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Reclaiming Empowerment, by Bente Hansen

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

Recently I spoke with someone whose son has been diagnosed with ADHD. This young boy was prescribed medication, which he took regularly. One day he shared, with his father, his dark feelings about many things. The medication had helped calm his hyperactivity, yet the boy was experiencing extreme thoughts and emotions with which he was uncomfortable. When his parents took him back to the doctor, requesting that he be taken off his medication, the doctor referred the boy to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist spent some time assessing the young boy and then told his parents that he was concerned for the boy's mental and emotional welfare and recommended an additional medication. At this stage both parents reclaimed their empowerment and said, "No."

Reclaiming empowerment is not always easy, especially when confronted by authoritative figures. Yet now, more than ever, is the time when it is most appropriate and necessary for us to do so.

What exactly does reclaiming empowerment mean? According to the Oxford Dictionary, "empower" means "give power to." Given our hectic lifestyles and preference for using thinking to resolve life issues we, as a society, have lost touch with our inner knowing. When reclaiming empowerment we are merely tapping into an amazing powerhouse of inner knowledge and guidance. We have always been powerful—we have merely forgotten just how powerful we are. When listening to the wisdom of the inner knowing we step aside from the mental gymnastics of the mind and reconnect with our inner guidance system!

Our society is organized and structured in such a way that we continually give our power to people who are specialists in their particular field. We trust and accept the diagnoses of medical experts, the technical advice of computer technicians, the legal advice of attorneys and so on. While it is perfectly acceptable to trust the expert knowledge of those who have trained in their respective fields it has often resulted in an inability to access our inherent innermost knowing. This is especially true when this inner knowing, or intuition, relates to matters of individual choice and freedom. All too often when confronted by the voice of perceived authority it is easier to comply than to question.

Why is now the time to reclaim empowerment? We are living in a time of constant change. Many formerly accepted "truths" have been found to be untrue. For example, for years we were told that it was perfectly safe for menopausal women to take Hormone Replacement Therapy. We now know better! Given the constant change and uncertainty in our world ultimately we have no option but to be responsible for our own wellness and wellbeing. This reclaiming is definitely a process; it involves becoming aware of, listening to and responding to the inner knowing, or voice of wisdom.

Ghandi stated, "The outward freedom that we shall attain will only be in exact proportion to the inward freedom to which we may have grown at a given moment. And if this is a correct view of freedom, our chief energy must be concentrated on achieving reform from within".

It is possible in every day situations to become more mindful of the intuitive inner voice. It means stepping out of the mind (or ego) and following our "gut instinct" or intuitive hunch. In most people something either feels right or not right for them. This feeling is often found within the body, especially in the solar plexus, heart or stomach area. The more we listen to this inner voice and follow its guidance the easier life becomes! When doing this we are in a process of reclaiming empowerment.

Indications of disempowerment are evident when an individual has mainly feelings of futility, frustration, anger, resentment, judgment, irritation, depression, guilt, etc. Life feels tough, it's a battlefield out there!

Symptoms of empowerment include feeling calm, peaceful, having acceptance, being joyful, compassionate, being in the flow, etc. Basically there is a feeling of being balanced, or centered.

In reality, it's normal to experience a mix of emotions on a daily basis. Where there is a predominance of the emotions associated with disempowerment (as above) then it would be beneficial to explore possibilities and strategies for reclaiming empowerment.

Basically, our emotions are an indication of where we stand in terms of empowerment. It is not our thinking that holds the key to this awareness, it is our emotions!

In my book, The New World of Self Healing (Llewellyn, 2006), I describe many processes and strategies that will facilitate the process of reclaiming empowerment. Understanding energy is the underlying theme of this book. When we have understanding and acceptance that energy is the basis of life, that it is a powerfully creative force, which we utilize to create our reality, we are then able to manage and work with energy in ways never before imagined. Reclaiming empowerment occurs when we learn to consciously work with the subtle energies.

The benefits of reclaiming empowerment are obvious:

• We eventually become responsible for all choices and decisions we make.
• We become empowered to choose wellness over ill health. This does not mean we no longer listen to the advice given by people with specific skills. Reclaiming empowerment means we have the freedom to choose whether or not to accept that advice.
• We become empowered to choose abundance over scarcity, happiness instead of misery, etc
• We learn to honor the inner knowing, the intuitive wisdom and voice we can all access. This inner knowing is available to us at all times. Once accessed, understood and applied empowerment results in all areas of life!

The parents of the young boy I mentioned earlier are now in the process of exploring options for their son's wellbeing they would never have considered previously. They feel challenged and inspired to make decisions that are in alignment with not only their inner knowing, but are also consciously working for their son's highest good. Their actions clearly demonstrate the magic of reclaiming empowerment!

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2006. All rights reserved.

My son just called me and asked me if I believe in ghosts. When I said yes, he told me someone is visiting the apartment he shares with his girlfriend. This spirit is turning on the TV and lamps in another room. They both hear footsteps, and they've both felt someone lean over them while they were sleeping. They also told me that their next door neighbor, Brian, recently died in the hospital. I told them to talk out loud to Brian and tell him he is dead and needs to move on. So far, however, this isn't making a dent in the situation. What do you suggest?

- Barb

Dreamchaser:

What I pick up is that this ghost is not Brian, so they're not addressing this spirit by its proper name. I hear that this ghost has been there since before Brian died.

The ghost is attached to the land your son's dwelling was built upon. This ghost is a very friendly, curious woman who lived on that land over 180 years ago. She was a mother and a housewife, and did lots of work around the place, but her main concern was taking care of her family.

The easiest way for beings on the other side to communicate with us is to use energy like electricity. The television and the lamps are both run by electricity, so it's very easy for her to manipulate them.

She wants your son and his girlfriend to know she is there. She wants them to know she is looking out for them and watching over them. That's the reason they saw her leaning over their bed while they were sleeping - she was just making sure everyone was tucked in nice and tight.

Why do you feel it's necessary for your son and his girlfriend to run off this woman who lived there for many, many years before they were even born? Is she bothering them? Is she hurting them in any way?

I feel that having her around the place is actually a good thing. She watches over their things and makes sure that everything is okay. I have heard tell of ghosts closing windows before rain storms and things like that - this is the sort of ghost they're dealing with.

They can tell her to go to the light, but she doesn't have to. She obviously has chosen to stay near this plane. When we die, we are given the choice to cross over or not to cross over. She isn't evil, harmful or bad in any way, she's just a spirit who is choosing to remain earthbound. She will be there long after your son moves out because she CHOOSES to stay on the land that she loved.

I suggest your son and his girl introduce themselves to her out loud. They should explain who they are, what they are doing there, what year it is, etc. Tell them to be sure to express gratitude for the way she is watching out for them, as well as their desire to live in harmony with her.

I personally lived with my ghosts for years and years at my old house. I got used to them being there, and got used to going around behind them, turning off lights and stuff like that.

There is nothing to fear from this woman, for she will never hurt anyone. If anything, she will keep them safe. Just think of the great tales they will have to tell about the ghost woman who lived in their first place.

I wish everyone involved peaceful co-habitation.

*****

Astrea:

It's very common for people who die young or from an unexpected illness to stay earthbound for some time, and often they have annoying little habits that involve electrical appliances.

Recently we had a spirit who insisted on turning on the television in the middle of the night, with the sound turned up all the way! Grumpy (my husband) thought it was probably a problem with the remote, so we replaced the batteries, but the television still turned on every night. We then removed the batteries from the remote, but that didn't help either.

The spirit wasn't anyone we knew, so there wasn't any polite way to ask it to go away. This person was simply stuck here in between Earth and Heaven. He was passing through, but he didn't want to move on.

I used the St. Michael's Prayer and some incense, and out he went. The batteries are back in the remote, and we're sleeping peacefully through the night.

There are many ways to get rid of a restless spirit. Before your son calls in a professional, here are a couple of things he can try:

Light two white candles, and while lighting them, say out loud, Raphael, Archangel of the Air, begin to blow the winds of change for our dear friend Brian, who will be coming to join You and Your Heavenly Host. Erase his fear and keep him from danger on his journey. Guide him to the Healing Light of Heaven.

The most common way to get rid of unwanted restless spirits is to assemble a Bible, a bell, and one white candle. Inscribe the spirit's full name on the candle and light it. Open the Bible to the 23rd Psalm and read it aloud. Ring the bell and say St. Michael's Prayer:

St. Michael, Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil, may God rebuke him. We humbly pray, and do thou O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the Power of God, cast into Hell Satan and all the other evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Then add, Take with Thee our Brother, Brian, and lead him into the Light of God, Amen. Close the Bible, ring the bell, and blow out the candle. That should take care of things. It's wise to do a ritual cleansing afterwards with sage or some other incense, and make sure the doors are open so Brian's spirit can find its way out of the house.

If none of these things seem to work, then it's time to call in a professional. If they're Catholic, a priest might do a cleansing of their home for free. If they're not, try a priest at a local Episcopal Church. Christians don't like to discuss or perform exorcisms publicly, so this sort of thing is more common than most people realize.

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.