KAJAMA.COM NEWSLETTER

January 25 through January 31, 2021

Warning, warning! Mercury will be turning retrograde on Saturday, but we’ll start to see the effects of it as early as Monday. If you haven’t done so already, back up your phones, computers and electronic devices, just to be safe! We may lean toward more spiritual and emotional stances with the Moon traveling through Cancer Monday through Wednesday, so don’t worry if you can’t seem to get much done. Just go with the flow and stay alert to any intuitive messages that come your way. Our energy will spark up again on Thursday as the Moon waxes full in fiery Leo. This is also known as a Wolf Moon, so if you feel like getting out there and howling at the Moon, now you know why! This Moon sets off a two week period of release, allowing us to let go of any old mindsets or imagined restrictions that are holding us back. With the Sun traveling through Aquarius now, that means thinking outside the box, changing your regular routine, and embracing innovative ways to get to your dreams and goals! We’ll spend the weekend under a Virgo Moon, and with Mercury going retrograde on Saturday, it’s best to lay low, try not to overthink things, and keep your opinions to yourself!

5 Peculiar Secrets to Self Love, by Tess Whitehurst

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

Self-love—you hear about it all the time, but what is it, really?

It's not having a high opinion of your abilities. That's self-esteem.

It's not giving yourself a hug when you feel stressed. That's self-kindness.

It's not taking time for a pedicure. That's self-care.

Self-esteem and self-kindness and self-care are just fine. They're great, actually. But they aren't the same thing as self-love.

Self-love is actually just what it sounds like. It's love…for your self.

But for some reason it's easier to consider what love is when you think about someone other than yourself. Your cat, say. Or your grandma. Or maybe your baby. Basically anyone you absolutely, positively, unquestioningly love. Do you know you love them because you have a high opinion of their talents? Do you know you love them because you gave them a hug? Do know you love them because you filed their toenails?

No. You know you love them because love is a powerful thing and there's nothing else like it. You see your loved one, and you connect with their eternal, worthy, adorable self. You feel expanded and uplifted when you're around them. You wish with your whole heart that they could always know their own inherent worth. You would drive into a 0% contained wildfire to save them. It's not because they're perfect, or even exceptional in any particular way. It's because…you love them.

Now turn that lens around. Imagine feeling that way about yourself.

That's self-love.

Now that we've identified it, how do we live it? Here’s how: we open our hearts to ourselves wider and wider over time. First the self-love shows up as a trickle. Then it might sputter a bit. Over time, it becomes a creek, and then a river, rainstorm, waterfall, and flood, and then eventually we get in touch with our self-love's ancient and eternal depths and it becomes the ocean.

Here are some strange and unexpected ways you can begin to open the floodgates.

1. Forget About Being Awesome.
   Let's revisit the example above: the person or animal you love. They might be amazingly awesome in certain ways. In fact, they almost definitely are. But that's not why you love them. And you would never, ever want them to feel like they had to be awesome in any particular way in order to deserve your love—or anyone else's, for that matter.So, stop demanding awesomeness of yourself as a prerequisite to self-love.

   This is not to say that you aren't awesome. I'm sure you are. But that's not what makes you worthy of love. Your lack of awesomeness in a particular area is not exactly a reason to love yourself, but it can be a portal into self-love.

   For example:

   • Do you act awkward on first dates? If the main character of a movie had that same tendency, you'd love her for it. Why not love yourself for it, too?
   • Do you panic whenever you need to parallel park in a pinch? Next time that happens, think of it as an opportunity to have compassion with yourself for being an imperfect human, doing her best.
   • How often do you cook up a meal only to realize you forgot an ingredient or left it in the oven too long? Or maybe you never cook up any meals at all. Either way: so relatable! Everyone else loves you for it—why can't you love yourself?
2. Eat Whatever You Want All the Time.
   Did you read that right? Did I mean to write, "Eat Whatever You Want…All The Time??Yes, ma'am. Alllllllllllll the time. As in, wake up, eat what you want. Then keep doing that all day. What if you wake up in the middle of the night and you're hungry? Eat! Whatever you want! And keep eating it until you don't want it anymore. If you haven't been initiated into the intuitive eating movement yet, that all sounds like crazy talk. I know. I know because that's exactly how it would have sounded to me before I learned that once you start eating what you want all the time, and then you stick to it, your cravings and desires start to even out. Your body starts to trust you to feed it what it wants when it needs to eat. So then it doesn't ask for chocolate or Fritos or birthday cake during every waking hour. It asks for those things sometimes, but other times it asks for green smoothies, grapes, salad, almond milk yogurt, or fire-roasted peppers and steamed kale over quinoa.

   But the best thing about intuitive eating? You don't have to obsess about food anymore. It's there when you want it. So when you don't want it, you know you don't want it, and you can concentrate on other things—like writing your romance novel or talking to your nephew about his new video game or watching the sunrise with your best friend…And loving yourself, exactly as you are—which includes letting your body be the exact size and shape it wants to be. (Which, spoiler alert, probably doesn't match the Photoshopped #fitspiration bodies on Instagram. And if having that sort of body involves obsessing about food all day? Then who needs it, honestly.)

3. What Random Person Annoys You? Investigate.
   Is there someone you secretly can't stand, and you don't know exactly why? Or maybe you do know why, but your annoyance seems a little disproportionate? Like, why on earth do I care so much? We're not talking about jealousy here (because we're talking about that below). We're talking about someone irritating you like an emotional mosquito bite.Here's your mission: figure it out. What exactly is it that bugs you? Describe it. Is she full of herself? Does he act entitled? Do they use figures of speech that irk you? What?

   Then, ask yourself: what if I let myself be that way? Just a little bit? Would it be fun? Could it be fun? What would it look like?

   Often those odd little inexplicable annoyances are pointing to something in your own personality that you haven't previously been willing to claim. Maybe you wish you could be a little more "full of yourself." Maybe you'd love to believe you were "entitled." Maybe you secretly desire to use trendy little slang expressions or just to be a little less strait-laced with your communication style.

   This is a way of getting to know yourself better. And to know you is to love you.

4. Name Your Inner Critic. Mine's Called Chad.
   Actually, my inner critic isn't called Chad anymore. The critical voice in my head used to appear as a sort of rapey party dude named Chad who had a lot of super rude opinions about my body and appearance. But after giving Chad a name and imagining him as a character, I realized I didn't really value his opinion, and he eventually disappeared. I still have an inner critic show up sometimes, but it's not the same guy.The point is, by naming the inner voices that speak negatively to you, you gain power over them. They don't seem so omniscient or omnipotent. You can be like, "You are so creepy! Why should I care what you think?" Or, depending on how your inner critic shows up and what they say to you, there may be other ways you can work with them to diminish their power to bring you down or keep you small.
5. Admit It: You're Jealous. But of Whom? Discuss.
   We don't like to admit to jealousy. It's not an attractive or elegant emotion to have. Nevertheless, most of us are at least a little jealous of someone. Or, more often, more than one someone.What's fun about jealousy is that it almost always holds the key to one or more positive qualities we already have but don't realize we have. Or possibly choices we wish we could make, but haven't yet. For example, if you have a natural talent for comedy, but you never tell jokes, you might be wildly jealous of the funniest guy you know. He might tell a joke and while everyone else is laughing, you're wondering what the hell everyone thinks is so funny. Or, maybe you've always wished you could explore the world, but instead you went to college and then immediately entered the workforce and had some kids. Your adventurous friend might light up the jealousy center in your brain whenever you scroll past another goddamn picture of her smiling in Rome or Amsterdam or Dubai.

   So, what is it? What part of you is asking to be seen, acknowledged, and set free? And how can you go ahead and let yourself out of that cage? By telling a joke or two? By planning a modest trip (it doesn't have to be Dubai)? Or what?

   Freeing yourself to be even more of yourself is an act of both giving and receiving love. To yourself.

Remember, opening up to loving yourself isn't a switch you flip. It's an emotional flow that becomes more and more robust over time. Choose to see yourself through eyes of love and take weird little steps like the ones above. In time, your drippy little faucet of self-love will be as wide and as deep as the sea.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2021. All rights reserved.

The first time I saw my daughter in my dreams was during my freshman year of college. I always wanted to name my daughter Maya, and when I called this little girl by that name in the dream, she responded. Once in a while, I see a guy in my dreams who has wavy hair. I was never able to see his face, but he seemed to be my lover. In another recent dream, I saw Maya again. She was giggling, and I just marveled at how cute she was. I also felt the presence of the guy with wavy hair by my side. What do these dreams mean? Do you think I'm dreaming of the future? (I don't know either of these two people in real life - yet!)

Koituri

Astrea:

Often when we dream of someone for many years without meeting them, it's because there are obstacles in the way. For example, one or both people may be married or unavailable when these dreams begin, or they may be living at a far distance from each other.

Sooner or later, those dreams come to fruition when both people are available for a lasting, fulfilling relationship, for when we are meant to connect with someone during this incarnation, the Universe will find a way to put us together.

Since this is pure psychic information, most of my clients who experience these dreams end up meeting that certain someone, having the child they see, or otherwise having their vision of the future come true. We may not always seek psychic input during waking hours, but psychic dreams are a way of life for most of us whether we believe it or not.

I always tell people to follow their best instincts in these matters. Dig deep into your emotional psyche and learn what you need to learn. Don't be hesitant or afraid to find out. This usually works out well if the dreamer tunes in on as deep a level as possible. If you are keeping up with writing in a dream journal, you're doing exactly that.

Recording your dreams is so valuable. For one thing, your records can be used as proof to the other person, who may have been having the same dreams but been unable to remember them. When both parties remember such dreams, it sure makes things easier when they finally meet.

Remember that the people, places and things in our dreams don't always perfectly reflect their physical counterparts. The people you dream about can enter your life looking very different from your dream people, but when you do meet, you'll know it right away.

Also, dreams often tell us more about ourselves than they tell us about others. For example, dreams tell us how we can change and grow in positive ways in all areas of our lives.

It may be that this daughter you're dreaming about is a reflection of yourself and some changes you're making in your life. I can't say for sure that she is NOT your future daughter, for it very well could be that Maya will come when the time is right. Since we all look somewhat different in dreams than we do in real life, you will have a daughter but she may not be the exact copy of the person you're dreaming about now.

This goes for the guy, too. I'm sure that you are dreaming of your future soul mate, and that he will also come to you when the time is right.

*****

Susyn:

Our dreams can be very powerful, and often hold important messages for us. Thus when we have recurring dreams, we are wise to pay extra close attention to what they are trying to convey to us.

Your dreams could be one of three types: They may be prophetic, memories from a past life, or your psyche's way of processing and presenting your greatest desires to you. When a dream appears as real as the ones you describe, it is often a mix of the three.

If your dreams are of a prophetic nature, they are offering you a glimpse of the future and the loving partner and daughter that are destined for you. The specific images you are seeing and the emotions they evoke suggest a wonderful future ahead. Though you may or may not end up with a guy with wavy hair, when the time is right, you will have the loving relationship and daughter you have seen in these dreams.

You may also be witnessing a lover and child from a past life. This could portend that they will be joining you in this lifetime as well, thus affirming the prophetic aspects of the dreams which imply that as they were with you in the past, so they will be with you in the future.

Until this man and daughter come back into your life, there are other important aspects of this dream to take into consideration. They may come to you in your dreams as a representation of your goals and what you are striving for.

Often the people who appear in our dreams are mirror aspects of ourselves. Your daughter Maya may be reminding you to be carefree, joyful and childlike. She could be reflecting an aspect of your inner child that you should honor and engage with in a deeper way. The partner you dream of could also be reminding you to set high standards for your life.

There are two ways you can gain more clarity and insights into these dream. One way would be to have a personal reading with a psychic or dream interpreter, who may be able to confirm the past life and/or prophetic aspects of these dreams. This type of professional may also be able to channel your as yet unborn daughter to learn more abut the timing of her arrival.

The second way to gain more insight is to do some guided meditations about these dreams. Sit in silence, light some white or purple candles, and quietly go over the details of the dream you want more insights into. Though your future partner must be here on the earth plane, your unborn daughter dwells in the spirit world, so you may be able to call her in to chat with 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.