I have often found myself referring to the healing modalities and techniques that I have gathered thus far as "tools in my etheric toolbox". This theme has recurred time and again both in the classes I teach and those I study. According to Webster's, a tool is (1) an instrument (as a hammer) used or worked by hand: implement, (2) something (as an instrument or apparatus) used in performing an operation or necessary in the practice of a vocation or profession, (3) one that is used or manipulated by another. Tools, we have lots of them. As healers, some of our tools are tangible; massage tables, essential oils and such. Many of them are not. Our skills are tools, as are our psychic gifts, our intuition, our Spirit Guides, and our ability to utilize energetic techniques to release disease.

People often ask, "How do I expand my psychic abilities and have clearer communication with my spirit guides?" I respond, "How are your taking care of your tools?" "What does one have to do with the other?" you ask. Remember recently when you avoided that huge accident on the highway because you were 10 minutes behind schedule? Did you thank your Spirit Guides? Or are you still whining about the fact that you were late and how nothing ever goes your way? How many obstacles did your guides put in your path to detain you and how often does this or something similar happen to you? Those tools (your guides) are working for you all the time whether you notice it or not! The more gratitude you show for what you do have, the more abundance comes your way.

What are the tools used in everyday life? We have big tools like clothes dryers and most people clean the lint out of the filter on a regular basis. That's normal care and maintenance for a dryer and like changing the oil in the car, saves a lot of money in repairs. But what about the tools we take for granted, like those for personal hygiene? Do you clean them regularly, keep them in their proper place and replace them as needed? Or are you still using the same grungy hairbrush you had in the 9th grade? Hopefully you've changed more than just your hairstyle since high school so why would you want to brush your hair today with something that holds energy from a lifetime ago? "But it's still got some bristles on it and I love that brush!" Give it up! It'll be OK! Upgrade old outdated tools for more user-friendly ones. Hmm… backyard clothesline or indoor dryer?

On to the kitchen. When was the last time you cleaned out your silverware drawer? Think about it. Forks, spoons, and knives are feeding tools. We feed ourselves on multiple levels, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. So what are we telling Spirit if the tools that we use to feed our physical bodies are kept in some ugly old stained, crumb-filled organizer that Mom gave us when we first moved away from home? OK, so maybe it's not ugly. But really, when was the last time you cleaned out that drawer, got rid of all the mismatched silverware that mysteriously appeared in there, washed everything and reorganized it? The way we care for the tools we use to feed our physical bodies reflects the way that we feed ourselves on all levels.

Enough about cleaning, on to using the proper tool for the job. We all know that in a pinch we can hang a picture with a six-penny nail and the heel of a sturdy shoe. We also know that the butter knife is one of our most versatile utensils, great for prying things open and for screwing in the screw you found in the silverware drawer when you were looking for a nail to hang that picture. However, it's a lot easier to use a hammer and a picture hanger, and maybe you would if you knew where one was! So where are your tools? Is your hammer on top of the refrigerator from when the icemaker froze over? Are the needle nose pliers all rusty in the bathroom drawer from the last time the sink was clogged with hair? How many of your tools are actually in the toolbox? And what about the etheric toolbox that holds your healing tools? When you are feeling scattered and confused do you remember to check your connection to ground and source? How many hours do you spend consciously holding healing energy for others and then when you are feeling under the weather you sit alone at home and suffer in silence rather than call a fellow healer to help you out?

A master craftsman's tools are clean, oiled, organized and well used. So, "How are you taking care of your tools?"