2022 Year Review and Looking Forward to 2023 - Heartful Art by Raphaella Vaisseau

In Numerology, 2023 is a 7 Universal Year in the 9-year cycle. According to "The Secrets of Numbers" by Vera Scott Johnson and Thomas Wommack, this means it is a "time for assimilation, analysis, and introspection, a time for perfecting the results of past efforts, and not a time for expansion and change." They suggest 2023 will be good for savings, banking, and insurance, which is great for me since I'm all about feeding my bank accounts at the moment. What is bringing me joy may also be right on target.

Last year, in 2022, my intentions were to deepen my relationship with my daughter, find new friends I resonate with, simplify my home while visualizing something even better in the future, continue establishing my legacy in art, and to enjoy nature in this beautiful place where I live. Below is a picture of my 2022 vision board. The adorable painting of a fox in the center of my collage is by local pet portraiture artist, April Johnson. I'll be creating a new vision board for 2023 in the coming weeks as the new year comes into focus.

Opportunity was my keyword for 2022, although I hadn't remembered that until I read last year's review. Nevertheless, with my mindful focus on listening to my Inner Guidance, I took inspired action enough times to feel I was vibrationally tuned into opportunity whether or not I consciously remembered to claim it. I met or surpassed most of my goals and, overall, I'm pleased with my progress over the twelve months of this past year.

I'm super excited about the coming year. I'm not sure I've ever felt so realistically hopeful. It's a great feeling. 

I haven't defined my intentions and goals yet for 2023 so I'll say this: As I move forward into the coming years, and look back over my entire life, I'll be pleased that I sought to continually take the next step, time and time again, toward being in greater and truer alignment with my highest purpose and with living a joyful life.

I wish you all the very best holiday season as 2022 comes to an end, and the most prosperous, joyful year in 2023. Blessings of Light and Love to you.

-Raphaella Vaisseau

2021 Year Review and Embracing 2022 - Heartful Art by Raphaella Vaisseau

In Numerology, 2022 is a 6 Universal Year in the 9-year cycle. According to “The Secrets of Numbers” by Vera Scott Johnson and Thomas Wommack, this means an emphasis on security and reliability. “It is a time for adjustment, for seeking a balance,” they write. “It is a time for reparations on the home front” and “There will be interest in educational and health programs, in food and diet, in ecology, in civic improvement.”

Last year, 2021, my intentions were to focus on Freedom, Accomplishment, Balance, and Expansion. It went well, in spite of the continued presence of pandemic challenges and national and global changes. I traveled a bit, reached a weight loss goal, bought a new car, and enjoyed success at Heartful Art Gallery. I took a few Adobe art classes and learned some things about repeat pattern design and photoshop. And, of course, I continued my studies of Law of Attraction with Abraham-Hicks and Good Vibe University. All and all, when I did my year-end review in December, I was pleased.

I then set about to visualize my focus for 2022. Opportunity is the word that came to mind. Contemplating the word over the last two weeks of December, I ascertained it would allow me to be alert to inspirations of any given moment, and encourage me to shift from an action I am in the process of taking to momentarily explore the possibilities of taking another action. It will be good for me to loosen up a bit in my day to day plans of action.

Thus, in 2022, in alignment with the Universal 6 year and my chosen word, I plan to continue my focus on health and wellness, deepen relationships with family and friends, expand my tribe, simplify my home, continue establishing my legacy in art, and be in nature as often as I can. As much as I love my home with a view of a farm and the Blue Ridge Mountains, I'm awake to the possibility of finding a different home surrounded by nature, with vista and conveniences that provide me with even greater enjoyment of life.

I put all of this in the Light for the Highest Good, and hope, as the year unfolds for all of us, we experience a year of security, health, and well being. Peace be still.

-Raphaella Vaisseau

Review of 2012 and Declaration for 2013 in the life of Raphaella Vaisseau

Each year, late in December, I review the past 12 months and declare what I want to create for myself in the New Year. These reviews are a gift to myself and are all about me and my life. I believe we each have a part to play in the dance of life, and this review is about my part. As I see it, the world will take care of itself. My job is to play my part the best I can, so I can hold up my end. I love the life I've been given. I gratefully use it to learn, grow, express, share, and love even more.

2012, a year of Freedom, was a great one for me. I said yes to myself in many areas of my life, producing breakthroughs in family relationship, quest for adventure, financial stability, and manifesting greater success in business. Perseverance, focus, determination, and a vigilant adherence to keeping my thoughts (and thus my vibration) on what I want more of were keynotes of this win-win year. Practice, practice, practice. Breathe in, breathe out. Expand and simplify. Be happy.

Sound too simple to be true? Maybe. Nevertheless, it works for me. It's more proactive than accepting reality and going with the flow. And a good amount of faith and trust are involved. Which leads to ... more practice.

Since I first heard Abraham-Hicks discuss vibration in 2008, I lifted myself up, embraced life as a grand adventure, and set about to understand the law of attraction. I love the game of it all. Playing the game is a moment to moment choice of noticing my feelings, acknowledging, and self-correcting.

I use everything as an opportunity to uplift me, and make me stronger. I look at the beauty that appears all around me. If I'm feeling a negative emotion, I think of my kitten. The very thought of her perfect little furry face, and her tiny paws reaching out to touch mine never fail to bring me back to the center of what's important. This year I've taken giant steps in learning to refrain from telling old stories (of things I prefer not to attract, of grids I prefer not to activate) and instead, speak affirming, positive words, think happy thoughts, and focus on the good.

As I continue expanding and simplifying in 2013, I am expecting even greater accomplishment. 2013 is a six year in the 9-year cycle of numerology. It's all about creating balance, security and reliability. I've been working up to this one. After a year of freedom, travel and pushing out, I'm ready for a year of refining, organizing, and simplifying the home front. At the same time, I am preparing for even more expansion in the future by manifesting a new office environment and investing in new, amazing equipment for my business. It's the next logical step for me. As my business success continues, I'm moving in the direction of having employees again, and the first step for me might be to ease into it with an intern.

Etsy is amazing. Again a game. If you're an artist or a creative type, I hope you have an Etsy store. I'm breaking all kinds of records every month with sales and opportunity generated from Etsy. In 2013, I plan to expand and develop my Etsy store even further. Plus, I plan to update heartfulart.com, master Pinterest and Tumblr, and then explore whatever new technology comes about with all our geniuses on the planet. "Etc." is a keynote for life, don't you think?

Another beautiful thing that happened in 2012 was a shift in my consciousness around food and the environment. Thanks to the Transition Movement and UU's Environmental Film Festival last March, I shifted to a greater awareness of the vast changes sweeping our globe and the myriad possibilities, solutions, people, countries, and corporations doing work to take care of what's next. I've been composting since April and made many dietary changes as well. My dream of creating an intentional community of artists, writers, gardeners, builders, and other creative types is gaining momentum. As I continue reducing my debt over the coming two years, by 2015 I expect to be making plans and bringing that project into reality. In the late 70s, I lived in a spiritual ashram in Minnesota with 18 like-minded people on the same path and I loved it. So, I know it will work for me. Community is one of my favorite things. Community with individual spaces. Fun to think about.

Life is good. Happy New Year. Where have you been, and where are you going in 2013? Let me know.      - Raphaella Vaisseau 12-31-12

Review of 2010 in the life of Raphaella Vaisseau

Rather than a Year of Expression that I declared twelve months ago, 2010 has been a year of inventiveness, perseverance, flexibility, and appreciating what’s good in my life and in the world. This year has been about reducing debt, eliminating ineffectiveness, increasing streams of income, enjoying the support of business alliances and establishing new ones, and valuing family and friends. All of what I’ve put in motion in 2010 will continue for the next few years as I build a more solid foundation for my work in the world. Artistically, I intended to explore and manifest new expressions, but did not accomplish more than a toe in the water of what I want to create in art and writing. As my new foundation supports me going forward, I hope to have more space in my life for creativity and new artistic expression. I look forward to expanding and simplifying at the same time.

A highlight of 2010 was continuing the conversation of Landmark Education seminars in Sarasota. Not only does this work provide opportunities for breakthrough in self-enlightenment, but the community itself is a group of interesting, intelligent, evolved human beings I thoroughly enjoy getting to know. I also continued my studies of Abraham-Hicks, NLP, and hypnosis, all of which I enjoy very much and will continue to study in the future.

On a lighter note, being a kitten foster mom for little rescued ones was a source of great comfort and joy to me this year. In a time when survival seemed to take so much time and effort, their little faces and furry bodies were an oasis of sweetness and beauty, reminding me to continually look for what’s good, pure, and life-giving.

Subtle Wisdom, Success and Giraffes

"When you talk about what you want and why you want it, there's usually less resistance within you than when you talk about what you want and how you're going to get it. When you pose questions you don't have answers for, like how, where, when, who, it sets up a contradictory vibration that slows everything down."

--- Abraham

Excerpted from the workshop in San Antonio, TX on Saturday, January 29th, 2005 #448

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For the past three months, I've been involved in a discussion of Success with a Landmark Education seminar and workshop in Sarasota. The discussion revolved around the questions: What is success? What are the standards of measurement of success? Where did these standards come from? and, finally, What is success for me?

I've enjoyed the conversation immensely. I've come away from the three months having discerned that what I want is to fully embrace the powerful creator that I am. The "how" seems to be revolving around the question at any given moment, "Who am I being?" The "why" is all wrapped up in my main goal in life: to be the best I can be, to polish the golden chalice that I am and fully express the gifts within so that they are made manifest for others to see and experience. For me, success is being free to fully embrace, express and experience life, self, art and relationship with wild abandon.

Photo copyright 2010, Kiaralinda and Todd Ramquist, http://www.kiaralinda.com/

Connee Chandler shares her lessons of Abraham-Hicks PLUS Yahoo Groups

There are two yahoo groups I've discovered for those of us who are studying the Abraham-Hicks material: The Abe List and Abe Quotes. I've read Connee Chandler's posts on both sites and was inspired today to find out more about her. I discovered her website and was pleased to see many resources including her lessons, transcribed workshop notes and more. Check it out if you are so inclined.

Rain and Freezing Cold for Punta Gorda Art Show

As fun as the Safety Harbor show was in December, the Punta Gorda show last weekend was not. The vendors were troupers as we set up at 5:30am hoping the rain would stop and the temperatures would rise. I kept my focus on looking for the blessing in the experience and dancing around my booth to keep warm.

The rain stopped by Sunday but it was so cold the few people who came to the show shivered down the center lane and went home to get warm. I'm looking forward to the Venice show Jan 23rd and 24th to get me back in the game. Meanwhile I'm heading back to Safety Harbor next week to check out retail possibilities there. Wouldn't it be nice if I found a little spot on Main Street to have a new Heartful Art Gallery? Wouldn't it be nice if like-minded artists or crafters wanted to create that too and joined me in the search? Let me know if you have a similar vision.

I love life

Alice Walker said, "I thank the Creator for the optimism of my Spirit." That's the thing I love about life -- the continual spark of new beginnings: year by year, day by day, moment by moment. This week at the "Causing the Miraculous" seminar (Landmark Education), I worked on organization as the topic I wanted more from. Consequently, this week has been abound with clearings, energy, creativity and finding things as I create solutions to reclaim order in my home and life.

I also made a commitment to create and post 10 new creations of art between now and our final class, January 25th. I have three in the works already and look forward to finishing them so I can post them online for you all to see. I'm feeling the stretching and expansion of the new year and loving it.

Stay warm, everyone. Inside and out. Even though it will be freezing cold this weekend in Florida, I will be outside all day Sat and Sun sharing my art with the world in Punta Gorda. Burrr. Ahhh. Life is good.

2010 - Year of Expression

Personally, I declare 2010 to be a Year of Expression. For me, this will include new artistic expression and the creation of new art and publishing projects; expressing myself with friends and associates (being seen and heard); and embracing opportunities to step out and explore, travel, discover and say YES to life. I intend to dance through life this year, make new friends, nurture the friends and family I have and love, and seize opportunities to leap beyond what I’ve known so far and create miracles in my life and in the lives of others.

I intend to continue my studies of Abraham-Hicks, Landmark Education, NLP, hypnosis, writing, art and language, while paying attention to my vibrational focus and the words and thoughts I choose for my expression. Know that I appreciate you and value your presence in my life. You are amazing.

Recipe for Fitness

I made a commitment to myself today to get back on track with my health and fitness journey. While I was updating my website, I rediscovered the recipe section where I planned to post all the fabulous healthy meals I learned to cook two summers ago. So far, this is the only one posted, but it's a great one. Click on the picture to go to the page on my website where this recipe is actually readable. Then make it for yourself and enjoy!

2009 - Year of Discovery

Personally, I'm declaring 2009 to be a Year of Discovery, although a lot of words capture the essence of this point in time for me: Beauty, Attunement, Patience, Refinement, Focus, Cooperation, Discipline, Fun, Friendship and Consideration. It's "year 2" in my current 9-year cycle. This year I will continue assimilating the new attitudes and understanding I embraced in 2008 with regards to having awareness of my vibration and where I'm putting my focus. In all situations and circumstances, I will strive to see good (rather than fault), beauty (without needing to fix anything), and the perfectness of what I have (rather than noticing lack). In 2009, I will continue to enjoy discovery of all things new, beautiful and interesting, and will continue my commitment to live life as a grand adventure. I'll relax, develop my skills & talent, be receptive to others, enjoy my relationships with friends (old and new) and family, take things slowly, and keep the big picture in mind as I navigate through the year. Thanks for being a part of my world. May your life and mine be blessed in all ways in 2009. May your business and mine thrive on all levels in 2009. May the world and all living things know the peace that surpasses understanding.

Review of 2008 in the life of Raphaella Vaisseau

From discouragement to rebirth, what a great year 2008 turned out to be for me. Never one to get stuck in discouragement for long, and always the seeker, I found the fuel to reinvent myself. Again. I'm reminded of my favorite Alice Walker quote: “I thank God for the optimism of my Spirit”.

Early in the year, in an effort to lift myself up, I jumped with both feet into all forms of new sources of inspiration and spiritual study I could find: from Joel Osteen's weekly Lakewood Church television messages to books, services and study groups with Ernest Holmes' Church of Religious Science. By early spring I'd discovered the live broadcasts of Louise Hay's www.hayhouseradio.com which eventually led me to the magnificent work of Jerry & Ester Hicks and the teachings of Abraham. My “ah-ha” moment came in April when I understood a new interpretation of vibration and thought. From when I claimed myself as an artist back in 1981, I've known that my intention while creating art was integral to the outcome. It's why changing my last name to Vaisseau (vessel of light) was so meaningful to me, and why I committed myself to painting from my heart not my head. Abraham affirmed this in a discussion of vibration, saying “The vibrational imprint of what I give to a painting is more important than the image itself.” In listening to the hour-long seminar, the mathematical part of my brain awakened to a new understanding that “whatever I'm giving my attention to generates a vibration.” Everything has a vibration: every action, every thought, everybody.

I started paying attention to my vibration, to how I was feeling and to what I was giving my attention to. I learned that a belief is simply a thought we keep thinking and to change a belief we need to change the way we think. I learned we can only deactivate a thought by activating a new thought which replaces it. I began to practice, practice, practice. Results immediately appeared in my life which fueled even further study.

I embraced Abraham's mantra that “life is supposed to be fun” and set about finding a new place to live where I could create the next adventure in my life and my business. I picked Venice, Florida and moved there in the fall of 2008. Since then, I've met many new friends, I am enjoying the beauty of Florida, and I am enjoying the satisfaction that discovery affords. After two years, I've moved through the stages of grief I experienced as a result of the closure of Heartful Art Gallery in Sausalito in October of 2006, and have now moved on. I thought I would be there for the rest of my life, but alas, it wasn't to be. Inspired by the wisdom of Abraham, I am now seeing life as a grand adventure and I am embracing every experience as an opportunity for expansion and growth. I love where I am. For me, 2008 was a great success.

Numerology

I'm packing for my move to Venice, Florida next week and found a page I'd taped to my kitchen wall last New Year's Day. It's the write up for 2008 being my #1 Personal Year, the beginning of a new nine-year cycle. Briefly, it said things like "important new beginning" "What you do this year will influence the course of events in your life for the next eight years" "new direction ... for long-range project" "by October your new direction will begin to emerge" --- voila! I hadn't read this since then but it was in April I started searching for a new city, May when I connected with Serenity Gardens in Venice, June when I checked out the possibilities and I make the actual move next week on Sept 26th. I will be in my new home by Oct. 1st and ready to begin!!! I've been feeling a shift in the focus of my work as well. I am excited to see how this all unfolds. How the change impacts my creativity and where I go from here. What fun!!!

Abraham-Hicks Virtual Reality Exercise - Day 2

Yesterday was a success. I thought of about 10 VR sites to spend 30-seconds in throughtout my day. My goal is to make my dominant vibrations thoughts of my choosing instead of random. I believe this will allow a feeling of well-being to be my dominant life experience. Having spent 30 years doing meditation and visualization using affirmations, words and images, it's taking a little practice to simple "pick a place" and go there to feel inspired in the moment.

Here's me in 1976 at the top of Trail Ridge Drive in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado with gull perched on my outstretched hand. What a thrill for me!

The grand experiment continues.

Hay House Radio

Have you listened to Hay House Radio? I tuned in last week at the start of The Mary and Heather Show, and heard them say "Today is Shameless Plug Friday so if you have a business you'd like us to applaud, give us a call." I immediately dialed into the show and shared Heartful Art on air with their many listeners. After my "shameless plug" I listened to the rest of the show and discovered more of what they're up to with MomsTown: helping entrepreneurial moms make money. Check it out if you're a mom with a business. And listen in to Hay House radio for more great shows by all the Hay House authors like Wayne Dyer, Debbie Ford, Louise Hay, Denise Linn, Cheryl Richardson, Doreen Virtue, Esther & Jerry Hicks plus much, much more. Podcasts, live shows, links, conferences. They have just about everything you could want to inspire you and spark ideas for self awareness, positive life change and encouragement. I'm making it a part of my day.

2008 - Year of Expectancy

2007 completes a 9-year cycle for me, beginning while I was still in Ashland, Oregon and includes the move to the Bay Area in 2000, the six years of having a gallery in Sausalito, and the shifting of Heartful Art's business model from retail to wholesale in the fall of 2006. This New Year of 2008 begins a new 9-year cycle which will be a Manifestation of Right Thinking and the Realization of Imagined Possibilities. I've declared 2008 a Year of Expectancy. I am keeping my mind on thoughts of happiness. I radiate joy and I am filled with faith, hope and expectancy. Like Jewel, I am expecting miracles around every corner and through every door, with every phone call, and every new day. I believe in God, and I never waver in my belief. I expect the best. I give thanks for all the blessings in my life. Everything in my life is a blessing.

Back on Track

I'm on Day 5 of my re-commitment to my health and fitness goals I set a year ago. I'm at 31% to goal. Short term I'd like to be at 60% success by Sept 7th, 2007. My main support tool is the www.peertrainer.com community. It's an interesting reference point to have gone off track from Feb-May and now being back in the game. It's been only five days, but the habits I built in the first 7 months last year kicked right in.

2007 - Year of Action

I'm declaring 2007 my Year of Action and choosing the theme of "Carpe Diem". In 2007, I am committed to "seizing the day" each day, seizing each opportunity in the moment to take action toward the realization of my goals (while enjoying the process).

2006 - Year of Visibility

2006 was a year of visibility for me. My theme was stepping up and stepping out - coming out from hiding wherever it found itself. June 14th I joined peertrainer.com and started on the path to greater health. I made a goal of releasing sixty pounds and embracing exercise in my life. There's so much more to that story. By Dec. 14th, six months later, I am at 50% to my goal and I am committed to reaching 100% success by my first year anniversary, June 14, 2007.