KAJAMA.COM NEWSLETTER

October 4 through October 10, 2021

We could feel a bit skittish or anxious this week as four astrological events unfold. Monday's Virgo Moon has us running on all cylinders, and we could find it difficult to keep up with all that's on our plates! Luckily the Moon will move into Libra on Tuesday to restore some balance, culminating in a Libra new Moon on Wednesday. This gives us the opportunity for a fresh start or a "do-over" if something we're working on has hit a block. Pluto will also turn direct on this day after 5 months of backward motion. Pluto generates karmic shifts and is more generational than personal, so we may not even notice its influence for a month or more, but it promises to reverse and right some global problems we've been dealing with. Venus will move into the light-hearted and fun-loving sign of Sagittarius on Thursday, bringing six weeks of joyful movement as we move closer to the holiday season next month. Speaking of Sagittarius, the Moon will travel through this fair-minded sign over the weekend, lightening the mood considerably. Saturn will turn direct on Sunday, calling for a restructuring of boundaries and schedules as we move into a cycle of busyness and high activity for the remainder of the year.

Quick Ways to Connect with Nature at Home, by Jessica Marie Baumgartner

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

The natural world thrives. It is balanced, clean, and wild. Humanity has lived at one with its surroundings before, and I believe it can do so again, but modern society moves so fast that many people find it difficult to connect with the land.

When we're working to make ends meet, caring for family members, or looking out for friends and somehow trying to find our place in the world, life's natural rituals often fall behind. We forget the birds' song. The swish of the breeze in the trees doesn't even register. The buzz of modern technology takes over that place in our lives and we must work harder to listen to the voice of creation singing through rain, snow, and hail.

It's easy to feel left behind. Catching up sometimes seems impossible, but it's not as complicated as climbing Mount Everest. We do not have to venture out into the wild for weeks at a time to regain our sense of self and reconnect with nature (though, if you ever get the chance, grasp it with both hands!).

The days of religious figures and mystics abandoning their people for the secluded voices of the gods/universe are past. Our power and energies grow best when we integrate that part of ourselves into society and live out our "holy" quests for meaning, purpose, and love in simple daily actions.

Some pray in temples, others travel great distances to find what is no further than their doorstep. Our connections to our existence are not only found under these special circumstances.

Not everyone has the means to give up everything and wander freely?especially with the recent events of the world. Getting "back to basics" is the perfect way to strengthen our spiritual ties. When bringing ourselves down to the earth and remembering to focus on the physical elements that make everything, our internal fires ignite passion and guide us through fate.

That is the entire premise of my latest book, The Magic of Nature: Meditations & Spells to Find Your Inner Voice. Nature gives us everything we need. It hosts the most powerful magic, but it is up to each individual to explore their relationship to that energy.

For anyone not knowing where to start, or those who are well-versed but just need more focus, support, and wish to expand on their practices, I developed this book from my daily and seasonal work. I was raised poor and pride myself on "making do with what I have." Many of my exercises require little to no materials. It seems to me that ingenuity is more often found in resourcefulness than a cluttered altar.

However one works, I wish everyone all the best, and have included three simple practices that will not only strengthen one's bonds to nature, but also to their inner-voice—that instinctual magic resting inside our subconscious.

Spring Window Meditation

1. Sit near an open window or sunbeam coming through the glass.
2. Feel the air's energy?how it revives your skin and strengthens inner power.
3. Breathe deeply. With each breath, rock back and forth.
4. Relax your mind and close your eyes. Explore the images that materialize.
5. See yourself in relation to these visualizations. Where are you going? How far have you come? Are you sad or happy? What are you seeking?
6. Follow these questions through the trails of thought.
7. Let the air guide you. Remain conscious of yourself in relation to the light and air. Feel the pulse of life rushing through your body and how it matches the pace of your meditation.
8. Now, open your eyes and look out the window. Really see beyond where you sit and extend your energies.
9. Bow to the answers that greet you. Continue your day with a stronger purpose.

Porch, Patio, or Doorstep Greeting

1. Go outside and stand before your doorway. Doorways host a special power.
2. Turn and face the door as if you are a guest about to knock. Focus on the air surrounding you. Block out everything else.
3. Rest your palms on the door and closer your eyes. Think of what home means?how it protects, secures, and enhances life.
4. Visualize life without a home. How the land would look without the structure. Feel the energies that flow between yourself and your dwelling.
5. Now turn to face the outside world. Whether a road, garden, other homes or structures stretch before you, focus on the plant life and creatures that have adapted their wild ways to live alongside your domesticated structure.
6. Let their companionship strengthen your energies. Close your eyes. Feel the warmth inside and push it out into the surrounding area. Let the power grow, flow, and reach out.
7. Breathe deeply and bow your head. Now gaze back at the world ready for whatever the day brings.

Backyard/Garden Connection

1. Fill a bowl with water and bring it to your garden or yard. (If you do not have a yard or garden, do this at a park or common ground.) Sit on the ground or by a patch of flowers/plants with it. Place your fingertips on the surface of the water and feel its energy, its purpose.
2. Now, clear your mind. Focus on your life source. Where does it come from? The head or the heart are most commonly recognizes. Place your hand over that space and plunge the other hand fully in the water.
3. Focus on the link between life and water. Visualize your energies going into the water and returning anew with the ripples.
4. Now place both hands on the ground. Skim fingertips over the soul. Feel its energy, its purpose.
5. Again, clear the mind. Dig with both hands and cover the hand that went underwater as much as you can. Once more, place the hand that did not get submerged over your internal source of energy.
6. Focus on the link between life and the soil. Visualize your energies going into the ground and returning anew.
7. Raise your arms to the sky and close your eyes. Feel the powers combining. Think of your ancestors who lived closer to nature and how their spirits must have felt. Imagine a future where that connection is restores. Visualize your place in that future.
8. Call upon the elements to aid you. Thank the gods/universe for the means.

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

Throughout my almost 45 years, I have had dreams in which I can fly. I know these are normal for most people, but the experiences I have don't quite match the experiences I've heard about from others. I can clearly remember being taught how to fly as a child INSIDE my home. I remember how I would push off from the corner and how excited and happy I was to be floating! I don't know who was teaching me. I have dreams that I'm either flying or that I'm somewhere I know isn't this realm. I'm certain I'm never alone during these times, but I don't recall names or faces of anyone. During one particularly troubling dream, I recall traveling with others and participating in a battle with a demon - an actual fight in mid air. I know this sounds crazy, but it felt like so much more than a dream. Do you believe astral travel is real? What do you think the purpose of it is? Is this just my way of escaping life or finding more excitement? Tanya

Susyn:

I do believe in astral travel and have had experiences similar to what you describe. In fact, this phenomenon has been documented in every culture throughout the ages.

Though we have limited knowledge of this subject, we have all at least been exposed to the idea that time, space and our physical world are not as solid or static as was once believed. When you consider that time can seem to go quickly or slowly and our physical worlds are constantly changing, the idea of our spirits leaving our bodies to travel to other places does not seem so far-fetched.

Many people experience the initial stages of astral projection as having the ability to fly or a sensation that they are falling back into their bodies after an astral journey.

The fact that you remember doing this from a very young age suggests that you may have practiced astral travel in a past life, and thus come into this life already well-versed in the art. Though it seems you donít know the people you encounter on these travels, they may very well be spirits youíve known before.

The higher purpose of astral projection is to experience life from a soul-based perspective. You describe battling a demon in one of these adventures, which indicates that you are aware of the struggles occurring in the spiritual realm and are participating in them. Many of your travels will be subconscious; though it seems you project on a regular basis, you may only be remembering a fraction of these experiences.

Rather than this being something you do to distract yourself or attempt to live a more exciting existence, it is simply a natural expression of your soul. Because your travels have been somewhat random, it may seem like this is a way you try to escape from the reality of your physical life. As you develop your gift, however, you will be able to pick and choose where you travel, whom you interact with, and what you accomplish.

For instance, you may have a loved one far away who is struggling with an illness or some other problem. With your gifts, you could travel to where they are and look in on them. You could also program yourself before bedtime to visit a place you have never been before. Once you master control of your projections, the possibilities will be endless.

To master this art, you simply need to set some boundaries and learn how to direct your astral projections. Because this is something you have done all your life, moving it to the next level shouldn't be difficult. I encourage you to keep up with your astral journeying and learn more about how to gain control of these experiences.

*****

Mata:

I do believe in astral projection; I've experienced it myself. In fact, I read your question with some excitement, for I too have very vivid memories of attempting to fly as a young child. I remember being about four years old and insisting to my family that I could truly fly. They laughed and told me I must have been dreaming, but I knew it was more than a dream.

I would stand on something like a bench or large piece of furniture, leap into the air, and flap my arms like crazy. I could get airborne for several seconds this way but I always ended up back on the ground. I did remain suspended in the air for far longer than would have happened if I had been attempting this in the physical, however. I've read and heard about many other people who have had similar experiences.

Your question also reminded me of my little nephew, who used to tell us about how he would fly to other places at night. He told us there were certain other people there, none of whom he knew when awake. He also talked about how sometimes, he would just jump up and down, touching the ceiling for fun. He could not understand why he was unable to do this when awake.

As for why we project, it just comes naturally. The astral is a very familiar place; when we aren't incarnate here on Earth, we are all able to travel to and through other worlds. I suppose asking why we have out of body experiences is a bit like a dolphin asking why it is able to leap and fly through the air above the ocean: it is simply part of our nature and our universe.

I love to think of all the little children in the world who have not yet been taught that flying (and all sorts of other wonderful things) are impossible. I love to imagine them knowing that they can fly and having all sorts of spiritual adventures simply because they are still so fresh from the spirit world and so open to any and all experiences.

If you had quit your job and were spending all day, every day, in bed, trying to get out of your body, then I might think you were trying to avoid physical reality. That is clearly not the case. Spontaneous out of body experiences can happen for all sorts of reasons. When trauma is not involved, it may simply be that your vibration is at the upper range for the physical dimension, so it is easy for you to slip up and out into realms that are close in vibration to this one.

It has also been my experience that sometimes, our higher selves bless us with such experiences to prove to us that we are spiritual beings having a physical experience instead of physical beings who may seem to have spiritual experiences now and then.

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.