Intuition Chronicles: A Dream Directive

I do my best to capture messages from my dreams, but sometimes it’s difficult. Yesterday morning I woke with a fragment of a song. It felt very familiar and I could hum the melody, but the only word that came through was “water”. I eventually was able to categorize it as new wave music from the 80s but that wasn’t enough for the search engines. I put it to simmer on the back burner.

Today I woke with some actual lyrics that led me to Talking Heads, “Take Me to the River”. Well, that’s clear enough! I have the morning free, am overdue for a visit to the woods, and the heatwave is in a temporary reprieve, so this assignment is actually doable.

My usual trek is a 2 hour long loop that would have me home just in time for the online meeting that I’m hosting. Of course, I’d be hot, sweaty, and verging on hangry while chatting with my friends about the somatic self-compassion training that we’re taking. Ummmm… that won’t work! I’d be a shining example of someone who didn’t listen to her body’s need nor act with compassion toward herself.

Still determined, I recalled an alternate route that would Take Me to the River, not my usual spot, but still compliant with my mission, and get me home in time to have a quick shower and breakfast. “And bring your iPad”, my intuition chimes in. So here I sit on a rock, typing up my experience while still in it, drinking my mate latte from a mason jar, listening to the water rush by and a chorus of birds. 

As I’m sitting here, immersed in the healing vibes, four yellow butterflies flit past me. As I haven’t seen any like these yet this season, I suspect this was the ultimate goal of my excursion. Intuition is urging me to receive the message of “four yellow butterflies” through the lens of my own personal lexicon. While that’s a no-brainer for me to decipher, it would be challenging to explain by keyboard. I’ll just say that my efforts were rewarded with a deeply personal and significant indicator of how to proceed in a challenging matter. Thanks to a melodic snippet stuck in my head when I woke up!  

If this is something that appeals to you, I’d suggest keeping your phone by your bed, ready to record information (melodies, lyrics, or whatever!) that peeks through the dream veil. I’d also suggest turning on airplane mode to reduce electronic smog emissions and turning down the screen brightness so the light isn’t too jarring in the middle of the night. It will help your attempts at capturing and deciphering the message when you’re awake for real. It’s a small investment to make for potentially large rewards. 

Intuition Chronicles: Pay Attention! Reiki Can Help.

Accessing one’s intuition is a highly desirable ability. I believe these inner nudges are the soul attempting to guide me toward the highest good. Alas, I’m not always paying attention! No doubt lots of messages are simply overlooked while I’m busy doing something terribly unimportant.

I’ve been using Reiki for years to amplify my capacity to receive and interpret the guidance that comes to me. It’s a simple practice, which makes it easier to perform consistently. All I do is state my intention to intercept and understand intuitive messages, activate Reiki and the symbols, and place one hand on my heart and the other on my belly. Sometimes I feel guided to use the traditional hand positions, sometimes I’m led to leave my hands palm up in my lap, allowing the energy to fill and saturate my aura. Some days I only have a few minutes, other days I’m able to marinate for half an hour or more. 

Other practitioners appreciate more elaborate, even ritualistic, protocols. One of the great things about Reiki is that there’s tremendous room for personalization. You can experiment and find a style that works for you. The essential ingredients are intention plus Reiki, but all sorts of garnish may be added. Anything that helps keep your focus or sparks the imagination can be of benefit. 

In addition to this simple daily self-treatment, I’ve begun asking for guidance from my dreams. Before I go to bed each night, I ask a question for which I’d like an answer. (A burst of Reiki here does wonders too!) The challenging part is capturing whatever images, characters, circumstances, or songs filter through upon waking. It’s much easier to turn over and go back to sleep! I’m getting better at recording whatever fragments I can, and interpreting them intuitively in the morning. 

Last night I asked for guidance about window coverings to prevent the upcoming summer sun from baking my apartment. I woke up around 4am (I’m working on cultivating more time-appropriate delivery, but really, who am I to question my soul’s methods?) with the words “occiput” and “clavicle” in my head. Huh? I dutifully made a note and fell back to sleep.

As you might imagine, I was unable to apply any useful interpretation of these words to my shopping dilemma. Skeletal anatomy and curtains share no symbolic connection that I can discern. However… a few hours later I was trying out a free trial period of an online exercise program, and the teacher used these exact words several times! Ding, ding, ding! It didn’t take a huge leap of faith to accept this seeming coincidence as confirmation that the program would be helpful to me. 

If I hadn’t been paying attention (and committed to the dreamwork process), I would have missed this opportunity. I’m always on the lookout for ways to keep my body happy and healthy, but it isn’t always clear what will help prevent chronic pain rather than triggering it. This unique and timely message was easy to decipher. Clearly wellness is infinitely more valuable than the window treatments! (Besides, that particular guidance will arrive with perfect timing too.)

Accessing intuition is part having an antenna extended, part willingness to slow down and pay attention, and part detective work. I guess humor and humility deserve a mention as well! Things don’t always happen according to my preferred timeline. It helps to remember that my soul has a higher perspective than my intellect. The more I practice, the easier all the steps become, and the more I am able to trust the voice within. But none of it matters if I’m not paying attention.

Intuition Chronicles: Start Small

When Reiki clients and students ask me how they can tap into their inner wisdom, I teach them to start small. In addition to keeping track of intuitive messages and the results of heeding or ignoring them, this is an essential building block for accessing intuition.

It can be difficult to make leaps of faith into the great unknown without first developing trust. It’s natural to desire guidance when facing major life choices. Who doesn’t wish to have clear signals pointing them in the direction of joy, peace, prosperity, and health? Yet if the gateway to inner wisdom has become rusty from disuse, it’s easy to doubt even the most obvious messages.  

Begin to build your confidence by feeling out simple issues such as which coat to wear if the weather looks unpredictable or what to order for lunch. When you find yourself warm and dry while everyone else is sopping wet, or well-nourished while your companions have food poisoning, you’re one step closer to trusting your inner voice. 

When you’re able to look back upon dozens of positive intuitive interactions that benefited you on the mundane level, you’ll begin to believe that this inner voice has your back. Starting small takes the sense of urgency out of the equation and makes it easier to learn a new skill. Taking off the pressure and keeping the risk factor low makes guidance much more accessible. 

If you think of intuition like a friend, it might make more sense. You don’t ask someone you’ve just met if you should quit your job or get a divorce. People need to earn their way up the trust ladder as you grow to respect their advice. So you begin with easier concerns like curtains or hairstyles. If they steer you right on the simple stuff, you might consider advancing them to more meaningful conversations about where to go on vacation. Those who eventually reach the inner circle might be consulted on major issues.

It’s the same with intuition. Start small. Keep track of your experiences for learning purposes. Build your confidence. One day you’ll easily recognize its voice and KNOW that it is guiding you in the direction you want to go. And then when you really need some important input, it will feel familiar and all your practice will have been worth the effort. 

Intuition Chronicles: Success Revealed in the Rearview Mirror

Intuition Chronicles is my tracking system where I document the internal messages I receive and the results of heeding or ignoring them. I’ve shared a variety of my learn-the-hard-way stories in previous posts. Ugh! Happily, this is a success story, but I didn’t know it till months later. Since the outcome of following hunches isn’t always immediately apparent and can easily be overlooked, I’ve found that having a record to review is a great teaching aid. 

While I do learn quickly by experiencing the inconvenience, discomfort, or expense of discounting inner guidance, I prefer to learn the easy way! I don’t always know until later that I’ve had a successful intuitive encounter, so I keep track of the nudges that don’t seem to make sense as well as the hindsight-activated realizations that I unknowingly acted on a nudge. I can use all the experiences for learning.

Photo by Element5 Digital on Pexels.com

In December 2019, I got a wild hair to buy allspice essential oil. I didn’t know why and had no clue what I’d do with it. Some exploration online taught me that it’s an antiviral spice and combines nicely with several other antiviral herbs and spices. I purchased the lot and made a batch of air purification spritzers for my home and office and to share as gifts. 

It wasn’t until the following spring that I recognized that “wild hair” purchase as an extrasensory “knowing”. It didn’t come in the verbal format I’m accustomed to. I never heard a voice in my head saying, “Buy this; you’ll be glad later.” My attention was inexplicably drawn to the product and I felt an urge to buy it. When antiviral oils became hard to come by in 2020, I was extremely grateful I had an adequate stock on hand, and the epiphany blossomed. If I didn’t have an active practice of recording intuitive messages, I likely would have never perceived this as a victory.

This is when people usually point out that they frequently have sudden desires to buy items and wonder how they can tell the difference between impulsive shopping and an intuitive hunch. Valid question! Who doesn’t get urges to spend money out of the blue?

I have a two-pronged answer to that. A) Keeping track in a journal makes it easy to look back and say, “Aha! I was guided to do xyz and that proved incredibly helpful in the future. I’ll pay attention the next time a message like that appears.” Or, “Yikes, I regret spending all that money on something so frivolous. Next time I’ll be more mindful.” B) My intuition speaks to me calmly, but firmly, without any sense of desperation, whereas impulsive shopping can feel like I absolutely must have this thing or else I just won’t be ok. My intuition knows that I’m already ok and isn’t trying to prove my worthiness to me; it’s trying to make my life and my calling easier. Both the quality of the message and the act of mindfully recording it help me discern the difference.

I know that learning to recognize and interpret subtle directives from the metaphysical realm can seem daunting. At first there might be some confusion if the memo was issued by the soul or the consumeristic conditioning we’ve all been exposed to. To add to the complexity, there are a variety of ways intuition can communicate. Sometimes my eyes are mysteriously drawn to an object. Other times I get clear verbal instruction, have a gut feeling, or just know that I need to do something. Synchronicity is another guiding factor and too big of a topic to address today. (More on that in a later post.)

The more I’m tuned into the intention to receive and decipher guidance, the easier it is to notice it. Just like learning a language or instrument, we get better with practice. Even if you don’t feel confident following through on your intuition just yet, you can build your confidence by making notes and beginning your practice today. Soon you’ll be fluent in this new language.

Intuition Chronicles: The Price of Not Following Through

Welcome to Intuition Chronicles, my records of intuitive messages received and the results of following or ignoring them. I’m sharing them here for the purpose of illustrating the practice of learning to trust intuition. Yes, for most of us it is a practice. And tracking internal nudges is one of the foundational exercises I suggest for my Reiki students who aspire to be intuitive adepts.

Me: What’s up with this fatigue that doesn’t fade no matter how much sleep I get?

Intuition: Vitamin D. (My guidance isn’t always this clear, but I often do have a sudden, inexplicable inner knowing in the form of words or phrases. The key, and reason for the journal I keep, is learning to recognize it.)

Me: Maybe I should have some tests run before I buy a supplement. (I tend to second- guess my instructions. Keeping track of the price I pay for this lack of trust helps me better recognize future messages as the blessing that they truly are.)

Two months later, a bill close to $1200 from bloodwork being carelessly sent to an out-of-network lab, one missing vial of blood that would have been tested for Lyme disease, having to read my own results in the online portal as the doctor didn’t bother to follow up, and a massive reminder of the value of listening to my intuition: I’m deficient in vitamin D. 

Me: #$^%

Intuition: 

(Fortunately intuition doesn’t gloat.) 

Two days later, after purchasing a $25 bottle of vitamin E drops at the health food store, I feel much more energized and commit to listening to my inner guidance moving forward. Again.

I’m not at all proposing that people don’t get medical treatment when it’s called for. But in this case, there would have been zero risk to buying a simple vitamin supplement and seeing if it worked its magic. Society has conditioned me to place my trust in the medical industrial complex rather than my gut. This particular episode was rather costly and therefore an excellent reminder that my soul always steers me toward my greatest good. 

When “magnesium” came up three times in two days recently, I didn’t think twice about doing my own research online about the signs of deficiency and excess, best sources, and dosages. (Stay tuned for an upcoming post about deciphering synchronicity with intuition.) No need to learn this lesson twice!

Learning to trust my inner wisdom is an invaluable resource when it comes to cultivating health and wellness. I have no doubts that my intuition will steer me toward a medical doctor if that’s ever the necessary course of action. It’s my job to keep listening and to act on the information I’m given. Ideally without expensive detours. 

Intuition Chronicles: It’s Not Always About Me!

Lots of times I don’t know the reason for the internal nudges I get. Sometimes it becomes clear days, or even weeks, later. That’s why I keep track of intuitive messages and my response (or lack thereof) to them. But sometimes even a direct instruction doesn’t yield any tangible results.

This leads me to the conclusion that it’s not all about me. Shocking, right?!

Several weeks ago, as I was layering up to head out into the winterscape of Philly in February, I was instructed, “Green.” That’s it. Just one word. Given that I was standing in front of my selection of scarves at that very moment wondering which one to wear, it seemed a no-brainer. I wrapped my green scarf around my neck and ventured out, eager to learn why.

Nothing. Nada. Zilch. No clue why I was meant to do that. No Prince Charming swept me off my feet proclaiming my color scheme to be a clear indication of our destiny to spend all of eternity together. No approach by exotic animals attracted by the vibrant color. Not even a compliment from a passerby. 

This type of thing happens frequently. Sure, I could have misinterpreted the message or missed the follow-up signs that I had chosen correctly. More likely, someone else might have benefited from seeing my green scarf. Perhaps (subconsciously) a neighbor was reminded about a gift they needed to purchase for a niece who adores green. I can think of any number of similar scenarios that are just as likely, and just as imaginary. It doesn’t really matter. I followed my instructions and my job is now done.

Often I am told to “turn left” when I’m actually heading to the right. Sometimes I find cash on the sidewalk, run into a friend, or discover a newly opened store that sells exactly what I’ve been looking for. Frequently, though, I have no idea why I was lead down that path. Maybe someone needed that smile I offered when we passed, it was my turn to drop money for another to discover, or my presence somehow delivered a color-coded message that was beneficial on some level. 

Just because the evidence of cause and effect isn’t apparent, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Sometimes we just aren’t meant to know. Lots of issues are above my pay grade and I’m not always mindful enough to notice subtle results. Either way, it’s of no concern. It’s my job to receive the messages and do my best to comply. The “why” is often none of my business, especially when it’s not about me. 

Intuition Chronicles: A Simple Reiki Practice to Awaken Inner Guidance

I’m sure my students get tired of me repeating the same answer to almost every question that begins with, “How do you…”. If you desire to heal psoriasis, increase abundance, find a new home that meets all your needs, or awaken you intuition, the process is the same.

State your intention and apply Reiki. 

Really! It’s that simple. There’s no need to make it complicated. 

“But… how?” Is generally the follow- up inquiry. Again, my reply rarely wavers. Use the hand positions you were taught in class. They were designed to cover all the glands, organs, and chakras. You need all of your team playing at an optimal level. I don’t usually suggest focusing on any one particular zone as we are seeking full system balance.

You might be tempted to soak your third eye center with daily Reiki treatments, knowing this is the chakra involved with seeing clearly. Over the years, I’ve come to recognize that having a wide open sixth chakra isn’t all that helpful when there isn’t a flow throughout the entire being. If there is unhealed trauma that stirs up fear of knowing, it might reside in your pelvis or your kidneys. It will actively inhibit your progress and needs to addressed before getting the desired results. Same with any limiting beliefs lurking in the shadows. 

If your particular flavor of intercepting intuition is auditory, you’ll want to tend to the ears. If it’s a gut-knowing, treating the abdomen will be invaluable. In order to follow up on any messages, you’ll find it helpful to have a functional, fiery solar plexus, and clear communication abilities.

I could go on, but I think I’ve made my point! You’ll want all systems online, balanced, and connected with one another. (Same goes for psoriasis, abundance, and house hunting too.)

Any impediments in your system need to addressed to experience optimal benefits. Inviting powerful energy to enter in through one portal without clearing the way for it to circulate can be problematic. Think of an eight lane highway that suddenly narrows down to a single lane track. Havoc! A consistent two lane road is much more functional and can be built up steadily over time. 

During your practice, you might be guided to stray from the traditional positions. Excellent! It could be your intuition awakening, and telling you exactly what you need to maximize its function. Otherwise, carry on with the series, and trust that Reiki always goes where it is needed most. 

If there’s music, poetry or prose, or an image that symbolizes your abilities to access inner knowing, you might like to bring it into your practice. Sensory perception affects the subconscious, a powerful resource, and I consider such additions to be icing on the cake. The cake itself is setting the intention and applying Reiki. (Yes, I know that I sound like a broken record.)

This is a basic step in a series of recommended actions for connecting with intuition. Opening your willingness to prioritize these practices was the first post. Future posts will cover starting small, asking for guidance, listening attentively, keeping records, and taking action. It might seem like a lot of effort, but I can assure you that the benefits are well worth it. For now, start where you are and keep up your daily practice. 

The Intuition Chronicles: Cell Phone Edition

Welcome to the series detailing my personal journey of intuitive development. So many students ask me how they can learn to connect to their intuition that I decided to dive in to this complex and fascinating topic.

I keep track of the intuitive messages I receive in order to help strengthen my listening muscles. Hindsight is indeed 20/20.`One way that I learn is through contrast. When I ignore a nudge and experience unpleasant consequences, it highlights my desire to avoid future unpleasant consequences and activates my willingness to comply. 

Intuition is constantly speaking to me. It’s my job to pay attention and take action. Free will allows me to override the messages I get, and sometimes stubbornness gets the best of me. When I record results, both positive and negative, I have a map that helps me move forward in the direction I wish to go. I think these particular episodes, as cringeworthy as they are, will be particularly effective at making my point.

Intuition: Bring your phone. 

Me: I’m just going to the next room. I’ll be fine without it for now. 

15 minutes later, entrenched in a project, my lap covered in layers of notes and books, thinking… I need my phone, why didn’t I just bring it? 

This has literally happened dozens of times over the years! These incidents have been an annoyance, but hardly catastrophic, which is why it took so many repetitions for me to learn. Just take the darn thing when instructed to do so! Intuition can make my life easier, even in small ways; but only if I listen.

Intuition: Move your phone. 

Me: No way! I’m going to need it any minute, I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll just let it charge while it sits on the table next to me. 

30 minutes later, tripping over the cord, and praying the screen hasn’t cracked when it crashed to the floor. ARGH! Fewer applications of this lesson were needed. Intuition wants to help me avoid needless disasters, large and small.

Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels.com

Intuition: Don’t use that pocket. 

Me: Whatever. I know it’s not a secure pocket, but I’m in a rush. It will be fine.

2 hours later, where is my phone? Did it fall out in my friend’s car? What the … bleep… she’s gone on a silent meditation retreat for the weekend and is notoriously bad at responding to messages even in real life. I won’t even know for sure that it’s under her passenger seat for days upon endless days. GAH! A minor crisis, all things considered, but an inconvenience intuition tried to help me avoid.

Intuition: Don’t use that other pocket. 

Me: 

3 minutes later, whoops! The phone falls in the toilet and now I must purchase a new one. Pocket lesson learned after two applications. Minor crisis, major expense, could have been avoided.

Intuition: Put your phone in your pocket. (Seriously!)

Me: I’m just going to let it charge for a few more minutes. 

45 minutes later on a train, dependent on my phone to connect to the world whilst traveling for 8 hours, realizing it’s still plugged into the socket at my friend’s house. Pocket lesson variation, learned immediately. Major inconvenience, could also have been avoided!

This is how it goes for me. My intuition is rather bossy. It tells me what to do to avoid pitfalls. It tries to guide me towards my highest good and frequently my ego argues with it. Ridiculous! Looking back, it’s obvious to me which voice I’d prefer to follow going forward. 

It’s easy to overlook these nudges when I’m not paying attention. It’s impossible to overlook when I’m tuned in. When I start the day by activating an intention to receive and understand soul messages by applying Reiki, even for just a few minutes to anchor this goal, I’m much more likely to catch on. Keeping a record of messages, received and ignored, helps me to be more aware the next time a message comes through. 

This is the equivalent of practicing scales for musicians or conjugating verbs for language learners. It provides the foundation necessary for a more nuanced experience in the future. In this case, I’m learning to recognize and trust my inner voice. It never steers me wrong and my life would be so much easier should I just follow instructions!

The Intuition Chronicles: Using Reiki to Connect

Perhaps the most common question I hear from students is, “How do I connect with my intuition?” My answer is simple: set an intention to do so and apply Reiki.

I suspect they are looking for an answer more along the lines of signing up for email notifications. 

“Dear Pamela. This is your intuition. Now that you have subscribed, I’ll be sending your clear and direct messages about how to proceed with the pivotal moments of your life. Just sit back and relax. I’ve got you.”

Or maybe a direct download, like in The Matrix when Neo learned Kung Fu simply from an inserted program. Poof! Instant mastery.

Wouldn’t that be nice!

In truth, it’s more like learning to play an instrument or speak another language. The Intuition Chronicles is a series of posts I’m being guided to write about accessing intuition. Connecting is the first step.

It takes practice. Consistent practice. 

Reiki can help with each of the steps. The power is in the application. Just like buying the yoga mat does not yield the benefits of yoga, simply taking a Reiki class does not offer magical rewards unless we use it. Given that many of us have been conditioned to value the intellect over intuition, repetition is required to make a shift.

So we start by making a commitment to devoted practice. Set aside 10 minutes per day and an hour each week to do your intuition exercises and you’ll soon see progress. Make it a priority like brushing your teeth or bathing; otherwise it will easily get bumped for more immediate concerns. But really, what could be more important than receiving guidance from your soul? 

This is where Reiki comes in. If you’re finding it difficult to make this first step, apply Reiki. “My intention is to release all resistance to developing my intuitive skills.” Activate the healing energy and any of the sacred symbols available to you and proceed with your Reiki practice. I don’t recommend focusing on any particular area as resistance is sneaky and can hide anywhere. Use the hand positions you were taught in class.

Sure, I get it. These are baby steps and you want to fly. Yet this is the starting point for most of us. We have to make an effort to undoing a lifetime’s (probably several lifetimes’!) worth of programming that if we can’t see and measure data, it doesn’t exist. Building new neural pathways and trust in the metaphysical world is a process. 

Give it a try. Cultivate your willingness to practice. 

Watch for upcoming posts. This is a complex issue and there are many facets. You’ll get there, I promise. We all have access to guidance and inner wisdom. It may have been covered by many layers of doubt or fear, but it is still there within us. Every journey begins with the first step. Why not begin today?

Affirmations Work!

Last night I started using a new affirmation that I borrowed from Lee Harris, a channeler and intuitive who offers a helpful energy update each month. I’m really enjoying his online Abundance Upshift program. Exploring and upgrading belief systems is a good portion of the work we’re doing; hence the affirmation.

“I allow myself to receive in unexpected and surprising ways.”

These words really resonated with me, so I decided to take them out for a spin. I repeated them several times aloud before bed and copied them into my journal this morning. I find repetition to be helpful for getting new ideas lodged in my mind. Science tells us that creating new neural pathways is possible, but does require some consistent effort.

So… I went about my morning and suddenly felt the urge to get myself to the woods. Since I moved, almost two months ago, I haven’t explored opportunities for hiking in my new neighborhood. Happily, today my mood, energy, schedule, and the weather all collaborated for my benefit.

I walked to the closest trailhead. Meh. It just didn’t feel right, so I continued along the sidewalk. The next entrance pulled me in, and I soon realized I had found the field designated for dogs to run freely. Not having a four-legged friend myself, I turned back around, hoping to find a quieter and less crowded spot. It was at that moment that I crossed paths with a client. When I explained that I was scouting out the new neighborhood, she invited me to join her.

Now I not only have company and good conversation but am being shown around by someone who knows the area well and is able to offer suggestions about which trails to take to get to a variety of places. My own personal tour guide! Unexpected and surprising.

After she peeled off to return to work, I took her advice, but soon got pulled in another direction. I found myself at an intersection occupied by three ladies. When I looked closer, I recognized two of them! Oddly enough, I had no idea that they knew each other! This might not seem like such a big deal if you live in a small town, but I’m located in Philadelphia, one of the largest cities in the US, and hiking in the country’s largest urban park. Running into one familiar face is a rare event for me; three is simply magical.

I was delighted! Unexpectedly and surprisingly finding friendly faces really brightened my day and strengthened my resolve to keep using this new affirmation. I was reminded that abundance can appear in multiple forms. Friendship and connection are certainly some of my favorites!

I’m curious to see what else will happen as I continue to become aligned with the energy of receiving in unexpected and surprising ways. You’re invited to join me and report back when the miracles begin to appear. 😊