July 2019 Snake Oil/Getting Punched in a Box

July 2019 Snake Oil 

Getting punched in a box

I have always had a very strong ability to remember a good amount of my past history in great detail. This includes childhood memories, some that even go back to when I was three or four. I have times when I remember things “out of the blue.” Often this can be a trigger from a song or smell that sets the memory off. It’s almost like I access a memory file that was buried for some time. When I was between the ages of nine and eleven my friends and I would often play dodge ball, volley ball, badminton, and other active games in my friends Pam and Ricky’s backyard. They had the biggest yard for this so it helped increase their popularity in the neighborhood. We would often play her forty five records on her record player when she brought it outside. So many of those seventies songs when I hear them, trigger these and other memories. Songs like It’s a Miracle, or Mandy by Barry Manilow, The last Song by Edward Bear, or Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves by Cher still bring back happy nostalgia. We especially loved Dizzy by Tommy Roe and would sometimes play it and just spin around wildly until we were literally dizzy. In exhaustion, we would fall to the soothing grass and laugh. It was fun to push our bodies to their limits and the limberness and quick recovery of youth made this a far easier proposition than my middle aged body of today. 

The childhood tests of building strength and feats of pushing our limits grew in size and complexity along with our bodies. We set up obstacle courses, jumped from rooftops, and did stunts on bicycles and skateboards, never questioning societies’ standards of what a boy or girl should or shouldn’t be doing. There was a comfortable and unquestioned mix of girls and boys that I hung out with before the teen years and puberty began to shift some of this dynamic. We slid at times on asphalt off skateboards and roller skates, scraping out skin, nearly getting knocked out and somehow we survived all of it. During my childhood wearing helmets and protective gear were rarely a priority in the late seventies and early eighties. The things we did would likely seem insane to parents and children alike today. We live in a much more protective society when it comes to children. I am not completely sure whether this shift in society has made us weaker and less resilient or somewhat wiser.

I recently remembered a game my friends started playing when I was about twelve. We always got excited when someone in the neighborhood got a new dishwasher or refrigerator. We couldn’t give a damn about any of those appliances but we creatively saw the potential of that huge cardboard box! Often it would become a clubhouse or simply a box to play in when we came up with any number of ingenious games connected to the big box. One day we had the brilliant idea of putting one kid in the box. It was open at the top but you would be enclosed by four walls and the base. Once inside we would take turns punching the crap out of the box as hard as we could. The kid inside would have to dodge the blows and see how long they could endure the assault. We made rules about how to play the game, but there was, of course always one kid who would start violently kicking the box or he would throw rocks over the top for another level of assault. He would eventually get even nuttier by suggesting we maybe grab a baseball bat or something worse. Fortunately we never crossed that line though we had standards of course lol!

The funny part was the pain of getting beaten up and even badly bruised by staying as long as you could inside and handling the blows in the box. It  was an honored win somehow. We would even argue and fight about “whose turn it was to be in the box!” It was almost equally exhausting punching the box too. Looking back on this twisted memory had me laughing but I also realized that we did this game a number of times and it was one of our “cool things” for a while.

While boys and girls may have different ideas of what risk is, they often actually overlap. We all have times when we push the envelope and enjoy the adrenaline of risk. Our individual ways of dealing with risk and competitiveness can actually be seen clearly in our natal astrology charts. The sign on the cusp of the fifth house or especially planets in this house of life show our style and whether we do this aggressively or cautiously. The fifth house shows us our potential for risk, romance, gambling, play, competitiveness, creativity, children and our capacity for showmanship. All these things may seem different but each potentially increase our adrenaline and our ability to stretch our limits. We feel alive when we risk. We risk approval when we perform, create something, flirt, or even have children. We have to inevitably put those children out into the world for societal review. We hope to get good reviews. In a deeper sense a life with no risk is no life. There is a similar feel the the fifth house of life with strong Leo placements in a chart.

Television and movies are ripe with examples of a fascination with risk and potential reward. Shows like Discovery channels Naked and Afraid, or game shows where contestants eat gross things or compete in challenges for money, fame and hopefully both are abundant. Sports in the myriad of different forms are appealing to watch and we understandably marvel at how athletes push their bodies to the limit and show off their skills. Karaoke, or being in a play, as well as public speaking all gives us an opportunity to perform. People workout to show off a strong hot body and beauty typically brings better treatment from the world around us. Skiing, race car driving and even enjoying horror movies all push the envelope of risk in various degrees. Some obsessively improve the inside and outside of their homes to be the “best on the block.” Perfect lawns and beautiful flowers and trees can be part of our “show.” The line between showmanship and risk is blurry. Far, far more connects the two than separates them. 

In my natal chart I have three planets (Mars, Uranus, and Pluto) in my fifth house all in a Virgo conjunction. My playfulness, competitiveness and creative skills have always been a big priority for me. I, of course, do it practically, methodically and often after lots of practice inevitably very well in true Virgo style. I gamble once a week but use a lot of math calculations to do so which helps minimize the house advantages notably. The work of math feels like play to me. We all need to risk sometimes. Life can be dry and sterile without a bit of this. Hopefully as we get older we do this with a bit more wisdom than the crazy reckless explorations from our childhood days. But whatever your style of risk and how you get adrenaline is likely perfect for you. Humans and animals are meant to play and feel the flow of risk. It keeps us happier, and we are better at enjoying the healing power of laughing more when we can look back at our “dumber” times of risk. Whether our past risks worked out or not the benefits are numerous; our performances get better each time, we get stronger, more confident, and braver each time we take a risk. So, whose ready for a fun game of getting punched in a box?

Jim Ventura 6-2019

Notes:

I was halfway through writing about Saturn’s current retrograde movement in Capricorn this summer when I decided to put it on hold to write this column. There were a lot of triggers that pushed me to write this, maybe PTSD from being punched in a box during childhood? The energy in society in general seems heavy now and I felt a break with something lighter fit right at this time. My childhood stories seem to generally be audience favorites and I am often told this. If you haven’t read my first book (info later in the newsletter on ordering a copy or a live read computer CD to play on your computer) Dirty Little Secrets, there is a number of childhood stories in this book. I wrote most of it in my mid thirties when I was much younger and some of the essays were even written in my twenties. The Saturn retrograde column will likely be next months piece, including a link to the spot I did for ABC’s The LISTTV. 

Bizarre and sometimes destructive weather patterns in the country (hell all over the world) continue, but we have lucked out so far this early part of summer in Phoenix compared to most years. We hardly even made it to 100 most of our June days and it stayed in the 70s for most nights. I have mentioned before that weather is a real physical thing obviously but also a reflection of group consciousness and energy expressed in different ways and different regions. All of these things are interconnected.

I have been doing a lot of marketing and studying on reaching more clients for my personal sessions by phone or in-office, radio shows, and column posts. I am getting results and learning a lot along the way in the process but spending more money on advertising than I usually do. This will likely mean a slight increase in my rates in 2020. Clients currently in my Regular Client Program (monthly, or quarterly consistent sessions) will not see any increase in their already discounted rates. More information later in the newsletter about this program if you would like to join.

Wishing everyone a happy July Cheers, Jim V

“Youth is when you’re allowed to stay up late on New year’s Eve. Middle age is when you’re forced to.” Bill Vaughan

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.

“Again, the body always reflects the state of the psyche and the filter of a given age. Those in middle age may observe with concern and dismay their bodies of youth losing their fine, sharp edges, as the bathroom scale seems determined to torment you at every opportunity, the flexibility of youth giving way to awakening new and unwelcome aches and pains.

Remember the filters of life.Youth is the age of exploration, the span of inquisitive and searching experience in every facet of life. Flowing from this, early adulthood is a time of choice, when much exploration may still be required to choose effectively.

By middle age, most choices are made. What need had the middle-aged adult for the strength and agility of youth? There is no reason, given the filter of consolidation, why that body need be maintained.

The psyche supplies a constant flow of energy into your life. In youth, that energy is almost all directed into the body, its construction, growth and explorations. In middle age, with exploration behind, that energy is better spent intellectually, in meeting with the demands of one’s career, marriage and parenthood. It is not that the body is in decline but that the focus of one’s energy shifts from pure physical activity to physical activity driven by intellect. The psyche is thus reconfigured to devote more energy to the mind, to focused concentration on the choices made, rather than frenetic activity. 

Now, as you are seeing in your day, there is a rise in the number of men and women who can continue to perform athletically almost as well as they did in youth. Once again, your beliefs built upon the medical model of a body decaying from birth are being laughed off the planet. There is no reason whatsoever why the body cannot remain fit, vigorous, vital and active for the entire duration of life: indeed, this is the plan. It is only when you saddle the body’s innate resilience with beliefs about aging, about death, that you find the literal results in the breakdown of so many elderly bodies. As one more slap in the face of science and medicine, then, as the New Dawn approaches you find middle-aged and elderly persons demonstrating athletic prowess to put to shame many in the stage of youth.

We say this to emphasize that, while the psyche does refocus its energy into the intellect, rather than youth’s exclusive concentration on activity, there is no suggestion that the body must decline in resilience or strength. It may require more work to maintain that tone, however...”

Whatever happened to Divine Grace. by Ramon Stevens

“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

“Happiness is a risk. If you’re not a little scared, then you’re not doing it right.” Sarah Addison Allen

New Client Special 2019:

January 1st 2019 thru October 31st, 2019 Special: New Client introductory offer:
$10-15 off listed rates for your first 45 minute session, 70, or 90 minute session! Ask for the special when you email at Venturasag@yahoo.com to book. Debit and credit card payments get $10 off for 45-90 minute sessions. Local in-office clients can get an extra $5 off for cash or check payments for sessions. If you want to buy a new client a thoughtful gift of a session you can also take advantage of these rates!

My current rates (new clients can subtract the above discounts from these rates): 45 minute sessions $85. 70 minute sessions $110. 90 minute sessions $130. Sessions can be in-office or by phone.

“Age considers; youth ventures.” Rabindranth Tagore

“If you don’t do anything stupid when you’re young, you won’t remember something funny when your old.” Unknown

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, July 11th at 3:30 p.m. mountain time. Usually one or two Thursdays each month you can catch a new show, and once a month on Sunday at 2 pm. 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. 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.

“Opportunity and risk come in pairs.” Bangambiki Habyarimana

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 2014-2019:

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   

Three Books Available from Jim Ventura

Metaphysical Books:

Dirty Little Secrets

Storyteller and professional oracle reader Jim Ventura takes his readers on a wild literary ride. Dirty Little Secrets is a collection of short essays. The book explores some of society’s perceptions about what people often consider to be dirty little secrets best kept to oneself. The book tackles subjects with unflinching honesty: drug use, sexual addiction, unrequited love, revenge, childhood weirdness, homosexuality, and the old souls quest to experience magic and miracles in everyday life. The author holds little back in expressing his quest for enlightenment. Dirty Little Secrets illustrates how meaning, spirituality and humor can be found to be embedded in every experience. Also available on audio Cd - can be played on any computer!

Snake Oil Volume One

Jim Ventura has been writing his monthly Snake Oil column for 15 years. Volume One is a collection of his first five years of Snake Oil. This volume also includes nine Snake Charms. Practical explanations and instruction for meditation, ear conning, lucid dreaming, etc... Jim’s Snake Oil philosophy is all about changing the perceptions of how we view life to include metaphysical perspectives into all of our experiences. We benefit by expanding our consciousness, while we keep our feet planted firmly on the ground in this world at the same time. Snake Oil reminds us that we can also grow to become more enlightened while finding the wisdom of humor in ourselves and the world around us.

Practical guide to Gambling (not a Metaphysical book)

Wise Guys Volume One

Is it possible to gamble for free? Can you gamble and actually win money every time? Are there tricks and systems that can help you beat the games? The answer to these questions for most of you is going to be no. It is nearly impossible to be able to gamble without spending money or to consistently win. The majority of people who gamble will lose and rarely have any big wins. Casino slot machines and table games have built-in formulas to make the casinos a consistent long term profit. Most “systems” to beat the house don’t work. 

Now with that painful bit of reality out of the way we can get to the good stuff, You can still come out even or ahead fairly often if you learn how to play smarter.  You can learn to be a savvy gambler who takes advantage of comps, gets free invitations to slot tournaments with huge prizes, spends very little money out-of-pocket, gets free rooms in Vegas and casinos all over the country, and receives brand new appliances, free money to gamble with, and a ton of other freebies. This is what Wise guys is all about. A wise and knowledgeable gambler can frequently take free rides! This book is currently only available in digital format-$7.

Each book is $12 including tax 

($3 for shipping for each book in US). $15 total. 

To request any or both Books email Venturasag@yahoo.com or ask for a copy next time you are here in office.

You can send check or money order to Jim Ventura 2515 N 52nd St. #206 Phoenix Az 85008. You can also pay by charge or Debit thru Paypal. Feel free to request to have any of your copies signed!

Limited time offer: Wise Guys guide to gambling is only available on PDF to read on your computer: $7

You can also order Dirty Little Secrets or Snake Oil Volume One directly on Amazon.com

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 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).  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. 

Me at age 10 playing the game Connect Four. 35 years later still really good at playing and winning at games!

May and June 2019 Snake Oil/ When in Deep Water

May and June 2019 Snake Oil 

When in Deep Water

I was just finishing up a phone session in early January when I began to feel really hot and physically uncomfortably. I took a nap and felt a little bit better but when I woke there was definitely something off with my digestion. The next morning after a big breakfast I began to feel a really sharp pain just below my stomach on my left side. I thought it would subside but as the afternoon progressed the pain got worse. I had no desire to eat and the only thing that seemed to somewhat minimize the discomfort was hot baths. I had past success with acupuncture for kidney stones so I called to get an acupuncture appointment for first thing in the morning. It was an uncomfortable night with very little sleep. I did feel a little better after my acupuncture treatment thankfully but there was still something unquestionably wrong. Two nights later I had another round of pain on my left side that lasted about eleven hours. It was painful and scary. Should I bite the bullet and go to emergency care? Do I push through this and continue with my plan to use acupuncture treatments and herbal cures? More hot baths and a heating pad made it somewhat bearable but not by much.

The entire week was really difficult. I wasn’t extremely busy with appointments so I did keep working, although that was also difficult the first two weeks when I was ill. Still, when I don’t work I don’t have an income, so taking a lot of time off was not an option. Acupuncture treatments were very reasonable priced but still cost money. My daily meals consisted of soup broth, half an apple and grapefruit. I was feverish and knew my body was trying to heal what was wrong, so I had very little appetite. The entire time I researched what trigger points would help with digestion and the organs in the area I was feeling pain. After six days of being sick, with three fairly excruciating painful nights, I went to urgent care to get checked out and also got a blood test. I have purposely avoided western medicine for the most part in my life successfully for almost thirty years now, so it is definitely not my first choice, but I will use it if necessary. I currently have an Obama care plan and grateful that I have it. The monthly fees are very reasonable, but the deductible for a hospital visit if I were to commit to that road is $7,900. I only got completely out of credit card debt nine years ago and was not eager to put myself back in that spot. I pondered whether whether I should continue my current path of herbal and acupuncture treatments or seek answers from western medicine and the probability of it putting me back into heavy debt again.

The blood test came back normal and the doctor recommended a CT scan. I choose not to do that and continued to research what might be wrong with me online. Was it gall stones or kidney stones? Was it something else entirely? Most of the more vital organs are on the right side. I went through a painful appendix removal when I was 17 (and had surgery), and had kidney stones 16 years ago (resolved by an acupuncture treatment). The acupuncture treatments and herbal remedies seemed to be working now albeit slowly. I was getting better and also getting my appetite back after two weeks. I lost sixteen pounds in the process. In early February after lots of research I pieced together that it was diverticulitis. This was something my father had. I never knew what it was but had heard it often as a kid, “Dad has to be careful, his diverticulitis is acting up.”

My research confirmed that I needed to make major changes to my diet, I needed to eliminate or at least minimize the heavy amount of white flower I was eating every day and generally eat healthier. I added a lot more fiber to my diet and took daily shots of apple cider vinegar, aloe vera juice, and ginger. All of this was working. I knew that the physical issues were just a reflection of unresolved emotional stuff and areas of blocked beliefs. The physical body is the place we see our blockades when we have never resolved our emotional wounds. I had unresolved anger toward my mother. She provided well in her duties as a mother but was mostly emotionally absent. My siblings and I were shown very little emotional and verbal affection or really even touched very much as kids. I had always been able to see the wounds in all of my siblings from this, but didn’t realize how much it negatively influenced me. I thought I was lucky because I got more affection from my mother than my siblings did but it was still very little. While I was sick for those two to three weeks I took anywhere from 3-5 hot baths a day. I needed to immerse myself in hot water to physically feel better. The call to water was my emotional bodies’ way of returning to the womb. The place of safety before I came out to face a childhood of questioning whether I was lovable. Whatever this was, I knew I was in deep water and needed to dive completely into this process to heal. 

The last year or so had another challenge in play that likely contributed to my illness. An old credit card debt I defaulted on from nine years ago that had been sold about 6 times back and forth, for probably pennies on the dollar was another area of frustration. The original debt had been bought and refiled in court by a collection lawyer in Scottsdale. After months of aggressive phone calls to me and some of my family members as a coercion tactic they put a lean on my checking account with the threat of a possible one time pull. While I knew they would never really get anything from me, the thought of going down to his office and beating the crap out of this antagonist  honestly crossed my mind quite a few times. Threatening letters and just the feeling of being hounded this way was annoying. I was smart enough to use the strategy of purposely keeping very little in my checking account and mostly using cash but it was tiring. The debt default was from back in 2009 when the economy was in the tank. I had to default on some of the cards to survive. It was an agonizing decision that I put off for years because I ethically felt that a debt must be paid back no matter what. I was working three jobs and my condo was under water financially at the time when I made the necessary decision to default on most of it. I simply could not keep paying credit cards at a 24 percent interest rate and ever realistically get out of debt. I could have freed myself from years of getting hounded by debt collectors if I had $3000 to cover a good bankruptcy lawyer at that time. My mother was quite comfortably sitting on hundreds of thousands of dollars and could have helped knowing I would have paid her back, yet when I asked her she choose not to help and pretended that money was “tight.” My father if he was still alive wouldn’t have hesitated to help, but my mother is nothing like my father. I could see years of buried anger connected with this lack of willingness to nurture in this way too was also a trigger for the painful physical issues erupting in my body.

Something amazing happened between my body cleanse, working with herbal cures, trigger point work, a series of colonics, and my acupuncture treatments. I became really aware of my blocked chakras, lack of flow and my emotional wounds. I forgave my mother, and the obnoxious collection agency and stopped being angry. Maybe it wasn’t so much that I even forgave her. I realized she was just missing a healthy developed ability to show empathy. She was born during the depression, and was a text book “Baby soul.” The collection lawyer was just doing the job he chose to support his own family. All of the stuff that irritated me wasn’t about specifically attacking me, even though it felt that way. Most of all, I got tired of being angry and hurt. My life was too good in so many ways for me to waste the present and future time I had in this life brewing about old perceptions of wounds. There were good things that came directly and indirectly from my mother. She taught us to be strong and all my siblings are truly survivors. Difficulties never take us out for long. Indirectly she created a strong large family. I am particularly good at blending in with any family, group, social circles, and work environments because of this “training.” I met with my siblings for a family reunion weeks ago in Las Vegas and we had a great time and for the most part all got along. How many people can truly say they are friends with all of their siblings? There were other things my mother did that were valuable. I also had to own that from a metaphysical perspective I choose for her to be my mother. The debt collector would for the most part get nothing from me and if he chooses to keep spending money filing in the courts in the future it is his choice. This obnoxious process taught me to be shrewd when dealing with this nonsense and I lived for years without any credit cards at all. I didn’t really need them. Now it seems that he is actually finally given up or has sold the debt off to another less aggressive collection agency. I haven't heard anything in months and my desire to strangle this vulture has long subsided.

In truth I had struggled with these somewhat buried issues for a long time. I honestly think that my cat absorbed a lot of this hurt for me. When I painfully put her down last year at age sixteen she had all kinds of digestion and elimination issues and was beginning to have organ failure. She would have done anything to protect and heal me and it is likely she did. I don’t blame myself for her death or feel I caused it. She had a good long life with me and I celebrate the time with her as part of my family. The entire time I was sick would often look at the clock precisely when it was 2:22, 3:33, 4:44, or 5:55. I knew they were higher self and angelic messages that I would not only be okay but come out stronger and wiser. I had times when I doubted and felt fear but mostly I knew I would heal. While I recommend my clients and readers explore more alternative medicine solutions, I don’t suggest most of you abandon western medicine entirely. It has notable use and has benefits too and is so much a part of our cultural belief systems and societal structures. I choose alternative and eastern medicine because it is less damaging to the body and often cures the illness and wounds permanently without sacrificing organs, extensive surgery and reliance on pharmaceuticals for life. While surgery is quite harsh to the body, it can also shock us out of old beliefs and blocked emotional patterns in the process so it also has value. I adjusted my diet and minimized white flour, and spent the last few months eating more healthy. I still use herbal remedies a few times a week and have maintained my fiber intake. The diverticulitis though seems to be completely gone now. It is realistically possible there may be future flare ups but I am feeling that this is unlikely. I wonder how many people can say they got rid of this illness? The emotional issue resolved and of course so did my body. I had been drowning with unresolved emotional pain for some time so when I realized I was in deep water I dived down to the bottom and came back with some notable buried treasures. The challenges that do not destroy us can actually rebuild us and ultimately have the potential to actually permanently transforms us.

Jim Ventura 4-2019

Notes

I purposely waited a few months after healing from my illness before I wrote this column. I wanted to be sure the thorough process I used to heal had really done its intended job. I was able to find a great acupuncture place in Phoenix called Modern Acupuncture. The first visit is an incredibly reasonable $29! I have met people who have said acupuncture didn’t really work for them. This always surprises me. It has always worked for me. I think I resonate with a lot of Chinese medicine (probably past life stuff here) and acupuncture. To me when we are ill, energy is blocked up in connection with chakras in the body and these restrictions end up clogging and damaging organs. Acupuncture seems like it is designed to get the energy to flow again in the body. This translates to healing and going back to a state of harmony, the bodies’ natural state. I think in the process we become aware of limiting beliefs and emotions and often purge and reframe them in the process and begin to look at things from a more enlightened perspective. I also had some added help with three colonic treatments at a spa in Tempe to “move” things along: I highly recommend Dee Munsterman deemunsterman@gmail.com.

After a brief six month hiatus from doing shows on the List TV I am back to filming a few more this year, thankfully at a less frantic pace (13 shows in late 2017-late 2018). I recently had a production company reach out to me from California about possibly doing a pilot for a show. The potential pilot show is a big idea and I actually felt a little nervous getting interviewed. I rarely get “butterflies” in the stomach in my fifties so it was cool to feel that again. I am not sure if it will turn into anything yet, but it is exciting and doors are opening in this area. I will keep my readers informed about where this leads. The good thing is while I am open to doing more television, and in many respects “made for it,” I have no attachment to whether I do or not. I like the life I have and the things I already do and will continue to do them either way.

https://www.thelisttv.com/the-list/summer-vacation-based-on-your-zodiac-sign/

The spring and start of summer (at least in Arizona) is on the horizon. The weather continues to be weird and choppy, but it has been a great spring. It seems the uncomfortable energy earlier this year is more even. This month’s column was a long one and took a bit of extra work to finish, so I won’t have another column out until early July. I have been busy with a nice flow of appointments and added family stuff connected with my mother’s rapidly failing health to juggle as well. Still doing the casino once a week and Vegas every two months. I have been very lucky so far this year. I am balancing the enjoyment of working on a lot of different things with the fun of a bit of playing more than many people do. Less responsibilities of family and I am a bit of a proud hedonist. My Virgo side with my Sagittarius side. They are square each other in my natal astrology chart but at age 54 I have finally found a way to make them work well together!

Wishing everyone a happy start to the summer. Cheers, Jimmy V

“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, 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.

“What is your perception of disease?

If you consider your accidental body to be floating through its meaningless days on a planet swarming with germs, viruses, bacteria, and other pestilence whose sole purpose and intention is to strike you dead, to eliminate you from the gene pool, then the course of one’s life thus becomes a constant microorganisms target-shooting game with you the frantic target, dodging projectiles of death by donning the armor of pills, vitamins, diet, and so on.

Remember, above all, your beliefs create your reality. If you believe you are ever at the mercy of microscopic organisms that intend you harm, you shall indeed find yourself falling ill on a regular basis, pumping yourself full of antibiotics to kill the little buggers, and then enjoying a brief respite before the next onslaught. You live, therefore, in a perpetual fear of disease.

Remember our old friend, fear? Does it ever lead to understanding? Does it ever lead to purposeful action? No, it always leads to paralysis and irrational action.

Thus your entire medical system is structured upon beliefs that guarantee that you will become ill on a regular basis; that you, an individual, can have no comprehension of how your body works and must not attempt to heal yourself in any situation, always depending on the advice of your schooled betters; and reducing your life to a game of chance, a roll of the dice, forever the prey of pernicious creatures you cannot even see.

Now let us state the reality.

THE UNIVERSE IS SAFE. It is not out to destroy you, to deprive you, to batter you about. The state of health, of your body working in smooth unison with your mind, is the most natural course of events. When you do become ill, it is a sign that you have not faced certain issues; you are therefore urged to stop and consider that state of your life and what might have brought on the illness. And the illness itself, its expression in your body, will always carry a host of clues as to the genuine source. The world is not out to trick you! Any disease or illness will always represent, in plainest terms, the issues you have not faced that brought it on...”

From Whatever Happened to Divine Grace by Ramon Stevens

New Client Special 2019:

January 1st 2019 thru October 31st, 2019 Special: New Client introductory offer:
$10-15 off listed rates for your first 45 minute session, 70, or 90 minute session! Ask for the special when you email at Venturasag@yahoo.com to book. Debit and credit card payments get $10 off for 45-90 minute sessions. Local in-office clients can get an extra $5 off for cash or check payments for sessions. If you want to buy a new client a thoughtful gift of a session you can also take advantage of these rates!

My current rates (new clients can subtract the above discounts from these rates): 45 minute sessions $85. 70 minute sessions $110. 90 minute sessions $130. Sessions can be in-office or by phone.

“You are always free to change your mind and choose a different future, or a different past.” Richard Bach

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, May 23rd at 3:30 p.m. mountain time. Usually one or two Thursdays each month you can catch a new show, and once a month on Sunday at 2 pm. 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. 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.

“Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.” Oscar Wilde

Session Highlight

REALITY CHANGE SESSIONS

These session(s) are all about understanding how our personal realities are formed, and developing the skill to change yours! Almost every area of your life can be changed for the better. This session will show you how to uncover the limiting beliefs that have blocked your progress. The beliefs that block us from experiencing happiness, and success in any area of life are not hidden. Their are many methods for uncovering what is limiting us. Instructions will also be given for new methods and tools to create the present and future you truly want. I often quote famous authors who talk about this subject. Learn in a one on one session with me about how to begin to master some of these techniques. 

You can literally recreate yourself

Change your beliefs - Change your reality

Suggested session length 70-90 minutes.

Email me at VenturaSag@yahoo.com to request my availability calendar. 

“Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: if you’re alive it isn’t.” Richard Bach

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 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).  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. 

                                      March Las Vegas family trip

April 2019 Snake Oil/Hathor's Mirror

April 2019 Snake Oil

Hathor’s Mirror

In sharp contrast to my teenage self when I hated the thought of speaking in front of groups or reading a report in front of the my class, I actually like public speaking now. I have worked at polishing my confidence and skills over the years as a public speaker. I even enjoy doing karaoke from time to time and over the years I have developed a fairly good singing voice. I meet friends out about once a month to sing. They are notably talented and enjoy being a “ham” too. Inevitably in almost every bar I go to whether straight, gay or in-between some woman happily sings the Carrie Underwood song about a scorned woman who takes a bat and keys her boyfriend’s car. The majority of the crowd excitedly sings along and enthusiastically encourages her. I guess this is because few of us haven’t had the experience of someone cheating on us and we can empathize with her pain. I am not a fan of the song. To me, it extols justification for vengeance and destructive behavior. The idea of bullying anyone who disagrees with us and the “right” to retaliation are human aspects but not evolved ones. While I can understand the need or thought of retaliating or even destroying (most of us would be lying if we said we never thought about it) “the bad guys” property, it isn’t an action to be proud of or act on. 

All men and women seek ways to express personal power. We can get caught in the lower vibration of the destructive use of power or choose the highest aspects of influence by being inspirational to others. Female power and energy is expressed in different ways in many cultures. Usually two versions of this power are expressed. One being the intuitive, receptive and often nurturing side of the female. In Christian teachings this is represented by Mother Mary while in the Tarot archetypes with the High Priestess. The other aspect is more about female abundance, dignity and confidence. The Egyptians expressed the energy of this in the form of the Goddess Hathor.

Hathor was considered to be the Egyptian goddess of beauty and love. She was known as the patroness of cows and their role as bringers of nourishment to humankind. She was the daughter of Ra and carrier of his divine eye. There are conflicting stories about Hathor’s origins. Most of the tales tell of Hathor’s position as wife of Horus. In all cases, she was seen as the Egyptian version of Aphrodite. Hathor governed all aspects of feminine beauty. This included both innate beauty as well as things that contributed to one becoming more beautiful, like jewelry, make-up, clothing and adornments that could add to one’s expression of internal and external attractiveness. She was also the patroness of the arts and a protector of women. She was connected to the knowledge of the study of Astrology and was also noted for ruling over many aspects of creature comforts like food, wine, and other pleasures and human “necessities” for enjoyment of life.

The Goddess was often depicted holding a hand mirror. The symbol of Hathor’s Mirror is a representation of our own life force. One side of her mirror reflects our own personal power and beauty while the other side is a reflection of those around us. Hathor’s Mirror reminds us that if we send out thoughts of love, beauty, and generosity, we will see that reflected back to us in the world around us. Hathor’s Mirror was also known to keep potential enemies and negativity away from us by reflecting those energies and intentions right back to the originators. The symbol was often used as a Talisman. This talisman can act as a powerful protector. Angry, malicious intent towards us will be magnified tenfold to a would be perpetrator. Needless to say this can be a very strong deterrent and we need to use this energy with care.

Archetypal energies from past cultural beliefs still exist in the Akashic Records (plane of existence that houses all knowledge) and can be brought into the present if we choose to use them. Whether you are a man or a woman the focus on Hathor and her mirror can be valuable. It’s use in meditation or as a talisman can bring us the energy of female abundance, enjoyment of life, and even make us more attractive! Rather than dipping into the lowest form of retaliation for a perceived wrong we can show grace, dignity, beauty and confidence as a response. This refocus not only strengthens our potential success in life but it will ward off any potential future violators who cannot handle the power confidence and grace of Hathor and her mirror. I don’t want to take away from the notable talent of Carrie Underwood and it can be good fun to sing a song about getting back at a two-timing cheater and even thinking about destroying someone or their property for a few minutes. Thinking about or imagining doing this briefly is not only human, but may even be part of purging the pain. If someone cheats on us, rejects us, or mistreats we have another option- rather than retaliating we can choose to rise above this type of thing. Maybe they were never worthy of us in the first place? Maybe their mistake is our “get out of jail free card.” Sinking into the ugliness and worst aspects of being human does not elevate us. It brings us down to the level of the very people we are angry with. We can show that the energy represented by Hathor and other similar archetypes about enjoying life, being beautiful, confident, and the epitome of grace is a far more powerful response. Never let them see you sweat!

3-2019 Jim Ventura

Notes:

I used to actually do some session work with Egyptian Cartouche symbols (Hathor would be an example of one) about two decades ago. I did not get a lot of requests for them and they weren’t quite as strong a pull for me to work with either. That said, I still find the energy behind them to be quite valuable. I even made some clay stones with some of the symbols painted on and marketed them briefly about seven years ago. It was a lot of work for not much profit so I discontinued doing this, but I still have recommended these symbols to many clients over the years. Hathor is especially powerful to use as a Talisman. Here is a bit more information about what a Talisman is from my original notes:

 What is a Talisman?

“A Talisman is a cultural symbol that offers protection and is meant to bring specific types of attributes to its user. The sheer amount of different types of Talisman that exist are too vast to list. Almost all cultures both past and present have different types of symbols that were used as Talismans. One of the most commonly seen Talisman symbols is Christianity's use of the cross. All kinds of different religions and cultural philosophies use symbols as forms of protective Talismans. Buddha statues are another common protective symbol. Feng Shui practitioners and many people in Asian cultures are familiar with a host of different types of Talisman symbols. Dragons, frogs, coins, and many other images are used to bring specific types of energy into a home. Many people are aware of the more whimsical types of Talismans like rabbit’s feet, and “my lucky sweater.” A Talisman is any symbol that is believed to bring protection, good luck, or a specific influence that can assist the one who wears it or places it in their home or office. 

How does a Talisman work?

There are multiple reasons why using a Talisman can be beneficial. If we believe something can influence us if we carry, wear, or keep it in our home, it often will! The belief becomes a magnet to tangible experiences that reinforce the belief. In some respects a Talisman can be like a hypnotic device. It will both consciously and unconsciously remind us of its purpose and influence while it is around us. This increased focus can really have tangible results! Once we carry or place a symbol, our unconscious and subconscious minds are reminded of its influence even when we are not meditating or consciously thinking of what the symbol is meant to do.

Another powerful influence that a Talisman is capable of is enabling us to connect with mass beliefs that exist in connection to the symbol. In the past thousands and sometimes millions of people believed (many still do) that the energy of a specific Talisman really did specific things. These grids of energy patterns and mass beliefs are still available to us whether it is from the present or the past. The tremendous power of mass belief can still be tapped into at any time. These different archetypal symbols often had considerable power and energy behind them, and still do! When your own focused energy combines with larger collective beliefs, then this can intensify and shift our ability to create reality and allow a new influence in our lives. 

Some examples of Talisman energy are easily seen in Druid traditions. The Druids believed that the Cow was a gift and representative of the Goddess. If you rested in the spot where a cow had been you would be protected from all harmful energies. Even drinking a cow’s milk was believed to create peaceful sleep and protection. There were so many cultures that believed in the value and power of Cow energy. Carrying any type of symbol related to Cow can act like a Talisman. In a similar way, Bull testes were seen as a form of virility. In some cultures they were eaten or ground into powder and ingested to increase the individual’s fertility. Carved symbols of bull testes were also believed to create virility if one wore them. Was it the ingestion of some of the bull testes or wearing its symbol responsible for creating increased potency in men, or something else's? It was more likely the belief that became a part of the person using it that created the shift. Our logical minds want to laugh at such silly, superstitious beliefs, but often in the past these practises actually worked. Beliefs form reality. Any symbol that helps shift our beliefs in a positive way can actually shift an individual’s reality. 

The combined energy behind these mass beliefs about Talismans are powerful indeed. Even if it was thousands of years ago when people believed these things, the collective energy behind these ideas is still just as powerful today. The grids of intent are still alive and well. We can tap into these influences if we choose...”

Years ago, we had a difficult individual that was causing all kinds of troubles in our condo complex. I actually placed an image of Hathor on a tree near the pool that faced his home. He had a lot of angry thoughts and I thought if this was reflected back to him he might make a shift in his behavior, possibly working to make the place I lived far more peaceful. After I did this we had years where he became kind of silent and caused no more trouble. Repeated rain washed away the image of the Talisman and a few years later he stirred some things up but actually fairly minimally and has been pretty tame ever since. I am not sure exactly if or how the Talisman did this but there was noticeable improvement. I did suggest being careful with the use of any Talisman. The energies can be quite strong and it is important to have positive, evolved expectation both for oneself and anyone who might be influenced by them. My goal with my neighbor was to decrease his troublesome behavior so everyone who lives here can get along. It also provided an opportunity to reflect on his negative behavior and maybe also have more peace, so I think it was a relatively harmonious use of the energy of Hathor’s Mirror.

It is officially spring. Most of March was a bit choppy for myself and many of my clients. The Mercury retrograde covered most of the month and it was a bit of a challenging one, especially for air signs and fire signs. Like all retrogrades they do give us an opportunity for a do-over, or to re-look at how we expend our energy. Even if they are difficult they always make us stronger and wiser in the long run if used correctly. If anyone is still trying to piece together some of the events in their own life brought up by this retrograde and other influences, feel free to contact me for an in-office or phone session in April.

Wishing everyone a Happy Spring! Cheers, Jim V

“The most valuable lesson man has learned from his dog is to kick a few blades of grass over it and move on.” Robert Brault

New Client Special 2019:

January 1st 2019 thru October 31st, 2019 Special: New Client introductory offer:
$10-15 off listed rates for your first 45 minute session, 70, or 90 minute session! Ask for the special when you email at Venturasag@yahoo.com to book. Debit and credit card payments get $10 off for 45-90 minute sessions. Local in-office clients can get an extra $5 off for cash or check payments for sessions. If you want to buy a new client a thoughtful gift of a session you can also take advantage of these rates!

My current rates (new clients can subtract the above discounts from these rates): 45 minute sessions $85. 70 minute sessions $110. 90 minute sessions $130. Sessions can be in-office or by phone.

“I realized I was officially a professional writer when all my plans began with ‘drink coffee’ and ended with ‘take a nap.” Cassandra Duffy

“A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.” Herm Albright

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.

Learn to enjoy Change

“In your society, you are born in an atmosphere of fear surrounding the experience of birth. Many, if not all of you, unconsciously use fear as a motivator in your life. You wait until situations become fearful-indeed, even make them fearful-in order to motivate yourselves to change. Now, it is a kind of addiction, and I would recommend that you become conscious of it. Then, as you experience the drama and struggle you create for yourselves, be conscious that you are choosing your reality and that you can choose to change and move without creating suffering and consequent fear to get you to do it. 

We urge you then to be innocent about your desires for change and to remember that change on the planet, which is in constant motion, creating night and day, creating the seasons, is natural, so you need not wait until you have a great deal of fear motivating you to make change. You can consciously and innocently seek change, knowing that it does not need to create separation, hurt, and pain for others or for yourself when you do it consciously and innocently. Then you can let go of using fear as the motivator and instead use joy and aliveness as the motivator. Once you use joy to motivate you to action, feeling the joy in your body actually creates your feeling more alive, vitalized, and motivated to act. 

So, because these are so wired from your early experiences when your parents told you, ‘you must do this or else,’ and you experienced fear and anger and then acted upon it, you think you have to have those emotions to get into motion. No! It is just your thought, based upon your past experience, that creates those connections. And you can easily begin to choose to act from joy and know it is innocent for you to be joyful without having to be angry or fearful.

Both men and women have come to believe that the physical has cycles of pleasure and pain. Often you use pain to get pleasure and then begin to fear pleasure because you think you will then have pain. How to get over that? Stop creating pain to get pleasure, and you will release the belief that once you have pleasure you must have pain. You will learn to surrender into greater and greater experiences of pleasure and life and joy on a regular basis. You cannot shift into a millennium of peace while holding the thought of the pleasure/pain  cycle...”

Seth Channeled by Jane Roberts

“Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?” George Carlin

“You are never alone or helpless. The force that guides the stars guides you too.” Prabhat Ranjan

Snake Oil Radio

Thursdays at 3:30 pm (there will be two live broadcast this month)

My next live broadcast of Snake Oil Radio will be Thursday,  April 11th 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 call in live (or 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.

“It isn’t by getting out of the world that we become enlightened, but by getting into the world...by getting so tuned in that we can ride the waves of our existence and never get tossed because we become the waves.” Ken Kesey

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 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).  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. 

My nephew found this in my parents attic and saved it for me after all these years. It was the "ominous" cover page to a year of journal entries I made in my journal at age 13-14. He sent it to me right on the day Mercury went retrograde, and I got some good laughs at reading the thoughts of my teenage self! Not sure why I saw it as so secretive (It was all really tame) but the Venus in Scorpio part of me saw it that way. The Sagittarius part of me showed early signs of dramatic flair lol