KAJAMA.COM NEWSLETTER

September 11 through September 17, 2023

There's lots of positive energy in the air this week, starting with a glowing Leo Moon on Monday and Tuesday. Our generous natures will be on display and relationships are highlighted as a source of joy under this influence. We'll also be challenged to take a closer look a what's truly important to us and make sure we are living our true and authentic selves. We can get most of our work done on Wednesday under the Virgo Moon, which casts some extra energy our way to get paperwork and detailed projects cleared away once and for all. And once we do, the Virgo new Moon on Thursday will pave the way to inspired new projects or goals we are ready to pursue. Mercury will resume forward motion on Friday, ending its 3-week cycle of backward movement and those annoying communication and electronic anomalies it's so famous for! It could take a week or two before it clears completely, but we'll notice right away that our interactions with others are taking on a more positive note! The Moon cruises through Libra Friday through Sunday, promising a weekend full of joy, relaxation, and heartfelt interactions with all those around us.

The Garden as Sacred Space, by Laurel Woodward

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

I am a magically minded person who looks at the world with an animist's perspective as I mindfully acknowledge and honor the lives of the others I encounter, from the large elementals to the tiny devic energies underfoot. I talk to my plants and hug the trees. I call out greetings to the geese as they pass overhead and stop to help the earthworm stranded on the sidewalk. There is a message in the visit from tiny hummingbird hanging on the breeze, the crow cawing loudly in the tree, the surprise sighting of a garden snake, and the colorful dragonfly lighting on a grass head. The outdoors holds both magick and mystery, and I immerse myself in its beauty whenever I am able to.

Our brains evolved in nature. When we leave our man-made environments and return to a natural setting, we are able to step out of the busyness of our lives and leave our worries behind. Being outside is a magickal, full-on sensory experience that quiets worry, eases anxiety, and grants the spirit peace.

When we immerse ourselves in a natural setting, it boosts health by strengthening the immune system. Step into nature and you step into beauty. The act of catching sunlight in your eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin, breathing in the scent of the green world from the smell of the dirt to the fragrance of flowers, or having natural sounds fill your ears, like the call of birds, the chatter of squirrels, or the rattle of the wind through the trees, are experiences that foster healing feelings of serenity and joy.

While forest bathing and hiking are popular nature therapies, gardening in your own yard, if done mindfully, becomes a vehicle to immerse yourself in nature and foster a relationship with the natural world. If you have never tried gardening you might be surprised by how therapeutic the experience is. When you take up gardening, working under the sky with the sun on your arms and your hands in the dirt, it engages all of your senses to create a place of refuge and solace. Being out in the fresh air doing yard and garden work lifts outlook and elevates mood. The activity tones muscles and makes the body feel good, and when done mindfully, the overall experience fills the heart with a joyful sense of purpose that inspires creativity and helps us rediscover our sense of wonder.

When we take an area of land under our care we nurture a reverence for nature that allows the heart to swell with gratitude every time we invest ourselves in the work, because it doesn't matter if you are a first-time gardener or a veteran—there is always something new waiting to surprise and inspire. The simple joy of discovering the seed that you planted sprouted, the surprising beauty of a mound of clematis that opened overnight, or the delicious taste of a ripe, home-grown tomato you plucked fresh from the vine deepens satisfaction and improves our sense of well-being. Step into the garden and we step out of worry and into nature's grace.

The wisdom of an ancient practice waits in the garden. If you follow an earth-based spirituality, you will find the act of gardening creates sacred space and puts nature back into the center of your practice. By caring for plants and being aware of their life cycles, we become aware of the turning of the seasons and sync with the natural rhythms. The garden becomes a window into the workings of the Universe and allows us to sense the thrumming webs of power. It is in the garden we connect to the deepest parts of our being as we become a witness to the miracle of life unfolding right before our eyes.

If you have never gardened before, you may want to start by taking a few chosen plants under your care. Identify and research each one, making note of their individual needs so that you may provide what each needs to thrive. Visit them often. Talk to your plants and shower them with attention, and soon you will find you have made a friend that may become a helpful ally in your magical practice. While some plant allies provide food or medicine, others provide ingredients to empower ritual, potions, incense, bath magick, candle dressing, and wash water. When we use ingredients from a plant that we help to grow, we delve into an ancient craft laden with wisdom and knowledge, a craft that deepens spirituality as it acts a bridge to the past to help us see beyond modern restrictions as it links us to a reality in which we are able to recognize and interpret the magickal connections all around us. The garden then becomes a liminal space where we may go to meet Deity or converse with the Universe.

My garden is my church. Step into the garden and I step out of time and into sanctuary. Being in my garden allows me to leave the troubles of the modern world behind and take up the practice of the old ways. In my garden I find peace and joy. It is in my garden where I find magick. You, too, can create your own personal outdoor sanctuary, a place of safety and wellness to nourish your soul and help you foster a relationship with your local energy web. For more ideas on how to design and implement a garden plan for your very own personal sanctuary garden, pick up my new book, Backyard Garden Witchery, a guide to help you manifest a magickal space outside your door. Backyard Garden Witchery contains a collection of meditations, exercises, and an extensive list of garden plants and their magickal properties with suggested uses to empower your magickal practice.

By designing your own unique garden setting, and implementing features that speak to you personally, you will manifest a sanctuary to nourish your soul. Keeping a flower garden, an herb garden, a vegetable patch, or even tending a collection of patio pots allows interaction with nature and opens a doorway for us to experience her amazing wonder. By working, and planting, and tending the earth, the garden becomes a liminal space to nourish our spirituality and connect us to the larger world. When you become a gardener, you become an artist working with nature to create amazing beauty, and as life sprouts and grows under your care, it opens the heart to wonder and solace as it provides flowers or herbs to use in your practice, or food to nourish your body, and the results bring an incredible sense of accomplishment. Gardening is a remarkable rewarding experience that has nourished mankind since the beginning of time. It has the power to change your life. If you have never gardened I hope you give it a try.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2022. All rights reserved.

Lately I have been having constant trigger thoughts of my ex-boyfriend. (He is alive, not deceased.) We broke up months ago and have had no contact since, so I'm wondering why he is suddenly on my mind all the time. Recently I actually felt his presence like a comforting mist around me. What does this mean, and why do you think it is happening? Thanks!

Lee

Astrea:

When I sense someone intruding on my life like that, I locate that person so we can have a talk. When someone keeps coming up in dreams or popping into my mind, I just call that person.

Sometimes the person may take a while to find, and at first, they may have mixed feelings about hearing from me directly. They're never sorry, however, and more importantly, I am never sorry that I followed up on something my intuition was begging me to do.

Until you've spoken with him, he'll continue to haunt you when you're sleeping and awake, and I'm sure that gets annoying after a while. It may take you some time to track him down. You might begin by going through contacts who might know where he is. If you can't get a telephone number, write a snail mail note to his parents and ask them to send it on to him.

When you reach him, tell him that he's been on your mind way too much, and you are certain there is something going on. With any luck, he'll tell you right away what's happening with him.

If you have to coax things out over several conversations, so what? Some people are skeptical or afraid of this kind of telepathy. Be gentle but tell the truth about why you felt compelled to contact him again: you were worried. People appreciate our concern more than you might think.

There is also the chance that he misses you and has come to his senses and very much wants to be close to you again. Perhaps he needs your friendship, and you can be friends now instead of just exes. Maybe the two of you can reach for a relationship that isn't as toxic as the one that caused you to lose contact in the first place. Perhaps you just need to forgive one another for past hurts.

Much unhappiness can be prevented if we listen to our intuition in relationships. Even if your parting was angry or sad, people who keep popping into your head usually need your help or advice because they are facing a hard decision or a life-changing event.

It may not have anything to do with you other than the fact that he needs some support right now. If you're brave enough to confront the problem together, you'll both grow from this experience.

From time to time, everyone gets those nagging feelings that someone from their past is trying to reach out to them. It never hurts to pay attention and honor your feelings and intuitions. The worst that can happen is getting your feelings hurt, and while that can be awful, it isn't as bad as ignoring your heart and feeling like you're missing something.

*****

Susyn:

It's highly likely that your ex is thinking about you and is sending these trigger thoughts. I can't say what the reasons might be for his sudden renewed interest in you, but there is a good way to find out without ever making any kind of direct contact.

I'm sure you've had the experience of thinking of someone from your past at random only to have the phone ring or an email show up from them a day or two later. These experiences are wonderful evidence of the kinetic and psychic connections we share with those we've been close to in the past.

In this particular instance, he may want to contact you but feel hesitant to do so. If this is the case, the more he thinks of you, the more trigger thoughts you are likely to experience.

I wouldn't recommend contacting him directly. If he is struggling with whether or not to contact you, he must come to his own conclusion and make a move if he is so inclined.

If the trigger thoughts become more annoying, I would recommend you freeze his energy. This is a simple process that won't harm him but will rid you of these nagging, perplexing thoughts. Assuming there was good reason for the break-up and that you have laid to rest all the issues that came up between you, freezing his thoughts from coming your way is the quickest way to restore sanity to your world.

I experienced an incident similar to this with an ex who was constantly astral-protecting to me at night. On the advice of a trusted psychic, I took action by freezing him. The next time he came, he hovered outside my window but couldn't get in. He was pretty angry about that, but he realized after a few minutes that his attempts had been blocked and he never returned.

To freeze your ex's psychic invasions, tear off a piece of unlined brown paper from a grocery sack or a lunch bag and write his name on it. Fold it up and put it in a small plastic bag with a zip lock. Fill the bag with enough water to cover the paper, seal it, and toss it into your freezer.

Within 24 hours, you should notice the thoughts diminishing, and soon after that, they should disappear altogether. If he's determined to get ahold of you, this will force him to pick up the phone or drop you a line - if indeed he wants to make contact with you.

I can't say if he is interested in rebuilding the relationship or not, but the fact that you felt comforted by his presence suggests that he still has positive, caring feelings for you and means you no harm. Once he contacts you in physical life, you can decide whether or not you have any interest in reconnecting.

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.