What is the easiest way to recreate yourself?
Online of course. Sometimes this doesn't mean much in a real-time lifestyle sort of way and sometimes it does. Sometimes our online persona bleeds through to our everyday reality. Sometimes it is even a starting point of sorts.
Case in point? This blog.
I began this blog in 2010 following a series of spiritual events that did not quite fit in with my everyday experience. All of that began, as so many things do, with a dream.
This dream was no ordinary dream. It was complex and vivid and remarkably coherent. It was also indescribably, overwhelming and unforgettably beautiful! Waking up from that dream I knew that something important had happened but it would take time for me to understand just what that something was.
When my everyday experience began to echo the events of the dream, however, the pieces began to fall into place and my spiritual journey began to gather momentum.
I was, and to some degree still am, alone on that path. And if there is any one reason why I started this blog - that was it. I wasn't happy in world where no one understood my journey, so I decided to share what I was learning here - and I kept sharing, week in and week out, right up to the present day. Doing that changed me and at certain points it was necessary for the blog to change, too.
I have changed the look and focus of the blog several times. This is my newest recreation. Let me know what you think!
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How do we navigate the cold and the increasing darkness winter brings?
By welcoming the energy of this incredible season into our lives! And this is what I resolved to do earlier this month when I wrote my Embracing the Seasons: 7 Steps to a Better Winter post.
I began with Step 7 (bring a bit of nature indoors) and added a branch of evergreen to my altar. I've kept that going by adding a small pot of Morning Glory seeds and a freshly repotted Jade plant to that same space. Later today, I'm going to take a walk and find a new nature item to put there as well.
In this post, however, I wanted to talk about Step 6 (Break Up Stale Energy) because that is a big one for me.
My house is perpetually under construction and I toggle between remodeling, organizing, and cleaning as best I can. It's balancing act and isn't unusual for this delicate balance to skew - sometimes quite markedly - in the wrong direction.
We use our homes for so many things and they can become the repository of so much stuff! In my case I have boxes in the kitchen (waiting for a home in the new cabinets which are yet to built), paint removal supplies and drop clothes in the front hall, a home office that is rapidly approach the I-can't-see-the-top-of-my-desk stage and a closet I don't even want to discuss.
Some of this is unavoidable, right now, but a lot of it is not. Changing what you can change is an important step in the direction of transformation. One of my main goals right now is to transform my home. So it is really important for me to look at the things that I can do today.
I don't know if I can complete my remodeling goals this season but I can clear and revitalize my space, allowing the element of air to flow freely from one end of the house to the next. And for the next two days, this is my mission. I'll be reading Denise Linn's wonderful book "Sacred Space: Clearing and Enhancing the Energy of Your Home
" in my spare time and I will be posting before and after pics (I think).
" in my spare time and I will be posting before and after pics (I think).
Perhaps because I'm a fire sign, on the cusp of an earth sign, with a moon sign and ascendant ruled by water - the element of air is my favorite element. And I love winter and the clear, cold current of inspiration that so easily can overtake us at this time of year.
My goal is to let that current flow. Wishing all of you that same wonderful energy!
When I as a child in Michigan, I loved the snow.
Growing up in 1960s, without the benefit of game consoles or computers or cable TV, we found everything we needed in our own imaginations and the vivid, brilliant magic of the natural world.
We accepted that world however it came - donning slickers for the rain and layers of wool and nylon for the snow. In winter we built snow forts and snowmen and skated on frozen ponds until the early darkness fell. We were not impervious to weather but we possessed a hardiness that I no longer own.
At 57, I find that I have a mixed response to winter. I do love the first snowfall but the second and third and fourth days of that snowfall don't always excite me. My skiing days are behind me. I don't care for shoveling or for icy roads. There are days when I find our Northeast PA weather challenging and enjoy the cozy comfort of my home.
To degree this attitude is understandable. In winter our homes become our refuge in the northern climates. They protect us from the cold and the wind and the bone-chilling dampness of ice and snow. But this is not entirely good. The energy of our interior space isn't continual replenished by the elements - as is the atmosphere outside.
Behind our closed doors and windows the air is still and dry and the earth outside is often covered. Our connection to the elements and the important energies they provide is tenuous at best. And, to varying degrees, we all need these energies.
For some of us our emotional, physical and spiritual well-being depends upon our relationship to the natural world and the resonant energy it supplies. I am one of those people, and I do my best to connect with the elements at this time of year in two important ways.
The first is to bring the elements inside and into our awareness. Suggestions on doing that can be found below. Keep in mind that these are ideas I am developing and working with right now and I will updating you on my progress through the coming weeks!
Air We can invite the element of air by cracking the windows when we clean - if only for a few minutes - at least once a day. Because air is an element of motion, it enjoys a clear path. This can be provided by keeping our inner space clean and organized throughout the winter months.
When we are done cleaning, we can honor the element of air by burning incense and taking a moment to appreciate the movement of this element's revitalizing current. We may also choose to feed the creatures of the air by keeping our bird feeders stocked.
When we are done cleaning, we can honor the element of air by burning incense and taking a moment to appreciate the movement of this element's revitalizing current. We may also choose to feed the creatures of the air by keeping our bird feeders stocked.
Water We can get in touch with the element of water in several different ways. Long winter baths work well, as does drinking plenty of clear, fresh water. Most of us tend to drink less water in the winter and this is just as detrimental now as it is in the summer.
We might also consider introducing a water element into our interior space. I am considering a small aquarium but will probably settle for a simple bowl of water filled with colored stones and floating candles. We might also make an effort to keep the birdbath free of ice as much as possible so that the birds can take a drink when the weather is dry.
We might also consider introducing a water element into our interior space. I am considering a small aquarium but will probably settle for a simple bowl of water filled with colored stones and floating candles. We might also make an effort to keep the birdbath free of ice as much as possible so that the birds can take a drink when the weather is dry.
Earth Earth can be brought into our homes directly in form of potted plants which have the added advantage of radiating the living energy of growth. If you have an herb garden, as I do, consider bringing some of the plants indoor for the winter. I didn't act fast enough this year to bring in my parsley, oregano, thyme and mint but I did save the rosemary and have two beautiful plants wintering in my kitchen. Next year I'll have space for the rest!
Additionally, we can remember the creatures of the earth by leaving food outside for the squirrels, rabbits, stray cats and other animals struggling in the cold.
Additionally, we can remember the creatures of the earth by leaving food outside for the squirrels, rabbits, stray cats and other animals struggling in the cold.
Fire Last, but never least! In this season of increasing darkness fire and light are essential for our well-being. And, surprisingly despite our cold weather dependency upon the element of fire, it is increasingly taken for granted.
Thanks to electricity, we have light whenever we want it. Through the ready abundance of fuel, most of us are warm from the beginning of the season to the end. We might not give the element of fire a lot of thought - at least not until we get our our heating bill - but it does come at a price (to both our pocketbooks and our planet). This price must be paid, however, because, in winter, fire guarantees our survival.
Electricity and central heating have made our lives more comfortable but they have also allowed us to become less aware (and appreciative) of the heat and light the element of fire offers. To offset this, we can choose to really immerse ourselves in our respective festivals of light and to light a candle every night to honor the lifesaving element of light.
But I promised a second way of connecting to the elements. What is this second way, you may ask. Open the door and go outside!
You don't have to stay out there long but you will find, as I did this morning, that it's the getting out that's hard and that time spent outside is incredibly revitalizing.
And the best part is, that once you're outside, you don't have to DO anything to experience the elements. They are all waiting. The air is wet with tiny molecules of ice and snow and it is always moving. The earth is solid underneath our feet. And far away in a gray sky, a pale winter sun is shining.
Ideas come easily in this season of air. And this morning, as I shoveled a narrow path down to the street, I was inspired to write this post and to put the things I've discussed here to work in my own experience of the season.
This year, I have resolved to make the best of winter. I resolve to dress warmly. To build up my tolerance of cold. To clear my inner space and honor each element in turn. By doing so I honor not only the elements in their season but the energy of life.
May you do the same <3
For more on making the most of this incredible season please see: Embracing the Seasons: 7 Steps to a Better Winter
For more on making the most of this incredible season please see: Embracing the Seasons: 7 Steps to a Better Winter
The snow started to fall here in Northeast PA on Wednesday morning and continued through the day, covering the garden, and softening the untended edges of the yard. The woods behind the house filled with snow and the path that leads up the hill was buried. And I was glad to see it.
I love the changing seasons and the rhythm our circling earth supplies. But I know that each season brings its own unique set of opportunities and challenges and that this is especially true of winter.
For me, winter is a time of clarity
and inspiration. A time of creativity and deep thought and blinding illumination. Winter opens the mind to new things, things we would have never thought of in other softer seasons, things that can put the whole rest of the year into a meaningful perspective.
But winter is a time of limitation, too. Those of us living in the colder climates may feel hemmed in by snow or cold or icy roads. We might not get outside as much as we would like and even when we do go out - the days end early. This can affect us in many different ways and some of us may struggle to keep our spirits high.
I have found that the best way to keep my spirits up is by celebrating the unique energies of this very special season. Here are a few tips that have helped me:
- Honor your intellect. Learn something new. Turn off the TV. Pick up a book. Learn a language. Research a topic. Fill the long nights with learning.
- Stimulate your creativity. Pick a winter project. Make candles or cookies or learn a brand new craft. Write a short story, start a novel or a painting, redesign your blog or website, or redecorate your home.
- Seek inner illumination. Learn something new about yourself. Start a journal. Meditate. Record your dreams. Record your tarot readings or psychic sessions. Reflect on your discoveries and the ways you can apply that insight in the coming year.
- Chase the sun. Go outside when the sun is shining or anytime it's snowing. Walk your dog, do some winter gardening or take a social media pic and inspire others. Tell yourself yourself you can come in whenever you are ready. Odds are you'll stay a while (it's the getting out that's hard).
- Bring the light indoors. Use candles and brightly colored lights at night. Open the curtains throughout the day. Rethink your window treatments.
- Break up stale energy. Crack the windows when you clean whenever that is possible. Clear clutter. Make a giveaway bag (and then give it away). Keep things neat.
- Bring a bit of nature into your home before the holiday season. Buy a plant. Cut a bit of evergreen and put it on your altar or in any prominent location.
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| Wednesday Morning: my herb garden in the process of being cover up by snow. |
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| Rosemary saved in the nick of time. |
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| Hill behind our house just as the snow was starting. |
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It's funny how things happen. Less than a week ago, I was ready to give up on this blog - which probably doesn't sound like a big deal to the average, or casual, blogger.
Cyber space is littered with orphaned blogs, after all, and most ordinary people (or dilettante bloggers) aren't especially troubled by that sad reality.
But I haven't been a dilettante blogger. I have been a two or three times a week for four years at the same blogspot url blogger. And my blog has become part of who I am.
So why would I quit?
Several reasons actually. But the main one was burnout.
My blog, at its best, was informational AND experiential. Sometimes that experience came from books but more often it came through doing things - taking psychic development classes, studying with the spiritualists, running various groups, reading cards for others. Doing those things changed me but there was a certain amount of weight to doing them as well.
I decided that I might scale back a bit on the doing and focus more on the writing. Writing helped me learn, helped me focus, helped me stay on track. It held me accountable, yes, but it helped me understand my personal spiritual experience, as well. Writing led to insights and those insights beamed right back into my conscious awareness from the eureka moment magic of my computer screen.
I decided to keep blogging on October 23rd, 2014 but only if I could do it on my terms.
As it happened, this October 23rd was an auspicious day. It was the day of the solar eclipse. The day that the sun and the moon sailed into Scorpio together. The day that the new moon was born in a sign that looms large in my chart. I decided to get a real dotcom and redesign the blog.
As I worked on the site, I searched for a new blog name, brainstormed with those who were close to me, made lists and charts and name maps and sketches. I spent hours searching for available domains on GoDaddy where each dotcom I looked at was worse than the one before. MysticReview.com was taken. Of course.
I didn't give up but I was really, really beginning to want to. I was struggling. Struggling not only with blog names and templates, but with bigger things to - like my decision to be writer, and the entire trajectory of my personal journey in spirit. As I struggled, however, something interesting started to happen. I started to learn things about blogging - things I probably should have figured out a long time ago.
I learned, for example, that I could point my old blogspot URL at any dot com without resetting anything. I learned that blogger blogs could have menus just like websites and that my best posts didn't have to be buried. I learned that cool templates were available for 21 dollars if you could make them work on your own. I learned that my blog could be saved and how it could be saved and, in some instances, I learned these things almost immediately before I was about to make that might have been the virtual death of my blog.
As the days passed other non-blogging things began to fall into place. I realized that I loved the mystery of earth and sky just as much as I loved the mystery of spirit, that I liked ancient wisdom more than I liked new, that looking in was better than looking up, and that I had reached a place where I was no longer exploring mystical information. Instead, I was beginning to live it.
As I did, I realized that experiencing things isn't about going out there to do things. It's about what happens in between those things.
The truth is - real transformation isn't about doing at all. Real transformation is about energy. The energy that knocks things over and out of our way, the energy that helps us find the tools that we need most, the energy that shows us just how to apply what we have learned. This is the energy that helps us rebuild. This is the energy that makes the things that we build stand up all by themselves.
The truth is - real transformation isn't about doing at all. Real transformation is about energy. The energy that knocks things over and out of our way, the energy that helps us find the tools that we need most, the energy that shows us just how to apply what we have learned. This is the energy that helps us rebuild. This is the energy that makes the things that we build stand up all by themselves.
This energy is there for us, of course, but we in we have to learn connect with it. And in the time between the new Moon in Scorpio and its sextile with Neptune, I learned how to ride the great wave of personal change.
And then, on day 28, I searched for my domain again and found it waiting. I checked my spelling three times. I felt my heart thumping as I added MysticReview.com to my cart. And I took that small miracle as a sign that what I'm building here will stand.
But I didn't stop. The energy was still flowing and I let it move me along.
Today is day 30 and I am just starting to put it all together or maybe, more correctly, starting to let it all fall into place. I have a new template which is still just a bit buggy but it has opened up the blog, making all those old half forgotten posts much easier to find.
There is more to do, of course. Designing. Updating. Defining. And building. But the true power is not in those things. The true power is inside, in the place that real magic happens. And incredibly, joyously AND magically that process is ongoing.
My advice to the creative person looking to redefine and revitalize their creative identity? Think about where you are and give yourself the space to discover just where you'd like to be. Set your intention at the right point in time. Honor the process that is unfolding. Trust in the universe. Do the groundwork. And believe in the magic!
Today on the equinox, day and night are equal. But that isn't going to last. The days are getting shorter. Winter is on its way. Today I saw a hawk flying in the most vivid of blue skies. Two crows called - a winter sound if I ever heard one. Life is always moving. Always on its way to something else. But there is something to be said for the moment, even as it passes.
Today I realized that I always think of autumn in the context of a world on its way to winter. For me that is not a bad thing - at least not entirely. Winter is an uncomfortable season here in Northeastern PA but it is a beautiful one as well and it has a depth to it that other seasons lack. Still this time, this season should be important in its own right and I should honor it as such.
So today I sat out side and thought about the turning trees, the falling leaves, the woodland debris on its way to becoming earth. Summer seeding the land in a different sort of way. Not sprouting but preparing. Today the sky was blue and the sun was bright and I sat outside with my journal and mapped out a new course.
This course includes more time out of doors and I intend to honor that commitment through the cold months and into spring. As always I will blog about it <3
I'm currently taking a fascinating course on Astral Projection (Astral Projection Practical Intensive) and wanted to share a bit on my progress. We are currently in Session 3 and, while I have not projected as of yet, I do feel I'm progressing.
The course is given by OBE expert Robert Bruce. It utilizes Robert ebook (free on his site at AstralDynamics.com) as well as the Hemi-Sync astral projection meditation CDs/MP3s produced by Robert Monroe. Each session begins with several videos, as well as some text and recommended reading on the new material, and assigns a new and very specific level of astral practice.
All practices include daily energy work followed by the Hemi-Sync Meditation. I am now using the second (or condition A) MP3 meditation and have been having some interesting
experiences. These include lots of tingling sensations, occasional feelings of expansion, and a
few visions. The visions have been interesting because they have been consistent. I have seen archways, tunnels, roads, paths and a kind of moving tunnel where it appeared that I was rocketing through space with energy streaming by on either side.
My current challenge is that I'm going very deep in trance with the meditations and losing my awareness at times - though I don't really feel like I'm falling asleep. Yesterday I lost awareness and then became aware of being around people - which made me feel that I was dreaming. In the dream, I was yelling "I want to fly" over and over. :) I did used to fly in dreams but haven't done so for some time. Seems I might have missed it.
I feel very alert when I come back from these episodes of lost awareness (or checking / clicking out), not sleepy at all. What worried me was the memory loss. I was concerned that I might be missing actual OBE activity or rather failing to remember it. Robert believes we all astral project in dreams (for more on Robert's teachings please check out his interview on this topic here Astral Projection with Robert Bruce - affiliate link) and that the real challenge is to remember it.
One of the great things about this course (and all the Glide Wing
courses) is the forum component. In it the instructor responds to
questions on the material. In a course like this is incredibly helpful. Because of my concerns, I posted my problem with awareness in the forum.
Robert got back to me immediately. He said that these were good signs and that success should not be too far away. He also recommended several things which I'm going to put into effect today. They include:
- Increasing my slight discomfort level by using a hard backed chair against the wall with a small pillow to support my neck (and small footstool if needed).
- Restarting the CD if I do check / click out and repeating the meditation.
- Getting adequate sleep.
- Continuing my practice daily.
Robert also has been encouraging me to utilize daily affirmations which he believes in whole-heatedly (more on that in the interview). This isn't hard because I really do believe that I will successfully project provided I stick with it.
I am getting so much out of this course! I am also thrilled that when it ends I can be part of Robert's free community (Astral Dynamics Forum) and receive the support of others. There is even a new special area for graduates of the course which I am really looking forward to joining!
I'm planning to begin Robert Bruce's 90 day program Mastering Astral Projection next week. In order to do this, I've decided to create the space Robert talks about in the book.
I have a small space in my office which I use for meditation and
journaling. My plan is to that spot, equipping it with a recliner as
suggested in Robert's book.
This space will be perfect both for my
astral exploration, and my soul writing, which I've decided to begin
again in earnest.
Last weekend I picked up a $10 recliner at an estate sale. My project for next weekend is to fit it into my office!
I'm also thrilled to announce that Robert Bruce will be appearing on my
radio show on Wednesday August 27th.
I will be working with Robert's book Mastering Astral Projection (affiliate link) as well as the Mastering Astral Projection CD Companion and reporting on my progress.
Friday was the fourth birthday of my old friend, this blog. The blog was born on the same day as I was - August 22. It was inspired by my need to focus on anything really which at that point in time happened to be New Age spirituality.
The blog made a difference in my life. It listened when no one else could. Never judging. Always available. And it did, indeed, help me focus. Over time, it became a bridge between my steadily expanding world and a long list of others. The blog led me to books and courses and workshops and people. It allowed me to share what I was learning and in so doing in some small part repay the debt I owed others - for the wisdom they so freely shared with me.
The blog became a channel for my own spiritual experience and it in turn helped me to define that experience. As I followed that current I learned things I did not expect to learn. And that continues till this day. Finally, I think, it has led me back to the place I most need to be.
I was poet when I was young and then, for the most part, life took over. In the late nineties and early 2000s however things changed. I wrote a series of manuscripts. Born of my own strong need to escape disappointment and personal tragedy they were wild, impassioned and ultimately flawed - though not perhaps irretrievably. But the writing of them taught me a few things about the craft writing. And my work here has taught me too.
I am now following the wisdom of another not so New Age writer, Ray Bradbury. He was born on August 22nd and his writing is sharp and poetic and filled with passion. Perhaps because we share a birthday, his writing method appeals to me and I have promised myself that I will take the advice he gives in Zen in the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity and write 1000 non-blog words per day.
These words and the time it takes to write them have to come from somewhere and I may be cutting back on things. Less workshops. Less radio episodes. Less down time. But I will still be here every week for as long as I can type, paying my debt to those who have inspired me and those who care to read what I have written - and to my old friend The Mystic Review as well.
Last week I participated in a guided meditation in a course that I am taking. And I wanted to write about that experience even though it does not fit in here in the way I'd like.
The course is given by author of Writing Down Your Soul, Janet Connor. It is call Plug in for Writer's and I recommend it highly. During this, our third class, Janet lead us through a meditation aimed at removing blockages impeding our creative flow. We were to imagine each blockage as a rock. As Janet guided as gently through the meditation, I found a rock at each and every chakra. My rocks were made of different material. Each was a different shape, size and color.
At my first chakra, I found hematite. At my second an elongated piece of slate. At my third and fourth a sort of chalk. At my fifth a black rock, very like the deep dark and always slightly iridescent anthracite coal which is everywhere here in Northeast PA. At my sixth chakra small rusty shards. At my seventh a small gray stone of no particular type.
At felt a wonderful sense of release during the meditation but I also felt that there was more work to be done. That night I had two interesting experiences during sleep. In the first, I woke up to a voice speaking quietly but very clearly inside my head (as often happens to me at night). It said, "We couldn't remove all. Some are gone. And some are changed." I wrote down the message and went back to sleep and began to dream.
In the dream, I was thrilled to have been given a box that held a litter of new born wolf pups. Or so I thought. When I got home however I discovered that the box did not hold the actual puppies but a collection of soon to be hatched wolf eggs instead. Each egg had a different shape and size and, as I remember, there were five of them. Several of the eggs were round and rock-like - but I was quite sure that they were eggs nonetheless.
I was worried sick that the eggs might not hatch but in the end they did. Three of the egg-rocks yielded ducklings. One broke and I didn't see anything inside. I was happy to have ducks but still disappointed that there were no wolves. And then the last egg opened. Inside was a tiny perfect coal black wolf and I loved that wolf immediately.
I carried the tiny wolf everywhere with me in the dream and as I did it grew into a beautiful and affectionate animal with a variegated coat of brown and tan.
There's more to the dream than that but I wanted to comment here on the message which I am quite sure concerned the meditation I'd participated in earlier that day - and the symbolism of the dream. The rock-eggs were like the rocks I encountered in Janet's meditation. The coal black wolf paralleled my third chakra rock. Black rock. Black wolf. And now a third black to complete the circuit.
When I was nineteen, I left home for fifth or sixth or seventh time. My family had long since given up on stopping me, if they had ever really tried at all. I was living on my own for some time at that point but I liked to keep my parents updated. In the name of doing that, I met mother one rainy afternoon in a coffee shop on the main street of a town which I have, in an unexpected way, come back to. I told her I was leaving and I tried to tell her why.
The reasons, then and now, were murky. I was passionate about poetry in those days and I wanted to garner the experiences of a great writer. My mother didn't understand that, or perhaps she did, but I felt more misunderstood after that meeting than I had before. I sat in the old-fashioned vinyl and Formica booth long after she had left, writing poetry on a series of paper napkins. Pieced together they became this poem.
Pittston, On Leaving (1979)
There's nothing for me here. Only rain
and streets of wet magnesium.
These hundred panes are filled with a watery yellow light
but the corners of the shop are webbed with shadow.
There should be carriages and gas-lights here
but there is only a maroon and gold awning
out there across the street.
The tiny window panes run with rain, blur the words,
whatever words
glisten up above that awning.
Plate glass windows and clothes behind:
Kresge's yellow-purple cotton housecoats,
old display cases, nineteen-forties styles,
and everything looks so old.
My face, these shops, slip along grey-hound windows
lost their hold
and vanish.
Plans forgotten before the coffee's cold.
Promises I cannot forget.
And you within your distance.
Tomorrow is waiting in a shipping crate,
one more highway, one more home.
I can't stop now.
So this time it's Miami, because there's no place left
I haven't been
I take what was me in two-fisted filthy chunks
and wrench it out.
I am quite sure that those chunks, however awkward poetically, were black. Black as Northeast PA coal and blocked fifth chakra centers and the dark-bright promise of a newborn wolf. And I am equally sure that removing them was not as simple as I imagined. There is, I suspect, a message in all of that.
One last thing. Several years ago I had an odd and somewhat disturbing reading at a psychic fair. I was beaten down by life a bit that day, that year, that decade. And the reader I paid to hear that I was a phoenix or a swan told me I was a wolf instead. My immediate reaction was that I did not want to be a wolf at all. That I wanted to be something beautiful and transformational and winged. The reader saw that I wasn't pleased but he stuck to his assessment. "Some people are birds and some are sheep," he said firmly. "But you're a wolf, my dear. Whether you want to be or not."
Wolves are brave animals, both alone and in a pack, and I suspect that that was part of it. I didn't want to be brave then - or even really now. But the truth was that I was already brave whether I wanted to admit to it or not. I was brave at 15 or 17 or 19 - packing up my little VW bug to head out for parts unknown. I was braver still in the years that followed as I battled bad luck, tragedy and loss.
But there is a kind of bravery I still don't want - an owning of things which I would like to finish and be done with - even and especially because it seems I never will be. I want to write about the light and yet, despite my best efforts, I find myself pulled back to the dark stories and changing metaphors of fiction. Some things cannot be taken out, I am reminded. But I've yet to discover how they will be transformed.
I have been looking for an appealing Celtic, Earth themed tarot deck for some time and have finally found it in the Druid Craft Tarot Deck.
I will say at the outset that this deck does have some full frontal nudity so it may not be the best deck for psychic fairs or
appropriate for all clients even in a private setting. For me, however,
it is a wonderful deck for personal readings and learning learning Celtic myths and symbols (continued below).
As
can be seen in the images above each card is a stand alone work of art.
Symbolic elements abound and every card invites a question. Is the hen
in the Magician card a reference to Cerridwen? Why does a great tree
stand before the crossed swords of the Two of Swords? Does the hare and
bare tree in the Queen of Pentacles suggest the rebirth of early
spring? Is the Ace of Swords Excalibur?
The
skies in the deck are amazing and the detailed images impressive While the cards above may not be the best example, I
particularly enjoy the way the artist has included highly
representational and identifiable plants, trees and flowers in his
imagery - a great inclusion for an earth based deck! This is a type of symbolism I have not explored and I'm looking forward to doing so in the future.
Overall, the traditional references in this deck are fascinating, the artwork and color outstanding, the elemental associations strong and the images close enough to the RWS to be easily readable for most. I highly recommend it!
Overall, the traditional references in this deck are fascinating, the artwork and color outstanding, the elemental associations strong and the images close enough to the RWS to be easily readable for most. I highly recommend it!
It's hard to believe that my online course Lucid Dreaming and Living Lucidly taught by lucid dreaming author and expert Robert Waggoner (Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self
) is about to end. I have so enjoyed the course!While I have not had a fully lucid dream so far, I have improved my dream recall and had one pre- or semi-lucid dream already. I take as a very good indicator that a fully lucid dream is within my reach.
I've also learned some important things about dreaming and dream awareness - including the subtle differences between lucidity and OBE (out of body experience). This was of particular interest to me because I believe that several of my dream experiences involved travel to and from other dimensions, as well visitations from the beings of those dimensions in the form of guides, avatars, angels and friends and relatives who have passed. I wasn't aware however that others believed it was possible to move from a dream or apparent sleep state to an out of body experience until I took Robert's course.
One of the great things about this course is the personal help available through the forum (in which Robert is very active). I was curious about what someone with Robert's knowledge base would have to say about some of my experiences. I decided to ask him about a particularly vivid, unusually complex and very coherent dream I had in 2008.
Robert told me that this dream could be a Jungian 'big dream' or possibly an OBE (unrecognized because it didn't begin with the buzzing or humming that often launch OBEs). He went on to say that when people tell him about a vivid, complex and very coherent dream, he suspects an OBE "8 times out of 10." I found this information very validating.
I've had several very notable dreams since 2008. While none were as involved as that first dream of spirit, at least one was just as vivid and several others were also quite coherent (and / or unusually bright) - all supplied me with information I could not have otherwise known. I'm very interested in exploring both dreams and OBE and find the intersection of the two absolutely fascinating!
Robert told me that this dream could be a Jungian 'big dream' or possibly an OBE (unrecognized because it didn't begin with the buzzing or humming that often launch OBEs). He went on to say that when people tell him about a vivid, complex and very coherent dream, he suspects an OBE "8 times out of 10." I found this information very validating.
I've had several very notable dreams since 2008. While none were as involved as that first dream of spirit, at least one was just as vivid and several others were also quite coherent (and / or unusually bright) - all supplied me with information I could not have otherwise known. I'm very interested in exploring both dreams and OBE and find the intersection of the two absolutely fascinating!
I'm now in my second session at the International School of Clairvoyance. I'm really enjoying the process. And I had an interesting experience related to the class that I wanted to share here today.
I had asked for guidance on my life path, and began my clairvoyance practice session (using Debra's process). For a several moments I got nothing then all at once a glittery, bright turquoise, high heeled shoe popped into my (psychic) sight.
While I might have worn (and loved) such a shoe at one time, I'm a flip-flop or sneakers sort of person now. So I knew that this fancy, sparkling vividly turquoise shoe was meant to be symbolic. And I found the style and color intriguing.
The shoe was the exact shade of blue, in fact, that I've come to think of as 'my blue' because it comes to me in dreams and meditation and other peoples readings (of me) over and over again.
For me that color blue means communication which is a big part of what I'm doing - here in the blog, on the radio show and in the writing of my book. So I liked that it showed up when I thought about my life path. I was less sure about the style - though I did like the bright, look-at-me sort of presence that bright blue shoe seemed to project.
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| Current Favorite Footwear :) |
Psychic impressions come to me in many different ways. Some are faint and fleeting. Others stand out. Some are literal and some are symbolic. And I love the depth of meaning and the mystery that symbols can offer.
Next week in class we are doing life path readings. These are my favorite types of readings and I am so looking forward to learning Debra's method!
Dream journaling is the hands down most important part of dream work. Without our trusty dream journals almost none of us would remember our dreams - at least not on a regular basis.
Dreams are fragile things and disappear from memory very, very quickly. When we wake up, however, our dreams are very close to the surface of our conscious awareness even if we don't remember them right away.
If you don't normally remember your dreams, don't feel discouraged. The simple act of of recording and honoring our dreams captures those dream memories hovering just under the edge of consciousness and brings them into to our waking reality.
Don't feel it's necessary to incorporate all the tips that follow. Start out with the first four or five and then add any you find interesting!
If you don't normally remember your dreams, don't feel discouraged. The simple act of of recording and honoring our dreams captures those dream memories hovering just under the edge of consciousness and brings them into to our waking reality.
Don't feel it's necessary to incorporate all the tips that follow. Start out with the first four or five and then add any you find interesting!
- Get an attractive notebook or journal and dedicate it exclusively to the recording of dreams. My brand new dream journal is a cute butterfly themed journal from a discount store and cost under $2. I didn’t feel the need for anything pricey as I know I’m going to be scribbling in it in the middle of the night in my very worst handwriting but a really nice journal works too.
- Record your dreams immediately after awakening. Use your journal to record key words, sequence of events and anything you can remember about the way image and characters looked, sounded or smelled – including your reaction to them.
- Don't tell yourself that you will rest for a millisecond and then write down your dream. You won't!
- Keep your journal close and move around as little as possible until you've written down your dream. Consider keeping a low light or bright night light on your nightstand so you don't have to turn on jarringly bright lights.
- Begin writing even if you don't remember much. Keep asking yourself, what happened before that? Often dreams are recalled in reverse order so working backwards can be very effective.
- For those who hope to lucid dream - record anything unusual including bizarre elements and any event that wouldn't normally occur in waking reality. (This is the beginning of the catalog of dream signs Dr. Steven LaBerge recommends in Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming and will increase your awareness of the dream state.)
- Record all dream fragments no matter how how fleeting. Make quick sketches to record characters or scenes. Consider keeping a second small notebook with you at all times, to jot down any dream memories that pop up during the course of the day.
- After recording your dream, put the date at the top of your entry and leave some blank space for notes or sychroncities that pop up later. If you recall a whole dream, give it a short catchy title which captures the subject or mood of the dream (if you attend a dream group this will come in handy!).
- When you have accumulated some material, look back on it and ask yourself questions. Try to become familiar with what is dream-like about your dreams so you can recognize them while they are occurring.
- Note or underline symbolic elements so that you can track them in your waking life.
- Make little drawing of anything you are too sleepy to write about - even if it doesn't seem to especially important.
- Go back over each entry as soon as you can. Puzzle out the sloppy handwriting, cross your T's and rewrite entire words when necessary. It may be hard to figure out what you have written now but it will be even harder later on later in the day - and completely impossible next week.
- Consider using a recorder if you are too tired to write. But do be aware that a very sleepy person may think they pressed a button when they actually did not!
I have just started the second course in Debra Lynne Katz's two part Clairvoyance training program.
The course (Clairvoyant 2) is a 12 week telecourse (taught live by Debra using the approach explained in her wonderful books, "You are Psychic," "Extraordinary Psychic," and "Freeing the Genie Within") picks up where Clairvoyant 1 left off.
One of the things I really enjoy about Debra's approach to clairvoyance is the way she applies this very powerful psychic sense to manifestation and healing work. Debra introduced us to these applications in session 1 and we will be continuing to work with them throughout the summer.
I am also really looking forward to the brand new material we'll be covering in the session - such as advanced healing, out of body work, life path readings and Akashic readings. This is going to be a wonderful course!
For more on the International School of Clairvoyance and Debra's wonderful classes please visit DebraKatz.com. For more on the fascinating areas of study covered in Clairvoyant 2, please see the list below.
- How to structure a reading
- Focus on different types of telepathy
- Life path readings
- Medical Intuition
- Past life readings
- Out of body work
- Dealing with troublesome entities
- Mediumship
- Clairvoyant Challenges
- Psychic Speed Reading
- Remote viewing
- Deprogramming
- Advanced Healing Techniques
- Professional Development
- Akashic records
- Remote Viewing Real Life Issues
I'm thrilled to announce that I am now a certified Denise Linn Soul Coaching® Oracle Card Practitioner! I so enjoyed this wonderful course. In it I learned a new and extremely positive way to work with the cards and it helped me to understand how to (as Denise says) be the oracle!
I am now about to embark on my Clairvoyant II Course through International School of Clairvoyance and am so looking forward to the next 12 weeks. Clairvoyant I has really helped me to improve my clairvoyant abilities. And I now base my readings on a combination of psychic impressions and oracle card insight. What an incredible journey this is becoming!
Watch the trailer for the fascinating documentary "Afterlife" featuring the work of Raymond Moody and Jeffrey Long below. The documentary not only features inspiring interviews with individuals who have personally experienced NDE but clearly presents the common characteristics of the Near Death Experience.
These characteristics as noted by Dr. Moody are:
- An overwhelming feeling of peace and well-being, including freedom from pain.
- The impression of being located outside one's physical body.
- Floating or drifting through darkness, sometimes described as a tunnel.
- Becoming aware of a radiant golden light.
- Encountering and sometimes communicating with a "being of light".
- Having a life review or rapid succession of visual images of one's past.
- Experiencing another world of incredible beauty.
Dr. Long presents nine characteristics of NDE in his wonderful book "Evidence of the Afterlife" which I am currently reading and recommend to anyone interested in learning more about the hard evidence for NDE. His study results and incredible NDE database are also available at his informative and very comprehensive website: nderf.org.
This documentary is available on to watch instantly on Netflix!
This documentary is available on to watch instantly on Netflix!
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| Tiger Lily by Rebecca Maguire |
Using Debra's technique we created a personal intention (mine was "I get direct guidance from spirit on my book and am creating the perfect book quickly and joyously.") and then read on that energy using the image of a flower. Observing this flower (in this case a daisy) I was able to see a dark cloud surrounding the blossom, dry ground and wilting of the petals.
Debra was able to help me interpret this to mean that my environment is not as nurturing as it could be and that outside influences may be affecting me. I also saw the drooping petals as an indicator that this goal is not getting the energy (sun/spirit as blocked by dark cloud) or sustenance (dry ground) it needs. And this is something I need to give some thought to.
We did healing work on our intention which I found quite helpful and then called our energy back out of our flowers. Interestingly this was when my flower changed the most - turning into some sort of beautiful exotic red lily (a bit like a Tiger Lily). Debra called this process "calling the need" out.
Using the example of a book (as she did several times when talking to me - even though I had not shared my intention :) Debra suggested that taking the pressure off our creative process can be liberating. Even as she said these word I felt lighter and it occurs to me that this class has become to about more than improving my psychic abilities. It is a true path to healing.
We have two assignments this week. One is a remote viewing exercise, the other is to do the exercise above with another goal. Mine is one of spiritual healing.
To meet Debra Katz live on "Spirit Talk" Wed. April 9th please click below!
(no longer available)
To learn more abot my Clairvoyance One training please check out the following posts!
- Remote Viewing on Malaysian Flight 370: Clairvoyance Class 7
- Clairvoyance Training Week 5: Learning The Language of Flowers
- Clairvoyance Training: Psychic Sight & Calling Back Energy (Week 4)
- Clairvoyance Training: The Healing Power of Psychic Sight (Class 3)
- Crafting My Own Course of Spiritual Study: Clairvoyance (Class 2)
- You Are Psychic by Debra Lynn Katz: Clairvoyance Training for Everyone! (Book Review)
This week in my International School of Clairvoyance Clairvoyance One class we worked on remote viewing which is a very important aspect of clairvoyant reading.
I was very interested in this because it is something I have never tried before. Our instructor Debra Katz (our instructor and the director of the school) chose the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 as our target.
We had been assigned this target as homework and I had already received two images regarding this event prior to class. They came on two separate occasions on March 11.
Here is my class write-up:
We had been assigned this target as homework and I had already received two images regarding this event prior to class. They came on two separate occasions on March 11.
Here is my class write-up:
"I only got a couple of flashes. The first was the plane going down into the water. It hit nose first and there was huge rush of water around it and into the cabin. The second which might not really jive with the first was of the event before the plane went down. In this I saw an explosion. The burst of fire was behind the cabin (where the pilots sit) of the plane and bursting in to it but I don't really know how big or localized the explosion was. I do feel the plane is in deep water but I inadvertently heard speculation on that on CNN after I had gotten the first two images - still I did get an image later on of the plane in murky greenish water - similar to what you see in underwater filming."
Working on remote viewing in class was a very helpful experience and I was able to get more detail this way. Debra asked us to look at location and then work inland. In class on March 18th, my initial impression was of a large expanse of water. When Debra asked us to work in I received a specific impression of a coastline, with high steep mountains surrounding it. The mountain were covered with vegetation.
Debra asked us to draw what we were seeing. My sketch of the land mass I saw as nearest the location of the plane follows. It shows a west facing coastline.
Please note that while I tried to avoid media speculation as much as possible during this period I wasn't able to dodge it completely. I also heard quite a bit of opinion and impressions from friends, though this mostly disagreed with what I was seeing.
The following sketch shows the info I received when Debra asked us to view the population and leader of the country. I tried to continue to view further and further out until I encountered people and saw the population and leader as Asian.
While the topic of this exercise is somber, I did enjoy doing this and very much appreciated Debra's expertise with this activity. I feel I am getting such a wonderful and well rounded experience from this course and could not be enjoying it more!
This week in my Clairvoyance One training class (through International School of Clairvoyance) we did less practice and had a little more time for meditation and lecture which was great for me because I really enjoy that part!
We are now meeting once a week (in addition to class) for practice sessions. So there is really a lot of information being given and a lot of opportunities to work with it. We are also given homework assignments each week in addition to our regularly daily meditation. I'm pleased with the level of intensity of the course because I know that's what I need.
I did two readings on my own prior to class and they did go better than last week. On Thursday (the 6th), I read for someone I didn't know well and while the information I received was not all relevant but I did learn from it. On Sunday, I did a relationship reading even though it was not part of our assigned homework or something we had covered in class. I did this reading for myself and the reason I did was because I thought I needed to. I'd had a pretty serious conversation with my
partner of ten years earlier that day on issues we'd been having. (I've also had three dreams on the
same problem with each dream becaoming progressively more emotional so I'm realizing that it's time to sort things out).
So I did a reading on Sunday and in this reading I clearly saw a pink and purple heart. The top third of the heart was made from highly polished amethyst while the lower, and larger, part was made of rose quartz. Adding the colors and stones to my symbol journal I got the clear impression that the message of my reading was that love (rose quartz) is the foundation for spiritual evolution (amethyst) and that I should keep in mind how fundamental my relationship is to my own spiritual and emotional well-being. This may not sound particularly deep but for me it was the perfect information at the perfect time. And the more I thought about the colors and gemstones involved the more insight I received.
Calling into class on Tuesday, I was surprised to find that we were learning about and practicing relationship readings that day. I also found it interesting that a few of us, had experienced relationship issues earlier in the week - on the same day (Sunday). And I think that this in itself says a lot about this class and how closely connected it is to spirit.
So this week's homework is on relationship readings and I am doing them with a lot of emphasis on healing which is something Debra always stresses and one of the things I absolutely love about the course. I am, first and foremost, a writer / spiritual seeker and I don't know if I will ever work as professional clairvoyant. What makes this class worth it for me, however, is how much I'm learning about visualization and energy healing and meditation and, of course, clairvoyance!
- Clairvoyance Training Week 5: Learning The Language of Flowers
- Clairvoyance Training: Psychic Sight & Calling Back Energy (Week 4)
- Clairvoyance Training: The Healing Power of Psychic Sight (Class 3)
- Crafting My Own Course of Spiritual Study: Clairvoyance (Class 2)
- You Are Psychic by Debra Lynn Katz: Clairvoyance Training for Everyone! (Book Review)
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| My Symbol Journal |
This week in my online clairvoyance training class we continued our group practice sessions using the method the founder of the school (The International School of Clairvoyance) Debra Katz teaches both in her books and through her courses.
I was able to provide an interpretation of sorts for our readee,
identifying the flowers as chrysanthemums and suggesting that many
different things were blooming in her life all at once. This may or may
not have been accurate but I found it interesting that another student reading the same individual identified the flowers she saw as peonies. Never much of a flower gardener I asked myself, aren't peonies a little like chrysanthemums?
I like this method because it is structured and understandable. For me, anything that provides a framework I can follow is more learnable then a vague or ill-defined approach. I also love that Debra teaches this class herself and find her guidance invaluable.
Debra's method uses several clearly defined psychic tools as an aid to clairvoyant reading. Among these are a viewing screen and the image of a rose (or other flower).
Debra's method uses several clearly defined psychic tools as an aid to clairvoyant reading. Among these are a viewing screen and the image of a rose (or other flower).
Visualizing said rose has been a challenge for me. Last week after meditating everyday I was able to see the rose once and then an actual field of roses in a bright true red. It was an exciting moment but no matter how hard I tried I was not able to repeat it. Such is the nature of learning new skills and I understand that. Overall I am happy simply to be learning as clairvoyant reading was something I once thought I would never be able to do.
In this week's class we were asked to read for a fellow classmate by putting up a flower. As is often the case, I struggled to see my flowers and then in the second reading I suddenly saw a sea of flowers - a riot of big blown out pink and purple blossoms, thick green leaves and tangled curling vines. The color was a little dim but the image was detailed and defined. I was happy to have received such a strong visual. Seeing it reminded me that this goal is indeed attainable.
Symbols are our code in psychic work and knowing those symbols is of value. Knowing a peony from a chrysanthemum is important because every flower is a symbol and each symbol has a meaning. I never really wanted to keep a list of symbols but why not a sketch book? I can draw a bit and when I don't have time to draw I can paste in images. It won't be hard to add a bit of text and I suspect that it will be much more memorable than the dictionary approach. Using existent symbology for things like flowers, birds, animals and colors will be fun!
This is how I intend to build my vocabulary of spirit and I believe that I will start with flowers. Pictures of my symbol book to follow. Now off to Barnes and Noble for the perfect symbol sketch book!
From A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle:
"Since time immemorial, flowers, crystals, precious stones, and birds
have held special significance for the human spirit. Like all
life-forms, they are, of course, temporary manifestations of the
underlying one Life, one Consciousness. Their special significance and
the reason why humans feel such fascination for and affinity with them
can be attributed to their ethereal quality..."
Ethereal indeed :)
Check out my other posts on my Clairvoyant One training here:
Check out my other posts on my Clairvoyant One training here:
- Clairvoyance Training: Psychic Sight & Calling Back Energy (Week 4)
- Clairvoyance Training: The Healing Power of Psychic Sight (Class 3)
- Crafting My Own Course of Spiritual Study: Clairvoyance (Class 2)
- You Are Psychic by Debra Lynn Katz: Clairvoyance Training for Everyone! (Book Review)
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