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About This Episode:
I usually share my autism podcast, Autistic POV, to my Substack blog, instead of here—but this episode seemed perfect for the Mystic Review so I embedded it below.
It's funny, I always thought of my interest all things metaphysical as something that was only tangentially related to my autism diagnosis. Then, just recently, my perspective changed.
That is what the podcast is about mostly. I also talk about psychic ability and parapsychology (and this blog). I am going to be doing episodes on these topics so I will cross-post them here, for those of you who are interested.
Please note, that the idea that autistic people (especially nonverbal autistics) are unusually telepathic is controversial. To the best of my knowledge, it is yet to be adequately researched and, to be honest, I'm not sure it will ever be. I say more about why I think that in the podcast.
To me, the premise that individuals with autism my be unusually sensitive to psychic energies, just like they're sensitive to tons of other things, is worth exploring.
Additionally, and not incidentally, the lived experience of autistic individuals should be honored instead of marginalized. Personally, I find the Telepathy Tapes compelling and am always skeptical of the skeptics just on principle.
Please have a listen and let me know what you think!
Resources Mentioned in the Show:
- Autism and the God Connection by William Stillman
- The Telepathy Tapes Podcast (https://thetelepathytapes.com/)
- The Rhine Institute (https://www.rhineonline.org/what-is-parapsychology)
- Dr. Diane Hennacy/Powell (https://drdianehennacy.com/telepathy/)
- Psychology Today article on the Telepathy Tapes by Jeff Tarant PhD (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/choosing-your-meditation-style/202503/science-skepticism-and-the-telepathy-tapes)
- Dr. Hennacy/Powell's Response to Jonathan Jarry (https://thetelepathytapes.com/dr-powell-defense)
- Sharing Our Autism Story (https://www.autisticpov.com/e/sharing-our-autistic-story-ep-6/)
My autism podcast, Autistic POV, is available on most popular podcast apps. There is also a show page at AutisticPOV.com. For anyone who wants to listen here—there is now a player in the Home Page sidebar!
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You can check out Writing On The Spectrum at barbaragraver.substack.com. I share fiction and nonfiction book excerpts, the autism podcast and most new Mystic Review posts to that site. Substack is fun and has a growing autism community and some great writers, which I love, but the Mystic Review remains my first love <3
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| Photo by Wyron A on Unsplash |
Why Study Psi?
Parapsychologists use the Greek letter psi to represent what many of us think of as psychic abilities. The three main categories studies are psychic phenomena (telepathy, precognition, clairvoyance), psychokinesis or PK (the ability to move or influence the physical world through our mental processes) and what is called survival research.
Survival research focuses on survival after death. This includes apparitions of the departed, near death experience (NDE) and reincarnation research. While some skeptics refuse to see it, there is strong evidence both inside and outside the lab that psi phenomena is real.
Parapsychologists take the position that psi is a human ability. Questions such as why psi occurs and how it can be applied are important and can only be answered through research.
It’s possible that psi abilities are growing stronger in the population or possibly diminishing and this is important information as well.
It's known (through evidence based studies) that belief in psi increases psi abilities (or at least the ability to demonstrate psi). If continued research into psi helps convince people that psi is real, it's very possible that psi abilities/phenomena will increase as a result.
Some Everyday Psi Application
I personally believe that ESP (especially telepathy and possibly some forms of PK) can be a valuable life skill. Unfortunately, in our society too many people are taught to doubt or discount their abilities. Being able to sense when something is off or read a potentially dangerous individual, for example, can save someone’s life. I think this is especially true for women and people who live or work in dangerous areas or professions.
I personally feel that I have avoided dangerous situations and at least one accident because of psi. I hope that someday people will be encouraged to make use of psi abilities instead of ignore them.
Another helpful use of psi is in business or various professions where hunches can lead to unexpected success. There are many other uses, obviously, but these are some of the most common and often taken for granted. It's worth noting that some parapsychologists believe that we use psi all the time and just aren't consciously aware of it.
I believe this is true for a lot of people.
I have always had some awareness of psi. Since childhood I've had experiences of feeling what other people felt to the point that it was like sensing an almost palpable field. At other times I've found that I was able to guess things well above chance which has saved me on more than a few tests.
I've also had the experience of tuning in on what people really mean in a conversation so clearly that it felt as if there were a surface conversation and a subtext or what I used to think of as the conversation beneath the conversation.
I've also had other occasional more evidential psi experiences.
Psi and Belief
I have never been a hardcore skeptic because I always wanted the paranormal to be "real" but I was skeptical in the sense that I wanted evidence. Sometimes the evidence I received was pretty compelling (things I couldn't have known otherwise, signs, etc.). At the time, I felt these experiences validated my beliefs.
Now as I learn more about parapsychology I'm seeing that there could be other explanations (ex. signs could be PK or revealed information could be precognition). This is something I'm still processing, to be honest. I would still like to think that some of my experiences were supernatural but it is interesting to consider what it might mean if they're not.
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If you're interested in learning more about psi, paranormal investigation or other aspects of parapsychology, I strongly recommend the Rhine Education Center!
About My Grandmother
My paternal grandmother was a widow before I was born. And while I didn't realize it when I was a child, I don't think she had a lot of extra money. I guess that's why instead of visiting often or even calling on the phone she sent me things. Like letters and clippings and eventually a binder.
The binder came with only a couple pages but then she started sending me more pages to fill it. And so several times a year I'd receive a package of 2 or 3 or 4 photo album pages filled with brightly colored pictures.
Those pictures weren't anything special by ordinary standards. Most were simply cut from magazines and carefully arranged under the plastic film that covered each page in the album. But somehow those pages impressed me so much that I still remember the pictures. A pile of leaves raked up by group of kids. A little dog in a bright red coat. A school bus in the rain.
My grandmother came to visit us once or twice a year and when she did she slept in the spare room next to mine. And I remember how one Christmas Eve we sat together on the bed in that room while she told me the story of the nativity. I will never forget the chills that ran up and down my spine when she told me the story of nativity.
And I have long thought that the presence that was there with us in the room that night was angelic in nature.
My Grandmother's Gift
The next day, on Christmas, my grandmother gave me a little white Bible. I don't remember getting it and I suspect it didn't impress me as much as the other presents I received. But I did read it - off and on, all through my childhood.
I would like to say that I kept reading that Bible or that it was one of my prized possessions but that would not be accurate. What is accurate is that my life veered off the rails and I returned to the Bible my grandmother had infrequently. and that it spent most of the years between now and then in a succession of dresser drawers and boxes.
And yet, somehow, out of the things that mattered more and all things that have come and gone, that little Bible is one of the few things I've hung on to.
In 2012 I moved into a new (old) house. I was still deeply involved in New Age spirituality. But when I was unpacking I decided to put the Bible my grandmother gave me into my china cabinet alongside my tarot cards and crystals.
And, in 2017, when I began to make my way back to the Faith those things went the way of other mistakes, great and small, and the little white Bible stayed.
And there were in the same country shepherds watching, and keeping the night watches over their flock. And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them; and they feared with a great fear. And the angel said to them: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy... - St. Luke 2:8-10
For me, one synchronicity is never enough. So I always set an intention to receive three.
The last intention I set was about my book. Not the "Be Your Own Card Reader" ebook that pretty much wrote itself but the big book - the full-length nonfiction book on energetic beings and the messages they share.
Writing this book has been challenging for me. While, the the information is there, putting it into context has been surprisingly hard.
There are a lot of reasons why this is the case. One has to do with the way I receive my information. For me, communication comes spontaneously most of the time whether it comes in dreams, waking visions or inner voice communications. As a general rule, I do not do Q & A style channeling sessions.
On one hand, I like receiving these out of nowhere communications. Allowing the information to drop in spontaneously means that there is very little of me in it and to me that is validating. But operating in the manner means that I don't get an answer to every question. And there has been a question I needed answered.
It was where is this information coming from? And who are my guides exactly?
It was where is this information coming from? And who are my guides exactly?
They are real to me because the experience they share is evidential. By this I mean that it checks out. And the info they have given me on themselves checks out too. I have learned things from them about history and geography and mythology that I just plain didn't know before they told me.
I needed to know. So I asked. And three synchronicities followed.
The first synchronicity came at the last place I would have expected - the October MUFON UFO conference in Philadelphia PA. In a way it was odd that I even ended up at the convention. I don't remember how I heard about it. But somehow I knew that I had to go.
Sitting in the audience, I was surprised to hear that while many of the speakers did think of extraterrestrials in the traditional 3D way, others saw them as energetic beings trying to help the planet earth.
This struck a chord because, just a few weeks earlier I'd received a specific and completely out of the blue message about extraterrestrial beings. In that message, I was told that as highly advanced beings ETs have the ability to appear to us as energy beings and that they have been doing this since the very beginning.
On the long ride home, it occurred to me that, my message and the convention information I'd heard had created my first synchronicity.
This struck a chord because, just a few weeks earlier I'd received a specific and completely out of the blue message about extraterrestrial beings. In that message, I was told that as highly advanced beings ETs have the ability to appear to us as energy beings and that they have been doing this since the very beginning.
On the long ride home, it occurred to me that, my message and the convention information I'd heard had created my first synchronicity.
My next experience involved a very trustworthy friend who shared her own personal extraterrestrial experience, explaining that it was something she never talks about but decided to share with me after reading something I'd posted. Her experience was seemingly 3D but she experienced energetic communication as well.
I was touched by her courage and impressed by her absolute credibility. It occurred to me that of all the accounts I have heard this was completely believable to me because I knew and trusted the person involved. This, I realized, was synchronicity number two.
I was touched by her courage and impressed by her absolute credibility. It occurred to me that of all the accounts I have heard this was completely believable to me because I knew and trusted the person involved. This, I realized, was synchronicity number two.
The third synchronicity happened when my friend Tara dropped by unexpectedly to exchange tarot readings.
One of the cards that came up when she read for me was the Hermit card. As Tara looked at the card, she had a vision of a red Merkaba star and clearly saw red lines transporting the energy from one point to the next. A few moments, later she pulled a card from the Doreen Virtue Ascended Master deck that had a very similar image.
One of the cards that came up when she read for me was the Hermit card. As Tara looked at the card, she had a vision of a red Merkaba star and clearly saw red lines transporting the energy from one point to the next. A few moments, later she pulled a card from the Doreen Virtue Ascended Master deck that had a very similar image.
A Merkaba, as you may know, is considered to be an energetic vehicle capable of transporting someone to the higher dimensions by some - or an alien space craft by others. That both these concepts are represented by the Merkaba mirrored the information I'd already received.
Oddly, this is where all of this began for eight years ago. First I met my guides in the dream I call the Spirit Dream. Then I began to have experiences I could not explain. When I began to read New Age and channeled material those experiences intensified.
For me, however, there was too much about the New Age approach that felt a lot like imagination. I didn't want imagination. I wanted the truth and for me the truth has high standards. Now I can see that I wasn't wrong to have standards. I was just wrong to feel like I couldn't deal with so-called New Age concepts in my own way.
So here I am. Having come full circle, right back to the place that I started from in 2008, thinking about Pleiadians and Sirians and ancient aliens and angelic beings and energetic communication and DNA activation and all of that crazy stuff. Except that it isn't crazy. It's real.
And I guess it's taken that long for me to get to a place where I have the courage to believe, and write about, something that a lot of people don't understand or might even make fun of. Good for me.
* To read more about the Hermit please see the following post on my favorite tarot card: Happy World Tarot Day: Please Pick a Card!
Oddly, this is where all of this began for eight years ago. First I met my guides in the dream I call the Spirit Dream. Then I began to have experiences I could not explain. When I began to read New Age and channeled material those experiences intensified.
For me, however, there was too much about the New Age approach that felt a lot like imagination. I didn't want imagination. I wanted the truth and for me the truth has high standards. Now I can see that I wasn't wrong to have standards. I was just wrong to feel like I couldn't deal with so-called New Age concepts in my own way.
So here I am. Having come full circle, right back to the place that I started from in 2008, thinking about Pleiadians and Sirians and ancient aliens and angelic beings and energetic communication and DNA activation and all of that crazy stuff. Except that it isn't crazy. It's real.
And I guess it's taken that long for me to get to a place where I have the courage to believe, and write about, something that a lot of people don't understand or might even make fun of. Good for me.
* To read more about the Hermit please see the following post on my favorite tarot card: Happy World Tarot Day: Please Pick a Card!
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| Wall Altar or Odd Curio? Who can really tell? |
For a long time, I kept my altar in the corner of my home office. Partially because it was convenient, but mostly because my home office is on the second floor of my house. Out sight and out of mind.
There wasn't anything overtly wrong with that arrangement. I spend a lot of time in my office and the energy there is usually pretty calm. I have incense and candles and a recliner in the corner where I sometimes take a meditation break. But it is a working space.
The office is where I write and blog and broadcast and make and take all sorts of phone calls and file my taxes and budget and pay bills and work on my shop...and the list goes on and on.
Which is probably why setting my grandmother's sideboard up as an altar in the corner of that work space never felt quite right. And why (after a year of keeping my altar in the office) I decided to bring a few key items down to shared first floor living space.
In my old house that space would have meant the den or kitchen but here, in this house, we have a few very appreciated extra rooms. One of these is my home office. Another is a living room with a big mirror in the space that would ordinarily hold the black hole of an unused TV.
In my old house that space would have meant the den or kitchen but here, in this house, we have a few very appreciated extra rooms. One of these is my home office. Another is a living room with a big mirror in the space that would ordinarily hold the black hole of an unused TV.
No available TV means that other family members don't stay in the living room for long and because of this the room has gradually become my space and the natural repository for my favorite things. And so, over the last few weeks, it seemed more and more appropriate that my altar items be among those things.
The only problem I could see was this the living room is where we entertain the occasional guest and (shades of my mother) I found myself worrying about what that guest might think.
So I began to change things in a cautious way. The first change involved a very inconspicuous wall altar (above). The second placed some occult looking tchotchkes on an upper shelf. I noticed that other people noticed these changes but I found that I really wasn't all that interested in the conclusions that were drawn.
Recklessly, I began to fill up my grandmothers old china cabinet (at right) with the accoutrements of the Craft. In a few short weeks the majority of my altar items had made their way downstairs.
The living room is different, now, though the change is not extreme. I don't have a permanent freestanding altar, my Goddess statues aren't big enough to stand out and there are a lot of things I put away when they aren't being used.
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| Magical Cabinet on Display for All to See! |
Recklessly, I began to fill up my grandmothers old china cabinet (at right) with the accoutrements of the Craft. In a few short weeks the majority of my altar items had made their way downstairs.
The living room is different, now, though the change is not extreme. I don't have a permanent freestanding altar, my Goddess statues aren't big enough to stand out and there are a lot of things I put away when they aren't being used.
At first glance the living room seems pretty ordinary or at the very least subtly unlike other small town rooms. But subtle isn't the same as hiding and hiding was what the office altar really meant. So why was I okay with doing that for an entire year?
Maybe because I didn't know how freedom felt.
Last month when I went to Salem I walked the busy streets in the company of dozens, if not hundreds, of other witches. It seemed like everyone was wearing pentagrams and I saw that some were even wearing cloaks. Nobody seemed concerned with that. Which, of course, wasn't always the case.
In between the witch trials of 1693 (when my own great aunt was hung) and the pre-Halloween celebration of 2015 Salem changed from a place of rampant intolerance to pretty open-minded place. Mixing with that crazy crowd it occurred to me, that in order for that to happen, a whole lot of people had to overcome their fear of what other people think. And that was meaningful to me.
I am still mostly in the closet in my daily life. Nobody notices my herb garden. Or asks me why I don't go to church. The outer changes I am making are tiny, insignificant, almost imperceptible shifts - but, for me, they are a start.
Last month when I went to Salem I walked the busy streets in the company of dozens, if not hundreds, of other witches. It seemed like everyone was wearing pentagrams and I saw that some were even wearing cloaks. Nobody seemed concerned with that. Which, of course, wasn't always the case.
In between the witch trials of 1693 (when my own great aunt was hung) and the pre-Halloween celebration of 2015 Salem changed from a place of rampant intolerance to pretty open-minded place. Mixing with that crazy crowd it occurred to me, that in order for that to happen, a whole lot of people had to overcome their fear of what other people think. And that was meaningful to me.
I am still mostly in the closet in my daily life. Nobody notices my herb garden. Or asks me why I don't go to church. The outer changes I am making are tiny, insignificant, almost imperceptible shifts - but, for me, they are a start.
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| Crystal Ball on the China Cabinet Shelf |
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| Ancestral Space on the Book Shelf |
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Brigid Figurine, Pentagram Carved Tarot Box and Books
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Spring is less of a revelation this year than it has been in others. The mild winter was perhaps too kind to Pennsylvania. There was no snow to speak of. No long stretches of low temperatures.
I have always been a fan of seasons. To me, each has its own energy and winter has the energy of air. It is a time for realism and clear thought. At some point over the course of the season, I stop and take stock of things and I didn't do that this year. I'm not sure why but I suspect that in the absense of hard wind and frozen ground, I may have missed my trigger but maybe that's okay.
If winter holds the energy of introspection, spring hold that of action. And there is a fast paced decisiveness to action - a rapidly unfolding plan which makes us think upon our feet and rise above our situation. I am blogging very briefly this week, taking advantage of that amazing energy!
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I have always been sensitive to energy. And by energy, I don't mean energy in the material sense (as in thermal or electrical) I mean the invisible spiritual essence of things - a quality more easily sensed than defined.
This kind of energy, while frequently subtle, is not always so. Some people, I am sure, sense the energy of everything they approach, while others seems oblivious to the strongest of influences. I fall in between but well toward the sensitive end of the spectrum.
I sense the energy of the living (and sometimes the dead) as well as most spaces to varying degrees. Positive places such as forests, gardens, sanctuaries, libraries and certain homes affect me strongly. Their resonant energies have a fine but palpable vibration which speaks to me spiritually, emotionally and even physically in a language which is not far removed from that of music.
Negative spaces and people affect me in a very different way. Generally speaking I find that dirty, cluttered areas, large groups of people, some small groups, institutions, anger, resentments and general negativity cause variable but almost always unpleasant reactions in me. And it seems that I am getting more instead of less sensitive to this type of dissonance.
Case in point, my trip to the New York and New Jersey on Sunday. We traveled into the city, had lunch at a wonderful vegan Chinese restaurant and spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the many beautiful medieval exhibits as The Cloisters Museum (pictured above and below). There were a fair amount of people around all day but I held up well until the way back, when halfway through the city, the energy clobbered me.
All at once, I was exhausted. Bone tired. And more than a little demoralized. Even though my daily at home to do list is far more demanding on multiple levels. Today, back in Northeast PA, I got hit again as I spent the afternoon trying to work my way through the mess left behind after moving out of our old house. By the time I got home, I felt nauseous, jangly and very discouraged.
I am disappointed in myself for not handling things better on a personal level but I also acknowledge how difficult all of this can be. Something I did not do back when I was trying to be as oblivious to all of this as everyone else apparently was!
Dealing with all of the energies and pressures of everyday life can be overwhelming and is sometimes particularly so for those of us who are sensitive by nature. Some can be avoided and I, for one, intend to think long and hard about any future trips to NYC.
We began our new home search in late 2011 following the last flood evacuation I resolved to ever participate in. We did not have a lot of money - far less than any house meeting our criteria was likely to cost but we found one anyway. The downside was that it needed loads of work! We moved in in 2012 with only the bedrooms and den finished (and the downstairs bathroom in progress) and wrapped up the living room and loads of odds and ends after we had settled in.
Delayed by other (really big) projects, we have just finished our home office and are now starting the kitchen. As is so often the case my attention is focused on what remains to be done (front hall, upstairs bath, kitchen, and assorted bits and pieces) instead of what all we have accomplished. So I wanted to take a moment to remember the work that has been done here. Current pics of our home office follow with a shot of the original room at the end of this post.
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| Lots of sun! Everything is in place -except for my stained glass heron suncatcher. I'll post that when I get it hung! |
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| Ice on the window sill and a bit of the woods behind the house. |
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| My grandfather's old glass fronted book shelf and my grandmother's rocker. Broken auction lamp awaited repair. The door here was salvaged. This room like many in the house, had no door when we moved in. |
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| More ice and if you look very closely you can see the eastern sky above the next mountain. My view of sunrise. |
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| Still more ice. High ground and the patch of woods at the top of our little mountain. Elevation: 776 feet. |
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| My seat and the laptop on which I write these posts. Two Ollie's Bargain Mart desk chairs. |
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| My grandmother's rocker and the rug from my partner's family home. This is where my meditation corner will be! |
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| My collection of oracle cards and tarot. Old Underwood typewriter to remind me of what I'm here to do! |
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| Old wardrobe - picked up at the Salvation Army for $17 and refinished for office supplies. Auction house carpet in need of vacuuming :) |
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| Side yard and hedges and the view such as it is. When I'm sitting down I mostly see sky. |
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| Close up of my cards and my portable altar. |
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| Another view of our desk. A thirty-five .dollar steal at the local Salvation Army! |
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| The original space - a one time 2nd floor apartment kitchen. Chopped up for plumbing, this was the only wood floor we couldn't restore. I installed the new floor myself. Not easy but not impossible either! |
I am a member of the Edgar Cayce Book Club on FaceBook. Each month the book club selects a new book for members to read and discuss. Members also get the added privilege of participating in a live online Q & A with the author of the book they are reading! Discussions take place on the book club FaceBook wall and the Q & A takes place via FB chat.This month's selection is "Edgar Cayce on Auras & Colors
" by Kevin Todeschi & Carol Ann Liaros and I enjoyed it so much I have already finished it. The book presents both Cayce's own work with auras and that of Liaros which makes for a wonderful mix of aura and color information.
The Cayce material is presented in in Cayce's own words (as well in summary form) via transcripts of actual readings and through quotations from Cayce's only written work, "Auras: An Essary on the Meaning of Color." Topics covered include the meaning of various colors, associated behaviors, color therapy and the nature of the aura.
Todeschi does a great job of breaking down and explaining the Cayce material and seems to know it inside out. I have enjoyed all of his books, video and audio recordings on Cayce and this book is no exception!
Todeschi does a great job of breaking down and explaining the Cayce material and seems to know it inside out. I have enjoyed all of his books, video and audio recordings on Cayce and this book is no exception!
In contrast with Cayce, who saw colors in association with people for as long as he could remember, Carol Ann Lioros developed her own skill with aura reading. She taught aura reading widely, working with both sited and non-sited individuals through regular workshop and the truly amazing Project Blind Awareness program. She maintains that anyone can learn to see auras and provides great instructions on how to do so.
I started practicing visualizing my own aura as I read the book and by the time I got to the end (and the explanation of how to actually do it) found that what I was doing was very close to the method Liaros recommends. As it turns out, my aura is blue-green with a bit of indigo nearest to my body and just a hint of violet farther out. I thought it was really interesting about the blue-green as that relates to healing and I have a background in nursing.
I found that the soft focus Lioros recommends - with and without my eyes half shut - worked well for me. My best results were with my normal bedroom lighting, which is soft, using the off-white wall as a backdrop. I concentrated on my hand and arm, focusing on the space next to the skin. The color took a few seconds to show and when it did was very distinct, mostly close to my skin with a sort of energy trail at the finger tips not unlike a candle flame in shape. I have been able to repeat this on multiple occasions in this location.
I am experimenting with other locations as well and find that I do not see color in all types of lighting. In my living room for example I see only a bright, mostly colorless or light gold emanation. I found it interesting, however, that even though the color is not available everywhere, I do see the same shape including both the trail at the fingertips and an indent near my outer index finger in all locations.
As I understand it, I am seeing the etheric and astral layers but not the entire aura and I am working on expanding my field of vision. Will update on my progress! For more about the energy and science of color please check out the following post: The Frequency of Color.
As I understand it, I am seeing the etheric and astral layers but not the entire aura and I am working on expanding my field of vision. Will update on my progress! For more about the energy and science of color please check out the following post: The Frequency of Color.
My crystals spent Saturday night outside basking in the light of the full moon. This is how they looked when I went out to get them the next morning - beaming with good energy!
The picture includes Selenite Tower (top left), two pieces of Prehnite (green cluster and tumbled green stone near bottom), two Kyanite pieces (elongated blue stones), Apophyllite (big white cluster right corner) three Amethyst (two purple clusters on left and another cluster below plus one polished heart), three Quartz Crystal Points (two in second row and one near bottom), two Fluorite Chips (dark purple stones middle and front), Tumbled Rose Quartz (pink stone in middle) and Tumbled Lapis (lower right corner). I cannot remember the names of the two light blue stones (one egg and one tumbled) which were given to me by my friend, Tara (must ask!).
I realized the next morning that I forgot to put out my Rose Quartz pendulum (also a gift from Tara), my Jade Egg and both of my Celestite Clusters. Also did not get my sons' crystals out before they went to bed :( Better luck next moon. My collection is small but growing. Have a really long list for next year's local crystal show! Click to enlarge pic for a closer look.
The picture includes Selenite Tower (top left), two pieces of Prehnite (green cluster and tumbled green stone near bottom), two Kyanite pieces (elongated blue stones), Apophyllite (big white cluster right corner) three Amethyst (two purple clusters on left and another cluster below plus one polished heart), three Quartz Crystal Points (two in second row and one near bottom), two Fluorite Chips (dark purple stones middle and front), Tumbled Rose Quartz (pink stone in middle) and Tumbled Lapis (lower right corner). I cannot remember the names of the two light blue stones (one egg and one tumbled) which were given to me by my friend, Tara (must ask!).
I realized the next morning that I forgot to put out my Rose Quartz pendulum (also a gift from Tara), my Jade Egg and both of my Celestite Clusters. Also did not get my sons' crystals out before they went to bed :( Better luck next moon. My collection is small but growing. Have a really long list for next year's local crystal show! Click to enlarge pic for a closer look.
Mysticism Meets Quantum Science: A Review of "The Quantum Activist" A Very Important Documentary Film Featuring Dr. Amit Goswami!
August 1, 2011
Goswami is at this point in his career quite well known, a sought after
speaker world-wide, as well as the author of numerous books including the
quantum mechanics textbook of choice for many universities:
Quantum Mechanics, The Self-Aware Universe, God is not Not Dead, How Quantum Activism Can Save Civilisation,
The Visionary Window: A Quantum Physicist's Guide to Enlightenment
and
Physics of the Soul
(which is winging its way to me as I write:). His message may be
as important as any other scientific advancement realized to date.
How can I make such an outrageous claim?
Dr. Goswami expresses ideas about non-local consciousness that have
widespread, perhaps even worldwide, transformative potential and what he says
makes sense. Or as much sense as anything said about quantum physics can
make at this point in our development.
He speaks against scientific materialism. The idea, as he defines it,
that cause rises, that matter is the force behind all subtle experience.
He maintains that it is impossible to explain all internal phenomena in terms
of the movement of molecules. He calls the attempt to do so upward
causation, the method of building upon our understanding from the bottom up,
from particle, to atom, to molecule, to the ultimate creation and existence of
all that is.
Religions, Goswami maintains,while apparently diverse share a common view of
what can be conceived of as God. That is, a force outside of the
material, a downward causation, a subtle body or world aside from the
observable. Goswami considers this principal the essence of
spirituality.
So what does any of this have to do with quantum physics?
Quantum physics describes the nature of tiny particles. Its application is responsible for many of the great advances of our modern age: satellites, computers, nuclear power, advanced medicine. Additionally and most notably however, it appears to follow a very different set of rules than those observable in the macro world - as defined by scientists such as Newton. Quantum physics poses certain problems such as quantum non-locality, in which two particles share information across vast distances, and suggests (as in the well-known double slit experience) that observation at the quantum realm effects matter, literally changing the manifestation of light from a wave to a particle.
It should be noted that like most groundbreaking scientific data, these
results have been interpreted in a number of ways and that it is likely that
the most comprehensive explanation is still evolving. Regardless of the
interpretation however, no one can say that this phenomena is not remarkable
and most will agree that it has the potential to revolutionize our
understanding of the very nature of reality.
Amit Goswami interprets this phenomena, as do many, in terms of
consciousness. He explains that when consciousness looks - waves
collapse and become objects of conscious experience. In that respect, he
considers physics a science of possibilities meaning, as I understand it, that
all waves have the possibility of being transformed into objects of conscious
experience. He goes on to address the Quantum Measurement Paradox in
terms of philosophical logic and this is where he begins to depart from the
majority of physicists.
He asks: If consciousness, as quantum physics suggests, chooses actuality from
material possibilities how can we conceptualize this without paradox? If
we have a possible elementary particle, creating a possible atom, creating a
possible neuron, creating a possible brain, creating a possible consciousness,
how can we couple possibility to actuality - or consciousness to matter?
Pointing out the circularity and paradox of that line of reasoning, Goswami
then introduces what he terms a radical thought. This is quite simply
put, an idea consistent with the experience of the mystic, the idea that
consciousness is the ground of all being.
As breathtaking as this is, however, there is more. Goswami goes on to
speak quite clearly on the topic of manifestation, maintaining that the level
of consciousness which possesses the ability to choose actuality is an altered
(as opposed to egoic) state which can only operate in the realm of the
subtle. This state and this realm may be thought of as cosmic or
interconnected consciousness. Separateness in this context is ultimately
illusionary and this is what is truly radical about Goswami's science.
Goswami goes on to speak of non-local communication, the Tibetan Book of the
Dead, the discontinuous leap of creativity and the morphogenetic field with
such beauty and precision that it would be a mistake I think for me to attempt
to paraphrase here. Suffice it to say that he believes that non-local or
cosmic consciousness is at once God, and ourselves, the object, and
subject. For Goswami, as for me, consciousness does indeed precede all.
On a global scale, the ramifications of such a realization are
staggering. Operating from the subtle body, and the heart chakra
specifically, Goswami suggests that we have the ability to recognize this
interconnectness and proposes an approach to the resolution of conflict which
acknowledges that we are all part of the whole. He speaks of taking a
step beyond even the Bodhisattva. In the old days Goswami explains, we
were concerned only for ourselves. 'If I achieve heaven,' we may have
said, 'I don't care about you.' As we evolve however in we recognize
that this is incorrect. And ideally we realize it to the degree that we
now say, 'If you don't go, I don't go either.'
Toward the end of the film, we realize that Dr. Goswami is not
naive. He is an experienced and educated man, well aware of the dangers
posed by our treatment of the environment (a product of separatism and
material thinking) and each other. He sees progress however in an
evolutionary sense that is both individual and collective. He considers
this progress demonstrated by the success of leaders such
Mahatma Gandhi,
Nelson Mandela and
Martin Luther King. He
points out that these movements toppled the great institutions of British
colonization, apartheid and racism by completely nonviolent means and that
this could not have happened 100 or 200 years ago. And in spite of my
continued concern and anxiety about the state of the world, I have to
agree. It is possible. We may indeed be progressing and while
nothing is guaranteed, I see great hope.
The absolute perfection of this documentary, of course, is that it is soundly
based in in scientific theory, lending validity to the subjective and
credibility to the unseen. In this regard it is therefore accessible to
very wide audience.
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| The Mystic Faerie Magician |
I read an interesting article today on Llewellyn's blog page called Jumper Cards. Not only do I love the topic but was pleased to see that it was written by Tarot author Barbara Moore who has written fantastic guides on a number of decks including one of my own personal favorites The Mystic Faerie Tarot
.
I enjoy Barbara Moore's blog and thought that Jumper Cards was a great article. It got me thinking too, which is always a good thing. A short time later, it inspired this post.
So what are jumper cards? Jumper cards are what many Tarot readers call cards which fall or spring out of the Tarot deck when a reader or client is handling the cards. Sometimes these cards seem obviously dropped through carelessness. Other time they seem to almost have a life of their own.
.I enjoy Barbara Moore's blog and thought that Jumper Cards was a great article. It got me thinking too, which is always a good thing. A short time later, it inspired this post.
So what are jumper cards? Jumper cards are what many Tarot readers call cards which fall or spring out of the Tarot deck when a reader or client is handling the cards. Sometimes these cards seem obviously dropped through carelessness. Other time they seem to almost have a life of their own.
Some readers disregard jumper cards. Most, however, assign them varying levels of importance and this is my approach as well. How seriously do I take jumper cards? Pretty seriously, actually, though the degree of significance I accord them is dependent on several factors.
I will say first of all that while I disagree with the saying, "there are no accidents," I do believe that life is a lot less random than many people suppose. I also believe that spirit has the ability to act upon conventional 3D reality. For me, this makes any card that falls out of the deck significant. All jumpers are not created equal, however, and I take several factors into consideration when applying these very special cards to a reading.
The mechanics of the jump. Cards that spring out of the deck are more notable to me than those I loosely drop. Cards that fall out when I feel I have a good grip on the deck are more notable too. Ask yourself, how hard did this card have to work to make itself noticed? Or more properly, how hard did spirit have to work to bring this particular card to my attention?
While I do not understand how spirit manifests in the physical world, I am fairly certain it requires significant effort. It is my experience that spirit will always take the path of least resistance in this regard. When manifestation appears to require a great deal of energy, it is particularly meaningful.
The juxtaposition of thought. I always pay particular attention to what thought is in my awareness at the time of the jump. This thought may be the reading topic. Then again, it might not. When it is not, I accord it additional importance.
Suppose you are about to ask the cards a career question. You think to yourself, I will never get out of this dead-end job and out pops the Tower. This can, and should, be interpreted in regard to the reading as a whole but it is safe to say that spirit is trying to tell you that change is possible and likely to be far-reaching if and when it is realized.
Surprise and spontaneity are usually very good indicators of credibility in regard to any kind of spiritual phenomena. The combination of an unexpected jump with a stray or spontaneous thought is particularly noteworthy.
Trumping the question. In life and in Tarot we frequently ask the wrong questions. Contradictory or confusing readings can mean that your question is not the question that spirit wants to address. Clients hate this, and sometimes readers do too, but if you read Tarot you have to believe that spirit will lead you to the info that most needs to be communicated. And this is often what jumpers do best.
When I get a jumper that seems to have nothing to do with the question at hand, I will usually reflect, rephrase or even change the question completely. This is largely an intuitive process but if you are unsure, you can let the cards help. Imagine that you drop the Eight of Pentacles in the middle of a relationship reading. Should the client work harder at the relationship, or is spirit not particularly interested in the relationship at all and trying to tell the client to concentrate on their career?
One way to deal with this is to set the jumper aside and ask, usually silently, a new or reworded question, drawing a few more cards as you go. I do this quite often in readings when the cards just don't seem to fit but I find especially illuminating with jumpers. In the relationship reading above, more Pentacles, Wands or a couple Majors may indicate that the reading needs to go in a somewhat different direction.
Beyond Tarot. I have had a lifetime of experience with what many people call supernatural phenomena. The majority of these experiences have been auditory, visual or emotive and there was a time when I believed that spirit could not directly manipulate the world of solid space. Ten years ago however I had a series of experiences that contradicted that assumption.
The first happened at Walden Books. I was there to buy a book on whatever historical topic was of interest to me at that time. Walking down the aisle, a book by medium John Edward flopped off the shelf and fell directly in front of me. It struck me as odd. The shelves were closed. The floor was not moving. The friend who was with me said, You better buy that book. So I did.
I read the book and watched the show. A few weeks later I bought a ticket to see John Edward in NYC. At that venue, and after, a number of unusual things happened. During one reading, a rose petal drifted toward the girl who was being read. There were bouquets lining the stage and Edward pointed that out, seemingly unimpressed. The girl, however, caught the petal and started to cry. Her dead uncle it seemed had had a connection to roses.
I caught up with the girl at intermission. Satisfied that she was not a plant, I wished that someone from beyond the veil could have taken the trouble to send a rose petal my way. It was a great show but I did not get a reading and I left feeling a little let down. Outside on the endless concrete of the downtown New York I looked down and saw a single small broken piece of hemlock with a tiny pine-cone attached. A few steps later, I found an acorn and oak leaf.
I caught up with the girl at intermission. Satisfied that she was not a plant, I wished that someone from beyond the veil could have taken the trouble to send a rose petal my way. It was a great show but I did not get a reading and I left feeling a little let down. Outside on the endless concrete of the downtown New York I looked down and saw a single small broken piece of hemlock with a tiny pine-cone attached. A few steps later, I found an acorn and oak leaf.
Synchronicity. The hemlock is my tree, as well as the state tree of Pennsylvania, and it has always meant home to me. The oak was a tree I had read about pretty extensively, one I had used in a recent art project and whose symbolism was of interest to me at that time. And trees in general are especially meaningful to me.
Reviewing the events of that day it occurred to me, not for the first time, that significant things tend to happens in threes. At that time, three was my number. I was a believer in messages even then and this message seemed clear. However unlikely, I found myself believing that spirit had the ability to physically act upon the plane of our ordinary reality.
That belief has stayed with me and I find myself paying better attention to what goes on in the physical realm. When something unusual happens, I stop and ask myself what it might mean. There is no better time to do that, in my opinion, than when we read Tarot.
Reviewing the events of that day it occurred to me, not for the first time, that significant things tend to happens in threes. At that time, three was my number. I was a believer in messages even then and this message seemed clear. However unlikely, I found myself believing that spirit had the ability to physically act upon the plane of our ordinary reality.
That belief has stayed with me and I find myself paying better attention to what goes on in the physical realm. When something unusual happens, I stop and ask myself what it might mean. There is no better time to do that, in my opinion, than when we read Tarot.
I am currently reading The Complete Idiot's Guide to Feng Shui and addressing the concepts presented in the book in series of blog posts. This post is the second in that series.
Feng Shui it seems is all about energy or Qi and balancing energy is paramount to its practice. Practitioners of Feng Shui believe that an environmental imbalance in Yin and Yang in can lead to both physical and emotional disturbances. Of the history of Feng Shui the Idiot's Guide says:
"Initially yin and yang meant the shady (yin) and sunny (yang) sides of a hill, an idea ascribed to Zhou ancestor Gong Liu when he set about selecting an auspicious site for his people. Some five centuries later during the mid to late Zhou dynasty (c. 770-481 BCE), yin and yang were described as the two primal forces of qi."
While Yin and Yang are commonly thought of as opposites, the relationship between the two is not so much oppositional as dynamic as represented by fluid S curve of the taiji, the familiar symbol of light and dark.
In the Taiji the dark area represents Yin or the feminine principle. The light, Yang or masculine. Yin is dark and cool. It is associated with the moon, night, winter, earth and water. It is imaginative, intuition, creative and is linked with both religion and philosophy. It may be inactive with the potential negatives of sadness, selfishness and greed. Colors associated with Yin include black, brown, blue and green. Its direction is north.
Yang is light, hot and dry. It is associated with the sun, daytime, summer, heat, and light. It is active, firm, logical and fast and is linked to mathematics, science and finance. It may be aggressive or exuberant. Its colors are white, yellow and red. Its direction is south.
A second important principle in Feng Shui is what is called the Five Phases. These phases are identified as fire, earth, metal, water and wood. Each is a manifestation of Qi and has its own Qi character (Fire Qi radiates for example while Earth compacts). Each interacts with other phases in different ways. A domination of one phase creates imbalance which negatively affects Qi.
Each of the Five Phases is associated with a season, direction, weather condition, color, number and trigram which makes it possible to balance Qi in a variety of ways. A room dominated by fire-metal for example may be remedied by earth. Strategies for balancing with earth might include the placement of rocks or crystals, ceramic or clay sculptures or the colors brown and yellow. Water remedies a metal-wood domination which might be accomplished by the inclusion of table fountains, aquariums or the colors blue and black. Wood remedies water-fire. This phase could be introduced by the inclusion of a living plant or tree or the color green.
This is not the sum total of the practice of Feng Shui of course. It is in many ways, an applied science complete with its own symbolism, rules and calculations. I have a great deal more to learn about Feng Shui before putting it into practice in my own home. When this is accomplished, however, I will do a third Feng Shui post, including before and after pics and an evaluation of its affect on my environment.
Before starting this series it occurred to me that the topic of Feng Shui might not be considered mystical in the way of Kabbalah or Tarot. Because its application however was suggested to me by my guides and because I find the underlying spiritual principal of Qi fascinating. I am and have always been extremely sensitive to energy and I find the idea of a systematic approach to balancing the energetic influences in my own environment exciting. I highly recommend the The Complete Idiot's Guide to Feng Shui
to anyone interested in learning more about this very promising practice.
to anyone interested in learning more about this very promising practice.
I'm currently reading The Complete Idiot's Guide to Feng Shui because, even though I am not crazy about labeling myself an idiot, I have found that the small sample of Idiot books I've read offered a comprehensive, user friendly and reasonably well written introduction to their respective subjects.
The people hired to write the Idiot books seem to know their stuff too. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Kabbalah was written by Rav Michael Laitman, for example, and the three The Idiot's Guide to Feng Shui authors, Elizabeth Moran Master Joseph Yu and Master Val Biktashev, are well educated and well known Feng Shui practitioners. They are also quick to point out that you will be getting traditional Asian Feng Shui instruction in their book, not the dumbed down Western self-help version of the topic. This appeals to me.
The book covers a lot of ground and at 68 pages into it, I have to say (in a completely noncritical way) that aside from the introductory material I have not learned an enormous amount about Feng Shui. I have learned about Chinese history, religion and philosophy, however, including great explanations of Yin and Yang, Taoism and Qi. The authors talk about the human brain, the difference between the Asian and Western psyche, energy and physics as well, and quote some very interesting Western scientists (Bohm,Sheldrake, and Newberg), whom I hope to be blogging on at some future point, in the process.
The book also quotes Fritjof Capra (author of The Tao of Physics which I absolutely must read). In it, he says: "Like the quantum field, qi is conceived as a tenuous and imperceptible form of matter which is present throughout space and can condense into solid material objects. The field, or qi, is not only the underlying essence of all material objects, but also carries their mutual interactions in the form of waves."
In their own words, the authors say: "Qi is the stuff of and behind it all. It's the stuff that breathes life into plants, animals, the mountains, oceans and us. It's the stuff of dreams, intuition, fate and luck. It's the stuff at the core of non-living matter such as airplanes, building and the chair on which you sit. It's the stuff acupuncturists stimulate with their needles. It's the stuff martial artists conjure up to split solid objects. And it's the stuff Feng Shui practitioners harness to improve the health, wealth and relationships of their clients."
The book goes on to liken Qi to Ki (Japan), Prana (India), Pneuma (Greece), Ankh (Egypt), Ruach (Hebrews), Tane (Hawaii), Arunquiiltha (Aborigines) and Orenda (Iroquois).
Interesting stuff and as I am not an especially linear thinker, I'm enjoying the ride. A linear person could certainly skip ahead and would probably find that the format lends itself to skipping ahead. Feng Shui was suggested to me in a channeling session, so I'm curious to see what effect it will have on my living space also where the pursuit of some of the other concepts introduced by the book will lead me. I will write more as the journey progresses!
As anyone whose been following this blog knows, I've been reading Tarot for 40 years now. My original 1971 Rider Waite has been shuffled from home to home and state to state numerous times. The old box is almost falling apart and while I still have it, I don't use it for storage anymore - haven't used it for I'm not sure how long.
For my deck, home is a simple wooden box, a probable Indian import, with a smooth polished surface and brass inserts of sun, moon and stars. I keep the deck loose in the box because I like the energy of wood. I believe that it absorbs energy. I find a wooden Tarot box to be stabilizing and protective.
For my deck, home is a simple wooden box, a probable Indian import, with a smooth polished surface and brass inserts of sun, moon and stars. I keep the deck loose in the box because I like the energy of wood. I believe that it absorbs energy. I find a wooden Tarot box to be stabilizing and protective.
I have a semi extensive Tarot collection. I say semi because I have pared it down in recent years from over 40 decks to a number generally hovering somewhere around 22. Adding to the collection is about resonance to me, not numbers, and I don't keep a deck unless I connect with it - no matter how attractive the artwork. I like the idea of having 22 decks for obvious (to anyone who reads Tarot) reasons, too, even though I find that keeping the number at exactly 22 is impossible.
Decks come and go in my collection. I like to think that most of them, even the dearest of them, speak to me for a time - and then they speak to someone else. While they are with me, however, even if I have bought them only because I think they deserve to be passed along to some other more compatible reader, I take care of them and for me caring for a deck properly is all about energy.
Decks come and go in my collection. I like to think that most of them, even the dearest of them, speak to me for a time - and then they speak to someone else. While they are with me, however, even if I have bought them only because I think they deserve to be passed along to some other more compatible reader, I take care of them and for me caring for a deck properly is all about energy.
When I get a new deck, I get an immediate impression of its previous use. Part of that impression is empathic and part is just good observation. The last deck I bought - a ©1970 US Games Aquarian deck - is noticeably, but gently, worn - lots of rubbing but no tears or bends or stains. The edges of the cards aren't separating but they aren't tight either and the box has been taped, carefully but repeatedly. All these things are evidence of frequent use - with reverence - and that's a good thing. It is my impression that this deck (a brokered eBay deal) came from a professional or at the very least frequent reader who loved and respected the art of Tarot reading.
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| 1971 Rider-Waite (backup deck) |
I don't believe in leaving decks outside though I have done it. Too much can happen and a wet deck is a ruined deck no matter how restorative moonlight and morning dew can be in best case scenario. Crystals are quite at home in the great outdoors however and I have a small crystal collection intermingled with my cards.
You can read a lot about charging crystals on the net but I keep it pretty simple. In general, anything that appeals to me - full moon, new moon, waxing never waning moon, summer rain, the first snow, the garden in early spring - seems to work. The crystals don't have to spend the night outside, though they do seem to appreciate it from time to time, and I usually stay with them, lining them up in the moonlight and saying a few words with intention because people need recharging too. I usually allow the freshly charged crystals to surround new decks and my everyday reading decks, moving them around to mix things up, and recharging the stones as needed.
You can read a lot about charging crystals on the net but I keep it pretty simple. In general, anything that appeals to me - full moon, new moon, waxing never waning moon, summer rain, the first snow, the garden in early spring - seems to work. The crystals don't have to spend the night outside, though they do seem to appreciate it from time to time, and I usually stay with them, lining them up in the moonlight and saying a few words with intention because people need recharging too. I usually allow the freshly charged crystals to surround new decks and my everyday reading decks, moving them around to mix things up, and recharging the stones as needed.
I keep my collection, in their various cardboard and wooden and other boxes, on an open shelf in my workroom. This is the clearest space in my house. There is no clutter. No TV. No radio. No negativity. Only my photography, art and jewelry supplies, my psychically sensitive etsy items, my Tarot decks, card decks, incense, crystals, candles, silk scarves and small Indian import Saraswati statue (made with real River Ganga mud). I allow fresh air to circulate every day, even in winter, and burn incense and candles regularly. Most importantly - I do not allow any discord or negativity in this room. This includes negative others and myself. If I become frustrated in this room when working and cannot recenter, I leave and go do something else until whatever agitation I am feeling passes.
New decks brought into this room lose their static pretty quickly. Those that leave make their way to their true homes better for their stay. I am a firm believer in the old adage which says that spiritual tools will find their way to the right person at the right time. One of the things I like best about making the occasional sale on etsy is the feeling I get from knowing that I have been part of this process.
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| Left to right: Quartz crystal point, boxed 1971 been-my-deck-forever deck (top), 1970 Aquarian deck (also boxed) bottom, amethyst crystal geode, 1971 Rider-Waite backup deck, lemon-sage candle, vintage Art Deco playing card deck (enlarge to see the interesting geometric design on the back), Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music and creative arts, quartz crystal point. Vintage scarf. |
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