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4 Ways to Invite Good Juju into Your Life, by Najah Lightfoot

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

What is good juju? How you can create it? How can you keep it flowing positively in your life?

Good juju is a handshake with Spirit. It is an acknowledgement, an agreement, and a commitment you keep with your higher power, deities, ancestors, and divine beings, on a consistent basis.

Good juju recognizes that you not alone on your path. It recognizes that many have come before you, and also that many shall come after you. It recognizes your belief in a Higher Power, forces at work, seen and unseen, greater than yourself. Good juju lies in the morning sunrise, the whispers of the wind, the ebb and flow of the ocean, the gurgling of a mountain stream.

It wafts around you as sweet incense smoke, makes your heart race to the beating of the drum, and focuses your gaze in the flame of a candle.

Good juju exists within and without. It is a smile freely given to a stranger, a helping hand to child, aid to a person in need, or an act of random kindness. It is forgiveness, tolerance and acceptance, higher ideals continually striven for, even if it takes you a lifetime to reach them.

Good juju is patient. It realizes not all goals can be achieved or met in a day, a week, or maybe even in one's lifetime. But surely as you take a step towards it, it will meet you and greet you with open arms, as long as you are willing, open, honest, and sincere.

So how can you begin to cultivate and create good juju in your life? Let's explore some simple and powerful ways you can do on a consistent basis.

1. 1. Honor Your Ancestors
      As we are nature-centric and earth-focused people, many us are familiar with keeping an ancestor altar or with the sacred holiday of Samhain, where we set a place for our beloveds on the other side of the veil. And most everyone, Pagan and non-Pagan, have attended a service, a funeral, or a celebration of life for a loved one who has passed on. But besides these once-a-year festivities, how can you remember your ancestors on a daily basis, and keep them close to you?You can pour water to them. Water is Life. Water connects us all. As above, so below, water lies beneath the earth's surface as groundwater and above the earth as moisture in the atmosphere.

      So, on a consistent basis that you determine for yourself (be it daily, weekly, or monthly), pour water upon the earth in the name of those who have gone before you. Say their names aloud, then pour water to them, and after you finish pouring water to them, take a drink for yourself, for you, too, are part of living water circle of life.

      And speaking of ancestors, not all those whom you refer to as "ancestor" needs to be related to you by blood. There are many people who pass away for whom we may have affection or have been affected by their sojourn on earth. It is totally okay to honor these people in your water prayers. I have found pouring water for those who have passed tragically or violently, even though I may have never met them, to be an extremely healing ritual. I may not continue to call their names every day, but I do call them for as long as it spiritually resonates with me. I also honor those who have had tremendous influence in my life, when they pass away, whether I am biologically related to them or knew them personally. For the act of pouring water to one who has passed away, is love, unconditionally given and received by the earth.

1. 1. Be Consistent
      One of the most powerful acts you can do as a magical person is to practice consistency. The act of performing the same prayers, blessings, or rituals on a consistent basis is highly underrated.Most people think of spell work or rituals as something you do every once in a while or as needed or only when the Moon is full, but truly your power lies in developing a spiritual practice, that builds on the foundation of consistency.

      And what you do consistently as a magical person doesn't need to be elaborate. It can be as simple as lighting a candle with sincere intention every morning or evening, it could be pausing and blowing a kiss to the moon every night, it could be burning sage every sunrise, or saying a daily, heartfelt prayer to your deities. What matters most is to be consistent. The Universe likes patterns. Magick responds to rituals and rites done over and over again. Faith builds on practice.

      So be consistent. Consistency is a sure way to build good juju.

1. 1. Build Relationships with Plants, Flowers, and Trees
      Many people are drawn to earth-based practices because they have an innate, intimate relationship with nature. Many magical practitioners find great comfort and solace when they are outside under the stars or gazing at a sunrise. For many of us, Mother Nature is our trusted guide, confidant, and friend.Having a relationship with plants, flowers, and trees comes naturally to many people on the spiritual path, but that doesn't mean that everyone feels that way, or is adept at planting a garden or caring for plants. In fact, for some people, the very thought of caring for living plants could be the last thing they ever want to do.

      Yet, even for those people, nature is always present. As humans, nature is with us everyday, whether we actively cultivate plants, flowers, or trees. As soon as you wake up, and step outside your door or look out your window, nature is there. No one lives without the light of the sun or the glow of the moon. Here are few simple ways to connect with Nature on a daily basis:

      • When you pass a tree, touch it, smile at it, and say, "Hello."
      • If you see a flower, thank it for growing and bringing color and beauty into your life.
      • In the grocery store, take an extra moment in the produce section and admire all the wonderful vegetables and their glorious array of colors. Say a silent, "Thank you," for the bounty and harvest of nature.
      • At night, find the one star that twinkles seemingly just for you, and take a moment to gaze lovingly at it, while you admire its light that has traveled for thousands of years, just so you could see it.

1. Be Kind and Helpful
   It seems that in the age in which we are living, rudeness, being snarky, and using vicious vitriol is the norm.People are routinely bullied, harassed, and criticized. The invention of the internet and social media has made it easy to be mean, spiteful, and hateful. It is now so easy to hurt people's feelings, and with no thought to the wide ripple those acts create in the ocean of human emotions and feelings.

   So, if an opportunity presents itself for you as a magical person to perform a random act of kindness, pay a compliment, say something nice on someone's social media feed or page, do it!

   Smile at a stranger! Give a dollar to someone begging on the street. Hold the door open for someone whose hands are full; put an extra quarter in a parking meter; send a heartfelt thankful, sincere, compliment; say, "Hello" to your neighbor; resist the temptation to spread gossip; show up at a friend's event or their children's event; pick up trash when you see it on the ground or in a park.

The possibilities are endless and limitless for creating good juju. Let your heart and soul be your guide, and surely you will find yourself blessed 3x3x3, when you become the creator of good juju in your life, and in the lives of others.

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

I had a strange experience a few months ago, and I hope you can tell me what was happening. My father and I were sitting in the car late one evening, waiting to pick my sister up from work, as we didn't want her driving alone at night. Both of us soon dozed off. When I began to fall asleep, I felt very relaxed and comfortable, but I soon had the unsettling feeling that I was falling out of my body, if that makes any sense. I started hearing loud voices talking, but I couldn't understand what any of them were saying. I got scared and tried to scream, but only managed to gasp and whisper "Dad," because I felt like I couldn't breathe. At that point I became aware of where I was and what had happened, and realized that my father had slept through the whole thing. At first I was very disturbed and frightened by the experience, but now I wonder. I have been trying to further develop my psychic abilities, mainly so that I can communicate with my guardian angels. Do you think that my experience has anything to do with my efforts at psychic development? Whose voices did I hear? Could they have been my angels, and if so, how can I do this again? Thanks very much!

- Renee

Dreamchaser:

Renee, you are describing an astral travel or out of body experience. There are many names for it, but it all is the same thing.

I have said repeatedly in this column that when we sleep, our souls leave our bodies to go where they need to go to do whatever soul work most needs doing. When our subconscious mind is shut down and we are not THINKING, our soul can get a whole lot of work accomplished. You just happened to be aware that all of this was happening.

There are two different "normal" scenarios. The first is we wake up with a start, look around and have NO idea where we are, what day it is, what time it is, what we are doing there, or sometimes even who we are. Slowly, the fog lifts and we start to realize what is going on. That happens when our minds/bodies wake up before our souls have time to get back first. We wake up with a start because we actually feel our souls falling back into our bodies, like a person jumping through the doors of a subway train to catch it before it leaves the station. This is actually the more common of the two scenarios. Since our souls are who we really are, if our souls have not come back yet, then we do not have any real understanding of who/what is going on since WE are not there yet.

The second situation is when our souls either get back to our bodies or leave our bodies before our minds do. That is when we are completely aware of what is going on in the Otherworld, but our minds are not with us so we cannot process or comprehend what is going on - we just know that we are afraid. That is what happened to you. You felt your soul leave as you felt that FALLING feeling. Again, you are your soul, therefore you WERE falling out of your body in a manner of speaking. When this happens, people usually jerk UPWARD. If you watch someone sleep, you will see it happen.

As we embark on a spiritual path and welcome new lessons and opportunities, we will start to have more and more bizarre things happen around us and to us. Of course this is a lesson for you, Renee. You asked to see angels and spirits, and what happened? You "saw" them, or at the very least heard them, and immediately you "yelled" for your Dad. Grin. This is a great example of our spirits wanting to grow, and our logical minds trying to interfere via fear, doubt, or any other block we choose to throw up. The next time it happens, try to go with the flow and see where it takes you. You are not in any danger, and you will not in any way be harmed. You are merely "dreaming."

I wish you VIVID "dreams."

2553

Astrea:

What you describe happening to you in your car is a brief experience of Astral Travel. Many people have this happen as they are falling asleep or waking up. When we are in the process of falling asleep or awakening, there is a short time where our Souls are able to travel to other places and dimensions. Some people like to develop this skill so that they can expand it into whole journeys. Some can even do this while awake and aware of their physical surroundings.

Most people, at some time or another, experience something similar to what happened to you. Small children do it all the time, and they have very little fear about doing it or describing it to others. The older we get, the more difficult it is to accept this as a NATURAL part of our existence.

The sensation of spirit leaving the physical plane is always disconcerting at first. The first time someone notices this happening as an adult, it can be very frightening. I've heard many people describe the feeling you had of trying to call out for help but not having their voice cooperate. Without the Body and Spirit connected, you have little or no control over the physical body your spirit has left behind. You probably felt very vulnerable and helpless, which is NEVER FUN.

The voices you heard were the voices of people who were either Astral Traveling at the same time you were, or people Beyond the Veil. If you plan to work on this aspect of your spirituality, with practice you'll be able to discern the different voices and what they are trying to say to you or to each other. In Astral Travel, we often psychically "eavesdrop" on other people's visits and conversations without meaning to. Sound is one of the easiest things to discern when Astral Traveling.

Without knowing exactly what else you have been doing to develop your other psychic skills and abilities, it's difficult for me to pinpoint why this would happen to you at this time. It probably has a lot to do with your age and the open attitude you've been developing through practice and study.

Check out your local library for books about Astral Travel and out of body experiences, and if you feel this is the direction you should go to get closer to your Angels and Guides, try to find someone in your area who is either an expert or has had a lot of personal experience with this kind of work. Astral Travel can be scary, but it's usually also very rewarding. It opens doors that our conscious mind won't open for us in this busy time, and it can lead us to many different wonderful experiences.

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.