The Psychic Voyage – Psychedelic or Not?

The last time I smoked pot I was 14 years old.
It was such a horrible and paranoid experience for me that I never wanted to repeat it. After all, I was already going on these kinds of inner journeys without the aid of outside substances.

The first time I did drugs is another story altogether – that actually happened BEFORE I was born.

Growing up in the counter-culture hippie movement taught me a lot about drugs and their uses and misuses. Since I was always psychically open through all this, I learned that drugs were a real no-no for me personally, it was just too, too much.

But many people who want to pursue an inner journey do want to use drugs and other substances to get there. I found a website that does a great job of giving the overview on what this is all about, you can take a look HERE at Deoxy.

About 10 years ago, I did a channelling where the guides said in no uncertian terms that there “were no schools at this time on planet earth that were capable of handling or teaching the mysteries that the substances of drugs offered.” They went on to warn that each substance has it’s own level of consciousness, and therefore it’s own agenda. This was enough for me.

Of all the people I have known who have used substances to further their journey, none of them have opened in a way that I consider particularly enlightened or enlightening. On the other hand, I have known several who have died from it, and far more who have slipped into something resembling insanity.

Back in the day, when I first started doing psychic readings for clients, I worked at the Psychic Eye Bookshop in Venice Ca. One day, this guy came in to have a reading from me. He sat down in front of me and started asking me all these questions about his studies. I just couldn’t stop staring at the area above his head. I’d never seen anything like it before in my life. It looked like a funnel cloud was coming out of the side of his head – you know, like the hurricane that lifted Dorothy off to OZ.

So I asked him if he did a lot of LSD. He looked startled for a second, then said .”yes” and went on to tell me about all the dozens and dozens of times he’d done it. I told him to stop, that it was causing damage to his Aura, and that it may already be past repair. To me, it was like creating an extra bypass valve on your heart in order to get your blood from one side of your body to the other; both unneeded and dangerous.

You see, we can do all of this stuff naturally. This is what the deeper mysteries of yogic breathing and buddhism are all about. In fact, the body has built in fail-safes to keep you from causing damage or going past the areas where you aren’t ready to go. Using drugs bypass these fail-safes. That’s why people are attracted to them. That’s also why they are dangerous to your psychic and spiritual development.

And in the end, the drugs are not a shortcut to spiritual development. Quite the opposite actually. What happens when someone starts to lean on a substance to access the inner realms is that the substance becomes the goal or ‘god’ of the experience. And real spirituality is lost on the journey.

Money is a Spiritual Concept

I bargained with Life for a penny,
And Life would pay no more,
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty store.

For Life is a just employer,
He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.

I worked for a menial’s hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have willing paid.”

-Jessie Belle Rittenhouse

To unlock the real path to prosperity try THIS

Dog Totem

As many varieties of Dogs as there are, this is how many varieties of Totem energy the Dog can share with you. I will try to cover the basics, but Dog medicine has a very wide application, this is probably why so many people have dogs as pets. Dog also has a lot to do with creature comforts, which is also why they are so popular as pets in the Western world. With Dog totem you find the contrast between living with and by the wits vs. the lazy, easy domesticated life. Environment will do a great deal to influence this.

Dog totem isn’t exactly ‘one size fits all’ but close. Dog is a very all-around kind of totem to have, and your specific breed, coloring and temperament will give you a lot of detail about the wisdom your animal has to share with you.

Also, remember that some totems come and go in our lives, while others are permanent or lifelong. This brings me to one of the main qualities of Dog as a totem – loyalty. Dog medicine is loyal, it is unconditional and generally unfussy (but this can vary by breed). Dog is a pack animal and there is a distinction between the different roles that Dog can play within his natural tribe. If you live with a lot of dogs – like I do, 8 Tibetan Mastiffs – it is very different that living with just one. Living with a pack is all about society, managing many different agendas and keeping the crowd in check. When you live with a group of Dogs as a human, your ‘Alpha’ skills will be put to the test, since, with so many personalities to contend with, there is always someone who will find the cracks in your attention span and wiggle through! Totem Dog as pack is about finding and creating consensus, it is also about paying attention and managing the needs of a lot of beings.

The meaning of an individual Dog has a great deal to do with having a loyal, committed and devoted relationship. Dogs, and dog people are certainly devoted. Some can allow themselves to be misused because of this, but it is usually a choice. Dog will let you know if you’ve crossed the line, as all Dogs have a bark and the ability to make their displeasure known.

Dog totem medicine will be reflected in the type of breed that enters your life. A small hunting dog, like a Yorkie is very different than a Hound. Each category of dog medicine teaches something about the way in which that type of dog operates in the world. Hound for example may be teaching you a great deal about tracking things, remembering details and hanging in there until all the pieces fall into place and you are able to find what you are after. It’s a great totem for a detective.

Small hunting dogs like Yorkies and Terriers are all about focused determination and getting something accomplished no matter what obstacles come in the way. This is true also for the dachshounds, but being a hound there is more focus on the process than the goal.

Family style dogs like retrievers and labs are ‘fetchers’ and bring a sharp focus to the household on what is being ‘brought’ or bought. Often these dogs belong to people who are endless shoppers, after all, the focus is on getting things and bringing them home.

Mastiffs are hunters and more restrained than most other breeds. The medicine of the Mastiff teaches us how to go out and do what needs doing and ‘make the kill.’ Don’t let the sweet disposition of this type of dog fool you! Hunters hunt, and those with Mastiff totem must also hunt to survive. This dog will sharpen your survival skills and put you squarely in touch with your instincts. They can also teach dignity and confidence. After all, hunters don’t need to jump around for approval, they have all the skills they need to take care of themselves with our without you.

At the other extreme; the poodle is the only dog bred purely for fashion. As a totem though, Poodle is very useful in teaching us about human games, social graces and expectations. Poodle is probably the smartest of all the dog families and helps to teach those who have it as a totem how to properly use the mind, the intellect and mental faculties. Poodle with sharpen your wits, make you use them and teach you how to fight fairly.

Running dogs, like the whippet on the other hand, are very much about mental energy. As a totem this dog brings you into contact with a very high level of sensitivity, a finely tuned radar, intelligence and even psychic ability. But be aware that such a nervous type, needs soothing and comfort, which this dog totem teaches by virtue of making you aware of nerves and stress. This is a Dog that will teach you how to be calm! On the other hand, the runners are almost mystical in their ability to aid their owners on vision quests or other soaring flights of the spirit.

All dog medicine can, to some extent help you get in touch with your instinct, and also with the ability and need to quest for meaning and visions in your life. The Dog mind wants to do it’s own thing, and isn’t naturally inclined to obedience. Instead, Dog totem teaches about negotiating, training and gently guiding the self and others towards a desired goal or outcome. Of course this is a preference of training – but I never recommend being harsh or mean to an animal, it simply isn’t necessary and will create more problems in the long run.

In the end, the dog totem teaches us all about creating alignment, agreement and getting to a place of instinctual comfort and oneness with the self, the environment and the totem dog as well.

‘Leviticus’ and Dr. Laura

I am reposting an e-mail I just got. I don’t know where it was originally
posted, or I would give credit, but the author is credited at the bottom
of the page. I found this hilarious – I hope you do too.

In her radio show, Dr Laura Schlesinger said that, as an observant
Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus
18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following
response is an open letter to Dr. Laura, penned by a US resident, which
was posted on the Internet. It’s funny, as well as informative:

Dear Dr. Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God’s Law. I
have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that
knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the
homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus
18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination … End of debate.

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements
of God’s Laws and how to follow them.

1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and
female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend
of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you
clarify? Why can’t I own Canadians?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in
Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair
price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her
period of Menstrual uncleanliness – Lev.15: 19-24. The problem is how do
I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a
pleasing odor for the Lord – Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They
claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2
clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill
him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an
abomination, Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality.
I don’t agree. Can you settle this? Are there ‘degrees’ of abomination?

7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have
a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does
my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair
around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev.
19:27. How should they die?

9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me
unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different
crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of
two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to
curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the
trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev.24:10-16.
Couldn’t we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we
do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy
considerable expertise in such matters, so I’m confident you can help.

Thank you again for reminding us that God’s word is eternal and unchanging.

Your adoring fan.

James M. Kauffman, Ed.D. Professor Emeritus, Dept. Of Curriculum,
Instruction, and Special Education University of Virginia

(It would be a damn shame if we couldn’t own a Canadian

The Magic of Dandelion

Usually considered a pesky weed most people overlook the physical and mystical powers of the common dandelion.

Dandelion floats on the wind

More than just some pretty flower, or fuzzy game that children play in the field, the Dandelion has many uses, for crafts, comfort and as a potent plant remedy.

The major association of the Dandelion is with the Solar Plexus or 3rd Chakra. The energy of the flower/plant itself helps to ground, calm and strengthen one’s inner spirit. Much like the ‘lion’ part of it’s name, the Dandelion is helpful as a tonic and fortifier of one’s inner courage, strength and stamina.

Ironically, this little dandelion plant is loaded with energy inducing B vitamins – and can be used as a coffee replacement. Far from the jittery effects of coffee, the dandelion root when dried and ground can be a calming, energizing elixir that does for you all the things coffee wishes it could.

A cup of Dandelion coffee can be brewed alone or in combination with a small amount of actual coffee. Some people enjoy a 50/50 mix. I myself often brew a two thirds Dandelion to one third coffee mix. I find Dandelion root to be mellower and smoother than coffee, without the acidic flavors. I actually enjoy it more than coffee, it gives me more energy and does not give me the jitters or a post coffee blood sugar crash.

The Dandelion is also used for making vegetable dyes. It is usually used with an Alum mordant and the small but mighty Dandelion can produce three distinct colors for dye. The flower produces Yellow – which is rather common and easy to come by in vegetable dyes. The stems however produce the more difficult to achieve through nature shade of fuchsia or hot pink. But most prized is the root because it is one of the few places you can get a natural purple pigment. So save some from your coffee and use it for a dye!

Remedies from the Dandelion plant are perhaps the most useful and impressive of all. This common plant has been said to help heal and prevent cancers of all kinds. Normally the leaves would be dried and taken as tea in order to use as a remedy. The tea is also a digestive stimulant and will relieve constipation. Other dandilion remedies are made by potentizing the plant through a tincture or oil. This isn’t difficult, but it is easy to get wrong, and best left to those with the proper training.

AS A TOTEM: The Dandelion helps you to get in touch with your courage, inner strength, stamina and ability to hold your own in all kinds of challenges and situations. This is a great herb to introduce to teens since it can help one to stand up to social pressures and connect to their own instincts and inner ‘knowing’ of what is right for them.

The Dandelion can really help someone who falls too much into the habit of people pleasing and helps to fortify ones ability to feel good about and approve of themselves without needing outside recognition. It also encourages feelings of genuine optimism and well-being as well as adding sunshine to a persons disposition.

The dandelion helps us to find, feel and honor our essential and true inner nature, helps to eliminate unwanted influences and will help to cut out those people, situations and habits that are bad for us. I might call it the perfect herb to cure co-dependency. Of course the plant can’t do that all by itself, but it can sure help!

I find it interesting that this potent and happy plant has such a bad reputation in our current society. Sure, it grows in abundance, but I believe that nature and the Great Goddess have given it to us in such large amounts because we need it so much. Our common social structure discourages people from trusting their own instincts and inner knowing, but in a natural environment, such skills can literally mean the difference between life and death.

Dandelion initiation has a great deal to do with inner power, letting go of false human based ego power and reconnecting to your divine sense of inner nourishment. Dandilion can be a gateway to happiness for those who pass through it’s healing embrace.