The Art of Listening

Dreams are probably the most popular subject when it comes to listening for answers to your questions.  They are visual masterpieces of symbolism, and most certainly spirits way of communicating with a higher power.  Write a your question on a piece of paper and put it under your pillow at night.  To understand your dreams, you should write about the dream out as soon as you wake. Put pen to paper, or type it out on the computer.  You do this for two reasons, one of which is that you have a record of the dream to refer to later, if it is indeed a prophetic dream.  It has been my experience that prophetic dreams occur right before you wake up, and you swear to God the dream is real. 

Yet other times, dreams simply assist us in identifying behaviors that are detrimental to our spirituality; or assurances of our waking life choices.    Which is the Second reason you’ll want to record your dream for reference, it makes it much easier to identify the symbolisms of the dream. 

Your intuition is just as important in determining a dream message.  Listen to your heart and be honest with yourself. 

To assist you in determining a dreams message, there are dream dictionaries that you can purchase, as well as online dictionaries that are free.  I often use www.dreammoods.com – it’s free. 

Cloud Reading is another way of receiving messages from above.  Windy days are the best.  Close your eyes and quiet your mind.  Next, meditate on the question you seek the answer to.  Look up at the clouds and reference what you see.  Is it an animal, or an object, or person?  Next, research what you seen.  If it’s an elephant, the message may have to do with ancient wisdom.  A dragon often signifies luck.

“The divine always reveals itself in nature.” – Ted Andrews, who wrote the best seller, Animal-Speak teaches us how to communicate through animals.  Respect and honor the animals and they will guide you too. 

A raven once warned me of a speeding ticket if I wasn’t watchful.  Crows and raven are watchers.  They often fly ahead of wolves and warn them of impending danger. 

On this particular day I was turning onto an on-ramp that led to a freeway.  This particular part of the freeway was under construction and it wasn’t unusual to see a patrol car parked with his radar on, just ahead as soon as you merged with the traffic. Yet, I saw a raven sitting on the speed limit sign on the on-ramp.  I wondered to myself, “What are you trying to tell me?  I know there’s a cop up a head, I see him everyday.”  I was surprised when I merged and the cop wasn’t there.  Right as I was ready to punch the gas pedal, I glanced in my rear view mirror, and there behind me was a patrol car.  If I would have stepped on the gas as I had planned, I would have been busted for sure.

The radio is another tool; a source of solutions when pondering a question.  Random music isn’t always so random. For example, I’m driving along on my way home, when a song comes on the radio called “Somebody’s Watching Me,” by Rockwell.  Chills ran up my spine.  I decided to pull into a grocery store to see what I could see.  And sure enough, a car that I had seen earlier in the day pulled in behind me.  I approached the vehicle, and the driver squirmed and twisted trying hiding her face.   But I was determined to make eye contact, and sure enough I had actually sat and spoke to this same woman in a bar/restaurant earlier in the day on the other side of town.  She turned out to be a private investigator working for the federal government, investigating a federal complaint I made against an employer.

I have found that at times the answer to my questions comes immediately, and other times the answers may come later, like in the night time as dreams.  But still there is another more direct way of seeking knowledge; it is often referred to as shamanic journeying. 

Shamanic practitioners often access the subconscious mind through repetitive drumming.   Some traditions include rattles; Australian shamans use didgeridoos and click sticks.  It’s the monotonous sounds generated that is used to enter an altered state of consciousness, allowing one to access invisible worlds.

If you would like to learn more about journeying, I suggest Sandra Ingerman’s book for beginners; it comes with a drumming CD, but of course there’s always the internet as well.

This is where the magic is.  It’s in open minds and open hearts.  Those who do not believe in magic will never find it.

 

"Together we can face any challenges as deep as the ocean

and as high as the sky." - Sonia Gandhi

 

Fish Food for the Soul

The older I get, the more I love this Earth life.  Youth may have its beauty, but with age comes the wisdom that unlocks the magic.  Still, I wish I knew then the things I know now.  How many times have you caught yourself thinking just that? 

I don’t know? Maybe one has to cultivate in order to gain wisdom.  Socrates said, “Wisdom begins with wonder,” like a child viewing life with new eyes, they question everything they come in contact with.

Where is Heaven?  What does the Creator want of me?  Why did He/She create me?  What is this life about?  These are not necessarily questions of a child, but they are those of an adult. 

We begin life on the outside and as we age we work our way in; peeling away the layers like an onion.  With each new cycle comes the arrival of a new awareness, a shift in perspectives that can only be achieved by “living.” 

When our perspective shifts, the notions we ponder upon change also.  One question leads to another so to speak.  It’s like visiting or moving to a new city. Each town has its own unique feel; our awareness shifts with movement. The new flows from our minds in the form of questions, and feeds our hearts if we are willing to listen. 

“Give us our daily bread,” is just another way of saying, feed us wisdom daily; give us fish food for the soul.  Just remember, wisdom begins with a question. 

What question do you seek the answer to?

 

“WHEN AN OLD MAN DIES, A LIBRARY BURNS TO THE GROUND.” - African Proverb