Transforming fear & doubt

Are you all too familiar with the doubt and fear that can come with Spiritual growth? Me too. So, what can we do to break out of a low cycle?

1. Use the tools of the trade. When I feel it’s difficult for me to receive direct guidance for myself from Spirit because I am feeling overly emotional, murky or unclear, I go to my oracle cards. Cards and Divination tools are alternative ways you can use to connect with your Spiritual supporters. If you don’t read cards, then use a tool that resonates with you: pendulums, tarot or oracle cards, rune stones and the I Ching are examples of Divination tools. I encourage you to experiment and find what resonates with you. Divination tools are simply ways to find a connection with Spirit . Tools can be helpful when:

  • You feel trapped in your own emotions
  • When connection to Spirit feels unclear
  • When you are having trouble seeing/feeling Signs from Spirit
  • Tools can be useful things to employ to help break the doubt/fear pattern and can be great ways to forge or strengthen your connection to Spirit. If you feel you aren’t hearing your Guides and Angels clearly, using a tool can help you reconnect and gain confidence and clarity in your communication. If you are looking for a Divination tool, I suggest going to a metaphysical bookstore and looking at the tools they have available. Look over the selection they have and pick out whatever tool appeals to you. Be sure to follow the guidebook or instructions on how to begin using the tool, clear your mind and use your tools to connect to Spirit. The only thing I believe is not useful is the ouija board, because there is no sacred space on a ouija board and any Spirit that’s hanging around can jump into the action. You don’t need or want this, as you only work with Spirits in the Light. So, choose something that works in alignment with your Higher intentions like the tools mentioned above.

I find that the more specific you can be in your questions, the more fruitful the outcome will be. Remember that Guides and Angels have a high, birds-eye view of what is happening in your life and they have an enormous amount of information to impart to you. Ask them exactly what you want to know. This can be challenging, as it forces you to really articulate what you want guidance on. I believe when asking from Guidance from Spirit they don’t want to just give the answers, they want to empower you to find the answers as well. So, the more you do to understand the issues you are inquiring about, by narrowing down exactly what the issue is you have questions about, the more specific and usable the guidance will be when you receive it.

2. Use affirmations. My Guides and Angles emphasize that the power of affirmations can really work to your advantage. Think about it: every thought you have creates your reality. The more you spend time thinking about something, the more you see it or experience it in your physical reality. So, use the power of thought to your advantage and re-program yourself. There are many, many people in Spirituality who emphasize the power of affirmations, and this is because they work. I work on saying affirmations whenever I catch my mind wandering, or even when I have the urge to aimlessly look at my phone or email. I say these affirmations walking down the street. The more you create a positive, loving interior space the more you will be receive to the Higher vibrations coming at you from Spirit.

These are some I use to increase my connection to Spirit:

  • I am profoundly clairvoyant
  • I am completely connected to Spirit
  • I ask for and receive guidance
  • I am in perfect alignment with my soul’s plan for this lifetime
  • It is easy for me to feel, see and hear Spirit.

The last thing before you go to bed tonight, pick one of these to say for a couple of minutes before you go to sleep.

3. Raise your vibration You don’t fight fire with fire – you fight fire with water. So, when you feel you are trapped in your mind or ego, don’t try to think your way out of it – do the opposite. The law of attraction says like attract like, so the more you are feeling negatively, the more you attract that down energy. So, create the opposite. Become the energy you want to be. How? Laugh, laugh laugh. This is the fastest and easiest way to get out of your head and into your Spirit. You can also listen to music, read, watch a movie, go for a walk, work outside and get your hands in the dirt. Just accept how you feel, don’t criticize your self for feeling disconnected and put your focus elsewhere. Ruminating, judging and resenting your own state of being in low moments do not help. In fact, those self-critical actions and thoughts only serve to perpetuate the low vibrations you are already feeling. So fight fire with water – bring in fun to lift your Spirit!

 

4. Get a reading or a healing. Sometimes you need to unpack fear in order to release it. Healings and clearing your energy are ways of uncovering where the fear is located within you. You can then pull it out and shine light upon it. Light shining on fear dissolves it. Connect with a medium, a Reiki healer, a shaman, a crystal healer, a past life regressionist or other intuitive professional to help you identify your issues and identify ways to release them. Maybe you have something hanging on from a past life that is rearing its head. Maybe you have cords pulling at you that you need to cut. Maybe you need some clearing work. Sometimes you may need help, and that’s totally fine. That’s what all of psychics, intuitive practitioners and us mediums are here for. We are here to help you and your Spiritual well being on your growth path.

4. Practice self-love and validation. As strong as the urge is, do not criticize yourself for feeling disconnected. Trust that what you are experiencing is showing you where you need to heal most. Love yourself. What Spirit continually shows me when I am experiencing the challenge of feeling low or stuck or disconnected and like my growth has stalled is that self-validation is first and foremost. This means believe yourself with the signs appearing around you and recognize that many times if you are not feeling or seeing them, that what is separating you from seeing clearly is only fear and fear is showing you the very place within yourself where you need to love yourself more.

Let yourself believe and trust that things are as good as you think they may/could be and realize that anything holding you back from that greatness is fear and that is an illusion.

Any thought or feeling that makes you feel “less than” in any way is fear. And that is showing you the every place within you that is asking for more Light and love. I learn this through dancing as well – where I feel pain and disconnection in my body are the very places that need my love and attention. This is the same for what is happening within you as you grow Spiritually. Sending love and light to the places in yourself where you feel the most resistance to growth is to practice self love and self acceptance – it is bringing the Divine into the places where there is separation from it. Simply recognizing the places where you feel fear and sending love to them is the first and most fundamental step in healing. Self love and self-validation and trust are the basis for complete integration with your Higher self and all Spiritual growth.

Challenge transformed

Recognize that if you are experiencing the same challenge/obstacle over and over again in many different circumstances or relationships then it likely is one of the lessons that your soul has chosen for this lifetime. It could be self-doubt, giving/receiving love, leadership, self-expression, etc. By choosing to keep working to move beyond it until you can release it, your greatest challenge also can become your greatest strength, and the very thing you will be able to teach others how to overcome.

With love,

Ashley

 

Why does the connection to Spirit gets cloudy at times and your growth seem to slow down?

This is something I struggle with and I have asked Spirit for guidance on why this is and what to do about it.

This is what they have told me:

Opening to Spirit changes everything. As you grow Spiritually and connect with Spirit more often and more deeply, you begin to spend more time in true presence of your Higher self which allows you to separate from your lower self – your ego. As you connect with your own Spirit and with your Guides, Angels and Loved Ones, you separate from the worldview you have always identified with and you begin to separate from the patterns and programs that you have grown up with. As you open to your Spiritual pathway, you begin to pull away from the patterns, pain and thought forms in your ego that you have created and taken on in your personality as a result of being a human being living a physical life. As you open to Spirit you begin to open to a wider, higher perspective of your life and purpose. Spiritual growth and connection to Spirit is the opposite of the self created pain “problems” created by your ego ; connection to Spirit is connection to your own Divine truth within and the truth that there is much more to your existence than only day to day challenges. You begin to see that life is eternal and not a finite birth to death journey. You begin to know the truth that lies above and beyond the here and now of physical life. You begin to open to the world that exists unseen but alongside of the physical world.

This realization that you are connected to and a part of a larger and eternal flow of life is a life changing awakening. It shakes the very foundation of every perspective, relationship and understanding that you have developed up to this point in your life. This is big and it has big effects on you.

As I have mentioned in other posts, Spiritual growth ebbs and flows which means you fluctuate between your new expanded growth state and the patterns you are progressively leaving behind. When you take in more light and rise to a new and higher perspective through your increasing connection to Spirit, you feel better and better. Your vibration rises and you spend more time in the higher vibrations. But, your ego fights this. Your patterns of thinking are ingrained in you and they don’t want to let go. So, things, people and events may trigger your patterns. You may have an issue with a friend, or an argument with your mom or spouse or something that just takes you off your clear and high vibration and you begin to feel the doubt and fear creep in and old patterns of emotions and thought reassert themselves and before you know it you are feeling pretty disconnected and low.

Old vs. New. Now, because you have been on high, working to raise and clear your energy and connecting to vibrations higher than yours, when you feel that drop back into the ego it feels even lower than before. Before you even did any Spiritual work, you operated at a lower vibrational level, but you didn’t know any better. It was just the norm. When you begin re-patterning yourself and bringing in the higher wisdom and vibrations from Spirit you rise out of that lower state of being that is dominated by your ego and your own programs and patterns of the mind. So, low feels even lower than it did before.

But I assure you – all is still well. You haven’t lost anything and in fact you are gaining even more perspective and tools as you compassionately and lovingly bring yourself back to your new normal – high and clear. When you are feeling low, you are only just noticing all of the great work you have done by experiencing the vast difference between your new normal high vibrational state accomplished through the beautiful clear vibrations you have brought into your life through connecting to Spirit and the old you – the lower vibrational state you were in before connecting to Spirit.

Accept and validate. The first step in in pulling out of a Spiritual growth slump is to understand why you are experiencing it and to accept it. So, congratulate yourself for all of the hard work you have done and have compassion for yourself as you integrate all of the high vibrations you are now bringing into your life with all of the old patterns you are releasing. This takes time. Trust your self and your growth and know that whatever hardship you are moving though right now will only serve to strengthen and deepen your connection to Spirit as you move through and transcend it. Trust that the lows only serve as reminders of where you have been and what you are leaving behind. Trust that integrating Spirit into your life is a process that does not happen overnight and honor yourself as you commit to this self evolution.

Look for my next post with actions to take to pull yourself out of the slump and back into a high and clear connection to Spirit!

With love,

Ashley

Books! What to read for Spiritual growth.

Reading is the fundamental method I use again and again on my pathway of Spiritual growth. I cannot emphasize enough how much reading has given me in my growth process. In fact, I have a core set of books (that is ever expanding) that I use on a daily basis to help me to deepen, understand, trust and develop my Spirituality and connection to Spirit. I have divided my most used and referenced books into different categories for different reasons and uses. On the blog I will begin to post regular book reviews, and I will start here with this post to identify and explain which books I use and why.

The first category of books I will talk about are those that I use to raise my vibration and that help me to open my awareness so I am able to connect to a Higher perspective and wisdom. I consider these books to be part of the basis for my Spiritual growth and of my Spiritual philosophy.

The energy and ideas contained in these books resonate at a particular level and vibration. The books themselves act as a tuning fork; the vibration they resonate sound out a harmonic that our energy rises to meet as we read them. The wisdom, energy and vibration that are contained in the written word create an actual energetic signpost, and the very act of reading the words allows our own energy to rise and meet the energy behind the words. The raise in our vibration as we read creates an opening; a new beginning, a new connection to our Higher Selves and to Spirit. By reading books written at a higher vibration, our own energy rises to meet that higher vibration and a pathway is made. In effect, we create the room and vibration within ourselves to take in more Light and our connection to the Higher realms is increased. The more Light we bring into to ourselves from different sources the easier it is for us to integrate our Spiritual growth into every aspect of our lives.

As I have discussed in other blog posts, growth is an ebb and flow process. It is a process of integrating the Light and wisdom from the Higher realms into every aspect of our beings. This means there are times when we feel crystal clear and connected to our higher perspective, to our Guides and to Spirit and there are other times when our fear and doubt seem to shut the door and we feel blocked and lost. These books serve as door openers for me– they help me to shift my energy when I am in the down spots of growth so I can again find my connection to my Higher self and to Spirit. They are some of the books I go to again and again to remind myself of the basics of soul growth; how to be in touch with my Spirit and how to connect with the Higher realms. These books contain Higher wisdom being brought to our physical plane by other teachers and channels.

Roman, Sanaya. Personal Power Through Awareness. Tiburon: HJ Kramer, Inc., 1986.

This book is the first one of a series written by channel Sanaya Roman who channels her high, wise and gentle Guide Orin. The Orin book series are a wonderful resource for connecting to the vibrations of the Higher dimensions. This book helps you to see how the images you create of yourself create your life experience. It helps us to take responsibility for the lives we have and helps us to see how the circumstances we create serve to offer higher soul growth and learning. There are simple exercises in each chapter that serve to assist with integrating the ideas into your life. This book is a great introduction to Spiritual growth and helps the reader identify within themselves how they are affected by energy, how to separate from the energy around you, how to open your awareness both to your inner self and to your guides and the Higher wisdom available to you at all times. This book provides excellent guidance on how to identify and release images and thought forms that serve to limit your identity and experience.

Website:  http://www.orindaben.com Amazon link for purchase:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=personal+power+through+awareness%2C+sanaya+roman.

Roman, Sanaya. Spiritual Growth. Tiburon: HJ Kramer, Inc., 1989.

This is the third book in the Orin series. This book introduces the Higher Self and offers easy to learn processes to help you become your Higher Self in your daily life, how to connect with the upper dimensions for guidance, manifesting the life you want and how to become a source of light. The vibration this book offers allows you to gain a greater understanding of the purpose of higher wisdom and Guides as well as offers practical methods for integrating Spiritual growth into your daily life. The meditation exercises are a great resource for learning to focus your mind and use it to manifest and connect to the Higher realms.

Website: http://www.orindaben.com Amazon link for purchase:

http://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Growth-Being-Your-Higher/dp/091581112X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412784418&sr=8-1&keywords=spiritual+growth%2C+sanaya+roman.

Tolle, Eckardt. The Power of Now. Vancouver, B.C.:  Namaste, 1999.

This book introduces the simple but profound meaning of presence, and the difference between the Spirit and the ego. The book defines and outlines the challenges inherent in our physical lives and how to identify and operate from the larger, eternal presence within. The vibration of this book is expansive, calm and peaceful. It creates a space for us to separate from our egos and begin to give attention and awareness to our Spirits - the Divine identity within. Tolle’s writing helps the reader to separate and identify “problems” in our lives as issues of the ego and help to shine light on the greater presence within and how our lives on earth are meant to serve this greater presence and purpose.

Website: https://www.eckharttolle.com Amazon link for purchase:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Now-Spiritual-Enlightenment/dp/1577314808/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412784563&sr=8-1&keywords=tolle%2C+the+power+of+now

Zukav, Gary. The Seat of the Soul. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1989.

This book introduces the basic challenges and meaning of soul growth evolution through incarnation. This is an excellent book to go to in order to understand the larger, higher meaning of the challenges we face and their purpose in our soul growth.  The chapters each discuss major themes that each human experiences in their life such as Karma, Addiction, Reverence, Choice (to name a few) and discusses each as an integral and vital aspect of our soul growth path. There is great explanation about the five sensory versus six sensory human being; how decide to live your life with an awareness of the nonphysical realms and how guidance serves to give perspective and meaning to the challenges you face.

Website: http://seatofthesoul.com Amazon link for purchase:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Seat-Soul-Gary-Zukav/dp/067169507X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1412784607&sr=8-2&keywords=zukav%2C+seat+of+the+soul

This is just a starting point.  I would love to hear which books resonate with you. Please feel free to comment below or send me an email!

With love,

Ashley

3 ways to boost your Spiritual growth

As someone looking to constantly enhance and hone my connection to Spirit, I have discovered a few ways that help me feel connected, no matter what’s going on in my life. Remember that connecting with Spirit is a continually unfolding process, and sometimes you may need some extra reassurance that the connection you are building is real and working. Build trust in your growth process by using these three tips to boost your connection:

  • Set up an altar. This is a fun and also profound way to invite a closer connection with your Guides and Angels. Pick out some items that represent your Guides and Angels to you – symbols, jewelry charms, cards; little tokens that have meaning to you in your work with Spirit. If one of your signs is feathers make sure to collect them and put them in a nice dish or container on your altar. Does a certain flower always appear for you? Then get a picture of it and put it on your altar or even get a vase and put live flowers in it. Anything that reminds you of your personal connection with Spirit is appropriate for your altar. Altars are helpful as they provide a sacred space for you to go to and it is a gesture of love and respect for those in Spirit who work with you. An altar creates physical space for Spirit in your life – this is a way of acknowledging its importance in your life and that resonates on physical and Spiritual levels.
  • Ask for an increase in signs from Spirit. Ask them to increase the signs they send and you can ask them to help you notice the signs they already are giving you. Chances are, you already are receiving signs, you just aren’t seeing them. Doubt and fear create blocks and it can be hard to see beyond them and grasp the signs Spirit is actually sending. So, go ahead and tell them you need extra reassurance and to please increase the signs and to help you notice the signs they already are sending. Ask them for more coins, or feathers or flowers or whatever sign you get the most of from them. Asking them for help in noticing the signs helps you break out of ruts in your thinking and can give you fresh perspective and awareness.  Don’t forget to let yourself accept and acknowledge signs that come your way! When you are feeling doubt and fear, it is easy to dismiss the little symbols, signs and indications that Spirit is communicating with you. Every time you feel “was that just maybe a sign?...” YES, it was! Let yourself accept it.
  • Ground your energy. Sometimes we can get really influenced by our own or other’s energy. It builds up in the aura and can really cloud the ability to see clearly and distinguish your own real emotions and thoughts, which is key to a clear connection with Spirit. There are many ways to ground your energy. You can do a grounding meditation: imagine a grounding cord extending from your root chakra at the base of your spine down through the ground and into the center of the earth. Then visualize all of the foreign energy out the cord into the core of the Earth. You can get outside and put your hands or feet in the dirt or you can eat something grounding like root vegetables or grains. Another great way to ground your energy is to do any kind of physical exercise that works up a sweat.  Grounding and clearing is essential to discerning what is your energy and what is coming INTO your energy from elsewhere. Grounding clears you, it helps you release what is clouding your vision and energy and gives you a clear window to look out of. You probably are running into signs from Spirit all over the place, it’s just you have picked up so much dirt on your windshield you can’t see them!

Remember that every time you reach out to connect or try new ways to enhance your relationship with Spirit, it matters. Every action you take and effort you make builds your solid foundation of trust and communication. Each time you work to clarify your communication, to open your awareness and discern the Signs, you are increasing your psychic abilities and opening the connection with Spirit. All of that work you do pays off! 

Have fun with it!

With love,

Ashley