I'd like to take a minute to welcome all of our new readers this month.  I hope you enjoy Insights.  Thanks for joining us.  Your comments and questions are always welcome.  It's hard to believe that September is here already.  Not sure where summer went but I do know that August was a doozy.  I warned you.  Expect a couple more weeks of drama and then things should begin to settle down.  Unfortunately we will then get to deal with Mercury retrograde.

 

For those who are new to Insights, Mercury retrograde is an astrological term that means, backup your computer, don't buy electronics, large or small, and expect communication mixups, fender benders, lost bank cards and phone numbers.  Double check everything before hitting the send button, trust me.  I have been both the sender and recipient of embarassing emails that went to the wrong person.  I read about a large drug bust that took place because the dealer sent the package to the wrong address.   The fun happens every four months and lasts about three weeks.  The key is to take your time and not rush. Slow down and double check things.  Don't install new software the second half of this month, whatever you do.  There is always a silver lining and Mercury retro is no exception.  This is the time to review, rewrite, redecorate and redo anything that was started in the past and needs some reworking.  You will make great progress and come out with a something better than first imagined.

 

This month I have written about Sponge People.  I am spongy, are you?  I've also given an update on my new show, workshop in Vegas and future classes.

 

Are you a sponge person?  Many people who are highly intuitive can also be dangerously spongy. Spongies may absorb stress from their environment and the people around them without even realizing it.  If your spouse comes home from work in a foul mood and you soon find yourself on edge and prickly, you are showing classic signs of being spongy.  Do you ever feel inexplicably sad, nervous or irritable after spending time with certain people or in certain places?  Do crowds make you so uncomfortable you avoid them like, well... the dentist? 

 

There is an interesting experiment you can try but you will need help from a friend.  Some of you may remember muscle testing.  In muscle testing, I had you hold your arm out in front of you, parallel to the floor, palm facing down.  Then I had you say things about yourself "I am strong"  When your friend tried to push your arm down, they would meet with some resistance.  Try again and say "I am am weak and worthless" and see what happens when they try to push your arm down.  Your arm will become noodly and weak.  Wow, there's a wake up call on all of that negative self talk!  But what it your friend is the one thinking these thoughts about you.  Try the experiment without knowing what they are thinking.  If you become noodly when your friend thinks negative thoughts about you and strong when they think positively then you are most definitely a sponge. 

 

The key is awareness.  Once you can learn to discern between your feelings and those of someone near you, you're well on your way to "suiting up".  It may take some observation and practice, though.  You might need to monitor your feelings before, during and after spending time with a certain person or in a certain place.  Observation is a powerful tool for gaining perspective and distance.

 

The old adage, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, is definitely true in this case.  Avoid negative and angry people when you can.  If your spouse is in a negative space then go for a walk, plug into your ipod, remove yourself from the room.   If you have someone like this at work and you can't avoid them the put on your "light suit" each day before going to work.  Think of it as spiritual armor to deflect the negativity you might otherwise absorb.

 

If you are a bit spongy and vulnerable to the unpleasant energy of others and environments, you really are lucky, even if you don't feel so fortunate.  This sensitivity can serve you well in the guidance department once you become aware of it.    Remember you can "armor up" anytime you want, just by asking your guides for help and slipping on your light suit. 

The number of missing persons in the United States is staggering.  I've been working on missing persons cases for 12 years now and have come to believe I know the reason more of the missing aren't recovered or located. 

 

After the initial search efforts by law enforcement, which is usually a few days, possibly a week, few are actually looking.  What happens is that law enforcement only has so much time and money they can afford to spend on a missing person.  When they don't know where to look, it can be like searching for that proverbial needle in a haystack.  If the person isn't located during those initial efforts, the responsibility falls on the family and community of the missing person.

 

I don't know how many cases I have in which one or two family members or one dedicated detective working on their own time are out pounding the streets alone in search for the missing.  It's tragic and inspiring all at once.  By the time I am called in, the trail has usually gone cold and search efforts have been exhausted.  I may have some direction and fresh new insight to bring to the situation but little ground support. 

 

This system has been on my mind lately as I witness the emotional toil it takes on so many people.  I guess the final straw for me was when I received a call from the sister of a missing woman.  Evidence indicates her sister was the victim of a homicide and the suspect has taken his own life and her location to the grave with him.   The sister was out driving the back roads of the vast Colorado mountains alone in order to locate her sister's body.  It was her turn.  She only wants her family to have closure and her sister a proper burial.  It's what each family wants and deserves.

 

So what can we do?  I would like to see more volunteer groups formed for this purpose.  I know that many of my readers want to help by using their intuition.  I challenge you to also help by working to create groups of caring citizens just like yourself who can be called upon by families like these.  Let's step up together and make a difference.