Dear Tee:

I am working on a response to you and taking my time with it. Just wanted to let you know that I very much appreciate your explanation and the spirit behind it. Your explanation is very helpful, thank you!

Be back soon. I will also respond to you, Alessa.

Anita

* Oopsie, reading my post above- I forgot a zero: 100%, not 10%

Hello Neil:

“Returning to honesty, everything started changing for me when I stopped trying to prove anything and just focused on being authentic in the moment. Paradoxically, that’s when the things I only believed in became real to me.”- this, to me, feels like the most meaningful thing you expressed.

“Personally, I don’t regard cartomancy as fortune-telling, neither do I think the cards are random, so I would take issue with that specific definition. I use the cards as just one type of tool that connects with the collective unconscious (see Jung for a definition of that).”- Copilot: “The collective unconscious is a concept developed by Carl Jung to describe a layer of the unconscious mind that is shared by all humans, regardless of culture or personal experience.” Anita: I get it.. to the extent that I get it.

I understand using cards as a tool. I am open to it, in this context of connecting to the collective consciousness.

“From a coaching perspective, my whole approach is to take people from A (where they are) to B (where they want to be)… and I’m led by the person I’m working with. I certainly wouldn’t impose anything that they weren’t comfortable with.”-

If you are interested, and if it’s possible, you are welcome to coach me right here, in this thread or in a separate thread. Thing is, because of the ADHD and learning disabilities I mentioned earlier, 1-to-1 on ZOOM or on the phone, which would require in real-time communication would be difficult for me. I have often lost focus mid conversation in real-life, often in the very beginning. I would hear words I heard before, many times, but.. suddenly forget what the words mean.

In writing, such as here, I have the time and the opportunity to look up words and terms (such as “collective consciousness” which I have read about quite a bit in the past.. but completely forgot what it meant until I looked it up just now), and I have the time to process and understand messages before responding.

If it suits you, if it’d be possible, and if it’d be of any positive value for you- to coach me here, you are welcome to do so.

Thank you for your engagement with me so far.. and I hope you had a good walk with your other half yesterday 😊.

🙏 🌿 Anita

Hi Alessa:

Your message is so very supportive, 100% supportive (no accusations, no criticism, only understanding and empathy). Thank you!

And yes, my developing new awareness is a blessing.

On Aug 1, in my thread (Life Worth Living, page 17), you wrote in a message to me: “I know that it is hard for you to trust people that you’ve had disagreements with in the past”-

You were right, and this is what I am reflecting on at this time. Seems like the moment someone- in real-life, or here- said, wrote or did something that bothered or triggered me negatively (through no fault of the other person.. just part of being themselves, nothing abusive, and sometimes- like in the case of you and Tee- with best intentions), I automatically- without thinking, without awareness- in my own mind, labeled the person “bad”, or “enemy”, forgetting all the good in the person, all the good that preceded what triggered me.

I know I said that I will reflect privately, but above, I reflected publicly because of your very supportive message right above. Your message made me feel safe. And, after all, the title you chose for this tread is “Safe and Brave”- just what I need: Safety so that I can reflect Bravely.

Please let me know, Alessa, if it’s okay that I continue to reflect in your thread? It’s okay if you prefer that I don’t.

I want to reflect here because of your 10% supportive message above, and because I.. trust you.. and I trust Tee, although I must say, it’s scary to trust.

I can’t reflect on Jana’s thread because I was asked not to (“Wonderful. Let’s move on, please. 🙏 You can start your own thread, Anita, or continue in the journal. 😉”, Jana, Sept 11), and I don’t feel safe reflecting in any of my old threads, or in a new one, because I am afraid of Jana and Brandy using my reflections there so to repeat old accusations or form new ones.

To honestly reflect publicly, I need to feel safe, and I am hoping that here, you will protect me from accusations resurfacing, so that I can continue to reflect. I will add that in my reflections- if permitted here- I will not be accusing anyone. Whatever criticisms I have about any other member, I will not express those here. There will be no mention or reference to any member in the forums. If any member responds positively to me, in a supportive (non-accusatory way), I will be glad to address the person with gratitude.

My only motivation is to honestly reflect.. and seems like it’s difficult for me to do so privately. I am used to express publicly.

I know that you resumed your studies and that you are very busy. I am not asking that you spend any time on my reflections, nor am I asking that you analyze or evaluate them, only that you allow me to do so Safely and Bravely, in your thread.

But again, it is fine if you don’t feel comfortable with my idea (reflecting here). Maybe it’d feel unsafe for you. It may not be a good idea. I might be unaware of a reason why it’d be a bad idea. So, I am open to whatever you prefer, Alessa, truly.

❤️ 🌿 Anita

Hello again, Neil:

Such a pleasure, and a blessing (in a none religious context) to communicate with you. Words that come to my mind: you are a special person, gifted, lots to offer.

Thank you for your understanding. I want to process and reply further tomorrow, hoping for a rested, better functioning brain by then.

🌿 Anita

Hello again Neil:

Your 4 posts (and the face in the photo) read honest, friendly and kind. Thing is that yesterday, I was so tired, so exhausted, that I didn’t bother to look at what you are actually offering.

In your original post you wrote: “I have provided guidance through dream interpretation, cartomancy and astrology for decades”-

Again, I was so tired that although I didn’t know what “cartomancy” means, I didn’t even look it up. This morning. Looking it up, I read that “It’s a method of fortune-telling that interprets the symbolic meanings of cards drawn at random to gain insight into a person’s life, emotions, or future events.”-

Well, I don’t believe in fortune or future telling.

In addition, astrologers typically ask for (so I read, source: Copilot) a person’s full date of birth (day, month, year), exact time of birth, and place of birth (city and country)- three details that form the foundation of a natal chart, which maps the positions of the planets, sun, and moon at the moment a person was born.

Well, I don’t feel comfortable sharing these personal details online, or privately (as in a phone call) with a person I don’t know beyond 4 posts in a public forum.

So, for these reasons I am withdrawing my offer to communicate beyond this this thread. I apologize for not seeing these things yesterday when I offered to email you and talk on the phone.

In addition, I read this morning that “Scientifically speaking, astrology lacks empirical support. Large-scale studies have shown that: * Birth charts don’t reliably predict personality traits or life outcomes. * Professional astrologers perform no better than chance when matching charts to real-life profiles. * Shared zodiac signs don’t correlate with shared behaviors or dispositions.

“So from a data-driven lens, astrology doesn’t hold up as a predictive science. But here’s where it gets nuanced… Astrology often functions more like poetry than physics—a symbolic language that helps people reflect, name patterns, and explore inner landscapes… In this sense, astrology can be a mirror, not a map. It doesn’t predict with precision, but it can provoke meaningful reflection—especially when used with discernment, not dependency… (It’s) a tool for inquiry—not authority…

“A truly skilled astrologer often does function like a psychologist, but through a symbolic lens. They read emotional patterns, relational dynamics, and inner conflicts not through clinical diagnosis, but through archetypes, planetary placements, and transits. The best ones: * Listen deeply: They attune to what’s said and unsaid, much like a therapist tracking emotional subtext.* Translate symbols into insight: They interpret cosmic metaphors—like Saturn as boundary, Pluto as transformation—not as fate, but as invitations to reflect. * Mirror the psyche: They help people see themselves more clearly, often naming truths that feel both ancient and intimate…

“A good astrologer isn’t only a psychologist. They’re also part mythmaker, part poet, part ritualist. They offer a language that speaks to the soul, not just the mind. And unlike psychology, astrology doesn’t require pathology—it assumes everyone is already a story worth telling.”-

This is all amazing to me. I didn’t look these things up before your thread, so thank you!

.. I just asked Copilot: if I approached an astrologer with something I am currently reflecting on (lifetime mistrust of people), what would a good astrologer say?

The answer: “A good astrologer—one with emotional attunement and symbolic fluency—would never reduce mistrust to a flaw. They’d treat it as a protective adaptation, shaped by experience and mirrored in the chart’s architecture. Here’s how they might respond, with nuance and care: ‘Your suspicion isn’t a defect—it’s a signal. Let’s look at where it lives in your chart.’

“They might explore placements like: * Moon in Scorpio or Capricorn: Deep emotional caution, often born from betrayal or early emotional instability.

* Saturn in the 7th House: A karmic theme around trust in relationships—boundaries, fear of vulnerability, lessons in discernment.

“* Pluto aspects to Venus or Mercury: Hyper-awareness of manipulation, a need to protect the self from emotional extraction or deception.

“* Chiron in Libra or the 8th House: Wounds around intimacy, fairness, or shared emotional space.

“‘Then they’d say something like: ‘ Your chart shows a soul that’s learned to scan for safety before opening. That’s wisdom, not weakness. But it also shows a longing—to trust without collapsing, to connect without self-erasure. Let’s explore how you can honor both.’

“They’d never push for premature trust. Instead, they’d validate the mistrust as emotional intelligence shaped by pain, and offer symbolic tools for navigating it—like rituals for boundary-setting during tough transits, or journaling prompts tied to lunar cycles.”-

What do you think of all of this, Neil (if you’d like to share)..?

I will close with gratitude and again, an apology for having been so tired yesterday that I made a commitment (to email you and then talk on the phone) that I now regret.

🌿 Anita

You are very welcome, Tom, and thank you for being here! Back to you tomorrow.

🌿 Anita

Hello Neil:

Thank you for the energy trade suggestion. I already do a lot for others in real-life. At times I did ask for tech help, but thing is, it really is a very overwhelming time for those near me.

Today will be a busy day, but I will email you tomorrow and we can talk on the phone when it’s convenient for the two of us. I am a bit nervous about it and am not sure what it’ll be like.

Have a nice Sunday yourself, Neil, and talk to you soon!

Anita