Of Stars Falling Out Of Sippy Cups

"Stars Falling" Photo Credit: Elana Kilkenny

One rainy summer afternoon after finding out some challenging news, I found myself in search of clarity. My energy was scattered, my heart was worried and my head felt messy. So I did what I knew to do, I couldn't unfold the big things in my life, I could only unfold that which was in front of me. So I went into our home office that had been cluttered for way too long and started clearing it out. My prayer in doing so was for my mind to be cleared out with it. 

Through that process, I found in a Disney Store bag these two sippy cups. They had been given to me a while ago as a gift from my father to my children. They were of Olaf the unflaggingly optimistic, magical snowman from the movie "Frozen". I somehow resisted these cups for months, but today inexplicably I decided to wash them out and get them ready for my kids to enjoy.

In doing so, in one I found quite expectedly a piece of paper with washing and care instructions. But when I attempted to open the other sippy cup, the top was stuck. Olaf's head wouldn't budge. As I was still knee-deep in emotional muck, I found myself spewing expletives under my breath followed by a deep urge to chuck Olaf into the garbage. I was angry, why did everything feel so hard right now? Even a stupid sippy cup wouldn't open easily. I persevered and attempted to get the snowman's head off once more. Finally, his head popped off and quite unexpectedly, out flew a slew of paper stars.

They were these perfectly-shaped, delicate little stars. So small that I couldn't even imagine an origami master making them. So, I knew. They were angel made. The universe knew that I did not need one more instruction manual that day, I needed grace. And so, grace was provided. As, come to think of it, it usually is.  

For sometimes grace comes in the form of stars falling out of sippy cups... 

Gazing upon these fallen stars I burst into tears. I cried because I knew. Because I knew this was a message. I knew this was an answer to a prayer. I knew that I had opened up this silly cup at the perfect moment to know that I was not alone, that indeed my life and my family's life was still and would always be imbued with magic. I needed the reminder, because even those of us who speak to angels lose our way sometimes.  

While the challenges that were obscuring my faith didn't go away over night and I still very humanly at times find myself dipping in and out of faith; I continue to go back to that shooting star moment. As it was one of enigmatic synchronicity. I mean really, how the hell did those stars get into that cup? Even if as part of some "Frozen" marketing magic, a few stars were slipped into some Olafs randomly, well, even the analytic side of my brain couldn't argue with the fact that the timing of these falling stars were indeed serendipitous and deeply meaningful to me.   

For in that moment I knew instantly that I should indeed, still believe. Believe what I know to be true, but sometimes lose touch with feeling. Believe that help is always available. Believe that support is always there...seen and unseen. Believe that indeed peace would not only be restored but is already here if I could just trust into it.  

Believe that even on a stormy day in summer, that a snowman could warm a girl's heart.

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SOME "STARS FALLING" MESSAGES FOR YOU: 

*Sometimes you need to ask the universe, god, spirit (whatever feels right for you) to show you some signs.

*Be awake and present enough in your day to receive the message, sometimes they will hit you over the head even when you are sleepwalking through your day, but it helps to be available to receive the message.

*Follow that intuitive whisper that tells you to do something, go somewhere, speak to someone, etc. Messages from the universe are often subtle. 

*Don't judge yourself when you are feeling bad, scared, angry. Judging how you feel only further entrenches it. Allow the feelings to move through you, but also allow some space for support to come in to shift how you feel. Ask for support and help when you feel you need it and/or when you are spiraling in your stuckness.

*When a sign comes to you, don't take it for granted. Pause, breathe in the gift of it. Allow the synchronicity, sign, moment of serendipity to shift your energy. Your present mood and resistance to feeling better might tell you to do otherwise, but choose to let grace fill-up your heart and soul. You'll be grateful that you did...

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INSPIRATIONAL BONUS CONTENT:

To read my latest newsletter from which this post originated, CLICK HERE.

This Newsletter Contains:
*Information About My Fall Sessions and Discounted Series
*A "Stars Falling" Music Playlist That I Made for You

LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU:

I would love to hear about a time in your life when you experienced a synchronicity or received a sign that was particularly meaningful to you. I have found that when we share our stories we not only empower ourselves, we also help to inspire those who hear them.

Leave a comment below to share the love, as you never know who might just need to hear your story and you might just need to tell it! 

I look forward to hearing from you!

Blessings and love,
Elana

Feng Shui Design: Art For Every Budget

 

Photo Credit & Feng Shui Design by: Elana Kilkenny

THE FENG SHUI OF ART:

Art is a wonderful way to add beauty, personality, and inspiration to your home. From a Feng Shui perspective, I always suggest that you buy art that you love and that makes you feel the way you desire to feel...which is not necessarily the same as what you are currently feeling.

For instance, maybe you are single and wanting to be in a relationship. Are you drawn to art that contains solitary figures or images? While you may be attracted to these pieces, it might be echoing back to you a sense of living a solitary life that you may no longer desire. Try adding some other art into the mix and consider taking down some art that may not be nourishing your dreams. In this instance, consider adding some art to your home that has duality, reflects how you want to feel in a relationship, or somehow signifies love to you.

If you are feeling overworked or stressed in your life, look for some art that is more calming, serene, and/or joyful. Do you find yourself vigilant in your life, feeling a need to be protective and avert getting hurt or possible danger? Having a collection of tribal war masks might not be the best choice for you. Are you prone to fiery spurts of anger or simmering rage? Art that depicts or symbolizes conflict whether in abstract or figurative form might just be fanning your flames rather than helping you get to a more peaceful place in your heart. You get the picture...

Our relationship to art is ultimately very personal, what one piece of art might mean to you, might mean something else to another person. Understanding your own relationship to the art you already own and to that which you are drawn to bringing into your home can be a very significant form of support and catalyst for creating the life that you desire.

ART FOR EVERY BUDGET:

Now that you are thinking about the art in your home, below are some tips and resources for Art For Every Budget that I use frequently with my Feng Shui Design clients:

• Prints and Photography: are wonderful options for adding art to your home. While this option can run the gamut of pricing from reasonable to pricey there are some great options out there in all price categories. Many of the resources I have listed below also offer a limited selection of framing options that are often cheaper than having it framed at a frame store.
  
  Here are some resources I often use for my Feng Shui Design clients: 
  
  • My Pinterest board "Prints I Love"
  • Etsy,
  • Minted 
  • Domino Magazine
  • Specific sales from One Kings Lane
  • Some of the artists you love but can't afford at this time, might sell prints of their more expensive works. For instance, many painters now sell prints of their in-stock and/or sold pieces of artwork. 
    
• Misc Options: Beautiful pieces of wrapping paper, fragments of wallpaper or fabric are a great and often cost-effective way to add art to your home. Another option is framing cards or postcards with a design you love. As these are generally smaller in size, think about hanging a bunch of different pieces that work together or adding them to collection of art that is on one of your walls.
  
  For Example: To add more meaning to our home I took a handmade sheet of wrapping paper that I used to make our wedding invitations and I had it matted and framed. It now hangs over our couch in our living room as it is a beautiful reminder of our love and commitment to one another.
  
  Here are some resources I often use for my Feng Shui Design clients:
  
  • Etsy
  • Paper Source
  • My Pinterest board "Wallpaper"
• Paintings: Paintings are one of my favorite ways to add depth, texture, beauty and soul to your home.While paintings can get expensive, there are plenty of options for every price range.
  
  Here are some resources that I often use for my Feng Shui Design clients:
  
  • Etsy 
  • My Pinterest Board "Artists You Should Know About"
  • Local flea markets and craft fairs
  •  Ugallery
   
• Make Your Own: Last but not least, one of my favorite ways to bring art and new energy into you home is by making your own art. You don't have to have dreams of showing your art in a gallery or call yourself an artist to create your own art. Whether you love to draw, paint, make collages, etc. it's never too late to unleash the inner artist in you. It's one of the most soulful, fulfilling and budget-friendly ways you can bring art into your home.
  
  If you need a little help to get your artistic juices flowing, look for some local art classes that resonate with you in your area. My beloved journey into painting started with some amazing classes that I took with Rebecca Schweiger (one of my favorite artists and people) at her amazing The Art Studio NY .
  
  As always, I'd love to hear from you!
  
  Does you home's art currently reflect your dreams and, if not, what tip or resource are you going to utilize to create a home that inspires your desires?
  
  Who are some of your favorite artists or resources for art?
  
  Let us know in the comments below.
  
  As always, deep gratitude to you for reading and sharing so generously! Enjoy feathering your nest!
  
  Much love and blessings,
  Elana

What Season Of Life Are You In?

"Neighboring Beauty" Photo Credit: Elana Kilkenny

There are these tulips that are planted outside of the building that we live in, they came up hopefully but out of dozens of bulbs only four flowered. When we spoke to the master gardener who lives in the building next door she said it was because they were planted in the wrong season, that they had flowered once already last year and won't flower again. "Next time," she said "plant them in the autumn. If you plant them in the right season they will flourish for years to come."

I heard this and I found myself thinking about how many times we have all planted seeds for ideas in the "wrong" season only to find that they didn't come into fruition. This led me to remembering a theory I heard from master coach Tony Robbins that I often use with my Intuitive Counseling clients in sessions.

"The secret to life is threefold. It's to understand what season of life you're in, to understand what season the world is in, and to figure out how to take advantage of it." He goes on to say that it is important for each person to, "find the season they're in, which is different for everyone, and to take advantage of it. That's the secret to experiencing an extraordinary life."

We often push things to happen even though some part of us know that something feels off. Whether it's a difficult conversation you pursue with a friend even though you know they are going through a challenging time that might make them reactive rather than open to what you have to say. Or a business idea that you push while having the sense that it wasn't quite the right time for either you or in terms of the receptivity of those involved. There are countless iterations of this idea of planting in the "wrong" season.

What Season Of Life Are You In?

One way to find out what season of life you are in, is to take a cue from the animal world. According to Jamie Sams and David Carson's enlightening "Medicine Cards: The Discovery of Power Through the Ways of Animals," butterflies reflect back to us that we are always at a certain stage in our life activities. "The way to discern where you are in this cycle is to ask yourself:"

1)Is this the egg stage: Is it just a thought or idea?

2)Is this the larva stage: Do I need to make a decision?

3)Is this the cocoon stage: Am I developing and doing something to make my idea a reality?

4)Is this the birth stage: Am I sharing my completed idea

While this is a great way to tune into what stage you are in for your life as a whole or perhaps more specifically for the idea that you are cultivating, what do you do if you have already planted in the "wrong" season? I don't know anyone who hasn't had that experience in life.

Perhaps the tulips can help us out here. This past weekend one of the families in our building dug out the half sprung tulips from their beds. They prepared the soil for a different flower that we were told would grow this time of year. We did some research and decided we would order with the master gardener new tulip bulbs in the fall and plant them together in the "right season."

We went from feeling disappointed about the state of our garden and the extra work that we had to do, to feeling excited that we now have an opportunity to get to know the other families in our building and include our children in planting some brilliantly hued marigolds this spring.

I also realized that that by needing to educate ourselves in order to utilize our time and energy more effectively we have opened up a line of communication with this lovely gardener next door which has presented the opportunity for these two buildings to work together in harmony for the first time in years to make this block even more beautiful for those of us who live here and for all who walk by. It might take us another few seasons to bring our garden up to where we want it to be, but when we do, I imagine that our neighborhood relationships will be growing as well as the flowers.

Back to you. 

So are you thinking that perhaps you planted in the "wrong" season?  If so, first be kind to yourself. No one has impeccable timing all of the time.  If the word "wrong" brings up regret or shame for you, then let go of the word (want to go deeper with letting go of shame read Dr. Brené Brown's truly brilliant book "Daring Greatly") . Beating yourself up is not only an all-too-human waste of time, it also often leads to you missing out on the benefits in your situation.

It can obviously benefit you greatly to know what season you are in and to understand the confluence of how that relates to the season the world around you is in as it relates to what you want to plant. However, I truly believe that there is always something to be gleaned from all experiences.  

Just like we discovered in this chapter with our building's garden, there are always "hidden gifts" to planting seeds in the "wrong season".  Think about what you learned from your own equivalent experience and apply that newly gained wisdom to your present and future.  Then perhaps meditate on whether you are in an egg, larva, cocoon or birth stage in a life activity that is important to you. Once you know what stage you are in, your decisions about how to proceed will be clearer.

The difference between disappointment and opportunity is your perception of the situation, choosing to be loving to yourself in the process, and being creatively open to how you can grow and flourish in this season of your life...right here...right now.

Elana Kilkenny Sessions & Workshops

"Sacred Space" Design and Photo Credit: Elana Kilkenny

Many of us are finding ourselves in a place of either transition or re-awakening to a deeper desire to live more joyfully, peacefully and abundantly. We all have the potential and ability to truly shift our lives into focus and resonance with our highest and most essential selves. If you feel that you or someone you know would benefit from on-on-one support and guidance, I am honored to be of service. Below is a description of the various sessions and workshops that I offer. I look forward to connecting with you soon!

ELANA KILKENNY SESSIONS AND WORKSHOPS:

*Intuitive Counseling Sessions (90 Minutes)

My signature 90 minute sessions offer you greater personal insight and specific guidance to create and manifest your empowered vision for your life. You will receive guidance on how to pro-actively go back into your life to create sustainable change and experience more joy, peace, and abundance. Intuitive Counseling Sessions also assist you to build a stronger connection to your own intuition and creative possibility.

During this time where we often feel so rushed, the length of these sessions provide you with the time to dive deep into the breadth and depth of guidance. In addition to being informative, these sessions also provide an experience of energetic support to help you to shift your own energy into more alignment and balance. 

Intuitive Counseling Sessions are available In-Person in NYC. They are also available worldwide via Skype or Phone. See "Book Your Session or Workshop" below for more information and scheduling.

Purchase Your Session:

Intuitive Counseling Session: 1.5 Hour Session

Intuitive Counseling Session: 1.5 hour $350.00 USD

*Intuitive Counseling Sessions (60 Minutes)
Many of you have expressed interest in receiving support on a more consistent basis (weekly, monthly, etc.) to help you focus on specific areas of your life and/or business. In response to these requests I am happy to announce that I am now offering 60 minutes sessions to meet your needs.

These sessions offer you powerful psychic guidance and  practical tools to empower you and assist you in times of personal or professional challenge, transition, or growth. I will provide you with clear suggestions on what can best assist you to authentically move through pain, obstacles and confusion to a place of more clarity, joy and manifestation!

Intuitive Counseling Sessions are available In-Person in NYC. They are also available worldwide via Skype or Phone. See "Book Your Session or Workshop" below for more information and scheduling.

Purchase Your Session:

Intuitive Counseling Session: 1 Hour

Intuitive Counseling Session: 1 Hour $250.00 USD

*Intuitive Counseling Couples Session (90 Minutes):
These sessions are beneficial for all relationships whether romantic, professional or familial. I will guide you together to attain more clarity, direction, and tools on how to connect more authentically, peacefully and joyfully to one another. Whether you need assistance with obstacles that you are currently or historically facing together or simply would like to enhance your relationship, couples sessions offer you both a supported and sacred space to guide you toward the most direct and rewarding path for you to fulfill your intentions successfully.

Intuitive Counseling Sessions are available In-Person in NYC. They are also available worldwide via Skype or Phone.  See "Book Your Session or Workshop" below for more information and scheduling.

Purchase Your Session:

Intuitive Counseling Couples Session

Intuitive Counseling Couples Session $450.00 USD Option 2 $450.00 USD Option 3 $450.00 USD

*Sacred Space Design Consultations: For Home and Business
These consultations offer an intuitive, transformational and aesthetic approach to assist you in the creation of a home or business environment designed to beautifully uplift your space to fully support your personal and professional dreams.

I will provide you with an intuitive reading of your home/office and help you to shift the energy of your space via specific suggestions around placement, decor, and alignment of your space to your present and future goals and dreams. These transformational sessions are a sacred alchemy of psychic guidance for you and your life/business, Feng Shui techniques, and interior design sensibility.

Sacred Space Design Consultations are offered in-person in NYC, CT, NJ. They are also available worldwide via Skype and Phone. In-person consultations are also available in other locations nationwide, travel fees apply.  Pricing is project based.

Schedule Now and For More Details : Click Here

*Space Clearings and Blessings  
Is it time for you to shift the energy of your home or office to support and inspire you more fully? Whether you are moving into a new space either physically or emotionally in your life, experiencing a heaviness or blockage in your environment, or simply feel like your space could use some freshening up; a Space Clearing and Blessing is not only a powerful way to revitalize your space but also to help re-align your own energy.

As you are as unique as your environment, our time together will incorporate intuitive guidance of what specifically needs to be cleared in your space and will often include specific suggestions on how to shift your environment beyond our time together to further enhance your experience there. While it is important  to shift that which might be challenging you in your environment, it is also vital to incorporate the Blessing energy of what type of energy and experiences you do want to experience both in your space and in your life. The Blessing component of our time together will bring the process full circle from that which you want to clear to that which you want to embrace.

Pricing is project-based.

Schedule Now and For More Details : Click Here

*Host a Workshop...
I am thrilled to offer private Intuitive Workshops in the comfort and convenience of your own home or business.  These workshops are all psychically guided and can be customized on a specific theme that you feel would benefit you and your friends, family, and/or colleagues. 

Recent workshops were held in private client's homes in NYC and the Tri-State area, at Rosie Restaurant in New Canaan, CT. and at the Equinox Gym in Greenwich, CT. As a gift of gratitude, if you host a workshop you receive your spot as a gift. Pricing is project-based as each workshop is customized for you and your group.

Create Your Customized Workshop Now : Click Here

*Inspiration and Resources
For more inspiration and resources designed to add more joy, empowerment and love to your life connect with me on:
Twitter 
Facebook 
LinkedIn
Pinterest
YouTube 
Instagram 

*Book Your Session or Workshop

*Choose the type of session you want from the selections above.

*Sessions are available In-Person in NYC and via Skype/Phone around the world.

*Email me at elanakilkenny@yahoo.com to schedule your session. Once we have agreed upon a session time, I will send you an invoice for your session or you can go to this page and purchase the session your scheduled via the PayPal button under the session description.

*For In-Person sessions in NYC, if you prefer to pay via cash or check please email me at elanakilkenny@yahoo.com to schedule your session and indicate payment option. All In-Person sessions to be purchased via PayPal must be purchased at the time of scheduling. All Skype/Phone sessions must be purchased via PayPal at the time of scheduling.
 
*If you have purchased your session before scheduling the time, please email me once you have purchased your session when you are ready to schedule your session and indicate that you have prepaid. All prepaid sessions must be scheduled for a time within a year of purchase date. 
 
*Please note that for Feng Shui Design Sessions and Workshops you will need to email me at elanakilkenny@yahoo.com  for details, pricing and scheduling. 

*In-Person Session location in NYC will be provided to you via email once you have booked your session.
 
*Each session you purchase must be scheduled within a year from purchase date. 

*Purchased sessions cannot be refunded. If you need to change the date of your session, please contact me with at least a full 48 hours before your session to do so. 

*Sessions canceled/rescheduled with less than 48 hours notice will be forfeited when purchased beforehand and will be charged the full session fee for a session that was not pre-purchased (i.e. for an In-Person Session that was to be paid via check or cash).

*Schedule Your Session Time: Email me at elanakilkenny@yahoo to schedule your session and/or schedule your workshop. If you have prepaid your session please indicate this in your email to me. 

Beauty Within The Frost...

"Beauty Within The Frost" Photo Credit: Elana Kilkenny

It was a late autumn day all the trees lay barren, a reflection of their current wintry state, alone amidst the fallen landscape stood a tree aglow in vibrant fiery lushness. Radiant, bejeweled with orange leaves and a perfect undercoat of yellow. Harried New Yorkers stopped dead in their tracks spellbound by their rare beauty. Strangers unfolded stream of consciousness utterings to one another..."Wow", "Well isn't that just magical" and "Miraculous." The New York City perpetual ticking clock stopped for a moment and we all paused spellbound to drink in the beauty.

We are now in the heart of winter, I pass by this tree every day as I bring my daughter to school. Its branches are now bare like their companions. But burned into my memory is an overlay of its autumnal incandescent glow. On certain days I could swear I see the halo of burnt sienna leaves adorning its limbs. And I am reminded that there is always beauty within the frost.

As we rush, as we bundle up, as we dream of spring wildflowers in bloom and a whisper of a spring jacket...we are beckoned to remember that change is inevitable and yet so much remains innate. The beauty that resides in you, in each of us, is immutable. It may radiate more in certain seasons of our lives, it may deepen with the bloom of requited desire and fluid moments of grace but even in the days of our winter's darkness the aura of our heart's luminosity is always present.

So today as you roll out of bed, engage in the world, dance with your muse...breathe in beyond your resistance, beyond your slushy winter boots, beyond your old stories that fool you into believing that your finest days are behind you and touch that which the frost protects...that which is your radiant self.

For more of my February Newsletter dedicated to the subject of love click here to read more...

Watch My New Video On: "Intuition, Signs & Expectations" for Happiness Series

"It was sign." "I thought I followed the signs but why did I end up where I did?" "What do these signs in my life actually mean?" These are snapshots of conversations I have had over the years with my Intuitive Counseling clients and have overheard a myriad of times in passing.

As it is often more powerful to illuminate a broad topic with a specific example and then go broader, Tania Van Pelt and I made for you a video for her illuminating website Happiness Series where we discuss "Intuition, Signs & Expectations" using some specific examples. One of the clearest takeaways from this discussion was that expectations and signs don't "mix well" at all.  In fact, expectations often get in the way of the natural momentum and direction that the signs of our life are trying to take us in.

Whether you are a believer in synchronicities, signs and its ilk or not, you will garner wisdom from this video as we speak about a type of experience that is common to all of us in one way or another. We often go in a direction in our lives feeling that we are somehow being led on a path only to find out that the process and the outcome is very different than we anticipated...and then what?

Watch the video below and enjoy! Share the wisdom and love, please share this video with all those you feel would benefit! I would love to hear from you about your own experiences with intuition, signs and expectations so please leave a comment below on the blog or underneath the video on YouTube!

"If we miss the moment, we miss the clues. In the present, when we allow ourselves to fully live there, we are restored, made wiser, made deeper and happier." Marianne Williamson (via: www.oprah.com)