’s company. They all became for a period of time, members of my family. I thought about relationship families connected to past love interests that I became part of that and inevitably changed when those ended, but all of them had impact. Time seemed to stretch with vivid memories and the emotional sense of connectedness along with a bit of healthy sentimentality poured in and included sadness, love, appreciation, and just the immensity of having had so much family and love in so many different ways. My life has been amazing so far and I have been seriously blessed with a strong initial family and so much additional extended family. I cried happy tears on that trip home. I knew that while there was a bit more in my life’s rear view mirror as opposed to what was ahead, there would be new familial connections and more fun ahead before I decide to depart from this world. The experience was simply profound and I knew or more likely remembered, this was what we all do before we die. Also part of what we review when we pass back into the Otherworld. It was familiar, I had done this in other times and places and my temperance and appreciation of differences in family in this lifetime has given me a bank of significant experiences precisely because I know how to value diversity over division.
10-2020 Jim Ventura
Notes
I have discussed my perspective on this pandemic and other influences with my Regular clients since it began. My goal is to give insight and help people feel safe even during all of the turbulence. I’ve done this through my last few columns as well as more extensively on FaceBook. Other than initially not being sure we would sadly reach the higher numbers of losses we currently have I stand behind everything I have discussed. In the last 8 months of this period of difficulty I have observed people proclaiming that the pandemic is made up and will “disappear” once the election is settled. We’ve all seen theatrical screaming and exaggerated performances about “how dare you take away my rights, and ask me to wear a mask.”I have mostly kept my mouth shut when subjected to endless conspiracy theories about “evil doers” planting chips, creating a virus to sell the vaccines, and plots to create a “new world order,” Democrats and many hollywood celebrities involved in pedophilia rings and satanism, etc... This nonsense minimizes the pain of real people who lost family members to this and other illnesses at this time. It degrades the sacrifices doctors, nurses and other medical professionals have made to do their best to help others, and the emotional impacts of real losses. The added fear of all this nutty shared crap is not helpful.
I have also observed the media and some scientists hyper scaring people with predictions about how this might not end for many years and how so much more is coming. I have watched face-book friends righteously cheer others for turning businesses owners in for being “too busy,” “lack of proper mask wearing” in their attempts to financially survive when so much is stacked against them. Segments on the news devoted to outrage about college students having parties and being college students. I have watched businesses and livelihoods crumble all around with more to come while people demand further shut downs, and excessive limitations to be safe. I have seen people actually turning others in at my gym for a slip of their mask, and watched people dramatically avoid other human beings in exaggerated ways. The smug “how dare you subject me to your germs” theatrics have been seriously over the top at times. The very real collapse of businesses, incomes and livelihoods of millions matter. I would ask those who take these types of extreme approaches; what is your end game? How long do we hide in our homes for, and what is the “correct” formula to be a good person? A working vaccine (which probably 30 percent of the population won’t take anyway) may not be around for months or years assuming there ever is one.
All of these polarities are extreme hyper fear based and simply places I will not go to, but I do not make choices for people and everyone has their own path to follow even if I think those paths are bizarre at times and solve nothing. Everyone is doing the best they can during challenging times, although some may be hurting far more than helping. That is their karma to deal with.
While there are so many different individual reasons why people get ill, it is a reality for all of us at some time or another. My studies of alternative medicine and why I discuss them is to give other people choices, not to drive them away from western medicine. There are many areas where herbs, acupuncture, trigger points, changes in beliefs, flower essences, and other forms of healing can be far more effective and less damaging to the body. There are also areas where Western medicine is excellent and a good choice. I speak and write about subjects I have studied substantially and only share information when it has moved from exploration and theory to actual knowledge. Getting ill or sick is NOT a random act. There needs to be mental, emotional, spiritual, physical, environmental, dietary, and other forms of stress for any illness to occur. So the concept of being fearful about someone coughing on you and leaving you powerless to avoid illness is, from a metaphysical perspective and a practical one largely ludicrous. It is not to suggest healthy, practical caution at this time but to reinforce that we are not without power and living in exaggerated fear or its opposite of complete denial can be the very thing that brings those uncomfortable lessons to us.
Lung issues (an area where covid frequently hits people) spiritually represent our ability to fully breathe in what life has to offer. Problems in our lungs connect to grief, depression, fear of taking in life (receiving) and often a sadness about not believing life is fully worth living. I posted a YouTube video this summer about this subject. If these things are impacting your life than work on breathing in fully and letting go of a lack of self worth, and releasing your sadness. Building a strong immune system is also of great benefit in multiple areas now and in the future. There have been a few more videos posted since. check them out on my YouTube channel (You can subscribe to the channel and find all of my videos at: J Ventura).
The last two weeks of November and all of December of 2020 brings back my gift certificate offer as well as $10 off all sessions for anyone on my mailing list. More information about this later in the newsletter. Consider giving a gift certificate or several to someone who might really need it this year because I am guessing there are lots of people who could use the help!
Wishing everyone a Happy holidays season and a much better 2021 ahead! Cheers, Jim V
“As we struggle with shopping lists and invitations, compounded by December’s bad weather, it is good to be reminded that there are people in our lives who are worth this aggravation, and people to whom we are worth the same. Donald Westlake
Holiday Special: November 15th-December 31st 2020 Special discounted rate on all sessions!
$10.00 off my current listed prices (new AND returning clients) 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 2020 and all of 2021. 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 2021. Sessions can be in-office or by phone or FaceTime for out-of-area clients.
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.
Seth speaking about visualization and the power of imagination to make shifts in our life now in real ways:
Seth: "The older person imagining youth will, during such an exercise, reactivate certain hormonal and chemical changes, BECOMING younger; and the woman who feels rejected does the same thing when imagining herself loved."
Seth: "To begin with your imaginings may seem foolish. If you are elderly, poor, and lonely, it may seem highly ludicrous to think of yourself as twenty, wealthy, and surrounded by friends and admirers. ...
You are to realize that this imaginative world DOES exist – but not in the world of facts that you know. TO SOME EXTENT, however, according to your freedom within it, such an exercise will automatically rejuvenate your body, mind, and spirit and begin to draw to you whatever equivalent is POSSIBLE for you within the world of facts that you know.
Using age as an example now, it may seem to you that you ARE a given age, that within your subjective experience it must be paramount, that regardless of your age you are to some extent closed off from the experience of being any other age. In some simultaneous existences you are very young, however, and in others very old. Some of your physical cells are brand new, so to speak – the regeneration of fresh life is physically within you; in your terms this is true not only until your death but even after it, when your hair and nails can still grow. Identify then with the constantly new energy alive within you in this NOW of your being and realize that on all levels you are biologically and psychologically connected with that greater identity that is your own....
In itself, such an exercise creatively alters probabilities, for you no longer live with the problem as an unchanging concrete reality. This is a psychological and psychic impetus, altering the messages that you habitually send to your body and to its cellular construction. You are then creatively manipulating in several layers of experience.
Take for example the two instances just given: The older person imagining youth will, during such an exercise, reactivate certain hormonal and chemical changes, BECOMING younger; and the woman who feels rejected does the same thing when imagining herself loved.
Such practice also activates within the self all of its unconscious but quite valid experiences, drawing out similar episodes on the part of other simultaneous lives. In one existence the old person IS young. The unloved woman IS indeed beloved. These unconscious realities become turned on through the use of the imagination. Each day is a window into each life."
Jane Roberts speaking for Seth The Nature of Personal Reality
“The price of being negative to another person is turbulence or disturbance within yourself.” Dick Sutphen
“It has been said there are three kinds of awakening. There is the waking up that occurs when an individual wakes up from a long night's sleep.
There is the awakening that occurs when an individual makes his transition and discovers that there is no death. And then, there is the most important waking up, the waking up that occurs when an individual realizes that they have never been born and will never die, that they are an eternal, immortal being.” Michael Bernard Beckwith
Snake Oil Radio
Thursdays at 3:30 pm (there will be three live broadcast this period)
My next live broadcast of Snake Oil Radio will be Thursday, December 3rd at 3:30 p.m. mountain (Phoenix) 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.
Join me for a special live interview show On December 10th at 3:30 pm with:
Crystal Heinemann is the Creatrix of The Psychic Soul. She's a psychic & energy healer, meditation, psychic & metaphysical development teacher. She started The Psychic Soul because she understands that humanity is experiencing hard lessons and she wanted to provide a space for seekers to come together to learn, heal and grow in a like-minded community of openness, gratitude, love and uplifting inspiration! Together we are better!
Crystal was blessed to grow up on the beaches of Ventura, California. She was born to young parents who were open to express themselves through spiritual movements. This offered Crystal a supported foundation to learn about a higher state of being. She has always been a seeker in both the physical and astral planes. Spending her adult life traveling the world following divine breadcrumbs. Crystal believes this has greatly enriched her compassionate path as a Way-shower. She currently shares her time between the beaches of Southern California and the majestic rivers of Oregon connecting with her purpose as a Joy Keeper.
“I can’t imagine anything more worthwhile than doing what I most love. And they pay me for it.” Artist Edgar Winter
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.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jim-Ventura/110567902293371?ref=hl
You also may want to check out my posts on Tumblr.com: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/snake-oil-blog
All sessions/readings for 2020-21 are: Full (70 minutes) $115.00; Shorter session (45 minutes) $90.00; Extended session (90 minutes) $135.00 (two people can split an extended session back to back with an added fee of $5 for $70.00 each, although no other discounts will apply). Mini phone session 20 minutes $40. 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. Purchasing 3 pre-paid sessions also brings sizable discounts (example 3 pre-paid 45 minute sessions is $150 total or $50 a session...)
