2017 in Numbers

Mar22

The American New Year started January 1, 2017. The Chinese New Year started January 28, 2017. The astrological new year began March 20, which also coincided with the first day of Spring. What all these dates and “new beginnings” tell me is this is the perfect time to share a forecast for 2017. Yeah, I know some of you are saying, “she’s late.” I say, “not.” Only recently have I started feeling like I was finally out of the clutches of 2016. Only recently have I started feeling like a change is happening. Like I have a new sense of confidence, of hope and joy. It feels good to finally shake the severity of 2016 and smile more, laugh more, be more. I attribute this newness to the new year–regardless of the date it actually started.

So on to the 2017 forecast, a year that I’m sure will be like no other. Let me start by saying, I am by no stretch a forecaster. But lucky for us, I know one who is: Cindy L. Herb. Cindy is a numerologist. She has studied numerology for over 30 years and knows it better than the backs of her hands.

Cindy Herb

Cindy L. Herb – Numerologist, Author, Friend

When I asked Cindy to write a short post for me about 2017 and what to expect, she so lovingly agreed even though she no longer consults or counsels with individuals or companies on numerology. She only asked one thing of me…be sure to add a disclaimer informing readers this is a forecast only, not a done deal. Freewill and one’s own attitude is as forceful as the universal energies. So remember, how this year plays out rests with you and your heart!

Year 2017 Numerology Energy Vibrations

by Cindy L. Herb

Every year has a specific ‘Universal Year’ number associated with it, giving everyone the dominant general trends for the coming calendar year. In addition, all numbers exert vibrations from both aspects of our world, light and dark. Therefore, in any Universal Year you can expect to see both the constructive and destructive meaning of numbers. Since we all have choice, it is up to you to bring forward those traits you wish—either the constructive side, the destructive components or a combination of both.

The 2017 calendar year is a 1 Universal Year in numerology. Whereas 2016 signified a time of death of the old, 2017 is new birth. This year marks the beginning of a new 9-year Epicycle in numerology. Therefore, you will have more determination and self-confidence. Use this energy, as the things you do this year will affect the next nine years. So be decisive. Now starts a time of new things and major changes. So, if you have wanted to change careers, improve your health, retire or change directions in any way, now is a good time to begin.

Set new goals and begin the process of working towards them. Plan, have a clear vision and direct yourself with strong drive in order to achieve those goals. Look at 2017 as a year of opportunities. Do not worry if it takes a few months to get things rolling (especially since we are still in the shadow of 2016). Therefore, you may be more emotional within the first 3 months. However, if you stay focused, keep a clear head and are organized, things will work in your favor.

You can expect the following monthly highlights for 2017:

January: Emotional month as the energy of 2016 is still around conflicting with the new energy of 2017.

February: Events inspire creativity and optimism, as well as need for adaptability.

March: Focuses on hard work, progress and opportunity. A time to set the foundation for plans.

April: Brings changes and the unexpected (such as career or residence), requiring more flexibility.

May: Concerns relationships and all affairs of the heart. Responsibility and home are featured.

June: Inward soul searching leaves you more serious and less social.

July: You will begin to see fruits of your hard work. This begins the best couple of months of the year to increase finances and career.

August: A time to let go of things no longer necessary in your life, making room for the new. It could mark the end of a certain era of your life.

September: Could be an emotional month, especially if you have waited to take advantage of the energy this year provides, NOW is another big opportunity to begin new projects. This month highlights heightened confidence, independence and individuality.

October: A time to work in the background, using an indirect approach.

November: You may start to see your plans taking a more concrete form.

December: Finishing the year with a final push towards the goals set at the beginning of the year.

Copyright Statement: This article was written by Cindy L. Herb and may NOT be reproduced on any related website without express permission of Cindy L. Herb. Copyright 2017 Cindy L. Herb. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Didn’t I tell you she was great? I love her dearly and appreciate her more than words can express. I hope you were encouraged by Cindy’s knowledge and wisdom. Write to me throughout the year and let me know how things are going for you. And I promise to do the same via this channel. In the meantime, if you’d like to read more about Cindy and her amazing journey to becoming a numerologist, check out her book “Awakening the Spirit: The Open Wide Like a Floozy Chronicles” by clicking here.

cindys-book

Make it a GREAT 2017!

Amreeka = America = The World

Feb28

In recent days, we’ve been bombarded with news stories of the fallout of Trump’s decision to halt refugee resettlement efforts, stop refugee entry, totally ban Syrian refugees and step up deportation. Stories of people stranded, handcuffed, turned away, stripped from their children and deposited at the Mexico border with nothing but the clothes on their backs. These stories, like the decision that started all this coverage, were hard to digest. I was angered, frustrated and at times, sad, lacking hope. As I often do when distressed, I sink into books. I find that reading helps me to either recenter or escape (and regroup later when I emerge). I opened my reader, hoping to find my center, and scanned the various unread titles. I ran across this one, A Country Called Amreeka: U. S. History Retold through Arab-American Lives. How appropriate at a time like this, I thought and hurriedly launched the book.

alia-malek

This non-fiction book by Alia Malek is a history book (covering the ’40s through the early 2000s) told in parallel. One parallel track is the Arab-American version of history as told from the perspective of various Arab-Americans who lived the history and the other parallel track is the American political/media version as reported by news outlets and governmental agencies. I purchased the book last November (2016) after meeting the author and hearing her speak. Back then, I was impressed with her message on inclusion and unification, and her thorough knowledge of U.S. and Middle East history. But since reading her book, I have been more impressed with her ability to educate me. In Amreeka, the Arab-American word for America, I have deepened my knowledge of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, the struggles Arab-Americans have had in America, and how slanted news reporting can be. Also, through her thorough and insightful education, I have been reminded of what powerful tools “hope” and “prayer” can be.

I have not finished the book yet but already I am telling everyone I know to read it. It’s a heart-opener for those who need a reminder that all people are worthy of fair and equal treatment regardless of skin color, religion or national origin. It’s an educational lift for those who rely solely on mainstream media/news sources, and it’s an eye-widener for those who thought they knew the ins and outs of our American political/media system.

Again, the book is, “A Country Called Amreeka: U. S. History Retold through Arab-American Lives” by Alia Malek or visit http://www.aliamalek.com/ for more details.

Now is the time to live for others, to fight for all!

And Still I Rise

Feb13

It doesn’t seem like it would be Black History Month without a mention of Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. This stalwart intellectual, author and filmmaker is a regular supplier of commentary and programs for the Public Broadcasting System, a sample of which includes his recent “And Still I Rise: Black America Since MLK” documentary (there’s also a book; see below.).

hl-gates-book

When I am able, I watch his show Finding Your Roots, which traces the family lineage of famous people sometimes going as far back as their original homeland. I will never forget the episode with Chris Rock (actor, comedian) who discovered his great grandfather (I might be missing a great) was a Union soldier who took up the fight for freedom once he became free. Rock cried when he discovered this and I cried, too. It was moving! After learning something that profound, how does one not stick out one’s chest and proudly proclaim, “I’m black and I’m proud!”

As we celebrate Black History Month I think about what Black America would look like if every black person stuck out their chest and said, “I’m black and I’m proud,” and meant it. I imagine there would be no more gang violence or black-on-black crime. I imagine the effects of separation by light-skinned versus dark-skinned would vanish and there’d be a great reduction of black men in prison or on the streets. In the Black America of “I’m black and I’m proud,” education would be priority number one, hard work number two, and one goal—the continued rise of all black people in body, spirit and mind—would be the be all, end all.

Black people, we can do this! We can still rise, and not only during Black History Month when pride runs high, but all year, every year. Even if our great-grandfather did not fight for freedom, we can all claim a legacy of freedom fighting. How? By voting. By writing letters to our newspaper editors or writing emails to news/media outlets. By attending board and council meetings and challenging our leaders when necessary. By creating our own non-profits that address societal ills. By starting our own businesses (and supporting those businesses). By posting positive images and facts over negative ones. By speaking truth regardless of how hard that might be. By fighting, fighting, fighting.

Black people, we can do this! If our forefathers could rise out of slavery to run countries and businesses, to raise healthy families, to hang on to positive morals and values, to make a way out of no way, how can we not rise with all that is available to us? We can do this. We can rise. We must rise.

Conflicted Hearts – A Book Review

Sep28

Conflicted Hearts by D. G. Kaye is the latest book I’ve read, enjoyed and reviewed.

Conflicted Hearts is a memoir — well-written, emotional and full of life lessons that we can all embrace. It chronicles the highlights (and lowlights) of Kaye’s life as she moves from co-dependence to freedom; from duty and obligation to healthy choice; from emotional insecurity to a solid emotional base; from fractured to wholeness.

The story begins with Kaye as a child, a product of a two parent home with a loving dad and a less loving mother. I believe there is no other relationship more powerful and influential than that of mother and child (unless one is blessed to find their soul mate and of course setting aside the relationship we have with ourselves and our Spiritual Deity.). Get that relationship wrong and it can negatively impact a life, which it did in Kaye’s case. Or at least it did until as a young adult she realized the hazards of maintaining an off-balanced relationship and took appropriate means to restore herself. Kaye used two major means to counter the effects of her mom’s early influence. She journaled to identify and understand her mom’s issues and how they impacted her, and she surrounded herself with honest friendships. People who told her the truth, who supported her, cared for, inspired and encouraged her. If not for those means, I’m thinking the ending would not have showcased a woman as balanced, purposed, strong and emotionally stable as Kaye.

I found this a bittersweet read. One likes to think all moms are natural caregivers, giving priority to their children. But Conflicted Hearts reminds us that not all women who birth children want to be or should be mothers. That’s the bitter part. Thankfully we have the sweet…where Kaye overcomes her childhood neglect to lead a productive, loving life. That’s not only sweet but encouraging for all.

In addition to being bitter and sweet, I found this an emotional read. Because Kaye withheld little in the sharing of her overcomer’s journey, we feel her anguish, her fear, her joys, and tension. We are there with her when she ends toxic relationships. We feel her pain when she goes through illness and uncertainty. We share her happiness when she learns to love and prioritize herself. We feel joy when a good-hearted, caring man enters her life. In the telling, she gives full access to her heart, mind and emotions, displaying at the end, her strength and wholeness.

October is a month where we recognize a number of issues related to women (cancer awareness, domestic violence awareness, baby loss and mental illness awareness, etc.) and I can think of no better month to buy and read this book. It just seems fitting for the focus on women and the issues buffeting us. Besides, what better month to show off such an attractive cover!

This book is worth your reading time. Buy it. Read it. Be blessed.

Compulsively Writing More Fiction 2012 by Author, Kate Policani

Apr15

I am so happy to feature fellow Discover Authors writer, Kate Policani!

Kate’s book…

…is now FREE!

Kate Policani has compiled and ordered her useful blog posts from 2012. Kate writes her blog to promote her self-published books and to journal her path through self-publishing. Her experiences can help you to achieve your dream of publishing your book, whether you choose to self-publish, publish traditionally, or just write for your own enjoyment. Kate Policani is a homemaker and compulsive writer from Seattle who writes Fantasy and Science Fiction. She also writes a column for the Seattle Writing Examiner.

Download on Smashwords (all ebook formats)

Download on iTunes

Download on Kobo

Download on Nook

Free PDF Download (from Kate’s website)

Add this one to your library; it’s a must have.

Women’s History Month – Pari’s Influence

Mar15

This month during Women’s History Month, I asked Pari Danian, my dear, multi-talented friend, what woman writer influenced her. Below is Pari’s response. I have to admit that I am not surprised by Pari’s selection of Oriana Fallaci. Pari, like Ms. Fallaci is a powerful, gifted artist who is fearless in executing her craft. Read on…you’ll be amazed and inspired!

Pari Danian – Writer, Sculptor, Poet, Photographer, and More
www.sculptressart.com

“I sat at the typewriter for the first time and fell in love with the words that emerged like drops, one by one, and remained on the white sheet of paper … every drop became something that if spoken would have flown away, but on the sheets as words, became solidified, whether they were good or bad.” Oriana Fallaci, Journalist, Author, 1930 – 2006

These words by Oriana Fallaci inspired me to express myself through the art of literature. They lifted my doubts and I no longer hesitated to write what I thought.

Her journalistic compelling conviction to uncover the truth sparked my passion to seek the truth of my world within and display that in my naked words.

Oriana Fallaci began her career in journalism during her teens, becoming a special correspondent for the Italian paper Il Mattino dell’Italia Centrale in 1946. During the next few decades, she covered many wars starting with Vietnam, the Indo-Pakistani War, the Middle East, and South America.

She raised the flags of democracy higher by exposing conspiracies. Her stories cast light on humanity around the globe, stories that otherwise would have never been heard. They changed the way we viewed the world and opened our eyes with intelligent information.

She was one of a handful of women who interviewed Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979. During this interview she addressed him as a “tyrant” and managed to unveil herself from the “chador” she had to wear on her head in order to be in the Khomeini’s presence.

“OF- I still have to ask you a lot of things. About the “chador,” for example, which I was obliged to wear to come and interview you, and which you impose on Iranian women. I am not only referring to the dress but to what it represents, I mean the apartheid Iranian women have been forced into after the revolution. They cannot study at the university with men, they cannot work with men, they cannot swim in the sea or in a swimming-pool with men. They have to do everything separately, wearing their “chador.” By the way, how can you swim wearing a “chador”?
AK- None of this concerns you, our customs do not concern you. If you don’t like the Islamic dress you are not obliged to wear it, since it is for young women and respectable ladies.
OF- This is very kind of you, Imam, since you tell me that, I’m going to immediately rid myself of this stupid medieval rag. There!”

Oriana Fallaci was the most influential journalist of the twentieth century. Her incisive insight is what everyone benefits from through the body of her work that includes “Letter to a Child Never Born,” “A Man,” “Interviews with History and Conversations with Power,” and “Inshallah.”

Women’s History Month – The Influence of Women Writers

Mar1

During March, we take the opportunity to highlight the accomplishments that women have made to this country. I, too, want to recognize Women’s History Month by celebrating a variety of women writers; many who have influenced me. I encourage you to make a special effort this month to read works by the talented women writers I have chosen to spotlight below. In addition, I invited four of my contemporaries (Kate Policani, Pari Danian, Simone da Costa, and Sean Wright) to share their thoughts on the women writers who influenced them. They graciously accepted my invitation and their posts will appear every Friday this month on my web site. So join me and my guest writers in this month-long celebration of the women writers we love.

Ann Petry was the first black woman author to top sales of over one million copies for her novel, The Street (1946). She also wrote short stories and children’s books.

Elizabeth George is an American who writes mysteries set in England. Her popular Inspector Lynley Mysteries have been adapted for TV by the BBC.

Helene Johnson’s poems are considered a model for aspiring poets. Her best known work, Poem, is still celebrated today for its simple majesty. She died in 1995 at age 89.

Susan L. Taylor served as editor-in-chief for Essence magazine for almost twenty years. In the Spirit is a collection of her inspirational columns from that magazine.

Anita Shreve has written more than a dozen novels, several of which have been adapted to the big screen. Early in her writing career, she won an O. Henry prize for short fiction.

Tina McElroy Ansa is known as a novelist but her talents extend to journalism, screenwriting, publishing and more. Her novels have held spots on many national bestseller lists.

Bebe Moore Campbell was a best-selling, award-winning author whose works dealt heavily with race relations, social causes and effects, and socio-economic gaps. She died at age 56, a treasured legend.

Alice Dunbar-Nelson published her first book, Violets and Other Tales in 1895. However, she achieved success with The Goodness of St. Rocque, which showed blacks in roles other than as slaves or minstrels.

Margaret Atwood won the Booker Prize, an international prize for fiction, in 2000. Her works have been translated into more than forty languages.

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper published her first volume of poetry at age twenty in 1845. Her writings tackled the tough issues of her time such as abolition, human rights and equality.

Jamaica Kincaid immigrated to the U. S. at age 16. She was a staff writer for The New Yorker and authored many short stories, articles, essays, as well as novels.

Sandra Brown has published more than seventy novels in the romance and other genres. Her works appear regularly on the New York Times bestseller list, and have shattered worldwide sales records.

Valerie Wilson Wesley writes children’s books (Willimena Rules), mysteries (Tamara Hayle Mysteries), and novels. Many of her works have achieved bestseller status and won awards.

Nora Ephron turned to screen and novel writing after a successful career as a journalist. Her works have been published in Esquire, New York Times magazine, and other notable publications. Later in life, she became a film director and producer.

Diane McKinney-Whetstone’s novels have captured many awards including the Black Caucus Literary Award for Fiction — twice! She also writes short works which have appeared in magazines and anthologies.

Anne Rice has written more than 28 novels, several of which were made into movies. Later in her writing career, she turned to Christian writing.

Sandra Cisneros’ collections of stories have appeared on bookshelves since the eighties. Few American writers have achieved the international success that she enjoys; this, a testimony to the universal messages embedded in her works.

Jan Karon started writing at ten years old and won her first writing competition at that age. She is the award-winning, bestselling author of the Mitford series and Father Tim novels.

Connie Briscoe’s works have made frequent appearances on bestseller lists nationwide. She has penned novels, a novella and non-fiction works.

Eudora Welty is an American literary icon, who, upon her death in 2001, left the home where she lived and wrote her fiction and essays to the state of Mississippi.

Ann Fields

Author of Quality Literature

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