Atham Z - Psychic News - December 2002
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Hello and welcome to the Psychic News.
In this edition we discuss the following:
1. Psychic Pimps
2. The FAQ
3. Humour Offering
4. Trivial Tidbit
5. Origin of the Christmas Tree
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Psychic Pimps or
The Traveling Psychic Road Show - How It Really Works
This piece is more of an anecdote about my experiences
and not perhaps for those who lack curiosity about the
political workings of psychic reading as a vocation.
If
the frustrations about being a "reader" aren't
interesting
to you, just skip ahead to the next feature please.
This tale is about when I went out into the big bad
world
this summer, to try to give my reading name and business
more exposure. I am still healing from my crippling
accident of 10 years ago, and my consulting business
must
be limited to my home via internet and telephone through
the winter months when mobility can be treacherous,
so
some face to face promotion was overdue.
In this rural area there is an annual county fair.
Now this
is a big deal in a farming community, where the farmers
have their crops judged, and the farm wives enter their
baking and preserves into competitions. The fair is
supposed to be about everything that is going on in
our
county, so merchants and hawkers appear, all trying
to
make a buck or at least promote their businesses to
potential customers. Of course the carnival shows up
so the kids can lose themselves in the rides and midway
while the adults take in the exhibits.
Being in, as opposed to simply going to the fair for
fun,
was a totally new experience for me. I paid my exhibitorís
fee and purchased my 8 by 10 foot space for the next
week. I was ready with tables, chairs, signs, divination
tools and promotional papers all unpacked and displayed
for best effect. I was so organized about this that
each
morning I arrived with enough sandwiches, soda and
caffeine to keep me going through the long 12 hours
until
closing time.
The first day, my booth neighbor stated: you know there
is another fortune teller and she is charging less than
you
are, maybe you need to lower your prices! That was
a
shock! So I ìcased outî the competition.
She had
obviously come with the carnival, because her home for
the week included a 20-foot motor home and a huge, gay
tent (with mosquito netting) for plying her trade.
If I had
bought that much space for the duration my costs would
have been quintupled!
As people wandered along, some stopping for readings
and others stopping just for a chat, I started to hear
some
horrendous unsolicited stories about my carnival competition.
I heard repeatedly that she completes readings for younger
teenagers, something that is prohibited by law in my
country.
And then the nature of the readings! Thankfully this
did not
come true, but predicting to a 15 year old that she
will be
raped in the next year and end up pregnant from the
experience is an incompetent, dangerous, illegal and
deplorable reading! I wasn't lowering my price and
when
questioned about the pricing discrepancy the response
became simple: you get what you pay for. My legal
disclaimer signs, age restriction notices and regular
price
stayed proudly displayed.
The organizers of this fair noticed the popularity of
both
ìpsychicsí that were available, so on
the 3rd day they
imported yet another one. She also had double the space
I had, but compensatory from my perspective was the
fact that she was located at the very far edge of the
grounds. Someone of course carried me the news that
she was the same price as the original competition.
At
this point, I was too busy to care.
A few hours later a very short and solid man with quite
curly, longish grey hair, dressed like a weekend golfer,
came to the front of my tables and he was literally
dancing
from foot to foot in his excitement. There is a body
language
stance that is also an inherent component of a threat.
He
had his shoulders hunched forward in that fashion.
I got
out of my seat to ask him what was the matter (and
thankfully I towered a full headís height over
him)! He
was sputtering that he had brought the lady psychic
to this
fair at great cost, in their very expensive motor home
from
a large city about 300 miles distant. I was cutting
into his
profits, and I had no right to be there, cutting into
his ìcarni
takeî. My bristles came up and the retort was
that this
was my county and of course being a local, I had every
right to be there! Being met with someone he couldn't
intimidate, he then carried on about the 3rd reader
that
had arrived and how I should be complaining to the fair
organizers. Blah, blah, blah.
Competition never hurts a professional.
This was Psychic Pimp number one. I guess I was just
too close to his womanís ìcornerî
and he was trying to
scare me off. I wasn't scared, but I was startled and
a bit
amused.
This has been my year to promote my business in person,
and through a very loose verbal agreement I joined a
group
of traveling psychics who would be working throughout
my
part of the province. If the organizer for these events
was
careful about her costs and promotions, the events could
be
quite profitable for everyone involved. Sometimes they
were geographically a little too far away for my limited
physical capacities. So I was really looking forward
to the
one scheduled in a nearby town.
I am sure most of you have heard of the large psychic
expositions that are scheduled at least once annually
in
the huge convention centers in the major cities. Those
fairs cost triple what my county fair cost me for exhibiting
and then the competition in the huge volume of psychics
present makes the atmosphere very tense due to their
jealousy of one another. Every psychicís prices
have to
be quite high (which only hurts the clients) simply
to
recover their costs from being there. It is standard
that
those psychics usually only break even. Again I was
looking forward to the small group of traveling psychics
because the plan was that everyone doing readings was
to share the modest costs equally.
It didn't exactly work out that way. It became apparent
that my expenses covered equipment purchases that the
organizer would retain and use for years, although my
participation was only by intermittent invitation when
it
mutually suited. It became apparent that the boyfriend
(a reader but not a business partner) of the organizer
was also having his participation costs covered and
he
was not sharing the expenses. I became uncomfortable
with the quality of the other readings that I overheard.
I
was quite frightened when two young girls announced
to
me midway through a reading that they were 3 years
younger than the minimum age the law allows for such
entertainment. Meanwhile the organizer had blithely
sold
them their tickets for readings. I bailed out of this
entire
venture when it became obvious that anyone who
questioned, irritated or challenged this group would
be
threatened and ostracized by her theatrical and pretentious,
but none too intelligent boyfriend. The lady organizer
has
a "real" day job, but he does not, so guess
who supports
whom there?
Psychic Pimp number two, unfortunately identified.
There is much benefit to being completely independent
in
this line of work. Being differentiated from the telephone
frauds with the large 1-900 companies. Having client
expectations about your service untarnished by reports
of
mediocre and thus unsatisfying readings from psychics
you
are obviously associated with, where some of the readers'
motivation is to pocket the money rather than empower
the
client. I guess pimps are simply a job hazard when
you are
engaged in work that is so far out of the mainstream
and
historically susceptible to fraud and the abuse of power.
They say you havenít lived until you do the work
you love.
So I guess I am stuck in this vocation now because I
do
enjoy the work. My customers have never given me the
fear, pain or stress that the competition has generated
through their pimps.
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My FAQ
Hi,
I am Dom from the Middle East. I have heard a lot
about you, and now I found the perfect chance to ask
you a question: I have gone through many "paths"
like
tarot, reiki, astrology, but now I feel a call for the
spirit
communication. I have done some readings to see how
things are, but I would need a professional answer.
Do
you think that I have a go for this?
Dom Thank you so much
Hello,
I believe that we all have the capacity to communicate
with spirits or a higher power or whatever someone
chooses to call it. I also believe that "spirit
communication"
is a combination of accessing our subconscious mind
along
with racial consciousness and spiritual or psychic or
quantum energy. Everyone has this ability and some
develop it, some ignore it and some repress it. Obviously
you have begun to train your mind for reception of such
intuitive answers through the studies you mentioned.
BUT caution is definitely needed. When communicating
with spirits (and/or whatever) you must stay grounded,
which means staying in control of the situation, staying
focused on your intent, staying positive and ethical
and
being sure you can shut off the communication link
whenever you wish or need to do so. Any suggestion
that you need another person to help with this endeavor
smells of fraud. Choose your own rituals, ceremonies
or
situations for this communication and work through
meditation to find your own methods. Automatic writing
is one of the easiest types of facilitators for "spirit
communication". Most importantly, don't seek this
type
of communication for frivolous purposes.
I hope this answer has helped you in some way.
Bests - Atham Z
>^,,^< >^,,^< >^,,^< >^,,^<
Humour Offering
A rabbi, a UU minister, and a n priestess decide
to
go on a fishing trip together. They go down to their
local
lake, rent a boat, and go out on to the lake for a day
of
fishing. As the afternoon approached, the trio became
hungry and realized that they had left their lunches
on the
shore of the lake. The minister got out of the boat,
walked
across the lake, got his lunch, walked back, and sat
down ...
beginning to eat his lunch.
ìYou should have gotten all of our lunches!ì,
scolds the
priestess. She then gets up, walks across the lake,
picks up
her lunch as well as the rabbi's, walks back across
the lake,
and sits down ... handing the rabbi his afternoon meal.
The rabbi at this point is almost out of his mind, his
eyes
wide with shock. Finally, he manages to sputter.. ìWha..
what... how did you...?ì
The minister grins at the priestess, nudges her, and
asks
ìDo you think we should tell him about the rocks?"
The priestess looks at the minister, raises an eyebrow,
and replies ì...what rocks?ì
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The Trivia Tidbit
More than you ever needed to know about
MUSTARD
Mustard can be considered one of our most ancient spices.
Its medicinal properties were written down about 5 centuries
before Christ and it is believed to have been used in
Africa
and China centuries before that. It was immortalized
in the
Bible when Jesus spoke of the power of faith "even
if it
were no larger than a Mustard Seed". The modern
era
for Mustard Seed began in 1720 when a Mrs.Clements of
Durham, England, found a way to mill the heart of the
seed
to a fine flour. This became the standard method of
processing the seed for use as a spice, both in cooking
and
in prepared mustards.
The English are famous for their treatments for the
common cold with mustard, as follows:
ENGLISH MUSTARD BATH
1/2 Cup baking soda
2 tablespoons powdered mustard
2 drops essential oil of peppermint
(you can also use wintergreen)
2 drops essential oil of rosemary
2 drops essential oil of eucalyptus
Mix together all ingredients in a glass bowl, stirring
until the essential oils are distributed into the powder.
To use; Add 1/4 Cup to the bath under running water.
Relax in the bathtub for 15-20 minutes. After your bath,
rinse with a cool shower and pat your skin dry. Dress
warmly until your pores are fully closed.
For foot bath, add 1 tablespoon of the bath powder to
a
basin of hot water and then soak you feet for 15 minutes.
MUSTARD PLASTER
2 tablespoons of powde mustard
2 tablespoons of flour
Enough hot water to make a paste
1 piece of cotton flannel about 13" square
Mix all the ingredients together in a glass bowl, stirring
to break up any lumps. Smear the resulting mixture onto
one half of the piece of flannel and fold the clean
side on
top. The mustard paste should be facing inside and not
applied to the skin. This is then placed on your chest.
Depending upon how sensitive your skin is you may
need another layer of flannel to protect delicate skin
from
burning. Of course if you have very sensitive skin to
begin
with or a lot of problems with allergies you should
try a
skin patch test on the inside of your arm, and if there
is
any reaction do not use this remedy.
In terms of magical uses, the Hindus supposedly used
mustard seed to travel through the air. Carrying mustard
seed in a red cloth sachet is used to guard against
colds
and to increase mental powers. Never plant mustard after
moving into a new house; it is very unlucky. Italian
peasants used to sprinkle mustard seed on the doorsill
for
protection. If buried under your doorstep it will keep
all
manner of supernatural beings from your home. When
eaten, mustard seed increases fertility in women.
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Oh Tannenbaum!
The concept of the Christmas Tree originated around
3000
B.C. in ancient Egypt with King Osiris and Queen Isis.
After the untimely death of King Osiris, his wife, Isis,
propagated the demonic doctrine of the survival of Osiris
as a spirit. She claimed a full-grown evergreen tree
sprang
overnight from a dead stump, symbolizing the new life
of
the Osiris spirit from his death. On each anniversary
of
Osirisí birth, which was the date we now know
as
December 25th, Isis would leave gifts around this tree.
During the Middle Ages, the Germans believed the
evergreen trees were especially imbued with life since
they remained green throughout all of winter. Greenery
was prominent in winter celebrations in honour
of
the tree spirit or spirit of fertility.
The Romans trimmed the trees with trinkets and toys
at
that time of year. The Druids tied gilded apples to
tree
branches. For many, a tree decorated with orbs and fruit-
like objects symbolized the tree of life in the garden
of
Eden. Some of the items with which the first Christmas
trees were decorated: included paper roses, apples,
Communion wafers, gold, foil, sweets, and dolls. Not
all
Christians approved of these trees, even in the beginning.
The first mention of lights (candles) on a Christmas
tree
was in the seventeenth century. The Christmas tree
made
its royal debut in England when Prince Albert of Saxony,
Queen Victoria's husband, set up a tree in Windsor Castle
in 1841. After this it grew in popularity, although
in 1850
Charles Dickens was still referring to it as a "new
German
toy." Bringing greenery into one's home, often
at the time
of the winter solstice, symbolized life in the midst
of death
in many cultures.
From the eleventh century, religious plays called "mystery
plays" became quite popular throughout Europe.
One of
the most prevalent of these plays was the "Paradise
play."
The play depicted the story of the creation of Adam
and
Eve, their sin, and their banishment from Paradise.
The
only prop on stage was the "Paradise tree,"
a fir tree
adorned with apples. From this tree, at the appropriate
time in the play, Eve would take the fruit, eat it,
and give
it to Adam. The Paradise tree symbolized both a tree
of
sin and a tree of life. For this reason, the people
would
decorate these trees with apples and homemade wafers.
Later, candy and sweets were added.
Another custom to be found in the homes of Christians
was a large candle called the "Christmas light,"
symbolizing
Christ who is the light of the world, which was lit
on
Christmas Eve. In Germany, many smaller candles were
set upon a wooden pyramid and lit. Besides the candles,
other objects such as glass balls, tinsel, and the "star
of
Bethlehem" were placed on its top. The Paradise
tree
became our Christmas tree. Decorations that had been
placed on the pyramids were transferred to the tree.
Mark
Carr in New York City set up the first retail Christmas
tree stand in 1851. Franklin Pierce was the first president
to introduce the Christmas tree to the White House in
1856.
Nowadays 35 - 40 million live trees are purchased and
decorated in the United States alone.
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Experiencing losses, fears, problems or relationship
difficulties?
Put your mind at ease by consulting ATHAM Z for
psychic answers.
http://www.AthamZ.com
Atham can also be reached via telephone for readings
at the following number between 10 AM and 2 PM, daily
or by appointment - Eastern Time.
1 - 877 - 258 - 7498
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In the next edition of "Atham Z - Psychic News"
there will be the usual array of features, including
an
exciting new book review. As well if you visit my web
pages www.AthamZ.com there is now an economical
new reading option for specific, time sensitive questions.
Don't forget that an "Atham Z Psychic Reading Gift
Certificate" would make a great holiday season
present
for that special person.
Looking forward to seeing you again,
Regards -
Atham Z
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