Facing Your Karma

By Barbara Y. Martin and Dimitri Moraitis

It is so important to face your karma. We all come to this Earth with unfinished business. Your soul incarnates in physical form to learn what it has either neglected to learn in past lives or to learn lessons that still are a part of its framework and evolutionary climb.

Your experiences in this life are but one chapter in your book of life. You simply cannot judge or see the whole picture of your life history from the viewpoint of a single lifetime, not matter what that life is like. There will always be good karma that you bring in and karma that you need to redeem. Whatever the karmic slate is, you cannot outrun your karma. Facing and resolving karma is one of the most effective ways to quicken your spiritual development. And avoiding and delaying learning the lessons our karma presents, can slow down your spiritual progress no matter how effective you are in other areas of your life.

What exactly is karma? The word karma has become so commonplace one runs the risk of trivializing one the most sacred and essential laws of life. It’s amazing to think that not that long ago the term was virtually unknown in the west and now there are coffee shops that bear its name!

The word karma is derived from the Sanskrit root kr meaning “to do, to make.” It has also been defined as “deed or act” or “volition.” So karma is related to action in any form: physical, mental, or emotional. Karma is always followed by its fruit. As the term has become more popularized, the entire principle of action and its effect all fall under the single term karma.

Karma is the balancer of life—the harmonizer. The natural condition of life is harmony. God is harmony. When you act in a destructive manner, you unbalance that natural state. Your destructive actions will create a ripple effect against the fabric of life bouncing back as you have put it out. Once this discordant energy has been set into motion, the painful tuning process then begins until harmony is restored.

When you initiate a creative, constructive act, the same law of karma applies but the results are completely different. When you do something that is in harmony with the natural laws of life, this action also reverberates through the fabric of life but instead of throwing off the natural harmony, this “good” energy expands and enhances the ever expanding, creative cosmic process. You are adding to the divine life and this blessing will reverberate back to you multiplied!

Karma is generated with your every thought, word, emotion, act and deed. It can reach into any aspect of your life.  You can have karma related to family, money, health, relationships. And there are many different types of karma. There is personal karma, soul karma, mental karma, emotional karma, national karma, race karma and world karma. That’s a lot of cause and effect going on!

            Karma is essential to your well-being.  When you break a spiritual law, knowingly or unknowingly, you face natural consequences.  By repeatedly breaking these laws, you slowly begin to understand how they work from first hand experience. The law of karma is designed in love to make you a greater being and realize the great goal you have. Karma is designed always to help build you up not tear you down or punish you.  Without the laws of karma you could not grow and reach spiritual mastery.

It takes courage to look at your faults and face your karma. There can be a natural inclination is to avoid anything that is unpleasant. One of the hardest things is to realize that as an evolving soul you have done it all. Through your many incarnations, you have done great and noble things and you have done not so great thing things. It’s all part of the growing process and all these things play a role in the karmic pattern of your life.

If you were too passive in a past life, you will have to develop a dynamic will in this life. If you were cruel in a past marriage, you will have to show kindness now. If you were impatient before, you will have to learn patience now and so on. You will find the character traits you express now are as a result of your accumulated past lifetimes of experience.

Fortunately God gives you the strength to face any challenge. There is no sin past forgiveness and no difficulty so great that you cannot surmount them. After all, God brought you to Earth to succeed. Whatever challenges you’re meant to encounter, the divine gives you the spiritual tools to succeed. If you have difficult family karma to work out of, maybe you are given extra power to express exceptional patience or a great talent to help you rise above that difficulty. If you have financial karma, maybe you’re given added power to demonstrate a bright keen mind to help you think of ways to bring money in. Whatever it is, you will be given the tools to enhance your natural talents and abilities to work out any difficulty.

You rise above every situation by your attitude. You will not always be in control of the conditions in your life, but you are always in control of how you react and handle those conditions. Spiritually speaking, it’s not what happens to you that matters as much as how you handle what happens. And this is the key to handling any type of karma no matter how severe.

Ultimately, regardless of present conditions, you are earmarked for greatness. You have a glorious destiny. Although you may not fully see the great plan of life, nevertheless you are part of that plan. Let hope live in your heart. Tough times may come but they will also pass and your true destiny will come shining through.

Barbara Y. Martin is an internationally renowned clairvoyant, author, and spiritual teacher. Dimitri Moraitis is an author and executive director of Spiritual Arts Institute. Their award-winning books are in 30 countries and have been endorsed by C. Norman Shealy and Dr. Richard Gerber. www.spiritualarts.org.  Copyright © 2011 Barbara Y. Martin, Dimitri Moraitis

                                                                                                              Barbara and Dimitri will be presenting the event:                                            Karma and Reincarnation

Thursday, September 15th, 7-9pm
$40, includes a copy of Karma and Reincarnation book!
Join us for the celebration book launch workshop! Now for the first time comes Barbara Y. Martin's firsthand account of the intricate world of spiritual rebirth. Martin, along with Dimitri Moraitis reveals the ins and outs of the karmic cycle, and how reincarnation works, based on their new book, Karma and Reincarnation. Discover:
The many types of karma, including money, relationships, career, family, and health
How to face and resolve karmic challenges, and how to build on good karma.
How reincarnation and karma are part of your spiritual growth.
Includes a demonstration of clairvoyant past life readings!
For more information about Barbara and Dimitri, visit spiritualarts.org
This event is being held at our Ferndale location. Call 248-547-2987 to register.
Pre-registration is required - class size is limited.

Finding Neverland....Again

I got an email the other day from a dear friend down in my second hometown of Athens, Georgia. This friend is a former roommate that I lived with for years, and he wanted to ask a question about life here in the big bad Dee-troit. It seems that the rest of the country has an interesting perspective on who we are and what life must be like in up here in the rust belt. And apparently, the fact that I seem pretty damn happy, healthy, and well, un-suicidal, is in direct contradiction with how HORRIBLE things supposedly are around here. His question gave me pause, and made me think about how much of our sense of well-being comes from internal versus external sources. 

When I moved to Athens years ago, I found a magical town where people dressed in costume to go to the grocery store, wore tiaras and opera gloves while waiting on you at the Waffle House, built elaborate sculptures out of bicycle parts and driftwood in their front yards, and threw parties every day of the week, "just because". Naturally, I loved it. When I came back to Detroit, I worried that I wouldn't find that same sense of whimsy and magic that had become such a big part of my life. Boy, was I wrong.

For the most part, the yards around here are a little more manicured, and I haven't spotted any tiaras on waitresses at the local Coney Island, but the spirit and the hearts of the locals around here are just as filled with optimism and a sense of magic as in that quirky southern town. No matter where we are, or what surrounds us, we all find ways to let our inner kids go out and play, even here in the big bad ole' D.

Here’s part of our conversation:

From Mike:
You live in what is reputed to be one the dirtiest, most financially depressed, dilapidated, dangerous, crime ridden, cold, blustery, snowy, cities in the country...BUT SOMEHOW, contrary to all of this, you manage to beam happiness and positivity. In person it exudes from your very existence and presence.
How do you manage this when surrounded by that kind of adversity...? Doesn't it get to you? If you could name one main source (internal or external) that creates that sort of resilience and positivity, what would it be?
Peace Out

My response:

One thing I learned living in and travelling around the gothic south, is that there is beauty in decay.....there is grace in the death of the old....and that a community that caves in on itself is ripe for evolution and re-creation.

That was true of the Athens I found in the late 80s, where a tumbleweed could've blown down Clayton street most days, but just look at Athens now. In some ways I miss the sleepiness of that time/place, and Detroit has a certain sleepy quality, as though the grownups have gone, and all us teenagers are just waking up and making it our playground. 20-somethings are buying property and opening weird and wonderful little business....artists and performers take over entire neighborhoods of empty houses and build stages for live impromptu shows, or a ferris wheel, or some other random act of whimsy.

The Detroit you see is not real, or at least not entirely. The city I live in pulses with a million heartbeats, and sometimes I think I can feel them all beating at once.

So to answer your question, my "one main source" would have to be connection. I try not to isolate, though I do like some alone time. Mostly, though, I am recharged by spending quality time with others, whether through sharing emotional intimacy or physical intimacy. Small talk doesn't work, though it is sometimes crucial to laying the groundwork for deeper connections, and its part of my job. But the deeper I can communicate with someone whose company I truly enjoy, the happier I am.

Yes, I am ridiculously upbeat, which I know annoys some people, but I still have my moments of angst and sarcasm, and occasional schadenfreud. I'm no Pollyanna, but I do keep falling head over heels in love with life and many of the people in it. I have a huge appetite for that kind of thing. Don't get me wrong, I miss the Neverland that is Athens, but there is also a kind of magic up here. After all, we each carry our magic with us.........everything else is just geography, right?

And I'm going to make that my mantra: After all, we each carry our magic with us.........everything else is just geography, right? I may even put that on a tshirt.

How to avoid Psychic Fraud

This is an article that was written by my mom, Carole, years ago, and every once in a while I have a conversation with someone who has recently been victimized, and so I like to re-post this as a reminder. Hope it helps.
-Heatherleigh

Protect yourself from 'psychics' who are more interested in your bank account than your well being. Be wary of practitioners who:

Hesitate to give prices over the phone or don't have a printed price list
Encourage frequent visits such as daily or weekly (they just want more money).
Tell you not to tell any one else about your readings (they're afraid you might be talked out of spending your money).
Try to collect more than the price originally quoted. Never, never, never pay more than the price originally quoted.
Guarantee results--offer 'money back' guarantees.
(Once they have your money, you'll never see it again).
Tell you there is an evil curse on you--and that only they can help you. (It's just not true).
Say they are 99 or 100% accurate (no one is 100% accurate).
Offer to pray for you (light candles, build altars, etc.) for a price. Your prayers and the prayers of family and friends are far more effective.

Such tactics are employed by the unscrupulous. Getting caught in their snares can be costly and emotionally devastating. Protect yourself and others!! The best thing to do is let others know so they won't be taken in by the scammer(s).

1. First, report unscrupulous psychics to local authorities. Call the police, the mayor--whatever it takes to convince the authorities that there is a threat to the public.
2. If there is a local business association or Chamber of Commerce, lodge a complaint with them.
3. Call the Better Business Bureau too.
4. Tell your friends.
5. Be as specific as possible in your complaints. Have names, addresses and dates if possible.

Unscrupulous psychics and con artists of all types count on your feelings of foolishness to protect them. They hope you'll be too embarassed to cause them any trouble. Show them that they are wrong.

Wisdom within the wreckage - Dabbling with divinity in a tea cup

~By Colette Gehr

“Tea is instant wisdom - just add water!”
--- Astrid Alauda

“There is a great deal of poetry and fine sentiment in
a chest of tea.”
--- Ralph Waldo Emerson

One often wonders what secrets could be revealed
within the sodden wreckage of tea leaves left at the
bottom of a ceramic cup and that mystery can be
easily solved with a visit to a spiritualist experienced
in the ancient art of tealeaf reading.

Since my early teens, I have fond memories of
my mother initiating me in this particular tradition,
and I looked forward to the twice-yearly readings she
would bestow upon me. The routine may have always
been the same, with a selection of a special teapot and
cups and certain customs to follow, but the tale of the
cup would be heartwarming and different each and
every time. With great purpose, she would remove
her glasses and peer intently into the remains, taking
immeasurable care to gather the messages left behind
and voice them to me.

Reading for family and friends, she carried on a
practice, passed down from her mother, that was, at
times, chillingly accurate. In one case, she had read
for one of her best friends and not only told her she
was pregnant, but also she was carrying twins. The
woman was astounded as she hadn’t even told her
husband yet and went on to deliver two babies many
months later.

For others as well, a reading can lead to a
restorative journey along with their soothing brew.
“There are people who come to the tea room down
and out and then have a reading after which they
completely turn their life around in a positive way,”
says Carole Navarre, current owner (along with
daughter, Heatherleigh) of the Boston Tea Room in
Wyandotte. “They often return with good news and
thank us for our assistance.”

What initially began as a way to encourage
business for The Nibbler Restaurant, the Boston Tea
Room was created by then-owners Gerre and Phil
Moisson, in the spring of 1982, to accommodate
the growing demand for readings by Massachusetts
native, Rita Moisson. “After dinner, they began
holding Friday night readings. They became so
popular that people began to come in just for readings
and nothing else,” adds Heatherleigh. “Because of
this, they created a special area on the second floor of
the building and named it the Boston Tea Room for
readings of all variations.”

At the time, it was illegal to charge for divination
services so they conjured up a small lunch to
harmonize with the readings. “Things have come
a long way since then, when a lunch and a reading
was only five dollars,” remembers Carole. “To this
day, I still have people commenting on the delicious
chicken salad while reminiscing of the exceptional
readings Aunt Rita gifted them with.”

While the location has moved several times, its
reputation has endured the passage of years and
maintains an eclectic clientele that includes doctors
as well as FBI agents. Readings are generally most
popular with women but currently the numbers of
young adults and men coming through the door are
increasing rapidly. “Interestingly enough, we are
also seeing a trend of couples on a date coming in
for a reading together,” says Heatherleigh.

Awarded many honors along the way, the
Boston Tea Room has been named “Best of
Detroit” by readers of Metro Times, the Free
Press, and Hour Detroit magazine, and is
one of the few establishments statewide to offer
this type of service along with many other benefits
inside its relaxing walls. Due to its popularity, a new
location has recently opened in Ferndale.

Ensconced within an intimate setting in a private
room, clients immediately feel at ease in a happy
bubble of coziness that would lead even the wariest
clients to be open to the surprises that await them.
“I have found that everyone’s reading is unique. I
am often amazed at how diverse the readings can be
with the small canvas you are looking at, and how
much detail you can get from such a small cup,” adds
Heatherleigh. “The most common reaction is surprise
all the way across the board, that in this little brown
mess left in a common cup are secrets about your life
and the world around us.”

Officially known as tasseography, this creative
ritual, which relies on interpreting patterns or
symbols lingering from tea leaves in a cup, may not
be as well known as other divination practices (such
as palm or tarot card readings), but can often be a
deeply insightful experience. While the traditional
practice has maintained certain procedures, the nature
of the method has been modernized in these changing
times. Reading for over 10 years, Rhonda Morgan
of the Boston Tea Room feels the new way is much
more specific. “As long as there are tea leaves, it is
more about the texture than the type of tea,” says
Morgan. “And the modern version requires so much
more psychic talent along with an imaginative mind
in which you can receive much more information in a
reading.”

Beginning with placement of a small amount
of loose tea in a china cup filled slightly with hot
water, the client is asked to swirl the remains as
she wishes and pour the excess liquid out when she
desires. When done with the draining, the cup is
placed upside down on the saucer by the reader for
the client to rotate three complete turns clockwise.
The reader then picks up the cup and articulates the
meanings behind the images she sees and the time
frame (usually within the year) associated with them,
ending the session with any questions the client may
have.

As one of the readers at the tea room, Heatherleigh
comments, “You really have a small window you
are looking into and you have to go beyond that
and connect with the spirit, and find symbols with
meaning to that particular person’s life, and rely more
on intuition. It really takes focus, and connection with
your intuition, to meaningfully read tea leaves.”

However, in performing readings on your own, it
is not recommended that you cut open tea bags and
attempt to read those contents, nor to completely rely
on symbol dictionaries for psychic intervention. “I
feel that you should use caution when using symbol
books as they don’t deal with the modern world,”
says Morgan. “Limit those cheating guidelines and
read from the true images before you.”

Going back as far as ancient Greece, when they
read sediments left in their wine, the practice has
been used for centuries by those seeking remedies
to problems they are encountering --- whether they
are of a physical or spiritual nature. Often passed
down from family to family, the tradition is generally
attributed to Gypsy fortunetellers. In fact, tea leaf
reading has roots within the Middle East, Asia, and
Ireland. “I have a real connection to people who come
from European or Middle Eastern heritages, who are
drawn to an esoteric or more mysterious divinity,”
adds Heatherleigh.

For visitors who question if they, too, have the
same gift to read the contents of a cup, the answer
lies not only within themselves, but can involve class
work as well. “I feel all people have psychic abilities
and whether or not you develop it is up to you. Some
people have stronger intuitiveness than others. Some
are great and some only have an enough talent to
keep them afloat,” adds Morgan, who also teaches
a class in tasseography at the Boston Tea Room.
“Anyone can learn it and if they work at it, they can
become very good. For my classes, to truly be good,
one must practice it. I can only teach a person so
much…the rest has to come from you.”

Tealeaf reading can be a fun and inspiring way
to take note of the messages we may not otherwise
discover. “There is a resurgence of this type of
divination because it is more uniquely specialized,”
says Heatherleigh. “Now people seem to be
embracing it and requesting this type of reading more
often.”

For more information on the Boston Tea Room
and the services they provide, call (734) 281-
2244 in Wyandotte. The phone number for the new
Ferndale location is 248-547-2987.

Colette Gehr is a freelance writer based in
Holland, Michigan. Her poetry was featured in the
Fall 2008 issue of The Crazy Wisdom Journal.

Tarot 101 by Kristy

Often when I am doing a reading people will ask me, what does this card, or that card mean? It’s not really as simple as that. Tarot is a symbolic language. The cards can mean a number of different things depending on where they fall, the surrounding cards,  and, more importantly, what it represents to the reader. This is where the art of reading tarot and true “psychic” abilities comes in. 

The cards tell a story in many different ways. A good reader uses the cards in a way that allows the freedom to draw their own conclusions; like cue cards to help them “tune in” to their own divine source.  Once those channels are open the information just flows. 

A common scenario I experience in my readings is people who are fascinated by and interested in working with tarot themselves. If learning tarot is something you wish to do there are classes offered and a multitude of how to books. There are many tarot decks on the market today. For a beginner this can be very confusing. It is best to just go with what you feel drawn to and take it from there. My best advice is to find a deck and work with it. Books are helpful but working with the text too much can hinder the process.

We all have an intuition and psychic abilities, however, just like any other talent in life some individuals have abilities that are stronger than others. Learning to trust the messages and information can be very tricky at first.

Develop your psychic muscles by doing frequent meditation and finding a form of spirituality that works for you. Meditate on each card. The next step is to practice, practice, practice. Get to know your cards and the images. Practice on friends and family. Journaling your results is extremely helpful.  

We all process information in different ways, so please try different things, and do what works best for you. As a final thought, my favorite approach to accomplishing anything is to BELIEVE you CAN and you WILL. Many people don’t think they are capable and that holds them back. Many blessings and best of luck to you on your journey.

Post by Sue; Wyandotte Shop

     As a reader here at Boston Tea room, I often find myself helping clients deal with difficult situations.  I always try to keep them thinking positive, and help them understand that "Everything happens for a reason."  The reason may be too obscure at first to recognize, but still, it's a TRUTH I believe with all my soul.
     It might be easy to say that, but living and maintaining that attitude is far from easy! Things don't always go as planned, or there's delays, or things might eventually go the total opposite of original intention, yet, it's exactly as the universe intended in the first place. 
      So, find humor in every day life, think positive and know in your heart that everything truly happens as it's supposed to, even though it may not be how we wanted  it.  (It may have been how you needed it.)

~Sue

(Wyandotte)

Getting in Touch With the Divine

Last night I was sitting by the pool here at a resort in Ixtapa, Mexico, with my good friend, Prashant, a hedge fund researcher from Connecticut. Earlier in the evening we'd had a great meal with good friends on the terrace of the main dining room, overlooking the ocean and the waves crashing on the beach below us. Afterward, I had the honor of doing a few Tarot readings at a table on the beach for some lovely people, while the rest of our group danced and mingled, and a few enjoyed some Cuban cigars. Now, though, most everyone had gone to bed, and the conversation had turned to spirituality, as it often does when Prashant and I get to talking. He was telling me a story about some situation he'd recently faced that presented a spiritual challenge. The details aren't important, but what stuck with me was when he described how he had pushed his Higher Power, or god-awareness, away:

"...at that point," he said, describing how he had become immersed in self-will over this issue, "god was no longer in the building, let alone the room with me". Then he paused, took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and amended, "Let me re-phrase that: god had never left. Of course he was there, but I had ceased to acknowledge his presence or direction." It is statements like that one that make me so truly grateful for the gift of Prashant's friendship. And that was when I had my own little "god moment".

I had to take my own centering breath, and say a quiet "thank you" to all the people in my life whom Providence uses as vessels to deliver a message of divine grace and love. Because it is not the waves crashing on the beach that reminds me of this. It is not the gorgeous sunset descending behind the coral island in the middle of the bay. These things are lovely, to be sure, but it is the voice of the person sitting next to me and witnessing these natural beauties, leaning over and whispering in my ear "How blessed we are!", that truly reminds me. My god speaks to me through the people I love, and who love me, and there more of both of those groups than I ever knew was possible. So thank you, to all you messengers of hope, love, and grace, for being present in my life. 

Heatherleigh