TAROTSCOPES: OCTOBER 2013

According to the Tarot, October promises a month of personal growth and renewed self-confidence for every sign. Resident reader Louise Androlia reveals what this means for you.

Libra – King of Pentacles

Happy Birthday to you. I’ve been talking frequently about work for you Libra, and sorry to be a bore but it seems like your professional life really has been the focus the last few months. I wonder if this has been leading up to events coming to a head now. It’s always nice to feel like your birthday month brings you an extra surge of power and October is going to be very much about summoning this personal strength and inner courage. This is your fourth Pentacle card in a row, again calling on you to channel the earth energy, especially when you are tempted to be pulled away by the clouds. The King Of Pentacles is a strong force and gives you another boost of confidence to really ask for what you want this month. This is a card of abundance and I feel another “GO” signal for any projects you’ve been working on this year. If you aren’t out there pushing your talents, then what are you waiting for? October offers an evolve or evaporate ultimatum. Which will you choose? The King of Pentacles also brings to me feelings of someone with a dominant energy around you. In business you may find yourself reaching out to a collaborator, someone that could inspire you with their mentoring approach. Alternatively, you may have been on a bit of a power trip lately or putting too much pressure on yourself. In which case, watch out for a burn out. To be blunt, CHILL OUT! Don’t let your health suffer…holistic massage alert! Because of the strength of this card please also be aware of anyone in your life that you feel has a negative dominant energy over you. This could be a lover or family member, and if you feel sometimes like you’re under the thumb then this is your chance to stand up for yourself and reclaim your voice. Try some meditations for the Throat Chakra. You may subconsciously be living out moments from your teenage years, where you felt like you weren’t ‘good’ enough or ‘smart’ enough. Remembering that your past is not a blueprint is so important. And nor is it a holiday destination! You know that you can choose how you view your life and path right? Channel some love to your inner child, say farewell to those ‘I’m not good enough’ thoughts, pack your bags and move forward.

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – With dominant energy surrounding you, choose not to be intimidated by that certain someone. Rather, use this time to observe and learn.

Scorpio – Page of Pentacles

Change is in the air Scorpio. If this scares you then realign yourself with the fact that you are the master of regeneration, and that being afraid of change is really redundant for you, like packing your superhero cape in the closet and throwing away the key. No, no, no! Stand strong in the face of flux but be as fluid as possible. You were so busy last month, and things aren’t going to slow down in October. With the Page of Pentacles the entrepreneurial spirit of last month endures, and you certainly aren’t short of ideas. This is still Scorpio hour. What this October is really about though, is getting to grips with combining your elements. For a sign that’s so intuitive and deep you have been really aware of practicalities over the last few months, and have been feeling a new connection to the earth energy. Usually you are all ‘feelings’ and this earthy grip is good for you, encouraging you to make decisions that are going to work well for you long term, less emotional quick fixes. And you feel guided towards people and places that spell out F U T U R E for you. It might be in your nature to look for spontaneous love affairs, but right now, shock horror, the idea of a joint bank account doesn’t seem so terrible. If this doesn’t resonate, then have a think about your intentions. Are you complaining that the world is against you? Is your Facebook page filling up with ‘this terrible thing happened TO me’? Have you forgotten about your personal power? Begin shifting the way you see things, return to your gratitude practice, and GO! Meanwhile, back to those brilliant ideas. The Page of Pentacles is a dreamer, and October will find you aiming for the highest heights but this time you have an agenda. The imagery on the Rider Waite deck for this card speaks great volumes, and I see you clasping gently the pentacle in your hand, like you’re letting a Chinese lantern off into the sky, honouring all your biggest dreams before you set off on your mission…to do list firmly in hand.

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – Don’t show off and don’t project aggression. Your voice is your expertise, so always use it with patience and kindness.

Sagittarius – The Magician

As soon as I picked this card I felt that October will be all about confidence for you, Sagittarius. It’s amazing how for someone who can be such a power house and a fiery force,  you sometimes have these little dips and start believing you have nothing to offer the world. They often come when changes mean you can’t necessarily see the way ahead, so you suddenly feel you could be failing somewhere. Good job I’m here to halt that thought and show you how to use this incredible card as motivation for the new season. The Magician is one of my favourite cards of the Major Arcana, helping you suddenly realise that you have absolutely everything you need to manifest your hopes and dreams, with all his mighty tricks at your disposal. Pretty cool, right? The Magician lays out the elements in front of him; mental strength, inspiration, feelings and practical skills. So what to do with your newfound toolbox? October brings a reconnection of the forces that drive you Sagittarius. You might find yourself digging back over the last ten years and making a ‘top ten’ list of the work projects you loved the most, or, linking to last months card, the times where you noticed the love around you the most. Writing yourself this kind of love letter is a great way to boost your self-esteem. Anyway, the reason you need this boost now, is that The Magician is a card that holds a strong force for success. Fame and success are very much in your energy sphere right now, which is why I don’t want you to miss out. Be social and communicative. This card shows you expressing your talents very well and really being heard. Anywhere you feel an imbalance then look to the elements and grab what you need. Feeling too emotional? Pull from the earth source and nourish your body with grounding root vegetables, or get outside for a run. Feeling burnt out? Pull from the water source and let a little of the hippie back in. You know your intuition is spot on when you tune in, and this could guide you back to your centre.

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – The Magician is linked with Mercury so you can use this time to your advantage. Communicate kindly towards yourself and others, and practise your magic tricks ready to unleash them in your birthday month.

Capricorn – Three of Pentacles

You’re upping your game this month Capricorn, and I feel movement is finally coming your way. There have been a lot of stops and starts this year and something is about to click for you. The Three of Pentacles is an incredible card, with mastery and teaching being a key theme. I feel that you might need to be stretched a little, or a lot. You don’t work well if you aren’t occupied, you get bored easily and that can become a really negative space for you. And when you need a push, sometimes you have to push yourself. This card encourages you to step it up and always shows to me that the student is becoming the master. So I see you considering applying for a bigger role, or a promotion, somewhere with greater responsibilities that suits your specific talents better than recent times. There is a great teaching element to this card, and you may take on extra members of your team or employ some interns for your creative endeavours. Spreading your skills to a wider group will also give you a confidence boost that you might need. You often give off an air of complete fearlessness when inside you can feel totally directionless. So let others build you up. This card suggests that you should be open to receiving some mentoring yourself, who are your teachers? As they say a therapist always needs their own therapist, and this season it might be that you ask for some help to get you to where you want to go. The Threes are also always about expansion so socially this month you may find your best times are out with a gang of your closest friends, while sharing ideas and down time in a group setting will be very motivating. Collaborate with your nearest and dearest and you might be surprised with the awakenings that you have. And don’t dismiss anyone. The most unlikely person could be the key to unlocking an idea for you. In the love zone, more play dates! Think of your partner as your teammate and enjoy the feeling of duality. If you are single then meeting people in a group setting is likely to be a winner this October. Could be time to allow your friends to set you up on a blind date?

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – Be open to letting people teach YOU, sometimes you take on the leadership role too strongly and don’t let anyone help you.

Aquarius – Nine of Wands

You were busy last month weren’t you? Run off your feet even. The Nine of Wands offers encouragement in the face of a long slog, and as much as I want to ask, ‘are you okay there?’ I don’t feel like things are terrible. You’ve just been all systems go – no rest for the wicked as they say. There have been so many opportunities for growth recently and this card is a reminder to just keep going. It’s here to alert you to your resilience and to remind you that you are almost through your current challenges. Think of this card as an army of cheerleaders pushing you towards the finish line. I want to talk more about your personal life, so in regards career, all I want you to take on board is that if you don’t look after your mind, body and spirit then you won’t be able to do the work you want. It’s a two way street, and if you totally burn out you’ll feel useless. So keep that at the forefront, and let balance be your mantra. Okay, so does it feel like the road to L O V E is paved with more stress than strength? Again, you are inching your way there, but it would be nice if you didn’t have to learn an army of lessons every date you go on. So often we don’t find out what we want until we see what we don’t, but how about you draw some serious lines in the sand. Keep attracting the same ‘wrong’ person? Redefine what might be right for you and grab your personal power back. Sometimes we sit and complain but haven’t taken the time to acknowledge what we really want. I feel like you will resonate with this, so how about a positive game plan? Energetically you can also boost yourself with the same tactic, shifting your focus onto only what is really important and necessary. Self love and consideration go a long, long way. When you are ploughing up a mountain you don’t want to involuntarily knock yourself back, so use ‘movement’ as your mantra. This is a positive month and rewards are coming. I believe that challenges are in place to move us to higher ground, so aim REALLY high Aquarius.

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – You know all about Mercury and that old crossed-communication problem – so think straight talking, no games. They aren’t worth your time.

Pisces – Nine of Wands

The magic card for you this month Pisces! The Nine of Wands is often known as the ‘wish card’ and I’m happy to turn it over for you after what seems to have been a lot of ups and downs this year. A theme that keeps coming up for you Pisces is about the choices you make, and I want to keep pushing you towards understanding and really working with the knowledge that you get to and HAVE to participate in creating your own life. You can be swept away with feelings and your wonderfully intuitive nature means you sometimes get lost in dreamland – then find yourself getting upset about why nothing is happening the way you imagined…and blaming it all on the Universe. This card always comes up to let you know that you have power in your thoughts and actions and that the energy around you is very strong for getting what you want. Create some solid intentions, without them then we can float around a little. Manifesting is about making positive and practical daydreams and then surrendering them and getting on with acting on our ideas. So this October, really notice how you live your life day-to-day. Are you someone that focuses on the negative? Who weighs the ups and downs of every day so you can write off the day as good or bad? Try as an experiment to only give your energy to the good, no complaining about anything for a week. Actively switch out entertaining your negative thoughts with a daily gratitude practice. And let me know how you get on. Back to your card, which is a water card, and so made for you. Let a little magic in. If you’ve already been putting in all the above work, then this month is about you celebrating the effort you have made and actually stepping back and noticing the shifts, even the ones that seem tiny, and taking on this new mind-set as a permanent attribute. Surround yourself with those who uplift you, it’s a simple thing but how often do we act on it? Collect your nearest and dearest together and have a new season intentions hangout. Make mood boards or even just have dinner and support each other as you talk about your intentions for the next few months. Enjoy life.

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – Take a meditation class to fine tune your thought processes. Even if it’s totally ‘not you,’ do it anyway and thank me later.

Aries – Ten of Wands

Aries, I feel you might have taken all the excitement of The Fool last month, done WAY too much and now feel like you are wilting at the wayside? The Ten of Wands in a word is ‘Overwhelmed’ and I always find this comes up at that point when you feel completely burned-out. So as a theme for the month, try to use it as a way to just be aware. Often when we get to overwhelm, it’s because somewhere along our journey we haven’t noticed ourselves getting stressed, and then all of a sudden BOOM we drop like flies. This month I want you to ask for help, and I mean that. Spread your tasks out in front of you, because this card is about delegating, even when you don’t really want to. You have a team on hand, and so it’s a case of loosening your grip and not being such a perfectionist. Trust those around you and know that they can be of assistance, even if it’s just letting some boring tasks be done by someone else it will free you up to get your energy back. What you don’t want is to end up resenting your work because you are too tired. I feel confidence issues have come up for everyone this month, and for you, Aries, as much as you know you’re brilliant, sometimes you suddenly flip and freak out. Caught in the act, sorry! Once you get your health in check you’ll be back on track. I feel it’s time you re-introduced yourself to the term ‘rest’ – and remember, real rest isn’t running ten times round the block, it’s silence. True, positive nothingness. The thing I love most about the Tens is that they are always the tipping point back to the Ace energy, so if we look ahead to the Ace of Wands, we find a massive boost of inspiration and energy that can be your motivation. To be able to continue on your amazing journey you need your wonderful spirit! You know that if you are too worn out then you can’t get on with these stupendous plans and we need you on top form, Aries. It’s almost like you need to look at yourself from the outside, as if you were your very, very best friend. I bet you’d be reaching out with a hug, a dinner invite, flowers and love. This can be such a good way to realise what we really need. Your mantra this month? Nurture.

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – Seriously use this retrograde to climb to a safe place and get some energy healing, you deserve it.

Taurus – Ace of Pentacles

And back on with the action plan Taurus. I hope you used last month to recalibrate a little because The Ace of Pentacles is an amazing go-getting card, with efficiency at the forefront. This Earth card will give you new insight and inspiration into all earth bound areas. There is an emphasis for you on the home front, which means you may be moving, buying or selling, and if so this is a chance for you to align yourself with a new area or city that feels right for you at this point in your life. I feel a very strong sense of a ‘new you’ moment occurring this month! The Aces are very personal cards, encouraging you to really honor your self and leap back onto your path. If my hunch that September was a bit wobbly for you, you will welcome this chance to reconnect to your beloved Earth. Career wise, this could bring a new type of energy around your finances, a chance to get on top of your taxes or gain some new independence. If you are looking to start your own venture then this is the card with the green light as it shows that the Universe has your back. So be bold, get out there and start looking for investors and the right people to team up with. This is a positive action card, Taurus, and above all a chance to grow. Let the past be only a teacher, and be inspired by what lies ahead. You can occasionally get a little stagnant and stubborn so you have to be the person who pushes yourself forwards. Get some inspiration from your fire sign friends, how do they approach change? You have the amazing ability to get things done and maybe just need a confidence boost to believe it. Either way you are headed in a good direction, keep going. Please apply all of the above to your health too, as it might be time for a new direction with self care, which means finding something that resonates with you now instead of your familiar routine. If the Ace represents beginnings then we also have to honor what’s ending, and as we move into the new month you may have found yourself having to part ways with a long-standing cycle. Maybe you finally let go of that on-off relationship or left a job that was no longer serving you. If so then YAY, I’m proud of you. You will likely find things will suddenly move forward with a stronger velocity.

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – In close relationships watch out for a judgmental attitude just so that you can feel on top. I guess what I’m trying to say is, don’t be a pain in the ass just for the sake of it 😉 Practice fluidity with your stubbornness.

Gemini – The High Priestess

I love the journey you’re on this year Gemini. I feel you have been more in tune with your self and your intuition than ever before, and this month will be no exception. The High Priestess holds so much energy in the Tarot deck, and she is an amazing character to resonate with. It’s likely that you have made some changes in the past months to do with really getting yourself ‘together.’ By that I mean that as a Gemini we all know you can switch from this to that, and from feeling to feeling quite easily, but lately you’ve been craving a oneness, something solid and familiar, an inner home and I feel you’ve been making progress here. With this card, October will mean some more work on the balance of your subconscious. Maybe in recent months you’ve felt a little more confident in your work and relationships and now you want to curl up and redefine your inner self. I’ve been touching on self-confidence issues for everyone this month, and for you this is about learning to trust your own decisions and intuition. You are the unexpected psychic gem of the zodiac in my opinion, and always have the correct ‘feelings’ about things, which sometimes comes as a surprise to you. This card can come up if you have wildly shifted in the wrong direction recently, so if you are reading this feeling completely off balance then you are being called back to yourself. Make sure you are surrounding yourself with those whose energy supports you. Don’t feel guilty for not wanting to spend time with people who you have come to recognise lower your mood, but at the same time acknowledge why those people exist. If we are all teachers for one another, why is it that that one person gets to you? This is the kind of work you can do with this card. She is the perfect mentor to meditate with, and meditate you must. Check out this simple breathing exercise – even a couple of minutes makes a difference, promise.

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – Make sure you don’t use this energy to turn your self love switch off and start negatively judging yourself. Only good intentions for you sweet Gemini.

Cancer – The Empress

Hello lovely! We had this wonderful, nurturing card for you back in March, so you must flick your mind back to then and see if you are feeling a similar energy. There may be a lesson that still needs to be learned or a project that is completing. Last month I encouraged you to watch and wait and surrender a little. It’s likely you found some movement happening in the last couple of weeks especially, and The Empress is calling on you to remember to TAKE CARE! Now I know it’s not rude of me to say you are a fan of life beneath the duvet, and I feel right now you’d rather like to crawl there for the entire winter. Go for it! Well at least, a little. You need some TLC and The Empress brings this in, as well as balance. It’s okay to slow down a little. I know you have things to do, but you definitely feel change in the air, a recalibration even? And you know that for that to happen you need to calm the buzzing in your ear. So what to do when you feel like you can’t stop? Rest can happen in just a moments, if you let it. Know that you won’t be able to do anything at all if you get sick, stressed or overwhelmed, so a day off will actually pay for itself because of the energy boost you’ll get. This card will encourage you to find the balance everywhere, in relationships as well as in matters of work and health. Check in regularly and notice the highs and lows. Then think to yourself, who can be released, and what stresses don’t really deserve your attention? The Empress is the mother, the Earth mother, the spiritual mother, so may usher in something as simple turning the love you give to your own children (or friends) back to nurture yourself. Let others help you, surrender to moments of joy around you, and keep your eyes up with the sun and the stars. Beauty is with you and within you, so get lost in the moment, be present and believe in Love.

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – Watch out for emotional retrograde, and don’t cry over spilt milk as they say. Use the energy to close doors that should have been shut a long time ago and welcome in the new.

Leo – The Sun

How did the surrender practice go? I feel like you learned some lessons last month Leo, and now you deserve a little celebration. This will likely arrive with a renewed sense of self-confidence, and I definitely feel that roar about ready to come out. The Sun is a card representing total joy and positivity, and you’re encouraged to take those new intentions you set in September and act on them. Speak out, using your voice to spread a positive message. The difficulties of your past can be your strength this Winter, and there really is a new wave of power coming through if you let yourself really connect to life. I also feel it could be an awesome month for a detox or cleanse, to remember how your body feels in it’s natural state. You are prone to over indulging of course, so get your addiction on in the form of a positive attitude. Get totally dizzy over moving forwards and be energised by the spirits of those around you who inspire you. The Sun card always carries a little of the midas touch, and so your gab may be gifted let’s say. Energy is high and you want to get out there. You may end up packing a case and seeking this card out for real – remember travel can be physical and metaphysical, so what sun-kissed journey might you go on? This card will always link back to the inner child too, reminding us of the pure joy we arrived on the planet with, and you might want to do some work on your past to clear yourself of moments where you didn’t feel so loved. This might mean a solo journey, or experimenting with a visit to a hypnotherapist. If you can’t feel this sun energy in your life, then I encourage you to hang out with the most positive people you know. Look at their attitude to life and how they make things work for them, and don’t be too proud to attempt a change of attitude. It’s incredibly brave to start out fresh and be willing to look at things in a different way, and it’s never to late. Healing is abundant.

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – If your ‘gab is gifted’ try not to get burned out, which means balancing your work with some serious sofa time.

Virgo – Five of Wands

Another Five for you this month Virgo. This number teaches us many very ‘human’ lessons, and if last month you felt a lot of energy around financial worries then this month we are addressing your energetic and creative side. As with all the other signs, self-confidence is a factor too. I always look upon this card as a tangled up ball of wool with you in the middle pulling at all the strings, feeling it get tighter. The trick is being to step back and pause, surrender, then allow yourself to really ‘see.’ This is when you find that suddenly the space is clear. Remember this analogy if you feel this way this month. The Five of Wands brings about elements of competition and mixed messages, maybe not the perfect combination for a month with Mercury going retrograde, but I know you can keep on top of it. I feel it’s more likely that this mix up will be in your surroundings. It may feel like you’re shaking your head back and forth in the office and feeling frustrated with other people. You might be observing conflict amongst your friends or family and it could feel draining. There might be a few difficult conversations to be had, but don’t be afraid. I know that you can move forwards if you manage to articulate what is important for you. This card also brings in some change. Nothing crazy though, all you need is to be fluid and excited about something different, even if it’s a faux excitement at first! It’s time to recognising the power of your own voice, and speaking up rather than sitting back and knowing you what you have to say has value but not being quite sure how to acknowledge it. Having said that, there are elements of this month where it’s actually just going to be better for you to slither on out of there. You can sometimes put a lot of pressure on yourself Virgo and there’s really no need. It’s more a case of not paying attention to the thing that feels a bit ‘meh,’ as there are 500 positives surrounding it. Cozy up with your loved ones and enjoy your favourite season, but just remember keep moving forward, step-by-step.

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – Don’t be tempted to get involved in other peoples dramas, you have better things to focus your energy on.

Cast using the Rider Waite Tarot Deck.

www.louiseandrolia.com
@louniverse

AMELIA POWERS: HOW WE REALLY HEAL

When handbag designer and shamanic healer Amelia Powers was diagnosed with the most aggressive form of brain tumor, she rejected conventional treatment in favor of treating her cancer with CBD. Ruby Warrington hears her story. Portraits Philip Volkers.

Next Sunday, it will be 18 months to the day that Amelia Powers underwent “debulking surgery” for the aggressive brain tumour that had manifested, seemingly overnight, on March 28 2012. She had gone to bed alone that night, sobbing, “that deep, quiet crying that you don’t do very often,” upset after an argument with her then boyfriend. Waking in the middle of the night with what felt like a migraine coming on, she discovered, to her distress, that she had vomited in her sleep.

The sickness persisted, along with the headache, both of which she attributed to the “migraine.” It wasn’t until she woke up in an emergency room in Bologna, where she had travelled on business for her luxury, bespoke handbag line (despite having difficulty reading the departures board at the airport) a few days later, that the full force of what might be happening to her hit. Confused and alone, she travelled home to face the worst possible prognosis – this was a grade three anaplastic astrocytoma, the most dangerous form of brain cancer, from which the median survival time – with treatment – is 18 months.

And yet, here we are on Skype, where we have been meeting regularly across time zones since March this year, for me to document her story, and; “there’s nothing wrong with me!” she cries. “I do the Royal Ballet workout every day, I eat no meat, sugar, wheat or dairy. No alcohol. My body is rocking. I was told 100 percent I would die from this, but I feel in perfect health, perfect alignment. I feel…” she drags a hand through her shiny black hair, cropped short after her first round of chemo “…beautiful. According to them, I should be at death’s door.

Instead, she is up late, preparing to display her latest collection of handbags in the window at Fenwicks for London Fashion Week – alongside names like Rupert Sanderson, Preen and Richard Nicoll. The bags are starting to really take off, but; “I just want them to be a platform so I can talk about this,” she turns her head to show me the bald patch she refuses to cover up. “I want to be able to talk about how we really heal.”

Because, having repeatedly refused further chemotherapy and radiation to treat her illness, Powers is the latest figurehead in a groundswell movement towards alternative therapies for cancer. In the States, “cancer thriver” Kris Carr has built a mini empire on her story (she is winning her fight against a rare strain of liver and lung cancer through diet alone), while here in the UK Lord Saatchi presented the House of Lords with his Medical Innovation Bill in December last year. Following the sudden death of his wife Josephine Hart from ovarian cancer, he described chemotherapy as “medieval, degrading and ineffective”, and wants doctors to have the choice to offer alternatives.

At present (speaking about his wife); “what you have is a situation where a woman is first tortured and then dies. Why? Because that is what’s required by law.” Not that it’s the doctors’ fault. “Everybody’s doing their level best. But they are inhibited by the prospect of a trial if something goes wrong.” This despite the fact that one doctor admitted to him that an estimated one in 10 people are killed by their cancer treatment.

Powers says she knew “their way” would kill her after one round of chemo. “My skin crawled like it was alive. I lost my hair, had two epileptic reactions. They also put me on steroids because my brain was swelling through my skull.” Met with only more of the same from her doctors, she decided to seek her own alternative. “I found a video on the Huffington Post of a man whose eight-month-old had the same tumour as me. He had treated it with Cannabis oil, and the tumour shrank in four months. Side effects? All it did was make her sleepy.”

More internet research led her to a man she calls the “Wizard of Woodacre,” a 70-year-old healer based in California manufacturing the cannabinoid tincture CBD (the psychoactive constituent THC has been removed) which she’s been taking daily since. Over email, her “Wizard” explains the legality of what they are doing; “In the State of California it’s legal. However, it to the Feds it remains a schedule 1 drug, in the same category as heroin – and supposedly with no medicinal value. Hopefully I’m a small enough operation that I’m under their radar.”

With over 500 clients, including one 37-year-old oncologist, the Wizard says inquiries rocketed after Sanjay Gupta’s CNN documentary on medicinal marijuana aired last month. He has faith that his treatment – which is harvested and blessed in the light of the full moon – “we work on an energetic and spiritual level in addition, and give thanks to the spirit of the plants in the Native American tradition” – will be made legal in his lifetime.

On a very practical level, nutrition is coming to be seen as key in cancer treatment – and prevention. On the Wizard’s recommendation, Powers has switched to a completely alkaline diet, while Laura Bond, who’s blog, Mum’s Not Having Chemo, is being made into a book that’s out in November, says that all her research has shown quitting dairy to be “the final piece in the healing puzzle” for many people. Having interviewed over 60 experts around the world for the book; “sugar and dairy are known as the ‘cancer accelerators.’ Your doctor won’t necessarily tell you that, which really shocked me, but it’s just not in their remit.”

“It can be difficult, because most physicians do not have specialist knowledge of alternative medicines and so may not feel able to supervise,” says Professor Susan Short, one of the few oncologists who would talk to me for this piece (Powers’ own doctors declined to comment). Again, this leads to “fear of litigation,” says Bond – meaning it’s safer to stick to the company line, despite the fact; “the standard treatments we offer are not as effective as we’d like,” admits Short.

She thinks only around five percent of patients refuse chemotherapy, and that while “alternatives provide hope for a better outcome, few have proven benefit. But this approach can make patients feel more in control.” And yet, as ever, she wants me to know that “the agents we use offer the best known approaches to treatment.” People like Powers and her Wizard would disagree. “About 25 percent of my clients have complete healing, 40 percent a moderate healing. These are approximate numbers, but I think they are better than the numbers for most chemo treatments.”

Of course, very limited clinical trials into medicinal marijuana have been done. Conversely, according to Cancer Research in the UK, any type of chemotherapy is tested for ten years minimum before it’s used on patients, while they also point out that the reason clinical trials of medicinal marijuana are limited is because its effectiveness can’t be proven.

But after an MRI back in April appeared to show that her tumour had been stabilized (i.e. there had been no further growth) Amelia was positively floored by her doctor’s reaction; “her answer was, ‘if you’re not going to take our treatment, then please carry on with what you’re doing. I’m really sorry that I can’t give this to you’.” In her eyes, this represented a major victory.

But when a further scan, in July this year, suggested that perhaps there might have been some growth, the prognosis left her reeling. “My doctor said; ‘in our opinion the chemo and radiotherapy didn’t work. But we think you should have a proper go with it.’ Here I am, with my hair gone, my teeth in a mess, periods which are just coming back. They all agree with me – the chemo is palliative. He even admitted; ‘Most patients chose it because they panic’.” Rather than upset, she seemed angry. “In hospital all I hear is negatives; ‘this isn’t working, it’s growing, you are not going to live from this, nobody does, we can’t do anything for you, we don’t know what to do…What the hospitals offer isn’t healing – it’s fear.”


Watch Amelia’s video diary. By Charles Bayliss.

Following an abusive 14-year marriage, Amelia has done extensive research into the theory of quantum healing – in simpler terms, the power of positive thinking. And this represents another important aspect to what she is still convinced is her recovery (she has decided against any more MRIs, preferring to base her decisions going forward on how she feels). Working with the Shamanic healer Wendy Salter (“I call her my Yoda”), she has developed her own connection with spirit and says she has undergone deep energetic healing of this and past lives to try and treat the root cause of what she believes now has been a self-inflicted illness.

“I know that this was my body’s reaction to the negative emotion from my marriage, as well as unresolved issues with my family. My brain exploded from it,” she states. And it was only finding the strength to contact her ex-husband (“I hadn’t spoken to him since I walked out”) and send a “stream on consciousness” plea to her family to stop sweeping their issues under the carpet (“they have since all started coming forward”) that she feels the deep healing that needed to happen has begun. “I need love to heal,” she tells me, awash with emotion. “And what I’ve also realised is that this love is in ME. It’s not the love that comes from a man. Here I am, alone at 40, no children, dealing with all this, and I feel like I’ve found…nirvana.”

And it obvious to me that the woman I have come to know in some ways intimately over the past six months, embodies her next statements fully; “I’m not afraid of anything. I’ve accepted death. I don’t know how long I’ve got, but I’m at peace with that, I’m not in a desperate place.”

When Laura Bond was doing the research for her book, she found several common traits among the people who had managed to beat cancer on their terms – the ability to overcome the fear around death and dying being one of them. “Which is easier said than done,” she admits. “There are practical steps, like mindfulness, being rooted in the present and not getting caught up in catastrophic thoughts about the future. Also, being out in nature, where you always feel part of a bigger picture.” She also found one doctor who told her that the simple faith that what they were doing was working “creates a sense of relaxation, and that’s when healing occurs. If you’re living in a place of fear, being pumped full of adrenalin and cortisol, these conditions just aren’t conducive to healing.”

Essentially, many of the alternative therapies people are experimenting with (and let us never forget that this is only experimentation, a personal choice, taking your life in your own hands), are not about the same “military measures” we find in hospitals. More often, it becomes a case of learning to live with cancer, but to build up the immune system to manage it – the opposite of chemotherapy, where the immune system is destroyed along with the malignant cells, to be rebuilt again.

This also means that many of these measures – from changes in diet, to the massive doses of vitamins that help some people find relief – can also been seen as preventative measures. “Cancer is presented to us as such a shot in the dark,” says Bond, “but there are so many thing you can do to lessen the risk – meaning your genes don’t have to determine your destiny.”

Last week, the morning after our last Skype session, Powers sent me a text message; “Bergdorf’s and Neiman Marcus want to buy my bags. Guess I will be seeing you in New York!” And I remember the other thing that linked all Laura Bond’s cancer thrivers. “It’s unbelievable the pressure people have been put under, and so a lot of survivors share a tendency to rock the boat. They were unafraid to question what the doctors were telling them, and not be intimidated.” To the doctors who want to tell Powers there’s no proof what she’s doing will work, that there’s no way she’ll be coming to visit; “they also told me I shouldn’t be here now. So I’m your proof, aren’t I?”

This story also appears in the UK Sunday Times Style magazine.

www.ameliapowers.com
@Amelia_Powers

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this piece are those of the people quoted. Do not seek an alternative course of treatment for cancer or any other illness without first consulting your physician.