Marcy Calhoun, author of Are You Too Serious, and her new book, Do You Really Have A Choice, a regular at New Renaissance Bookshop for many years is returning to Portland and NRB after several years. Her first book helped many begin to look at their ultra-sensitivity in new ways beginning to see it as the gift it is. Her new book helps us look at the symbology of each event in our lives and the meaning of each symbol.

Connie: In your new book you talk about symbology. How did you start working with symbols?

Marcy: Even at the beginning, 30 years ago, symbology was in my face. I always understood that things were there for a reason. I might have three Sally's in a week or have three clients with steering wheel problems and I began to understand that each of these was a symbol for me and for them.

Connie: How do I know which symbols are important?

Marcy: You need to pay attention to the symbols that repeat or are so strong you can't ignore them. Over the years my clients have trained me about symbology. They might say, "Why have I had this happen five times?" and I tell them to look at it. The more times, the stronger the message gets. Symbology is fun and can help you grow.

Connie: Personal symbology is interesting but it makes me think about those who say "I'm just one person. I can't have an effect." If you are one person and you meditate for peace on the planet, it puts healing energy out there.

Marcy: Yes, you must do your spiritual practice: music, a walk in the woods or meditating on a bench in the midst of a city. It creates that sense of purpose or presence. Doing what each person does well, spending 5, 20 minutes, or an hour with your spiritual practice will change the world--it already has. Look at the spiritual movement--all beliefs. They are all following their own practice.

Connie: What do you address in your talks?

Marcy: I start with "Symbology, Why Bother?" Some people think it's too difficult, so why bother. I teach people by using the simple symbols like those on the book cover. I also work to familiarize people with the symbols in their lives.

• Brake problems--look at boundary issues.
• Keys are to open something, so if you lose your office key you have lost the key or insight into your job; your house key, you have lost the insight into your home or family. If you lose someone else's key, you are leading someone else astray.
• Doors that won't stay closed are another boundary issue.
• It's also important where something happens:
• the kitchen is where you nourish yourself
• the bathroom is about cleansing and elimination
• the bedroom is about intimacy and rest; the living
• room is about how you live your life
• the front porch and yard is about the external,
• public world
• the back yard is about the private world
• the garage is about where you keep your vehicle which represents your career, health, freedom, finances.

Connie: When I was just beginning to work with symbology, I had old, ill working cars. A friend said look at your car as your physical body. What's going on with that car reflects what's going on with you. Later I realized that I was always scared that something would happen and I'd lose my mobility.

Marcy: I have a friend who couldn't open the driver's side door for a while. This symbolized that she was the passenger side--not being in control. Sometimes the key would open the driver's door for a couple days and then not. Another thing to look at is if you are the driver of the car the symbology is 80% yours and 20% for the passenger, who still has a part to play.

My family had five years of work with cracked windshields: 13 cracked windshields in 3 cars. Our message was that what we thought was protecting us, 'our windshield', was not protecting us against the elements that were coming. And it was very true. We had legal advice and trusted this but were not protected.

Symbology can be so helpful and handy. People don't have to go into this any deeper than they want or need to. I want the person who is just starting to be able to pick up my book and easily find the symbols they need. So I use graphs. It was also important that there be an index in my book.

Connie: Symbology is used to tell us about how we need to change and what is wrong in our lives, but another way to look at symbology is how things DO work.

Marcy: Yes, yes! There are hundreds of positive symbols: hitting every green light, thinking I should call someone and there's a message from that person when I get home, or all of the appliances that work wonderfully. There are hundreds of positive symbols and gifts every day. In my book I have dealt mainly with obstacles, but I want people to see the wonderful positive symbols, too. We have many more blessings in our lives than obstacles.

Connie: And one of the positive symbols is that you are coming back to Portland. Thank you for taking this time to talk to me.

Marcy: I'm so looking forward to being there. It's like coming home.

Marcy Calhoun will be at New Renaissance Bookshop on Friday, July 14 at 7:30 pm. She will also be available for private consultations. Call 503-224-4929 for information. Connie Hill works at New Renaissance Bookshop and is a local astrologer. She can be reached at 503-291-8229 ext. 2 or gmnite@yahoo.com.