Double Vision: Where Has all the Magic Gone?

I used to have all sorts of amazing psychic and out of body experiences. My life was full of magic and synchronicity. Over time, however, this all seems to have waned. I'm not really any different now: I'm still interested in spiritual matters, though I guess I don't read about them as much or keep up with spiritual practices like rituals and meditation the way I used to. Is that why I don't have lots of spiritual experiences anymore?

- Dwayne

Dreamchaser:

If you want to have amazing psychic experiences, out of body experiences, or anything else like this, you have to be walking the right path to have them.

Even if you're not, however, you will still have your occasional experience. People who are not in any way spiritual or interested in spiritual matters can have all kinds of amazing experiences. I feel that in your case, the main thing is you stopped walking the path that led to those experiences, and that's why they stopped for you, Dwayne. It's just that simple.

The great thing about this path is that you can just hop back on and pick up where you left off. All you have to do is let your guides, angels, helpers, etc. know that you are back by saying (preferably out loud) something like, Okay, I am back! Please come help me create what I want.

Remember, our spiritual helpers can't help us unless we instruct them to help us, so I suggest you let them know what you need.

You might also want to ask yourself why you stopped your daily spiritual practice in the first place. I frequently hear people say, I just have no time, and if that's what you're thinking, well, you find time to eat and sleep and breathe, and your spirituality is just as important as any other item listed on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

I used being too busy as an excuse myself for quite a while. I thought that by tapping into Spirit to read for my clients, I was somehow piggy-backing on their spiritual progress. Well, obviously that didn't work very well, and so now I get up really early - earlier than anyone else I know - for my own spiritual practice.

I throw open the blinds and curtains so I can watch the day start, and then I spend at least 15 minutes with my God. I write in my journal. I read Iyanla Vanzant's thought for the day out of her book Until Today. Then I just get quiet and ask for what I need and want for that day. I picture it. I feel what it would feel like to have whatever it is, whether that's patience, wisdom, love or a new pair of pants from the mall. All of this takes me about 20 minutes.

You need to figure out a time when you can spend just 15 minutes or so with whatever you call God or the Divine. You can come up with your own daily spiritual ritual. Let it be whatever works for you.

I also must stress the importance of trying to do something first thing in the morning before you start your day, for this sets the tone for the entire day. It gets you off on such a positive note that you'll find it easy to stay in that zone all day long. You might even find it easier to carve out some meditation time later in the day as well.

I wish you continuing growth and wonderful new experiences!

*****

Astrea:

You've already answered your own question! The reason you're not having those extraordinary magical experiences anymore is you've stopped reading and studying spiritual matters for a while. Unless you make some effort to create those events in your life, they won't happen for you.

I think you should determine why you stopped your spiritual studies and practices in the first place. People stop for all kinds of reasons: They get busy, their families don't like what they're doing, they don't get where they want to be quickly enough and get discouraged.

You say although you're not trying, you still expect magic to happen every now and then. Well, you have to be very thankful for such experiences to summon more of them if you're not putting any other effort into it.

If you're making an effort and it's still not happening, it's possible you brought some Karma from another incarnation that limits the time you're allowed to experience the kind of magic you long to explore in THIS lifetime. Although this is very rare, some people DO carry blocked Karma from one incarnation to another.

The reasons for this vary, but often people tortured or executed for practicing magic in other incarnations will seek a more normal, mainstream life upon their return in hopes that they won't suffer for their spiritual interests the next time around.

Some people ask God to take their magic away from them because they fear the unknown. At the other extreme, some become just plain too lazy to take the necessary steps to achieve the magical spiritual feelings you say you're missing.

You knew at one point how to create that magic in your life, but you stopped. First examine WHY you stopped doing that, and then either move forward and create more of what you want for yourself, or don't complain anymore that you're missing out.

No matter why you stopped working with magical elements for a time, there's no need for you to beat yourself up just for taking some time off. We all need a break now and then. In fact, taking some time out from magic can be as powerful as DOING magic if that's what you most need at that point in your spiritual journey.

Life tends to get complicated and responsibilities drain our time and weigh us down. Remember that the older we get and the more we settle into the adult world, the further we are from the wonder-filled state where magic begins. Then it becomes more difficult to call up the kind of boundless energy we need to expand our consciousness into magical realms of experience.

So if you feel like you're too busy to cultivate the spiritual experiences you miss so much, know that this idea is probably all that stands in your way. If you stop and take a breath and look with wondering eyes, you'll soon be enjoying magic again!

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.