symbolism
A Conversation With Your Spirit Guides
When I first began to converse with Spirit, I didn’t really know what I was doing. I was receiving these messages and listening to them, but I never really put much thought into it.
It wasn’t until I consciously acknowledged the conversation was happening, that the momentum really started to build. It was then that I realized my guides had been with me all along!
In my experience, the most important step you can take in opening a conversation with Spirit is to acknowledge that it is your intent. Your angels and spirit guides are always with you, but they need your permission for them to help you.
Remember to ask them often to be near you and to help you and guide you. When you need direction, ask them for a sign. Then be patient and watchful.
Spirit communicates in many ways, such as using repeating number sequences that constantly show up, for example, or a song you hear again and again wherever you go. Spirit will try to get your attention any way it can and will typically use signs, symbols and synchronicities that will be meaningful to you personally.
It’s important to be open to receiving these signs and messages, and not to dismiss any ‘coincidences’ you may encounter. Coincidence is an expression of synchronicity in the Universe. Once you start flowing with it and moving with the guidance of Spirit, you will likely start to experience many of these synchronicities. Your guides want you to be in the flow, because it is in this state that you are walking the path toward fulfilling your ultimate potential.
Clairvoyance Is Spirit Speaking In Symbols
I divide psychic ability into three categories of experiences, namely clairvoyance or ‘soul-seeing’, clairaudience or ‘soul-hearing’ and clairsentience or ‘soul-sensing’. All three come under the heading of mental mediumship.
There are few psychics that possess all three these abilities and they are indeed fortunate when they are equally able to see, hear and sense the spirit people.
Clairvoyance is the ability to see the faces and forms of the spirit people, and to see names, dates and other information ‘written out’ in the ether, and also to see mental visions and symbols which may be woven into a spirit message. The American Psychological Association (APA) defines it as the ability to see things beyond the normal range of sight, such as distant or hidden objects or events in the past or future.
As one develops clairvoyantly, you usually find that your guides use symbols to mean certain things, sort of like a ‘spiritual shorthand.’ As a rule, these pictures or symbols are just meant for the medium and not to be given out.
The psychic having learned the meaning from the guide is ready to symbolize the picture and give its meaning in her message. For instance, a psychic medium sees a beautiful field of green grass with the sun shining through it. To her it usually symbolizes ‘success’. Instead of giving a long, drawn out description of the scene, she would then simply say, “I see success in regard to your present problem.”
The Pagan Origins Of Valentine’s Day
Did you know that the Valentine’s Day that many people all over the world will be celebrating today, has its origins in pagan rituals of the past? This is in fact true of many of our modern holidays. But how did we get our modern day cards, cupids, and hearts?
In ancient Rome, the Festival of Lupercalia was annually celebrated on February 15th. As with similar Roman holidays, such as Ostara (Easter), this was a time to celebrate fertility and love. The deities honored were Lupercus, Patron of Shepherds; Juno, Goddess of Marriage; as well as Pan, a pastoral god who came to be regarded in Roman times as the representative of paganism and the personification of all nature.
In a festival custom that survives to this day in the form of valentine’s cards, young men would randomly draw the names of eligible women from a jar or urn. In the Middle Ages, Emperor Claudius II believed single men made better soldiers so he declared marriage illegal. As a concession, he encouraged temporary romances.
Drawing the name of a lady during the festival determined who a soldier’s partner would be for that coming year. He would then wear her name on his sleeve for the rest of the festival. This gave rise to the saying “wearing your heart on your sleeve.” Whether or not they also exchanged flowers, candy or gifts is uncertain.
It is also interesting to note that Cupid, the son of the love goddess Venus, was not originally linked specifically with this festival, even though he is associated with it today.Venus, it turns out, was particularly fond of red roses and this custom still survives after 2,000 years. As for the symbolism of the heart, this is also an ancient image found across many cultures, including Greco-Roman, Indian, and Meso-American. Instead of romantic love, it was often used to represent rebirth, purity, and spiritual love.
Yoga And The Tarot Archetypes
When I’m not doing psychic readings, I enjoy engaging in activities that support a healthy lifestyle, such as Yoga and Herbalism. Although I spent many years training with Yoga masters from around the world and I am a certified Yoga instructor, I continue to learn more each time I get onto the mat.
While practicing the other day, I found myself thinking about the Tarot cards while in a particular yoga posture. It was the asana known as the Hero’s pose, or Virasana. The pose involves kneeling or sitting in between your bent legs.
As I was sitting in this stretch, I was wondering how the posture got its name, which comes from the Sanskrit word vira meaning ‘hero.’ It occurred to me that a hero was someone who had to think of someone else or others in that moment more than themselves. When we are pushed to our edge, in that moment of vulnerability, it makes us stronger. The same humility can be found in certain Yoga postures.
Then the Emperor card from the Tarot deck came to mind. The Emperor in a reading can show a ruler or leader who is strong, confident, and who guides others. Might there be an ancient connection with Yoga and the Tarot?
I then began to think of other Yoga postures and how they might correlate with the other Major Arcana cards in the Tarot.
The first that came up for me was The Hanged Man. This iconic card features a figure hanging upside down from a tree. Hanging from a tree in this way would certainly make one see the world from a different perspective. Interestingly, the headstand pose in Yoga, Sirsanasa, aims to create mental balance and physical poise. Continue reading
By The Light Of The Moon
Oh, the Moon! How I love the Moon. What’s not to love? I love watching the moon dance on the lake’s surface outside our home or just to observe it in the night sky. It is so healing to me.
I remember going outside and just basking in the light of the moon. I remember waiting for it to be full and then putting a big bucket of water in the garden. I would let the light of the moon reflect on the surface and I would prop up my feet on either side of this and just go into the alpha state and meditate.
To this day I will wash my precious stones, like my moonstones and agates, with salt water. After that, on a full moon, I will let them absorb the light. I feel it recharges and cleanses them.
I always agreed with the school of thought that the moon affects the fluids in our bodies, just like the tides of the ocean. I also view the moon as a lovely lady who is in charge of our emotions and feelings; she is the ‘bringer of moods’.
Usually you can see her influence very clearly on a full moon. For example, emergency services and police sirens are often more prevalent on the roads, there are more arrests and accidents and people lashing out and doing things they normally wouldn’t dare.
There is much power and control to be found in knowing when the different phases of the moon are, and to have the heads up as to how it affects us. The moon also rules all female physiology; she is the mother of all things which are important and necessary for creating life and nurturing. It virtually has an effect on the growth of all living things, including all plants and animals. I call the moon ‘she’ because of this. She rules over the ‘internal ocean’ that keeps us all alive.
The Symbolism Of Wedding Ribbons And Cords
In a recent reading, I had visions of a wedding and a shotgun! I did my best to diplomatically convey what I was seeing to the client. I also mentioned how I saw lots of colored ribbons, and a rather large gathering of people of all ages and cultures.
He laughed, and said that two years ago, he felt a strong urge for himself and his partner to get married. They both came from large families and wanted to make sure that certain ailing, elderly members would still be able to attend and join in the celebration.
He also said he was so glad spirit prompted them to marry sooner than later, because the pandemic would have prevented not just the large gathering of guests from attending, but also many from traveling from various corners of the world as they had done. Apparently, the ribbons I saw related to the traditional pagan handfasting they had chosen as the ceremony for their special event.
The handfasting ritual had always fascinated him, because of his own Celtic origins and he explained how both his and his partner’s hands were bound together with a ribbon during the vows and exchanging of rings. I later learned from a Pagan friend that cord is sometimes also used for this purpose in such a ceremony.
In many traditions the use of colored ribbons and cords is of spiritual significance at certain ceremonies, especially weddings. They are typically used to physically connect the couple, or they are placed in or around an altar. The cord is a symbol of the lifetime bond the couple is entering into.
For example, a wedding cord, also known as the ‘wedding lasso,’ is used in some Catholic wedding ceremonies. It typically consists of a loop of rosary beads made out of white satin or silk, and formed into a figure eight shape, and placed around the bride and the groom after they have made their vows.
Old And Worn, Or Shiny And New?
My dad was an avid coin collector. This is probably why I have the habit of collecting spare change to look at the dates or any flaws on each coin. I guess it’s in my DNA.
One of my favorite memories of my dad is sitting at his antique roll-top desk looking at his coins with a magnifying glass. Some coins were old, dirty, beat-up, others new and shiny. It is easy to be attracted to the new and shiny coins.
I remember my father telling me some of the ones that look so old and ugly are sometimes worth much more than they may appear to be. When we go on looks and youth alone, the old, tarnished silver dollars in our lives might look like they are not worth much, but sometimes they are priceless.
My dad always said, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” After he had passed, my mother took some of his silver dollars in for appraisal and much to her surprise some of the silver dollars were worth thousands.
When I am doing readings, my dad, who is now in spirit, will sometimes come through to show me a certain old coin. It is my personal psychic symbol meaning the person I am reading for has something, or someone, in their life that may seem ‘old and worn-out,’ but worth much more than face value.
It is human nature to choose things that are bright, new, young and shiny. Sometimes we make bad life choices regarding people, places and things on appearance alone. I once bought a sports car for the way it looked. It was red and looked feisty, but it was not a great choice for the snow and ice we have here during the winter. Totally impractical. What was I thinking!
I have been reminiscing about my dad a lot lately. I asked him once if he could only live in one of his former houses, which one would he choose? Without hesitation his answer was the old family house in Maine. He was the third generation to own that house. “Why the old house,” I asked. His reply, “There is nothing in the Florida house I cannot replace. The old house has memories that are irreplaceable and priceless, right down to the wood and square nails that hold it together.”