the other side
Receiving Spiritual Guidance From Your Ancestors
The ancient tradition of ancestor worship is a powerful, yet often misunderstood spiritual practice. It is typically viewed as a form of idolatry, mainly because of the inaccurate use of the term ‘worship.’
In truth most cultures practicing such rites do not refer to it as ‘ancestor worship.’ The more appropriate terms to use is ‘ancestor reverence’ or ‘ancestor veneration,’ because it is about living descendants paying respect to and seeking the guidance of their loved ones in spirit.
It is a common practice among indigenous people and an integral component of most shamanic traditions. It is not the same as the worship of gods or deities.
In fact, as a spiritual practice it is not much different from looking at old pictures of departed loved ones and rememembering them fondly. We might even tell them how we miss them or share our problems with them. Some of us have even asked them to help us find solutions to problems, or pull a few strings on our behalf from the Other Side.
Although I cannot say I have any special reverence for my ancestors, I do respect them for all the trials and tribulations they experienced while they were in this life. In my ancestral lineage there were courageous prisoner-of-war experiences, the conquering of grievous setbacks and material harships, and even suicides, to mention but a few. Several of my predecessors had truly unique, and even exceptional life stories that still dwell in my cellular memories.
The ancestral technique I use in my spiritual practice is similar to that of the Yoruba people of West Africa. My greatest connection is with my father, and he is the one I communicate with daily in the Yoruba fashion. You can create an altar or sacred space in your home for this purpose.
Unconditional Love From The Rainbow Bridge
Sometimes pet owners connect with the souls of their animals on a very deep level. We love them so much that when they finally depart from this life the grief and sadness can be just as agonizing as losing a human loved one. This was the case recently for me when we lost our beloved family cat.
I had to finally make the difficult decision to release him from his pain and suffering. And thus our ‘little black panther,’ as we call him, departed this world to cross the Rainbow Bridge.
He had been suffering with a malignant tumor under his tongue. Bone cancer we were told. Earlier this year, I knew there was something more going on after a dental appointment to have an infected tooth removed. His little chin continued to swell up and the antibiotics were not working.
We did all we could. We made sure he had the best, soft food, and lots of love. The faucet in the tub was left slightly open to drip, so he could have water from his favorite place to get it fresh and cold.
On the day he was to be euthanized, the Moon was in Capricorn. A Capricorn Moon is a time of seriousness, when duty calls. It is a lunar influence that requires us to make difficult, yet responsible decisions, and to remain steadfast and determined in doing what we know is best and necessary.
Our little black panther seemed carefree and at peace. He had been lying next to me all night on a nearby bookshelf. It was a very sunny day and the breeze felt nice to him as he sat up and looked out the open window. He was free of pain, as we had been giving him medication to make him more comfortable.
Two of his brothers took turns sitting next to him. We took our time to say our final goodbyes. We also prayed and even put some holy water on him. Did everything we could. Cried lots of tears. It was very difficult. So awfully hard.
Then the time came for us to take our boy in to the clinic. He sensed it was time and seemed relieved. Even his brother, who was born in the same batch of kittens a minute before him, seemed to understand it was time, as snuck out the door hoping to come with us. We had to unlock the door and put him back inside. I telepathically explained to him that this brother loves him and so do we, but he could not go with us…we would be back shortly.
Mediums To The Rescue
When some people pass away, they are taken by surprise and in shock. These souls aren’t sure what is going on, where they are now, and how they got there, while wondering where everyone else has gone. These individuals find themselves stuck in a physical, human mindset and unable to progress in the spirit realm.
How can such a confused soul energy become unstuck and cross over into the light? Well, that’s where spirit rescue work comes in! Some of the most rewarding spiritual experiences in my own mediumship career have been during rescue sessions that I used to attend. Once every month, a group of mediums would gather in a séance circle and with the aid of a facilitator we would engage in the rescue process. In the trance state, one of us would then begin to channel the energy of someone who needed assistance to cross over and reach the Other Side.
There are several rescue sessions that particularly stand out in my memory, even after all these years. The first was the spirit of a young woman about 35 years of age. She had been sitting on her kitchen counter in Indiana for months, wondering where the rest of her family had gone? We soon discovered that they had all been killed in a car accident and only she had returned home to search for everyone. The facilitator encouraged her to look to the light, reach for their outstretched hands and join her husband and two children.
Another time, I channeled the energy of a little boy about six years old. He was hiding under one end of his bed, which was on an angle forming a tent over him. He had perished in a house fire in Nebraska and couldn’t find his parents. We encouraged him to look towards the light and reach for his waiting mother’s hand.
Another unusual case was a patriotic young WWII soldier who had been killed in combat, but refused to abandon his post. Our facilitator had to give him a direct order to look to the light and immediately report to his commanding officer!
Your Personal Shift Into Conscious Living
Every day we run into people. We meet clerks, bus drivers, cashiers and all kinds of people that we bump into around the neighborhood.
We greet and are greeted in different ways. We pick up on other peoples energies based on how they treat us, and sometimes we can telepathically feel what they are feeing and telling us with their eyes.
It’s up to us, each of us, to give light or darkness in every single interaction we have with one another.
I hope to empower each and every person and inspire everyone who reads this at this very moment. I want us to awaken from this very sleepy realm we live in; this physical weighed down realm.
I hope everyone will feel uplifted by my words and recognize that our actions and thoughts and every will be judged one day. Ultimately we will be the ultimate ones that judge ourselves. I want us to empower one another and ourselves. I want us to awaken!
There is a global shift in consciousness occurring. It’s been unfolding for some time now, and will continue to happen. The veil is thinning.
Those of us who have developed our inner psychic center and have tapped into that part that allows us to sense and feel more deeply, know that we are entering a new era in the evolution of humanity. We are evolving at a very rapid rate and those who are remaining stagnant and are unwilling to explore the intuitive and spiritual parts of their mind and psyche are still living in the narrow-minded classical realm.
I truly feel it’s time and a call has been put out to me to share this. If you already live in the quantum realm you will know exactly what I’m speaking of. Those of us who already live a conscious fifth dimensional life in a third dimensional world, know our place in the universe and are doing our best to make that difference for the greater good of mankind, our amazing planet and all its living beings, plants and animals. We are all connected. We are all neighbors, brothers and sisters.
The Babysitter’s Near-Death Experience
While I was working out at the gym one day, I saw a little old lady who used to babysit me and my brothers when we were little children. I will never the wonderful times we had with her. She was always making it so much fun. She wasn’t on the phone all the time or watching television. She wasn’t ignoring us kids like so many of the other babysitters my mother sometimes hired for us.
When I spotted her and her daughter in the gym, I walked over to greet her, and told her that I remember her very well. I also thanked her for giving me some wonderful memories and teaching me so many valuable life lessons. The one thing I specifically remember her telling me was to always be careful about what we “put into our minds.”At a young age she had already made me realize that what we think about can either help us or harm us. I have always held on to that wisdom in my life. Because it is truly worth more than gold.
One time, I asked her how she knew so much about things. She looked at me and said,“Moon, you know what, I died once.”
“What? No way!” I responded. I went to catholic school growing up, and near-death experiences were certainly not the kind of thing we were learning about in class.
“Yes, I was in the hospital,” she continued. “I had a major operation and I could not wake up afterwards.” Apparently, she had flatlined during surgery and they had struggled to revive her.
“I am very lucky to be here,” she said and then shared some very interesting things with me about her near-death experience (NDE). I still remember that when she first left her body her parents were both there to meet her and she could hear loved ones on the other side of the tunnel having fun. I also remember she said she felt like a ball of light at the time and that it felt so good. The next moment she was being pulled back into her body. Continue reading
Jimmy – A True Ghost Story
When I first moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, I lived in one of the three old stage coach depots located here. The two others were owned by Burl Ives and the French Consulate, respectively. I can’t speak for those, but I can tell you about my experiences in the one where I lived.
I lived there for five years and it was totally charming. It had been designated as a guest house on the property, next to the main house. It was built with grey native stone and it looked like a painting by Currier and Ives. The perfect Santa Fe retreat, right? Or, anywhere, for that matter!
But a ‘caretaker’ came along with the place, although I did not know that until after I moved in.
The first fine morning at 4:00 a.m. he announced his presence, although I would soon learn that his appearances were anything but rare. This particular morning, I noticed that the lamp in the living room was flickering a bit. As I had been traveling extensively, I was on Australian time and, fortunately, felt quite alert at 4:00 a.m.
I, promptly, began to investigate. Wondering about the condition of the electrical current, since the house was such an old structure. I turned on other lights to see if they would also flicker. They didn’t, so I checked the relatively new lamp.
Jiggling it, shaking it and using various, and assorted other manipulations, to make it flicker, didn’t do the trick. Hmmm, I thought. Is this possibly an otherworldly entity? I was soon to find out that, indeed, it was not of this dimension, when for several consecutive mornings at the same time, 4:00 a.m., the same lamp would flicker a few times.
Finally, I introduced myself, and the lamp flickered! The lamp was in the front window next to my wingback chair. And, then, I was having a conversation with my chair. It went something like this, “Well, you seem quite benevolent, but what are you doing here?” The lamp flickered again. Although I could feel a presence, I had no fear. So, I became bolder. I asked, “Do you live here?” Again the lamp flickered. Finally, in exasperation, I said “Well, for now I guess you can stay, but you eventually need to move on. Oh, and don’t bring any of your friends here.”
It’s Always Darkest Before The Dawn
Concepts of the Divine, with an ever-changing definition, have been part of the human experience since the beginning of time. Most of the world’s people throughout history continue to recognize a place for divinity in life.
Our spiritual journey, throughout the ages, has been steeped in mystery and often, superstition and dogma. Organized religions have historically attempted to answer deep questions, and have sometimes provided comfort and solace to people during times of upheaval.
However, the most important questions have been left unanswered. For example, we know precious little about ancient, prehistoric cultures that worshiped the Sacred Feminine. Earliest recorded myths and legends have been lost or destroyed, and most stories that remain portray not only a divine battle of the sexes, but a difficult, contentious relationship between the divine and human beings.
The Greek gods, for example, were capricious and mean-spirited. They plotted all sorts of obstacles that humans either did, or did not overcome in order to survive. Guile and trickery also set the stage for many myths from various indigenous cultures, in early human-god myth making.
With the rise of monotheistic religions, mankind was taught to blindly accept whatever lot the almighty doled out, fairly or unfairly. Emphasis was placed on omnipotent power, absolute authority and greatness, beyond any human capacity to comprehend, much less participate in.
These attitudes toward humans’ relationship with God have been echoed in authoritarian family and community practices, and even the military forces of nations. God became the ‘Almighty Father in the Sky’ issuing strict orders. There was no room for questioning in an authoritarian family or society. “Because I said so,” was reason enough to blindly obey. Punishment for infractions or disobedience was swift and sure.