How to Deal with Overwhelm and Find Peace Amongst the Stars

I was overwhelmed by color! Color choices for my palette, that is.

What to do?

Also, this topic may not sound relevant to you if you’re not a painter, but I believe that it is. Here’s why.

Art imitates life, right? Or is it the other way around?

Right now, I am transitioning, from one country to two (the US and Canada) and from my house to a barn. I’m getting travel-ready, de-cluttering and streamlining as I meander my way through my late fifties.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by choices. We are faced with soooo many here in the capitalist, consumer-driven west.

I Refuse to Take Sides by Kathy Crabbe (Lefty Oracle Deck)

Editing things out is hard (and that’s my forté!)

So, what did I do? I listened to my intuition and I pondered upon what I truly enjoyed color-wise. For example, I like to work with a large palette of colors instead of color mixing and my paints don’t have to be the most expensive on the planet. That way I can play around with lots of colors, have fun and not be too precious or feel pressured because some paints cost $20 for a 5 ml. tube!!!

I listened to my soul (in the deep of night) and I went naked under the stars with a jar of Nettle Infusion. I emptied my mind. I called upon Mother Mary and Rhiannon for assistance. I made some to-do lists. Then next day I forgot them (intentionally) and I bought a huge 60 paint set of well rated but inexpensive gouache tubes.

I realized that it’s okay for life to be full and multi-colored but that in the emptiness and quiet of meditation I can hear Her voice and find home amongst the stars. For that I am grateful and for you!

Sparkly Blessings!
Kathy ‘Kat’ Crabbe
Soul Reader & Artist

p.s. the oracle card above is from my first and favorite oracle deck, The Lefty Oracle.

About Kathy Crabbe

Feel Kathy’s healing energy guide you with a gentle touch. You ARE in alignment with your soul’s purpose.

As a soul reader, astrologer, artist and oracle deck maker I provide a safe space and encouragement to assist my clients in shining light upon their gifts and hidden depths in tune with spirit and the divines.

Scorpio Full Moon Oracle Reading

This is my first shot at creating a YouTube oracle reading for my New/Full Moon Museletter but I think it works! Enjoy a guided meditation, 3 card reading and sparkly blessings for the May 7, Scorpio Full Moon at 3:45 AM Pacific Time.

This is a time where we are seeking an even deeper connection and this Scorpio Full Moon helped push me to share myself and my intuitive guidance more than ever before. Scorpio LOVES this deep bond we are creating right now so go within, find that deep place of calm and enjoy the video. Be prepared with a quiet space and about 15 minutes so that you can fully enjoy the guided mediation and oracle wisdom within.

About Kathy Crabbe

Kathy Crabbe has been an artist forever and a soul reader since awakening her intuitive gifts at age forty after five years painting with her non dominant left hand. This awakened her intuition in a big way. In 2008 she created a Lefty Oracle deck and started giving intuitive soul readings. Her second deck, The Elfin Ally Oracle was published in 2019 and a third deck is planned for release in Spring, 2020. Kathy lives in sunny Southern California with her two dogs and architect husband in an adobe style home they built themselves.

Chakra Meditation & Yoga

Yoga Meditation can be combined with yoga or simple stretching. I recommend beginning with a yoga class and then adding your own private workout with the help of a yoga book or video. I’ve been practicing yoga by myself since 1995 with the help of The Inner Dance, A Guide to Spiritual & Psychological Unfolding by Diane Mariechild. My best friend likes this site, My Yoga Online

Chakra Meditation I also love to warm up with a Chakra Meditation. If you love color like I do you will enjoy this exercise.

The chakras are energy centers that operate like energy processing centers in our body. The chakra system (comprised of seven major chakras) is our energetic connection to spiritual essence and to the realm of pure consciousness.

Chakra Name/Location/Characteristics
Crown of head - Violet - Feelings of blissed out knowing, spirituality.
Forehead/Third eye - Indigo - Feeling in tune with one’s sixth sense, psychic sight.
Throat - Blue - Speaking one’s truth, communication.
Heart - Green/Pink - Feelings of pure love for all.
Solar plexus - Yellow - Feelings of inner strength, creation of self.
Sacral/Pubic - Orange - Feelings of desire, creativity.
Base of spine - Red/Black - Grounding and connecting with survival instincts.

Integratron, Landers, CA

To begin this meditation I would like you to take a deep breath as you envision a glowing, golden ball of light just above your head at your crown chakra (located at the very top of your head) - this chakra represents god/dess (or whatever name you choose to call the Divine.) Envision this beam of light flowing down through each chakra in your body as if you are journeying through every color of the rainbow. Let each chakra be infused with light by filling the chakra with more color if needed or by subtracting color from it. I like to breath in specific feelings that I associate with the color to help make them come alive. I especially like connecting with my heart chakra because it truly increases my feelings of love and gratitude. Eventually, with practice you will be able to sense if certain chakras need to be infused with more color or less.

Continue to let the rainbow beam of light energy work its way down your body and through the tips of your toes and then out through your root chakra at the very base of you spine and then allow the energy to flow deeply into the soil of mother earth herself as you ground and center the energy within your body. Allow yourself to exhale and release all your worries and doubts into the earth and then start all over again allowing your breath to form a circle from earth to sky.

Continue this meditation until you feel balanced, focused and relaxed and hopefully not asleep! Now you are ready for the next step in your soul’s journey.

How To Meditate

How to Relax and Meditate

Meditation is simple … really! It’s about letting go, relaxing the body, freeing the mind and releasing all worries (ahhh…) as you allow peace and love to gently flood your being.

Meditation can be practiced by just about anyone and involves muscle relaxation, focus on breathing and visualization techniques. It doesn’t have to be weighty or as serious! It’s really just another way to relax and release all your tensions and worries.

Meditation can help you quiet your mind and is one of the best techniques to improve your mood, sharpen your concentration and help you manage stress and even chronic pain.

I began my own meditation practice in 1991 when I joined a group in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada run by a lovely woman by the name of “Om” who had studied meditation with Sri Chinmoy. Meditating in a group can be a truly powerful experience and I recommend it highly, especially when you’re starting out!

Simple Meditation How-To

1. Find a space with few distractions. Close your eyes and relax your breathing. Focus on the physical sensation of your breath. Notice any tension or changes in your breathing. If your mind feels overwhelmed, return your attention to your breath: In. Out. In. Out.

Often your breathing will be shallow or irregular if you are feeling nervous or tense so spend a few minutes practicing and breathing slowly and steadily to restore a balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide to your body. You can also breathe in to a count of four and out for another count of four until you become relaxed. Make sure that you are comfortable and breathing gently without taking in big gulps of air.

2. Let your mind relax along with your muscles. If an emotion comes forward such as anxiety or anger, try not to attach to it, just let it float on by and disappear. In. Out. In. Out. You can also practice tensing and relaxing various muscle groups starting with your head and working your way down to your feet. Try tensing for five seconds and then relaxing for ten seconds. This is called progressive muscle relaxation and it can lead to deep levels of physical and mental relaxation.

3. Try visualizing scenes that are peaceful, calming, safe and. The more senses you can awaken, the more relaxing your meditation will be. For example, try imagining yourself walking down a tree lined path on a beautiful spring day, you can hear the birds tweet and you can see the light dancing through the trees and alighting in interesting patterns on your arm. Imagine that you can feel the cooling touch of a gentle spring breeze and smell the delicious scent of spring flowers in bloom.

Need more help? Here are two more meditations from my website:

A Quick Meditation Pick-Me-Up

How to Calm and Center (short and sweet!)

How to Make Your Spring Altar Come Alive

My Spring altar with a pic of my shamanic mentor Francesca De Grandis

If you're looking for inspiration to decorate your spring or fall altar then look no further! Each month at the New and Full Moon I post suggestions for your altar to go along with the zodiac sign of the Moon such as: gemstones, goddesses, foods, herbs, tarot cards, colors, affirmations and creative prompts.

Feel free to take my material and use it to dress up your altar so that your Moon Meditation is an especially blessed event. I hope that the wildflowers below, picked from the sunny Southern California hillside behind my home inspire you as much as they do me! Blessed Be.

At each New and Full Moon I also include a Lefty card from my Lefty Oracle Deck. The Deck is divided into the elements of nature: earth/air/fire/water and of course Spirit. I channel a short, inspirational message specifically for that moon and include a Lefty Affirmation. I encourage you to try out non-dominant hand drawing to stimulate your brain and help you focus and center. Here's what an art therapist has to say about drawing with both hands ie. bi-lateral hand drawing:

“In the case of bilateral drawing, there is an assumption that because both hands are engaged that both hemispheres of the brain are stimulated…I believe bilateral drawing, guided by a helping professional, is helpful simply as a method of self-regulation...Making marks or gestures on paper with both hands simultaneously also creates an attention shift away from the distressing sensations in the body to a different, action-oriented and self-empowered focus. It capitalizes on embodied, self-soothing experiences ...and takes advantage of the power of “drawing on both sides” to alter one’s own internal rhythms for self-regulation and well-being.” ~ Cathy Malchiodi, PhD, Art Therapist

Lefty Oracle Deck by Kathy Crabbe

Lefty Oracle Card Spread for a Soul Reading by Kathy Crabbe 2

Lefty Oracle Card Spread for a Soul Reading by Kathy Crabbe

To dither or not to dither, that is the question (from the Lefty Oracle Deck) by Kathy Crabbe

Miss Talitha spider-sister (Lefty Oracle Deck) by Kathy Crabbe

I call wrinkles 'god-points' and so far I'm winning (Lefty Oracle Card) by Kathy Crabbe

My desk

Kathy Crabbe Creative Soul Guide in Temecula Wine Country, California

About Kathy

Kathy Crabbe has been an artist forever and a soul reader since awakening her intuitive gifts at age forty.

Kathy lives in sunny Southern California with her architect husband and pet muses, Abby the shaggy black dog and Djinn Djinn, the small scruffy one in an adobe home they built themselves.

To order a Soul Reading please click here.