photo: gabby conde

Power Stones and Healing Crystals for the Zodiac

Crystals can help serve as spiritual power tools to teach us how to bring the mind to a greater sense of peace, the body into a more stable, grounded state, and the spirit into connection with the infinite from which springs all creation. Our power gemstones can remind us of a higher truth and keep us centered in that light. When we become aware of the qualities of beauty, frequency, and color and their possible uses, stone “medicine” may help us explore what our current needs are and how we may transform certain situations by using a stone as a meditative focus and an inspirational power source. Gems and minerals have patterns and pictures on their surfaces that can transport you to another world, igniting your imagination. They are very tactile and soothing to touch and hold.

How are the zodiac signs and crystals related? The idea of healing with crystals was first popularized in the 1930s when the famous American trance psychic Edgar Cayce claimed that his visions revealed that, in the time of Atlantis, crystals were used as a source of energy. He even described a crystal capstone on a centrally located pyramid that could power airships. He also mentioned various specific stones when prescribing healing protocols for the people he read for.

When it comes to astrology and crystals, each stone becomes a meditative amplifier that can help you to transform your situation. Stones can keep you centered and reminded of a higher truth. By looking to the mineral kingdom for assistance in the healing process, we are connecting to tools that enable us to look deeper within so as to obtain an understanding of the cause of the distress that is creating disease. Distress can be caused by negative beliefs, by environmental factors, or by interactions with people, which can sometimes create havoc in our energy field. When we consume alcohol or drugs, we can also affect our energy fields and cause a disruption in our vibrations.

Always remember that crystal healing should be used in conjunction with—and not as a substitute for—conventional medicine. There are many factors that make up our well-being. Illnesses need to be tended to by a trusted physician, with yourself as your best advocate. As we all know, however, stress and distress can also have a profound effect on our health. All thoughts and actions have consequences, creating harmony or disharmony. Disharmony can cause illness. Working with ritual and with healing rocks and crystals help you to create harmony, handle your stress, and feel better.

The following healing stones for the zodiac signs offer a beautiful stability and can help you focus on your strengths so that you can use them to compensate for your weaknesses. When we use crystals or stones as healing tools, they have the ability to rebalance a disruptive vibration so that we can be aware of the reason behind the distress.

Below we describe the nature and special healing message of crystals for each sign of the zodiac. We have gathered the information for these astrological associations through working with them for many years, and below we suggest the perfect power stone for each sign.

ARIES: GARNET

The garnet takes its name from the resemblance of its deep red color to that of the pomegranate. It can help bring success in things you passionately believe in and, if appropriate, the sparks of sexual energy. This zodiac crystal may also be useful when wisdom and balance in this most important exchange of energies are needed. If this is so, look within to see if true love, tenderness, and genuine respect and caring are part of your romantic passion.

Garnet can help bring balance and self-awareness and destroy flightiness, leaving in its place love, romance, and sometimes lustiness, for those who need it. Because of its rich color and association with the root chakra, the garnet suggests a powerful influence for sensuality and sexuality. It may help put you in touch with your animal instincts, enabling you to act and react with their pure body wisdom. Therapists who believe in the power of gemstones use the garnet in counseling couples whose sexual chemistry has begun to wane.

For meditation and ritual purposes, the garnet is used primarily as a power stone, to enhance self-confidence and help to manifest personal and career goals. Garnet has properties useful for giving inspiration during times of confusion. The red garnet is a stone of profound love and helps to ensure fidelity in relationships. This astrology crystal is also known as a stone of patience and persistence and is emblematic of spiritual awareness and compassion.

Garnet is highly versatile—it encourages the wearer to search for answers—and the answers that come as a result of this search will be helpful and important ones. Worn on a regular basis, the stone is believed to boost energy and stimulate romantic love.

Garnet’s message: Because it has a bold energy, the garnet makes a perfect amulet for someone whose confidence or self-esteem needs bolstering. Because of its warm vibrations, it makes a good meditation stone for security and intimacy.

Other good gemstones for Aries are: bloodstone, red jasper and pyrite.

TAURUS: ROSE QUARTZ

Rose quartz is the stone that can help heal the heart, as it works on an emotional level. It can help you to become more aware of the love that is all around you and can assist you in getting in touch with your emotions. Rose quartz teaches us to love ourselves more, thus opening us up to a greater universal love. When we don’t love ourselves fully, we are wounded inside, and a wound will always cry out to be healed. Rose quartz heals emotional wounds by giving compassion and comfort. It can be used to help us to overcome grief.

Like other healing crystals for zodiac signs, rose quartz’s properties include inner peace, tranquility, and all matters dealing with giving and receiving affection.

Unlike the hard-edged, pointed crystals of clear quartz, the lovely rose quartz is found in great veins running through Mother Earth like her life’s blood. Use it when compassion and generosity need to be shown, or when healing and forgiveness are needed. Rose quartz may help those who have suffered through trauma and the pain of an unhappy childhood. If this is true for you, start by forgiving yourself and others. Be gentle with yourself and others; we have all suffered wounds. From forgiveness can come a path to true healing.

You can also sleep with rose quartz beneath your pillow. The pain of a difficult past problem may come up in dreams, but you can better handle this if you affirm before you go to sleep that you are ready to release the pain.

Rose quartz’s message: Self-fulfillment and inner peace require you to love and nurture yourself and those you care about. Work on how to give love as well as how to receive it. Remember to forgive.

Other good gemstones for Taurus are: emerald, malachite and selenite.

GEMINI: AGATE

Agate is a general protector of the entire body and the entire auric field. Agate can help us to focus on growth and healing. It attracts strength and vitality, and it has the ability to help bring your body into balance. A special property of agate is the blending and balancing of energies for power, protection, and organizational qualities, causing a stabilizing effect. Agate also can help reinforce the body’s connection to the Earth. It can give courage and dispel fears, all of which increase self-confidence. It gives you the strength to carry on, even when you feel weak or tired.

This zodiac crystal offers protection from bad dreams and also protects one from stress and worry. Agates with banded colors were placed at the head of a sleeper to give rich and varied dreams.

Since our earliest civilizations, agates have been prized gems. They were used in jewelry and as power tools in Babylonia. Conjurers in Persia used the crystal to try to affect the weather. In ancient Asia, agates were used to see the future. Studying the circular patterns helped open the pathway to receive guidance and messages by connecting the pathways between the conscious and subconscious minds.

Agate can also be enlisted for emotional healing, especially to resolve bitterness and resentments. It is believed to be a stone of harmony and therefore can help soften feelings of envy by grounding agitation. By bringing the elements of one’s being into harmony, it can improve relationships. Agate also enhances creativity and stimulates the intellect. Carry an agate when you have to make an important decision.

Agate’s message: Placing an agate under your pillow may aid with insomnia and can stimulate pleasant dreams. If you have to deal with numbers, an agate placed on your desk will help you be more precise. You’ll also be more analytical as well as creative in your approach to situations.

Other good gemstones for Gemini are: clear quartz, tiger’s eye and bi-colored tourmaline.

CANCER: CARNELIAN

Carnelian grounds energy and helps us to pay attention to the present moment, thus teaching us to focus and manifest our personal power. Use it to encourage strength and the courage to prevail. Carnelian helps to ease stress and anxiety and to improve memory.

Use this astrology crystal when barriers of time and space or discouraging news threaten to stop you on your path. If this is true for you now, it is necessary for you to look below the surface of things in order for you to know what is really going on, for things are not what they seem. There is no reason to give up unless and until you know exactly how things stand. Once you do, carnelian can help you regain your courage.

Carry carnelian with you to guard against those who try to use their power over you. This zodiac crystal can also help you regain the drive you need to pursue your goals or help to give birth to a new project or flesh out an existing one. Believed to prevent depression, carnelian helps to build courage by providing self-esteem and an optimistic outlook.

Carnelian stimulates energy, physical power, and courage, and helps to ground you on the physical plane.

Early Egyptians used carnelian for amulets, as it was thought to protect the wearer from evil, and to prevent anger and envy. Renaissance sages kept a carnelian amulet in the home to protect themselves from curses.

Carnelian’s message: It offers patience while counteracting doubt and negative thoughts. It also assists in decision making by helping us ground ourselves in the present, and make decisions based not on our past, but on our present reality.

Other good gemstones for Cancer are: pearl, ammonite and moonstone.

LEO: CITRINE

The citrine’s sunny color helps restore the mind in much the same way that basking in the life-giving light of Father Sun does. Citrine helps one to maintain a positive outlook on life. It removes blocks and fears on all levels and helps one to better communicate with others. Citrine helps create a sense of stability, adds energy and emotional balance, and provides a rational approach to things, grounding us in the here and now.

Citrine’s energy means that a positive, optimistic attitude will produce a positive outcome. Use it when great self-confidence and self-esteem are needed. Stress and fatigue, either emotional or physical, can make life seem bleak and can make you unable to cope with challenges. Make sure to get enough rest and have some fun. Citrine can help you regain your emotional balance. We all stray from our path. How long it takes us to recover is what determines our successes and failures.

Citrine is one of the best crystals for all zodiac signs when it comes to manifesting power on both a practical and a magical level. Because it encourages a healthy ego, self-esteem, and feelings of worth, it empowers its wearer both emotionally and spiritually. New Age healers believe that the stone can increase the significance of dreams and open the mind to new and more positive thought forms. Due to its color, it is believed to strengthen the urinary and endocrine systems.

Citrine is known to clean toxic impurities out of the air and aura. On a supernatural level, it boosts willpower, happiness, and confidence, while reducing self-destructive tendencies. As a result of this, it can also bring good fortune, often in surprising and very unexpected ways.

Citrine’s message: Some therapists believe that people who are have lost a sense of identity because of an unhappy or abusive relationship can reclaim much of their personal power by meditating with citrine on a regular basis.

Other good gemstones for Leo are: amber, topaz and jasper.

VIRGO: JADE

This stone acts in a protective way, on both the physical and spiritual levels. Jade has long been believed to facilitate and fortify a long life. The Chinese have traditionally held jade in very high esteem, and it has a lovely history as a protective talisman.

Amulets of animals were carved to promote a healthier, longer life and would attract the protection of the spirits when needed. Jade was also used in rituals to attract wealth and fortune. Statues of this stone for abundance and protection were common. Dishes were often carved from jade. The gem was also believed to symbolize longevity, and therefore food or drink contained in jade vessels would absorb that energy.

Jade energy bestows peace, calmness, harmony, tranquility, and mental clarity, and encourages one to safely express one’s true feelings and emotions. It strongly influences the matters of the heart and can help to improve relationships. Jade is wonderful for repairing relationship connections and ties that have been lost or broken.

This stone also promotes a more unified environment so you may accomplish compromise with partners, family members, or co-workers. Jade inspires and promotes creative thought as a zodiac crystal.

For business matters, you can use jade to unite diverse individuals and get them working toward common goals. It aids in creating a harmonious atmosphere and a desire for success and abundance without materialism or greed.

Jade is also favorable for strengthening clear reasoning and in so doing stimulates excellent decision making. Because it has a balancing effect, jade motivates the wearer to believe that his or her plans and ambitions are worthy of success.

Jade’s message: This is a helpful stone for those who have a nervous temperament or who are easily overwhelmed. The loving energies of this stone will assist you in recovering from emotional trauma because it provides grounding energy and a sense of security.

Other good gemstones for Virgo are: Amazonite, sapphire and zircon.

LIBRA: TURQUOISE

One of the most ancient protection stones, turquoise is a sacred stone associated with sky energy because of its color. It also brings sky energy to Earth. Prized in Asian as well as Native American culture, it is known as a multipurpose stone, excellent for promoting a sense of self-awareness and the ability to communicate honestly and from the heart. The stone encourages creative thinking, as many do, but turquoise has the power to help channel that creative energy in a productive and useful way.

Turquoise is considered a lucky stone; it facilitates the attraction of abundance and prosperity. Turquoise has a balancing and grounding influence. Its properties include mental relaxation, stress reduction, confidence, attunement, and physical well-being., making it one of the most popular healing stones for the 12 zodiac signs in astrology.

The blue-green turquoise is a stone sacred to many tribes around the world. Use it when you feel the need to call on your spirit guides because you have reached an important time in your life or a crossroads. Turquoise is helpful when you need to restore communication with your Higher Self, and it stimulates your development on the spiritual level. If this is true for you now, it is time to take action to restore your faith. Life often appears meaningless when our faith in the unseen forces that surround and sustain us is weak.

Turquoise can help us not to be distracted by our sorrows. It can help restore our sense of humor so we can enjoy life’s gifts as well as its challenges, for we cannot have one without the other. Miracles can be seen every day. Turquoise is a favorite stone among New Age healers, who believe that it has the power to energize the body and spirit, as well as to balance right brain–left brain disparity.

Turquoise’s message: True communication is about more than words, and turquoise can help achieve this. Carrying a piece of turquoise will help keep you centered, and wearing it improves all the senses, including the sixth sense.

Other good gemstones for Libra are: diamond, chrysoprase and lepidolite.

SCORPIO: OBSIDIAN

Obsidian is a stone of protection that prevents one from becoming emotionally drained by others. It can work as a shield against unwanted vibrations and help protect you from physical or emotional harm. Native Americans keep this stone on them to protect them from negative energies or psychic attack.

Obsidian tends to give emotional stability in times of high stress, in part by preventing the draining of energy from the body. The energy to help with grounding is the strongest attribute available in this stone. Keeping obsidian with you helps prevent negative thought patterns and can also be used for space clearing by removing the vibrations of unhelpful or distracting entities.

Obsidian is an excellent crystal-gazing tool. Some practitioners have better luck peering into obsidian’s black depths to reach their subconscious messages than into a traditional clear quartz crystal ball.

The black, glasslike obsidian is forged in the fires of volcanoes, Mother Earth’s way of clearing away the old to make way for the new. It helps with transitions, so use it when you realize that the old must be completely released before the new can enter your life. It may also be useful when obsessions and negative thoughts and actions are blocking you. If this is happening to you, try to let every negative thought and action you encounter in yourself or in others remind you to think and act positively.

This gemstone may help you recover forgotten abilities within yourself. Obsidian can help you to become more aware of your true place in the universe by sharpening your inner vision. It will also help you become more aware of your imperfections and at the same time provide constructive solutions and insights.

Obsidian’s message: Do not give in to the desire to think and act negatively, even if others do. This is a difficult but most powerful teaching. Our negativity comes back to us in unpleasant ways. Obsidian may help you cope with negativity and keep centered in unstable times. Do not resist change.

Other good zodiac crystals for Scorpio are: onyx, ruby and black opal.

SAGITTARIUS: AMETHYST

The amethyst’s purple color, the color of pure spirit and the seemingly magical things connected with it, is rare in nature. Use it when you need approval from the universe, or when peace and calm are needed. If this is so, try this basic meditation: Take a few moments to breathe calmly and focus your attention on your breathing. Let all thoughts drift away like clouds. After a while you may sense the small voice of your Higher Self. Be aware of the natural fear of not being in control or not knowing exactly what to do next on your path. Amethyst can help you trust in yourself and “let go and let God/Goddess.” Holding an amethyst may help ease the pain and sorrow of a loss or defeat.

Easily recognizable for its beautiful color, this stone is known to promote personal serenity and feelings of peace. This specific astrology crystal derives its reputation for being a healing stone from ancient and medieval times when it was used as an amulet against drunkenness. The amethyst is a power stone on many levels; holds the intention to heal the body as well as the spirit. The amethyst has long been used to open one’s psychic centers.

In folklore, this stone is believed to have a soothing and relaxing effect. Holistic healers sometimes use amethyst to ease toothache and bruising. It calms an overactive mind and brings a sense of tranquility to those who are frazzled by overwork. It is used as a dream stone and to help insomnia. For those who are psychically sensitive, it can improve the ability of second sight. As an amulet, it can be worn as a protective talisman against jealousy, envy, and deception.

Amethyst’s message: Amethyst is believed to be helpful in the treatment of insomnia. By putting an amethyst under the pillow, the troubled sleeper should experience better REM sleep, with less chance of fitful slumber.

Other good gemstones for Sagittarius are: sodalite, sugilite and tanzanite.

CAPRICORN: AMBER

Amber is the oldest geological specimen to be used in jewelry. Archeologists digging primitive sites near the Baltic Sea have found evidence of amber jewelry that is approximately forty thousand years old.

This good-luck zodiac crystal brings the purifying, revitalizing force of the Sun and the absorptive, transmuting energy of the Earth together to create a powerful tool. In mythology, Apollo cried amber tears after being banished from Olympus. Medieval housewives would burn amber to bring good energy into their homes. Native American tribal healers used it in fire ceremonies.

Ancient Greeks discovered that if they rubbed a piece of amber vigorously, it became electrically charged. The early name for amber was electron, which is the root word for today’s electricity. Amber’s use as a power tool reaches back to man’s earliest history.

Amber absorbs negative energy, helps to ground one to the Earth plane, and protects the sensitive person. It helps to distribute vitality to our aura, and it centers a person during meditation. Amber can be worn or carried to help calm the nerves. Amber allows a person to receive from the universe, yet assists one in remaining physically alert.

Amber is not technically a crystal but is an organic compound. Some 360 million years ago, extinct pine trees oozed thick sticky resins. As these resins flowed, a variety of living and decomposing matter became trapped inside. Then the resin was made to fossilize under the great pressure from the Earth’s changes. Many ancient traditions associate amber with the universal life force because, essentially, actual life has been trapped inside.

Amber’s message: Amber is excellent at removing self-imposed obstacles on any projects you are attempting to create. It enhances a constructive way of behaving, fueled by self-confidence. It can attract new friendships and aid in focusing your intentions for manifestation, helping you to reach your goals.

Other good gemstones for Capricorn are: jet, smoky quartz and chrysoprase.

AQUARIUS: LAPIS

Mother Nature seems to have used the deep blue lapis to capture the sky in solid form. The glittering pyrite inclusions against the deep blue backdrop of this splendid stone create a striking likeness of a galaxy. Lapis is an excellent stone to help with peaceful sleep and psychic dreaming. It can bring matters more clearly to the mind. The stone will allow for cosmic communication with other dimensions of reality. Sleeping with this gemstone can help you see the meaning in your dreams more clearly by allowing you to interpret and understand the messages or information that your subconscious is providing.

Use lapis to help with success in business and other worldly pursuits. It is good to use for humanitarian quests and interests, as it has far-reaching effects, just like a galaxy. Early cultures valued lapis lazuli more highly than gold. In Egypt it was customary to bury a lapis lazuli scarab with the dead, as it was believed to offer protection. It is also believed to enhance higher love, powers of intelligence, and concentrated intention.

This zodiac crystal can help you focus on universal brotherhood and sisterhood cooperation to produce abundance. Some other properties of lapis are illumination, wisdom, mental insight, and clarity of thought. It may also help when systems of information exchange, transportation, and communication are blocked. Lapis can help you to communicate your deeply felt beliefs and put them into practice in the outer world. It can help shy, introverted people express themselves. Expressing your true self can free energies you would otherwise waste repressing. Lapis helps to release old, buried emotions, thereby helping to dispel depression.

Lapis lazuli’s message: Meditate with lapis when you need all methods for moving people, services, and facts to be as direct and simple as possible. Use it when you need a higher perspective on your situation. When blocked channels are cleared by lapis, expect energies to be a bit chaotic initially, before they calm down.

Other good gemstones for Aquarius are: fluorite, azurite and labradorite.

PISCES: OPAL

The opal owes its fiery beauty to the refractions of tiny imperfections and water trapped within its crystalline cells. The dance of color in opal is the result of light being radiated by microscopic silica spheres. Watching the colors flash when luminous sparkles flicker within an opal gemstone leaves you with little doubt that this is a beautiful and powerful crystal.

This astrology crystal may bring you enlightenment, integrity, or even the fires of romance. It enhances the emotions and amplifies personal traits. Opal can assist you with almost any aspect of your life, such as joy, love, or success. Let your opal fire up your heart’s desire and make your wishes come true. Opal helps magnetize opportunities for things to happen in exciting new ways. Use opal to call in good luck and good fortune, to initiate prosperity consciousness, and to encourage new ideas.

Opal acts as a magnet by helping to illuminate your interests and ability to see great possibilities. It encourages you to dance your life by amplifying your emotions and heightening your experiences.

There are two main opal categories, common and precious. Precious opals are those with the famous rainbow sparkles. Common opals are stones without fire.

If you are bored or in a rut, either type of opal can spark a flame of passion and ignite your imagination, helping you see solutions to mundane problems. It turns up the power in everything.

Adding this gemstone to any prayer, ritual, or creative work will strengthen your intention and affirmation. Shamans used opals in important ceremonies such as vision quests. For divination and oracle use, you may want to wear or hold an opal. It will enhance your attunement to the messages of the Tarot or other psychic readings.

Opal’s message: It magnifies your thoughts and feelings and promotes all intuitive abilities. In ancient times the opal was thought to be a very powerful healing stone and was believed to open up the senses of the third eye. The opal can be a doorway to your spiritual awareness.

Other good gemstones for Pisces are: aquamarine, coral and pearl

This excerpt has been reprinted with permission from Astrology for Wellness: Star Sign Guides for Body, Mind & Spirit Vitality by Monte Farber and Amy Zerner.

About The Authors

Monte Farber was born in Brooklyn, NY. He studied comparative religion and became interested in astrology in 1974 when he met his future wife and artistic collaborator, Amy Zerner. “Amy was studying astrology and I was studying Amy, so I learned astrology! It became our language of love.” Farber’s desire to make astrology understood and accessible to a broad audience led him to devise “Karma Cards: A Guide to Your Future through Astrology,” having sold over 250,000 copies in twelve languages. Farber and Zerner went on to create books, book/card sets, and unique kits that also made other esoteric systems accessible, such as the tarot, alchemy, The Goddess, talking boards, meditation, shamanism, psychic development, and relationships. Farber is now the world’s foremost creator of interactive personal guidance systems. Learn more at TheEnchantedWorld.com.

Amy Zerner is one of the leading collage artists in the world. She uses an appliqued palette of found materials, vintage textiles and amulets to make her worlds of wonder rich with layers of meaning and imagination. For forty years she has used her prodigious talent to create thousands of works of art which embody and convey the inspiration and healing power she has experienced through her study and personal application of ancient sacred teachings. Learn more at EnchantedWorld.com and AmyZerner.com.

photo: craig whitehead

Basic Taoist Beliefs and Theory

The Way gave birth to the One.
The One gave birth to the Two.
The Two gave birth to the Three.
And the Three gave birth to the ten thousand things.

— Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching (translated by Thomas Cleary)

Taoism is the philosophy of syncing up with nature and doing that which comes naturally. It is very similar to the traditions of naturism and shamanism but with a fundamental distinction: Taoism bases its primary understanding of reality on the principle of balance between the forces of yin and yang.

These complementary opposites exist in an ever-changing and ever-flowing dynamic state that constantly self-corrects and harmonizes. The ancient philosophers of China used the term Tao for the Supreme Ultimate or the universe as we know it. It is the All. In the beginning, there was Wu Wei, or the Great Emptiness, and from this came yin and yang.

Yin and Yang

This is one of the most popular Taoist beliefs. Everything in the universe has a yin and yang component to it, and all things have a balance point. For example, there would be no meaning to “up” if the concept of “down” didn’t exist. There is no “hot” without “cold” and so on. This primordial distinction not only relates to everything around us; it is also what fundamentally drives the motion within us. We, being an active functional aspect of nature, exemplify the same polar balancing; with sustained attention to this subject matter, we can find the Tao, or the balance point, in all things.

Essentially, there was the original state of the universe wherein all things were One. There was unity consciousness and eternal togetherness of all things—and then, BOOM! Polarization. All things all at once are now imbued with this elementary concept and this perception of separation. This is the mark of polarity. Now, it is critical to remember that these poles are the seemingly opposite characteristics of the same objects or things. This polarity gives us a dualistic view of the same phenomena. Yin and yang are constituent parts or mirror reflections of the same one, which is simply split into two, the same way a beam of light splits when hitting a prism. In the beginning and in the end, it is all Tao. Polarity is just the game we are playing.

The lists below show some basic examples of yin and yang to better illustrate this Taoism philosophy. These obvious examples will help further illustrate a point in our understanding of human nature—namely, the distinctions we make in our approach to self-growth and enlightenment.

Yin and Yang Examples

Yin: Earth,Cold, Down, Matter, Female, Passive, Soft, Body, Materialism, Science
Yang: Sun, Hot, Up, Energy, Male, Active, Hard, Spirit, Spiritualism, Religion

In our culture, we are either on one end or another. Either you work for Wall Street and drive the expensive car, or you wear patchouli and tour with the band. Either you are a Democrat or a Republican, for abortion or against it, patriotic or unpatriotic, with us or against us, and on and on. The mark of our society is that it is stained with the rigidity of dualistic thinking, and we suffer from its intolerance daily in our public discourse.

Gray Is Where All the Good Stuff Happens!

According to Taoist beliefs, gray is the fusion of black and white and of yin and yang. It is the understanding that there is balance, communication, and interaction with all things at all times. We in the United States live in a culture that was started by a group of religious fundamentalists (the Puritans), who essentially lived in a world of black and white. They were too much to handle for their contemporaries in Europe, and so they came to the New World to (conquer and) live their way of life. Sex was evil, and women were witches. Everything was black or white, and there was judgment all around. It was neither fun nor tolerant.

We are now living in the shadow of that polarized thinking, and the national discourse echoes that imbalance. The insanity of the Red Team-Blue Team mentality has allowed us to stray from our humanity and has really watered down the quality of human intellectual interaction, the meeting of ideas, and peaceful disagreement. Fundamentalism (in all religions and creeds) is a child of this imbalance; it is a reflection of our collective ignorance—our ignorance of the truth. To attain balance in the world outside of us, it is important to realize that we must first establish that state within ourselves. The external is simply a reflection of our internal state. Therefore, any balance we would like in our lives must come from a genuinely balanced state that originates from inside of us. We are the holographic projectors, and the “reality” we see beyond our flesh and blood is simply the reflection of our internal state. As the ancient alchemical axiom attributed to Hermes Trismegistus states, “As above, so below.”

Generally, Yin and yang, and other Taoism beliefs and practices, represent the totality of creation from opposite sides of each other. Together they are whole, and together there is balance. One cannot exist without the other, and we cannot examine anything without a balanced frame of reference, which requires looking at both sides and finding the middle. The polarity created by yin and yang can be compared to (if we so dare) the breath of life in biblical texts. At first, there is only Tao in this differentiation. Then, movement begins, and the energy of life starts to stir and revolve around itself, swirling the myriad things in the universe into being. It is as if a centrifugal and centripetal force erupted simultaneously, both creating and destroying, rising and falling, growing and decaying. In balance, the universe sustains itself and grows slowly in sentience and capacity. We can compare it to an oak tree. It grows a bit every year and then sheds weak branches in the autumn, which then become mulched as compost for the tree’s own growth the following season. The tree eventually grows so big that the main branches cannot support their own weight, and they collapse, only to become the soil for the seeds of its progeny to grow up strong and repeat the cycle.

The early Taoists learned everything from observing nature, deep introspection, inner energy cultivation, and development of gnosis. They discovered the principle of yin and yang to be the impetus and driving force of all life, and this concept is inextricably linked to the additional Taoism beliefs and practices we will discuss.

Figure 1. Seasonal Interplay

Yin and yang can also be thought of as two inverted waves that are flowing along a central axis. In figure 1, we can see the interplay of the seasons and how they relate to the rising and falling tides of yin and yang. The equinox points are when the forces come together on the axis, and the solstices are at the extremes of one or the other.

If we then take this interplay and add an element of torsion or twisting into a three-dimensional model, we end up with something that looks the double helix of a DNA molecule, as shown in figure 2.

Figure 2. The Double Helix of DNA Resembles the Interplay of Yin and Yang

This double helix DNA serves as the information storehouse for all life on this planet, and the interplay of these strands dictates which proteins are synthesized and how we express physiologically in nature. So to, This remarkable dance between the polar forces directs the language of internal energetic communication and becomes the basis of much of our transformational work.

The Three Treasures

Once the universe is split into the polarized binary system of yin and yang, there arises a distinction between the different levels of material manifestation. If spirit and matter, which at the level of the Tao are one and the same, are separated with the birth of yin and yang, then we start to see a scale of densification versus illumination. Keep in mind that yin and yang are relative to each other, always. There is no absolute yin to speak of; things are only yin when compared with something else. We can say “hot” when it’s 100 degrees out, and we could say that this is very yang, but that assumes that an average day is, say, 72 degrees. A 100-degree day would certainly be more yang in this instance. But what if we compared that to a 350-degree oven or the surface of the sun? The 100-degree day would be more yin compared to these. There is a density “gradient” from spirit to matter in which matter is more dense than spirit.

Now, taking this gradient as an example, we can hold it as a frame of reference for the Taoist understanding of the Three Treasures: jing, qi, and shen. The Three Treasures also can be organized on a density gradient, with jing being the most yin, or most dense, and shen being the most yang, or least dense.

Per the teachings of Taoism, the polarization of spirit and essence creates the currency of life (the qi energy). It is the medium or language of communication of All That Is. This is why it is so powerful to work with qi. When we understand the dynamics of qi flow in our body, we can begin the alchemical process of bringing the poles of spirit and essence back to a balanced equilibrium. In the duality-free stillness, we have direct access to the zero-point energy field and are capable of rewriting the code of how we manifest in three dimensions via our DNA.

A useful example is to compare these Three Treasures to a candle, wherein the wax is the essence (jing), the flame is the energy (qi), and the aura around the flame is the spirit (shen). The goal is to preserve the essence (wax) and sustain a healthy flow of energy (flame) so that the spirit (aura) can soar. This is a very simplistic example, and much more will be said about this. But before we go there, let’s look at each of the Three Treasures individually.

JING: ESSENCE

Jing is the essential vitality that is stored in our body. Remember, the Taoist understanding of reality is intimately tied to the internal understanding of our body and the movement of the life force through us. To understand these dynamics is to gain enlightenment universally. Jing is the most yin of the three treasures, and it represents the core of our material existence. It is a most precious substance that is to be cherished and guarded.

Very similar to the way that polarity created the spectrum of energy to matter, the essence is differentiated as well. The Taoist belief is that we have our “pre-heaven” essence, our “post-heaven” essence, and our “day-to-day” essence.

Pre-Heaven Essence

The pre-heaven essence comes from the blending of the sexual energies of our biological parents. This energy nourishes the embryo and the fetus during pregnancy and essentially comes downstream from our ancestral DNA. It determines our individual, constitutional makeup, strength, and vitality and is what makes us each unique. It’s the hand we’ve been dealt by our parents. A tremendous amount of history, information, and karma comes through our bloodlines via the DNA that gets registered at this level of our essence. Some people are blessed, and many others come in with a number of challenges in regard to this. Now, this is the aspect of the essence that’s the hardest to increase, and much of the information in my book Inner Alchemy will unlock the secrets of how we can do just that through the practice of qi gong. This is an integral piece of the puzzle that must be addressed in our energetic cultivation.

Post-Heaven Essence

In Taoism, the post-heaven essence is attributed to our lifestyles and is quite changeable. It is what we derive from foods and fluids after birth. It’s what we do with ourselves once we’ve come into the world. It has a lot to do with early-stage development and the quality of our nourishment from our birth onward. There is a great deal to say about this topic in regard to healthy bacterial colonies in the gut, breastfeeding, quality of foods, and the loving environment a child is brought into.

We can’t really help what happened before conception or during our infantile development (though, of course, we can do so for our children), but we certainly can help what we do with it from there. This aspect of the essence really can be cultivated and positively affected by lifestyle and practice. In fact, a critical aspect of our practice is to continually refine our essence and increase the amount of condensed jing to work with.

Day-to-Day Essence

If we were to use money as a metaphor, the pre-heaven essence would be a locked-away family trust account that we know is there yet is relatively inaccessible in our day-to-day dealings. Our post-heaven essence would be our money market savings account; we can tap into it—but at a price. And then our day-to-day essence would be our checking account, being deposited to and drawn upon daily for our various needs.

Being derived from the other two types of essence, the day-to-day variety can tap into both the pre-and post-heaven reserves and replenish itself. It serves as the body’s primary backup system. It acts as the reinforcement for all the body’s energies, like a backup battery, supporting our systems when there is an outage. You can also think of it as the overdraft protection on your checking account. It is critical to keep this system healthy for day-to-day functioning in order to maintain health. If we want to enhance our health and state of being, then that is where the Taoist beliefs and practices offered in my book Inner Alchemy serve their purpose. We shouldn’t be just making ends meet every day; instead, we must be in a state of relative overflow and abundance. This will then give us the energy we need to cultivate strong light bodies and open up our perception.

So, although this form of essence is the easiest to access and can be more readily restored, it is still considered jing in the scale of density. It is the baseline backup system for the qi, or energy flow, of the body. Going back to our money metaphor, in relation to the other aspects of essence, our day-to-day is more liquid; however, in relation to our qi or energy flow, it is like a fixed savings account. Again, notice how yin and yang are always relative and how they create a spectrum for comparison. Essence is denser than energy and is therefore less “liquid” in cash flow terms. Our essence is our equity. Yes, we can borrow against it—but at a cost. The point is to store it up and create an endowment that propels us into eternity.

QI: ENERGY

Moving up in refinement from the denser essence, we have our second Treasure, which is our energy. This primary Taoist belief and concept can be likened to all the metabolic and physiological processes in the body that are constantly running. This qi energy is the currency of life. It is always moving and in flux. It is traveling through an energetic matrix or network of channels throughout the body, called the meridians. The Taoist masters knew about these pathways of energy flow for thousands of years; in fact, these pathways are the basis for the practice of acupuncture.

Taking the example of the candle, the energy is the flame; it is what sets things in motion. An unlit candle can be considered potential energy, but it takes that spark of life to get things moving and really make a candle fulfill its purpose, which, in this case, would be to light up a room. Our energy works in very much the same way. It is the life force that comes into a fertilized embryo (once spirit is imbued with matter) that really gets the show on the road; that same energy carries us through our adult lives, helping to fulfill our purpose.

Based on Taoism history, the ancient Taoist masters spent countless hours meditating, cultivating, and studying these phenomena. From them, we have come to understand that there are several types or qualities of this energy to speak of.

Original Qi

This form of energy is essentially the energetic equivalent of essence. It is essence transformed into energy. Being a dynamic and rarified form of pre-heaven essence, it is essentially the foundation of all the yin and yang energies of the body. The original qi serves many purposes in the body; it is almost like a fire starter. When other forms of energy are incorporated into the system, it is this original qi that “activates” them and sets things in motion. In turn, this energy is constantly nourished and replenished by the other post-heaven sources of energy, which we are about to discuss. This original qi is housed in the “gate of vitality,” between the two kidneys, and becomes a very important and active agent in our practice of qi gong.

Food Qi

As the name suggests, food qi is the energy we derive from the food we eat. This is the essential first step to having healthy energy flow in the body, and it stresses the importance of having a clean and healthy diet. This is where the stomach receives and the spleen (and the pancreas) transforms our food into a usable form of energy, which it then raises up to the lungs to mix with air.

Gathering Qi

This form of energy, which is housed in the chest, is derived from the food qi mixing with air. Once the raw ingredients from ingested food are assimilated, they need to mix with air to form gathering qi. This idea really stands as a testament to the genius of the ancient Chinese Taoists. In modern biochemistry, we know that in part of the Krebs cycle, there is an incredible symbiotic relationship with a part of our cells called mitochondria that creates what we call the electron transport chain. Essentially, the mitochondria are part of an energy accelerator in our cells that allows us to use oxygen in a very dynamic process to help extract incredible amounts of energy out of simple sugars. Prior to Taoism philosophy, all life on this planet worked anaerobically (without the use of oxygen); the evolution of this cycle enabled eukaryotic cells (of which we mainly consist) to develop efficient energy-extraction systems. This was the beginning of the evolutionary pathway to more elaborate and complicated multicellular structures, of which we are the end result (as many would argue). Although the ancient Taoists did not speak in this language, they could literally see how these energetic currents moved through the human body; they developed a complicated and very accurate model to describe it.

This gathering qi serves to nourish the heart and lungs; it also flows downward to aid the kidneys. It is just as important as the energy we derive from food, and it becomes the emphasis of much of our qi gong, or energy work. The cultivation of energy and healthy oxygenation of the system are intricately tied to one another.

True Qi

True qi is the form of energy that is the end product of the aforementioned processes. When the gathering qi is formed, it is activated by the original qi (which we called the fire starter); from this interaction, true qi results. True qi is the undifferentiated form of energy in the body that then branches off to perform the various functions required by the system. Per Taoist beliefs, this energy takes on two forms in the body: the nutritive qi and the defensive qi.

+ Nutritive qi: This is the type of energy that circulates internally and nourishes all the internal organs. It is closely related with the blood and, in fact, flows with the blood to bring energy to all the systems of the body. There is nothing in the body that does not interface with this form of energy, as it is the main “currency” of internal nourishment. Think of the true qi as the total revenues a country gets from taxes (food, air, water, and essence). In this example, nutritive qi would be the domestic spending on cities, bridges, infrastructure, hospitals, and so forth. It is designed to nourish the interior.

+ Defensive qi: If the nutritive qi is the domestic spending, then this form of energy is the armed forces and border patrol. It protects the exterior from pathogenic invasion and regulates body temperature by controlling the opening and closing of pores on the skin. It is truly the gatekeeper to the body and needs to remain charged and healthy in order to keep us protected. In fact, at any given time, we are surrounded by billions of hostile microorganisms that would quickly invade and devastate our system if it were not for this form of energy. Defensive qi regulates immunity through the skin and mucous membranes and is itself regulated by the lungs, while also being supported by the essence and original qi. It sounds complicated, but it really isn’t too bad.

This basic system, illustrated in figure 3, very adequately explains the flow of how the body’s energies develop and are maintained. It also paints a picture of the complexity of the process. It is almost impossible to routinely eat terrible foods and successfully practice energy cultivation, because the food qi sits at the foundation of this entire process. It is also important to note that this system of interrelated energies is very much like an ecosystem that needs to be maintained. A weak defensive qi will either come from a weak true qi level or, if it has simply weakened through continual assault, will eventually drain the true qi, which backs it up at the expense of the nutritive qi.

Figure 3. The Creation of Qi in the Body

Let’s take this example on the macro scale. We have a whole host of problems in a country that can no longer pay for domestic programs (nutritive qi) because of a long expensive war (defensive qi) that is draining resources (true qi). Combine that with a faltering economy (low gathering qi) with a smaller tax base, and we suddenly get hit by both sides and have crises on our hands. Sound familiar? As above, so below.

SHEN: SPIRIT

The last of the Three Treasures of Taoism is the one most people in the West are enamored by—the realm of spirit. It is the “paradise” to which we run in the West. So, it is really important to broach this subject correctly because we’re walking into very polarized territory.

We live in a culture (Western Judeo-Christian-Islamic) of thinking that lives in a paradigm outside of the Garden. Recall that we were ejected somehow (or so says our Creation myth), and we have to behave and do as told in order to earn the rights to be allowed back into heaven—“heaven” being an off-planet realm where God and all of his angels hang out and watch us from “above.” We have bought into a storyline that pegs us as pathetic, materialistic sinners who are essentially wretches in need of salvation. We have to petition for divinity to intervene and “save” us from our evil human nature, which is obviously despicable.

Let’s carefully tiptoe through this mess because that is not how Taoists see it. Actually, there are billions of other people on this planet who see it differently, and having traveled the world a fair amount, I can say that they seem happier than us.

The Taoist concept of spirit does not exist within some far-off realm in the clouds where we’ll go for some kind of afterlife reward if we behave here on Earth. On the contrary, it is right here and right now. Remember, Tao differentiated into yin and yang—therefore, matter is nothing without spirit. They are complementary, opposite views of the same life. When we cultivate shen (which is also translated as “mind”) in our Taoist practice, we only do so by holding the critical anchor of jing and the smooth flow of qi intact. Stated another way, we cultivate the essence in the body and make it robust with life and vitality; then we use this efficiency and “excess” of energy to refine spirit further and further. This does not mean venturing into magical realms and talking to spirits as an end result; it means developing a deeper and deeper understanding of reality right here and now. The more we potentiate our essence and condense, the more we can see the universe for what it really is. Like a mighty oak tree that sends its taproots deeper and deeper into the ground, we can use these incredible bioelectric “generators” of energy that we call our bodies to literally “turn on the light” and wake up.

When the Buddha was asked what enlightenment felt like, he simply stated that he “woke up.” Now, if you’re reading this, chances are you’ve already had a number of moments where you too “woke up.” Sometimes that “awakening” is even sustained for a longer period, but the sleepy state of ignorance keeps creeping back in, like a spiritual gravity sinking us back to the lull of a sleepy zombie. In this practice, we carefully cultivate the essence and refine the spirit to stay awake and live in that state perpetually. Our practice of taking the “lead” of our personal experience and transmuting it into the “gold” of spiritual awakening is the key to this essential teaching of Taoism. This metaphor applies to the Great Work in two ways:

+ It implies that we are to take our dense and powerful stores of essence and refine them into pure undifferentiated shen. This does not mean using it like a tank of gas and burning it away; instead, it connotes fusing it with spirit by bringing yin and yang together. We must wake up our eternal nature in every atom of our body and impregnate our material base with its spiritual counterpart so we may unlock incredible reserves of energy to wake up and shine.

+ The lead-to-gold metaphor is also applied to taking the “lead” of the unresolved energies in our shadow and releasing it. It involves bringing the skeletons out of our closets and making things right in our lives. Once we release these hidden things, we’ll have opened up room for the Source energy to flow freely through us again. This is the other side of the practice where we must, with our newfound energy released from our qi gong, apply the light of conscious awareness to the blind spots in our shadow.

The refinement of essence into spirit unleashes a tremendous amount of energy, which will eventually be fed into our shadow if we remain mindless. This will then rapidly highlight and magnify all the problems we are having in our lives because they will now have so much more to feed upon. Therefore, in Taoist belief systems, it is critical to practice both sides of this equation. The energy work gives us more power to apply to waking up, but only if we stay focused on doing so!

In the next section, we are going to study the concept of the five elements in Taoist thinking. These are the “flavors” through which reality emanates once movement begins with yin and yang. However, it is important to relay another fine point about the concept of shen before we do so. The five elements differentiate the shen into five aspects (remember that all material manifestations will naturally mirror a spiritual quality). The five aspects of spirit are:

+ Fire (shen): The central notion of what we would consider spirit here in the West, fire is the house of the attention where the mind-spirit focuses its gaze. It is also the seat of compassion and love, which are the energies that intimately connect us with all life. It is housed in the heart.

+ Earth (yi): This is the concept of the intellect—the mind and its powerful facility for concentration. It is also our ability to “digest” concepts and ideas. It is housed in the spleen.

+ Water (zhi): This is the will or intention—the driving force of our manifestation of inner wishes and our ability to transform these desires into tangible reality. It is housed in the kidneys.

+ Wood (hun): This is the house of the “ethereal soul,” which is the aspect of our consciousness that helps reconcile the interface between the heart’s desires and the physical reality that surrounds us. This is largely the aspect of us that is involved in astral travel, and it does a good deal of problem solving while we are asleep. It is housed in the liver.

+ Metal (Po): This is the house of the “corporeal soul,” which is the aspect of our soul that connects us more to the body and its lessons. Metal represents the energy of decline and the season of fall. Fall is when things return to the earth and get mulched; thus, this aspect of the soul deals with grief and letting go. It is housed in the lungs.

So, the shen or spirit, like all other things in Tao philosophy, has flavors to it. In this case, it is differentiated along the spectrum of the five elements.

The Five Elements

Taoist beliefs suggest that once the Tao splits into yin and yang, it manifests in five distinct flavors of emanation that we call the five elements. The early Taoists were keen observers of their natural environment and understood that there was no separation between humans and the natural world into which they were born. The Taoists made observations about the cycles and patterns of nature, and this led to a profound understanding of medicine, agriculture, astronomy, astrology, martial arts, and philosophy. In fact, nature lies at the very core of the Taoist understanding of the universe.

Figure 4. The Five Elements

Through personal connection with nature and detailed observation of the seasons and the movement of the stars through the sky, the ancient Taoists understood all reality to be represented by five elements. These elements are related to material, emotional, and spiritual matters in that they represent the entirety of our experience on our planet. But it is always important to remember that they are all aspects of the One—that pure realm of consciousness that exists in an unpolarized state. Through differential emanation, the five elements create the flavor and richness of life and how it moves and expresses itself. Remember, before the separation into yin and yang, there was the formless and unified whole—the Tao. The split into yin and yang created movement. With yin and yang, there are two complementary and opposing forces that dynamically flux into one another. They create the dance of life. All things move and exist through this dance, as it is the very agent of the life force itself. Now, we have further differentiated into the five elements, which give life its flavor and richness. The table below shows a basic impression of these elements, the broad range of their correspondence with the world, and how they map our experience of nature and ourselves.

We will use many of these Taoist beliefs when we discuss how to troubleshoot problems with this framework and, more important, how to correct energetic imbalances using this system.

The five elements provide us with a greater degree of distinction on where any given thing, subject, or thought will be within its balance point of yin and yang. They show where the flow of energy is and how it is expressing at any given time, as shown in figures 4 and 5.

FIRE

Color: Red
Season: Summer
Internal Organs: Heart, small intestine
Direction: South
Emotion: Joy
Stage of Development: Growth
Virtues: Righteousness
Planets: Mars
Sense Organ: Tongue
Tissues: Vessels
Sound: Laughing

EARTH

Color: Yellow
Season: None
Internal Organs: Stomach, spleen
Direction: Center
Emotion: Pensiveness
Stage of Development: Transformation
Virtues: Faith
Planets: Saturn
Sense Organ: Mouth
Tissues: Muscles
Sound: Singing

METAL

Color: White
Season: Fall
Internal Organs: Lungs, large intestine
Direction: West
Emotion: Sadness
Stage of Development: Harvest
Virtues: Prosperity
Planets: Venus
Sense Organ: Nose
Tissues: Skins
Sound: Crying

WATER

Color: Blue, black
Season: Winter
Internal Organs: Kidneys, bladder
Direction: North
Emotion: Fear
Stage of Development: Storage
Virtues: Courage
Planets: Mercury
Sense Organ: Ears
Tissues: Bones
Sound: Groaning

WOOD

Color: Green
Season: Spring
Internal Organs: Liver, gallbladder
Direction: East
Emotion: Anger
Stage of Development: Birth
Virtues: Benevolence
Planets: Jupiter
Sense Organ: Eyes
Tissues: Sinew, tendons
Sound: Shouting

In the qi gong system, it is recommended that we stand facing the south for our practice. This explains why we diagrammatically place the fire element on top and water below. Assuming we are standing in the Earth position, facing south would put fire in front of us, with metal to our right, water behind, and wood to our left.

Figure 5. The Five Elements with Yin and Yang Movement

This particular representation shows the essential alignment of the elements but does not show the movement of these energies. When we introduce the principles of yin and yang to the equation, there is movement (through polarity), and we begin to see the cycles of nature manifest. We then have the four seasons.

The earth element represents the center around which all of the other elements revolve, and the seasonal elemental correspondences are closely tied to the increase and decline of energy in the annual cycle. The yang energy rises out of the winter, comes to a balance point in the spring, and is at its full expression in the summer before it begins to decline back through the fall and eventually to the cold, quiet stillness of winter. Similarly, the yin energy picks up at the summer solstice and gains momentum through the fall. It is at its height in the winter and then slowly fades through the spring as the yang energy comes up. This entire system is simply a circular spectral representation of the movement of yin and yang in nature. It is all the same phenomena. It has to be—there’s only one reality.

Now, this Taoism system is remarkably similar to many American Indian spiritual and medicinal traditions; in fact, with proper understanding, they can be used interchangeably. Nature is nature—period. Different cultures have evolved to understand and interpret its movement in a slightly different way, but we all understand what winter is, no matter where we are from. Of course, there is less fluctuation of these seasons at the equator (where the forces of yin and yang are more balanced), and there is more abrupt change at the poles.

Figure 6. The Five Elements Overlaid on the Human Body

Figures 4 and 5 give us a relatively simple framework for understanding the five elements and their interactions with each other. They give us a reference point for our energetic practice, and they ground the entire system into something we can all relate to—nature. Now, there is another way to illustrate these correspondences that is quite useful in the realm of medicine and psychology. As shown in figure 6, we can overlay this elemental system on the human body, which the Taoists consider to be a microcosm of the entire universe, to show how these energies interact when it comes to humans.

The elements relate to each other in different ways. The generating cycle, illustrated in figure 7, comes from the Taoism philosophy that the energy of nature flows through a particular sequence in which each element is generated by another. Wood catches fire or decomposes and turns to earth, which over time settles to metal (minerals), which then returns to water (aquifer or rivers) and finally nourishes wood (plants and biomass) all over again. In this system, we call wood the “child” of water, and simultaneously, wood is the “mother” of fire.

Figure 7. The Generating or Nourishing Cycle

This system allows us to understand the proper sequence of our current situation and how that relates to the overall cycle of things. For example, say we are having digestive problems (earth) due to a weak system. We can obviously help bring energy to the earth element, which is the primary afflicted element, but we can also put energy “upstream” into the fire element, which will then naturally flow into the earth element. Along these same lines, maybe the metal element is what is really weak, and it’s draining energy out of the earth element “downstream.” In this case, we address the issue with the metal element, and the earth energy should fill back up naturally.

Teachings of Taoism highlight that in a cycle of life, a disharmony along any point in the circle has repercussions throughout the entire system. This applies to our mind, our body, our family, and our planet. The point is that everything applies to everything in the cycle of the elements, which is why we must constantly strive to maintain balance and harmony in everything we do.

The generating cycle (also called the nourishing cycle) helps us to see the correct flow of energy through the five elements and to understand how that energy pertains to us and our circumstances. This brings us back to the concept of basic awareness in all things. To properly perceive what’s going on around us, we need to look at the bigger picture and see the larger cycles of energetic movement that all things are related to. Only with this sort of bird’s-eye view can we understand the nature of our circumstances and help bring harmony to energetic cycles that are oftentimes larger than us.

Using the same basic framework and Taoist beliefs about the elements, there is one more relationship among the five elements that is important to understand, and that is the controlling cycle. This cycle, shown in figure 8, shows the “checking” or controlling functions of the elements and how they relate to each other.

In this sequence, wood controls earth, which in turn controls water, and so forth. This means that we can use a checking element to control another element that has excessive energy and is out of balance. For example, someone who is very stressed out has an overactive wood element (liver or gallbladder), which can be controlled by the metal element (lungs and large intestine). So, introducing energy into the metal organs can help control the overactive wood. This also works pathologically. Because the overactive wood element is out of control, it can easily exert a negative controlling influence on the earth element (stomach and spleen). We see this all too often in the modern world, where people who are chronically stressed out end up having digestive problems. In chronic conditions, in fact, the metal element gets drained because it’s constantly trying to exert control over the overactive wood element. Because of this, we also see a decline in the metal element, which oftentimes manifests as colds and flus (lungs) or constipation or diarrhea (large intestines).

Figure 8. The Controlling Cycle

According to the teachings of Taoism, this controlling cycle is also very helpful in understanding the interplay of emotions and our mental health. For example, if a person is overcome by the emotion of fear (water element), then that element is over-controlling the fire element (joy) and draining that system as well. We can bring in some earth energy (faith is the positive virtue) to pacify the fear and breathe energy into the corresponding organs to see a radical change in that person. That is the basis of Taoist magic. The only way to learn this and to get it right is to assume that this mystery “person” is you. All healing must originate from within. As the grand master of my tradition often tells us: “First help yourself, then help the people.” Much of our internal nei gong (or inner alchemy) involves learning how to harmonize these elemental energies within ourselves and to really use our body and mind as the workshop to figure it out and get it right. Once we learn this, helping another person will be the natural extension of this skill. True, there is no separation, but most people will take that “abstract” notion and run with it. They will try to save the world without addressing their own energy first. In my experience, this is where most seekers in our modern culture fail. The central tenet of Taoist alchemy is to turn the light of awareness inward and to explore the universe within. From this infinity within, we are then able to unlock all the secrets of the outer world and understand our true nature. From within, we find heaven.

The Taoist way is one of peace, harmony, and honesty. It entails being aware of the cycles and currents of nature and living by those precepts. It demands that we bring the balance within ourselves to everything we encounter and to act spontaneously out of the living, breathing moment. This serves as the basic framework for our understanding of Taoism and the Tao philosophy.

Excerpted with permission from Inner Alchemy: The Urban Monk’s Guide to Happiness, Health, and Vitality by Pedram Shojai. Sounds True, January 2019. Reprinted with permission.

About The Author

Pedram Shojai, OMD, is the New York Times bestselling author behind The Urban Monk academy, mastermind program, podcast, and book. He is former Taoist monk, a Qi Gong master who has studied Kung Fu and Tai Chi for decades, and an accomplished physician of Chinese medicine. Pedram lectures and conducts seminars and retreats around the world on health and wellness within the context of modern life’s challenges. He lives in Southern California with his family. Learn more at theurbanmonk.com.

photo: maiwind photocase.com

Defining Happiness

What does the word “happiness” mean to you? What emotions does it evoke, and what images spring to mind when you reflect on it? In your experience, what would you say are the key ingredients of meaningful, true happiness? Take a moment, close your eyes if you’d like, and consider what this concept means for you. One of the many challenges of happiness research is the fact that the very notion of happiness can be quite difficult to define, making it equally difficult to understand how to be happy. Indeed, happiness is a topic that garners a great deal of attention; yet pinning down exactly what it is can prove elusive. There have been many different opinions over the years on what comprises true happiness. Mahatma Gandhi, for example, considered happiness to be something that occurred “when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” In contrast, the French physician and philosopher Albert Schweitzer once jokingly declared that happiness is “nothing more than good health and a bad memory.” Though these definitions may be interesting, they do little in terms of helping us understand happiness in life from a scientific perspective. An important contribution of the positive psychology movement in recent years has been helping us gain a common understanding on how to live a happy life. For example, one of the world’s foremost experts in the psychology of happiness, Martin Seligman, initially defined happiness as being comprised of three separate yet interconnected elements:

+ Positive emotions + Engagement + Meaning

For Seligman, “positive emotions” refers to experiencing pleasant emotions regarding our past, present, and future, and is marked by the experience of generally positive mood-states across these domains. “Engagement” denotes the idea of flow, a state of mind in which we are so engrossed in the task at hand that time seemingly stops. Finally, “meaning” refers to the idea of being connected to a cause greater than oneself. According to this viewpoint of happiness, true well-being consists of a combination of each of these three components, with a sense of meaning or purpose serving as one of the most important keys to being happy. Seligman has since expanded this definition of happiness to include two additional components to the three outlined above: relationships and accomplishments. Reflecting these, Seligman’s updated conceptualization of well-being can be remembered by the acronym PERMA, which denotes the following five elements:

+ Positive emotions + Engagement + Relationships + Meaning + Accomplishments

Another prominent researcher in the field of positive psychology, Sonja Lyubomirsky, has described happiness as “the experience of joy, contentment, or positive well-being, combined with a sense that one’s life is good, meaningful, or worthwhile.” As with Seligman’s definition of happiness, this one too emphasizes the multiple layers of true happiness and well-being. Rather than consisting merely of pleasant, fleeting emotions, real happiness in life also includes a deeper sense of meaning, satisfaction with one’s life, and purpose. Throughout this article, in order to help us remain on the same page and have a common understanding of how to find happiness, we will consider well-being and happiness to similarly consist of:

+ A strong presence of pleasant and positive emotional states, both in the present moment as well as towards the past and future;

+ A sense of connection to those around us, as well as to our pursuits, vocations, and activities;

+ A deep, underlying feeling of life satisfaction; and

+ A sense of meaning and purpose that can anchor us even when fleeting positive emotions may not be present.

As you can see, the sort of happiness that’s being described above is a much deeper and richer phenomenon than what we might expect. Whereas the “Hollywood” depiction of happiness focuses primarily on intense positive emotions such as joy, ebullience, or pleasure, happiness, as considered by positive psychologists, is a bit of a different experience. Positive emotions are certainly a part of the picture, but equally (perhaps even more so) important are those deeper experiences of meaning and purpose, satisfaction with our lives, and connection to both people and causes in our lives.

Happiness: A Timeless Pursuit

Although much of the research on happiness is recent—having emerged since the early 2000s since the birth of positive psychology—it should be pointed out that interest in the secrets of happiness dates back centuries. Indeed, the topic on how to be happy has been a concern of philosophers, theologians, and scholars for thousands of years. From Greek and Roman philosophers in the West to Buddhist and Confucian thinkers in the East, questions related to the “good life” have certainly been prominent throughout the years. Within the field of psychology, the lion’s share of the focus has historically been centered on the reduction of misery and the management of illness. Nonetheless, there have been a handful of pioneers over the years who have attempted to investigate issues such as contentment, thriving, happiness, and flourishing. These individuals include luminaries such as Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, and Marie Jahoda, among others. For them, questions related to fulfillment, happiness, and optimal functioning were considered critical to understanding the human condition. Despite a longstanding interest in the topic, the emergence of positive psychology has proven to be a remarkable turning point in the field of happiness research, and has led to a tremendous boom within both the mainstream and academia. For the first time in history, researchers have begun to approach our timeless interest in happiness by utilizing rigorous methods of scientific inquiry. Today, we know more about how to find happiness and boost well-being than at any other point in history. Best of all, rather than having to rely on testimonials or theory, we can rely on science and research to guide us in our search for ways to be happy. Recent research has helped us to understand which strategies do and do not boost our well-being in the long term. Above all, the aim of this article is to present these findings to you and to teach you the necessary skills for a happier life.

The Benefits of Being Happy

If you’re like most people, perhaps you considered starting a new exercise regimen, changing your diet, or reducing your substance use. Each of these would undoubtedly be a great place to start, and there’s research to support each of these ideas when it comes to our health. But it just so happens that there’s another way to improve our health, increase our life expectancy, strengthen our relationships, and even improve our job performance: Namely, becoming a happier person. By doing so, we have the opportunity to vastly improve our mental and emotional well-being, strengthen our physical health, and transform our lives. Best of all, the latest happiness studies suggest that it’s not a case in which people become happier because of these benefits; rather, the reverse appears to be true—people who are happier tend to be healthier and more fulfilled in life. We all know from personal experience that being happy is a good thing in and of itself. Indeed, for most of us, personal happiness (or the happiness of those we love most) factors heavily into many of our major life decisions. But though it undoubtedly feels good on an emotional level to be happy, it turns out that this is just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, as more research comes out related to the psychology of happiness and well-being, the more we understand just how critical it is across a large number of areas in our life. One of the most exciting findings to emerge from the happiness literature is that happiness doesn’t just feel good—it’s good for us as well. Although happier people perform better than less happy individuals across a number of domains, four areas, in particular, stand out: improved psychological health, better physical health, stronger social relationships, and enhanced cognitive performance.

+ Better Psychological Health

Negative emotional states, such as anger, sadness, or fear, prompt very narrow, survival-oriented behaviors. As an example, think of the “fight or flight” response that we experience when we feel acutely anxious or fearful. Our focus narrows, we perceive threats more intensely, and our mind and body go on high alert. This deeply ingrained tendency is wonderful when it comes to things like survival and spreading our gene pool. Unfortunately, it’s pretty lousy when it comes to our own happiness. Whereas negative emotions prompt the type of responses outlined above, positive and pleasant emotions have the opposite function in our lives. As psychologist Barbara Fredrickson has shown, positive emotional states serve to “broaden and build” our personal resources. We seek out novel experiences, connect with others interpersonally, and think more creatively. Psychologically, positive emotional states help buffer against negative experiences, increase our resilience, and can actually help to “undo” the effects of negative emotions on both a psychological and even physiological level. Moreover, this cycle has a way of feeding on itself, such that Fredrickson has dubbed it the “upward spiral” of well-being. In recent years, there has been a groundswell of research emerging on the psychological benefits of becoming a happier person. By fostering the skills in the pages to come (such as gratitude, compassion, and interpersonal connection), happiness studies show that doing so can buffer against a wide range of psychological problems including depression, anxiety, stress, and more. These skills can be utilized not only to treat these sorts of problems but to buffer against their recurrence as well. Overall, from a psychological standpoint, it certainly pays to become a happier person. But although this is a worthy goal in and of itself, some of the most impressive benefits to boosting one’s happiness lie in other parts of our lives.

+ Better Physical Health

Reflect for a moment on the last time you visited your doctor for a health check-up. You probably remember being asked a number of questions about your health habits, such as how often you exercise, what your diet consists of, how much alcohol you consume, and so forth. This makes good sense because these sorts of behavioral choices can have a tremendous impact on your physical health. But do you know what else makes a huge difference when it comes to your health? You guessed it—becoming a happier person! There have been a large number of studies to suggest that happiness and well-being not only feel good—they’re good for us as well. Research suggests that happier individuals live longer lives, have stronger immune system functioning, and get sick less frequently than less happy people. In one longitudinal study, it was found that happier people were less likely to fall prey to chronic health conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, and were even less likely to struggle with substance use problems. By actively learning how to be happy and attending to it with the importance it deserves, it appears that we can become healthier too.

+ More Fulfilling Social Relationships

Renowned psychiatrist George Vaillant once famously stated, “happiness is love—full stop.” The sort of “love” Vaillant was describing was essentially close interpersonal connection and the impact that it has on a person’s psychological well-being. In recent years, numerous studies have supported this notion—that our own happiness is inextricably connected to our interpersonal relationships. Moreover, there appears to be a bidirectional relationship between these two variables. In other words, happier people tend to have stronger, more meaningful relationships with those around them; but by also consciously fostering these relationships, we can have a powerful effect on our own happiness in life.

+ Better Cognitive Performance

You may be wondering about whether happiness might have a negative effect on things like job performance and achievement. Indeed, we sometimes run into the stereotype of happy people lacking the “edge” they need to succeed in these realms. But do “happy people finish last,” to borrow an old phrase? Actually, a happiness study suggests that the exact opposite is true: Happier people perform better across a range of cognitive tasks and tend to be more flexible in their thinking as well as being more creative. These benefits are reflected in studies of both students and adults in the workplace, with findings suggesting that happier individuals perform significantly better than their less happy counterparts. Indeed, happier individuals are more likely to obtain jobs, succeed in those jobs, gain promotions, and earn more money. So it pays to be happy, not just figuratively, but literally as well!

Roadblocks to Happiness and How to Overcome Them

Have you ever daydreamed about owning a bigger home, purchasing a shiny new car, or getting a long-awaited promotion at work? If so, you’ve probably done this for a very specific reason: you believed that these supposed “secrets of happiness” would make you a happier person. We all fall into this pattern of thinking and acting, and many of our major life choices are made with the goal of happiness in mind. Indeed, everything from our relationship choices to where we decide to live is influenced by an internal (often unconscious) decision about whether it will make us happier. The idea that if something good happens to us, then we’ll be happy, is a very common belief that most of us fall prey to from time to time. I call it the “if/then” style of happiness seeking, and it tends to promote the idea that if we achieve some desirable outcome in our lives, then we’ll be happy. For example, we might tell ourselves that if we were to purchase a beautiful new home, or if we were to move to a new city, then we would be happy. Although the “if/then” style of thinking is certainly seductive when it comes to our happiness, we all know from personal experience that these sorts of external changes rarely lead to lasting and true well-being. It’s not that good things happening to us don’t make us happy, because they do. It’s just that positive changes like those outlined above make us less happy than we expect, and the gains that we achieve last a much shorter time than we expect. A classic example of this phenomenon can be seen in studies conducted on lottery winners. Just as we might expect, winning the lottery typically leads to an immediate and sizable boost in terms of a person’s happiness. The problem is that these gains are quite fleeting, almost akin to a happiness “sugar high.” Indeed, within a handful of months, most lottery winners return to their original baseline level of happiness and life-satisfaction. As it turns out there are many examples like this, of positive changes in our lives that we expect to lead to lasting increases in happiness but don’t. Some common examples of things that many people expect to make them happier but don’t, in the long run, include (but are not limited to):

+ Money and Income: Most, if not all, people think that money is one of the essential keys to being happy. Once basic needs are met, additional money makes very little, if any, difference in terms of a person’s happiness level. Some estimates suggest that once an annual income of roughly $75,000 is met, additional money makes no difference when it comes to making a person happier.

+ Geography: Studies show that with the exception of people suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder, the average person’s happiness is not affected by where they live geographically. Differences do exist when comparing countries, but that is more related to systems of government and/or oppression. Climate and geography, however, do not appear to play a role in happiness.

+ Getting Married: Research suggests that following an initial boost in happiness (roughly 18 months on average), married individuals tend to revert back to their previous happiness baseline levels.

+ Having Children: Although there is conflicting research on this topic, numerous studies suggest that day-to-day levels of happiness and life satisfaction fall among parents following the birth of a child, and are particularly low during the teenage years. Only once a child moves off to college or leaves the home do happiness scores tend to revert back to their original baseline among parents.

+ Physical Attractiveness: Studies show that the people who score the lowest of any profession for happiness are models.

But why do all these seemingly wonderful things have such little (if any) benefit to our long-term happiness? The answer lies in a few key areas, which we will now briefly turn our attention to. As it turns out, there are a handful of factors on how to be happy, making it hard for us to feel lastingly buoyant; three of which we will briefly discuss below.

– Hedonic Adaptation

Human beings have a remarkable ability to adapt to changes in their environment. For example, think of the last time you entered a dark movie theater—at first it was probably quite difficult to see, but shortly thereafter your eyes adjusted and you could make your way to your seat. Or consider the way that a rather unpleasant odor stops being so noticeable after a short while. These examples demonstrate a process called physiological adaptation—in other words, our ability to adapt to physiological changes in our environment. A similar process occurs when it comes to our happiness and is known as hedonic adaptation. This refers to the idea that we tend to “adjust” to so-called hedonic (pleasant) changes in our environment, and find ourselves back to our baseline level of happiness rather quickly. It helps explain, for example, why lottery winners revert to their previous levels of happiness only a few months after they win an enormous sum of money. But it also helps explain why, for example, accident victims who lose the use of their legs return to their prior level of happiness in a somewhat similar time frame. A key take-home message regarding the psychology of happiness is that hedonic adaptation is neither good nor bad. In fact, the same process that drags us down after something wonderful happens helps bring us back up following tragedy. So just as financial windfalls and strokes of good fortune fade over time, so too do the painful emotions associated with loss and setbacks. But due to its tendency to “undo” the benefits of positive changes in our lives, hedonic adaptation serves as a powerful barrier to lastingly increasing our happiness. And it helps explain why so many of the factors that we normally think will make us lastingly happier (such as more money, a change in appearance, entering a new relationship, and so forth) lose their luster after a short while.

– The Genetic Lottery

Our genes play a powerful role in many areas of our lives, from our personalities and our appearance to our risk of certain illnesses and diseases. As it turns out, our genes also play a powerful role when it comes to our happiness levels. Through researching both fraternal and identical twins, as well as non-twin siblings, scientists have come to find that a large portion of our happiness is genetically influenced. How much of an influence do genes have in this area? Estimates vary, but most studies seem to suggest that our genes account for as much as 40-50% of our level of happiness in life. If you’ve ever known someone, for example, who seems to take setbacks in stride, or always seems to see the glass as “half full,” there’s a strong likelihood that that individual may have hit the genetic lottery when it comes to happiness. Conversely, we all know people for whom being happy seems to be an uphill struggle, and those individuals may have been less fortunate when it comes to a “genetic” predisposition to happiness. Although our genes play an important role in determining our happiness baseline or “set point,” it’s crucial that we don’t take this message too far. Indeed, it’s better to think of it being akin to weight: Some of us may be naturally heavy or thin, and in the absence of proper diet or exercise we may drift towards where our genes predispose us. However, this does not mean that we’re doomed to be mere reflections of our genetic “set point,” and we are all able to transform ourselves based on the choices and behaviors we engage in, whether in terms of weight or happiness.

– Our “Negative” Brain

Have you ever felt as if a dozen good things can happen to you in a day, but a single bad experience is all you can think about when you get home that night? If you are having a hard time figuring out how to become happy in a difficult situation, you’re not alone, and in fact, we can thank another key barrier to happiness for this sort of experience: our very own brain. When it comes to our happiness, it’s worth remembering that our brains developed over the millennia not to be happy, but rather to survive. And sometimes the very things that helped us to survive as a species also make it hard to feel lastingly content, peaceful, and happy. Life was quite difficult for our early ancestors, with constant threats of famine, warfare, and natural disaster surrounding them at all times. In order to help us to survive, we became highly attuned to threats and danger, and to focus on the negative aspects of our environment rather than the positive ones. And although our world has changed in many ways since that time period, it’s a drop in the bucket from an evolutionary standpoint. As a result, we are still operating with much of the same basic “machinery” that our ancestors did hundreds of thousands of years ago. Our brain has a built-in “negativity bias” in order to help us survive. This means we remember bad outcomes much more easily than good ones, and negative events impact us much more strongly than positive ones. This negativity bias has been shown to be so strong, that some studies suggest we need to experience several positive events during our day to overcome just a single negative one. The neuropsychologist Rick Hanson has described our brain thusly as being like “Teflon for good, and Velcro for bad.” This negativity bias leads us to feel unhappy and stressed much of the time, especially if we are not actively working on shifting out mindset towards the positive.

What’s Really Under Our Control?

Although the barriers to true happiness listed previously are formidable, they are not insurmountable. And despite all the factors that make it difficult to become happier (such as hedonic adaptation, our genes, and the negativity bias), it is absolutely possible to become lastingly happier. We just need to look in the right place and foster the right kinds of habits. If the bad news (for some) is that genes account for up to 40-50% of a person’s happiness level, the good news (for all of us) is that our circumstances around us account for only a small portion of our happiness—as little as 10%. Keep in mind, these sorts of external circumstances (how much money we earn, whether we are married or not, where we live, etc.) are where we tend to look to become happier. Yet these things (which can be very difficult to change in the first place), account for only a small portion of our happiness level. The best news of all is that we are left with an entire 40-50% entirely in our control, and determined by the choices we make, the mindset we cultivate, and the habits we engage in. There are 10 core principles that have been shown to create lasting increases in our happiness levels. Each has been researched extensively, backed by numerous scientific studies, and each has been linked to meaningful changes in a person’s happiness over time and with practice. Best of all, none of these principles are fixed; rather, they are all learnable, and changeable, with effort.

 What Are the 10 Keys to Lasting Happiness?

If you need more tips on how to become happy in life, these practices have been strongly linked in many research papers to lasting well-being:

1. Gratitude

Studies show that fostering a sense of gratitude and appreciation for the positive aspects of our lives has a powerful impact on our own happiness level, making it one of the major keys to happiness. By shifting our focus towards the good in our lives, research suggests we can become much happier.

2. Kindness and Compassion

Another crucial element of well-being comes through expressions of kindness and caring towards others. Indeed, numerous studies show that giving to others, whether through formal volunteer work or other means, is one of the most powerful ways to be happy.

3. Self-Compassion

Around 80% of people tend to be harder on themselves than they are on others. Unfortunately, this sort of self-criticism takes a tremendous toll on our well-being. Self-Compassion—learning to treat ourselves with kindness and caring—has been shown to have powerful benefits on our mental and physical health.

4. Mindfulness

Some studies suggest that we spend roughly half of our waking hours mentally detached from the present moment; in other words, we may be physically in one place, but mentally we are somewhere else. This same research suggests that the more our mind wanders, the less happy we tend to be. Mindfulness—the ability to be non-judgmentally aware in the present moment—has been shown to have immense benefits to our happiness and well-being, along with our physical health.

5. Optimism

We’ve all heard it said that it’s best to see the glass as “half full,” but recent research underscores the importance of optimism to both our mental and physical well-being. Indeed, optimists tend to be both happier and healthier than pessimists across many different areas.

6. Interpersonal Connection

We live in a world of infinite connection these days thanks to technology and social media. Unfortunately, some studies suggest that the quality of our interpersonal connections has deteriorated as the quantity has gone up. This is unfortunate because much research shows that one of the best ways to finding happiness is to enhance the quality of our closest interpersonal relationships.

7. Forgiveness

When we are hurt, anger is a natural response. But holding onto anger for months, or even years can have a toxic effect on our mental and physical health. One of the secrets on how to live a happy life is learning to let go of this anger can free us, and the practice of forgiveness has been linked to a number of powerful benefits to our health and happiness.

8. Using Our Strengths

Learning to identify and harness our own personal strengths is one of the many ways to be happy. In fact, it has been shown to have a number of benefits when it comes to boosting our own level of happiness and achieving a greater sense of meaning and purpose in our lives.

9. Savoring Positive Experiences

Sometimes good things can happen in our lives but we quickly move onto the next thing. Similarly, because negative experiences have a much more powerful effect on us, it’s easy to lose sight of the good experiences that might occur each day. The skill of savoring is one of the main keys to happiness as it helps us to amplify and draw out positive and pleasant experiences, to better allow them to “sink in” from a happiness standpoint.

10. Caring For Our Bodies and Health

Among the many ways to be happy is by taking good care of yourself. During times of stress, it’s particularly easy to lose sight of self-care, and our health is one of the first areas to suffer. By attending to our sleep, exercise patterns, and even the food that we eat, we can lay the groundwork for increased happiness and well-being. This piece is excerpted with permission from The Happiness Toolbox: 56 Practices to Find Happiness, Purpose and Productivity in Love, Work and Life by Jonah Paquette.

About The Author Jonah Paquette, Psy.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist, speaker, and author. He is the author of Real Happiness: Proven Paths for Contentment, Peace, and Well-Being and The Happiness Toolbox. Dr. Paquette is a psychologist for Kaiser Permanente in the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition to his clinical work and writing, Jonah offers training and consultation to therapists and organizations on the promotion of happiness and conducts professional workshops both nationally and internationally. He is also a frequent media contributor, having been featured in print, online, and radio outlets. Visit his website: jonahpaquette.com

photo: danka and peter

Positioned along the spinal axis, from the tailbone to the crown of the head, the seven main energy centers of the body are called chakras. Author Michelle Fondin explores and explains each one in the seven chapters of her new book, Chakra Healing for Vibrant Energy, which demystifies the role of the chakras in facilitating healing, balance, personal power, and everyday well-being. She offers meditations and visualizations, yoga postures, breathing exercises, and Ayurvedic dietary practices to learn about and work with the chakras. We hope you will enjoy this excerpt from the book, focusing on the throat chakra.

The Throat Chakra: Vishuddha

Element: Space (Akasha), Color: Sky Blue, Mantra Sound: HUM The fifth chakra, which is the first chakra totally on the spiritual plane, is located in the throat and governs communication and creative verbal expression such as singing, chanting, reading poetry out loud, and recitation. When the fifth chakra is illuminated, all the lower chakras transcend their limitations. The anatomical region of the fifth chakra includes the throat, neck, shoulders, thyroid, parathyroid, mouth, tongue, jaw, larynx, and vocal cords. The sense is hearing, and the sense organs are the ears. The Sanskrit word Vishuddha means “purity,” and I love this translation because it captures the true essence of the throat chakra. Its purity comes from speaking the truth that resides in our hearts. Pure means uncontaminated, clear, innocent, clean, or impeccable. When you reach this level of consciousness, you are exploring the part of you that is pure. The Ayurvedic dosha that rules the fifth chakra is Vata. The two gunas that rule this chakra are rajas and sattva. The color we attribute to the throat chakra is cerulean blue. The mantra, or bija (seed) sound, we vocalize for the fifth chakra is HUM.

Fifth Chakra Ailments

Ailments of the Vishuddha chakra include diseases of the throat and the thyroid and parathyroid glands, neck and jaw problems, speech impediments, colds, and hearing problems. From a psychological standpoint, imbalances can include unexpressed grief, sadness, anger, judgment, and feelings of depression.

Fifth Chakra Energy

The power that lies within the throat chakra is the power to transcend space-time. Communication enables us to transcend space as sound waves travel through phone lines, cell towers, and internet connections. We can be virtually present in another place—through audio and more recently through video—without leaving our physical location. Communication happens on many levels, not only the physical. We communicate through words and sounds, facial expressions, body language, thoughts (also known as telepathy), and vibration. The organs and body parts in the fifth chakra allow us to create and absorb the vibrations of sound. Words have the power to heal when you speak inner truth to yourself. Your inner and outer dialogue about yourself determines how healthy you are. If you repeat to yourself daily, “I’m so fat and I’ll never get thin,” those words have the power to become your reality. However, if you tell yourself, “I’m working on getting healthier each and every day,” you will have quite a different outcome. Words from others also have the power to heal. When a child falls and skins his knee, he will heal faster if his parent says, “You’re all right. Get up and go play.” By chanting the sound HUM repeatedly, you will align the vibrational energy in the fifth chakra and cause your cells to remember their purpose and work toward the greater good, which in this case is keeping you healthy and whole. The ultimate healing power in the Vishuddha chakra enables you to synchronize communication between your inner and outer worlds and most importantly to clear the lines of communication to the Divine. Once you have harnessed this power, wherein there is no disconnection or disharmony in communication between you, others, and the Divine, you will have a clear path toward enlightenment. The first step toward this path is to seek and speak truth.

Recognizing Fifth Chakra Imbalances

Signs that the throat chakra is out of balance may include the Vata imbalance of talking incessantly without listening. This kind of nervous talking uses the voice out of fear of silence or fear of being alone. Another manifestation of imbalance would be using the voice to be harsh to others, such as putting a person in his or her place or being overly critical. Those out of balance can also use their voice as a weapon to hurt another person by not speaking or by yelling, screaming, or crying out loud to create drama. Speech impediments are disorders that can limit your voice or cause frustration in speaking. A person who feels suppressed and doesn’t feel he or she has a voice can experience blockages in the fifth chakra. Miscommunication and misunderstandings are also limitations of the throat chakra. This often happens when two people are talking at each other rather than to each other, and when one person isn’t listening or doesn’t understand.

Healing Vishuddha 

Daily affirmation: I can easily speak my inner truth.

Healing the Physical Body

In order to effectively speak your truth, your throat, vocal cords, mouth, jaw, and hearing must remain healthy. Eating the wrong foods and maintaining poor posture can contribute to ineffective vocal expression. If you find speaking, singing, chanting, or projecting your voice to be challenging, the following changes may aid throat chakra healing. First, dry mouth can be rectified by reducing caffeine and alcohol consumption and by decreasing the number of dry foods in your diet such as crackers, chips, dried fruit, and nuts. You can also keep your mouth moist and throat lubricated by swishing and gargling daily with an organic food-grade sesame oil. Take one to two teaspoons in your mouth and swish for one minute, then gargle lightly and spit it out. It will leave a light film in your mouth. You can do this before bed and you will reap the benefits of a lubricated mouth and the anti-bacterial effects of the sesame oil. Phlegm in your throat can be corrected by reducing cold dairy, sugar, and processed foods. 1. Chanting and Singing Saying the chakra mantra sounds or other mantras out loud is great for toning the throat and strengthening the vocal cords. Singing brings about joy and can be transcendent. It’s no wonder so many of us sing in the shower or alone in the car. It brings out a side of us that is often hidden. Liberate your fifth chakra energy by singing out loud—not only in the shower or car. 2. Head and Neck Exercises Because we tend to position the neck improperly when using electronic devices, it’s very important that we stretch our necks frequently to release the tired muscles. This exercise can be a valuable tool for healing the throat chakra. Sit tall with your back straight. Have your head in a neutral position with your chin neither up nor down. Rest your hands on your lap with your palms facing up. Turn your head to the right, then bring your chin down and draw a semicircle with your chin as you bring it to your left. Then bring your chin downward from the left side and draw a semicircle back to the right. Continue back and forth eight times. Next, return your head back to a centered, neutral position. Take the first two fingers of your right hand, place them on your chin, and bring your chin to your chest. Hold it there and breathe. Release your head, and repeat with your left hand.

Yoga Asanas and Pranayama Exercises to Heal the Fifth Chakra

Try these exercises to help heal and align the Vishuddha chakra. To view a video demo of these exercises, go to www.youtube.com/c/MichelleFondinAuthor. Click on the Playlists tab, and select Chakra Healing Asanas & Pranayamas. Scroll down the list until you find the one you’re looking for. 3. Ujjayi Breath Often referred to as the ocean breath or affectionately coined the Darth Vader breath, the ujjayi breath is excellent for toning the throat and calming nerves. This breath brings heat to the body and therefore is yang in nature. To begin the ujjayi breath, sit tall and close your eyes. Pretend you’re going to fog up a pair of glasses to clean them, and exhale the word ha. Now close your lips and exhale the same way but with your mouth closed. Inhale and exhale the word ha. This results in a partial constriction of your throat. You are breathing from the lower belly, inflating the belly as you inhale and contracting it as you exhale. In the beginning, it’s difficult to inhale the word ha, but with practice it becomes easier. Once you get the hang of it, see if you can prolong each inhalation and exhalation to the count of four. Use this breathing technique for throat chakra healing and anytime you’re feeling stressed. 4. Lion’s Breath—Simhasana This silly-looking breath is effective at toning the throat, mouth, and jaw, and clearing out the lungs and bronchial passages. To practice the lion’s breath, sit on your heels with your knees wide open and place your hands on the floor in front of you. If it’s challenging to sit this way, you can stand and place your feet wide apart instead. Take in a deep breath through your nose, and as you exhale, open your mouth wide, stick out your tongue, and say the word ha emphasizing the h on the exhale, as if you are a lion roaring. If you want to add another physical component to complete the asana, bring up your hands and make claws as you exhale. It’s great for releasing negative energy. 5. Bridge Pose—Setu Bandhasana Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your feet hip-width apart and parallel, your toes forward, and your arms alongside you with your palms facing down. Press your palms down and lift your pelvis up. If you can, bring your hands together on the mat underneath your pelvis and interlace your fingers. Walk your shoulders inward toward your spine, and lift your pelvis even higher. Look straight at the ceiling, and keep your head steady. Hold for five to ten breaths. To lower, separate your hands, bring your palms to the floor, and lower your pelvis to the ground. As a counterpose, bring both knees to your chest and roll gently side to side to massage your back. Bridge pose stimulates the thyroid, parathyroid, and thymus glands. 6. Plow Pose—Halasana To begin, lie down with a thinly folded blanket underneath your head and neck. Rest your arms alongside your torso with your palms facing down. Bend both knees with your feet flat on the floor. Press into your hands and lift your legs. With your legs joined and straight, bring them over your head until your toes touch the floor above your head. You will be folding your body completely in half. You can either leave your arms on the floor or bend your elbows and support your back with your hands. Hold the pose for several breaths. To come out of the pose, lower your knees toward your forehead and gently lower your back to the floor, one vertebrae at a time. To recover, do reclining butterfly pose or hug your knees to your chest, and roll your back out side to side.

Healing the Emotional and Energetic Body

For many of us, one of the hardest things to do is to speak truth. I’m not referring to telling the truth, which at times is challenging in and of itself. I’m talking about speaking your inner truth, the truth that resides within your heart. The truth that is the pure essence within your personal soul, the voice that comes from your highest Self and gives authenticity to your words. It speaks of who you are as an individual and brings light to your uniqueness in every way. 7. Reflecting on Speaking Truth Try this interesting exercise. During the day, focus on your words and see if they match how you truly feel. Resist the temptation to judge or admonish yourself; just notice. You may be amazed to discover times when you don’t think you’re “stretching the truth” but you are. Keep in mind that I’m not talking about joking around or exaggerating to prove a point but rather deliberately changing the truth to mislead another person or yourself in any way. For example, if you get on the scale to weigh yourself and you weigh 160 pounds, but you tell your spouse, who asks, that the scale read 150 pounds, that’s deliberate. You might think, “Well, what’s the harm in that? It’s just a number on a scale.” That might be so, but if it weren’t a big deal, why would you change the number? Ultimately, speaking truth and being mindful of your inner truth is about flexing a muscle so you can live a life of excellence, marked by coherence between body, mind, and spirit. The more you flex your muscles of deception, the bigger they get. And the more you flex your truthfulness muscles associated with Vishuddha, the bigger those get. In the end, you have greater gains when your truthfulness muscles are flexed and toned. Living in and speaking truth doesn’t mean you always have to tell all. It is your absolute right to say things such as “I’d rather not say,” “I’m not sure right now,” or even “Now isn’t the right time for me to express this.” If truth means you will hurt someone and that isn’t where you’d like to go with the conversation, you can always stay silent, unless staying silent means you might harm them. For example, if your friend asks you if you love her new red dress and you don’t like it at all, you could either stay silent or say something like, “I really like the flowered dress you wore last week.” You’re using a softener to avoid hurting her feelings, but you’re not lying. However, if she says to you, “What do you think about this new guy I’m dating?” And you google the guy and find out he has a police record and you don’t tell her, then you could potentially be harming her by not revealing the truth. Do you see the difference? As you go through your day with this exercise, say to yourself, “Is what I’m about to say going to hurt my integrity in any way?” and “Will I be disconnecting from my spiritual self by saying what I’m about to say?” You’ll notice that if you can answer those questions honestly, you’ll go about your day honoring truthfulness.

Healing the Spiritual Body

Gaining the awareness of the fifth chakra is like awakening from a deep slumber. You begin to see things differently. Words spoken or written take on new meaning. As you emerge from the darkness of the lower chakras, spiritual truths seem to fall into place and link together like the pieces of a puzzle that seemed so complicated before. You may find yourself on a sudden spiritual journey, seeking to take in as much information as you possibly can. It’s an exciting time for you as you begin to wonder where all this wonderful truth has been hiding your whole life. 8. Energy-Body Healing with Gems and Colors The color sky blue is associated with the fifth chakra. Lapis lazuli, known as the “stone of truth,” is great for speaking your truth. You can also use aquamarine and turquoise gemstones for this chakra. You can wear or hold to your throat chakra the stones blue kyanite and blue iolite to help enhance clairaudient or psychic hearing abilities. Excerpted from the book Chakra Healing for Vibrant Energy: Exploring Your 7 Energy Centers with Mindfulness, Yoga, and Ayurveda. Copyright © 2018 by Michelle S. Fondin. Printed with permission from New World Library. newworldlibrary.com

About The Author Michelle S. Fondin, author of Chakra Healing for Vibrant Energy and The Wheel of Healing with Ayurveda is an Ayurvedic lifestyle counselor and as a yoga and meditation teacher. She holds a Vedic Master certificate from the Chopra Center and has worked with Dr. Deepak Chopra teaching yoga and meditation. Find out more about her work at michellefondinauthor.com.

photo: michal lomza

Transforming Your Relationship with Money

Mney is one of the most emotional subjects on the planet. In fact, many people feel more comfortable sharing the intimate details of their sex lives with friends than sharing the intimate details of their finances. Yet the purpose of money is simply to allow the smooth exchange of goods and services. So why is it that so many people have an emotional relationship with money? And what is it that gives money its emotional power? One answer is that we do. And one way we do it is by giving those pieces of metal or paper, or even numbers on a piece of paper, meaning. Sometimes we do this literally, as in “This paycheck = my phone bill” or “This $5 bill = lunch,” so if we lose the $5 bill, in our minds, we’ve just lost our lunch. Often, the meaning is even more metaphoric. “Money is freedom of choice” or “Money is love made visible” or even “Money is the root of all evil.” Here’s why this is so important: Whatever meaning you are attaching to money is either drawing it closer or pushing it away. Trying to live a rich, wealthy life when you have a poor relationship with money is like trying to drive a car with one foot on the accelerator and the other one on the brakes. You may occasionally make some progress, but in the end no matter how hard you try you never seem to really get anywhere. So in order to begin letting go of all the things you’ve been attributing to money that make it more difficult to have, we’ll take a closer look at where all these money beliefs and ideas came from in the first place. Let’s begin a few thousand years ago when conch shells were exchanged in a primitive form of barter. People literally “shelled out” in exchange for food or labor. Then, in the mines of Mesopotamia, workers were paid in salt, or “salarium,” which they could then exchange for goods and services. This is the origin of the idea of working for a “salary.” But as trade became more and more complex, the use of commodities like shells and salt was replaced by the use of precious metals. And once trade became more centralized, the direct exchange of precious metals was replaced by the use of IOUs. Coins were the first officially sanctioned IOUs, followed fairly quickly by pieces of paper that could be exchanged for precious metal. In fact, the British pound got its name because, until a few hundred years ago, it could be exchanged for a pound-weight of sterling silver. In the late 19th century, an international system was set up called “the gold standard” that allowed for a universal and stable unit of valuation. Finally, in the 1940s, the governments of the world decided to abandon the gold standard system. Promises of exchange were replaced by articles of faith—the marketplace’s faith that the government that printed it will continue to back it, with or without reserves of gold. In this sense, money no longer has any inherent or intrinsic value. The value of money, whether in the form of euro, yen, dollar, or pound, is now based entirely on the value we and others place upon it. So what is money really? It’s whatever we make it up to be.

The Meaning of Money

1. Complete these 12 sentences about money, wealth, and riches to uncover the key elements of your current unconscious programming and your relationship with money.

+ People with money are… + Money makes people… + I’d have more money if… + My parents always thought money would… + Money causes… + I’m afraid that if I had more money I would… + Money is… + In order to have more money, I would need to… + I think money… + If I were really rich, I would… + My biggest fear about money… + Money is…

2. Circle any of your unconscious money beliefs that might be holding you back, even if they seem unquestionably “true” to you.

3. Repeat this exercise daily for at least the next week. You may find some of the deeper programs take a bit longer to come up to the surface.

4. What did you discover? Are your beliefs and associations with money those of someone who is programmed for poverty or for riches?

By heightening our awareness of our beliefs about money, we can begin to make sense of many of our emotions and behaviors when dealing with it, and by changing them, we can transform the emotional impact of money in our lives. After all, would you rather work half your life for freedom of choice or for the root of all evil? Here are some of the most common beliefs people hold that keep them from creating an abundance of money in their lives: Money corrupts. There is an inherent mistrust of wealth in our society, most of it based on the underlying assumption that money corrupts. But the reality is, money doesn’t corrupt—it reveals. Many wonderful people are doing amazingly positive things with their money. Why not you? There is not enough money to go around. Money is not a zero-sum game—it’s an infinite game, and the more people who are playing it, the more money there is to go around. Provided you are spending money and not just hoarding it, the more money you make, the more money will be circulating in the system. In this sense, the richer you become, the richer you will be making others. I don’t want to make money because I’m scared that I will lose it. That makes about as much sense as saying I don’t want to eat a nice meal because I’m scared that I’ll have to flush it down the toilet later. The purpose of money isn’t to keep it forever, it’s to use it. And once you learn the secrets of making money, which I will share with you in the second part of my book, I Can Make You Rich you’ll realize that as long as you have the capacity to think, you have the ability to make more money. In order to question some of your own limiting beliefs about money and restore a healthier relationship with money, do this simple exercise adapted from Patricia Remele’s book, Money Freedom. It’s based on the idea that when you take away all of our culturally imposed beliefs about what it should and shouldn’t be, money is simply a tool we can use to make our lives easier and reach our goals faster. Therefore, what is true about money must be true about other tools as well…

The Shovel Exercise

1. Make a list of the most negative-seeming money beliefs you uncovered in the previous exercise.

2. Substitute the word “shovel” (another practical tool) for “money” in each of the sentences on your list. Notice whether the statements still make sense or have any emotional significance.

Examples:

+ “The love of shovels is the root of all evil.” + “Shovels don’t grow on trees.” + “I feel guilty because I have more shovels than my father ever did.”

Remember, the idea here is to simply take away the emotional “sting” from these ideas—it doesn’t matter whether or not you really believe them.

Where Do All These Ideas about Money Come From?

When we are born, our mind is a clean slate. There are certain things our bodies are genetically programmed to be able to do almost from birth—the basics of movement, communication, and self-healing. However, when it comes to what we choose to believe about the world, our minds are up for grabs. Before the age of seven, a child doesn’t know enough to be able to rely on their own judgment and reasoning. Their critical faculties are undeveloped. A critical faculty is the ability to question, judge, analyze, criticize, and, very importantly, compare. It is because children haven’t developed this critical faculty that they can believe in Father Christmas and fairies as easily as they believe in geometry and money. Until we take control of our own minds, our beliefs about the world and ourselves come from the continual messages that we receive in the first few years of our lives. What we are told again and again, particularly at moments of emotional intensity, has the most powerful effect upon us. In fact, anything that is said at a moment of emotional intensity has the power of a hypnotic suggestion. If you believe you have to work hard to make money, you will only look for jobs that involve a lot of effort. If you believe that everyone is out to rip you off, you will unconsciously find people who will do that. If you believe that you deserve great wealth, then your mind will look for opportunities that create that. This is one of the reasons why hypnosis is such a powerful tool for changing your life and your relationship with money. It allows you to get right to the part of your brain where the old programs are stored and literally reprogram your mind for riches.

Ending Financial Self-Sabotage

Most of us have inherited a mixed bag of some positive and some negative beliefs about what having more money in our lives would mean. These money beliefs in turn affect how much money we will allow ourselves to have. For example, how do you react when you read these statements?

+ I deserve money. + Money can come to me easily. + There’s more than enough to go around. + It’s okay for me to be rich.

If they feel comfortable to you as you read them—as obvious and true as saying “the sky is blue”—chances are you are already living a fairly rich life and a positive relationship with money. If they feel uncomfortable, untrue, or even unforgivable, you’ve just uncovered one of the real blocks to a lifetime of wealth and freedom. In contrast to the above statements, what were you told as a child about money? Many of my clients answer with things like this:

+ You’ll never amount to anything. + Shame on you—why can’t you get anything right? + It’s a good thing you’re beautiful, because you aren’t smart enough to make it on your own.

There is a long list of negative money beliefs and stories people use to keep themselves away from wealth. Maybe you’ve thought that if you became rich you’d change as a person, or you’d become a target, or you would lose your friends. Perhaps you’ve been telling yourself that you won’t be able to handle the pressure, or that you don’t really care that much about money anyway. Many people have been taught things like: “The Bible says money is the root of all evil.” What the Bible actually says is: “The love of money [or, according to some scholars, ‘lust for money’] is the root of all evil”—that is, the pursuit of money for its own sake, as a commodity to be hoarded. Here’s the key: Whatever negative story about wealth you have told yourself in the past, it’s time to let it go. There’s a saying in the world of computer programming: Garbage in = Garbage out. Your mind is like a computer, but it’s only as useful as the programs it’s running. And those programs are made up of your most frequent thoughts and most tightly held beliefs. This is why it is so important to let go of any unconscious money beliefs and ideas you may still be carrying from your childhood about why money is bad or that you’re not good enough to have it. The unconscious mind is not logical. It doesn’t stop and think about what you want or what’s best for you and your relationship with money. It just does whatever it’s been programmed to do. In fact, your mind will not allow you to deviate from the programs you hold in your unconscious. It will do whatever it takes to prove these unconscious programs about money to be true. Over the years, I have worked with many clients who have what they refer to as a “self-sabotage” mechanism. Whenever things are going well for them, it seems as though they manage to screw it up. This is always caused by beliefs in the unconscious mind that will not allow them to succeed. All I do is have them reprogram the limiting beliefs and suddenly their life dramatically changes for the better. For example, I have a friend who was good at creating money, but somehow would always sabotage his efforts to create lasting wealth by finding ways to get rid of his money almost as quickly as he made it. His relationship to money and behavior around money didn’t seem to make any sense until one day he told me of a childhood experience where he had said to his mother that when he grew up, he wanted to be rich. His mother had replied, “Why do you want to do that? Rich people get heart attacks!” No wonder he couldn’t hang on to his money—in his unconscious mind, having a lot of money equaled death! Remember, the unconscious mind is not logical, it’s purposeful—and its number one purpose is survival. Although he hadn’t been conscious of it until that moment, this unsupportive and false money belief had been installed at an impressionable age. As soon as he made any money, his unconscious mind worked at getting rid of it “to keep him alive.” After just 20 minutes of reprogramming, his unconscious fear of getting a heart attack from having too much money had gone. Within a few months his business went into overdrive, and just over a year later he had created a brand new career for himself and was living the life of his dreams. Just becoming conscious of your old programs around money is often enough to take away their power and bring about a happier relationship with money.

Undoing Cultural Hypnosis

One of the tabloid newspapers recently ran a series of articles entitled “So Rich You Want to Slap Them.” This certainly mirrors the views of a proportion of the population who are angry with the people who have mastered the art of creating money. We are continually told that “there is only a finite amount of wealth” and that “the more we have, the less there will be for others.” It’s common in our culture to hear terms such as “filthy rich” or “fat cat,” which are indicative of an underlying mistrust of people with money. This sort of cultural hypnosis creates one of the largest blocks people have about making money and living rich—who they think they’ll have to become and what they think they’ll have to give up in order to get it. Some people believe they will have to sacrifice their time, or their health, or even their family to the cause of “making money at all costs.” Yet when we broaden our definition of rich from “having a lot of money” to “living life on our own terms,” those sacrifices can all be seen to be unrealistic. If you had no time, you wouldn’t be rich no matter how much money you had. If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything—all the money in the world can’t buy you another minute of life. And if you give up the love of your family for a few dollars more, your life will only become poorer. There is, however, one sacrifice you will need to make to strengthen your relationship with money—you will need to give up your resentment of people who have more money than you! When I began on my own journey to wealth, I believed (among other things) that:

+ The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. + If I win, others must lose. + In order for someone to make a lot of money, they have to screw other people over.

You may be holding some similar money beliefs for yourself, but here’s the simple truth: If you dislike people with money, it will be difficult to become one of them. Once I became aware of how much I resented people with money, I became aware of how much that resentment was holding me back in my own pursuit of wealth. I knew I had to change the pattern—to reprogram my automatic, unconscious reaction to people who have money. Even if I didn’t like what I thought they had done to get their money, I realized that the only person I was hurting with my resentment was myself. As the saying goes, hanging onto resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die! At first, I used a simple system of substitution. Anytime I noticed myself grumbling inside my head at the success or wealth of someone else, I would immediately replace that thought with a positive one wishing that person well. It felt strange at first, but each time I did it, I noticed I felt a little bit better inside myself. Then, I learned a technique that enabled me to make even more dramatic changes more quickly. Instead of focusing on what I didn’t want (i.e. “to be like them”), it focused my mind on what I did want—to make money and live rich in an ethical and enjoyable way. Here is what I learned, exactly the way that I practice it to this day…

From Resentment to Riches

Be sure to read through all the instructions before you begin…

1. Think about someone whose success or wealth you have been resenting. Create an image in your mind of what they look like. What color is their hair? What clothes are they wearing? What expression do they have on their face?

2. Now, think about yourself being exactly the way you most want to be—living life on your own terms with the financial assets to do what you really want to be doing. How do you stand, smile, and speak? How happy and confident do you look?

3. Shrink down that picture of your rich self so that it fits in one small corner of the picture of the person you have been resenting.

4. Now, switch the pictures as fast as you can! As the picture of the person you have been resenting shrinks down into the corner, expand the picture of your rich self until it fills the screen. Make sure the expanded picture of your rich self is big, bright, and bold!

5. Take a moment to clear your mind, then repeat the process at least five times. Make the switch faster and faster each time you do it.

Several years ago, there was a study conducted into happiness and comparative wealth, which was quite revealing. Participants were asked to choose between two scenarios. In the first, they were to be paid $90,000 and their friends and colleagues would all be paid $80,000; in the second, they would receive $100,000 but their friends and colleagues would receive $110,000. What do you suppose people chose? If you guessed that they opted for more money, you’d be wrong—an overwhelming majority said they would prefer to have less money as long as it was more than everyone else! This is poor thinking in its most insidious form—using money as a measure of personal value, status, or worth—and sabotages a pleasant relationship with money. In contrast, rich thinkers don’t use their money to make themselves feel better—they use it to make themselves a richer life. The more comfortable you become around every person’s capacity to make a contribution and create wealth, the easier it becomes for you to do the same. This is one of the absolute keys to rich thinking: The more comfortable you become with the wealth of others, the faster your own wealth will grow. Here’s one last exercise you can do that will make it easier for you to release any residual negativity around money and become instantly richer in your thinking and actions…

Creating a Richer World

1. Think about someone you believe is struggling financially and imagine them wealthy and successful.

2. Think about someone you believe is already doing well and imagine them becoming even more wealthy and successful.

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 with as many different people as you like until you feel “clean”—no pity and no resentment.

4. Imagine what the world would be like if there was no poverty and everyone had more than enough to live life on their own terms. How do you feel about living in that world? How do you feel about yourself?

The more often you repeat this exercise, the faster your relationship with money will change and the faster your wealth will grow. This piece is excerpted with permission from I Can Make You Rich by Dr. Paul McKenna. It is published by Hay House and available in bookstores and online at hayhouse.com. The book includes an audio download which works with the unconscious mind book to reprogram your money beliefs and change your thinking and behavior around money for good.

About The Author Paul McKenna, Ph.D. has consistently astounded his audiences and clients by proving how small changes in people’s lives can yield huge results, whether it’s curing someone of a lifelong phobia or clearing up deep-seated issues in a matter of minutes. He currently hosts his own TV show on Hulu, where he interviews the most interesting people in the world. His guests include Simon Cowell, Harvey Weinstein, Rachael Ray, Sir Roger Moore, Roger Daltrey, Tony Robbins, Paul Oakenfold and Sir Ken Robinson. Visit his website: paulmckenna.com

the ancient tibetan practice of dream yoga is designed to give you access to dream consciousness in waking reality, which has the effect of powerfully expanding your spiritual awareness.

To begin this section on shamanic dreaming, I will first explain the modern term and experience of lucid dreaming. For us modern folks lucid dreaming and shamanic dreaming will share consistencies in the beginning stages simply because the initial goal of both is simply to become aware you are dreaming while you are dreaming. Learning to do this in the culture of my dreaming teachers—the Wirrarika—is very natural and nothing like what we modern people must go through. Unlike our culture, dream recall is simply a part of everyday life for the Wirrarika. From a very early age, every morning a Wirrarika child is asked by her mom or grandfather, by the shaman or even many people: “What did you dream last night?” This Wirrarika custom of asking about and recounting dreams continues throughout life. This dream recollection is key to beginning to learn lucid dreaming. Moving from intentionally remembering dreams in high detail to realizing you are dreaming while you are dreaming is a natural progression. For Westerners the best way to learn the highly advanced techniques of shamanic dreaming is to first become proficient at lucid dreaming. We are going to dive into this most important subject soon. Most modern dream researchers agree on a simple definition for lucid dreaming: in a lucid dream the dreamer knows that he is dreaming while he is dreaming. For those of you proficient in lucid dreaming, I suggest you stick around anyway because you might learn something new.

A Brief History of Dreaming

We all have dreams that upon our wakening startle us with their clarity: the dream felt so real that while we were dreaming it didn’t feel or seem like a dream at all. Many, if not all of us, have also experienced a lucid dream (LD) in which we somehow knew we were dreaming while we were dreaming it, and upon awakening we remember that we knew we were dreaming while dreaming. Recent polls conducted by dream researchers suggest that around 80 percent of people have three to five lucid dreams per year. That’s a really small percentage—1 to 2 percent of dreams for a whole year. After people participate in a weeklong class on how to induce LD, the percentage rises to 10 to 40 percent. After many months of practice inducing LD, many participants report 80 percent frequency, and there are highly experienced oneironauts (lucid dreamers) who, after many years of practice, report 100 percent frequency when they intend to lucid dream. Lucid dreaming and shamanic dreaming share many themes and processes, but shamanic dreaming takes everything to another whole level. So now you may be wondering why we should practice LD. Good question. The easiest answer is also the simplest: because we spend around a third of our lives asleep, why wouldn’t we want to have access to that part of our life instead of being in a state that resembles a coma? Below are some of the potentials lucid dreaming offers. Later, I’ll get into the whys of shamanic dreaming.

+ Gain control. Explore your dream world with total clarity, and direct and manipulate dream themes, settings, and plots at will.

+ Get inspired. Collect ideas and creative motivation for the waking world from your subconscious.

+ Fulfill fantasies. During LD you can do whatever you want.

+ Therapy. While lucid dreaming you can face your fears, phobias, anxieties, past traumas, and even nightmares.

+ Gain energy and power. Lucid dreamers have shown that proficiency in lucid dreaming carries over many positive changes in the waking world.

What Is and What Is Not Lucid Dreaming

There are two states of consciousness before and after sleep that are often confused with lucid dreaming. The hypnagogic state and the hypnopompic state are terms used to describe the borderline state between wakefulness and falling asleep and being asleep and waking up, respectively. Both states may tap into the subconscious mind in a similar way and sometimes in an even more powerful way to normal dreams, although hypnagogia (falling asleep) is usually more pronounced than hypnopompia (waking up). Common experiences during hypnagogia include visualizations such as phosphenes (colored specks of light), geometric patterns, kaleidoscopic imagery, and flashing dream scenes similar to an ongoing dream. Since we are still partially awake, we often consciously decide to hold a scene or image or to let it go and pass to another. Personally, I find it quite enjoyable and peaceful to see phosphenes and to be able to control their movements while transitioning to sleep and have found this to be very conducive to evoking lucid dreaming once asleep. Hypnagogia and lucid dreaming share some qualities, but they are not the same state of consciousness. During the hypnagogic state I can to a certain extent direct the images that I see, in a similar way to lucid dreaming, but I am not asleep yet. Being aware of the hypnagogic state can be a very valuable to lucid dreaming technique. It is an effective technique to “carry over” an image or scene into a lucid dream. More about that later. A second state of consciousness often confused with lucid dreaming is the prelucid dream state. Although we can at times move from hypnagogia to lucid dreaming, especially with training and practice, normally we pass into normal sleep and then through a prelucid dream state first. The prelucid state is in most cases a very important bridge to becoming fully lucid. While in a prelucid state our dream seems utterly real, and many times we are astonished at the clarity. It’s quite common in this state to say to oneself, “This can’t be a dream.” Or to ask, “Am I really dreaming?” If you are making statements or asking questions to yourself about your dream, you have arrived at a state of consciousness where you could easily cross the bridge to lucid dreaming; however, this is not always the case. Often we stay in this dream state, it fades away, or we wake up without experiencing lucidity. While dreaming we can often feel, or actually be, in charge of what is going on in our dream without being aware we are dreaming. Our unconscious is a tricky animal and is basically in charge of what we are dreaming. If you are in some form connected to your subconscious, it may seem like you are consciously in charge of your dream when actually you are not. Many times, especially for novices, this also occurs even when you are fully aware you are dreaming (LD). For the vast majority of people, it takes a lot of practice to be consciously in charge of your dream even when you know you are dreaming. Strictly speaking, being in charge or having the ability in some way to control your dream is not a necessary component of lucid dreaming. Being fully aware that you are dreaming is the only requisite. You can be fully lucid in your dream with your unconscious mind still in charge. In this common circumstance you are simply consciously “going for a ride” in your dream. These experiences of being lucid while your unconscious is in charge can be supremely enlightening! You can lucidly experience fulfilling fantasies and facing fears, phobias, anxieties, past traumas, and even nightmares, with your unconscious mind in charge of the dream. Letting your unconscious mind be in charge during lucid dreaming also opens up the possibilities of discovering and experiencing circumstances your conscious mind is not capable of due to many factors, the most important being the controlling aspects of our ego. During lucid dreaming, you are you but you are also not you. You are not encumbered by societal pressures, family, or work. No one expects you to behave a certain way or “get things done” while you are sleeping! Because of this, lucid dreamers tend to have a plethora of mystical, divine, and numinous experiences. They also tend to experience intense pleasure and even states of ecstasy, sexual ecstasy included. The occurrence of lucid dreamers reaching orgasm while lucid dreaming is well documented in dream study laboratories. Oftentimes lucid dreamers have such powerful experiences that they are incapable of putting them into words upon waking, and these feelings of awe continue for days, weeks, or years. However, through many years of lucid dreaming, and listening to descriptions of lucid dreams from lots of people, I can also tell you that most lucid dreams are not overly inspiring, stimulating, or therapeutic. Sometimes they can be downright dull. Knowing you are dreaming doesn’t automatically make dreaming more exhilarating or enlightening. In most cases lucid dreaming with the unconscious mind “feels” the same as ordinary dreaming, which is actually a good thing. Some people resist lucid dreaming because they’re afraid they’ll lose the spontaneity and unpredictability of normal dreaming. But that is not necessarily the case. As already stated you can be fully lucid but not be in charge. However, there are many times I want to be in charge of my dream time, and learning how to do that is a remarkable asset in one’s life. One of the most positive benefits of learning to be in charge of your lucid dreams, and later to actually control them (this may seem to be the same but it’s not and will be explained more later), is that during lucid dreaming we generally feel supremely confident! We are aware we are dreaming, so anything is possible. I can be in charge of whatever I want to be; I can submit and be humble if I want to. I can change my attitude to circumstances in my life that I might be struggling with for years in a blink of an eye. I can transcend negativity and pessimism and overcome my fears during my lucid dreams and carry the awareness back to the physical plane. Lucid dreaming also tends to cultivate a unity of consciousness and the cosmos. Lucid dreamers regularly display a shift in their normal awareness toward a more holistic view of the world. Through lucid dreaming they discover a supremely expanded view of life, objects, nature, and other human beings. Through seeing objects, places, and life-forms, including people, as fields of energy while lucid dreaming, the lucid dreamer learns to obtain the same sort of information on the physical plane. This awareness allows the lucid dreamer to see and read other people’s energy patterns more easily, sense more clearly others’ moods and thoughts, and react more effectively and creatively. To summarize, the learned ability to be consciously aware we are dreaming while we are dreaming is such a powerful enhancement of life that when it happens we are changed forever for the better. Lucid dreaming is in my mind one of the cutting-edge modalities that can lead humanity away from our anthropocentric lifestyles and toward a holistic reality. Once we master lucid dreaming techniques, we open the door to the powerful tool of shamanic dreaming.

Practice: Cleansing Your Day in Preparation for Lucid Dreaming

Anything we do consistently during the day will inevitably show up in our dreams. Our dreams are largely filled with subconscious impressions from our day. We all know that previous events and people from our past can also show up in our dreams. Not only that, energetically draining events from our past or from the day before can negatively affect both our current waking life and our dream time. In addition to reclaiming lost energy by healing energetic drains from the past, it’s important to prepare for your journey into the dream world at night if you want to be successful. If we can clear ourselves of stress, tension, deep emotions, random thoughts, and all the various situations of the day, we can fully focus attention on the intention to first remember dreams and then achieve the goal of becoming aware we are dreaming while dreaming. To do this we can perform a simple ritual that can become a wonderful habit. I wouldn’t consider this a shamanic ritual but rather one that can augment and support our attempts at shamanic dreaming.

1. Sit down in a comfortable position before going to bed. It’s best to sit on your bed, or somewhere close to where you will sleep that night.

2. Simply sit for a minute and notice where your thoughts are. When ready, close your eyes and begin to visualize the events of your day.

3. You can visualize events as if looking at a movie screen in your mind, or you can take the visual perspective of looking at the scene from the outside or above. Take one event at a time, and breathe it in through your nose while reliving it. If it is an event you want to energetically discharge, then forcefully breathe it out through your mouth as you visualize the energy leaving you and dissipating. If it is a pleasant event, simply exhale through your nose and notice how the event made you feel. Reviewing energetically positive events is a great way to fortify positivity before dreaming; however, it is important to clear the energy-draining events before dreaming. Do as many events as you feel necessary. If you had an easy day, this process could be very quick; if you had a hard day, it will obviously take longer. In any case don’t rush, take your time, and get your energy moving to be in a clear and positive state.

4. When you feel finished, stand up, take one more deep breath, and while exhaling sweep your energy field clean by placing your hands on the top of your head and sweeping down over your chest, abdomen, genitals, legs, and feet. When you get to your feet, swish your hands out away from your body. The sweeping can be done slowly or rapidly, whatever feels right to you in the moment. Do this once or many times. I usually do it a few times just because it tends to feel really good and refreshing. I often find myself smiling after this, which is perfect for what comes next!

Practice: Importance of a Dream Journal

I am making this simple task an “official” practice for our work because of how important it is. In the past decade or so the activity of journaling has become extremely popular. Now there are books, workshops, and even conferences on journaling. Journaling enthusiasts typically use the activity for problem solving and stress reduction, and I’m told it can also be very enjoyable. It’s been proven to improve mental and physical health and can lead to increased self-esteem. I have to admit I personally am not big on journaling for myself, but I have more than a few friends who love doing it and have been doing it for many years. I spend so much time writing, I can’t even think about keeping a daily journal about my life and thoughts. However, my dream journal is something I have kept up on and off for close to thirty years because it is so important to cultivating lucid and shamanic dreaming for modern people. Unlike the Wirrarika, we typically don’t have someone who will ask us every morning what we dreamt the night before. If you do have someone like that—awesome! But the dream journal is still pretty much indispensable for modern people in setting up lucid dreaming for many reasons. Every lucid dream researcher and teacher will tell you the same thing. Why? Stephen LaBerge, Ph.D., known as the godfather of modern lucid dreaming due to his pioneering work at Stanford University and founding of the Lucidity Institute in 1987, puts it this way:

Your lucid dream training will start with keeping a dream journal and improving your dream recall. Your journal will help you discover what your dreams are like. . . . Learning to remember your dreams is necessary if you want to learn to dream lucidly. Until you have excellent dream recall, you won’t stand much of a chance of having lucid dreams. There are two reasons for this. First, without recall, even if you do have a lucid dream you won’t remember it. Indeed, we all have probably lost numerous lucid dreams among the many thousands of dreams we have forgotten in the normal course of our lives. Second, good dream recall is crucial because to become lucid you have to recognize that your dream is a dream while it is happening. Since they are your dreams that you are trying to recognize you have to become familiar with what they are like. . . . You can accomplish this by collecting your dreams and analyzing them for dreamlike elements. . . . Before it will be worth your time to work on lucid dream induction methods you should be able to recall at least one dream every night.

I suggest you buy a special dedicated journal with a lock to record both goals, intentions, and detailed recollections of your nightly dreams. It’s important that others don’t handle or especially don’t look in your journal, thus the lock. If you care to share your dreams with others, especially other lucid dreamers, that’s fine and can be very helpful, but this work is extremely private and shouldn’t be shared without your knowledge. Also, having a special pen to write with makes the experience more special, even sacred. We’re  going to get into when and what to write in your journal shortly. But here I also want to mention a helpful tip from my experience. Often when waking from a dream in the night and not ready yet to wake up for the day, I don’t want to become fully awake because I know in my still half asleep (or more) state, I can easily slip right back into dreaming. Waking up to the  point  of  turning  on the light and writing might, or would, detract from  going back  to dreaming. But if I didn’t make some effort to immediately record the dream, I would almost always forget it. Waking up in the morning, I would know, on the periphery of my consciousness, that I had dreamt but wouldn’t be able to remember the dream. I think we all experience this. The solution I came up with is to hang a  small whiteboard on the wall next to my bed with a marker attached to it. When I briefly wake up and remember my dream, I scribble a few key words on the board so I can remember the dream when I’m fully awake. When I’m awake I take cues from the scribbled notes and write out the details of the dream in my journal. As stated earlier, dream recall is a vital step to lucid dreaming. The little tricks and techniques we use and come up with to polish our dream recall all help in our goal to become lucid.

Practice: Creating Lucid Goals 

In 2007, David R. Hamilton, Ph.D., conducted research at the Dominican University of California involving 149 people aged from twenty-three to seventy-two years old, from many different backgrounds and cultures. The purpose of the research was to compare different techniques and strategies used to achieve our goals. Participants were divided into five groups.

+ Group 1 was asked to think about goals they’d like to accomplish over the next four weeks and reflect on the importance of those goals.

+ Group 2 was asked to write down their goals and reflect on their importance, as group 1 had done.

+ Group 3 went a little further. Not only were they to write down their goals, but they were also asked to write down some actions they could take.

+ Group 4 went further still: they wrote their goals down, reflected on their importance, and wrote some action steps, but they also sent these action commitments to a supportive friend.

+ Group 5 did all that group 4 did, but they also made weekly progress reports to their supportive friend.

As you might have guessed, Group 5 achieved the most and Group 1 the least. Group 5, in fact, achieved 78 percent more than Group 1 did. Writing out your dreaming goals will absolutely help with:

+ Clarification. Being clear and prepared for any adventure increases the probability of success. For example, if you are going on a trip with a specific destination in mind, you can clarify what to pack, how you will get there, and knowing when you have arrived. The same goes with lucid dreaming techniques. Writing down your goals forces you to select something specific and decide what you want.

+ Motivation. Writing down your goals and clarifying them is just the beginning of the journey. When going on a trip you have to prepare, get on the road or plane, and actually arrive. Writing down the goals and reviewing them spurs the motivation toward the actual actions.

+ Keeping on track. So many circumstances pull us this way and that every day. Writing down goals helps us filter out what are the most important actions to take.

+ Evaluation. Written goals are like mile markers on a highway. They enable you to see how far you have come and how far you need to go. They also provide an opportunity for celebration when you attain them!

So the first items to write in your journal refer to why you want to lucid dream. Clarify your motivation. Examples:

+ I want to explore consciousness. + I want to fly around in my dreams. + I want to learn shamanic dreaming. + I want to heal myself. + I want to heal others. + I want to improve my self-confidence. I want to overcome . . .

I like to make a title page as the first page of my journal. Then at the top of the second page goes the date and the heading “Motivation,” followed by why I want to lucid dream. Next, I’ll write some affirmations and truths about what I’m doing. Examples:

+ I will do my best to prepare for dreaming so I will be successful in becoming lucid. + I will try not to be frustrated when not successful. + The process of learning lucid dreaming takes time; I will go at my own speed. + My dream journal is a magical item of my subconscious and dream world. + I am clear on my motivation to do this and have written it down in my journal. + I will be successful in lucid dreaming!

Now don’t forget at any moment to write down feelings, emotions, thoughts, affirmations, doubts—whatever. It’s really interesting to see what we wrote in the beginning of the lucid dream journey months and years later. After this initial section in your journal, skip at least ten pages for future goals, affirmations, and notes. On the first page of the actual journal you will record the dreams you have on your first night; put the date at the top and the two most important six- and seven-word phrases for this stage:

+ I will remember my dreams tonight. + I will write down my dreams tonight.

Place a bookmark at that page so you can easily find it when you awaken during the night. But first let’s look at induction techniques—techniques for inducing lucid dreams.

Practice: Enhancing Prospective Memory— Reality Checks

The reason for writing out the above phrases before going to sleep is to stimulate what psychologists refer to as prospective memory. Prospective memory means remembering to perform intended actions in the future or, simply, remembering to remember. Examples of prospective memory include remembering to take medicine at night before going to bed, remembering to deliver a message to a friend, and remembering to pick up certain items while shopping. Making lists, using sticky notes, and writing on a calendar, among other physical cues, can help us remember what we want or need to do in the future. I am notorious for making a shopping list and then getting distracted and leaving it at home. I did just that yesterday when I went to the grocery store. But though I didn’t remember all the items on the list, the act of writing the list enabled me to remember the important ones. It seems that importance is key to prospective memory. Leaving on time to catch a plane will usually outweigh insignificant items on  a grocery list. Remembering your spouse’s birthday will probably outweigh taking out the trash. If the task is very important your prospective memory will remain active to the goal and keep checking if it’s time to do it until you actually do it. Much of what we intend to do in our everyday lives, whether at home or at work, involves habitual tasks repeated over time. When it comes to these kinds of habitual tasks, our intentions may not be explicit. We don’t write down or form an explicit intention to insert the key in our front door to open it when we get home. We  just do it. Forgetting to pick an item up at the store may  be no big deal; however, prospective memory failures can sometimes be devastating. For example, aircraft pilots must remember to perform several actions sequentially prior to takeoff and landing, and failure to remember to perform any of these actions may result in injury or death. For lucid dreaming, we can effectively use a concrete prospective memory cue: right before you go to bed, write down in your journal and say to yourself that you will remember your dreams that night—and really believe it! But we are also going to want to perform certain tasks during the dream, the most important being the awareness that we are dreaming. Since we can’t take our journal or a list with us to remember, we need to remember without these tools. Learning to remember better in our waking life can greatly help us to remember while dreaming. As already discussed the importance of an event or task helps motivate us to remember. It’s the same with lucid dreaming: the more we desire to become lucid the more motivated we will be to remember. The following lucid dream technique has two aspects. The first is to exercise our prospective memory and the second is to perform reality checks while exercising prospective memory. Anything we do consistently during the day will inevitably show up in our dreams. To learn lucid dreaming, you must be able to spot the difference between a dream and waking reality. During normal dreams you accept it as real life. It’s only when you wake up that you realize you were dreaming. By integrating reality checks into your waking life, you will soon do them in your dreams. This will snap your conscious mind to realizing: “I’m dreaming!” Reality checks are very easy to perform; however, the more passion and energy you put into them, the more effective they will be when carried over into your dream time. To be truly effective, reality checks should be performed many times during your day—twenty times is a good number. Basically the reality check has a physical component along with asking a simple question, “Am I dreaming?” Some teachers of lucid dreaming techniques suggest setting an alarm on your phone or watch to remember to do your reality check. In my experience it is far better to combine intentional prospective memory with the reality check by doing your reality check when you see a predetermined item(s) during your day or you do something specific during your day. The first step is to write down a list of twenty-one targets, things that are likely to happen during a normal week. Once you have your list, break it down into three items for each day of the upcoming week and write this schedule down in your journal. You will not be taking your journal with you, nor a list of the three targets. This is an exercise to strengthen your prospective memory without using lists or sticky notes or alarms. Here we are exercising our mental power of recall. Examples: I will do a reality check whenever I:

+ Buy something + Write something down + Hear someone say my name + Handle cash + See a yellow car + Hear someone laugh + Turn on a TV + Turn on a computer + Throw something away + Read something + Check the time + Hang up the phone + Put a key in a lock + See a bird + See an advertisement + Open a door + Eat anything + Flush a toilet + See the stars + Turn on a light

This is just a sample list; you must make your own. Obviously, if you are an editor you would choose something else besides reading as a target, or if you are a telemarketer, something besides hanging up the phone. We want the targets to be things we will do a few times a day (like flushing a toilet), not all day long. When you hit a target, it’s time for a reality check. A reality check can be lots of things:

+ Touching. What happens when you touch something solid? + Breathing. Can you hold both your nose and mouth shut and breathe? + Jumping. When you jump, do you come right back down or do you float down? + Reading. Can you read a sentence twice without its changing? + Mirrors. Does your reflection look normal in the mirror? + Math. Can you add up two numbers for a correct answer?

Each of these reality checks can be useful. My preference is holding my nose and mouth shut and the palm test, which is not on the above list. To do the palm test, open one hand and then forcefully tap the index, middle, and ring fingers of your other hand on the palm of the open hand. I prefer this test over the others because seeing (finding) your hands in a dream is one of the main techniques of becoming lucid, which we will discuss later. The more often you do a reality check in waking life, the more likely it is that you will do the same reality check in any given dream to test if you are aware that you are dreaming. The key to reality checks is to do them mindfully and frequently while at the same time asking yourself, “Am I dreaming?” “Am I awake?”—or some other variation of this question. If you are not asking yourself the question in waking life, then chances are you won’t ask yourself the question in the dream. It is the question, not the action itself, that will make this lucid dreaming technique successful. Your brain creates neural constructs based on experiential learning: patterns of thinking based on your real-life experiences. For example, we know about the laws of gravity: we know that in the waking world we can’t just jump off the ground and fly away. There’s no question about it, just as there’s no question that 71 percent of Earth’s surface is currently water, Earth is in the Milky Way Galaxy, and the Browns won’t win the Super Bowl this year. Consequently, most of us continue through life without ever questioning the world around us. We become so accustomed to our reality, we forget to question it. And this applies in the dream world too. However, when we question our reality on a regular basis, we open ourselves to actually experiencing alternate realities. When this becomes second nature in waking life, it will become second nature in dreams too. This is the bridge we are looking for to the world of lucid dreams. The other benefit of doing frequent reality checks throughout the day is that it ensures that you are constantly thinking about lucid dreaming. The more you focus on something, the more likely it is to occur, especially in the case of lucid dreaming. A perfect example of this is my current situation with writing this lucid dreaming portion. Since I started writing it and have been focusing on it all day for many days, the number of my dreams has increased and my recall has been outstanding. Remember: whatever we do in the waking world naturally affects our dream world. By constantly thinking of lucid dreaming while awake, we enhance our chances of becoming lucid while we are dreaming. Reality checks, reading and researching about it, and practicing other lucid dreaming techniques I will present shortly all combine to help us with our goal. Summary of reality check technique: 1. Make a list of targets. Choose twenty targets that you know you will hit during a one-week period, multiple times a day. Group them into three targets for each day, and write them in your journal. Below are examples of daily targets for the first two weekdays.

Monday

+ Open a door + Eat anything + Flush a toilet

Tuesday

+ Hang up the phone + Put a key in a lock + See a bird

2. Memorize the day’s targets. When you get up in the morning, after you write in your journal about your dreams of the night, read and memorize your reality check targets for that day. Don’t read ahead; read only the targets for that particular day. 3. Remember to perform your reality check while doing your targets during the day If one of your targets is putting a key in a lock, while you insert a key, you will have to use your prospective memory to do your reality check. While doing your physical reality check, sincerely ask yourself, “Am I dreaming?” At this point I would suggest doing another different reality check because sometimes in dreams one is not enough to convince ourselves. In the waking world the answer to your question will more than likely be, “No, I’m not dreaming.” Remember, the action of questioning your reality and state of consciousness in your waking state while increasing your prospective memory is the point of the exercise. Soon you will be doing this while dreaming. The more you do it while awake, the easier it will be to do while dreaming. Keep track of your targets hit during the day with a small notebook or just a piece of paper. Also write down the targets you missed. Many times I have had the “put a key in a lock” target on my list, but often when I get to work in the morning and turn off my car, I realize I’ve missed my very first reality check when I started the car. That was a failure of my prospective memory, which needs improvement. 4. Tally up your hits and failures. At the end of the day write a tally of your hits and failures in your journal so you can mark your progress. This lucid dreaming technique has a definite snowball effect. The more you practice, the better you get. Congratulate yourself when you see improvement, and smile knowing you are intentionally raising your awareness and developing your memory. If you realize you are missing a lot of your targets, continue with the process and try not to be discouraged. Keep trying your best, and you will get it. Remember, hitting your target is only a portion of the technique related to prospective memory. Just as important is actually performing the reality check in a conscientious and high-level manner and sincerely questioning reality. If you fail to do either, hitting the target becomes somewhat trivial. Excerpted from Advanced Shamanism by James Endredy 2018 Bear & Company. Printed with permission from the publisher Inner Traditions International. InnerTraditions.com

About The Author James Endredy leads workshops throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada and is actively involved in preserving the world’s indigenous cultures and traditional sacred sites, such as those of the Huichol Indians of western Mexico. The award-winning author of several books, including Ecoshamanism, The Flying Witches of Veracruz, Teachings of the Peyote Shamans, and Earthwalks for Body and Spirit, he lives in Vermont. Find out more at jamesendredy.com

photo: christian sterk

The physical world is a great metaphor for the metaphysical world, especially if you keep in mind the principle of correspondence: as above, so below. We can look at any number of physical entities—a garden, a closet, a whole house, a business, the body—to understand the concepts of clearing, containing, and cultivating. Because energy (both physical and metaphysical) is meant to flow, it is, unless inhibited, always moving. The physical world has structure and if we want the structures to remain healthy and intact, we have to take care of them. Without attention and care, things naturally move from order to disorder. Our nicely organized closet will change from order to disorder unless we put things away where they belong. A garden full of seedlings will produce better if weeds are not allowed to creep in. A business with a clear vision and a sound mission will lose its focus if other ideals or values are pursued. If not given enough sleep or food, our bodies will fall apart. Each of these processes—clearing, containing, and cultivating—play important roles in maintaining harmony. They are vital, but they are not difficult. I believe that energy is part of the Divine. It is not out to trick you or trip you up because of some ritualistic loophole. There are basic principles governing how energy flows, but once you understand those, don’t be afraid to follow your intuition, your creative impulses, and your own common sense. We are all made of energy and are perfectly able to understand and work with it. You will be invited to try some of the practices as you read on. This is to help you start learning what it feels like to attend to your own energy cleansing. Think of this time as a sampler. Start small. You shouldn’t have a huge goal in mind or attempt to clear anything that you know is big and complicated. This will relieve pressure and allow you to focus on the practice itself and how you feel.

Everything You Need to Know About Clearing

Have you ever tried to plant a new garden into untended ground or attempted to organize an overfull closet with all the stuff still in it? Both activities can be done—unfortunately, the job will be harder than necessary, and we won’t be able to work as effectively. Clearing the new garden bed of rocks and roots, and removing clay or sandy dirt, will make it easier to place the seedlings or seeds in even rows and will make room for the addition of nutrient-rich soil. Emptying a closet helps you to see everything in it so you can more easily make decisions about what to keep, move, or discard. An empty closet allows you to see the space available so you can make the best use of it. These physical examples are good metaphors for energy clearing. It isn’t hard to apply these ideas to our energy body. Sometimes we say that we have to take a break or go for a walk to clear our heads. If you’ve ever felt that way, you have recognized that your mental energy body was filled with thoughts that needed to be sorted through. Walking helps ground and get rid of negative or agitated energy. Once that energy is cleansed, it is easier to see what is on your mind. As you walked, you probably examined different ideas, discarding some and examining some more closely. You discerned which to keep and which to release. Clearing your energy body is just like that. You consciously examine what is residing within you. Then you can decide what you want to keep and cultivate and what you want to release based on your free will. Most of us have a lifetime of energy built up like plaque on teeth or in arteries. Our energy bodies could look like a hoarder’s house, so full that it is hard to move around and where stagnation is the order of the day. This is why clearing takes a little more effort and time when you first begin this work. There is an accumulation of stuck, negative energy that needs to be removed.

Frequency: How Often to Clear

Energy cleansing is not something we do just once. It is an ongoing activity. Because most of us are not educated in good energy maintenance, as we walk through our days we are bombarded with other people’s energy in the form of thoughts or emotions. If we could see all this churning energy that is not being managed but just flung all over the place, it would probably be like walking through a strange metaphysical stew. Your energy body is sticky and things cling to it. If you don’t practice good energy hygiene, you will experience other people’s random energy clinging to you without you knowing it. That energy then affects you, perhaps even changes you, in ways that you aren’t conscious of and haven’t chosen. The regularity of energy clearing will vary from person to person. Extremely sensitive people or people who haven’t strengthened their boundaries might need a daily practice. Others who have stronger boundaries or whose circumstances help them manage their environmental energy more (such as those who live alone or work from a home office) may only need a weekly or monthly practice of spiritual cleansing. No matter what rhythm of habit you eventually settle on, you may also include unscheduled clearings as needed, such as if you’ve just had a particularly intense experience or have been in a situation that was energetically fraught.

How to Choose the Best Energy Cleansing Practice For Your Needs

There are many, many ways to clear negative energy. One is not objectively better than the others. The ones that are best are the ones that work for you. The most important aspects to consider when selecting a clearing method are whether it resonates with your belief system and is something that you will do regularly. A technique from a culture that is very different from yours might not be the best choice because it doesn’t fit into your understanding. If it is too complicated or time consuming, or it requires you to purchase hard-to-find or expensive items, you are less likely to do it consistently. For example, there are formulas for ritual baths that can be used for clearing. Some require the addition of oils, crystals, and salts as well as the use of candles. If you don’t have relationships with the energy (some would say the spirit) of the suggested oils or crystals, have no interest in them, and don’t even like baths, then that practice is certainly not the best choice for you to get rid of negative energy. However, if you love baths and have a wonderful collection of oils and crystals that you’ve worked with, then this technique is perfect for you. In addition, you may find that you prefer specific clearing practices depending on what you are clearing. For example, you may find that a more physical clearing activity, such as dancing or walking, works best for when your mental energy body is overloaded but realize that meditation is more helpful when your emotional body is cluttered. Let’s look in more detail at possible clearing techniques. They will be more like templates so that you can easily fill in the blanks in ways that make sense to you. Options and suggestions will be included, but remember, this is not a set system. You are not required to follow any particular instructions. In fact, if in reading these ideas you are inspired to create your own technique, so much the better. Your energy body is as personal and unique as your physical body. You get to decide what is best for it because, in the end, you and you alone are responsible for it.

20 Powerful Clearing Practices

Energy-clearing practices or techniques can be any activity that allows you to remove unwanted or negative energy. They create space in both the physical body and energy body. Because they create space, it is good to follow them with a cultivation practice so that you are controlling what will fill the space you just created. Some clearing techniques more rigorously focus on breaking up stagnant energy and should definitely be coupled with another action to release the energy you just loosened; these techniques will be noted and suggestions given for pairings. Likewise, some, particularly the earth-based ones, focus on gathering chaotic energy, which can then more effectively be cleared. All of these techniques can be used or modified for clearing objects and spaces. As with so much metaphysical work, intention is as important as the action itself. While doing any energy work, make sure you are focused and your mind isn’t wandering. You want to be in control of what you are doing. Just as important as intent is only doing what makes sense and feels right for you. Running is a great exercise, unless you have bad knees, in which case swimming might be a better alternative. Likewise, burning sage is a great way to cleanse yourself or a space, but if you have smoke allergies, consider a movement- or water-based technique. A big part of energy cleansing work is being responsible for understanding yourself, your energy body, and your needs. Experiment, pay attention to results, and develop the perfect technique(s) for you. As you read through these, make notes in your journal (or mark up this book) about ones you’d like to try. Knowing what doesn’t work is important too, so also note things that aren’t likely to be a good match. Even these early thoughts and decisions will help you start creating your own practice. Unless there is a reason to not try a technique, I’d encourage you to do so. The more you try, the more you’ll learn.

Movement-Based Techniques

Movement is a great (and easy) way to move energy around or get rid of stagnant, negative energy. Movement can be subtle or vigorous. We will talk about both. Mountain pose and yin yoga are gentler forms of movement, good for clearing out any energy that is vibrating too highly for your comfort. Dancing and walking can be either slow or vigorous and therefore are easily adapted to suit your needs. We will look at standing, walking, dancing, and yin yoga as clearing practices.

1. Mountain Pose

Yoga’s mountain pose might seem like more of a non-movement activity. However, the act of assuming and holding the pose includes subtle but important movement. You don’t simply stand; you stand with intention. Place your feet about hip-distance apart. Rock from your toes to your heels, finding the edges of the sides of your feet, and then settle your weight into the middle of your feet. If you were making a footprint, your foot would be perfectly and evenly represented. Tighten your leg muscles so that your kneecaps lift up and your thighbones push back. Lift your rib cage up off your waist, making lots of space for your lungs to expand. Lift your shoulders up toward your ears and roll them back and down. Make sure your ears, shoulders, hips, and ankles are aligned. Keep your chin level and lift the top back of your skull, creating space at the top of the spine. Take a deep breath in, letting it infuse your mental energy body. Release the breath and release the energy into the earth through the soles of your feet. Repeat as many times as needed to feel clear.

2. Walking

When done with intention, the simple act of walking is also a wonderful practice. For me, walking is particularly effective when my mental energy body is clogged. That “all up in my head” feeling can happen after a long bout of writing or planning, listening to a deep lecture, studying or reading, or even after an intense conversation. Begin by standing in mountain pose for a few breaths while you focus on your intention, then walk, maintaining the good posture you established in mountain pose. With each step, feel the energy that you are focusing on break up and begin to move down to your feet. As your feet meet the ground, release the energy to the earth. Walk until you feel clear. While walking try to maintain a strong, aligned posture. Also pay attention to what your body is doing while you are walking. Our bodies are a great source of wisdom and can tell us a lot about our energy body. Do you find your shoulders hunching forward as if your body is trying to protect the heart center? Are you bending forward from the waist, inhibiting your sacral or gut area? Bring your attention to those areas and see if there is other energy that needs work or attention. Because walking is so good for removing intense or negative energy, I like to pair it with a simple cultivation technique. Repeating a mantra, either out loud or in my head, is my favorite. I choose one that invites the energy I want or a thought I want to replace the thoughts I released. For example, if my energy is out of whack because my car broke down and needs an expensive repair, I could take a clearing walk to release the anxiety and repeat to myself one of my all-time favorite sayings, which is from the fourteenth-century mystic and theologian Julian of Norwich: “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.” Also, walking to clear anxiety due to a car expense has a poetic irony that I’m sure somehow supports energetic harmony.

3. Dancing

Dancing is a natural energy mover. There are all kinds of dancing, as well as reasons and venues for dancing. Dancing at a party or in a club can be part of a spiritual energy cleansing practice—I know it was certainly cathartic for me when I was younger. Sometimes it is hard to work in a night of clubbing when we need it…and for some, that kind of venue wouldn’t feel right. I’ve danced in clubs, at parties, at weddings, in ritual, in ceremony; with formal steps and with riotous abandon. I think any kind of dancing can be part of energy maintenance. For me, the best energy dancing happens when alone. There is no concern about anything else (clothes, other people, whether my friends are having fun, etc.). Just pick a song and move. Learning to trust your body and its wisdom can take some getting used to, but it is worth it and easy once you get the hang of it. It isn’t easy to explain how, and getting past the awkward stage (if you have one) is a good reason for dancing alone. You can experimentally move your body and see how different motions and rhythms feel. The more you do it, the more natural it becomes. Unlike most of the other practices, while I set my intention before beginning, with dancing I don’t really focus on anything after I start. In the walking practice I deliberately focus on my feet hitting the earth to remove negative energy. Dancing is more primal, and I’ve learned to trust my body. Sometimes these less consciously controlled methods are great choices, especially when you aren’t really sure what is wrong or where it is wrong. You just know something’s got to move, so you trust your body to do what it needs to. Through paying attention during your dancing and reflecting on the experience, you can learn about what was going on so that in the future you will have that experience and that knowledge to apply when necessary.

4. Yin Yoga

Westerners often engage in activities like tai chi and yoga for the physical benefits. However, these practices are deeply rooted in energy work. In their entirety they clear, contain, and cultivate. Consequently, when practiced mindfully, they are awesome for aura cleansing and energy health. Regarding clearing specifically, yin yoga is magnificent for this. Yin yoga focuses on holding passive poses for long periods, generally from one to five minutes for beginners. Physically, these long poses go beyond our larger, more visible anatomy and attend to the deeper anatomy. Long poses, particularly deep hip openers, also have an effect on the emotional body, allowing for the release of deeply held stagnant energy. If you’ve never done this before, go slowly and be prepared for an emotional as well as a physical experience. While I highly recommend yin yoga, any yoga is helpful for releasing because so many of the asanas create space in the body. Because of our principle “as above, so below,” this space is also created in our energy bodies. As we move our physical bodies, we move our energy. Stagnation is extreme, prolonged, and inappropriate stillness. Anxiety is intensely vibrating energy. Your body can help maintain the appropriate vibration for you in almost any circumstance. Keep stagnant energy and anxiety out of your life and keep your energy clear and flowing by moving your body appropriately.

5. Sound

Using sound is a simple way to move energy by raising vibration, creating space, and breaking up stagnant energy. While this technique is mostly used for physical spaces or while doing energy work for others, you can also use it on yourself. Remember, intention matters. Traditional methods of using sound to get rid of old negative energy include rattles, drums, gongs, bells, singing bowls, and clapping. Technically, you could use singing or chanting, but I find those more effective for energy cultivation. While it is lovely to have a special instrument for your energy cleansing work, you don’t have to buy a fancy rattle or drum. You can put some dried beans or popcorn kernels in a covered container, like a plastic storage container. You can use a book or tabletop to drum on. When I use sound for clearing myself, I often incorporate movement and then follow the clearing with stillness and silence, breathing out the activated energy and consciously breathing in a light vibration such as peace or grace. Sounds can wake up the mind and our energy. When you feel lethargic, make a little noise to wake up your energetic body.

Water-Based Techniques

Water is a wonderful and refreshing tool for clearing. We will talk about the easiest method, washing, as well as how to create and use infusions. Water can be used in creative visualization as well, when actual water isn’t handy or when you need a deeper dive, so to speak.

6. Washing

The simplest technique is to wash your hands or face with plain water. Sometimes that isn’t enough, so a full bath or shower is better. While regular tap water works just fine, many people like to infuse their water to enhance its ability or create it for a specific purpose.

7. Infusions

Adding essential oils is a common way to do this, but make sure you know what oil you are using and why (and make sure it is safe for contact with skin). While lavender is really popular, it is more a cultivating oil because it soothes and heals. I find rosemary is great for energy clearing. Please note that some people have a sensitivity to rosemary, and it should not be used by pregnant women. My personal favorite, though, is clary sage, although it is not typically prescribed for clearing and should not be used by pregnant women. If you have favorite oils and check them out first for safety, try them. Even though there are common prescriptive uses, we all develop our own relationships with the spirits of the oils. photo: natalie collins Placing a crystal in a container of water and letting it sit for a few days can infuse the water with the qualities of the crystal and thereby support your clearing work. I use a black quartz crystal that a friend found in Russia and gave to me. Make sure you research whatever you want to use because a few crystals do leach into the water. Safety first! Salt is a great natural cleanser, so you can simply dissolve salt into your water to boost its clearing abilities. Solar and lunar infusions are also popular. These infusions are easy to make. Simply put water in a container and leave it in the sunlight or the moonlight for a while. I put water in a lidded jar and leave it on a windowsill. For a solar infusion, I leave it all day; for a lunar infusion, I leave it overnight. I tend to use solar infusions for clearing and lunar for containing and cultivating, but that reflects my relationship with these heavenly bodies. Think about your own relationship to them and decide which is more appropriate for you. Depending on how interested in astrology you are, you can even refine the purpose of the water by paying attention to what sign the sun is in or what sign or phase the moon is in. Traditionally, a waning moon is used for releasing or clearing. Whether you are just washing your hands or your whole body, another way to cleanse with water is to use soap infused with oils or herbs known for their clearing properties. I’ve found some lovely soaps infused with sage, sweetgrass, and cedar to be extremely effective. There are lots of oils that have cleansing properties. If you can’t find soap with your favorite infusions, perhaps a local soapmaker could create a custom blend for you or you can try making it yourself. If good safety precautions are used, making soap is easy and satisfying.

8. Visual meditation

Visual meditation is a useful and versatile method for clearing. There is so much room for imagination here, so let your ideas run wild. Knowledge of chakras is not necessary for energy work, of course, but even a minimal understanding of the chakras can be useful. Chakras are energy centers in the nonvisible body. The idea comes from many Eastern traditions and has been embraced by many Western energy workers. The word chakra comes from the Sanskrit, meaning “wheel” or “circle.” While there are many chakras, most Western practitioners focus on the seven main ones: crown (violet), third eye (indigo), throat (blue), heart (green), solar plexus (yellow), sacral (orange), and root (red). If you Google “chakras,” you will find many good images that show their location and the energy and issues that they represent. One of my favorite general self-clearing meditations that involves water is to lie down, close my eyes, and visualize my energy body and my chakras. I begin at the bottom, with the red root chakra. I see it clearly in my mind and then set it spinning. I move up the chakras, moving from red to orange to yellow to green to blue to indigo to violet, keeping them all spinning at the same time. Then I imagine a swoosh of water coming through the top of my head (through my crown chakra) and moving through each chakra in turn, cleansing them as it goes. The water flows back to the earth to be redistributed as needed. I admire my shining, sparkly clean spinning chakras for a moment and then settle them back down. That’s it. Easy as can be and so incredibly refreshing.

Fire-Based Techniques

Fire can be a powerful clearing ally. You can incorporate fire in your energy-cleansing work through actually burning things, through candle work, and, as with water, through visualization. Because it is so powerful it can be dangerous, so always, always be sensible and careful.

9. Burning

The most common way I use fire is to write down the energy I want to release on a very small piece of paper. Using a set of tongs I have for this purpose and a cast-iron cauldron (any fireproof receptacle will do), I hold the paper with tongs and light it using a long-nosed lighter or a candle and let it burn in the container. If I were a really careful and diligent person, I would bury the ashes in the ground. Sometimes I do that. Sometimes they stay in my cauldron until the next cleaning…especially in the winter because the ground is too hard to dig.

10. Candle work

Another way to use fire that I’ve heard of but haven’t personally tried is to burn a small candle, putting all the energy that you want released into the candle. To put the energy into the candle, hold it in your hands. Center and ground. Focus on cleansing negative energy. Feel it leave your body and enter the candle. You can seal it by using a toothpick or other small, pointy object to write the name of the energy you are releasing. Watch it burn until it is gone. Depending on the candle, it could take a good while. If you don’t have a small candle, I would dedicate one candle to this purpose and mark it in small increments, using one increment per cleansing session.

11. Visual Meditation

As with water, visual meditation with fire is another way to incorporate this powerful tool into your cleansing repertoire. I suggest visualizing a bright white glowing light instead of regular flaming fire. After getting comfortable in your meditative state, visualize a glorious white light surrounding you, engulfing you like a loving embrace, as you take a long, slow, deep inhale. Allow it to permeate your energy body and all the way to your core. Hold your inhale for a few counts and release it, along with the light that is taking with it all the energy that you have released. This practice, which takes only as long as a slow inhale and exhale, can be done at any time. For example, I don’t know about you, but when stuck in traffic it is sometimes challenging to maintain a nice, calm harmonious energy. Giving in to the urge to be angry or swear or yell at people (as if they are on purpose trying to create traffic) may relieve feelings for a minute. Unfortunately, the aftereffects to yourself and others in your vicinity aren’t worth it because all you’ve done is fed the chaotic, confused, frustrated energy already present rather than clearing negative energy. Instead, this quick and effective practice of breathing in and out with the light can make your and maybe others’ drives a little less frenetic.

Air-Based Techniques

Air is one of my favorite clearing elements, not because it is somehow the best out of them all but because it is a good match for me and how I work. If you already have an affinity for an element, that one may be your best medium for clearing. If you are unfamiliar with or have little experience working with the elements, try them all and see which feels most natural for you. Unless a practice really resonates and feels natural, you are unlikely to do it with any consistency, and consistency is important in any kind of practice. The techniques here include smudging, breath work, and organization.

12. Smudging

Incense is commonly associated with air, and the fragrant smoke from burning herbs or resins has been used for cleansing negative energy for centuries. In fact, most people interested in clearing energy start with sage. It is the most popularly given advice and has become part of mainstream culture. Burning sage is indeed a great way to cleanse the aura as well. It is one way that is part of my regular home-clearing work. By the way, when reading about working with sage, you may see the phrase “smudging ceremony.” The word “smudging” sounds like it might imply using the ashes; however, it really means to pass something through smoke or to pass the smoke over and around something. It is the smoke that purifies. Using a sage bundle or stick incense, light the end, let it burn a few moments, and blow it out. The end should be glowing red, with smoke coming out of it. Move the smoke over and around the item, space, or person to be cleansed. You can use loose incense on a charcoal or electronic burner, too. Using herbs on these, though, creates a lot of smoke, so be prepared. I usually use sage when clearing spaces.

13. Breath work

For personal cleansing with air, breath work is incredible. We already mentioned breath work a little in the section on working with fire, so you know how easy it is: no tools are required, and it can be done anywhere without anyone even noticing. Well, they may notice a complete transformation in your demeanor, words, and actions after you’ve cleared yourself, but that just means you were successful. Again, as with many of these practices, breath work can be used for containment and cultivation, too. Here, though, we are focusing on clearing negative energy. The key here is emptying yourself and creating space. This means that while you definitely want to take long, slow, deep inhales, the focus is on your exhale, the release of energy. When using breath for clearing, follow these steps:

+ Inhale for a count of three.

+ Exhale for a count of five.

+ Hold your breath (or, more precisely, your lack of breath) for three to five counts.

This final hold creates the space necessary to give stagnant energy room to break apart and to create room for other energy to help move it along. Do these long, slow, deliberate breaths a few times, using your inhale to help break up stagnant energy. After your final round, hold your lack of breath for as long as you can—no longer than five counts. You do this to enhance the creation of space, to experience the emptiness. This space is now available for you to fill, so as you take in your next breath, consciously choose what you want to bring in (this, too, is cultivation, but it is hard to have an exhale without an inhale).

14. Organization

The last air technique is particularly helpful for clearing the mental energy body and for people who feel overwhelmed by their work. I classify it as an air practice because I associate this element with communication, logic, and order (among other things). While it may be normal for people to be “at work” all the time, via their email and smartphones, we know it isn’t healthy and does not increase productivity, even if it feels like it does. This practice may feel unrealistic and will take time and discipline to accomplish. I don’t tell you that to make it seem harder but to make sure you have realistic expectations. Even though it took me a while to get here, this one energy cleansing practice—which, again, is part containment and cultivation as well as clearing—has visibly changed my life significantly. Here it is: at the end of my work week, before I shut down for my weekend, I clear my emails, clear my computer desktop, and clear my actual desktop. Crazy, right? Who has time for that? You’re so busy! I know; me too. The benefits are amazing, though. You can leave with a clear mind. When you come back, you do not start your workweek with chaos. You have control over your workspace and the work itself. There are lots of resources and articles about how to do this, but I’ll share a few of my tips. For my emails, I do not use them as visual reminders to take care of something. Back in the day when I’d have a hundred or more emails in my inbox, it just created anxiety and a sense of “busy-busy-busy” that can be really addictive but is definitely not harmonious. I create folders for projects and put the emails there. When I’m ready to focus on that project, then I attend to the emails. If the email is not project-related but still requires a reply, I have a folder for those as well. For anything time sensitive, I make a pop-up reminder in my email program. The same goes for my desktops. Everything gets put away so the visual chaos is gone and a sense of order prevails. Along with a daily to-do list, a good running to-do list helps make sure nothing falls through the cracks. As above, so below. Approach this project with calm energy, and that energy will flow through it. Keeping things clear and neat will flow back to you, maintaining a nice, complementary practice that benefits your work and your energy body, extending to the process of spiritual cleansing. Related to clearing the work area, something that I struggle with is keeping my phone clear. I’m not very good yet at deleting apps I no longer use, texts that are weeks old, emails that are no longer necessary, and voicemails that I was saving “just in case” but never listened to again. Oh, and let’s not forget photos. Have you ever wanted to show someone a photo on your phone, only to have them sit there growing more impatient while you scroll through three hundred images? Sometimes I take a dozen pictures of a thing, person, or event, hoping that one is just right, intending to go back and weed out the ones that aren’t just right. The thing is, I hardly ever do. Then, when I go to my photos to actually refer to one, anxious energy rises up and is not pleasant to experience; it also makes it difficult to find what I’m looking for. The good news is that I’m slowly getting better at this. You see, maintaining a healthy energetic life is always a work in progress. The nice thing is that once you establish a system and practice it consistently, it eventually becomes second nature, so you can move on to the next area without feeling overwhelmed. Organization and energy clearing work wonders in both the physical and energetic worlds.

Earth-Based Techniques

When you are feeling scattered or flighty or are in a very reactive state, earth-based practices are just the thing. For stagnant energy, though, I suggest using the other practices. Earth is good for settling chaotic energy and gathering it together so it is easier to release. Here we will discuss the benefits of working with crystals and trees, the importance of pets, and the magic of naps.

15. Crystals

The simplest and most common practice is to carry a stone or crystal in your pocket so you can touch it whenever you need grounding. The type of stone can determine a more specific flavor of grounding. I have a few personal favorites, namely tiger’s-eye or any one of a small collection I’ve gathered over the years while on hikes. A good crystal book or well-staffed metaphysical store or rock shop can help you and is a particularly good choice if you don’t know much about crystals because you can actually hold them and see how they feel to you. Salt is such a good energetic and aura cleanser, but, except for using it in a bath, I usually use it for clearing spaces rather than personal energy. Like breath work, crystals are also used for cultivation. They carry specific energy within them, and luckily we are able to access it when needed.

16. Trees

Even though it has become a joke in some circles, hugging or leaning against (as well as sitting or standing beneath) a tree is such a powerful way to cleanse negative energy. A tree feels so powerful and wise; I always feel complete trust when I ask a tree to be an ally. No matter how chaotic or reactive my energy, I know a tree can handle it. Likewise, even just going outside and touching the ground works if you don’t have access to a tree.

17. Pets

Holding, stroking, or playing with a pet is very calming. There are plenty of articles about how these activities calm the physical body; as we know, the physical and energy bodies are connected. However, use care with this practice. Interact with the pet to settle the energy, but do not release it into the animal. Instead, after you feel settled, follow this activity with something like mountain pose or breath work to release and get rid of any negative energy.

18. Napping

The next practice might not seem like energy work, but it is among the most effective techniques I know: take a nap. Of course this isn’t always possible, but if it is, then just try it. I’ve long said that the most powerful magic practices I know are to tidy up (which moves stagnant energy) or to take a nap (which settles chaotic energy). When the energy of the mental or emotional bodies are worked up, sometimes being conscious is counterproductive. As long as your mind can keep spinning stories, it is easy to feed obsessive thinking or stoke already heightened emotions. Sleeping is an effective way to give the mind and emotions space to calm down.

Spirit-Based Techniques

Spirit-based practices are perfect for contemplative types or those who like a more devotional experience with their energy work. Some of my favorite spirit-driven techniques include prayer and good works.

19. Prayer

Prayer—or communion with a deity or however you envision the Divine—can be a simple and direct method of managing energy. In the same way I ask a tree to take unwanted energy from me and give it back to the earth to be redistributed where it is most appropriate, I can also pray to my concept of the Divine, asking it to do the same. For those who already have a prayer practice, this is a natural and easy method. For those who do not pray, it can become a simple, quiet, and beautiful experience if it suits your belief system. If, however, the act of prayer is tied to unpleasant memories, substitute meditation for prayer. They are not the same thing but are very close. In prayer we commune with the Divine, while meditation is a way to connect with our highest inner wisdom.

20. Good works

While it may seem strange to couple a spirit-based approach with mundane physical-world actions, this is a powerful technique. If you know the nature of the energy you want to clear, determine an act that counters it. For example, if you want to clear selfish or clingy energy, do an altruistic or charitable act. If you need to release and cleanse angry, negative energy, forgive someone. While most of the practices explained above are great for in-the-moment energy experiences, this one is particularly good for chipping away at long-standing, deep-seated energy within yourself. Sometimes energy takes up residence in us and shapes our behavior in ways that are not consistent with our values. While we would like a single ritual or healing session to take it away once and for all, that generally doesn’t work because those behaviors have become habits. Even if the energy has been released from the energy body through spiritual cleansing practices and healing work, the physical body (including the mind) has to catch up. It takes time for the physical body to release old habits. Consciously training yourself to behave in a way that is in line with your ideals through consistent action will create lasting change. If the behavior of the physical body isn’t changed, the energy will probably return since the environment is so inviting. Now that you’ve learned some clearing techniques, you’ll probably want to learn ways to keep everything nice and clean. Containing your own energy is important so that you do not get depleted. Further, once you’ve gotten rid of what doesn’t serve your true purpose, you don’t want it coming back and taking up residence.

Taking Note

Make some notes about your reactions to some of these techniques. Try at least one from each section. Note the energy you felt before the technique and how the energy changed afterwards. It is important to keep good notes because although we always think we will remember everything, unfortunately we just don’t. Your journal will become an important tool as you learn about energy work and develop your own personal practice.

1. Which seem like ones you’d never use? Why? 2. Which are you looking forward to trying? Why? 3. Of the ones you’ve tried, which surprised you the most? Why?

Excerpted from Modern Guide to Energy Clearing by Barbara Moore. © 2018 by Barbara Moore. Used by permission from Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd., Llewellyn.com.

About The Author Barbara Moore is an author writer and tarot expert. In the early 1990s, at a party, someone put a tarot deck in Barbara’s hands; she’s held on tightly ever since. Tarot provides just enough structure so that we don’t get lost as we explore the mysteries, plumb our dark corners, and locate our North Stars. Barbara has been reading and writing for as long as she can remember. She’s published a number of books on tarot, including Tarot for Beginners, Tarot Spreads, The Steampunk Tarot, The Gilded Tarot, The Mystic Dreamer Tarot, and Tarot of the Hidden Realm. Writing is solitary work and is relieved by teaching tarot at conferences around the world. Barbara also loves working directly with clients, helping them uncover guidance and insight in the cards. Connect with Barbara online at tarotshaman.com

If you have ever experienced being in flow, you know it’s a peak experience. And if, for some reason, you haven’t, here’s what it’s like: Imagine an immensely pleasurable feeling of being connected to everyone and everything around you—in perfect harmony with yourself, your environment and the people in your life. Then imagine that, on top of this blissful sensation, you also feel a wildly expanded sense of possibility, creativity and intuition mixed with moments of joy, laughter and profound moments of inspiration. Time slows down, you are fully locked into present moment awareness, and you start to wonder if this is what it’s like to be enlightened. That’s what flow feels like, and—just like it sounds—it is a truly incredible experience. For most people, it strikes somewhat infrequently and haphazardly, making it unreliable at best, however, there is a segment of society that has spent years studying how flow happens in order to engineer it on command so that the benefits of living in this expanded state of consciousness can be used to better our lives individually and collectively.

HuMandalas: Activating Flow States

One of those people is Daniel Levy—and while he probably wouldn’t call himself a flow expert in the classical sense, he’s found a way to help people tap into these peak flow states at will—through the use of a special type of connection technology called HuMandalas. And more specifically, Daniel is an expert at producing group flow—that is, bringing not just one person into flow, but an entire of group people, which is quite a feat. Daniel Levy began his journey into experiencing and understanding these types of expanded states of consciousness through simple practices like breathing; moving with the waves of nature; and ancient practices like yoga, ecstatic dance and the study of sacred geometrical forms. These flow-activating disciplines gave him great insight into the nature of flow, particularly in groups, and Daniel refined this art through countless workshops and as a facilitator and consultant within numerous communities at festivals, schools and organizations worldwide. After over a decade of real-world testing, the HuMandalas process was birthed. It is a deceptively simple but profoundly effective way to quickly bring groups of people into flow states together. As he describes them, HuMandalas is a form of guided movement meditation for groups that allow participants to get in sync with each other and the environment around them by using special kinds of intentional connection, toning and visualization practices. In order to make all of his knowledge and expertise of bringing people together through movement and formation accessible to all, Daniel created a deck of 52 HuMandalas cards and a corresponding digital app that allow others to drop into the experience of group flow and expanded awareness on their own. Using the HuMandalas card deck trains you to align your biorhythms to the universal flow of nature through guided interactions that mirror the sacred geometry of creation. The practices the cards guide individuals through draw from qigong, yoga, reiki and elements of sacred dance, all of which are known to produce peak flow states in the individuals who practice them.

Bring Your Relationships into Harmony and Flow

So how exactly does this work in real life? Using the cards is a simple but profound experience that is highly versatile for any group experience where flow, coherence and deep connection would be useful. Think company meetings, family dinners, workshops and retreats, before yoga classes, for sports teams before or after games, for musicians and just about anything else involving two or more people. The process goes something like this: one or more people draw a total of five cards for the group—one from each of the five categories: connect, share intention, cultivate energy (with movement and sound), offer blessing and anchor memory. Then you simply follow the instructions on the cards. Easy right? And it is on one level, but on another there is a high degree of wisdom, intention and insight that went into creating each card and designing the deck as a whole, so that you are able to create a seemingly endless variety of experiences that will lead you into individual and group flow like clockwork. Each time you pull cards the sequence is unique and engaging, but each time it reliably leads to a peak experience. Just like in nature, the cards are never quite the same as they were before, and this newness also helps to keep your brain from falling into expected patterns—something that can work against getting in flow in the long run. And perhaps, best of all, the decks are very affordable and a tree is planted with every purchase. To learn more visit their website: HuMandalas.com This article is a sponsored post written in collaboration with Humandalas, whose products and ethos complies with Conscious Lifestyle Magazine’s stringent quality and integrity guidelines.

About The Authors Meghan McDonald is the Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Conscious Lifestyle Magazine. She holds a master’s degree in social psychology from San Diego State University where she conducted award-winning research into the nature of human social behavior. She is an advocate for many environmental and social justice causes and a champion of social impact-focused brands and products that adhere to high sustainability and ethical standards. As a regular travel and lifestyle contributor to Conscious Lifestyle Magazine, Meghan funnels her extensive knowledge of natural products, organic living, and consumer behavior into researching and reviewing brands and products that promote health, wellbeing, sustainability, equality, and positive social change. She has traveled to over 25 countries and loves exploring diverse destinations worldwide while documenting the local artisans and businesses offering conscious, healthy alternatives.

photo: mark tegethoff

The Origins and Brief History of Astrology Thousands of years ago, people gazed up at the skies and were awed by the mystery of the planets and the stars. The movements of the stars and planets must have seemed like magic to them. Not surprisingly, these movements were observed and recorded. Solon, the Greek historian, wrote that astronomical information was being recorded nine thousand years before he was born. If this is correct, people have been interested in astrology for at least eleven thousand years. It’s possible that astrology is the oldest form of divination in the world. Astrology probably originated in Mesopotamia, but almost every ancient civilization, from Babylon to Egypt, and China to Greece, studied it. Early astrologers noted that most groups of stars, known as constellations, moved around the sky together. However, five of the larger and brighter stars traveled independently. They called them “wanderers.” Today we know them as planets. Astrologers thought these wanderers were gods and called them Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Uranus was discovered in 1781, followed by Neptune in 1846, and Pluto in 1930. They also noted the movements of the Sun and Moon, which factor significantly into understanding astrology basics. Astrologers gradually came to realize that people who were born at a particular time of year, when the Sun, Moon, and planets were in the same part of the sky, had a great deal in common. Even though every person is unique, these people shared many of the same interests and feelings. This enabled astrologers to construct horoscope charts for individual people. A horoscope is a picture of the heavens at the date, time, and place where the person was born. If you could lie on your back and look up at the sky at the moment you were born, you’d see all the planets in the same positions as they are in your natal chart. Preparing your chart used to be a lengthy process, but nowadays it can be done in seconds. If you Google “free horoscope chart,” you’ll find many sites that’ll prepare a chart for you. However, interpreting and understanding an astrology chart is an involved process that takes years to master.

The Four Elements

The twelve signs of the zodiac are divided into four groups, each containing three of the signs. The four groups are named after the four elements that were proposed by the ancient Greek philosopher Empedocles twenty-four hundred years ago. They were believed to be the building blocks of the universe: fire, earth, air, and water. In basic astrology terms, the elements express the indispensable nature of the different signs.

+ Fire (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius) Fire is positive, assertive, energetic, enthusiastic, impulsive, inspirational, courageous, powerful, passionate, and initiating.

+ Earth (Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn) Earth is cautious, responsible, reliable, ambitious, practical, focused, disciplined, dependable, solid, and persevering.

+ Air (Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius) Air is lighthearted, joyful, curious, restless, independent, communicative, impractical, entertaining, intellectual, and trusting.

+ Water (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces) Water is compassionate, forgiving, understanding, emotional, creative, intuitive and spiritual.

Understanding Astrology Sun Signs

The Sun is the energy and force behind the entire solar system. Without it, life as we know it could not exist. In your horoscope the Sun represents independence, willpower, strength, energy, leadership, motivation, creativity, and even your popularity. It indicates your individuality—what you are really like inside. Even if people know nothing about astrology basics, most people know what their Sun sign is, and they usually know a few of the character traits that are assigned to it. The astrological predictions that appear in many newspapers and magazines are based on the Sun signs. These are by necessity generalizations, as there are only twelve Sun signs, and this means all of humanity is divided into twelve groups. Obviously, this isn’t the case, but it’s a good place to start looking at your horoscope chart when learning how to understand astrology. In astrology, the sky is divided into twelve sections, each representing one of the signs of the zodiac. It looks like a circular cake cut into twelve equal slices. At the moment you were born, the Sun was in one of those twelve sections, and that determines what sign of the zodiac you belong to. The Sun spends thirty days in each section, which means it takes a whole year to visit each section and circle the zodiac. The dates change by a day or two from year to year. Consequently, if you were born near the beginning or end of a sign, it would pay to check the year you were born in to find what sign you were born in. Incidentally, when I was young, someone told me that people who were born “on the cusp,” which means at the start or end of a sign, pick up the positive aspects of each sign and miss out on the negatives. This isn’t totally true when you begin to understand astrology beyond the basics, but it’s amazing how many people who are born on the cusp have a positive outlook on life. Each section provides its own particular energy to the people who are born in it. Thousands of years ago, astrologers used the names of animals, people, and objects to describe this energy. This is why we have: Aries the Ram, Taurus the Bull, Gemini the Twins, Cancer the Crab, Leo the Lion, Virgo the Virgin, Libra the Scales, Scorpio the Scorpion, Sagittarius the Centaur, Capricorn the Goat, Aquarius the Water Carrier, and Pisces the Fish.

Aries

+ March 21–April 20 + Element: Fire Ruling + Planet: Mars People born under the sign of Aries are leaders and pioneers. They enjoy responsibility and are happiest when managing and organizing others. They are magnetic and outgoing and can inspire others to action with their dynamic leadership. They are courageous and prepared to take calculated risks, and they fight for what they believe in. They need to be busy to be happy. Arians are often happiest when working for themselves, but also rise to positions of leadership and responsibility when working for others. They are curious and have a keen interest in everything that’s going on. Because they’re quick-witted and like to get to the heart of any problem, they can get impatient with people who take time to come to a decision. They enjoy talking and look forward to social activities. They make warm and lively friends.

Taurus

+ April 21–May 21 + Element: Earth + Ruling Planet: Venus People born under the sign of Taurus are practical, patient, and determined. According to astrology basics for this sun sign, they’re naturally cautious and think matters through before acting. Because of this, they can appear stubborn and obstinate to others. They like to do things their own way. Taureans can be extremely generous, but they always keep something in reserve, as security is important to them. They are generally good at managing their financial affairs. They are persistent and possess enormous drive and determination. Taureans love beauty and work best in harmonious surroundings. Their homes invariably display good quality and tasteful objects, and whenever they buy something, it has to be of good quality. The main lesson Taureans need to learn is how to control obstinacy. Once they’ve made up their minds on something, it’s almost impossible to change it. This can make them inflexible and unforgiving, which is out of tune with the calm, harmonious approach they usually have.

Gemini

+ May 22–June 21 + Element: Air Ruling + Planet: Mercury People born under the sign of Gemini are ingenious, versatile, restless, and quick-thinking. They love meeting new people, and have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. They are good with words, and can talk at great length on almost anything. They enjoy occupations that use their voices in some way. They enjoy mental stimulation, but often waste time on idle chatter. They are easygoing and get on well with almost everyone. They’re versatile, highly creative, and often artistic. They need a great deal of variety in their lives. This endless search for variety often means they leave a trail of half-finished projects behind them. They possess a great deal of nervous energy and always seek quick results. They have the ability to see both sides of a problem.

Cancer

+ June 22–July 22 + Element: Water + Ruling Planet: Moon People born under the sign of Cancer are romantic, emotional, and imaginative. They are ruled largely by their feelings. They are highly sensitive and easily hurt, but are able to fight back when pushed into a corner. They have the ability to charm and captivate others and use this to devastating effect when they know what they want. Because they’re incredibly tenacious, they ultimately achieve their goals.

A core concept in understanding astrology is that each sign is ruled by a particular planet, and Cancerians are ruled by the Moon, which emphasizes the sensitive, emotional side of their natures. Consequently, they may sometimes appear unwilling to commit in case they get hurt. Cancerians love the security of home and family, and they make extremely good parents. They can be self-indulgent and spend money freely, yet they’re also extremely good at getting a bargain. They are usually highly intuitive, and have the potential to develop considerable psychic ability.

Leo

+ July 23–August 22 + Element: Fire Ruling + Planet: Sun People born under the sign of Leo are ambitious, determined people with open, friendly natures. They are born leaders and instinctively gravitate to positions where their leadership potential can be utilized. They’re open, honest, and enthusiastic about every aspect of their lives. Because they’re generally happy, they want everyone close to them to be happy too. They are confident and determined and always make their presence felt in everything they do. They invariably get where they want to go, though overconfidence can cause delays and problems along the way. Pride is very important to Leos, and they hate being ridiculed or demeaned. They are susceptible to flattery and need to learn how to control this. They are generous and enjoy making magnanimous gestures. They spread their warmth and enthusiasm everywhere they go. They can exaggerate or distort the truth at times, as they like to weave a good story.

Virgo

+ August 23–September 23 + Element: Earth Ruling + Planet: Mercury According to astrology basics, people born under the sign of Virgo are modest, down-to-earth, and matter of fact. They have a shrewd outlook on life. They are intelligent, cautious, conforming people who invariably look respectable and tidy. They enjoy doing detailed and precise work, and this, coupled with good memories, makes them highly capable administrators. They can assess people quickly, though they usually keep their thoughts to themselves. They are naturally reserved, and this makes it hard to get close to them until they’re ready to let you in. They make good friends once this happens. They are their own worst critics, as they constantly aim for perfection and set high standards for themselves. They enjoy analyzing things and can sometimes pay excessive attention to tiny details. They are self-motivated but find it impossible to complete anything to the high standards they require. This can cause significant worry. They generally prefer working behind the scenes but enjoy the inner satisfaction of a job well done. They can be outspoken and critical, and this often comes into play when they feel that justice and fair play are absent.

Libra

+ September 24–October 22 + Element: Air Ruling + Planet: Venus People born under the sign of Libra are harmonious, well-balanced, and friendly. They have a tendency to be indecisive. They are good talkers but prefer to avoid arguments and confrontations. They’re honest and sincere and expect others to be the same. They feel their emotions deeply and are very involved in the lives of the people they care for. They love beauty and have good taste. Librans find it hard to make decisions. They like to think about the matter, agonize over it, and weigh it up carefully before making a decision. This can cause impatience in other people, especially when the indecision is over something that is unimportant. However, once the decision has been made, they’ll follow it through with great determination. Librans have a strong sense of justice and fair play. They often side with the underdog.

Scorpio

+ October 23–November 21 + Element: Water Ruling + Planet: Mars People born under the sign of Scorpio are forceful and determined. They have enormous powers of concentration, but don’t always reveal this side of themselves as they’re also secretive and never reveal their true nature to anyone. They’re intuitive, and this gives them great insight into how other people work and react. Scorpios are individualistic. They’re prepared to take risks, but they’re always carefully calculated first. They watch and wait for opportunities, using the element of surprise to their advantage. Scorpios usually know what it is that they want, and they possess incredible determination and tenacity, which helps them reach their goals.

Sagittarius

+ November 22–December 22 + Element: Fire Ruling + Planet: Jupiter People born under the sign of Sagittarius are friendly, open, and optimistic. They are naturally enthusiastic and have a great zest for life. They’re honest and loyal, but can be outspoken and tactless at times. Independence is important to them, and they need space and room around them in order to thrive. Because of this, they’re often interested in sports and other outdoor activities. Sagittarians need to learn to channel their energies, as they often try to do too many different things at the same time. This is especially the case when they’re young, and it can be frustrating to others who can see their potential. Sagittarians enjoy learning, and often do this on their own, as they feel hemmed in and restricted in classrooms. They possess considerable foresight and vision, and over a lifetime develop a strong philosophy of life.

Capricorn

+ December 23–January 20 + Element: Earth Ruling + Planet: Saturn People born under the sign of Capricorn are solid, practical, and hardworking. They have a serious approach to life and slowly but steadily reach their goals. They are cautious, logical, careful, and fair. They’re ambitious and set their sights on far off distant goals that they invariably achieve. They are practical, conservative people who like to work everything out carefully before acting. According to the basics of astrology, they are thrifty and careful with money. They enjoy saving money but are happy to use it for specific purposes. They find it hard to express their emotions but can be extremely romantic with the right partner. They enjoy family life and are good, responsible, and loving parents.

Aquarius

+ January 21–February 19 + Element: Air + Ruling Planet: Uranus People born under the sign of Aquarius are sympathetic, broad-minded, tolerant, unconventional, and completely lacking in prejudice. They’re inclined to be independent, intellectual, inventive, and altruistic. They possess strong humanitarian ideals and are happiest when they’re involved in helping others. Their humanitarianism extends to all humanity. Aquarians have a scientific frame of mind and are always progressive and frequently radical in their ideas. They’re constantly looking ahead, trying to turn their dreams into reality. They accept people for who they are and accept their needs and idiosyncrasies. They make excellent, long-lasting friendships. Aquarians seek the truth of life in everything they do. They learn using both logic and intuition. They live largely on a mental plane and enjoy coming up with original ideas.

Pisces

+ February 20–March 20 + Element: Water + Ruling Planet: Neptune People born under the sign of Pisces are gentle, imaginative, thoughtful, philanthropic, and creative. Although they can be vague and indecisive at times, they are generally popular and make successes of their lives. They’re sensitive and easily hurt, and this can lead to disappointments and emotional crises. They need encouragement to perform well. Pisceans are intuitive, receptive, and sympathetic. This makes them good judges of character. However, it also means they get easily hurt, and they suffer in silence when rebuffed or dismissed. They are extremely compassionate and are always available with a shoulder to lean on. They are happiest in any occupation that involves helping others.

The Ascendant

The second most important part of understanding an astrology horoscope chart is called the ascendant, or rising sign. Because of the Earth’s rotation on its axis, the zodiac appears to revolve once every twenty-four hours. This means that one of the twelve signs was on the eastern horizon at the time you were born. This sign is called the ascendant. If you were born between 4:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., for instance, the sign coming over the horizon would be the same as your Sun sign. If you were born between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., your ascendant would be the sign that immediately follows your Sun sign. In basic astrology terms, your Sun sign describes your individuality, and your ascendant reveals your personality. It also has an effect on your physical appearance and how you present your individuality in everyday life. If your ascendant is a fire sign (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius), you’ll appear enthusiastic, optimistic, and full of energy. If your ascendant is an earth sign (Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn), you’ll appear cautious, reserved, practical, and serious. If your ascendant is an air sign (Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius), you’ll appear sociable, friendly, and communicative. If your ascendant is a water sign (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces), you’ll appear emotional, intuitive, and sensitive. If you don’t know your time of birth, astrologers normally use 6:00 a.m. This places your Sun Sign in the first house. However, you should use your time of birth if you know what it is. Sometimes your friends might be able to help you decide on a possible ascendant by comparing you to the qualities provided by the four elements. Your horoscope sign and ascendant provide valuable insights into you and your nature. They also explain why two people of the same sign can be completely different to each other. Someone born under the sign of Aries, with a Leo ascendant, will be outspoken and enjoy being the center of attention. Another Arian, with a Pisces ascendant, will be quieter and more sensitive.

The Ten Planets

Astrologers refer to the Sun and the Moon as planets when doing their calculations. Of course they know this isn’t actually the case, but because they have a strong influence on our lives, it’s convenient to consider them as planets when looking at a horoscope chart and for understanding astrology in general. The ten planets are: the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. According to the basics of astrology, each of these relates to a different side of our personality. The Sun The Sun passes through every sign of the zodiac for approximately one month every year. It reveals what we want out of life. The Sun is the giver of life, radiating energy, inspiration, self-awareness, enthusiasm, and wisdom. However, the warm rays of the Sun can be used for both good and ill. When adversely affected, this creates pride, anger, conceit, and egotism. The Sun relates to the conscious mind. The Moon The Moon symbolizes fertility and relates to sensitivity, imagination, feelings, emotions, the subconscious, and intuition. It also relates to nurturing, domesticity, and home and family life. People who are ruled by the Moon are essentially emotional, sensitive, and changeable. In advanced and basic astrology, the Moon relates to the subconscious mind. Mercury Mercury governs the nervous system and intellect. It relates to self-expression and getting on with others. The keyword for Mercury is communication, which is why it’s related to rapid thought, adaptability, eloquence, quick perceptions, and the intellect. It’s also related to travel. Venus Venus is the goddess of love and sexuality. It represents gentility, sociability, beauty, and the arts. It controls the deeper and finer human emotions, such as appreciation, love, and devotion. Venus reveals what you enjoy and how you handle close relationships. Mars Mars, the god of war, symbolizes courage, force, bravery, assertiveness, and physical drive. It gives the qualities of boldness, frankness, endurance, and initiative. Mars reveals your energy and sexuality. People influenced by Mars are better at doing things, rather than planning them. When Mars is well situated in a chart it gives strength of character, leadership ability, and a strong desire to succeed. It also provides moral courage and the ability to carry ideas through to completion. Jupiter Ancient astrologers considered Jupiter as being second only to the Sun. It symbolizes wisdom, moderation, and generosity. Jupiter reveals how we enjoy ourselves. Good fortune and luck have always been associated with this planet. Jupiter is also related to wisdom, knowledge, higher learning, philosophy, ethics, understanding, and the intellect. Because it’s always looking ahead, Jupiter is also associated with ambition and career, when interpreting and understanding astrology. Saturn Saturn is the planet of restriction and restraint, and gives its name to the word saturnine. It reveals our sense of discipline, responsibility, focus, and strength of character. It gives tenacity, prudence, self-control, and concentration. When harnessed and directed, Saturn can be a positive energy that helps people achieve their aims. Uranus Uranus is the planet of transformation and regeneration. It pioneers new ideas and concepts and brings out people’s highest potential. It reveals originality, individuality, and creativity. It also provides a humanitarian outlook and an interest in metaphysical pursuits. Neptune Neptune rules our innermost feelings, psychic abilities, sensitivity, and imagination. Its positive traits are receptiveness, intuition, spiritual development, psychic perception, and compassion. It reveals spirituality and humanitarian ideals. Pluto Pluto, ruler of the underworld, represents the subconscious in basic astrology. It reveals your capacity for change, regeneration, growth, healing, and knowledge. As it takes Pluto two hundred and fifty years to circle the zodiac, Pluto’s influence has an effect on generations of people, and can influence world conditions. Like the Sun, the planets visit all of the signs in turn, and the planet and sign combination can be interpreted as a means to understanding astrology. Here are some examples: If Mercury was in Cancer, you could say, “thinking would be influenced by emotions.” If Mars was in Capricorn, you might say, “plenty of ambition, with a strong desire to succeed.” If Jupiter was in Taurus, you might say, “luck in money making ventures. Materialistic approach.” If Saturn was in Gemini, you might say, “security gained through some form of communication.”

Aspects

The angles between the different planets in a horoscope are called aspects. They are another important concept for understanding basic astrology and can strengthen, weaken, and affect the readings for each planet. There are both favorable and unfavorable aspects. Often a planet can be in a favorable aspect to one or more planets and at the same time be in an unfavorable aspect to others. Interestingly, people use their aspects differently. One person might suffer greatly under the effects of a discordant aspect, while someone else with the exact same aspect will look for the positive energies inside the aspect and work with them. Favorable Aspects The favorable aspects emphasize the positive, beneficial energies of the planets. They indicate the areas of life where you can accomplish what you set out to do with little effort. Because of this, many people take them for granted and become lazy. It’s important to work just as hard in these areas as anywhere else to make the most of the blessings you’ve been given. The favorable aspects are:

+ Conjunction: This occurs when two planets are within 8 degrees of each other. The conjunctions usually indicate areas that will show good results.

+ Trine: This occurs when the planets are approximately 120 degrees apart, with a leeway of 8 degrees on either side. The trine is the most fortunate aspect, as the energies of the two planets harmonize easily. This aspect often shows you where your greatest strengths are.

+ Sextile: This occurs when the planets are approximately 60 degrees apart, with a leeway of 8 degrees on either side. This is an “easy” aspect that generally works in your favor without much input from you.

+ Semi-sextile: This occurs when the planets are approximately 30 degrees apart, again with a leeway of 8 degrees on either side. This is also an “easy” aspect. Despite this, you shouldn’t take it for granted in your understanding of astrology, as it indicates areas where you can shine.

Unfavorable Aspects The unfavorable aspects emphasize the negative characteristics of the planets involved. The unfavorable aspects often motivate people to action, as they want to overcome the challenges and difficulties the particular aspect produces.

+ Opposition: This occurs when the two planets are approximately 180 degrees apart with a leeway of 8 degrees on either side. This is a difficult aspect, and it takes a great deal of effort to overcome any problems it creates.

+ Square: This occurs when the two planets are approximately 90 degrees apart, with a leeway of 8 degrees on either side. This aspect works against your best interests, and it takes a great deal of hard work to eliminate the negativity it creates.

The Houses

There are twelve houses in astrology. They represent the areas of life in which the planets and signs operate. As there are also twelve signs in astrology, it’s easy to think the twelve houses are part of the same wheel or chart. However, this isn’t the case. The signs are dictated by the apparent annual rotation of the Sun, while the houses represent the Earth’s twenty-four hour rotation around its axis. The planets and signs exhibit their characteristics best in the areas of life dictated by the house they happen to be in. It’s common for a chart to have a number of houses with no planets in them. These houses are still interpreted in basic astrology, but are not as important in the person’s life as houses that contain one or more planets. First House This is the house of the self. It’s responsible for the person’s appearance, physical body, vitality, and temperament. It includes likes, dislikes, thoughts, personal activities and interests, and anything else that appeals to the person. The ruler of the first house is Aries. Second House This is the house of money, possessions, resources, and feelings. It reveals the person’s ability to earn and to spend. This house is ruled by Taurus. Third House This is the house of communications, mental stimulation, short journeys, and relationships, especially brothers and sisters. The third house is ruled by Gemini, the Twins, which relates to the family relationships. Fourth House This house represents the home and early childhood. Consequently, it’s usually related to the person’s mother. It is also related to anything that’s private or concealed. This house is ruled by Cancer. Fifth House This house governs pleasure, love, creativity, and the element of chance. The fifth house is ruled by Leo. Sixth House This is the house of system and order, practical work, and service to others. It is also related to matters concerning health and hygiene. It’s ruled by Virgo. Seventh House The seventh house governs partnerships, such as marriage, close friendships, and business partnerships. As this house is involved in bringing people together, it’s also related to enemies, as not every contact can be a happy one. It’s ruled by Libra. Eighth House This is the house of death, legacies, possessions that are gained from someone else, strong feelings, and anything that’s hidden. It’s ruled by Scorpio. Ninth House The ninth house governs long journeys, higher education, prophecy, and philosophy. It’s ruled by Sagittarius. Tenth House The tenth house governs the person’s status, importance, and aspirations. It’s involved with practical matters, security, and the drive to succeed. It’s often related to the father. It is ruled by Capricorn. Eleventh House This is the house of humanitarianism, ideals, connections, and casual friendships with people who support a common cause or interest. In traditional understandings of astrology, this is the house of “hopes and wishes.” It’s ruled by Aquarius. Twelfth House The twelfth house relates to the occult, the psychic, and the person’s unconscious. It also relates to health problems, and the fact that not everything should be taken at face value. The twelfth house is ruled by Pisces.

Putting It Together

With this information, it’s possible to provide a detailed description of the person’s personality, including his or her strengths and weaknesses, emotions, parental influences, ability to find happiness and fulfilment, lifestyle and career, love and sex. In fact, using these astrology basics, it’s possible to look at a chart and receive information on any aspect of the person’s personality and makeup. Here’s an example. Let’s assume the chart is for a young man who is thinking of starting his own business. His Sun sign is Taurus, so we know he’s prepared to work hard and expects to receive the rewards of his labor. His Sun is in the second house, a particularly harmonious combination, and one that would certainly help him in business. His Sun is conjunct Venus. This means he’ll be charming and able to get along with others. He’ll be positive and optimistic. Although he’ll be ambitious, this side of his character will be softened, making him less competitive and more relaxed. His Sun is also trine Saturn in the ninth house. This means he’ll be responsible and ethical. He’ll overcome the difficulties in his life relatively easily and will always try to do what is right. He’s likely to travel extensively. His Sun is in opposition to Uranus in the seventh house. This means he’ll look at everything from his own personal point of view. He’ll have original ideas, but is likely to need others to help him as he’s impractical. He’ll have a strong desire for independence, which encourages self-employment. Uranus in the seventh house could well indicate a business partnership. In this example we’ve looked briefly at the Sun and three planets. Imagine the detail an advanced astrologer would find if he or she examined all the planets, all the aspects, and all the houses.

Into the Future

Astrology doesn’t claim to accurately predict the future. However, using a variety of methods, it reveals the influences and tendencies that will appear in the future. A natal horoscope chart is constructed for someone at the moment of their birth. This chart can be progressed to any time in the future of that person. There are a variety of ways to do this. Transits Probably the easiest and most popular way of doing this is to examine the planetary transits. Transits describe the movements of the different planets as they move around the horoscope. You’ll need the person’s natal horoscope (the chart drawn up from their birth data) and a book called an ephemeris. This is a listing of the positions of all the planets on any given date. Ephemerides are also available online. You look at the ephemeris for the particular date you’re interested in and see what planets listed there are in aspect to any of the planets in the birth chart. Most astrologers work with a 1 or 2 degree leeway when doing this, rather than the 8 degrees often used for a natal chart. Speaking generally, the aspects between the slower moving planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) are more powerful than the faster moving planets for understanding astrology in this way. This is because the aspects created by faster moving planets exist for only a short period of time. No astrologer would look at the transits created by the Sun or Moon, for instance. The transit created by the Sun lasts for about two and a half days, and the Moon a mere four hours. The transits of the outer planets reveal the trends of a person’s life, while the transits of the inner planets usually indicate an event. Planetary Returns A planetary return occurs when a planet returns to the position it was in at the time of the person’s birth. They signify a new cycle of experience is about to start. The planets take varying degrees of time to return to where they were when someone was born: Jupiter takes approximately twelve years. It’s a time to move forward as there’s considerable potential for achievement and success. Saturn takes approximately twenty-nine years. It’s a time to reassess one’s life and to change direction, if need be. Uranus takes eighty-four years. Many people never experience this. Consequently, the half-return at the age of forty-two is examined. It’s a stressful time, but it opens doors for new interests. Solar Return In this method a chart is erected when the Sun has returned to the same position it was in the natal chart. Understanding this astrology chart provides insights into the next twelve months. The ascendant of this progressed chart gives a strong clue as to how the person will handle him or herself in the next twelve months. The house the progressed Sun is in indicates the person’s focus for the next year. A Day for a Year People often ask astrologers about the trends of their lives. “I seem to be going through a rough patch.” “Back then everything seemed to just fall into place.” “How come I made money so easily last year, but this year it’s a struggle?” We all have ups and downs in our lives. In astrology there’s the concept of “one day for one year” when progressing and understanding an astrology chart. In other words, if you turned thirty-five today, your current astrology chart would show every planet moved forward thirty-five days from the position they were in when you were born. This is an ancient technique that is still used by many astrologers. There are other methods for determining future trends with astrology basics, but the “one day for one year” method is perfect for most needs. It’s a quick and easy way to forecast future trends, and it’s not surprising that many professional astrologers use it. Horary Astrology Horary astrology is a method to answer specific questions. A chart is erected for the date, time, and place where the question was asked. The chart is then interpreted to help answer the question. William Lilly, the seventeenth century English astrologer, used horary astrology most of the time, as many of his clients were not sure when they were born. He wrote a detailed explanation of the technique in his book Christian Astrology. Mundane Astrology Mundane astrology isn’t interested in the future of a single person. It focuses on the future of nations, political parties, and world events. A chart is erected for the capital city of a country, or the date of birth of the people most involved, such as a president or prime minister. Newspaper Astrology Everyone is familiar with the Sun sign forecasts printed in newspapers and magazines around the world. For some years, I prepared daily horoscopes for a national radio station and was amazed at the amount of positive feedback I received, as I was using nothing but the ten planets and the twelve houses. If you’re preparing a Sun sign forecast for an Arian, you’d place Aries in the first house, Taurus in the second, and so on. If the person happened to be a Virgo, you’d place Virgo in the first house, Libra in the second, and so on. As the planets travel through the twelve houses, they stimulate the houses they pass through, and this provides the Sun sign astrologers with the basic astrology information they need to prepare their forecasts. Consequently, if Venus happened to be in the third house, it would enhance all forms of communication and fill it with love and affection. When Uranus is in the third house, it would behave completely differently. You could expect disruptions and other problems in your communications and dealings with others. The signs the planets are in at any given moment are available online, enabling you to create your own Sun sign readings in much greater detail than you’d find in your daily paper. This article is excerpted from the book: Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Divination: Your Definitive Source for Learning Predictive & Prophetic Techniques by Richard Webster.

About The Author Richard Webster was born and raised in New Zealand. He has been interested in the psychic world since he was nine years old. As a teenager, he became involved in hypnotism and later became a professional stage hypnotist. After school, he worked in the publishing business and purchased a bookstore. Richard’s first book was published in 1972, fulfilling a childhood dream of becoming an author. Richard is now the author of over a hundred books and is still writing today. His best-selling books include Spirit Guides & Angel Guardians and Creative Visualization for Beginners. Richard is a past-life specialist and has also taught psychic development classes, which are based on many of his books. He regularly travels the world to give lectures, workshops and to continue his research. Visit his website: richardwebster.co.nz

photo: sarah diniz outeiro

Editor’s Note: The following is an interview conducted by Richard Louis Miller with James Fadiman, who is widely acknowledged for his extensive work in the field of psychedelic drug research, including a major contribution with his most recent book, The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide.

Putting Dangers in Perspective

RLM: LSD. How dangerous is it? If you look at the sun while you’re on LSD do you go blind? Does hair grow on the palm of your hands? Do you end up in the emergency room? We have now had forty to fifty years of people using it on their own, illegally. You’re citing figures going into the tens of millions—you know how many people are being admitted to the emergency rooms each year around the country. You know how many people have died, so please share that information with us. JF: I say to people that psychedelic drugs are very powerful substances, and used incorrectly you can get in trouble. Used correctly, the chances of anything going wrong are extraordinarily low. One of the reasons I like LSD is that you use literally a hundred millionths of a gram—there are almost no physiological changes. Things go wrong if you take it in the wrong setting, with the wrong friends, at the wrong time, with the wrong other substances. Or if you take too much—which is true of most other substances. Tobacco causes approximately 400,000 deaths a year. Alcohol causes approximately 125,000 deaths per year. Peanuts cause about 100 deaths. Psychedelic drugs aren’t even on the list. Although I am beginning to worry about peanuts. Have people gotten into serious trouble? Have some been hospitalized for years after taking psychedelics? The answer is yes, but probably as much from the bad situation and from the kind of well-meaning but ignorant health care they received immediately afterward.

Forbidden Fruit and the Folly of Prohibition

JF: If you go to Burning Man, where there’s a huge amount of drug use, they have a medical tent, and what they call Sanctuary, which is there to help people who are frightened, upset, and paranoid (also dehydrated), usually to simply recover without interrupting the flow, so the experience can complete itself. There are even ways to work with very difficult situations, which are especially common at major concerts or festivals, where people have not had the chance to get decent information for the last forty years. One of the reasons I wrote the book was to put out the basic safety information, to ensure that if people are going to use something illegally that they have the best information available—to get the safest and most beneficial psychedelic trip experience possible. We must not forget that the reason people want to use these substances is because they feel there’s some benefit. RLM: Yes, so here we have a legal book about how to use an illegal substance, which is so attractive to people that they’re using it by the tens of millions—right in the face of government and media focus that says: “This is so dangerous that we’re making it illegal.” JF: The last time the government tried to prevent people from doing what they wanted was called Prohibition. Before Prohibition, there were eight hundred drinking establishments around Times Square. During Prohibition there were twenty-five hundred drinking establishments in that same area. We should have learned that prohibition is not the best way to prevent people from using whatever it is that the government doesn’t like. RLM: In fact, if anything, it makes it more interesting. It’s like when we were told as children that we should keep away from a certain thing the adults might be using, and we were thinking, “Gee, if that’s the thing to keep away from, I want to find out what it is.”  JF: We must never give a bean to a small child and say, “Don’t put it up your nose.”

Six Variables for a Safe and Beneficial Psychedelic Session

RLM: I’m asking you a question I shouldn’t ask, but I’m asking anyway—if you’re allowed to do this, tell us, what is the proper way to take LSD? JF: There are six major variables that make a successful psychedelic trip and session. Successful means healthy, safe, and meaningful. Those include: 1. First, the mental set. 2. Second, the physical setting, which should be safe and comfortable. 3. Third, the sitter—I recommend, recommend, recommend a guide who can assist you if you get into places that are frightening or difficult. 4. Fourth, the substance—there are many kinds of psychedelic drugs and how much you take matters. 5. Fifth, the session itself—how the six to twelve hours run, what you do during that time. 6. Sixth, what kind of a life group you come back into—to people who support this kind of expanded awareness? Or to people who feel that you have just done something either evil or dangerous? I want those basics available out there as widely as possible, because I’m a safety nut, and I’m also a guide nut. You don’t learn to drive by throwing someone the car keys and saying, “Good luck!”

1. Set: Mental Attitude and Intention

RLM: What is set? JF: Set is mental attitude or intention. Are you taking this psychedelic drug because you would like to become closer to divinity, however you understand that? Or are you taking it because you are interested in working on your own personal issues? Or are you taking it just for self-discovery? Are you taking it just for recreation? Someone in New York recently asked me at a conference, “Is there anything wrong with using things just to have fun?” I had to admit there is a good argument for that. Other ways of using it are for scientific problem solving—for very hard-nosed, rational problems—and just for discovering what happens inside your own mind when you give it a nudge in a different direction. RLM: What is an example of using LSD for problem solving? JF: We did some research just as the government was shutting us down, and we’d had senior scientists taking what we call low doses of LSD. That would be 100 micrograms, a hundred millionth of a gram, and we basically gave them a safe, supportive setting. We gave them a couple of hours of free ranging inside their mind, and we then asked them at the peak of the experience to work on their own chosen problem—an important technical problem—and I mean very technical: theory of the photon, chip design, engineering problems, architecture problems, and so forth. Things that they had hitherto worked on and not been successful. That was our criteria during the psychedelic trip, because we wanted them to care a lot about problem solving. There’s been a lot of stuff on every level about Steve Jobs, and my favorite headline is “Steve Jobs Had LSD. We Have the iPhone.”* From what he reported, it was one of the most important experiences of his life. And to me that meant that he did it well—did it carefully. He was looking at the material world as well as his inner world. RLM: We don’t know whether he continued to use it, we just know that he did use it early on. There are so many people—as you well know, Jim, myself included at various times in my career—who were willing to talk about using it many years ago. If there are those who would prosecute me I would say, “That was thirty years ago.” JF: But I think we can say with Steve Jobs that we have zero indication that he used it later in his life. He did use it early in his life. It was part of what oriented him toward elegance, and beauty, and making things easy for people, but he did not use it and come up with the iPad. RLM: But we also know, for example, that Carl Sagan’s widow revealed he had used LSD but was afraid to tell the world. Even a man of his great magnitude was afraid to tell the world that he used it in some of those discoveries, which I think speaks volumes about the fear level that has been perpetrated in our country about psychedelic drugs. JF: Fear and social stigma. When I walk around carrying this book—as authors do—almost everyone I meet suddenly begins telling me about their psychedelic trip experiences after I talk to them for a while.

2. Setting: Landscapes and Soundscapes

RLM: So we have some idea of what set means: your mental set, that is, what’s going on in your mind—your intention. The next thing one wants to be aware of when experimenting with psychedelic medicine is setting. What is setting? JF: Setting is literally the physical situation in which you find yourself. Albert Hofmann, who was still giving two-hour lectures to professional groups at 101 years old, was asked—as he said, “only ten thousand times”—how should you take LSD? His answer was, “Always take it in nature.” My answer is a little different. Take it in as safe and comfortable a setting as possible, which often is the living room, where you are able also to lie down to listen to music through headphones or earbuds; and to even put on an eye mask so that you can investigate the universe from the inside. Then perhaps later in the day it is good to be outside in nature to investigate the universe from the outside. Setting is the physical environment and the people who are in that environment during the psychedelic trip—which we’ll get to when we talk about sitter, because taking it around people you feel safe with turns out to be very important. RLM: What about the place of ambient noise? Is that a factor that people should be cautious about? A machine noise, lawn mowers—the things that are going to intrude on consciousness? JF: One of the wonderful things we have technologically are headphones, which block out ambient noise. Almost everyone, including indigenous people, find music or singing to be a very important part of the psychedelic experience. What we’ve found is, the reason people prefer music, and music without words, is that it allows them to stop thinking about daily trivia and to simply appreciate the enormous expansion of awareness that comes with almost any psychedelic trip. The most common comment we hear is, “I never knew music could be so beautiful and so intricate.” You know, when you hear a symphony orchestra, and you kind of hear a blur of sound with the melody rising and falling? If you’re a professional musician you hear more, but on psychedelics, people report hearing each individual section, working with and against the others, and even report hearing individual players. So you’re hearing with a much higher level of awareness. Headphones seemed to be the best way to handle the lawn mower, the ambulance, and the jackhammers. RLM: So the setting is the physical environment: nature, or some very safe-feeling and quiet place, using headphones to block out ambient sound.

3. Sitter: Your Safari Guide

RLM: What is the sitter? JF: Well, I sometimes lose some of my hipper, younger friends when I say you should take psychedelic drugs with a guide. A guide is someone who knows the terrain, who’s been there a number of times, who is not disturbed by a little difficulty. The reason for having a guide is the same reason you start with a guide when scuba diving or learning to fly a plane. The image that makes the most sense to me is of a safari guide, say in Africa. He doesn’t see the animals for you, but he may say, “You see that rhinoceros that’s running toward us? If I were you I would stand behind a tree.” Or, he may say, “That little patch of sand in front, to your right? That’s actually quicksand. You might want to walk around that.” So a guide or coach seems to be invaluable during a psychedelic trip if you are taking your own experience seriously and you’re interested in using the materials the way they’ve been used in a sacred way in every culture we know of that had access to it.

4. Substance: “What” and “How Much”?

RLM: What do you mean when you say the “substance”? JF: What you take matters. There is an enormous list of psychedelic drugs and substances: mushrooms, peyote, and mescaline, all of which have the same basic set of experiences available. The biggest difference is a psilocybin (mushroom) experience lasts six to eight hours and LSD lasts usually eight to twelve hours. LSD is the one I know the best. There are other psychedelic families, including the one that is most exciting to people these days, called ayahuasca. Ayahuasca is really two plants combined together, and they have a much different, much more physical expression, and it takes you to a very different part of the radio dial of consciousness. What you take matters, and how much you take matters enormously. If you take too much of anything—that includes aspirin and peanut butter—you will get ill. With psychedelics, that “too much” is of two sorts. One is you really won’t know where you are, and you can become disorganized and more frightened. Two—and for me this is equally important—you really won’t remember the useful or beneficial parts. You’ll simply have had a psychedelic trip that you have no remembrance of. Some people take too much of a psychedelic drug to prove how macho they are, and that’s just a waste of everyone’s time. If you take a small dose, obviously you’ll have less of an experience. The purpose of the guide is so you don’t make a mistake about what’s correct for your body and your intention. RLM: What is an appropriate dose if one wants to do inner-space work—one wants to explore and learn about oneself? What is a substantial dose of LSD in micrograms? JF: One hundred to 200 micrograms is the dose people have used historically when they are working psychotherapeutically. If you’re working for spiritual experiences it’s double that [200 to 400 micrograms]. For people who are alcoholics—and the alcoholism research with LSD is excellent—it is usually necessary to take a larger dose, because they are used to alcohol, and it’s stifling their own altered state inside themselves. Again, the guide turns out to be invaluable. Giving dosage numbers over the air, given how different people are, is simply not the correct service. RLM: Understood. But what you’re saying across the board, in terms of the normal curve, is that 300 to 400 micrograms is more of a spiritual dose, and 100 to 200 micrograms is more a dose for psychotherapeutic inner work. JF: Right, psychotherapeutic inner work, where again, you need someone else with you during the psychedelic trip. And if you’re going for the higher doses, a guide is an absolute necessity if you wish to discover what it is that the classical mystics are talking about. RLM: Is a higher dose 500, 600, 700 micrograms, or more? JF: No, it’s 300 to 400 micrograms. RLM: I see. What happens when you get above 400 micrograms? JF: My recommendation is: don’t. You bring back too little and you risk too much.

5. Session: The Duration of Mind Alteration

RLM: What is meant by the “Session,” Jim? JF: A session is the hours when the substance is affecting you—the length of the psychedelic trip. We’re talking about a substance in millionths of a gram. It actually leaves the body in about 1.5 hours, so most everything that goes on is within your own body and within your own body chemistry. But this is a full day or full night of events, and therefore you need to plan for that entire time. Remember we need to reiterate—both my personal taste and my publisher’s taste is to remind you—these are illegal substances, and that affects all these things. These are illegal substances, and people are imprisoned for far longer than anybody thinks is sane for both using and distributing psychedelic drugs. Therefore, this is not to suggest that anybody should use these, because they are illegal. But a bit like sex, you’re probably going to be interested in it, so you might as well understand it. If you go ahead and do it, you might as well do it with some good sense to prevent illness, disease, and so forth. With that caveat, this is only for people who have some understanding of what I’m talking about from their prior experience. We are looking at the ways to make things safe. What are the ways that lead to what is called a learning experience? Because we’re not just talking about a single psychedelic trip, like a roller coaster. A recent article pointed out that people who took psilocybin for spiritual purposes at Johns Hopkins University were still, fourteen months later, what they called “more open to the creative” and “more open relationships”—basically a healthier person as well as psychology can measure.* RLM: I can feel my blood starting to boil when you talk about that study, Jim. I’m thinking about fifty years of government suppression of these medicines. Here we have one psychedelic medicine, which the people took one time, and a year later they’re still having positive effects. How many medicines do we have in our entire pharmacopeia that you can take one time and a year later you’re still feeling positive effects? Basically, in the pharmaceutical industry you sign up for an annuity, right? You’re going to be taking the medication daily and paying for it for the rest of your life. On the other hand we have a psychedelic medicine people can take one time, and a full year later they’re still feeling measurable positive effects. However, no one can buy this new medicine right now. No one can get psychedelic drugs legally. Your doctor can’t prescribe it to you—there’s nowhere you can get it legally in the United States. Isn’t that correct? JF: Let me add, Richard, a wonderful bit of film footage I saw recently about someone who took LSD once forty years ago, who was a serious, heavy-duty alcoholic—losing his job, his marriage was falling apart, life was terrible, and he was totally addicted. He took LSD once in a safe, secure, therapeutic setting, and forty years later, the filmmaker asks if he’s had alcohol since then. He said, “Oh no, not a drop.” The filmmaker then says something about willpower, and the man laughs and says, “No. No interest.” The change is about learning—about worldview and changing the way you see things. We really need to begin to let go of the medical model. As you were saying, the medical model says, “Pill in, body changes. Pill out, body back to normal. Needs more pills for next cycle.” Psychedelic trips and medicine are really more like discovery. You only have to go to Europe once to find out that the world is much larger than the United States. You don’t have to keep going back every week to be reminded. RLM: Yes, the psychedelic medicine finds the atherosclerosis of the spirit and cleans it out. It’s like a spiritual Roto-Rooter, and it gets all the junk out of us and clears us up. JF: Right—one wants to see something that relaxes the hardening of the attitudes.

6. Life Group: Supportive Community

RLM: The sixth thing on your list of the six essential things to know for a safe psychedelic trip or journey is the life group after. Tell us about what that means psychologically. Tell us about the life group that you come into after you’ve had this psychedelic experience. JF: Remember that for over 80 percent of people in one study, taking a psychedelic drug was the most important experience of their life. Basically, the lifegroup is seen if you had this kind of transformative experience and you come back home to your family, and they say, “Isn’t that wonderful! We really are delighted that you also now understand what we’ve known,” or if you come back to your family and friends and they say, “That’s nonsense. You’re not supposed to know about God. There are books for that. You’re always supposed to go to some other authority to ask their opinion,” or even worse if they say, “This is craziness, and we’re not sure that you should be allowed to go to work!” We’re talking about what kind of worldview you are in after a psychedelic trip or the use of psychedelic drugs. Fortunately, knowing a lot about your sphere of radio influence, there’s not much of a problem in this part of California, because so many people have already had these kinds of experiences and are basically aware that the material world simply can’t be all there is. No culture but ours has ever made that materialistic assumption, and as we all know, we got it wrong. The world is being loused up by people who have forgotten that the interconnectedness of all things turns out to be very important. This interview is excerpted with permission from Psychedelic Medicine: The Healing Powers of LSD, MDMA, Psilocybin, and Ayahuasca by Dr. Richard Louis Miller, M.A., Ph.D., Printed with permission from the publisher Inner Traditions International. www.InnerTraditions.com

About The Author Dr. Richard Louis Miller, M.A., Ph.D.,has been a clinical psychologist for more than 50 years. He is host of the syndicated talk radio show, Mind Body Health & Politics. The founder of the nationally acclaimed Cokenders Alcohol and Drug Program, he has been a faculty member at the University of Michigan and Stanford University, an advisor on the President’s Commission on Mental Health, a founding board member of the Gestalt Institute of San Francisco, and a member of the national board of directors for the Marijuana Policy Project. He lives in Fort Bragg and Wilbur Hot Springs, California. Find out more at psychedelicmedicinebook.com James Fadiman, PhD, is a psychologist and author of The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys. He is one of the foremost pioneers of the potential for psychedelic substances for self-discovery, psychotherapy, and creative problem solving and has been involved with psychedelic research since the 1960s. Fadiman is the president of the Association for Transpersonal Psychology and the director at the Institute of Noetic Sciences. He cofounded, along with Robert Frager, the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, which later became Sofia University.