metaphysical practice
Connecting With Your Spirit Animal
The concept of animals serving as spiritual guides and symbols for personal growth has deep roots in human culture, stretching back to ancient indigenous societies and persisting through to modern spiritual practices.
This enduring belief stems from the profound connection humans have observed and felt with the animal kingdom throughout history.
In many indigenous cultures around the world, animals traditionally hold a sacred significance and are believed to possess spiritual wisdom and powers. Many cultures also have animal symbolism in their myths, folklore, rituals, and everyday life.
For example, Native American tribes traditionally attribute personal qualities and character traits, such as strength, courage, wisdom, and cunning, to various animals, viewing them as embodiments of these virtues.
Acoording to these indigenous teachings our animal totems or spirit animals offer us guidance, protection, and insight on our spiritual journey.
We can connect with our spirit animal through meditation, dream interpretation, or rituals. By aligning with the characteristics of our chosen animal, we can gain strength, wisdom, and a deeper understanding of ourselves and our path in life.
Finding Your Silent Space Within
Finding our silent space within is the essential spiritual practice. Cultivating a sense of inner stillness, mindfulness, and presence is crucial to any spiritual, metaphysical, or esoteric practice, as it allows for a deeper connection to your higher self, the universe, and the divine.
The silent space within is the inner connection point to our spirit or soul — the part of our being that is eternal and transcendent. This relationship is fundamental to most spiritual, religious, and esoteric traditions, which often describe the silent space within as a portal or bridge to a deeper understanding and connection with the soul, the divine, or the universal consciousness.
In many traditions, cultivating the silent space within is considered essential to achieving enlightenment or spiritual liberation — the realization of one’s true nature as soul or spirit, beyond physical and mental limitations. This realization of inner silence is our awakening to the eternal aspect of our being.
A concept used in various spiritual, meditative, and mindfulness practices, the notion of a silent space within symbolizes the inner sanctuary where one can retreat to find inner peace and strength, clarity, and a sense of centeredness, regardless of external circumstances. It is where we feel a deeper connection to something greater than ourselves, which is central to any spiritual path.
The Spiritual Practice Of Rune Reading
I have recently reintroduced rune reading into my daily spiritual routine. I had briefly dabbled in it a few years ago when I was exploring various methods of divination.
But this time, as my quest has become more personal due to recent events in my life, and I found myself remembering much of what I had learned years ago, the decision to use the runes again has proven to be a deeply enriching experience.
I have since discovered that the runes are a fantastic spiritual tool for deeper introspection, inner guidance, and connection to the universal spiritual principles that underlie these small tablets of ancient wisdom.
The term “rune” itself means “secret” or “mystery” in Old Germanic languages, reflecting their traditional use for various purposes, including writing, divination, and magical practices. Each runic tablet or stone contains a character from the ancient alphabets of early Germanic and Scandinavian cultures, including the Elder Futhark, which is the oldest form of the runic alphabet.
The Elder Futhark dates from the 2nd to 8th centuries and consists of 24 runes, each with its own unique meaning and symbolism. I use the Elder Futhark, which is the most commonly used rune set in divination practices, just as the Rider-Waite Tarot deck is the most commonly used in cartomancy.
Exploring The Benefits Of Reiki Healing
Reiki healing offers a variety of potential benefits for both your physical and mental well-being. Reiki teaches that when our life force is high, we feel happy, radiant and vital, and when it is low, we feel sick, drained and stressed.
Reiki is a form of energy healing in which practitioners use their hands to channel life force energy to the recipient. This universal energy or life force flows through all living things and is called ki in Japanese. The concept is similar to qi (or chi) in Chinese culture and prana in Indian culture.
A qualified Reiki healer is trained to channel healing energy to balance the flow of your life force energy and return you to a state of harmony and vitality.
Reiki has grown in popularity in recent years. Once viewed with skepticism by mainstream medicine, there’s a growing openness to complementary therapies, and Reiki is seen as a gentle and relaxing practice.
In today’s fast-paced world, stress is a major concern. Reiki’s reputation for promoting relaxation and reducing stress makes it attractive to many. Celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock and Gwyneth Paltrow and any mothers have spoken openly about their use of Reiki, giving it a touch of glamour and social validation.
The Mystical Symbolism Of The Hamsa
The well-known Hamsa symbol has a rich tapestry of esoteric meaning that spans several cultures and religious traditions, including Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. It is commonly used as a protective amulet, offering protection from the evil eye, as well as a talisman or good luck charm, bringing its wearer blessings in the form of happiness, health, and fortune.
The Hamsa is also known as the Khamsa, Hamesh, the Hand of Fatima, the Hand of Miriam, or the Hand of Mary. The names “Hamsa” and “Khamsa” both refer to the number five in Arabic while “Hamesh” means five in Hewbrew, all symbolizing the five fingers of the hand.
In Islamic tradition, this famous esoteric hand is named after Fatima al-Zahra, the youngest daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and his first wife Khadija. Fatima is known by many titles in Islamic tradition, of which al-Zahra (meaning “the Radiant One”) is one of the most prominent. Her life, devotion to family and faith, and moral integrity are admired and serve as an inspiration to Muslims around the world.
In Jewish culture, the hand symbol is named after Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, who was a prophetess and is an important figure in Judaism. In some Christian contexts, it is also known as the Hand of Mary, although it is less commonly referred to by this name. In this instance it is associated with Mary, the mother of Jesus, who is revered for her purity, grace, and maternal protection.
Interesting Facts You May Not Know About Reiki
People all over the world are turning to Reiki for its healing power, and it is now even being used in the medical field as a complementary therapy for the treatment of physical, emotional and mental illnesses.
Reiki is a spiritual philosophy and energy healing practice that was developed in Japan in the early 20th century by founder Mikao Usui.
Usui was a Tendai Buddhist whose lifelong quest for spiritual knowledge and healing techniques took him on a journey through many religious and spiritual traditions, including Shintoism, Buddhism, and Christian teachings, as well as the study of martial arts.
The most pivotal moment in Usui’s life occurred on Mount Kurama, a sacred mountain north of Kyoto. After 21 days of fasting and meditation, Usui had a profound spiritual experience of enlightenment that gave him the knowledge and ability to channel healing energy.
This experience led to the development of a healing system he called “Reiki,” which means “universal life energy” or “spiritual energy.” It’s based on the wisdom that “universal energy” can be channeled to support the body’s natural healing processes. Reiki is an extremely powerful energy, yet a remarkably gentle form of healing.
Never Dabble With The Dark Side
My awakening began to unfold around the age of 21, marked by a vivid dream in which a white dolphin embodied the spirit of my boyfriend’s recently deceased brother, who had been a very good friend of mine.
The dream was not only a confirmation of my abilities as a psychic medium to receive messages from the other side. The white dolphin (speaking in the familiar, comforting voice of my friend) was also conveying insights from the spirit realm for my guidance and protection on my path as an awakening young psychic.
My friend taking the form of a dolphin in the dream made sense as he was a marine biologist at the time of his death and was doing important research on dolphins at the time.
But spirit is never that basic! The true meaning and symbolism of this unusual dream only became clear to me later in my psychic development journey when I began to investigate the symbolism in visitation dreams.
Although I was not aware of it at the time, a white dolphin traditionally symbolizes spiritual purity and a connection to higher realms. In fact, dolphins are considered spiritual guides and messengers in many cultures, offering protection and guidance to those in need.