Self-Help
My Spiritual Encounter With A Bear
Imagine venturing deep into the forest, sunlight streaming through the ancient trees. The air is crisp, alive with the gentle whispers of nature. Suddenly, a colossal bear emerges from the underbrush, its presence a primal force in the serene scene.
Well, chances are this isn’t just another wildlife encounter – it’s a potentially powerful spiritual experience, imbued with profound symbolism.
My psychic mentor and I once had such a remarkable encounter with a bear that brought me some deep spiritual insights.
The forest has always been a happy place for me, and for this particular long-term retreat, I rented a cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. One crisp fall evening, while my friend was visiting me and we were enjoying the tranquility of twilight on the back porch, a large black bear wandered into the back yard.
At first, we were both gripped with fear. Seeing such a powerful creature up close is both awe-inspiring and very intimidating! Fortunately, the bear paid us little attention as he calmly foraged for food, his movements deliberate and unhurried.
After the initial shock, we found ourselves mesmerized by his presence. I am always on the lookout for signs and synchronicities from the universe. Decades of spiritual work have taught me that nothing is accidental or random, especially when you are in the wilderness.
Astrology Forecast July 15 – 21, 2024
This morning the combined influences of Sun square Chiron, Scorpio Moon quincunx Jupiter, and Mars conjunction Uranus create a complex and dynamic start to the week.
The influence of the Moon in Scorpio will add even more intensity and a desire for deep change to the mix of emotional sensitivity, need for balance and strong drive for change that these three aspects evoke. This can be both challenging and empowering, depending on how you navigate these energies today.
Try to begin the day with a grounding practice, such as meditation or journaling, to help you manage any emotional turbulence. Clarify your goals for the week and create a flexible plan that can accommodate both your needs and your ambitions. Above all, be open to unexpected changes and opportunities, as adaptability will be key to navigating these unbalanced energies today.
Tomorrow morning will be a good time to do business with the Scorpio Moon trine Saturn in Pisces, especially if you need to sell your ideas to senior management or important clients. This harmonious aspect allows for a seamless integration of emotional intelligence with practical action, leading to better customer understanding, trust building, problem solving, and overall financial efficiency.
The Sagittarius Moon on Wednesday and Thursday brings a burst of optimism, an adventurous spirit, and a desire to explore. This mid-week aspect promotes enthusiasm and a sense of freedom, helping us to break out of routine and infuse our week with inspiration and excitement. Seek out new experiences, embrace learning opportunities, and think expansively. It’s an ideal time to expand our horizons, both mentally and physically, and to take a more optimistic and open-minded approach to challenges.
Consciously Connecting With Your Spirit Guide
Have you ever felt a gentle nudge, an intuitive whisper, an inner knowing guiding you? It is your spirit guide supporting and protecting you. Sometimes our guides succeed in getting our attention, but sometimes the messaging fails, with potentially disastrous consequences for our safety, success, or well-being.
This is why it is wise to be more directly familiar and connected with your guide. It is like having the spirit realm ‘on speed dial,’ which can come in very handy in difficult times, and especially in emergency situations! Consciously connecting with your guide is a spiritually rewarding, uplifting and highly beneficial practice.
A spirit guide is a higher non-physical entity or spirit being who is dedicated to supporting our life journey and spiritual mission in our current lifetime by offering us ongoing guidance, support, wisdom and protection. Think of them as our celestial cheerleaders and bodyguards, always rooting for our highest good!
Depending on our chosen belief system and personal background, our guide may be one of our ancestors, a totem or spirit animal, spirit guardian, angelic guide, saint, bodhisattvasa, enlightened being, ascended master, deva, djinn, deity, or other divine being.
Regardless of who we personally understand our spirit guides to be, they are with us from the day we are born to provide support and insight to help us navigate life’s challenges, make wise choices and decisions, and pursue our spiritual growth and soul purpose. Our guides communicate with us through intuition, signs, symbols, synchronicities, physical sensations, dreams, and even other people, conversations and various forms of media. They are always guiding us toward our highest good and spiritual development.
Unleash The Power Of Your Intention
When I first started working professionally in the spiritual field, I used to get pretty uptight about whether or not I was spending enough time preparing myself properly before consulting with clients, both for psychic readings and energy healing sessions. That was until I visited a well-known elderly spiritualist who lived in the countryside outside of Johannesburg, South Africa, for a reading.
“You work with spirit, just like I do,” I remember him saying. “But I sense that you worry that your preparation is weak and not good enough.”
He was right, I was often stressed about having enough time to prepare with my guides before the sessions began. I always want to give my best to my clients and feared that I would disappoint them if I was not properly prepared and perfectly “tuned in.” Was I doing it right? Did I spend enough time on it? Was I leaving out an important step? Should I just do it once a day before I start or before every single session?
Ironically, while my sincere intention with all this worrying was to give my clients the best readings and healings possible, I was actually not always giving my best, because I was so stressed and worried about being well-prepared!
“All you have to do is set your intention clearly every day before you start,” the wise old gentleman said. It was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. Of course! Keeping it simple is often the best approach to most things in life, so why should it not work in spiritual endeavors also?
This was how I learned that the most important ingredient for successful preparation in any spiritual practice or metaphysical activity is intention. Today, I like to think of intention as the vital spark that lights the flame. It is a powerful tool in all metaphysical practices. Oddly enough, intention is often the key aspect of our spiritual practices that is most often overlooked.
Astrology Forecast July 8 – 14, 2024
Venus weaves much of her lovely magic this week through several planetary aspects and a major transit. Get ready for a heightened focus on relationships, pleasure, and creative self-expression – but with a twist or two!
Today, Venus in Cancer sextiles Uranus in Taurus, infusing the start of the week with unexpected yet positive emotional and relational shifts.
It will be a great day for creatives and innovators, as creative endeavors flourish with innovative ideas and unique expressions that add a spark to routine tasks or projects. This aspect encourages embracing change and finding beauty in the unconventional, making it a great day to try something new, whether in personal relationships or aesthetic pursuits.
Thursday Venus reigns supreme as she casts several sensual spells on us, so buckle up! Thursday morning Venus trine Neptune, together with Moon sextile Venus, brings a wave of dreamy idealism, romantic vibes and a harmonious blend of emotions and desires. We’ll feel naturally affectionate and receptive to love, making it easier to connect with others and openly express our feelings.
We’ll see the world (and potential partners) through rose-colored glasses, fostering compassion, creativity and a desire for beauty. It will be a good time to connect with our artistic talents, embrace forgiveness, and let intuition guide us toward love that feels divinely inspired.
Empower Your Day With A 5-Minute Morning Routine
Navigating modern life can be daunting these days, especially when juggling a business or career, family responsibilities, social commitments and personal and spiritual self-care (if there is any time left for such a ‘luxury’).
Some days can feel like an endless climb, a never-ending hamster wheel. But I have learned that even the smallest adjustments in your lifestyle can invoke the most profound changes.
A spiritual self-care strategy that has worked wonders for me is my simple five-minute morning routine. It has transformed not only my personal life but also my psychic practice in ways I never imagined.
As a passionate artist and psychic professional, I often found myself feeling a little overwhelmed and scattered. Many of my mornings used to be chaotic and my energy was often all over the place, typically setting a stressful tone for the rest of my day.
I was desperate for a change. I needed a way to stay centered, focused and productive without adding more time demands and complexity to my already busy schedule.
Then it hit me: why not try a quick morning routine designed to centre and ground me, cleanse and shield my energy, and set positive intentions for the day ahead?
The morning is a particularly powerful time to practice such a routine, I thought. How we start our day obviously sets the tone for the hours that follow. A positive, focused start, empowered by a mindful soul connection to Spirit and the Divine, can only set the stage for an empowering and fulfilling day, while a chaotic, disconnected start only leads to stress, inefficiency and negativity. So, I decided to give it a go and have not looked back since.
Tarot Forecast July 2024: The Tower
This month’s card is the Tower, which predicts the energies of disruption, revelation, transformation and the breaking down of old structures.
The Tower card is a powerful symbol of sudden upheaval and change. It’s traditionally depicted as a tall tower struck by lightning, representing chaos and upheaval. It represents life throwing us a curveball.
As lightning strikes and flames dismantle the old structure, it forces us to confront our foundations and belief systems. While painful, this destruction can lead to necessary revelations and a chance to rebuild on a stronger foundation. By letting go of what no longer serves you, you open yourself up to new possibilities.
The Tower showing up in a reading, though scary and troubling at first glance, always precedes a period of significant growth. Destruction creates opportunity. Most situations we face are opportunities, even the bad ones. It’s all about the opportunity and how you see it.
Embracing chaos will be the key to clarity and growth this month. This is a time to rebuild and redesign your life in a way that is more in line with your true self.
Approach the month with an open heart and a willingness to let go of what no longer serves you. Whether it’s health, finances, career, relationships or personal growth, the Tower’s influence will lead you to a more liberated and empowered version of yourself. Trust the transformative power of the Tower. Embrace the changes and you will emerge from this month stronger, wiser and more in alignment with your true self.