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Editorial: An Important Message to Practitioners about
the
Year 2000 Computer Problem
by Donna Cunningham, MSW, Co-editor of Vibration Magazine.
 To My Fellow Practitioners:
I hope that you are reading up on the strong probability of a major
computer problem on January 1, 2000 or before, a problem which potentially could have immense
societal repercussions
that many are abbreviating to Y2K. While many of us prefer to dwell on
positive,
spiritual matters in sessions with clients, I would urge you to take a
serious look at this as a
treatment issue for a variety of reasons.
Firstly, we practitioners need to research this problem for ourselves. And, if we think this situation could yield significant problems, then it is likely we need to deal with with OUR denial about this
problem and what it will mean in each of OUR lives. If, after examining this problem for yourself and you decide it isn't going to go
away, you cannot be be effective about this topic with our clients if you
are not dealing with it yourself. We need to put our own houses in order
first, and there may not be a lot of time to do this.
Secondly, our clients have varying degrees of vulnerabiltiy to this
potential shutdown of
vital services like banking, food delivery, water and power, and medical
provisions and health
care. There are also possible serious employment difficulties. They need to
begin
looking at how Y2K might affect them NOW, and they will need your help and
support.
Thirdly, as we get closer to the time (and just what time that is, is under
debate: many think the date 9/9/99 is just as fraught with computer
glitches as is 1/1/2000), your clients will be reacting. Addressing their
anxiety, panic, fear, worry, denial, etc. will arise and become an
ever-increasing part of your work. Are you prepared to respond? How will
you keep your own sense of balance through this?
DEALING WITH DENIAL
Many people are simply not addressing this potential problem. They have not yet used their own critical thinking abilities to examine if they think this problem is real. They are shrugging off these possibilities, saying, "Oh, Bill Gates
will come up with something, or the government will take care of it."
In
the
best case scenario, that may be so, but we would urge that you become aware
of the magnitude of
the potential of this problem immediately and decide for yourself if you think it a real one. Because if you do, it is likely that you and your clients have
less
than a year left to prepare.
Search the Internet for phrases like "Y2K", "Year 2000 Computer Problem,"
"food storage, and "water shortage". Read what the economists, computer
geniuses, and social planners who develop these sites are saying, and make
note of
the preparations they are suggesting. A book that is especially important
is Time Bomb 2000,
by Edward Yourdon and Jennifer Yourdon. (Prentice Hall PTR, 1998).
We cannot afford to not examine this, nor does it serve our
clients to rave about the marvelous spiritual possibilities of the
Millennium while
ignoring a period which can present serious potential danger.
(Editors' note: A number of essences that may be helpful in dealing with
denial are profiled in the box below.)
MAKING PREPARATIONS
A balanced approach is not to instill panic and paranoia in
ourselves or our clients, nor to bury our heads in the sand. We need to be
sensible,
calm, and grounded, with plenty of practical information to offer. If
you decide to counsel
your clients to be prepared, then they can actually face the
uncertainties
of the future with a greater sense of safety and security that their basic
needs will be met.
It will take time and commitment to make serious
preparation for a possible period of disruption of vital services and of
possible massive lay-offs. People on a limited or fixed income need warning
to start putting
money aside for an emergency. Some of the sites on the Internet give
valuable, practical
directions on how to safely store food, water, handle sanitation, and cope
with a prolonged
power outage.
If everything goes smoothly after all and there is no crash, people
who make these preparations will lose nothing. The food, water, cash, paper
goods, batteries, health, and sanitary supplies they stockpile can all be
used up
in good times as well as bad. But the first step in preparation is to take a serious look at the possibilities NOW and decide for yourself. Sufficiently prepared , we can all survive a potential
rough period ahead.
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Editors' Choices: Y2K Remedies
Essences for Denial
Astilbe (Whole Energy Essences) "Warrior" - The warrior's
way is to love and be challenged -- not crushed -- by what is difficult.
Bouvardia (Desert Alchemy) Fortifies our will to confront life directly and
consciously, changing emotional reactivity and avoidance patterns into calm, clear thinking, positive response and action.
Clover (WEE) "Acceptance" - Enormous energy and new possibilities
are freed when we can accept that which is.
Mullein (Flower Essence Services) For sticking to one's convictions
in the face of outside pressure, others' disbelief, or the temptation for self-deception.
Pale Yellow Lily (WEE) "My Own Strength" - It makes it easier
to admit a painful truth if we know we have what it takes to handle it.
Sauromatum (WEE) "Recover Perspective" -
Helps us see what is an isn't important, and to feel more at home with it, even if it "stinks."
Dealing with Panic
Again, Astilbe and
Pale Yellow Lily (above), plus:
Help is On the Way (Whole Energy Essences) A
combination for the first throes of trauma; better balance helps us respond appropriately to the situation.
Calendula (WEE) "Recover Safety" - Helps us with that raw,
touchy feeling where everything makes you jump and feel worse following trauma.
Grey Spider Flower (Australian Bush) Helps restore faith
and trust in times of extreme stress or panic.
Lobelia (WEE) "Recover Calm" - Rest, let go a little, and take down
those tense shoulders a notch or two!
Red Clover (Catskill Mountain Essences) Helps one stay centered in emotionally charged group situations such as family crises or natural disasters. (FES's Red Clover is similar.)
Rock Rose (Bach, English Herbs) Promotes centeredness, stability,
courage and inner peace when facing deep fear, terror or panic.
Aconite and Anxiety
Another remedy that is proving helpful for some who develop severe anxiety
as the truth of the situation sinks in is the homeopathic remedy Aconite.
This is widely available in health food stores for colds. The description in the Materia Medica by
Boericke, however, says that it is for great fear and anxiety about the future, including
predictions about a specific date, vivid imagination about what may happen, and clairvoyance.
(One indicator is an extreme sensitivity to noise.) The remedy seems especially well
suited to astrologers and other New Age people, and if you or a client go into a panic state in
the face of these revelations, it is something to ask your health care
practitioner about. When it is the correct remedy, as would be obvious within two to four days of
taking it, the panic subsides and the person is able to begin making effective
preparations to meet the situation. --DC
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Donna Cunningham, MSW, has a dual background in social
work and astrological counseling and has recently received the prestigious
Regulus Award for her contribution to astrology in her thirty years of
practice. She is
the advice columist for Dell Horoscope Magazine and has written 12 books.
For a more detailed
version of this article, including astrological factors that would suggest
a client is
particularly vulnerable to Y2K upsets, email
her.
Specify whether your browser can receive a text attachment or whether the
article should be
in the body of the email message.
DESIGN CREDITS: All images by Ann-S-Thesia.
The World Wide Essence Society does not mean to imply any recommendation of nor give certification to any individuals or companies above. This article is provided purely for informational purposes. We ask consumers to make their own determination as to quality of the services and products offered above. This article is not meant to be advice, and the information is not meant to replace medical or psychological treatment.
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