KAJAMA.COM NEWSLETTER

April 5 through April 11, 2021

The Sun will be moving through creative Aries this week, inspiring our hearts and minds and giving us a glance into the possibilities for the future. We can expect an easy-going and smooth-flowing week ahead, as the Moon touches base with many of the planets and tones down any conflict or worries. An upbeat mood is sure to surround us as the Moon saunters through Aquarius the first three days of the week, emanating friendship, cooperation, and joy. Unconditional love is also a gift of this Moon, making it easy for us to embrace the differences, as well as the similarities of all who cross our paths. The Pisces Moon on Thursday and Friday evokes our spiritual sides, evoking a sense of being one with the Universe. The weekend unfolds under an Aries Moon, culminating in a new Moon on Sunday. This is a great time to reconnect with loved ones, dive into something creative, or simply practice the art of being!

Revitalizing the Creative Spirit, by Lisa Hunt

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

Nature has a lot to teach us. Just before a hurricane struck my town in South Florida, the animals began to act strangely: birds flew in a hurried manner, the usual cacophony of frogs grew silent, and my cats acted skittish and nervous. As the palm fronds began waving erratically the world assumed an eerie presence that spoke of the ominous event ahead. The ferocity of the winds grew in intensity and barreled down on us; lifting trees, roof tiles and screened-in porches, I started wondering about the many animals that were being exposed to winds exceeding 110 miles per hour. How can they survive under such extreme conditions?

After the storm, everyone emerged from their homes in my neighborhood to check on each other and inspect the damage. There was the initial shock upon looking at the devastation, but then many of us put on work gloves and began engaging in the arduous clean up. The plant life took a beating and I didn't hear the usual frog croaks, but as the hours passed I grew to appreciate the miraculous resilience of nature more than ever. Wildlife began to reawaken from its organic shelters in my garden. One emerald green fly was sitting on a leaf looking stunned but alive. After a few minutes, it spread its wings and flew into a now serene atmosphere. Great herons landed in the yard and began foraging through the rain-soaked grass, opportunitists in the midst of the disaster. Even the cats began to assume their normal feline antics. They instinctively knew the storm was over and that life goes on.

The persistent hot days of summer broke with a hurricane-steering cold front. The days grow shorter, the nights cooler and the festive tropical atmosphere that dominated the summer season is a little more subdued. As the days pass since that storm, I have become more reflective and more appreciative of nature's awesome power and resilience. I have been cajoled into a sort of hibernating mental state, letting mind and body rest after the intensity of the destructive hurricane season.

I have been understandably distracted, but at the same time, the hurricane and subsequent cooler weather has wakened me out of a seemingly deep sleep of unawareness. Before the storm, I was working too intensely and obsessively feeling driven by impending deadlines. Creativity is something to be nurtured and respected. It cannot be forced. It is an extension of a soul's need to express itself. I'm sure most of us have experienced burn out and many of us don't even realize that it is happening. The continual efforts that we put forth without pause can actually result in uninspired, lackluster material. It is as though we start peddling backwards with no landmarks of achievement in sight.

Instead of stagnating in the midst of a project, sometimes it is good to slow down, take a deep breath and allow the senses to be rejuvenated. We don't need a big storm to initiate this more sensible approach to creativity. Take a walk, read a book by the fire, or engage in a ritual that helps remove you from the mundane pressures of everyday life. Even though you may feel your creative endeavors deserve all your attention, you can actually trigger an aversion to what was once your most enjoyable pastime.

It is necessary to let yourself go and allow your mind to be fed, inspired and rejuvenated as a prelude to another spate of activity. People often ask me how I create so much artwork—where do all of those ideas come from? For me, inspiration is a combination of external stimulus and internal exploration. New ideas will spring forth after a period of dormancy. This is analogous to the new buds that start poking through the newly defrosted springtime soil. Creative vigor will return with an irrepressible energy if you let it. Ideas burgeon to life and manifest themselves in spirited articulations and depictions if you allow them to germinate as they will. After my own forced retreat into hibernation, I am starting to feel a wonderful rejuvenating spirit return. The post-hurricane haze is dissolving into a new cycle of creative need. This is when sketches, paintings and other gifts from the muse will overflow and ignite my creative passion. When creativity is exhausted, I have to recognize the signals for another cycle of reprieve. Maintaining a balance between proactive creative acceleration and reflective idea gathering is paramount to creative longevity. This is not always easy. It may take a conscious will of spirit to slow down and take a break.

If we look upon the patterns and cycles of nature, we can see the displays of nature as poignant metaphors of our own psychological makeup. Hibernation is nature's way of pausing. For many animals, their torpid states allow them to survive through inclement environments until spring beckons their revival. We can observe this cycle of activity and inactivity and apply it to our patterns of creative engagement.

Life after the hurricane will eventually return to normal. My shredded bougainvillea vine will sprout new buds and the frogs will return with their nightly symphonies. I am sure my garden will grow back stronger and more beautiful next season. And I intend to sketch its progress with renewed inspiration.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2005. All rights reserved.

I've been watching a new show called Paranormal State. The main paranormal researcher on the show says that we should never say the names of demons out loud unless we are prepared for head-to-head, all out battle with them. Do you think this is true? Is it dangerous to say the names of demons out loud? Is it dangerous to just think about them? (Does that attract their attention?) Thanks for your wonderful work!

- Matthew

Astrea:

I don't allow demonic energy to invade my space because I feel that negativity kills. I can't think of anything with worse energy than a demon. To answer your question, just acknowledging demons' existence is risky; demons are a subject to avoid.

Demons populate literature and the Holy Books throughout history. Scheherazade told of genis and dybbucks in her stories to the Sultan. Jesus drove demons out of people and into pigs. There are lots of stories and fairy tales that involve some kind of demonic presence. Reading about them is one thing, but talking to them is another!

Demons are dangerous, and they suck life force energy. Sometimes they're invisible, and sometimes they manifest in human or other form. Sometimes they cross over into the human realm as vampires, while sometimes they just haunt us in our dreams.

Nightmares are filled with demons and other bad energies. Daytime demons are more subtle, and are sometimes nothing more than the guy who overcharges you for mechanical work or the person who changes a twenty dollar bill for a five.

Teens are often visited by demons in disguise because demons love to feed on teens' hormonal angst. They work on the weak, and in some myths, they capture and carry souls to Satan. In fables they present themselves as sweet fairy godmothers or little old ladies with candy. They infect the pedophile and serial killer and prey on the mentally unstable.

For the most part, I agree with your TV guy that saying a demon's name will call that specific energy to you. I'm told that demons lurk around humans, just waiting for that call.

Getting rid of a demon once it's in your life can be very difficult, so don't be calling any names of demons unless you want a big fight on your hands. Of course, in magickal practices of any kind, accidents can happen if you take short-cuts or are careless, so it's wise to have St. Michael's Prayer handy just in case.

I've offered it to banish evil in this column many times, but in case you missed it, here it is again:

St. Michael the Archangel, lead us into battle. Protect us from the snares and traps of the Devil (may God rebuke him). Heavenly Archangel, protector of All, hear our prayers and banish all wickedness and fear from our lives, and send all demons back to Hell where they belong.

I usually say that three times over, and that does the trick.

*****

Susyn:

I haven't seen the show you mentioned, though I do agree that it's dangerous to call in certain spirits. However, aside from the major players, I'm wondering how we would even know their names?

It's interesting to notice all the new shows popping up that focus on metaphysical topics such as earthbound entities, possession, spirit communication and psychic powers. Much of the content of these programs is valid, as the experts involved are credible. I particularly like it when producers are responsible enough to warn viewers about the dangers of casually dabbling in these activities.

It's simply not wise to explore these realms without proper knowledge, training and guidance. There's a show I've seen a few times called Hauntings that lays out in full detail the harmful attacks demon spirits are capable of and the power they can exercise on the living.

Personally, I wouldn't want to have any direct dealings with demons, and if I found myself with one on my hands, I would call in a professional with lots of successful experience in this arena.

You ask if it's dangerous to even think about these entities. Since I believe that whatever we focus on or think about grows bigger in our lives, you'd definitely want to avoid this kind of thinking, for it can accidentally draw these entities closer. Just as you wouldn't walk down a dark alley in a bad neighborhood at night, it's always better to be safe than sorry.

There is another new danger we must deal with in this information age. Thanks to the internet, we all have access to information on spells, rituals and the like. In fact, anyone can find directions for practicing things like black magick and curses, which of course are not part of a healthy spiritual lifestyle.

When I was in high school, I came into possession of a book on witches spells from the 1800's. Because I didn't understand the power of just reading these spells aloud, it wasn't long before I started encountering all kinds of problems. Luckily in the back of the book there was a ritual to undo any spells I had performed. Once I did that, I got rid of that book as fast as I could.

I encourage you to continue learning about the world of metaphysics through various channels. I would also caution you that if you're in the middle of watching one of these shows and you start to feel uncomfortable or uneasy in any way, turn off the TV immediately and focus on something else to keep unsavory energies at bay.

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.