Learning to Listen

Listening to your inner self is both the easist, and most difficult thing you will ever do. It’s easy because you are always connected, no matter how hard you might try to convince yourself otherwise, the connections are there, and you can access them at anytime. It’s hard because your inner self doesn’t give a damn about common sense, logic, or even manners. Your impulses may lead you from the most mundane to the seemingly most bizarre experiences, yet trusting them becomes a reward unto itself.

Dream Journal

The first and easiest way to tune in is to start keeping a dream journal. If you don’t remember your dreams regularly, here are a few suggestions:

Change your sleep schedules around. Set your alarm to wake you up an hour earlier than usual, or wake yourself up after about one hour of sleep. Keep your journal (or tape recorder) handy for getting those details down. We tend to forget as we shift mental gears from dreaming to waking consciousness.

Try eating a little something sweet before bed. I believe this method was first endorsed by Seth, and I know several people who have had success with it.

Try sleeping really late. This one has worked for me from time to time. After sleeping 9+ hours I find that I can hold more awareness in my dreams and recall them better.

I don’t recommend using standard dream interpretation books, our symbols are unique unto ourselves and not easily classifiable. If you feel that you have no grasp of metaphors then find a book that “feels” right for you and try it.

Impulse Journal

Get one of those tiny notebooks – the kind that’s really easy to carry around with you. Keep it with you at all times, and write down ALL of the impulses that you become aware of, whether or not you actually follow through with them. After even a half a day, you’ll be ten times more conscious of your inner urgings than ever before. Look for patterns in the impulses that you agree to and those you passed by.

Other Tools

The next step involves playing with other fun tools, these include tarot cards, ouija boards, pendulums, crystals, trees, pen and paper, and YOU.

For those who have been raised in either a religious, or superstitious background I would like to state that there is absolutely no danger in using a ouija board (or any other method). Ouija boards are the cosmic equiavent of a radio. Imagine how a caveman might have reacted to a voice coming out of a small plastic box, this is how many people react to ouija boards.

Pendulums

Using a pendulum is possibly one of the easiest ways to get started. All that’s required is something freely hanging off of a piece of string. Suspend the pendulum from one hand and ask it to show you how it swings for “yes,” then do the same for the word “no” and finally “I don’t know/ can’t answer” Practice with this until you feel comfortable knowing how the pendulum swings. Once you are comfortable you can ask the pendulum anything as long as you phrase it in a yes/no format.

Tarot Cards

Tarot decks come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. I reccomend you find a store that will allow you to see the cards before buying them, this way you can find the images that resonate best with you. There are also as many ways to lay out the cards, most likely at least one method will be included with the deck that you buy, however. I am including my favorite method here, which is from Marion Weinstien’s book “Positive Magic”.

1. This is the significator, the card that symbolizes yourself in relation to the question that you are asking. This card, and the next two should give you insight into the nature of the question you are asking.

2. The Influence card, this shows what is motivating you on your current path. If you asked about a problem, this card will reveal what sort of pressure you are putting on yourself.

3. The “cross” card. This card is showing you what is in direct opposition to what you are looking for. Remember that all opposition comes from inside first, don’t just try to associate this with some perceived outside force.

4. The foundation card, this is the root or center of your question. It will show you the heart of the problem, or where your heart is right now.

5. Future trends, this card is showing the most likely path that you are choosing for yourself in this moment. Remember that you are never a victim to this sort of prediction, this is just an indication of where you are leading yourself. Think of it as a flashlight that you are pointing on the road ahead.

6. Immediate past. This card reveals what you are leaving behind in your life, or sometimes what you are having trouble letting go of.

7. Immediate future, this is what you are stepping into, what you are choosing for yourself right now. You are also not a victim to this card, if the Future trends card is your flashlight, this card represents the next place you’re about to put your foot down. If it looks like your going to step in a pile of manure, step somewhere else!

8. The Self, this card reveals YOU in the present moment, your state of mind and sense of well being. This card can be very revealing since everything originates from the self. When you look at this card ask yourself why you asked your question in the first place.

9. Your Environment. This is what surrounds you, it shows you the environment you’ve created for yourself and how you are interacting with it.

10. Hopes and Fears, oddly enough these two often go together, since we are often afraid to realize and accept what we truly want in our lives. After all, once you accept the want, you have to go out and get it, and THAT can be a scary prospect.

11. Outcome, Like the Future trends card, the outcome card is only able to show you what the most likely outcome will be according to your beliefs in the present moment. The outcome is not written in stone, and if you are unhappy with it you should be able to find the clues toward changing it within the reading.

There is no one right way to read the cards, experiment with them and find out what works best for you. Some people insist that nobody else can touch their cards because of the vibrations they will absorb. I’ve never had that type of problem, I’ve freely shared my cards with others and never felt any sort of unwanted influence on them.

Ouija Boards

A ouija board consists of a flat surface with an alphabet, numbers, and a few simple words. It also comes with a planchette, which the user, or users put their fingers on and allow it to move around the board in answer to whatever questions are being asked. You can get a ouija board in most toy stores, they are made by Parker Bros. (really) Some people craft hand made ones which look very nice, but the plain cardboard version works very well.

The first thing you should know about the ouija board is that the planchette does not (in my experience at least) move completely by itself the way it does in Hollywood movies. As you touch the planchette lightly, ask your question and allow your hand to be guided by your inner self to the answer. Patience is important here, it takes time and practice for most to get a feel for the board and begin getting any sort of information from it. Don’t be discouraged if all you get is gobblety gook at first, your just learning how to tune your radio.

Automatic Writing

There are two good methods for this, the first involves using pen and paper, the second a typewriter or computer keyboard. I got started by using the latter method, the reason being that I found it impossible to let go of consicous control at first while my eyes were opened. Since I am familar with the keyboard I was able to close my eyes and just let the information come. I’ve spoken to a few other people who have had the same type of experience.

In either case, the trick here is to let go of conscious control and just let the information flow in. At first, you’ll probably just think it’s your imagination, don’t let that stop you, remember that everything in the universe is really your imagination. Don’t try to judge the information, just let it come, like using the ouija board, it gets better with practice.

Channeling

The only real difference between channeling and automatic writing is that you are allowing the information, or entity giving the information to speak through you rather than writing via your hands. There are different types of channeling though. Full trance channelers are completely unaware of what is happening while they channel. They require someone else to be there in order to write down or record the information being presented. Jane Roberts was a full trance channeler, and often enjoyed out of body experiences, and other conscious explorations while Seth spoke through her.

Other channelers remain aware of what is going on, but they move their normal consciousness into the background. They are aware of the material being given, and sometimes can add questions or comments of their own, either by thought, or by utilizing their own voice.

Channeling is a cooperative effort. Even when a full trance channeler is “out” he/she knows that his/her body is safe and not really beyond their control. The person channeling always has the ability to cut off the connection. Most channelers I know trust themselves to the point where such fears would be a non-issue.

Eventually, you can be fully integrated with your ‘inner self’ and be conscious of your connection in each moment!