Interview with Vivian Dixon Sober Rescheduled

Rescheduled interview:
Until You Walk the Path, You Don’t Know Where it Goes will be hosting poet and life coach Vivian Dixon Sober on May 30 at 5 pm eastern.

Vivian Dixon Sober is the owner of Victorious Women a start-up business designed to help women write to the heart of matters through workshops, seminars, and public speaking. She is a journalist and a creative writer. She is a book reviewer for the Sacramento and San Francisco Book Reviews.  The goal of Victorious Women is to help empower women to overcome pain through writing and move from Victim Street to a Victorious Place. This journalist is healing through writing.  ‘Writing to heal is real.  When you write to you, for you, and from you, you are your only critic.”—Vivian Dixon Sober


Tune at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theresachaze on May 30 at 5:00 pm eastern to listen to Vivian talk about how women can take their own power back.  The phone lines and chat will be available for those who wish to receive a reading or ask questions. The phone number is (347) 324-3745. The interactive chat room is available on the show’s page.

Until You Walk the Path: Vivian Dixon Sober

Until You Walk the Path, You Don’t Know Where it Goes will be hosting poet and life coach Vivian Dixon Sober on May 23 at 5 pm eastern.

Vivian Dixon Sober is the owner of Victorious Women a start-up business designed to help women write to the heart of matters through workshops, seminars, and public speaking. She is a journalist and a creative writer. She is a book reviewer for the Sacramento and San Francisco Book Reviews. The goal of Victorious Women is to help empower women to overcome pain through writing and move from Victim Street to a Victorious Place. This journalist is healing through writing. ‘Writing to heal is real. When you write to you, for you, and from you, you are your only critic.”—Vivian Dixon Sober


Tune at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theresachaze on May 23 at 5:00 pm eastern to listen to Vivian talk about how women can take their own power back. The phone lines and chat will be available for those who wish to receive a reading or ask questions. The phone number is (347) 324-3745. The interactive chat room is available on the show’s page.

Please share the link

Interview with Author and Midwife: Patricia Harman

Patricia Harman has spend over 30 years caring for woman as a midwife, first as a lay-midwife, delivering babies in cabins and on communal farms in West Virginia and later as a nurse-midwife in teaching hospitals and in a community hospital birthing center. Her first book, The Blue Gown: A Midwife's Memoir honors her profession and the woman who came into her life


My show page is at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theresachaze. Here is the show information
Date / Time: 1/28/2009 8:00 PM

Category: Books

Call-in Number: (347) 324-3745


There are three ways to participate, on the phone, online and in the chat room. For those who have long distance issues. There is a button on the home page that connects the caller for free through Skype, but the connections are always very good. I would prefer for Patsy to call in about five minutes before the show starts. We can talk before hand. If it's possible, it would be good for her to be both online and on the phone, so she can also participate in the chat room. To do that you need to set up a free account at http://www.blogtalkradio.com

Guest Blogger: Primary Battles Prove Feminized Values to be Defining Element of 2008 Presidential Race

Primary Battles Prove Feminized Values to be Defining Element of 2008 Presidential Race

By Katherine Adam and Charles Derber

As Democrats come closer to choosing their candidate for the 2008 presidential election, gender has emerged again and again as the defining element of the primary race. Hillary has relied heavily on a base of older and working class women. Barack Obama has pulled ahead of Hillary Clinton with a feminized personal style and using feminized language about unity and community.

New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd picked up on this phenomenon, writing, "The first serious female candidate for president was rejected by voters drawn to the more feminine management style of her male rival." Boston Globe writer Ellen Goodman has a different take on the events: "Now we see a woman running as the fighter and a man modeling a 'woman's way' of leading. We see a younger generation in particular inspired by ideas nurtured by women, as long as they are delivered in a baritone. So, has the women's movement made life easier? For another man?"

Dowd and Goodman both touch upon a theme we discuss in our book, The New Feminized Majority: How Democrats Can Change America with Women's Values. The Obama-Clinton gender battle ultimately comes down to feminized values, which will also be the defining element in the 2008 election and beyond.

For many Democrats, it seems strange to talk about values-based politics. We usually equate values with religion. The media calls evangelical conservatives the only “values voters.” Yet, values are nothing more than socially constructed ideals of how the world should be. Many aspects of a person's identity beyond religion create his or her value system –age, race, and nationality. However, the most important values for Democrats to understand are values shaped by gender.

Women's history of oppression, combined with their fights for liberation, have created what we term feminized values. These include empathy, cooperation, and a preference for non-violent solutions to conflicts. Conversely, men's history of political and economic dominance socialize men into a system of masculinized values, including aggression and individualism.

Gender gap data from surveys consistently show this gendered difference. But it is important to understand that gendered values are not embedded in a person's DNA. Women are not inherently more peaceful and nurturing, men are not born as cutthroat, "every man for himself" individualists. (Just look at Condoleezza Rice and Dennis Kucinich.) People, in general, are socialized into values based on gender, but gender is open to variance and change. Men can adopt feminized values, and, as we will show, millions have.

Women's increasing progressivism won't lead to a battle of the sexes showdown. In fact, millions of men are following the feminized progressive example, holding opinions on issues that match those held by a majority of women. This points to the reason Obama or Clinton needs to pay close attention to gendered values: for the first time, feminized values—which are progressive, community-minded, and often closely aligned with Democratic Party policy—are now held by a majority of Americans.

While gender gaps still exist, a large enough minority of men support feminized principles to make them majoritarian. We find these values reflected in issue after issue, in poll after poll. From ending the Iraq War to funding stem cell research, from raising the minimum wage to adopting government-sponsored universal healthcare, the feminized position is the majoritarian position—which means it is the winning position.

While Clinton seemed to be the more "masculinized" candidate in the Democratic race, the differences between Clinton and Obama will seem microscopic once we enter the general election. The race between McCain and the Democratic candidate shows a HUGE chasm between feminized and masculinized morality.

McCain's hypermilitarized foreign policy objectives and traditionalist social policies reflect his masculinized values. At events, he is often flanked by symbols of American masculinity, such as cops and soldiers. These visuals are an attempt to convey a subliminal promise of masculine protectionism: vote for me and men like these will keep your wives and children safe. The other unspoken part of this message is clear: Democrats are too weak and womanly to lead.

Unfortunately for McCain, a majority of Americans have turned away from this dated definition of "strength". With hundreds of thousands dying in Iraq, GIs returning home paralyzed or in body bags, and pictures circulating of hooded Iraqi prisoners with electrodes attached to their bodies, Americans are looking for a new kind of foreign policy. And with multiple corporate mergers, rising poverty rates, and economic inequality unparalleled since the Gilded Age, Americans can't afford anything but new domestic policies.

Obama or Clinton can provide an alternative to the morality offered by McCain. All they need to do is recognize the new feminized majority, and embrace it.

To order “The New Feminized Majority” visit Paradigm Publishing at http://www.paradigmpublishers.com/books/BookDetail.aspx?productID=180321 or Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/New-Feminized-Majority-Katherine-Adam/dp/1594515689/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204436315&sr=8-1
Building beyond Lakoff’s election-year best-seller, Don’t Think of an Elephant, this new book shows how the values of American voters are dramatically shifting. With the arrival of the 2008 election year, a rising feminized majority’—made up of both women and men—is emerging as the pivotal force in American politics. Emerging trends show these values are broadly progressive and address not just the needs of women but the general interests of society. They are held by women substantially more than by men but have become the values held by a majority of all voters, including millions of men.

Like earlier eras in American history, such as the New Deal, the rise of the feminized majority today presents an opportunity for the Democrats to become the governing party for decades to come. Looking beyond the 2008 election, Adam and Derber describe a new political strategy that targets the feminized base and opens up a window for major social justice movements to make progressive change.

Like Lakoff’s, this striking new book—perfectly timed for election year 2008—offers a new vocabulary for every citizen who wants to understand (and reimagine) American politics. It will intrigue and provoke readers, stirring new conversation among progressives and new insights for every citizen interested in politics, morality, religion, values, and social justice.

Reveals the “Three Hillaries” and why two of her three political dimensions consist of masculinized values.
Shows why Obama and Edwards are more “feminized” than Hillary Clinton
Builds beyond Lakoff’s Elephant in showing how gender is increasingly pivotal in political values, and by revealing the deep historical roots of gendered values in America
Looks at the relation between religion, values, and politics in a new way
A book perfectly timed for the first election in which a woman, Hillary Clinton, stands a strong chance of becoming president
Written by a widely experienced political campaigner and a noted social critic
Shows how political discussions have been gender-blind and how gender awareness opens new windows to social justice in America


Gender, Values, and the Democrats

As the only group targeted by a political party using a value-based strategy, evangelicals are seen as the only people who match their actions and politics to their values. Values, however, are a universal human phenomenon. In their simplest form, values are socially constructed views about how the world should be. In 1651, Thomas Hobbes wrote about the subjectivity of values and how we shape our values to fit our ideas of what makes a perfect society.

But whatsoever is the object of any man’s appetite or desire, that it is which he for his part calleth “good”; and the object of his contempt “vile” and “inconsiderable.” For these words of good, evil, and contemptible, are ever used with relation to the person that useth them. There being nothing simply and absolutely so; nor any common rule of Good or Evil, to be taken from the nature of the objects themselves.7

Looking past Hobbes’s notorious pessimism about the human condition, this idea highlights that everyone acts on values and that values are socially constructed. Therefore, values vary from person to person, and a person has the ability to change his or her values.

Although Hobbes refers to an individual’s values, his message translates to larger community values. Americans, for example, hold American values. Every political candidate, on the right or the left, knows that most Americans respond favorably to the idea that a person should be rewarded for hard work. This is a capitalist, American value. Members of other societies might feel that a person should be rewarded for his or her skin color or family bloodline. Every person is socialized into the values of his or her community or nation, and these values then intersect with other values the person has, such as those based his or her religion, race, and socioeconomic class.

Perhaps the most important set of socialized values, however, is based on a person’s gender. We term these values feminized values and masculinized values. In this book, we will outline how men’s and women’s different value systems create divergent views about what America should be. We argue that Americans carry gendered attitudes into the voting booth and, like the evangelicals, vote based on how these values translate to specific political issues.

Just as some groups’ values fall to the more conservative end of the political spectrum, other groups’ values fall to the left. Evangelicals usually support right-wing candidates, because their moral values are highly conservative. We will introduce a group of voters whose values reflect progressive ideals: feminized values voters. If evangelicals represent the key to Republican electoral victory, then feminized values voters represent the chance for Democrats to usher in a new progressive era.

Feminized values are the values into which women are socialized; a majority of women hold these values, as do a smaller percentage of men, for reasons we will describe shortly. The potential for a more progressive era arises because the women and men who hold feminized values make up today a majority of the country and of voters.

We term feminized values voters the feminized majority. These women and men will not only change election outcomes, but also will transform American values and the American Dream. The feminized majority supports a strong welfare state, views social issues through a lens of egalitarianism, and feels that government should do more in general to help its most vulnerable citizens. Feminized majority voters support stem cell research, comprehensive sex education, and environmental protection. They reject violent imperialism. They worry about their long-term economic security and fear that neither party will provide them with adequate health care. In a much deeper and richer way than American masculinized voters, the feminized majority yearns for a progressive, populist America.

We call these voters the feminized majority because the values they carry truly are becoming majoritarian. We will describe the political and economic changes that have led to this point. It is important to remember that President Bush changed the 2004 election by mobilizing evangelicals, who represent only 23 percent of voters. Now, Democrats have the opportunity to change America in dramatic ways with the support of a much larger part of the electorate. While the general perception is that the United States is a conservative country, we shall show that feminized values are held by an increasingly robust majority of voters in the country who are prepared to support a progressive politics of social justice.

The Democrats can lead the feminized majority if they are willing to abandon their triangulation strategy and create a values-based platform. This approach seems unorthodox, because we usually conflate values and morals with religion and conservatism. However, values are nothing more than socially constructed ideals that provide a moral compass for each person, regardless of where he or she falls on the political spectrum. Once Democrats recognize the power of values in elections, they can begin appealing to values voters.

A noted social critic, Charles Derber is a Professor of Sociology at Boston College. Katherine Adam is the Outreach Director for the Philadelphia GROW Project of the Drexel University School of Public Health. She has been active in Democratic Party politics at the federal, state, and local levels, including interning for Senator John Kerry. Derber and Adam collaborated on the newly released nonfiction title, “The New Feminized Majority: How Democrats Can Change America with Women’s Values” which can be purchased at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, and from the publisher’s website.


Technorati Tags:
2008 Presidental election, Clinton, Obama, feminism, Feminized Values, guest blogger, politics, Democrats, real clear politics, cnn politics, American Politics, real politics, women in politics, hilary clinton campaign, hilary rodham clinton, hilary clinton for president, barack obama, obama girl, facts about barack obama, obama for president, Theresa Chaze, Katherine Adam, Charles Derber, democratic candidates for 2008 elections, republican elections 2008 whos running for president, 2008 us democratic party elections results, feminism, modern feminism, liberal feminism, definition of feminism, politics of feminism, the view politics feminism
Add to: | Technorati | Digg | del.icio.us | Yahoo | BlinkList | Spurl | reddit | Furl |

Women's Issues: Turning 50: Healing Wounds and Becoming Feral Again

A friend of mine just did a reading for me. Currently, I am having financial issues that I am having difficulty getting passed. Part of it is the economy, but not all of it. Cate told me that I have an issue with a female family member. For a moment, I was confused. The female members of my family were the supportive ones. In more cases than not, the male members were the ones that caused me pain by attacking myself esteem. Or so I thought. In reality, it was more of cooperative effort. While the abuse of the males was active, the female abuse was more passive so it was able to sneak past my radar.

This year I am going to be 50. A bench mark for most people. Last year, I quit a job that was emotionally and physically toxic to focus on my writing. At the time, I had a paying writing gig to pay the monthly bills. In addition, I cashed out my 401K to use as seed money to start my own publishing house. I put all my eggs in one basket and went for the gold. Most people would say that I was foolish in this economic climate to risk everything; however, those are the same people who look back with regret. Win, lose or draw, I will know that I reach for my dream with my best effort and whole soul--not to mention a great deal of research. I belong to the cross over generation--not part of the fifties mentality, nor really of the independent woman, I find myself still confronting the self-doubt and victim mentality the women of my mother's generation.

Growing up my mother did her best to turn me into a lady. She was never able to civilize the heathen out of me. She would buy these beautiful, frilly dresses for me to wear. My garment choice was the sky. I learned how to undress myself before I learned how to put any clothes on. I played with trucks, climbed trees and roughhoused; quietly playing with dolls never interested me. I was precocious and wild; imagine a feral kitten who was born in the wild suddenly finding itself limited to a small cage. At the age of three, Mom and I were visiting a friend of hers. They were boring so I found a child’s birthday party next door and invited myself. The neighbor was amused. My mother was horrified. When I was tired or just needed time for me, I had a habit of finding a quiet spot behind furniture, in the back of closets--any out of the way spot to curl up and take a nap. My mother would panic if she didn’t know where I was every moment. More than once, she called the police thinking I had escaped out the back door and had gotten lost. They would come and search the fields around my parent’s home. I always came out when I got hungry or when my nap was over.

Overall, many times and many ways I was an embarrassment to my mother. I simply didn’t fit into the daughter mold that she had expected or wanted. I was never meek enough. I was too forward. I was too outspoken. I looked boy’s in the eyes and wouldn’t back down. She once told me that if I wanted a boyfriend, I need to be more submissive, less independent. I didn’t want a boyfriend in high school; I wanted an education. It’s not that I wasn’t interested in boys; I had my crushes, but they were never my primary focus. I wanted a life. When I daydreamed, it wasn’t about being a wife or a mother; I was a star traveler; I was a doctor--a Texas Ranger. When I was nine, I dreamt I was a techo-agent and connected to a secret advanced society; there was a tunnel from the basement closet to the headquarters beneath the hill close to the house. From there we listened and observed the world’s leaders scheme, preventing them from doing any real damage. Back in 1967, if there were computers they were nothing like the sophisticated equipment I dreamt of. Looking back, the equipment would be advanced even for today, yet I dreamt of instant real time communication with the moon base and traveling at the speed of light.

My family history wasn’t exactly Leave it Beaver. My father was an alcoholic; my mother enabled him. To say the home environment was unstable was an understatement. You never knew what was going to happen or when, only that it was inevitable. Many times, I was sent to my grandmother’s for my own safety. Instead of dealing with the true issue, my mother made the conflict go away. I remember one dinner, my father had grabbed at me--I don’t remember the reason; instinctively, I fought back with nails extended. I didn’t think; I just reacted. There was silence in the dining; then memory goes suddenly black, except for the fact the seating arrangements at the table suddenly changed. Afterwards, I began spending more time at my grandmother’s. Whenever conflict arose, I changed residence. It got to the point that I nearly started calling my grandmother, mom.

My mother’s mother was a blessing to me; however, not all of the family saw her in the same light. Helen Davis quit school at the age of 12 and started working. By the time she was 16 she was pregnant and was forced into marriage, becoming Helen Kubanek. She worked until she was forced by a medical issue to retire. However, retirement didn’t mean she was a lady of leisure. She was married but my grandfather never could tame her. Until my grandfather’s death, she had both a husband and a boyfriend. Rumor had it he had many other interests as well. He was a cook on the lower lakers, so he was gone nine month out of the year. When he did return home, the battle of wills lasted the entire three months. My grandfather was also an alcoholic, but his absence and my grandmother prevented him from being too much of a negative factor in my life. She ran the household, making sure the bills were paid and keeping order. My grandmother’s boyfriend, George, was an interesting character. Although he had a limited education, he was a wise man. He knew how to work the earth to produce plentiful crops, yet he had definite options on life. He once told me that if I knew I was right--stick to it. He owned an 80 acre farm that was made of field, swamp and forest. Frequently I accompanied my grandmother when she visited George. At age 6 or 7, I had free reign to explore. If my mother knew how much time I spent exploring alone, she would have locked me in a closet. I knew when I had to be back. If they needed me earlier, they blew the car horn. He gave me my first job. I picked vegetables and weeded the garden. It’s not that the family needed them money; I just wanted my own. In addition, I went door to door selling the extra.

Another positive factor in my life was Leona Gramza. She was what they called back then my grandmother’s lady friend. Back then I suspect that the meaning was different than today. However, I was a kid and I have no clue. When the two of them teamed up, nothing and no one stopped them. They lived together until Leona died of diabetes. Leona was a “sturdy” woman. She was an honorable, wise woman with a loving heart who also had a formable temper and the courage to use it. She had no problem telling anyone what she thought and didn’t care what they thought about it. If she loved you, you had a valiant protector; if you got on her bad side, it was prudent to be elsewhere. When she pulled her fist back, grown men quivered. The day she died, I lost someone who loved and protected me. She was a shelter in the storm. She had been the gatekeeper that had kept much of the negative behavior suppressed in my nuclear family. If my father raise a hand, he had better have had a damn good reason or he would have Leona to answer to.

My mother’s sisters, Betty and Delores were more traditional. They believed that women came second. They were to be taken care of and pampered by their husband, but didn’t have any real power in the relationship or the world. The disapproved of my grandmother led her life. They were quick to make use of the benefits, but just ask quickly they would gossip and back bite their own mother. It is amazing what little pictures can hear when everyone thinks she is asleep on the couch. Their husbands were just as quick to make use of George’s tools, equipment, and ask for free labor, yet they treated him with total contempt. My mother refused to take sides; once again, she sat on the fence. She was kind to George, yet she never defended him. Later in life when he became ill, she helped care for him. George had shown his gratitude by remembering her in his will. Betty and Delores were furious that they had been ignored. They did nothing; they received nothing.

In reality, my mother and I were living in two different realities. She was of the generation that devalued intelligence and personal ambition in women. While she saw challenges as a reason to give up and allow someone else to find a solution, I saw a learning situation. In grade school, I was quick to learn, but by the time I entered junior high I had started to withdraw. My greatest desire was not to be seen. Neither of my parents had graduated from high school; although later in life, my mother did go back and finish. They didn’t see getting an education as important, especially for girls. It was only a place to find a mate. When I decided to go onto college, first the local community college the Michigan State, not only did my family not support me, but also in many ways they actively set up road blocks. I was unable to gain the family financial information to receive financial aid. Initially the only financing I had access to is what I could save from my part time job. When I was accepted at State, I had enough for one term, no job and my mother telling me not to try. I was determined and I had faith. I spite of the negativity, I went anyway. Within two days, I had a job. By the end of the month, I had the financing for the rest of the year. Through out the years, whenever I had the courage to have faith, what I need appeared in my life. However, during the last decade that the subtle programming was activated; I lost my faith and courage, so my blessings stopped reaching me.

Some may say that I have treated my mother unfairly. I loved my mother. In many ways, she was a kind, loving woman who helped many people, yet I can't help feeling that if she had been less negative and a stronger person, I wouldn't have taken the long way around to achieving my dream. Mom always thought there would never be enough and would squirrel away money. It is the one belief that I have been challenged with my entire life. Once she cried, telling me that she didn’t even have enough money to bury herself. When she was killed, she had over 300 dollars in her purse, mostly in small bills and change. She hid small amounts in different places in the house. She never had enough faith to trust that she would be provided for. Every good thing that came into her life, she expected something bad to follow. She didn't feel worthy of receiving blessing. She was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Because she expected it, it usually happened.

I remember calling her up to brag about something wonderful that happened in my life; by the time the conversation ended, I was depressed, because she would find the dark cloud in the silver lining. My first real job after college was working at TV station as tech. It was a good beginning in the industry. However, the station had political undercurrents that I really wasn‘t prepared to deal with. During one of our conversations, Mom told me to quit and go on welfare. The message was stop trying--you won't succeed. That's not what I needed to hear. In hindsight, I wanted her to say, you deserve better treatment, take your experience and find a better job. But I didn't get that then or for years after. A week before she was killed in the car accident, she called me. We talked like equals for the first and only time. When I hung up the phone, I felt good about myself and our relationship. I regret that we didn't have more time to work out the old issues.

Over the past, six years I have done my best to heal the old wounds and regain my original feisty spirit. I’ve done the healing steps to forgive the past. I have done the visualization focusing on the end result instead of questioning the logic. I have gone out on the limb to reach for my dream. Yet, no matter how I organized and how hard I worked, success still stayed out of my reach. When Cate told me that I had an issue from my past that I needed to deal with, my first thought was ya right. Been there. Done that. Yet the more I stepped back and thought about the message, I started remembering and piecing together events. Some where along the way, I started waiting for the other shoe to drop Instead of having the courage to jump blindly off the cliff, certain that I would be caught safely, I started doubting and giving into fear. Financial when I was secure, I always expected to loose it--and I did. Whatever I feared, manifested. Whatever I worried about, I created. In reality, both create walls around you that prevent your blessing reaching you.

Last July, I looked at my life. The job I was working at was physically and emotionally toxic. I was doing 90 hour work weeks and not achieving my goals. I did the research and the math then jumped off that cliff. I cashed out my 401K and had a part time writing gig that kept the bills current. But after four months, the writing gig ended. Once again, I was financially challenged. Only this time it was finals. I couldn’t find a job. Target hired me, but it took almost a month for me to start working; the job lasted five weeks. It would be very easy to fall back into old patterns. But I‘ve found that part of me that I lost along the way. I know, just like I knew when I went away to State, that I will be safely caught. There are no more shoes to drop, except for the size 6 that will look spectacular on my feet. I just have to do my part and only my part--the rest will take care of itself. No longer a kitten, the feral has been reborn and this kitty-cat has just resharpened her claws. And Grandma, if you are listening, could you give me the good luck you had with the lottery. I wish and ask for 5 million dollars for Valkyrie Publishing. I wish and ask for 5 million dollars for the animal rescue reserve. I wish and ask for 80 million dollars for Valhalla. Thanks I appreciate the help. One more thing--what’s this shit with these stupid bunions?

Messages From the Universe--A Free Spiritual Ezine

Greetings,

I'm sorry there wasn't an issue for December 2007. However the current issue is better than before. As always you are welcome to share the ezine as a whole, but the articles remain the copyrighted property of the authors. The link to read Messages is below. You may have to cut and paste it into your browser.



http://us.share.geocities.com/tirgana/messagesJan08.pdf



This link will subscribe you to the free Yahoo group that was created for the sole purpose of receiving Messages From the Universe. Please join and be insured that you receive Messages without loosing the issues to your spam box.



http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MessagesFromtheUniverse/

Free ebook--Sisters Mother Daughter

Sisters Mother Daughters-
The Complicated Relationships Between Women
A free ebook

By
Theresa Chaze

Valkyrie Publishing announces the release of the free ebook by Theresa Chaze, Sisters, Mothers, Daughters. Using the fantasy genre, the short stories explore the complicated and ever changing relationships between women. Other worlds, differing religions, and political view points come together as women explore themselves and their life’s path. Sometimes controversial, sometimes frightening this collection of short stories reveals the multi-dimensional spirit of the every changing woman.

Seize of honor is an other worldly tale of how Kelly O’Dell accidentally killed the children of the natives she is attempting to communicate with them to save her people. It was an accident. She never intended to harm anyone, but natives knew she was responsible. They laid the body of one of the children on her door step and pointed their finger at her. Her comrades didn’t understand why. Kelly knew but she lied. Even after the natives attacked, killing most of their party, she kept silent. She couldn’t tell them the truth. At best they would abandon her to the natives’ justice; at worse they would notify command when the rescue team arrived. Either way, she would be as dead; the only question would be is how long and how painful the end would be. To save herself and her people, she must find a way to restore her honor by making the natives understand it was only an accident.

Resa has died, yet her spirit did not move on. Knowing her birth family would attempt to steal her property from those she had gifted it to and inflict their beliefs on her, she refused to cross over. They had tried every legal means available, but this time, she was ready for them. The everything was iron clad. Her wishes would be obeyed; her sisters of spirit would insure her final desires would be followed down to the last detail. In It’s my Funeral, I’ll Disco If I Want, Resa has prearranged her own funeral according to her Wiccan beliefs. Caroline, her spirit guide to the Summerland and long time friend, arrives to escort her to the other side, only find that Resa refuses to leave until after her funeral. Instead she wants to watch as her frustrated birth family is forced to accept in death what they couldn’t accept about her in life.

Politically relevant and controversial, And Freedom For All, projects into the future what life will be like once the religious right has gained power over the United States. Laws are in acted and interpreted according to their Christian doctrine, leading to the over turn of Roe vs. Wade and to a great division between the states. Pregnant by a man who sees her more as possession than a partner, Daphne asks childhood friend, Melanie to help her to escape to a free state. To retain control over her own body, Daphne leaves nearly everything behind and flees for her freedom. Together they must avoid the Pre-born Police, who arrest women they believe are pregnant to prevent them from leaving the Christian controlled states. Three borders and hundreds of miles to cross stretch between them and freedom as they do their best to avoid detection and capture. As they escape, Melanie and Daphne become part of a movement that will once again divide the country.


These are only examples of the tales told in Sisters Mothers Daughters as women strive to understand themselves and each other. Each of these women must look to their own hearts and ask themselves--am I strong enough?

Sisters Mothers Daughters is available at www.theresachaze.com. In addition, there are excerpts of Theresa Chaze’s novels, Awakening the Dragon and Dragon Domain, and other short works. Valkyrie Publishing distributes a monthly spiritual ezine, Messages From the Universe and the ebook versions of both Ms Chaze’s novels.

Theresa Chaze has been described as the woman who plays with dragons, especially the dragons of the mind. She leads her readers to magical realms and others worlds. Her work is based on her philosophy that all peoples can live together in peace as long as we come from respect, not only for ourselves but those who follow different paths or beliefs. Her work has been compared to Marion Zimmer Bradley and Anne McCaffrey with an adult version of Harry Potter mixed in. Theresa Chaze's major works so far include the first two novels of the Dragon Clan Trilogy and a free fantasy ebook called, Sisters, Mother, Daughters. Her screenplay, Never Can Say Good-bye, is one of the 2006 winners of the Gloria Film Festival. She publishes an ezine called, Messages From the Universe, which is available on her site www.theresachaze.com.

Wiccan Fantasy Sequel--Dragon Domain-Book Two of the Dragon Clan Trilogy

Dragon Domain (978-0-9798406-1-6) picks up the story several months and several miles down the road. Cheyenne and Celeste came to Coyote Springs to use their psychic gifts to find a missing child. They find the girl and made a new friend, Jane. Tired of rootless life, Cheyenne prays for a safe, stable home. With Jane's help, she find abandoned farm and decides to stay. Reluctantly, Celeste also remains. The threesome create a spiritual retreat that grows out of their shared wisdom, respect and sense of family. Cheyenne is happy for the first time since she awoke broken and bloody beneath the blinding desert son. Celeste had saved her then, but soon after Dominic appears on their doorstep, Celeste once again turns to the dark arts. Instead of a savior, she becomes vicious enemy with knowledge of all her strengths and weaknesses. With the dragons' aid, she was barely able to ward off their initial attack. But with each dark soul Celeste and Dominic bind to them, their malevolence grows until they will not settle for less that destroying Cheyenne and all she loves. How do you protect yourself from someone knows exactly how to steal your soul? (Available November 30, 2007)



CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Jane stood in front of the window, watching the rain being blown nearly horizontally. The wind howled around the house, shaking the windowpanes. Lightning flashed. Seconds later thunder cracked. It was the middle of the afternoon, yet it was as dark as night. The sensor turned on the streetlights and they bobbed like a lonely beacons on the street a washed with rain.
Lady Bridget and her daughter, Shelly, were in the kitchen, making ice tea by candlelight. Lady Bridget wasn’t exactly what she expected. But then again she didn’t know what to expect. But when the tall, full figured brunette answered the door, she was still surprised. Her long hair hung in a single braid down her back, disguising its true length. Her deep brown eyes shone brightly with the love of life and spirit. Shelly quickly joined her at the door. She was slightly younger version of Bridget. There was no mistaking their common gene pool. Originally, Jane had thought they were sisters. It wasn’t until later during conversation, did she learn Bridget was twenty years senior. The two of them had tittered about Jane’s mistake, implying that it was a common error. They had greeted her openly with trust and love. During dinner, she learned more about April. Some of her past, made Jane apprehensive, but the changes she had made in her path took great courage and strength; they were both qualities Jane admired. By the end of dinner, Jane was reassured.
That had been almost two days ago. Lady Bridget had insisted she stay until she was stronger. Gratefully she had agreed. Being pampered and mothered, she had slept and ate peacefully for the first time in months. The farm and all its problems were so far away, they no longer mattered. She was safe and protected. The urgency she had felt no longer prodded her to move on; something had changed, but she didn’t have a clue to what or how.
The power had been knocked out an hour or so ago. But she wasn’t really sure how long it had been. Her sense of time had gone weird since she arrived in Toledo. They had been talking on the back porch watching the storm blow in. The wind picked up. Together they had gathered the lawn furniture and safely tucked it in the garage. Before they could reach the house, the rain came down without warning. It was a hot summer rain that made it necessary to close the windows but made the inside unbearably hot. They left a few windows open on the sheltered side of the house. It didn’t help much. She felt her way to the chair and sat down. It was a comfy old chair that had already been softened by many other butts. Leaning back, she shifted her position so she’d still be able to look out the window.
Thunder rumbled. Lightning struck. The house shook. The room was ablaze like daylight. Suddenly Jane became uneasy. An electrical current surrounded her, making the air around her cold and rank. Its fingers reached for her heart. She screamed.
Lady Bridget and Shelly raced into the room, each carrying a candle. Bridget stopped short and shoved Shelly back out of the room. Quickly circling her left hand above the candle flame, she drew up an intense white ball of light. It grew to the size of a basketball. Angrily she shouted. “Dark One, who invades my domain, return whence you came.” She threw the ball at Jane. It hit in front of her, exposing the dark shadow of a figure looming over her. It crackled and hissed.
For an instant, Jane saw Celeste’s face. Horrified by the naked evil she saw in her eyes, she shrieked and covered her face.
The shadow folded into itself and disappeared through the window, cracking the pane. Another window cracked, echoing off the walls.
“Mother?” The younger woman’s voice questioned, but revealed no fear.
“Protect Jane.” Lady Bridget ordered.
Shelly nodded. Crossing the room, she stood behind Jane’s chair. Using the candlestick, she drew a double pentacle in the air. “I surround Jane and myself in the protection of the Goddess.” Stepping closer to the chair, she made a circle, which encompassed them both. “With this candle, I set up a barrier of light from each direction.” She raised the candle. “And from above.” She lowered the candle. “And below. This barrier is created from the will of the Goddess; it is seamless and impenetrable, unending as the Goddess’s love. It reflects back to the sender all negativity both the seen and the unseen the direct and the indirect. So mote it be.”
The air around them warmed. Jane felt like a child next to the younger woman. She looked up at her. Shelly was no longer a woman in her early twenties; she was a Priestess, knowledgeable in her craft and strong with the energy of the Goddess. “What about your mother?”
Shelly leaned around the chair, carefully keeping with in the glow of the candle. “Mother is safe. She has battled worse before and sent him squealing with his tail between his legs. No matter what. Stay in the circle of light. She needs to concentrate on him. Not worry about us.”
It made sense to Jane.
The younger woman sat on the arm of the chair, taking Jane’s hand in her own. “We’ll be ok. Mom called the others when we heard you scream. Her working partners are just minutes away. Besides,” she proudly shook back her long wavy hair, “my mother can take care of it herself.”
“Shush!” Lady Bridget hissed. The candle held high, she scanned the room. Her brown eyes darted from corner to corner. She walked toward the center of the room. The floor beneath her creaked. Lightning flashed, illuminating the room. For an instant, a dark form was revealed hovering within the folds of the drapes.
Jane’s scream as cut short by Shelly’s hand, becoming more of a muffled squeak.
“Shussh.” Shelly whispered. “You’re safe. Mom knows it’s there.”
“I know who it is.” Jane whispered back.
“Later.” The younger woman brought a single finger to her lips.”
Nodding, Jane involuntary pulled her feet onto the cushions of the chair. Her stomach churned. She was out of her league, out of possibilities, and nearly out of courage. She was an intuitive who studied Wicca. But nothing she had learned had prepared her for this kind of experience.
Lady Bridget stood alone in the darkness of the room. Her attention totally focused.
Lightning flashed in sequence, giving the room a strobbing effect. It was enough to give the shadow dimension and form. It was the size of a serving platter. Patches were nearly transparent. Other parts were too dense to see through. It pulsed in the rhythm of a heart beating. The general shape changing with each beat.
Streams of pure white light came up from the floor and down from the ceiling, engulfing Lady Bridget. It folded around her as the streams met and combined. Holding the candle with both hands before her, she released it. Instead of falling, it was held suspended. Spreading her arm out palms up, she slowly pivoted her hands. Highly focused beams of silver shot out of her palms, combining in the flame of the candle, and shot across the room, hitting the shadow.
It squealed. Shrinking back, it tried to hide deeper in the folds of the curtains. The light followed, spreading out to cover the shadow in violet flames. The squeal increased in pitch until it went beyond what the human ear could register, yet the sound vibration could be felt on their skin like an itch scratching wouldn’t cure. The windowpane rattled, threatening to break. Lightning flashed. Thunder cracked. Another flash revealed the presence of a second shadow. It joined with the first. The itch stopped. Together they disburse the flame, eating their way up the light to Lady Bridget.
Jane saw her weaken. She tugged on Shelly’s sleeve. “Go help her.” She whispered. “Never mind me.”
“I can’t” Shelly cried.
The front door burst open. Footsteps raced across the entranceway. Two men followed by a woman appeared in the archway. The younger man continued into the room; stepping behind Lady Bridget, he placed his open hands behind hers. Gold streams of light joined the silver, intertwining and reinforcing.
The shadows were forced back. Pushed, but not injured, both shadows escaped out the window. The storm continued. For a moment, the house was silent. The candle flickered out and fell to the floor with a clatter. The streams ceased. Only Shelly’s candle remained; its light was the only illumination in the room.
“It’s over.” Lady Bridget collapsed against the man behind her.
“What the hell brought him back?” The elderly man demanded from the darkness.
“Is she ok?” The unknown woman beside him asked. “We need light.” She continued. “Shelly drop your shield. It’s over and start lighting the candles.”
“Yes Grandmother.” Shelly licked her lips. “All is well. All is clear. Time for the shield to disappear.” The candle flickered but did not go out. She quickly stood and circled the room, lighting every candle she could find. With in minutes the room was a maze of flickering candle shadows and intertwining circles of candlelight.
The younger man had carried Lady Bridget to the sofa and was kneeling on the floor beside her. His build and general appearance was that of the elderly man, only his hair was longer and age hadn’t weighed down on his back. “You called Hon. I’ll be the first to admit you were right. He did come back.”
Taking one of the candles, the elderly woman quietly slipped from the room.
“Sometimes it would be good to be wrong.” She dryly answered. “Shelly, are you and Jane ok?”
“Yes, Mom. Are you?”
Lady Bridget nodded. “He has found a companion and followers.” She looked directly at the elderly man. “He’s stronger than before.” Her voice held the angry edge of an accusation.
“Is she one of them?” The elderly man demanded.
“No.” Lady Bridge countered. “One of his intended victims. One of many that didn’t need to be.”

Affirmations--The Power of Positive Thinking

Affirmations--The Power of Positive Thinking
By
Theresa Chaze

Affirmations are more than just new age mumbo jumbo. They are declarations or assertions of truth that a person wishes to create. They can be either positive or negative depending on how a person focuses their attention. Affirmations are the repetitive focusing of the mind, will and spiritual energy on a specific outcome.

However, not all affirmations are formal or conscious. Sometimes the most powerful are the ones that are created when a person is daydreaming. Repetition is what energized the statements and clarifies the desire in the person’s mind. Whatever a person repeatedly thinks, feels or fantasizes about becomes a personal affirmation.

Frequently used for healing or manifestation, affirmations focus the person's energy on the results they would like to achieve. The simpler and more direct the statement is, the more effective it will be. A popular one for prosperity is "Money comes to me quickly, easily and frequently." It is short, sweet and to the point. By focusing on what you want instead of what you are trying to eliminate, you open the door for financial prosperity to enter your life. Many people put their energy in the form of worry into their bills; they don’t realize they are asking for more of the same. The universe is more than willing to provide anything we ask for, we just have to know how to ask. In the case of illness, instead of asking for the disease to disappear, you should put your energy into being healthy and strong. As an example: “In every way and every day, I become healthier and stronger.”

However, negative thoughts and feelings can just as easily diminish the positive outcome if the person chooses to put energy into their fears and doubts. By focusing on a negative outcome, you can delay or even prevent yourself from receiving the blessing you are asking for. It takes practice and control to be able to release past negative behaviors and open the doors to the miracles life has to offer.

Random Acts of Kindness

Random Acts of Kindness
By
Theresa Chaze


There is a new aged saying--Commit random acts of kindness. When we reach out to another, we create more than a momentary miracle in one person live; we create a positive energy ripple that touches every living being. We not only help an individual, but also open the door for others return the blessing to us and ignite the same flame of generosity in others. Every time we help another without expecting anything in return, we become a bright light in the world.
Several years ago, there was a worldwide event. On a certain day at a specific time, people who wanted to support peace turned on their porch light. Pictures were then taken from a satellite as the world turned on its axis. The porch lights blended together to create beacons, which radiated out into the universe. So do our acts of kindness turn us into pillars of light radiating love and hope out to others.
We don’t have do grandiose acts of courage or daring to be a life changing influence. Even the smallest acts kindness and generosity brings light into the world. Just like a birthday candle creates a ring of light so does the smallest act become a blessing. It is opening a door for another or smiling at a stranger. It is giving hope to someone who is standing in emotional shadows. It is sharing spare change with another at the check out. If you put enough birthday candles together you can light a room and the world beyond.
We don’t have to throw ourselves in front a speeding car or to jump in front of a bullet to make a difference in another’s life; more often than not, it is the small things that mean the most. By reaching out to another, we set the karmic stage for another to come to our aid.

Magical Fantasy Novel: Strong Female Characters in the Style of McCaffrey and Bradley

Magical Fantasy Novel: Strong Female Characters in the Style of McCaffrey and Bradley
By
Theresa Chaze


Where Anne McCaffrey and Marion Zimmer Bradley left off, Theresa Chaze's Dragon Clan series picks up. Strong female characters are led on adventures within and without as they are forced to face others' bigotries and their own inner doubts. Filled with actual Wiccan rituals and spells, the Dragon Clan Trilogy not only tempts the reader to turn just one more page, but also gives a glimpse into the Earth based religions. Far from perfect, the characters must decide just how much faith they have in the powers of justice or if they want to risk karmic reprisals by putting their magical fingers on the scales.

Filled with magic, suspense and karmic justice the Dragon Clan Trilogy begins with Awakening the Dragon (978-0-9798406-0-9) with Rachael moves to Coyote Springs to find a safe home and fulfill her dream of opening an occult bookstore. The location for her store has been found. Only she has yet to find a home for herself and her three furkids. A reluctant real estate agent shows her a cottage in the woods that is perfect. It calls to Rachael and opens its doors to her. To her it feels like home. But it is more than a cottage, it is a spiritual nexus where three lay lines intersect; it is a natural energy vortex. It is also the scene of a brutal murder and the focal point to local cult's hatred. Making the cottage her home, Rachael finds herself becoming the catalyst to exposing the murderer, which brings her in the crosshairs of the cult’s violent hatred not only to protect their secret but because the she is another witch. To save herself and all she loves, she is forced to awaken her dragon spirit prematurely and unite it to the energy vortex. She knows what must be done. What she doesn't know if she can control the flames from within enough to save her from the flames without. (Currently available)

Dragon Domain (978-0-9798406-1-6) picks up the story several months and several miles down the road. Cheyenne and Celeste came to Coyote Springs to use their psychic gifts to find a missing child. They find the girl and made a new friend, Jane. Tired of rootless life, Cheyenne prays for a safe, stable home. With Jane's help, she find abandoned farm and decides to stay. Reluctantly, Celeste also remains. The threesome create a spiritual retreat that grows out of their shared wisdom, respect and sense of family. Cheyenne is happy for the first time since she awoke broken and bloody beneath the blinding desert son. Celeste had saved her then, but soon after Dominic appears on their doorstep, Celeste once again turns to the dark arts. Instead of a savior, she becomes vicious enemy with knowledge of all her strengths and weaknesses. With the dragons' aid, she was barely able to ward off their initial attack. But with each dark soul Celeste and Dominic bind to them, their malevolence grows until they will not settle for less that destroying Cheyenne and all she loves. How do you protect yourself from someone knows exactly how to steal your soul? (Available November 30, 2007)

In Return of the Dragon Clan, the women from the Dur'ga valley reunite to heal each others' old wound and to finally receive justice for the great harm done to them eons ago. Betrayed by one of their own, they were butchered and enslaved. One by one, they are lead to Coyote Springs as their souls cry out for justice. In Coyote Springs, they once again meet the sister who betrayed them and her lover, who sought to steal their land. However, justice will only be served if the elemental dragons can survive the unification into a Spiritual Quad. Coming together on the spiritual plane, they are forced to face their old fears and wounds or find themselves burning from within as they loose control karmic flames of they have unleashed. (Available spring 2008)

Buy this book! I found myself smiling when I finished the last page of Awakening The Dragon--Book One of the Dragon Clan Trilogy (formally Dragon's New Home), by Theresa Chaze. I've read a pretty good number of books in my life, but none have given me quite the mix of emotions that this books has.
Joe Murphy, The Dragon Page http://www.dragonpage.com/

Magic, Mystery, and Murder. The three M's! Ms. Chaze shows colorful, visual language that will even keep the romance novel buff obsessed in finishing this novel in one read! The pacing is excellent the main character strong and likeable, and the hint of romance to come in the final installments of the trilogy. I must say I'm already addicted to Ms. Chaze's writing style! A guaranteed page turner! Bring on the rest of the trilogy!
Catherine J. St. Amour, author

Therese Chaze draws her readers in from the first page and refuses to release them until the last word of this fantastic tale of witches, magic, love and betrayal. Set in the village of Coyote Springs, Dragon Domain is a book of lessons; lessons on love, forgiveness, and above all truth to oneself. In the grand traditions of Anne McCaffrey and Marion Zimmer Bradley, Therese Chaze captures the imagination as well as the heart of her readers. Dragon Domain is an open door to a world of wonder, and from the first page to the last, you will be hard pressed to put it down.
Linda Rucker, author

Free Spiritually Incorrect Ezine--Messages From The Universe November Issue

Greetings,
Here is the November issue of Messages From the Universe. As always it has the Tarot Energy reading for the month along with articles by Rev. Marci Drewy, Bruce Seah, Moriah Marston and many others. Although you are welcome to share the ezine as a whole, the individual articles remain the property of the authors.

The address is below. You may have to cut and paste it into your browser.

http://us.share.geocities.com/tirgana/MessagesNov2007.pdf

If you would like to insure you receive Messages From the Universe every month, please join the free Yahoo group at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MessagesFromtheUniverse/

Tarot Readings.
Questions about your past, present or future. Are you seeking your new spiritual path or have questions about the radical changes in your life, I can help you see your options so you can make more informed decisons. Go to www.theresachaze.com for a Tarot reading or contact her for a mini reading. With twenty years experience, I can help you take back your power and see how turn your life to a more positive life path.

Cleansing of the Aura
By
Theresa Chaze

There are times when everyone encounters negative or unproductive situations that leave traces on our auras. It can lead to illness or depression. By cleansing you aura, you release or banish negative energy and others’ energy sucking attachments. This ritual can be done as often as necessary.

What you will need:

Half a cup of sea salt
Half a cup of baking soda
A bath tub
Your favorite relaxing music
Your favorite incense
A white candle
A black candle
Time alone

At a time when you won’t be interrupted for about thirty minutes, cast your circle of protection around the bathroom; you can darken the room if you feel comfortable doing so. Use water as hot as you can tolerate and fill the tub, adding the sea salt and baking soda. Turn on your favorite music and light the incense. Keeping the candles handy in a safe place, step into the tub. Light the black candle, saying:

“I freely release all negativity on all levels to the Spirit of the Earth to be transmuted into a positive influence that will help myself and others grow in knowledge and wisdom.”

Visualize the light of the flame surrounding you, turning the negativity around you to ciders and nullifying its effectiveness. Submerge, allowing the water to cover you. With today’s smaller tubs, you may have to do this in stages. Light the white candle and visualize it transmuting the water to brilliant white light, saying:

“I ask that on all levels my life be filled with light, love, and wisdom so that negativity will be unable to touch me in a lasting way. May I find the patience to see the beauty in others in spite of how they present themselves. Grant me the wisdom to forgive myself and others for challenges that were not met successfully, knowing that they well again be presented. I ask that my life be filled with all that is for my best and highest good.”

Submerge again, after which relax in the tub, allowing the heat and the mood to relax you. Stay in the water until it starts to cool, approximately twenty to thirty minutes. During this time, visualize the remaining ash being washed away and being transmuted into particles of white light. When the water starts to cool, , step out of the tub and say a prayer of gratitude for the healing. Visualize the water going down the drain as white light restoring the earth and replenishing all who it touches. Release your circle.

No matter how careful you may be, there will be times when you simply cannot avoid negative situations or people. By keeping a regular cleansing routine, you will be able to limit the chaos others are able to create in your life. However, it's not always strangers who do the send us the most negativity. Frequently, it is the people we love who are the source of the energy sucking attachments. If you are experiencing a reoccurring energy drain, if might be beneficial to seek a psychic councilor who is experienced with not only sensing energy attachments, but who is capable of helping your resolve the situation in a loving way.

An Excerpt the Magicall Fantasy novel, Awakening the Dragon--Book One of the Dragon Clan Trilogy

Looking up at the ceiling, he envisioned a dark cave. He didn’t know where it was or how he knew it existed. Yet he knew it was a real place. A luminous fog rose out of the pile of crystals on the top a round table, which lit the entire cave. He walked to the table. Grandmother came to mind and the daydream started to fade. He pushed her away and focused his will until he returned to the same spot. Only this time, he spiritually left his bedroom behind and found himself inside the cave. He walked around it, trying to remember--the knowledge he sought teased him, dancing just outside his conscious memory. The pile pulsed and shimmered before him. Reaching out, he picked one up; it was cold to his touch. It wasn’t the starting place.

He tried another and another until he found the warm one. He lifted up level to his third eye. “Crystal of wisdom give me the knowledge I seek.” It grew hot between his fingers. His third eye pulsed. Images appeared and faded as he scanned his own soul’s history, looking for the correct sequence of crystals and sounds. In the center of the crystal, he saw himself--not as he appeared today, but then when the Saxons swept southward and he called up the furry of the channel to up turn their ships. The cave had been his home and where he worked to protect Britannia. It had been that lifetime when his power had been at his peak; it was also when his pride cost him his honor and brought him spiritually lower than where he started. Starting with good intentions, he took the blessings the Goddess bestowed on him and thought him above the others; no longer did he wish to serve, but to be served.

The sudden awareness of his own darkness nearly made him throw the crystal across the cave. But then he remembered why he came and called out to his other self. The connection was nearly immediate. He stated his need for knowledge to bring about vengeance for a wrong done to a loved one. His other self understood. The crystal turned gray then black in his hand as the distance between them disappeared and they became one. With his free hand, he reached out and spread the crystals in a circle. He didn’t need them all to complete his task, only those who reached into the darker regions. Floating his open palm above them, he quickly found the six he needed. Placing the first in the center of the table, he energized it with his own life force. It was the centerpiece and the key to the rest. He fitted the first into its natural slot like piece in a puzzle. His energy flowed into it.

“The first act was betrayal.” His voice echoed in the cave.

Kevin put the second crystal into place. “The second act was murder.” They pulsed with his energy. The third was fit into place. “The third was false witness.”

Shapeless shadows swirled around the walls of the cave, rapidly growing in number and intensity. “In the name of vengeance, I call forth the Angels of Blood.” The fourth crystal slipping into place gave them three dimensional form and freedom to fly. Encircling him, they waited for their target and access to the physical realm.

Kevin picked up the final crystal. “I name her Katherine Mitchellson. My mother. Murderer of my Grandmother. The one responsible for my Father’s death. The one who did harm to many others. All in the name of greed.” He held the it above its place, knowing that once done, it could not be undone. He hand trembled. The centuries of wisdom between these to lives flooded back to him, warning of the cost he would have to pay. Once he gave them access to the physical world, he would have no control over the Angels of Blood. They would not stop until they had reached their goal; nothing or no one got in their path would be shown mercy. Until they found their victim, they would be a plague on the earth.

They continued to circle him, waiting and watching. The air did not stir, nor did they make a sound. Yet their energy pulsed, growing stronger until their very presence created a low level hum, which reverberated off the walls, growing in strength and intensity. Impatiently they circled closer.

Kevin watched them; the crystal still hovered above his place on the table. He wanted to put it into place, yet he could not. Fighting against an unseen force, he reached. Suddenly the darken crystal in his hand shattered, knocking him backward away from the table. The last piece fell from his hand and he was abruptly back in his bedroom.

Something hit the window. His head throbbing, he arched his back to look at it. Nothing. Suddenly a fist size rock crashed through the upper pane and landed around him along with shards of glass. Startled, he jumped to his feet and ran to the window, doing his best to avoid the piece of the windowpane. Sliding the bottom window upward, he looked down.

Looking for Love In all the Wrong Places
By
Theresa Chaze

As a Tarot Reader, I have had many of my clients ask how they can find love. They want to find their soul mate. Everyone is looking for love, yet so often they are not searching for a relationship based on love and respect, but for someone to complete them or give them self-esteem. Neither is a good reason to become involved with another; it leads only to dependency, control and eventual resentment.
In order to find love with another, you first have to find it within yourself. Until you learn how to appreciate yourself, you will not be able to accept or trust the love others give you. When it is offered, you will not be able to believe that it is real or reliable, because you do not feel worthy of another's love. When the people with low self-esteem do become involved in relationships, it is frequently based on a need for approval, security, or to bolster a false self image by controlling the other. It is only when the relationship is based on respect, equality and love that it will be a healthy influence. A love between equals makes both people stronger, more independent, and the relationship more capable of weathering the challenges life offers.
Still others keep asking if a love from the past will return to them. If the relationship didn't work the first time, it will not work the second time around unless there have been major changes in one or both people involved. Many times, people will hold on to the hope of a past love returning as a way to protect themselves from being hurt again. Instead of a source of love and support, the past relationship becomes a shield to hide behind and to keep new loves at bay. Other times is fear of being vulnerable to another that keeps people hidden within their castle walls and the alligators in the moat.
In order to find true love, it has to radiate from the inside out. When we love and respect ourselves, we are capable of healing through the pain others cause us, while rejecting those who would attack our self-esteem. Self love gives us the courage and the strength to face the new challenges and adventures life places in our path. It is what gives us the energy to keep trying, even if at first we do not succeed. It is also what gives us the ability to see the beauty and goodness in others. Each and every person has value and is worthy of being treated with respect. By learning how to appreciate yourself, you will draw others into your life with whom you will be able to share a relationship based on love and respect.

Free Fantasy Ebook


Sisters Mother Daughters-
The Complicated Relationships Between Women
A free ebook

By
Theresa Chaze

Valkyrie Publishing announces the release of the free ebook by Theresa Chaze, Sisters, Mothers, Daughters. Using the fantasy genre, the short stories explore the complicated and ever changing relationships between women. Other worlds, differing religions, and political view points come together as women explore themselves and their life’s path. Sometimes controversial, sometimes frightening this collection of short stories reveals the multi-dimensional spirit of the every changing woman.

Seize of honor is an other worldly tale of how Kelly O’Dell accidentally killed the children of the natives she is attempting to communicate with them to save her people. It was an accident. She never intended to harm anyone, but natives knew she was responsible. They laid the body of one of the children on her door step and pointed their finger at her. Her comrades didn’t understand why. Kelly knew but she lied. Even after the natives attacked, killing most of their party, she kept silent. She couldn’t tell them the truth. At best they would abandon her to the natives’ justice; at worse they would notify command when the rescue team arrived. Either way, she would be as dead; the only question would be is how long and how painful the end would be. To save herself and her people, she must find a way to restore her honor by making the natives understand it was only an accident.

Resa has died, yet her spirit did not move on. Knowing her birth family would attempt to steal her property from those she had gifted it to and inflict their beliefs on her, she refused to cross over. They had tried every legal means available, but this time, she was ready for them. The everything was iron clad. Her wishes would be obeyed; her sisters of spirit would insure her final desires would be followed down to the last detail. In It’s my Funeral, I’ll Disco If I Want, Resa has prearranged her own funeral according to her Wiccan beliefs. Caroline, her spirit guide to the Summerland and long time friend, arrives to escort her to the other side, only find that Resa refuses to leave until after her funeral. Instead she wants to watch as her frustrated birth family is forced to accept in death what they couldn’t accept about her in life.

Politically relevant and controversial, And Freedom For All, projects into the future what life will be like once the religious right has gained power over the United States. Laws are in acted and interpreted according to their Christian doctrine, leading to the over turn of Roe vs. Wade and to a great division between the states. Pregnant by a man who sees her more as possession than a partner, Daphne asks childhood friend, Melanie to help her to escape to a free state. To retain control over her own body, Daphne leaves nearly everything behind and flees for her freedom. Together they must avoid the Pre-born Police, who arrest women they believe are pregnant to prevent them from leaving the Christian controlled states. Three borders and hundreds of miles to cross stretch between them and freedom as they do their best to avoid detection and capture. As they escape, Melanie and Daphne become part of a movement that will once again divide the country.


These are only examples of the tales told in Sisters Mothers Daughters as women strive to understand themselves and each other. Each of these women must look to their own hearts and ask themselves--am I strong enough?

Sisters Mothers Daughters is available at www.theresachaze.com. In addition, there are excerpts of Theresa Chaze’s novels, Awakening the Dragon and Dragon Domain, and other short works. Valkyrie Publishing distributes a monthly spiritual ezine, Messages From the Universe and the ebook versions of both Ms Chaze’s novels.

Theresa Chaze has been described as the woman who plays with dragons, especially the dragons of the mind. She leads her readers to magical realms and others worlds. Her work is based on her philosophy that all peoples can live together in peace as long as we come from respect, not only for ourselves but those who follow different paths or beliefs. Her work has been compared to Marion Zimmer Bradley and Anne McCaffrey with an adult version of Harry Potter mixed in. Theresa Chaze's major works so far include the first two novels of the Dragon Clan Trilogy and a free fantasy ebook called, Sisters, Mother, Daughters. Her screenplay, Never Can Say Good-bye, is one of the 2006 winners of the Gloria Film Festival. She publishes an ezine called, Messages From the Universe, which is available on her site www.theresachaze.com.

Free Love Spell


A Simple Love Spell-
An Excerpt from Out of the Shadows And Into the Light
By
Theresa Chaze

Most traditional love spells are black magic because they interfere with another's free will. However, if you are very careful you can call love into your life without doing harm to another. Remember not to get specific in either name or description. List the character traits you desire--do not list the physical ones as if you were giving a description to a police sketch artist. Ask for intelligence, a sense of humor, educational level, for mutual respect, that she or he be attractive to you and you to him or her, ask for an age range--do not ask that he have long, sandy blonde hair that is held back in a ponytail, stunning blue eyes, dimples, a good butt, and is wearing a blue shirt who just happens to looks like Mike in the next cubicle. That would be black magic and bad karma.

Three candles love spell--

What you will need:

A pink candle
A white candle
A red candle
A list of attributes you would like in a mate
White, pink and red rose petals

Sprinkle the rose petals together on the list, saying:

“Loved from within I do reach out
with complete hope and lack of doubt.”

Fold the four corners of the list toward the center, keeping the rose petals inside saying:

“From the east, south, west and north
I look for love in every port.”

Light the white candle and allow the wax drip on the list, sealing the edges close to keep the rose petals inside and say:

“With pure motives I seek out
the one who will share love with lack of doubt.”

Light the pink candle and allow the wax to drip on the list, sealing it and say:

“Let our friendship be filled with trust and wonder
which will make us stronger when others attempt to rip us asunder.”

Light the red candle and drip the red on the other two seals and say:

“May our passion for life and each other
keeps us together one to another.
We do seek to become one
while keeping our individuality from being undone.
Strong in ourselves separate and bold
but together we chose each other hold.
Not out of need or shame
we come to each other freely without blame.
Seeking to help each other grow towards the Divine light
we still have each other for comfort on the darkness night.”



Out of the Shadows And Into the Light contains old and new magical wisdom brought together in an ebook of shadows. From the beginner to the experienced worker these rituals will inspire you to other realms as well in practical workings. To buy this ebook, go to www.theresachaze.com

Rebirth of Magical Fantasy
By
Theresa Chaze

If you enjoy a good magical fantasy in the style of Marion Zimmer Bradley, Anne McCaffrey and Harry Potter, you will enjoy Theresa Chaze's novels, Awakening the Dragon and Dragon Domain Filled with magic, suspense and romance, the residents of Coyote Springs will entice and frighten you as they face challenges that come from within and without.
Magic, suspense and romance intertwine in Awakening the Dragon--Book One of the Dragon Clan Trilogy (ISBN 1-58961-432-3) as Rachael moves to Coyote Springs to follow her dream; instead of finding peace with her new store and new home, she becomes the catalyst in exposing a murderer and the target of a violent cult. To protect herself and her loved ones, Rachael risks everything by awakening her dragon spirit prematurely. As the dragon rises within her, the cult surround her home with the intent on killing the new witch who lives inside and burning the evidence of the murder of the previous owner.
Dragon Domain--Book Two of the Dragon Clan Trilogy (ISBN 1-58961-463-1) picks up the story a few months later as the Dragon Clan begins to reassemble at the safe haven Cheyenne has created on the Northern Michigan farm. Cheyenne was happy until an old love from Celeste‘s past appeared at their door. Rapidly the darkness of the night brought terror as sacrificial blood was shed. Cheyenne tried to warn her. Celeste refused to listen. She let him in. No one was safe from his darkness. Cheyenne called the dragons. They drove him back. Then they joined together in an old evil. Alone Cheyenne was barely able to defeated him, but now with Celeste’s help and knowledge of all her weakness, how could she possibly stop them from stealing her very soul and all those she loves?
Excerpts can be read and the ebook versions can be bought from www.theresachaze.com, as can her Ebook of Shadows, Out of the Shadows and Into the light. In addition, her free ebook Sisters, Mothers, Daughters and her free ezine, Messages from the Universe can be downloaded. To read excerpt of her novels please click the links below.



http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/EXCERPATD.pdf

http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/ecerptDD.pdf

www.theresachaze.com

Participating verses Watching the Game
By
Theresa Chaze



To help or not to help? That is the question. Whether it is nobler to step up to the plate or to step aside and allow another to take a turn at bat...It seems that in so many instances the same people play the same positions in life. There are those who actively step up to the plate to help, while others just warm the bench and comment on the game. Like the sports fan, who claims a team as his own, yet doesn't participate, own it or have any active role in the decision making process, so do the same type of people criticize how others chose to make the world a better place. Yet there are others who chose to ignore the world around them; they are too busy or otherwise engaged to notice what is happening beyond their front door.
Whether human, animal or environmental issues, there are those people who are willing to put their time, energy and resources into speaking out and attempting to make positive changes. They get involved by writing letters, contacting governmental leaders, or physically demonstrating. Whether picking up trash along the side of the road or marching on the capital, they are willing to put themselves on the line for their cause, because they aren’t willing to be by-standers in the world. These people care what happens to others and to the world around them. They enthusiastically embrace change and continually look outside the box for new possibilities or options that will make the world a better place. Whether living green, animal rights or energy alternatives, these people work towards changing the how and why things are done for the betterment of all instead of a select few. These are the people who took time out of their lives to search for victims of Katrina. The same type that marched for peace. These people work with the environment by recycling and looking for responsible ways to live their lives. No one asked. It wasn’t legislated. They saw a need they could meet and weren‘t afraid of getting their hands dirty.
Yet on the opposite spectrum, there are those they are so attached to the status quo they reject all change. They criticize the individuals who do seek innovative answers, yet they refuse to offer alternatives to the challenges our country now are facing. Like the armchair quarterback, they attack the participants and their actions, but never really address the causes. By belittling the people, they down play the importance of the issue and make the individual the center of attention. To protect the status quo, they nit-pick the minor details in order to find fault with the person, yet ignore the validity of the issue. Like those who blame the high gas prices on the environmentalists and the politicians for refusing to allow drilling in ecologically sensitive areas, yet refuse to see how their own driving habits and the lack of development of alternative fuels have contributed to the situation. They complain about the actions of others, however they do little themselves to make it better.
There are others who do neither. They live cloistered existences, filled only with their own needs and wants. They do not get involved, nor do they commit. The world outside their little ponds simple does not exist. Some believe they can’t make a difference, so they don’t even try. It is their apathy that has lead to low voter participation and the extremes being brought to power. Others just chose not to be informed. They don’t take the time away from the fun of their life to read a paper or to watch the news. In some extreme cases, they don’t know who the leaders of the country are or the basic structure of the government. When confront with their ignorance, they defend themselves with anger or rebellion. They don’t realize that the only true ones they are cheating are themselves by giving away the rights and power that every individual in entitled.
But what would happen if the more nobler people became so burned out that they stopped stepping up to the plate? Would the game stop? Would the others start participating? Or would the status quo spiral out of control sending the county into stagnation and eventual death? How do you motivate people to get involved? You can’t force them--at least not without getting negative results. Integrating the schools proved that. The cultures were mixed, yet bigotry still continues. There are no quick fixes--no magic tricks or impassioned speeches, which will change the heart of another. The truth is you can only change yourself. As individual, we can only do the best we can and no more beyond. The magic happens when people of like mind find each other and share enough of themselves to make miracles happen.