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August 1 through August 7, 2022

Communication, research, and innovation are the themes of the week as the Moon travels through thought-provoking signs and Mercury moves into the idealistic sign of Virgo on Thursday. With a Virgo Moon overhead on Monday, we'll start the week out by organizing and refining our thoughts, goals, and plans for the future. Tuesday and Wednesday we'll be striving for balance under the Libra Moon, double-checking facts, and making sure our ideas are sound and attainable. Mercury will move into Virgo, one of the signs it rules, on Thursday, speeding up our thoughts and inspiring our visions for the next three weeks. Combined with a Scorpio Moon, we'll move beyond the tangible and consider alternate ways to bring our dreams into reality. The pace will slow a bit over the weekend, as the Sagittarius Moon encourages us to lighten the pace and spend more time interacting with others in social and fun-loving ways. Just be sure to write down those flashes of brilliance when they pop up this week, for further investigation next week!

4 Ways to Practice Dark Moon Magick with Reiki, by Melissa Tipton

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

During the Dark Moon, the earth-facing side of the moon is in shadow (in contrast to the Full Moon when it is illuminated by and reflecting the sun's light). Magically, this is an ideal time for plumbing our inner depths and shadow realms and releasing stubborn patterns hindering our growth. Adding Reiki to the mix helps us maintain self-love and compassion in the face of potentially challenging material. Internal parts that might be hiding from the conscious mind out of fear of judgment and shame often feel safer in revealing themselves to the healing process in the presence of Reiki.

Dreamwork
Dreams are a potent way of interacting with our unconscious landscape beyond the meddling of the conscious mind, which might otherwise try to shape and mold our reality according to the ego's directives. As such, our dreams act as windows into our hidden nature, and we can use the energy of the Dark Moon to assist us in our truth-seeking. To begin, settle on a question to guide your dreamwork. You might be seeking clarity in regard to a relationship, a work situation, your health, etc. The more specific your question, the easier it will be to interpret the guidance you receive. For example, "How and why am I contributing to my conflict with Aaron?" will likely yield richer insights than asking the broader question, "How can I fix my relationship?"

Once you've settled on a question, perform a simple bedtime ritual to pave the way for insightful dreams. You'll need a cleansed quartz crystal and your question written on a slip of paper. Take a few minutes to focus on your breath, allowing your inhales and exhales to lengthen, calming your mind and bringing your awareness into the present moment. Envision your crown chakra opening to receive a clear stream of Reiki, which fills your entire energy body with white light. Hold the quartz in your left hand and your question in your right.

I enter now the land of dreams—
What once was hidden, now is seen.
I call upon the power of Reiki
To guide my dreams in love and truth.
And this question, I pose to you:
[read your question three times]

Close your eyes, and imagine the energy of your question being absorbed into your right hand, diffusing into your energy field and outward in all directions, like a beacon attracting relevant information and assistance. I often see this as an infinite web of light strands, with pertinent energies flashing like stars in the night sky. See these helpful forces traveling toward you, condensing into the quartz crystal where they will be recorded throughout the night, ready for you to retrieve when you awake. Place the quartz by your bedside or under your mattress—sweet dreams!

The following morning, hold the quartz while you mentally review your dreams. Don't worry if your memory seems spotty; just engage with whatever details arise and trust that they will expand as you do so. Feel the energy in the quartz and imagine accessing it, like a computer file, simply by holding and concentrating your awareness on it. If you use Reiki symbols, you can trace one over your palm chakra before holding the quartz, enhancing the energy flow and communication. Ask to be shown the parts of your dream that are most relevant to your question. To further the work, continue with the next technique, ideally as soon as you wake up.

Shadow Journaling
Building on the previous technique, before you brush your teeth or otherwise engage in starting your day, grab your journal and record anything you can remember from your dream. Often, as you write, other important elements of the dream will resurface. Assume that an answer to your question is hiding in plain sight, like a word jumble, and that the more you interact with the dream content, the clearer it will become. If any interpretations jump out at you, jot them down before proceeding with the following exercise.

Who, What, When, Where
Who: Make a list of the characters in the dream, then free write any associations that come to mind with each character, working with one at a time. Don't censor yourself, even if the words seem a bit random and unrelated. What feelings does this character evoke? What memories do they bring to mind? If you met them in waking life, what would you think about them?

What: Make a list of any memorable objects (e.g. a white dress, a bucket of fish) and occurrences in the dream (e.g. flying a kite, losing your keys), and follow the same process of free association for each. What feelings or memories do these things or events trigger? Do they have any parallels in your waking life?

When: How would you characterize the time period of the dream? Does it remind you of a time from your past or does it feel current?

Where: Describe the environment of the dream. What feelings or memories does this place evoke? Does it remind you of anywhere in your waking life?

Take a few moments to focus on your breath, once again opening your crown chakra to the flow of Reiki, and ask that Reiki assist you in understanding what is most relevant for you to know right now. Reread your dream question, and go over your Who/What/When/Where notes, looking at them with the assumption that they contain answers to your question.

For example, using one of the dream characters, how might you imagine this person responding to your question? What would they do in your shoes? And how do you feel about this potential course of action? A dream character might illustrate aspects of something we want to do but aren't giving ourselves permission to explore, or they might show us something we're doing, perhaps on a subconscious level, that isn't in our best interest. Look at your question through each of the characters' eyes to see different options and understand how your whole self, not just the parts you are conscious of in waking life, feels about the issue.

Following a similar process with your "what" notes, how do they relate to your question? For example, if you jotted down, "chewing gum loudly in school," and you free associated this with rebelliousness and being disrespectful, this could trigger an insight that an inner rebel part is being triggered in your work conflict, causing you to say and do things that are blocking communication and distancing you from your colleagues. Your "when" notes then lead you to a time when you were ten and you were wrongly accused of cheating on a test by a teacher. Lo and behold, these feelings bear a lot of resemblance to your experience with your co-worker, whom you feel has been taking credit for your contributions in work meetings. Through this process, you see that it's important for you to openly and non-combatively discuss with your colleague other ways to present your team's work in meetings, rather than allowing your inner rebel to take over and damage your work relationships.

To bridge the gap between waking and dream life, look for one concrete action step you can take based on the dream material, no matter how seemingly insignificant it may be. In the above example, talking to your co-worker would be a great action step, but if nothing that concrete is coming through, try bringing something from the dream into your waking life by, for example, wearing a white dress or adopting some of the mannerisms of a dream character. Pay attention to how you feel when you engage with the dream elements and notice how the world around you responds, all the while staying open to guidance in regard to your question. Over trying to come up with a single, static interpretation of your dream, which can be frustrating, especially with dreams that seem completely nonsensical, view the dream as merely the beginning of a conversation, the meaning of which will become clearer the more you engage with it.

Hidden Tarot Layout
Using this tarot spread during the Dark Moon is a potent way of revealing unseen aspects of yourself and your situation. While this material can be challenging, approaching it with gentleness and compassion will help you integrate long-lost parts of yourself into your conscious awareness, availing you of the gifts these parts have to offer, while also healing the self-destructive side effects of shoving them under the rug.

Before performing the reading, connect with the energy of the Dark Moon, using the following incantation, ideally outside or near a window.

By the darkness of the Moon
I see myself in all my parts.
With Reiki guiding my every step
I expand awareness with my breath.

Throughout the reading, use your breathing, steady and calm, as a touchstone to keep you centered and in a slightly altered state of consciousness. Open your crown chakra to the flow of Reiki, and at any point during the reading when you feel stuck or triggered, pause and re-establish a connection to your breath and to the flow of Reiki.

Shuffle the cards three times while concentrating on your question, then lay down a single card, face-up. Place a second card on top, face-down so that it is covering up half of the first card. You will be left with a fifty-percent view of the first card's image. The partially visible card represents aspects of your situation and within yourself that are partly hidden from conscious awareness, yet are strongly influencing your situation. Take in any insights from this card, exploring how your perception of the card changes with half of it hidden. For example, perhaps the character's arm is held aloft, so you cannot see the sword in their hand. You might associate this with feeling vulnerable and "unarmed," or the hidden sword feels related to backstabbing behavior. Perhaps without the weapon visible, the character appears as if they're throwing their arms out with joy or in an embrace. Check in with your breathing and the flow of Reiki.

Flip over the second card. This represents aspects of your situation and within yourself that are trying to conceal, block, or otherwise impede the flow of energy represented by the first card.

For example, a fear of being vulnerable and unarmed is being concealed by the Devil card, which might be an indication of addictive tendencies being used to mask uncomfortable vulnerability. Once again, check in with your breath and the flow of Reiki.

Finally, shuffle the deck three more times and lay down a third card above the first two, representing a way to integrate the energies of the original cards in a productive manner, supportive of your growth and expansion. How might the influence of this third card change the dynamic of the other two? For example, the three of cups might invite you to practice expressing vulnerability with close friends or get help for a substance abuse issue.

The Dark Moon is a powerful time for self-reflection, and using this phase as a monthly reminder to dialogue with our unconscious keeps the bridge between our inner darkness and light vibrant and productive. Over trying to eradicate our shadow aspects, we partner them with the light of consciousness, granting us deeper access to our unique gifts and a greater appreciation for our whole selves. Learn the seven steps to creating a life you love with the power of Reiki in my book, Living Reiki: Heal Yourself and Transform Your Life.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2019. All rights reserved.

While I was talking with my mother on the phone today, she told me that last week while she was watching TV, a lady's voice yelled out her name. This voice came from behind her. When it happened, the family dog came out of the bedroom, barking wildly. Though my mother's name was called out loud, no one was seen to be there. We are both wondering if this was a good spirit or a bad spirit, if there is cause for concern, and if something needs to be done in response to this event. Thank you!

Lee

Astrea:

I could discount this whole experience as something your mother imagined if it wasn't for the reaction of the family dog. Dogs react to energy as well as things they physically see, so there was something in your mom's house that called out to her.

Often spirits who have suddenly found themselves disembodied will focus their energies on calling out to living beings. They don't know yet that they have left the physical world, so they expect for us to be able to see and hear them normally.

I'm sure your mother actually heard her name being called, but that doesn't necessarily mean this was a person she knew in life. While sometimes we do hear our departed loved ones calling out to us, it's more likely in this case that what she heard was a lost or trapped spirit who is earthbound for now.

Many places act as conduits for such spirits. The stairs in my house get positively crowded at times because those stairs in that peculiar location draw spirits who are not quite ready to move on into the Light.

Because your mother heard this voice just one time, it's doubtful that this is the case in her home. If she was hearing stuff like this all the time, or low, constant murmuring or mumbling, then I would assume that her house was attracting spirits.

Her dog's reaction also rules out the home as conduit theory because he isn't barking all the time at things no one else can see. Because animals are far more accepting of spirit energy than we humans tend to be, they can actually see the entities that pass through our homes or come to visit us. Since your dog had a violent reaction to this one, it's best that it doesn't hang around.

Since there haven't been any more incidents like this one, chances are that this spirit has already moved on to another place. If this kind of thing continues, you can either clear the energy there yourselves or call in a professional to do it for you.

Even if this was a one-time event, once that door is opened, other spirits are more likely to use it. Cleansing and clearing your home four times a year can keep unwanted spirits out, so go ahead and do your winter ritual.

If you don't have one, invent one or smudge the home with a sage stick. (Be sure to open the windows a bit!) Waft the smoke throughout the dwelling to be sure that you're rid of anything that might want to annoy your mom or her dog in the future.

*****

Susyn:

It sounds like your mother had a paranormal experience, especially considering her dog's reaction. You don't mention if she has had other experiences in the house, so I'll assume that this was an isolated incident.

There is no way to tell if this was a good spirit or a bad spirit based on the information you have, but it is interesting to note that the spirit knew her name.

Spirits are becoming more and more adept at making themselves heard these days, as evidenced by the growing popularity of Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP). While finely-tuned equipment has recently been designed to pick up spirit voices, since the voice heard was loud enough to startle the family dog as well as your mother, you may be able to capture the spirit's words with a common tape recorder.

Your mother could set up a tape recorder and leave it running throughout the night. In the morning, she can listen to the recording to see if she hears more from this woman. This should help determine whether this is a good spirit or a bad spirit, as well as what she is doing there.

In the event that you learn enough to determine that this is a spirit your mother does not want in the house, you will want to perform a smudging of the house and ask her to leave.

To perform the smudging, purchase a sage smudge stick from a local metaphysical shop. Light the end of the stick and as it smolders, walk through each room in the house and ask in a commanding voice that all negative, unwanted spirits vacate the premises immediately.

Be sure to smudge around windows, doorways and especially electronics, for televisions, phones, computers and wall outlets are favorite hangouts for these entities.

On the other hand, your mother may discover that this is one of her angels or spirit guides, though they are not generally known for yelling. It could also be a loved one who has crossed over and has been trying to get her attention.

I recommend your mother begin keeping a journal to chronicle any future events. In the mean time, she can monitor the situation with the tape recorder. After gathering more evidence, the two of you should be able to figure out who this is and if any further action needs to be taken.

If you discover that this is a negative spirit, and the smudging doesn't send them on their way, you may need to call in a professional psychic or shaman to take care of the matter for you.

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.