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Good Magical Hygiene: Essential Personal Energy Management for The Spiritually Gifted, by Tess Whitehurst

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

One of the most interesting conversations I ever had was with a professional dancer who had been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder at a young age. She described how frightened and out of control she felt...until she discovered dancing. Then, her mind's obsession with ascribing patterns to things, and her body's compulsion to move in prescribed patterns, had an outlet, and while she still noticed symptoms occasionally, she finally felt comfortable in her own skin. Additionally, while she regularly practiced dancing to a degree that some might consider obsessive, she soon became quite happy in her life and successful in her chosen profession.

The main reason why this was so intriguing to me was because I quickly recognized a similar pattern in my own past. For many years my mood was a roller coaster of highs and lows. I generally felt dis-empowered and I alternated between anxiety and depression more often than not. In retrospect, I realize that it felt sort of like I was driving a car but I couldn't see out the windshield.

Although I had been reading about and practicing magic and metaphysics for some time, a big turning point for me was when I cleared a bunch of clutter out of my apartment and suddenly felt so much lighter and more joyful. It was then that I experienced firsthand the connection between the seen and the unseen realms. I realized that the so-called "mundane" world and the so-called "magical" world were not separate, but two sides of the same coin.

Once that occurred, it wasn't long before I looked at everything from both perspectives (energetic and physical) simultaneously, and constantly worked with the principle that seen and unseen realms are not only inextricably linked, but that they constantly interact with and affect each other. I began to put this principle into practice through things like space clearing and daily visualization rituals to clear my chakras and protect my energetic field (like the one below). I also went to feng shui school and began practicing feng shui and energy work professionally. During this time, my life momentum turned around and I began to feel more consistently happy, joyful, safe, and empowered.

So, after considering the dancer who had danced her way out of the most painful aspects of OCD, as well as my own personal healing experience, I started thinking: I wonder if what we call "mental disorders" could sometimes actually be latent talents? In other words, what if talents are like electric wiring, and until they are located, grounded, and properly directed, their power flies around our lives dangerously, creating unpleasant and challenging conditions in their wake?

Thinking back to a number of people I have known or encountered who suffered from things like anxiety and depression, or even more serious conditions like schizophrenia, this hypothesis began to make even more sense to me as I saw a pattern of especially creative, gifted, and intuitive people whose spiritual talents may have remained largely unfocused because they were devalued or overlooked.

As a result of all this philosophizing, I have concluded that for sensitive and spiritually gifted folks like us—and I can't believe you would have continued reading this article for this long if you weren't sensitive and spiritually gifted—consciously managing our considerable supply of spiritual energy is a must if we are going to feel happy, joyful, and empowered on a regular basis. Since it keep our energy clear and flowing in an ideal way while helping us manifest positive conditions in every area of our lives, I sometimes call it "good magical hygiene."

In The Good Energy Book, in addition to good magical hygiene practices, I provide a whole system of personal and environmental energy management for people like us, so that we can retain all the desirable aspects of our spiritual sensitivity while setting healthy boundaries and deciding what types of energy we do and do not want in our mind, body, spirit, personal energy field, and home environment. Additionally, the practices included in The Good Energy Book can help us focus and direct our significant spiritual power toward healing ourselves, healing others, consciously releasing the conditions we don't desire, and consciously manifesting the conditions we do desire—not just during rituals, but all the time, no matter where we are or what we are doing.

The following meditation is an example of one of these practices. In fact, it is perhaps the most vital aspect of my spiritual practice when it comes to staying positive and directing my spiritual/magical energy in constructive and life-affirming ways. It gets all the compulsories covered and keeps my energy as clear and focused as possible throughout the day, so I do it (or something like it) almost every day. You might want to commit to doing it every day for a week or two, and then, once you experience its benefits firsthand, ease yourself gently into the habit.

Please note that as you begin to practice this meditation, you might find that variations on the theme work better for you—if this happens, then definitely go with them.

Somewhere where you will not be disturbed, sit comfortably with your spine straight. Close your eyes, take some deep breaths, and relax. When you feel relaxed and centered, feel your weight upon whatever you are sitting on. Consciously connect with the comforting and supportive earth beneath you. Then, visualize/imagine/feel that you are growing roots of light. Send these roots down into the earth. See them going down and down, past layers of rock, water, and dirt. See them looping and spiraling as they continue to reach down further and further, toward the center of the earth. Eventually, when it feels right, visualize/imagine/feel these roots entering the core of the earth. See this core as a blindingly bright, golden-white sphere of concentrated, magnetic light. This light gently yet powerfully tugs you down, anchoring your body even more securely in the earth via your roots.

Now, see this golden, magnetic light traveling up your roots toward your body. Drink it upwards at a good pace. Now, see it enter your root chakra, the area at the base of your spine where your body connects with the earth. As the light reaches your root chakra (which is a horizontally spinning wheel of ruby red light), your chakra spins faster and gets brighter, any and all stagnant energy or debris spinning off and immediately dissolving. See this light continue upward until it reaches the vertically spinning wheel of orange light halfway between your bellybutton and your sex organ. This chakra—the sacral chakra—also spins faster and gets brighter as it is immediately cleansed of all energetic debris. Visualize this cleansing action continue with each chakra progressively, in this order:

Solar Plexus: Yellow, vertically spinning, halfway between your sternum and bellybutton

Heart: Green, vertically spinning, in the center of your sternum

Throat: Blue, vertically spinning, in the center of your neck

Third Eye: Indigo, vertically spinning, in the center of your forehead just above your eyebrows

Crown: Violet or white, horizontally spinning, at the very top of your head like a small hat

Now, see a column of light continue upward, past the top of your head, as if you are growing a tree trunk of light. See this light move up and up, until it exits the earth's atmosphere and connects with the cosmic realm of pure light, where it branches out like a tree soaking up the sun. See this cosmic light as blindingly bright white light with rainbow shimmers or sparkles, and drink this light in. See it moving down your trunk, back toward your body at whatever pace feels right. Then, see it enter the crown of your head and fill your head completely with this light. See/feel it continue to move down to your neck, shoulders, heart, arms, hands, belly, organs, legs, and feet. Visualize/imagine/feel this cosmic light merging with the earth light within you, and feel at once grounded in the earth and inspired by the heavens.

Next, visualize a glowing vacuum tube of light moving through and around your energy field, removing any and all lingering heaviness, stagnant energy, fear, guilt, and negative attachments. When this feels complete, see yourself bathed in a sphere of very bright, glowing white light and then a sphere of glowing indigo/violet light. Charge this indigo light with the intention that inside of it, only love remains, and through it, only love may enter.

Finish by setting intentions and consciously directing your spiritual energy toward creating the conditions you desire. For example, you might like to invoke divine help for protecting your home, vehicle, and loved ones, and visualize the successes you'd like to experience throughout your day. You might also like to take some time to feel the feelings and see the pictures associated with the things you'd like to manifest in your life: your dream car, job, or relationship. Or you can get creative: if you'd like to manifest more prosperity for example, you might visualize a fountain of sparkly gold coins moving throughout your entire energy field. Or, if you'd like to call in more romance in your marriage, you might send a waterfall of rose petals through the roof of your bedroom.

As you can imagine, getting in the habit of performing a meditation like this before you begin your day can really lend itself to a beautiful and successful life. It not only clears you, grounds you, and connects you with the realm of all possibility, it also gets your energy moving in the right direction with regards to your mood and general life conditions. And, once you do get in the habit, it doesn't have to take much time at all. Even five minutes can do the trick.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2012. All rights reserved.

When I was nine years old, I had the most startling spiritual experience of my life. I remember it very clearly: I had just gone to bed and was about to fall asleep, when something in the corner of the room caught my attention. When I looked, I saw this huge angel. It was like a beautiful man with immense wings, and he was sparkly and light. The angel was crying, and I got the impression it was because he had to leave me. I ran to get my parents to see the angel, but when we got back, there was nothing there. This experience has always made me wonder if children have extra guardian angels that have to leave us as we grow up. It was also really startling to think an angel would be sad and cry over a parting like this. Do you think angels experience human emotions?

- Rebecca

Astrea:

When I was little, I can remember my two Guardians going on walkabout. (That's how it felt at the time, though that's not how I expressed or thought of it then). I was in third grade, so I would have been about the same age you were when you had your vision. It took until I was in college to reconnect with those two.

At the time I wasn't upset because I'd been in constant communication with them, and they'd told me time and time again that they would be leaving shortly but would never be far away from me. I knew they wouldn't go away from me forever.

I was sad, but they seemed very matter-of-fact that this is just part of the deal, so I accepted it as a natural part of what happens in life.

This experience comes back to me every time someone asks a question similar to yours. Do Angels have human emotions? I don't believe they do, but they can act as if they have emotions to show or teach us something.

Try to remember the circumstances surrounding your Guardian at the time. Was there something going on in your family that you needed to know or notice that you hadn't seen yet because you were too busy being a kid? That would explain the tears.

Someone appearing as a man (or any adult) shedding tears would make a big impression on a kid. This was most likely something he was doing in order to focus your attention on a matter you had ignored. Was there something you were missing? Even when we're children, our Angels have great expectations of us, and will try to show us the way.

The reason you didn't see him with your parents or again later on was because you naturally tried to show him to someone else, and he couldn't risk being seen by others.

The Angels assigned to us as babies never really leave us, but they do have a way of disappearing until we're ready and able to see them again, or otherwise tap into the guidance and advice they have for us.

I'm sure he has been near you all your life. I'm sure you've been guided by him many times when you haven't known it was happening at all. You've FELT his presence; you just haven't been able to manifest him in visible form since you were nine.

If you would like to do this, you must find a process that works for you. Often our Angels are happy to appear for us - all we have to do is ask. One of the easier ways to begin is by asking him to come to you in dreams. Once the two of you get that going, you can figure out where to go from there.

*****

Susyn:

Yes, I believe angels, spirit guides, and even whatever primary spiritual source we depend on (whether we call it God, the Universe or our Higher Power) all share a sense of empathy and understanding for human emotions.

It seems to make no difference whether they have spent time on the earth plane or not. It's my understanding that we are limited to one guardian angel, but are blessed with many other angels, spirit guides and benevolent entities who protect, guide and encourage us at various times in our lives.

At times we experience a connection with an angel or spirit guide who is actually a loved one who has crossed over from the earth plane as well. This may be why it appears that there are specific timeframes dictating how long they can be with us, what their purpose is, and when and if we are blessed to be able to see them, even if just for a moment.

Because there is no limit to how many angels or spiritual guides we may have, there are no doubt some who come and go depending on our needs. Your memory of this amazing angel can serve as a concrete reminder that you always have special protectors looking over your shoulder.

I believe that the feelings we experience are more than just simple human emotions: these emotions are the energetic bonds that connect us spiritually together, making the earth and spirit plane one. When we allow our emotions to flow openly and properly, whether they are pleasant or painful, that's when we experience the most profound connection to God, our own true selves, and the world around us.

When you consider the overwhelming power of love, for example, you know from experience that it can transform you and shake you to your core. Many describe it as the most incredible experience of their lives. To me, that kind of emotion is just a sampling of what we can feel on the spiritual plane, which means our guardian angels and spirit guides may experience emotions even more profoundly than we do!

Life seems to contain many good-byes from our loved ones both here in the physical and in Spirit. However, once some leave us, new ones come into our lives, so when some angels and spirit guides move on, we get new ones. This is much like getting a different teacher each year as we advance in our education.

What a gift to have this profound memory of this special guardian angel who still visits from time to time, like a favorite relative who just likes to check in with you. I have no doubt you'll see him again soon, when the time is right 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.