Imagine....If

Imagine if all you had to do (all that was really required of you) was to follow your dreams? Your entire life, the time you are given here on this earth, your energy and all of your focus - was meant to be spent on exploring, understanding, fine tuning and following your heart's desires to the ends of the Universe?

What if each and every day we could get up and intuitively know what to do to create, pursue and build secure foundations on which to grow these dreams and then make them happen. And what if every single person on this planet was provided with a box of fairy dust out of which only good would come for themselves while benefiting many others?

In this world magic for the greater good would be common place, people would accomplish great and still greater things throughout their lifetimes always striving for the best with ever expanding hearts and minds. Delightful dealings of love and heartfelt warmth would abound in this dreamworld. 

How many of us would then be living a life unhappy or dissatisfied with the results of poor planning, lack of energy and failure due to interference from outside sources? If our dreams were standing before us right now would they be crying from neglect, ragged and hungry from lack of input or far worse are they left lying by the roadside of our spiritual path long dead because we have given up on them?

Today is another fasting day for me - I felt that I was onto something deep inside and space was needed to allow this to gently come up to the surface. So, this week I am planning to take a few days and just focus on my fasting, walking, gentle exercise while following a dream into a magical place.

Rarely have I ever taken the time and allowed myself the space to just follow my heart to the final destination and see where it takes me - but this week I am doing just that. Listening and following with an open mind and walking through open doors...

I will keep you posted on where I end up,

April

I believe in a dream

Fasting With A Purpose

These past few days after finishing our last Master Cleanse have been full of change and new happenings. The old patterns and usual occurrences are steadily being broken down making room for healthy foundations in its place.

Today I am getting back to fasting, it has been a  busy few days cooking, gardening, making more jams for winter and all the little things that need to be done in between. So, having a fast day is refreshing and will give me the space to contemplate each of these changes that must be made.

One thing that I have noticed (and want to work on) is how exposed our shadows tend to be with the current way we are living in our society. By this I mean, there are few of us with clearly defined boundaries, allowing others to observe, walk in, and otherwise interfere with our energy fields.

All of this exposure leads to one main thing - a deep sense of insecurity and the fear that goes along with that. It's as if our entire society, way of life has been engineered to keep us in a cycle of inner turmoil and uncertainty about who we truly are and where we are going because the lines between us are blurred. 

Where ever we are lacking clearly defined borders and boundaries, not only do we not know where we stop and start, we also often have no clear idea of what is ours and what is not. Especially in terms of issues, problems and energy.  How could we, when energies bleed into each other mingling and mixing in un-natural ways?

This can play out in many ways within our own lives. For instance, over the years I have met people whose past lives are not their own, who are trying to heal dysfunction that comes in from a family member, who leave loving marriages and partners because they are carrying relationship patterns that do not belong and many others who live a life as someone they are not.

This issue of boundaries is perhaps one of the most common problems facing those who are attempting to walk a spiritual path or to just live their lives as they would like to. Not having clearly defined lines within your energy field is a form of energy dysfunction that leads to well, all of these further dysfunctions and far worse. 

So, what to do about all of this? Well, today, I am doing what I know that I can do - I am fasting, while contemplating healing, shifting and creating strong boundaries. This I know I can do, and I also know fasting will reveal to me the next step in the direction I need to go.

This is fasting with a purpose,

April

July Moon over Leap, West Cork

Another Food Day

Well today is my last food day before I get back to day on/day off intermittent fasting tomorrow. It has been a few days since I finished my last Master Cleanse and I am ready to move on to this next phase. I feel as if I have eaten my fill and am curious now to see what else life has to offer. 

One interesting point with doing these cleanses and living this way always seems to be the energy shifts taking place seemingly constantly. There are changes and new energies rising up to the surface during the MC itself, with some very deep work taking place. 

Then once the 10 days are finished, I always expect this to slow down, however, this time around, things have speeded up in some ways. Perhaps this is simply the stage I am at right now in my own life - it is time for many of these patterns to break open and dissolve. 

Again, I cannot mention this enough - living and following The Pagan Diet© has changed everything for me, my entire being (body, mind and soul) has come back into alignment and I am different to who and what I was. 

Last night was a rare night when I actually went to bed early and then proceeded to sleep deeply into a night of many dreams. One of the most memorable dreams was of myself and my husband lifting the cover off of a capped water well, then hearing a noise as blue flame rose up from the water. I was standing a short distance from it, wondering to myself what this all meant and if the water was safe to drink!

I could not help but think of the goddess Brigid for some reason as she is often depicted with a flame coming from her head and here in Ireland the water carries her energy. I have dreamed of her many times over the years, however never in this fashion. This felt so powerful.

Today is a rare sunny morning here, so it's out to the garden for me; to ponder my dreams.

Enjoy your day!

April

Herbs ready for drying

Just Add Water

I come across people each day who couldn't be bothered to take the time to cook, prepare or in some way organize their own food. Instead they purchase ready meals, boxes of prepared 'healthy' cereals, plastic wrapped breads, meats and processed goods.

The problem with all of this handling of our food is that these nutrients keep body and soul alive, this should nourish us, work within to sustain energy, uplifting our spirit - but life doesn't come in a box. You will not obtain the same vibration from food that has been through the mill (literally) as you will from gently handled vegetables cooked at home. 

Love can't be purchased, and your food is a source of love, energy, sustenance - whatever we want to call it here, this is the foundation our lives are built upon. Once that foundation was taken over and replaced by factory made stuff in a packet, modern day humans now start out life with dead energy.

But, all is not lost, thankfully our bodies are very forgiving places, once a change is made towards the higher vibration foods bought or grown and prepared at home mindful of their greater purpose, a dramatic shift will occur. 

Of course this brings me back to something I was thinking about yesterday morning as I made a pot of porridge for our breakfast. I was thinking about the long past days (before I had children) when I would be rushing off in the cold mornings to get to a job - grabbing what I thought was a decent breakfast.

One of my favorite meals at the time was porridge with apple and cinnamon, which of course came in a box, just add water. Now, I know that this was pure rubbish and my attempt was to nourish or warm myself with food that is declared to be wholesome.

Nothing that comes from a box in a dehydrated state is wholesome - think about it. Water is the one vital component in our bodies, we cannot live without it. We are also over 66% water, it is the Universal Solvent and carries nutrients into the tissues.

Water also carries consciousness, embodies higher levels of awareness and maintains vibrational frequencies. Quite a job for something as plain (and magical) as H2O. Now, go back to your dehydrated packet of cereal - once water has been removed, ALL of life, love, vibration and its energy signature has been lost. 

This just doesn't come back, you cannot breathe new life into something that is dead. Do yourself and your family a favor, start with one meal a day and cook it yourself - make your own breads, find clean water, and put some life back into your food. 

Cooking and preparing meals is only as difficult/time consuming/complicated as you think it is. Change your attitude and watch what happens...

Yesterday I was making a large pot of porridge, with chopped apple, cinnamon, salt and a pat of butter - stirring as it gently cooked, then served with goat's milk pulled through in swirls, and all of this was coming into my mind. Of how far I've come, from those days when I never fully understood the detrimental affect factory food was having on me, body, mind and spirit.

Now, I know. 

April

Porridge cooking in the pot - with apples and cinnamon 

Getting Back to Myself

I no longer think in terms of being normal, I mean, who wants to be normal anyway, if that means to eat, drink and live mindlessly? No, I am quite happy with my day on/day off fasting while eating, living and being conscious of all that I am.

The physical task of uncovering my heart and soul has taken a long time and it has taught me an incredible amount about myself and the world around me - in particular my relationship with it. I have mentioned here on this blog a few times that there are distinctions to be made between the degrees and levels of inner communication.

Prayer is talking with god

Exercise is being with god

Fasting is walking with god

Each of these are perhaps one and the same in some ways - yet parts of the process of finding and accessing spirit take extraordinary trust, effort and willingness to believe in what is unseen. As an intuitive, seeing is not believing, that would only cause me to question more deeply.

Each day I am taken further into the garden where trust comes about only by believing that the path is in front of you, the bridge is under your feet and that there will be help along the way. For me re-connecting with the old ways of water fasting, herbs and clean living has served to deepen my ability to trust in every aspect of my body. 

These past two days post Master Cleanse have been transformational for me in many ways - I have had decisions to make regarding how I would like to move forward as well as the usual cutting of ties that hold me back. I am standing right now at the edge of a cliff and I plan to cross over - living this way (food, fast & feast) has brought me here and is leading me home.

The sun has finally come out in West Cork,

April

Light Shining Through the Depths

Onwards and Upwards

We are finished our 10 day Master Cleanse for July, that's three MC's in 3 months, with one more to go in August to complete the goal of doing a cleanse each month of the summer. (Well, it's summer somewhere?) And, once again we are all feeling good, a nice sense of accomplishment and miles ahead  from where we started out.

One main aspect of detoxing and cleansing that I most appreciate is that it is such an intensely focused time which enables me to get a lot of things done - or to think more deeply about the issues at hand and get at their roots. This last cleanse was all about breaking down those walls that have held me back for so long and I think that some serious inroads have been made.

Today physically I am feeling great, lots of energy, I slept well last night and had very deep and clear dreams. I feel as if something has broken through to the other side and there are now energies coming to the surface on several levels. 

Of course, with more energy free to circulate in your field, the patterns holding it in place for so long are also being dissolved, which means - issues that I have been attempting to work on are now coming up to be dealt with. Post cleanse, this is exactly where you want to find yourself.

All the hard work of cleaning, clearing, detoxing and opening up inner channels, during the 10 day cleanse should produce results of momentum and re-patterning within the energy field itself. This is the time then to feed yourself very well (for those who are following a spiritual path that means a particular diet) and to build up your resources as you sift through your inner worlds.

This is also the time to allow your dreams to guide you and to follow your heart as it is cleared and opened from the cleansing. Of course, once again the food you are eating is absolute key to this work - you cannot use your intuition (gift of discernment) properly if you are eating a toxic diet. 

If you are ready to move ahead, want to strengthen your connection with your body, mind and spirit and fully align with your purpose - this will take you there. Fasting is safe, easy and gentle - however there is work to be done and only you can do it. 

Have a nice day,

April

Beautiful moth outside my window

Transition Day 11 - We Did It!!

Another full 10 days Master Cleanse has been completed - and once again I feel a sense of accomplishment, but also that great inroads were made this time into my mind, life and these blocks that I have been working so hard to remove.

I even had another interesting dream last night, I was in a house and it was surrounded by cars, parked end to end. Someone was pulling into the front driveway of the house and I was around the back letting another person out. There was a convertible (very nice) parked at the back door, however it could not drive off because there were 3 other cars in front of it. I was going back into the house to find the drivers and ask them to move their cars. In the meantime, I was saying these words to myself - 'there has been no mistake', while the car that was ready to leave was blasting music - "It's all right now, baby, it's all right now".

I woke up just feeling this was such a positive dream and something (some part of myself) wanted me to be very clear that things were starting to move, but also that they were as they should be up to now. I am still feeling pretty pumped about the dream and of course the song has been going through my head all morning!

Today I am feeling good, although very tired. These past two nights I have not slept very well, loads of energy, loads of deep dreams, and I just feel this underlying sense of excitement that I am about to break through to some place I have never been before. As well, yesterday was a big detox day - a lot came up and moved through for me.

This morning I finally weighed myself, I am down 8 pounds - I no longer do these cleanses to lose weight as I am already at my ideal weight, and I find that within 2 weeks most of this will be back on. However, the neat thing about Master Cleanse is that when you need to lose excess weight, it comes off and I have even known very thin people to gain a few pounds. The innate wisdom of the body at work here.

Today is the juice day - for the next few hours I will be drinking only liquid juices to get my digestion going again preparing my body for some food. I have done this many times over the years and have it down to an exact science (read my book The Pagan Diet), so this day goes very well for us all. 

Then either late tonight or tomorrow, we will have some soft veggies etc and that is it - back to eating our normal healthy diet with our July Master Cleanse done and dusted. Just in time I might add for a big feast day late next week Lughnasadh.

This really is the easiest way to maintain weight, heal, shift and change anything you want in your life and if you have yet to try this out - you don't know what you are missing. Of course, you also have to be prepared for the new you that will emerge from all of this! The operative word here is YOU!

Happy Days,

April

Finally! Day 10

Well here we are now with less than 24 hours to go and on the 10th day of our July Master Cleanse. The detox can get hard during the last few hours mostly because I start to get impatient about transitions - I always want it to be smooth and to get back to eating gently, yet sometimes, I find that I rush myself.

So, tomorrow is transition day with just juices and smoothies, then late in the day or evening we often have some soft cooked root vegetables - of course this all tastes like manna from heaven! I can't wait to eat some food and to try all these jams that I have been making.

This time around I have been craving fruit and berries - perhaps because I am cooking them and the house has been full of all the fruit for jams. But I also am craving rice - when I am doing a MC, my sense of smell is so strong, and the fragrance of cooking basmati rice is enticing! 

Other than looking forward to eating and getting back to a normal day on/day off food and fast schedule, I am feeling pretty good. I meant to weigh myself today and forgot again - I guess it can't be that important because it has been the furthest thing from my mind with this July master cleanse. I have probably lost a little weight and gone down half a stone or so, but usually I don't lose too much and my weight is no longer a problem (thank God!).

And for some reason it is always at this point of a cleanse that I think back to my 40 day MC - perhaps I use it to draw strength and focus when it gets a little tough or maybe there are other connections that rise up to the surface. I haven't quite figured it out yet, but I will! LOL

Last night I had an interesting dream, if that is what it was - it was more like a visitation - a person whom I had not seen in my dreams for quite some years, but who used to come to me all the time, dropped in to say hello. The interesting part was that in my dreams of him many years ago he was always a boy, last night he extended his hand in greeting to me, as a young man and earnestly looked at me to see if I recognized him as he said his name - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Then he proceeded to inform me of where he was playing and the name of the Orchestra. 

Another breakthrough into some deeper part of myself as these cleanses prove once again they are more than capable of bringing body, mind and soul back together.  This has been one of the most worthwhile times of my entire life - I wouldn't change a thing.

Have a lovely day, see you on the other side!

April 

Onwards!

In the final days...Day 9

Today is day 9 of our 10 day Master Cleanse and it has been eventful and once again life changing in so many ways. First of all it does feel as if my goal of removing the obstacles in my life that held me back from following my dreams are being removed - at least that is how it feels.

Secondly, if my dreams are anything to go by, most of these blocks have been on a soul or spiritual level which has required deeper and more intensive healing, thus the absolute requirement of a Master Clenase. Perhaps that is the reason why it would only take a detox such as a MC to pull out these toxins and then repair a hurt spirit.

When you are doing a Master Cleanse, your body is solely focused on healing, clearing, pulling out toxins and gently repairing damage done by those toxins. There is really nothing else happening during this time - the replenishment comes immediately after the detox, as well as the balancing of body systems.

This is the single biggest reason to feed yourself very well after the MC is finished, because there is building up of tissues taking place. Which brings me to another point - right now winding down during these last few hours of our cleanse, we are already planning our post cleanse menu and discussing all the yummy foods we will make and eat in the coming days.

Of course there is a feast coming up soon as well - Lughnasadh - so there will be plenty of food being prepared and eaten for the several days of our feast. After an intensive cleanse such as this one, the feast days give us something to focus on and plan for.

Last night I had more dreams, this time about people from the past who I would have considered to be draining of my energy. And the one thing that would have stood out from my relationship with them is that they were hanging around me and my family - looking for love. 

Not a healthy or balanced relationship from the beginning - however these were people I grew up around and they had seemed to always be there in the background of my life at that time. I moved away from ties of this kind many years ago and have been working on breaking these patterns ever since. 

Right now I am able to see the pattern this cleanse has been taking - 

1. open the heart

2. re-connect with my love/passion

3. remove toxins/obstacles blocking the way

4. healing

Overall this is not a bad way to spend 10 days of my life! I cannot stress this enough, doing these cleanses have changed my thinking, my energy field has re-patterned, my body systems are balanced and I am feeling like 'myself'.

There is still 48 hours to go on this MC, so lets see what else comes up to the surface and how it plays out in our lives. 

Be kind and gentle with yourself today,

April

Today is Day 8

We are getting there, nearly to the end of our July cleanse and at the point when I am reviewing the last week looking back over the events and challenges that have come up for me. Each cleanse is so very different from the other ones - yet there is always an overall pattern.

This time around it is far more emotional, deeper and clearly a lot more heart energy has been moving and opening up for us. Of course this is a vital area to clean out as the heart will lead us home. Our heart contains the map and is the key to rising consciousness - we cannot move forward without all parts of us on board.

The same cycles of movement which manage to gently take us more deeply into energies embedded in the tissues are taking place - with detoxing days and resting periods in between. Yesterday was a movement day - lots taking place for us and a lot coming up. 

For day 8, I am feeling well, still good energy levels, my eyes are clearer, aches are gone and I have an overwhelming urge to clean. I just drank my 4th salt water flush which also goes a long way to helping us feel good inside and out. 

I am getting all the signs outwardly that blocks are moving, releasing and there is change. Usually it is not until 3 or 4 days after each 10 day cleanse that we really are able to see what has shifted for us and where. 

My dreams are still there, however as opposed to the beginning of this cleanse I am not remembering them when I wake up, another cycle is taking place, it just feels as if they are moving up from some very deeply buried place and coming into the light. Heart stuff for sure!

Well, off to find more ways to encourage my heart to open and for this old energy to clear,

Have a love-ly day!

April

Just a little bit further and we are home...

7 Days Into This Now

So, here we are at day 7 of this 10 day Master Cleanse and things are moving along as they usually do for me when I cleanse. I will say that this time around, perhaps with it being summer and wanting to eat fresh berries and salad leaves from my garden, this has been a little harder than usual!

However, not so difficult that I would stop for any reason - I have learned over these years that I am an all or nothing type of person, I jump in with both feet or not at all. I do gain such a sense of satisfaction with seeing things through to the end - a few years ago, I would have given up far more easily.

For some reason yesterday I was thinking quite a bit about my 40 Day Master Cleanse last year - remembering how I was feeling, especially at the end. In my book The Pagan Diet©, I mention how the main thing that I learned from that experience was spiritual discipline.

Of course, fasting and nutrition of any kind is all about discipline - which for me does not have the negative connotations that it used to have. Discipline has come to be a welcome companion in my life --- and indeed another word for what I feel I am learning is self-mastery.

Fasting has taught me a few things over the years - that it works as a healer, because your body comes back into balance and alignment in a very gentle way. But, on other levels, self-mastery and self-control are vital aspects of walking a spiritual path.

Over the years, I have witnessed many people losing hope, giving up on this journey, getting frustrated with the time it was taking, the degree of difficulty and the deep emotions that they have had to deal with. It is during these times when discipline towards your spiritual practice and self-restraint might come into play.

It is always darkest before the dawn, and I am certain that fasting, Master Cleanses, diet changes, exercise, and all manner of things that are worthwhile - each have this element to them. While I would label fasting as an easy way to lose weight and keep it off - doing this consistently with single minded purpose takes courage, commitment, confidence and concentration (4C's).

Today I am feeling well, my energy levels are good, the sun is shining and I have a slight sense of anticipation. Perhaps something wonderful is on its way here. Or maybe, the wonderful is already here ready to come to the ground like a hot air balloon.

Looking up for my balloon! Have a lovely day everyone,

April 

Coastal area - West Cork, Ireland 

On The 6th Day....

Well here we are, already 6 days into our July cleanse and things are moving and shaking - at least from a change of mind/habit/thinking perspective and I feel really good. I have the usual symptoms of detox - coated tongue, some aches in joints, small bumps on my skin, however great energy, focus and concentration.

One thing I realized yesterday was that I completely forgot to weigh myself for this entire cleanse. When I first started doing these I was doing them to lose the excess weight that I was carrying around and to balance my hormones which had not come back after my last pregnancy.

Now, of course with the weight long gone - this part of the Master Cleanse, losing some weight, never even entered my mind! I am so used to going by how I feel and the way my jeans fit me that now I have a completely different mindset. And I must admit- it is refreshing to not have weight issues on my mind.

This brings up another subject that I don't think I mention too much here as I sort of take it for granted that you all know my recipe for MC is slightly different. I use my own herbal preparations for my Master Cleanse juice - which I credit for the incredible healing, repair and great health that myself and my family enjoy.

This time around I am drinking Work Through Fear Tea, Hormone Balance, Body Balance and some immune boosting herbs in my juice drink each day. Of course the brilliant thing about using herbs in this way - just with water, lemon juice, maple syrup and black pepper - is that there is nothing impeding the herbs from doing their fine tuning of our bodies.

Herbs are natures medicine - like a gift to us that grows from the garden, always standing at the ready to uplift, balance, heal and otherwise support us through each of these changes, shifts and detoxes as is necessary. What I love is that there are no side effects and they work so gently within the body tissues, an intelligence all of their own. 

Perhaps this is part of the reason why each time I do a MC, the shifts are profound and long lasting as well as serving to put me onto a higher path each time. This is something I will be doing for the rest of my life on a regular basis because of these reasons. 

Off to get going here with my day, will check in with you tomorrow, have a good one!

April

The early morning sunlight shining through the MC juice! JUICE ANGEL!!!

Halfway On Day 5

Well, it is day 5 - we are pretty well half way to the finish line and feeling well. The one thing that I noticed yesterday was that a weakness in my legs that I would have felt for many years, which is usually there when I am not fasting, had flared up. I kept walking through it as it is more of a 'sense' and a heaviness - toxins. 

So, now this morning I am still feeling lots of energy, looking forward to my exercise and loving the clear feeling in my body and head. Other than my skin being a little bumpy and the heavy legs, I don't have any other detox symptoms yet. Just the dreams! 

The dreams continued last night with me sitting and talking to the 'ghost' from my dream the night before, who had now taken form and shape into a person that I knew. Plus, in the dream I could not open my eyes, I was trying to, but they were itching, burning as if I had been peeling very strong onions or something. Once I stepped outside I was fine.

Then another dream of me ordering food at a restaurant something like a fast food place, while I was wondering why I was even there. And a very significant dream of a person in a wheelchair who believed that he was paralyzed - when I had him close energy leaks he could see that his legs were filled with 'fear toxins' and he was then able to stand up.

How clear is all of that!!! Lots of things moving and shifting for me here - so I am well under way to getting at the root of this block. I am really excited now to see what each day brings as everything appears to be centering around dissolving this resistance in my body.

By the way, last night I actually had so much energy that at 10:30 I was out walking and enjoying the night air. It was peaceful and calm. Today I am planning to do some more creative things to keep this energy moving and to get outside as much as possible. 

Each time I do these Master Cleanses they always prove to be deep, significant and the gentlest way forward on my journey. All I can say right now is WOW, this is really working and something that I was after for many years has come to the surface.

Talk to you tomorrow,

April

And Breakthrough On Day 4!

I went to bed last night a bit unsettled mostly because I was aware that things were moving and shifting but was trying to not get my hopes up too much about it. Wanting to break down these walls into this new space has been with me for awhile and I have been working away at it for seemingly a very long time. 

So what on earth am I talking about? This Master Cleanse, now on Day 4, has been focused on removing blocks, resistance and any areas of stagnant energy in my life that are holding me back in some way. I know that this is a very tall order for only a 10 day cleanse, however, I was hopeful that I would be able to make progress in a positive direction.

And now it seems that I have. During each cleanse I watch my dreams closely - I do this anyway and have many years of dream journals - last night I was given exactly the dreams I have been waiting for. Very clear and to the point showing me precisely what was happening and where I am with this goal of mine.

In one of my dreams I was going through a house looking for ghosts, I knew they were there because I could sense them but they were hiding. I found a very large energy entity up near the ceiling in one room and was able to contain it and then name it. Then I proceeded to give the people instructions on how to get rid of it - because it had moved into the house when it was empty, but it did not belong.

In another dream I had to sit an exam later that day and was preparing myself by studying, again there was no fear, no anxiety at all and I was very clear in what was expected of me. The exam was in physics (a subject I loved in Uni) and I was discussing the exam with other students. 

When dreams are clear such as this, it reassures us that we are on the right track and that old energetic patterns are shifting or clearing out to make room for new and better things. It feels great to get this far in such as short time and I am excited now to see what the rest of this cleanse brings for me.

Today I am feeling well, good energy levels, my mind is still clear and outside it has finally stopped raining - at least for now. Perhaps we will get the sunshine that we all need to top up our Vitamin D stores. Today was also another Salt Water Flush day so I am clearing out toxins in every way possible. 

Well, off to start my day!

Have a good one,

April

Flowers in bloom in the garden - lovely summer colours! 

3rd Day...

It is day 3 of our third Master Cleanse in 3 months and I am feeling pretty good. The one thing that I would say about this time around is that I have even more energy (if that is possible) and I feel as if my mind is as clear as a bell.

Sharp; that is how I feel, my thinking, my thoughts and the pictures that go along with both of those are clear and free flowing. My energy field seems to be lighter already - yet it seems as if I am anticipating something and as yet it has not revealed itself for me.

A few days ago I wrote about blocks in my energy field that were playing out in my life - this is still my focus, however, each time I bring my mind around to something that has felt to be resistant to change, I walk, do some Yoga and otherwise ponder it - and I am getting an immediate solution.

In some ways I have had that all along - but it was a much more difficult process and took far more time! This week, it appears to be instantaneous and these blocks really feel to be unravelling as each day moves on.

Yesterday I did accomplish a lot again- mostly writing. There is always so much that I want to say, and being a writer (and foodie) at heart, if I don't write it down - it becomes another block or area of stagnant energy. So there you have it - do what you are meant to be doing, no matter what anyone else thinks, or says and don't let your own worry, doubts and fears stop you.

Break down those walls, find what it is that you love to do and start doing it - even if it is for a few minutes a day. And if you are still uncertain about the few things that you would love to do, start doing something (anything) and see how it evolves and shapes into the things you are passionate about. 

Then work your way up to more of it, and see where it takes you. If there is no open door, build one, or break down the wall and go free.

These chains that bind and the blocks that hold us back will only remain in place for as long as we are willing to carry them around. When you take significant and tangible steps (actually do something real about them) then your entire being will align and respond with that new movement.

Of course, becoming an unblocked human on this planet also means responsibility - you must then own who you are, be that person and protect your newfound self and sense of identity. Who you are is precious, like finding a diamond in the sea - hold on to it, hold it up to the light and then let that beacon guide you forward.

If you have not yet started you own cleanse (in any fashion) it is about time you got started on your path. 

Have a warm day,

April

My garden fairy blowing bubbles

It's Day 2 - already!

Usually whenever I do a 10 day Master Cleanse, the first couple of days (which are often the hardest) drag on and seem to take forever. This time this is not the case and it has almost been very easy so far (too easy! LOL). Yesterday, I went to bed early with a slight headache and I felt a bit achy and tired. But I have been through worse.

Today I am feeling pretty good, not much in the way of detox symptoms that are physical - this time they are mostly mental and in my thinking. All day it feels as if I have been fighting 'demons' - don't exercise, you really want to eat, fear, worry, you can't do that blah, blah. All negative and all toxic - which right away tells me that this cleanse is working and that toxins are moving.

However, I must be getting to the bottom of the barrel because the really bad apples are coming out. I can feel the dark energy around and 'see' the toxins in my energy field as I go about my day. These thoughts are also intense and almost feel like they are coming from another dimension or far away place.

They don't even seem to be a part of me or my psyche, which is a relief, because I am not listening to them and doing my best to counter the negativity with positive mantras and thoughts. Each time I feel like not moving, I push myself to exercise, and each time I feel this voice telling me to stop the cleanse and eat something - I sip on my MC juice and carry on.

Physically, I feel great, I have gotten loads done, my mind feels sharp and clear and my memory - well lots of old buried deep memories have been coming up for me. I just know that this cleanse is one of the most important that I have ever done. 

Last night I was dreaming all night, but it was like one continuous long dream with many parts. I found myself sitting an exam at one stage with my cat at my feet, then taking a bus to travel to a distant city with someone else's phone that I was trying to use. Then arriving in that place and looking for a place to stay and thinking of a person's name, where I instantly arrived.

When I woke up it was as if I had actually travelled somewhere and I could sense a shift in my energy. I do feel lighter and stronger, and just more engaged in living, thinking and doing. Great place to be really.

Fasting, Master Cleanses and living this way has changed my life in so many ways, I would never go back to my old lifestyle for anything. This is just far too interesting and I feel great!

Hope you are all well,

April

This is one of our baby ducks, taking a little dip!

Day 1 of July Master Cleanse

Today is the first day of our master cleanse for July and we are already shifting into cleaning mode - I have been busy cleaning the house from top to bottom as I always find that I have so much energy! LOL. I also feel as if I am preparing for something - getting ready for the changes that I know are coming soon for me. 

Its day one and I am feeling pretty good - some aches and pains in my ribs (many years ago I had costal chondritis) from an old inflammation that appear to be coming up again. This is interesting as I had wondered when that would clear! It was a time of being totally taken over by a work situation, to the point where I was very run down and not myself anymore.

Perhaps this will prove to be connected to the blocks that I am wanting to remove from my energy field during this cleanse - I am thinking that things are starting to move because any time we work for someone else we are not fully 'working' (inside or outside) for ourselves. And of course, that creates a block in our systems. 

Therefore - each of us, no matter what it is we wish to achieve in our lives, will have multiple blocks and resistance to our own personal goals. Situations that we find ourselves in such as work relationships do keep us back in many ways because they extract energy from our creative forces. This is the energy that could be used to power our own dreams, wishes and pursuits.

How does it feel to be blocked? Right now I feel it as resistance, wanting to move towards a particular direction and nothing seems to work out. This blocked energy can then lead to frustration or despair or much more when left to fester away and unresolved.

As usual, the first 2 days or so are always an adjustment period for the 10 day Master Cleanse - I expect this time to be no different. My body will go through the usual winding down into detox mode in the next couple of days and then lets see what happens! 

I will keep you posted,

April

July Master Cleanse...Count Down!

Today is a food day, yesterday was a fast day and tomorrow I am starting my next Master Cleanse. Some of you may remember how I promised myself that I would complete at least 4 MC's this summer - and have already done two, one in May and one in June.

I am really looking forward to this next cleanse as I feel and can clearly see the progress that I am making in my life. It shows in the things that are happening on the outside of me such as changes in habits, patterns and people around me.

But this also is very evident in my thinking - as I explain in my book The Pagan Diet, our minds are more than 90% of the battle, so once you get your mind on side (detox enough to create a change in the gut) then this is not only easy but the best thing on earth.

This week I have been speaking to several people at various stages of fasting, Master Cleanses and transforming their lifestyle's - the one common thing that each of them mention has been how easy fasting is. Living this way (food, fast & feast) is straight forward and simple - no gimmicks, nothing weird about it - just clean food and clean water.

Right now I am doing the usual things before a cleanse, I am already thinking ahead to the theme and focus of this cleanse as I do each time I start one. This time around I would like to focus on places in my life where I feel blocked and held back. And I know that so many people out there are experiencing the same things in work, relationships, spirituality, creative pursuits, dreams and desires. 

Of course you may remember that by about day 4 or day 5 some other co-patterns will emerge and this could go in a completely different direction! Yet, by the end of the cleanse the emotions and physical symptoms that need to move will have surfaced to be dealt with. 

That is one of the most important aspects of having an open mind- it's the same when people come to see me for a reading. You may want to focus on a specific area which is fine, however, if your body has other ideas and needs you to concentrate on something else, this is important too. I have learned over the years that it will all lead you back to the same place or where ever it is that you need to be.

There are no detours on this trip, it is all part of the journey. 

Have  sunny day where ever you are,

April

Bright colors of summer - in the garden

It Must Be The Water....

There are only two basic fundamental elements to changing your life as far as I am concerned - food/water and exercise/movement. Of course, the greater of these is the only one vital nutrient we as humans cannot live without - water. 

Water is the universal solvent which means that more substances dissolve into it than any other, making this fact alone the key reason why fasting works to remove weight and heal inflammation in the body. When you use water to clean your body and push embedded toxins up to the surface, the presence of water takes up the debris and safely removes it from the tissues. 

Water is also many other things for us as humans (66% of body tissues and up to 73% brain tissue) with so many properties and functions that entire university courses are taught on it.  As far as I am concerned this is the missing element in our food pyramids which of course prompted me to design my own!

The safest, easiest, most effective tool for weight loss, healing, shifting energy, cleansing and detoxing that you have within your reach, is water. But not just any water - do not drink the stuff that comes out of the tap, that is not water, this is a chemical compound and will not enable you to clean tissues effectively.

Find a source of clean pure water (I know this is not difficult to do especially in Ireland) and start using this well or spring for all your drinking, cooking, brushing teeth and so forth. If you can, drill a well or clean out a local spring. The next time you move house, look for a place with a functional well.

Over the years I have done each of these things to make every effort to always have clean water. I have even dreamed of water sprites taking to me as if the water is alive and of course when you take water from a well - it is living, just like the land it rises up from.

Fasting is done daily in every country all over the world, for various reasons, however, when you want to lose weight, heal, shift energy and otherwise move yourself into a better place, you must be mindful of the most important nutrient you will ever put into your body. 

Water is the stuff of life.

April

Sun in the leaves

I'm not fat, I'm toxic

Have you ever noticed that the first thing we become aware of around a person is their weight? And that our eyes are drawn to the parts of their bodies carrying the excess weight as fat? Why might this be so and should we look at this as significant in any way?

As a Medical Intuitive I always ask questions, I would consider myself an investigator of the body, mind and spirit in an effort to understand what is happening within and exactly why. So when I realized many years ago that my attention was constantly pulled in the direction of body fat - I started asking myself, why this was so and what was in this fat that was needing attention.

Body fat serves a couple of purposes and is not entirely a negative or bad thing in our lives. We need some fat around us for protection of internal organs, fat also acts as a storage place for toxins and some hormones  - what causes a problem is when there is too much of it.

Too much body fat and of course the fact that this fat gathers in specific places shows us where the toxins are and where there are toxins there is inflammation. This layer of embedded poisons within our bodies festers away until we are in a position to do something about it.

However, for the most part, I have not met anyone who is doing something about it mainly because we have forgotten how but, more importantly you cannot heal inflammation or lose body fat successfully or remove toxins or do anything worthwhile in your body using more toxins!

This leads me right back to the reason why I wanted to mention this topic today - the new anti-fat vaccine using a virus to alter hormone expression in the body tissues or the supplements and medication (yes I lump them together) to either suppress the appetite or change some internal function and the highly processed 'food' that you can purchase to control your calorie intake.

Each of these products are not only dangerous and capable of interfering with (damaging) delicate internal body processes - they are not even remotely dealing with the root of the problem - which is an excess of toxins stored in the body tissues  that has caused an inflammation. 

A toxin to me is any substance not benefiting our bodies, in fact it is any material that costs us something to ingest and digest it. Sadly there are far too many in our food, water and air these days that have to be dealt with on an on-going basis but, when they are regularly cleansed out of the body - we can cope. 

As long as we are mindful of what we are putting in and make an effort to keep water and food clean. Then you must cleanse your body regularly (it's like taking a bath on the inside) and pull out these toxins or you will become unwell, carry excess weight or otherwise be in an unhealthy state. 

By now you might be asking what does this tell us about those who eat rubbish and to excess and do not gain weight? In a nutshell this means that on an energetic basis, someone takes it on for them. The weight must go somewhere and it does exist, so we are not necessarily carrying all of our own baggage around, but that is a topic for another day!

If you are feeling heavy, overweight and are suffering from inflammation of any sort - much of this can be resolved far more easily then you ever imagined - clean water, a good diet and exercise. The gimmicks do not work and may make things far worse, stick with what is real.

Have a lovely day,

April

Is Working as a Therapist Making You FAT?

I have a little theory and most of the time it appears to be along the right lines as this is something that I have consistently observed not only in my life, but with many others are well. Working with 'energy' or just being around highly charged situations, in the healing professions is making us fat.

In my line of work I come across a lot of therapists. These might be people who are doing energy healing, seeing clients one on one as counsellors, massage therapists, nurses, hands on healers, psychics, mediums, life, drug and alcohol coaches, GP's and just about nearly everyone in between. 

People who spend a lot of time around others who are experiencing pain, crisis, wounded spirits, broken hearts and bodies, various stages of inflammation, illness and dysfunction. You name it - we deal with it and work very hard with others to try and sort it out.

What this means for those of us doing the energy work, giving the massage or helping to work through the pain, is that we are exposed to energy. Much of it heavy, dull and often dark - with spikes of fear, negativity and stress bouncing around a room for an hour or so at a time. 

Now this does not mean for one minute that we cannot deal with this energy or that humans are incapable of wading through the muck and coming out the other side intact. We certainly can and we are more than able for this work. 

However, when we do not prepare and care for our bodies in the correct way - spending time immersed in someone else's energy can add layers of toxins onto us which translates into weight. I am not kidding and I know that there are many of you out there who are right now nodding your head as the connections are made.

Start doing the energy work, call ourselves light workers, healers and therapists and in just a short amount of time watch the excess weight pile on. The number one thing that I have noticed is that the cravings are stronger, my body and energy field can start to feel foreign and dense and my own energy was not moving as well as it should do.

The problem here was that I was coming home from work feeling as if I needed a bath, and taking one but not realizing that I also needed to take a bath inside as well. That's right - washing, cleansing or cleaning our bodies on the inside as well as the outside is no longer a distant thought but an immediate necessity.

If you are working in any of these capacities and consider yourself a healer, counsellor, therapist, teacher of any sort - you must clean your body and energy field thoroughly or you will gain weight, increase toxins, and generally become unwell. This is a gradual build-up which needs to be cleaned up and takes time to remove. The only way to do this is with clean, chemical free water and healthy food. 

It has taken me years of working as a Medical Intuitive and Energy Therapist to recognize that when I fasted and cleansed on the inside, my health (body) and abilities responded on the outside. Try it for yourself and see!

Walk the talk,

April

Fasting Today...

It's always nice to start the week with a fast day, as I feel that I am beginning with a clean slate and a better approach to organizing my time. Today I feel good, and am still seeing the deeper effects of my mini cleanse last week.

My thinking is changing yet again - I feel more settled and I am just far more efficient in getting things done. One way to describe it is that I feel that I can do more with my time and therefore I get more done in the same amount of time.

Today I plan to exercise a bit more, I have been in the garden a lot over the weekend and I did not exercise ( in a formal way) as much as I would have liked to. Garden came first because it wasn't raining and there were so many things that needed to be done.

So, my challenge to myself today is to accomplish one of two things - to either exercise every hour for 5-7 minutes or to do at least 3 mini sessions of 20 minutes each. I have already done some free weights, skipping, rebounder and a short walk, so now to see how disciplined I can be today to keep this energy flowing.

I call this my 5 minute challenge and will post it later today, anyone want to join me?

Have an active day!

April

This is a honey bee flying between flowers on a tree in Bantry House 

Another 3 Day Mini Cleanse Done

This is a great way to get some good quality fasting done in a short period of time and to focus my time and energy on a project or something that needs to be done. I really love the level of concentration that I am able to achieve during a fast and I think we are all benefiting from increased energy levels.

Today has been a busy one with getting chores done outside finally (it has stopped raining long enough) and into the garden to do the weeding. I love working in the garden and I will tell you why. It is the perfect analogy for the shadow side of the human energy field.

Going out into your garden is like moving around in the back of your body (the shadow) and when we are out there cleaning, clearing, planting, creating etc - this is just a perfect time to think about the things that are being worked on in our own lives.

For me, I have a medicinal herb garden, now many of my herbs are large enough for harvesting, drying and storing for use in teas. Others are ready to be separated into several plants and thinned out in general. 

What might this tell me about myself? Perhaps that some projects are coming into their own or that some aspect of my life is taking shape and changing into a more useful form? And that parts of myself are growing and ready to be incorporated into my life more fully. 

Have a look at your garden, even if it is a pot outside your door - what care have you given it and what can you do to work with it to create the life you choose to live? 

This cleanse has been bringing up many things for me - with shadow work definitely on the increase but I have also been giving a lot of thought to consequences. This word has been on my mind for sometime and I have applied it to situations where it seems that people are committing crimes or doing wrong without any apparent negative results for themselves. 

Instead the negativity is spread around to many others who then take on responsibilities that are not their own creating a very unbalanced and unfair situation. Those causing the problems are left to continue on without any apparent concern for anyone else. Any of this sound remotely familiar to you?

This has been happening far more then is reasonable and the pattern needs to be broken. Perhaps a good theme for my next fast day!

Have a nice weekend,

April

3rd Day of Mini Cleanse

Today is my last day of this little cleanse that I am doing, and I am feeling great overall loads of energy and it seems that my dreams are back loud and clear because I was dreaming all night. All seemingly about projects and things that I should be doing or following through with some plans that I have made.

Perhaps this cleanse has been all about clearing things off of my 'to do' list, because that is what I seem to be doing quite a bit. And even the weather has not been as bad as was predicted so that has been a bonus as well because I have been able to get out into the garden and pull some weeds.

Today I am also busy cooking (go figure, while fasting LOL) and have made honey oat bread, fairy cakes for the kids and prepared a lamb tagine which will go into the slow cooker to cook overnight so that it is ready for breakfast in the morning.

I love my breakfast and always look forward to eating after a fast - the planning phase is probably far more fun than anything as I find that I dream up new ways of doing things and tasty recipes when winding down from my fast.

If you haven't yet tried to do a fast, I cannot say it enough - food, fast and feast has changed my life and the way I look at food (and even the way I look apparently as I was told last night that I looked about 25!). Order The Pagan Diet and get started on your journey to better health in a slim body!

Have a lovely day,

April

The Pagan Diet - Food, Fast & Feast! 

by April Danann, MSc, BSc (Hons), Dip MI, Dip NT

2nd Day of Mini Cleanse

Today is my second day cleansing - funny how I hardly ever even count the first day anymore as it is so much like a regular fast day that it just counts as a day to wind down and shift into the fast. Today, then would feel like the first day all over again.

So, this morning I am feeling pretty good, although I am very aware of toxins moving and feeling a bit yukky. My body is definitely into this and is working right along with me here - my thoughts are a bit scattered right now too as there seems to be so much going through my mind.

The best thing this week is that there are many outward changes - of course that means that there are equally inner changes as well. And I know that the changes are a direct result of these cleanses and detoxes that we have been doing. It just seems as if things are speeding up.

And of course this is exactly what we have been waiting for. Change and progress. Water is the Universal healer and dissolves all toxins (and everything else) so of course fasting, healing and working with water to move us forward in our lives is going to produce wonderful results.

I have been having dreams but they seem so far away that in the morning I am only remembering bits of them - I know they are there somewhere! Yesterday as I was doing some Yoga I remembered a dream that I had the night before and it was about a demon that I had to confront; it was in the guise of a person who bullied me as a child and who I was very frightened of.

In my dream I was no longer afraid and was ready to confront her, from a position of complete power. Perhaps this says it all and now I can't wait to see what this mini cleanse brings for us.

Have a great day,

April

A Food Day

Today is not a typical food day as we got up very early for a certain boy to go sailing and have been munching all day after fasting yesterday. I am planning on another 3 day mini-cleanse starting tomorrow because I felt it was so successful last week that I wanted to do it again. So I am enjoying my food today! LOL

I am really excited about this next phase of detox and am seeing change all around me - mostly in the way of rising levels of creativity and inner magic. But how would I go about explaining what inner magic means - I think that you might just have to experience it to understand it. 

If I was to paraphrase it - it can be a little like being able to manifest things, only not using the usual means of tapping into potential energy sources. Magic is far deeper, it seems to come from the place where energy originates perhaps before energy is even energy! If that makes sense...

If you have not yet tried fasting to create some changes in your life, do it for even a day - this is the healthiest approach to detox, cleansing and diet change (including weight loss) that I have ever come across and it really works. For whatever your needs are.

I will keep you posted on my mini cleanse - anyone want to join me?

April

This is wholegrain spelt thyme bread fresh from the oven and ready to eat!