Sea of Miracles Newsletter

Sea of Miracles E-letter - www.amyoscar.com 1

Welcome issue - Introduction

Sea of Miraclesthe e-letter

Light

No matter how

lost or alone

you may feel

or how

stressful your

life, you are

surrounded—

right now—by

a responsive

loving energy

that wants you

to be happy.

Here we go!

Welcome to Sea of Miracles. I am so grateful I am that you’re here.

I started this newsletter as a year-long experiment in community building - the community: People interested in exploring the interior landscapes and hidden caves of the soul.

If it works - and I believe that it will - I will continue it. Still, I like the idea of this boundary - this limit. It helps give the project some form - and I’ve found that, when working with the formless, boundaries help keep things grounded.

I also started this newsletter as a way to get my message out. But, unlike some other newsletters, I won’t be super-selling you anything. When I need to, I will respectfully, quietly, offer links to my blog, to my workshops and E-books and then we will move on. So, here’s the bio; here’s the Intuitive counseling work I do; here’s one radio show, (Angel Salon); here’s the other one, (More Miracles).

From here on, this newsletter is about you.

I love this illustration, done by my daughter when she was in high school. It perfectly illustrates the spirit of adventure I feel as I launch this project - and the hard

work it has taken to get here, and will take to continue. I’m ready. Let’s go!

S E Q U O I A C L U B

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The Universe can orchestrate the most remarkable signs to let us know, ‘You’re not alone!’ In this story, Cindy Marten, a California school principal shares what happened when she started receiving

personal, meaningful messages

It started when I received a phone call from my birth mother, Marion. Until then, though I'd wondered about her, I hadn’t reached out. My life had been blessed by the most wonderful adoptive parents and my heart was full. But suddenly, I began to feel the strangest, strongest compulsion to find her. I’d heard about people who’d found birth parents through the Internet. I found a site and registered.

Marion called the next day. The first time we spoke - for an hour - she told me she’d been looking for me for years. She told me that birth father, Roger, had died when I was five. “My second husband’s gone too,” she told me. “He died 35 days ago in a motorcycle accident.”

Chills running up my spine, I realized: That’s when I began thinking about her, and registered.

Today, I believe that my birth father brought us together. I believe he inspired my interest in reaching out just when she needed me. I believe this because he’s been sending me messages ever since.

It started with three pennies the day I first met Marion - a year later, I’d found 1400 Pennies from Heaven. Each was a miracle to me. They inspired me to share my story with the teachers, staff and students at my school- and everyone loved hearing about the remarkable and miraculous ways these signs can come.

But lots of people find pennies - I’m writing to tell you about my fortune cookie messages.

At first, I didn’t make much of it. I’d find a little strip with a message on it and, That’s funny! I’d think, smiling. The messages

My Fortune Cookie Angel

always came at times and locations that didn’t make sense: Like under my chair in a Mexican restaurant or halfway up a hiking traill 20 miles from the city.

What’s this doing here? I’d laugh. But, then… it was strange the way the fortunes always seemed to deliver a meaningful message. And as they kept coming, I began to think: Roger?

I was about to go into a big fight at work about adding a staff member when I found, downtown at the HR department, a fortune: No obstacles will stand in your way this coming week.

Then, the day before summer vacation: Plan to have some fun, I found on day before summer vacation.

At 6 a.m. in a gas station, found fortune that said, Buy the red car. I don’t need a new car, I laughed… until two weeks later, I was offered an amazing deal on my used car.

This year, during Thanksgiving week, I found fortunes 359 and 360. Fortune number 361, was found outside of my son’s school at 7:00 a.m.

Then, last night, I was telling a friend how I've started to use the healing power of laughter with my husband, Sergio, who’s suffered a stroke. And tonight, as I went to get his medication at CVS, I found this in the parking lot. Your sense of humor allows you to glide through difficult times. Thanks, Roger, I smiled. Today, I teach what I know: You have to believe to receive.

--Editor’s Note: When I mentioned to Cindy that the people I work

with often find feathers, she gasped. “You won’t believe this but the entire time was walking around talking to you, I have seen the most gorgeous feathers I've ever seen and taken a pic of every  single one of them. I’ll send you the pictures!”

(This story was reprinted from Sea of Miracles: the stories)

It was strange the way the

fortunes always seemed to deliver a

meaningful message.

December is a time for light, warmth and family – a time for pulling into our roots, and lighting the fire on the hearth. It’s also time for pulling inward, for bringing the fire of busyness and activity, inward. For exploring - and kindling the fire of the mind and the heart.

Candle-lighting is an ancient practice, designed to focus our attention and our intention; to create an opening, a sacred space, a place in the flow of time and space that is different—elevated, more conscious.

We hear the strike of the match and watch the flame catch hold, and we’re reminded of the way that all creation begins - as this, the spark, the bursting to flame, the light. So now, as you read this, imagine that I am lighting this candle - or light a candle yourself. As you do, take a deep breath and see or imagine the match bursting to life, the flame touching and then taking hold of the wick.

All creation begins with this. Breathe.

The light of the moonI resonate very strongly with the lunar calendar. Not because it’s all woo woo or magical. On the contrary, I am drawn to this ancient method of time-tracking for its earthiness - it’s grounding in the physical world in which we live. In fact, I came to it when I noticed how strongly my own rnythms were influenced by the cycles of our nearest celestial neighbor.

The moon is the symbol of the intuitive realm – and of the

x

Light

B O O K S H E L F

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watery, unconscious impulses and drives that move under the surface of awareness. To open to the guidance available to us, I’ve designed 13 questions – corresponding to the 13 months of the lunar calendar. With each “moon” cycle, we’ll begin a new question. The first question, offered at the beginning of our journey together – corresponding with today’s New Moon, is: What’s this?

What’s this? When you begin as children do, curious and eager, asking, of everything you meet: What’s this? much is revealed. This question illuminates the hidden gifts running beneath the surface of all situations.

When a challenge comes, meet it with this question: What’s this? What has come to me? What does it contain? What does it ask of me? What does it offer?

Meet each problem, issue and challenge that arrives as a friend. Pull open the door and greet: Hello, friend. What have you come to teach me, to show me, to illuminate? Meet each gift, each person, each ‘arrival’ the same way:

Hello, friend. What have you come to teach me, to show

me, to illuminate?

S E Q U O I A C L U B

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The lights

The heart’s light is rich, deep, golden. When the heart is open, we cannot help but love, we cannot help but give. This month, to illuminate and open the heart, I recommend:

The Hope: A guide to Sacred Activism, By Andrew HarveySacred Activism is heart wide open engagement with life. It’s love, unmitigated love, offered to a world that is asking, that is aching for the gift you have to bring. And there is no better teacher than Andrew Harvey, whose passionate teaching - and lifetime of deep study illuminates his global initiative designed to save the world from its downward spiral of greed, pain and self-destruction.

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The light of the mind is bright, quicksilver - it’s the light of thought, idea, inspiration. But also in the mind there is the inner chatter and judgment that blocks and overshadows the clear flow of thought-light. To clear away the voices that natter and undermine, I recommend:

You Are That, by Gangaji “This is a moment of reckoning,” Gangaji teaches. “Do not take this moment casually or trivially. Recognize that for whatever reason, you are aware of the possibility of realizing the truth of yourself as a limitless consciousness - you are that!”

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The light of guidance sparks, strengthens and stimulates all of your physical senses. To open the inner ‘eye’ of your

intuition, I recommend: Practice asking for and opening to what comes.

The guidance on your bookshelf: An exercise

There are many ways to ask for guidance. Beside me, I have a book called Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom, This book has been with me a long time. It’s one of the books I’ve turned to, through the years, when I have a question.

I open it at random, looking for what message or meaning I might find in its pages. Today, when I opened the book, I found: The Fool card. I smiled. The Fool represents new beginnings, the start of a journey - a leap of faith. I smiled at this nod to my own new beginning - this newsletter.

You can do this with any book at all• Get quiet.• Pray, write or ask a question about which you’d like some

guidance.• Find your way to a bookshelf – in your home, office or bookstore• Run your eyes – or even, your hand – along the spines of the books. Which catches

your eye? Which catches your interest? • Feel for an inner ping of recognition. Trust it when it comes. (Remember, you

can’t do this wrong.)• Pull down the book that calls to you and open it at random, to any page. What’s

there? Ask the book, What do you have for me?-----

Two Essential Practices As our journey unfolds, I am going to keep sending you back to two practices: Sacred Journaling and a daily practice of Gratitude. For me, these are the two essential practices for all spiritual work.

Sacred Journaling

Sacred Journaling is a conversation with the higher self, with the angels, with God. Your Sacred Journal is a sanctuary of peace, comfort and wisdom – and all of it flows from your own pen. There, you can pour your heart out to God. You can write a letter

to your angels. You can make lists of all the things you are noticing and learning. You turn to your journal as you’d turn to a friend, sharing thoughts, concerns and feelings. ----GratitudeIn the morning, as you enjoy your coffee, look toward the day ahead: What are you eager about today? Each evening, just before sleep, open your journal and answer this question: What are you

grateful for today? Who loves you? Who do you love? What did you most enjoy?

Resist the temptation to dwell on what didn’t work. For now, let the disappointments and setbacks slip out of your mind and remember, the smile from a stranger that lifted your heart, the kindness of a colleague, a neighbor. Give thanks for the sun that rises and warms the world each day, for the clean water that runs from your tap, the warm bed you sleep in. What IS working in your life?

Focusing on gratitude opens the heart to the flow of light - and as the light rushes in, it clears away the darkness.

Note: The above cuppa goodness is Warm Cacao with Cinnamon from Rawmazing.com: Click here for the recipe

10 Sea of Miracles E-letter

Just so you know: What I think about angels

Joe is a regular at the cafe where I go to write. A Catholic, Joe finds it fascinating that I make my living writing about angels. He likes to test my knowledge. “Can you name the seven orders?” he’ll quiz me. “What is the highest order of celestial beings?” I always laugh when he does this - he’s engaging and charming and he reminds me of my dad. But I always answer the same way, “I don’t know. That’s not the way I see the angels.” This seems to frustrate Joe - after all, he asks, “How can you write and teach about something when you don’t have the facts?” “Who decided they’re facts?” I ask him, and he shakes his head at me. Recently, Joe handed me a slip of paper. On it, I read these words: Angel: Gr., L. A spiritual being created by God, superior in nature to man. Literally means “messenger,” one sent. A pure spirit, a being that cannot be perceived by the senses because it has no body but which is a person since it possesses intellect and free will. Angels are innumerable in number. There are nine orders, or classifications, three in each hierarchy: (1) Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones; (2) Dominations, Principalities, Powers; (3) Virtues, Archangels, Angels. This enumeration is not an article of faith. I sighed. How can I explain this to

him? How can I show him, and you, what I mean when I say: Angel.-- Last week, at dinner, my husband, Matthew, began talking about angel wings. He’s been helping our daughter, a filmmaker, build wings out of chicken

wire and feathers (as props for her movies). He said, “I’d like to diagram the actual anatomy of an angel wing - the blood, the bone, the muscle...” “Angel wings don’t have blood,” I interrupted. “Of course they do,” he said. “How else would they work? They have to be living tissue - there has to be a blood supply.” “Angels are made of light,” I argued. “Angels don’t have actual bodies...” That’s when Katie cut in. “Hold on ,” she said. “These are ANGELS you are talking about. This is not something that either one of you can be right - or

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wrong - about. We both stopped. Then, we smiled, chagrined.Here I was again - arguing about the nature of angels. But here’s the thing: No one knows. Though angels appear in the sacred texts of almost every faith, no priest, mystic, psychic or, in my case, journalist knows ‘the truth’ about angels. The very nature of angelic phenomena is their mutability - the way they can morph from celestial beings into glowing beings, the way they can enter our dreams, send us messages through clouds and butterflies and rainbows. The angels can show up as inspiration, gut feelings, through signs, symbolic and meaningful messages - and every now and then, an angel may show up in a body that looks just like yours or mine. I didn’t always believe this. I believed in something - and I called it ‘the Universe.’ But angels? Then, in my work as a magazine editor, I began reading letters from real people - like you and me - who’d had an encounter with something they couldn’t explain any other way. And those letters, and my own encounters - transformed me from a person who was spiritual but skeptical. I do now. So, I thought I’d present what I know, what the angels taught me:

• You are a vital and integral part of a Universe of astonishing love; you have a reason for being here and the angels – and All That Is – are constantly reminding you, through signs and intuitive nudges, of that connection and that purpose.

• There is nothing you need to change, to do, or to be in order to earn the angels’ love. You are okay just the way you are. To experience, this, pretend that (and act as if) it’s true.

• All is well in the world. Everything is unfolding as it should. Though we are being challenged, greatly, right now – the world is moving into an expansion of consciousness on a planetary scale. Everything will be all right in the end.

• Suffering is optional – but scars are real. To heal your life, learn to release scar tissue from past experiences and move toward resonance with love.

Continued on last page...

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Gratitude

Today, and every day, I am grateful for...You!

When I count the many blessings in my life, I am struck by how many of the gifts

I’ve received have come from you.

When you show up to read my work, comment on my blogs - and take a

genuine interest in the ideas that I love to explore - it keeps me working, keeps me

trying.

Your ideas and insights keep me intrigued and engaged. Your presence

here and on my blog and Facebook page lets me know I’m not shouting into the

dark.

This is all so much more fun with you to share it with!

Thank you, from the bottom, top, inside and outer edges of my heart.

Amy :)

@MaribethDoerr: I'm grateful for my brother who accepted me for who I am. His birthday was yesterday; he died 4 years ago. http://wp.me/p10H4R-3q

@misssuzcatsilver: oooh how long have ya got? lol ........ #gratitude

@berniepiekarski Grateful for my health today! Almost 2 years since the bypass! And another holiday can be shared with my friends & family!

@creativelycrazy Grateful 4 the journey! Two steps forward and 1 step back is the perfect recipe for discovering what’s true, real and important.

@lynnelee: <= warmth, shelter, well stocked larder, work, wonderful friends & knowing God

@DanielleSmithTV: I am incredibly grateful for my sweet, amazing, crazy small people @shaboom: Grateful for shadow work that

Of all the spiritual work I’ve done, the most profound has been the simplest: The moment when, each day, I come to my journal to ask:

What am I most grateful for today? To initiate our first issue of Sea of Miracles, I asked members of my Twitter and Facebook community to share their response with you:

makes the light so much brighter. Grateful that perfect is an unnecessary illusion.

@FAVeditor: limitless opportunities to find joy and happiness

@FixItFish: To be not in a line to need a pick up line... ie in Lover's lane?! =)

@LisaSawyer317: For raising good daughter w/giving heart who wants to spend time w/me. She's flying me to NYC to spend 2 days w/her b4 Christmas…… Then flying me up to Maine to spend Christmas w/my family who I haven't seen in 7 months. #VERYgrateful

@MarilynYohe: I'm grateful for teachers healers clients friends colleagues students who keep me healing and learning through all the rough stuff..… Also really grateful for dark chocolate wtih orange peel. Early morning light on the oak leaves still on the tree. And bananas.

@KarenCHyde: I'm most grateful for my mom - she's still alive, strong & ready to fight the cancer. She's my hero.

@Giuliettaspeaks: I'm grateful for nature. It constantly reignites my imagination, my creativity and my love of life.

@ThePlushGourmet my torn out shoulder is healing & my Doc was polite and helpful today. (He can be quite surly)

Coming next month

Sea of Miracles

–the Stories

www.amyoscar.com

Amy Oscar

And next year . .

Workshops

Live Angel Salons in NYC

E-books

Free Meditations

My first e-book

Shadow and light: A soul year - a 13-card set to deepen your soul connection; with stunning

nature images fromSusan Powers

My first ‘product’

Angela Hail: My friends. My wonderful, wonderful friends who remind me of the best parts of who I am when I get lost or discouraged.

Rebecca Elia: Honestly, at this moment, I am exceedingly grateful for this sexy Greek singer and this song, in particular: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot_UTwYLU_o (probably not what you had in mind!) LOL! Love you!

@millejoa I am grateful that it is not too late to learn to give & receive unconditional love to myself & others. Huge.

@mssuzcatsilver (part 2) for all the lovely ppl in my twitterverse, who make me think, inspire me, make me laugh + share with me ...

Lisa BertokI am grateful for the gift of life. Everyday you wake up is a present.

Andrea Mee Maurer I am grateful for The Journey. Turns out that two steps forward and one step back is the perfect recipe for discovering what’s true and real and important. I used to think the steps forward were the best part. No surprise there. Turns out the real value lies in those sometimes painful steps back. Each time I make my way forward again, I find myself standing on more solid ground, more confident and better prepared to move ahead. There seems to be a method to the madness and I’m learning to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Contact me

The blog:AmyOscar.com

The other blog: Story Spirit Seed

Email:[email protected]

To subscribe to this newsletter:Click here

Continued from page 9...• When you are uncertain about

what to do: Choose toward love. When you are frightened, lonely or sad, focus your energy and attention on what is good, whole and loving and ask to be a part of (to serve) the ripening, opening and expanding of that goodness, wholeness and love in the world.

• All prayers are answered – though not always in the ways that we want or expect.

• God is light, love, life. So are the angels, and so are you.