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by Tess Whitehurst

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

Unicorns are not what they seem.

On the surface level, in mainstream modern culture, unicorns are all but synonymous with fluffiness and frivolity, in the form of fancy birthday cakes, festive makeup tutorials, and fussy nail art. But, dig just a tiny bit deeper, and you will discover ancient spiritual traditions from both east and west, steeped in spiritual significance that is venerable, varied, and vast.

Here are seven of the most pronounced mystical meanings of this wise and elusive creature who has managed to remain prominent in human consciousness in multiple cultures and continents for thousands of years.

1. Wonder
   It's difficult to imagine a clearer and more obvious symbol of wonder than the unicorn. The very thought of them can transport so many of us to the realm of child-like delight and awe at the relentlessly unknowable nature of time and existence. And as jaded as mainstream culture implies we should be, the fact remains that jadedness is in no way a rational response to the exquisite beauty of life: such as the beauty we witness when we feel love in our hearts, gaze at a bright blue sky, or catch the glimmer of sunlight sparkling on waves.
2. Alchemy
   Like the phoenix and the butterfly, with whom the unicorn's symbolism is traditionally wed, the unicorn represents the transformation that occurs within us when we open ourselves up to spiritual wisdom and power. Just as sunlight and rain combine to create the harmoniously balanced spectrum of color we call a rainbow, unicorns are highly attuned to the kaleidoscopic, intricate interactions of seen and unseen, known and unknown, day and night, yang and yin, the five elements, and the three realms of earth, sky, and sea. By the same token, within our consciousness, the unicorn dissolves the illusory appearance of the mundane world and reassembles it into the truer and more authentic experience of magic.
3. Purity
   It is said that only those who are pure of heart can see unicorns: they will only appear to those with the noblest of intentions. It has also been traditionally believed that a unicorn horn can transform anything toxic—even an entire swamp—into water that is sweet, crystal clear, and perfectly pure. Another legend states that as long as there is one single living human with the passionate desire to love and serve all of life, somewhere deep in the forest there is a unicorn who runs wild and free. Clearly, there is a reason the unicorn is appealing to so many of us at this time in history, when world peace is so desperately desired and purity of our oceans, forests, and air is of such dire importance to the survival of our species and planet. And on the personal level, when you close your eyes, call up the inner vision of a unicorn, and breathe deeply, you will likely feel your personal energy become purer, cleaner, and brighter.
4. Healing
   Considering the three specialties of the unicorn we have already discussed, unicorns are clearly aligned with healing: not only of mind, body, and spirit, but also of earth, ocean, and air. When we are drawn to the unicorn, it's likely a natural response to being in need of some form of healing. For example, in Treasures of the Unicorn, Ted Andrews writes, "At a recent conference, I was approached by a social worker who had spent great amounts of time in homes serving as a court representative for abused children. She mentioned finding paintings and figurines of unicorns in many of the homes...Since the unicorn is the most gentle, loving, and healing of all creatures, maybe its essence is required to restore such a loss of innocence and to stimulate a new birth." In mythology of both east and west, the unicorn was considered a master healer. The popularity of unicorns at this time coincides with a collective need to heal trauma on both personal and planetary levels.
5. Natural Power
   You might say the fairy realm is the conscious presence and aliveness of the natural world. And the unicorns are among the rarest, most magical, and most sophisticated denizens of this realm. They are traditionally aligned with the forest, as well as the healing power and wisdom inherent in crystals, herbs, flowers, trees, and animals. When the unicorn calls to you, you can inwardly connect with unicorn consciousness in order to gain mastery in working with the gifts of nature to create positive change in your life. Some of the crystals particularly associated with unicorns include amethyst, apophyllite, moonstone, and spirit quartz. Unicorns are especially aligned with certain herbs and plants, such as cinnamon, lilac, apple, water lily, holly, and clover. There are also a number of animals who have a special affinity for the unicorn, like bluebirds, deer, dragonflies, hummingbirds, and swans.
6. Courage
   Everyone knows unicorns are sweet, pure, and filled with light. But they are not doormats! In fact, they can be quite fierce and fearsome when the situation calls for it. After all, as sparkly as they may be, unicorn horns are not merely for decoration: they are sharp weapons that can be used to defend all that is loving, peaceful, and pure of heart. Again, this mirrors the need at this time in human history to channel our loving desire for peace and the planet into bold and decisive action. Indeed, when we truly connect with unicorn energy, we become inspired to move out of our comfort zone in order to help our fellow earthlings and environment.
7. Freedom
   It is said that while unicorns can occasionally be killed, they can never captured. They far prefer death to imprisonment. This makes them powerful symbols of freedom. Admittedly, traps sometimes exist purely in our minds. But, like unicorns themselves, this doesn't make them any less real. For example, when a thought pattern ties us to a negative self-image, that is a trap. So is a habit of criticizing yourself, or an expectation that you will fail. But just as you contribute to holding these traps in place, you also hold the key to liberation. Aligning with the unicorn archetype helps us to liberate ourselves from limitations and traps of all varieties. We can call upon their image and energy to break old bonds, bust through old blocks, and generally establish a sense of freedom in every area of life.

Clearly, unicorns are good medicine, and there is a reason why they're so prominent in our cultural consciousness at this time. Feeling drawn to unicorns indicates a natural desire to heal both ourselves and our world, and to restore our beloved planet to its natural state of wholeness, harmony, and well-being.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2019. All rights reserved.

I haven't had a decent night's sleep since my mom died six years ago. (My dad died 14 years ago.) Every night I hear tapping in my room. I also experience a lot of sleep paralysis. I've heard strange things like a huge boulder coming my way and strange grunts from something or someone. I've had a couple of out of body experiences. It all petrifies me; I'm so very tired. I can't talk to anyone about this as I've learned from experience that people will think I've gone mad. I sleep with the TV on as I can't bear silence or total darkness. After falling asleep, the TV volume has turned up very loud, apparently on its own. Sometimes, objects will just fall off the chair for no reason. I've also seen what looks like a laser go through the curtain of my room. My sister has advised me to speak to the tapping and ask if it wants something, but I'm too afraid to do this. Could it be my parents trying to contact me? How can I get past this so I can get a decent night's sleep? Thanks for your time.

Rani

Susyn:

The events you describe are definitely paranormal, but it will take some action on your part to determine their source. Though you mention that they began after your mother died, it's possible that you have a different type of entity living in your bedroom.

I recommend you do a spiritual cleansing of your bedroom and the rest of your house. In the event that you're dealing with a haunting or discarnate spirit, the noises you hear should cease after this cleansing.

Here are some rituals for clearing a house of unwanted spirits:

Smudging Ritual: Light the end of a sage smudge stick or a stick of sage incense and once it starts to smolder, ask out loud that all negative spirits leave the premises at once. Walk through each room of your house, wafting the smoke around windows, doorways, furniture and electronics. Be sure to smudge near electrical outlets and light fixtures as well, for these are places where spirits love to hide.

Grounding Ritual: Salt is known for its protective qualities as well as its ability to absorb negative energy and chase spirits away. For this ritual, fill a small bowl or plate with salt and then place a clear quartz crystal upright in the center to draw and ground the spirits. You can create one of these to put by your bed as well as one for any other rooms where you have experienced problems.

Stone Ritual: Certain stones are known for their protective qualities. Turquoise, lapis lazuli and malachite are exceptionally strong, so place one or more of these stones near your bed or under your pillow. You can also wear stones in a necklace, ring or bracelet for around-the-clock protection.

Typically, when our loved ones are attempting to contact us from the other side, their efforts won't appear frightening or disturbing. Though they will often come during the night, you should be able to identify them by their image, voice or emotional presence. With the exception of the tapping, none of these events suggests that your parents are trying to communicate with you. Just in case the sounds are coming from the spirits of your parents, you might ask them to reveal themselves in less disruptive and more recognizable ways.

The tapping could indicate a spirit that is trapped and hasn't moved on in the afterlife. If you're awakened by the tapping again, you should address it by praying and encouraging them to seek the light and move to the other side. Reminding any earthbound entities that it's time to move out of limbo and on to their next phase of existence should help.

*****

Mata Maya:

Given your reference to having out of body experiences, my feeling is that you are experiencing bleed through from another dimension. There are places throughout the Earth where the boundaries between this world and other dimensions of experience are very thin. There are even openings called portals through which we can travel into other worlds and beings in other worlds can travel into or close to this dimension.

When you have an out of body experience, you shift from a state of consciousness that is identified with the physical dimension, into a state of consciousness that is in harmony with another realm of experience. When you are in other dimensions like the astral, you encounter beings, lights, objects, sounds and other things that are not perceptible to those in an ordinary state of waking consciousness.

When you are falling asleep at night or waking up in the morning, you pass through this special state of consciousness associated with out of body experiences. You don't have to be technically out of your body to be in this state of mind; in fact, you may not even realize you're in this state of consciousness. All you know is that you are seeing, hearing, and otherwise perceiving some very strange things!

Further, the more we consciously project into other worlds, the thinner the boundaries between those worlds and this one become. Someone who regularly astral projects will therefore tend to create a portal in their bedroom or wherever they practice getting out of body. Their own vibration will also shift in such a way that they become something of a walking portal.

This portal flows both ways. On the other side of it, perhaps there are beings who are experiencing some very strange ghostly activity of their own when someone from this dimension pops through in a strange or ethereal way.

It's common for people who meditate a great deal, attempt astral projection, or spontaneously project to start having all sorts of other paranormal experiences. For example, they may be doing something ordinary like washing the dishes when they see an otherworldly entity or figure out of the corner of their eye, or perceive another being who isn't physically there seemingly doing ordinary things.

Most of the time, what they are experiencing is bleed through awareness of other dimensions. Often they are the only ones aware of the things they are perceiving. This is because those things aren't here in the physical; instead, it is their awareness that is expanded to include metaphysical dimensions.

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.