Just Lynn

One woman. One name. One hell of an attitude!

a kayaking peom

Written By: witchypo - Jul• 30•16

When I get stressed… just need a break

I pick a pond… a stream… small lake

off-load my kayak, drop it in

and push off with a paddle fin

then, its breathe-paddle-pause… and row again

mindless movement works its ‘zen’

while Nature paints such wondrous scenes

living art in blues and greens

that, spellbound, I lose track of time

I’m in the moment… so sublime!

perspectives and perceptions change

priorities get rearranged

the problems that I left on shore

don’t seem as dire any more

my way, once lost, becomes quite clear

my needs… quite simple, life… more dear

here, with fish, bird, turtle, bee

a gentle sighing in the trees

the warming sunlight… glassy bay

it always seems a ‘perfect’ day

‘course life will, soon, come crashing in

will build, ebb, flow… to crash again

but, I choose how I think… feel… ‘deal’

can strive to keep an even keel

so, when the stress crests… drags me down

it inundates… it seems I’ll drown

I’ll take a mental kayak trip

grin… climb in… and off I’ll slip

Ironically, even as I wrote this poem about my kayak’s ability to help me escape or deal with stress, I thought of the ever  present risks and stress that’s involved in any kind of boating. As ‘scared’ as I sometimes get in boats, however, I suspect that its that ‘life and death’ element that adds value to my time on the water and helps me to get a different perspective on things.

the Tarot, energy, and more

Written By: witchypo - Jun• 24•16

I was hanging with the girls, Tuesday, and got asked to read Tarot. One lent me her deck, and another volunteered to ‘go first’. Not having read in… what… months…(?), and not being familiar with the deck, I asked her to focus on a question to which she already knew the answer, so we could see if the cards were willing to ‘play’ with us.

Apparently, they were, because they skipped over whatever miscellaneous question the woman had come up with, and took me straight to another that was far more long term and important to her. Next thing I knew, I was crying… she was crying… and the others were trying to offer her comfort and support. So, I apologized for getting into something that was better handled in a private reading, and offered to get together with her at another time to address the situation properly.

The funny thing was that I didn’t doubt that the cards were capable of doing something like this because I’ve seen it happen too often to not believe in their abilities. What I did doubt, however, was my own ability to ‘tap’ into their wisdom and to interpret them, properly. In fact, I felt the very same clenched ‘dread’ before using the cards that I’ve (almost) always felt when I’ve read… that fear that I won’t be able… that I’ll ‘mess up’, and fall flat on my face. Yet, in the few minutes that this mini-reading took, I was able to describe one of the individuals involved, speak to the situation, and… somehow, offer the woman some comfort… so, I suppose that means I succeeded…(?)

The next night, while out on the (motor)bike with my BF, I got thinking about riding, Tarot, that dread, a psychology book I’m reading, and more… and realized that I’ve spent the majority of my life in that tensed state of self-doubt, fear, and dread. Ever afraid to ‘risk’, I approached everything with a recoiling… avoiding… clenching kind of energy, and was usually just shocked and relieved when I didn’t mess up, get hurt, etc.

Then, about 15 years ago, I got sick to death of being afraid… of holding back… of praying some one or thing would save me… and forced myself to take one of the biggest risks of my life, and to save myself. That experience, while terrifying, was also a ‘game changer’, because it allowed me to understand what a friend had been trying to tell me… that ‘if you’re not a little afraid, you’re not living your life’. It opened up a curiosity… an ability to risk… to trust that I could survive… and a more open and forward moving energy with which to face the world.

Since then, I’ve taken far more risks… on the motorbike, with people, in life in general… than I ever had before, and I’ve learned to trust in myself far more, and to enjoy the process far more… bruises and all!

That’s about when it ‘hit’ me that I’d learned to use the Tarot while still in that clenched state of energy, so its no wonder that I approached the cards with that same sort of energy, and learned to do so ‘habitually’. Thus, its only logical that, whenever I pick up a deck, now, my body and mind recoil from the task… like they did Tuesday… and that I feel that familiar self-doubt… which, dollars to doughnuts, means that I’m not tapping into my full potential as a reader.

That’s also when it ‘hit’ me that, were I to find a way to ‘short circuit’ that energy… to set it aside… and to approach the cards with the joyful, confident, curious, risk-taking energy I’ve learned to apply to the rest of my life, it might completely change my experience of the cards and my relationship to them.

LIGHTBULB!

Now, I’m anxious to explore this possibility, and to begin the process of re-learning the Tarot in my new life. ‘How’ I’ll do it and ‘how’ it’ll affect things, I don’t know. What I do know, though, is that its better to ‘risk’ and to grow than to not… and I’m fairly confident that I’ll have fun in the process, and maybe even help others along the way.

One other thing I wanted to note was that, Thursday, I spent an hour (or so) talking to someone about this and they shocked me by asking whether its possible that that ‘energy’ I feel going into a reading is that of my querents(?) and that I may be mistaking it for my own…(?)

Sheeeit! I hadn’t really thought of that! Guess that’s another avenue of exploration to consider in the future.

Wow! Looks like shit’s about to get interesting!

2016 kayak season

Written By: witchypo - May• 28•16

Sunday, May 22: put in near Schisler + Montrose, paddled Lyons Creek to Tee Creek, to a log jam next to Legends of Niagara course. T picked us up with the truck.

map tee creek

map, Lyons/Tee Creeks

50

Written By: witchypo - May• 17•16

When people asked what I wanted for my 50th birthday, I considered asking for something material… a new computer… a shed for my yard… but, ‘things’ wear out, get broke, or lost, and its the people that count. So, I thought again, and decided that what I really wanted was to throw a party, and to have my brother play for everyone.
You see, my big brother’s a talented singer and guitar player who, for decades, has been entertaining fans in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec with an energetic and often hilarious one-man-show, none of my Niagara friends had seen him, and I wanted them to know how amazing he is. Unfortunately, he’d have to drive hundreds of miles, as well as perform, which seemed like too much to ask. So, I doubted he’d be willing.
Thus, when my boyfriend offered to take me on a vacation, instead, I gratefully accepted, and we spent a week this February exploring sunny Sosua, in the Dominican Republic. There, we snorkeled, went horseback riding, and sipped campaign from a floating bar and, when all was said and done, I felt completely spoiled!
Then, just before my birthday, my brother called, said he’d herd about my wanting the party and all and, much to my great surprise, said he’d do it. Grateful, I rushed to throw a party together and, last weekend, my brother and his family visited, and we had a blast despite uncooperative weather. Again, as we said our ‘goodbyes’, I thought I’d had the best birthday ever(!)
Then, as if I hadn’t already been spoiled enough, on my actual birthday, my two ‘BFFs’ took me out… dinner at a fine Italian restaurant, drinks at my favorite bar… It was fabulous! And, by the time I got home that night, tears were welling in my eyes as I thought about how truly blessed I am.
You know, I always kinda’ figured that turning 50 would suck but, thanks to my BF, family, and friends, I’ve found out that its the best thing that could have happened to me, and I can’t wait to see what other ‘gifts’ this year brings.

Tarot reading – mid feb 2016

Written By: witchypo - Jan• 13•16

Went for my 1st ‘professional’ reading in more than a decade last night. One of the 1st things the chick said about me was that I have strong psychic abilities and spirit help around me, and that I could do what she was doing (ie read cards). Then, she asked if I could, and I said, ‘yes’, and she looked exasperated and amazed. ‘Why aren’t you doing this?!’

‘Responsibility, risk, and not wanting to mess with my own head,’ I told her, and she said that what she does is tell people that she’s seen something, but that its up to them what they do with it.

‘Okay’, I thought.

Then, she told me I’d be good at psychology or hypnotism, urged me to get into the latter, and said that I’d learned some hard lessons through the Tarot, and should be teaching others.

Of course, my ego wants to believe these things, and I often dream of doing something with it… being a successful psychic or getting into psychology… you know… helping people… but I don’t know how to see myself doing anything but failing.

Guess I’ve got to work on that.

test photo

Written By: witchypo - Jan• 12•16
beach in cuba

beach in cuba

 

 

the g

Another Drug Commercial… One That Might Work (Funny Video)

Written By: witchypo - Jan• 10•16

Source: Another Drug Commercial… One That Might Work (Funny Video)

taking the plunge with tarot

Written By: witchypo - Jan• 09•16

So, I was at a friend’s place the other day and she was urging me, again, to get back into the Tarot. (Bless her!) Again, I said it’d been too long… that I needed practice… and I explained about a ‘game’ I used to use to practice and test myself, in which I’d have the querent (the person seeking information or insight) think of someone I could not know or have even herd of, and I’d use the cards to try to tell them about that other person or the relationship they shared.

She said that she’d, coincidentally, been thinking of someone she hadn’t seen in years, and that it was too bad I couldn’t use someone else’s deck. I said that I would, time-to-time, do so, and she surprised me by bringing me hers.

Of course, I was honored that she’d lend it, because whether or not I believed in all the mumbo jumbo people say about divination, she did, and lending me her deck was a ‘big deal’. Unfortunately, there’s nothing quite as intimidating as being handed a deck you’ve never seen before and being expected to come up with ‘facts’. So, I hesitated until I realized that if I didn’t do it I’d, essentially, have to call ‘bull shit’ on myself, and admit that my talk of getting back into the cards was just that… bullshit!

So, I ‘winged it’, just laying out a half dozen or so cards and telling her what I saw in them…

… I’m getting male… large framed… facial hair… older in spirit or experience, if not years… uses tools… like a pool cue or something long… something about them being sharp minded or sharp tongued… a doorway… and they’ve ‘passed on’ or died…

Meanwhile, her eyes had grown large and round, she’d started grinning, and covered her mouth with her hand. ‘Okay,’ I said, not daring to go any further in case that grin was caused by my ‘messing up’, ‘am I getting anything here?’

To my amazement and amusement, she said that it was a male, that he was considerably older, that they’d played pool together, that he was tall and had a beard, that he’d often said she had a ‘rapier whit’, that she’d been standing in a doorway the last she’d seen him, and that he’d died many years ago, but that the nature of his death had left her wondering whether he might, actually, still be alive somewhere.

‘Sheeeeit!’ I thought, once again amazed by how generous the cards can be. After all, I’d have been impressed to have gotten that much from the cards when I was in practice and using them on a daily, let alone when I’m so rusty it’s laughable.

Later, I couldn’t help thinking about the fact that my friend has been offering to throw a psychic party for me… to introduce me to a bunch of people who are dying to get readings done…  and are willing to pay! Each time she mentions it, I hesitate, worried that I won’t remember card positions or meanings, or that I will ‘mess up’ and not be able to give them what they want. Not only am I bothered by that because of my ego, which obviously wants to be ‘right’, but more importantly by my conscience, which says that the cards aren’t about ‘money’ but about helping people, and that I ‘have’ to give them value for their dollar.

So, I keep saying I need to practice… but it seems that practice isn’t necessary… and, maybe, wanting to practice is simply my way of putting off the ‘risk’ that comes with reading… with the ‘responsibility’…?

Anyways, the up-shot is that this friend and I are getting together next Tuesday to get a Tarot reading done by a local ‘psychic’, and I’m going to tell her ‘yes’. We’ll book a get-together, have a few friends in and do some readings, and see how it goes. Worst case scenario is that I get some practice and we have some fun, and best case scenario is that I end up with a couple of people who’ll be interested in getting some more readings done.

 

cupping

Written By: witchypo - Nov• 22•15

Recently, a friend hooked me up with some fire cups, and I’m jazzed!

You see, ‘cupping’ is a treatment from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in which round or conical cups are attached to the body using negative pressure, or ‘suction’. In the past, cups were made of horn or wood, and then glass, and a flame used to burn the air out of them to create a vacuum; hence, the term ‘fire cupping’. Modern cups, however, are often made of plastic or rubber, and use valves or pumping mechanisms to void them of air. Cupping is believed to be capable of moving or drawing stagnant ‘chi’ and toxins out of the body, allowing them to be released through the skin, and is used to treat a plethora of ailments, including poor circulation, muscle tension, scarring, and acne.

Half a dozen years ago, my acupuncture therapist started using cupping on me, and I was shocked by how relaxing it was, not just during treatment, but for days… or even weeks… afterward. More importantly, its a drug-free way to achieve the same (or better) affect than I’ve gotten from the combination of pharmaceutical drugs and massage therapy that General Practitioners had prescribed for the same issues.

In fact, the only ‘down side’ to cupping I found was that, when I started dating my current boyfriend a short time later, he was freaked out by the red or purplish rings that cupping left on my body. ‘Guess I shoulda’ told you I’m kinky,’ I joked and, when his jaw dropped, I explained where they came from, but they were such a ‘turn off’ for him that I started looking for a chance to get some cups and ‘play’ with them, to see if there was a way to use them without leaving those marks.

Anyways, it took a while after getting my cups to, actually, try them but in the interim, I did some online learning and noticed that some practitioners attach them to the skin and leave them in one place (called a ‘static hold'(?), while others use them to massage the skin by oiling it before attaching the cups, and then gently lifting and sliding them around.

So, last Sunday, I tried both methods, and quickly found that by moving the cups around even a little once they were attached, I could keep them from leaving marks on my body. In the process, I also found that massaging my body with a cup feels just as good as getting a really good massage!

Now, I only have two concerns…

One is that, since the rings that cupping causes are said to be caused by toxins rising to the surface, one would think it best to allow them to form and, if massaging with a cup doesn’t allow this to happen, I can’t help but wonder if it will still allow those toxins to be properly expelled or not(?) The other, is that I’ve herd one should use this cupping massage technique to draw toxins toward the lymph nodes for ‘processing’ in them, but I know so little about the lymphatic system that I will need to learn more so that I won’t, inadvertently, cause myself damage (or illness).

Meanwhile, I can’t help recalling a conversation I had with my acupuncture therapist, Dr. Sally, while she worked on me one day. As she explained her methods and procedures, we also touched on some of the differences between the North American and Traditional Chinese medical systems, one of which is that North Americans are taught that they have no control over their own health and must seek the help of a doctor for any illness, while the Chinese have traditionally used tools like acupuncture and acupressure, cupping, Gua Sha (pinyin), and herbal remedies to deal with minor illness and fluctuations in their health, and only seek the assistance of a doctor if they’re unable to fix it themselves or if its serious enough to warrant professional help.

‘Wow!’ I thought. ‘Imagine the stress and expense that could be saved by the system, and by individuals, f we were taught to do the same!’

Of course, doctors, politicians, and chemists would clutch their pearls at the mere thought because of the power and income that kind of thing could lose them, but the potential is mind-blowing!

Anyways, I’m going to keep mucking about with this cupping, and will post if I find anything else interesting to share.

happy birthday to me!

Written By: witchypo - May• 17•15

This weekend, I was shocked and torn when my BF offered to buy us a set of kayaks as my B-day gift.

You see, I’ve wanted a canoe or kayak of my own since I was a teenager, but I’ve only ever used a kayak a couple of times at campsites and resorts, and wasn’t sure I’d like it, and I didn’t want him being ‘forced’ into anything. Funny thing was, though, that he kept bringing it back up, so we talked about how we’d deal if we didn’t like or use them, and raced to Canadian Tire to grab a pair.

Then, excited and nervous, we drove to Jordan, where we put in near a campsite.

I was wobbly as all get-out getting in, but paddled a little off-shore and was figuring it out when my BF got into his and rolled straight into the drink.  So, he climbed out, drained the boat, and tried again, only to roll it a second time, after which he assured me there was no danger of getting stuck in it, because the boat ‘launched’ him out  each time.

Then, laughing and struggling, we started working our way downstream to Jordan Harbor. Along the way, we got to check out turtles and swans, along with the beautiful spring time scenery. Eventually, however, I felt the strain of the new exercise, and decided it was best not to hurt ourselves first time out, so I suggested we head back to the truck.

Along the way, we took some time to just kind of drift through a marsh and it reminded me of the many hours I spent doing that sort of thing when I was a kid… so peaceful and lazy and beautiful …(!) ‘Now, this is what I’m talkin’ about!’ I told my BF, and thanked him. Then, worried he might not be enjoying as I was, I asked what he thought of the whole deal and was thrilled to find that he was as ‘into it’ as I was.

Now, we’re both jazzed and looking forward to exploring in our ‘banana boats’, and our friends who boat are excited too, because we’ll be able to hook up and play together this summer. Think the biggest thrill for me, though, is knowing that… once again… I’ll be able to sneak out early some mornings when the mists are still hanging over the mirror-like waters, and watch Mother Nature wake up. Good morning, world!

Thanks for the bestest B-day gift ever, baby!