self-help
Spiritual Attachment And Detachment
The physical world is not the only realm in which some of us struggle with issues of detachment (alienation), or attachment (codependency). The same holds true in the spirit realms.
If we experience spiritual attachment, this usually happens as a result of an addictive personality. In life, one could be addicted to unhealthy relationships, various substances, shopping, food, and so on. The driving force behind all of these is basically the same – the attempt to fill a perceived void with a substitute.
This inclination can then lead to the presence of negative spirit attachments with addictive energies. Perhaps the spirit entity had the same kind of addiction when it was in physical form, and still needs to experience that ‘high.’
When this happens, the victim in the physical world, to whom the spirit entity has attached itself, may become more stubborn and in denial over the need to change their habits. Many friends and family members who have had to deal with addicts, will tell you that addiction changed their loved one’s personality. From a spiritual perspective this is very true.
Spiritual detachment, on the other hand, happens when someone is the victim of abuse or trauma. A part of themselves ‘detaches’ or becomes distant from their core self, which may unintentionally invite a more powerful spirit presence to enter, to ‘protect’ or ‘guide’ the victim. Aristotle’s phrase ‘nature abhors a vacuum’ comes to mind. It means every space or void in nature always needs to be filled with something. The same holds true in the spirit realm.
How To Be Patient In Times Of Crisis
Just about every day, we face some sort of obstacle, delay in communication, or a situation that doesn’t go our way. And in times of an unexpected crisis, our first response is too assume the worst, or panic.
Negative feelings can creep up and overtake the mind, sending us into fits of rage, sadness or disillusionment, due to the lack of patience in surrendering our control and allowing those emotions to pass with total acceptance.
When we become impatient, our entire being is out of balance and the auric energy field becomes muddy and chaotic. Agitation and strain then become the primary motivator, and there is a loss of self-awareness within.
Impatience never makes things happen faster, or better, and the worst way this can manifest is when we try to force an issue, or get a person to instantly say yes, or go along with our vision.
Whenever impatience or uncomfortable feelings arise, it’s vital to make a conscious effort to redirect that negativity and nip it in the bud, so you can stay calm during the toughest times. Here are some strategies to help alleviate impatience when your feeling triggered.
Breathing
Take several deep breaths from your stomach and exhale out the stress, focusing on your third eye as you release your breath. Think of something funny or inspirational so you don’t unleash unnecessary aggression.
Home Is Still Where The Heart Is
This is a traumatic, stressful time in history for many of us, especially since there is so much confusing news and information to process and assimilate. We can, however, do a number of things during this extremely stressful period to make our lives easier, instead of cowering under the bed until it all blows over. Most importantly, we can choose to face reality with gratitude, courage and fortitude.
There should be precautions put into place certainly, but also there should be some joy and happiness, as well as planning for the future. We should be taking advantage of this blissful and happy downtime inside the place where we usually love, hope and live – inside our personal domicile, our home.
Never before have we had such ample opportunity to get to know our loved ones in a more intimate and connected way. Never before have we been reminded so deeply of the many reasons we have to be thankful for. This is a unique time in our lives, during which we can teach our children, as well as each other, that what appears to be a bleak and dire moment can certainly be turned around and changed into one of joy, appreciation and merriment.
Instead of sitting around feeling miserable, many parents have, for example, been contriving makeshift toys, contraptions and activities to help children continue to be happy and carefree, as they should be, whether it be indoors, or in their own backyard.
There are also many adults who are taking advantage of this ‘alone time’ to reconnect, not only with others whom they may have been unintentionally neglecting, but also getting to know and understand themselves on a deeper level.
Simple Self-Care To Improve Your Well-Being
We are living in stressful times, but this can also be a time of reflection, and looking into the future, making plans. If you are currently feeling depressed, or in despair, there are many simple things you can do to ease your mind, or lift your spirits.
To begin, take some time to reflect on how you are feeling. Often we are unaware of how things are really affecting us. Consider how you may be choosing to perceive things, and whether you need to take some time to truly process some of your thoughts and feelings. Just recognizing that you are sad, afraid, frustrated, or depressed, is already a step in the right direction.
Remind yourself also that some of your thoughts and feelings may not be unusual in these unusual circumstances. Many people are going through the same thing at the moment. You are definitely not alone.
Each of us react differently to unpleasant life events. Try to stay positive and not be so down on yourself. Try to be more proactive and take time to reflect on what is most important in your life. Meditation, and other forms of spiritual practice, is a great way to relieve stress in your life.
Take This Time To Find The Future Inside
The last couple of months have brought out a variety of emotions for all of us. They reach from anger, fear, frustration and anxiety, to kindness, compassion and love. People never see things in the same way, and differing views and opinions about the Covid-19 pandemic are causing confusion, noise and heated arguments on social media, in the news, in politics and in our streets.
One cannot help but be left to wonder, who is actually telling the truth? Whose facts are the most reliable? Is certain news fake? Are some of the things we hear or see just rumors, or weird conspiracy theories? Are some purposely spreading misinformation, or exaggerating what is going on? Is the situation possibly more serious than most of us realize, or less severe than we may believe? There are so many questions right now, not many clear answers, and a lot of uncertainty.
But instead of focusing on all the chaos and drama around you, it may be wise to instead shift your attention to something more important. Especially if you are currently still quarantined at home, this is the perfect time to evaluate what is going on deep inside your soul. It is the perfect time to spend in solitude and silence, go within, and allow your soul, your inner guidance, to speak to you. And if you are sheltering with family or friends, try to find a quiet place or secret corner where you can hide away for a while every day.
Maybe there are many voices out in the world today that we cannot trust. But there is one voice we can always trust – the voice within. Each one of us has a deep consciousness that holds the answers to our fears and life questions. Each one of us has a direct connection with spirit, and this is the best time to truly allow spirit to talk to us. Are you truly listening? Or are you merely flapping your mouth, and creating more fear or anger for yourself and others?
Review The Day For Better Sleep
Many of us are having trouble getting enough sleep these days. Even if we are currently not going many places and meeting a lot of people during the Covid-19 pandemic, we are still experiencing a lot of stress and disruption, which upsets our minds and unsettles our bodies.
In more normal circumstances walking outside might be a great way to relax in the evening, but even that might not be enough as to allow our body-mind to reach a fully natural balance.
There are also many medical resources for better sleep, of which the most common is the use of various sleeping tablets and herbal remedies. But sleep medications and even medicinal herbs require some caution and care, as they are not always harmless, and the side-effects may differ from person to person.
Some Yoga breathing exercises and meditations may also be useful, as they help balance the blood-flow and deepen the breathing. This is not a visualization technique, nor it is a ritual, but a simple process that may aid your sleep.
There are also shamanic techniques that include breathing, but the core idea remains the same: there is energy locked in stressful or painful events of the day, and the way to release it, is to remember them with a calm mind and a healing intention, maybe even a healing prayer, mantra or meditation.
Recapitulation, as technique taught by Deepak Chopra, is the process of reviewing your day, from beginning to end, every night before you go to sleep. It means to go through the events of the day, and digest mentally what has happened, instead of suppressing your thoughts and feelings. If we try to distract ourselves continuously, we might find we feel tired, but we remain restless.
A Time Of Transition With Venus Retrograde
Venus is the goddess of love, and in Astrology the planet Venus is thought to represent what we love, value and the pleasure we take in life. The zodiac sign that Venus is in at the moment of our birth, can give us clues as to how we approach relationships, as well as what gives us joy in life. In the Shamanic Astrology tradition, the natal Venus is considered to be our emerging feminine expression.
The planet Venus rotates around the Earth in an 18-month cycle. The cycle begins when it appears as the ‘morning star’ on the eastern horizon, best seen in the early morning sky. It then begins a journey around the Earth, disappearing behind the Sun for two to three months, before reappearing as the ‘evening star’ on the western horizon. As it nears the end of the cycle, Venus goes retrograde, before disappearing again from the sky, and then re-emerging once again in the early morning sky as a goddess transformed for another cycle.
This annual cycle of Venus represents the personal growth, transformation, death and rebirth that affects us all collectively. There is also a complete eight year cycle for each individual, as Venus reaches the same point in the sky, where it was at our time of birth, once every eight years. This is known as the Venus Return and is the starting point or rebirth of an individual’s eight year cycle. Often, around these 8-year time-frames, for example at age 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, and so on, there are significant life events that have more far reaching effects for us personally.