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by Tess Whitehurst

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

Think you can't visualize? Not true. When you crave something—say chocolate—you strongly sense chocolate in your mind. Perhaps you sense it through taste, texture, or appearance…even when that chocolate isn't anywhere in sight. When you're looking for your cell phone, you hold an image of that cell phone or perhaps a tactile sense of what it's like to hold it, even when you're not actually looking at it or holding it. And how, exactly, do you know your house from your neighbor's house? From an inner vision of what it looks like (or a sense of its general location) that you carry around with you wherever you go, naturally.

See what I mean? Everyone can visualize, and everyone is literally doing so constantly. For magical purposes, we want to learn to channel this inherent ability in a way that helps us resonate with that which we want to manifest. Because everything is vibration and like attracts like, this helps us draw our intentions into our life experience and essentially create the life we desire.

Now, as you may have noticed from my examples above, visualizing—in a metaphysical and magical sense—isn’t always, well, visual. It can be visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, taste-oriented, or any combination thereof. But when it comes to manifesting, the most important thing of all is the feeling or emotion behind the visualization. Once you know what it is you want to manifest, you want to also get clear on the feelings you want to experience as a result of your manifestation. Then you'll accompany your visualization with those feelings, visualizing and feeling that your intention is already manifested.

But how to begin when visualizing seems tough? It's a simple answer, but a true one: show up every day and do your best. When I first started practicing visualization, I chose the intentions I wanted to manifest, and then I did my very best to visualize and feel as if they were already true. Sometimes, the very best I could do was to think the words of my visualization affirmation-style, such as, "I am confident," or, "I make at least ____ per week." But the more I practiced and did my very best to have a sensory and emotional experience of these things as if they were already true, the easier it got.

To this day, I make it a part of my daily meditation to practice visualizing. I do this with the things I want to manifest, but also with the energetic qualities I want to conjure. For example, I do a daily clearing and shielding visualization for both myself and my home. I also surround my partner, my cat, and our cars in protective light. Now that I've gotten better at visualizing, I'll get sort of elaborate sometimes and visualize things like giant, spinning, sacred geometrical structures of light encompassing me. But this was not something I could do right out of the gate. I've built up to it little by little over time. And you can, too! In fact, you might start with the simple (and exceptionally useful!) visualization practices below.

1. 1. Shield in light. A daily shielding visualization is a must for magical practitioners, both for the visualization practice and for the metaphysical benefits! Simply relax comfortably with your spine straight and take some deep, relaxing breaths. Then envision a very bright sphere of light around yourself. See how bright you can imagine the light, and perhaps infuse even more brightness by recalling what it's like to glance at the blinding face of the sun. Set the intention that within this light, only love remains and through this light, only love may enter. Hold this vision until your focus begins to slightly wane.

1. 1. Visualize starting a positive new habit. Choose a new habit you'd like to adopt. Then, as soon as you open your eyes in the morning, or last thing before you drift off at night (or both), convince yourself that you already have this positive new habit in place. If it's exercising every day, think of how great it feels to exercise every day. Even if you haven't actually done it yet, feel as if you do it regularly and really make yourself believe it. Also think of the reason you'd like to manifest this: So that you'll feel healthier? Stronger? More energized? Imagine also that you are already experiencing exactly these things. Make it as real to yourself as you possibly can, using any inner senses that feel right.

1. 1. Be a money magnet. Since most of us wouldn't mind manifesting a few more bucks, as a part of your daily meditation, envision attracting huge amounts of currency toward yourself. Sense and really believe that you are a literal money magnet, and that currency of all sorts can't help but fly your way and stick to you. Alternatively, you could imagine that you are holding a giant wealth-attracting magnet, and that you're attracting money with that.

1. Conjure up laughter. Laughter is so healthy! Why not attract more into your life? While you're driving to work or in the shower, think of the times in your life when you've laughed the hardest, and remember how that felt in your body, mind, and spirit. Stay with the feeling of laughter until the feeling naturally starts to wane. You'll notice that the more you do this, the more you'll find yourself laughing throughout the day.

Try any one of these, or all four, for at least one full month, and you'll almost certainly see results, both in your ability to visualize and in the effects of the visualizations themselves. Indeed, the great thing about these practices is that they're simple, but they'll shift your life quickly and in beautiful ways. Then, when you see firsthand how powerful visualizing can be, you'll be inspired to continue your practice. As it gets easier and easier over time, you'll get into a positive momentum and before you know it, your trouble with visualizing will be a thing of the past.

P.S. If you do try any of these out for at least a month, and if you think of it, please drop me a line and let me know how it goes. You can find ways to contact me at www.tesswhitehurst.com.

P.P.S. For more visualization advice and exercises, please check out my book, Holistic Energy Magic!

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

Help! I have friends who are very involved in Christianity and are always confronting me about my unorthodox spiritual practices. You must come across this as well. How do you handle it?
Greta

Susyn:

As a rule, I don't try to change others beliefs or insist that they accept mine. However, I have had the sort of experiences you describe, and I found them to be rather frustrating.

Years ago, I dated a man who belonged to a Bible-based church. He was fearful that if his church knew he was dating a psychic, he would be forced to stop. I asked him to show me where in the Bible my work and beliefs were condemned. He didn't know but he agreed to ask his pastor. In the mean time, I consulted another minister and asked him to direct me to biblical quotes as well.

I was surprised when both pastors gave me the same exact passages to read. I was even more surprised when I read further and uncovered the whole story. I began doing my own research and found that the Bible actually encourages my work and beliefs.

The first passage was in chapter two of Daniel, which states that the King Daniel served had ordered all astrologers and seers to be put to death. This is where the pastors stopped. If you read on, however, you discover that Daniel (who was himself an astrologer) needed to interpret a dream the king had had in order to save his life and those of his colleagues. He prayed to God and was given the answers he needed, which made for a happy ending to this story.

In the second passage, Isiah 47, verses 13-15, Isiah condemned and cursed all astrologers to death along with any people who followed them. It's easy to see that he was targeting anyone who made another person or thing his god. I don't have a problem with that, for my work and beliefs are a channel for getting closer to Spirit and are not to be worshipped in and of themselves.

My own research was even more revealing. In Genesis, there is a passage that reads that God placed the stars and planets in the firmament (sky) as signs for those who are able to read them. In Matthew, chapter two, it specifically states in many bibles that the three wise men were astrologers. Essentially, Godís birth announcement of Jesus was an astrological event, and the three wise men who followed the star used astrology for holy work.

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is Romans 12:6: Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith. If your friends insist on confronting you about your spiritual beliefs and practices, I would invite them to investigate how the Bible forbids not the use of spiritual gifts, but rather their misuse!

*****

Oceania:

This is not so much about conflicting belief systems as it is about your relationships with your so-called friends. If they think they have the right to challenge or attack something as personal and precious as your spiritual life, itís because you have allowed that sort of behavior from them. You have been passive rather than assertive.

When you're assertive, your energy basically says Iím okay, youíre okay. When you act assertively, you show respect for yourself and for others. Being passive conveys the message Youíre okay, Iím not. Passive people are doormats who don't stand up for themselves or protect their personal boundaries. Passive people avoid conflict, tend to be used, and often give up whatís important to them to keep the peace.

Being aggressive conveys the message I'm okay, you're not. An aggressive person is intent on getting their way at any cost. Aggressive people tend to attract passive people and vice versa. Bullies sense passive people's desire to be liked and they manipulate them through criticism and rejection.

Ultimately, being passive is frustrating, discouraging and tiresome because you canít please everyone. No matter how much you give up, someone is going to be unhappy with you.

Assertive people tend to attract other assertive people. As you move from passivity to assertiveness, you will find the aggressive people in your life either falling away or mustering up healthy assertiveness in order to continue your relationship.

Setting specific biblical passages aside, history scholars have learned much about the historical Jesus. Their research suggests that the spiritual leader Jesus of Nazareth was opposed to the judging and condemning of others and held an attitude of inclusivity. He was opposed to excluding people from his spiritual community based on their being different from the mainstream. When you experience Christians judging, condemning or excluding you, you can rest assured that Jesus would not agree with such behavior.

The way I cope with the kind of people you mentioned is preventatively. I take delight in my personal beliefs but do not share them except with people I know will understand. If someone happens to become aggressive on this or any topic, I gracefully exit.

I recommend that you find friends or a spiritual group of people with whom you can share openly and enjoy mutual support, respect and acceptance. If you look for them, you will eventually find some lovely kindred spirits who share your beliefs and interests.

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.