KAJAMA.COM NEWSLETTER

by Alexandra Chauran

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

When I was in my early twenties, my life was as a pile of unsorted mementos. Fresh out of my parents' home and merging my childhood and young adult belongings with those of my boyfriend at the time was absolute chaos. I also struggled with the direction my life was headed, in both practical and emotional ways. When I took these burdens to a therapist, I opened up to her about all of my heart's desires. I wanted it all: A prosperous and prestigious career, a family with children of my own, a marriage from the story books, mementos from my childhood, a fabulous home furnished with lavish belongings, and more. I thought that if I could just get one or more of these things, I would be happy again. Then, my therapist told me to seek more of something that I already had, something that wasn't on the ambitious "to-do" list I'd just given her.

My therapist asked me how my spiritual life was going. I stopped and thought. At the time, I thought that my spiritual life was okay. I had fellowship with spiritual peers. I was seeking and learning all the time. But it occurred to me that I wasn't devoting my time and efforts to spiritual pursuits as much as all those other practical woes. My therapist noted almost as an afterthought that spirituality is all that really matters in the end, and that people are often unhappy after they achieve those things I was seeking, like a family and a career, because they're still trying to fill that "God-shaped hole."

We all know that there are unsatisfied people who would seem to have all the wealth that anyone could ever need. The words from my therapist percolated in my brain. I read the writings of the Peace Pilgrim, who renounced her worldly possessions to carry a joyful message for God. I listened to the words of Amma the "Hugging Saint" from India, where she spoke of finding the joyful and spiritually satisfied amongst even the impoverished. The reason that I was having all of these first world problems was because I wasn't giving proper weight and value to my spiritual needs.

Now, this isn't to say that spiritual lack is what's wrong with everybody who lives in a cluttered or hoarded home, or who is dissatisfied with life circumstances. It's okay to look around at life and say, "Hey, this sucks!" I observe that there are some people who are naturally more spiritually hungry than others. Some might live their entire lives satisfied as atheists or agnostics, while you might feel a constant yearning to discover the mysteries of the universe and the divine. Or, you might have run into a spiritual awakening later in life that threw you for a loop. If you feel a calling and ignore that call for whatever reason, you'll subconsciously continue to attempt to fill that void. In our culture, that sometimes means filling your home, office, and car with stuff.

Here are some signs that you or a loved one might exhibit that indicate a physical or mental clutter problem caused by spiritual lack.

• You believe that objects have energies to which you can cling for comfort during times of need.
• When you are stressed, your calendar is still full of obligations, and you find yourself adding more.
• Loved ones reach out to you to try to help you clean or organize your house, or refuse to come over due to the clutter.
• When one thing in life is going wrong it feels like everything is going wrong.
• When you try to get rid of things you no longer need, you move them to other areas of the home instead of actually throwing them away.
• You believe that you need to keep objects that were once owned by the deceased in order to keep their memory alive.
• Your computer is full of electronic clutter, with unsorted photos clogging up all the space and your email Inbox kept full of reminders of things you intend to someday do.
• Self-doubt and low self-esteem keep you from doing the things that you want.
• Every time you clear the clutter in your life, you end up filling up those spaces with clutter all over again.

If these characteristics sound like you and you're also a spiritually hungry person, it's possible that you are trying to quench the yearning for spirituality with physical things and a busy life. Make no mistake, there can be other factors at play here. If you have a true hoarding condition, you may have psychological and emotional issues that can't be solved by any prayer or worship group. If your hoarding is affecting your health and safety or making you unable to function in everyday life, you'll need to talk with a doctor and therapist about brain chemistry and coping skill issues that may be in play.

If, however, you're otherwise healthy and suspect that a neglected spiritual life is part of your problem, this can be remedied with careful attention to your physical, mental, and spiritual health. Think of these as the three legs of a stool. You'll need to carefully nurture these things in balance. This may seem counter-intuitive, if clearing out all the clutter seems like the most pressing need. But remember that if you don't fill the void with something intangible and more meaningful, you'll just fill those spaces right back up again with stuff. So, examine your barriers to spirituality in your life. It's possible that you're being prevented from following the spiritual path that meets your expectations. However, nobody else holds dominion over the inner workings of your heart and soul. Once I discovered how to integrate spirituality into my everyday life and even household chores, the order of the rest of my life seemed to just fall into place. I pray for the same success for you and for any of your loved ones who may struggle with accumulated clutter. I encourage you to address the lack, rather than simply the over-abundance, then allow your life and your excesses to become a blessing to others and an offering to Spirit.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2015. All rights reserved.

My best friend is gifted in a psychic way, and sending telepathic messages between us is becoming easier and more frequent. Also, there are times when I am able to send her energy when she needs it, but only when she needs it. Until I met Sandy, I had not experienced anything close to this. Does having someone with her gifts enhance what I always had, or is she just sharing her own gift with me through our close connection? I have had three others with similar gifts come into my life recently, and I am starting to believe that this is not a coincidence. I'm wondering how and why this is happening. Thanks!

Kymmy

Susyn:

We are all blessed with psychic abilities, though we may only discover this truth when we come into contact with someone who is developing similar gifts. It's the same with all sorts of other talents, of course: until we are exposed to a particular endeavor, we may never know we have a knack for it.

Such is the case with your best friend. I feel that her abilities have simply made you more aware of your own psychic potential. Together, you are encouraging each other to refine and enhance your gifts. Once you open that door, it's like you've opened Pandora's box: all sorts of interesting things start coming up. The telepathy you practice with Sandy is just the beginning; now that you're on a roll, you'll continue to have all sorts of interesting psychic experiences.

When we begin our journey of awakening and start to use our spiritual powers, we naturally attract others on a similar path. This explains why three other people with similar gifts have recently entered your life. The new energy and awareness that you are sending out is like a beacon that has naturally attracted them to you.

This is a very exciting time for you! I encourage you to dive wholeheartedly into the world of metaphysics and explore the endless ways you might use your new gifts. Exploring different methods of divination, including astrology, tarot, energy healing and clairvoyance, will reveal more about your unique strengths and what you might do with them in the future.

You mention that you are able to send energy to your best friend when she needs it, but only when she needs it. This is important because, as your talents grow, you will have to practice setting boundaries not only with the energy you send out to others but also the energy you take in. We can become like psychic sponges that pick up the feelings and thoughts of others, which can be quite overwhelming. You will begin to notice this when you are in crowds of people, so it's important to surround yourself with spiritual protection. In this way, you will be able to determine when someone needs your help or if you are merely a witness to what they are experiencing.

Now that you know you can peer into the hearts and minds of others, you may be tempted to engage in some psychic snooping. Don't do it! It is vital that you always use your gifts with the utmost integrity. If you keep this in mind, your powers will increase; if you abuse them, the consequences can be dire.

If you have not already done so, you might develop a regular practice of meditation to stay in tune with Spirit, strengthen the psychic protection around you, and advance your gifts.

*****

Oceania:

The Law of Attraction is at work here: where attention goes, energy flows! Sandy awakened your interest in the topic of psychic abilities and began stirring your own psychic potential. As you began to notice, think about and utilize your newfound intuition, you likely attracted more friends with these gifts, as you will continue to do as long as you are exploring this aspect of yourself.

You may have heard the fable about an old man telling his grandson there are battling wolves inside our minds, one representing fear and the other courage. The boy asks, Which wolf wins? to which the old man replies, The one you feed.

It reminds me of this spoof on a zoo sign: Do Not Feed the Fears! As physical exercise strengthens our muscles, conscious thought strengthens the neural pathways in our minds. Any new behavior requires conscious effort before becoming a personal habit or skill. (Remember learning how to drive?) The more you pay attention to your psychic impressions, the stronger your gifts will become.

While psychic abilities are not given to us by others, a friend can serve as a catalyst that activates our own innate potential. For example, we may not realize we enjoy tennis until a friend introduces us to the sport and plays with us regularly. We may not know we can sing in harmony until a friend shows us how, or realize we love hiking until a pal instigates some outings and shows us the local trails.

I never would've guessed I'd become obsessed with vegan cooking until a neighbor dragged me to the local farmer's market and then demonstrated some healthy, creative food preparation techniques. Now I'm a junkie for organic, sustainable produce. (I'm crunching on pea sprouts and broiling eggplants as we speak.) When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. You were ripe and ready to explore your intuitive potential, and in your case, several teachers appeared!

Now that your psychic potential has been activated, you can continue studying on your own. I recommend you choose a tarot deck of your liking, preferably one with rich, symbolic imagery like Voyager, and spend a full day with each card. Set it near you while you sleep, meditate upon it during the day, and then say aloud or write down your associations with the card.

The point is not to memorize the traditional meaning of the card but rather to notice what it triggers in you. Whatever you perceive and interpret will be a reflection of your own truth. This exercise will help you further trust in the constant flow of non-verbal, non-rational information and wisdom that is ever available to us all.

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.