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by Kathleen O'Keefe-Kanavos | Nov 20, 2015 | Access Your Inner Guide, Uncategorized
Quote: “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”
William James
Are you stressed beyond belief but cannot pinpoint exactly where it is coming from, or which challenge is the most annoying? Perhaps viewing stress from a different perspective can help find positive solutions.
Once again, the holidays are upon us. As we prepare to celebrate them by giving thanks for past successes while facing the changes we plan to make for the New Year in the form of resolutions, stress levels often rise. Especially, when we realize we did not meet our goals from last year. Such is life in the fast lane. Welcome to the real world. The good news is you are not alone. This year resolve to be successful in your resolutions by turning stress into a positive game.
Dreams, Prayers, and Meditations are three under-utilized innate gifts perfect for stress-reduction and resolution creation.
Your dreams are Sacred Doorways to Universal Wisdom that contains answers to all your daily challenges. Daydreams solve nagging problems. Your answers to prayers often come in the form of dreams or nightmares. Simple Meditations that focus on Breath and Gratitude can be done anywhere anytime and have been proved to:
- lower blood pressure
- increase focus and productivity
- promote healing
- and adjust your attitude.
Here is a very short meditation to help you through the holiday season. Don’t wait. You can start right now. Use it anywhere and anytime to de-stress.
1.) Focus on your breath flowing into your nostrils.
2.) Breathe in. Breathe out…
3.) Count five breaths.
4.) End with one deep breath.
5.) Repeat until your tension melts away.
6.) Give thanks for all you have including the Breath of Life.
You can do this simple meditation as often as necessary; in your work place, at home, or while stuck in traffic, with your eyes open, of course No one will know you are de-stressing. You secret will be safe.
Are you making New Year Resolutions that take too big a bite out of life to chew?
By focusing on a New Year resolution that is realistic you have a better chance for success. Success reduces stress. Choose to set yourself up for success rather than failure which add to stress.
According to statistics, one of the most frequently implemented New Year’s Resolution deals with diet and weight.
Diet and weight are an important part of our physical and mental health. It is as simple as realizing that when we look good we feel good. When our favorite jeans fit, we are happy. Resolving to make that dream a reality is great. Let’s start by taking small bites, no pun intended.
Rather than saying you are going to lose a large amount of weight by this time next year, break the resolution down into workable parts. Choose a realistic amount of weight loss, or gain, that you will chart weekly. Now you are working with yourself rather than against yourself by implementing a realistic and achievable goal that will display positive results on a chart.
Evaluation and accountability are very important in the success of a New Year Resolution.
Often the most difficult parts of a New Year Resolution is stating it in a way that is precise, measurable and can focus on success. This is called a behavioral objective which is a defined description of an expected experience. Behavioral objectives that are people oriented place the emphasis upon what the person is expected to do within a designated time period with testable measurements for evaluation, and accountability for optimum success.
One of the biggest problems with New Year resolutions is accountability and evaluation.
The key to solving the accountability and evaluation issues is to develop a clear, concise objective.
Below is an example of a very simple precise and measurable New Year resolution that focuses on weight loss. The behavioral objective below has five parts;
1.) The defined time and weight
2.) What amount of weight that will be lost
3.) How it will be measured
4.) How the weight loss will be obtained
5.) The end result and time.
Starting today, November 20th, 2015, over the next 12 months, I will lose 30 pounds of weight. My weight loss will be measured weekly on every Monday using a scale and will display a 1/2 pound loss which will create a 2 1/2 pound loss per month for 12 months, resulting in a total 30 pound loss by November 2016. This weight loss will be charted and achieved by reducing the consumption of deserts and alcohol to only one serving per weekend and increasing twice the current amount of leafy greens consumed during at least one meal per day.
Here is a behavioral objective pattern for success that you can use for anything you wish to change in your life. Although it is taken from the one above that focuses on weight, health and wellness, tweak it to meet your needs, time period, and objectives. Fill in the blanks so it becomes your successful Behavioral Objective New Year Resolution.
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As seen today (date)_________by this time next year, (date)___________, I (your name)_________ will have (state your desired behavior) _________________. This behavior will be measured (how often) _____________by (device)____________, and will display (desired results)_____________ which will create (amount)_________ per (time period)__________. This will be charted by ______________ and success will be seen as (state new behavior)____________________________________.
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Set up your chart. As you review your success on the chart you will be rewarded by accountability and evaluate. Now you are working with yourself for success.
Use your dreams as a GPS to keep you on the right road. If you miss a self-evaluation measurement see if you are reminded of it in a dream. Your dream may be validation that your inner-guidance is now part of your success team.
Turn your stress into a game.
See how often you hit your mark on your daily or weekly objective. Reward yourself with a pat on the back when you fill in your chart. Now, you have bragging rights. Share your New Year Resolution Behavioral Objectives with your friends. Perhaps they would like to join you in this healthy game.
It is human to be stressed. Suffering through it alone is a choice. Choose to control your stress through dreams, prayers and meditations rather than allowing it to control you. Make resolutions you can keep. And, enjoy your Happy Holidays.
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By: Kathleen (Kat) O’Keefe-Kanavos, TV/Radio Show Host/Producer, International Bestselling award winning author of Surviving Cancerland: Intuitive Aspects of Healing. Kat taught special education and psychology for ten years. She frequently taught and created Behavioral Objectives on Individual Educational Plans for students. Kat believes dreams can diagnose our life. Learn more @ http://www.AccessYourInnerGuide.com
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by Kathleen O'Keefe-Kanavos | Nov 12, 2015 | Access Your Inner Guide, Uncategorized
“Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch.” ~Orson Welles
Affirmation: I feed my body healthy nourishing food and give it empowering exercise.
Do you know Chelsea Clinton’s favorite meal? Chef John Moeller does because he was the White House Chef during her father’s presidency, and Chef John shared her secret with listeners on the Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos Radio show .
You might be pleasantly surprised to find Chelsey’s taste in favorite foods are much the same as the rest of America’s children. The biggest challenge Chef John had preparing her favorite food was KISS- Keeping It Simple, Silly. He knows all the eating secrets and food favorites of four of America’s First Families and on this radio show he shares them with you for a special insight into the White House during the Holiday season.
How did someone who was raised in the conservative, salt-of-the-earth area of Lancaster, Pennsylvania become one of the most recognize chefs in the world? His answer on the radio show may surprise you. What becomes obvious during the interview is Chef to the White House John Moeller is a very humble man despite his culinary star power, and he loves to laugh.
Chef John Moeller is a member of an elite corps of chefs, those who have served in the White House preparing très soigné cuisine for Presidents, First Families, and their guests, including visiting Heads of State.
The expression “Très Soigné” is a staple in the French kitchen, or in any professional kitchen for that matter. Even Marcel Vigneron, runner-up of the second season of Top Chef, which aired 2006–2007, tossed it around on the second series of Top Chef.
“Très Soigné” translated means “very neat”. However, it normally sets off the alarm that the President is coming in, or the beautiful Queen of Sweden has just arrived with her entourage.
It also probably translates to the other chefs in the White House kitchen, “If that plate you’re hunched over and trying to finish is not absolutely perfect, you’re in big trouble.” After the order “Très soigné!” is called out the correct response is “Oui Monsieur!” to acknowledge the command.
The amazing thing about the command, “très soignè“, is that it really isn’t necessary. Everything Chef John Moeller makes is très soigné because he loves his job. His life is cooking. His passion is food preparation. So, every pate is pristine as every plate is watched over by Chef John and three executive chefs before the servers carry them away on silver plated trays.
Oh, just imagine that perfect parade of platters.
Nonetheless, this command sends everyone in the kitchen into a heightened state of awareness because, no one wants to be the person who messed up an important White House dinner.
Chef John Moeller explains how he was Chef to three First Families, including President George, H.W. Bush, President William Jefferson Clinton, and President George W. Bush. He joined the White House kitchen in 1992 as sous chef to Pierre Chambrin and later Walter Scheib, eventually acting as White House Chef in 2005.
As a sous chef John Moeller was second in command of the kitchen, the culinary chef located just below the executive or head chef in a kitchen’s chain of command; therefore, even as the sous chef he had a vital role in the White House kitchen.
Over the course of his career in the White House, he focused on creating unique and one-of-a-kind dishes that relied on fresh and flavorful ingredients.
So where did this amazing story begin? At the bottom of the long ladder while gazing up to the sky.
Chef Moeller’s amazing story begins in the heart of Amish country in Lancaster, Pennsylvania as just John. What started in high school as a passion for cooking led to his decision to pursue a culinary degree from Johnson and Wales College in Providence, Rhode Island. He graduated cum laude in 1981.
After working in several restaurants in the New England area, in 1984, John took a trip to France which became a two and a half year journey of discovery. He worked his way across the region studying the fundamentals of French cuisine under some of the finest French chefs, including Chef M. Poinsot of Chez Camille and Michelin Star-awarded Chef Bernard Loiseau. His time in France also included a brief stint working in the Domaine Michelot vineyards for one of France’s most popular winemakers.
From France, John traveled to St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he experimented with Caribbean flavors and ingredients to complement his mastery of classical French cooking.
His next move was to Washington, D.C., in 1987, and a chance meeting led to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Many of the French-trained chefs working in the nation’s capital got together regularly for networking events, much like professionals still do today at coffee shops around the country.
At one of these occasions at the Mayflower Hotel, he met Chef Pierre Chambrin of Maison Blanche.
When Chambrin later become a White House Executive Chef for the Bush Administration, he hired John Moeller as his sous chef. After President Clinton took office, Chef Walter Scheib took over as Executive Chef and retained Chef Moeller in the sous chef position. After Walter Scheib departed, Chef John Moeller moved to acting White House Chef during President George W. Bush’s second term. He served in the White House from September of 1992 until 2005—one of the longest tenured chefs across three presidential terms.
So, I asked Chef John how the Clinton and Bush celebrations differed during the holidays.
He said the main difference was the Clintons liked to spend Christmas in the White House while the Bushes preferred to holiday at Camp David. He went on to detail these differences even more during the interview.
During his tenure, he not only created and prepared meals for the First Families, he also prepared special meals for world leaders like Tony Blair and Nelson Mandela, for famous guests like Julia Child and Sophia Loren, and for holiday parties and trips to Camp David.
Throughout his career, John has developed his signature style of cuisine, based on innovative menus that take advantage of fresh seasonal produce created as first class presentations of the finished dishes.
“One of my greatest satisfactions as a chef is presenting a first class meal and seeing the enjoyment that it brings to the diners and the goodwill and friendship that it promotes.” —John Moeller
Chef Moeller has detailed his journey and White House experience in a new book, Dining at the White House—From the President’s Table to Yours— published September 2013. He is currently conducting a book tour and runs State of Affairs Catering in his hometown of Lancaster.
Kathleen (Kat) O’Keefe-Kanavos believes your dreams can diagnose your life. Kat is a TV Producer/Host and Author/Lecturer of the award winning, International bestseller, Surviving Cancerland: Intuitive Aspects of Healing which promotes patient advocacy and connecting with inner guidance for success in health, wealth, and relationships. Learn more @ www.AccessYourInnerGuide.com
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by Kathleen O'Keefe-Kanavos | Nov 4, 2015 | Access Your Inner Guide, Uncategorized
Are you ready for some healthy magic in your life? Creating it may be as easy as closing your eyes.
Put down your wand Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and meet the new magic in town.
Dr. Larry Burk knows the secret on how to let magic happen, too, and will share it on this radio show. And, the good doctor’s magic is a dream come true that saves lives, one person at a time. Now that is magic that rocks all the way to the Pearly Gates!
Does dreaming your magic to create your miracles sound too simple to be true?
Would you believe it more if you were told there was a study by a Radiologist that was recently published in a medical journal and the Huffington Post that proves dreams:
- can diagnose your life and illness
- are magical doorways to Universal Information on your health
- are messages from your Higher Power during times of crisis to help you
- are phone lines by which passed-over loved ones can return to warn you of serious health issues, proving love is something you can take with you and survives death
Dr. Larry Burk was a guest on the Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos Radio Show on Wicked Housewives On Cape Cod TV/Radio and shared his groundbreaking research on Dreams that Diagnose Breast Cancer. (The show link is available at the end of the blog)
Dr. Larry Burk’s research was recently published in a leading medical journal and in the Huffington Post. The two links are posted at the bottom of this article.
In the interview Dr. Burk talks about how research has always been a big part of his professional life.
He begins his story in his hometown at the University of Pittsburgh where he did his medical school and radiology residency training. Dr. Burk was fortunate enough to get in on the ground floor of MRI just as it began to flourish in 1985. He pursued research in MRI of the shoulder at Thomas Jefferson University after doing a musculoskeletal fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania, eventually leading to the first study of MRI in professional baseball players with the Philadelphia Phillies.
After this very conventional beginning, Dr. Burk was unexpectedly launched into a multifaceted adventure into holistic healing in 1987. It was prompted by a perfect storm of events that included:
- his father being diagnosed with metastatic renal cancer,
- discovering his first metaphysical bookstore,
- joining the national MRI safety committee to address concerns about claustrophobic patients
- the health effects of electromagnetic fields
- interest in hypnosis and acupuncture,
- taking his first hypnosis training in 1990
- exploring alternative cancer therapies for his dad
The next stop on the journey was private practice in Virginia Beach where he was introduced to the Edgar Cayce material and medical intuition.
“Experiences with a number of talented intuitives caused a significant paradigm shift in my worldview, and in 1993 I moved to Durham, home of my alma mater, Duke University, and the Rhine Research Center, formerly the Duke Parapsychology Laboratory. “
Dr. Larry Burk took a job as section head of musculoskeletal radiology at Duke and pursued parapsychology research in intuitive diagnosis, eventually becoming a founding member of the American Board of Scientific Medical Intuition and Rhine board president for a year.
“Upon arriving at Duke I discovered a number of like-minded colleagues and started the Mind-Body Medicine Study Group. The deaths of one of those friends and my father led me down a spiritual rabbit–hole into the world of dreams and shamanic journeying, including a healing encounter with my first power animal, the jaguar. Led by these unusual forms of guidance I co-founded the Duke Center for Integrative Medicine in 1998, became the education director and took the UCLA Acupuncture Course for Physicians. I left full-time radiology and began to practice acupuncture along with hypnosis and dreamwork at a variety of clinics at Duke.”
Through a series of magical synchronicities in 2004 Dr. Larry Burk was guided to leave Duke:
- to set up Healing Imager, PC,
- to offer consulting services in MRI musculoskeletal radiology for NationalRad
- and in EFT and hypnosis for Oriental Health Solutions, LLC.
- became a Certified Energy Health Practitioner through the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology in 2010
- and was certified in hypnosis by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis in 2011.
“After telling stories about all these healing adventures for many years, I was finally inspired to publish Let Magic Happen: Adventures in Healing with a Holistic Radiologist in 2012. Along the way the journey has continued to unfold in mysterious ways. “
Dreamwork has expanded as a focus inspiring Dr. Larry Burk to do a research project on women who have warning dreams about their breast cancers before diagnosis.
What does the future hold for Dr. Larry Burk? Another book that goes beyond dreams that diagnose breast cancer in women to include dreams that diagnose many illnesses in patients worldwide.
Have you ever had a health déjà vu or did your precognitive healing dream come true?
We invite you to share it with us on:
https://www.facebook.com/DrLarryBurk/?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/Kathleen-OKeefe-Kanavos-136116923080291/?ref=hl
So, what is Dr. Larry Burks big secret to letting magic happen? Just that; Let it happen. Don’t force it.
Miracles are magic made in heaven that manifests on earth, and often uses dreams as sacred doorways to you.
Dr. Larry Burk was a guest on the Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos Show (Click to Listen)
Dr. Larry Burk’s Published Research: (Click to Read)
Huffington Post- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-burk-md/dreams-that-warn-of-breas_b_8167758.html
Explore Medical Journal- 4 EXPLORE May/June 2015, Vol. 11, No. 3 http://www.letmagichappen.com/images/uploads/documents/BreastCancerWarningDreams.Burk.Explore2015.pdf
ABOUT THE GUEST: Dr. Burk works in both conventional teleradiology and integrative health coaching. He consults two days a week at Oriental Health Solutions, LLC, in Durham, NC and also holds experiential workshops by appointment. To make an appointment, please call 919-286-9595. Learn more about Dr. Larry Burk and connect with him @ http://www.letmagichappen.com/
ABOUT THE HOST/AUTHOR: Kathleen (Kat) O’Keefe-Kanavos believes your dreams can diagnose your life. Kat is a TV Producer/Host and Author/Lecturer of the award winning, International bestseller, Surviving Cancerland: Intuitive Aspects of Healing which promotes patient advocacy and connecting with inner guidance for success in health, wealth, and relationships. Learn more @ www.AccessYourInnerGuide.com
(All pictures and quotes were used with permission from the guest or are owned by the author.)
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by Kathleen O'Keefe-Kanavos | Oct 29, 2015 | Access Your Inner Guide, Uncategorized
Are you ready to co-create a resilient, equitable and spiritually fulfilling future for humanity in community with the Earth? Being spiritually fulfilled does not mean adapting to any specific creed or religion, but rather embracing a sense of connectedness—of oneness with the universe. Two amazing people, Merry and Burl Hall tell us how they do it, despite living with Alzheimer’s Disease.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wickedhousewivesoncapecodradiont/2015/10/14/kathleen-okeefe-kanavos-show-with-merry-burl-hall-envision-this
Burl Benson Hall is very open about his life with Alzheimer’s Disease. He was kind enough to share insights into this challenge which he embraces as part of his life-wisdom. Burl’s wife Merideth ( Merry) Hall lives her name– she is one of the merriest people I have ever interviewed.
Burl is an author, philosopher (lover-of-Sophia), mystic, and retired counsellor. He writes with the editorial assistance of his muse and wife, Merry Stetson Hall, a retired teacher.
“I am Grandmerry Hall, a name given me by my grandchildren. During my 70 years of life, I have been a teacher, mother, grandmother, author, editor, care-giver, end-of-life mentor, and radio show co-host of Envision This connecting online listeners to visionaries. Folks tell me I embody “The Mother” archetype and Sophianic wisdom. This description humbles me and also moves me to offer my counsel as an Elder.”
Merry and Burl Hall are authors, co-hosts, and co-editors from Sabattus, Maine. What makes this team so amazing is the fact that Burl has Alzheimer’s, but he is quick to tell you he does not suffer from it. He simply exists with it, and embraces the daily lessons it teaches him. Merry is the love–of-his-life, Rock-of-Gibraltar, and editor of the books they create together.
During this interview Burl shared with listeners how having Alzheimer’s is much like “living in a constantly shifting dream where everything is only now. There is no past or future; only the big NOW.” The insights Burl shares with listeners is absolutely astounding because he is never remorseful, or feels victimized, only grateful for the wonderful productive life he is still leading.
Their vision is to share with you, the listener, with Gaia, and with many, a vision of a healthy Earth and humane culture where our descendants and fellow creatures can thrive and flourish.
Merry and Burl explain how their mission is to co-create a resilient, equitable and spiritually fulfilling future for humanity in community with the Earth. “By spiritually fulfilling, we do not mean to adapt to any specific creed or religion. Rather, we mean a sense of connectedness—of oneness with the universe, our loved ones, our ancestors and posterity, and within ourselves. We are awakening the realization that we belong to the cosmic All.”
As a three time breast cancer survivor whose dreams diagnosed my illness, I was astounded by the information Burl shared with his doctor to get the correct treatment for Alzheimer’s.
Listen to the answer Burl received from the medical community in the interview.
Merry and Burl Hall are the authors of SOPHIA’S WEB: A PASSIONATE CALL TO HEAL OUR WOUNDED NATURE. Merry explains, “Sophia’s Web encourages you to discover how you can co-create individual, planetary and universal health.” It also examines Burl Hall’s individual dreams, visions, passions, and missions, in the light of the Wisdom shared by great thinkers in all disciplines.
SOPHIA’S WEB is calling out for you to become part of the healing of the Earth, all of nature, humankind, society, and yourself. Healing the wounded nature of humankind and the Earth is a primary mission of the 21st Century. It’s on the minds of millions; it’s on our minds; and it’s on yours. That is why we wrote SOPHIA’S WEB and why we are hoping you will read it. In Sophia’s Web, Burl takes the reader with him ever deeper into the heart of Divine Wisdom.
On the radio show Burl and Merry discuss how:
- Sophia’s Web is the saga of Hall’s journey from fleeting visions of Sophia in childhood to a mature, surrendered embrace of the Sacred Feminine which now underpins and informs his life, his work, and his connection with the earth community.
- Burl’s primary belief, “is that the Goddess is the power by which all are born, maintained, and dissolved. It is she who weaves the entire web of life.”
Almost effortlessly Burl was able to acknowledge, at an early age, not only the feminine principle in the world but the feminine within himself. As with any male socialized within the context of industrial civilization, Burl experienced societal pressure to embrace the patriarchal perspective which prizes a way of life based on power and control. Yet, Sophia’s Web reveals a man who has moved through and beyond patriarchal programming to an integration of the feminine principle within himself, and who strives to apply Sophia’s wisdom in his life and work.
Rarely do we have the opportunity to hear an embodied male acknowledge what the author lays bare in this radio interview.
“Together, we can co-create a more abundant future for our planet.”
Burl Hall follows the thread within this web that connects his research in these fields to his personal mystical experience and dreams. “We are amazed by the opportunity the worldwide web offers us, a couple living on Social Security Disability and Social Security Retirement, to reach out to the world both through our writings and Sophia, the Spirit of Wisdom, which has woven the multi-dimensional aspects of our lives—personal, relational, cultural, intellectual, scientific, philosophical, and spiritual—into a cosmic web.”
Thank you, Burl and Merry, for this rare insight into such a beautiful mind and loving heart.
ABOUT THE GUESTS: Merry and Burl Hall are the authors of SOPHIA’S WEB: A PASSIONATE CALL TO HEAL OUR WOUNDED NATURE available on Amazon at: http://amzn.to/1JUvrkf . The E-Book is available @ http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XUV57KO They are also the radio show hosts of Envision This @http://www.blogtalkradio.com/envision-this and http://www.envisionthismedia.com/envisionthis-radio where they connect listeners to visionaries of a more resilient, abundant, equitable, and Earth-friendly future.
ABOUT THE HOST: Kathleen O’Keefe Kanavos is a TV Host/Producer of Wicked Housewives ON Cape Cod Radio and TV, Author of International Bestseller & Multi-award winner Surviving Cancerland: Intuitive Aspects of Healing, and a 3x Breast Cancer Survivor whose dreams diagnosed her illness. She’s published in medical journals. Kat believes dreams diagnose your life. “Did you have a déjà- vu or dream come true?” Kat’s interpretations are in American Express Open Forum. She’s a Coach & “Go-to authority” on Beauty, Health, Wealth & Relationships, Keynote Speaker/Panelist/Presenter at International Associations, Columnist, & blogs on many professional sites. Kat taught Special Education and Psychology at USF. http://SurvivingCancerLand.com/ www.AccessYourInnerGuide.com
All pictures, information and quotes used in this blog are used with the permission of the guests.
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by Kathleen O'Keefe-Kanavos | Oct 24, 2015 | Access Your Inner Guide, Uncategorized
No! We are not talking about feeding Zombies or Vampires. A Dumb Supper is a serious meal meant for ghosts; your passed-over-loved-ones to be exact. A traditional Dumb Supper is served on all Hollow’s Eve in your home and on a plate at your table. It often begins at midnight with a prayer of thanksgiving, is shrouded in complete respectful silence, and culminates in a celebration of spirits. The Dumb Supper is an ancient tradition where the dead attend the living for a magical night of communion.
Dinning with the dead is another way of saying, “I love you.”
A Dumb Supper is a bridge between the living and the dead built with love and traversed by loved-ones. It is a centuries old tradition with roots in Europe and branches in America.
We understand the concept of death as spirit leaving the body. But, what about the idea of spirits returning for dinner?
We regularly show our love for the deceased by talking to them at their place of burial, taking gifts of flowers, lighting candles for them in our places of worship, and displaying their pictures as a token of our enduring love. On the anniversary of their passing we have moments of silence, song, and food where we live, work, and pray.
So, is setting a place for the dead at our dinner table going too far?
Those who practice the Dumb Supper on All Hallows’ Eve don’t think so. The Dumb Supper is a reverent event that discourages conversation of any kind.
Dumb Supper literally means quiet meal—mum’s the word–Shhh!
Silence during the meal is of the utmost importance, therefore electronics and motors that beep, buzz or squeak are turned off or unplugged. This includes television sets, refrigerators and freezers. No cell phones, notepads or computers are permitted in the dining area during the dinner.
These special meals take place on Samhain, October 31st which is Halloween or All Hallows Eve,
also known as Halloween and All Saints’ Eve; the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows’ Day.
It is also a yearly celebration observed in a number of countries. This practice, celebrated worldwide, is one of the largest gatherings at the Festival of the Dead in Salem, Massachusetts.
Why would the veil between the living and the dead be thinner on Halloween day than any other? Because, intention powered by the flame of love is a powerful tool.
Perhaps Collective Intention empowered through prayer and meditation, can literally pull aside the curtain of death so the dead can once again share time and space in the land of the living in the form of a spiritual supper.
Here is how the Dumb Supper works.
The evening opens with a blessing where each attendee is guided through the veil between the worlds to the realms of the dead where no one living may speak.
After the family meal is cooked, the table is set with an empty place setting filled with food. In keeping with tradition, the courses of The Dumb Supper are served backwards and the placement of everything down to the silverware is reversed as a means of weaving participants into the shadowy world of spirit. Rather than starting the meal with soup and salad, it begins with desert. It almost begs the question, “Is this an example of the saying, ‘Life is short, so eat desert first.’” Soup and salad are served at the end of the dinner, much like European dinning customs.
The extra setting is for dead family ancestors to come and enjoy a meal with living family members.
Photographs of the deceased are often placed on the table as an invitation; a spirituality and metaphysical first step in manifesting a desired outcome.
So, rather than mourning the deceased, let’s celebrate their memory, and see who comes to dinner, because love is something you can take with you to the-other-side. And, under certain circumstances, like an invitation to a Dumb Supper, love may bring family members back from the dead, to break bread with the living.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kathleen O’Keefe Kanavos is a TV/Radio Host/Producer of Wicked Housewives On Cape Cod, International Bestselling & Multi-award winner author of SurvivingCancerland: Intuitive Aspects of Healing, and a 3x Breast Cancer Survivor whose dreams diagnosed her illness. She’s published in medical journals, on Huffington Post, in American Express Open Forum and has been a guest on George Noory’s Coast to Coast AM. Kat believes dreams diagnose your life. “Did you have a déjà- vu or dream-come-true?” Kat travels the country advocating for women’s issues. She taught Special Education and Psychology at USF. http://SurvivingCancerLand.com/ www.AccessYourInnerGuide.com
(all photos displayed in this article have been purchased by the author.)
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