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!
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).
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!
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.
Wednesday Morning: my herb garden in the process of being cover up by snow. |
Rosemary saved in the nick of time. |
Hill behind our house just as the snow was starting. |
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.
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!
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)
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)
Field of Roses Ernesto Arrisueno |
I have just finished week four of Debra Lynn Katz's live 12 week telecourse through the International School of Clairvoyance. The school, focuses on clairvoyance (or psychic sight) and it is the only online psychic development program I am aware of that does so. It is perfect for me and I am learning so much!
Debra's method is highly structured and understandable and my clairvoyant ability is slowly but steadily improving. We have been working with flowers and this week I was able to see not just one rose but several - all in a clear, deep rose red!
This was exciting for me because, while I do glimpse images from time to time, doing so deliberately has been a challenge. So, while my visualizations remains unstable and images appear only fleetingly I am finally beginning to connect with my ability to generate images. A big step!
In the Clairvoyant One weekly class (conducted live online by Debra) we do some wonderful meditation and energy work. We have also started practice readings which are really fun (and much less threatening in a group). I was surprised to find that not only was I able to get a few images, in much the same way as I do in Spirit Circle, but that I'm beginning to get a sense of how to revisit these images in order to get additional info. Something I have not been able to do before!
I am benefiting from the energy work in class so much! This week we are working with calling back energy. By visualizing ourselves calling back our energy, in the form a big bright magnetized sun, we are able to pull this energy back from our projects, relationships and devices and reintegrate it into our own soul energy. We performed this exercise in class and I was very surprised at the result.
Not only did I feel energized. I felt present. So present that even though I was in a meditative state I felt instantly alert and aware of everything around me. Part of our homework this week is to call back our energy daily. This has been great for me. My manuscript is going well, which is wonderful, but I am also putting in long hours and feeling very invested in the work. This exercise has been a tremendous method of restoring that energy and, while I am working hard, I have not felt drained at all.
I have great news as well - Debra will be appearing live on "Spirit Talk with Barbara Graver" next Wednesday at 8PM ET / 9PM PT. This is a great chance to learn more about Debra, her methods, and The International School of Clairvoyance so please do join us on Spirit Talk (sadly no longer available)
To read some of my previous posts about Debra's methods, classes and books please see:
- 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)
I am currently working with "You Are Psychic"
by Debra Lynn Katz, in conjuncture with her second book "Extraordinary Psychic." And even though I started with this method relatively recently, I am already seeing results!
As
the title of "You Are Psychic" suggests, Katz believes that everyone
can develop clairvoyance and that this psychic ability (as well as others)
is a soul skill possessed by us all - not a rare gift given to a select few.
Developing clairvoyance
however, as Katz teaches it, is a process and something that requires a commitment. It is accessible but not instantaneous (like many other very important things we will do in life).
One of the things I like
best about this approach is that it acknowledges that learning is process and then goes on to explain this process in a
structured way that is not only accessible to everyone, but very easy to apply.
"You are Psychic" is not just a book on psychic development. It also contains Katz's own story which is an interesting one, offers practical advice about creating your own psychic practice, and
provides a wealth of insightful spiritual information on such topics as energy
work, manifestation, psychic healing, entities, attachments and the nature of
future - to name a few.
But most importantly, to me, "You Are Psychic,"
introduces a workable method for developing clairvoyant ability through
practical application of some very user friendly 'psychic tools.'
My Clairvoyant Corner! |
When
I began working with "You Are Psychic" my clairvoyance images were rare
and fleeting and highly unpredictable. I am now able to clearly, though briefly, see
psychic images when I try - at times.
Seeing an image at this point in my development takes time, effort and concentration. But I am doing it when I intend to do it - as Katz promises that anyone can if they apply themselves - and I am finding this truth incredibly empowering.
Seeing an image at this point in my development takes time, effort and concentration. But I am doing it when I intend to do it - as Katz promises that anyone can if they apply themselves - and I am finding this truth incredibly empowering.
I
have a long way to go and I know that I'm not as focused on the work as
I could be. This is a problem I'm addressing in a couple of different ways. One way, is by making a special
corner for my clairvoyant work (pictured) and working on establishing a daily routine for practice.
The second (and most exciting) way is that I have enrolled in Katz's International School of Clairvoyance 12 week 'Clairvoyance I' telecourse (which begins this February)! I feel as good about the course as I do the material. This method is working for me and I want to learn all I can about it!
The second (and most exciting) way is that I have enrolled in Katz's International School of Clairvoyance 12 week 'Clairvoyance I' telecourse (which begins this February)! I feel as good about the course as I do the material. This method is working for me and I want to learn all I can about it!
For
more on Debra Katz and The International School of Clairvoyance please
check out the following link: DebraKatz.com.
To learn more about my progress with this material please check back!
Please
note: Both "You Are Psychic" and "Extraordinary Psychic" are great
books but I do recommend reading "You Are Psychic" first
as it focuses on the groundwork of this very effective
approach in a bit more detail. For me it was the perfect introduction!
To learn more about Debra Katz and clairvoyance please check out my live "Spirit Talk" interview with Debra Wednesday On Spirit Talk (I'm sorry but this interview is no longer available).
To learn more about Debra Katz and clairvoyance please check out my live "Spirit Talk" interview with Debra Wednesday On Spirit Talk (I'm sorry but this interview is no longer available).
Whenever I hear the call of crow it strikes a cord in me. Part memory perhaps but more than that - a resonance I cannot properly explain.
It has always seemed to me that crows take notice of us in a way other birds don't. When I hear their call, I look up and see them watching. They seem wise and curious and wild. And I am always glad to see them.
My friend feels differently. He is more focused than I on what they eat and sensitive to color. When a crow crosses his path, he thinks of ill luck and death.
Which is not to say that he dislikes crows, only that they make him uneasy. He does in fact love all animals and was understandably upset to kill a crow quite by accident several weeks ago while driving. Sadly, the bird flew into the side mirror of his car and died apparently on impact.
It was an unusual accident. Doubly remarkable because the short of string of events it set in motion caused a delay and that kept my friend just far enough behind a freeway pile up to avoid it being part of it. For this, he is grateful.
In Native culture, per Jamie Sams, the crow or raven is said to bring the bringer of magic. The color black, in this context is not evil instead it can mean the search for answers or a call to walk "another path at the edge of time." (Sams)*
My friend is not spiritual inclined but I can tell this event gave him pause.
It may be arrogant to think of the death of any animal as a message for a human being or an intervention in a human life, but this death did serve in that capacity. It makes me wonder if this particular crow was carrying a message. Did a miscalculation mid-flight result in the sad circumstance of its delivery? Or was that miscalculation was the message itself?
I don't know, but I can say that the crow's untimely death has made me wonder about other things too.
There are many carrion eating birds and animals, so why has Western culture come to associate crows with bad luck and death? Is this symbolism its own type of miscalculation? And what does this say about signs and superstition and the relatively subtle difference between omen and warning?
____________________
*From the book Medicine Cards by Jamie Sams
The "Five Ways to Break a Dream Drought" provided by Robert Moss in his wonderful book "Active Dreaming: Journeying Beyond Self-Limitation to a Life of Wild Freedom" have worked for me and this is saying a lot.
While I am an active dreamer having had some wonderful dreams, these dreams (or rather the remembering of them) is rare. And I do try very hard to remember them!
Working with the first method Moss gives, I was able to recall two very important dreams earlier this week and am very eager to apply the other principles offered throughout the book.
The "Five Ways" follow and they are very effective. I will add however that using another of Moss's suggestions (I believe it was a suggestion given in his audio book "Dream Gates" which I currently listening to) helped as well.
The suggestion is simple and it does work. It is - allow yourself to wake up naturally. Not always easy but something most of us can do, at least some of the time.
The "Five Ways to Break a Dream Drought" follow, paraphrased and in summary:
- Set an intention for your dream by writing down your goal for the dreamtime before you go to sleep. This goal can be experiential, as in "I want to dream travel to Hawaii," or involve a request. Requests may be specific ("What will happen if I go back to school?") or general, such as "I want to be healed," "I want to be open to creativity" or simply "I want to remember what I have dreamed." Moss advises that this intention have 'juice' which to me means, we need to want it. He also provides some fascinating suggestions for dream rituals which I fully intend to try!
- Be ready to receive the dream. Setting the intention is important, of course, but having the means to record your dream is important to. This means you must have what Moss calls the most important dream book you will ever read - your own dream journal - at hand as well as a pen (I find that a good pen with a good flow is essential here) or a recorder. He also suggests that you record something when you wake up and that if you need to visit the bathroom that you take your journal and pen along with you. Not maybe the nicest place to write but a technique that does work!
- Be kind to the dream fragments you receive. This means that even if you wake up (either in the morning or in the middle of the night) with a wisp of a dream memory or, as I have found, even a wisp of an emotion or feeling, stay as still as you can and began to write it down. For me, Stephen LaBerge's technique of asking "what came before that?" works well. I am finding that I often wake up thinking I remember nothing or very little and that as I write loads of information comes back.
- If you don't immediately remember a dream don't give up! Allow yourself to relax in bed or try assuming the posture you were in when you were asleep. Don't (I have found) allow yourself to start thinking about your to-do list or running through the concerns of the day! If you don't remember a dream, Moss advises, write something down anyway. This should be whatever is in your awareness, including emotion and physical sensations. This my trigger a memory at this time or later or simply help us subconsciously later on in our day.
- Remember that you can have dream experience even when you are awake. This advice as I understand it is about synchronicistic events which are signs very like dream symbols that we may encounter later in our ordinary waking reality. To my mind, these events provide very meaningful advice from spirit. An early example for me was once when I was driving my boys somewhere years and years ago. They were acting up and I wasn't happy and I was telling them so in no uncertain terms. Pulling up behind a car at a light I saw a bumper sticker. "Mean People Suck" it said. I took the hint.
I am really so excited about "Active Dreaming" and "Dream Gates" and Moss's methods in general.
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