Willa White's Blog

Contemplation is the practice of stilling ourselves before God, moving ever deeper into the core of our being and simply offering ourselves to God in a totally vulnerable, loving way.  By offering ourselves to God in this way, God leads us into a life of amazing centeredness.  Each day, in this way, we experience a life through which God LIVES IN US for others. Thomas Kelly (a Quaker missionary, writer, & scholar) explains this concept further:  "What is here urged are secret habits of unceasing orientation of the deeps of our being about the Inward Light, ways of conducting our inward life so that we are perpetually bowing in worship, while we are also very busy in the world of daily affairs.  A Practicing Christian must above all be one who practices the perpetual return of the soul into the inner sanctuary, who brings the world into its Light and rejudges it, who brings the Light into the world with all its turmoil and its fitfulness and recreates it." I keep findi

While in the midst of holiday shopping, I had the pleasure to speak with someone whose life is changing in a couple of weeks.  This particular young man is excited to be moving onto a better life and enthusiastically shared the details with me. His car was recently totalled.  Most people would feel devastated if their car was totalled.  Not this young man - he sees it as an opportunity - now he has a great new car! And this attitude paves the way for more good to come into his life. After working in a small mall shop for four years, his 'ship has finally come in' and he has been hired to be a professional web designer in a different city. New job, new home, new car.  In a matter of weeks, his entire life has changed dramatically.  Opportunities have showed up in definitive ways.  He followed his intuitive hunches, labeled his life a SUCCESS, and now has a manifestation of good, happiness, and supply!  He is an example of attunement with Spiritual Natural Law.  If you

Definition of DECENTERED HUMAN EXISTENCE:  having lost the true center of human identity in loving union with God, attempting to determine for itself the nature of its own being.* Each one of us is created to experience our truest Self and deepest purpose through an intimate and loving union with God at the core of your Being.  When we play god in our lives, this union is lost.  We become self-referenced beings who have abandoned the center of our true identity in God.  And we see ourselves as APART FROM God instead of A PART of God. Many biblical stories share this theme of decentered human existence.  In fact, a main example of this happens in the first chapters of Genesis. After Cain murders his brother Abel, he "went away from the presence of the Lord, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden".  Notice that God did not abandon Cain.  Cain turned his back on God and the result was extreme decentering in Cain's life.  He finds himself in a land of wandering (t

I had the opportunity today to attend the Empty Bowls fundraiser.  What a wonderful event!  A friend and her daughter accompanied me and my son, and we saw many familiar faces. [Hi, again *smile* you know who you are!] Do any of you have Empty Bowl fundraisers in your community? In case you are interested in finding/creating such an event in your community, I have located a helpful website: http://www.emptybowls.net/ What is the Empty Bowls fundraiser?   It is an event sponsored by the local potter's co-op and all monies raised go entirely to local food pantries.  Volunteers and businesses have generously donated the time, material and food.  Local potters have donated bowls in a variety of shapes, colors and styles, which sell for $10, $20 or $30.  Also available is a simple meal of bread and soup. Purchased bowls are wrapped and taken home or washed and sanitized for a serving of delicious soups prepared by the BOCES Culinary Arts Students. When I unwrapped our bowls at

I was the guest presenter at the Religious Explorations class for kids at the Unitarian Church today.  The class teacher, Sarah, invited me to give a little background about myself and to explain core concepts of Spiritualism, following by a brief Q&A.   So I thought I would give my loyal blogreaders and those who are new to me, an abbreviated refresher course on the Main Points of Spiritualism (see this old blogpost ). To begin... Spiritualism is a science, a philosophy, and a religion.  It is a religion of self-mastery, consolation, joy, and most importantly a religion of knowledge not belief.   Spiritualists believe that there is an intelligience which is greater than the human mind can conceive, but they go further and say that they know that there is an Infinite Force working in this vast universe, of which we are all a part.   Some of the points below are part of a Declaration of Principles set forth as statements of spiritual truth by Spiritualists: We believe in

Over the past few weeks, I have been asking my 3 year old son about his dreams.  "Did you have a dream last night?" At first, he looked at me with confusion, so I clarified, "did you see anything while you were sleeping?" He gave me the confused look again. The following week, I tried again, "Did you have a dream last night?  Did you see any images or pictures in your head while you were sleeping?"  This time I got a response "I saw my bed." Hmmm... how do I ask this question so that a 3 year old understands me? So this morning, I asked him and gave an example of my own.  "Did you have a dream last night?  I had a dream last night.  You and me and Daddy were in the car.  And our car could FLY!  Did you see anything while you were sleeping?" "I saw a movie," he responded.  "I saw a movie in my bed." (Now, we're getting somewhere... my next thought was 'why didn't I think to say "movie"

This Sunday, I will be the Featured Speaker and Medium at the Lily Dale Spiritualist Church. Church services are held at the Healing Temple in Lily Dale, NY at 11:00 a.m. For those of you who are not familiar with a Spiritualist church service at the Lily Dale Spiritualist Church, here is a basic outline of events: 10:30 a.m. (before the official church service) - Healing time - opportunity to receive beautiful, channeled energy from one of the healers 11:00 a.m. - service begins Lecture from the featured speaker (me, this Sunday) Messages from Spirit - demonstrations of mediumship are presented by the medium (me, again!) giving short messages to those in the audience Music - songs with live music accompaniment So there you go - if you are coming to church, you will see me! For more info, visit http://www.willawhite.com/ and http://www.lilydalespiritualistchurch.com/ .

What does it mean to “behold the Lord”? For the student of Truth, it means you look through every circumstance, every person, and every possession as if they were transparent glass and TRULY SEE the loving, compassionate God at work. It means you have an open awareness of the forces which create and uphold ALL life. To behold the transcending mystery and wonder of the Divine, “we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18). Affirm with me: I believe the Divine is working in me no matter what I may feel or how the situation may look. The Lord/God/Creator has begun a good work in me, and He will bring it to full completion. I see the deeper energies and worth of Each Person and Situation and this renews my SPIRIT and delights my Soul.

Today during the Unitarian worship service, I offered the Story for all Ages.  I chose a delightful book titled "Harold and the Purple Crayon". Written in 1955 by Crockett Johnson, the story is about a curious four-year-old boy who, with his purple crayon, has the power to create a world of his own simply by drawing it. Harold wants to go for a walk in the moonlight, but there is no moon, so he draws one. He has nowhere to walk, so he draws a path. He has many adventures looking for his room, and during his search he draws his own house and bed and starts going to sleep. His creative adventures are a classic tale of the Power of Vision.  The purple crayon represents the vehicle for dreams to come to life.  And like Harold with his Purple crayon, YOU have the Power to create your world simply by drawing it.  So use your purple crayon to create your own beautiful adventure and find your perfect self-expression. 

Thought I would share... A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a lecture by Buddhist scholar, Anam Thubten Rinpoche.  The Jamestown Meditation Group sponsored his visit and there was a wonderful turnout for his talk - in fact several more chairs had to be added and the room was full of people. After a brief five minute meditation, he began speaking and he covered many topics, with a focus on Enlightenment.  One of the points he discussed was that Enlightenment is not a Celestial Awareness; Enlightenment is Being in the Now.  He went on to explain that animals are enlightened and they don't judge whether another animal is enlightened or not (reflecting on this statement now, I wish he had explained that point more). He encouraged everyone to not view Enlightenment to be a state of Consciousness but rather a permanent state of Being. Then he did a Q & A session.  I was especially interested in one woman's question... she explained that her husband died

On Sunday November 6th, I shall be the Guest Speaker at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Northern Chautauqua (UUCNC). Each month the church focuses on a discussion theme, and for November the theme is VISION.  Therefore, I am excited to announce that my lecture title for November 6th is "The Power of Vision".  I will be sharing my thoughts on the difference between Visualizing and Visioning when receiving and understanding Spiritual Inspiration. I will also explore how to hold a clear and powerful vision of your Divine Journey and your Perfect self-expression while maintaining harmony with the Universe. Hope to see you there! For more info, visit http://www.willawhite.com/  or http://www.uucnc.org/ .

Last week, I attended a Mother Blessingway for a friend.  A Mother Blessing is intended to nurture, nourish, prepare, support and encourage the mum-to-be and positively prepare her for labor. And my friend invited a select few as special women in each life to be present for this occasion. My friend asked me with offer the prayer blessing, so I composed an encouraging and positive affirmation prayer for the event. Then, I opened up the blessing to the other lades attending with a symbolic ceremonial sharing.  We passed around a glass of water (water has been well documented to carry the vibrations of our thoughts and feelings, and this is a lovely way to symbolically reach both mother and child in his/her watery womb) so that verbally, silently, or through intentional action, we could ceremonially call in Divine support and love for the mother and the baby. Each woman offered a supportive statement or brief prayer for the mother and child.  Then, the mom-to-be drank the Love ble

During the Sunday morning church service at the Church of the Living Spirit on Oct 9, Alpha Husted presented a historical lecture on Jeremiah Carter, an influential founder of this place we now call Lily Dale.  For without Jeremiah Carter, there would probably not be a Lily Dale! Alpha has had a long illustrious career as a newspaper journalist and she has lived the past 20 years in Lily Dale - this combination makes for a well-researched and loving look at the history of Lily Dale. The hours that Alpha spent researching were evident and her presentation was full of vivid detail.  She told the story of the Laona Free Thinkers, Dr Moran, Dr Hedges, William Alden, and the beginnings of Lily Dale.  Alpha also presented us with a remarkable ink drawing of Jeremiah Carter created by her son.  I have seen pictures of Jeremiah and it seems an accurate depiction. As a lover of Lily Dale history, I enjoyed it all immensely, especially Alpha's story about how she found the gravestone

"The difference between Divine Compassion and human sympathy is as great as that between Light and darkness.  Divine compassion holds the student's attention anchored to [God's Presence] calling It forth to produce perfection.  Human sympathy is a rushing forth of energy, qualified by a feeling of imperfection, and but intensifies the imperfection already manifesting." *** Here are two examples I shall use to demonstrate these concepts: 1) a child has a minor fall and the mother screams, rushes up, and says "oh you poor child" smothering him in sympathy - thereby reinforcing the scare, hurt, bump, or injury.  And the child (who wasn't crying before) starts to wail.  This first example is human sympathy, cementing the idea of imperfection. For human sympathy is an agreement with imperfection. 2) a child has a minor fall and the mother does not panic or express fear.  She waits for the child's reaction to the event before acting.  She assesses

As the parent of a preschooler, I find myself doing things that are very silly .  Perhaps it is all part of becoming a Master of Distraction ... but my latest silly activity was making up silly songs to entertain my *almost* 3 year old son in the car.  Yes, I am confessing to poor rhyming technique, poor pitch, nonsensical lyrics, and complete disregard for how the song is supposed to go.  Sprinkle in some giggling of my own and we have the perfect recipe for musical disaster. Oh, and did I mention that I'm singing at the top of my lungs? [Just be thankful that the car windows are up, people!] And my son LOVES it!  How do I know he loves it? I have one of the mirrors you attach to the rearview mirror, so I have a good view of his big smile and twinkling eyes.  And there is (of course) the laughing.  His wonderful glee flows all around me. And I realize in that special and imperfectly perfect moment that I am exactly where I need to be and where I want to be: making u

On Wednesday October 12th, I will be teaching "The Game of Life and How to Play It", a non-credit course, sponsored by Jamestown Community College. "Success is not a secret, it is a system..."  Take this class where you learn how to use positive affirmations to create the life you want and how to claim all that is yours by Divine right.  At a personal level, this class is about overcoming discouragement, transforming your life, and renewing your joy and passion for living. This class is based on and will include studying the works of Florence Scovel Shinn, a popular New Thought spiritual teacher and metaphysical writer of the 1920s, 30s, and 40s whose teachings still hold true today.  You will also have a GIFT to take home with you:  the book of Florence Shinn's complete works!  That way you will be able to study and apply these important concepts further on your own. For more info about the class, visit http://www.willawhite.com/ . The course meets fr

My husband caught a fish. We were camping near a big beautiful lake in the Adirondacks last week, so we made sure we had our fishing gear with us.  After making camp, we decided to go fishing for our dinner. So there we were... fishing ... my husband (who is teaching me to fish ), my son (who is almost 3 now and who is also  teaching me to fish ), and me.  My husband spends most of our 'family fishing' time tending to the needs of his family.  The scenario usually unfolds thusly: My husband carefully selects and places lures onto our fishing lines and just about the time he is about to pick up his own fishing pole.... my son or I get our line snagged in a tree... then just after he has extracted it and replaced the lost lure... the other one of us gets our line snagged on a log... this continues for awhile until we work out the kinks...and we're finally casting the line out correctly, getting a smooth feel for it again, and feeling proud... and then finally my hus

Next Sunday, I will be the Featured Speaker and Medium at the Church of the Living Spirit. Church services are held at the Assembly Hall in Lily Dale, NY at 10:30 a.m. For those of you who are not familiar with a Spiritualist church service, here is a basic outline of events: Lecture from the featured speaker (me, this Sunday)  Healing time - opportunity to receive beautiful, channeled energy from one of the healers Messages from Spirit - demonstrations of mediumship are presented by the medium (me, again!) giving short messages to those in the audience Music - songs with live music accompaniment So there you go - if you are coming to church, you will see me! For more info, visit http://www.willawhite.com/ and http://www.churchofthelivingspiritlilydale.com/.

I had the great joy of officiating a wedding today.  It was an outdoor event and we gathered on a small hill, surrounded by trees and tall grasses. On the hill behind me was a gently curving path up to the hill's crest.  The bride and groom chose this site on their property because of the symbolic path they will walk as a married couple.  Family and friends gathered for the event.  And then a singer with a beautiful alto voice sung the bridal attendants up a beautiful grassy aisle bordered by rose petals.  Rain softly misted us during the event as the bride and groom committed themselves to each other.  And although I officially conducted the ceremony and blessed the occasion as a minister, it is my feeling that only a couple can truly administer the sacrament of marriage to each other, and only a couple can sanctify it. Neither my church, nor any power vested in me by the State, can grant me the authority to declare what only two hearts can declare, and what only two souls

A little boy was at the beach playing in the sand - one of his favorite things to do.  He enjoyed digging holes in the sand, scooping the tiny grains with a little shovel, then filling it back in to make mounds and hills to level off.  He was the perfect expression of loving absorption in his work. He was drawing in the sand with a stick when a little girl came up to him and said, "Stop, stop, stop!"  Being a polite little boy, he looked up at her, pausing in his work briefly then resuming his sand process. "Stop! Don't draw in the sand.  Don't dig in the sand. Stoppppp!" she ordered him.  "This is my sand!" she continued forcefully.  The whole rest of the beach was wide open for her to explore and play, but she wanted the happy space the little boy was using.  *** I found this scenario very interesting on many levels.  And I am wondering what you all feel about this, so please comment and share your thoughts.  Also - what symbols, archety

I have learned that I have intellectual knowledge but I do not always behave in accord with that knowledge. A human being knows enough, but that knowledge needs to be brought into daily life. If this is not done, the knowledge remains limited within the boundaries of "knowing" only.  We all know what to do and what not to do, but it is very hard to learn how to be. Real knowledge is found not in knowing but rather in being. When you know truth directly, you do not need to ask your neighbor or your teacher. You don’t have to seek confirmation in books. Spiritual truth does not need an external witness. As long as you doubt, you have yet to know. All these achievements depend on practice, not just on verbal knowledge of them. If you know all about the piano but don’t practice, you will never create music. Knowing is useless without practice . Knowing is mere information. Practice gives direct experience which alone is VALID KNOWLEDGE. Tread the path of direct experien

My son and I were taking a child-directed walk recently.  And my little guy was using a stick to "weedwack" the grass (he loves this kind of imaginary play so much that maybe he'll have a lawn care business when he grows up, haha).  So he's buzzing away happily like a happy worker bee - quite literally making buzzing noises with his mouth - and he slowly meandered over to a clump of trees.  And THEN he did something that made my heart pound. He clamored up onto a little ivy-covered hill about two feet high.... and LEAPED forward into the air...grabbed a low-lying tree branch like a monkey... swung there for a few moments... and then let go in a perfect dismount! I was stunned. He's two.  Two going on three. While I stood there flabbergasted, he proceeded to climb the little hill again, leap for the branch, swing, then dismount.  He did this 10 times in a row with only one fall.  He had a blast! How freeing it is to be fearless!  To know that “I will d

On Thursday, I will be the Featured Speaker at the afternoon church service in Lily Dale. During the summer season, the afternoon services are held in Lily Dale's historic Auditorium starting at 2:30 p.m. The Auditorium platform has been a place for speakers of spiritual philosophy, social causes, and Spiritualism for 127 years. Several big names have spoken there - Susan B. Anthony, Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, and more! I have had the honor of speaking on the summer platform for over a decade. For those of you who are not familiar with this service, here is a basic outline for this one hour event: Lecture from the featured speaker - (me this Thursday!) I will present a lecture on a spiritual subject. Messages from Spirit - demonstrations of mediumship are presented by the medium (registered medium Gretchen Clark, this Thursday). Music - songs with live music accompaniment (hopefully from our very historic and beautiful pipe organ) So there you go - if you are coming to the

Q:  If you have consecutive sessions with family members, does the same information from spirit loved ones come through to each person? A:  Each person has a unique relationship with the spirit individual, therefore the dynamics of the mediumship reading will be different.  For instance, let's say two sisters come for mediumship readings... their father comes through during both of their sessions.  He may offer how he passed, health issues he had while on the earth plane, and other identifiers --- so these things may be similar content.  But each daughter has a different kind of bond with the father.  He may offer personal information that identifies his connection with each daughter.  Maybe one of them went on a road trip to New Mexico with the father; while the other has wonderful memories of fishing with him.  Perhaps one of them was the favorite or Daddy's girl, while the other one felt he was too harsh with her.  Or perhaps one of them was the caregiver prior to his

Tonight, I am volunteering at the Church of the Living Spirit's Fun Fest.  This is an annual fund-raiser for the church.  The festivities begin at 8:00 pm at the Lily Dale Auditorium.  (***Read my updated comments about the event below) Fun for the Whole Family!  Admission is $5.00 and you receive five tickets toward the Basket Auction.  Children 16 and under are free.  Events include: Mini Readings $10 Healing Historical Presentation Shabby Chic and Book Sale Basket Auction Children Activities Refreshments I will serve as a medium and offer mini-readings to benefit the church.  Hope to see you there – and remember it all helps the church! *** Update: What a great night! I had so much fun doing mini-readings and afterward I enjoyed chatting with friends and acquaintances. Kudos to the many volunteers who made this event possible - you all did an incredible job! I especially have to mention... Mary Eileen McNamara (who looked lovely in an authentic-looking wh

On Sunday, I will be the Featured Medium at the afternoon church service in Lily Dale. (***read my updated comments below) During the summer season, the afternoon services are held in Lily Dale's historic Auditorium starting at 2:30 p.m. The Auditorium platform has been a place for speakers of spiritual philosophy, social causes, and Spiritualism for 127 years. Several big names have spoken there - Susan B. Anthony, Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, and more! I have had the honor of speaking on the summer platform for over a decade. For those of you who are not familiar with this service, here is a basic outline for this one hour event: Lecture from the featured speaker - This Sunday, registered medium Jessie Furst will present a lecture on a spiritual subject. Messages from Spirit - demonstrations of mediumship are presented by the medium (me, this Sunday). Music - songs with live music accompaniment (hopefully from our very historic and beautiful pipe organ) So there you go -

You have probably heard the phrases: "Trust your feelings" and "trust your intuition". Because people are told to "trust their feelings", they are often confused when facing life decisions especially when what they "feel" is anger, fear, and resentment.  I believe this happens because people confuse emotional feelings for intuitional feelings.  Emotions can lie.  Anger, fear, and resentment can cloud the issue.  Intuitional feelings are feelings of knowing on a soul level.  To discern true feelings of intuition, remember that the soul is not afraid, is not angered, and is not resentful. Our divine selves are clear and unfettered by these unqualified energies. Our divine selves exist in harmony with the qualified energies of love, peace, and joy.  This is our Truth; this is the Good that is ours by Divine Right. Bottomline:  Listen to your inner guide and discern the Truth for yourself.

On Sunday, I will be the Featured Speaker at the afternoon church service in Lily Dale. (Read my updated comments below***) During the summer season, the afternoon services are held in Lily Dale's historic Auditorium starting at 2:30 p.m. The Auditorium platform has been a place for speakers of spiritual philosophy, social causes, and Spiritualism for 128 years. Several big names have spoken there - Susan B. Anthony, Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, and more! I have had the honor of speaking on the summer platform for over a decade. *Update: this service has been moved to the Assembly Hall because the Auditorium is in use for a workshop.* For those of you who are not familiar with this service, here is a basic outline for this one hour event: Lecture from the featured speaker (me, this Sunday) Messages from Spirit - demonstrations of mediumship are presented by the medium. This Sunday, my mother Bonnie White  will be the medium. She will give brief spirit messages to those in a

There is a place in Lily Dale called "Inspiration Stump". If you follow the trail through the Leolyn Woods, you will find this special location. In a grove, surrounded by majestic old trees, a sacred space awaits. As you approach, you will see benches where hundreds of people sit each day in the summer, eager to receive a message from their loved ones in Spirit. Looking up, beautiful stately trees create an outdoor cathedral effect. This natural space offers a calm and peaceful way to connect consciously with your higher self and the spirits of your loved ones. The Stump is an important location for the visitors and Spiritualists of Lily Dale. Since 1898, services have been held here. And every day during the summer Season , people gather twice a day for a public message service. During the summer, demonstrations of mediumship are presented by the mediums in the form of short messages to those in the audience. There is a chairperson for the event who calls the mediums

This Sunday, I will be the Featured Medium at the Church of the Living Spirit morning church service.  Because we are in the midst of the Lily Dale summer season, the service will be held in the Auditorium and it starts at 10:30 a.m. For those of you who are not familiar with a Spiritualist church service, here is a basic outline of events: Lecture from the featured speaker (this Sunday is John White [no relation]) Healing time - opportunity to receive beautiful, channeled energy from one of the healers Messages from Spirit - demonstrations of mediumship are presented by the medium (me) giving short messages to those in the audience Music - songs with live music accompaniment So there you go! If you are coming to church, you will see me and I will get to personally wish you "Happy Summer!" For more info, visit http://www.willawhite.com/ and http://www.churchofthelivingspiritlilydale.com/.

For the past few weeks, my son has been saying, "I want to go fishing, I want to go fishing."  We live on Cassadaga Lake and he has noticed people engaged in the activity and he wants to do it... desperately I might add. Last week, he said it again "I want to go fishing" in a very determined tone.  So I told him to "ask Daddy". This may seem like a cop-out to some of you, but I said it because... I have only been fishing once in my life, so I rank as a complete novice I know my husband has a fishing pole somewhere in the back of a shed, and said ownership of the item in question IMPLIES knowledge So my son asked my husband to go fishing and I (the supportive wife and mother) asked my husband to go fishing with our son.  And it worked... My husband immediately purchased our son a child-size fishing pole then they went down to the lake and tried it out and our son LOVES it! He's almost 3 years old and he casts the line out with a smile and a f

On Tuesday July 5th, I will be teaching the 'Voices of Mediumship' class.  (Read my updated comments below***) This weekly event is hosted by the Mediums League and is a special attraction in Lily Dale's summer program.  It truly is 'voices' of mediumship because each week a different medium shares their unique version and insights into spirit communication. More importantly, this event provides an encouraging atmosphere for mediums and guests to talk about the process of Spirit communication and spiritual development. Location: The Azur Room in the Maplewood Hotel, Lily Dale NY Time: Tuesday 7:30 to 9:00 pm Cost: $10 per person Hope to see you there! ***Update: Tonight, I shared some of my personal insights into mediumship and spiritual development.  Many of those who attended asked great questions and I could tell they enjoyed learning about 'Willa-style mediumship'.   Thank you to all who attended - such wonderful sharing of experiences an

A man marching with Dr Martin Luther King Jr in Alabama explained his experience by saying,"My feet were praying." That is how I felt on Saturday morning as I participated in the Salvation Army 5K Walk/Run. When I first decided to take part in this event, I knew it was a worthy cause and that by walking in it I would be supporting many individuals and families. Proceeds from the event went to benefit the Salvation Army Anew Center in Jamestown NY which provides comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence, rape, and child abuse.  As I walked, I prayed.  I prayed for all those who need help in those ways.  And even though there were other people around me walking and talking, I silently prayed.  And because these physical actions accompanied prayers, I was experiencing  Embodied Prayer .  "My feet were praying." You see, our bodies can be places where prayer is actively happening. We can use our bodies to express ourselves in spiritual ways - and th

I am growing a Sunflower this year.  A friend gifted me with a few sunflower seeds recently, so I am excited to see what comes of it. Some of you may haved noticed that I have sunflowers in the background of my website . . . well, there is a reason for that. Sunflowers are a special symbol for Spiritualists: “As the Sunflower turns it’s face to the light of the sun --- so let Spiritualism turn the face of humanity to the Light of Truth”. In 1928 the Sunflower was adopted as the official badge of International Spiritualism at the conference for the International Federation of Spiritualism. And here's a bit more history as it relates to Lily Dale ... i n 1898 Lily Dale had it’s own newspaper, The Sunflower . The editor of the newspaper was William Bach, who with his wife Evielena erected the Sunflower Pagoda .  The Pagoda sold books, took subscriptions to Spiritualist publications, and sold supplies such as stationery, ice cream, candy, soft drinks, novelties and cigars. It ser

I will be participating in this years Salvation Army Anew 5K Run/Walk on June 18th (less than 2 weeks from now).  This event benefits the Anew program caring for women and children in the domestic violence/abuse shelter here in Jamestown NY. Please sponsor me: you may use this handy-dandy link and process your donation online http://www.active.com/donate/anewrun/willawhite or you may write a check made out to " The Salvation Army Anew Center " (in any amount you wish) and please mail to me at: Willa White, PO Box 114, Lily Dale NY 14752 Together, we will be empowering individuals and the community to end violence and begin anew. I am very excited to be part of this worthy cause.  Thank you for your consideration and help!! Love & light,                   ~Willa

Freedom from all unhappy conditions comes through knowledge - a knowledge of Spiritual Law. It is as Jesus Christ said, "And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." How do we begin? "The fear of the Lord (law) is the beginning of wisdom." [Lord means law - if we read the word Lord as Law, it makes many passages in the Bible much clearer.] Obedience precedes authority so the law must be obeyed before it can become man's servant. When handled ignorantly, it becomes man's deadly foe. So remember to use Spiritual Law with care. And remember that the more Man knows, the more Man is responsible for, and a person with knowledge of Spiritual Law is responsible for his own Good. Next, recognize God's will . Have you been forcing events with your own strong personal will? Or are you flowing with God's will? Anything forced into manifestation through personal will is always "ill-got" and has "bad success." Desire

Q:  Is it easier on those still here (on the earth plane) if a person passed suddenly or if a person passed after a long illness? A:  My answer is: It depends on the person grieving. So often, clients who have lost someone suddenly to a car accident or a heart attack will say, "I didn't get to say 'goodbye'." They are falling apart because they feel they didn't get closure. And they want their loved one back. Just as frequently, clients who have lost someone after a long illness will say, "I got to say 'goodbye', but it was painful waiting and watching them fade away in front of my eyes." Many say that they are angry because they couldn't make the illness stop. And they want their loved ones back alive and healthy. Sometimes, they are missing the habit of the death vigil because they became accustomed to that life. Not everyone fits this criteria, of course, but the above question is still interesting and seems to only have a subjec

Development of the "third eye" is strongly associated with intuitive unfoldment and clairvoyance . The third eye is located above the physical eyes in the middle of the forehead and is also known as the brow chakra.  The third eye is often referred to as "the Eye of Knowledge". And many Hindus wear a tilaka to represent the third eye and some Hindu women wear a bindi. With third eye clairvoyance, visions show internally in the mind's eye (like on a movie screen).  For me, this manifests occasionally as still pictures and mostly as extremely-fast moving pictures (sometimes as 3-D images - which I think is funny because it's the "3rd" eye).  Clairvoyance helps me to see spirit . In the beginning of my intuitive and mediumship development, I would occasionally feel a tightening in my brow chakra area, akin to a sinus headache.  I eventually realized this was my 3rd eye getting used to being operated on a frequent basis. This led me to understa

Perhaps it's because I am a "sensitive" but I regularly go through phases of (what I call) "Heightened Awareness".  During those times, I have increased sensitivity to my external environment, especially to the vibrations and emotions of people, places, and energies. When I am in a phase of Heightened Awareness, I tend to be easily stirred up energetically and emotionally.  I FEEL intensely.  This can serve me well in my work as a medium and spiritual intuitive, but in everyday life it can become exhausting or jangling.  This is why I diligently strive for balance with my energy. For when I feel energetically jangled, I can easily move into a state of Hypersensitivity.  Noises, loud voices, and bright lights can overstimulate me.  The least little thing can upset my apple cart emotionally.  I crave silence and solitude.  I suppose it's like having a migraine without the physical pain.  This is another reason I strive for balance and right practice of m

Because I am teaching a class on Lily Dale History , for the past few months much of my time has been spent on the computer typing or with my nose in a history book.  I have become obsessed with sifting through many tidbits of information relating to the creation of, maintenance of, and history of the special community I call home, Lily Dale.  I have been so immersed in my subject that I am living and breathing the history.  Like a good cup of tea, I have been steeped in it.  For with each new fact, I find myself looking at Lily Dale and the surrounding area with new eyes.  As I drive home to Lily Dale on Glasgow Road, I see the space where the trees are not growing (the large swath cut between the trees next to the road that I thought were for power lines) and know now "that is where the train rumbled on its tracks toward Lily Dale, bringing people from far and wide to experience spiritual upliftment." Turning the corner onto Dale Drive, I envision the train depot on t

On Wednesday May 11th, I will be teaching "Recognizing Spirit Contact", a non-credit course, sponsored by Jamestown Community College. Would you like to recognize the ways your loved ones in Spirit are communicating with you? Do you receive signs or other communication from them already and want to understand them more? Participants will learn about the senses used to perceive spirits, the ways in which mediumship facilitates spirit contact through right practice and intention, and techniques to establish and enjoy occasional contact with friends, family, and pets. Join me for a lively evening of looking at the ways the ‘dead’ communicate with us as well as learn techniques that can foster contact. You may be your own best medium. For more info about the class, visit  http://www.willawhite.com/ .  The course meets from 6-8 p.m. at the Jamestown JCC Campus. To register for the class, contact JCC’s Center for Continuing Education at 716-338-1005. Tuition is $29. Hope

Strong winds have been blowing and whirling around us --- and physically, emotionally, and spiritually, many people seem to be experiencing important changes in their lives.  When we go through phases such as this, it is important to practice self-discipline with our thoughts because things that were only thoughts manifest quickly into the physical through words and actions.  So harness your thoughts and expect Good, expect a change for the better.  Begin to act as if you expect success, happiness and abundance.  Prepare for your good by doing something to show you expect it to come, for active faith impresses the subconscious and creates Good. As spring brings the shift from snow to sunshine, we may experience gentle showers one day, heavy rainstorms the next, and gusting winds the next. These are excellent symbols of how some thoughts may cloud the sunshine of the mind. Remember that these are temporary states of existence and these too shall pass into beautiful weather.  Exp

I teach spiritual development classes at Jamestown Community College.  And NOW is the time to register for my JCC spring classes!  On the evening of Wednesday May 4 (in 3 weeks), I will be teaching "Lily Dale History".  This is a non-credit course sponsored by the Jamestown Community College Continuing Education Department & the Chautauqua County Visitor's Bureau.  Here's the class synopsis: Deep in the heart of Chautauqua County is a special place called Lily Dale, a Spiritualist community that is the worlds’ largest center for the science, philosophy, and religion of Spiritualism. How did Lily Dale come into existence? And what has propelled it forward for over 130 years? Learn about the history of Lily Dale and the evolution of modern-day mediumship, spirit communication, and Spiritualism from spiritual medium and teacher Willa White, a registered Lily Dale medium and resident of this charming village. Usually my JCC classes meet the college in Jamestown N

Via his website, well-known medium James Van Praagh offers teaching seminars via online chats on Tuesdays evenings. During JVP Chat Events, a variety of authors, speakers and practitioners share seminar-type chats on interesting and diverse topics. Chat Events include a text-only seminar from the guest speaker as well as an interactive question and answer session. Over the years, this has been a fun and educational way for student mediums to explore and learn online!  Chat events are free and they last about one hour.  And this week , I will be returning as the special guest for James' chat seminar to teach and inspire. Tuesday April 12th The Power of Embodied Prayer" 9:00 pm Eastern Time Brief synopsis of my topic for the chat event this week: Prayer is the most universal expression of the Presence of God. Many of us express devotion, anger, love, and many other emotions in prayer using mental or verbal prayer. Now is the time to learn how our actions and movements ca

On Tuesday, I will be the Special Guest on "The Patricia Price Show" ! Patricia Price is one of my mediumship mentors and friends.  Her loving presence and sacred example are blessings in my life.  And I am excited to be a guest on her show.  Patricia's radioshow focuses on various aspects of Spiritual Natural Law and hot spiritual topics.  And she also usually interviews the guest Medium (me, this week!) and then the Medium does brief mini-readings for people who call in. Check it out by going to BlogTalkRadio.com - here's the link ! The radioshow starts at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time USA (4:00 p.m. PST).  Call-in Number: (877) 633-9454 Join us!

"Look a mommy and a baby!" My little guy loves to point out 'Mother and Child' instances whereever he observes them.  He can be talking about the mommy duck and the baby duck he sees on the lake, the mommy bear and the baby bear he sees in one of his books, or he can even be talking about his breakfast.    Yes, just this morning, he held up a bite of wholewheat toast and said, "A baby!"  And he pointed to the big part of the toast on his plate and said, "a Mommy".  He says these words with tenderness and delight.  He says these words softly and reverently.   A big chair is a mommy chair, a little chair is a baby chair. A big cloud is a mommy cloud, a little cloud is a baby cloud. A big stone is a mommy stone, a little stone is a baby stone.   For my son, the mommy-baby duo is important to his life and understanding about life.  After all he's spent over two years in my vibrational frequency being nourished physically, emotionally, an

"No one checks with an expert outside themselves before saying 'I am happy' or 'I am in love.'  We rely on our ability to know ourselves from the inside out." --- Deepak Chopra No one?  On the contrary, I know plenty of people who take a survey before deciding for themselves. They are swayed by others' opinions and pronouncements.  Sometimes this is quite evident in my conversations with them.  A barrage of questions and concerns cause panic about every life choice imaginable, such as: Should I take this job? Am I happy?  Will I be happy? Is _____ my soul mate? Am I really in love? Should I stay married? Can I trust my husband/wife/sister/brother/mother/father/child/friend/coworker/lawyer/doctor? Am I going to have children? Should I move to Arizona or New York? Should I worry about my children's life choices about education, career, finances, spouses, and children? They are seeking advice, the green light to go ahead. Many people are loo

During my sessions with clients, I frequently notice their Inner Light.  I also call this the Radiance of the Soul.  I see this at other times as well, but quite noticably when I am in the "zone". This goes beyond seeing the smile in a person's eyes or mouth. The soul radiates light outward and the person has a "glow".  Regardless of the person's level of physical beauty, the inner beauty of the soul shines through. The brightness of the glow seems to correspond with: level of spiritual enlightenment positive nature of the person happiness wisdom Sometimes I notice the glow for the entire duration of the session.  And sometimes I see just a quick glimpse, a flash of soul light. For you see, there is a sacred energy that flows through each one of us.  And a person's etheric light flows from the inner spaces of the spiritual body (soul) and shines through the physical body (matter).  When I see the Inner Light of a person, I relate to them i

I had the opportunity to attend the church service at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Fredonia yesterday for the wonderful sermon presented by Reverend Theresa Kime about an important Unitarian historical figure, Margaret Fuller.  Many people associate Margaret Fuller with the American transcendentalism movement (The term Transcendentalism was derived from the philosopher Kant, who called "all knowledge transcendental which is concerned not with objects but with our mode of knowing objects"), especially because she moved in those circles with well-known figures such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Bronson Alcott, Elizabeth Peabody, and Nathaniel Hawthorne.  In fact, several of those authors (they were also her "friends") modeled some of their characters after her. Here's an example of Fuller's transcendentalism: "We will worship by impromptu symbols, till the religion is framed for all Humanity. The beauty grows around us daily,