Post No. 657 - Earning the Right

One of the things I am quite comfortable with is the idea that I may have to make some sort of effort in order to learn, or grow, or gain access to knowledge.

In the New Age and similar movements (including some branches of Paganism, to some extent), this is, to some extent, known through things such as the concept of a 'spirit quest'. In fact, I've used that sort of terminology myself, from time to time - and still do, when I consider it appropriate.

There are a range of explanations for this need to, in a sense, prove oneself worthy. Some I can think of are:

• prove that one is not going to go off the deep end, and abuse the knowledge (e.g., use it for personal gain at the expense of others, or to dominate [control] others);
• proving one has the discipline and determination to be a reasonable chance of succeeding, and that it is therefore worth a teacher making the effort with one (as opposed to working with more worthy students, who are more likely to constructively use what is taught to them - and to assume that teachers should be willing and grateful to work with whoever deigns to turn up is an unbounded arrogance that deserves every type of spiritual rebuke and chastisement);
• prove that one is not likely to go backwards karmically by learning something, and then not applying that knowledge (the example I give of that is, knowing how to swim, but refusing to save someone who is drowning when one could easily and safely);
• there ARE dangers to some forms of development, and thus not all are suited to them;
• and there are no doubt others ...

There are a number of ways that one is tested to be worthy. Some I can think of are:

• going away from one's tribe, putting oneself at risk, and experiencing deprivation to induce a trance type state (what is generally considered to be 'the traditional' type of quest);
• withdrawing from one's worldly duties for a while, to enable one to focus on practicing a skill (what could, perhaps, be considered the way the spiritual quest manifests in the West through paths such as Buddhism);
• going somewhere distant to find rare texts (generally considered to be a pre-Internet approach, but, given the amount of rubbish on the 'net, I sometimes wonder if this isn't still something valid - and I often quip that I insist on email, rather than Facebook, as a form of spirit quest / test of determination for potential students :) );
• being focused on something for long enough to break up some of the energetic patterns of material life (for instance, I still occasionally do DVD quests, such as perhaps watching all the Star Wars DVDs, or all the Harry Potter DVDs [and all looking forward to being able to do all The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings DVDs], or listen to all Beethoven's symphonies - and may do while doing alternate nostril breathing, or in a meditative state, or both);
• and there are unquestionably others ...

 When I look at all these, there are a few points that come to mind:

• the right to grow and develop spiritually comes as a result of existing - no further testing required, but one is subject to karma if one fails to use one's potential to grow and be spiritual;
• the 'right' to access a particular source's information is dictated by that source, and, in essence, is about proving that one has enough RESPECT for the source to actually shut up, listen and learn;
• there are karmic and spiritual duty aspects to this - ESPECIALLY if the information being sought could either be misused, or if failure to use it will result in one incurring a karmic debt;
• some testing is to determine whether or not one is capable of learning - and, in the same way that penicillin can be lifesaving for most people but fatal to a few, every spiritual / psychic technique is the same (i.e., beneficial for some, neutral for others, harmful perhaps for a few). Furthermore, it is unbridled arrogance to think that a seeker has the right to expect a teacher to be at their beck and call, and fall over backwards to serve the seeker. Apart from having their own life to life, this is very akin to the scene in the film "A Few Good Men" where Colonel Jessup says he thinks he has earned the respect of being addressed a certain way, and the Judge says he has earned the right to be addressed a certain way, and he KNOWS he has earned it. Teachers have earned respect as well;
• people are subject to their personal karma, and may have restricted others' ability to access information or grow and develop in the past, which may come back to haunt them now - just as, if they have helped others in the past, that will also manifest as being helped now;
• the right to grow and develop psychically is subject to qualification, as such abilities have the potential to be abused - or to be unused when they should be.

[1] BPLF = Balanced Positive (spiritual) Light Forces. See here and here for more on this.

[2] Please see here and my post "The Death of Wikipedia" for the reasons I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia. I'm also exploring use of h2g2, although that doesn't appear to be as extensive (h2g2 is intended - rather engagingly - to be the Earth edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy").

Love, light, hugs and blessings

Gnwmythr, Wéofodthegn

(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear"; ... aka Bellatrix Lux … aka Morinehtar … would-be drýicgan or maga ... )

My "blogiography" (list of all posts and guide as to how to best use this site) is here, and my glossary/index is here.

I started this blog to cover karmic regression-rescue (see here and here), and it grew ... See here for my group mind project, here and here for my "Pagans for Peace" project (and join me at 9 PM on Sunday, wherever you are, to meditate-clear for peace), and here for my bindrune kit-bag. I also strongly recommend learning how to flame, ground and shield, do alternate nostril breathing, work with colour, and see also here and be flexible.

I am a Walker upon the Path of Balanced Positivity, seeking Spiritual Maturity.

• neither eloquence nor inarticulateness inherently indicates correctness, but, as words can kill, the right to freedom of speech comes with a DUTY to be as well-informed, objective and balanced as you can be.
• Gnwmythr's Stropping Strap: Occam's Razor only works if  the simplest solution is actually recognised as being the simplest, rather than the one that best fits one's bigotries being labelled 'simplest'.
• I mourn the desecration of the term 'Light Worker' by commercial interests, and the warping of the word 'Light' away from 'Clear Light' by the "White Lighters".
• Our entire life experience, with all the many wondrous and varied people, places and events in it, is too small a sample for statistical reliability about Life.
• May the world of commerce and business be recognised to be a servant, not a master, of the lives of people.
• Being accustomed to interacting via certain rules makes those rules neither right nor universal.
• Like fire to the physical, emotions to the soul make a good servant, and a bad master.
• The means shape the end.
• My favourite action movie of all time is "Gandhi", although I've recently come across "Invictus" and might put that one in to that category. However, I loathe the stereotypical action movie - and, for similar reasons, I loathe many dramas, which are often emotionally violent, more so in some cases than many war films.
• All of the above - and this blog - could be wrong, or subject to context, perspective, or state of spiritual evolution ...

Human dignity is the inherently cumulative holistic combination of human rights, wellbeing and potential, and all actions or interaction which promote, realise or facilitate same. The converse also applies: whatever degrades, diminishes or robs humans of dignity, is inherently undignified.

Gnwmythr

The “purpose” of spiritual evolution is not the attainment of “spiritual perfection” - not in the sense of not having to evolve further, at any rate, since there is no such thing. We need to evolve in order to grow - but we can take rest breaks (hopefully well earned :) ) along the way. No, the “purpose” of evolution is, rather, to perfect our ability to learn, and thus grow.

Gnwmythr

 

Our greatest struggle with, to borrow from pop culture, the Jedi-Sith scale, is not with the Sith, whether they are hiding or not: it is with the annoying, snotty-nosed, heroine/hero-worshipping little kid who keeps intruding, stopping us from being cool enough to be with our heroines/heroes, the big kids ...

Gnwmythr

 

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Females, get over 'cute'. Get competent. Get trained. Get capable. Get over 'cute'. And those of you who are called Patty and Debby and Suzy, get over that. Because we use those names to infantalise females – we keep females in their 'little girl' state by the names we use for them. Get over it. If you want to be taken seriously, get serious.

Jane Elliott

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good [people] to do nothing.

(based on writing by) Edmund Burke

 

We didn't inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we only borrowed it from our children

Antoine De Saint-Exupéry 

There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.

John F. Kennedy

Tags: growth, New Age, psychic abilities, psychic damage, psychic development, Spirit Quest, spiritual/psychic rights, spirituality,

First published: Sunnudagr, 8^th February, 2015

Last edited (excluding fixing typo's and other minor matters): Sunday, 8^th February, 2015

If you appreciated this post, please consider promoting it - there are some links below, and there’s also Instagram. 

Remember: we generally need to be more human being rather than human doing, to mind our Mӕgan, and to acknowledge that all misgendering is an act of active transphobia/transmisia that puts trans+ lives at risk & accept that all insistence on the use of “trans” as a descriptor comes with commensurate use of “cis” as a descriptor to prevent “othering” (just as binary gendered [men’s and women’s] sporting teams are either both given the gender descriptor, or neither).

Copyright © Kayleen White 2007-2024     NO AI   I do not consent to any machine learning aka Artificial Intelligence (AI), generative AI, large language model, machine learning, chatbot, or other automated analysis, generative process, or replication program to reproduce, mimic, remix, summarise, or otherwise  replicate any part of this post or other posts on this blog via any means. Typo’s may be inserrted deliberately to demonstrate this is not an AI product.     Otherwise, fair and reasonable use is accepted under Creative Commons 4.0 on an Attribution-ShareAlike basis https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/  

 

Post No. 423 - Carren Smith, Eckhardt Tolle and other reading

I've been doing some reading over my extended break, and think I have come across a book as good as Ingrid Poulson's book "Rise" (pub. Pan Macmillan Australia, Sydney, 2008, ISBN 978-1-4050-3863-8), about her experiences after her ex-husband killed her children and her father while she was reporting his rape of her the previous night to the police, and how she came to live a life of resilience after these terrible events. That book is "Soul Survivor", by Carren Smith (pub. Bermingham Books, 2012, ISBN 978-0-9873156-0-1). This is the story of a woman who lost her partner to suicide, wound up suicidal herself, and then went to Bali as part of her recovery - only to find herself in the 2002 Bali bombings, where she lost her best friend. As an example of what this book is like, consider the following:

Forgiveness, for me, has been ... a process of me accepting that if I had known better, I would have done better, and at the time of all experiences, I did the best I could, with what I had. Would I change any of it? Absolutely everything, yes! Can I change any of it? Absolutely not! All I can do now, is accept the past for what it has been and use it as a rocket to propel me into a future where I can re-create a new me out of the perspective forgiveness has given me!

This is an elegant resolution of one of the problems I have with forgiveness as it is preached in the New Age movement. There is more in the book that is worth reading, and I recommend purchase of it be considered, Dear Reader :) I may post a more comprehensive review when I finish this book, but, realistically, my time and energy is likely to be too limited for that. Better you just get it and read it :)

For more on this, see here, and Carren Smith's website is here.

On the other hand, I wouldn't bother with Eckhart Tolle's book "A New Earth". I'm not likely to finish it, but the dot points I've made so far are:

• the use of the development of flowers as an analogy for the flowering of spirituality does nothing for me: flowers are a device to achieve a particular means of propagation, and their beauty - compared to, say, the beauty of a soul - is transitory. I have always considered trees to be far more appealing - trees are light pumps that work far more time (all year round, in the case of the evergreen eucalypts I grew up with here in Australia), and far more effectively at lifting the energy and physical quality of the world than flowers do. On the other hand, my partner liked the analogy and thought it was useful. You, Dear Reader, could always make up your own mind :) 
• this world exists for a purpose. I am very wary of paths to spirituality that deny the inherent value and beauty of this world - particularly given that we are currently existing through the Kali  Yuga. If we were on this planet during the Age of Gold, being here would actually be a pleasure and a joy for all on the world, and the concept of seeking spirituality elsewhere would probably seem alien. I feel that Mr Tolle still has a little too much of the "good things are elsewhere" attitude for my comfort. (I also have to point out that, even during the Golden Age, the higher astral worlds are more enjoyable, and we are ultimately intended to evolve through those planes of existence - but that is no reason to waste time and energy putting this world down.) The fundamental definition of ego as some sort of confusion between essence and form tends to fit into the "God as Potter" view of reality, which implies that form (reality) is somehow intrinsically lesser than the world of spirit - which most pagans would dispute, taking the view that Deity is the garden, not the gardener - or a better way of putting it, the world is the cloak that the Divine puts on in order to be seen;
• I did like the description of parenting as a function, rather than an identity, for the purpose of being able to move on from that;
• the book comes across as very arrogant with its claims that everyone will get something of value from it - not a good look for a book aiming to be about spirituality; 
• the description around becoming aware of the voice in the head is excellent, particularly if you have never come across that before; 
• the book generally takes the "warm and fuzzy" view of spirituality that galls me - spirituality is also about hard work, being uncomfortable and becoming all that you can be, not just about being comfortable or what you currently consider "happy" in your limited state of awareness! 
• I generally liked what I've read so far about not being too attached to "things" - i.e., not being materialistic;
• the dissection of elements of consciousness came across as being a little too much "hiding behind labels" for my tastes, but maybe I was just getting too tired and cranky by then :)

If I finish the book and change my views, I'll do an update here.

One of the things I have often thought about is: should I do things that I happen to like?

Now, I currently have a family to support, so there are things I cannot do because I choose to support my family and met my obligations there. However, if I did not have that constraint, would I say ... build a yacht and cruise round the world?

When I was younger, I probably would have. Now, I actually would prefer to keep going with my psychic and spiritual work. I am heading, though, towards a "compromise" where I do some sailing for pleasure, to help keep me going.

More broadly, this is a situation of ethics. This sort of consideration is well summed in an early scene from the film "Flash of Genius" where the lead character, an engineering lecturer, talks about an example of biomedical engineering (I think the "bionic ear", from memory), and points out that engineers were necessary to realise that concept, and then points out that engineers were necessary to realise the concept of the gas chambers in concentration camps.

Just because something can be done, does NOT mean it should be ...

I've written more on this here, here, here, here, and a poem here.

The first link I gave includes the following quote:

"Few men are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, and the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world which yields most painfully to change." Senator Robert F. Kennedy, US Attorney General, 1966 Speech.


Now, some more reading links I have come across.

This first one is one that I wish I had found before I did the Global Healing Day ... I might use it next year :)
http://www.druidry.co.uk/2012/09/09/bdo-ritual-in-paralympics-closing-ceremony/

Under the Ancient Oaks
- Sovereignty Before the Gods http://johnfranc.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/sovereignty-before-gods.html
- A Call to Action http://johnfranc.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/a-call-to-action.html
- The Price of Magic http://johnfranc.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/the-price-of-magic.html

Blue Star Owl (I intend to keep a track of this blog - looks very good ... and written by a librarian!)
- Pagans and the Modesty Issue http://bluestarowl.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/pagans-and-the-modesty-issue/
- Gender Respect in the Pagan Community http://bluestarowl.wordpress.com/2012/07/01/gender-respect-in-the-pagan-community/
- the Mabinogian explained .. very well done, very amusing http://bluestarowl.wordpress.com/category/the-mabinogion/

A reminder of another good source of pagan news, events and perspectives: The Wild Hunt, now at http://wildhunt.org/.

"The Elements" (http://www.freewebs.com/lostdemise/elementals.htm) provides a sub-division of the elements: I'm naturally sceptical of such things, but will spend some time meditating on it. I might publish a critique (for instance, darkness is not just "sadness", it can be healing/introspection; I don't respond to the inclusion of faith, but that may be a reflection of where I'm at just now; nothingness can actually also be a connection to what the Qabbalaists refer to as the Aum Soth Aur, and the Rune student as Ginnungagap; storms are about the magnificence and dynamism of Nature - still, it is worth referring to as a starting point, as it gives you a basis for analysing and thinking, which is as you should take this blog).

I first came across this at http://spiritrescue.ning.com/forum/topics/the-elements 

A few others from Spirit Rescue:
- http://spiritrescue.ning.com/forum/topics/is-it-sleep-paralysis-or-a-night-terror;
- http://spiritrescue.ning.com/forum/topics/the-castes-of-the-children-of-light;
- and this one, http://spiritrescue.ning.com/forum/topics/journey-of-the-soul-2, which is a load of complete twaddle based on trhe moronic idea that we are not complete until we find our other half (remember, I don't necessarily agree with what is in the links I post, and some at least are chosen to get you, Dear Readr, to think).

Some posts on guns, gun control and violence that I like:
- from the "Works of Literata" website: "NRA advocates PTSD as the American way of life" http://worksofliterata.org/2012/12/28/ptsd-as-way-of-life/;
- http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/12/on-living-armed/266658/ which includes a point about having a gun in itself being of little use if you wish to use it for defence, which is a point I actually emailed President Obama about (as a further example of this point, it can be as few as 2% of combat soldiers who actually kill people - which is a stat from the British military experience in the Falklands war: to expect a school Principal, a person dedicated to caring, to be able to kill, as the NRA appear to have suggested, is absurd - even security guards would, I suspect, have trouble with this);
- http://www.salon.com/2012/12/26/banning_assault_weapons_works/;
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_politics_in_Australia#Measuring_the_effects_of_firearms_laws_in_Australia.

"Why Being on Oprah was the Worst Day of my Life", which came from a post on The Wild Hunt on readings links, which also included an update on a topic I have posted about previously: Forest Bathing.

And on a particularly noxious piece of effrontery from a politician:
- http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/acoss-calls-on-macklin-to-please-do-your-job-20130102-2c5mt.html;
- http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/a-fine-line-living-on-the-dole-is-no-easy-ride-20130102-2c5n8.html;
- http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/macklin-make-the-most-of-your-moolah-with-some-hints-from-the-margins-20130102-2c58y.html.


[1] BPF = Balanced Positive (spiritual) Forces. See here and here for more on this.

[2] Please see my post "The Death of Wikipedia" for the reasons I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia. 

Love, light, hugs and blessings

Gnwmythr
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear")
My "blogiography" is here. I started this blog to cover karmic regression-rescue (see here and here), and it grew ...
May the world of commerce and business be recognised to be a servant, not a master, of the lives of people.
A home is for living in, not feeling, becoming or being rich or a “better” class than others.
The International Labour Organisation's definition of "full employment" is wrong, useless and misleading.
Armageddon is alive and well and happening right now: it is a battle between the indolence of "I only ..." and/or "I just ..." on one side, and perspicacity on the other.
Like fire to the physical, emotions to the soul make a good servant, and a bad master. Spiritual love is far more than just an emotion - it is a concept, thoughts, actions and a way of living.
The only prejudice should be against prejudice. 
"Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger [people]." JOHN F. KENNEDY 
One size does NOT fit all ... and don't throw the baby out with the bathwater as a result of knowing a little ... 

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good [people] to do nothing. (based on writing by) EDMUND BURKE

Your children are not your children. ... They come through you but ... they belong not to you ... for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow KAHLIL GIBRAN

We didn't inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we only borrowed it from our children ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY

Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Those whom we cannot stand are usually those who we cannot understand P.K.SHAW

Tags: attitudes, elements, forest, forgiveness, New Age, paganism, personal responsibility, society, spirituality, violence,

First published: Laugardagr, 12th January, 2013

Last edited: Saturday, 12th January, 2013

Post No. 140 - Rapping (not the music)

A few nights ago, my partner had gone outside for a last smoke (she uses clove cigarettes for pain management - they're better than any arthritis drug or pain relief she's used) late at night, after I'd gone to bed. Nothing too unusual about that, except she fell asleep out there (AFTER the smoke). Now, our winter's don't involve snow here (although we do get snow in the hills and mountains), but they're still pretty chilly, and it's not too good to have to sleep out there (hence the annual fundraiser for homeless called "Winter Sleepout"). In short, I'm asleep inside, my partner is asleep outside and at some risk.

Solution? Guides - or spirits - create a rhythmic tapping sound which wakes me, I then notice "no partner" despite it being late, go outside and wake her before any harm is done.

Nice little story, and has the advantage of giving me a chance to let people know that "spirit rappings", beginning with the controversial Fox sisters, were one of the early features of the spiritism movement which led to spiritualism, Spiritualist Churches, Theosophy, Christian Science, etc - and, ultimately, contributed to the New Age movement.

The phenomenon itself is probably part of what is generally termed "physical mediumship", along with psychokinesis, direct voice, materialisation, levitation (as allegedly demonstrated by D. D. Home, for instance), etc. Other such manifestations I've encountered are lights and TVs themselves on or off (although that can possibly be explained by electrical effects) and balls of light.

All very interesting. More importantly, my partner is well :)

Love, light, hugs and blessings

Gnwmythr

This post's photo is yet to be posted.

Tags: about me, activism, homelessness, phenomena, rapping, mediumship, spiritualism, theosophy, New Age, history,

First published: Thursday 5th August, 2010

Last edited: Thursday 5th August, 2010

Post No. 135 - The benefits of combining witchcraft and (spirit) rescue

I recently was walking to work after dropping my car off to be serviced (and have an annoying fan belt squeal when I start in the morning attended to [1]), and contemplating various matters [2], when I noticed quite a few earthbound spirits around me, clamouring for me to open a gateway or door for them. At that moment, I realised that my speciality within the world of spirit rescue is opening doorways or portals - which is possibly connected to having Yinepu as one of my Patron Deities; I opened the doorway, and quite a few people passed through to the Summerlands.

I can't leave the doorway open for too long: there is a certain amount of protection I can provide, as well as a certain amount if inherent protection coming from the higher energy state of the astral the connection is to, but I cannot keep this safe for an unlimited time. Still, it is an easy, efficient way of performing rescue that was never mentioned in my days in Spiritualist/New Age groups.

The other thing I realised, is that some entities evidently do realise that their body has died, and they just simply don't know what to do, or that there is an afterlife. Maybe this is an outcome of the increase in atheism, or perhaps agnosticism? Certainly the last century's of terrible, terrible wars and atrocities has increased the number of people who died in fear and pain, and thus (arguably) may be more likely to not notice that their body had died, but maybe our (as a planetary whole) belief systems have contributed to the problems.

In any case, I have found that a quick establishment of protection and then opening a portal is a remarkably efficient way to help some people pass over.

Love, light, hugs and blessings

Gnwmythr

Notes:

1. Think it sounds like I know about cars? Nope: I don't have much more than basic car knowledge - and have no interest in gaining any more :)
2. Such as having one of my sisters diagnosed with throat cancer, and told she needs a glossectomy ...

This post's photo is yet to be posted

Tags: about me, astral, attitudes, awareness, earthbound, energy work, emotions, evil, inventiveness, planes of existence, rescue, spiritualism, New Age,

First published: Sunday 25th July, 2010

Last edited: Sunday 25th July, 2010

Post No. 039 - Know Thyself, Be Thyself and Occlumency: A Mediumship Primer

Something I have written about previously is that we can all influence each other, in a range of ways - for instance, my post at http://gnwmythr.blogspot.com/2007/12/response-to-assasination-of-benazir.html has some comments about how our energies can influence what is happening in other parts of the world, my post at http://gnwmythr.blogspot.com/2007/11/families-funerals-and-bev-brock.html talks about how the living can influence the souls of the dead by doing rescue (also touched on in http://gnwmythr.blogspot.com/2007/06/workshop-on-past-lives-part-2.html), and my posts at http://gnwmythr.blogspot.com/2007/06/workshop-on-past-lives-part-2.html and http://gnwmythr.blogspot.com/2007/11/protection.html cover protection and psychic attack (the latter also being part of http://gnwmythr.blogspot.com/2007/10/control.html).

So the living can influence each other, and the dead; the dead can also influence other dead people, and the living. Sound scary? It shouldn't - the influence of the dead on the living includes the guidance and protection many of us receive. Other, less desirable influences from dead people are not that much different, if at all, from the less desirable psychic influences that come from the living - AND ARE DETECTED THE SAME WAY. (Good influences from others also includes the closeness that one can have with friends and lovers.)

They are also protected against the same way.

Those skills of detection and protection also lay the ground for developing mediumship.

At this point, I'll cover a technique I was taught at the New Age group ASPECTS (see http://home.vicnet.net.au/~johnf/welcome.htm): the "white light test".

White Light Test
This test is for the purpose of checking causes of something - e.g., whether, perhaps, a headache is caused by psychic attack, or a blockage of a psychic ability is caused by a karmic restriction.

1. Establish protection (including checking that the protection is effective),
2. surround the affected area (e.g., the blocked chakra) or your entire self with constructive energy (in a New Age group, "white light", but it could be an inspiring melody or a soothing scent [visualisation seems to works more easily for most people with visual things like colour, but can also be used to create psychic scents or sounds]),
3. ask your "constructive influence guides" (meaning, your "spiritual" guides, your Higher Self, you Patron Deity, your power animal/totem, your ancestors, etc - I use the qualification "constructive influence" when I am working [I actually use the phrase "Divine Light Force"] to make sure I am clearly excluding the influence of malicious or destructive people) to momentarily take out of <name effect/thing being checked> the extent of that which is due to <name influence being checked>.

If, say, you are checking whether a headache is due to psychic attack, go through steps 1 and 2, and then ask (I'll use the phrasing I am familiar with): "DLF Guides, please remove from this headache the extent that is due to psychic attack for a clearly noticeable time". If, say, 90% of the pain disappears for a second or so (or less: be prepared for this change to be brief), then you have good evidence that the headache could be due to psychic attack (and then take care to build your protection and psychic health, strength and well-being [see links above, and other of my posts]). If, say, 10% of the pain goes, you can probably assume that none of it is due to psychic attack.

As another example, perhaps you are having some problems getting a psychic vision, and may be wondering if this is due to a blockage in the third eye chakra. You may (after steps 1 and 2) ask "Higher Self, please remove the effects of any blockage in the third eye chakra from my attempts to obtain a vision for a clearly noticeable time". If, say, you get a sensation of energy starting to flow or move for a second or so (or less: again, be prepared for this change to be brief), then you have good evidence that there is a blockage (and then use colour visualisation to clear the chakra [see http://gnwmythr.blogspot.com/2007/10/secret-science-of-hugs.html], or maybe do a crystal balance [see http://gnwmythr.blogspot.com/2007/06/workshop-on-crystals.html]). If nothing else happens, consider other options (but see the qualifiers below).

OK, let's have one more example. Say you're trying to build a psychic melody to do a healing, and are not having much success, and are concerned that your lack of success may be because the melody is not in harmony with the healing effect you are trying to create. You go through steps 1 and 2, and then perhaps ask "Patron Deity Horus, please remove from my attempts to create this healing melody any restriction due to the melody being inconsistent with the healing effect I am trying to create". If there is no change, then you may need to consider other factors, such as your skill levels, outside interference, insufficient karma on the part of the patient, etc, etc, etc. If there IS a significant change, find another melody, or another way of doing the healing.

There are some qualifiers to this technique:
(1) there may be a valid reason for you not to know the answer - for instance, you may be meant to be denied the answer to force you to think something through properly, or because you are meant to go through an experience, or - and this one can be a toughie! - because someone else is meant to help you
(2) the technique assumes that you have enough karmic credit ("good karma") to be able to have the energy shifted for a moment (that can take some effort in the case of a strong psychic attack)
(3) people's preconceptions can be insurmountable - ESPECIALLY your own. In general, it is best (but not always practical) to not ask a question unless one is totally (emotionally, mentally and spiritually) comfortable with all possible answers - AND the absence of any answer.

On that last point, I recently saw a programme on TV about the Bermuda Triangle which suggested that the "missing flight" (Flight 19 - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_19) may have become lost through the Flight leader becoming so fixated on a perception that he considered his instruments - including his compass - were wrong, whereas they actually were correct. You need to at least acknowledge the possibility of such fixations to yourself, and then work calmly, rationally, in a balanced, objective manner on any actual or possible problems. To understand this issue and it's potential shortcomings better, also have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occlumency#Legilimency_and_Occlumency.

That attitude: calm, objective, balanced, is a key matter in developing a sound base from which to develop your ability to work as a medium. If you are interested in developing that ability, how would you develop and maintain your ability to attain and maintain that state of being? How are you going to develop the inner strength to calmly accept disappointment and then identify and work out the solution to whatever it was that disappointed you (usually poor or inaccurate channeling, in the case of mediumship)?

If my experience is anything to go by, often you can identify problems - particularly when they are occurring - by being observant and paying attention to your inner-scape. YOU know when you are fooling yourself; you just have to be unafraid of that possibility. You have to be able to see that such problems are just one more step along the path of developing the skill you are seeking. ways of identifying that resilience is my key interest in writing this blog today.

I consider that the better you know yourself, which is how you can then best be yourself (how can you be yourself if you don't know what that is?), the more likely you are to attain and maintain that calmness, and to be able to detect the influence of others on yourself. Under most circumstances, when such influences occur, you are likely to want to then adopt ways of minimising that influence (e.g., by establishing adequate psychic protection - which is then checked!), but when you are developing your mediumship, you want to develop the connection you have selected (commonly that is with a "guide" or deity, but it could also be with, for example, an earthbound entity for the purposes of "rescuing" that entity.

In this context, "rescue" is basically about directing an entity who has become earthbound (stuck around the earth plane after the death of their physical body) from this plane to the astral world that they should be in. Some links about rescue (and I don't necessarily endorse any of these links; several of these are just from an Internet search - I won't say which as I wish you read with your brains switched on) are:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_rescue
http://home.vicnet.net.au/~johnf/welcome.htm
http://www.spiritrescue.co.uk/ (this site includes examples, and discussion on the use of mediumship for rescue work, including trance to rescue earthbound entities)
http://www.spiritremediation.com/spirit.htm
http://www.lorrainealder.com/

I'll come back to spirit rescue later. For now, I wish, dear Reader, for you to consider the topic of knowing and being yourself. How do you do this?

Well, life experience can help (not always, though, if the life experience is destructive). Thinking, including meditation (reflective meditation, not relaxation meditation) can help. Personal growth work is good for some, for others - depending on the technique - not necessarily so good. Similarly, some psychic/spiritual growth or development techniques suit some people, others suit others.

You have to find what works for you. Research - shop around, critically.

One clue I'll give you now, though, is that being dogmatic or set in your ways or beliefs is not a sign that you know yourself. The only constant in the Universe is change, and you cannot say that you know yourself until you know how you will navigate your sense of identity through the reefs of ever-changing time.

Perhaps the key for the purposes of this post, though, is the ability to recognise yourself. Keeping some sort of journal helps here, as reviewing it can help you recognise when your emotions, thoughts, etc are not true to your self. I actually use a numeric record, where I allocate numbers to how I feel generally and on some specific aspects, with respect to mind, body and spirit. I don't fill it in every day, but I try to do so regularly enough so I can help endorse knowing myself.

I also find that doing my psychic exercises regularly, including colour visualisation, practising psychic muscles, etc, helps me to simply recognise when an energy in my aura isn't my own - which more often than not is a good experience, as it can show friends/partners/guides etc are thinking of me.

To develop your mediumship, you will need this ability of (psychic) differentiation of energies.

You will also need to develop your ability to ground yourself - possibly when others are trying to get you out of your body. Think that isn't likely to happen? Think again! Too many drunks in pubs have auras that are crawling infestations of dead alcoholics striving to get as much sensation of drinking alcohol as they can through forcing gthe drunk to "just have another".

It happens - and this is no place for airy-fairy, floaty types. In my opinion, developing mediumship is a challenging task, and it requires well grounded, capable people who will be onjective and self-honest. Being able to ground yourself under stress is another vital skill - unless you are prepared to accept your teacher forcing you to come back, which is likely to leave you with a headache! In many situations, beginners seem to think that being lost in a psychic sensation is a good think - as in, "oh that was so good I didn't know where I was": in the context of learning to do mediumship, unless you are that extremely rare breed who is a genuine deep trance medium, it is more often than not a sign of dangerous lack of discipline and possibly self-indulgence (in the sense derided by Castenada's teachers [see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Castenada, which as of Saturday 1st March, 2008, has it's neutrality disputed).

I'm being harsher in this post than I have in any other, I think. That is for a good reason: becoming a medium can be a tough challenge. You need to be skilled in knowing yourself and psychic differentiation, in being grounded no matter what (including when others are trying to get you off with the fairies) and in psychic protection. You'll also need a good teacher.

OK, I had planned on writing more, but I've been at this for a while now, so I'll leave it at that for now. I may come back to rewrite this post more, or I may put more in another post.

Love, light, hugs and blessings

Gnwmythr

This post's photo is me MAANY years ago, with a pet cat named Hazel. Hazel was a "second chance" cat (passed on to me by an acquaintance who saved her from being put down) who took to staying as close to me as she could.
Tags: about me, chakras, change, control, emotions, energy work, karma, life lessons, New Age, personal characteristics, planes of existence, protection, Psychic attack, responsibility, rescue, mediumship

First published: Saturday, 1st March, 2008
Last edited: Saturday, 1st March, 2008