Mercury In Retrograde

Mercury In Retrograde- By Tsering Wrench

At several points throughout the year most of us will be bombarded with the maddening effects of Mercury in retrograde. Mercury is a planet which governs all transportation and communication issues. Mercury is not an emotional planet, but rather a highly objective, truth-seeking one. It rules intelligence, education and truth. When it is in retrograde, some of its power is held back.

When Mercury... starts turning in an apparent backward motion, we will start to feel the effects of this event days or even as far as two weeks earlier. When the planet normalizes we will see the tempo of events pick up in our lives as the planet becomes "stationary" and then speeds forward.

Gemini and Virgo are signs ruled by Mercury, so if you are one of those born during those months, you will be complaining especially loudly. If you work in the industries ruled by this planet such as sales, writing, public relations, advertising, publishing, air freight, the post office or express mail, any transportation industry, from the airlines to Amtrak, you'll also be especially vulnerable to this planet's weird motions in September. (If you are a Gemini, for example, who works in publishing, it's no use calling in for a month of mental health days--you can't escape!)

What happens when Mercury retrogrades? You miss appointments, your computer equipment crashes, checks get lost, you find the car you just purchased during Mercury retrograde is a lemon. (Or, you hate your haircut, the lamp you bought shorts out, your sister hates her birthday gift.) There will be countless delays, cancellations and postponements--but know these will benefit you in the long run. Don't fight them, although your frustration level and feeling of restlessness will be hard to cope with at times.

All machinery and things with moving parts--such as computers, VCRs, camera equipment, garbage disposals, and so forth, will reveal any weak links now. It is critical that you back up your data system and be more careful and vigilant than ever. Projects will demand more time and money than anticipated this month.

In matters of the heart, if your boyfriend or girlfriend breaks up with you or says something hurtful, take a wait-and-see attitude. Since Mercury rules speech, they may not mean what you think they are saying now. Let them have some space, and wait to see if they mean in October what they said in September.

When traveling, leave early and allow for extra travel time. Have all bags double-taped closed, count your belongings, double-check addresses and reconfirm appointments. Things get lost when Mercury messes us up. Take NOTHING for granted. The sector of your chart that Mercury happens to be skating through will be effected most dramatically, so check your forecast!

Why would the Universe give us Mercury retrograde? Because to move forward it is sometimes necessary to backtrack and reconfigure our paths in life. It is important to reconsider, repair, reflect, and reconnect. Mercury forces us to slow down and fix what's broken, and in so doing, rethink things. It also gives us time to get to projects we have put on the back-burner.

Some activities are lucky or actually improve when Mercury retrogrades. You are likely to bump into old friends that you haven't seen in years. Adopted children tend to find their birth parents during Mercury retrograde periods, or people locate their long lost siblings. Prosecutors often find clues to crimes that had previously remained unsolved for years. (Although sometimes the reverse is true--there is a greater danger, or example, that police can bungle evidence during a Mercury retrograde period, for clear thinking doesn't come easy for any of us then.) Mail that went astray weeks or even years ago shows up during Mercury retrograde. Some things that were lost reappear.

Now is also a good time to dress old wounds, clean up relationships or to simply bury the hatchet. Some people have great breakthroughs in psychotherapy during a Mercury retrograde period. For salesman, it is a positive time to backtrack over previous contacts rather than call on new ones. It is a perfect time to schedule work on projects that you haven't had time to do and you've let pile up. Bring your resume or portfolio up to date, and clean out your closets. Take time to paint the house. Clear your decks.

Just try not to start new things. If you have to start a job during a Mercury retrograde period know that the nature of the job is likely to change dramatically over time. Perhaps the person you report to will leave, or your responsibilities will be very different from what you thought they would be. Or your company won't be ready to take you on, and you won't have much to do until things are reorganized. But remember, if this was a position that you tried for in the past, then you've got the vibes working for you rather than against you.

Finally, what about people born with Mercury retrograde? If you are due to give birth to a baby during this period, don't fret. The ancients felt that this aspect lends a more philosophical tone to the character. Mercury rules thinking, therefore an individual born with this aspect tends to reflect deeply over events and issues throughout their lifetimes. In this case, having this aspect could be a big plus! Your astrologer was born with Mercury retrograde--so relax!

 

The Psychic/Paranormal Drama Royalty

The Psychic/Paranormal Drama Royalty By: Tsering Wrench

We all know that one person-the psychic drama queen/king.(or perhaps you are that person?) Every time you talk to them they are whining and complaining about something. Making you a captive audience. He may have no interest in your feelings; he's only concerned with himself. Initially, he might be engaging and fun, but when the talking is one sided and incessant ,you begin to feel drained.
This person is always exaggerating small incidents into crisis/ dramas. This person may be begging for you to fix their endless problems,sometimes calling you all hours of the day or night. You turn into their therapist.When you try and pull away they always manage a way of making you feel guilty. Often they are very unsupportive,vindictive and cuts you down.They may say things like, "Forget going back to school. You are too old to change careers." These comments can be so hurtful as well as latch into your subconscious mind it's hard to get them out of your head, you may start to believe them! Misery really does love company!

The addiction to drama is not much different than an addiction to anything else. When drama is happening in a relationship dynamic, excitement happens, your body produces adrenaline and there is a rush of energy. People addicted to drama are seeking that rush of adrenaline, or the thrill that the rush of energy brings them. For people that lead a very uninteresting or monotonous life, that rush of adrenaline helps them feel alive. It’s like a mother living her life through her children because her life has become mundane and flooded with boredom. Creating drama means stirring up the energy. Think of it as a thrill seeker trapped in a mundane life. Stirring up drama by creating family conflicts and blowing things out of proportion may be the only expression the thrill seeker has left.

This person exists in our mundane life in spades and then there are the ones who take it to another level I call the 'Psychic Drama Queen/King' Now apply the above but this time imagine them calling you and saying they have a curse on them because they are unable to be happy and successful. They may go as far as faking haunts or other psychic phenomenon. They may be addicted to seeing the 'fake' fortune tellers ; here is a short way to find out Are they calling or seeing a psychic more than once a month?Are they perhaps spending more money than they can afford?Do they avoid making decisions without seeking the advice of a psychic or astrologer?Are you seeking out more than 2 or 3 different psychic advisors?

Obviously depending on your dynamic with the person would navigate your response to them. First and foremost keep yourself from being drained.Learning how to set clear boundaries is the first step. Limit the time you spend talking about their 'issues'. With a firm and empathic tone try saying "I can only talk for a few minutes today." And go on with your work and life.Do not apologize for your inability to belabor the talk as that gives them the power of lording guilt over you.Extricate them from parts of your life whenever plausible.Do not become their 'savior' Demonstrate empathy but resist solving their problems. Be supportive but tell 'um, "I'm sure you'll find the right solution" or sensitively suggest that they seek a qualified professional for help.
A simple visualization:Around this person imagine yourself surrounded by a cocoon of white light. Think of it as a protective covering that keeps you from being harmed.Tell yourself that you are safe and secure here. The cocoon filters out the negativity so it can't deplete you.
no way do I advocate not helping a friend who is in a real spiritual crisis but you have to know your limits and protect yourself. I will go more into the types of psychic charlatans out there and their typical scams;it is truly sad to see some people get very obsessed with these people and lose their sanity along with their bank account. I also have known my fair share of people who create paranormal drama for their friends who are psychics/healers to deal with and often it is out of a lack of feeling loved in their lives.then there are those people like the Drama Royalty or even a nasty ex ,friend or lover who just can't seem to get out of your mind stream. Your drama friends may also complain about ex's (friends or lovers) putting curses or 'are in their heads' etc. and there can be an element of truth to that . So below is a small psychic exercise you can do to really get a person out of your head and life
Have you ever had friends or lover that you didn't have to verbal communicate with? You 'knew' when they may need you to call on them or you call at he same time? These relationships can be fun and for the most part are harmless. These ties are known as Cords and Anchors in the 'new age or psychic community'Cords or Anchors are forms of psychic bond that tie people and animals together.Most of the time we are unaware of these ties. Some are natural, and even helpful on occasion e.g. like when we have that feeling our pet is sick or a loved one may be in need of a call.They also are what makes it hard to let go of relationships that may not be healthy for us.Some Psychically Sensitive Individuals can sometimes perceive these links, and depending on their appearance, can tell two people a great deal about the relationship.You don’t need to be a powerful adept to sever these anchors/ties. All you need is the firm desire to do so and dedicate time to create a clean and sacred space . Perhaps visualize yourself and the person you no longer wish to be connected to, and visualize that there is a string of silver connecting you. Try to without getting lost in the thought,imagine why you want to remove that anchor and send a compassionate energy through the string, then release or unhook yourself from it, and let it go. Sometimes you will feel a physical sensation or it may be energetic that the anchor,cord/tie has been severed.

12 Useful Facts about Wandering Ghosts:

12 Useful Facts about Wandering Ghosts By: Tsering Wrench


1. It is said sometimes that ghosts can actually feel your fear; they can even breathe it in and grow larger from it. If you are in a fearful situation with a ghost, if you are Buddhist or open to Eastern paths say a mantra or a Buddha or Bodhisattva's name or that of any Protective Archetype in your own faith that will help you feel at peace and protected. If you feel something close to your face taking your breath away, tell it to back off now!. Remember, you are more powerful than any entity. When they are breathing in your breath or the energy from your fear, it's just an indication that they are not feeling very powerful and are trying to draw on your power. 2. When there are children ghosts in a house, it works well to ask one of the adult ghosts to persuade the children to leave together. 3. Children and animals can see ghosts easily. Their intellect isn't getting in the way, telling them it's not possible. If your dog growls or your cat hisses at nothing, or your children talk to "nothing," chances are you have a ghost around.4. Many times there are ghosts so filled with remorse, guilt or shame about something it did during its lifetime that it is completely stuck. It won't allow itself to go on. Many feel they must stay in this state of "limbo" and be punished. The truth is, they are the ones who condemn themselves to limbo, but they can take the next rebirth whenever they're ready to. 5. Ghosts will sometimes stick around if they are older and genuinely concerned for people on this side, or younger but using that as an excuse. We can always tell of the concern is genuine or not, but in either case, we re-assure the ghost that there are many people on this side who can help these people out. The ghost needs to learn to let go and trust that people will take care of themselves or find others to help them. 6. Ghosts who had a drug or alcohol problem when they were alive may choose to hang out with people who have a similar addiction and may actually take over their bodies from time to time to still feel that high. 7. Some people think of their ghosts as pets, and what's sad is that these ghosts often think of themselves as pets. They're grateful to be loved, no matter how it comes. These ghosts have very little self-esteem, so we are gentle and loving toward them. But it is also important to be firm about the fact that they need to set themselves free, e.g. by chanting (if you are comfortable, I though I would provide a powerful one that anyone can use even non-buddhists)"Namo Amitabha" to aspire birth in Amitabha Buddha's Pure-land which is kind of like heaven, Amitabha has a special bond to help any being who asks him for help no matter how 'naughty' you have been in life,his compassion is boundless. Ghosts are former people, not our pets for you to have parties and show them off and gain financially -think about those poor souls at Pennhurst or what if that were your Mother? You would want the sensitives involved to set her free right?8. Sometimes if a person doesn't believe in life after death, he will not move on when he dies, because he won't understand what is going on. He will simply hang out in a place most familiar to him. The good news is most people do believe in some kind of after-life, so this doesn't happen that often. When you are dealing with ghosts who don't believe they are dead, it's important to be honest and direct and tell them that their physical body is dead. We can tell them to chant the Buddha's name and head for the golden light of Amitabha. 9. Sometimes it's better that the owner or resident of a house tell the ghost to leave, first because it is empowering to the resident to know he can make this happen, and also because it is a message loud and clear to the ghost that it is not wanted. 10. The more fuss that's made about a ghost, the more ghosts you'll attract. A good example is the Chinese celebration of the 7th lunar month's Hungry Ghost Festival. In Buddhism, contrary to the popular Chinese cultural superstition, hell's gates do not open and the hell beings are not the same as the hungry ghost beings as they exist in different realms. Giving offerings in mass to the ghosts and fearing them thus attracts the hungry ghosts, who are already around, in masses, along with wandering ghosts. (Please re-read the header above if you are unsure of the differences between hungry ghosts and ghosts as in wandering spirits.) Many traditional superstitious Chinese do not see the difference between wandering ghosts, hungry ghosts and hell-beings. While the first is not really a realm by itself (limbo), the other two are realms in themselves. The so-called ghosts that we encounter as humans are either wandering ghosts or hungry ghosts- as hell beings do not wander in other realms. Portals are openings from our world into the spirit world. The most common way to create one of these is to use an Ouija board ("plate fairy" in Chinese) because it's inviting communication. The problem with opening ourselves up to the spirit world without knowing what we are doing is that we attract all kinds of ghosts to us that may not be so favourable. If you suspect you have a portal in your home, it's time to have some psychic protection. This is nothing to mess about. 11. Ghosts in general have no concept of time. They can remain in the same room or area for years and years, never giving any thought to how long they've been dead or how much life is changing around them. They are literally stuck at a point in time in the consciousness. Honesty is the best way to handle a situation like this. We tell the ghost, "This is the year 2000; it's important for you to move on to a better place." 12. Ghosts can be very self-serving. They do what they want, without consideration of what it's doing to others. Don't ever let a ghost "have its way with you," no matter what that means. If you suspect that you've been taken over by a ghost, do not under any circumstances put up with it. They need to honour boundaries just like the rest of us.


What to Do if Your Child is Frightened by a Ghost?


If your child complains that a ghost is trying to frighten him or her, don't be too quick to judge him or her as crazy or imagining things. Listen and ask questions. She may become too frightened to sleep in the room. If something like this happens, try this: Get the child a can of (ozone-friendly!) air-freshener. Show him how to spray at the ghost with the can, while telling it to chant the name of Amitabha Buddha and go to the golden light. Just keep spraying until the ghost goes away. This helps to empower the child with confidence, to feel that he is not powerless. At the same time, the spray does not really harm anyone- not even the ghost. Remember to keep it simple- tell the child ghosts are lost dead people who need their guidance as to where to go and that he is doing a good thing by sending them to the light. Kids don't need any big heavy explanations- just keep it simple

Spirits that change the weather

Hi All,
Just wanted to write about an interesting experience I had this past weekend at the beach. A bunch of people gathered at Ocean Beach in San Francisco to honor the memory of a dear departed friend who went too soon (43 years old and passed away from brain cancer). This friend was very influential on many people and will be greatly missed.
The weather was overcast and foggy with the typical SF mist. This was one of our friends favorite places and a place where he had forged many of the deep friendships he had until he passed on. I figured he wanted the weather that way, since it is like this 98% of the time.
Strange thing happened when it was time to take some pictures....it was a photo of his original surfer crew who were all posing on the sand for a group shot. As soon as all of the old crew was on the beach, the clouds burst open and a ray of sun came shining through...it was like the heavens separated and made a clear blue sky. It lasted about 3 minutes, about the amount of time for this emotional photo to be taken. I believe it was our dear departed letting us know he had made it to the other side....

Have any of you had a similar experience?

Psychic Channeling Through Writing

15 years ago...I was in my room and lit a white candle, and it all began...
The pen took on a life of it's own, and I began to scrawl a letter to God-the letter was from Lucifer himself, asking why he had been cast out and forsaken..."My eyes are burning, and yet I love you..."
The letter went on to gain more speed and flippance of Lucifer's attitude towards God and his churches "Poorly organized places".... and how Lucifer had created tiny replicas of God-small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, instant gratification...meaning, the drug world. Lucifer went on to say he was recruiting souls that wanted "instant salvation" and that "My Kingdom will be your end..."
Whew! Crazy, right? Maybe not...what it is called is Psychic channeling through writing...you become a medium at that moment of meditation and spiritual open-ness and the writing on the page may not resemble your own in style of speech as well as form of handwriting. This was my first encounter doing this, and it happened one other time, although the second time it was someone who had passed over telling me that his brother would pass on a certain date....well it was off by ONE day. I kept writing the brother's name down and I had no way of knowing this person's name as we had never met and I also had never met the man who was speaking to me from the other side. One reason I think I was able to channel this person was that his grown up Grandson missed him terribly and had never really let him go..he has also passed by taking his own life, so his spirit may have been in limbo....
The "medium" feeling does not hit me often, but when it does, I literally go into a trance and then the writing flows...it's been a long time since I have done this, as I am not sure if I want to open the floodgates......

Could You Be Psychic? A Study in Psychic Etiquette

Could you be psychic? How to calm it down, the importance of Psychic Etiquette, protection and encouragement

By Tsering

It is my firm belief that our culture and newer way of living in the world has in fact stripped us from our natural abilities what we now call the sixth sense. If you read ancient writings and religions or look at current Eastern culture what the current Western deems as paranormal etc is in fact a normal way of life. Our diet and medications and lack of spirituality has in fact made many of those innate abilities a thing of the past;we no longer have to worry about our babies being eaten by beasts so we lost that sense of 'someone is near' . I think that yes what we now refer to as psychic beings are people who’s consciousness has not lost that as well as fine tuned them to a higher level, we in fact vibrate much differently than a majority of the populace . With that being said I composed a simple list of Possible signs you may be psychic.
1.The telephone rings and you know who it is.2.You know what someone is about to say to you before they say it.3.You knowing about something and it turns out to be correct.4.You get urges to decline invites or do something, and perhaps something bad happened like an accident(I had listened to my intuition one night about going to hang out with my teen buddies and that night ,there was a gang fight and a dear friend died in crossfire while trying to flee.)5.You can understand someone's true nature; despite they are putting on a rather convincing mask.6.You have a feeling that there is a presence or that an unseen force behind the veil is guiding you.7.When something happens in your life,good or bad you can understand it was meant to be or your Karma 8.You may hear a soft inner voice (not mentally ill voices)informing you of things yet to be in your life or in the life of someone else
9.Smelling things that have no physical source. Very common in haunted areas, but can also be an indication that a deceased loved one is with us ;I smelled my Great Aunts perfume while I was talking to her in the in between state. It can be their way of contacting us, letting us know they're around.
10.Having premonition "visions", seeing images in the mind. Also seeing auras, apparitions, angels, etc. In other words, seeing beyond the physical. It is not your actual eyes but in between them this is called the Third Eye.
11.Having prior-knowledge of certain situations/people/places without having been told.
Have you ever met someone and taken an instant dislike to them? You may say “I just have a bad feeling about them." We may have"gut feelings" and are usually very sensitive to energies and emotions of other people. Negative energies often cause an unpleasant feeling in the abdominal area(even to non sensitives) This may be a barometer of problematic situations yet to be; these feelings can be very strong, or they may be fainter, such as queasy sensation. Most often your gut reactions end up being accurate. I don't always disregard a person right away as they may be dealing with severe emotional trauma but I may be cautious of them if I am to be in their company on frequent occasions(like perhaps a friends new partner or roommate) Now I make a point to ALWAYS listen to your intuition,especially if it has always been right on, . Don't doubt yourself or ignore that 'external advice' it is best if you write it down.


Developing Your Psychic Abilities
You have probably already recognized many these abilities within yourself, or you would not be reading this. Most psychics are strong in one or more of these senses, and not so strong in the rest. While you can learn to develop all of these senses, most commonly you'll end up relying on the one or two you feel more comfortable using .Psychic neophytes often state that they lack control over their abilities, 'it just happens'. By working on developing these skills, you can make it easier to use them on demand and yes even dim them. accuracy improving, and likely this ability will begin activating itself without any effort on your part. You'll be one of those people who say, "I just know."when I talk about "hearing" it is commonly referred to as clairaudience, it's not quite the same as hearing with our physical ears. Most often these sounds come through as thoughts. You know that voice you talk to yourself with in your mind? You're not actually hearing auditory sound , you're hearing clairaudiently. It's the same when you hear voices of spirits, spirit guides, angels, or whatever you perceive them as. Very rarely will the voices be loud and "external". Usually you hear it quietly inside your own mind. In the case of haunting, the voices can be loud and sound external. Sometimes it seems like they're shouting directly into your ear with a mega-phone yet others in the room may not hear them ,unless they are psychic too-it helps me a lot when Alasdair,Mia and me have heard the same 'thing' and we wait to share what we heard after writing them down or we say it at the same time.
Do not be alarmed that when you start to develop your abilities, you will start dealing with unfamiliar experiences. Depending on your gifts it can be a bit overwhelming. When I started developing psychometry I could not slow down and if you are playing with your intuitive healing sometimes you get information overload, and you may not be able to tune it out right away, they will keep shifting through your mind, sometimes really fast, different images may pass through you in rapid succession . Do not be discouraged, you are new to this experience, you will in time learn to dim the third eye sight, like any new skill it take time to perfect. I have been at this since my teens and I am still not 100% but I am confident!Sensitives/Empaths/Psychics/Intuitive, often find themselves bombarded by random emotions from other people; it feels like shards of glass in your aura! I have a hard time(as do all us admins) being in public places they can be especially hard for sensitives, most of us (me,Mia and Alasdair certainly) avoid t large gatherings. At first the Neophyte or their family and loved ones think something is wrong with them, or that they're suffering from an anxiety disorder of some kind. What's really happening is that we are picking up the emotions and energy signature of other people(and entities) in these crowded places.
After you start working with your abilities or 'opening your third eye' at first you may very well become more sensitive to the energies of other people. You will be able to pick up on both good and bad energies. For example if someone is walking down the street and they just got fired they look at you, you may pick up on some of that anger. This is why I caution against assuming everyone is 'evil' as it very well can be circumstantial;I am a pill without my morning Chai!This may shed some lnsight as to why spiritually inclined and psychic people get drained after spending time around many people. Most beings have not mastered a calm mind and sensitives have to learn to deal with it as it is easier than trying to change the world!
It is possible to reduce the effect of such situations. You should always anticipate and invoke your personal protection on a mid level when you feel that you are amongst negative people just heighten it(this will become easy over time). I can't tell you what to use other than 'light' as I do not proselytize but if you are religious etc call on your protectors,angels,spirit guides,Buddhas,Jesus, and or Saints.Another beneficial thing you can do is pack 'rescue remedy' . When you come home smudge yourself with sage or other herbs.
After you start to work with your gifts you may get very strong urges to twist and contort your body that may really scary. It surely scared me when it happened to me for the first time. This is a phenomenon called 'Kriyas' and or 'Kundalini Awakening' just calm and just let it happen it will pass. It is just energy working out blockages. There are many methods of reducing some of the psychic hum. There are tons of guidebooks out there and free info online if you do not have access to a good teacher,center,church,coven etc. Experiment and find which one works best for you. When I first started becoming in tune with the spirit world, I saw a lot of negative entities that scared the pants off me. Every time I tried to use my gifts on purpose I would attract the negative energy beings. It wasn’t until I was in my late teens that I finally figured out how to decrease their occurrences. And it wasn’t until I was in my twenties that I figured out the hows and whys of attracting light versus dark beings.You often attract what you put out. If you decide to go an test or play with your third eye try and do so after cleansing your space and grounding(all written about in my notes and albums) if you do so in a bad mood your outcome may be less than welcoming. If you are emanating fear and anxiety, it’s an open invitation for all, but also darker entities. They will see you as a picnic lunch and feed off of your response energy. If you have a faith I suggest calling on your protectors before ; even if you protect yourself with white light first, and focus more on feelings of compassion, Say a mantra or an affirmation “I am surrounded by the white light of compassion and love. In his light I am safe and protected from harm.” You will not be on the same frequency as the dark entities, so when you go about testing your abilities (by choice)your chances of attracting a nicer being is much higher. Please keep in mind that if an entity looks 'dark' may not mean it is EVIL. It could be very sad or confused, Sometimes they are so excited that someone can see them they come at you too fast perhaps even showing you how they died or anything else traumatic; if it is an elemental it could also be very upset due to pollution or the cutting down of trees etc. Also a lot of dark energies are attracted to sensitives like us; like moths to a flame. I have noticed that when your protection is stronger, that is the only time a more frantic spirit can get through is if I am able to help it somehow. However I did have a ghost of a drunken Minor follow me home and was very unwholesome so I invoked my protectors and it went bye bye.(mind you my protectors are bound by Buddhist Ethics and only redirect they never harm any sentient being.) After practice you can if need be learn to ignore them like you may a 'catcall' on the street. That also requires you to use your protection and affirm 'This is not the place or time'
If you feel bombarded with unwanted information, visualize sealing your aura to shut it out. You could also visualize a blanket of protective energy covering you blocking out unwanted energy. The time it takes to master your abilities depends on your karmic disposition. If you were spiritually advanced in previous lives, or were on a path it may take a very short time for you to understand techniques or comprehend the teachings of from your teacher.
Working with protective energy- visualize a big blanket or envelope of energy. It can be any color you wish, whatever is most soothing to you. I usually use white or blue, but that's my preference. Visualize yourself enveloped in this energy, and pulling it all around you. If you feel threatened I sometimes imagine pointy edges so people or entities will see you as rough and pointy!
Words of Encouragement
When you first begin to practice, you might get impatient with yourself and wonder if you'll ever get it right. Don't do that! As with anything else in this life, practice and even after many years I am still learning. The more you work with these abilities, the better you will be with them. This is where a good qualified teacher is a good person to have as well as keeping journals. Don't discount the information you're getting. If you can verify it, go ahead and do so-I got a name of a school teacher ghost and looked her up and found out she was real, that was very vindicating! Also get in the habit of writing in your journal. That way I can go back and check if any of them came true at a later time. Also, tell people you trust about any premonitions you may have. I have done that when I have predicted earthquakes,my hairdresser moving and even peoples pregnancies!Remember that there will still be times when we aren't right. That's okay. Sometimes our info is muddled-I recently had a dream a friend was pregnant and to call another friend it was beaten in my head to call and ask this mutual friend and she is the one who is pregnant. Just be patient!
Psychic Etiquette
With psychic ability, we often get information that won't be fun or proper to rely, along with the good. When we sharpen our intuition this can include premonitions of unfortunate events. This can be difficult, especially when we sense a loved one's impending death or illness. Sometimes we can do something about these events, and sometimes it is not going to be received well depending on the friends disposition. I have sensed liver disease and cancer in animals and people ;luckily most people I know have 'seen me in action' and listen to me but I will not say anything to a person on the bus I wish I could offer hard-fast advice, but all I can say is, "use your best judgment". I don't advocate going around like and old soothsayer telling people that they're going to die or are in peril ;especially unsolicited, even if that's what you're sensing. This will only frighten and anger them not to mention make you look like a nutter! Psychic ability is a big responsibility, and abiding by a genuine sense of respect for peoples private thoughts is vital.

Ritual Tools from Other Cultures

I have noticed that if a particular culture is trendy amongst the spiritual shoppers then the misuse of their items rises. Over the past 10 years or so 'Tibet' has been the flavor of the month. It took the place of Native American and Celtic Trends. I am not saying those paths lack any merit but they all have been victims in a way to a culture that is fascinated with anything 'exotic' and then ritual items are suddenly no longer used properly or even become 'art' and collect dust. The misuse of Tibetan tingsha bells have been a growing problem. I have had to stop a good number of people from using them ;because they are being used inappropriately. These bells in particular are erroneously used by some to clear energy when in fact they call ghosts for a ceremony. Tibetan Ritual items are very specific and you do not use ghost bells to clear energy. The motivation to call ghosts is to benefit them and help them cross over through a ceremony where you ring the bells say specific prayers and light precious incense. If you call these ghosts and do not provide them with the sacred smoke,then who do you think may suffer? I have heard of many people misusing these implements and then wonder why the have so much paranormal activity around them;the ghosts are pissed! I would be mad too if you called me over to dinner and then have nothing for dinner! Tibetan Buddhism has many rituals similar to that of Native American Shamans. If you are not initiated into the path then consider it a bad idea to use any ritual item. Tibetan stuff is so insidious and every gesture,color or ornament has a inner outer and secret meaning. There are certain 'mantras' and 'Sutras' that are 'public' and do not require prior initiation or permission from a Lama to recite;and that is fine. When it comes to the tools, it is best to wait for a qualified teacher to pass one to you or offer it to you. The same is with many other ritual items.