Narcissism

An excessive interest in or admiration of oneself and one’s physical appearance.

Extreme selfishness, with a grandiose view of one’s own talents and a craving for admiration, as characterizing a personality type.

As evolving conscious beings each and every one of us is learning to walk our talk. If we are here on this earth at this so called earth school of developing consciousness, we are still learning and each at our own pace.

Walking ones talk comes down to being in alignment through your actions with what you say. Part of learning to become conscious is to grow from our errors, develop insight enough to see where we need to change our behavior and to develop better skills and tools to be in alignment with our beliefs or knowing’s, so we can feel our actions meet our words.

There is a growing fashionable New Age narcissism that preaches love, light and all things sugar and sweet. Those under this particular banner tend to wear it as a cloak to present themselves as evolved beings, goddesses, gods, and guru’s to those that in their view have yet to climb the ladder of enlightenment.

They usually are the most fashionable, have the biggest crystals, talk about themselves beyond all others and crave to be seen as specially chosen.

They choose to live on a pedestal of their own making and you will not see them for who they really are until they accidentally slip off or you poke them from behind when they are busy being important, or don’t do something that they want. Only then will you notice that they have been hiding a small sharp knife under their robe of rainbow colors ready to use at a moments notice.

This is because underneath this technicolor rainbow dreaming costume, they are very insecure and emotionally immature.

Narcissism is a protection for the deeply damaged personality underneath and they don’t know any other way to survive other than to wear the fabulous rainbow costume.

They have a deep need to be ‘ extra special’ and this is their driving force. They can come across as be incredibly charming, wise, intelligent and caring and know how to work a room better than most. But you will notice if you listen not just with your ears but with your whole being, that everything they offer is centered on themselves and their own ego. They get the pay off gratification…. not the one in need. Maybe  the pay off is being a savior of the fallen for example.

They tend to unconsciously drain people of life force and if that person does not give them what they want they will show their true colors and the small sharp knife will appear.

If you challenge them they tend to use patronising phrases like

“Oh that’s your projection.”

“You clearly have issues with trust.”

“You have mental problems ”

They tend to mix up a package of loving words with a few good stabs at you at the same time which tends to leave you feeling totally confused. What this does is slowly eat away at your sense of self.

You will know them when you come across them as they will never ever apologies or take responsibility for what they have said or done. They will always ‘flip the shit’ back in your face. Always.

We are in a world full of narcissism. We are drowning in reality shows that teach young people to admire narcissistic personalities and unfortunately this self-focused virus that is spreading also influences the conscious movement.

The conscious path is primarily a path of  service through the heart. To assist in creating a more conscious community whether that is one person at a time or a group. This is for the benefit of all of humanity, not just a few.

To walk ones talk one needs to be real with oneself, warts and all.

I have great respect for those that want to be more compassionate yet admit it is a struggle at times in their life to find that capacity.

I have great respect for those that have grown up in abusive homes and are working through their pain to find a place where anger doesn’t rule them in their relationships.

I have great respect for those that are brave enough to say they suffer from mental health issue (what I refer to as acute sensitivity) and are working their way to managing their emotions for the benefit of themselves and others.

What I do not respect is those that preach enlightenment and compassion when they themselves are cruel, manipulative, do great harm to others yet have no insight into their own actions.

I myself am still learning to have compassion for them. As I am protective of those that come under their sugar coated acid attack.

I write this to perhaps help in navigating the conscious movement a little more to really assess the teacher or leader or guide that you choose to follow or be inspired by. I write this to perhaps help save you a little money before you blow it all on a course with a person like this or share too much of yourself so they can use it against you when they feel its useful.

New Age narcissists do not see that they are off the track as everything is an extension of them and if it is not, they will cut it off  rather painfully without blinking. Much of what they do is from an unconscious state that was arrested in childhood, and they don’t know any other way to live.

In that regard (towards their broken inner child) I do have compassion, however I have more a protective mother bear feeling for those that have been harmed by them, hence this post.

We are all a work in progress, as is the narcissist

Compassion is sympathetic loving with a level of healthy detachment.

The best way for me to summon compassion for a new age narcissist is to step right away from their inner circle of self-gratification and manipulation. Keep my feet firmly on the ground and my values and integrity close to my heart and send them compassion from a healthy distance.

May your talk be your walk……..

Blessings

Odette

(c) O. Nightsky 2015

So what is the difference between a benevolent guide and a visiting energy that assures you they are there to assist you even if they are bossy and invasive?

Are even the yucky ones guides?

Well yes, in a strange way they are.

They are the lesson givers of the shadow realms.

The word shadow is defined as a dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

So a shadow is not completely dark. It is an aspect of the light, shaded.

Shadow energies (also referred to as entities or negative thought forms depending on your viewpoint) tend to mirror your insecurities by reflecting them back to you in a rather back to front manner as they sense you are not able to stand strong within yourself.

They are teaching you through the shadow fears how to hold your own ground, to build your core strength, to know your own mind, to learn to discern between help and hindrance and to see them for who they really are.

Many acute sensitive people (those with intense mental health issues) have a struggle with this concept, as there is a bond with these shadow beings from very early on.

I have come across this issue multiple times when advising about guides and their role and recently more so, hence this post.

There manifests a split within that is unconsciously bound to these energies and at the same time wants rid of them and gain some peace.

A common fear is that if one begins to work with these energies, learn to discern which ones should stay around and which ones need to be moved on, that all of them will leave and then they will be even more alone, abandoned and isolated than they already feel.

Like any relationship it can grow to be deeply toxic if things are left unattended and not dealt with.

This none-ordinary relationship has been manifested for a reason.

There is always a gift, a lesson within the greyness of the shadow.

So if you get stronger, establish clearer energetic boundaries, learn what the messages are really relaying does that mean that you will be left in the empty of non-ordinary reality? No absolutely not.

What happens when one strengthens their core self on all subtle levels is that which does not serve your wise self dissipates and is replaced by guides of a more harmonious vibration who step in to be of support.

Should guides be seen as omnipotent?

No, absolutely not.

They are teaching you to trust your own instincts, face your own fears and make your own wise choices.

They are not gods.

They are not masters.

They are guides.

The word Guide is defined as a person (lets say a being) who advises you and or shows you the way.

The word Master is defined as a man (lets say being) who has people working for him especially servants or slaves.

If it’s a wisdom guide they will offer suggestions to you, and support you in times of great hardship. If it is a shadow guide it will invade you, manipulate you, and test you, adding to your times of great hardship.

It will not be pleasant but the teaching within that hardship is incredibly important to the souls progress.

So what does one do with a shadow guide? How do you know if one is a trickster or not?

It’s simple.

Ask them.

In my work, when I lead people into non-ordinary reality and we meet up with a guide I always insist that the client check on their authenticity.

“Are you truly my spirit guide and are you here for my highest good?”

They may well say, “Yes I am!”

However something in you is a little hesitant, or maybe you see them morph a little or maybe somewhere in your body just gets a tad tense or you feel somewhat at unease or not completely sure but your reticent to object due to perhaps feeling a tad unworthy. After all they appeared as a powerful wise druid and who are you to question this great vision of a guide.

Question it. Do not hold back.

The key is that a wisdom guide will stay visually and emotionally stable. They will never be offended by your need to clarify. They emanate a knowing calm and your body will feel it.

A shadow guide will not.

They can be called out by standing strong, breathing into your core (center) and asking them questions. (I often put my hand over my heart and solar plexus n belly to increase the feeling of safety)

You need to be a bit of a detective if they are stubborn which they can tend to be. It’s important to define why they are around you and what they want from you (generally they want your energy to feed off).

They offer a lesson in discernment.

Once they get that your onto them, they may try really hard to get your attention, plump up their performance etc., but if you have their number so to speak they will in time lose strength and you can easily move them into the source of light with love and thanks.

(This can be a regular daily clearing process for those that are Acutely Sensitive.

Please refer to my book The Bridge Between Two Worlds. A Shamans view of Schizophrenia & Acute Sensitivity for further tools)

In the book ‘Birth of a Modern Shaman’. By Cynthia Bend & Tayja Wiger.

Tayja, a Native American woman traverses horrific abuse. Many guides surround her and in the early years and through the huge rite of passage to be a Shaman has trouble working out who were helpful and who were disturbing.

In time as she built her core self back (through incredibly persistent inner and outer work) she could then navigate her inner world. Her wisdom guides kept her alive, kept her company, warned her, encouraged her, loved her and offered faith that change would come. The shadow guides/entities became less dominant as her fragmented soul became more integrated. She embodied the title of ‘Shaman’ in its true sense as she had traversed both the shadow realms in ordinary reality and non-ordinary reality and healed the traumas to be of genuine service to the community.

This is why I say to people who write to me or tell me they are shamans. A shaman is not something you can will yourself to be. It’s a hell of rite of passage. It’s not something one willingly chooses, it comes to find you and rattles you to the point of madness.

If you can’t handle the heat then stay the hell away from the kitchen.

Cause it will burn.

It’s not a game.

In saying that guides and totems will assist in making it through the dark times if you really work with them in a grounded and respectful manner.

But without discernment it will be a lot more confusing.

So don’t go making your guides your gods. Know them as your advisors or your way -showers but always, always trust your gut instinct (feel the truth in your body). Your gut instinct is not the fearful worrier, it is the tuned in knowing. If something feels a bit off then stare it down with your integrity, expose it for the lessons that it brings and send it to the source with love.

Definition of ‘Insight’

The capacity to gain an accurate and deep understanding of someone or something.

With insight you can navigate anything in any dimension.

Happy travels within and without

 

Blessings

Odette Nightsky

© 2015

 

 

 

In general the breath is taken for granted. It is assumed, as is the heartbeat, to go on and on even when we are sleeping or busy with other things.

With out the breath of life every one of us would be dead.

Just for a moment think on that…… and the power of that statement.

The breath is something we were gifted with when we came into our earth bodies. Its part of the human designed package.

What we do with our breath as in keeping all the blood flowing, feeding our organs etc. is amazing. However there is even more potential in what the breath can offer as a tool for better living.

 

Lets look at a few examples of what breath can do.

The breath of Recapitulation (shamanic exercise where you breath back your energy and send back that which is not yours) can restore lost or borrowed energy.

The breath of Rebirthing (deep slow cyclic breathing without pause) can move through layers to reach deeper emotional experiences in order to release them.

The breath of the Yogi (deep conscious breathing that encapsulates all the subtle bodies) moves one beyond this physical plain

The breath of the Dolphin (holding the breath for as long as possible and then popping it like a cork) to relieve stress

The breath in tantric love making that can move you and your lover beyond the individual into the cosmic one-ness.

The breath moves you on from fear to courage to resilience

The breath, which is exhaled when you are releasing tension and anxiety offers space in the midst of the overwhelm.

The breath that you take when grief is overwhelming in order to keep going takes you to the next.

The breath is a precious, precious tool that is often overlooked and taken for granted.

The majority of people breathe in a shallow way. The breathing comes mainly from the upper body rather than the full nourishing breath from the diaphragm.

Most meditations teach the importance of breath and how it can be of assistance in moving beyond the mind. Its a good start to learning the importance of our breath -mind- body- spirit connection.

I learned how to breathe more deeply when Rebirthing but it wasn’t until I began my shamanic training that I realized how shallow I was actually breathing and how little credit I gave my breath for getting me through so many tough times both in ordinary reality and non ordinary reality.

My teacher’s voice rings in my ears. Do you want a pigeon’s breath or an eagle’s breath? Of course I wanted an eagle’s breath so I had to learn to open myself up and really use my breath as a living tool.

In shamanic practices the breath is what takes you deeper, what moves you on, what equals your will to shift. The breath shows your willingness to completely embrace that, which is being explored. Your imagination and your breath together are formidable foes against any challenge. Add to that your intuitive soul knowing and you are a energy is a force to be reckoned with.

The breath is what can save you when you are about ready to explode in reaction…that one deep breath could be the difference in unleashing something that you may never be able to take back.

It is more precious than gold or silver or oil or gas.

The Breath is to be embraced right down to your diaphragm. So when you breathe your belly expands and your chest stays still. Deep full breath’s which enliven every one of your cells memories.

Breath

 

Breath is the beatmaster,

the mistress of rhythm.

Breath is the Elixir

that we pour out & pour in,

constantly giving & receiving

the magic of life,

the fire that flows through us,

flinging us into the dance

of the cosmos, the stately

waltz of the Elementals

amongst the carnival

of the world.

 

Brian Allen.

Let your breath take you where you need to go.

Let your breath show you how helpful it can be when used well.

Embrace the Breath

FILL UP!

Blessings

Odette

 

 

 

 

 

 

Often before I write my monthly blog I wonder what will be written and more often times than not, the subject tends to write itself if not suggested by someone in need of clarity. This blog post came at a gushing flow before I even got out of bed.

My Indonesian friend (much like a sister as our mothers have known each other for many years) was asking me how I dealt with ghosts and entities during our recent holidays together with our elderly mothers. She told me of a dear friend of hers who sees spirits often but never actually goes any further than noticing that they are there, may that be a hotel room, and old house, sitting on someone’s shoulder etc. Both women said they just wanted them gone. As our discussion expanded I mentioned how surprised I was that with such a gift her friend hadn’t been more curious as how to assist ‘them’.

Then a thought occurred to me. I could not recall having to negotiate with a malevolent entity or ghost from a totally different language/culture as yet. I remember being spooked as a child in Indonesia a few times but at that age I was too busy either running to cover my back from the creepy feeling that ran up it, or desperately finding the light switch to make them go away. Aboriginal people have come through to talk to me occasionally, but I always understood in english through emotions or heart communication.

I have very strong connections to guides from other cultures e.g. American Indian (a chief that is very strong paternal figure that died with a black heart of pain and seeks to assist me in reading for people by showing me pictures),  A under the desert African Sangoma (he just laughs his toothless laugh and leads me to lie down so he can treat me when I am sick), Tibetan (I go into a chant that I cannot stop and move through the lands of Tibet and Mongolia) to name a few.. They speak to me from through my soul/ heart. At times I seem to channel particular ones strongly but it comes through already translated into English.

However could not recall dealing with an entity that speaks another language that I have had to negotiate with, as such.

And there you have it. A taste of a lesson arrived toot sweet!

It began with a dream that following night.

I dreamed I was a darkened underworld struggling to get out, trying with all my might to levitate but hardly lifting at all. Every thing I did was such a huge struggle and effort. It took, what seemed like ages to get through this swamp dense like energy with dark rocks  which had never seen the sun…it seemed a long journey through the darkened cave like swamp.

My Asian sister was still awake reading and she heard me talking in my sleep and struggling and thrashing around in the bed.

I awoke in the morning feeling quite drained a somewhat discombobulated.

After breakfast I sat on my bed for a few minutes with my Tibetan Mala and protection amulet (I have come from a strong life in Tibet as a scribe) and firstly did a round of compassion bathed in the light of humbleness then asked what spirit kin might come forward to assist me to clear what was attached.

What surprised me is none of my regulars turned up. I saw Quan Yin (the Buddha of compassion who’s teachings I have great respect for) then Lao Tzu (who had come to me way back in strong dreaming and through fortuitous circumstance many years ago I was invited to be initiated in the Tao) Then the Tiger, a huge what is referred to in Asia as Hari Mau came forward for me to ride upon (I was born in sign of the Chinese water tiger) and a small grass monkey, much like the one we had as children in Indonesia appeared. The Tiger carried me on his back with ease. The monkey jumped the treetops of the jungle as we went hunting for what was troubling my spirit.

First appeared an old begging woman who I had encountered up the darkened stone corridors on the ascent to the biggest Chinese Buddhist temple in Malaysia (with a massive statue of Quan Yin at the top) in the previous days.

During the walk up I felt this beggar woman instantly wanting my energy. On the way down I chose to give my donation to an elderly man with a cat who was sleeping next to him, rather than her and many others who line the way to the temple.

I felt her spite and resentful thought forms that came with it. The tiger growled deeply to tell her to back off as the monkey screeched in the branches above.

Quan Yin appeared as did Lao Tzu and they moved all the attached debris’ into the source and doorway of light after I asked them to assist. I soon felt intuitively compelled to bend over and slapped the open chakra at the back of my neck and drew a few circles and a figure of eight three times. That’s where the energy of her spite and resentment became attached

Then the next attachment appeared.

The previous night we were at an Indian restaurant (well visited by locals and tourists alike) the masculine energy of the southern Indian men is very strong. I breathed into my heart and soul and knew instantly that one of the men who served me was a rapist and I felt his eyes upon me. That I cleared instantly.

All things then became calm. I tuned in and felt at ease. I then offered gratitude to those who came to help and for the lesson itself.

Within fifteen minutes my life force had been totally restored and rebooted. I was back to feeling centered.

I am sure my other totems would turn up if I needed them however this was a cultural non ordinary reality learning and its important not to become too dependent if our totems for some reason or another are not there when you expect them to be. I checked that the Tiger, monkey, Quan Yin and Lao Tzu vibes Ok before I allowed them to assist me (always good to double check no matter how benevolent they may seem as tricksters can be pretty tricky)

Regardless of culture, the heart is the best interpreter (or think: Babble fish from hitchhikers guide to the galaxy) as is the intuitive gut instinct. They both work together as a very insightful team and they can speak a universal language that all beings can understand.

I look forward to your comments and thoughts on this.

Blessings

Odette

The most common guidance I am asked for is how to deal with entities and things that come through what people perceive as a place of evil.

Let me be clear. I am not fond of the word ‘Evil’. It does not resonate with me. I agree that some actions are abhorrent and sickening and bring up my righteous ire, but the word ‘Evil’ creates a barrier that is a bit like ‘us against them’. In the world of spirit I find that to be a fearful block to resolving challenges. So hence I do not use the word ‘Evil’ as it’s akin to the word ‘Devil’ which I think is again a black and white battlefield with no chance of peace.

Now lets continue on. All of my books have exercises in them and perspectives on dealing with the scary and unseen worlds that lurk in the darkness of the astral dimension. The reason being is because that was my greatest fear as a child. I was petrified of the dark. I would beg my mother to stand outside on the verandah if I had to go down to the garage fridge for the ice cream at night. I would say ‘keep talking, keep talking’ and bolt back feeling a rush of terror run up my back. Vampire movies probably didn’t help either (I would lurk in the hallway watching them from afar when I was meant to be in bed or tell my dad around the age of ten that I could handle them when I clearly couldn’t) nor did my acute sensitivity for feeling things that were not necessarily seen. I can also see death coming in people. Not the nicest gift.

At age three I was left (no fault of my parents) in an old hospital in Asia over night and besieged energetically by malevolent entities (my first memory). I didn’t see ghosts so much as felt them. I felt everything and as soon as things went dark, it all began.

As a child I would run onto my bed and skip past gutters imagining hands would grab my ankles. When I became unwell in my late 20’s all my terrors were realized and I had to face them. Not only could I feel the beings from the astral dimension, I could hear them too and sometimes see them. Why me?? Why not someone else?? Someone more brave??

Well the reason is because I needed to learn about this pathway of understanding. I had to face the fear that was deep within me. When people hear my story they say ‘You are so courageous’. No I don’t agree. I was terrified. But what I did have, was a stubborn determination to work things out however long it took. And this seemed to be the area where I kept going till I got the tools that I needed. I have since seen that this has been my talent in other lives but the price I had to pay for life time after life time it was pretty horrific, so re-remembering was not easy due to all the wounds around it.

I have had people consulting me on the ‘how to’ and most find great benefit in the practice of working with the tools and attitudes that are offered. Some are not ready, some want it to be easy and for me to fix it and just make it go away. It doesn’t necessarily work like that. The soul has an agreement with what it attracts and like natural medicine, it may take longer but it will keep the immunity stronger rather than a quick Band-Aid like pill to make it go away (It will return and the immunity will be weaker).

I was asked the other day by a beloved client who I did a one on one strong entity clearance journey with, if it was challenging for me. I responded, “No not at all, I rather enjoy it, this is my element, this is what I like to do.” I heard myself and thought, isn’t it interesting that I actually said I enjoy it. But it’s true. I do.

I honestly believe that those entities that are inflicting harm are desperate to be released from the pain that they are also in. They may not come across that way. They may sound cruel, fixed, abusive, controlling, manipulative etc., however I have never met and entity that I didn’t like! Ha! Ok maybe one or two but in general I can see what the underlying issue is. Why they were there and the bond that was made with the person who they were attaching themselves to.

I am not the healer shaman that goes into trance and takes the dark spirits away. I am the shamanic educator that works in harmony with spirit and teaches how to work with and take responsibility for what you have called in through your own souls learning and choosing. I am about empowering you to meet any challenge that come your way not just for today but for in years to come when I may not be around to be of guidance.

On another track, in the days when I had a TV and the reality programs started to kick in (that’s pretty much when I decided to chuck it out),  I saw a few of those shows where psychic detectives go to haunted places with a film crew. I found myself disgusted by what they were doing. I found it was all for show and to promote their ego rather than really assist the lost beings to find peace. I am sure there are honorable ones; I just have yet to witness any.

People have asked me to come to their houses and see what is there. I need to stay over night, as I tend to feel it all as soon as I put my head on the pillow heading towards sleep (that’s me slipping between the worlds). They are lost and attached to the people or the home or land due to wounding, high sensitivity or just simply needing life force to draw from. When they don’t go it’s often due to the persons not facing and taking responsibility for what is happening or being ready to face them in the dark and say ‘Hello, who are you?, What are you doing here? How can I help you move on?’ This can be similar to working with depression as an archetypal entity, as depression attracts a lot of low-lying vibrations that are looking for something that feels dense and familiar.

(In regards to indigenous lands and wounding of clans etc. I would specifically recommend someone indigenous to that land and culture to assist as there is a strong spirit blood kinship and this also is respectful to the culture and spirit ways of said culture)

Of course the entity/ghost/ thought form, whatever you see it as, might not want to go at all. So you need to be consistent in your approach to it, so it knows that it has been recognized and you do not want to play the victim any longer. I used to get very tired when I attempted to move them on and fall asleep but I just kept at it day by day and in time they would give up. I did not send them back to where they came from because they are lost. I used my imagination, my medicine kin, my shamanic knowledge and my determined open-hearted will to get them back to the source of light. Sometimes strong determined, no-nonsense compassion, but always compassion. I called in help when I need it (it always comes), I used child like humor and saw them as smaller versions of themselves and was even cheeky if need be to relieve the density…. but all with a sense of compassion in order set them free from their torment.

Hence to this day this work is my specialty; you might say.

The eBook. ‘The Bridge Between Two Worlds. A Shaman’s View of Schizophrenia & Acute Sensitivity was written during my recovery and shamanic rite of passage. It’s not just for those that suffer from what I term as Acute Sensitivity. (We all have levels of sensitivity and sometimes they can become acute) It’s for anyone that wants to know how to deal with the darker aspects of working in the astral realm. A dear friend who was acutely sensitive once wrote back that he was kind of  fearful to read it and when he finally did, found it surprisingly refreshing and not scary at all.

I think that in general is my attitude towards dealing with what scares us. It’s only as terrifying as your imagination allows it’s to be.

Once I learned the tools to working within the Astral realms I have always been able to deal with the shadow spirit world as long as my back is against the wall and my hand is over my heart and the other over my belly, both of them meeting over my solar plexus. I now understand why my back felt so unsafe as a child. There is a point at the base of the back of the neck which is like an open psychic doorway. On some people it is more porous and vulnerable to energies attaching themselves. People like me. So I am very mindful of protecting it, cleansing it with salt and using sage to clear it, and when I have my back against a wall, tree or whatever I can work with the shadow world and clear it. In saying that I will probably get another challenge to amp up my skills! Ha!.

As we all know the learning never ends and I would never want to become complacent. I am always eager to learn more skills in this area.

So I hope this may have helped you a little to understand some more about dealing with the dark and how we can face it regardless of the fears than take hold.

When in doubt, walk the road of compassion with a strong backup and presence of totems and spirit kin that you can trust.

“You might be afraid of the dark, but the dark is not afraid of you. That’s why the dark is always close by.” ― Lemony Snicket, The Dark

Blessings

Odette

 

 

 

 

The practice of the action of letting go can take anywhere from a blink of an eye to lifetimes.

Hearing someone saying ‘Just let go’ when you are battling within your stuff or your attachment to your stuff, often times leads to a reaction of anger or hopelessness.

The anger may initially be projected at the person who seems to think it’s so easy. Primarily the anger is towards the self for being unable to do something that ‘should’ be as easy as the phrase sounds.

Then seeps in the hopelessness of feeling like a failure that one cannot let go like one thinks one ‘should’.

What is that we cling onto when we don’t want to let go?

In my experience, I feel one tends to cling to reactions based on primary insecurities.

Our childhood fears float to the surface to be addressed.

• Fear of being alone on this earth, isolated, adrift on a boat with no anchor and no direction or hope
• An overwhelming sense of not belonging.
• Fear of having your mask ripped off to expose the real you inside
• Fear of being pitied.
• Fear of being rejected.

 

As children we were led by others, be that a parent, a sibling, a teacher or similar. Someone taught you to learn to ride a bike, tie your shoe laces, swim, read, write etc.

How were you taught to deal with fear? How were you taught to overcome insecurities or challenges?

To be honest I don’t think my parents were great navigators or teachers in this area of fear, but that’s the way they were taught – by example through their own childhoods.

However I did learn a great deal through what they were afraid of and have worked hard to overcome those fearful programs.

The clinging to hope that someone else will fix it for us.

In general hanging on to hope in this context can be somewhat of a straight jacket we create for ourselves. One stands on the shore, looking out to sea but one does not create ones own boat. One hopes that someone will come along and pick us up. Hope may be that someone else will do the hard work for us that someone else will change so we don’t have to.

Hope may keep us stagnant in the same spot waiting for the ship to come and rescue us. (An example of this might be that you are in a dead-end relationship but you wont get out until another more interesting proposition comes to make the transition easier)

The ship may come, however if one has not worked on rescuing oneself and building up ones inner strength then the ship may just pass by or you may get on the ship but are soon thrown to the bowels to row due to you still being so fearful.

You cannot let someone else captain your boat. One fragments and loses life force that way.

You need to be the captain of your own boat. Someone responsible for their own journey.

Letting go is a combination of the mind and the heart settling in together – in agreement.

They need to be in alignment.

They need to agree with each other.

They need to be friends and supportive partners to each other.

The mind has all the excuses. The heart is not in the battle, it just is. The mind however perceives that it is in battle with the heart. It is actually in battle with itself.

If you are looking to challenge yourself to let go of something, write out all that is in your head. The excuses, the fears, the critical self….no holes barred.

Then visually and with your breath (exhale always long and slow compared to inhale), take the stairs down from your mind into your heart and sit there breathing through the heart.

Nothing else. Just ‘be’ there.

This will assist in building your inner strength from a place of compassion both for yourself and others.

Practice this for 7 days and nourish the part of you that is beyond fear.

Letting go is not just a word – It’s a journey .

 

Blessings

Odette

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have all been blessed to be born with and Earth suit (body) and a mind (conceptualizing tool). We are spiritual beings (Souls) living a human experience.

In my younger years it seemed vital to understand and question everything. There was a constant barrage of questions but with little digestion. Like a shovel I just kept digging for more.

The reality is my soul wanted to dive deeper than the mind and the questions were my entry point. I wanted to move beyond the mind, beyond who I thought I was within my mind. I wanted to keep opening doors and different landscapes.

It loved theories, philosophies, ideas, concepts and debate. I also loved being right, winning, and fed off judging and critical thinking both healthy and unhealthy.

I tested my mind against drugs both natural and not. I tested my mind against many therapies to see how they might crack the mind or move beyond it. I went out with men that had very strong controlling mind programs and tried to crack them beyond their beliefs with little success. I tended to scare them off. I came across as an interrogator but it wasn’t to bring them down, I was just plain curious to see further beyond both with them and myself.

My mind seemed to feed off fear, anxiety and drama. It had a never-ending desire to be entertained and it didn’t care whether it was beneficial or not. It just wanted to be fed. It wanted attention.

My mind has controlled much of my life choices until it finally dawned on me that I was unconsciously fighting with one of the greatest tools I had been given.

Funnily enough it happened on my last ever Vipassana meditation retreat. My 11^th. Spirit brought me to a place where my mind snapped in battle due to an instructor that was giving me an ultimatum to choose Vipassana or Shamanism…. From her puritan perspective I was not allowed to embrace both.

This was the teaching to tell me that the battle was finally over.

I had chosen beyond the no mind. I had chosen the soul. I was going to perceive things from a deeper place from that moment on. It would be through the Soul prodding rather than the machinations of the monkey mind. But I was not going to throw out any benefits that meditation had taught me, those tools are a blessing and have done much to empower my ability to witness without attachment.

The mind as a tool can be a great benefit but as a master it was all consuming and the rest of my needs had to stand in line. Through my mind I had created chronic fatigue and IBS to name just a few. Both I no longer endure due to realizing that the core issue was how I managed my mind and the stress that it created in distracting me from learning how to nurture and nourish my soul self.

Letting go of my need for control was a big turning point. I had to realize that the need to control was like a protector refusing to let go of its job to guard and keep safe.

So to recreate the mind into a workable tool, it needed a purpose. It needed a mission. It likes to work. So I had to find the protector a new job where it would feel valued.

Contemporary Shamanism offered me the diving equipment to dive further into the ocean of the unconscious and super conscious.

It offered the guidance and teaching of how to breath under water (the unconscious) and to respect the mind by giving it an important job of keeping track of where we are going and taking notes for further research, writing and analyzing.

This is where the conscience willing relationship of the imagination and the protective mind was declared.

One of the first test with the mind is to learn to let the imagination go wherever it wants freely without thinking about right and wrong or true or false….just simply take the imagination on an adventure and let the mind observe, simply observe.

One who is unable to let this happen is fearful of being out of control, of literally ‘losing their mind’. They have a survivalist need in protecting the created beliefs that have been programmed into the personality.

This for example can steam from an arrested frozen inner child who has grown up under fearful emotional control. Fear is all-encompassing and they have a great issue with what is perceived as right or wrong.

Growing up for many means putting the fantasies, dreams and fairies into a box made for memories and adjusting to perceived earth suit life. Remember that in this box is often thrown in a very important tool –Trust.

One needs trust in order to let the mind take a back seat.

PROGRAMS IN THE WAY.

When we begin school we are automatically plugged into the matrix (collective program) helmet that says ‘this is how to be here, this is how you must assimilate all information”.

Many have adhered to this programing to fit into society and even if we rebelled each in our own way, much of the collective mind set is – STUCK in the program handed down by the authorities – may that be via laws, teachers, parents, church, school, schoolyard etc.

Others ran from the system to seek different kinds of thinking, something that felt more natural. Unfortunately a great number were led to other pseudo mind programs that said. “This is the better helmet to wear.” Even though it may be adorned with flowers and sweet smelling oil the helmet is still attached underneath with exclusive thinking rights.

So what really is a program and how do you get rid of the matrix helmet?

Some examples

Many may read a weekly guide to tell them what they are watching on TV this week. Your collective TV program is available to you and you can change channels but the program is set. Unless IT directs otherwise. You can turn it off but when you come back it will be inline with the current programming order. You have been taught by the media what is acceptable and what is not. And you will then automatically seek to compare yourself to what is seen as acceptable.

You may have been programmed by your parents behavior to constantly seek out to better yourself or achieve what they didn’t and you do all that you can to achieve that sense of what is perceived as happiness because somewhere in you there is a craving to be accepted into this program. No achievement will ever satisfy, as it is not you soul story so much as it has been PROGRAMMED TO BE YOUR STORY. No matter what workshop you go to or how many expert healers you go to in order to heal the wound, you still find yourself craving for the ultimate acceptance, something that you cannot seem to find. In all the visits to the therapists, your mind is still protecting the program that has been inbuilt.

You may be so achievement orientated that you avoid dealing with your deep personal issues within relationship and due to this you leave the therapist just before real deep work can be explored. You mind says it’s protecting you (that therapist is just too….) but your soul knows the self-sabotage program is at it again. So of course you take on to study another even more prestigious qualification as that is the only way you know to cope with life. The program of being a high achiever serves to keep the mind busy and distracted. But after every achievement you are left with longing of something that never feels fulfilling.

You may have been brought up with a strong religious programming that a woman is a martyr and due to that you are always reluctant to take a risk for yourself due to feeling that you are not worthy of the time. The program of guilt has become so strong that you only know how to respond as a Martyr and the thought of giving to yourself without being a martyr and feeling guilt seems impossible. Martyrs and guilt are first cousins. So it appears easier to stay a Martyr, as there is a comfort and somewhat of an unconscious payoff in its self-sacrificing program

You might be very fearful that if you do move beyond your mind you will never be able to return and the fear of getting lost in emotions and deeper feelings leaves you incredibly resistant. People talk about madness akin to losing the mind. You don’t loose the mind in madness you get stuck in it without a compass or map.

You see the mind is the greatest tool we have but many are still letting it run them like a master with a whip. The Matrix helmet is not that difficult to remove. We have just been subconsciously told that programs are permanent and that guy called GOD is the only one allowed to pull the plug so to speak.

The mind can be circumvented to take you out of the Matrix of programming if you give it good instructions. It likes a job. It likes to be working and it needs a challenge.

Firstly recognize where in your life the programs are running.

‘Ah that’s a program!’ It’s not good or bad or right or wrong. It’s just a learned program of behavior.

Now I want you to imagine if you haven’t already, the matrix helmet attached to your head. People will see it in all different ways. See how locked into your skull it is.

Now use creative visualization and begin to remove the helmet. As the eyes close and the breathing is full…..ask

1. How long has it been there
2. What does it look like
3. How can you remove it
4. With what?
5. See it dissolve into a bucket of light. Check for rust marks and shards. Use any imaginary tools of non-ordinary reality but just make sure all that you use needs to be returned to the source (bucket of golden light) and that the head should look natural and healthy when all is done. Use your breath, which equals your will to move things on.

(For further guidance please look to the workbook @ the website or a Skype consultation with me)

Treat your mind as a tool and use it to further your jump down the rabbit hole. It has always been like a sidekick that goes everywhere anyway so now consciously ask it to join you on the road of discovery and it will be more like a clever assistant that can be used to be of help.

Dear Mind.

 

I am going on a journey, a deep journey. I would love it if you took notes along the way just in case I forget anything and when I return please forward me the relevant information. While I am there you will be in neutral but you will remember everything. Thanks mind, see you soon.

 

 

Blessings

Odette

(c) O. Nightsky

Sometimes or should I say often times, life has a way of changing ones trajectory especially when you let go.

Letting go is one of the most difficult challenges that we face as beings residing in human earth suits. It is the core of great pain and great wounding that and grief, which is again about letting go.

When you let go of a loved one, either through death or breakup or misadventure of some kind, its tests your soul, your spirit and your resilience.

Letting go is easily said by many new age quotes…. yet most find it incredibly difficult to actually do.

Being a human is about learning about ‘being a human’. Letting go is one of the biggest lessons this earthly incarnation offers. So many paths refer to it and its importance and much of the learning is in the actual experience itself. Theory can intellectually help one understand but in general is not so helpful in the actual ‘art of letting go’. The actual process of letting go enriches the soul and we are all at different stages of this learning curve, for some the process takes longer depending on what one is letting go of. Certain areas of life it can be easier yet not in others.

Letting go can be equated to what can be referred to as a ‘little death’. From a shamanistic viewpoint there are many little deaths scattered throughout our lives. The shaman themselves moves through a massive death to rebirth in order to be of service. Many cannot move through that kind of spiritual death, and really for those that say ‘I want to be a shaman’ BEWARE; it’s a challenging and a deeply profoundly disturbing ride at times. Don’t ever wish that upon yourself.

I refer to myself as a Contemporary Shaman because I have not come through the traditional pathway of the original people or descended from a lineage of shamans. However my inner death was deeply disturbing and profound which totally changed my trajectory in life. Spirit ushered me into the shaman’s path and so much of my old Auric skin was shed it hurt beyond belief. Now when I look back I can see how it formed my path of service to assist in soul trauma recovery and I am eternally grateful for the shedding.

Recently I felt compelled to let go of the home I was living in by the sea. Spirit was prodding at me from different directions. I like many others tend to get comfortable in my nook but the prodding kept coming within and without. So on my earth birthday I took myself off to a peaceful beautiful Tibetan retreat for a few days, one day was a course on Tibetan view to mental health which I totally absorbed as they honor the shamanic perspective and the other my day of birth… The inner prodding was clearly felt within the surrounding compassionate vibration of the retreat and without any struggle at all I decided to let go of my home by the sea that I had been renting for eight years. I had booked to run a training previously so both happened simultaneously.

I was packing up and setting up for running a two-day training. Sleep was a challenge as I had so many lists running around in my head even though I had written everything down.

People close to me were asking ‘So what are you going to do?’ All I knew was the first stage, I would go into the sacred caldera of a mountain and help a spirit sister type up her novel for two months whilst staying in a funky, wonderful converted van with a big verandah in the midst of nature. After that I had no idea. Sure trainings would be a part of it, Skype sessions, journey sessions where I could and possible collaborations…but nothing set in stone so to speak.

Then in the midst of my letting go of my home, packing and running Contemporary Soul Retrieval Training, I heard from my older brother saying my 83-year-old mother was very down and not well due to a chest infection. Right in the middle of it all. To be honest I had a momentary meltdown and said to my brother, you get on a plane just this once and go there, this is the one time I can’t. My mother told me she was ok, but I knew she wasn’t. After the training finished I loaded all my belonging, moved all my stuff into storage with some help from a few pals and booked a flight to see her. The hills could wait a week.

Yesterday after much crying on both our parts and me demanding she let me in to look after her (like many loving mothers she does not want to burden her children), it has been decided that after my two months in the hills will move to live with her, sound proof the en suite double room (she likes the TV loud and it does my head in) and be here for her as a carer and companion in her last years, making sure I take a week or a week and a half off a month to retreat, to be with friends, to do sessions and trainings in different locations. Which is healthy for us both. Oh yes and get a cat.

Trajectory changing yet again.

The thing is when it was decided I suddenly felt the incredibly strong presence of my father who had left his body fifteen years ago; it brought tears to my eyes. This is was my next path of service and he was so very glad.

This change will bring other opportunities and my service to others will not stop it just may be altered somewhat. I have seen others be self-sacrificing but depressed at the changes life can bring, but it doesn’t have to be that way. This is an opportunity to both be here for the woman who has been there for me since she carried me in her womb (and who knows how many lives before that) and look at adapting how I run my service to others. I love teaching and education trainings that I run. I love offering Skype sessions to those in need and I love doing session work (that may just be in a more concentrated one week a month format) It’s just a different trajectory and a new skin I am growing.

The place my mother lives in not my favorite place at all, but I will seek out things to nourish my soul, buy myself warmer boots and coats and make the space I will sleep in, my kind of sacred nook that reflects my soul.

Adapting is part of the human path as is letting go but that does not mean you need to lose yourself along the way, you just transform as you go and allow yourself to grieve that which you are letting go of. It’s paramount to NOT lose yourself, as then your service will be half-hearted, somewhat broken and can lead to resentment, which is no service at all to you or anyone else.

Letting go is an experience one needs to let happen in order to see where spirit would have you go next. It can be scary, it can be daunting but if you feel the prodding from within, take heed…there is an opportunity that awaits and it may bring exactly what your soul needs to fulfill its path her on earth.

Blessings

Odette

 

Feeling lost?  Feeling unsafe?

Feeling like you will never recover from past pain?

There is a salve.

Many years ago now I found myself adrift when ending a relationship. I knew it needed to end but that didn’t  help me in my direction of where I was headed to next. As I grew up moving around a lot when things ended I tended to pick up sticks and move again, thinking that the movement would shift something and lead to where I was meant to go next. Part of it was escape and the other part was heading in a different direction. I chose ‘NORTH’ (wisdom)

I bought a one way plane ticket to England and landed in the NORTH WEST (letting go) the house of someone I knew from the past. Night after night I was having nightmares of being burnt and hung.

I had bravely (or so I thought) flown across the other side of the world and then hid in old friends home, still very much stuck in transition. I was absorbing and depending on her family life for sustenance, bluebells and buttercups. But it was all smoke and mirrors. I was freaking out in my dream world to the point I was being terrorized and tortured in my sleep without even one night of grace.

Sometimes when one doesn’t want to move ahead, one gets a push from outside. My old friend pushed me out. She has good reason. I was not going anywhere and my time as a guest was up. This propelled me into survival mode of making some decision. When you’re in what I call ‘spiritual transit’, decisions are very very hard to come by. I flicked open a New Age Magazine and thought to myself. ‘Find something!!’ I knew I was on a path of a kind but to where I had no idea. I saw an advertisement that appealed. I called and within days I was heading SOUTH (inner child)to possibly live and train in residence in contemporary shamanism and past life work. What I didn’t see in the ad was the practice of Contemporary Soul Retrieval. I had shared with the teacher my spiritual breakdown in the past and said that I felt I wasn’t really here, other than the person that pleases those she loves and performs well to keep people at bay.

My teacher gave me a taste of everything involved in the course and everything appealed to me, as I wasn’t much for ceremonial theatrics and pomp even though I was an actress for many years. I knew I wasn’t a classic healer type, but I was a damn good navigator and somewhat of curious detective of things that were beyond this earthly dimension.

When we did the Soul Retrieval Journey I was guided to seek out fragments that had split off. I felt very safe and well contained at all times. I was never pushed and I had lots of support from animal helpers who I trusted deeply. I was conscious of all that was occurring and even got to deal with the darker aspects of my fragmentation without any added trauma. Coming out of the session I cried deeply not in trauma but in relief. My inner child was more present within me than it had ever been. I felt more in my earth body that I had ever been. There was a knowing, a connection within me that I didn’t realized I had lost till it was returned. It was the most profound personal healing I had ever experienced and my teacher said, that it was due to my strong will and courage to dive into the unknown and get back that which was lost. Before that I had never seen myself as courageous. Strong-willed with a mind of my own and stubborn as heck, yes, but courageous, not so much.

What I noticed was that anything was possible if I felt safe and contained enough. Much like a vase that holds water. It simply holds it. My teacher knew how to hold space better than anyone I had ever met. She navigated around my analytical mind and my fears, expertly, but it was up to me to take the journey, it was up to me to empower myself to take back that which had been lost or stolen. This helped me gain confidence and self-respect.

Years later I was working with my teacher again as an assistant trainer and was participating as a client for students. One student was attempting to journey me and something unexpectedly strong started to happen. I am known for never doing things lightly! I am known for my deep diving.

The student had a wobble and I could feel their fear and sense of helplessness beside me. I felt like I was losing direction fast. I put my hand up with my eyes closed and my teacher came over. Keeping my eyes closed I said. ‘I am not contained’. My teacher knew instantly what I meant and sat down near me to teach the student how to do what is needed to help someone to feel safe to travel further. When I am contained, when I am held in safety, I can trust in the unknown.

This is one of the major life lessons I learned about myself and one of the main things I am here to teach others while assisting them to reclaim lost fragments.

When a person feels safe and well contained they naturally develop courage and strength. They feel supported enough to do what ever it takes to reclaim what is theirs and to even meet with an abuser if need be, if THEY want to.

I am constantly in awe of the courage and ease with which people actually want do this when they feel safe enough.

This is my path of service.

Navigating and teaching how to navigate Non Ordinary Reality within this Contemporary World we live in.

I really enjoy human behavior and exploring the inner worlds and how we relate and navigate within them.

Some people comment that shamanism and safety do not go together. I disagree. In my experience they are the best of friends.

Its important what ever guide or shamanic healer or therapist you might go to that you feel safe and contained with them so you can freely adventure into the realms of the unknown.

Blessings

Odette

Ps: Training in April to learn Contemporary Soul Retrieval.

Look to my website for further info. Limited places.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Its Not All About Muscle

Strength is generally perceived as a physical ability. The word also means the ability to withstand pressure. This is the type of inner strength that one needs to overcome the challenges of the human spirit. Fear is a normal reaction to the unknown and un-investigated. I overcame my deep fear of the dark by turning round to face it. I would put my hand over my heart and my back against a wall, if there was one whilst saying ‘Come on then, show me!’. This took strength of will, not physical strength but emotional strength to turn around and feel the fear but do it anyway. I didn’t’t feel brave, I was terrified. But each time I challenged myself I got stronger and stronger within. I have not used the word courage as I think many people see the word and think its something that they do not have. I feel it takes strength of spirit and a strong will to bring that courage out.

As the ant shows, even the smallest of creatures can withstand great pressure and force. Yes it is strong for its size as is its determination and persistence to keep going even after things have not gone well or the goal has moved and one needs to begin all over again. Also due to being such tiny creatures they take tiny steps. This is the way to build up resilience of spirit, one step at a time. The medicine of the ant teaches infinite patience and that is indeed what is needed on the questers path to build greater strength. In today’s society, the quick fix concept is very addictive, as is the fast track workshop that will ‘fix’ your core wounds. This is merely a sales pitch for perfection. The trip is about the journey itself. Each step, each insight is of value. The rush for enlightenment on top of the mountain has stopped people from doing the work along the trail and taking in the view. And this leads to spiritual craving which can propel one to push too fast. Real strength comes in the small steps towards balance. Non ordinary reality has no time frame or a score card for comparing one person to another. People can often seem way too tense in their energetic frequency and need to learn to pace their progress. Garner your strength, breath in some patience and take the next step with firm and grounded awareness.

The Difference Between
Strength and Courage

It takes strength to be firm,
It takes courage to be gentle.

It takes strength to stand guard,
It takes courage to let down your guard.

It takes strength to conquer,
It takes courage to surrender.

It takes strength to be certain,
It takes courage to have doubt

It takes strength to fit in,
It takes courage to stand out.

It takes strength to feel a friend’s pain,
It takes courage to feel your own pain.

It takes strength to hide your own pains,
It takes courage to show them.

It takes strength to endure abuse,
It takes courage to stop it.

It takes strength to stand alone,
It takes courage to lean on another

It takes strength to love,
It takes courage to be loved.

It takes strength to survive,
It takes courage to live.

Val Boyko

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To be spiritually resilient one must have the strength to keep going, to keep getting up no matter how many times one stumbles. If you have survived hard times then its most likely that you’re fairly resilient and there is a gift of strength in that.

Strength is often persistent and enduring. If you feel you are in need of strengthening your spirit to assist you on your travels and inner explorations, here are some stepping stones.

 

For Inner travelers seeking more guidance and to purchase

The Astral Planet Guide Ebook ($11 Australian)

please go to

www.contemporaryshaman.net

Blessings

Odette