Communication with…. Your Hidden Self

“The Hidden Self is a separate intelligence within a trinity of consciousness, and be recognizing it as such it is possible to bring these levels of awareness into alignment and so vastly increase your range of awareness. The Hidden self, by its very nature, is subservient, it seeks identification with authority and what seems to be both powerful and knowledgeable.” Kenneth Meadows

You may be asking yourself, why do I even want to have this conversation.  First let me explain what Kenneth Meadows was saying about the facts of your Hidden Self.   He writes that our Hidden Self is  an energy-pattern filed within our memory bank, it is there to serve our Human Self.  If were going  to make real changes in our lives it is necessary to erase old energy patterns on which the Hidden Self bases its actions and replace them with new ones. Some refer to activity like this as “erasing personal history”; but what your actually doing is getting rid of all the past hang ups, inhibitions or repetitive cycles of recurring problems that have been in your life as this recurring bad cycle of behavior. 
 

 

Tools you will require

*You will need to determine with your pendulum how it will provide answers to the questions.

Establishing your answers   

First take your pendulum freely over the forefinger of your right hand and suspend it with your fingers 3 to 4 inches above the weighted item (this could be your pendant, key, rock what ever you have used). The rest of the chain/string which ever you have should be held in your hand.  If your left handed, then use your left hand to do this activity.  Another way of holding it could be pinching the area where I described above.  What is important is you will have a range of motion with your pendulum.  Holding it higher still can give you the range of motion it just may be slower, that’s why I’m saying go lower at the beginning.  Personally, I like to hold mine at 6 inches but it’s just a personal preference and I always get a great range of motion.

The motion or rotation/oscillation will provide a positive, negative or neutral response to each question. Sit at a table where your comfortable with your elbow resting on a solid flat area or surface so that your arm is completely relaxed.  You want to make sure their is no muscular movement.  Once you are physically and mentally relaxed and your pendulum is in position and hanging still just above the surface where your arm is placed, ask the pendulum: “What is the direction for yes ?” and wait for a response.  You will get a particular direction. Directions come in differently for each person.  It may come where it’s swinging clockwise, anti-clockwise or backwards and forwards or side to side.  The answer will come but sometimes it requires your to be very patient.

When the direction has been provided make a notation so you can reference it later.  You will continue this activity to you have all the answers to how it will respond to yes, no and maybe.  Each time performing the exact same activity as described above.   What is important is the answers are very specific to you.

Next it’s essential to confirm the responses.  For instance, take your answer and ask the question to see the response; if my answer to yes is clockwise, then say to the pendulum “swing clockwise if you mean yes.”  The pendulum should confirm your original swings if it doesn’t then you need to start the process again from the beginning until you get the confirmations to be the same.  This may take no time at all, or a few days so be patient with yourself.  Even if you already know the answer to a previous pendulum, this is a new intention for this pendulum so it will need cleansed, place your intention and find out how it will respond with the answers as this pendulum is being programmed to communication to your Hidden Self.

Initially ask yourself by using the pendulum,  if you can have a conversation. If your answer is yes, here are some questions that you may consider asking. Of course, I advise you have questions written out in advance incase you get nervouse and forget what to ask.  These are only a few sample questions that I have used for myself.

~What direction should you face when meditating.  Starting with North, go thru each direction to get your yes and no answers.

~You may want to ask  about particular color you should have around you.  If your drawn to a color yet it doesn’t make you feel good, then ask is this color meant for you to be worn, used in your home, or office etc… Just keep in mind you want your questions to be formed so it can be answered yes and no.

It’s important when your finished to give thanks for the ability to have this conversation and then place your pendulum in an area where it won’t be touched by others.  If your planning on using it in the future and you see it’s not working as well, then it may need recleansed/smudged as well.

 

 

I’ve actually used this activity in a workshop I recently taught on www.HippyMom.com and we had allot of fun learning about ourselves.  Give it a try and let us know how it goes.

Clinging To The Core
When Our World Falls Apart

There are times when our whole world seems to be falling apart around us, and we are not sure what to hold onto anymore. Sometimes our relationships crumble and sometimes it’s our physical environment. At other times, we can’t put our finger on it, but we feel as if all the walls have fallen down around us and we are standing with nothing to lean on, exposed and vulnerable. These are the times in our lives when we are given an opportunity to see where we have established our sense of identity, safety, and well-being. And while it is perfectly natural and part of our process to locate our sense of self in externals, any time those external factors shift, we have an opportunity to rediscover and move closer to our core, which is the only truly safe place to call home.

The core of our being is not affected by the shifting winds of circumstance or subject to the cycles of change that govern physical reality. It is as steady and consistent as the sun, which is why the great mystics and mystical poets often reference the sun in their odes to the self. Like the sun, there are times when our core seems to be inaccessible to us, but this is just a misperception. We know that when the sun goes behind a cloud or sets for the night, it has not disappeared but is simply temporarily out of sight. In the same way, we can trust that our inner core is always shining brightly, even when we cannot quite see it.

We can cling to this core when things around us are falling apart, knowing that an inexhaustible light shines from within ourselves. Times of external darkness can be a great gift in that they provide an opportunity to remember this inner light that shines regardless of the circumstances of our lives. When our external lives begin to come back together, we are able to lean a bit more lightly on the structures we used to call home, knowing more clearly than ever that our true home is that bright sun shining in our core.      

I received this in an e-mail a few years ago and not aware who is the author but it stuck with me and when I need to get refocused I will go back to this message which helps me dig deep in remembering where our strengths are~inside us.

Affirmations~

Millions of people use affirmations in hopes that the magical statement, if spoken out loud will improve their quality of life.  Remember the old phrase we have all heard “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”.  But, words can hurt and they can heal but finding the right words to use as your affirmation is key.

Rose Rosetree wrote in her book Aura Reading;  “Your subconscious mind shows in your aura. So you can get immediate feedback on the subconscious impact of any words you say by testing your reaction on the level of energy.”

Doesn’t it make sense then to find out if your using the right affirmation so your not wasting your time.  The question remains, should you be stretching the truth by saying an affirmation that your subconscious isn’t going to like or is it possible to will your subconscious to create the reality to match the affirmation ????  Which choice will it be; use an affirmation that you love and truly believe can help you in life or use one in hopes that your subconscious will accept it.   The choice is yours Love them or Leave them.

 Rosetree writes

“Your chakras know if an affirmation feels like an inspiration or a lie ”

If you want to know if your using the right affirmation try this throat chakra test. 

•  First select your affirmation and position your hand over your throat chakra or stand in front of a mirror so you can examine with your eyes the reaction of the throat.  Read your initial energy.
• State your affirmation.
• Read your energy again.  What did you see or feel ?

If you felt any discomfort in your throat chakra, leave the affirmation for another day.  You don’t want to trick or talk your subconscious into liking something your speech center is showing you it dislikes.  Your throat chakra will let you know what feels right and what is wrong for you.

No matter how tempted you may feel stretching the truth, if you think  faking it may eventually make you believe the affirmation, it isn’t going to happen.  What will happen is you’ll clog or block your throat chakra.  Take your time to find the right affirmation,  because finding the right affirmation can be your own spiritual treasure.

Here’s some fun websites to help you view some affirmations: http://www.vitalaffirmations.com/pool/affirmation-cards.htm;  http://www.umsonline.org/DailyAffs.htm.

Please share some of your affirmations.

I have pleasant encounters with others.

If someone acts unpleasantly,
I find a way to stay
at peace in the situation

I turn it around and find a pleasant outcome.

When I go back and stay with my Grandparents my Grandfather will tell me stories about his own childhood.  He remembers the golden rule in their home, no one eats until all the animals are fed.  When the chores were finished there was always a hot breakfast ready for them which included eggs, bacon and fresh bread (basically what was readily available from the farm); and once finished you better not waist any time as you were expected to walk to school.  I love listening to his stories and more importantly, I want my children to hear them.  Society today has changed drastically since those days but there is so many lessons in the way my Grandfather was raised that should be applied today.

When my husband and I were kids we were always outside and to make sure we got our chores done or lessons finished our parents would hold over our heads “there’s no playing outside until your work is done”.  That was the best motivator in the world, no one wanted to be told they had to stay inside.  In fact, I can remember sneaking out the window to get outdoors after being grounded in the house for the weekend.    As a child no one had to tell me to go play outside; being out in nature was  part of our every day lives.  Unfortunately, times have changed and there are some families that don’t know how to introduce ~Nature into their kids lives and that’s what brings me to this article. 

This Christmas I was given the book  I love dirt !  Written by Jennifer Ward.  The foreword presented by Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods,made such an impact on me.  He speaks how to days families regard Nature as separate from our everyday lives.   Families recreational activities are more and more done indoors (Wii, TV and computers) have replaced riding bikes, hiking and imaginary play.    Richard Louv reports that from 2000-2004 sales for bikes fell 21% and antidepressants prescribed to children have doubled in the last five years.  He writes in his book that  :many children today have tunnel sensses  and feelings of isolation and containment.  The best prescription available for our children that is free, is playing outside.  Study after study will tell you that for a child to have a healthy childhood development that being outside is essential.  ~Nature helps every one’s  (adult and children) mental and physical health. 

In 2005 the California Department of Education found that  students in school that had nature immersion programs performed 27% higher in science testing than kids who were educated in traditional class setting.  Take a look at your schools surrounding environment, I bet you will find that there is only a parking lot and residential neighborhood.  When I grew up our school was surrounded by woods that incorporated paths and we had outdoor classroom area that gave the teachers options to hold their classes outside. 

Jennifer Ward’s book, I love Dirt  gives you the ideas needed for busy parents and this book can be a great gift for your child’s teachers and if you go to her web page www.jenniferwardbooks.com has supported material that will help lessons if using any of her books.  If you need an idea for summer she has 12 different activities. 

I love her activity called Moon Shadows found on page 72, not only does she give you activities you can enjoy with your children but some history to share with them as well.  In total there are 52 open-ended activities to help you engage your child in the outdoors.  No mater what your location-from wide-open meadows of the country to a small patch of green grass in the city.  You will have activities that will help you promote exploration, stimulate their imagination and heighten your child’s senses. 

Don’t stop with this book, look in your own newspaper to find out what activities are being promoted in your area.  Were going to see an Ice winter wonderland next weekend, tell me some of your plans you have !!!!

 

 

Dream Catcher Lore

Native Americans believe that the night air is filled with dreams both good and bad. The dream catcher when hung over or near your bed swinging freely in the air catches the dreams as they flow by. The good dreams know how to pass through the dream catcher, slipping through the outer holes and slide down the soft feathers so gently that many times the sleeper does not know that he/she is dreaming. The bad dreams not knowing the way get tangled in the dream catcher and perish with the first light of the new day. 

When I place my child to bed each night, you will hear me saying “sweet dreams”.  I believe it’s our hope as parents that our child go to sleep and have wonderful dreams and will rise feeling rested.  This last week my son came to me complaining he’s having nightmares and doesn’t want to sleep in his room; naturally I wanted to turn him back and say try again but I couldn’t go to bed knowing he was having bad dreams so I decided I would sleep in there and to my surprise I too had a nightmare.  It was Eric himself who asked me to get him a dream catcher.  Naturally that would be a good addition to his room since his decoration is Native American and I indeed bought him a large dream catcher at a Cherokee Pow Wow this summer and loved meeting the artist who made the design and in the middle she painted a Eagle. 

I should have placed a dream catcher in his room when we moved in to the home.  Dream catchers are in his brother’s rooms and we even have one in the car because we take long trips I wanted to ensure their rest was filled with peaceful dreams.  I loved sleeping in the car when taking long trips and it just seemed natural to have one with us when we take long trips.  I was fortunate to get mine as a gift from a friend who is a Maliseet Indian.

 If your planning on adding a dream catcher to your bedroom you may want to perform the sage ceremony:  Before use, the dream-catcher is often cleansed in a ceremony of purification by passing it through the smoke of smoldering sage–the  sage ceremony.  Sometimes, if the dream-catcher is not in a well-lit room, it becomes overloaded with energies that need to be cleared. 

When I look at our dream catchers I can see the love that went into each weave and feel honored to have these beautiful items in our home.   When you need a special gift for your child or anyone you care about consider purchasing a dream catcher and include the history from the tribe.  Each tribe I found has its own unique legend of the dream catcher.

www.aaanativearts.com has a beautiful legend about the dream catcher that I would like to share:   

ORAL TRADITION: Ojibway legend

“A spider was quietly spinning his web in his own space. It was beside the sleeping space of Nokomis, the grandmother. Each day, Nokomis watched the spider at work, quietly spinning away. One day as she was watching him, her grandson came in. “Nokomis-iya!” he shouted, glancing at the spider. He stomped over to the spider, picked up a shoe and went to hit it.

“No-keegwa,” the old lady whispered, “don’t hurt him.”  “Nokomis, why do you protect the spider?” asked the little boy. 

The old lady smiled, but did not answer. When the boy left, the spider went to the old woman and thanked her for saving his life.

He said to her, “For many days you have watched me spin and weave my web. You have admired my work. In return for saving my life, I will give you a gift.” He smiled his special spider smile and moved away, spinning as he went.

Soon the moon glistened on a magical silvery web moving gently in the window. “See how I spin?” he said. “See and learn, for each web will snare bad dreams. Only good dreams will go through the small hole. This is my gift to you. Use it so that only good dreams will be remembered. The bad dreams will become hopelessly entangled in the web.”

Please share your story about your dream catchers with me.

 

Ted Andrews

This month I learned one of my favorite authors died, Ted Andrews.  He was a wonderful author that helped me learn how animals speak to us and can be our teachers and guides  if we open the doors in our own minds.  It was summarized so well on the back of his Animal Wise book .

“The early shamans, priests, and priestesses were scientist as well as mystics.  They studied the plants and animals, learning their characteristics and qualities.  When we realize that our learning and guidance comes from sources other than human, our world is no longer the same. In the world around us is a myriad of wonders. Through the animal kingdoms-through the multitude of wonders found within Nature-we experience renewal. Every sojourn into Nature, every animal encournter, offers an epiphany for the heart and soul.  And if only for a little while, let us open our heart to it and see what glories unfold.”

In honor of his life I wanted to share a tradition he shared called the~ Inner Totem Pole.  Details can be found in Chapter 5, in Anmal Wise.  In the chapter he discusses the meanings of totem poles and how the actual creation is a sacred act that brought wholeness and balance to the tribe.  In some cultures, the totem pole were an actual doorway that acted as protection to the occupants living inside. 

Similar to a totem pole, our human body is similar where our head reaches for the Heavens and our feet bridge us to the Earth; and within our body is the energy center called the chakras.  By using the 7 chakras of the human body as  a starting point, you can create your own Inner Totem Pole.  To help empower the chakra center you can find the expression of energy by discovering which animal represents that chakra.  For example, if we have a groundhog at our base center, we can learn to go into altered states, and learn how ground hog uses it’s altered state to control it’s  metabolism.  The ground hog uses this form of hibernation to survive harsh times from the enviornment and we can tap into that energy by understanding how the groundhog lives and eats to survive our own changes.

Above you can see an example of how we would describe in visual form what a Inner Totem may look like if you were drawing your own Inner Totem Pole.  Ted Andrews adds an 8th element, your feet as the base totem.  This gives you the following 8 elements of the body that need an animal that represents each individual element:

1. Feet (base)
2. Root or Base (gonads and ovaries)
3. Spleen (adrenals, spleen & liver)
4. Solar Plexus (adrenals)
5. Heart (thymus)
6. Throat (thyroid)
7. Brow (pituitary)
8. Crown (top of head)

Animal Wise guides your through the process of selecting the right animal for each part of the body, making it fun and simple.  It can take anywhere from a few days to a month or more to find the right animal for your animal totems, but it is well worth the time.  It saddens me to know he’s gone from this earth but this man left us a wealth of information in his books and with them his legacy will live on.

 

Reiki is a wonderful experience for everyone including our children. The intention of the Love Charms is for children of any age. The Reiki charm is combined with a ribbon and your to tie the ribbon around their wrist for a short period of time and the Reiki will flow. If your not comfortable with the Ribbon then place the charm under a pillow or tie on the bed post. Extend your love with the Little Bundles of Reiki with the Reiki Charm.

If there is a particular charm your looking for, color in a stone I can take orders but it may take 3 weeks to receive if I’m having to have items shipped to me.  Shipping for each charm is $1.50 for standard United Postal Service Mail, if you would like to have it insured or any other special service please specify that at the time of request and the charges will be added to the final cost.

 

 

The Mandala (Sanskrit for “circle” or “completion”) has a long history and is recognized for its deep spiritual meaning and representation of wholeness.  Buddhist, Tibetans, Native Americans, and Hindus are a few that have included the Mandala’s in their art and their lives.  

The “circle with a center” pattern is the basic structure of creation that is reflected from the micro to the macro in the world as we know it. It is a pattern found in nature and is seen in biology, geology, chemistry, physics and astronomy.

Psychoanalyst Carl Jung has called it the Mandala “a representation of the unconscious self.” The mandala is widely recognized as a meaningful reflection of its creator.  Native Americans used Mandala’s to uncover the deeper meanings of our hearts, and assists in observing our motivations in life in connection with the grander scale of the universe.  In every part of our world you can find Mandala’s as part of man-kinds history.  Is coloring a Mandala a form of unstructured therapy ?  It’s amazing if you look on the web all the pictures there are with Mandala’s.  You can incorporate them almost anywhere if you want.

Many people find meditation difficult to attain even though the benefits are well documented.  When were kids and our parents wants us to engage in a quiet activity often they would pull out the crayons and paper.  In an essence they were introducing us to Color Therapy.  When your coloring,  the focus of meditation is easily attained through the activity of coloring itself.  Coloring is a way you can quiet the mind, listen inwardly and open up to higher knowledge, bring healing into your life and tap into your creativity.  This alternative to formal meditation practices can help people of all ages in recovery,  improve coping and awareness skills through an enjoyable activity.  I wonder was this the intention when Mandala’s were being creative to have a focused activity during their meditations or was it for the artistic work ?

Don’t just stop at coloring try adding some soothing music.  I always find it interesting when coloring to take a look at the finished product and review what colors have I used.  Color itself can give us so much insight into our subconscious. 

 The next time you find you can’t pull yourself out of a bad mood or want to share in an activity with your children/or perhaps with friends pull out the markers, crayons or coloring pencils and have some fun.  This link gives you wonderful Mandala options that can be downloaded: http://www.free-printable-mandala-coloring-pages.com/free-mandalas-to-color.shtml

Tonight I have had the wonderful opportunity to learn that when you journey and you ask for assistance from the animal spirits that you may not get what you expect.  I try to have an awareness for what animals present themselves during the course of my day and today was no exception.  However, I never thought it would lead me to here with a dragon.  You see my day first started by being woken up with the caw of a crow.  Then earlier in the day I went grocery shopping and felt drawn to the puzzles and bought one for my son which was a dragon.  Last weekend I was looking up dragons as well and was drawing one on a sword for my son.  You see, animals that bring messages to you will present themselves to you and it’s important to discover the meaning behind the presentation.  All this week I’m just thinking I’m helping my son and then finding a gift about a creature he adores.  Only to realize now the Dragon wasn’t meant for my son but it was coming to me.  I always knew you will have new animals show up and tonight I asked the Universe with the  intention to present me with an animal that will guide me on this path.

Backing up a bit, I should mention that  I’ve been dwelling in self doubt today. I’m soon going to be teaching a class and feel a little apprehensive about this path of teaching.  Early this evening I tried to get a hold of my friend who is a fellow Shamanic Student and Reiki Master, she wasn’t home.  I thought if she couldn’t give me the answers I was seeking then it would be helpful for me to ask the Universe the questions and to journey to receive the answer.

As I  began my journey I felt drawn to go outside of my home and onto the roof .  Before I knew it,  I was seeing myself in this beautiful flowing white dress and a huge female dragon coming.  She told me her name and instructed me to climb on her back that she was here to take me on a journey of flight.  Before  I knew it we were flying about the clouds near the stars and beyond the planets.  I could feel I was entering the UpperWorld, it was hear that I found my answers to my questions.  But, what has stayed with me is that animals come to us as our messages and earlier in the day I felt drawn to this puzzle and then this evening I’m being presented the gift of a Dragon; a Dragon that has come as a new animal guide  to help me take this journey into teaching.

I will continue to research the meaning about the dragons, one place I found tonight was animal planets movie on the history of dragons http://animal.discovery.com/convergence/dragons/. If you get the time it’s really worth watching and don’t stop there as there is allot of information about dragon totems: www.thedragonshaman.com/dragon-totem-power.html. 

I know I’m on this new flight and won’t be taking it alone now.  I feel blessed to have the Dragon come into my life and will continue to ask for more lessons.  Tonight I will sleep on knowing that I don’t have to fear new journeys in my life.  Flight is a exploration to higher dimensions;  you will have the opportunity to find the calm winds and fly high,  however, periodically you will run in to turbulance and have to turn back but the will we have inside ourselves is stronger than the obstacles of self doubt and fear and if we allow the fear to grow we will stay on the ground but if we take the leap of faith we will find we can fly and we will find the journey is worth all the effort.

A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds.

A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship,

and he who plants kindness gathers love. ”
                                              Saint Basil

Plant Medicine

Have fun learning all about the powers of the plants by performing this exercise. 

Tools needed for this exercise: 

Pencil/Pen

Paper

Small pair of scissors or tool for cutting plants

Bag to hold your plant

Blanket/towel

 

To complete this exercise you need to go to a place where you will find plants growing naturally and be able to spend at least a half hour there.  Begin taking a walk and placing the intention to the plants that you under stand how important they are to you and our universe.  As you continue walking ask the plants to reveal to you something of its spiritual nature.  You may have to repeat this a couple times and if you find that you may not remember this phrase, then write it down and take the message with you to reference. 

 

As you walk continue to repeat this message as many times as needed until you find the answer.  Giving your self time, there is no rush with this exercise.  It’s important that you to try to keep an open mind ~ in a sense like a blank screen.  The answer will come to you telepathically either as an image or as a thought. When you begin to receive the message, take a seat and write down the impressions that come to you.  You may be receiving a scene, feel free to draw the images being shown.  Try not to attempt at this time to analyze or interpret the message; that will come later in a meditation session when your home.  Just write/draw what impressions come.

 

In your thoughts, explain to the plant that you need help and it requires you to take a small cutting.  In your mind it will come as an impression of where you’re to make this cutting.  Take your time and make the cutting and then smear a little spit from your mouth over the wound on the plant.  This acts as an offering of healing to the plant.

 

If it’s possible and you have some additional time, spread your blanket or towel and lie down on the ground.  It doesn’t have to be the exact location but somewhere as close as possible to the area where you made the cutting.  Focus you’re breathing and relax, holding the cutting to your navel.  Close your eyes and ask the plant cutting to reveal its medicine to you.  Once you have received the message, sit up and note any of the impressions or images that come to you. You may also have experienced a vision from the cutting, this is important to write as much detail as you can so you’re not to forget later.  When you are finished take the cutting and place it in your bag and take it home with you.  We will perform another meditation with it another day.

 

When time permits let’s share how the plant communicated with you and describe what was calling to you.

~Learning From Your Plant ~

 

To go into a deeper understanding of the lesson from your plant, go to a place where you can meditate and  take your plant cutting and hold it to your navel and ask the plant to what it wants to teach you. Followed by asking how it can help to transform your weakness into strengths; then ask what other plants can become your allies.

Once finished it’s important to document all the details that come to you.

 

Love to hear about your experience…..I also want to Thank my friend Chris who took this beautiful picture while celebrating her anniversary with her husband.  He has a fabulous eye for photography, www.jimemeryphotography.com