Intuitive and Spiritual Consulting, Past Life Regression

Space Clearing, Mediumship, Animal Communication, Personal and Business Intuition, Soul Clearing, Past Life Regression

Getting Well with a Little Help from My Friends

by

waiting for cookies 6-13Our animal families matter, and so do our kids. Here is Alki, recovering from a severe illness, if you ever recover from inflammatory bowel disease and pancreatitis, let alone long-term kidney disease. We remember that age doesn’t always bring illness, but when it does it also reminds us that we have lived a long life, and we’re still determined to make it a fun one! Here’s Alki reminding Grace that this is HIS get well card, and then wondering why he can’t eat it. Shyness is cute! Thank you to Cyndi O-neill Dady and SendOut Cards!

It’s nice to know that people and businesses care about just plain being nice.

 

The Gift of Grace: An Unexpected Lesson

by

LettuceIn January my cousins gave me a birthday gift: a $50 gift certificate for the Seattle Farmers Market. It was a carefully selected gift. They knew  that I’ve shopped at the West Seattle Farmers Market for years, take friends there, and encourage others to go.

For me it’s also a bit retro: I grew up in a small town, and buying produce and meats from your neighbors was simply what you did. Good business for them. Good food for you.

So I was taken aback yesterday when I cashed in my gift certificate at the market booth and then tried to spend my $5 tokens around the market.

Turns out, the farmers don’t really understand the tokens. Plus (or perhaps I should honestly say, worse) the tokens are also given in exchange for food stamps, and that is apparently all they are really known for by the farmers. I have to admit, when the booth attendant told me that, I hesitated.

We are all proud: this is a fact of life. We aren’t proud about being proud, but we are, anyway. I am not the only one who looks the other way when the person in front of me at the grocery store hands over food coupons instead of money. First of all, it’s none of my business. Second, it’s sad that someone needs to rely on food stamps: I’m glad food stamps are there and I hope to never be in the position to need them. Third, I always just figured people were embarrassed by needing the coupons, and, of course, it might be contagious.

Sound human? (You know it is.)

So when I was handed the tokens and told that, I thought, ‘Wow, this might be a lesson I’m not in the mood for today.’ Sadly, it was.

One farmer tried to refuse the tokens, and then argued with me about giving me change for one. Granted, the market’s organizers have done a poor job of informing the farmers that the tokens are real money: at the end of the day, they turn in each $5 token for $5 cash. But this particular farmer took one look at the token and glanced at me with a look that combined both contempt for me and superiority for her. I started to explain it was a gift, not a food stamp, and then I thought, really, this is my lesson, too, and shut up.

Well, almost. I looked this farmer in the eye and said, “Give me back the token and I’ll give you real money.” Startled, she hesitated, kept it, and gave me change. While blushing.

I owed the second farmer $17, and gave him three tokens and change (I catch on eventually). He did a double-take when he saw the tokens, wouldn’t meet my eyes after that, and hustled me off.

The third farmer was someone I personally like, even though we don’t know each other’s name. She remembers what I like and even brings a few items just for me (okay, probably a few other people, too) when she doesn’t have enough of it ready to sell in quantity. While she took the tokens in stride, I felt compelled to mention that they were a gift, so boo on me.

That was my lesson yesterday. I had to laugh about it later. I’d just spent a fortune on veterinary care for my aging, ill dog, and like most of us these days, I was feeling the pinch. But what pinched me here was attitude, and not just the farmers’.

We don’t survive as a species, let alone a culture, unless we reach out to take care of each other. Food stamps are one way we do that in our system while keeping our hands clean and our hearts inactivated: we can do good without going to any real effort, including feeling it.

Yesterday I had to feel it. Joy because I feel rich every Sunday when my fridge is stocked with life-giving food. Surprise (and embarrassment) at how I felt when I realized someone might think I was using food stamps (which, I discovered, makes you feel inadequate on many levels that count far more than the financial). Shame for even thinking that. Humor at being human. Satisfaction in rising above my own, well, pettiness.

And, really, gratitude for a perfect gift from people who truly love me: the food, yes, but the unexpected gift of compassion for all of us who are just trying to get by, and somehow manage to do it together. Even when it hurts.

Yes, I’ll call it like it was: an unexpected gift of grace, obviously needed, and, ultimately, well received.

So how would you feel in that situation? And why?

© 2013 Robyn M Fritz

 

Saying Goodbye to a Neighborhood Institution

by

Dick and Andy BarnecutBarnecut’s Shell has been in West Seattle a whole lot longer than I have, but even that’s a long time. Dick Barnecut and his son, Andy, have been taking care of my cars since I moved to West Seattle in 1988. But on July 1, 2013, they will be closing their doors forever.

The economy has hit hard. Sometimes it’s all statistics, grim reports on the news, or stories from a different place. We’ve seen a lot of places close in West Seattle over the years, many as hard times hit in 2008. But sometimes it’s somebody we know.

What happens? The big box store down the street undercuts prices, and still we shop there. The owners get tired or simply get to retire and kick back. Or some combination thereof. Sometimes it’s hard times, sometimes it’s just time, but the end result is the same: we’re losing a family business.

Here’s what I know. I’m going to miss Barnecut’s. I’m going to miss getting gas and checkups where they know my name and I know theirs.

Here’s something else I know. I was fortunate enough to spot Andy at the station on my way home yesterday, and even though I only needed a quarter tank, I pulled in to fill up and get the chance to say goodbye.

As luck would have it, the best thing happened, because Dick was there, too. Now Dick’s been retired a long time, so you hardly get to see him. But I got a chance to hug them both, to thank them for taking care of me and West Seattle all these years, for being good people and neighbors.

I’m going to miss that. I was born and raised in a small town, and I ran to the big city to get away from that. But truth is, the small town girl is still in there, still wanting to do business and be friends with my neighbors. Still kind of missing that tie.

My dad was a pharmacist and gift shop owner in Stayton, Oregon, and I had the privilege of working with him in his store from the time I was 12 until I graduated from college. I learned a lot about business from my dad. How to count change. How to smile and be polite. How to work even when I was tired. How to wrap a gift.

How to be a good neighbor. My dad took care of people in ways I saw only because I was there. He never talked about it. He just did it. Helped a young man whose wife was dying. Gave money to a man in need. Took care of his family.

I was telling Dick and Andy Barnecut a bit about my dad yesterday. How proud I was of him, and them, for being good neighbors first and foremost.

“Yeah, my dad’s like that,” Andy said, smiling at Dick.

Yes, I remember the time I was on my way to the dentist and had a flat tire. Andy drove down to my condo and filled the tire so I could drive up to the station. Dick was waiting. He took the tire off, patched it, put it back on, and I jumped in the car, saying, “Thanks, Dick, I’ll be back to pay for it later.”

He just laughed as I drove off. And laughed again when I stopped by later that day to pay (interest free, unlike every bank you know).

I’ll miss the service. I’ll miss them. But I’m grateful that they were there all those years when I needed them. When West Seattle needed them.

Happy adventures, Dick and Andy!

© 2013 Robyn M Fritz

The One Gathering: Bringing Love Home

by

 

Jennifer Yost preparing for The One Gathering

Jennifer Yost preparing for The One Gathering

The One Gathering is the amazing heart chakra opening brainstorm of visionary Jennifer Yost, MA, LMHC. Each year the 2.5 hour multisensory program brings together inspirational speakers, energy healers, high energetic frequency graphics, and musicians to provide a full program that supports an uplifting experience as it supports heart openings in the audience. The grand finale is always the energetic ‘tune-up,’ the heart-opening chakra attunement to raise consciousness for a new time, to reach a higher vibration of peace and joy. The goal: to ‘expand heart-centered consciousness to harmonize and create more abundance’ as it facilitates healing on ‘all levels of your being’ and brings people together in community.

In short, to paraphrase Jennifer: to offer entertainment, healing, and community so “attendees walk away feeling lighter, inspired, and expanded in divine alignment with their higher self,” and “to bring healing energy to the places it’s held in, to subtly shift the energy of towns, cities and countries to a higher frequency of peace and love.”

And it works!

In 2007 Jennifer felt called to provide a forum for people to come together to help birth a higher consciousness with ease and grace. She has provided a unique forum every year since.

This year Fallon and I were honored to be part of the program. It was held June 2, 2013, at Washington Hall in Seattle.

Jennifer has been working in the healing arts of counseling and energy healing for 17 years as a psychotherapist and Reiki master who combines deep insight into people with her heart opening work that she calls Quantum Reiki, which expands energy healing into the past and across dimensions to facilitate healing of outdated patterns on all levels of being. I have personally experienced her Reiki work, which is not only powerful but deeply moving. She believes “these are transformative and pivotal times on the planet” and she would like to assist humanity in transcending this “birthing” into higher consciousness with as much grace and ease as possible. Jennifer’s background as a Reiki Master and practice of Quantum Healing led her to develop a way to channel high healing energy to large groups, energetically attuning crowds to the unconditional love of the heart chakra.

Jennifer is deeply committed to the unique healing group attunement offered to The One Gathering attendees. She believes it  energetically integrates the program content and allows the releasing of what no longer serves us and so helps to raise consciousness. As she says, “There is nothing to fear when centered within the Truth of the heart.”

Jennifer and Samantha scope out the stage, with Linda Vassallo in background and Fallon supervising Jennifer John Justice Linda! Reiki master Samantha and Jennifer Samantha and the Rose Meditation Samantha Parrott, Jennifer Yost, Justice Bartlett with Fallon Master of Ceremonies Thomas Brophy was the “spiritual stand up comedian and stage manager.” A Reiki master and actor, Thomas kept the program moving with his high energy and gentle presence.

Samantha Parrott offered her beautiful Rose Meditation, to get the audience into their heart chakra space. mantha learned early that the colors she was seeing around people were auras. During her lifelong research of auras, she has been trained in Reiki, Shamanic Journey,  Transformational Bodywork, and Matrix Energetics.  As well as being a Reiki Master Teacher, she has been a Chef for 25 years. Samantha incorporates the healing energy of Reiki with her baking to create her Soul Supper Sweets. She is a Professional member of the Reiki Fellowship, The International Association of Reiki Professionals, and an Ordained Reverend of the Universal Life Church.

Featured guest Justice Bartlett, LMP, CHT, engaged the audience with a delightful talk on expanding life and thinking into love. A mother, writer, teacher and healer. In 2011 Justice founded EmBody Me, a company dedicated to heart centered, embodied living. From 2006-2011 Justice taught and presented with Matrix Energetics, Intl. As a seminar co-facilitator, she demonstrated the Matrix principles and techniques developed by her father, Dr. Richard Bartlett. As a Licensed Massage Practitioner, Certified Hypnotherapist and energetic intuitive, Justice uses her unique combination of skills to help people transform patterns that hold them back from living fully, authentically and joyfully!

Fallon and I gave a talk on what we have learned about our ancient past. We talked about the gathering of beings across star systems and multiple dimensions to create a planet of love and connection with all life as equals, how we lost it in multiple asteroid collisions, and how that dropped us into 3D reality and the fear, forgetting, and longing for home that we currently experience. The message from our ancient past is that we are moving into 4D and 5D realities that cross time and dimensional borders, and that we can expand our consciousness by releasing fear and claiming love, by releasing forgetting and remembering our past, and by releasing our longing for home and claiming this planet as our home. The message of love and peace from the ancients was facilitated by The One Gathering participants.

Keny Guzey followed with his uplifting, soulful music, supported by multi-dimensional motion graphics behind The One Gathering altar, which included Fallon, crystals, feathers, and sacred tools. He is a self-taught musician and composer with an exceptional talent for reading and following energy, particularly when it comes to music. As a young musician he realized that he possessed a natural ability to sense what other musicians were going to do next, and that this talent enabled him to add a unique, exciting energy to the mix. Kent also found that he could pick up and play practically any instrument he was interested in, including piano, drums, guitar, and bass. Broadening his horizons, he soon became a certified recording engineer, and as a result also began to create music electronically. Digital music opened a whole new world of possibilities for Kent, and he began composing the dance, down-tempo, chill-out and cinematic music that he continues writing today. He established Soul Tracks, a service through which Kent calls on his innate musical intuition to compose custom tracks for individuals. The success of Soul Tracks has led Kent to discover entirely new avenues of expression for his many talents – in both his solo work and in collaboration with other artists. “Music adds so much depth and emotion to scenes and characters on the big and small screen. I hope that by writing music for people in the “real world” they experience a deeper more appreciative connection with themselves…I know that I do.”

The day ended with the much-anticipated energetic heart chakra attunement to connect mind into heart, allowing ego to serve the higher self. It was led by Jennifer Yost and Justice Bartlett, and echoed around the room with Reiki masters who joined the event.

This was an incredible event, and Fallon and I were honored to participate in it. It’s always wonderful when a group of dedicated, committed people come together to serve each other and the community, especially when it offers the visionary leadership and talent that people like Jennifer Yost, Justice Bartlett, Samantha Parrott, Thomas Brophy, and Kent Guzey offer. And it couldn’t have been done without the Reiki masters who joined in as the attunement team, to help the audience receive the full benefit of this unique energy intensive.

© 2013 Robyn M Fritz with copy courtesy of The One Gathering

 

Lavender: When Summer Makes You Smile

by

We joke about summer in Seattle all year—and can’t stop smiling when it shows up!

Bonus is, it also smells great, especially when the lavender harvest is in.

I am so grateful when I work to establish good relationships with people who love their work, and then I enjoy the fruits of our mutual labor! Like my auto mechanic I bumped into this morning while we were waiting for iced coffees. Like the farmer at the West Seattle Farmer’s Market, who brought me some tiny lemon basil plants to humor my city girl’s green thumb, knowing all the while that I’d still buy oodles of it when she harvests, which I did (what you don’t gobble yourself makes lovely gifts).

And especially like Marcella Stachurski at Cedarbrook Lavender and Herb Farm in Sequim, Washington, who picked up the phone a few years ago, when the Seattle lavender crop had failed, and promptly filled my entire large large large order. It was literally on my doorstep the next morning (having delighted our postal carrier all day on his route). The lavender doesn’t get picked until it’s ready, and it’s shipped the same day.

Summer. Lavender. People who love their jobs.

Awesome.

© 2012 Robyn M Fritz

How Do We Really Define Land of the Free?

by

The Fourth of July in America has become a puzzle for me. We’ve devolved into an ‘us or them’ paradigm, it seems, where the only thing that matters is our military. Why is that?

Seriously, why is that?

I honor every American who works hard at whatever he or she does: from serving in the military to growing food, building roads, teaching, writing, fitting shoes, whatever it is. Especially those who love their work and respect other people.

I’m also puzzled over the state of our national discourse: people argue, rant and rave, attack characters instead of debate ideas. And somehow in that we get nowhere, as a society, as a culture, as a country.

The Fourth of July used to be something that narrowed the field, so to speak. It gave us a time out to look around and say, “Yes, wow, I am a citizen of this great country.” Time to think about it: “What does that mean, exactly, to be a citizen of the United States of America right here and now?”

Sadly, our culture now seems to be one that perpetuates fear. Yes, there are plenty of things we can fear: hatred, contempt, the politics of loathing, economic turmoil, drought, crop failure, cropped pants, and men who don’t wear shirts in the summer.

But there are plenty more things we can love: each other, determination, courage, experimentation, curiosity, intelligence, commitment, and winter fleece.

There are even more things we can do: we can get together every day, in large ways and small, and connect with each other. A quick smile at the market, a nod at work, letting the annoying driver cut in ahead of you, staring at the sun shining through a thunderstorm (it happens).

The Fourth of July is one of those days: connect to all Americans, as Americans, regardless. We’re not just military. We shouldn’t be. We have other things to be in the world: ambassadors of freedom.

Here’s hoping that next year when they televise the concerts and fireworks and highlight the people we should thank for their service, that they move beyond the military and show people of all races and creeds, representatives from each state, smiling and laughing together, joining together, one heart and one voice: we’re doing something great in the world, together. We’re Americans. We’re proud. We love: each other and the world. Whatever the work we do, whatever we look like. We matter. All of us, together. We’re all the land of the free.

You in?

© 2012 Robyn M Fritz

Why the New iPhone Commercials Fail

by

I actually have an iPhone. I got a smartphone for my business so I can take credit cards at public events. I wanted the easiest phone to use, and an easy-on-the-eyes background.

Then I discovered you can make phone calls with the iPhone, and if you’re lost and know the tool is there, you can even find yourself on the phone, and possibly get un-lost, if that’s even a condition. I even downloaded a song to play in a workshop I teach.

The iPhone is brilliant. I now understand why people like technology.

So why is the phone’s new TV campaign so poorly done?

So far I’ve seen two commercials. Each star a person—and their phone. In each, the person, one a woman, the other a man, seem engaging, dynamic, successful, and interested.

But they are having a relationship with their phone. They not only like it: they smugly relish it.

Did you notice that there are no other humans in these commercials? One lone human and their talking phone? Doesn’t that just creep you out?

Here’s a better idea: have a commercial in which different people talk to each other about something, sending directions, restaurant ideas, sight-seeing, whatever, but doing it together, all made easier by technology.

But let’s not have technology replace human interaction.

Oh, wait, we already did that. Let’s take it back. Stat.

(c) 2012 Robyn M Fritz

 

(c) 2008-2025 Robyn M Fritz

Email or Phone Robyn

Contact Robyn

206.937.0233 PST Seattle WA USA
Email: robyn@robynfritz.com