Psychic Protection: Tools of the Trade

May 29, 2012May 29, 2012 / soulinteraction / Leave a comment

There is a lot of buzz this year surrounding all the wonders this year is heralding. I am seeing more lightworkers waking up to their purpose, healers coming into their power, and people taking the step into a life they might not have imagined possible. We know that this year is bringing in a new and powerful energy. It is tangible. It is amazing to be on the front lines of this changing dynamic, this new and beautiful energy, but there is the other side of the coin that we are not really discussing.

There is a universal balance that naturally occurs as awakening takes place, and as light beings are moving into places of power, so are those that are not of the light. In this changing dynamic it is more important than ever for us to hold our center, breath, and protect ourselves. This is also one of the most neglected areas of psychic work. It’s fun and powerful to be able to connect and gain information, but we have to do that from a place of protection and grounding. Information and energy is moving around us quickly, and we really need to be careful of how much of our personal power we give away. Below I am going to give you some techniques that I use to invoke a bit of protection in my own practice:

Hematite is a great protection stone. So is Black Tourmaline. These stones are like little soldiers that will help to absorb the negative energy energy around you. The beautiful thing about stones is that they work even if you are not conscious of the fact they are with you.
White light and affirmation work. Saying affirmations of protection throughout the day is a great way to remind yourself that you are protected and surrounded by the white light of the divine. Sit and visualize the energy moving around you, and through you. Then extend this energy into the spaces that you are in to ward against any energies that might be in those spaces.
Eat healthy foods. Yes, eating poorly lowers our immune system, our energy system and makes us sluggish. Give yourself lots of leafy greens, fresh raw veggies, and water throughout your day.
Exercise. When we are in motion we are less stagnant and are able to move energy around and through us with ease. Holding sacred space even in our physical activities is important for our growth and connection to the temple which houses the soul.
Develop a daily spiritual practice. I like to start my sacred practice first thing in the morning. This can be as involved or as simple as you want. I do yoga, affirmations of protection and grounding, visualization of white light, and a few other techniques that are my own. Start the day in gratitude and try to find “sacred moments” throughout the day
Breathe. This is probably the most important thing to be aware of. I notice people holding their breath throughout the day. Breathing in itself is cleansing. So BREATHE!
Tune in throughout the day. Are you giving away power? Are you in center? Where are your thoughts? Carry a pocket journal and tune into spirit through the day. Develop communication and conversation with your intuition.

It is not my purpose to create any fear, but we really need to be sure that we are keeping up with these shifting energies. We want to be sure that we are as healthy and whole as we can be. Moving into divine space is a beautiful thing, and as a teacher it is my goal to help you get there safely.

Here is a recent episode of: The Psychic and The Witch with a discussion on protection work.

In a future post I’ll discuss magical protection. Using charms, amulets, gris gris, roots, and physical body practice to engage the protective elements.

You are loved, you are beautiful, you are divine.

Michael A. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

www.michaelbrazell.com

www.deviantyogi.com

www.blogtalkradio.com/michaelbrazell

michael@michaelbrazell.com

PBP2012: K is for Kissing the Limitless

May 28, 2012 / soulinteraction / Leave a comment

I first saw this book on the shelf at my book store over a year ago. The title intrigued me so I bought it. It has sat on my bookshelf for over a year, and little did I know the impact this book would have on my life. This year did not start out on the smoothest of notes. It seems that has been the case for a lot of people. This is a year where we begin to come into greater alignment with our “soul self”, or divine nature. We only need to look outside to see that things are deteriorating in rapid speed, but things are also coming together. In March I had the opportunity to take T. Thorn Coyle’s “Self Possession” workshop. I really had no idea to expect. I just knew that I was at a crossroads in my professional, personal and well, just overall well-being. I felt that I really had no clue what it was that I wanted to do with this experience, and part of me just wanted to go sit on a mountain somewhere and meditate and live on berries. This would not be the case.

The workshop was based on the book “Kissing the Limitless”, and it is really hard to put into words what happened during that weekend workshop, but the effects of the soul ripples are still being felt. One of the big things about self-possession is coming into your own, and then owning it. As a professional psychic, and one that helps others through difficult times in their lives, I came to a realization that I was not tuning into my own needs. I was not sure how I would react to Thorn’s teaching, but she is a teacher that is truly living her talk. One of the things that we discussed in the workshop was the establishment of a beloved community. The coming together of like-minded people for the cultivation of peace, soul energy, and alignment. Once the workshop was over and we all blew back into our lives, I felt that I wanted to be more like a dandelion seed, carrying this energy back into my own community.

I sat with this for a while, and realized the answer for community was sitting on my bookshelf, and my partner David and I decided it was time to start a study group. I looked around our first meeting and we were an eclectic bunch. David and I both lead two very different meetup groups and decided to merge our energies to see what would happen. His group is more focused on magical traditions and mine is geared towards soul/psychic development. What I found even more interesting is that many in the group had bought the book before we even decided to start the group.

One of the big parts of the book is the establishment of a daily practice. It has exercises that are challenging and in the introduction you are told it could take a couple of years to fully work through the book. The time limit is variable depending on where you are in your practice, but for many of us it was the first time that we were able to go below the surface. More importantly we were in realization that we were not alone in our struggles. We created safe space for everyone to share where they currently were in their process, but where we wanted to go.

The title of the book really sums up what I am hoping this year to be. Each day we are presented with limitless opportunities to grow and to connect. Every breath is a chance to connect to that divine part of ourselves, and for some the road will be easy… for others the road will be challenging. Sometimes the destination is the road, and showing up is so very important his year. I never thought that a book I did not give much thought to would be the thing that would drive me into a completely new direction and focus in my life and work. The beauty of our spiritual path is that it allows us to experiment and step outside of the box. Eclectic spirituality is a blessing in that our teachers show up in many forms, and usually when our guard is down.

Michael A. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

www.michaelbrazell.com

www.deviantyogi.com

michael@michaelbrazell.com

PBB2012: J is for Journey

May 20, 2012 / soulinteraction / Leave a comment

This has been a year of remembrance. Sometimes I find myself getting caught up in the ins and outs of life, the ups and downs, the lights and the darks, and the varying shades of gray. Sometimes we forget that the road itself is the destination, the journey is the process by which we connect into divine space. I’ve been fortunate to start working through T. Thorn Coyle’s “Kissing the Limitless”, and one of the things I love about this book is that it takes you backwards through the dark soil of your life. It allows you to find the soul seeds that you might have planted (or that might have been planted for you). Sometimes we sit in the upheaval and only see those things as damaging, when in reality those things may have been the spark we needed to grow into the spiritual people that we are. The journey we are on is just as important as the destination. We at time forget to look at the road. It’s many twists and turns, we only notice the times we trip on pebbles, but we get up. Sometimes we scrape our knees, and we learn to heal. Many of us do journey work as part of our practice. I am not saying that we should not have a destination, but we shouldn’t let the destination be the only thing we keep our eyes on. I have found that my journey needs to be fluid. I need to have space and the most difficult box for me to get out of is the one I place myself in. We often times fragment ourselves in this growing process. As those walking the spiritual path, it is important for us to re-assemble ourselves. Those thoughts from the past that grab you the strongest are sometimes the places where you have left a small piece of yourself. Go back and see what your lessons may have been in that phase of your journey. Listen to the road, otherwise you might find yourself in one of those crazy cul-de-sac spirals.

When we move into new places, we have to have appreciation for where we have been. The road ahead is built from the bricks of our past experiences. Those synchronicities that in the moment many have seemed “coincidence” that shifted us into who we are. My theory is that if we are still breathing when all is said and done that the divine must have some greater purpose for us. That the turmoil was just a stepping stone to something greater.

What have been your gifts from the struggle of your journey? Would you change your past, or do you find compassion for your road? Where are you headed traveler? What do you do to slow down and see the road beneath your feet?

Michael A. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

www.michaelbrazell.com

www.deviantyogi.com

michael@michaelbrazell.com

It’s Time to Pay Up: Universal Contracts

May 9, 2012 / soulinteraction / Leave a comment

Change is in the air… and not just because it is spring. One of the beautiful things about my job is that I get a front row seat to the lives of others. Normally, I might get to do one life path reading. This is where someone is deciding to do something new, make a big change, or step in a new direction. The majority of the other readings were the usual: money, love, job, etc. Every week, I am seeing more and more people making massive changes.

The one common denominator in these changes is a move towards spirituality. People are looking to be of service, to connect to community, to be part of something and not just another cog in the machine. I’ve seen doctors become painters, CEOs become writers, and people finally living their dreams both big and small. I find a beauty in the finality of 2012. What if it does all end? How did you live your life? Did you live it in joy and love, or are you anchored into tons of regret? What would you change if you only had one more day, or a few more months? At times it feels like the universe is calling in contracts that we made in the “in-between” life. I am seeing people go through these rapid awakening cycles. It’s a beautiful thing.

I am a firm believer that our purpose in this life is to just be happy. The only thing we are required to do is breathe. Everything else we do is a choice. We can choose joy or sadness, love or hate, and everything in between.

Change can be incremental. You don’t have to go out right this very moment and quit your job… unless you truly want to. If you could do anything for the rest of your life, and be completely happy… what would it be? Whats stopping you from doing it? What steps can you take to get there?

We forget to dream. It’s time to sit with a piece of paper and start dreaming. If you have ever wanted to do anything with your life, but have held back… write it down. Let your imagination soar. Clown college, starting a business, becoming a professional poet, etc. If you are drawing a blank, even better. Blank is a good starting point, it just means that you are allowing fear to block your outcome..

What do you feel your purpose is? What did you come into this life to do? Are you doing it? If not, what would get you jump started in to making it a reality?

We’ll be going deeper in the coming weeks. For now… get that paper/journal out and start dreaming.

Michael A. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

www.michaelbrazell.com

www.deviantyogi.com

michael@michaelbrazell.com

PBP2012: I is for Imagination!

May 4, 2012 / soulinteraction / 1 Comment

Stagnation is an ugly monster that sits on the edge of our spiritual practice. It lies in wait. It’s soldiers of choice are boredom and routine. In steps our hero, Imagination!

Creativity is a great thing in our spiritual practice, it allows us to have fun and to not take it all so seriously. In a fast paced digital world we tend to lose that creative spark. I am aware that it shifts, but for me, there is a tangibility in imagination. Remembering back to when a sheet and a table became a mountain, or action figures springing to life, rushing into battle. Imagination is a key element in spirituality. On some levels we are using our minds eye to access realms that are just beyond our vision. There is a beauty in being able to close our eyes and see the Star Goddess or Shiva as we see them. Imagination is also key element in accessing and deepening clairvoyance. Understanding symbols, going beyond prescribed messages and taking it deeper. At times it is a powerful thing to look at the work through the eyes of a child. This morning I had the chance to see this play out, as often times the divine brings me. There was a mom and her little girl sitting on the metro this morning. The mom was deeply engaged in her blackberry, but the child was in a far distant place. In the child’s hands where these small pieces of paper, and she was deeply involved in a discussion with the paper–and then the pieces of paper were also talking to one another. I was just out of earshot, but there was a beauty in that moment. When paper becomes more than paper, when distant realms become accessible because we realize they are not that far away. Bringing that child like quality into our spiritual practice allows us to see it in its simplicity. Why does it all have to be so complicated? Things can just be a little outside of the lines and we can be okay with that.

Here are a few exercises:

Go to the store and buy a toy, then go home and play with it.
Buy a coloring book
Swing on a swing
sing nursery rhymes
Pull out some Dr. Seuss, or your favorite Books from yesteryear. I loved the Ramona series, Where the Sidewalk ends.

There is a simplicity with these actions. What if we approached our divine connection this way? With open arms, and eyes wide open. If anything, this will shake up your routine a bit. Break free from your attachments to a process and just be present.

Love and Light

Michael A. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

www.deviantyogi.com

www.michaelbrazell.com

Soul Interaction Discussion Question

May 2, 2012 / soulinteraction / Leave a comment

How do you define the soul? Is it definable? If your intuition is divine guidance, where is it tapping into? What is your wellspring of divinity?

Each week I’ll be posing questions to take us deeper. Feel free to answer below, write them in your journal, use them as prompts for discussions in your spiritual groups, etc. This is a great year for a bit of introspection.

Love and Light

Michael A. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

PBP2012: “I” is for Intuition

April 28, 2012 / soulinteraction / Leave a comment

A lot of people ask me if being psychic is something that you are born with, or if is something you can learn. We all come into this place with a deep knowing of where we are supposed to be on our path. It is like we are born with an internal GPS system that allows us to steer into and away from different lessons and situations. The response I like to give is: “We are all born intuitive. Some people come in with AOL dial-up, and others come in with SAT LINK, but we can all choose to upgrade when we are ready.” As magick workers and those on a spiritual path we have to work on the deep listening aspect of our chosen crafts and path. Magick and intuition do not just flow through us when we are in ritual or in front of our altars. Our lives are an action of living in spirituality and our intuition is always there guiding us.

Being intuitive means that you receive that guidance from the “soul space”. There is always something talking to us from within. That little voice that only has our best intent and compassion for us. It is the driver in the car with the better map. I personally know when I take the wheel and refuse the directions that life becomes more bumper car than Sunday drive in the country side. Our intuition is how the divine relays that deep guidance and information to us. In degrees of separation it is: self-soul-divine. This allows us instant access to everything that is outside of us, but it comes through us. There are many theories on how the intuition works, where that information flow originates from, and depending on your tradition you relationship to your intuition might vary a bit. How we connect is not as important as connecting. Establishing a daily connection with your intuition is important for not only deepening your practice but for establishing trust for self and our divine connection.

What is your relationship to your intuition? What is your process of deep listening? How does intuition play into your daily practice or your ritual work?

Michael A. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

michael@michaelbrazell.com

www.michaelbrazell.com

www.deviantyogi.com

Heart Center Meditation with Susan Zummo

April 8, 2012 / soulinteraction / Leave a comment

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Here is a wonderful meditation to start off the week. Susan is not only an amazing teacher, but I consider here my spiritual mom. I’ll be doing a post soon on my journey into, and after taking the PAT (Perceptive Awareness Technique) class. Susan is a wonderful teacher, and her classes are a lot of fun. She connect through humor, honesty, and love. You can always tell when a teacher is living their talk, and Susan is most certainly one of those teachers.

For more information on Susan, P.A.T, and workshops that Susan will be hosting, please visit: www.susanzummo.com (She also has online classes!)

Susan Zummo is a highly motivated and qualified teacher of higher awareness. She is one of three nationally certified teachers of Perceptive Awareness Technique, Inc. (P.A.T.) and Soma Pi™ healing, an Integrated Awareness graduate and Intuitive Performance Coach. With over 25 years experience, Susan has been helping students connect with their Higher Mind through Intuitive Counseling sessions, P.A.T. seminars and healing workshops. Her teachings have helped her workshop attendees to reinforce their belief in self and their connection to a higher source. Her workshop participants regard her as one of the most committed and positive spiritual teachers they have had the fortune to meet. Susan’s professionalism and compassion are her trademarks. Most of her students come to her through the glowing recommendations of former students.

My Weekend of Self Possession with T. Thorn Coyle

March 26, 2012March 26, 2012 / soulinteraction / Leave a comment

“Golden bright mystic light piercing the bowl of night

Draw down the Light
Draw down the Star of Opening
Welcome you, limitless
Light in Extension”

These lyrics from Song of Tiphareth pretty much sum up what I experienced this weekend at T. Thorn Coyle’s Self Possession workshop. The weekend began with a night of drumming, journeying and community. We moved through a powerful weekend and reached into the depths of our being. So, before I get into the details of what I learned, let’s take a trip backwards in time.

At the beginning of this year like many others I faced a lot of upheaval. I felt like the I was a bad puppy and my universe was just slapping me around with the Sunday edition of the Washington Post. At times I felt like I was doing nothing more than spinning my wheels. At worst, I felt like moving to some mountain and just retreating away from the world. This can be especially tough for those of us that are not only spiritual, but we “do spirituality” for a living. I love my work and the connections that I have with those around me, but even that was feeling draining. Now, I’m no stranger to Thorn’s work. My partner David talks about her constantly, and has been to several of her workshops. I’ve had a copy of Kissing the Limitless lying around for about a year. I’d open it on occasion and flip through, connected with some of it here and there, but never really took on the work it was asking of me. In DC we have been fortunate enough to finally have a Pagan community Center come into full manifestation. David thought it would be great to have Thorn come in for a workshop. I tossed out there, that if she did the Self Possession workshop that I would think about going. So, time passed and the schedule was set. More upheaval set in, and David offered to help cover the cost of the class if I would go. So, it seemed the universe was doing everything but driving me to the front door and I took this as a sign to go.

So, why all the back story? It is when we are at a moment of defeat, when we finally surrender that we can enter into a state of grace. When we have no other choice but to let go, that the universe aligns every thing for us to come out of that dark night of the soul. I am fortunate that I have wonderful people in my life.

The first thing you notice about Thorn is her presence. Her energy is intense, as it has to be for the work that she does. When opening and aligning the souls of others you become a torch that ignites those around you through just your very being. They are the teachers that have actually done the work, they wear their humble nature like a cloak and through them we see that the journey is possible. I also noticed her tattoos, and honestly it was nice to not be the only mega tattooed person in the room.

The process of soul possession is about coming into alignment with those sometimes fragmented pieces of ourselves. To love our life not only for the joys, but for the struggles. That we can connect to our innate divine nature through unbinding the energetic anchors we hold onto. Thorn leads the class in a very intuitive fashion. You can see and feel her listening to the soul of the class and this allows her to give our group exactly what we need to facilitate growth. We created Soul Timelines, danced, drummed, chanted, and found little pieces of ourselves that we have forgotten to hug. I am not going to go into every detail from the weekend, as I am still processing much of what I learned. I can honestly say that this weekend changed my life. I am more awake and away that I have been in a long time. My first awakening came from learning the PAT (Perceptive Awareness Technique) from my Spiritual Mom Susan Zummo. I am going to write a blog about that experience soon. The other part that I loved about this weekend was the community that formed through the experience. You do not often see people taking on deeper soul level work. Working through the soul’s energy tends to take us into the deeper, sometimes tougher lessons. Our group was made up of community leaders, practitioners, healers, and seekers. I felt sad when the weekend was over, but know that as we all go out into our respective communities that we take something new back to facilitate an igniting of that soul energy. We are now the torches for our communities and it is time to do this great work.

The teacher is that person just a few more steps down the road than we are, showing us that it is possible as long as we keep moving, breathing, and connecting. I offer thanks and appreciation to all of my teachers, those that are known and unknown, the ones that are of this energetic realm and beyond.

The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called “truth.” ~Dan Rather

For more information on T. Thorn Coyle and her upcoming events, please visit her website at:

www.thorncoyle.com

You can also sign up for online video classes and discussion at:

www.thorncole.com/fiat-lvx

Also consider supporting her Solar Cross Temple. They do a lot of great work in the Pagan Community: Pagan elder care, prison ministry, environmental work, work with the poor and the homeless. Consider making a donation to help keep this important work moving forward.

www.thorncoyle.com/solar-cross

Michael A. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

www.michaelbrazell.com

michael@michaelbrazell.com

Tuesday Spiritual Fitness and Nutrition Tip: 21 Feb 2012

February 21, 2012February 21, 2012 / soulinteraction / Leave a comment

Here is your spiritual fitness and nutrition tip! Enjoy, get moving, and create the best you possible!

Fitness: The fitness world can be an overwhelming place to step into. Just like any new addition to your life you’ll want to take some time to educate yourself on what fitness is and how you can best apply it to your life. Reading books about fitness, other people’s journey into fitness, blogs, and even watching you tube videos on fitness can be a great way to get the ball rolling. This is a time you want to really activate your discernment. Trust your intuition when it comes to the things you are reading. The one true axiom in fitness is: “If it is too good to be true, it probably is.” Do not trust quick fixes and promises. Skip over advertisements and read about processes, workouts, and application of techniques. Even reading a few books on anatomy to learn about how the body works can help you understand the process your body goes through when moving into a greater state of health. Often we go running into new things without arming ourselves with the information necessary to be effective in our pursuits. Take a few moments to read and grow. I’ll post some resources in the next few days, so stay tuned!

Nutrition: Sugar. Most of us have a love hate relationship with it. It creeps in to areas of our lives, and in some ways can be addictive. We also need to take caution with the fruits we are eating. Many of us give up cakes and cookies and make a transition to heavy fruits. This is a good thing, but if you are eating too many fruits that are high in sugar you can also create the same overload effect. This is especially important if you have sugar issues like diabetes or high blood sugar. You’ll want to supplement your diet with fruits that are low in sugar. You can check this on the glycemic index. Even healthy foods have limitations as to quantity you want to consume. Having a good mixture of low glycemic foods in the body keeps the insulin levels balanced out, which will also keep you feeling satiated.

Mahayogi Das CFT CSN MAT PAT

www.michaelbrazell.com

michael@michaelbrazell.com