Tag: Emotion

Today’s Magickal Spell for December 19th: Releasing Intense Emotions Spell

Releasing Intense Emotions Spell

Perform this easy spell to calm yourself when dealing with intense emotional family or other issues. By ridding yourself of this excess emotional energy, you will allow your mind and body to stay healthy during this stressful season.

Ingredients:  

a piece of unlined paper  

a pen  

a black candle  

a bowl of purified water  

sea salt

 

Spell:  

Light the candle. On the paper write down any fears, frustrations, or concerns   you may be feeling. Let the words come flowing from inside you, do not hold   back. If you feel like saying the words aloud as you write them do so. Once you are finished fold the paper up and burn it in the candle flame. After you   burn the paper, dip your fingers in the water and sprinkle yourself with it while saying:

“I release these words, I release this tension, I release this  

negativity from my life”

You’re done!

 

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Daily OM for November 7th – Consulting Heart and Mind

Consulting Heart and Mind

Making Choices From a Place of Balance

by Madisyn Taylor

It is important to make decisions from a place of balance in your life by taking a breath and checking in with heart and mind.

 

Each of the myriad decisions we make every day has the potential to have a deep impact on our lives. Some choices touch us to our very cores, awakening poignant feelings within us. Others seem at first to be simple but prove to be confusingly complex. We make the best decisions when we approach the decision-making process from a balanced emotional and intellectual foundation. When we have achieved equilibrium in our hearts and in our minds, we can clearly see both sides of an issue or alternative. Likewise, we can accept compromise as a natural fact of life. Instead of relying solely on our feelings or our rationality, we utilize both in equal measure, empowering ourselves to come to a life-affirming and balanced conclusion.

Balance within and balance without go hand in hand. When you are called upon to choose between two or more options, whether they are attractive or distasteful, you should understand all you can about the choice ahead of you before moving forward. If you do not come to the decision from a place of balance, you risk making choices that are irrational and overly emotional or are wholly logical and don’t take your feelings into account. In bringing your thoughts and emotions together during the decision-making process, you ensure that you are taking everything possible into account before moving forward. Nothing is left up to chance, and you have ample opportunity to determine which options are in accordance with your values.

Though some major decisions may oblige you to act and react quickly, most will allow you an abundance of time in which to mull over your choices. If you doubt your ability to approach your options in a balanced fashion, take an extended time-out before responding to the decision. This will give you the interlude you need to make certain that your thoughts and feelings are in equilibrium. As you practice achieving balance, you will ultimately reach a state of mind in which you can easily make decisions that honor every aspect of the self.

Basic Breathing Meditation

Basic Breathing Meditation

 

Our minds are constantly active, always jumping from thought to thought,  emotion to emotion.  Getting in touch with the nonlocal intelligence, the  universal soul that lies within us and is part of us all, requires finding a way  past the fog of distracting thoughts that typically hide it from us.  We cannot  fight our way through a real fog.

If we are quiet, we encounter moments of pure silence, and through these gaps  we can glimpse the deeper level of the soul.  Each glimpse increases our  understanding, and eventually our consciousness becomes expanded.

Controlling the flood of thoughts is very difficult for most people.   Beginners can sometime become very frustrated, but frustration is just another  thought, another emotion that gets in the way.  The goal is to release all  thoughts, quietly, passively.

A common way to begin meditation is to gently focus on one thing so that it  becomes more difficult for stray thoughts to enter your mind.

To begin a breathing mediation, find a comfortable position.  Sit in a  comfortable chair, with your feet flat on the ground.  Place your hands in your  lap with the palms facing upward.  Close your eyes and begin witnessing your  breath.  Observe the inflow and outflow of your breath without attempting to  control it in any way.

You may find that your breathing spontaneously gets faster or slower, deeper  or shallower, and may even pause for a time.  Observe the changes without  resistance or anticipation.  Whenever your attention drifts away from your  breath to a sound in the environment, or a sensation in your body, or a thought  in your mind, gently return your awareness to your breathing.

Once a person becomes comfortable with simply sitting quietly and focusing on  breathing, I recommend adding a mantra, which creates a mental environment that  will allow you to expand your consciousness.

 

Adapted from The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire, by Deepak Chopra  (Three Rivers Press).

 

Dancing with the Dead

Dancing with the Dead

by Sylvana SilverWitch

I am dreaming, I am in a dark room, I am afraid – but I move through the doorway anyway. Suddenly I am on a freeway, on the center-line, cars speeding past me on both sides. The wind rushes in my ears, whipping my hair around; I feel dizzy, as if I’m going to fall into the path of the traffic.

I see my lover walking down the middle of the other side of the freeway, his long dark curls flying in the wind. He looks far away, but he’s not really. I scream at him, trying to be heard over the sound of the traffic. I scream and scream for him, but he is careening, on first one foot and then the other, dancing in front of the cars.

He looks so pale and beautiful in the moonlight. Some of the cars pass through him, as if he’s not real. I find I am screaming, “But you are real! I love you! Please come to me! Get out of the traffic! Please!” I hear the screech of tires on pavement, as a car swerves to miss him, and it sounds like a phone is ringing somewhere, far away. Oh shit!

Oh, no, it’s my phone. I strive to wake up, reaching for the telephone. It is one of my friends -why is she calling at this hour? “Honey? Are you awake?” She is quiet, not at all her usual self. I instantly sense that something is wrong.

“What’s wrong?” I ask – I am suddenly fully awake. “What’s wrong!” I have a sinking feeling in my chest; I know that something is terribly wrong, and I start to cry as she says, “I guess you haven’t heard….”

“Heard what!?” I am screaming at her while she is speaking ever so slowly and quietly.

“Heard about Bobby…. He was killed last night.”

The room disappears from around me, everything goes black and I fall away from the reality I have been in. I feel as if I am falling forever, down, down, down. Down into an abyss of pain. I come to some semblance of awareness a moment or two later. The only reason I know it is only a few minutes is because she is still on the phone repeating, “Are you there? Are you there? Are you all right? Hello? Hello!”

I reply, “Yes. I have to go now; I’ll talk to you later.” She argues, “Are you sure?” But I hang up. My dream flashes in my mind; I suddenly realize what it was about, and I apprehend that I am sobbing. I take a Valium and go back to bed and close my eyes, hoping to shut out the reality and the pain.

I dream again, except this time I am with him, I am sitting in my living room talking to Bobby, and he is telling me that he is not really dead. I am so relieved! I hug him and feel him solid and large in my arms. I know he is really alive; it must have been a bad dream.

He says that he is sorry that we won’t be together anymore, but it is and will be okay, and not to cry any more. I am upset, and he comforts me. I ask him how I will know that this is not just a dream, and he says he can tell me what happened and why. He tells me details about his accident, which was a freak one. I know that he is telling me the truth, and I tell him how much I love him and will miss him. He smiles and says he knows, him too. And he fades away. I call out to him to ask him to stay, but I hear him saying he’s got to go and he will talk with me again. Later….

—

Most of us have had people go from our lives, but the most cruel loss is the death of a family member, friend, lover or even a beloved pet.

When this happens, it can be extremely difficult to let go of the intensity of emotion that we have around it; it “haunts” us, and we are sad and depressed – sometimes for months or years.

It is important, in my opinion, to allow the normal changes to happen in life with as little energy “getting stuck” as is humanly possible, because keeping the energy flowing causes the least pain. If you do your best to first feel and then let go the emotions around the demise of someone close, it helps your healing process and theirs too. You must let them go and let go of any extra energy you may have connecting you to them; by energy, I mean sadness, anger, hurt, resentment, longing. All of these are strong emotions and are “energy” that can keep us connected to the dead. If you attempt to grasp or hold tight to them, it just damages you in the long run. It can be especially tough when you haven’t gotten along with the person for a long time, or when there are big unresolved issues between you.

One way to deal with your emotions when attempting to let go of a loved one, is to do a ceremony to say goodbye. It can be helpful in this process, to contact the dead to communicate whatever you need to express to them and they to you. You can voice whatever and say your last good-byes, while at the same time acknowledging that they are still alive, energetically. Especially if they appear very clearly to you, this has made me feel much better about the passing of my loved ones. Performing the ritual aids in the grieving and healing process, if in no other way than achieving closure.

Connecting with the dead always seems scary at first, but it doesn’t have to be, when you are in the right frame of mind.

Why would you want the spirits of those who have passed on to appear to you? You might have incomplete business with them, for example if a parent dies prior to you working your childhood stuff out with him or her. Maybe you have a question that can’t be answered by any living person, or maybe you wish to honor the dead, as at Samhain. These are all valid reasons. Just for the fun of it is not a good reason!

You might want to be cautious and have respect for the departed, as they do have some power over the earthly beings that have put energy into them. If nothing else, they can communicate with you on the astral plane and make your sleep difficult. If you were to screw around with them or convene the wrong ones, there’s no knowing what might happen. There are all kinds of dead, just as there all kinds of living people – some good, some not so good. Use discretion when doing these workings.

I have chiefly communicated with the departed because someone else requested it of me, but at times they have turned up and talked to me on their own, just because they can I guess. When I work for someone else summoning dead kin, it’s always interesting. I usually try to get the departed to tell me something really obscure about the person doing the seeking, so that they will know it’s “for real.” It is something that a lot of people get spooked about.

I have, in years past, done psychic work with law enforcement agencies to help locate missing people. Usually they had several of us psychics working on the same job, they wanted to check out our information for accuracy, I guess.

—

I went and sat down at the table in the office I was told I would work in. I felt a feeling of dread, like I didn’t want to be there, or like something bad was about to happen. A detective came in and informed me they would be taping the session; I agreed that it was a good idea. He set up the recording equipment and brought out a manila envelope. He said, “This is a missing person; we’d like to have an idea where to look for her, and any other important facts you can tell us.”

With that, he showed me a picture of a young dark-haired girl, maybe 11 or 12. I immediately got what I call a “charge” from the picture, and I told him I’d do my best.

He sat across the table and passed me the remainder of the contents of the envelope. There were various personal effects in it, including a report card, a drawing, a bracelet, a hair brush with hair and a number of pictures.

I immediately knew that the girl was dead, even though the policeman didn’t say so. I also knew that she had been abducted by a stranger, not a person known to her. I knew this because of the terror that I felt from her energy. I closed my eyes and I saw trees all around me, big tall trees. I was very cold, and wet, and alone. I was scared, but happy to make contact finally. (In this process, I often feel as if I am the person I am connecting with.)

I opened my eyes and told the policeman, “She’s dead.”

He jumped. “Are you sure? That was kinda quick, wasn’t it?”

I replied, “No. When I make a good connection, it often happens like this. But it is really strong right now, and I want to get details, so I will talk with my eyes closed and tell you what I see, okay?”

“Uh, okay.” He was unsure about me but didn’t know what to do except agree.

I went on, telling him about the trees and the ravine, and the water and the car. Then as I was describing the scene of the abduction and the man who was the perpetrator, the girl’s energy just started weirding out, and she started calling for her mother.

I realized she didn’t know she was dead. Oh no, this is not good, I thought. She thinks she’s still alive, and I’m helping to rescue her. I tried telepathically to explain to her what had happened, but apparently she had no context for death where she herself was the subject. Plus she was dazed and confused, not thinking straight. I knew I’d have to do some work on releasing her if I were to continue, but then I would be risking the connection.

I had to do something, so I opened my eyes. The cop jumped visibly this time when I opened my eyes and said, “I have to stop; she doesn’t know she’s dead.”

“What do you means she doesn’t know she’s dead?” He was almost yelling at me, and I had to bite my tongue.

—

How can you solicit and communicate with your dead? A ritual follows, especially for the summoning, communication and making amends with and letting go of dead loved ones.

First, choose a night that the moon is dark, preferably around Samhain or Imbolc, when the veils between the worlds are the thinnest. Find a place where you can be alone, where you won’t be disturbed. Assemble all of your tools and talismans; a list of things you might need follows this article.

Cast your circle, drawing the circle in the air and visualizing it to be a sphere, taking you outside of the mundane reality of the time and space that we all normally inhabit. Next, conjure the elementals, and-or the directions, whichever you prefer, asking for their aid and protection, and light the candles. Next, invoke the God and Goddess into the circle, lighting their respective candles. You might ask a particular god or goddess who is associated with the dead, like Rhiannon, to attend your circle. You might also like to invoke the aide of the fey, who are the traditional go-betweens connecting the realms of the living and the dead.

Light some incense that is associated with either the dead in general or the person you wish to speak with. For example, if it’s your grandmother who always wore lavender perfume, burn lavender. Put a picture of the person, if you have one, on the altar, or any of her or his possessions or clothing.

State your intention for all to hear and take notice. This is important. Then invoke the person you wish to communicate with. Saying something like: “I invoke you ; please draw near and converse with me; please attend and illuminate this space with your presence. Kindly appear and assist me in my time of need. Please come; please come!

Speak their name aloud several times, then sit down, close your eyes and wait. This is a very interesting part of the rite, because you must listen quietly. Spirits don’t always appear á là Hollywood, in a superficial display of smoke and lightening. It is sometimes more like someone speaking softly to you inside your head, or a feeling of someone being with you. Listen and be open to them appearing to you. Hear what they say; don’t dismiss it as imagination. You can ask them for a sign if you are really skeptical. Say what you will to them, and know that they have heard you.

When you are finished or when they are done talking to you, thank them, tell them how much you love and appreciate them and then…say goodbye and let them go! Know that if you ever really want or need to talk to them, you can and they will hear you.

Lastly, ground your energy through the earth, making sure there is no residual energy from any other beings left in you. Then pull some energy up from the earth, let it bathe your heart in cleansing, healing energy. Dismiss your gods and the elementals and close the circle.

Afterward, take a cleansing bath or eat a small meal in honor of your rite. This is a good time to clean out the departed persons room, give their belongings to a deserving charity, or put their pictures or effects away. Keep some special mementos, but use the energy to really let go of them, you will find it makes you feel much better.

Some people like to use a Ouija board to talk to discarnate beings, I don’t like the Ouija board – I believe anything can come through it, not just the spirit you are specifically invoking. So use it at your discretion. You could also try a seance, in which you gather a number of people around a table and invoke the dead to communicate through one of you. This works best if one person is the designated medium and has experience “channeling” the dead.

However, being a medium for the dead can be quite traumatic, and I don’t recommend doing it unless you have some training. I used to do this with some regularity, and even though I am trained in the psychic arts, it was very hard on me to maintain my own energy throughout.

—

It is a still and quiet night. The room is dark and hazy-looking to you, even though there is no mist. Everyone is seated around a large, old, round oak table. There are candles flickering in the mist. Everything begins to fade away from sight, everything except the table directly in front of you, a narrow tunnel of reality.

Then you get a chill down your spine. The hair on the back of your necks prickles with electricity. “The spirits have arrived,” says the high priestess. About that time you feel something brush up to you, into you, and then you are above your body and to the side, looking at yourself smiling at everyone.

The high priestess turns to you and addresses you as if she doesn’t know you, “Who comes there?” she asks. “Who is it who joins our circle of love and light?” You see your mouth move and hear words falling from it, but they are not your words. You recognize the energy a moment later as a departed friend of one of your circle-mates. You sigh and relax, and decide to travel around while you are out of your body. Hmmmm – where to go?

—

I am fully aware that in writing this I might be summoning up the people who have been long gone from my life, and I accept that possibility.

Items for a ritual for the dead

Anything that reminds you of the person

Black altar cloth

Black candles

Black mirror

Crystal ball

Elemental candles

Essential oil

Flowers

Incense

Jewelry

Music

Paper and pen

Personal belongings

Pictures

Red wine

Your Daily Horoscopes for Friday, October 26th

We may start the day with uncertainty, yet taking charge becomes easier as the day wears on. Although the sensitive Pisces Moon sets the emotional tone, the action picks up when she enters enthusiastic Aries at 3:30 pm EDT. The transformational Scorpio Sun triggers visions of the long winter, confronting us with thoughts of mortality. However, the impetuous Aries Moon reveals our lack of patience as we take this journey into the unknown.

 

Aries Horoscope

(Mar 21 – Apr 19)

Your schedule seems to be more dependent than you like on the priorities and activities of your friends and associates. You prefer answering to no one but yourself; unfortunately, this self-reliant behavior isn’t supported by the current circumstances. Interacting with people willingly can enable you to accomplish a lot today. However, if you try to avoid working with others, you may not be able to get far at all.

 

Taurus Horoscope

(Apr 20 – May 20)

Your energy might be opposite of what others expect now as the Sun’s presence in your 7th House of Others moves you outward into your environment. You have something important to say about your current relationships, but what you share may not be all rainbows and unicorns. Have patience; your ideas will take time to gel before you can present them in a rational and balanced manner.

 

Gemini Horoscope

(May 21 – Jun 20)

Today’s positive influence of clever Mercury fills your head with a multitude of ingenious ideas. Although you may be even more adept than usual at communicating what’s on your mind now, the things you want to share might raise complex issues. Nevertheless, you are able to cloak the intensity in casual conversation that allows others to speak their minds, too, ultimately giving you the information you need.

 

Cancer Horoscope

(Jun 21 – Jul 22)

When issues grow too complicated, you tend to retreat until you decide what to do next. This is one of those times when it might be simpler to just slip quietly to the back of your cave and let the world go by. Unfortunately, hiding away isn’t in your best interest today. Instead, sharing your most intimate feelings gives others the chance to support you in surprising ways.

 

Leo Horoscope

(Jul 23 – Aug 22)

In order to process today’s stress, you must respond to your current domestic situation with irrefutable sensibility. Don’t even think about a complicated scheme; it won’t work now. You have to keep everything as simple as possible. Don’t waver from your chosen path while remaining open to the advice offered by those you trust.

 

Virgo Horoscope

(Aug 23 – Sep 22)

You have direct access to your feelings today and your clarity helps you in ways that may not be obvious to others. What comes to the surface now might not be pretty, but your emotions can reveal something important about your identity. Maintain your sense of balance as you take this journey into the private world of your own heart.

 

Libra Horoscope

(Sep 23 – Oct 22)

You are quite talkative today, but you’re ready to discuss different subjects than the ones normally expected from you. Instead of keeping your conversations light and easy, you seem less afraid now to confront others with what’s most important to you, even if it rocks the boat. Luckily, you can converse with your typical grace and style, enabling you to smoothly venture into uncharted emotional territory.

 

Scorpio Horoscope

(Oct 23 – Nov 21)

Your work load may finally be growing lighter, but an open calendar doesn’t mean that you plan on taking it easy today. To the contrary, having more time on your hands reminds you of all the projects you want to tackle. Don’t wait until you’re busy again with something else; initiate action now while you can, even if you cannot finish what you start right away.

 

Sagittarius Horoscope

(Nov 22 – Dec 21)

You’re riding an intense wave of feelings today, so it’s smart to take a deep breath before diving beneath the surface. Trying to stay on top of it all will only exhaust you, so let go of anything that could impede your progress. Thankfully, with proper concentration, your stamina will last longer than you think. You’ll have plenty of time to soak up the magical wonders that can only be discovered when you are swimming deep within the sea of emotions.

 

Capricorn Horoscope

(Dec 22 – Jan 19)

Your playing field grows very interesting as it becomes apparent that more is happening than you previously realized. It’s critical to make an extra effort in communicating now, so you can better understand and respect your friends and associates. You stand to gain much in your casual relationships, but you must go out of your way to be a part of the team rather than remaining on the bench. There’s more to be gained by collaborating with others instead of going off on your own.

 

Aquarius Horoscope

(Jan 20 – Feb 18)

You’re quite fascinated yet also frightened by the unknown as you feel the energy shifting into a deeper and more mysterious space. If something springs into your life today that surprises you, don’t push it away just because you weren’t prepared for it. Fate will find the best way to nudge you along as you strive for success.

 

Pisces Horoscope

(Feb 19 – Mar 20)

There may be something magical about your current descent into the shadow realms. You’re seeking meaningful answers to some pretty serious questions now about the purpose of your life and you aren’t willing to settle for anything less. Make time to study spiritual matters because your interest in metaphysical subjects might continue to deepen over the next few weeks.

Dragons of Moon

Dragons of Moon

  

Notes: Perform on a Monday and/or during the waxing Moon, with the Full Moon being strongest. A silver, blue or lavender candle.

Day: Monday

Color: Lavender, silver, blue, pearl-white

Metal: Silver

Stones: Moonstone, quartz crystal, beryl, pearl.

Plants: Calamus, camphor, cascarilla, clary sage, fragipani, jasmine, lotus, mint, rosemary, sandalwood, wisteria, ylang ylang.

Rituals Involving: Travel, visions, divinations, dreams, magick, love, agriculture, domestic life, medicine, luck, feminine aspects, water, birth, time, theft, emotions.

 

Physical Chant:

 

“I seek magick deep and old,

All the love my heart can hold,

Green Magick of the Plants and Earth,

Psychic gifts to aid rebirth.”

 

Mental-Emotional Chant:

 

“Emotions and Time are so hard to control

And to fathom, O power of the Moon,

Teach me your magickal rituals and ways

That I may learn control very soon.”

 

Spiritual Chant:

“Views of the future that come in the night

When the silver Moon rides high in the sky,

I seek your instruction to unlock my dreams

That my spirit may grow and thrive.”

Storm Moon Dream Bath

Storm Moon Dream Bath

The month of the Storm Moon is a time of turbulence, which in turn brings both positive and negative changes. One of the most positive aspects of storms is that they bring water. On a practical level, water is essential to the survival of life. On an elemental level, water is fluid and denotes emotions. This means that not only is this a turbulent time of year, but it can also bring out strong emotions. Use this bath to make more positive, empowering changes.
 
You will need a cup of rainwater and three drops of lavender essential oil.
 
As you pour your bath, go over in your mind the changes that are happening in your life. Think about how you can makes these changes positive. How do you feel about these changes? How are they affecting you emotionally? After the bath has filled, pour in the cup of rainwater and three drops of lavender oil, and as you do say:
 
Taranis, Celtic God of storms
Give me the strength to prevail
Please grant my ship safe passage
Through all this rain, sleet, and hail.
 
Lay back in your bath and breathe deeply. Can you smell the lavender as the warm water moves around your body, caressing every inch of your skin? Let all of your tensions move out of your body through your breath and from your muscles and skin into the surrounding water. Sense a wave of calmness wash over your entire body.

Do You Like You?

Do You Like You?

  • Liz Dawn Donahue

Do I like myself?

Do I like myself in this relationship?

Two very similar questions, but at the same time, very different.

I remember being in relationships and looking in the mirror only to think “who is this person?” I could barely recognize my own reflection because at times my behavior was the anti-thesis of who I am and who I wanted to be. It had gotten to a point in one relationship that I could not believe who I had become. I was this woman putting up with behavior from my partner that I would go screaming into the night if any of my friends would do this in their lives.

I liked myself, but I did not like myself in this relationship. I did not like the person who I had become and most especially that I could not seem to control my reactions to his “bad” behavior.

After hours, actually months, of therapy, I realized that if I was going to come out of this even half alive and the person that I knew myself to be, that I had to figure a way out of this dysfunctional abyss. It was a matter of my mental sanity that I embarked on a vigorous journey of self introspection to understand why I was in a relationship with someone that brought out the worst in me instead of the best in me.

 

Was this concept an impossibility or just a cliche? Can you really be with someone who brings out the best in you or is it your responsibility to always be your best no matter who is in your life? These questions haunted me. I really felt that no matter who was in my life that I should be able to stay centered at all times and be my best. This is wonderful in theory, but not so great in reality when dealing with intimate relationships or dealing with those things that trigger us.

I have heard story after story about people sharing their disappointments about themselves because they would find their lives intertwined with someone who brought out the worst in them. Why?

Here is what I discovered, and this is just one woman’s opinion. We absolutely have to take responsibility for our own actions at all times; however, there are those intimate relationships that trigger old deep-seeded issues inside us that we might have thought we resolved years ago or even issues we never knew we had in the first place. In other words, if I am in a relationship with someone and I am acting out of character, I have to sit and ask myself, what is happening around me that is triggering me into this behavior? Then I need to reflect on what does this remind me of in my past.

More times than often, there is an emotional trigger that has nothing to do with the person in front of you, but has everything to do with past unhealed trauma. The person in front of you is just a reminder that there are areas of your life that need a little work. Having said this, it does NOT mean that you stay with a person who continuously triggers you. If you sit back and take an objective look at their behavior you will probably see that their actions are dysfunctional as well. Their behavior is a perfect match to tap you on the shoulder and not only see unhealed areas of your life, but to also recognize what your relationship red flags are for the future.

I challenge the concept that in order to grow it is good to be in relationship with a partner that challenges your issues. Thank you very much, but I can grow and learn very nicely without the drama of being thrown into all that dysfunction. It is taking a stand and being able to walk away from those relationships that trigger you, a willingness to work in it on your own, and then get into a relationship with someone who does not have the same behavior.

After many years of playing this game and being hit over the head with this lesson I finally got it. I am in a marriage with a man that brings out the best in me, not the worst and I bring out the best in him. It is not just cliche after all.

Unlocking Your Intuitive Power

Unlocking Your Intuitive Power

  • Annie B. Bond

We all have the gift of intuition, it is just different for each of us. No matter which type of intuition we are innately strongest in (visual cues? gut feelings? etc.) we can work to recognize it more readily, and to strengthen it by following specific exercises. To this end, Laura Alden Kamm’s six CD set Unlocking Your Intuitive Power about how to read the energy of anything, is a huge help. Here is how she introduces the CDs:

What is Intuition?
Intuition is a sudden insight without any reasoning or analysis. It is quick, fleeting, rhythmic, and displays non-emotional, non-judgmental qualities. Intuition does not always present information in a way similar to a Hollywood movie; in clear words and pictures. It can work this way, but typically, intuition is subtle and sublime.

Everyone has intuition. Yours comes through you in a way that is unique to you. Your intuition may present information in the form of visual imagery, auditory information, or simply strong feelings and insights. Everyone has their own path, so comparing skill levels and intuitive styles is not an effective use of your time or energy.

Your life’s calling is unique to you. Everyone shines in their life at some point in time, and it may not be witnessed by others. To be happy in life you must be willing to honor the skills, gifts, and talents within your heart. We must travel toward the destination to which we are called. Go where you are inspired and anointed. Trying to do what is not your anointing will simply cause more suffering.

Above all, you must learn to trust your insight. Trust your intuition–always. It will eventually relieve suffering from your life.

Everyone’s intuition is different, just as everyone’s path is different. However, in my 25 years of experience working as an intuitive, I’ve discovered that there are key techniques and ideas helpful for everyone.

1. As you learn and practice your intuitive skills, focus reading the energy of emotions first. They are the simplest to discern. The ability to read other types of energy will develop in time. Emotions are the easiest energy to intuitively assess, not only within a human, but within an animal or even a plant. Start your practice here. If you have a gifted skill in medical intuition, you will naturally be led into the inner depth of the body’s tissues, cells, and other bio-mechanical structures. Trust your personal path and process. Not everyone is cut out to delve into people’s pain or disease structures day in and day out, which is the case when working as a medical intuitive.

2. Always incorporate some form of grounding and centering prior to, during, and after an intuitive reading. You can never go wrong with deep breathing.

3. At some point in your practice, it’s likely that you’ll get discouraged or question your own abilities. You may hear an inner voice offering judgment, criticism, and disempowerment. Realize that this voice is only the mind–it isn’t your intuition speaking to you. Understand the qualities of this inner voice, which sabotages your happiness and self-esteem. There is always emotion attached to this voice. When your intuition is speaking, the information it offers will be free of emotion. You can always trust your intuition, because energy never lies.

4. Seek intentional spiritual growth. Know the motives behind your desires for a spiritual path. If your quest is toward anything other than the sacred self, God, and the empowerment to exist in the light of one’s soul-filled mission, seek deeply within for hidden agendas. One must ask, “Why develop the spiritual self and its attributes, such as the higher intuitive mind?”

5. Stay centered in your purpose and do not dress up your intuitive skills to be anything other than what they are. You are important simply because you exist.

6. Always take the necessary action based on the intuition you receive. Your intuition and connection to it will become stronger each time you respond with action, which demonstrates that you trust your path. You will continue forward with your life’s purpose-one step at a time.

7. Try to meditate at least ten minutes everyday. Twenty to 60 minutes is preferred. If you don’t have time to sit, then walk, empty the dishwasher, garden, work, speak, or move mindfully. Remember, mindfulness meditation is the context–the foundation–of your intuitive development skill.

Adapted from Unlocking Your Intuitive Power, a six-CD set by Lauren Alden Kamm, from Sounds True (2007).

Dragon Power In Magick

Dragon Power In Magick

Working with dragons in magick is different in many ways from other magickal procedures, but not so different that you can disregard certain rules. You need to know how to practice visualization and self-discipline, ethics, absolute truthfulness with yourself, consistency of practice, and meditation. And there must be an exchange of energies while working, an absolute when working with dragons. All of these are important components of any magickal system.

Visualization begins with unlearning many so-called value systems shoved on us by other people, the most common of which is that use of the imagination and daydreaming are not productive and good. The imagination and daydreaming are a negative practice if they occupy most of your life and time; if you daydream about what you want to happen instead of planning and taking action, then you are avoiding responsibility. However, for any type of magick to become truly effective, you must learn how to vividly picture in your mind the event or result that you wish to happen. Once you firmly have the event or result in your mind, you perform your ritual and then release the mental energy for manifestation.

Self-discipline and ethics go together. A magician should not, for his/her own good, dabble in controlling other people or indulge in questionable personal behavior. Jealousy, envy, lust, greed, and anger should not control what a magician does during his/her rituals. In fact, these undesirable emotions should not control any part of a magician’s life. These intense emotions tend to cloud judgment, either bringing an emotional backlash on the magician or causing deliberate harm to others, which in itself brings an eventual backlash on the magician. Either way, it is not worth the misery.

A magician must sincerely desire what she/he is asking for in ritual. If it is half-hearted wish with little emotional intensity behind it, the dragons, or any other entities for that matter, will simply not be interested in helping. And do not think you can put one over on spiritual or astral plane entities because they can see straight through to the truth. The truth is never hidden from these creatures.

One of the worst things a magician can do is take something away from another person by means of magick. This includes health, property, life or freedom. Very often I find that beginning magicians want to control another’s decisions and life on the subject of love. Too often I heard that “I know so-and-so is the true love of my life, but they show no interest. How can I use magick to make them love me?” Forget it! The price is very high for doing this kind of manipulative magick! If they were meant to love you, they would already show interest. Obviously, they are not the love of your life except in your own mind. Any magician considering such a dark use of magick had better take a long, truthful look at their ulterior motives. If someone you were definitely not interested in started taking away your personal freedom to choose, how would you feel?

The second part of the use of magick is that the magician must release the emotions and desire after the ritual is finished. To constantly think about what you want accomplished after the ritual is ended binds the energies to you and they cannot manifest. To constantly talk about your desires, or to talk about the rituals you are performing to get them, will surely keep them from manifestation. To want something so much you can taste it and yet not care if you get it is a very difficult mood to cultivate. I have never known any magician who reached perfection in this area, but getting as close to it as possible is what is important.

There must be an exchange of energies between the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual planes for any spellworking to result in manifestation. Playing at ritual magick, particularly dragon magick, will not get you anywhere. Without mental concentration, physical working, emotional involvement, and intensity of purpose, in other words energies, dragons will not be interested in adding their vast energies to yours. No entity or companion, whether of this plane or another is gong to do all the work for nothing and let you sit on your hands. Dragons are attracted by the energies you raise during ritual, a kind of astral pay-off since they feed on this energy.

Belief in powers beyond yourself is important in any kind of magick. There is an old saying: “If you believe you can, or you believe you can’t, you’re right.” We may not understand how these powers and energies work: we may not be able to describe them to anyone else; we will not be able to prove “scientifically” what they are. But we maigicians know they exist. A magician believe in them because she/he sees the results of their use.

Every magician who wishes to be effective in ritual and manifestation, who desires to grow and expand in knowledge, sooner or later comes to the conclusion that magick is a very serious practice. They learn to set aside time for study and self-improvement through meditation. They practice what are commonly called the psychic arts: tarot, runes, the pendulum, crystal reading, dream analysis, and so on. They cultivate the senses, especially observation, which includes what is in both the physical and astral realm. They learn to read their own intuitive feelings and the vibrations of others.

“Dancing with Dragons”

D. J. Conway