Blessings from the Publisher - Maintaining Your Mantra

Blessings and welcome to the first (and only)  Bi-Monthly Voice of Choices. Change is the only constant in life. I remember a poem I wrote in high school about adapting change that seemed to be moving too quickly for comfort.

With all of our ‘instant’ media information options, we always have a choice as to how much of ‘out- there’ we want ‘in here’. Choosing what is ‘too much information’. Turning off the tv, radio or computer - not to plunge our heads into the sand like ostriches, but to allow ourselves quiet time. Time to just be - or even do is important. We often live in constant reaction to what’s going on around us - adding a perception of stress that doesn’t always serve us well.

There are things we do that require alert action and interaction. Meditation while driving might not get you where you want to go safely. Taking some quiet time at home, outdoors or wherever is convenient and soothing to you - assists in honoring ourselves.

Everything is energy. Thoughts are what create our reality. Vibrations of sound and light affect our physsical bodies, emotions and ability to think clearly. The resources which give us up to the minute reports on world events are wonderful inventions. They are tools we can choose to access or not - when we are ready and available to best appreciate their gifts.

We can choose to tap in to every event, whether they be triumphs or tragedies - and then sometimes wonder why exhaustion, depression or a feeling of overwhelm won’t go away. Sometimes people even begin to disconnect from their own lives - finding day to day reality more like a watching a movie as they participate without feeling fulfilled.

So as I type these words - and know that the next blessings I send you will be on-line.... how and what do I share that can assist you in making choices to honor yourself, your needs, your path?

We are living in a time of incredible opportunity. Shifts and changes are occurring on most every level of the environment, finances and world government/politics. With so much going on, our presence and participation in the 3D reality can include anxiety. Strengthening our personal connection with Spirit, finding our way through with a willingness to accept and adapt to change, are key factors in riding the waves of soul level evolution (which may at times feel more like ‘revolution’).

It is with courage that we must find our own center. Our ‘safe-point’ within. In weather patterns like ‘twisters’ there is what is called ‘the eye of the storm’. No weather man can point you to that place and it is constantly moving as Nature’s forces are in constant motion. No book or teacher, healer or minister can give you the blueprint to your personal soul development. It is how we experience, perceive and choose to invest our energy (or not) that determines the level of safety we can experience - regardless of the material world ‘realities’ and situations going on around us.

We have the opportunity, as the dramas being played out around us provide a multitude of new options, to consciously choose what path to take. Will we explore the positive options, seizing the moment to create something new and different? Will we realize that repeating patterns of blame, holding an illusion of past powerlessness, or expecting someone else to ‘fix’ what ails us serves no higher purpose and limits what we can experience?

I have been very aware, that through what has felt like ‘change moving too quickly for comfort’, new and more positive solutions/options are also manifesting at a much faster rate. I watch for and acknowledge the almost constant ‘ahas’ that give me verification that not only am I in the right place at the right time - my thoughts are ‘tuned in’ at a level of awareness that can support my highest good. Lately, it’s been my experience, that an ‘answer’ or alternative can open up almost before I realize there is a need for it.

Man created the concept of time - to organize events. Hours, days, weeks and years are our system to keep track of and to schedule the future. Yet life is composed entirely of the ‘now’ - one moment at a time. As we shift into a more cosmically conscious reality, try being open to ‘catch and release’ immediately. In other words - and because words set the tone and intention for our next now moment experience - Letting go of what we percieve as not working - and doing it now - even as we’ve just ‘hooked the fish’ - can open our ability to ‘catch’ a more appropriate experience.

What does this have to do with ‘Maintaining Your Mantra’?
Self talk. Reminding ourselves we are spiritual beings in a physical, human form. Finding our center within any outward reality that brings a ‘storm’ or wave of major change. Finding faith and trust in the process rather than staying stuck in the details which lock us into a mindless repetition of what we don’t want.

I’ve started working with a ‘new’ to me mantra. Words of blessing and invocation to Lakshmi - Goddess of Prosperity and Wealth. Starting on a Friday - and with a strand of beads in my hands to keep track of ‘how many’ ( like the concept behind Rosary beads) ‘Om Navah Maha Lakshmi Namah’ is the chant - 108 times daily. Since my beads have another 47 on the strand, I finish with 47 Nam Myoho Renge Kyos - Calling for and accepting Divine Right Order.

There are many prayers from many spiritual traditions. Finding one that speaks to your innermost desires and beliefs, then devoting time to focusing on it’s message connects you solidly to your soul self.

I will be posting more prayers and mantras at www.voiceofchoices.org.

I also intend to offer more articles available online - between the printed copies of Voice of Choices available once every two months.

Our environment needs our support. This new format will honor those who choose to explore MORE Choices - and continue to put a printed copy in the hands of those not online.

A re-design of the website will make it easier to read individual articles.
The possibility of an email ‘E-Zine’ is being considered. I receive much more information each month than I’ve ever been able to print in hard copy. The internet can provide an alternative - give you more of what you love about Voice of Choices - and we will all be taking a huge step as we ‘walk our talk’ by truly making conscious choices to ‘be the change we want to see in the world’. Should any of the above change - new information will be available on the website.

You can contact me at info@voiceofchoices.org to set up advertising online and in-print. It is the revenue from that advertising that covers the costs and allows Voice of Choices to continue sharing life-changing articles and inspiration. I also welcome your questions and articles at that email address.

Blessings in all your choices, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, Om Naveh Maha Lakshmi Namah and Mahalo,

Kathy ‘Whyte Wynde’ Lowden

JULY 08- Freedom
Aloha and Blessings - Welcome to the July Voice of Choices. Each month features articles I trust will offer ideas to consider, tools you can use and insight into the concept that we are indeed all connected.

In addition, each month contains a common thread or underlying ‘theme’ which is based loosely on the celebrations, holidays and current issues many of us will explore during that month.

It’s kind of funny, last night I submitted ‘the final copy’ via email. Tucked neatly into the print company’s ftp site, all the files for the advertisements, pictures and articles you’ll see on these pages. My monthly ritual - I call it ‘that time of the month’ - deadline has ‘loomed’ and been met. Yet, as all the files are transferred and I compose the email addressed to the graphics department and the Voice of Choices’ print rep, the message is amost always the same. "Please wait to send my proof". I ask them to get started and then interfere with the expedient progress by asking they go only so far in the production process. You might wonder why. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to give someone a project they can only take so far. And yet over the years I’ve discovered that the words which make up this article - the Blessings from the Publisher - seem almost to require that the pressure of deadline, the timing of getting it all done and sending to the printers, be in the past, finished, completed.... before inspiration can make it through.

This month fits that description. Up late last night, and not so restful sleep as I wondered which words would be the best words to share with you this month of July 2008.

Freedom. The foundation upon which our country was built; the tapestry which has woven together the lives of so many desiring the opportunity to meet each day in the way they choose.

My mother used to tell me ‘look it up’ when I’d ask the definition of a word. So, from dictionary.com is the following: 1. Freedom, independence, liberty refer to an absence of undue restrictions and an opportunity to exercise one’s rights and powers. Freedom emphasizes the opportunity given for the exercise of one’s rights, powers, desires, or the like: freedom of speech or conscience; freedom of movement. Independence implies not only lack of restrictions but also the ability to stand alone, unsustained by anything else: Independence of thought promotes invention and discovery. Liberty, though most often interchanged with freedom, is also used to imply undue exercise of freedom.

Would that include ‘freedom’ to make mistakes? How about ‘freedom’ to fail? ‘Freedom’ to choose new approaches when old habits or answers create ‘a diferent kind of result than we were desiring? You notice I used the words fail and mistakes- not my usual vocabulary. Yet, in the throes of summer which on the medicine wheel is the direction of the south, it is the coyote who guides us. The trickster, as he is often referred to, can offer us the ‘medicine’ of misdirection. After all, what better way to know where we want to be (or at least getting clear that ‘this here and now is not what we want to continue) than when we are ‘off track’. (oops how can we be off track if everything is perfect??) Ok, another of coyote’s specialties is humor so let’s try this again.

Can you think of a time in your life or situation that, once you’d moved through the lessons you realized the value you wouldn’t have asked for? For many of us thinking back and finding at least one example is not too dificult. Can you ‘re-frame’ that situation and discover the nugget of blessing you would have missed without it? Can you go a step farther and see the incentive for growth or change it offered? That’s Mr. Coyote. Kind of like the 6 lane freeway. You’re in the far left lane and the sign says your exit is 1/2 mile away - and on the right - at rush hour - and all the cars are going about 20 miles an hour - and every lane is bumper to bumper.

Ok, so where was I going with this? Hey - it’s barely 6 AM and my brain’s a bit foggy - hang in there and we’ll find our way to my point.

Freedom, coyote medicine, mistakes... now I remember. In 2001 I handed a flyer to each participant at my weekly reiki circle. The information on it spoke of one’s personal responsibility in their own healing process. It also shared concepts about the ethics of asssisting others in their healing process. Some were calling themselves ‘healers’ when in fact we ‘facilitate’ and assist . I was also concerned with the attitude still found within the ‘healing community’ which finds it appropriate to ‘send healing’ to recipients who have not asked for it. Remember Star Trek’ and the ‘Prime Directive’? Without delving deeply into the specifics - look it up if you feel the desire.

When we send healing, protection, or an energetic blessing without permission are we interfering with the person’s freedom? Are we implying that somehow we know what is ‘right’ for another’s highest good? Where is the line between a well-meant prayer and creating an energy which could shift their reality ... for the ‘better’? Years ago a friend of mine asked us to STOP sending her white light. It was keeping her awake at night and her healing process required sleep and although she knew the energy was sent with love, the result was not helpful.

Freedom, yes freedom. Your right to move forward on your personal path - in the manner you feel best serves you. And with that freedom you can also make a new choice - as it becomes appropriate - for you and there are many who can assist in that process - just ask.

Blessings in all your choices, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo & Mahalo

Kathy ‘Whyte Wynde’ Lowden

P.S. - Check out this month’s articles- who knows, maybe there’s something important. And - hey, if you can help me create a blog for www.voiceofchoices.org get in touch - let’s create discussions that support and celebrate excercising our freedom and enjoying our best life!

June 08 - Natural Magick
Hello and Blessings! Welcome to Voice of Choices’ June issue. Yes, it’s almost summer. Ok you there on Maui, grinning because it’s always summer... remember what is what like to experience the seasons somewhere else. It’s been almost a year since I moved back to the Seattle area and I’ll be very happy when my body readjusts to it’s native climate zone - and the variety of weather 4 seasons include.

Summer officially starts on the 21st of June, the Summer Solstice. Celebrations of the longest day of the year appear in many traditions around the world and throughout history. Magic is a common theme associated with midsummer’s eve. And what exactly is magic?

I spent a couple of months working at Moonflower Magicks in Everett - and the opportunity to describe ‘magic’ was an almost daily occurence.. I found myself at a loss for words (yes, I really did) many times. How does one describe the energy that defies our society’s common held beliefs about reality? What exactly defines magic and can be universally understood.

I had a bit of fun when people would come in asking for something that would ‘do’ whatever they were trying to achieve. “What do you have that will ______” “ I need something to ________.”
It got to the point where I would (occasionally and after apologizing profusely for the sarcasm) suggest that if everything in the store would ‘do something’ - I’d be invisible, bouncing off the walls, sitting in a bathtub full of cash, sharing an embrace with the the partner of my dreams, or..... well you get the idea.

So we have magic. From Webster’s online:
Etymology: Middle English magique, from Middle French, from Latin magice, from Greek magike, feminine of magikos Magian, magical, from magos magus, sorcerer, of Iranian origin; akin to Old Persian maguš sorcerer Date: 14th century
1 a: the use of means (as charms or spells) believed to have supernatural power over natural forces b: magic rites or incantations
2 a: an extraordinary power or influence seemingly from a supernatural source b: something that seems to cast a spell : enchantment
3: the art of producing illusions by sleight of hand

And the following, by Pythagoras in ‘The Goetia of the Lemegeton of King Solomon’.
“Magic is the Highest, most absolute, and most Divine Knowledge of natural philosophy, advanced in its works and wonderful operations by a right understanding of the inward and occult virtue of things; so that true Agents being applied to proper Patients, strange and admirable effects will thereby be produced.
Whence magicians are profound and diligent searchers into Nature; they, because of their skill, know how to anticipate an effect, which to the vulgar shall seem to be a miracle.”

So what ‘IS’ magick? A working definition that can be applied to everyday life might be something like this: Using all that we know to be true, (and that which is being researched and finding validity in the scientific community even if not yet accepted by the general public), tools both seen and unseen, faith, intention and attention, to create something which seems to be beyond common occurence. (Who said that?) Sometimes magick is literally nothing more than a shift in perception.

Are you willing to take a walk on the wild side? Can you wrap your mind around the fact that you, yes you, are a magician with the ability to transform your world? I trust you feel the truth in that statement. Voice of Choices would not exist if thousands of readers didn’t have some hope that, as stewards of their reality, they could effect changes in their experience far beyond what mainstream media allows them to expect.

This month’s articles are reminders of the indwelling ‘magickal’ power we all posess. The key is to consciously apply the tools which unlock our innate abilities. Holy moley, unlock our potential - reach our goals - experience the results of using our God/dess given gifts????? What’s next? A rabbit out of a hat?

Magick for entertainment is fun. Working with the art of Magick as we create our lives can be fulfilling. I invite you to enjoy this month’s articles. Guy Finley discusses Awakening our Attention - and realizing what we create in our mind is what we create in our life. Feather Jones Walks with Fairies and Plant Devas to share a journey you can explore further at the Fairy Congress June 27-29 in Washington State. This year’s presenters include R.J. Stewart, Orion Foxwood and Corby Ingold - more info at www.FairyCongress.com. You can also join Feather on her wild plant walk in Sedona at the Raw Spirit Fest - www.RawSpiritFest.com in September. Margaret Ann Lembo introduces you to crystals, chakras and colors.... information and tools you may choose to employ for ‘magickal’ (remember it means something which appears to be a miracle) results. She’ll be sharing her wisdom in Bellingham, Seattle, Portland and Astoria the 3rd-10th of June visit www.TheCrystalGarden.com for more information.

Father’s Day is June 15th. Remember to honor ‘Dad’ and the gifts he’s shared with you. Just like Moms, sometimes the blessings we recieve/d from our father are challenges providing us growth opportunity. Hey, he’s human too - what do you expect?

Honoring my father is easy. I do it daily, talking to him and sharing a smile as I remember his laugh. Interesting to consider that, as a commercial fisherman, the boat he owned in Alaska was named ‘Magic’ and his sailboat in Sequim ‘Magic Too’. And he didn’t understand my definition at all! While I miss him daily, somehow I feel he’s closer to me now than ever. (would that be magic?) So to all of those Spirit Dads - we love you and thank you for your ongoing support.

Magick..... Magyk.....Magic! However you spell it, Summer Solstice is the time of year when it’s afoot! Enjoy!
Blessings in all your choices, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
How can it get even better than this?
Kathy ‘Whyte Wynde’ Lowden

 

May '08 - How Can it Get Even Better Than This? 
Living in the Question
Aloha and Happy May from magnificent Marysville Washington! Thank you for picking up Voice of Choices- the only ‘locally owned and operated publication of its kind’ reaching like minded souls --- whether they live in Washington, Sedona, Maui or find their copy on the internet. Our readers are thrilled with the practical application information included in each article; thousands of lives have been touched with the insights and inspiration in each issue.
And I have to ask....’How can it get even better than this?’

As a publisher I receive what we call ‘blind submissions’- articles from authors around the globe, books on a variety of subjects, and artwork from gifted artists. Last month I received a book with simple tools for directing energy work that is changing my life.
Being human, I sometimes feel the ‘value added’ concept of
publishing ‘big name’ author’s work that has been deftly written to serve as advertising rather than offering you, the reader something tangible you can ‘work with’ is unfair to those who pay for advertising. I’ve tried to figure out why those who have created financial success for themselves believe someone else should pay to promote their work. The book I received in the mail was given the same response as the rest - “Voice of Choices doesn’t print book reviews”. A new paradigm of CHOICE rather than opinion allows for you, the reader, to sample an author’s work and decide for yourself the level of it’s relevence and value to YOU.

Thankfully I was given permission to excerpt anything I chose from ‘Talk to the Animals - an extraordinary conversation” by Dr. Dain Heer and Gary M Douglas. It’s ‘good stuff’ and the refreshing concept that I would be trusted to print what I felt would serve you best - awesome. You’ll find the most potent ingredient of their recipe for healing on page 15. And if you choose to buy the book the details it includes are excellent for working with both animals and people.

In the emails back and forth between their publicist/assistant and myself I kept seeing a sentence that intrigued me. “How can it get even better than this?” Curious as to the reason for what felt a bit like it could be sarcasm, I visited their website at www.accessconsciousness.com and discovered the phrase’s intention. WOW!

Ok, so I’m going to fall back on astrology again for a moment here. Almost 50 years living the life of a ‘virgo rising’ (and your rising sign is said to be what your soul is ‘becoming’ in this life) has been spent ‘figuring out’ the how, why, where, when, who and filling in the details for best possible results. I’ve thinked and planned my way through each new opportunity..... with results that stayed within the humanly limiting boundaries of what I could conceive. Gee - maybe there’s another way? Ya Think? Who knows.

What if, as my daughter believes.... we’re just not smart enough to know what ‘runs’ the universe. And what if there are answers, pathways, gifts and blessings beyond our capability to understand. Well if there is - I guess I’d like to employ that energy to assist in creating the bless’d possible outcome, in every area of life.

So ‘How can it get even better than this?’
I really should have caught on to the concept 4 years ago. As my intuition told me there was a bit of a ‘shift’ in my primary personal relationship a dear friend suggested I ask ‘what is the truth of this relationship?’ Her recommendation was to wait for the answer and be aware that the first or immediate ‘response’ might not be as accurate as the ‘AHA’ that would come ‘soon’. Hmmm, that would be the next day when I saw another woman driving my car and realized that my husband did not have the same level of interest in our marriage as I did. Ouch! And Thank You dear ‘universe’ for the guidance to be where I could get the visual answer to a question of such importance.

Nope, I didn’t get it then. Solutions, logic, plans, ideas and all the ‘real world’ practical steps and details have been my forte’. Sure they have. Gee, if you’ve been reading this column for a while you (and 35,000 others) have been privvy to the results of all that effort.

Maybe living in the question - without placing limiting parameters could better accomplish my highest and greatest good. After all if we, as humans, don’t have the capacity to fathom the ‘All That Is’
‘putting it in God’s hands’ could produce some pleasant results.. and a few incredible surprises along the way.

I guess, (darn it) I don’t have all the answers. That would be why this magazine is called Voice of Choices - not ‘Here’s YOUR answers’. And that would be why the articles on these pages are not allowed to claim they have YOUR answers. You read them, you’ll find out for yourself if the information is appropriate for you.

How will you know? Just ask. Pay attention to your response. Sometimes it’s a mental or emotional feeling and occasionally it’s a real, physical reaction. BTW - did you know the Hawaiian Mana Cards have a card named ‘GUT’..... as in pay attention to your gut feeling. As holistic beings our body, mind and spirit are connected... who said that?

How can it get even better than this? The Thursday before my May deadline I still had no cover image. Through fitful sleep my brain tried to figure out ‘what to do’. One idea, well since it is the Mother’s Day issue... maybe a child’s drawing. Next thought - gee I wonder if I have one of my daughter’s drawings that would work. Right - after moving to Maui and back, then 4 more moves in this last year... not likely. Ok - so where do I find a peice of kid’s artwork, get permission ... yadda yadda yadda in time for the Sunday night file transfers. Go back to sleep. Sure. With no cover.

On Friday it snowed - the 18th of April and 3 inches of snow. Tried calling Karissa, my daughter, no answer. Another attempt at bedtime.... checking in to make sure she was ‘home safe’ - no answer. No worries and little sleep. The return call from her Saturday morning shifted my thinking again. How can it get even better than this? Seems that on Thursday she had an inspiration to draw.
An incredible artist, her focus has been on other things and it was
all I could do to keep from immediately rushing over to her house to see her latest image - untitled and referred to as ‘Mother’s Day Angel’.

How can it possibly get even better than this? Living in the question. God only knows and life is filled with endless possibilities when we ‘Celebrate Life.... With Spirit!’.

Blessings in all your choices and Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Kathy ‘Whyte Wynde’ Lowden

Embracing Your Truth
April '08
Aloha and blessings.... from Marysville, WA. Welcome to Voice of Choices! So glad you ‘picked us up’. Embracing Your Truth. What does that mean? How do we focus on the gifts and accept the challenges?

Each of us has our own interpretation of life which may or may not match up with ‘Truth’ as accepted or experienced by others. Our brains can process just a small fraction of the hundreds of thousands of bits of information ‘happening’ in each second. AND those bits that find no connection in our reality/perception and go by seemingly unnoticed. This could give credence to the idea that we are indeed living an illusion. We can never have the entire picture of all that transpires in each moment - we are aware of those things we do perceive because there is some common connector within our personal consciousness.

And now for the yearly telling of how it all started. Heard it before? I’ll add some new details to make it interesting. Each year, this being the beginning of the 8th, I look back to the Reiki circle in Duvall. Held outdoors, in an incredible stone circle/medicine wheel - I created a fold-over flyer to share the importance played by the individual in their own healing. The soul’s path has a variety of experiences on it’s journey through life. Healing can be facilitated, mentored and guided by others; it is the individual that actually does the healing.

As I sat, ready to create the bulletin for the week, a voice just above my left ear said ‘bigger’. I added another sheet of paper and the response was ‘bigger’. OK - must be a lot of information to share this week - I added a 3rd peice of paper. Dang - there it was again ‘bigger’. A 4th sheet of paper, the same voice insisting ‘bigger’ and it seemed the obvious question was ‘how big are we talking here?’ The answer, was something I will never forget - and am just beginning to understand. With a kind of humorous taunting, as if I wouldn’t appreciate full disclosure, was ‘Not going to tell you’. That was 7 years ago.

If this is the first issue you’ve read - you’ve missed alot. ( Stop by TruHealth in Mill Creek and you’ll find most issues from the last 5 years. Moonflower Magicks in Everett has copies of the last 12 months) I truly cannot comprehend how much incredible information has reached so many people by way of 84 issues of Voice of Choices. Sometimes I’m tempted to ‘take a vacation’ and put together an entire issue with some of the best articles. If I were to do that it would probably require at least 10 issues to come close to re-introducing the ‘best/bless’t’ of VoC. Or how about a book? Hmmm.

Not too long ago I did the math. Using the numbers as we’ve grown and not even accounting for those who photo-copy a page or two and pass it around .... the number of lives touched by Voice of Choices is in the millions.

Here I am, living in a little cottage (dern - I did call it a cottage industry) with my dog, my crystals and a couple of rabbit ears on top of my tv - and thousands of lives are touched directly by what I have chosen as a path in life.

If that’s not incredible.... I don’t know what is. Just another ‘somebody’ - I’ve always said that it’s by working with the concepts in VoC that the magazine continues to grow.

The dream - it’s rekindled as I lay in bed each night and again on waking in the morning.
1.Nam Myoho Renge Kyo - Calling for and accepting Divine Right Order.
2. This is the night/ day that everything supporting myself and Voice of Choices is available - as it always is.
3. I love you, I am sorry, please forgive me, Thank You. A Hawaiian Ho’oponopono concept which moves beyond affirmations to assist in shifting non-productive energy.

Joe Vitale writes about Ihaleakala Hew Len, PhD’s success in healing an entire mental ward in ‘ZERO LIMITS - The Secret Hawaiian System for Wealth, Health, Peace and More’. Dr. Len never met a single patient. What he did do was spend time reviewing each person’s chart, meditating on ‘I love You, I am Sorry, Please forgive me and Thank You’ with the knowing that there was something within himself that assisted in creating the patient’s expression of ‘dis- ease’.

According to Mr. Vitale - and I quote him loosely - ‘The intellect working alone can’t solve problems... it only manages’. When you do Ho’oponopono Divinity takes the painful thought and neutralizes or purifies it. You’re not purifying the person, place or thing -but the energy you associate with it. Something wonderful happens. The energy gets released. Buddhists call it the Void and the final step is allowing the Divinity to come in and fill the Void with light.”

Back to Embracing Your Truth. There are a myriad of tools which assist on your personal path. Pamm Horbit shares concepts about that variety in ‘Transformation Tools - Variety and Validation . Kasara helps identify healthy foods which support your optimum health. Carol Barbeau brings her expertise to the April Astro Influences. This month also features articles which expand on Voice of Choices’ usual content.

In this 8th year of publishing I ask for your input, your suggestions and preferences; what most interests you? What subjects will serve you best in Embracing Your Path? Help me choose the ongoing direction for VoC so it continues it’s mission to assit you in ‘Creating Your Bless’d Life’. You’ll still get those helpful, practical application exercises and samples. Articles may go more into explaining modalities and insight from authors - and continue to downplay advertising type promotion or opinions that suggest what you should choose. Your choices are your responsibility.

A quick trip to the website will reveal new opportunities for supporting VoC. There is no requirement for authors to buy advertising as with some publications. Authors can submit articles via email in word.doc format and know that their work is chosen based on quality and content. You can ‘share you blessings’ by donating any amount you choose to help cover publishing and distribution costs. You can also choose to sponsor a non-profit organization’s promotion or distribution to an out-of -area location..... all with a click of the PayPal button online.

I’ve also added the option to pay for your classified or enhanced classified ad or an online banner link to your website - again through Paypal online.

If your skills include building an online shopping cart or setting up a ‘blog’ - I’d love to hear from you. Those are skills I’ve not yet mastered and would love to add to VoC’s website.

Seven years - magickal and filled with blessings. Embracing my path has been filled with almost daily miracles. Voice of Choices is like a living, breathing entity - much like a child. My choice to steward its growth continues with renewed comittment and joy. I trust that the gifts you receive by reading it’s pages will continue to inform and inspire.
Blessings in all your choices and Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Kathy ‘Whyte Wynde’ Lowden

March  2008 - Now is the Time
Welcome to Voice of Choices - Blessings to you on your personal path. It has been interesting putting this issue together. The general theme I wanted to explore was holding our faith and moving forward, even as challenge reappears to test our resolve. Moving into the new patterns and strengthening new habits with resolve that ‘Yes We Can’...‘Yes I Can’.

Voice of Choices focuses on personal development and empowerment. Sharing tools to assist you in creating your ‘bless’d life’. It is with these tools that each of us can then create and be the change we want to see in the world. On extremely rare occasions in the seven years of publishing have I allowed my personal ‘political’ opinion to find its way into these pages. Political choices must be made on an individual basis that is appropriate and relevant to you.

Whether we agree with the full political ‘story’ being created as our country begins the decision making process which will set our collective course over the next few years, there is new energy finding it’s way into the ring. One cannot ignore the eloquence of a candidate who echos the Dreams of Dr. King or speaks to renewing Hope, Reuniting a country torn by corporate politics and honoring the diversity of our One Nation.

This is not a debate on who can best fulfill the role of President. I would no sooner suggest that you should support a specific candidate than tell you what to eat for breakfast. AND at the same time it is becoming more and more obvious that there is much in our world begging for change; So much room to improve our environment, industry, healthcare system and food production.

We have to be able to believe - to see a possibility - to work towards the reality that improvement can be accomplished.

Did you ever watch ‘The Never Ending Story’ A wonderful children’s movie featuring a main character who’s reaction to the story as he read it (and lived it) created the outcome. While struggling in quicksand it was only through holding onto faith and hope that he could escape and continue on.

Mainstream media is rife with negativity.... now don’t get me wrong, I’m totally aware of ‘the state of our world’. Yet, if this is indeed all an illusion then we must hold the vision of a far greater experience and work toward creating it.

“Nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.” Your voice is one of them - please use it as you feel most appropriate.

Blessings in all your choices, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and Mahalo,
Kathy ‘Whyte Wynde’ Lowden

 

Feb '08 - Amazing Grace
Welcome, Welcome, Welcome!!
What a glorious life with so many choices. I’m glad you’ve chosen to pick up Voice of Choices. This month features some great articles with awesome practical application tools you may find helpful as you create your ‘bless’d’ life!

This Valentine’s Day my intention is to let those I love know how important they are to me. I cherish the love, connecting to that part of my heart which creates joy. Amazing Grace streaming from source straight to the heart. Grace that empowers with acceptance, forgiveness and support through all experiences.
In 1993 I chose to explore life in Sedona, AZ. While family wondered at this decision, there was nothing that could stop me from following through. Several months working for a tour company gave me the opportunity to train for the position of guide/driver on the Medicine Wheel and Vortex tours. Freshly attuned to first level Reiki, I included brief energy sessions in the smudgings as we walked the sacred land. It wasn’t long bef ore I began making prayer fans, crystal wands and other power pieces... guided soley (souly?) by intuition and the creativity which continued to increase as I spent time in some of nature’s most incredible power spots. By 1996 I was a Reiki Master passing attunements to my students.... at Sedona’s vortices.

Returning to the Pacific NW in 1997 - it would be 4 years working in mainstream employment before my prayers were answered and I was ‘allowed to do what I feel I came ‘here’ to do’.

The stone circle in Duvall contained rocks and crystals signifying the energies of the four directions. The old massage table was perfect - set in the very center of the wheel, our reiki circle was a bit unique... never mind the neighbor who showed up with a black cat and the comment ‘it must be yours’. More power pieces, unique transformational tools honoring and employing the energies of the tree, mineral, animal and bird kingdoms innately and intuitively infused with sacred intention found their way into being. My time was shared with my daughter and beloved Shelties.

Then it was off to Maui - sounds almost like a vacation doesn’t it?
And connecting the ‘dots’ continued. Amazing Grace allowing or might I say forcing shifts in my perception. Old attitudes, no longer of service to my highest good needed to be reworked. And it came to pass. (no where in the Bible does it ever say it came to stay). Two and a half years of ... growth... much of it you read about here. Then back to Washington and a speed course in ‘relocation’ including more practice than I would have preferred has put me back in paradise. Sedona? Maui? Ahhhh, you must remember how much I love my daughter - and she is here, in Everett.

Paradise? An amazing 4.5 acre property just outside Marysville.
A place that equals the spiritual energy and power of Sedona, and matches Maui’s Manna with a grounded strength which is creating a response within me I could not have imagined. The circle outside my door will be ‘my’ wheel. A garden ringed by stones allowing me once again to celebrate the Amazing Grace of Spirit - through energy sessions, transformational tools, Medicine Wheel Readings and Sacred Journeys. And then there’s the Sacred Cedar Grove.....right Here at ‘home’.

It’s been an incredible journey. Thank you to so many who have played such important parts, I am truly blessed and grateful. In each moment I honor my connection to Spirit - and am excited as Voice of Choices grows ever stronger reaching more minds hungry for inspiration.

And thank you to Carolyn . Her generous contribution to Voice of Choices funded the laptop computer which is now the business hub for VoC. The desktop computer decided it wanted a ‘long winters’ nap’and Thanks to Carolyn - I was able to stand strong at the time of challenge and accept the situation -
Blessings, blessings, blessings!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Kathy ‘Whyte Wynde’ Lowden

 

January 2008 - Happy New Year!

Aloha and Blessings in this Grand New Year. While each and every day offers us opportunity to create what we desire, it is at the beginning of a New Year when we may find our focus on improved intentions.
This month’s articles feature several excellent practical tools you may choose to use as you venture into the conscious creation of your New Year. Each holds a key to assist you in unlocking your full potential, moving into all you desire to be with renewed joy.
There is a point where we may look at what we have created and wonder how or why the details have become so much different than we desired.
As it is so eloquently described in ‘Ka Hana Pono’ a book of wisdom anddivination cards you can find out more about at http://KaHanaPono.Tripod.com

“In the word there is life - in the word there is death. We create our own realities. We are so powerful, every word we say, every thought we think is life giving or death dealing. In Pono, we own our power- the power to choose.

Connie Rios, Auntie Kaikilani Oyama, Auntie Mahealani Kuamo’o-Henry and Auntie Luana Smith share Hawaiian wisdom in this set of tools I’ve found to unparalleled in it’s relevance to my life.

This morning, unsure what to share with you as we all begin the journey of a new year, I asked again for guidance. The cards I’d like to share with you are simple. Their concepts have been written about,exalted in song, made into movies and dvds and not just in the last few years- since the ‘Great I AM’ created this vast reality with the utterance of ‘words’.

Card #26- Ka mea nana i hana - ‘Creator’. The Creator is YOU. Yes that’s right YOU. The card’s name means creator. The words themselves mean ‘creation of the thing looked to’. Encoded in the Hawaiian language is the value system of the ancients. Their understanding, their take on us as ‘uhane nui’ - creatures of spirit greatness - is that we are powerful creators. We can create anything- and we create (through our thoughts and emotions) whatever we ‘look to’.

The caution is contained in the words - whatever we look to, focus on, is what we create. That doesn’t just mean ‘what we want’ or ‘what’s in our best interest’ or for our highest good - it means whatever we look to. The thing we look to is the thing we get.

So you will not hear of the blessings presented in what has been a personal journey for me through the last 6 months. I have always put a positive spin on my stories with the intention of sharing a nugget of inspiration..... and the storytelling has created a ‘frequency’ that is not working for me.

I have discovered, that the rewards received from this story telling have not created my desires. As a strong, independant and intelligent human being I have been blessed with lessons requiring me to accept the gifts of being humble, relying on the generosity of others and relinquishing the control of the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ with new found gratitude.

I am not sure how to shift into the frequency and experience I prefer. I know that ‘as Creator’ the tools are within me. Voice of Choices began as a newsletter for a Reiki Circle held at my home ---- in the middle of a medicine wheel. And as I tell that ‘story’ I now find myself living on sacred ground with a medicine wheel in my front yard.

An underlying reason for the newsletter was to share an important truth often unvocalized by those who label themselves ‘healers’. We are all healers. And our personal healing is an ’inside job’. There are many who can assist us. Special souls who can facilitate, guide, console, inspire and share in the healing journey. And it is still only ‘me’ or ‘you’ who can choose to shift into a frequency of health, prosperity and joy.

I do not know what the future holds. Tarot cards and divination tools offer clarity of the ‘now’ - details we can use to create the future ..... and in each moment a simple choice can redirect our energy into a new expression of the now moment after this one.

I’ve heard it said that our horoscope chart, with so much more information than just a sun sign - holds the energies which give us our greatest experiences. Actually it was described as ‘lessons’ - and the word ‘lesson’ somehow carries a frequency or vibration of challenge. My personal skills and talents are in communication. I desire to assist others by acting as a ‘messenger’. I am becoming clearer in disassociating myself with the outcome of delivering the messages.

I want to heal the world - and yet the world must want to heal and it is inappropriate to offer what is not asked for. You are reading this - so ‘you asked for it’ - and have your free will to use information however you choose. Please remember - it is your focus - your thoughts - your attachment to the rewards within your chosen creation that moves you forward into 2008.

Rewards can be an interesting set of circumstances we might think we would not consciously choose. Being sick may create love, attention and assistance one might not otherwise receive from others. Accepting that someone may consciously or unconsciously desire these rewards without having a driving ‘need’ to ‘heal’ that which we deem ‘broken/afflicted/sick’ is honoring that person’s soul path. At the same time we can choose the level at which we want to be involved with those whose ‘frequency’ is incompatible with our own.

I trust you will walk with intention and focus, joy and wisdom into each day of this new year. My blessing for you is that you enjoy the rewards of your focus, finding your way to all that you desire - in this and every moment.

Blessings in all your choices, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and Mahalo
Kathy ‘Whyte Wynde’ Lowden Blessings from the Publisher -


December '07 - The Gift of Community

Welcome to Voice of Choices - the premier publication reaching like-minded people in the Greater Seattle, Sedona and Maui communities. Creating Community.... what does that mean to you? Our children have their school community. Many people have a specific church they attend - finding comraderie with like spirited folks who share set religious beliefs. There are communities formed with similar political opinions, young people, retired folks, and even people who share physical, mental or emotional challenges. Who supports the creation of community within the holistic lifestyle?

As life continues to send members of families on paths not always in-synch with relatives - or jobs direct us to new locales far from home, where do we find that space to share ourselves with the comfort of acceptance, friendship and support?

For many, our unique or even ‘outside’ the box belief systems define who we are. I know as I allow guidance to assist me in finding my new office and living space I’m realizing just how much of me is just a few shades different than average. Through the 6.5 years I’ve been publishing VoC it has been my intention to assist individuals, practitioners and businesses in the creation of what I refer to as their ‘blest’ life. Giving Voice in print and online to important information that can be instrumental in personal empowerment, spiritual satisfaction and individual evolution - VoC’s articles contain information which is truly changing lives.

Each time I’m at an event or retail shop which stocks VoC I am amazed at the response from readers. “The information in Voice of Choices saved my life” said a woman from Bellingham. “I send a copy to my daughter each month - she’s thrilled with the information” a lady in Kent told me. Others come up to me in tears, with hugs and incredible stories of just how ‘perfectly’ each issue addresses things going on in their life. “I feel like you put it together just for me.” I’ve heard many times.

Voice of Choices is a ‘Bridge’ between mainstream choices which have not created what we expected and a life empowered with the acceptance of ‘miracles’. A pathway for the ‘now age’ paved with easy to understand guidance and inspiration shared in the spirit of empowering individuals who can then create intentional community.

This issue is dedicated to all our advertisers. They are not just ‘holding the vision’ - they are literally giving you this resource called Voice of Choices. It is through their advertising that you are receiving the blessings you thank me for. As ‘mainstream’ shifts we can find chemically created ‘aromatherapy products’ in the laundry soap aisle at Safeway. We can buy our books at Costco or Amazon. We have choices and our choices create outcomes. The local retailer who stocks healthy, natural products along with the crystals, tarot cards and feng shui items you can’t find at the chain stores.... desires to serve you. It is by your choice of purchasing products and services from them that they can be there for you. It’s simple business- they support you by being there - and your energy makes it possible for them to flourish and serve you best. In not so positive terms - HELLO out there- since we want quality, informed salespeople and community resources.... it is in our best interest to support and do business with them.

Since birthing VoC I’ve seen many businesses choose to find more lucrative endeavors. Resources untapped drain the pocketbooks of those offering them. AND the grocery stores are filled with ‘junk’ masquerading with misleading labels. As you celebrate the holidays, whatever your tradition, you can choose to ‘thank’ the advertisers who’s ad dollars have brought you Voice of Choices.

Did you know production, printing and distribution costs are thousands of dollars a month? The best way to thank and support our advertisers? Stop in, check them out, mention you saw their ad and buy something. Each purchase is a vote supporting their goal to support you in your evolution and growth.

That’s what’s great about your local ‘now age’ shop. They stock the wares and hold the space for you to make your choices. At Vision Quest in Everett there is a lovely oak round table - with goodies to nibble on, a deck of cards and almost always a sweet soul to talk to. Judy McAllister provides a space for classes, events and readings - in addition to a well stocked store filled with tools for your transformation and empowerment.

Heather and Anthony Beck went all out when they purchased the Arlington Methodist Episcopal church built in 1898. Permits, remodelling and a lot of focused intention have created ‘Mirkwood’ and the Shire Cafe’where you can enjoy a quality vegetarian meal, play a game of pool, shop for great gifts and hear live music in the evenings. Karaoke and open-mike nights will start at the first of the year and all ages are welcome. Rivendell Hair Salon, Elements Massage, The Joy Counselor, and Stilly Dance and Drum also call Mirkwood home. Variety and the opportunity to create an incredible day for yourself..... in one location.

Moonflower Magicks in Everett has a great variety of herbs, incense, crystals, minerals and magickal jewelry. The downstairs used to be a restaurant and there is plenty of space to accommodate Jana and David’s plans to create a community center for events, fairs and even live music. It takes a special personality to hold the vision as, progress is made towards a goal.

Moonflower’s previous location suffered a devastating fire. Arson could never be proved, and with a sense of humor of a true wise one - Jana told people ‘we smudged Everett’. Rising literally from the flames, Moonflower Magicks spirit continues to soar - gaining momentum as more and more people find them in their not so new location at 1618 Hewitt in Everett.

And Voice of Choices? Creating and supporting community - with a publication so packed with ‘good stuff’ I have to apologize for the lack of eye appeal this month. Pictures take up space and that commodity will continue to become available with continued and increased community support. There is so much more VoC can share with you - and so much you can share with others through it. Article submission guidelines and advertising rates are online at voiceofchoices.org.
As important as personal empowerment and self-development are, it is through community that we weave the web which is creating the change we desire to see in the world .
Merry Christmas, Happy Yule, Thank you for all your good work, Blessings in all your choices, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and Mahalo
Kathy ‘Whyte Wynde’ Lowden



Blessings From the Publisher - Nov '07 Sing the Song of Your Heart

Aloha and Blessings. Welcome to Voice of Choices’ November ‘Thanksgiving’ issue. November - Thanksgiving, as if we should limit our attitude of gratitude to one month a year. I’m sure you’ve had many experiences of your own as you experiment with the power of gratitude. The energy which we infuse into every moment of our life when we ‘Sing’ our unique song is reflected in everything around us. Finding the gratitude when we see a reflection which challenges our balance assists in reminding us the importance of practicing what we believe. Gratitude for those situations which push us past our comfort zones and require our total attention can be dificult to find... at least in the moment of challenge.

While attending a local Expo I was gifted with an opportunity to experience just how much energy and strength is gained when we simply look at something. During a muscle testing demonstration it was easy for the tester to move my arm.... until I looked at it. I watched as he could not budge it -even with much more effort than was necessary when I’d been looking off into the distance. Kinda gave me a new perspective on how important it is to find a way to focus on the important ‘stuff’.

This is the time of year when many of us will gather with our friends, families, co-workers or communities to share in celebrations of gratitude. We may have the opportunity to spend time with people we rarely see throughout the rest of the year. In fact we may have the opportunity to see people we might not ‘choose’ to spend time with thanks to unresolved issues in our past.

It’s easy to say ‘let go and let God’, and even simpler to sit at my computer and suggest ‘It all works out perfectly’ and yet that dinner with great old sister/aunt/uncle so and so could still present a bit of an ‘acceptance’ challenge.

So how do we accept that which is beyond our comfort zone? Is there a ‘switch’ we can turn off (or on) to assist in controlling the audio? How about the one controlling our audio? Is there a magic secret to a sweet smile that emanates from the heart, with warmth and real caring? Is there a way to see possible challenge coming and sidetrack our focus, stepping up to what may feel like a kindness challenge. Maybe it’s just me. Could be only my family that had some unresolved issues - and yet there is a possibility you know someone who seems to rub you the wrong way.

We’ve learned about boundaries, discussed focus and understanding; gratitude without attitude.... all of the basics are so very easy....until I’m standing in front of that ‘soul mate’ who’s agreed to assist me in my personal evolution. Yes soul mate. I believe it is Wayne Dyer who says a soul mate is someone you might want to ‘flush’. The sweet soul who can’t help but push your buttons... ‘cause that’s what they signed up to do.

And darn but a good soul mate is hard to find - and how perfect when they go to great lengths to make sure they fulfill their agreements. It’s even possible that the discomfort you feel is matched by their own. Yet the ‘drama’ of life plays out. The lessons are presented and the ‘tests’ completed for optimum effect and personal evolution.

Guy FInley gives us more tips on moving ‘up’ on the interaction scale. Scott Kalechstein discusses the ‘Terror List’ we might do best in putting through a mental shredder. A special thank you to Charlotte Branca ‘Mother Nature’s Cupboard’. Her choice of ‘Goldenseal’ for this month and the description of it’s properties seem to make it a perfect herb for empowering ourselves as we step closer to the darker days of winter.
Charlotte has had an article in every issue of Voice of Choices since March of 2001. Her insight and the variety of information she infused into each is truly a gift which has been well received by our readers. She’s choosing to shift gears and this will be her last column. Thank You Charlotte - and Blessings in all your choices.

So back to Singing the Song of Your Heart. The holiday attitude of gratitude and finding a way to at least make it through the season and wake up in January with our sanity intact.
Relax - you can do it. Take your focus off the challenge and just stare off into space...... no one will be able to jerk your chain/pull your arm (or leg) unless you choose to engage.

Do your best to disarm your own fears, open your heart and heck maybe even imagine this could be the last time you see ‘great old aunt/uncle/brother so and so’ (there’s no guarantee it won’t) and give it all you got to have a good time . Stay ‘in the moment’ accepting situations as they unfold without the drippy watercolors of imagination seeping in from the past or spreading without control and attempting to paint anything less than positive in the future.

A good friend of mine told me how he gets up and walks out of a room when he’s uncomfortable with the energy. If you really need a break... take one. There’s usually a way you can ‘step out’ - and help out. There’s always something you can find to do/help with (more butter anyone, I’ll get it) and moving out of a challenging energy field to balance yourself can assist you in returning with a smile.

Remember to make sure you honor yourself with enough personal time to pamper your spirit. A warm bath, a nap for no reason, trip to the spa or hey - Josh is at Candle Boutique in Tacoma and a great massage could be the perfect gift to give - to YOU.

You are the perfection of an incredible master creator. One of a kind, with gifts and talents unparalleled in any other human being.
Sing the Song of YOUR Heart. Remember that throughout everything that could ever appear otherwise..... you ARE Love.

Blessings in all your choices and Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Kathy ‘Whyte Wynde’ Lowden

October '07    Can You Feel It?
Welcome to Voice of Choices! October, autumn, cooler weather for those of us living ‘seasonal’ lives and a 4 degree anticipated water temp drop over the winter on Maui.
Wow - there is color everywhere. I’d forgotten how much I enjoy the changing season and the beauty nature creates as she prepares for her break from productivity. Resting, going within, discarding the old to make room for the new- all are necessary parts of the life process.

Can YOU feel it? An almost palpable shift in attachment to the familiar, a somehow smoother flow from thought into reality? Can YOU feel it? I get a couple of astro reports sent to my email daily and it’s been interesting to see the correllations between planets ‘going direct’ or changing signs and the shift in energy on those days. Life is feeling ‘easier’ than the last few months - and yet the challenges have not necessarily changed.

The last few days have given me so much to write about I’m not sure what part will best serve you. I can tell you about cleaning out the freezer. A huge cavern of cold containing many years worth of ‘stockpiling’. Not my freezer but part of what I agreed to help my friend with. I was brought up by a mother who canned and froze everything from fruit to meat so I understand the concept. Sometimes I think maybe we get so busy making sure there’s enough for the future that we forget how much we already have in the now.

As I made it down to the last foot or so of homemade applesauce, pie crust and bags of berries I wished I had started the job earlier in the day. With no light in that part of the building and dusk setting in I was having trouble seeing. In just a matter of seconds
and as if powered totally by my thought - a light came on. In the 5 times I’d opened that freezer in the past, and the 45 minutes I’d already spent hauling items out, there had been no light. Yet as I ‘wished’ for timing more appropriate for visibility a light appeared. As I continued to remove more items from the depths my mind wandered to an opinion of the ‘waste’ involved. Why would someone go to all this trouble and then not use the food? Bordering on judgment, with my attitude turning as sour as the freezer-burned food..... the light went out. Hmmm. I continued until I finished, contemplating the lessons waiting for us in even the most menial of tasks.

And then there’s Bootsy. The 18 yr old cat owned by the woman who had filled the freezer. A nasty rag of a thing - barely skin and bones but with enough spunk to spit and hiss at me when I tried to approach her. She lives on the sunporch attached to where I am living. I guess I should say she eats and does her business in the cat box there. When I first got to Sequim I tried to make friends with her. After all if I was responsible to feed and clean up behind her the least she could do was be civil. Not.

Since the weather had warmed for the summer and Bootsy had been stuck inside for the winter the decision was made to open the door to ‘the great outside’. Bootsy took advantage and spent her time roaming outdoors, stopping in occasionally for food and water. A few weeks ago she began disappearing for days at a time. Other neighborhood cats discovered the feeding station and I never knew if she actually got any food or not.

And then the weather began to change. Cooler evenings, a bit of rain and the amount of time she was gone began to worry me. Choosing not to remember that all she did was hiss at me when she was around, I was concerned for her health and safety. I happily called my friend when I’d successfully ‘trapped’ her inside where I could at least make sure the food and water were available for her.

She was skinny; not much more than skin and bones and matted fur. (and attitude). I wondered if she’d make it through the winter.

The only person she had ever bonded with her ‘left’ almost a year ago and it appeared she was not the slightest bit interested in a new ‘buddy’. Wanting to find a way to help her, without getting hissed at or bitten, I opened the sliding window between the living room and the sunporch. Several times a day I went to the window and talked to her. 5 or 10 minutes of Reiki seemed like a good idea and soon she was sitting on the other side of the window meowing for more. Slowly I tried petting her. Maybe she could feel I wanted to help her, maybe she was just tired of hissing and biting, I don’t know and it’s really not important What I do know is the nasty ‘rag of a cat’ who turned her nose up at my offer of friendship must have had a change of heart. The feline I felt was ready to ‘check out’ and join her beloved master rather than explore the possibility of a new bond changed.

Now as I tell you this please keep in mind this was truly a mean cat. She hissed, bit and wanted nothing to do with anyone. (hmmmm, no I better not make any comparisons to times in my own life). It’s 3:43 am and I’m still finishing up what you are reading. The space heater is on behind me, the window to the sunporch is closed and Bootsy is sitting on my lap begging to be petted. My friend doesn’t believe it. She thinks I’m making it up. In 18 years the cat had one friend. Period. Everyone else was treated as an enemy.

What happened? Who cares? Something has shifted... can you feel it? I keep seeing the almost instantaneous creation of my thoughts. What should have taken a week, a month or even more - the taming and befriending of an old spitfire of a cat -took less than 2 days.

A seemingly non-existent freezer light magically turned on and then off - totally in-synch with what I was thinking. Ahh yes, and then there’s the radio. I love Rock n’ Roll and rarely go a day without listening. Yet after 5 days without music I turned it on the other night and the song I associate with the person I love most was playing. Thinking of my own ‘brown eyed girl’ while I climbed into bed was almost as good as the years of tucking her in at night.

Something has shifted- can you feel it? As we truly let go of our preconceptions about reality, fear, judgment and discover the ability to ‘live in the moment’ creating the life we desire...... what can stand in the way?

Blessings in all your choices and Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Kathy ‘Whyte Wynde’ Lowden

September Blessings - What Do You See?
Aloha from Sunny Sequim Washington! WOW can time fly by when we are open to following the direction of ‘Spirit’! It seems like such a short time ago that I was packing boxes on Maui in preparation for Mukilteo. Now as one thing leads to another, I’m settling into the wonderfully calming energy of the Olympic Peninsula. Though not many people know about it, there is an energy vortex bordered by Mt. Ranier, Mt Baker and Vancouver Island. Seems that when life throws me more than I have room for on my plate I end up back in Sequim for a well-deserved shift into slower gear.

Even as I type this there is an underlying understanding that ‘life’ has given me nothing. Nothing more than I can handle. Nothing less than I deserve. No thing that I cannot choose to perceive in a new light, with new perspective, from a higher vantage point, with love, with fear or with trust. Everything is interpreted and acted or not acted upon by how I see it - what I’ve been ‘given’ does not change as I change my perception AND my experience of life certainly does.

In 1985 I moved here to Sequim. I met my future husband Daniel and after 6 months moved ‘back to the mainland’, gave birth to my daughter and began the adventure of family life. In 1995, when I ‘saw’ Sedona as stifling (105 degrees in the summer and you have to know that’s hot!) it was Sequim which again offered respite.

From my vantage point in Kihei I ‘saw’ Mukilteo as a perfect location for my home and office. The pictures of what was to be my new living space looked awesome. A beautiful yard, great amount of space and close proximity to many of you I still want to reconnect with. AND when I moved in I discovered the pictures offered a one dimensional image that could not support the multiple purposes necessary.

I should have known better. With the swift response I get from the Universe as I tell and re-tell stories it should have been a real no-brainer NOT to joke about an old email that used to circulate the internet. The one about the man who died in a flood after the truck, boat and helicopter were sent to rescue him..... and complained in heaven that ‘God was supposed to save him’. It took a few days, and sharing the story with probably 7 or 8 people before my landlord’s forgetfullness flooded my apartment. I didn’t see a helicopter and chose to make use of a UHaul trailer, my brother’s truck, a Washington ferry boat and some awesome help from Beth, Susan, Linda, and Helen.

This month’s cover headline ‘was’ A Change Could Do You Good. That was last night, before the usual sleep/meditation when I ‘ask’ for clarity. Every month I ask for insight into what is most important to share with you. I come up with a headline and then turn it over to Spirit for ‘Nam Myoho Renge Kyo’. The shift to ‘What Do You See’ took place with a double clarification and voila I guess a change was in order. It feels like the two go together. If ‘A Change Could Do You Good’ then it just might be important to understand that change may be in perception - ‘What Do You See?’

This month’s articles share insights that can assist us in taking another step in the changes we want to be in our world. Linda-Ann Stewart reminds us that our subconscious mind has a big part to play as we choose to feel safe in making the changes we desire. Catherine Earle’s artwork changes as we view it - offering visual proof that the observer affects the vision. White Buffalo Morning Star Woman’s ‘COURAGE’ to move into our heart helps us realize shifting our perception and refusing to accept labels opens us to more comfort as we walk our path. Happy Oasis offers suggestions on how our language creates our experience. I absolutely love her ideas for ‘reframing’ our thoughts with ecstatic etymology; filling our conversations with words of wonder to express the delightful possibilities of joy. JZ Knight gives us more to think about - and reminds us we all have ‘The Power’ within ourselves to be whatever we decide is appropriate at this time in our individual evolution.

Personally, I am seeing that relaxing comfortably into myself is important for me at this time. AND the world is calling to many of us asking for our assistance in areas that affect our future on this planet. This month’s email has included more requests for public action than ever before.

‘They’ are cutting down many majestic Sycamore trees in Oak Creek Canyon. The Navy is holding hearings on Maui about SONAR influences on marine life - a temporary injunction to underwater blasts in California giving some amount of hope to those working to protect our planet’s sea creatures. Maui government is playing ‘God’ with the bed and breakfast industry. Will it open the door to big business resorts as a more appropriate alternative for serving the multitude of tourists and kick the estimated 800 families who’s livelihood revolves around a service allowed in the ‘free world’ to the curb?

Whether you are making adjustments in your own life or wanting to take part in planetary evolution - the power is in you. Both levels of transformation are important - the ripple effect continues as a universal truth.

Many of us are shifting from old dreams that have been completed; finding direction and moving into the new vision we see for ourselves and our world. What Do You See? A Change Could Do You Good. It’s in your hands. You make the call, you write your script. You choose.

Maybe it’s time to ‘Step Into The Mystery’ long enough to come up with a new vision for your life. As you find yourself choosing to continue your personal evolution please keep in mind that each of our advertisers has a gift they can share with you. It is their passion to offer their services, wisdom and products to serve you. Their experience and expertise can be a great resource. Voice of Choices is not just ‘supported’ by our advertisers. It is advertising revenue that pays for this and every page in each issue. Thank you for letting them know you found their information here.

Blessings in all your choices and Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Kathy ‘Whyte Wynde’ Lowden



August Blessings - Celebrate Your Radiance!
Welcome - Aloha and blessings to you. I’m grateful to be able to share the words and thoughts of such amazing people in this month’s magazine. Each of us is endowed with gifts and talents unmatched by anyone else on the planet. Finding our way to the best expression of those traits seems to be the stuff each day is made of. Celebrating your radiance by expressing the best of who you are infuses the world with the beauty of one of Spirit’s ‘Greatest Miracles’.
I want to share some ‘classic’ wisdom from one of my favorite authors. Og Mandino was one of the most widely read, success oriented writers and speakers ever to grace our world. His messages were always easily discovered within modern parables that quickly became best sellers because of their incredible ability to rebuild the readers’ self esteem and convince us that we are each a great miracle. The underlying concepts were always spiritual - and reference to Spirit will be using the word ‘God’ as I share some of the writing that has inspired millions.

As usual, you may have to do a bit of reading before we get to some of Og’s words. Don’t think I’d let my new buddy Goldwing Mike down with anything but the inside scoop, straight from the hip of a publisher’s life. I share my life with you in a kind of trust that there is a commonality between our lives and hope that there is insight of value.

We are constantly reminded of our inter-connectedness and few people actually open themselves to others without concern for opinion and judgment. I tell it ‘like it is’ because I believe we can only change what we can acknowledge. Maybe sharing ‘my story’ in all it’s earthly, illusionary detail can assist you in finding your own ‘aha - I got it moment’.

I love being open to the synchronicity of Spirit. The phone rang last week, thank you Gloria for returning the call I forgot making. Just what I needed, the information on ‘The Law of Gender’ brought new light and perspective. The law of gender (I’ll try not to butcher it too much with my interpretation of something I’ve not yet studied) discusses the time it takes for seeds planted to germinate and flower into their most brilliant radiance. Heaven forbid I use the ‘P’ word. Patience has been one of my greatest lessons... for a very long time.

The law of gender - and the fact that in this infinite universe time is indeed relative - so how can we possibly know when our personal ‘full bloom’ will take place? It can be as innocuous as a chance encounter that deposits the seeds of success in the fertile soil of life. A bit of rain,
a touch of the ‘all good’ fertilizer and whatever measure of time best serves full flower..... and voila - there is no other blossom as magnificent as the vibrant bloom of Spirit’s most miraculous creation - You.

Og Mandino - ‘The Greatest Miracle in the World’ Lifetime Books, Inc. Find the book. Read it. Re-read it. If you’ve ever questioned your purpose in life, wondered at the challenges which seem to keep you from your glory.... hmm it was Gloria who delivered the message about time. The following are direct quotes from Mr. Mandino’s God Memorandum - I trust the words will touch you as they have touched millions of others.

To You -From God
Take counsel. I hear your cry. It passes through the darkness, filters through the clouds, mingles with starlight and finds its way to my heart on the path of a sunbeam. Know that I hear you, also. Be at peace. Be calm. I bring thee relief for your sorrow for I know its cause and its cure.

Once you placed your head in a pillow of grass in your father’s field and looked up at a cathedral of clouds and knew that all the gold of Babylon would be yours in time.... .

You have no memory of that moment when first you emerged from your mother’s womb and I placed my hand on your soft brow. And the secret I whispered in your small ear when I bestowed my blessings upon you? Remember our secret?

This is your birthday. This is your new date of birth. Your first life, like unto a play of the theater, was only a rehearsal. This time the curtain is up. This time the world watches and waits to applaud. This time you will not fail..... Like a butterfly from its chrysalis you will fly.... as high as you wish .... and nothing shall obstruct your mission or your search for the true riches of life.... Let me share with you, again, the secret you heard at your birth and forgot.

You are my greatest miracle. You are the greatest miracle in the world. You did not believe me then so I have set my hand again. This is the second time.... You are my finest creation. Within you is enough atomic energy to destroy any of the world’s great cities... and rebuild it.... Know then the first secret to happiness and success - that you possess, even now, every blessing necessary to achieve great glory. They are your treasure, your tools with which to build, starting today, the foundation for a new and better life.

Count your blessings. Be grateful for your lessons learned in poverty. For he is not poor who has little: only he that desires much.... and true security lies not in the things one has but in the things one can do without. Count your blessings!

Consider a painting by Rembrandt or violin by Stradivarius or a play by Shakespeare. They have great value for two reasons: their creators were masters and they are few in number. Yet there are more than one of each of these. On that reasoning, you are the most valuable treasure on the face of the earth. Never in all the billions of humans who have walked this planet since the beginning of time has there been anyone exactly like you. Never, until the end of time, will there be another such as you.

You are the rarest thing in the world. You! One of a kind. Rarest of the rare. A priceless treasure, possessed of qualities in mind, speech, movement, appearance and actions as no other who has ever lived, lives or shall live. Bring forth your rarity. Show the world.

Count your blessings! Proclaim your rarity! Be patient with your progress. And fear not as you enter your new life. Feel my hand. Hear my words. You need me.... and I need you. We have a world to rebuild .... and if it requireth a miracle what is that to us? We are both miracles and now we have each other.
Celebrate Your Radiance - Bloom with all the glorious uniqueness and bless the world with your presence.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and Blessings in all your choices
Kathy ‘Whyte Wynde’ Lowden


July Blessings  
Welcome to JULY! There’s nothing like moving a business and one’s personal life 2500 miles across an ocean to fill the days with necessary stuff to do. It is so great to be back in Washington and there is so much to share with you! This month has been just a little hectic - I’m discovering just how capable we can be in accomplishing more than they ever thought possible.

Life is filled with opportunities for growth. Sometimes that growth can require just a tad bit more effort than we are accustomed to.
This month’s issue had to be pretty basic. And by the way, you can say thank you - and I’ll say you’re welcome. I AM blessed that everything came together for a 16 page July issue.

Can’t say it enough - from my perfectly ‘never hot again’ manifesting of a sweetly ‘quirky’ daylight 1st floor (technically not basement) apartment that is so wonderfully shaded the sun will NEVER shine inside - to wearing SOCKS..... iz all gooood. I feel kind of like a salmon. Hmmm, better scratch that - forgot the full details of salmon ‘coming home’.... yes you can laugh now.

Seems we’re all making some important choices right now. Remembering we ARE Spirit - and we ARE FREE to make the best choice in the moment. Be gentle with yourself as you become more than you could have ever dreamed! The transformations are on all levels and are indeed life changing. Lori Aletha talks a bit about it following this article.

Everyone I talk to is experiencing new opportunities for creating peace and calm in the ‘now’ moment. You are not alone. We are being asked to live our beliefs. Stand up for what we want and at the same time allow the ‘hand’ of Spirit to guide us through to the best possible ‘next’ moment. Take time for yourself. Honor your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs and keep your faith, whatever that means to you. We are the lightworkers, the way showers, teachers and students paving the way both in the concrete reality and on a vibrational level.

On a very important business note - Voice of Choices is here to assist you in networking your products and services. The copy you are reading is ‘free’ and it is advertising revenue that paid to produce it and get it to you. If your business is receiving copies and you’re not advertising...... I’d love to talk to you about new options and special ad rates for starting with the August issue. Our readers want to know who and where you are so they can do business with you! Readers who don’t have a product to advertise.... show your support by choosing to do business with our advertisers.

It’s important to say thank you to all who have helped in the move. Russ Reina and Smokie - Maui distribution. Marti Miller, Randy Archer, Vince L’Hirondelle, and Nessa Shiley who’s help distributing here in the Seattle area is much appreciated. Beth Carson - my cheering squad, coach and Clallam County distributor. Snohomish Publishing - for their understanding and support through the changes. Pat M. for helping haul furniture. Lori Aletha for grounded pep talks. The US Postal Service and the turtles commissioned to deliver VoC’s ‘office’ and supplies.

As I pay the bills I’m reminded of Verle Minto’s advice - “Say thank you as you write the check.” The service provided has value and blessing the provider with appreciation gives us an attitude of gratitude perspective.

Blessings in all your choices and Nam Myoho Renge Kyo,
Kathy ‘Whyte Wynde’ LowdenAloha and Welcome! I’m so glad that at this point in your journey you’ve chosen to pick up Voice of Choices.


JUNE  Blessings - The Ultimate Secret
Aloha and Welcome! I'm so glad that at this point in your journey you've chosen to pick up Voice of Choices.
There are so many options as we decide how best to spend our time. How do we create our best life? How do we choose what path will bring us closest to our goals? How do we know when to say ‘yes’ and when to shift direction and find faith in a process so powerful that we cannot find failure unless we claim it?
I picked up my favorite book - “The Key to Power and Personal Peace”, renamed ‘Three Magic Words” in more recent editions, as I began this letter to you. U.S. Andersen’s book predates the now very popular movie ‘The Secret’ and has been an encyclopedia of inspiration for me since first discovering it 14 years ago. Throughout the book references to Spirit are made with the words ‘Universal Mind’, a concept which allows those of varied belief systems to accept the ideas comfortably.
As usual, the book literally fell open to the text which will best serve me as I put thoughts together for you this month. I have big news to share. Parts of me are crying out in confusion while I find balance within circumstances which have seemed so out of control. I watched The Secret. I know the way to create what ‘I’ want.
I know how to focus for most effective manifesting - and I know the gifts I’ve received since moving to Maui can be best described with the words ‘unbelievable blessings’. You’ve read about some and others are so incredible they are dificult to believe myself.

Did you know the Voice of Choices computer ‘died’ 4 days before deadline last September? There was no budget for replacing it and only those of you who know me or have followed this column can even begin to comprehend my complete and total lapse into fear when there did not seem to be any way to finish and put out the issue schedulled to begin printing 96 hours later. I literally could see no options. I had barely enough faith to even look for alternatives. And then, beyond anything I could have imagined, somehow the miracle happened. If I have ever believed in angels it was then, when I was literally forced to take home a computer which had never even been set up. Purchased months, before it was ‘taking up space’ in a closet- still in the box. In tears I told it’s owner I had no idea how I could pay for such an expensive computer. My budget barely covered the essentials, I often found myself at the food bank .. to make sure I could pay my rent and the bills for VoC. Thank You Steve. You assured me the computer ‘needed to be used’ and even when I made it clear I had no idea how I could repay you, you insisted I put it to work without worrying about the cost.

Maui has been an incredible experience. I came here gung ho to share the opportunity a monthly magazine could provide - and found myself feeling like a missionary. Many people come here for healing... whether they realize it or not. How do we heal those parts of us which we may not even know exist? By attracting people who will ‘bring up our issues’. Well I was really good at that. No details are necessary - you can use your imagination should you choose to. Suffice it to say that my exuberance did not interface well with the laid back island lifestyle.

And now I must go back to ‘Three Magic Words’ The page I opened to talks about Trusting the All-Knowing Mind. “Each of us embarks on life’s projects like a man who stands in front of a forest and desires to go through to a lake on the other side.” Before he starts he has no idea what obstacles may appear on his path. If, with each diversion of a swamp, rotten tree or other challenge, he proclaims his mission as failed - the subconscious mind will march him back to his destination where he can choose to start again. If he believes he should have gotten what he wanted in the way he thought it should manifest he may give up. If he understands that there is a power greater than him which ‘knows’ where the pitfalls are and can allow the detours and sidetracks which he did not plan for, he can still reach his destination.

I have spent months finding fault with my ‘plan’. I have questioned my sanity - even as magykal miracles provided for the most basic needs to be met ... for myself and Voice of Choices. I spent countless days literally sweating at 10 in the morning because the climate here does not agree with me. Yet the dream I planted of moving to Hawaii refused to accept the reality of how my body reacts to living here. I was stuck. I wanted my dream. I wanted to make it work - even as the details of daily life continued to make me more uncomfortable, drain my budget, test my peace of mind and wreak havoc in the life of my long haired, double coated shetland sheepdog.

I wanted to work on the water. Like a good manifestor I was given a job on a boat that takes tourists snorkeling. That lasted 4 days.
I could tell you how funny I must have looked attempting to hop/run accross the deck barefoot without burning the skin off my feet. I could share a belly laugh with you at the thought of me learning to ‘free-dive’ with a heavy line (rope) that I would be expected to connect to a mooring 30’ underwater. Or I could let you use your imagination to visualize the fun one has when guests are not accustomed to being on the water. Hmm - I wanted ‘this’? The description in the ‘Keys to Personal Power and Peace’ refers to rattlesnakes and quicksand - challenges we find when we think we can rely on our own dictates to create our desires.

Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of good information out there. Learning to use ‘The Secret’ to get what you want can open you to experiences and blessings you’d never dared to dream. AND sometimes we may find the details of those experiences, the reality that comes with living the desire.... is not at all what we thought would make us happy. That would be where what I call the ‘Ultimate Secret’ comes in. Simple, easy, you’ve heard it before..... Let Go and Let God. Or as my favorite astrologer Steve Pack says.... EWOP - everything is working out perfectly.

About a month ago I realized my trip to Maui has indeed been a success! When I could accept the gift of sharing VoC with 5,000 more readers a month it became obvious. I have lived many dreams while here. I’ve been blessed with experiences I could have never imagined. For that and all of the wonderfully supportive people I’ve met here my gratitude can best be described with ‘much mahalos’

As of May 30th the Voice of Choices office will be in Mukilteo Washington. I will be able to see Puget Sound everyday. I discovered there’s way lots of salt (among other things) in the water here in Maui - so getting ‘in it’ is no longer a necessity. There are plans in the works for some next steps in Voice of Choices’ growth. Go ahead and giggle with me - I know it will all be what it is supposed to be AND I still have this thing about planning. Maybe I am learning to better accept that Universal Mind has a plan I’m not privvy to.

Russ Reina will be handling the Maui distribution. So tell him thank you when you see him. VoC has a new TOLL FREE phone number for callers from Maui AND anywhere else in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. 1-877-236-4080 will reach the ‘office phone’ wherever it is located.

‘Hina’ graces our cover. She escaped her unfulfilled life by climbing a rainbow to the moon. We can only guess why she chose to return. Maybe she learned to Let Go and Let God because ‘Everything is working out perfectly’.
Blessings in all your choices and
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, Kathy ' Whyte Wynde' Lowden
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