Ok so I don’t post many haunted happenings, but with a night like Halloween — well I couldn’t resist the adventure. Mostly, I deal with the spirits of those that have passed (i.e relatives, friends, immediate family members) who need to get some final messages to family members after a passing. Most of these spirits have crossed over to the other side, and some unsettled spirits that I connect with remain earthbound until unfinished business is tended to.

I normally don’t deal with “ghosts” or those caught in a time warp from different eras.  But with the fall spirit growing in me, I thought a little paranormal investigating with a member of the Connection Beyond team would prove interesting to say the least. So Rich and myself set out to Jim Thorpe PA to take a tour of “The Old Jail” which is known to be one of the most haunted jails on the East Coast. For many that have taken tours of the jails, the experience left them believers.

Even though I am a medium, I still remain very skeptical at times. I need to experience these things for myself. We arrived there for the very last tour of the night. Before I get into what happened during the tour, I wanted to give you a brief history of the jail taken from historynet.com.

The Old Jail Museum, which sits high on a hill toward the upper end of the main street (West Broadway). From 1871 until 1995 the building housed the Carbon County prison, and it was one of the sites of the Molly Maguire executions starting in 1877. The two-story jail, built of hand-cut stone and set into the side of a mountain, contained 28 cells that each housed two prisoners, 16 dungeon cells for solitary confinement, and the warden’s living quarters. Three cells for women prisoners were added in the 1950s. When a new Carbon County jail opened in January 1995 and the old jail closed, local residents Thomas and Betty Lou McBride purchased the building. The couple restored theprison and opened it to visitors in April of that year. “I wanted to preserve a piece of history. It’s a landmark,” said Thomas McBride, a soft-spoken man with a passion for Molly Maguire history who sometimes conducts jail tours himself.

The main cell block has seen few changes since it opened 128 years ago. Visitors enter through the original wooden door and are met with a chilling reconstruction of the gallows used to hang all seven of the Molly Maguires executed in Mauch Chunk. On June 21, 1877, more than 250 people crowded into the cell block’s two tiers to watch the first round of executions. Reporters stood on the upper level for a good vantage point, while witnesses, officials, and doctors sat in rows in front of the gallows. (McBride noted that most of the medical doctors in the area asked to see the hangings.) The convicted murderers, Alexander Campbell, Michael Doyle, John Donahue, and Edward Kelly, were hanged simultaneously. Another Molly Maguire member, Thomas Fisher, was hanged on March 28, 1878; James McDonnell and Charles Sharp went to the gallows on January 14, 1879.

The jail’s main area is flanked by the 8-by-13-foot cells, each secured by two doors, an outer oak padlocked door and an inner door made of iron bands and locked by a bar and padlock. The cells, cold and damp, remain just as they were when prisoners occupied them less than five years ago. The main area is lit by a skylight, but the meager daylight that reaches each cell does so through a high, narrow, six-inch-wide window that is secured by bars.

The jailtour’s main attraction is cell number 17, which contains a faint handprint on the wall. According to legend, just before his execution, one of the Molly Maguires–either Campbell or Fisher–placed his hand on the wall and declared that his handprint would remain there forever as a sign of his innocence. McBride said that the wall has been cleaned and painted many times in the years since, but thehandprint always returns.

It was the final tour of the night. At 9:30 PM, a group of strangers gathered together in the room once used as the living quarters for the warden of the prison. Photos of orbs and poster presentations with historical facts were on display. Some of the ten or so guests were armed with video equipment and cameras looking to capture paranormal activity as proof that there were indeed spirits lurking in the prison. For others this was a repeat tour. When asked about their previous experiences, they spoke of terrifying events that happened to them during their first tour. The consensus was one word, “scary”. But in some ways, the prison kept bringing people back for more. There were stories of actual apparitions, people being tugged at or shoved and others who were told bluntly to “get out!”. I was eager to see what would happen. 

Rich and I waited along with the group in the hallway near the large wooden door that entered the main cell block. The hangings also took place in this room. While waiting in the warden’s living quarters, I didn’t feel anything at all. As we all stood outside the door, I started to feel activity around me, and a feeling of swirling around me, as if spirits were concentrating in the area waiting for us to go in. The vibration was definitely hightening, as a medium, they are very aware that I am there because they are able to notice my vibration and light field which would present itself differently from the others.

Because of my personality type and the degree at which I do my work, I find that most spirits retreat back when I enter an establishment — and come out slowly as if they are peeking around the corners. They definitely don’t want to be told to leave and go to the light if they are not ready, and know with the communication of a strong medium that it is possible. They also know it is not good for them to remain earthbound because they cannot spiritually progress. Some ghosts have been earthbound for hundreds of years! With others who have passed by trauma, they may not even be aware of the time period, and may exist energetically in a space time continuum that is overlapping the present dimension like a hologram.

Like a broken record, they replay the same events of the day over and over again with the same emotions from the day of the trauma. They have no sense of it being 2008 and as we can’t see them, many times they can’t see us either, because they are existing in a parrellel time zone. They are in essence stuck in “replay” over and over again. One of these spirits of the jail, a woman who’s husband was hanged is noted as an apparition of the “woman in white”. She runs up and down the stairs looking for someone to tell that her husband is innocent. She is running and crying frantically, and according to those who have seen the woman in white, she is in the same emotional state looking for her husband all the time.

This is a good example of a woman stuck in the time parallel, and may not even be aware of the tours that are going on. The other spirits are very aware of the tours and the fact that they have indeed died, but continue to remain attached to the prison. These are the spirits that feel they have unfinished business or feel they do not want to move on. There are also other kinetic forces at work in the prison, and some may feel a deep sadness or terror as they move through the prison. This does not have to be spirits, but may be psychic imprints of energy that has remained there from all the horrible events. A lot of prayer and clearing is needed for those psychic imprints to dissipate.

The level of activity that was noted that night from other touring guests was not represented energetically when I entered the hallway of the main cell block. My personality can be very strong willed at times and my auric field a bit expansive due to being a full time medium. I also prayed and protected myself prior to entering so that I didn’t leave with something I didn’t plan on taking with me. The spirits know that a weaker personality can be more overpowered, just as in life a negative person can sense who they can target without consequence. The tour guides remarked how quiet everything seemed to be once we entered.

Upon first entering the main cell block foyer, we were taken into the first cell on the left to show us the conditions of the prison. This is where I felt the most activity, although the prison stated that the most haunted cell was cell 17 with the handprint on the wall. I’m not sure which number this cell was, but upon entering, I felt spacey and a heaviness and swirling feeling came upon me. If you’ve ever felt car sick, it was the same feeling multiplied by ten.  It was too uncomfortable to stand in, and my physical body just felt weird all over, but I didn’t sense a specific spirit in that cell. Due to this feeling, I stepped out earlier than the rest the group, and immediately as I stepped out of the cell itself the feelings vanished. Rich stayed in for a few more minutes, and then also came out due to being uncomfortable. He said to me that he didn’t know if we were going to be able to make it the rest of the tour. Since he is more empathic than me, the feelings were even more overwhelming to him. As soon as he left the cell he went back by the entrance and stared off and stood away from the group. He did not want to move from that point. I encouraged him to look around a bit more, but he was a little weary to move forward.

The guides looked at both of us a little strange and I explained that we were both mediums, and felt a bit too much in the cell. Rich continued to stand against the wall and I could tell he was very uncomfrotable but agreed to stay for a bit. The one tour guide handed me her flashlight and told me to look around in the other cells to see if I picked anything else up. She told me that the laundry room was supposed to have a lot of activity. At this point, I was completely separated from the group and was looking into the other cells.

When I first looked in the laundry room (remember, I don’t see the spirits visually). I get clairvoyant images of them, and also symbols and names as I communicate. I saw a tall man, almost 7 feet standing in the corner of the room in the back, with a handle bar mustache. He was wearing almost all black except for a white tailored shirt with a thin black tie that came down, and a fedora like hat. He was not a prisoner, but looked more like a caretaker, or janitor type person. He seemed like a loner, and stayed away from most of the other spirits. He also seemed like he watched over the main cell block and knew all the activity that was happening. I believe I also heard the name Jimmy or James in association with him.

Next I moved on an felt an almost evil presence in another cell block a few cells to the left of the laundry room. I asked the owner and one of the guides why I felt such an evil feeling from that cell. It was almost as if evil presences were in there and attached to whoever was in that cell, making them think and act of of character. The owner validated that a young man hung himself in that cell, and that there was definitely a strange feeling that always came from there.

The most vivid image I got in the main cell block was the barking of two black mastiffs on very heavy silver chains walking through the main corridor. The dogs looked extremely volatile and they seemed to be walked by a man with a strong presence who was either an officer there, a warden, or some form of disciplinarian.  I never got an image of the man’s face, just his shoes which were very loud and heavy and then two very heavy chains that served as leashes for the dogs. In the vision, the dogs were barking violently, as if he was scaring some inmates with them. The man walked up and down the center line of the cell block. I asked the owner about this, and she said she would have to do some research on it. The owner wrote a few books on the history of the jail, and sensitives who come in remark on various experiences. Once she hears the same story on two different occasions, she adds it to the roster of paranormal events that happen in the jail.

Next stop was in front of the gallows which were in the main cell block. There were four nooses that were hanging down and we were told that four people were hanged at one time during a hanging. Everyone had to watch this horrible act. Strangely enough, I felt the most peace around the gallows and the hanging apparatus. The guide then told us that a prayer service is conducted every year in that same place for the spirits who passed there.

Next we were headed down into the dungeon, where most of the activity is supposed to take place. These were the solitary confinement cells, and the tour guide remarked that before each tour entered the dungeoun she would leave the one cell door opened and when she returned downstairs with the next group the cell door would be shut. She said that this happened on every tour that night. When I came down the stairs, there wasn’t much activity but I picked up on a lot of kinetic psychic impressions. On the first cell to the left I saw an emaciated man chained to the wall, looking like he was deprived of food or water, or perhaps very ill. I saw him shaking in the corner, and got the message that he passed there. It seemed like post cognitive imformation, or psychic impressions that I was receiving from past events there. I did not feel that the spirit of the man was actually present. When I told the tour guide about this, she remarked that another medium had told her the same thing about someone passing in that same location. So that was interesting to have validation about that.

While I was downstairs looking at the cells, Rich had the same look on his face and remained glued to the back wall. He didn’t want to move, but seemed to want to stay there at the same time. It was clear he wasn’t going to go looking around.  To the cell adjacent to the one I felt the death in, I felt as if it was used for storage of dead bodies, and I felt them stacked there until they found burial for them. I believe this was something illegal that was not known to outsiders of the prision. None of the cells had doors on them except for the one further down the dungeon. This is where I felt the most activity and there was a certain line that I didn’t want to cross. Rich felt this too. Although I felt a “do not move forward” feeling, I wandered down to the back of the dungeon anyway and looked into the rear cell. I didn’t actually feel presences in the back cell, but rather a strong evil presence eminating from behind the furnace. I definitely felt active presences there.  Although I ventured past the line I felt was going into bad territory, I quickly moved back to the entrace of the dungeon, because of the powerful energy coming from behind the furnace. I was not willing to go back there, as I felt something very negative. Just looking at gave me a horrid feeling. Noone was going behind the furnace and the tour was lead back upstairs. As we were walking up the stairs, I told the tour guide about what I felt behind the furnace and she looked me like a deer in the headlights. She said twice, “How did you know that?” I said I didn’t and that was what I felt. She told me that the guides were told not to go back there under any circumstances.  The area was known for negative activity and was believed to be the place where inmates were tortured. There was believed to still be activity of these spirits there to this day.

The good thing is that Rich made it through the tour, but he was not himself. He still had this frozen stare on his face, and I could tell he was a bit overwhelmed. What was interesting in the dungeon was that as we came down we could feel activity, but as people started having fun roaming around and laughing, the activity almost completely ceased. They seemed to be a bit intimidated by all the good energy! They are used to people being afraid and vulnerable which fuels them. I think there were a bit confused that this group was having fun, and didn’t really know what to do, so most of them went away!

As we went upstairs, they brought us into the kitchen with refreshments and told us some final tales. Then we would proceed into the gift shop. I thought Rich would be ok by this point, since we were in a more happy place, but as I looked behind me in the corner, there he was staring off and almost glued to one spot in the floor. I tried to talk to him and move him but he wouldn’t budge. I was very confused, because he is normally very talkative and excited about all this stuff. I had to literally peel him away from the floor and take him outside. I thought the fresh air would help. I was totally amped and had a bunch of energy.

As we got in the car, he said that he thought someone was following him. I looked in the back seat and sure enough it was this young kid, around 16 in knickers, and a paperboy cap, sitting in the back seat. He was hoping that Rich would help him get out of there, because he hated the jail, and was trying to run away. He told me he stole from someone and that’s why he was there. Why someone would follow Rich was confusing to me because we did a protection before we went in. I asked him if he protected himself, and he admitted that he didn’t believe he needed to do all the stuff that I did. So, no he didn’t. Now he was a bit freaked that someone with with us outside the jail, and was willing to do any protection needed!

So I got out of the car and opened the back door, and explained to the boy he must go back, because the spirit was attached to the jail, and if we went to far, he would disappear and may not make it back. He reluctantly knew what I was telling him, and slowly got out of the car with his head down and walked back up the stairs to the jail. He was a fun little kid though, but we definitely couldn’t take him with us! There would have been a time/space continuum issue with that one.

The owner asked that I write about my experiences and send them to her, so you never know if some of these tales will be told to you when you visit!

I was planning to have photos and video for you from our intuitive development graduation show in mount laurel. But you know how I feel about the retrograde and how technical issues sometimes present themselves! We had the camera ready to go, but noone turned it on So we don’t have any video footage and by the end of the event, everyone was wiped and didn’t want photos. Plus we were a bit short staffed, so I had to hold down the ship and make sure everything ran smooth.

It was our first event of this type, and we didn’t know how this format would be received. Luckily it was a huge success! Everyone had a blast, and we had loads of door prizes and a raffle that was off the charts. There was an element of excitement in the air, and the presenters were definitely feeling the nervous jitters. I was too, because we had so many details that needed to be kept in order. We were totally SOLD OUT, and friends and family of our presenters made their appearance as well.

The other interesting element was that in addition to our graduates, all of our other presenters were all making their first public appearance in their field of intuitive work. Each of them had their story about how they met me, the coicidences involved and how their intuitive gifts started opening up from there. So basically everyone was in the same boat. Don’t get me wrong. Just because this was their first public appearance doesn’t mean that they were amateurs in any way. Some have their own businesses and are growing towards their dreams in this field. Everyone was so different, that it made the four hour night go by very quickly. I even saw people taking notes! This is a huge compliment for our presenters.

Our graduates nailed their readings, and they each were up for a good amount of time. It’s scary up there, and fear didn’t stop them. They were classy and confident. Plus people were validating them. We had a great group, and we had a blast. At the end of their readings, I surprised them with their diplomas — and they ended up surprising me with a huge bouquet of flowers and a card from all the presenters! I was so honored to see them move forward in this field. I can tell you that most of them are now moving towards reading professionally, and had their marketing materials ready to go. It’s also important to note that my students had no idea they would take their gifts this far. It’s so amazing to watch them grow.

This is not the end, only the beginning of their new careers. You will see a few of them still moving forward with me by apprenticing at events, and helping out with future classes. I can’t wait for our next round of students. We have a weekend intensive at a yoga studio overlooking the Susquehanna river in two weeks and another round of Intuitive Development in November. I can’t wait!

Thank you to those who have been commenting on my posts! Since this is a new site, there are some technical issues that we are still looking to fix. For some reason, we are receiving a lot of spam comments which must be deleted daily. However, while trying to keep our legit comments, they seem to have been deleted as well. If you have submitted a comment on a post and you do not see it on the site, would you kindly copy and paste the text into an e-mail and send to us? We will re-post as soon as we recieve your comments!

Thanks!

Greetings,

In this period, it would be wise not to hold onto to those things that the universe is trying sweep away. Resisting gently letting go will give rise to a gradual buildup of emotional, mental and physical toxins that will eventually cause you problems. You may be asking, “what do I have to do?”. The answer - Nothing. Just sit back and let the universe take care of it. Don’t force issues and don’t resist necessary change. Let go of any resentment about what you think is not going right, and realize that what you “think” may not be going right, might ironically be leading you in the right direction.

All my best,

Marisa

Yes, those on the other side have feelings too! I’ve been finding this more commonplace these days, and wanted to post a blog about it. It’s very easy to place expectations on those sentimental things you would like to hear from your loved one when they come through at a gallery.  However, what they may want to tell you may be entirely different from what you are looking to hear.

If you and a loved one had misunderstandings in life, sometimes that miscommunication may continue as they come through from the other side. I want to first talk about how much energy it takes for someone to communicate to me from the other side. The communication may look simple, but it’s very difficult to hold the connection if all three people (meaning the medium, the spirit and the person being read) are not energetically open.

When someone comes through from the other side, it’s usually because they have something they need to tell you. Our needs here on the physical plane are secondary. What I mean is that just because we are grieving or “want” to hear from someone, doesn’t mean they will automatically come through so that we will feel better. There is a higher purpose underlying the connection, and it is usually for the purpose of their spiritual evolution on the other side, or to help those here with major life situations that may be going on. The purpose of communication is not to make us feel a certain way. It is to help us evolve on earth with what we came here to do, and also to bring the spirit peace.

If the person being read has very specific expectations of what they want to hear, the experience can be very draining on me and on the spirit. At times, this makes the connection come to an absolute standstill. The spirit is usually trying to bring something to the attention of the person being read, and sometimes it’s not something that they understand or want to talk about. At this point, the spirit is trying so hard to communicate the message effectively to me, and in turn I am trying so hard to gain the understanding of the person being read, that the battery becomes surged and goes dead very quickly. The spirit may get so frustrated that they just stand there and stop talking. Sometimes I can feel their emotional frustration, because the person is not getting what they are trying to say.

An example comes to mind from a conversation I had with a friend of mine a few months ago. He lost his son a few years back at 19, and is lucky to have many vivid dreams about him in which they have conversations about the other side. The visitations are so real, that he is able to remember the conversations in sequence and relay them to me. I had many connections with his son prior to this. During one dream, he asked his son what his thoughts were about me and mediums in general. He chuckled and said something to the effect of “dad, they don’t even get a tenth of what we are trying to tell them! There is so much information coming through at once that it’s really hard to keep the connection going!”

I couldn’t believe that a spirit was chuckling about this! It was so cool to have someone on the other side comment about their experience with mediums. They really try hard to get our attention! This is why during a gallery you must keep your energy in “receiving” mode, just as you are when you are going to see a movie. You sit back and take it all in. You don’t sit there and have expectations about how the plot should go and how it should end. Nor do you try to control the movie. The movie is already made and you just have to sit back and watch. I know that sounds absurd, but it’s the same way with galleries. All you have to do is sit back and receive what they want you to know. It’s ok if you don’t understand it right away. It may take days or weeks to put the information together. But expectations will only hurt you and take away the amazing experience that can happen when everyone is open. The communication then becomes easier for the spirit and for me, and then we could keep the connection going for so much longer. It benefits everyone.

Think about your computer when it has many applications going and it is overloaded with desktop icons, and loads of unnecessary temporary files. It slows the computer down right? What happens when you delete all the unnecessary files, and make more space on your hard drive to handle the powerful applications? Your computer performs a lot easier! Same goes for me. I only have so much energy I can use, and if those in the physical world are draining me during a reading, I don’t have much left and can’t keep the connection to spirit. The drain almost always comes from the living person due to an emotional need to hear a specific message.

Just remember that this is a very special experience. Let it happen for you, and realize that it is a miracle!

Greetings,

Get ready for the ride of your life! As we hit mid August, a swift transitional period will hit with rapid force. The period of incubation and analytical processing of the past two months is over, and you are now faced with being thrown in the deep end of the pool without being entirely ready.  It’s either sink or swim, and you’ll swim!

There will be no time to think about what could go wrong. You will have to face all fears head on. You will also have to face all successes! To you that might even be a bigger fear. You won’t have a choice to back out. The universe will shove you. You’ll have to deal with everything that comes your way whether you want to or not.

The universe is preparing to show you how capable you really are! This period will inspire you because there will be no time to think about the “what ifs”. There won’t be any anticipation of what’s to come, because you will already be in it. You will be truly living in the moment, and once the energies slow down in November, you will have accomplished more than you have in many years combined. Finding excuses for “not taking risks” will now be unacceptable to the universe.

In November you will look back with confidence at all the things you thought you could never face, and you’ll realize it was all an illusion.

Get ready! All my best,

Marisa

After several requests and a year off the wagon, Connection Beyond is officially back on myspace. There is also a separate blog on the profile where I will be posting more day to day thoughts and activites. I have to keep all you blogaholics interested!

You will notice that anyone can view the profile, but if you would like to add comments, or read the blogs, you will need to send me a friend request! If you are not a Myspace member, it’s totally FREE, and is a good place to stay connected to friends and family.

Click Here To Go To The Connection Beyond Myspace Profile.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Hi Everyone,

Ok, so don’t get too nervous…this too shall pass. In the last week, we experienced some difficult energy. You may have felt a lot of forward motion in early May only to feel a sudden halt on or near the week of the 26th. Well, you’re not alone. With the economy issues and Mercury going into retrograde on the 26th, you’re bound to feel a little shaken.

Don’t be surprised if you’re feeling stuck or even a bit depressed. If you have job issues or own a business, you could worried a bit more than usual. Watch your thoughts! Remember that thoughts can manifest into material form. Luckily, the rusty wheel has started to make a shift today, but slowly (so don’t get too excited.) You still have to watch contracts during this time, and make sure to double check everything!

If you are new to the term Mercury Retrograde, click here to check out a good site. This astrological aspect happens three times a year for three weeks at a time. This is not a good time to sign contracts or for anything new. Yes, this means buying a new car, new home, getting married, or meeting a new romantic partner. If you are reading this, and you’re thinking, “Oh no! I just did one of these things! Am I doomed??”

No! This is not a time of doom for you. It is rather a time of miscommuncation, misunderstandings, and confusion. You must DOUBLE CHECK everything, because the mind is a little clouded. The planet Mercury itself does not spin on a reverse axis, it just appears that way.

Now, let’s look at the bright side. Mercury Rx is very good for a number of things including:

• Getting in touch with old friends
• Reunions
• Anything “re’s” Redo, Remodel, Replace, Revise
• Great time to finish up old projects or “tie up loose ends”
• Great time to research past lives
• Listening to old music
• Discuss memories with friends and family
• RELAX and REJUVENATE!
• One of my favorites: watch some old 80’s flicks like Back To The Future

This aspect will continue until June 19th, and of course there is the Mercury Rx shadow a few days before and after! It’s always good to know you’re not alone

Good Evening,

I just received an e-mail testimonial from the guest I wrote about in my blog post below about events happening while a gallery is taking place, only to be validated later. Of course I don’t remember all the details, so it really helped that Pat sent me her version of what transpired after the session. I wanted to share this with all of you so that you could see that even if you don’t understand information while you are having the session, wonderful validations could happen somtimes many months later. In my opinion, these moments make the experience all the more magical!

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Marisa,

Someone asked at one of your galleries if you ever give information that is actually happening as you speak. I’d like to share this story with you.

At the end of my very first visit to you, you said there was a dog in my life and the dog’s name was Lexi. I said I did not know of any dog named Lexi. You then said the dog’s name was Lexi or Alexis and I continued to have no idea of any dog by that name. The closest thing I could relate this to was that my veterinarian drove a Lexus. You said this is a dog and insisted the that I write the dog’s name down because this dog would have a special meaning to me. That was the last thing you said to me before I left that morning.

Naturally since this was my first visit with you, I was overwhelmed with the details and accuracy of events you described to me that morning. It was also at a time when I had suffered a devastating loss, so needless to say when I left you I needed some alone time to process and consider everything you had told me. When I walked to my car, I had a voice mail from my friend, Kate, but decided to call her a little later. When I pulled in my driveway Kate was calling again, and when I went in the house she had left a message on my answering machine. After I was home about an hour I returned Kate’s call. Here is what followed.

Kate was very excited when I returned her call. Her family dog had been lost a few months prior and she had posted a very generous reward in the newspaper. Someone had seen the story and reward and called her telling her that they a beautiful dog like the one she had lost but they had to find a good home for her because they were relocating. Kate already had two dogs but she told me her and her husband went to see the dog that morning, and they brought her home and she was just beautiful. Then she told me her name was Lexi, and I would just love her and did I have a crate she could borrow. My heart stopped for a second as I repeated “Lexi?”. She could hear the surprise in my voice and she said, “well her real name on her papers is Alexis, but they call her Lexi”. Lexi turned out to be an amazing dog and I spend all my time with her now when I visit Kate.

About 11 months later I was sitting with Kate at her house in front of the fire on a snowy night. Kate on one leather couch, me on the other with Lexi lying beside me with her head on my lap as I held her head, rubbing her neck as she rested. Then out of nowhere, Kate looked over and said to me, “There is something I need to tell you because I watch you with Lexi and I know you love her so much and she loves you. The morning we went to get Lexi we were not bringing her home for us, we already had two dogs, and we went to get her for you. We knew that a dog would be the one thing that might help you get through the difficult time you were going through, but when I got her home I just fell so in love with her and could not part with her “.

So Marisa, while you were telling me about a dog named Lexi that morning, Kate was about 45 miles away on her way to pick up a dog named Lexi with every intention of bringing her home to me. While I would have loved to have Lexi, and while this may or may not have worked out as was meant to be, Lexi is a very real and very special part of my life, and I am so grateful for all the love she shares with me. Lexi has a wonderful life with a wonderful family, and all the love she could possible want, and she is a true angel that continues to touch my life in a very special way.

Thank you Marisa, for bringing your special gift to so many of us.

Always,
Pat

Hello Again,

Wow, I’m double dipping today. Hopefully, this will make up for all this time that I didn’t write. Either too much or not enough right?

As most of you know (or may not know), the difference between mediums and psychics are vast. Performing readings at group events can be physically draining at times. A medium not only receives messages but must also be a translator for the messages coming through. The ability to interpret the language correctly becomes very instrumental in attempting to relay the message to the living person.

Last Friday, we had a gallery at The Crowne Plaza Monroe, near East Brunswick NJ. It was a rainy night and everyone was suffering from a case of the ‘blahs” and just being in slow motion. I could see it was going to be slow night for mental clarity among us since the energy was like quicksand. I always tell my audience that it is just as important to be open and receptive as it is for me to be. Providing messages to anyone also requires clear, sharp thinking both on my part and the part of the person receiving the message.

This is where validations come in. Sometimes, newcomers get nervous when the spotlight is on them and have what I call “psychic amnesia”. They become like a deer in the headlights when I finally do come to them with a message. They may forget their own name, their loved ones names who have passed. This may be due to nervousness, or just plain overwhelm from the experience. Problem is without validations from the sitter, it is tough to see if the information is really for them. This is why I always tell people to write down the information whether or not it makes sense to them.

With this work, unfortunately for me, most of the validations come after I do the readings and go home. Once the sitter leaves the gallery, and is in a calm state, a lot of the details of the session start to make sense. In addition, once they present the information to their families, they have get more information validated. A session is like a puzzle piece that must be put together by various family members and friends.

When I was explaining how the group session worked on Friday, I saw a nice young couple in front of me who asked about language barriers in sessions. I asked the girl how they had heard about me, and she said she reads the blog! So, Julia, this blog goes out to you!

I really didn’t think that a lot of people were reading these posts, but Julie was enjoying them quite a bit. THANK YOU JULIA for inspiring me to blog more!

Julie was actually the first person I came to at the gallery. Some names made sense and we were off to a good start, but then the connection got muddled and other people’s relatives started to jump in. I was bummed at the end of the gallery because I really wanted Julie to leave with a connection, because I felt strongly that someone was there for her.

Well it turns out someone was, and it happened to be her grandfather, but she didn’t realize it until she left. She was nice enough to send me an awesome e-mail about her experience telling about what she figured out afterwards.

She allowed me to post it here for all of you! So here it is…and if you have a story, send it in!

____________________________________________________________________________________

Hi Marisa,

Just wanted to say thanks for a wonderful session today at Crowne Plaza Monroe. I’m the girl who asked you about the language barrier when connecting with the spirits. Don’t know if you remember, but at one point you said something about the name George…and cheerleading…and a scrapbook..to two ladies sitting close to the door, but those things didn’t make too much sense to them. While on the way home, I realized that my grandfather who had passed was named George. My little sister was in the cheerleading team, and she had just showed me in fact two days ago a scrapbook that she made about a month ago on a trip to Europe. How odd is that!

I’m not sure if it is a coincidence that I can relate to all three things since one of the two ladies did mention she was thinking of redoing her wedding album. But I wish I had realized my connection during the session and raised my hand! In the beginning of the session you had us think of the people whom we hope to connect to, and my grandfather was the first person I thought about. So maybe he was there after all, had I known that!!! I hope he will be able to show me some signs or signal to let me know he was there (if he was).

My friend (the only guy there haha) is still thinking hard about the person you mentioned who was shot during some underground business type incident, hopefully he will be able to come up with something.

Although I didn\’t get a reading tonight, it was really amazing to see how spirits from the other side are able to communicate to us. I’ve always been very interested in the spiritual world myself and do hope someday i will be able to do what you do and help others. I’m glad most people at the event did get some closure or questions answered. It was truely an unforgettable experience and please don’t ever stop doing what you do. I look foward to seeing you again in the future and hopefully next time some of \”my people\” will be able to connect with you!

Regards,
Julia

Hello Again,

Please accept my utmost apologies for not writing in quite a while. It’s been very busy around here, and travel has had me on the road a lot. But no excuses! I have a lot to say these days, which I think you will find interesting. If you haven’t already, please read my May Inspirational Message below about all the changes going on with jobs.

So back to my topic at hand: I’ve been noticing some strange patterns happening at group galleries and private sessions lately. Those on the other side are mentioning events that are going on somewhere else WHILE THE SESSION IS TAKING PLACE! Of course the person being read cannot validate these details because they have no idea that they are going on, so luckily I’ve had some people come back and tell me what transpired after they left the session.

This is why I have people take detailed notes of everything I say. If the person being read only writes down what makes sense while the session is happening, then they are missing out on all the other information that could be validated by family members once they leave. These, to me, are the real AH HA moments!

The one story that blew me away came from a woman who has come to see me five times, and each time I had a hard time reading her. When I refer to people ‘blocking’ their energy, I would say she wins hands down! I remember scheduling a session with a woman over the phone to come and see me in person. I liked her energy and was looking forward to seeing her. Even though she said she has seen me before, I didn’t recall the name. When she came to the door, I knew I recognized her face but couldn’t place it. As she sat down, she said she had to tell me something amazing that happened to her after the last reading. Then she reminded me that I had a very difficult time with her each time I read her because of her energy being blocked. She told me at one point, I got so frustrated I had to leave the room! We had a good laugh about it, and I couldn’t believe after all this that she kept coming back.

Now to the good stuff. She told me that while I was reading her last time, I mentioned a dog named Lexi or Alexis. So, after the reading, the person went home and saw that there were several messages from her friend on her phone. She didn’t feel like talking to anyone, so she ignored the calls. Finally, the calls got so persistent that she called her friend back. Her friend told her she was trying to get in touch with her all day to let her know that she just got a NEW DOG! The name was Alexis on paper but Lexi for short. This all happened WHILE THE PERSON WAS GETTING THE READING!

But wait, it gets better! About a year later, the woman was at her friend’s house with the dog and her friend said she had a confession to make. She told her that Bernstein the dog was supposed to be a GIFT FOR THE WOMAN who got the reading, but when she picked it up she got so attached to it that she kept it!

The woman was actually connecting to her husband who passed. He was mentioning this dog while the gallery was going on to let her know she would be getting a dog, but her friend got it instead!

In another instance, I was doing a private gallery at a home in NJ. When I arrived, the host told me that several people were not able to make it. During the session I mentioned a Ronnie* (name changed), and the host said that that was her next door neighbor that was supposed to be there, but was unable to come last minute. Since there was someone there for her, I had to give the host messages to give her even though the woman was not there.

The spirit was the woman’s grandmother and she told us to tell her not to to let Ronnie’s husband measure the front door, because the measurements would be wrong and when the new door came it would not fit. I asked the host if Ronnie* and her husband were doing renovations. She said yes that they were remodeling their kitchen, but knew nothing about a new front door. The grandmother also mentioned collector sea shell soaps, and again the host didn’t know what this meant.

The next day I received a phone call from the host telling me that she went over Ronnie’s house, and that WHILE THE MESSAGES WERE BEING GIVEN ABOUT HER, her FRONT DOOR WAS BEING MEASURED AT THAT EXACT TIME. There were several people at her house doing this, including her husband. At that point in time, she didn’t know what the seashell soaps were. Then suddenly she remembered that she had a box of her grandmother’s seashell soaps, and in honor of her she was redoing her bathroom with matching seashell wallpaper!

Moral of the story is: don’t get frustrated if you don’t understand the messages right away!

PS Sometimes I even get frustrated if I can’t validate details! Keep telling me your stories, it keeps me inspired to do the work!

Best,

Marisa

Greetings,

May is slowing down this month, so you might start to get a little nervous. Business may not be going so well and finding the resources you need to make ends meet may be a bit difficult. Some of you may have even lost a job, or are seriously considering a major career change.

This may all sound glum, but the truth is that the universe is ushering in new energy to “weed your garden” so to speak. As far as finances go, they will start to slowly improve this month. You won’t see a sudden upsurge of funds all at once, but you will notice a little here and there to get you through.

We don’t realize it, but when we are reading the papers and watching TV and all we see is “Recession”, we tend to take on that energy and become afraid. I like to think of recession as a time to “recess”, pull back and reassess where we are headed. Are you in the right career? How is your current spending? Are you making the kind of money you want to be making? Are you investing for your future properly? Whether you like it or not, it is time to take finances and career into consideration.

The more fear you generate by thought, the more that energy is being put out into the universe and experienced by others. This is why the mass media (tv, radio, even billboard ads) is so powerful, because these “thoughts” are broadcast to us, and even if we are not paying attention we subconsciously record them.

The good news is that you could change your thoughts at any time. Believe it or not, you could make a major difference in the universal energy. Think about all the people you come across on a daily basis. Do you really think your state of mind doesn’t affect each person you encounter daily? And it doesn’t stop there! Those people then encounter their families, coworkers and friends too. Whatever energy they took on that day will be projected onto other people. It’s a chain reaction, and by the end of the day, your reactions, thinking and actions could affect a stadium full of people!

Think about this the next time you want to flip someone off on the highway

Don’t worry, things will turn around!

Best,

Marisa

Greetings,

Can you say absent-minded? Wow, I can’t believe the energy this month. Not only is the energy in slow motion, but our minds seem to be in the opposite energy of racing thinking! Don’t worry though, this beautiful weather is bound to continue, and who can’t be cheerful with the natural light, sunshine and blooming flowers?

You may feel like you want to rush into your next phase of life — whether this be a new career move, relationship, or health regimen. You may also feel impatient because nothing is really manifesting. You want to enjoy the slow moving energy, meditate in the new sunshine, but perhaps you feel guilty because the money isn’t rolling in right now. Your inner voice wants you to worry, and to find a solution immediately! So you rush around aimlessly just to ease the guilt of doing nothing and enjoying life. We have been conditioned, haven’t we? At least if we make ourselves crazy, we can at least say we tried — right?

Stop right there! I would like to remind you of the joys of spring and the symbols that come with it. We can’t force the flower to bloom when we want it to, nor can we force it’s petals open. It blooms in it’s own time, and the universe is fully in control of this process. If you are part of the universe and it’s natural processes, then you are connected to this unfolding process. However, you were born a human with free will to go with the universal flow or against it. What would happen if you took a beautiful rose and ripped it’s petals open? Not a pretty sight. Part of the beauty is watching the petals unfold and enjoying each part of the process.

It’s time to tend to your inner garden. Feed and nourish yourself with organic produce and pure water. Go outside and take a deep breath, and allow all of the Earth’s elements to cleanse you. Trust that opportunity will hatch at just the right time! Enjoy the slow moving energy before things speed up again!

All my best!
Marisa

Hello Again,

I have just uploaded my March Inspirational Message in the post below. I hope all of you will get a chance to squeeze in some YOU time this week. The energy is like a speedway these days, and it just doesn’t seem like there are enough hours in the day to get everything done! Don’t fret though, things will slow down soon.

I wanted to write a post about reading relatives of people who are from other countries. Most of these messages are from people who never spoke English, so I find the information fascinating. While I think it is just as miraculous to receive messages of any kind at all, I am used to getting messages from people with American names that I understand.

Last night, I had a private gallery and there was a woman present with relatives from Japan. She told me later that she felt there was no way that she even expected that her relatives would come through. She was just there to observe and take it all in.

To her surprise, she was the first one to receive a reading, and it was from her grandfather who spoke Japanese. Since a lot of communication is through images and symbols, the interpretation bypasses language barriers. However, at times I do receive words and thought fragments.

Since I have been giving messages for quite a while, not a lot shocks me. However, when I receive messages from those in foreign lands, I am speechless, because I know absolutely nothing about the language or culture. Reading people who are from other countries are like a breath of fresh air to me, because I learn so much about their culture from the experience.

Soon after her messages started, I started to receive names that I couldn’t pronounce. At first I received syllables as sounds that I couldn’t make out. She validated that some of the names of her immediate family members had those sounds attached to them. However, what came next floored me! I received her brother’s complete Japanese name.

Of course, I thought that what I was getting was off and second guessed myself. I said the name to her, and she was shocked. She told me that was her brother’s name who is living. Apparently, her brother was not doing too well, and the grandfather needed to come through with a message for him. In the interest of privacy, I can’t tell you the exact name that came through, but I could tell you that it was not even close to any American sound or name.

The woman was so excited that she received a message from her ancestors, and never thought that communication on this level was possible!

This just goes to show that love never dies and there are no barriers on the other side. If someone needs to get a message to you, they will find a way! That reading was very inspirational to me, and I know it meant a lot to the woman receiving it. I was so happy for her!

I have had several other experiences with messages from Israel, Korea, Spain and Italy including others. The fact that this is possible truly amazes me!

I am so grateful to be able to give people these messages.

I’ll be writing more soon!

Marisa

Greetings,

I hope you are as excited as I am about the new additions coming to Knowledge For Living. Please feel free to send any suggestions or additions you would like to see take place. We welcome all new ideas!

As for March, are you feeling the roller coaster ride yet? If so, welcome in the new energy that’s bound to make you stressed if you don’t force yourself to take some time to do the things you need to do for yourself.

This is BURN OUT time. Everywhere you look, people are BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, which is always good. But sometimes when you get so busy, it’s hard to make time to slow down. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying, “relax take it easy”. To the contrary, if you want to take risks with your personal life or business, now is THE TIME.

But in the midst of the crazy speed you may be feeling, know that your defenses are down energetically because of the rushing energy that is coming in. This means that you may be prone to flus, not tolerate foods well, and common colds. The stress makes your immune system weak, so storing up on Vitamin D and soups is important right now.

With this motion energy, it’s going to be hard to relax and stay still because your mind will be racing. So instead of trying to sit and meditate, (which will probably be torture), try instead to get back to the gym. However, you don’t want to overdo it either. This is why I don’t recommend land exercise at this time like lifting or running. Because of the current energy and carelessness, we are prone to more injury such related to impact due to NOT TAKING THE TIME TO WARMUP OR STRETCH.

So instead I recommend swimming if you can handle laps in a pool. The water energy will balance you, and it would be great if you have a sauna, hot tub or steam room to soak in afterwards.

In symbolic terms, it’s life you have a sharp sword in your hand now. Whatever you want to cut out of your life is directly in front of you. With the current energy, you feel fearless and ruthless in getting the job done. Next month you may not feel the strength to get as much done as you will now.

Think about what no longer serves you and waste no time in making changes. Don’t feel guilty. Take risks without knowing what’s ahead.

All my best!
Marisa

Sorry it’s been so long since I wrote! Of course the current energy of mercury retrograde has me scattered. But this one hasn’t been so bad. I’m sitting here writing as we are having our first real major snow/ice storm of the season. I can’t believe it was 70 degrees last week here in Mt. Laurel NJ! Below this post you will find February’s Inspirational Message.

Since I last wrote, we have had several successful events and one fundraiser. At the end of January we had another gallery in Lawrenceville NJ to benefit the Slackwood Fire Company. As usual, the event sold out early, and we even ended up going a little over time. We raised money, and also delivered some healing messages.

We ended up having a special guest at the gallery, who took it upon himself to take up the microphone during the gallery and give a riveting testimonial! Before he received his reading, the messages were getting stuck, and a lot of messages weren’t getting validated. We were off to a very scattered, slow start.

Once I came to the man in the front row, the information started flowing and didn’t stop. Every detail followed his monotone response, “That is correct.” After a while, the audience found his demeanor endearing, and the phrase quite humorous. Detail after detail became validated in a row.

After his reading with his wife who passed, it seemed as if he wanted to speak, and then spoke into the mic with conviction. He told me how he was very skeptical before he had come to see me for the first time at the Trenton Thunder baseball stadium. As soon as he said his name was Ted, I realized who he was! He was the man who wrote the testimonial that is listed on the front page of my website!

I feel bad sometimes when I don’t initially recognize people. Since I do several events a month, and read many individual clients, I have a hard time remembering people I have only seen once. Plus I remember nothing of the readings. I seem to get amnesia after I do a gallery, because the thoughts aren’t coming from me. Once I shut down after a two hour event, I am so tired that I have to zone out and regroup.

However, we do have our Connection Beyond groupies who come to almost every event, so I do know exactly who they are. However, I don’t remember their messages from those who have passed. Since I have a very visual memory, if someone reminded me what gallery they were at and where they were sitting, I may remember their face. This is how I remembered Ted. He was in the priority section sitting right next to where I was standing.

That night, Ted spoke with enthusiasm about his first session with his late wife at Trenton Thunder and then with this message. He reiterated details that I said at the gallery a year ago that I couldn’t believe I said! I looked at him in amazement, and asked him if I really said all those things. He said with the same tone, “you certainly did.”! He mentioned that I kept saying 1-800-SHOELACE. He said that that was the name of his dog. His dog used to always untie his shoelaces! He also told the room that after the gallery that night, his shoelaces became untied themselves.

In addition, Ted told people how important it was to be open and receptive in the gallery. He was so insightful, and I think he saw how some people were getting stuck because they were blocking in one form or another.

He said it was just as important for the person being read to be open as much as it was for me. This is completely true. I can’t read people if their mind and heart aren’t open. Sometimes, people aren’t intentionally doing this, or it is their first time so they are nervous. In any case, Ted felt it was his mission to let people know how important it is for spirits on the other side to get their messages to us.

Sometimes I may be tough on people, especially if I feel they are not cooperating. The main reason I do this is because I WANT them to get the message they came to the gallery for. In addition, there are many other people there who would give anything for the chance to hear from someone. When the galleries get stuck, time is taken away from giving more messages. My body can only read for so long.

I have never seen a guest at a gallery stand up and give such a testimonial. It made me feel that I was making a difference and that someone who was so skeptical could have such a change of heart. Plus, his openness to even come to event in the first place showed his willingness to have an open mind. He left with great healing.

Right after he was read, a man and his wife got a reading. They were a few more men that were there than usual. I could tell that this man was new just by the way he was looking at me. When I first come to people, sometimes they get this “deer in the headlights” look. Eventually, they do calm down and ease into the experience. It can be very intense for the first time.

The man’s father ended up coming through. I don’t remember the specifics of the reading, but as I said above, I knew where he was sitting. During the reading, I kept hearing his father bugging me to tell him he knew about the watch — almost in a sarcastic way. Immediately the man’s wife gasped, and started to cry. He just looked at me in shock. I didn’t get it! I didn’t know how a watch could have that effect. There was a pause, and then the man pulled his father’s watch from out of his pocket! He said he put in it there, because he didn’t want to wear it. It had stopped (which his father also mentioned), but he also didn’t want me to see it. It was a powerful moment. He knew from such a simple message that his father was really there.

And of course I remember that message because I SAW the watch that night come out of his pocket! How can you forget that?

In addition to the many galleries, we had our Intuitive Development- Level One Workshop at Necessities Day Spa this weekend. A lot of my regular gallery attendees showed up, and it the group was ridden with people who had such awesome potential to develop their intuitive gifts. Some people were definitely not beginners

It was a great day for me to get out of my own head. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I booked the event on the one year anniversary of my biological mother’s passing. I find that if I create ways to serve in times where my head is thinking too much, it can be helpful to everyone. I was happy to be doing an all day class that day.

The workshop is slated to go for six hours, however, with people’s schedules, a four hour workshop seemed more doable. The event went by so fast, people couldn’t believe it! Plus we still didn’t get to all of our exercises. It was amazing how everyone bonded during the experience, and the people who were convinced that didn’t have any abilities during certain exercises actually were the ones that excelled!

I was so proud of everyone and I can’t wait to take the group to the next Level during our Level II workshop. Don’t worry all you newbies, another Level I will be coming soon. If you are interested in being informed of the class, please e-mail us at info@connectionbeyond.com Ok I think I wrote enough for today! If you attended the workshop, and would like to post your comments/experiences, please feel free!

A Few Words From Marisa Pell for February 2008 Now is the time to move forward! Are there decisions you have been struggling with that you have been procrastinating on for years? Do you really want to change your life for good?

Now is the time to look to the past and see what has been holding you back. Once you set your mind to something, it is usually done. Any decisions made now to change the mistakes you made in the past will be long lasting.

These will be changes for the better. Remember to keep your thoughts positive, as negative thinking could lead to more negativity. The universe is very sensitive right now, so be careful what you are saying to yourself with your inner voice.

We are in a mercury retrograde period astrologically until February 18th 2008. While it is a good time to look back and repair mistakes made in the past, it is NOT a good time to sign long term contracts, move into a new home, or get into a new relationship. This doesn’t mean bad things will happen. It just means that most decisions will need to be looked at and possibly changed again. Or, these decisions may only lead to temporary results. Anything NEW will not be long lasting, so do your research before making any long term commitments.

If you would like to learn more about mercury retrograde, click here for a good site. You can also do a Google search for many detailed websites on the subjects.

This is tough love time. And not tough love for others! You must be tough on yourself now, and make changes that have been long overdue. Whether this means quitting a bad habit, or finally saying no to a draining person — the time is now!

Don’t look back. Make your decisions and move forward. The universe will surely reward you three times over!

All my best!

Marisa

Over the weekend, the Connection Beyond team took a trip to our nation’s capitol for our first private group gallery in the area. I wasn’t sure what to expect, since there is a different energy in every state. For instance, the energy of a group in Pennsylvania is usually a lot different from a group in New York.

I have to say I was quite surprised by how relaxing it was to do a home gallery in VA right outside of D.C. The setting was beautiful, and people were very open and receptive. The experience was a bit different from what I am used to in the tri-state area. We’re a little tough up here in the North! I think it also helped that most of the group was immediate family, because everyone was able to benefit from those who came through.

I was amazed by a lot of the messages. They weren’t the usual “relative who passed of an illness wanting to deal with some unfinished business regarding real estate, wills, etc.”. There seemed to be a lot of closure for some guests, as well as a past life revelation for a woman who had a very strong connection to religious figures back in the early 1900’s. It was an incredible experience for everyone involved, including me. I had never experienced messages of such magnitude.

The spiritual energy in the room was amazing. There was also a spirit of an older woman there who was a bit humorous. She kept looking at the stove saying, “I’ve never seen anything like this before in my life.” Stoves were very different when she was alive. I think she really wanted to try it out!

In addition to the gallery, we were able to do some sightseeing. Since I was already tuned in, I thought it would be a good idea to visit the Arlington National Cemetary to see what I picked up. I saw the site on T.V. so many times, but couldn’t believe how vast it was. They told us that there were over 300,000 military graves there. There were also a lot of tourists, but to my surprise everyone was very respectful and silent.

We immediately went to J.F.K’s gravesite. It was a powerful energy, and as I moved over in front of Jackie O’s gravesite, I felt a wave of extreme sadness come over me, and felt that if I stood there, tears would run down my face. It was overwhelming. The view overlooking the city, and the engraved speeches were beautiful. However, the powerful feeling was also haunting. It didn’t feel peaceful.

On our second stop, we took a tour of the Robert E. Lee/ Arlington House, which is also located on the cemetery grounds. According to the tour guide, both Robert and his wife were evicted due to the war and unpaid property taxes, and the house became military property. Because the Arlington House is now under restoration, there is no furniture at the site. There are only pictures in the rooms of what the furniture looked like. It is in storage right now and won’t be returning until 2010.

I must say that I expected to feel some sort of energy in the home considering how much happened there, but the energy was very stagnant. There wasn’t even any energetic impressions. It just felt like an old structure with no furniture. It was a very cold, neutral feeling. I suspect because the Lee’s had to move so quickly, they probably released their energetic attachment to the home when they moved on. After that, it went through several renovations and people residing there. I felt no spiritual energy there.

We then proceeded to The Tomb of The Unknown Soldiers. We watched the changing of the guard and school children donate a wreath. I had a sense that the spirits who are associated with the tombs are very honored to be part of ceremony. It was a much different feeling than the one I felt at the J.F.K. site.

On the same day, we visited the National Archives, which house the original Constitution, Declaration of Independence and Bill Of Rights. I couldn’t believe I was looking at the original documents. The parchment was wearing and much of the handwriting was fading, but the impact of being able to see the original written documents was intense.

I wasn’t really a fan of the huge crowds. It was hard to have the time to actually let the experience sink in, because so many people wanted to view them. The lines were long, and there were masses of people moving through the building.

In all, I had a wonderful experience in D.C. and can’t wait to go back!

A Few Words From Marisa Pell for January 2008

Do you feel like you’re moving so fast, but keep slamming into a brick wall? Do you feel like you’re in a dream where you’re trying to run but you’re going in slow motion? You’re not alone.

During a season of resolutions, the energy of moving forward seems to pervade so many of us that we often don’t think before we get over our head with to-do lists.

We want things to happen now! We want our dreams to turn into reality! We want to lose weight. We want to find our soulmate. We want it ALL now! And if we are not seeing results, we are prepared to kick down the door!

This is not the time to try to force things to happen. Winter usually don’t happen in the middle of August. This may be the last thing you want to hear, but here’s my solution.

SURRENDER. Yes, that’s what I said! Surrender the situation.. whatever it is..to the universe. Continue on with your everyday responsibilities and put no more energy into thinking about it. Sometimes our energy becomes so focused that we block the manifestation of our desires. Or perhaps the universe has something better in the works for you.

And sometimes, a door remains shut for a reason. Instead of getting out your toolbox to break down the door, walk down the hallway and try to open another door. Break your focus. Now is not the time for over thinking. Give your mind a break, and do something from the other side of your brain. Build something. Rearrange some furniture. Sculpt, paint, or take some pictures.

Just get out of your head, and leave the door shut! Maybe it will open on it’s own when you’re not looking

Blessings!

Marisa