Assisting Manifestation

by eva-sangnoir @ deviantART

Finny here. 

I know we haven't posted in a long while. We've been kind of busy with our lives and paths, and frankly, we couldn't think of an appropriate topic to write about.

I've chosen to write this post only because it's something that I think could be very beneficial. There are countless resources out there on the subject of manifestation, so I doubt many of you will come across this one first, but hey - as long as it helps one person, I'm cool with that.

Manifestation has been a very applicable subject in my life - and Lulu's as well. I've recently experienced some moments of self-exploration that made me wonder exactly what my heart wants out of this life. So thanks to a lot of contemplation and assistance from Adonai/the universe in directing me on the right path, I have cultivated a number of ways to help bring about any desires you may want to manifest.

I've written a few posts about manifestation on my main blog, Voices of the Stars, so if you're interested, click on the link and have a look around. I find Adonai always says the most empowering things...

Anyway, here's a list of ways you can strengthen the power behind your manifestations:

•  Make a list of all the things you would like to manifest in your life. Do this when you have the time to completely focus on what you're writing.
• Keep a "magic journal." Magic is a creative force that is based on intent/intention. In fact, you may want to consider writing your list in this journal. For each desire you write down, jot down ideas that may assist you, paste in images that may be relevant, and record any feelings - such as excitement - that you are feeling.
• Visualize your desire daily. Set aside a few minutes to dwell on your desire and what it looks like. 
• Feel what it's like to have your desire. Are you happy? Joyful? Content? At peace? 
• Commit to other types of magic, such as candle magic or crystal magic. You don't need to be affiliated with a certain religion or be practiced with any kind of specific rituals to be able to do this. All you need is a candle or crystal - heck, you can use any object that you resonate with. Meditate with or on this item and "program" it with your desire. 
• Be involved. The universe wants to help you, but if you're lazy, it won't just manifest something without you lifting a finger. You need to get involved with your desire. Make this a daily practice. Enjoy it. Take the steps to help get it manifested if applicable. 
• Use affirmations.
• And, most important - and this applies to all points - approach your desire as though it's already manifested. What I mean by this is instead of approaching this from a "I want" or "I need" or "I will have" standpoint, use terminology that suggests you already have it, such as "I am" or "I have." The reason why this is so important is because it helps ensure manifestation. The universe's job is to maintain order and balance. Therefore, if you say you have something, and the universe sees that it's not actually there, it will work its hardest to manifest it because the energy you are giving off insists that it's there. The universe will think, "Holy crap - this energy says it's here, but where is it? I better create it."
• Last, BE POSITIVE!  

So let me give you an example using one of my own desires. I want a home that is sunny, located amongst nature, and decorated in a spiritual/ethnic/cultural/bohemian style, like so. These are the steps that I'm taking, based on the tidbits I mentioned above:

•  I have a list of most of the things I want out of life for the foreseeable future.
• I have an in-progress magic journal. At the top of one page, I wrote, "I have a home that is sunny, located amongst nature, and decorated in a spiritual/ethnic/cultural/bohemian style." I will find images of examples of such homes, and post them in this journal, or in other places I will see often. I have also written down the possibility of having a roommate to help contribute to this house, money that will help fund it, and the joy and contentment I feel having this home to return to every day.
• Every day, I visualize this house. I can see the colors of the rugs and paintings and decorations, the statuary, the abundance of plants, the fun lights and whatever else I want in this home. 
• Although I should be doing this more often, I sit with one of my crystals - my goldstone, which I feel best represents this abundance - and meditate with it, telling it that I have this house in my possession.
• Every day, I notice how I happy I am in this house. I see myself working here, creating art here, chilling with a roommate who is interested most of the same things, meditating, doing yoga, and whatever else. I get myself excited knowing it's already here.
• Every day, I tell myself: "I have this beautiful home in my possession."
• I already know I have this home, and that it will come to me when the timing is perfect.

There you go. Now, I'm not as fervent about this desire at the present moment because I'm not exactly ready to move. I'm still in school and I live with my parents; I don't have the money to jump out and find this house right now, unless circumstances make it so. I trust that the universe will deliver it at the proper time - but I know I have to keep on top of this, otherwise the universe won't think it's important. 

Manifest away!

Finny 

Developing Intuition

"Gurudev Namah" - by noisecraft @ deviantART

Everyone has some level of intuitive ability, just like everyone has some level of psychic ability. Intuition is a highly useful and versatile skill - and the best part? It's completely natural, and can be sharpened with practice and mindfulness. 

Everyone experiences intuition daily; most just don't recognize - or acknowledge - it. Yes, these are your "gut feelings," and much more. Impressions are intuitive, as well. 

Intuition is a handy skill because it not only gives you accurate perspectives of your daily life, but it also serves as a fantastic secondary skill to all the others: clairvoyance, clairaudience, and the like. Many clairvoyants, for example, are usually very intuitive, because they need to "feel out" the meaning behind the images and symbols they receive. Clairaudients may also utilize it, but usually don't need to because there's not much to interpret. It differs from individual to individual. 

Allow us to give you a few suggestions on how you can develop this skill. 

• For starters, loosen up, release your doubts, and ditch your expectations. You want to put yourself in an "observant" mode so you can pay attention to what you receive without analyzing it. Chances are, you won't receive what you expect, so just don't expect anything. As for doubt - this is almost as strong an obstacle as fear. Just put this aside and KNOW your intuition is right.
• Approach this in a fun, lighthearted manner. If you take it seriously, you'll just cause unnecessary doubt.  
• Play games. Playing cards are a good tool for a few psychic skills. Try to see if you can "feel" the color of the card, or what the suit is, or how high the numerical value is. When someone calls you, try to feel who it is (don't use your logic!). If you're in public, try to "feel" certain things about the people around you. What does you gut say about them? Do they feel "bad"? Where do you think they're going? If you're seeing a friend later in the day, try to determine whether you can feel what color they're wearing. Have fun with it! If you're wrong, shrug it off and keep practicing.
• Utilize intuition on daily choices. What food do you "feel" is best for you today? What clothing item is best suited for you? Don't approach this from a logical basis. Take a few deep breaths, turn your focus inward, and listen to what your intuition has to say. 
• Try meditation. Meditation is good for calming the mind - and when the mind is calm, it makes it easier for you to identify your intuitive "voice."
•  Use it in conjunction with other skills you're developing. Use it as your "confirmation" to see whether what you received is accurate. 
• Be aware of your intuition - as much as possible. A good way to program yourself to do this is to ask yourself several times a day, "What does my intuition have to say about ____?" This could be a food item, or a certain person, or the weather. You can also simply say, "I am fully aware of my intuition and all of its impressions."

Intuition may not be as "flashy" as the other spiritual skills, but it's quite important, seeing how it usually gives you confirmation for the guidance you receive. That "knowing" feeling in your gut is a sign that yes, what you received is accurate, so you need to pay attention to it. With regular practice and awareness, you'll be able to utilize your intuition in ways you didn't think were possible.

Best of luck,
Lulu and Finny xx

Dealing with Empathy

Courtesy of parablev @ deviantART

Empathy is the most common spiritual skill - and for a good reason. Humankind is, by nature, quite sociable, and always longing for connection of some sort. With this longing for connection comes a natural inclination to pick up on the emotions of others. Many people possess the skill of empathy but don't refer to it as "spiritual," because they often equate it with sympathy. Sympathy and empathy are two different things. While sympathy is the mere acknowledgement of another's emotions - usually suffering - empathy is the experience. One has to feel the emotion for his or herself to be called an empath.

Dealing with empathy is a struggle for many individuals. Most see the gift as a curse because they have no idea how to control or deal with it. Being in highly populated places may result in emotional agony. But there are ways to manage this gift.

Now, in this "soul sisterhood" of ours, Lulu is the stronger empath, so these suggestions are really all hers. Finny only experiences empathy with Lulu - at least for now. 

So if you're an empath struggling under your gift, here are a few friendly tips on how to deal with it:

• If you're starting to feel a strong emotion, ask yourself: "Is this how I'm feeling? Is this emotion coming from me or someone else?"
•  Once you've established this, identify the individual whose feeling you may be absorbing if it's not your own.
• If the emotion isn't your own, tell yourself that you can accept this feeling and move on, because it doesn't belong to you. Be gentle - don't try to push it away with force.
• Visualizing a shield, a white aura, or any other kind of bubble can help you deal with more negative energies. However, avoid "mirroring" emotions. Many people tend to want to construct mirrors or walls that are meant to "deflect" incoming emotions, but when you do this, you are reflecting those emotions onto other people. Some may be more aware of it than others, but it's better if you create a visual shield that allows the emotion to pass through you - just in a gentler, more tolerable way.
• Grounding and centering can help bunches, as well. If you pick up on a strong negative energy, ground it (visualize roots or anything else that suits you) so you don't have to carry it with you.
• If you're absolutely sure it's coming from someone else, it's probably a strong connection, in which case it's advised to step up all the aforementioned points. Ask your spirit team for assistance, such as an "emergency" shutdown of empathic ability if it gets to be too much. Lulu, for instance, imagines herself "slamming the door" to make it clear she wants nothing to enter. 
• On the other hand, if you feel as though you're picking up on the emotions of many (like a melting pot), go through with the aforementioned points anyway. 
• If the emotion persists, you might want to consider that it may be your own energy.
• Be confident, but don't be forceful. You are in charge of your ability and you are definitely in charge of your space. 

Empathy doesn't have to be a curse. Remind yourself just how beautiful it is for you to be connecting with so many of your kin - even if these connections bring about suffering. When you can empathize with someone, you can really help to heal them - and healing is what this world needs most right now.

Best of luck,
Lulu and Finny xx

Developing Your Psychic Skills

"Orphic Awakening" - by asage @ deviantART

To be honest, we prefer the term "spiritual skills," but we know that people will search "psychic" before "spiritual." 

Psychic/spiritual abilities are becoming increasingly popular by the year - even by the day. People are drawn to the idea of seeing beyond the limited five senses, because they're interested in exploring a power that is in no way "supernatural." In fact, it's extremely natural. But like most spiritual activities and occurrences, it was shut down by society - why? Because people thought of it as unknown, unnatural, and therefore frightening.

When developing spiritual abilities, it's best to go with the one that comes easiest to you. If you're more visual, go with clairvoyance. If you're more auditory, go with clairaudience. If you easily pick up on the feeling of spirit, go with clairsentience. And so on. 

Another thing to keep in mind is FEAR. We'll say to you now that fear is a huge obstacle and will prevent you from truly opening up to spirit. It's wise to examine why you want to learn these skills to begin with. Are you wanting them to explore your inner self? To help others? Or do you want them so that you can impress people? Be aware that selfish intentions will not assist you in your quest to develop these skills. As for fear, here is a message from Source on the subject.

Developing Clairvoyance

Clairvoyance is a visual skill and therefore works best for those who can easily visualize, or have a good imagination. You will probably be working with your spirit team/guides for most of these exercises, and although you don't necessarily need to know them to be able to develop the skill, it'll be for your benefit if you are aware of at least one of them. If you need some assistance discovering your guides, check out this link. 

+ Play games with your guides. Get creative. Ask them to send you a picture, a scene, or a color, and pay attention to what pops into your head. Remember what we said about information that seems to "pop in." 

+ Use a deck of cards. Ask your guide(s) to join you and show you the color of each card in your mind's eye. Keep track of how many you get right and wrong (and the colors of each). Do this daily (this is also good for the intuition).

+ Work on your imagination and visualization skills. If you have downtime, practice visualizing an old house or school or workplace, or even try to visualize all the details in one of the rooms of your current house. Detail is the key. If you can see lots of details in your mind's eye, you're setting yourself up for a strong sense of clairvoyance.

+ When reading people, ask to see a color that best represents them, and see what pops into your head. When you seem proficient at this, try symbols, images, or scenes.

+ Spend time with your guides. Go on "meditation adventures," and immerse yourself in an imaginary world. Notice all the details of this place.

+ Soak yourself in as much imagery as possible. The more you know and are aware of, the easier it'll be for your guides to communicate visually with you. They use what's in your head, so the more you have available in there, the better off you'll be. 

+ If you have downtime, try to "see" the lives of people around you. What kind of scenes come to you? 

+ Imagination and open-mindedness is key. Let go of the doubt. KNOW that you are developing this skill. Make it fun.

Developing Clairaudience

This pretty much aligns with clairvoyance - just on a word basis.

+ Play games with your guides. Ask them to send you a word or phrase, or some kind of song lyrics, and pay attention to what pops into your head. 

+ When you go to sleep, instead of trying to tune out the noise around you, focus on it, and see how far you can push out your awareness. Is a TV on downstairs? Can you hear voices from next door? Dogs barking? Cars on the street? 

+ Do the same thing when you're passing time, such as at work or in class, etc. Close your eyes (if you can) and pay attention to all the sounds around you: pencils scribbling, pages being flipped, keys being typed, voices, footsteps, etc. By doing this, you are practicing conscious hearing, which will sharpen your awareness of the sounds you hear inside your head.

+ Know your own voice. Know what it's like to form your own thoughts - that way, you can easily identify those that don't belong to you. Clairaudience manifests either as your own voice, or another's voice. Get familiar with the way your mind works.

+ Practice auto-writing as a means of writing down the voices, thoughts, and sounds you hear, or keep a journal of things you were aware of throughout your day. This will encourage the subconscious to more strongly recognize messages from spirit.

+ Once again, open-mindedness is key. Let go of any doubt and KNOW you are developing this skill.

Developing Claircognizance 

Unfortunately, claircognizance isn't so much a skill you can "practice" - it's more a skill you have to pay attention to.

+ Start by making the intention to your guides that you would like to start receiving information claircognizantly. 

+ From then on, start paying close attention to the information that comes to you through your day. Notice what you "know", or any data that seems to have been dropped into your head. 

+ Keep a journal to record this, so your subconscious knows to start paying closer attention.

+ Pay attention to any inspirational bursts you receive, for this is frequently claircognizance. 

+ When asking someone for the truth about something, try and determine whether this person may be lying. You may already have a "knowing" that he/she is. 

+ Auto-write, and often. Channeling is most often claircognizant information coming through, so sit down with your guides or source self and write about a certain topic. Ask them questions you wouldn't know about, and see what comes through. 

+ If you're able - or willing - make time to meditate. Divine guidance comes through more easily when you are relaxed.

+ KNOW you are claircognizant. Set the intention to develop this skill, and let go of doubt. It's very easy to be doubtful when you have no idea where your information is coming from. 

Developing Clairalience/Clairgustance

Like claircognizance, clairalience and clairgustance (taste) are trickier to "practice" - especially for those who have never experienced it before. 

+ Play games with your guides. Ask them for a scent that represents them and see what comes to mind, or ask them to give you a random scent/taste. 

+ Try creating a scent/taste yourself and see if you can bring it to your physical nose or mouth. Replicating these aromas/flavors will help you identify them later on.

+ Take notice of all the scents and flavors you come across during your day, and for an extra boost, write them down. Writing things down is a very good way to encourage your subconscious to become more aware of them. Notice the smells around people who pass you. Notice the "details" of food, both in the nose and on the tongue. When you're outside, become aware of all the plants, flowers, and other earthy smells. The more you associate with your nose and mouth, the stronger and more frequently clairalience and clairgustance will come to you.

Developing Clairsentience

Since the initial stages of clairsentience only occur spontaneously (tingles in the presence of spirit, goosebumps, etc.), it can be a little tricky to develop this skill. You might need a little more patience for this one.

+ Start by stating your intention to your guides. Tell them you would like to develop clairsentience, and to impulse you with tingles or goosebumps or energy waves whenever they would like to make themselves known.

+ Play games with them, as well. Ask them to touch an area of your body and see if you can feel anything. You can even use this in conjunction with other clair games; for instance, if you want to confirm a color you received via clairvoyance, ask them to touch or impulse you as confirmation.

+ Depend on your imagination. Imagination is a powerful tool, and people are often misled into believing that everything they receive from then on is a result of their creation, but this isn't true. Imagination is a stimulator that encourages your subconscious to actually do whatever it is you're imagining. You're programming it, basically. So imagine feeling spirits in a room, or imagine your guides really touching you (if you can't seem to feel them).

+ When this skill develops, you'll be able to expand it to all of your senses. At this point, you need to become hyper-aware, as this will make your subconscious hyper-aware. Pay attention to how you perceive color, or darkness, or light. Pay attention to how things feel against your skin, like wind or heat. People have become so dulled out that they walk around like zombies, oblivious to a world rich in creation. When you become hyper-aware of yourself and your surroundings, you can pick up on things you wouldn't have noticed otherwise. You will probably start feeling and seeing energy. In fact, imagine you are doing so. 

+ When you become adept at being hyper-aware, try "pushing" your senses outward  and seeing what you pick up. Sense the surroundings beyond your house, your neighborhood. See if you can pick up on the energy of movement, or if any smells/sights/sensations come to you. Immerse yourself. Start with imagination if you seem to be struggling.

Conclusion

Developing your psychic/spiritual skills takes TIME and PRACTICE, as well as good intentions. If you plan on acquiring such skills so you can invade others' privacy, forget about it. You won't get anywhere. Dedication is essential. Don't let yourself get discouraged if you don't seem to be getting results. Good, solid results take time and effort, but we assure you that with practice, you'll be seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, and tasting (ew?) the spirit world!

Lulu and Finny xx

   

Discovering Your Guides

Interpretative portrait of guide. Art by Finny.

We say "discovering" instead of "meeting" because you already know your guides at a soul level... you just have to remember who they are.
There are many other ways to go about this, so don't think our techniques/suggestions are the only ones to try. You've probably read a lot about guides by now and various "traditional" ways to discover them. Here's what we have to say on the topic.

(For information about who guides are, see Finny's blog.)

The first step in rediscovering your guides is to set your intention. Make it clear to yourself and your team that you wish to remember who they are and why they're with you. If they agree it's an appropriate time to show themselves, they'll start making their preparations. This is when you'll need to keep a sharp eye out.

Meditation isn't the only method to achieve contact. If meditation doesn't seem to be working for you, then don't feel discouraged. There are many other ways to go about this. In fact, Finny didn't meet any of her team members in meditation. If you're a more creative, imaginative individual, chances are you'll have more success with our methods.

Imagination is actually a vital way to communicate and experience your guides. People tend to believe they're "making stuff up," but it's actually facilitating the communication between you and your guides. Therefore, activities such as daydreaming or doodling can be perfect ways for guides to "sneak stuff in." You don't have to be in a meditative state for this, but if you can imitate that state-of-mind you acquire while daydreaming or randomly doodling, you'll have a good chance of being open to guide communication. 

Keep an open mind. Picture yourself in a beautiful place. For example, Lulu pictures herself at a beach. Whenever she needs to speak to her guide Ben, she visualizes herself on this beach, and communication is made easy. Now when you see yourself at this place, invite your guide(s) forth, keep an open mind, and see what pops up. Don't worry about what "may" come through. Just notice what you see, hear, or feel. Take notice of what comes quickly to you, because this is often from your spirit companions (spirit feels quick and light... therefore, if you feel your mind "working" to create something, it's probably not from spirit). Do you see a certain color? Light? Energy? An actual human guise? You might also see a cartoon character, or an animal. You might feel an incredible presence of love and peace. Make the experience enjoyable, and don't fret about the results.

Interpretative portrait of guide. Art by Finny.

 Listen to your instincts and your intuition. You may have an impression of who your guide is. You may "feel" the color or form rather than see it. Go with whatever resonates at an intuitive level. 

Another thing to consider is your surroundings and past. Have you always seen or loved a certain animal? Or perhaps have a connection to a name that seems to follow you? This is probably a guide trying to make itself known. Guides leave a trail of breadcrumbs for us to follow, which often go unseen because our gaze is fixed firmly ahead of us - not toward the ground. 

If you don't want to picture yourself in a pretty place, try just sitting quietly, asking your guide to show you the color that best represents it, and see what pops up. This is how Finny first perceives guides. Let go of judgment. Scrutinize the color with your gut - does it "feel" right? What does this color communicate or mean to you? 

You can do the same thing with words and feelings or just general images. Ask them the symbol that suits them best, or a word, or a feeling. It will probably be subtle at first, but keep trying, and maintain an open mind. The possibilities are endless, so avoid preconceived ideas. 

If this doesn't seem to elicit anything, try asking them to appear in your dreams. Write down a request or make your intention known as you fall asleep. This is especially good for those who have good dream recall. When you wake up, write down what you experienced (it's good to keep a dream journal anyway) and consider the characters, symbols, and context. Did you wake up with a certain name in your head? Someone who didn't look familiar to you? A certain theme of colors or symbols? Animals, maybe? All these details will help you recognize your guide. Keep in mind, though, that guides do not "control" our dreams - you do. Therefore, it's quite a feat for your guides to slip in references to themselves if your subconscious doesn't think they're good "actors" or "props" for your specific dream feature. Some references will be obvious. Others, not so much. It all depends on what your subconscious approves of. 

And if somehow none of these suggestions seem to work, create your guide's "identity" yourself. Your guides have no problem whatsoever with this. Inform your guide of your intention and then use that "identity" to assist communication with it. Your guides don't care as long as you're communicating and open to their guidance. So don't feel like your efforts are "false" because you created an identity for your guide rather than the other way around. 

It's important to remember that there are countless ways to discover your guides. None of them are wrong, nor are any of the connections "inferior." Everyone experiences guides differently. Don't freak out if someone doesn't perceive your guide in the same way - most don't. Use your own strengths to build your connection. If you're a daydreamer, use daydreaming as a tool for exploration. If you're more auditory, ask for messages through song and sound. It's all about finding out what works for you. 

The more you work with your team, the stronger the connection will be.

Lulu and Finny xx