Snake Oil
I’ll Tumble For Ya
I am guessing we all have those moments when we are doing something and you get that bizarre flash of recognition that you are now somewhat like your Mom or Dad. This recognition may make you either laugh or shudder! I remember when I was a kid often observing my Mother holding the garden hose and washing down the driveway or sidewalks where we lived. She did this both for practical reasons and now I see to also enjoy quiet time. Nobody would attempt to talk to her when she was armed with the hose and its power attachment. Temporarily escaping the challenges of a noisy house with seven kids and two dogs was probably a form of meditation for her. I was recently washing down my upstairs condo’s stairs like I had done hundreds of times before, while wearing casual sandals. Many times in the past while I was doing this I would think that sandals weren’t the best footwear during this process, and still proceeded anyway. When I finished and stood at the top of the soaking wet stairway, I suddenly slipped and foolishly slid halfway down to the bottom. I seriously sprained my ankle and left foot in the process.
When I painfully hobbled up the stairs, cursing in notable pain, I limped into my home frustrated by my clumsiness and ignoring the prompt of simply putting on footwear that had a more firm grip. In addition, knowing that there are always multiple layers to any accidents I also had the spark of beginning to inevitably contemplate why some part of me created this extremely uncomfortable event. It took time for the answers to that question to come through but inevitably answers did surface. My first priority was practical; to focus on what I needed to do to handle the sprain. Thankfully it wasn’t broken but it was a really bad sprain in a range I had never experienced before in my life.
Like many Americans in early 2026 I had dropped my healthcare coverage because of skyrocketing costs at the start of the year. In my case though, I likely wouldn’t have gone to a doctor over this anyway. I researched what I needed to do to heal my wound. I wrapped it with a compression garment, elevated the leg while sleeping or watching television, began trigger point work, massaged the area, and prepared myself to listen to the messages from spirit about why this occurred and what it represented. I had a Vegas trip planned for two days later after the accident. Driving to Vegas and getting around was going to be difficult, but I was not going to cancel. As painful as this wound was, I have always been able to handle pain better than a lot of people and this was not going to stop me from my needed vacation.
Getting in and out of my car along the way gave me some empathy for what pregnant women likely went through during the later parts of that process. With many rest room stops along the way it was both painful and somewhat comical to navigate in and out of my car. I had to hoist my body up with my arms to get out of the drivers seat and strategically not land in any way on my left foot, or end up in even more notable pain. Walking anywhere took forever. I had to move so slowly that when I did simple things like push the elevator buttons to go to my room, I often could not get to the doors before they closed. In addition, my hotel room was at the furthest end of the hallway. The walk to my room and all around Vegas was in slow motion. Fortunately I was given a large soaking tub in my comped room and brought Epsom salt and bubble bath with me!
It took just a little over six weeks for my sprain to heal. Insight about all of it did surface. Moving slowly and having to hang onto every guard rail, and asking for help from others forced me to confront my impatience directly. I simply could not rush. The slower pace was oddly pleasant in some respects. I realized I did quite a bit of rushing around even when unnecessary. Most importantly, my temporary limitations made me have to let other people assist me, something I had struggled with for many years. I was required to trust that my body would heal without running off to doctors. This process was unnerving especially because of thoughts like “What if it doesn’t heal and I regret not going to a doctor or a hospital?” But I had already been down this road before many times in other cases in regards to health issues, so I was not really truly fearful of this. I was just cautious about who I told about the situation because they would often be fearful about it!
The left side of our bodies represent the past, feminine energy, intuition, emotional aspects, and our ability to receive and draw what we need to us. The right side is more about the masculine, the future, taking practical action, and handling the details of life. Our feet represent the steps we take, grounding, and how we dance, skip, play, and navigate though life. The left foot especially was about trusting ones “gut,” receiving support, and drawing in abundance. My accident was clearly all about themes connected with a sprain on my left side. My body was talking to me and I was going to listen to what it had to say. I frequently remind clients that sometimes uncomfortable events happen to get us to needed insight we may have refused to face. This is something I often explain as a push by our Higher Self. When it gets to the physical body it is very hard to ignore!
As usual the internal lightning bolts hit me. When I was a child, while I had a number of typical fears like most people do, I also had quite a few natural gifts. I was a very talented artist, with drawing, painting, playing music, and performing. I had a lot of friends and was very charismatic. Most of my friends moms loved me also, almost as much as my own mother did. I was able to get more love and affection from my mom (no easy task) than many of my siblings were able to navigate. I was mathematically smart, funny, the ability to talk to animals, and many other natural skills that I just never questioned. Unfortunately many of my siblings (thankfully not all) either never acknowledged any of my talents, or were just either cruel to me or dismissive, maybe out of jealously. This was painful to deal with and contributed to increasing the process of self doubt. The needed “self esteem building acknowledgement” from my older siblings, neighbors and school mates that I rarely received, and hard to deal with.
I decided at a young age to solve this by proving to them that things were hard for me too. I would show the ones who seemed to judge me that I was just like them and that I had a lot of challenges and also had to work hard for the things I wanted just like they did! This attempt for acceptance of was of course unsuccessful. My parents also believed that anything of value must come from hard work, and anything that came too easily was suspect. In my early twenties when I began to study the Michael teachings I learned I had a goal of “flow” (one of seven). This goal is chosen at a Higher Self level after a series of challenging lifetimes. People with this goal are frequently born with natural ease, charm, looks, and talents or gifts. The positive pole of the goal of flow is free flowing or suspension (like a solid suspension bridge). The negative pole of flow is inertia or swimming against the natural stream of things, making things harder than they have to be. The Higher Self choice of this goal and my many natural talents were meant to be shared and to help inspire others, not suppressed. I realized I had spent a good deal of my first two thirds of my lifetime struggling needlessly in certain areas and making my life harder than it needed to be.
It wasn’t that I didn’t experience many times in my life where things still came more easily for me than for many people, but the problem was I felt guilt about this. I encountered the same attacks I got from some of my siblings from time to time at jobs, events, social situations, and other areas of life and heard the familiar phrase or noticeable contempt of “How come Jim gets…?” My accident helped me focus on the realization that my life could have been smoother if I had not wasted my energies trying to prove I was just like everyone else. I was different for a reason. I realized I could now choose another path by changing my beliefs connected with “suffering was a necessity to be equal to others and a good person.” My beliefs about the value of struggle and that too much ease in life made me bad somehow needed to be changed, even completely reversed. Using my natural abilities to draw what I needed to me was exactly what I was meant to experience. It was time to let this limited belief nonsense go. My sprain - disease was meant to help me open my eyes to this aspect of myself and not to view the accident as another example of “how come bad things happen to me?”
Strangely the solution wasn’t about creating more work with a list of what I now HAD to do. It was first about recognizing the obstructions and limiting beliefs that were behind the struggles. The next step was to allow myself to flow back into my natural state of ease. I would go back to my original blue print. I could let go of trying to prove to the negative Nancy’s looking at me and either saying or thinking “How come Jim always gets,” by not caring about what any of them thought of me. For me being angry or jealous of anybody for having something I wish I had was typically something I had never have wasted energy on. I have always been happy when I see people who have things or aspects that I would like to experience. I have always been genuinely happy for other people having good fortune. I like the vibes of other people experiencing good things. My approach was seeing things like this as an opportunity for me to study how to replicate my own version of that into my life. My return to the ability to trust that what I need would always come to me is the way I will enjoy the last third of my current lifetime. I will choose to experience a lot more fun, abundance, and not feel needless guilt anymore. The added perk for the teacher in me would be to inspire others to create their own versions of natural ease as well!
Jim Ventura 6-2026
My choice for the title for this story is a play on words and comes from a Boy George song from the 1980s. I love when I experience the types of breakthroughs that I discussed in this months column, and they are happening more and more as I gain more confidence and wisdom. It is wonderful to watch how my outer reality changes when I shift my inner one by letting go of limiting beliefs. In addition I get to teach others how to do the same thing, or at least a version of it that fits for them. For a number of different reasons, I observed a decrease in the amount of people in my Regular Client Program in the last year or two. I do not take this personally by any means, but I do see a tendency for many people to actually push away beneficial things that could truly help them and this may fall into one example of this pattern. This is often connected with beliefs about what we are worth, deserve, or related to fear of making changes to live a more empowered, fulfilling life. “Am I allowed to be truly happy, is it possible?“ One of the more practical sides of this temporary decrease in clients committed to my Regular Client program is likely connected to it being a tight economy. When costs overall are a bit more expensive, many people have to understandably cut back on things they might prefer not to have to let go of. We saw a lot of this pattern of course during the societal Covid fear test years. I don’t recommend cutting back on your spiritual development though, whether people work with me specifically or to prioritize still finding other ways of making this an important part of their lives; it is that important! I put “attending to ones spiritual health” in a similar category as making sure to prioritize taking care of the physical body while you are living in one, and a focus on healthy spiritual and physical will likely increase longevity, among many, many other benefits.
Summer 2026 is here and while I still, do enjoy living in Phoenix (mostly because the weather is great for about 8-9 months of the year until the summer) the season can be a bit exhausting. I often worry about our three remaining feral cats that we have in our complex dealing with the extreme heat. They are smart though, and have clearly mastered survival tactics in their 16 years of living here. We did lose three of the original six this year. The losses were not a surprise considering their ages, but still sad just the same. We recently had a new cat arrival that I call Havoc who visits often to attempt to play with the girls. He is not fixed, probably at best two years old, and looks like an all black chetah, and an athlete. Clearly he is someones actual pet and not a lost or feral cat, but he loves to come around and cause a bit of Havoc…He is bringing some added life force to our community.
If you have been considering joining my Regular Client Program, or drifted away from it in the last few years and want to rejoin, feel free to contact me for information about this program. Aside from so many benefits, there are notable discounts for Regular Clients to make it financially affordable. In addition, you can purchase up to three sessions at a time (the prepay option) to use during the year that have additional added discounts. Regular Clients in the program also can purchase up to four gift sessions for friends or family at their discounted rates as well each year! I recently had a client I haven’t seen for almost fifteen years come to my home office for her session and asked me if I actually age, and how I look so young? Clearly a compliment that was appreciated. But yes, I have definitely aged, but somewhat slower than many people do. One reason is that I have been working out 3-4 times a week for over four decades now. Reason two is I generally eat fairly healthy, and prioritize getting a good amount of sleep. Reason three is the spiritual work, lack of fear (or at least very little) and growth that I have been focused on for over forty years now has assisted in the process of aging at a slower rate! Fear, unhealthy living, and worry are all components of speeding up the aging process.
Astrological triggers have been notable and a bit of a roller coaster ride both in the world and many are of course feeling it in their own personal backyard (the triggers in your Natal chart). Understanding your natal chart and current and upcoming personal transits can be extremely helpful in navigating our life paths. Astrology consultations are another option to request when booking with me as well as Tarot, Numerology, Druid animal totems, Angel cards, Runes, Reality Change sessions, and a number of other oracles I work with can help navigate whatever you may be going through. There have also been a number of new posts on my site: BuyMeaCoffee.com/Venturawora that are worth checking out.
Happy Summer, Cheers, Jim V
“Your task is not to seek love, but to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” Rumi
“There is a fountain of youth; it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.” Sophia Loren
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.
In his channeled book Alexander talks about the different stages of development and the focus from early childhood through old age. A piece of his chapter on the elderly and getting closer to the death transition:
“...The elderly know this. They know that for all the frantic corporate ladder-climbing of middle age, such amounts to virtually nothing when taking stock of a life. As the elderly feel that fresh influx of energy from the nonphysical realm, cushioning their approach to physical death, they are naturally infused with the very wisdom of the ages, of their greater entities. Your professional achievements count for very little in the ledger of the universe. You do not hand your resume to your greater entity upon death and consider that the mark of meaning of your life.
What matters is how you lived. First, did you love yourself? Did you pursue those avenues of interest to you, regardless of the opinions of family and friends? Did you stand your ground when tempted to compromise your principles and integrity? Did you hold true to your beliefs? Did you treat others with respect? Did you find time to love? Did you listen to your children? Did you encourage, nourish and support them on their unique and private paths, not hampering them with meaningless strictures? Did you contribute to the life of your community? Did you make yourself available to your neighbors, to the extent they desired? Did you respect the natural world? Did you live a life attuned to the natural order? Did you make an effort to maintain contacts with those in every stage of life, from young children to the elderly? Did you listen to them? Did you seek out avenues of fresh experience and learning? Was boredom unknown to you, busy as you were exploring a world that can never be fully known? Did you laugh, long, hard, and often at yourself? Did you live?
These are the questions the greater entity seeks answers to when you pass into spirit. Your fancy car, your fancy house, your fancy title, your fancy clothes-dust...”
From Whatever Happened To Divine Grace? Ramon Stevens
New Client Special 2026:
January 1st 2025 thru November 16th, 2026 Special:
New Client introductory offer: $10-15 off listed rates! A $10 discount off of all 45 minute, 70, or 90 minute sessions. Debit and credit card payments accepted for all 45, 70, and 90 minute sessions. Local in-office clients may choose an extra $5 discount off the current rates for cash or check payments for sessions! Pricing is at the end of this newsletter or just request a session and availability calendar. If you want to buy a new client a thoughtful gift of a session you can also take advantage of these rates and use the above discounts!
“The worst bullies you will ever encounter in your life are your own thoughts.” Bryant McGill
Regular Client Program
My Regular Clients enjoy working with the many different types of oracles I work with for enlightenment. But a good portion of them work with me in the form of an enlightened counselor and life coach. Discussing what you are going through or working on at each time is definitely healing but also allows added insight from my many years of navigational consultations and the wisdom of working with me, a very old soul!
One of the best programs I have been doing for 26 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. Session prices are notably discounted for Regular Clients. The focus of the program is on consistent work in developing your intuitive abilities, learning how to navigate more effectively through life by using the signs and signals that are all around us, and conquering fear-based programming permanently. We also get to work with all of 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 too 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. Email me for more information and pricing.
“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.” Oscar Wilde
“Our greatest glory is not in never failing but in rising every time we fall.” Confucius
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).
text only: (602) 349-0746 Phone calls: (602) 957-3035
Information about the different sessions and types of readings, classes and services, past Snake Oil columns, can be found at BuyMeaCoffee.com/VenturaWora (both on the site info and gift sessions available in the shop section).
Website: JVentura44.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
I also have a few other media channels other than Face-Book:
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel (approximately once a month 6-12 minute videos) at J Ventura Snake Oil.
Instagram at Venturawords (Astrology updates and other insights generally on short 90 second to three minute reels)
Tik Tok (animalspeaks) where I do short but powerful 2-8 minute videos about how to use animal totems and spirit animals, and a number of other metaphysical topics.
All personal sessions/readings for 2026 are: Full session (70 minutes) $125.00; Shorter session (45 minutes) $95.00; Extended session (90 minutes) $150.00, Mini phone session 15-20 minutes $45. 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 prepaid sessions also brings sizable discounts. Some examples; 3 prepaid 45 minute monthly sessions is $155 total or about $52 a session. 3 prepaid quarterly 70 minute session are $245 or about $82 a session.
