A Video on Demystifying One Crystal Ball

February 25, 2013 by Robyn

Closeup of Fallon and the Rainbow What is it like to work with a crystal ball? Well, I can only speak to working with my partner, Fallon, the Citrine Lemurian Quartz.

When I was 4 I was going to be a cowgirl. Then a writer (still am, thank goodness some things don’t change). Some months after my spirit guides told me my partner was coming back to me, after lifetimes apart, I met Fallon. Until then, I thought my partner was going to be a light I could see in my head.

Well, I can still see that light, and so can other people. And some people see him as a human, or a gold man. He does that to make it easier on people who don’t like to see things that don’t look human.

Now, please check out our video!

Filed Under: Intuition Tagged With: Citrine Lemurian Quartz, crystal ball, crystals, Fallon

Profiling Animal Communicator Joan Ranquet’s Book, Communication with All Life

February 25, 2013 by Robyn

Joan Ranquet and friends I’m always curious about what makes people tick: how do they choose their work in the world, and what does it mean? I’m even more curious when they write a book and I get a chance to review it.

Does the book make a difference? Does the writer? I’m happy to say, in this case, yes. Twice.

Joan Ranquet is an animal communicator, author, and founder of Communication with All Life University. That means she works as an animal communicator, writes about it, and teaches it to people who either want to become professional animal communicators or who simply want to create a better relationship with their animal family members.

Communication with All Life: Revelations of an Animal Communicator, was published by Hay House in 2007. It’s a rarity: a book that will stand the test of time, remaining inspiring and relevant to an audience that is increasingly interested in animal communication as a practical tool for gaining a better understanding and appreciation of our animal companions.

I have to admit that I personally know Joan Ranquet, and even took her introductory animal communication class back in 2001. At the time I thought animal communication was a joke, good fodder for a comic novel and an investigative journalism piece. I went into her class convinced I was the only sane person in the room—and, well, I am now a professional intuitive and my partner is a crystal ball. Ranquet let me into her class with the wry smirk I think she’s trademarked: she knows very well when people are ready to look at the world as it really is, and she’s quite ready to teach them how to do that. Even smirking.

What I learned that weekend from Joan and her associate, healer Donna Timmerman, was that real science is far simpler and more practical than most of us realize. And that animal communication—telepathy with animals—is both a science and an art that can give us real information about our animals, their health and behavior, and our personal relationship with the world that can make all of our lives better.

I thought then that the practical, mystical mindset Ranquet teaches needed a broader audience, and she gets it in this book. There are many animal communicators that get lost in the ozone of feel-good woo-wooey conversations that may be fun or intriguing but aren’t useful in daily life. Ranquet steers clear of the fuzziness and focuses on giving us a well-rounded perspective on our animals’ real lives, and on how we can create better relationships with them.

She knows her stuff. The book is packed with real-life animal communication stories that focus on lessons we can all learn, from deepening our understanding of our animal companions to letting go of limiting concepts like ‘rescue’ and ‘separation anxiety.’ These are practical, inspiring stories that really teach.

Joan Ranquet That alone makes the book worthwhile, but, ever practical, Ranquet next launches into how each of us can learn to communicate with our animals. Here she delves into our mindset, what we experience with telepathy, and how to live what we learn, from our attitudes to the practicalities of health care, including nutrition, vaccinations, and energy medicine (her next big book, on energy healing for animals, is due out this year and will be a game-changer).

Are you looking for inspirational yet practical advice from an experienced animal communicator, someone who can teach you how to hear your animals and to see the physical, behavioral, and medical issues that may be affecting them? Well, here you go.

Want to delve even deeper? Then get Ranquet’s e-book: Animal Communication 101: Simple Steps to Communicate with Animals. It explores how animal communication works and drills you on ethics and etiquette—on what is appropriate and what isn’t in talking with and about animals and their people. She also explores telepathy, how to energetically scan an animal (which she’ll clearly cover in more detail in her upcoming book), and how to conduct and evaluate a session. While this e-book is aimed at people taking her animal communication courses, it’s useful for anyone who wants to understand animal communication, from how it works to how to evaluate it in your family life.

I read a lot. That includes books on science, metaphysics, philosophy, animal care, and animal communication. Many of these books are speculative and written by people I worry about, because most of them are not well balanced and don’t encourage you to be, either.

Joan Ranquet isn’t like that—not in person, not teaching, and not writing. These books are, frankly, great, offering a solid grounding in the art and practice of animal communication. They are also a reminder that she has much more to offer in her training programs contained in her Communication with All Life University.

Do these books matter? Yes. Should you read them?

Well, that depends. Do you want to talk with animals? Do you want better understand your animals and yourself? Do you want to create the best life possible with your animals? Then, yes, don’t just read these books. Live them. They matter.

Joan Ranquet matters, too. She walks her talk. And writes it. So buy these books. Read them. Put them to work. Your animals will thank you.

Filed Under: Human-Animal Bond, Living Tagged With: animal care, animal communication, animal communicator Joan Ranquet, bridging species, dog care, human-animal bond, intuitive communication, veterinary care

Sad for My Dog, and for Seattle

February 24, 2013 by Robyn

Beach closed 2013 We walk by this spot almost every day. It’s our neighborhood in Seattle, a place to enjoy nature in the midst of city life in 21st-century America.

Or is it?

Filed Under: Human-Animal Bond Tagged With: Alki Beach in Seattle, business ethics, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, culture

Take Care of It or Lose It

February 24, 2013 by Robyn

Protect it or lose it Tragic—the only word for it. This is my neighborhood, where I walk my dog, Alki, every day. Beach closed because of contamination from a condominium built out over the water. Sometimes things happen that we can’t prevent. This one we could have, with city administrators who think ahead, and think of everyone. Everything. All life.

Be careful where you build, and how you build it.

Filed Under: Living Tagged With: Alki Beach in Seattle, business ethics

Our Fun Interview at Intuit GoPayment

February 22, 2013 by Robyn

Space Cooperating seminar at Alki Arts 1-16-13 Sometimes I get lucky and can help out another business, and I get luckier when it helps me out. Such is the case with Intuit GoPayment. Check our out interview at the Intuit GoPayment blog. OR check it out below: I’ve pasted it below this entry.

You might know Intuit as the company behind Quicken, which provides a host of financial service products for harried people, especially those of us who run small businesses. Did you also know you can process credit cards through them, even as an entrepreneur without a retail storefront?

I am probably the only person in the world who bought a smartphone so I could take credit cards (or, if not, the only one who will admit it). I am out and about helping people clear their homes and businesses and conducting seminars and public events at retail establishments. It’s increasingly awkward in our technological age to get paid for these services easily and reliably. Many people no longer carry checkbooks, and with checks you have to go to the bank (unless you have a smartphone connection to your bank, which is still rare) and you always have to worry about whether the check will bounce. In fact, many business owners will no longer take checks!

Plus, I admit, my business is esoteric, and credibility is important. I am not a flake with a crystal ball. I am a respected businesswoman whose partner is a crystal ball. I love to get paid for my work, and people love to pay me with a credit card. What’s not to like?

Well, confusion for one. Which is why I love Intuit GoPayment. It was easy to set up, they have friendly support people who will help if you get confused (which is routine for me and technology), and it works. I get paid wherever I am, my clients get receipts, and I get regular statements from Intuit.

Yep, there’s a service charge. Cost of business. Worth it. Check out Intuit’s services. Reliable company, excellent products.

Thank you to writer Kristine Hansen and Intuit for the interview!

Intuitive Creative Coach Sees GoPayment in Your Future

by Kristine Hansen on November 2, 2012

As a life, business, and creative consultant, Robyn Fritz of Seattle guides clients into alignment with their goals through her company Alchemy West. She frequently shares her pearls of wisdom during workshops, conferences, and one-on-one consultations.

As a creative coach for writers and entrepreneurs, Fritz walks the talk as an author of two books, Bridging Species: Thoughts and Tales about Our Lives with Dogs and My Dog Is Dying: The Real Life Crappy Choice Diary, with a third in progress. All three discuss the human-animal bond.

The GoPayment Blog recently caught up with Fritz, a University of Michigan MBA and crystal energy healer, to chat about how GoPayment is the best tool in her pocket when it comes to ensuring her business’s profitable future.

GoPayment: What inspired you to launch your consulting business?

Fritz: My business is unique. When you can laugh and say, “I’m an MBA with a crystal ball,” you have to be prepared to be an entrepreneur because you just don’t fit anywhere else. I love being an entrepreneur. It can be hard and time-consuming, but there’s nothing like knowing you have the freedom, and the responsibility, to be the best you can be in the community at whatever you do.

What do you love most about your job?

I love the diversity of clients and work. Some are writing a book, others are learning to use their intuition for personal or business development, and still others need their home or business space to be vibrationally (or energetically) healthy. Every day is an opportunity to grow and participate in the community by meeting and working with people who are digging deep to find their best selves and to live it in the world. Bonus: Because I literally talk with all walks of life, I get to meet fascinating [home and business owners who] have their own stories to tell, so my work is never dull.

How has GoPayment helped you to keep everything in line?

Today’s entrepreneurs need every edge they can get, from streamlined services to credibility. We need the best price on the tools that make our lives easier. GoPayment is a dream come true. As my business grew, it became clear that I needed to streamline the payment cycle and take credit cards at events and onsite at consultations. So, I bought a smartphone. I chose GoPayment because it came from a reputable company; I could understand and easily use it without a hassle; and it was convenient, flexible, and had live support people who cheerfully helped me set it up and followed through.

I need my business services to be reliable, professional, credible, and classy. My clients are thrilled to use a credit card, and I am thrilled with GoPayment. I’ve never had a problem or complaint, and my business has soared because people trust it and it works.

You talk a lot about intuition. Do most people have that but need help finding it? When did you discover that you have a gift for intuition?

My work is about demystifying intuition: I help people understand that we are all intuitive and can learn how to use intuition as a practical, creative, and inspiring skill to improve our lives.

Listening to my ‘gut sense,’ or intuition, saved my life several times years ago; even then, I knew that I wasn’t just lucky, I was responding to an innate skill. I started to work with intuition professionally in 2001 [after] I realized that we limit ourselves by thinking of intuition as a spiritual tool when it’s something we’re all born with and can learn to tap to enrich our personal and professional lives.

You offer a “how to find your story” workshop. What could be an important first step for someone who might want to write about his or her life but does not know how to get started?

Putting a structure on a writing idea is the only sure way of actually getting anything written. Otherwise it is too daunting, because a book, or even an article, can cover a lot of ground.

I teach people how to break every story idea into five parts. Decide what you’re going to write first: an article, a memoir, or a novel. Figure out how long it will be, say, 50,000 words (that’s a short book, really). Pick five major events in that story and space them evenly throughout that 50,000-word length: a beginning, a rising action, a midpoint, a falling action, and the end. Five story points becomes the story structure. Then you get to write it!

About Kristine Hansen

A Wisconsin-based freelance writer, Kristine Hansen contributes business stories to many food and drink trade journals, as well as CNN.com, and blogs about mindful travel at Psychology Today. She also dishes out advice for writers at The Writer Magazine about running a successful writing business.

(article re-posted from the Intuit GoPayment blog)

Filed Under: Living Tagged With: business ethics, creative project consultation, crystals, culture, intuitive, Intuitive GoPayment

Profiling Andrea Bruckner of Blue Star Astrology

February 20, 2013 by Robyn

Part of our series profiling people and businesses who walk their talk.

I know very little about astrology. That said, I have met a few astrologers who impress me because they have spent a long time learning about the science and art of astrology and take it and their clients seriously. Dedication and smarts rule!

Andrea Bruckner is an astrologer who owns Blue Star Astrology in Seattle. We met because we both do consultations at East West Bookshop in Seattle. She also hosts a free monthly birthday party at East West so attendees can learn more about their astrological sign. I attended the Capricorn night, a relaxed, informative evening where Andrea talked about what it means to be a Capricorn. I had always thought that systems like astrology were too deterministic: if you were this sign, you were doomed to be emotional, and so on. That there was no possibility of being you, only the sign you born under.

Andrea made it clear that it isn’t as cut-and-dried as I assumed. With so many planets and houses and whatevers, each person really is unique, and it’s a complex business digging deep into a chart to see what it could mean to you. But you’re still in charge of your life.

Andrea made an interesting point. Someone at the Capricorn night who was born on the edge between signs was still Capricorn, even though she wanted to be under Aquarius, because some of the aspects of Capricorn made her uncomfortable. Andrea gently pointed out that you “become your sign as you live,” indicating that knowledge and sensitivity are all part of the package. Astrology is a guide, an indicator, but how and why you live your life are strictly up to you.

Later Andrea and I exchanged consultations. I did a Space Cooperating session for her in her new home north of Seattle, working via Skype. She did a personal and business astrological consultation for me and Alchemy West. I found it fascinating: she was not into telling me about my personality, which I am all too familiar with! Instead, she explored the ramifications of different aspects of my personal and business charts, which gave me insight into certain things I’d been exploring. Awesome!

Here is our interview.

How did you choose to work in astrology?

Andrea: “My journey of learning astrology started when I was just a little child. I loved to observe the stars through a telescope—I absolutely loved astronomy. My grandma had a book of dreams and an old almanac: I discovered the astrological symbols and was instantly fascinated by the language of astrology. That stuck with me through my years at the university where I studied chemistry, which is similar to astrology in that you are always learning something new and working with so much detail. I studied astrology every single free moment I had. I learned a lot on my own and from my wonderful teachers both in Europe and America.

“I started Blue Star Astrology, my astrology company, while still working in the corporate world.”

What is your philosophical approach to astrology?

Andrea: “My approach to astrology is pretty self-explanatory: your chart gives you your best life possible, and I will find it with the client. There is always room to grow, there is no good or bad chart. Astrology can only show you how to deal with your stuff. I tend to focus on life journeys but I also do synastry readings, yearly updates, and relocation astrology for people. I do birth charts for people of all ages (children to adults) and pet astrology. For people I tend to focus on soul journey, or finding your passion, what moves you, your talents and potentials, basically who are you meant to be. This also ties to business astrology. I also do , timing of events and astro cartography.

“One of the things that I share with my clients is that if things seem rough, you just need to remember that in this lifetime you are becoming your sign, you don’t need to be perfect and you don’t need to fight against the natural flow of your chart. If you are a Capricorn, you are for sure becoming more Capricornian. In other words, don’t sweat it, don’t seek perfection. It will all find you. It is your challenge, however, to look at all the positive qualities of your sign and to make sure that you are implementing them.”

How do you see this philosophy work out for your clients?

Andrea: “My clients are all different. Some love to learn about astrology, some need reassurance and want to see how astrology can help them to learn about themselves. I have helped numerous clients from all around the world. After the session, my clients feel like they can see more clearly and they are open to new ways and ideas. Astrological reading is a tool to self-discovery.”

What do you like to do to relax?

Andrea: “I love spending my free time with my husband and son. I am also an avid runner. And last, but not least, I love to travel.”

I know Andrea personally and professional and heartily recommend her services. She knows astrology and can offer real insights that can help. Plus she’s warm and personable, making the experience fun and relaxing as well as informative.

You can find Andrea Bruckner at bluestarastrology.com, or 425-210-3510 (PST). Check out her blog on astronomy and the world around you at the-eleventh-house.blogspot.com.

Filed Under: Living Tagged With: astrology, business ethics

Mindset: Why Changing Paradigms Changes the World

February 20, 2013 by Robyn

Patterns by Mary Van De Ven

I will listen to anyone who has something to say to me—as long as they have a healthy interest in me and in building community. That’s actually a big crowd, because most of us are genuinely interested in building a better world, and actively seeking ways to do it.

But most of us forget that it isn’t just humans who are interested in us, so we miss a lot. We miss opportunities to connect and to grow, which makes us, and the world, a bit less than it could be.

I have been talking with nonhumans since I was a kid, from my banty chicken companions to trees, buildings, and the land around me. I didn’t always understand this; I only understood that I saw things differently than other people, that a strictly human perspective didn’t include the world I knew that was full of other beings who were eager to chime in—and routinely ignored.

To be clear, I was ignored, too. What saved me was that I was a girl in a small Oregon town that didn’t think girls were relevant, a dismissal that allowed my parents to humor me within a culture that had no frame of reference for someone like me. I survived because I was very bright, worked hard, and learned to block what everybody else was blocking.

I don’t do that anymore, and neither should you. We all need to quit blocking what the rest of the world needs to share with us. Because we need to be our best selves, and that’s the only way we can.

That means bridging paradigms, moving from a human worldview to an earth worldview. Simply put, it means changing mindset.

We’re used to operating from a human mindset—a paradigm that implies that humans are in control and the world revolves around us. It operates through cultural, religious, and governmental constraints. It’s not fun—and it’s not working.

The earth mindset is true, accurate, and works. It is the world as it really exists, acknowledging that everything is alive, has a soul, responsibility, free choice, a point of view—and is equal to us.

Everything—from our animals to our homes and businesses and the land around us.

Okay, so you’re thinking that you have enough to do without wondering what your car or house or business think.

Truth is, this worldview makes things easier, and that makes you better. To create healthy, vibrant, prosperous lives, we need rock solid ground beneath us. That means space clearing that really works: the modality we teach that we call Space Cooperating.That means intuitive communication that respects differences—so that we can all grow from them, communication that we call Mindset Alchemy.

Imagine the environment we can create by finding out what the land and water think, what our buildings need and want, what they can contribute to what we need and want. (Check out some of our intuitive stories at our website.)

Imagine the possibilities for growth, creativity, and just plain fun that occur when we broaden our perspective and respect the world and everything in it as an equal.

Humans only know a small part of the world—usually just what we think up. It limits us. Want to know the truth about global warming? Ask the hurricanes. Want to know how your home would like to nourish you, or what your business might suggest for attracting new clients? Want to know how to find a new home, or direct a remodel? Want insight you can’t get anywhere else—something that could change your life?

Ask the nonhuman beings in your life. But first, change your mindset. Instead of being a boss with only some of the information, you’ll be a partner with access to much more.

How?

I teach this mindset in classes and in one-on-one sessions. It works. Your life will change. I’d say ‘trust me,’ but don’t. Trust yourself, and the beings who are waiting to share with you.

Come find out how.

Filed Under: Intuition Tagged With: Citrine Lemurian Quartz, creating community, Fallon, intuitive, intuitive business consultation, intuitive communication, intuitive consultation, space clearing, Space Cooperating

Why Space Cooperating Is Better Than Traditional Space Clearing

February 19, 2013 by Robyn

lavender Space clearing is a great way to keep the energies or vibrations of a space healthy and balanced. It works, but the modality I created at Alchemy West, which I call Space Cooperating,^SM works better. It’s part of the Seattle intuitive consultation practice for people, homes, and businesses that I run with my partner, Fallon, the Citrine Lemurian Quartz.

What Space Clearing Is

Space clearing is a holistic method of clearing the energies or vibrations of a space. Just as you need to dust or vacuum a space to keep it sparkling, you need space clearing to make a space feel good.

It’s easier to experience this concept than to intellectualize it. If you feel uncomfortable, tired, restless, vague, or uninspired at home or work, you need to clear those spaces. Even if you feel great, you need to keep a space clear so that it continues to feel great (just like house cleaning)—the more regularly you do it, the easier it is (again, just like, well, you get it).

The problem is, traditional space clearing, the type practiced by our ancestors and adapted for our times, forces a space to change to suit us. It in effect throws a blanket on top of the space. You may feel better for a bit, but it’s pretty hard to live, let alone breathe, under a blanket 24/7.

Why Space Cooperating^SM Works Better

Space Cooperating^SM clears space by inviting the space to tell us what it needs and wants, and then negotiating change. Because it negotiates instead of forcing, the space doesn’t end up feeling dense and heavy, but vibrant and healthy. What’s more, when we actively cooperate with our spaces, we create partnerships with them, and the most amazing things happen!

The insights we glean from our partners help us be our best selves. This is especially true of our spaces, because they are, literally, the ground beneath our feet, the rock solid foundation we need to grow on. Their unique insights into our needs and wants can be both practical and inspiring. The sad thing is, they are often overlooked by those of us who don’t think to invite them to share with us.

In my Space Cooperating^SM practice I’ve seen:

a house over a century old perk up and invite its new family to play with it
a houseboat invite its new owner to use its walls, ceiling, and floor as an art canvas
a huge estate admit that the property it lived on was not suitable for a young family
a house that didn’t want to let go of its people understand they couldn’t stay, and call new people to it

Sure, this all might have happened with space clearing, but not as easily or as happily. Because Space Cooperating^SM creates partnerships. And life is about connecting.

In future articles I’ll be discussing mindset, rituals, tools, practitioners, everything you need to know about clearing space with this new method.

But for now, what questions do you have about Space Cooperating^SM?

Filed Under: Intuition Tagged With: alchemy west, Citrine Lemurian Quartz, Fallon, intuitive business consultation, intuitive communication, intuitive consultation, space clearing, Space Cooperating

When It All Makes Sense: Stepping Up to Do Your Work

February 3, 2013 by Robyn

McMillin_081507_00004- sky What if you had an amazing ability, you stepped up and learned how to use it, and one day it all came together in a perfect moment? I saw that happen yesterday with a friend who is also one of my intuitive students.

Now, when people come to me for intuitive mentoring I tell them that all of our work, whatever it is, has value, and that their intuitive work may surprise them. I encourage them to learn how to use any ability that shows up: how else do you find what perfectly fits you and makes a difference—to you and to the world?

The truth is, developing our intuitive skills requires an open-minded, patient, tolerant worldview. Humans are actually the most limited beings out there—we have no idea what kind of jobs are out there, so we limit opportunities, or miss them altogether.

Working with the dead is one of those opportunities.

Now my friend started out learning to talk with animals, and for a long time she resisted talking with anything else. She’s one of the strongest clairaudients I know, so I challenged her to broaden her worldview and learn to talk with trees and other beings. She resisted, worried, like I used to be, that learning to talk with other beings meant she would somehow lose the ability to talk with animals.

Not true. Reassured, she opened up and had many fun, inspiring conversations with other beings. She learned the philosophy of communication we teach at Alchemy West, and she blossomed because she put ego aside and simply learned how to relate to other beings as equals. She was fascinated at how complex the universe really is.

And then the dead started showing up.

That’s when my crystal partner, Fallon, and I started to teach her how we work with the dead, from start to finish. She also started working with my dad, who runs what I call The Way Station for Dead Things on the Other Side, and several deceased animals (and yes, I’m a bit jealous that she works with my dad so often, he’s my dad). Lately I’ve had her set specific times and days of the week to help the dead move on, and it’s working quite well.

Of course you know this story is going to end up a bit of a tearjerker, because, as life goes, it all came together for my friend yesterday, when her mother died. They had a rocky relationship for a long time (my friend’s mom was, to say the least, not a nice person). When the end was clearly in sight I encouraged my friend to make peace, which she did. I woke up in the middle of the night yesterday, with my dad telling me my friend’s mother had died but she wasn’t with him.

In future articles I will explain more about how Fallon and I work with the dead. For now, know that I didn’t say anything until late in the afternoon, when my friend called to talk and it was clear to me that her mother had not yet moved on. I suggested that she help her.

“I thought she’d crossed over,” my friend said.

“No, and I think it’s a good idea that you help her,” I said. “Fallon and I will help, too, and my dad’s waiting. But you should take the lead here. I think your mom needs to know what wonderful work you do, and you need to hear her say so.”

My friend took a shaky breath and agreed. In the next few minutes she beautifully moved through the procedure I’d taught her and connected with her mother, who was, with good reason, surprised and moved to discover her daughter’s wonderful skill. Reassured, she moved on, and my dad took over. One more soul safely on the other side.

(As a side note, here, my dad reported to both of us that her mother is just as cantankerous as ever, which just goes to show that dying is not quite what religion keeps telling us it is.)

Interesting how things turn out, isn’t it? My beautiful friend was never really appreciated by her mother, who had to die to see her for the amazing woman she is—a woman who saw her intuitive strength and stepped up to do her work. In those few minutes two women long at odds with each other experienced peace and acceptance, and had a chance to really say goodbye.

It would never have happened if my friend had not stepped up to do her work. Not out of ego or pride or false modesty or the mistaken idea that it was sacred work mysteriously granted to her, but simply out of acknowledgment and proper use of an innate ability.

My friend did her job because she could and because it was there in front of her. As a result she and her mother achieved a healing of sorts in death that they never quite reached in life.

It’s awesome how stepping up to do our work sometimes works out and makes sense in a way you never expected.

So, are you stepping up to do yours?

Filed Under: Intuition Tagged With: business mentors, intuitive, intuitive business consultation, intuitive communication, intuitive consultation, medium