The Art of Harmony

How do you get it?

by Psychic Verbena, ext 9615
Source: California Psychics

Some people find harmony by striding down a crowded, bustling urban street, hammering out a deal on their Blackberry. For others harmony is found in silence, space, big trees and solitude. Harmony happens most easily when you're living the life you want. You're doing what floats your boat, and life just feels right.

Unlike harmony in music, math or physics, each person's experience of life harmony is unique. But because we live in a world of contrast and change, any sense of harmony that depends on outer circumstances is bound to be jostled and knocked out of alignment - sometimes frequently.

Out of harmony
Challenges in health, love, money or work are hard to avoid, and some are easier to restore to harmony than others. But what can really mess with your mind is impending change - especially change that seems to be out of your hands, when events appear to be moving you away from what you want. Sometimes they seem to keep going in the wrong direction no matter how hard you struggle.

Or you could be experiencing the kind of soul-deep restlessness and incompleteness that usually indicates it's time for you to make a change, no matter how much you hate the thought. For some, though, even getting close to a sense of harmony seems impossible. If you've grown up in challenging circumstances, or recently been hammered by difficulties- or if your experience tells you that life just isn't on your side, and that there's nothing you can do to change it - harmony seems to exist in another universe entirely.

Find and keep it
To put it simply, maintaining harmony is about finding your center. This is easiest to define in martial arts terms. The martial arts teach that your center is an actual place in your body which, when you focus there, allows you to move immediately in any direction with speed, balance and strength.

You can find the same kind of center in your mind, emotions and spirit if you cultivate an attitude of mind and heart that allows you to respond in the moment to any situation with calm and optimism. Once you know how to get to that place and stay there, harmony is yours.

History
For at least as long as there's been written language, philosophers in every culture have recorded their thoughts about how to maintain harmony, and they pretty much agree that it's all about a positive attitude. No matter how it is achieved - meditation, non-attachment, faith, trust, or self-confidence - a positive attitude is at the core of a harmonious existence.

Of course, self-confidence is a powerful basis for your positive attitude. If you believe in your heart and soul that you can cope with anything, then many of life's fears won't get you down. But self-confidence isn't enough to keep you in a state of harmony by itself. You can have full faith in your ability to cope with anything and still be desperately unhappy. So what's the missing ingredient?

Staying power
If you have a spiritual practice that sustains and nourishes you, or if your friends, family, or spiritual community is very supportive of you - or if you believe in a higher power that always works toward well being - then you have found one of the two best paths to harmony.

But very often a person's spiritual practice leads them to an even more powerful path, grounding them in a spiritual reality that can sustain or restore harmony like magic. It seems like the opposite of self-confidence - and yet, amazingly, it confers a deeper and more permanent level of confidence, one that is rooted in a sense of being one with the Divine. It is something that is activated by your open, optimistic participation in life.

Buddhists define this state as one of non-attachment. It means you're willing to let go of control, to accept the situation when challenges and changes crop up. Experience or faith (or both) have taught you that it's a good idea to go along for the ride - first, because it's more restful than struggling, but also (and even more importantly) because very often your higher power is creating something far better than you could have imagined on your own. You just need to stay centered, and alert to the possibilities along the way.

When you're able to take what comes - to go through life with your head up, your eyes open and a delighted interest in everything that occurs, because you just know that the future is a gift waiting to for you to unwrap it - then harmony will become your natural state.

Are you in need of emotional balance? Let a psychic guide you in a reading today. Call 1.800.573.4830 or click here now.

Frolicking Summer Flicks

Staff picks for the season
Source: California Psychics

The mercury is rising, vacations are afoot, and we're all feeling the urge to get out there and enjoy a few adventures. Alas, there are bound to be days when it's too hot to go outside and play - so we've put together a selection of films that will let you frolic inside, as well.

Two of them will be in theatres near you this summer - plus, a selection of old summer favorites is available on DVD - all are Frolic Factor and Sunny Side rated, for best enlightenment and entertainment value. Whether you're looking for laughs, are on a quest for romance or you simply wish to escape into a fantastic world on the edge of dreams - this list offers many hours of summer distraction.

New flicks...

Cherie
Lavish lawn parties. Exquisite costumes. Love, betrayal and Paris. It's everything you need in a salacious period piece. Set in 1920s Paris, it tells the story of Lea - a stunning courtesan to the social elite (Michelle Pfeiffer) is asked to hold off on retirement until she can teach her ex-rival's 19-year-old son a thing or two about sex and society. Though initially indifferent to Lea's advances, the young man discovers that the game of love can be scandalously invigorating.

Frolic factor: Rupert Friend, the film's star, may not be well known to American moviegoers, but his obscurity won't last long once audiences get a glimpse at his jaw-dropping good looks.

Sunny side: The sets, locations, and photography are rich and lush - and Michelle Pfieffer always manages to pull off the role of seductress with such verve!

Julie & Julia
The film chronicles the life of renowned chef Julia Child (Meryl Streep), and that of real-life Internet figure Julie (Amy Adams) - a young woman who, lacking a solid career path, decides to cook all 524 recipes in Child's infamous first volume of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Bouncing back and forth in time between the life of the master and that of the optimistic protégé, we are reminded that sometimes not knowing what you don't know brings about remarkable self-discovery.

Frolic factor: What is there to say? Meryl Streep is brilliant, as usual. Her portrayal of the beloved Child is a joy.

Sunny side: The promise of chicken being dropped on the floor during a live broadcast, and Amy Adams finding the meaning of life amidst culinary catastrophe, makes for a cinematic feast.

Oldies but goodies...

Heaven Can Wait (1978)
This one was, of course, directed by the McDreamy of the flared-pants era - Warren Beatty - who also stars in it as a successful football quarterback who is almost killed in a car accident… almost. The problem is, an overzealous angel transports his soul to the afterlife only to discover he wasn't meant to die after all. To make matters worse, his body has been cremated. Now the only way to resume his true destiny is to assume another person's body. And the only one available belongs to a self-serving millionaire! Funny, charming and just what you need to get ready for football season.

Frolic factor: The onscreen chemistry between Beatty and co-star Julie Christie is incredibly genuine, as the two happened to have been off-screen lovers at the time the film was made. More impressive is the gentle handling of romance, which is seldom so poetic and subtle in today's films.

Sunny side: The profound words of Mr. Jordan (played by the distinguished James Mason) contain so much spiritual wisdom that you can't help but secretly hope this fictitious character will indeed be your own personal concierge at the end of your life.

La Dolce Vita (1960)
This is the ultimate frolic film. La Dolce Vita - The Sweet Life is one of Federico Fellini's classics, and a film long considered by scholars to be among the greatest achievements of world cinema. In typical Fellini fashion, the movie lacks traditional, linear plot structure. Instead, the story features an array of effervescent socialites dancing, drinking and creating scandals for the paparazzi one summer in Rome.

Frolic factor: This truly is an "art film." Crazy camera angles, abrupt close-ups, symbolic imagery - it's all there, setting the stage for the debauchery that unfolds.

Sunny side: Watching La Dolce Vita is like having an out-of-body experience.

Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Even if you're not a fan of musicals, you'll be impressed by the ingenious integration of pop/rock hits in this enchanting love story. Set at the infamous Moulin Rouge, the film tells the story of Christian and Satine, a poet and a performer (Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman, respectively), who are desperately in love - but unable to be together because Satine has been betrothed to a wealthy duke who is the theater's one and only benefactor.

Frolic factor: Stylized direction, good fashion, oversaturated colors and fun, whimsical sets make this film a visual dazzler.

Sunny side: True love prevails!

Summer movies are a wonderful way to escape the heat - and take a break from whatever's going on in your own life, good and bad. Happy viewing...

Need to escape this summer? Let a psychic guide you in a spiritual escape today. Call 1.800.573.4830 or click here now.

Sex It Up – Without Sex!

The ultimate plan for better sex by S.K. Smith
Source: California Psychics

If you're looking to turn up the heat in any meaningful relationship, it's time to renew your thinking. All it requires is that you remember an old saying - and its modern twist. Absence makes the heart grow fonder - and it can make your other bits feel warm and fuzzy as well!

The premise is simple. We often want what we can't have, or at least we think we do. Usually, what we really need is a simple reminder of just how good we've actually got it! So, by nixing the nookie for a little while in favor of some extended foreplay, you'll find yourselves thinking of each other day and night, longing to see, smell, taste and touch each other - and you'll expand your romantic repertoire to spice up your sex life for the long haul.

Here's your guide to sexing it up - without sex.

Pressure drop
One of the quickest ways for sex to become boring and staid is for one or both of the partners to feel like they're doing it out of obligation. The excitement is gone, but the expectation (we're supposed to have sex, right?) remains. As a result, positions become habitual, and orgasms are perfunctory... No wonder lovemaking feels like a drag!

To rid yourselves of this "rollover" routine, remove the expectations altogether. In fact, go in the opposite direction, toward a spot of abstinence. Agree to not have sex for a night. Or two - or ten. Your kisses and touches, which may have devolved into customary warmups for the scheduled surrender, will become genuine expressions of affection and adulation. By ruling out anything other than a modest makeout session, you'll find new ways to express love and desire - as well as amping up for future endeavors.

Fantasy fodder
Having decided not to do the deed, you may be concerned that you won't even think about it. Odds are, it will be exactly the opposite. By removing your regular release from the repertoire, you'll likely have sex on the brain even more, which will lead to indulging in flights of fantasy. Make it a point to share these thoughts with your partner (being sure to include them, of course), and ask that they do the same. Let each other know that you're thinking about doing x, y or z and you may be surprised by the surge in intimacy you experience, and how it increases the sexual tension between you.

Manual transmission
Once you've agreed to go without, and you've indulged in the exchange of your sexual thoughts and fantasies, introduce a little more intensity into the equation with a sexy two-way massage. Light some
candles, play a sultry song playlist and go to town on each other, using only your hands - and maybe, if the mood srikes, your mouths. The point is to enjoy each other, and above all else, not to rush.

Remember what you learn
The most important point of all this restraint is that you take the information you've learned about each other - and the renewed passion and closeness you likely feel - back into your sex life once you reintroduce the deed. Preventing monotony in love takes work, and it may require revisiting the fornication-free zone on occasion, in order to dig yet more deeply into your relationship's sexual potential.

Are you stuck in a sexual rut? Get advice from a psychic. Call 1.800.573.4830 or click here now.

A Secret Life

Will it come back to haunt you?
Source: California Psychics

We were surprised to find out that many callers to CaliforniaPsychics.com lead secret lives, and others are the "secret" in someone else's life. Our psychics tell us the majority of their clients who have added a clandestine path to their life's journey are involved in affairs outside their relationships. Many call in to find out how their double lives are affecting their karma, and others want to free themselves of guilt.

Though our psychics feel that it is not their job to judge as they work with each case individually, they also believe that carrying secrets around will influence one's spiritual journey. Secrets in general are not healthy. They can lead to a higher good, some psychics argue, but they usually have a spiraling downward effect, and they can be painful to all involved.

"I believe that we operate in a world where the energy you put out there is the energy you get back. If you are hiding something now, something will be hidden from you," counsels Joyce ext. 9598. "This pattern is inevitable, and has been repeatedly taught throughout history, from "do unto others..." to the more-scientific and physical version of the same idea, "every action has an equal and opposite reaction."

"I myself have had a secret life in my past, and I have learned from this lesson that it does produce karma. Secrets produce trust issues in the future for all parties, and all parties can, and usually do, get hurt," BlackHawk ext. 9353 asserts. "You may find out that you should not be in one or both relationships, if an affair is your secret, but if you are going to cheat on someone, you should not be in that relationship in the first place - unless you agree to an open relationship first."

The problem with a secret life is that the words imply dishonesty, "which, regarding one's karma, is rarely a good thing," reports Jonathan ext. 9601. "As with most everything in life, the more one is dishonest, the easier it is to have dishonesty spill into other areas of life. That being said, I don't allow these generalities to affect my readings. There have been times when the secret life was actually the right path for the client, and the mistake was an earlier decision."

"Intent" is as important as the action, some psychics say, especially when it comes to understanding the "positives" of secret lives. Having a secret life can affect a caller's journey in life in various ways, believes Althea ext. 9582, whose specialty is helping customers focus on their paths. "If one's secret is the existence of self-improvement and developing a new skill, or education level… this can be positive, as well as a secret life that may involve elements of being unfaithful, as long as it is aiding the caller to gain a level of self-confidence that will aid them in leaving a bad or abusive relationship. If one sets out to hurt another by keeping a secret, this will likely breed karmic retribution."

Even if you have the best of intentions, when the secret life you have chosen causes pain to others you are often causing harm to yourself as well. Ironically, what drives folks to live in secret is fear, and when we fear something we attract more of the same, psychics say.

"Dishonesty often brings with it guilt, depression, paranoia… and these can torture the person living that secret life," explains Debra ext. 9596, who specializes in relationships.

Darcy ext. 9488 adds that because "the secret" in a secret life goes unspoken, the ultimate reason for that life being hidden is unwillingness to face a reality and to see that life for what it is. The lie to one's self, as she sees over and over again, can result in an unconscious need to be stopped - or even punished.

In order to be fulfilled and happy in life, one must first stand in their truth, our psychics remind us. "If we could be honest with each other about these things without fear or recrimination, we could erase this karmic situation completely," Joyce concludes." There are no easy answers in these complicated situations, except the truth. In the light of the truth, we are absolved."

Are you living a secret life? Talk to a psychic for guidance. Call 1.800.573.4830 or click here now.