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Your Intuitive Connection to Love, by Sherrie Dillard

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

Love and intuition seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly, the sun and the moon and…well, like two people in love. Who at one time or another has not felt a shiver move up their spine or their stomach leap in joy when looking into another’s eyes? Have you ever met someone and instantly felt a connection with them or somehow knew what they were thinking or feeling, without knowing how you knew? These are spontaneous natural occurrences of intuition and they can be so commonplace we often take them for granted.

We all have innate intuitive ability, which can be as simple as knowing something without knowing how you know it. Yet intuition, like love, can be mysterious and compelling and can bypass the rational and logical. This is because both love and intuition have their roots in the soul —the deeper, wiser part of us. They are both powerful energies that can enhance every aspect of your life. Knowing one will gain you instant access into a better understanding of the other.

Your intuition is as unique as you. I have discovered through many years of teaching others to access and develop their innate intuitive ability that intuition surfaces in four primary ways. You may receive energy information through your thoughts, your emotions, your energy field or your physical body. These four different intuitive modalities make up your intuitive type.

If you intuit mostly through your thoughts and ideas, you are a mental intuitive. Mental intuitives are naturally telepathic. Telepathy is the ability to tune into, receive, and send thought messages to another or a group. Emotional intuitives intuit mostly through their emotions. If you tend to easily pick up on others' feelings, are empathetic and tend to be the go-to person for your friends and family who are in need of a kind shoulder, you are likely an emotional intuitive. Spiritual intuitives receive intuitive vibrations through their energy field. Those who can perceive angels and auras have an active dream life and enjoy daydreaming may be spiritual intuitives. Physical intuitives absorb energy information into their body. Do you ever feel others' aches and pains or feel flushed and warm just sitting next to certain people? If so, you may be a physical intuitive.

Once you are aware of your intuitive type, you will be able to develop and use your natural intuition with more ease and success. Your intuitive type also plays an important part in your ability to communicate, understand, and increase intimacy with loved ones.

How is this? Do you ever know what your partner is thinking or suddenly feel that a loved one is having difficulties, even though they are miles away? Do you ever dream about a loved one who has passed over and feel their presence, almost as if they are in the same room with you? Does it seem like just holding your partner's hand helps you to know her better? While these situations are often random and unpredictable, you can learn how to better tune into and understand your particular intuitive strengths.

The bond of love between two people strengthens and intensifies intuitive ability. With this in mind, not only will you get better results when developing your intuition with a friend or partner, mutual understanding and insight into one another will also increase.

The following is a partner exercise. It will give you the opportunity to develop your intuition and gain insight into a partner, friend, or family member at the same time. It will also help you to experience how each intuitive type receives energy information.

To begin, find a time of day where you and your partner can both be undisturbed for an agreed-upon amount of time. It is not necessary to be in the same physical location. You can be across town or even across the country —it doesn't matter; just make sure that your time zones are in sync.

At the agreed-upon time sit or lie down, close your eyes and begin to take long, deep, relaxing breaths. Imagine as you breathe that you are inhaling cleansing and clearing breaths and you are exhaling any stress and tension. As you settle into the natural rhythm of these cleansing breaths, visualize your partner. Use your imagination and form a picture of them in your mind's eye. Don't force it. Rather, breathe, relax, and feel your connection to them. Keep visualizing your partner and wait for them to smile or acknowledge your presence. This is an intuitive exercise so you might just "know" or get a sense of when they become aware of you. Intuitive "seeing" is not always the same as three-dimensional seeing. It might feel like you are relying on your imagination, which is good. Keep it up.

Now practice one or more of these intuitive communication techniques.

• Mental Intuition:
  Take a long, deep breath and as you exhale, imagine that you are releasing and letting go of your thoughts and mind chatter. Keep breathing and releasing; notice your thoughts without attaching any importance to them. Eventually they will dissipate.

Now imagine that your mind is expanding and encompassing your partner's mind. Tune into their thoughts. Imagine that they have a message for you. Send them a thought, such as "What would you like me to know?" or "How is your day?" Project this thought and then breathe, relax and focus on the breath. This will help to clear your mind. Stay in this calm place for a few moments and receive whatever comes in, without over-thinking or allowing your mind to stray.

When you feel as if your concentration and focus is wavering, send a warm thank you to your partner. Take a few deep breaths and imagine that any negativity and stress is being released through the out breath. Breathe in love, fill yourself with its warm refreshing current and send this cleansing and clearing energy to your partner. Open your eyes and write down whatever you received.

• Emotional Intuition:
  Before you begin, it helps to first become aware of what you are feeling. You might want to put words to your emotions. Are you in a good mood, frustrated, tired, happy, or maybe a combination of different emotions? As you put words to how you feel, imagine that you can release these feelings through calm breathing. Keep breathing relaxing breaths and exhaling your emotional energy.

When you feel calm, take a long deep inhale and exhale through your heart. Keep breathing in this way, cleansing inhales and exhales through the heart. Imagine that the energy of your heart expands and encompasses your partner. Feel your partner in your heart energy and feel what they feel. Are they happy, serene, having a good day, irritated or fatigued? Keep breathing and feel what they are feeling. When you feel as if you have become aware of as much of their emotional energy as you can at this time, breathe and send them love. Imagine that as you inhale, warm waves of love move through you. You can send this love to your partner. Imagine love filling your partner. Breathe and allow your partner to move out of your heart energy and into their own space as you move into yours. Open your eyes.

• Spiritual Intuition:
  Imagine your partner. In your mind’s eye see them sitting or lying down and notice anything you can about them. Go to them. Spiritual intuitives often have the natural gift of being able to energetically transport themselves to distant locations. Keep it simple and trust your energy wisdom to take you to them. As you draw close, imagine that you can perceive the energy that surrounds them. Use your imagination and tune into their energy field or aura. These waves of energy will appear to you in different colors, hues and levels of vibrancy. Again, don't over-think this. Just activate your higher knowing through intent. You may be able to observe your partner's angels or spirit guides: just allow this to happen. They might even have a message for you to convey to your partner.

Take in what you are experiencing, relax into the energy and imagine your partner completely surrounded by a bubble of white light. This light is loving and protective. Now return to your own physical space and imagine that you too are surrounded by white light. Come back completely into the body and open your eyes.

• Physical Intuition:
  If you are a physical intuitive you might want to hold a photograph of your partner or one of their personal objects. Intuiting information through the energy imprint of a photo or personal object is called psychometry. Physical intuitives have a special knack for being able to receive intuitive information in this way. Close your eyes and breathe. Imagine white light healing energy moving down through the top of your head. Move this healing energy through your entire body. Notice any place in your body where you are tight or tense. Breathe into these places and release any tension through the exhale. Continue this process until you feel relaxed and stress-free. Now, imagine your partner. Use your imagination to do this. Intend to become aware of what they are experiencing. You might have the most success with this if you now tune into your own body. Move your awareness through your body and imagine that you can experience what your partner is experiencing. Are you stressed, anxious, relaxed, or full of energy and stamina? Go to any place in your body where you feel tension or stress and imagine sending warm love to this area. Release the stress and continue to breathe. Are there any unusual aches and pains; do you feel a headache, or light and full of life? Keep tuning in and send healing wherever it is needed. When you have experienced all that you can for now, allow your partner to move their energy back into their own body. You can do this through simple intent. They are now in their body and you are in yours. Take a few deep breaths and move white light healing energy through your body. Feel your body fill with energy vibrancy and love. Send this same energy to your partner.

When you are ready open your eyes.

Love is a potent life-force energy that is not restricted by time, space or condition. It has no barriers and there is no power in this world that is stronger than it. With love, two people become one. Develop your intuitive connection to love and allow its powerful presence and mystery to unfold in your life.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2010. All rights reserved.

The other night while my husband was asleep on the couch, I did some energy work on myself. I try to do this a couple of times a week. I brought light all around me and asked my angels and guides to join me. I finished the energy work and then sat back to watch some television. About an hour later, one of my husband's figurines fell from the top of the bookshelf, and then a minute later, the DVD player just shut itself off. Did I bring this on, or did one of my angels or guides do this for attention? A couple of days later, around five a.m., my husband was already up and I was in a half asleep/half awake state. I was having a dream that I was looking out a window. Then in my dream, I felt arms coming around my waist and giving me a warm hug. This woke me from the dream, and I realized that somebody was actually hugging me while I was lying in the bed. I wasn't afraid; I just assumed it was one of my angels or my guides. (I ask them to be with me at all times.) There have been other times while I'm lying down meditating, quietly reading, or doing energy work, and a being will sit down on the bed beside me and touch my hair or stroke my face. I can feel the mattress move from their weight. I've never felt any fear from this, but I have stopped telling other people because it really freaks them out. My husband wants to hear nothing of this, as he's afraid of an evil entity pretending to be a guide. Can this be normal behavior for guides and angels, or is my husband right in believing that it could be something that I can't handle?

- S.

Astrea:

Of course it freaks other people out when you talk about things like that because they don't understand and don't know how to process that information. Our guides and angels struggle to come through to us because many people can't or won't accept the existence of metaphysical entities. People are afraid of what they can't see.

However, if those of us who have these experiences don't discuss them, how will we ever know what's going on in the World beyond the Veil?

I never try to define so-called normal behavior for guides and angels, but what you describe seems to happen to many people with your level of awareness. Many people describe the feelings you have.

Some talk about how they feel enclosed by angel wings. Many times when I'm driving, I'll feel a hand on my shoulder that causes me to slow down or change my route.

Often people feel that a loved one who has crossed over is letting them know they're all right with that kind of caress. Sometimes these entities are able to manifest visually for us, but most often, we feel what is going on more than we see it. Connecting with guides and angels can be tricky business, but most of the time goodness comes through.

I'm sure in this specific case that you and your husband needn't worry about something horrible coming into your house and sticking around. I feel pretty safe in assuming that this force works for GOOD. I'm sure you do plenty of protection work to prevent any kind of evil entity masquerading as an angel or a guide from entering your home or your personal harmony.

One of the big rules of all positive energy work is protecting yourself when you start. That's one of the first things we learn when we begin to chase the Light. It's true that sometimes Evil can come through meditation practices accidentally, but it's pretty rare. People who know what they're doing are fairly immune to Evil.

Besides, while this isn't always the case, Evil likes to be invited. Evil is lazy, and it's easier to work with the willing.

For safety's sake, do a little more protection work every now and then. Your husband should trust you to be careful. Since fear of the unknown often opens doors to things he wouldn't like coming in, he would be wise to assume that you know what you're doing, and certainly aren't inviting evil in.

Just take care and everything will work out fine.

*****

Susyn:

Your question raises some interesting ideas. It's true that there have been cases of entities pretending to be friendly, only to turn into negative presences later. However, the fact that you are praying to and asking for your angels and guides to surround you makes it unlikely that these are negative forces you are dealing with.

Had you moved into a different house or been practicing witchcraft or strange spiritual incantations or methodologies without awareness or spiritual consciousness, you might very well have invited in spirits of a malevolent nature. However, these negative entities rarely come near those of us who begin our meditations and conscious energy work by surrounding ourselves with divine light.

Also, since you make a habit of specifically inviting your angels and guides to join you, they are already present and would be the first to alert you if a negative presence appeared.

People who don't understand these processes, like your husband, will often carry a lot of fear about the events you describe. It's always wise to be mindful of what happens after your energy work, but if these are negative spirits, it won't take long for them to start creating trouble.

A change in your demeanor or your husband's, increased arguments, negative thinking and depression are signs that you have invited a negative entity into your life.

On the other hand, if your guides and angels are showing up for you, you'll experience lightness of being, a more positive outlook, and a sense of greater protection and inner peace.

You mentioned that a figurine of your husband's fell off the shelf after one such session. Keep in mind that it's possible that there is some spirit that is attached to you and is targeting your husband because it feels jealous or possessive of you.

If you continue to notice that whatever is involved is specifically moving his things about, or if it starts interfering with your relationship, you'll have to be firm with it about his importance in your life the next time you have contact.

Don't be concerned because your husband and other people have reacted negatively to these occurrences, but do be mindful of who you share these events with. There are still many people in the world who find the idea of contact with the spirit world frightening or threatening. However, unless you yourself have negative experiences with these entities, I doubt there is anything to fear here.

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.