The Empowered Lifestyle

Sorry that I'm posting a bit later than usual today but I was down at FOX for the majority of the morning filming a package for airing on October 13 about what the lucky desk looks like. In fact, the anchor I was working with today, Cheryl Tan, well she and I now have a bet. See, I did a more homogenized piece that went in the can for public consumption but then actually added some Feng Shui magic to the top of her desk after we stopped film. We're going to wait the prescribed 27 day period but are anxious to see (and then show viewers!) what great stuff happen(ed) after she Shui'd her desk!

Just in case you don't get to see it on October 13 (you don't have to live here to see it, you can log on to their FOX 43 website on that same day and see the piece) let's give you some lucky desk Shui right now:

Ladies...a crystal ball or globe or even a small round glass marble on the upper right hand side of the desk. Guys put it upper left. Brings recognition, opportunity and money. Clear the clutter. No exceptions. Weed through paperwork, emails and voice mails. Give yourself a fresh start at that home away from home. Put a mirror on the front of your computer monitor if your back faces the 'entryway' to your work space. This will reflect what's happening behind you and you'll feel safer and more secure. Use peppermint essential oil ( a few drops on a cotton ball and sniff) to PEP you up during the day and help keep you focused and motivated. BONUS..it kills your appetite. Put an image of the sun or a horizon or even a rocket launching on the top center of your desk. On a subtle, subconsious level this lifts you up while also promising to bring you better exposure.

A plant (jade, orchid, bamboo....some suggestions) on the upper left hand portion of the desk grows money while a small brass bell in the center of the right side of the desk brings good news.

And, now, the secret secret secret Shui:

If you're trying to get a leg up or even just trying to get promoted or recognized for your work in any way, 'lift' the desk an inch or two off the ground. Simply put some small blocks of wood under the legs of the desk and lift it. I DARE you to tell me that this doesn't work immediately! Of course, raise your chair to accomodate as well. The problem here is, as with Cheryl's modular desk this morning, sometimes you just don't have that opportunity. But...if you do......

Okay, loved 'Dancing' last night. Especially loved Macy Gray's wacky waltz...just high on life maybe? She was hysterical. Too bad she'll be leaving tonight.

Speaking of television...have NO intention of watching MacKenzie Phillips out her dead dad on Oprah today. I mean, maybe the incest did happen, which by all accounts is tragic and I have true compassion for, but I don't think she'd wait until she had NO career prospects at all (as opposed to her few and faaaarrrrr between ones that have come up since her regular network gig ended) before telling the world that her dad shot her up full of heroin and then had sex with her when she was 19!!! 19!!!!! I don't get it. It's not even running away from home at 19, it's being a grown up. I don't believe it. He's dead and he can't defend himself against these atrocious allegations and this is the kind of tabloid television that I won't support. I'm really surprised at Lady O too. She' so much more enlightened than this.

That said and staying with the tube...is NeNe just everywhere these days? She should marry one of the Jackson brothers in order to cut down on their tabloid travel expenses.

And the new Witches of Eastwick debuts tonight. Thank goodness it's on after Dancing but I'm pretty sure it competes with Top Chef. Uh oh. Magic all over the air.

Now, as to today....it's the next to last day fo the astro crap going on between Saturn and the rest of the (literal) universe. Today was supposed to harbor those 'quit pushing me around energies' so don't be surprised if you're feeling a little well, pressured. Whatever you do, don't give in. Do you hear me??? WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T GIVE IN!

I'm here and I hear you and I totally get it! It's not you...it's planetary and within a few short days this too shall pass!

One more day and we're done. And then things begin to get back to normal. Mercury is even winding down this last retro motion. We're almost there...hold on...and...then...say this (no, not because I tell you to, because you KNOW deep down inside that it really brings the blessing): (and thanks...again...JoAnn Cornug)

Mighty I AM the Love, Power and Wisdom

to realize (fill in your dream/goal here).

Mighty I Am Mighty I Am Mighty I Am

Because, MIGHTY you are!!!!!!!!!! See, I knew you knew it. Mighty. Power. Wisdom. YOU!

Donny Osmond...impressed. I like the little snowboarder kid too. And not just because he and my son could be twins. I like his personality and his guile. He's just a little cutie-pie (and am sure that he'd LOVE hearing that..right before I spit on my palm and pushed his hair back out of his eyes.)

But the night was clearly Donny's. And NOT Rachel Zoes. I can't even anymore. I swear if I fess up to watching her whiny show anymore I give you all full permission to take my television away. Seriously, I only do watch because I like to see what she thinks the newest trends will be but it's just not worth the angst of listening to her anymore. And her assistant is worse. Done. She's out. Donny and 'Dancing' are in. Can't wait to see the Osbourne chick tonight since she's partnered with Louis Van Amstel. He's the best of that bunch so this should be interesting. I wonder if more of the Jackson family will be there. Because, now, they're everywhere. Tsk. Tsk.

Okay, and, please say a prayer for all of our brothers and sisters in the deep South. This is a message I recieved earlier from one of my partners/vendors:

"New Leaf will be closed today due to power outage and flooding. Most of our employees are unable to come to work. We appreciate your patience and understanding. Prayers might be appropriate as well; the situation for some employees might be more serious than we know.

Blessings, the New Leaf family"

Ahhhhh, we hope everyone there is healthy and fine and that the rains stop and the sun comes out as it moves into Libra on this, the first day of fall!

Okay, so, hang the dried corn on the front door and put it on the dining room table and make your wish to see some seeds that you've planted over the last 6-8 months come to fruition so you can harvest them to your highest and best good. And, then, go to my post here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ellen-whitehurst/johnny-appleseder-what-ro_b_292334.html

And see what kind of magical elixir you can brew up to make this your best fall ever! If you want to leave ANY sort of comment there, you would be helping to make it mine! Either way, we're all in this together, so, let's get the apples and the corn and be proactive and grateful and, then, let's wait to see who pushes Donny's dancing to the back of the stage tonight!

Fun!

Fall!

YAY!

YOU!

Whew, lots to cover today, so, let's just get right to it!

I don't know about you but my weekend was kinda/sorta weird. I just kept feeling like there was somewhere else I was supposed to be and something else that I should be doing? I guess after a spring and summer filled with lacrosse and then the whole hulabaloo of school starting etc, etc, maybe I am just so indoctrinated into not taking any downtown (another issue for another post!) that I just couldn't find a groove.

Although, don't fear, I'm still ultra groovy.

Weather wise though, even though I know that the deep south was under deep water, it was like what I imagine Heaven must be like here. There was that too...that pull to sort of get out and do something physical. Does walking from the downstairs to the upstairs to watch LIFETIME while looking out the windows count? I wonder?

So, here's where that weird synchronocity happened too. You see, I have a problem with procrastinating on things/goals/wishes/dreams/desires (that about covers it) that I really really want. I'm not the least bit confused as to why. I just don't want to hear 'No.' "No, we're not interested," or "No, not now, maybe another time." I'm sooo sure you get it since I'm also pretty sure I'm not alone in that ideal. So, consequently, I've been really (and I mean like the mummy really) dragging my feet on getting started on writing the proposal for my second book.

The first chapter is slated to be about something that happened to me recently but will also hearken back to the days when my parents were dying. Before you even think about it, I'm fine with writing about those days, especially if I can help anyone else who's suffering through the death/loss of a loved one. So it's not that. It's just me. Believe me, I know. But I happened across a movie on Lifetime over the weekend that not only do I not believe I've never seen or heard of it before, but, just can't believe how true to life (well mine at least) it was in dealing with a mother's death from cancer. It was like the writers were living with us when my mom died. It's called TWO WEEKS (the time it takes her to literally die) stars Sally Field and has a pretty stellar cast of B listers. But, like I said, it really brought back memories and I took it (as usual) as a sign that I needed to get started on the book...NOW. Well, it was the first sign. When that movie was over I was changing the sheets on my bed and I hit the remote by mistake and it turned the channel on the television by itself to another movie called ONE TRUE THING about Renee Zellweger's mom, Meryl Streep dying of, what else, cancer! Okay, okay, OY, I hear you already. Got it!

Of course I went grocery shopping instead of sitting down and writing. But I'm getting there. Today. Will just start. You pick something to start today too alright and we'll all skate on the collective intent and energies. I'm also telling you to this because we're right in the flow of the Autumn Equinox as well, but, first.....

MY VERY FIRST ARTICLE EVER (!!!!!) FOR THEM WAS PUBBED BY THE HUFFINGTON POST ON FRIDAY! I was so excited that I danced around when I got the email. I am including the link here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ellen-whitehurst/whatever-gets-you-through_b_290409.html

And ask you if you have a chance at all to go and visit and post a comment, well, I'd be really grateful. In future, when they post a blog I am going to just point you there for our little daily gabfest too. But, for today, if you could visit and comment, I would be entirely grateful. Of course, I hope the tips help too. Goes without saying.

Now, to the EMMY Awards. I thought Neil Patrick Harris was good but not as great as some are making him out to be. I think after last year's debacle with Probst and Bergeron and Heidi Klum et al, well, okay then, he was like a little Hugh Jackman. But you know I'm going to bitch about something right? So, let's start with the pre-show over on E! This show was hosted by all the E! regulars like Ryan and Guiliana but it there was guest fashion commentary by none other than NeNe of the Hotlanta housewives! NeNe! Hosting and making fashion commentary! Not SheShe Shere or even loopy Lisa who just debuted her new fashion line, but NeNe! Enough said. Well, maybe this too...I just have a really hard time accepting these women into the mainstream media. A REALLY hard time. They are making money hand over fist and leaving their kids and hawking their fifteen minutes for all it's worth and I just have to wonder why? What have they ever done? There, I said it. And I'm done.

I also have an issue with the whole Tina Fey dis. Yeah, I get it that there's always a backlash (except, I guess, where the Housewives are concerned) but really was there any other television tour de force last year that outshined Tina Fey as Sarah Palin. Politics aside (seriously don't write...I won't read or return), I'm strictly talking about her dead on impression. Anyway, I was sort of bored by the show but I had Drop Dead Diva to flip back and forth to so I wasn't forced to read a book. God forbid.

Okay, what you've been waiting for:

Decorate the home with ears of dried corn tomorrow. Don't use the gray corn, ONLY the red, yellow and blue kinds. Gourds and dried sheaves of wheat are also approprate accourtrements for calling in the Autumn muses and magic. Pile the dried corn on the dining room table (as well as hanging it on your front door) and TOMORROW ONLY take a few minutes to honor the harvest energies attached to this season and then thinkg about/visualize what seeds you've planted over the last 6-8 months and what your intention was when doing so. What did you think might come from your efforts? Visualize THOSE POSITIVE RESULTS while staring at the corn on the table and then don't be too surprised when those ears start burning and your intentions heat up! Oh, sometimes I LOVE what I know! This works. I do it EVERY year. And so I know. It works.

Okay, off to do ten minutes of yoga, um, I mean, start my the first chapter of my new book...yeah, that's what I meant. How about you? What are you off to start?

Tonight, immediately after sundown, people of the Jewish faith begin to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, or the beginning of another New Year. This celebration continues until Sunday night and consists of a host of rites and rituals that are all pretty fascinating to me. But, then again, I do consider myself to be a person that some traditions call a 'treasure seeker,' or someone who goes out in quest of the knowledge of ancient traditions and secret rites and rituals from all different cultures and orthodoxy, you know, in the hopes of finding something special and, of course, (and as always!) empowering.

One of the traditions of Rosh Hashanah that I love the most is the one that involves dipping pieces or slices of apple in honey and then eating them in order to ensure and guarantee a delicious and sweet new year ahead. Now, from my understanding (and I do sincerely apologize if I've gotten this upside down in any way)you are supposed to simply dip a piece of an apple in honey, recite the blessing for eating tree fruits, taste the apple and then say the apples and honey prayer.

So you know I'm going to share those prayers right? OY, what an idea! Here goes:

Blessed are you Lord, our God, king of the universe

who creates the fruit of the tree. Amen.

At this point you take a bite of the honey-dipped apple and then say:

May it be Your will, Lord our God and God of our ancestors

that you renew for us a good and sweet year.

Now, who among us, no matter faith or creed, couldn't use a little blessing like that?

HAPPY NEW YEAR and have a good and sweet weekend. Do a mitzvah for someone while you're at it why don't you?

And be sure to come back early next week when we'll have plenty of stuff to do for the fall equinox too!

Shalom.