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How Do You Do Intuition?
In yesterday’s post I commented on an article by Rosemary: Success-Based Intuition. But maybe I put the cart before the horse (no reference to Monday’s poem intended!). Do you know how to access your intuition so you can use it for success? I mentioned somewhat humorously that I rely on Rosemary’s gut in important matters. We do share our feelings, especially gut feelings about our unfolding life and partnership. And I am the first to say Rosemary is more attuned to her intuition than most people I know. I also admit that I sometimes struggle with tuning into my own intuitive ability. I have to work at it!
How do I work at it? I had to think about this because our homework assignment for Rosemary’s Unlocking the Mysteries of Intuition class yesterday was to report on how we used intuition through this past week. Here is part of my homework report:
As one example I did get my pendulum out to test a decision. I learned dowsing and the use of a pendulum to help with decision making from Rosemary years ago. In my use this week my pendulum confirmed the decision I was leaning toward, so I made that decision. And I think it was a good one. Another example was a hit I received while writing my “Morning Pages” which I do almost every morning – three hand-written pages following Julia Cameron’s recommendation in her The Artist’s Way. As I look at this one example I realize I frequently get good intuitive hits when I write these pages.
A third example of how I “do intuition” is through the use of card decks of different types, from Tarot to oracle-type decks. I am currently using two decks, the Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards by Dr. Doreen Virtue, and the Aleister Crowley Thoth tarot deck (an interesting balance of light and shadow between these decks!). I draw two cards every morning after my “Pages” to tune into the energies for the day. And I always receive excellent guidance.
But these are technologies or aids in tuning in. There is a more fundamental part of this intuitive process. And this is what I wrote in my pages yesterday:
These [intuitive] flashes come to me when I am at ease, breathing, present and open. They aren’t forced. They aren’t thoughts or ideas, really. They don’t come from the ego. They come when I care. They come when I am feeling at peace, in grace. In this sense they are natural, instinctual but much more than animalistic. There is a higher consciousness to them.
And it is true they can only come from love. And this self-love is a mysterious thing. It, again, is not the ego. It is much higher. It approaches Self-Love. It is a loving state rather than a narcissistic self-love state of the ego. This is a key point, a key distinction. There is an at-one-ment to this love. This cycles back to atonement – forgiveness – grace. There is an inner sense of groundedness that gives rise to gut feelings. Again, it is a natural place of higher consciousness. It comes when there is a deep connection within, to that which is below and that which is above!
Intuition is a hard thing to grab hold of. But I think we all know what gut feelings are. The trick is to tune in, trust, then follow. It takes practice. We all can do it, even us guys!
PS: Do you want to see a Master Intuitive at work? Are you looking for answers? Inspiration? Every 3rd Saturday of the month, at 7:00 pm Eastern time, Rosemary hosts Satsang for all who would join her in the exploration of expanding consciousness. Here is your chance to ask questions of The Divine Feminine! This event can be attended in person and online using video-conferencing services, even a phone. Attend from anywhere in the world!
Get more information and sign up here The next Satsang with Rosemary is tomorrow, November 16 at 7:00 pm Eastern.
The Cycles of Life
This week’s theme in Rosemary’s blog was Cycles beginning with her video message on Tuesday. Yesterday I wrote about the primary cycle in human life, human consciousness: Death. And as we move now into the energy of the Summer Solstice here in the Northern Hemisphere I am once again reminded of all the cycles that occur in our lives, from the most minute, the life and death of a single cell (we lose more than 50 billion a day to apoptosis!) to the solar cycle through solstices and equinoxes and all the solar holidays in-between, to human death.
As I thought about Glenn Smith, his early-in-life transition (he was only 55) I drew two divination cards (a daily practice, usually with the intention of divining the energy for the day); I wanted to tap in and see if Glenn had any messages for me through the cards.
First I drew Butterfly Maiden from the Doreen Virtue Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards. No surprise as this card is all about “transformation.” This is what I wrote about the card, pictured here:
Death is the big transformation for humans, only rivaled in grandeur and trauma by birth. And in a sense these largest of events in our experience of consciousness are one and the same. They are each part of the human cycle, a circle which has no end nor beginning. Birth, Life, Death, around we go always becoming, renewing, rejoicing in the knowing! And not knowing!
The second card I drew was from the Aleister Crowley Thoth Tarot Deck; it was the 10 of Disks, “wealth.” This is what I wrote about the 10, pictured here:
Wealth. Fulfillment. The completion of human goals. Another “end-vibration” card showing me that endings are not only OK but need to be expected. We can never be sure when a life is fulfilled. Too often endings are abrupt and unexpected. A greater cycle, beyond human consciousness and understanding – the mystery – is playing out. We are but cycles within cycles adding our ounce of Oneness to the tidal ocean of consciousness. Rest, Glenn. We hold your ounce as precious!
We can measure so many cycles: the cycle of a cell’s life, the cycle of the sun as it appears to spin around the earth. But how do we measure the cycle of a man’s life? The span of time from birth to death, to fulfillment of one life, remains in the mystery. Yet there is so much to learn from each precious life.
I learned many things from Glenn in our too short friendship. He was such a gentle man and yet so deeply conscious. Read about him in the blog we wrote together: powerfulsensitivemen.com. And here’s something he wrote for Rosemary I want to share:
Having always thought I was a bit odd and different from the regular crowd, I was overjoyed to receive a message passed to me through Rosemary Bredeson that I was indeed ‘different’, during a group session I attended. In fact every message she passed to the twelve people gathered had some impact on me. The message I received could not have been more relevant for me even though I have had many readings by many different psychics over many years. Her joyful way of expressing heartfelt messages from The Other Side was a delight to witness.
This is how Glenn was in life; he always seemed overjoyed and delighted!
I went to my Svaroopa Yoga class tonight energized as I often am to take respite in my body, to bring my consciousness to my physical being rooted as I am in this life for now on the planet. For the evening’s contemplation my teacher used a quote from Aristotle:
Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.
Glenn was a happy man, passing to another phase of consciousness having fulfilled his purpose in this cycle on Planet Earth.
Brainwashed?
Yes, by one of the most powerful forces in my life (no, not Rosemary): my own ego!
As I have mentioned before part of my daily practice is to draw a couple of cards from my favorite decks to divine a sense of the energies of the day. One of my decks is the Crowley Tarot Deck and I use The Crowley Tarot by Akron and Hajo Banzhaf to continue to deepen my understanding of the cards. Today (Thursday) I drew the XVI of Trumps, The Tower. (I’ve included its image here). And my first reaction was: how cool to bring up this image of “destruction” as
I sit to write about brainwashing, its power and destructive potential and how to re-program from the brainwashing; in other words, destroy its impact and bring in the new images of self that are needed at this time!
This is 2012, and I am writing this on 12/12/12. Rosemary led a meditation today at 12:00 noon Eastern time, to activate and anchor the emerging energies of transformation as we draw near the Winter Solstice of 2012. What better time to let go of the old structures, the old energies, the old beliefs, the old brainwashing, those stories we’ve been telling ourselves for years, that may no longer hold any truth or power for us or over us.
And so I draw this card with its Tower, this burning, toppling structure that is an empty shell holding nothing for me as I move into the new energies at the end of 2012. Here are phrases from the guide book: “destruction of form…upheaval of values”, “enlightenment … that strikes like lightning and destroys … rigid ideas”, “overcoming one’s self”, “breaking open encrustations.” Wow, sounds like deprogramming to me!
The ego holds our beliefs, especially about ourselves. It is a wonderful friend, protecting us from both physical and emotional harm. It can also be our worst enemy holding us back when we are called to speak our truth, holding us to old beliefs when we receive new information that would help us grow, develop, evolve! The ego protects us but also holds us prisoner locked away in our tower. It is time for my tower to tumble!
And so I seek to burn down the current structures of my life, to sabotage my own ego, to break free of the bonds that fetter and hold me frozen in a place of safety but with little progress.
How? I will write more about my process and what is coming to me for tomorrow’s post. Meanwhile I continue all of my practices, which I have described in earlier posts. They serve me well and help me through the ego-generated blocks that no longer serve me. My practices are the “fire and kindling” I use to burn my imprisoning tower down.
Towers, so too brainwashing, can be good and bad. We need structures in our lives to hold us safe and help us hold the energy of the time; but when they impede our progress we need to burn them to the ground!
Burn your prisons down!
Oh, and happy New Moon (3:42 am EST, 12/13/12)! What better time to bring in the new energies of progress and transformatio
Another Tool for Inner Guidance
Michael Harner has given an amazing gift to the world; building on the earlier work of Mircea Eliade, he brought The Way of the Shaman alive for many of us. And I know there are critics of the popularization of this ancient spiritual technology; there will always be critics who are both skeptical and perhaps a little jealous of those who would gain notoriety and fortune by bringing to life a skill or knowledge that might otherwise be lost or set on a shelf as a quaint research subject. And there is some ground for questioning whether the generalization of a culturally specific spiritual technology is appropriate. All I can say to the critics is I have my own personal experiences as both evidence and guidance that these practices can be effective.
For my part I was first exposed to the Harner methods in the late 70s when I did my first journey to connect with a power animal. This was a transformative experience, although I may not have realized it at the time; I have been working with a Shamanic approach to gaining inner guidance since that early beginning. I have journeyed with many teachers learning their techniques and polishing my own, from drumming to rattling, from leading journeys to doing healing work. It is a powerful tool in my toolkit for gaining Inner Guidance.
Typically when I journey I use a frame drum which I beat myself. I do this in a darkened room with only a candle burning for a bit of light. I drum and journey on the wave of the drum, usually traveling to the Lower World to first seek guidance from my power animals. Sometimes I go to them with a specific question or concern. I also travel seeking general guidance on my current situation, circumstances, issues and offering prayers. After meeting up with my power animals and getting their sense of the situation and their guidance, I bless them, thank them and go off exploring other parts of this world. I am also sometimes directed to the Middle and Upper Worlds – more on this another time.
I know this Shaman approach to gaining Inner Guidance works for me because it has proved to be effective in my life. Perhaps most importantly I don’t rely on this one form of seeking but, as you may realize from reading earlier posts on “tools”, I use several approaches to gain insight into my Unconscious Mind, my Higher Self. I know all of these practices I employ work because they almost always cross-check in a non-ambiguous way.
Here’s a quick example of what I mean: on a recent journey to the Lower World I encountered a Snake. This Snake was telling me several contradictory stories; highly dualistic messages. I followed the snake on a return path and encountered a Bear who grabbed the snake and bit it into two parts; she separated the truth from the lie, the light from the dark! That same evening I cast a Gua for I Ching guidance. The accomplished Gua was Shi He (#21), sometimes translated as “biting through.” And a few days later I drew the Tarot card, VIII, which Crowley names Adjustment. The I Ching correspondence to this card is Shi He! The correlations are both fun and insightful. Do you think I should pay attention to this notion of “Biting Through”?
Tools for gaining Inner Guidance are numerous and flexible. They can be as simple as breathing deeply with lowered, unfocused eyes and as complex as consulting the I Ching or traveling to the Lower World on the vibration of a drum. The point is to do it, find methods and tools that work for you. And I recommend at least two approaches to cross-reference the answers. You’ll be amazed at how often the same answer comes through no matter the channel!
“Tools of the Trade” A Commentary from Richard
Have you reviewed the video and commentary by Rosemary from her FREE weekly MuseLetter? I posted them over the past couple of days; if you want to receive them directly you can subscribe here. And today here are my thoughts on the support Rosemary offers for living a conscious life:
In this week’s Video Message and Exploration Rosemary speaks to different tools for inner work and ways to seek inner guidance. This follows the theme from last week as well; inner work during this time of transition, transformation, growth, evolution is critical to maintain balance, resolve and direction. And last week in my commentary I wrote about one of my main tools in my tool box, The Artist’s Way page writing. But this in one of many approaches I use to gain guidance and to confirm I am on the right path.
I have probably used just about all of the tools Rosemary mentions from dowsing with a pendulum (I even make them) to using cards and the I Ching for divination. I draw a couple of cards each day to both set the tone for the day and to gain some insight on the energies. I am currently using the Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards by Doreen Virtue and a tarot deck by Aleister Crowley and Lady Frieda Harris along with The Crowley Tarot handbook by Akron and Hajo Banzhaf. I draw a card from each deck and consider both the individual messages and the integrated message from the two. The Virtue deck brings in a light perspective and is almost always positive in the messages it delivers. The Crowley deck is darker and gives me a more nuanced and shadowy perspective on the day. I enjoy combining these and deriving a sense of what might be in store for me. I am frequently rewarded and never disappointed in these cards’ guidance!
I use the I Ching to determine the energies for the month ahead. I cast a Gua (6-lines, two tri-grams) shortly after each new moon (I just cast a Gua yesterday for the new moon in Scorpio). I use the 50 yarrow stalk method (I even harvested and cut my own stalks from a patch of yarrow I grew in Colorado). I thoroughly enjoy the meditative approach to deriving each Yao (line) for the Gua. Again my focus while doing the work is to look for the patterns and energies ahead for the month. The I Ching is a highly intuitive tool and reminds me a lot of dream interpretation work. I treat the Gua as a map and the names, ideographs, decisions and commentaries as symbols and hints for the journey ahead. It is both fun and entertaining as well as deep and meaningful. Maybe at some point in further writings I’ll share my Guas for the months (moonths) and what I see as the way ahead.
Rosemary concludes her exploration and discussion with the use of alters. Yes, I have one, I always have one. I even have a method I use to take part of my alter with me when I travel. I have been using some of the same components, especially an old piece of leather I use as an alter cloth and wrap for my portable bundle of objects for years. The significance for me in using an alter is the passive grounding energy it brings to my inner work. My writing, drawing cards, casting I Ching Guas are all active methods using tools to gain inner insight. My alter just is; it represents my ground of being. The objects and symbols I choose are parts of me, from knuckle bones to stones, from crystals to statues and fetishes, from element representations to pictures, these are all bits and particles of who I am. They hold space and hold me in that space.
And as Rosemary requested I have included here a picture of my current alter configuration…it may appear to you to be a bit messy and cluttered; maybe that’s how my life is right now! (And maybe its state is pointing the way to some external work I need to do!)
What tools do you use for seeking inner guidance? I’d love to hear your answers; please comment!
Please enjoy!
