Author: Annie Sever-Dimitri

Ya Think Life Would Be Easier…..

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Indeed. Seems like life would be a hell of a lot easier, smoother, etc and whatnot when a gal (or dude) can read energy. You know what to do! You hear guidance, as if perhaps Archangel Michael is blasting directions through a megaphone into your head. No willy nillying around, trying to make up your mind about your situation. Oh no, because you read energy!

It isn’t that simple. Like most counselors and other helping professionals, we are fabulous at doling out advice, but can’t always figure out what to do for ourselves. Some intuitives and psychics can’t even pick up information for themselves. I can, but at times, my attachment to the outcome boogers everything up. Why? Two words–attachment and should.

I have written endlessly about the nastiness of the words should and attachment. Both can cause a pecker load of trouble. Focusing on what we deem to be the best outcome, without allowing that another could be equally as beneficial, is indeed angst producing. And should. Doing what we think others want us to do, or what is the “right” thing to do, but not really taking into account what feels best,usually  winds up pooping on our parade in the long run.

So if making a decision is causing you trouble, do what I plan on doing. Write about it at length, talk to your friends and family, perhaps go see a counselor or psychic (or both), and then sit still with yourself and your version of spirit guides, God, Allah, whomever. It may take a while, but eventually, the answer will show itself.

What’s Hot To Trot About Aging–And What’s Not

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Aging gets a shitty rap. Now that I am getting old enough to be weathering the storms of perimenopause and it’s absolute weirdness, I can understand why.  Actually I understood why it gets a shitty rap quite a long time ago when my grandparents and dad died. I am here to tell ya: aging ain’t all a turd fest. It truly has benefits, and in some cases, many of them! Come along with me while I tell you a tale of what I dig about no longer being a “spring chicken.”

HOT TO TROT

Dude, the wisdom you gain as you watch those birthdays tick by is astounding! (If you are doing it right. Otherwise, you can remain a jackass minus any common sense until you croak.) How to make this wisdom yours? Learn from your “mistakes”.  I screwed up plenty, plenty, PLENTY of times years ago. I still do! However, these snafus are nothing but an opportunity dressed in an ugly outfit from Walmart.  Being an avid reader has served me well. I love both chick lit (Jennifer Weiner, anyone??) and more thought provoking tomes from Daisaku Ikeda, Dalai Lama, Mary Anne Williamson, Wayne Dyer, and on and on. Observing the tomfoolery of others and not engaging in the mistakes (opportunities) they created has increased my knowledge.

Zero fucks to give. I swear, this is one of my fave benefits! Truly, you learn that only certain people, places, objects, etc. are the only worthy investment of your precious fucks. I actually shaved my head this spring. That took some major lady balls because being a dame with a shaven noggin really flies in the face of what is attractive and acceptable for a female (at least here in the middle finger of the Bible Belt). Damn, I looked ugly after the first 10 days, but oh well. My hubs and I were both good with it. There really isn’t much joyous about perimenopause. But the decline in estrogen tends to render us less “people pleasing” as we march closer to the era when we can toss our tampons away with gleeful abandon. ( I am throwing a party when that day finally arrives!) So I perpetually look on the bright side of my hormonal nonsense.

Living the “less is more” motto feels superb!! Acquiring more stuff lacks appeal now. Stuff has to be cleaned, stored, organized……the hell with all that. I would rather possess only apparel, knick knacks, and the like which really knock my socks off with squealing delight.  I am learning to adopt the same mindset with time and energy management. Even though I live in Indianapolis, IN, there are still a plethora of classes, concerts, engaging speakers, and spiritual experiences in which to revel. Learned the hard way over and over again that I possess only a finite amount of energy, and as I earn more wrinkles, I routinely assess all the available intellectual and entertaining yummies and decide what really matters.

I absolutely under no circumstances allow myself around people whose energy utterly sucks. My life is way, way too short to spend it with perpetually jacked up individuals.

Having wrinkles and sagging bags under my eyes seems to guarantee that I never get hit on these days. Thank ya, Buddha!!! Once I lost weight in my mid 20’s, I was often the subject of a ton of unwanted attention. It was obnoxious, and at times, frightening. Being stalked down the street by a menacing asshole, yelling “Bitch, pay attention to me. You fucking bitch….”Sorry to tell ya, Chump, this type of verbiage tends to send women scrambling the opposite direction rather than convincing them to engage in conversation. Do I miss the attention? About as much as I would miss slathering hemorrhoids with Preparation H.

NOT HOT TO TROT

The aforementioned perimenopause. I am actually having a much easier time than other chicks, but still…..*sigh* Every day, I ingest enough products designed to keep me functioning and sane  to choke a horse. The freaking enormous belly and hips that I have to fight like hell to keep at bay can kiss my petooty also.

One of the things I hate most is the physical death of my family members. OUCH!!!! That has been hell. Yes, I can still connect with them energetically and converse, but hugs, phone calls…that is all gone.

Bodies cease producing abundant collagen. This one royally pisses me off. I used to be so limber that I could wiggle into poses that looked like I learned them in a circus freak show. Now such poses strain my muscles. Grrrr……Intense stretching feels so mighty fine. I do ingest an expensive collagen from my chiropractor, and it helps, but geez. What a crock.

Adulting in general. Life insurance, disability insurance, IRAs, wills, investments……yawn. Boring, drop dead dull ways to spend money. Yet, we do it anyway.

However you slice it and dice it, aging is most doable when you can maintain a sense of humor, practice gratitude, release attachments, and stay positive. Kinda like everything else in life. The only alternative is to be 6 feet under (or in an urn). I tend to appreciate my 50 year old self and life even more when I remember how many of my high school classmates and younger friends are now out of the body. I am fortunate to still be here, so I will gladly take the hot to trot with the not so hot to trot.

Can a Psychic/Animal Communicator Pick Up When Someone Will Die?

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My Most Comical Moments as an Animal Communicator

My answer to that question is this: kinda and kinda not. Hey, aren’t you thankful that I am being so specific? LOL!

My most common experience pertaining to a soul leaving its body is that departure time often changes. Animals will tell me that they are healthy, and their energy feels lively. Next thing I  know, a week later, out of the body. As with  us, illness can strike animals with lightening fast speed, sometimes followed by death. When my dad was wretchedly ill in the last two to three years of his life, I would often get a strong premonition that his time was up–Grim Reaper was on the way. Sure enough, usually he would wind up back in the ER, barely breathing, but the medical staff’s ministrations always did the trick of reviving him. Until that last hospital stay, when his tired body finally pooped out on him.

The will to live profoundly affects when the body expires. All mammalian bodies can withstand incredible illness and disease, but yet the soul remains in the body. They just can’t leave because they want to stay. Then one day, either peace is made with transitioning into Spirit, or the body simply can’t do it anymore (or a combo of the two), and physical death occurs.

I have had a single experience of knowing when someone would die, and the time frame of death. I opened my altar to chant, when suddenly I knew that my great aunt was going to die that night, sometime between the hours of 3:00 and 5:00 am. By damn, she did. I have no clue why I received that one spot on, and it has never been that clear any other time. Not that I am complaining. I hate knowing when people and animals will die, and I usually try to filter that information.

Thanks for giving this the attention of your eyeballs. Keep in mind that this blog reflects my learning as a hospice volunteer for 4 years, and a psychic medium and animal communicator for 10-15 years. If your truth is something different, that is jolly. Please share it! I am always open to learning.

 

 

 

I’d Heard Rats are Good Pets…..My Experience Living With and Loving a Rat

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IMG_2001A Beautiful Soul in a Tiny Body

On a frigid spring day earlier this year (April 27th, to be exact), I gazed tiredly out my bedroom window and observed my stoner neighbor with a small cage and an even smaller furry animal hunched up in it.  I threw the window open and inquired who was in the cage. Long story short, he didn’t want her anymore and was turning her loose.  Due to my dippy state of mind, it took me a hot second to figure out she would quickly die in the cold winds since she had never lived outdoors.

Of course I hightailed it out the front door and brought her in. And the rest, as they say, is history.

My friend Lynda is an avid fan of rats, so I thought she could direct us to a rat rescue. We didn’t need another pet, and Bea (our cat) absolutely didn’t want another animal in the crib. As I watched the rodent hungrily inhale every  morsel I gave her, I knew that she was ours. I simply couldn’t let her leave. It was pretty much rat love at first sight.

I quickly arranged a conversation with our animal communicator. I learned that her name is Christina. I also discovered she wanted to stay with us, even though we couldn’t get another rat (they are highly social and need to live in pairs). We decided we would be her parents and playmates.

I knew it would be fun to have her, but I never expected to become so attached to her so quickly! We talked frequently, and she was a witty and loving companion. I do wonder if she was an angelic energy in a rat body. I haven’t met another creature who radiated love and joy the way Christina did.

In our eyes, she could do no wrong. Chew on the couch blanket? No biggie. That made her happy, so it was all good. Chomp on my organic tampons kept under the bathroom sink, where she played and rummaged about? I pulled the wrapper off them and laughed myself senseless as she vigorously fluffed up that tampon with her teeth!

She LOVED to cuddle and sat with my hubby on the couch each night, placing her head into his hand or crawling under his shirt. She was like a teeny canine–super loving and playful, minus the big turds, behavior issues, and massive vet bills.

Rats have a shitily short life span. 😦

She was unable to recover from the inner ear infection which was ravaging her system last Sunday, so we stayed with her while our stellar vet helped her out of her pain. It really sucks.

Christina’s body was only in our home for 3 months and almost 3 weeks. Her energy and love will be in our hearts forever.

On a brighter note, she has promised to return to us. She wants to reincarnate as a baby rat and experience a longer life as our rodent. We are thrilled, and it does provide some comfort as we grieve the physical loss of her body. She and I are still conversing too, which is helpful. But I would give damn near anything to have her back healthy and happy.

 

 

Not All Who Wander Are Lost ……

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Well, then, sometimes those who wander are lost….up the proverbial shit creek minus a paddle with nary a clue about how to navigate the boat.

Either state of being, wandering just for giggles, or wandering because of utter cluelessness, is all jolly and good. Our society places BEAUCOUP importance on achieving. BE ALL YOU CAN BE!!! Preferably, as fast as your ass can get it done, too! In my younger days, I was all over this. It was important to always have a plan of action and to be sternly executing said plan. I found this be a bogus way of living, at least for myself, because I was very hard core and all GRRRRR!!!!! about it.

Becoming an intuitive and aging have redefined how I get anywhere in life these days.

Yes, I do still make plans, yes, I do still have a “to-do list”, and yes, I do still have my methods of achieving what I want out of my time in this delightful bag of bones I call my body.

My attitude toward the whole affair has transformed dramatically, however. I released my attachment to “knowing” what my direction was, what was “supposed” to be happening six months from now. I discovered the bliss of listening fully to my intuition and spirit guides, and letting it all just “be.”

For example, I have known for quite some time that there are big changes coming for my business. I have been so content to listen to the clues, savor the ride, and acknowledge what works well and what doesn’t work at all in my career.  All the while, I have been calm and interested in my percolating ideas, yet not throwing a hissy fit about figuring it all out and devising a strategy to get the new plans rolling asap. It will show itself in the perfect timing, with everything I need, if I simply pay attention, meditate and follow my Buddhist practice.

I feel like I am wandering, exploring the uncharted terrain of my potential. And that is fine by me. I am not in a hurry to do anything except pay off my damn student loans.

If you are the planny type and get all flustered and fartknockery if your path isn’t going according to your wishes, slow down. Chill out. You will find your way, and you can do it easily and gracefully, or you can be a monumental spaz. Your choice.

P.S. I didn’t get all chill overnight, nor am I this way in every aspect of my life. Like you, I am a work in progress.

 

Attachments: Part Uno

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Attachments come in a multitude of sizes, energies, and so on. Some we may benefit from, such as the attachment (clasp) on the back of one’s bra. Ol’  boulder holder wouldn’t hoist those boobies up if it weren’t for that clasp! But, attachments can really suck and drain us if we aren’t observant of our minds and that to which they cling.

Many of us have an attachment to physical items, such as caffeine (GUILTY!!), chocolate (GUILTY), and _________________________ (fill in the blank with that thing you get way cranky  about when it’s not around). One of my other physical attachments is to the gym. I morph into a snarling hag if I miss my exercise.

Sometimes we become attached to manifesting a certain outcome, such as receiving a coveted job promotion. It can be that there is a situation occurring in our lives, and for us to be happy campers, it MUST turn out the way we think is best.

I asked my Facebook friends what attachment meant to them, and this is a response which sums it up brilliantly:

“Dependent on something or someone or even an ideology and the feeling or longing to possess that person or ideology or object. I know it’s attachment when I am unwilling to let go.”
And many times, that attachment is not serving your highest good and greatest joy.
Basically,  you are up shit creek without a paddle because you are reliant on _________________ (fill in the blank with your favorite) to make you happy! “I have to have green tea in the morning to wake up–it can be no other way!,” barks my Attachment Monster.
Like right now, for example, I am attached GREATLY to the idea of figuring out how to get the rest of this blog to type in the font used at the beginning. I have NO freaking clue how to do that!  “Grrrrrrr!!!!,” growls Attachment Monster.
I am choosing to chill out my Attachment Monster by deciding that I am not benefitting from this attachment to font style, and thusly I can finish the dang blog in a calm mindset.
Basically, attachments can keep you stuck in very rigid patterns. Rigid patterns are typically no fun.
If a thought pattern (attachment) ain’t serving you, what the hell are you doing getting wound up about it? I was able to easily convert my distress about the font into a laissez-faire attitude since banging my head against the wall trying to figure out WordPress isn’t serving me.
Many of us are perfectionists, an attachment sure to make one nuttier than squirrel shit.  My therapist led me to see that good enough is good enough–I didn’t come here to be perfect, my hair can be a bit sloppy and life as we know it will still churn forth.
There. I just saved you some money in counseling.
When you find yourself with panties in a twist because your attachment to whatever is highly unpleasant, remember that you can choose to release it. You can find peace by remembering that alternative outcomes may be jolly good after all.
So bombs away with discarding your attachments!

Yet Another Weirdo Meditation Experience

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Ok, so I knew I had enjoyed some mighty strange meditation sessions previously, but last Saturday’s TOOK THE CAKE, FOLKS! This honker was a doozy, a 10 for sure on the richter scale of Weird Shit.

During a breathing class, I slipped right into my past life as a slave in the southern US. I was a female named Sarah, and I was escaping through an underground tunnel into a northern state. Wearily exiting the end of the tunnel, I knew I was finally free. I gazed up at the night sky, stars twinkling, wondering what the hell I would do with myself now.

Fast forward into my old age. I see myself as an elderly lady, with short hair, wearing a big smile on my face as I sat in a chair. I felt my life had been very happy once I escaped. Then ……this is where shit gets real……

I was dying. I observed myself in a white nightgown, lying in bed. I continued to watch this “movie” playing in my third eye as my soul gathered itself up and left my body through my navel. At this point, my body became my soul, and I floated through space,  gently pulled back to Spirit by an umbilical cord at my belly button (connected to who knows what.) With my eyes shut, my body/soul ascended further and further through the inky darkness. Stars provided light as I just kept traveling, and traveling, and traveling…..

At that point, I somehow decided I had viewed enough and immediately popped myself back into the current time and space. As I laid on my mat, shaking my head in wonder, internally shrieking, “WTF?”, I felt grateful.  I get bored easily, and being a psychic medium/animal communicator never fails to keep me entertained.

What happened during your strangest meditation? I would love to know!

 

Did You Know that Animals Cuss?

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My Most Comical Moments as an Animal CommunicatorYes, indeed, they do. I want to share a highly comedic conversation I had today with two dogs–it was just funny, and I feel the need to share the joy.

There were 4 dogs total with whom I conversed today. One dog is experiencing severe anxiety, and I suggested a flower essence to help calm her. I suggested to the mom of this gang that she put one drop into the communal water bowl–everyone sharing the same vibration sometimes assists the “patient” in feeling better more quickly. Suddenly I hear this low, deep voice say, “I don’t want that shit in my water bowl. What the fuck is going on here today anyway? No one told me we were going to do this, or I would have dressed up for the occasion.” BA HA HA HA!!! I.lost.it.laughing. Another more genteel canine interjected that he didn’t cuss; it wasn’t good manners.

Oh, and dogs can be neutered and still want to get it on, so says today’s foul mouthed canine. The dog, who I will call Oscar, then regaled us all with the tale of how even though his balls are gone, he still wants to get it on–some dogs look pretty good, even the male ones. Oh my goodness. More cackling and snorting on my part. Oscar certainly taught me a thing or two today! I knew animals cussed (our Daisy could make a sailor blush), but never heard the part about still wanting to shag even though part of the equipment is lacking.

It is NEVER a dull job working with animals.

Here’s What Your Deceased Pet Wants To Tell You

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As an animal communicator who is also a psychic medium, I receive calls from grieving pet parents who want to know their furry loved one is well. They also frequently ask to find out if their pet is happy with the treatment he or she received prior to the transition (leaving the body).

This is what I have learned from having many of these conversations, both as communicator and recipient.

  1. Your pet is definitely way ok with the treatment received toward the end of their time in a body. Parents worry if they are doing the “right” thing, if the animal was in too much pain, did they wait too long for euthanasia, etc. I have yet to ever hear an animal who wished for a different ending; they continually reassure us that humans feel their energy and know their needs exceedingly well. So relax…..what you did, or are doing, is the right thing. Listen to your intuition when that times comes because you will know exactly what to do and when.
  2. Your pet is still around you after leaving the body. I don’t refer to animals or humans as “dying” when I discuss my work because only the body ceases function; the energy inside it lives on. During one session, the cat announced he was sitting atop the human’s head right that second! We both got a good laugh from that. Typically the animal will stick around the homestead quite a bit until they are sure that all is well. After that period, they often report going on “vacation”, a time of playing and engaging in absolutely nothing but fun with those they love who are in spirit with them.
  3. They want you to be happy. Really. And to please stop crying and grieving as soon as you can. I know, good luck with that one. Our Daisy left over 2 years ago, and I still sometimes hold her ashes and sob. Pets offer us unconditional love, something that is in short supply for many folks. We stink; they don’t care. We are cranky; they love the crankiness away. And by all means, don’t think you have to wait a certain length of time to welcome a new furry love into your abode. They want us to have another barking best buddy as soon as we feel it is right, not wait until it feels we have honored them enough. We honor them best when we share love with another while treasuring the memories and good times created with them.

 

The loss of our furry one’s physical self is one of the most wrenching pains an animal lover can ever endure. Please contact me at annie@laughingsoul.org. if you would like to set up a session to connect with your pet whose body is gone; I work by phone and can connect with anyone, anywhere.

Let Us Try a Little Tolerance, Shall We?

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Spirituality and religion have been on my mind a lot lately. So has Zevia soda, but that won’t make a riveting blog, so today’s missive is about tolerance. Particularly, tolerance of different religions and/or spiritual paths other than our own.

Just some background, my spiritual path included some wandering about hither and yon, studying this and that, then finally finding the right “flavor” of Buddhism for me. I was raised Christian and really dug it until I began thinking about it. Questions about what would happen to the souls of cognitively impaired folks who couldn’t understand that Jesus was supposed to be their savior–I never saw a clause in the Bible stating they were exempt from hell simply because they lacked the IQ to grasp the concept. Sending someone to an eternal fire party because of this seemed really cruel to me. The questions continued in my mind until I decided I no longer believed any of it. So I enjoyed trying some other traditions until I landed on Nicheren Buddhism.

One similarity among many religions is the concept of that particular religion being the only “right” one, and that adherents must convert others to their beliefs. That has chapped my ass for many years, no matter what the religion is. Who are we to say what is right for someone else? How demeaning is that??? Like they are too dumb to figure out what is in their best interest–that is the gist of that to me. So, here is Annie’s First Tolerance Teaching:

Everyone is allowed his or her own spiritual/religious path, no matter how stupid, demeaning, or (insert your own derogatory term here) it seems to you. Not everyone’s path is the same. That is how it should be.

Another massive problem is deciding that the teachings of your religion should apply to the masses, and everyone should have to live by that, no matter what. For example, religions that believe homosexuality is a sin. All right, whatever. Go ahead and have that belief if it works for you. Don’t have sex with those sharing your gender. Good for you. This leads us to Annie’s Second Tolerance Teaching:

Let others live by their own guidelines and needs, as long as they aren’t hurting anyone else.

How on earth does homosexual marriage “hurt” “traditional” marriage? Can anyone provide a reasonable, rational explanation of why certain humans should be denied the same rights as others because of who they love? Marriage provides MAJOR benefits to those who care to partake, in terms of being able to be with loved ones as they die, taxes, participating in decision making if their loved one has been in a severe accident and may be withdrawn from life support, etc. You never consider these benefits until you can’t have them. Now if your spiritual path condones torturing others, then we have problems.

We often think that our path is the only one we can find value in. No need to partake in a Hindu service, or learn about Jainism. Surprise! Annie’s Third Tolerance Teaching:

Other religions/paths can offer amazing insight, inspiration, and  learning as a supplement to our current beliefs.

I adore experiencing various schools of thought. So fascinating, and so uplifting, to notice the commonalities and differences among them.

Try out some tolerance this week–notice how much calmer and happier you are when you take your head trash to the dumpster!