Tag: grief

Safety, Fear, and Our Ancestors

Posted on by Jennifer Holik

For the last decade I’ve studied the deeper layers of genealogy and family history. Explored the darker sides of family and ancestors. Looked at the grief, loss, war, fear they lived with, safety issues that existed, survival instincts, PTSD, inherited trauma and other related topics.

Exploring those topics has helped me do my own healing and today I’d like to talk about our current lives and forced isolation alongside our ancestors’ lives where the issues of fear and safety arise. I will provide just a little information around this topic with resources for you to explore.

fear and safety in our ancestors’ lives

Tregler family in Bohemia

If you look back in your genealogy, you will find many instances where your ancestors were living in fear and were unsure of their personal safety perhaps due to war or famine, political conflicts, immigration, or natural disasters. Those situations may have been shorter term and affected the ancestors for a period of time. They may have learned to live with the new normal that came after. Some may have shoved their emotions and feelings about it all deep inside to carry the rest of their lives while others were able to heal.

In cases where abuse and rape occurred, those fear and safety issues may have lingered the rest of the ancestor’s life. It has only been in more recent times that we are allowed to talk about these things and start to heal.

In either case, we, the descendants of our ancestors, carry their pain, trauma, fear, and safety issues in our DNA.  It is stored in our bodies and within our energy system – the chakras. I can personally say that doing chakra energy healing can shift out a lot of things we carry that aren’t even ours and make a huge difference in how we live. I’ll save that for another article. It will shock you how much we carry that messes us up that isn’t even ours.

Differences between fear & safety then versus now

I think it’s important to acknowledge the farther back we go in our family history, the less 24/7/365 media programming/brainwashing was available. Today we have news stations and social media channels blasting fear and panic over toilet paper, a virus, lockdowns, vaccines, and food shortages and killer hornets, and every other disease and way to die has been cured because CDC says covid is the only way people are dying now (or is it?) all…day…long.

And the narrative keeps changing – have you noticed? We are slowly being programmed to be in fear and rely more on the government and start to fear things outside our homes. There is a quote that goes something like, I never thought I’d see people so afraid to die that they stopped living.

Have you noticed how much of the world has stopped living?

Would you have been so afraid of the virus if the media had not told you to be afraid? Especially when studies are coming out now that show us it is less deadly than the flu? That the majority of people dying are in nursing homes (which already had care issues?)

Have you noticed the media said there will be no toilet paper so everyone ran out to buy it? We’ll be locked in our homes for decades – so there was a run on food? We can’t open the country safely unless we have a vaccine (even though Fauci said in the Senate Hearing yesterday the vaccine may not work or create more issues for those with prior health issues) – even though there are therapeutics that work (see latest France and Italy studies and what’s coming out in America outside of mainstream media.)

Why were we never told to be afraid when H1N1 came out in 2009? How many of us were so sick with that flu and the country stayed open? No shortage on toilet paper or food… makes you question right?  I remember being sicker than I’d ever been with three kids ages 8 and 4 (twins) to take care of and the government didn’t shut down the world.

Now look at your ancestors…

Less media interference may have created fewer issues with fear and safety. When you examine the propaganda/news created for WWII to get families to buy into the war effort THEN look at the propaganda/news created for WWI (a generation prior) and THEN look at propaganda/news for the generation before that, what do you notice?  

  1. What kind of media did our ancestors have access to?
  2. Our parents? I’m 47 and my parents had access to TV, radio, magazines, and newspapers.
  3. My grandparents? TV (after WWII), radio, magazines, and newspapers.
  4. My great grandparents? Radio, magazines, newspapers. If they could read.
  5. My great great grandparents? Magazines, Newspapers, pamphlets (at least in the U.S. – in Europe I’m not sure as they were peasants and likely couldn’t read). Word of mouth news which as we know often is distored.

Start Asking questions

  1. What events did my ancestors go through that created fear?
  2. What events did my ancestors go through that created safety issues?
  3. How did my ancestors handle these events? (Did they ignore their emotions and push it down? Did they talk about it? Use faith/religion to see them through? Talk it out with a therapist or other healer?)
  4. How much have I bought into the fear propagated by the media and social media which is showing one side of the story?
  5. How am I handling this fear and concern over safety? Or am I content letting the governors take away my rights and force me to stay home where my finances are suffering, my health is suffering (mental and physical), my business may be suffering or I lose my job, my kids are suffering on many levels.
  6. What emotions and thoughts keep coming up for me throughout this lockdown? WHOSE thoughts and emotions are they? Mine or my ancestors? Mine or my friends?
  7. What fear or safety based issues keep coming up for me? Journal on this.
  8. What can I do to let go and release these thoughts and emotions that are not mine? Therapy, call a suicide prevention line, energy healing, chakra healing, journaling, exercise, etc.
These are only a few questions and areas to explore in your life and that of your ancestors’ lives. We are at a pivotal moment in history where we need to be exploring these issues and questions. To heal and release all those things that don’t serve us, but certainly mess up our lives. To ask more questions about the narrative being pushed on us all day long. To start LIVING again and making choices that align with our true heart and soul. Possibly the most important thing to start doing: Stop blaming everyone else for the choices you are making. You might read my other articles on these topics:

resources

These are a few resources you can explore to dip your toes into ancestral healing and personal healing. You may also ask to join my FB Group for more support.

Online Course Option

 

 

 


 

You can also explore Wendy DeRosa’s online course which will take you through some deep healing and possibly assist in removing some fears and safety issues. Register by 27 May 2020.

Every course I have taken with Wendy has transformed my life and removed layers of stuck energy, fears, abuse, trauma, emotion, and more. I highly recommend her course.

Disclaimer: The course and book links are affiliate links and I make a tiny percentage off the sale. This does not affect the price you pay.

© 2020 Ancestral souls

What Energy Are Your Friends Living In? Is it Toxic for You?

Posted on by Jennifer Holik

The last two months of lockdown have served so many purposes for our planet and humanity. It has not been easy to accept on many levels. as the comforts and “normal” we lived with was taken away in a matter of minutes. The Mainstream media’s agenda is to push fear at us 24/7 and keep changing the narrative – which most people have been programmed to accept as TRUTH – to keep us under control. When people are afraid they are easier to control. The constant narrative change also means you don’t know who to believe or what is actually real and true.

Isn’t it time you start asking yourself and checking in with your intuition about what’s true for you?

Just because the media or your friends tell you something is true doesn’t make it true for you. Only you know what is true for you – so why aren’t more people checking in with themselves to ask? Because we aren’t taught how. We are also told to just follow the herd.

While I always try to be positive and share things that make people question this reality, many people are now going into the shame, blame, and verbal abuse energy. As an empath this is hard for me to live with. It is harder to live with when people you thought were your friends suddenly start blaming you for THEIR choices. Blaming or shaming you for having a different perspective or knowing about the world that they can’t access.

Somehow no matter what I post, my “friends” seem to think I’m responsible for the choices they made or how they have to live right now. So they blame, shame, post links to refute anything I share. As I shared in my article Did You Forget You Have a Choice in This Life?, I share things to inspire people or help them question this reality. It makes no difference to me what they choose. I’m not living their life. I don’t have to learn their lessons. I will also not take on their shame or blame or anything else they want to fling at me. Not mine. I am not responsible to fix it for you.

As many of us are moving more into this expansive space and setting firmer boundaries, it can start to be a lonely place. A frustrating place. A sad place. Quite honestly there are days it is hard to live with it all. However, when we step back and breathe, find a trusted friend or spiritual healer to talk to, we can more quickly move back into our energy and let the rest go. I do feel it is vital that we grieve, scream, laugh, cry, whatever our bodies need to do to release this energy as we keep transitioning. When it gets stuck it hurts and can create disease.

Over the last few weeks I’ve unfriended/unfollowed more than 300 people on various social media accounts. I’ve started blocking people who seem to live for trolling other people’s posts and start verbally abusing and shaming them. Even people I thought were my friends. That I’ve met in real life. Maybe that energy is fun for them. It doesn’t work for me. Thank you to all those people for showing me who you really are. Now I can continue on my path with less toxicity in my life.

 

When did this become an acceptable and ok way to be with each other? Blame. Shame. Verbal Abuse.

 

I think many things are factoring into this way of being for probably 90% of the planet.

  • Most people are not yet awake and seeing the truth of what’s really going on. There is a lot of corruption going on behind the scenes while we are safely locked at home that is coming out. Mainstream media is not showing you this because they have to follow the narrative but the news is about to break all over the world. It is going to shock you. If you want to know – start reading all the news sites that social media said were “unsafe. false.” Start questioning WHY you were pushed to believe this. Even Snopes is run by MSM to keep you to an agenda. Believe what you read or don’t. Ask questions. Come to your own conclusions and research more if you feel it’s necessary.
  • There is also a great awakening and shift in consciousness happening on the planet. We are all upgrading at our own pace. All on our own journeys. Some are much farther along and are aware of things the rest of the world isn’t and can’t be. You can only receive or hear what you are able to in that moment based on where you are in your transformation and life. The rest you will block or not see even if it is right in front of you. Your vibration has not reached a point you can see or hear it and process it.
  • Most people are grieving their lost lives/normal/way of being. Whatever that was for them. Some are grieving the deaths of loved ones. Grief makes us irrational and often unable to function in a higher vibration way than we normally might. Knowing this can help in how we react or respond during times of grief. In America and much of the world, we don’t talk about grief. We aren’t taught how to properly handle it or the complex emotions and thoughts that come with it. We ignore it and say it will go away after a few days. You know what – it doesn’t. You know what else? It’s OK to grieve what you have lost. At some point you will hopefully come out the other side and start creating the life you really want in this new reality.
  • Mainstream media, religion, education, government, has programmed us to be angry. Divide along certain lines. To blame anyone but ourselves for our choices. To stop taking responsibility for our choices and lives. To stop questioning anything and just follow the herd. Be a sheep. Is that really how you choose to live?

 

You’re allowed to set new boundaries & rules for your life

One of the spiritual teachers I’ve followed for years said in a class recently that her circle of friends is very tiny. Only certain people get access to who she really is. And if you cross her boundaries, which she set to live her life in a high vibrational, magical, anything is possible way – you’re out. That’s it.

I did some journaling around this and wrote a set of rules for who I will allow in my inner circle. You know what, it felt really good to set new boundaries about who gets to be in my space. It also opens up a new way for me to BE in the world and with the rest of humanity.

While we move through this transition, I feel it is important to examine our boundaries. Priorities. Rules by which we live. Whatever you want to call that. What is working? What no longer works? Who can you say goodbye to in your life to remove toxicity? Who should you allow in to promote growth and expansion of all that’s possible? These are choices only you can make. You have a choice to not stay in blame, shame, and verbal abuse.

 

What are you going to choose as your life now?

I invite you to journal on some of the topics in this article. What resonates for you? Where have you been afraid to remove people or energies from your life that drag you down and don’t allow you to create or expand?

It is not always and easy thing to let people and energies go. It takes inner strength, trust in our intuition and awareness, and powerful boundaries for ourselves. We are the only ones who can create our lives. We are the only opinion or voice who really matters in how we choose to live.

© 2020 Ancestral Souls

Spiritual Journey in the Soldiers’ Footsteps Day 19

Posted on by Jennifer Holik

 

 

1 November was one of my very favorite days of the trip. That morning I drove to Achtmaal, Netherlands to meet some of the Friends of the Timberwolves at the Achtmaal Museum. I met Esther, Adrie, Sjaan and Kevin, Peet, and Herman.Jeeps (6)

The day was perfect. Warm sun, a slight breeze, colorful fall leaves falling from the trees, and new friends. We met at the museum and after coffee and cookies with a history lesson thrown in, I had a tour. Time was short because we had a lot to see that day, so on my trip in May I will have to try to meet with the group again and see more of the museum. The museum houses not only Timberwolf artifacts but also artifacts from other groups who fought in the area.

Timbewolf museum Achtmaal (13)Timberwolf Tracks (62)Upon completion of the tour we hopped in two jeeps and took off through the countryside. Peet was my driver and also the man who gave me a history lesson over coffee. As we drove, he told me about the routes we took, where the fighting occurred and details about the men and war. We stopped at many sites to see where battles happened, including were my friend John Tyrrell was wounded.

It was very interesting to look at my photos and the little bit of video I shot while Peet was driving. There are a lot of red orbs in my photos. Soldiers watching and waiting. Protecting. Usually they don’t show up quite like that in my photos. But there they were!

Seeing the places battles were fought, or concentration camps where so many died, is high on my list of things to do when I visit Europe. What is difficult is trying to picture these now serene, often beautiful places through the eyes of someone who was there 70+ years ago. Trying to wrap my head around what happened there and then put that into words that explain it, is difficult. It is often unimaginable the horrors that took place in such a calm place where crops grow or sheep graze today. And everywhere we went, I could feel the presence of all the soldiers, regardless of side on which they fought, in those fields. In some areas, like the Battle Between the Dikes, the energy was so intense it rode in waves through me.

Timberwolf Tracks (32)

Friends of the Timberwolves having lunch
where a battle was once fought.

After visiting many places the Timberwolves fought, we stopped for lunch in an old building where I met Toine Vermunt, a local historian and author. Toine gave me a short history lesson after lunch before we departed the area. He showed me maps of Holland and explained where the Timberwolves were, what happened at the building we were having lunch in, and what we would see in the afternoon. The Battle Between the Dikes. Toine gave me a booklet in English, he wrote a few years ago explaining this battle. I am grateful to have this history.

Laying flowers at memorial (2)

Laying flowers at the memorial.

Toine rode with us to see the area where the Battle Between the Dikes took place, after first stopping to lay flowers at a Timberwolf Memorial. It was as if the Timberwolves were waiting for us because the energy at the memorial about dropped me to my knees.

Our next stop was at a woman’s home where we were allowed to walk behind and stand by the canal and look at the area where the men were fighting and attempting to cross. Another beautiful place where such horror occurred.

Battle of the Dikes area

Battle Between the Dikes

Driving through the areas where the Battle Between the Dikes was fought was intense. The energy from both sides argued with each other. The Allied soldiers were calmer and just wanted to go home. The German side was angry to the point I was feeling a bit nauseous for a while. I cannot count the number of times that day I said clearing statements to send people off into the light and transmute the energy.

As the afternoon began drawing to a close, our last stop was at the Basilica in Oudenbosch. We had about 15 minutes there because they were about to close. It is another place to which I must return. The Basilica is a small replica of St. Peter’s in Rome. Small does not do it justice as it feels gigantic and I felt very tiny in that beautiful place. I was able to light some candles for my soldiers and say some prayers before we left.

Timberwolf Tracks (87)The Basilica held a lot of energy also. It felt heavy as if every prayer, question, wish, hope, dream, despair, frustration, and death that ever was left in the building, remained. In a way I was happy to only have 15 minutes in that place. After such an intense day, any longer might have done me in.

After returning the jeeps to the Timberwolf HQ and saying goodbye to my new friend Adrie, the rest of us went out for dinner before I drove back to Ammerzoden, where I was staying for two weeks.

The day I spent with the Friends of the Timberwolves was one of my favorite days from this trip. It was incredible and moving to be surrounded by people with such passion for World War II and our soldiers. People who understood the soldiers still walk in the mists and live among the items in their museum. People who honor the memories of those who gave them their freedom. And, my absolute favorite part of the day – meeting Kevin who is a teenager and has the desire to preserve the stories of these men. It warms my heart to see young people wanting to be involved in this work. It provides the promise that when the older generation is gone and my generation is aging, there will still be someone sharing the stories and memories.

© 2020 Ancestral Souls

Spiritual Journey in the Soldiers’ Footsteps Day 15

Posted on by Jennifer Holik

 

 

 

Today was the day I was going to find the silver ring the universe kept saying I needed to find. And where was it going to be? Nijmegen!

After a leisurely morning of sleeping in to recover from the prior two days and prepare to speak again tonight, I thought I would head toward Groesbeek and stop in Nijmegen to look for this ring. So I drove along beautiful roads and got to Nijmegen and felt like that was not the place to find the ring.

Groesbeek Netherlands (31)Hungry and a bit frustrated about this voice in my head, I decided to ignore it and continue to Groesbeek and find lunch. It was a bit cloudy and grey but people were out and about and there was a happy atmosphere in Groesbeek. I found a little café to have lunch where I ate a delicious sandwich and relaxed over coffee afterward. Discovering there was only one jewelry store in town, and the owner was on holiday, I took a walk.

I discovered a lot of Liberation Route signs all over the town which depicted scenes from the Operation Market Garden time period of September 1944, and pointed out points near the signs so you could get a then and now perspective. Walking along I thought it would be a good idea for the next trip to actually figure out where all these signs were in each town so I could go on an adventure and find them all!

Then and Now

Groesbeek Netherlands (35)Groesbeek Netherlands (38)

On my walk I did find a chapel and was able to light some candles and sit for a while and contemplate life. Then when I was finished there I did a bit of shopping and headed toward my hotel for the evening. I was staying at the

Hampshire Landgoedhotel

, where Rense Havinga, the curator at the

National Liberation Museum

where I was to speak, recommended having dinner. Apparently their restaurant is top-notch.

Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery (52)On the way to the hotel I stumbled upon the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery. Of course I had to stop even though it was a drizzly day at this point. The soldiers called out. There were moments when the sun tried to peek through the clouds and shine light down on us.

The cemetery is beautiful and peaceful and situated on a hill overlooking fields and forests. Only a couple of people were there when I arrived and one soldier was near the Cross of Sacrifice. I spent a lot of time looking at the stones and photographing them. The CWGC stones all have a quote or prayer or something on the bottom. They are unlike our ABMC stones. As I walked I even passed a bench with soldiers just hanging out and talking. They were enjoying the quiet. It was the perfect way to spend some time that afternoon.

I checked into the hotel which was situated near a forest and some fields with sheep. Even though the day was gray and misty, it was peaceful and beautiful. My room was gigantic and the back doors opened onto a small patio which was against the field. Just a short walk across the field of sheep and I could be in a forest. I spent the afternoon relaxing and writing before I had to get changed for my program and dinner beforehand.

Groesbeek area hotel (5)Groesbeek area hotel (6)

 

 

 

 

Rense was not wrong when he said the restaurant was highly recommended. I had the most delicious, savory roast duck, vegetables, and salad for dinner. Because of timing I had to rush a little, but oh my, it was delicious.

I arrived at the museum and met two Facebook friends, Herman and Bob. These kind gentlemen carried my box of books and made sure I made it in the dark from the parking lot to the museum. We met with Rense and got me set up in their theater. Then it was off to the café for tea and meeting people before the program.

Several people I knew were at the museum that evening, including Helen, Hans and his two sons, Bob and Herman. The theater was half-filled and people were very receptive to the stories and information. When the program was over, many of us gathered in the café again for coffee and conversation.

My third program in the Netherlands had ended and the experience was great. I met many wonderful people who shared their stories with me and gave me information so I can share it with others.

Moon over the woods near Groesbeek (8)editedLater when I returned to my hotel, the moon was rising high in the sky. I opened the back doors in my room that led to the patio and watched the moon rise as the clouds floated by. I heard noises in the forest as if the soldiers were wandering around or settling down for the night. You could feel their presence so intensely. After wishing them light and love and bidding them goodnight I closed the doors and drapes and soon headed off to dreamland. As I counted my blessings and thought briefly about the following day, I was determined to find that ring. And so the next day………

© 2020 Ancestral Souls

Spiritual Journey in the Soldiers’ Footsteps Day 14

Posted on by Jennifer Holik

 

 

 

Forgiveness and healing can arrive at the most incredible and unexpected moments.

Throughout this trip I knew I was healing and releasing things from medieval past lives. I also knew I had to work through some forgiveness for myself where my soldiers were concerned. And there needed to be the release of my soldiers to move on. We can’t stay stuck to each other forever. I’d had many conversations about this with my friend Mary, who has helped guide me on this spiritual journey. She had said once I had to let them go and forgive myself for not being able to save them all. Little did we know what form that was going to take.1st Ceremony in Cemetery (12)

1st Ceremony in Cemetery (9)editedOn 27 October Helen Patton and I joined John Boeren for a day of Liberation Ceremonies. We again saw Matt and Gerrit and many others we had met the evening before when I spoke. John took us first to a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery for a ceremony to honor the British forces that liberated Tilburg. The event was in the British forces cemetery and we could not have asked for a more perfect day. The sun was blazing high in the sky, shining down directly on the graves in gorgeous healing beams of light. People gathered and bagpipes played as those who participated in the ceremonies marched into the cemetery toward the podium.

The ceremony was in Dutch, but it didn’t matter what language it was in. The sentiment was visible to everyone. Honor those who gave us our freedom. Children helped dignitaries lay flowers at the Cross of Sacrifice and then it happened.

Release. Healing. Forgiveness.

A woman got up to sing Vera Lynn’s song, “We’ll Meet Again.” In English. At that point I felt the tears well up in my eyes and it was as if I was saying goodbye to my sweetheart during WWII and taking care of all those WWI soldiers. I could see it flash before my tear-filled eyes. I could feel this man I said goodbye to so many years and another lifetime ago, standing next to me. But he wasn’t. I knew where he was though – not far away from where I was in Europe.

The grief become uncontrollable as the tears slipped faster and faster down my cheeks. The sun was shining brighter and warmer on us as we stood near the graves and I could hear my soldiers saying to me, ‘Forgive yourself and let us go. It is time for us to let you go too.’ And as the song ended, we all said goodbye until another time and place when, We’ll Meet Again.

Release. Healing. Forgiveness.

1st CeremonyAfter the ceremony, Helen and I spoke to a woman who was 12 years old during the war. She told us a few stories about her life and what it was like to be in a town occupied by the Germans. I wish we would have had all day to listen to her stories as they were sad, distressing, but also fascinating.

2nd ceremony2

Jacoba Pulskens memorial

Thankfully we had a fantastic lunch after this ceremony and before the second one. I needed a bit of a break from all the energy. The second ceremony was for Jacoba Pulskens, a woman who hid Allied Airmen and later was sent to a concentration camp after the men were executed. The ceremony was short and a few people spoke near the memorial in Tilburg which honors her. Some members of her family attended and spoke.

When the ceremony ended, John took Helen and I to the home where Jacoba lived and then gave us a tour of Tilburg. Our final stop was a beautiful chapel where we sat for a time after lighting candles. Then Helen and I went off in search of coffee and a snack while John attended to other business.

We had a lovely dinner with John and Matt and then made our way to the final ceremony of the day, which honored the Scottish Brigade who helped liberate Tilburg. John was dressed in his St. Sebastian Guild attire because they were to lay flowers at the monument. The ceremony had melodic bagpipe music and many short speeches before children helped the dignitaries lay flowers at the Scottish Monument. It was a beautiful ceremony, again in Dutch, with some wonderful bagpipes to accompany it.

3rd Ceremony Scottish (22) editedJ, J, H

Jennifer, John, and Helen after the final ceremony.

After ceremonies such as these, the Dutch gather together for coffee and cake. We participated after the first and last ceremonies of the day. It gives people a chance to talk and enjoy each other’s company over food and drink, before they return home. It is a nice thing they do and I was able to meet many other people.

Before 9:00 p.m. I was heading back to Ammerzoden and to bed. The next day I would drive to Groesbeek for the day, lecture at night and drive back on Thursday. The past two days had been quite an experience and I was grateful for the healing that I was able to help with and receive. Who knows what the rest of the trip would bring and the question remained, where was this silver ring the universe kept saying I had to find?

© 2020 Ancestral Souls

Spiritual Journey in the Soldiers’ Footsteps Day 12

Posted on by Jennifer Holik

 

 

 

In the Netherlands, daylight savings time came a week earlier than in the U.S. This was good because I got an extra hour to roam around Amsterdam. The anxious energy from the morning however, had returned after I got back to my hotel to sleep. It was a long night of strange dreams and wondering if I was going to get up when I was supposed to. I had plans to meet another friend. When I finally woke up in the morning, I was so NOT myself I had to cancel my plans. The energy had shifted to sad, anxious, uncertainty, and a general feeling of unease. The best thing to do was be alone.Zaltbommel (32)

After breakfast at the hotel I made my way back to Ammerzoden determined to be alone and deal with the energy swirling everywhere. I met a lot of people from the past the day before, a couple who really touched my heart. One in particular left me with a lot to think about where the future is concerned.

The owner of my B&B had pointed out several places I should try to see in the Netherlands and one of them was on my way back to Ammerzoden. I saw wZaltbommel (5)hat appeared to look like a castle from the highway and a sign for Zaltbommel. The car kind of pulled itself off the highway and toward village center.

I found a great parking spot behind a castle and near a forest. It was a quiet Sunday morning as I wandered into the center of the village. I found buildings which had stones on them from the 1500 and 1600s. Near one was a café with outdoor seating. The air was crisp, but the sun was shining and a calm breeze was blowing. It was a perfect morning to sit outside and enjoy a bit of tea and light lunch.

After lunch I strolled through the village and found a gorgeous church. It seemed all the original entrances were closed and locked but I heard the most beautiful choir singing as I walked past taking pictures. The building was beautiful as were the buildings surrounding it. I continued my stroll on cobbled streets to the village gates to see the harbor.

Zaltbommel (52)As I headed back toward the car I saw a cemetery. I love cemeteries. Most of them have very calming, peaceful energy. Two people were talking at the gate of this one so I chose to not enter but walked the forest path around the cemetery. The sun shined brightly through the trees as colorful leaves and acorns fell around me. I saw the most beautiful ancient tree in the back of the cemetery. The kind of tree you just want to hug. Since I couldn’t go into the cemetery, I found a tall, old tree on the path to lean against, ground myself, and draw power from. I took the most beautiful selfie by that tree as the sun beams swirled around me.

When I felt the energy had grounded enough for me to move on, I headed back to Ammerzoden and took a walk into the village to again light candles in the chapel. Lighting candles was becoming a peaceful routine for me. It gave me extra time to be still and think about the trip, my life, where I had been and where things were headed. And, most importantly, make another wish that I hope someday comes true.

In the evening I stood outside my B&B as the almost full moon rose above the fields. Full moons have power and allow us to let go of things and accept new things into our lives. As I stood under that moon making wishes and declaring intentions and releasing things that no longer served me, old stories surfaced. I ended up going back inside to write a story about a past life and another great love. Maybe it was a sign that someday a great love will show up in this life.

© 2020 Ancestral Souls

Spiritual Journey in the Soldiers’ Footsteps Day 6

Posted on by Jennifer Holik

 

 

 

The last three plus years, as I’ve navigated the life of being a single mom, business woman navigating uncharted territories, and becoming more spiritually aware, there have been times I’ve felt frustrated and lonely. Frustrated because no one is doing the kind of work I am and therefore I have no one to ask if there is an easier way. Lonely because the more I tap into my intuition, listen to the soldiers, or see signs (numbers, coins, feathers, etc.) and pay attention to my dreams, the more I see people walking out of my life. You see, a lot of people think those of us who communicate with anyone or anything on the “other side” must be crazy. We are all different. And all human. I think we should learn to honor and respect each other as humans with differences.

Mathilde and Jennifer (2)

Mathilde and Jennifer sitting on the bench the 1st Division soldiers used during the war.

On this trip to Europe however, I was surrounded by people who understood me. Some didn’t quite believe all the things I did, but kept an open mind. I was finding my tribe. One such woman who totally understood me was Mathilde Schmetz, who runs the Remember Museum (M&M Museum) with her husband Marcel.

I spent a few hours with Mathlide and Marcel and my friend Ralph on Saturday 17 October. It was not enough time to hear all Mathilde’s stories about the soldiers in the museum or really absorb the amount of materials there. I did however, get to sit on the bench at the table the 1st Division Soldiers used during the war! Mathilde and I took a photo together there. Needing more time at the museum, I returned on 19 October before driving to Ammerozden, Netherlands, where I was to stay two weeks.

The morning of 19 October was drizzly and a bit foggy when I set off from Simpelveld, Netherlands back to Thimister-Clermont to the Remember Museum. Thank God for GPS because I was stopped on one road less than 5 km from the museum due to tractors blocking the road. Turning around I had to try two different roads before I ended up on one that was not taking me in a circle and heading in the general direction of the museum. The adventure felt a little like my soldiers were taking me on a journey so they could see places they fought.

Along the way I hit a bad patch of road and the car bumped. I hoped nothing had happened to the tires as I continued toward the museum. Upon arrival, Mathilde greeted me with a big hug and coffee. We talked a lot about the soldiers and how they talk to us. She agreed we must keep their memories alive and teach

Bobby Bell, Jennifer, Mathilde, and Lou Aske.

Bobby Bell, Jennifer, Mathilde, and Lou Aske.

others how to do it and pass along their stories. She completely understood all the “crazy” things I told her. After some conversation she said she would take me to Henri-Chapelle Cemetery to meet Bobby Bell, the superintendent. I had not made it there on Saturday.

Bobby Bell and Lou Aske were very excited about the work I am doing and the research books I wrote. I’m so grateful for Mathilde for taking me there because they have a good relationship with the Museum. I didn’t spend much time in the cemetery, even though I had a long list of men to visit. It was lunchtime and the skies were still promising rain, so I visited one soldier and we headed back to the museum.

Over a warm lunch of soup and bread in Mathilde’s cozy kitchen, she, Marcel and I talked about the war. Then it was time for a short visit back to the museum. I was able to see the entire museum but not spend enough time there. You really need an entire day or more to see it, hear the stories Mathlide tells, and just be present there.

99th Infantry Division uniform.

99th Infantry Division uniform.

99th Infantry Division soldier William Markin.

99th Infantry Division soldier William Markin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everywhere you turn there is a photo of another soldier from the war. Often, you will see a photo of him when he was an old man at home or visiting the museum. What researchers may not understand is museums like this are full of research possibilities. Examining the photos and documents available in the exhibits and carefully viewing details within the exhibits can add a lot to research or a soldier’s story.

When it was time to leave the museum for my 1.5 hour drive to Ammerzoden, I realized that tour of the Belgian countryside my soldiers took me on, resulted in a flat tire.

My FIRST flat tire ever! And it happened in Belgium! HA!

Thankfully Marcel was able to help me get it aired up and patched so I could make the trek to Ammerzoden where I was then able to replace it the next day. I was also feeling a bit tired and as if a cold was coming on.

I suspect the soldiers knew it would be an inconvenience for me to deal with the tire, but they had some lessons to teach. And teach they did. I was a willing student.

If you are ever in Belgium near Henri-Chapelle cemetery, you must visit the Remember Museum. Be sure to plan several hours there to take it all in. You will not regret it.

Remember Museum (13)

Remember Museum (1)

© 2020 Ancestral Souls

Spiritual Journey in the Soldiers’ Footsteps Day 5

Posted on by Jennifer Holik

 

 

 

Margraten (15)After leaving Bastogne on 17 October, I drove to the Remember Museum in Thimister-Cleremont, Belgium. I spent two nights in Simpelveld, Netherlands as I made my way toward Ammerzoden, Netherlands. My visit to the Remember Museum was shorter than anticipated and I ended up returning on Monday 19 October. The morning of 18 October I had a lovely breakfast at the B&B Atelier, Galerie en beeldentuin in Simpelveld. I slept in the blue room of this artist’s studio and home. It was a very peaceful place with a kind owner named Carina.

Ben, Jennifer, and Ralph at Margraten.After breakfast my friend Ralph arrived to take me out for the day. Our first stop was the World War II cemetery at Margraten – the Netherlands American Cemetery – to meet Ben. We arrived when the cemetery opened and it was very quiet even though a bus load of photographers arrived at the same time. The fog was still slowly rising off the land and the trees were bursting in color as leaves fell gently to the earth. It was almost as if the soldiers were hanging out waiting for us to arrive. It was quite a different experience than my first on 3 May during the Faces of Margraten. The energy on 18 October was very calm and peaceful.

The three of us visited the graves of many soldiers I have researched and talked about our respective research interests. Then at 11:00, our friends arrived and said we would have pancakes in Gulpen. That sounded great to me!

The pancake.

Pancakes in the Netherlands are not what Americans make at home. In most ways, they are better! You can have a pancake which has the base of a crepe more than a fluffy American pancake, with almost anything you want on it. The one I chose had ham, bacon, tomatoes, peppers, cheese, and oregano on it. Delicious! It was so large, it covered a large plate and I could not finish it.

After lunch we took a few photos and then Ralph and I were on our way to meet Ronald in Maastricht. After leaving Margraten on 3 May, my parents and I drove through Maastricht but we did not stop. Instead we went to Valkenburg. This was the right decision at the time but my heart knew it had to go back to Maastricht on the next trip.

 

 

Maastricht, Netherlands

I had a feeling on this trip I was going to explore my medieval past lives, one in particular with someone I was supposed to meet on the trip. The rest was unclear. What was clear the entire time, was the fact I was drawn to churches, cathedrals, and other buildings and villages which existed between 1100-1500 when the medieval period ended in Europe. There were some 1600 buildings which drew me to them but I’m not sure what that is about ….. yet.

MaastrichtMaastricht Bookstore Cathedral (12) is an olMaastricht Bookstore Cathedral (9)d city fuMaastricht Bookstore Cathedral (16)ll of history, drama, war, sacred places, and love. The one place I desperately wanted to see was the Selexyz Dominicanen Bookstore, the bookstore in an old cathedral.

Ronald and Ralph took me there first thing and I wandered around looking at the architecture, windows, walls, floors, old floor markers where people had been buried, and the books. So …… many ……. books. I did purchase one on the history of Margraten Cemetery.

Jen in Maastricht church candlesThe rest of our afternoon was spent walking all over Maastricht and Ronald and Ralph told me stories about what happened there during World War II. Along our walking tour we saw many cathedrals. We entered one to light some candles. The cathedral had a calm feeling with a mixture of sadness, joy, and hope.

It felt a little like home, and in a photo Ralph took of me, it seemed as if the current me was there but also the past me. After we lit some candles and said our prayers, I had time to walk through the darkened building and sit quietly with my thoughts for a while and explore. It is one place I hope to return for a longer period.

Our afternoon ended with a snack and beer in an outdoor café with more talk of war. It was a little drizzly, but that did not stop us from enjoying ourselves. It was a day of magic and healing for the soldiers who follow me, and myself.

© 2020 Ancestral Souls

Spiritual Journey in the Soldiers’ Footsteps Day 4

Posted on by Jennifer Holik

 

 

 

Have you ever felt the energy crackling and happy, as if you knew the person you were about to meet would change your life? Or perhaps they were some long lost lover or best friend you had not seen in lifetimes? The more our awareness increases and vibration raises in love and light rather than darkness, the more attuned we become to the energies around us. Paying attention to these different energies can prepare us for meetings with new people. I had experiences like this on both my trips to Europe in 2015. An important one for my fall trip was on 17 October.

My friend Mark, had arranged for me to meet Helen Patton. Mark felt Helen and I had a lot in common and the projects we had would fit well together. When Mark arranged the meeting, the energy moved in such a way as if to say, ‘Your best friend has returned! Yay!!!’

This meeting was a last minute change to my itinerary before I flew to Europe. As I stated in an earlier post, I went with the flow for this trip. The change required me to skip visiting the Ardennes and Henri-Chapelle Cemeteries and miss meeting two Belgian MIA researchers. There are times when the universe says, ‘DO THIS NOT THAT,’ and magical things happen when we listen. Interestingly, 17 October was my final morning in Bastogne, a place very important to my heart, for reasons that only now make sense.

Jen and Helen Patton 17 Oct 15

Jennifer Holik and Helen Patton
exchanging books we created.

My friend, Doug, whom I had spent 15 October with at the Sauer River Crossing sites, would meet me earlier in the morning for coffee and then we would meet Helen at Le Mess. I was able to sleep in and enjoy a leisurely breakfast before checking out of Hotel Melba and making my way to the Tank in Bastogne to meet Doug. As I departed the hotel I spoke with Helen, who had to push our meeting from 11:00 to noon. That gave me approximately 1.5 hours to chat with her before I had to leave for the Remember Museum near Henri-Chapelle.

Have you stopped to think about how slow time moves when we are children and how quickly it moves when we are adults. I had 1.5 hours to speak with Helen, and in that time we needed to get to know each other and talk about projects. It might seem like a short time but was exactly what we needed.

I was able to leave Bastogne for the Remember Museum before 2:00 p.m. where I was going to meet another Facebook friend and visit the museum. Helen and I accomplished a lot in that short amount of time and gave each other a lot to think about. A working relationship had been formed. And most importantly, it was enough time for her to decide to re-arrange her schedule the week of 26 October and attend two of my talks in the Netherlands.

Now the question was, what other exciting things would happen on my trip. This was only day 4! I still had more than two weeks left of my trip.

© 2020 Ancestral Souls