On The Blog
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How do you do shadow work?
Question from a reader: How do we do this shadow work? I’m am aware of plenty of traumas in my past but I struggle to break the habits and patterns I have developed. Are there any tips or advice on where to begin? Journaling? Specific meditations? I’ve read a lot on your site and I really enjoy your ability to cut through the bullshit, while holding to the mysticism. You talk a lot about shadow work, but where do we start?
How to Spot Spiritual Frauds Online
If I’ve done anything over the eight year span of writing this blog, I hope I’ve taught you discernment. Today I’m giving you a few tools to help you discern whether or not you should be putting your trust in someone online, whether it be a spiritual teacher or coach.
Performative Vulnerability
“Vulnerability porn or performative vulnerability” looks like sharing highly curated intimate details of one’s life for the sake of engagement, virtue signaling, and at the end of the day, sales. This brand of faux authenticity still only shows you a small piece of the whole picture. As with everything, it’s often not the action itself, but rather, the motivation behind it. Let’s explore.
Did You Choose This Life?
Question submission: “I have to read conversations with God again. What about the theory where our divine self (soul/whatever) chose this existence/the experiences that we are living now?”
Can You Psychically Sense Bad People?
Question submission: “Do you believe that you can deeply feel when you are in the presence of a genuinely bad person? And if so, how is that something you can explain without sounding crazy to others? Sorry to just jump in your DMs. I’m just sitting on this really hard today and I have a feeling that you maybe know this feeling too.”
Money Mindsets and Poverty Consciousness
Time to talk about “abundance” mindsets and whether or not you can really get rich by simply thinking positive thoughts. The sordid history of this popular concept might surprise you.
Check Your Spiritual Elitism
It’s important that we recognize when and how systems of oppression and classism show up in our community and in our own spiritual and business practices. Here’s a few ways that may be happening and what you can do about it.
Spiritual Narcissism
For those in the know, “spiritual ego” is quite rampant in the spiritual community. The more mainstream spirituality has become in the west, the more it has been influenced by individualistic Western cultural values, resulting in what social science has now termed spiritual narcissism.
The Success Trap
I realized a while ago that material success is an ego trap. A shiny distraction from what really matters.
Western Individualism and Spirituality
I reference individualism frequently in my posts and point to it as one of the underlying problems with Western spirituality. I wanted to take some time to do a deeper dive on this so everyone understands what I’m talking about.
Your Perspective isn’t Valid if it Contradicts Objective Reality
A common misconception that many spiritual people have is that spirituality tells us that we each create our own reality. What many often don’t realize, however, is that reality isn’t what is subjective –– your experience of it is what is subjective. The personal beliefs and opinions formed by those experiences are may not be valid, particularly compared to someone else’s.
The Screwed Up Podcast Interview: Spirituality and Toxic Marketing
I had the chance to hop on the Screwed Up Podcast last Friday and chat about spirituality and toxic marketing, ethics, trauma-informed messaging and what it really means to be doing business consciously. Listen and unlearn toxic marketing.
Health and Privilege in the Wellness Industry
I’ve noticed that a lot of people have been led to believe that health is something that is equally attainable to anyone who simply chooses it. Today I’m talking about why this is a misconception that has been inceptioned into your brain by a $4.3 Trillion industry that needs you to believe it in order to get you to pay the unfairly high prices they are asking.
Spirituality’s Toxic Marketing Problem
If you’re a spiritual practitioner who hates marketing yourself, or you’re someone who is in the market to find a practitioner for any kind of service, you need to read this RIGHT NOW.
Coping With Anxiety
Question from a reader:
“I have bad anxiety in my life and I know how to overcome it, it is just hard to do it when I feel down or just everything bad goes on, any tips?”
Law of Attraction
One of the most common confusions in spirituality – and the most damaging – is the Law of Attraction. So today, I’m explaining what the Law of Attraction really is, and how almost all New Agers have had it all wrong this entire time.
How Patriarchy Shows up in Spirituality
You might think spirituality is supposed to be void of cultural programming. After all, it’s supposed to push us to question all of those things. But does it, really? Especially when it comes to the Divine Masculine and Feminine, patriarchy seeps in. Here’s how to identify it.
How Ableism Shows Up in Spirituality
I made a post on Instagram last week about ableism and spirituality which has sparked some conversations that further demonstrate how ableism is so deeply embedded in our beliefs and culture. I’m going to really dig into this today and ask you to critically examine some of your own spiritually-based beliefs and biases.
Healing Will Not Make You Wealthy
Have you noticed this new trend in spiritual business coaching that’s selling healing as a means to obtain a seven-figure business?
Do Your Negative Thoughts Manifest Disease?
Question from a reader: “I have a fear that I may have cancer. I’m just 19 years old and I eat well and healthy. This thought comes at random times and I’m afraid that I may manifest this crazy thought. But sometimes I shrug it off easily. I’m really confused since I don’t know how to stop these thoughts and be free of this.”
Disembodied Spirituality: Is it Really Zen or is it Dissociation?
Spirituality and holistic wellness is supposed to be about the mind, body, and spirit, but a lot of toxic, ungrounded spirituality completely ignores the entire body part and only focuses on the mind or the spirit. Here’s how to discern whether or not a spiritual teacher/teaching is disembodied (and thus, not holistic).
It’s Time To Redefine Karma
Toss your old notions of karma out the window. It’s time for a new take that’s less victim-blamey.
Do Crystals Really Work?
Question from a reader: “Do crystals really have properties that can be helpful for healing? I’m so skeptical of that and wonder if it’s a scam to get us to make some people wealthy. I don’t like spending money and won’t spend it unless I can see/validate it’s usefulness, but I’m still keen on your opinion on how and why they work.”
What Everyone Needs To Know About Narcissism
I talk about narcissism a lot and in varying ways, and I see it spoken about with a lack of important context online, so I wanted to make sure that everyone understands it all appropriately. Here’s what you need to know.
How to Know if your Spiritual Teacher is a Narcissist
Spiritual professions are an area ripe for manipulation due to the lack of structure, cohesion in teachings, no governing body to regulate them, and a host of wide-eyed people in pain seeking answers from gurus. Here’s some tips on identifying patterns of behavior from a narcissist disguised as a “light worker.”
The End of Suffering
What if I told you that we don’t incarnate on earth to learn lessons, we don’t make contracts with other souls to experience abuse, and that we’re not here to suffer? How would you react?
How Toxic Spirituality Taught You To Gaslight yourself
Toxic spirituality is mired in spiritual narcissism. As such, many of us experience symptoms of narcissistic abuse under the guise of spiritual teachings. Gaslighting is a spiritual abuse tactic used to keep followers under the thumb of narcissistic cult leaders. Here’s how it’s subtly affected you.
Why Your Spiritual Practice Should be Trauma-Informed
Not all spirituality is helpful or healthy spirituality. Trauma-informed spirituality is where we need to go in our attempts to leave behind toxic spirituality. Here’s what that is, and how to identify it.
Nonduality: Binary Thinking and Divine Dichotomies
Are you living your life from an either/or perspecitve? Or a yes/and perspective?
Victim Consciousness isn’t What You Think it is
The concept of victim consciousness gets thrown around by New Agers a lot as this motivation for every single person needing to take 100% personal responsibility for everything that happens to them, but this label gets thrown at the wrong people most of the time and I’m going to tell you why.
Do We Really Have Free Will?
Do humans truly truly have free will? Don’t be an April fool.
Energy Polarity: How to Balance Feminine and Masculine Energies
Question from a reader: “How do you balance masculine and feminine energies?”
How Some Spiritual Beliefs Breed Codependency
The flip side of spiritual narcissism is spiritual codependency. Do you think you’re responsible for manifesting all of the shit people and situations that have come into your life? It might be time to reexamine that frame of mind.
Fear Is Not A Dirty Word
Fear gets a bad rap in New Age spirituality. I’m here to argue that certain, very obvious kinds of fear need to fuck off, but other kinds of fear are actually quite helpful in helping you determine where your edges are.
Narcissistic Empaths and the Narcissist / Empath Relationship
You’ll find a lot of wildly popular information on the internet talking about the relationship between narcissists and empaths, and how these two polar opposites ends up attracting each other. Surprise! They don’t. Here’s why.
The Fine Line Between Boundaries and Bypassing
Are you actually setting boundaries? Or are you using spiritual concepts to avoid being triggered? Let’s discuss.
On Cancelling Cancel Culture
Digging into cancel culture, racism, sexism, bias, and bigotry today. Oh my! As well as what these all have to do with spirituality.
Spirituality’s Relationship With Mental Illness
Spirituality and mental illness have a complex relationship. My goal today is to talk about mental illness within the spiritual community in a way that can help those of you reading this recognize just how pervasive it is in the spiritual community and help you identify spiritual people–psychics, channels, influencers, whomever–suffering from mental illness, all the while without stigmatizing it.
Why QAnon Infected The Spiritual and Wellness Communities
I’ve been receiving a lot of comments on my posts lately from people within the spiritual community and outside of it all saying the same thing: “I don’t understand how people got from spirituality to QAnon.” Hold my beer, I’m gonna draw you a diagram…
Have You Been the Victim of Spiritual Abuse?
I’ve seen (and been subjected to) spiritual abuse many times throughout my spiritual journey. I’ve compiled all the signs and symptoms of spiritual abuse that I’ve observed so that you can spot it.
How Separation Consciousness Masks Itself In Spiritual Unity
One of the main goals of spirituality is to move away from separation consciousness and ascend by achieving unity consciousness, but separation consciousness has infiltrated spirituality (!). Are you unknowingly embodying separation consciousness in the name of spirituality?
The Shadow of Spirituality
The time has come for the spiritual community to confront its own shadow.
How to Spot a Spiritually Immature Wellness Influencer
Learn how to identify people who’ve placed themselves in positions of power and authority who perhaps have no business being there.
Spirit, Science, and Metaphysics
You can’t be anti-science AND be spiritual. Here’s why.
Abuse and The Law of Attraction
For a community that is supposed to be focused on love, light, and healing, New Agers have invented and contributed to some of the most toxic, harmful, bullshit ideologies on the planet, and nine times out of ten, the Law of Attraction is behind it. Here’s what everybody gets wrong about LOA.
The Shadow Self and Shadow Work’s Role In Spirituality
I talk about shadow work all the time on social media. I’ve had a few people ask me questions about what the shadow is, what shadow work involves, and express an interest in learning more, so I’ve revamped an old post to provide a better explanation, as well as make a connection between spirituality and psychology that I think is often overlooked or misunderstood in the spiritual community.
5 Toxic People To Avoid On Your Spiritual Journey
There’s five people we all meet on our spiritual journey that we wish we hadn’t. Here’s who they are, how to spot them, why you should avoid them.
A Shift of the Ages: What Does The New Paradigm Look Like?
A new age is dawning. Some have called it “The Golden Age of Aquarius” but what does that look like? All you have to do is look to the stars–and in many cases, look around you now–to find out.
2020 Year-End Astrology: A Once in 40 Lifetimes Event
We’ve been under intense skies all year long, but if you thought 2020 was done, you’ve got another thing coming. It’s going out with a big bang on December 21st.
Recognizing And Understanding Synchronicity
One thing we all look for on our spiritual path is signs. Signs help guide us, give us validation, and simply give us hints that there’s more to reality than meets the eye. We call those signs “synchronicities.” But is it really synchronicity? Or is it something else?
Speak Your Truth, But Be Forewarned…
I originally wrote the first half of this post in 2015, but I came across something on Facebook last night that reminded me of it and I had some additional thoughts to add. The phrase “Speak your truth” comes with a couple of important caveats. I’m diving into a new one in the second half of this post.
Materialistic Spirituality
I don’t talk about manifesting a lot, even though it’s all the rage. Here’s why.
Are You Awake or Just Woke?
One of, if not the most common misconceptions I see the “wake up sheeple” crowd make is believing that being awake means that you are “woke” to the ills of the world. That’s not what being awake means at all. Not even close. It also doesn’t (only) mean that you are aware that there is more to the universe than what is physically in front of it. It’s deeper than all of these things.
Is There A Correct Spiritual Path?
It’s been ages since I’ve done a Q&A post, but this was submitted as a comment on my post about spiritual teacher credibility and I thought it was worth addressing for a broader audience.
How To Know If A Spiritual Teacher Is Credible
The concept of credibility came up in my post on critical thinking and spirituality yesterday. I think part of our issue today with all of the misinformation floating around is that a lot of people don’t really understand what credibility means. Today I’m going to give you a rundown of what makes someone credible in the realms of science and journalism, and how to apply that to spirituality.
Are You A Critical Thinker?
I posted a poll in my Facebook group a couple of weeks ago asking which topics people would be most interested in having me write about, and critical thinking within the context of spirituality came out on top by far. I think it’s an especially important topic in this day and age when there’s so much misinformation swirling about on the internet. Consider this your crash course in the foundations of critical thinking.
Do We Manifest Abusive Experiences?
It’s time to talk about toxic spiritual concepts and its contribution to victim shaming and the enabling of abusive dynamics.
The Divine Feminist
All of the world’s problems (and yours) come down to this.
Do Not Look Away
This post might make you uncomfortable. Can you sit with that discomfort long enough to figure out where it’s coming from? Let’s find out.
The Great Awakening
You think you understand awakening…but do you?
I Challenge You
Want to know what kind of energy you’re embodying right now? Answer these questions to find out.
The Shi(f)t Has Hit The Fan
In the Tarot world, we have a common label we use for when the shit hits the fan: a Tower moment. The Tower is a major arcana card that represents having the rug pulled out from under you, suddenly, and swiftly. The world is currently in the throes of a great Tower moment. Here’s what that means, and what comes after.
Spiritual Politics
Are your spiritual leaders telling you who to vote for? If so, you might want to reconsider who you’re listening to. Here’s a tip on how to evaluate the people you put on a pedestal.
What Price Freedom?
Reposting an old article from 2017 that seems relevant right now: Donald Trump showed up in my dream last night and taught me an important lesson. Here’s what happened.
Four Ways to Stay Sane Over the Next Two Months
I know things have been intense these last two weeks, especially here in the greater New York City area, and they are only going to get more intense in the next few weeks as cases continue to rise. Here’s four strategies that can help your mental health survive the next few weeks.
I’m Coming Out of Retirement
Well hello, friends. It’s been a long time. Given the state of affairs in the world today (global pandemic and crumbling economic system), it would seem the universe is putting out the call to lightworkers: All hands on deck. This is the moment you’ve been preparing for. So, here I am. Springing out of retirement to hold the lines. Here’s what this mess means for us as a global community, astrologically speaking.
I Quit
The day I thought would never come has arrived. This the end of In My Sacred Space.
When Was The Last Time You Cried in Front of Someone?
I’m actually not as good at vulnerability as you probably think I am. Here’s why.
The Day I Threw My Career In The Trash
Eighteen months ago, I abruptly shuttered my business as a marketing, business, and branding consultant for tech startups. Here’s why.
Confessions of Avoidant Attachment Personality
Reflections and ruminations about self-destructive behavioral patterns and how they affect interpersonal relationships, particularly those of a romantic nature.
Ash Talks LGBTQ Spirituality and Coming Out of the Spiritual Closet with The Big Seance
A couple of weeks ago, I got together with with Slade Roberson (of the Shift Your Spirits Podcast) and Patrick Keller (of The Big Seance Podcast) and we had a three-way “triangle table” discussion on LGBTQ spirituality, coming out of the (spiritual) closet and how to make spirituality more accessible to the elusive straight male.
Recognizing and Breaking Negative Relationship Patterns
Have you ever met another person that you felt inexplicably drawn to, thought they were “the one” and then ended up having your heart broken? Do you have this nagging feeling that you keep dating the same person, over and over? If you can’t understand why your relationships seem to always end up going the same way, no matter who you’re dating or how much chemistry you have, this post is for you.
A Year Without Sex
One year ago, I stopped having sex. Here’s why.
Collective Feminine Rage
A larger collective theme that has been going on since this time last year when #MeToo first broke the silence is the core wounding of women and the feminine. Globally, for centuries, women have been violently raped, murdered, suppressed, controlled, burned as witches and enslaved as sex servants. We’ve never been truly safe, and we’re really pissed off about it.
A Bystander’s Guide to Suicide
Advice from a reluctant pro on being someone else’s lifeline.
Breaking Down Psychic Abilities
Learn about different types of psychic abilities and the breakdown of predominant clairs, how people use various psychic modalities, and more.
Everything That’s Wrong With The Body And Sex Positivity Movements
The current “Body Positive” movement has one gigantic flaw and I’m about to rip into it today.
The Oxygen Mask Analogy
God knows I love a good fixer upper project. I’m the queen of the come up, and I’ll turn another man’s trash into treasure all day err’ day. This excellent, innovative ability to see untapped potential, revitalize and make use out of broken or unwanted things takes a turn for the worst in other parts of my personality, when I try to revitalize and make use out of broken people.
Vulnerability, Intimacy, and Deepening Relationships
Creating deep, meaningful relationships was a major goal of mine when I moved to New York. I picked quite the challenging city for it, but I seem to be figuring it out, and I think what I’m discovering is something that’s needed here, of all places.
Aligning With Your True Self
I’ve always been fascinated with how accurately (or inaccurately) people perceive me and whether or not I present myself as I actually am. Today I’ve got a little exercise for you to help me find out.
Cultivating Radical Vulnerability
SURPRISE! You get another blog post. I’m not going to lie, this is probably one of my favorites that I’ve written to date.
The Healing Spiral
Healing is not a linear process, but rather, an upward spiral of sorts. You process things cyclically and each time it comes around, you peel back another layer and get closer to your core. That’s certainly been true for me over the last several months, and I do feel like I’m starting to reach the pinnacle of it all. Finally.
Synchronicities and Spiritual Road Signs
Hindsight is always 20/20 and the signs and syncs we receive along the way often make sense further down the road. I’m starting to see how mine are playing out and how trust in the universe is paramount.
Can You Experience Clairaudience If You Are Deaf?
Can you “hear” spirit even if you’re hearing impaired?
Whiskey, Neat, With A Shot of Vulnerability
When Sunday brunch turns into an all-day bar crawl therapy session like the Friday night before, you just go with it.
Finding Purpose in the New Paradigm
The universe sends me messages disguised as messages for others. Are you looking for purpose? Here’s how to find it.
Workshopping My Life
Things in my world are still changing rapidly. I’m still learning to let go of the old me, piece by piece. Here’s what’s on the cutting block this week, plus a small request.
How to NOT Sexually Harass a Woman and Mind Your Own Fucking Business
Surprise! You get a Saturday post because Ash is fired the fuck up. Get ready for an earful of F bombs and a whole lot of “Fuck off!”
If You’re Feeling Like Shit, Then This Is Your Wakeup Call
My self-destructive tendencies began to rear their ugly heads mid-last week and slowly gain momentum, coming to a head yesterday. Feelings of doubt, uncertainty and unworthiness made themselves abundantly known. Do you think you ever truly get over certain issues, or do you just learn how to cope with them?
The Other Side
There comes a time in our lives when are brought to the precipice of a great change. We are asked to rise to our own challenges, let go of all of the fears and insecurities that have kept us caged our entire lives, and make a leap into darkness of the unknown. To cross the chasm between our destiny and what we’ve never allowed ourselves to be.
Daddy Issues
Unless you’ve been in my Facebook group for a while, you’ve probably never heard me talk much about my dad. Today, you get to peek behind the curtain. What you’re going to see isn’t pretty.
Finding Your Emotional Mooring
There are days where you feel thoroughly tethered to reality. You’re solid. You’re secure. You’re centered. And then there are days where you feel like you’re floating away, hanging on to the last shred of sanity for dear life. As we enter into the midst of the August eclipses, many of you will find yourselves facing down some of your greatest self-sabotaging patterns in one final showdown. It’s do or die.
Stop Using Spirituality to Kick Your Own Ass
I made a startling realization about myself last night. Ok, it wasn’t very startling. It’s a pattern that I’ve been ignoring for quite some time and never fully acknowledged until now.
Identifying Your Psychic Abilities
A quick life update and answering a question from a reader about her psychic abilities.
How Does Love Show Up In The New Paradigm?
Question from a reader:
“I totally get the higher vibe love but I don’t know how that is supposed to present it self to some of us. It certainly is not love n’ fluff (or hell, maybe it is), but I believe it has more to do with being in our truth and power. And I may have had some flavors or glimpses of what that feels like but in general I just have no clue. How does higher love show up?”
Love & Purpose In The New Paradigm And What It Means For You
A shift is coming that’s going to change the way you live your life. Do you see it? Do you feel it? Is it already changing you? VIDEO: Susan Grace and I discuss what to expect from relationships as we evolve into the new paradigm. Let me know if you’re experiencing any of this in your own life.
Why Do We Need Boundaries?
If we’re all one, how can we have boundaries? And why should we?
Believing In Your Psychic Self
Question from a reader:
“I have asked you this already when I was wondering how to know when was your mind talking and when your intuition. I finally discovered that I can be receiving a lot of information, but I could be blocking it. How can I start believing that what I feel is actually information from them?”
13 Reasons Why
Today I’m talking about suicide, sexual assault, domestic violence and all the feels.
How Dreams Can Predict The Future
Question from a reader: “Can dreams predict the future?”
The Dark Side of Positivity
There’s a dangerous kind of thinking perpetuating the New Age community from all sides. Bullshit New Age content farms are hocking over simplified clickbait social media content on a daily basis leading people into an ideology that keeps them locked in a low-level conscious state. Here’s how to spot it.
How to Hear Your Spirit Guides
Question from a reader:
“How do I listen to my guides? I know they are there…I feel them & I see synchronicity. So how do I listen?”
How To Recognize Communication From Your Spirit Guides
Question from a reader: “How can I tell the difference between my guides or intuition and my mind? Sometimes I’m thinking and it appears as a thought, but I cannot recognize when it is me and when it is them.”
Feel All The Feels
Maybe, as a society, we don’t need to “toughen up.” Maybe we just need to grow up a little, but in a very different way than what you’d expect.
Can You Ever Ask Too Much Of Your Spirit Guides?
Question from a reader:
“As I navigate down my spiritual path, I’ll ask for signs to help me through some unclear paths. However, I wonder about the possibility of asking for too many signs. As if asking for signs for the “same thing,” feels like it could be self-involved or seeking praise. Is there such a thing as asking for too much from our spiritual guides?”
The Purpose of The Ego
Question from a reader: “I’ve been considering writing a blog for over 5 years. One of the largest questions I ask is: what makes what I have to say so special that warrants a blog. This concern feels like what you describe as the (spiritual) “ego” but I’m also curious about the role of the ego in terms of how society/pop culture use the term. So my question is: what is the role/relationship of (pop culture) ego with (spiritual) ego?”
What Clairaudience Is Like
Question from a reader:
“How do you know if it’s your loved one talking to you, or your subconscious?”
Karma and Effect
Today I’m touching on Karma. Worried you’ve got some debts to pay? Read on…
Manifest Your Goals With The New Moon
This coming Saturday is the first new moon of the year. It’s time to start manifesting! My friend Misty is taking the reigns today to give you some tips on creating your own New Moon Intentions Ceremony for manifesting your goals for the new year.
Healers Need Boundaries Too: The Unrealistic Expectations of Healers and Spiritual Figures
Just because you’re a healer doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice yourself. Don’t let others tell you otherwise… plus – another Woo Woo Wine Night: Intro to Tarot has been added. Sign up while you still can!
Belief and Manifestation
Question from a reader:
“Hey Ashley! I’ve been reading about manifestation a lot and how our fundamental/subconscious beliefs draw experiences to us. After realizing what we subconsciously believe, what’s the best way to change it? For example, I’m realizing I’ve always believed that God won’t give me the things I want–I’ve entwined “struggle” with God’s will. Is it best to work “top down” with mantras? Or is there another way?”
How My Tarot Cards Chose Me
Learn how my tarot deck chose me (not the other way around), plus details on a special event for those of you interested in delving into Tarot.
Holiday Gift Ideas for the Spiritually Inclined
Maybe you’re looking for gift ideas for the spiritual person in your life, or YOU would like something spiritually related, but you’re just not sure what, yet. Maybe you want to go with a gift that can subtly peak a loved one’s interest in further exploring spiritual concepts. Here’s a few ideas for you to ponder!
Discerning Between Your Head and Your Heart
Question from a reader: “I’m a paralegal in a high-paying job which demands long hours and lots of concentration. As much as I like connecting the dots and solving puzzles, most of the time I hate the fact that it keeps me from my family and things that I love. I’m stuck, I feel like I can’t leave because this job supports my family, and at the same time I don’t feel right inside. I don’t feel like this is right for me. How do I know if this feeling is real? How do I know if I should move on? And if so, to what?”
A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation
Meditation allows us to reach alpha state most often, and theta state in the most practiced meditators. Each of these states produce a different kind of intuitive experience and allow us to access different levels of our multidimensional self. I find that most novices don’t realize that there are different types of meditation and each type lends itself to an entirely different purpose.
Finding Your Spiritual Path
Question from a reader:
“I have been on a journey of trying to figure out my spiritual path and I’m so confused on how to figure out what it is. Can you give me any insight into how to do this?”
An Explanation of Intuition and Psychic Abilities
Question from a reader: “Since I was 5 I have intuitively known things that others did not. My parents who would say, “No honey that won’t happen because of xyz.” and then it would happen… they were puzzled and confused. They realized I had a gift of some sort and eventually would even ask me questions. I carried this gift as an adult to my career of being a police officer/detective. How can you explain this feeling of knowing and additionally I would like to try and better develop my skills. What and how can I do this?”
The Fundamental Energy Behind Manifestation
Law of Attraction is often confused with the concept of Karma, or people take it at a very literal, surface level and believe that their thoughts, quite literally, manifest around them. Ha! If only it were that simple! In today’s blog post, I’ll try to explain how we create complex belief structures around the fundamental beliefs that live in our subconscious mind and how those things are the mechanism from which Law of Attraction is set in motion.
What’s in a Self? Soul, Personality & Ego
“I am a bit confused about personality and soul. I understand about being in alignment and think I can feel when I am in it. However I am not sure if this is because I am in alignment with my personality or soul. If I live not in balance with my personality, I am soon aware that I don’t feel in alignment, but I thought that our personalities are just cloaks for our souls? Rarely do I feel urge to do something which I wouldn’t ordinarily do and wondered if this is soul overriding personality?”
Dream Walking
The last couple of posts have talked about out of body experiences and astral projection as it pertains to our individual experiences. Today I’m going to talk about something similar but a little bit different – dream walking.
Dream walking is when you enter the dreams of others, or when they enter your dreams. Some may also experience this as a shared dream.
Astral Projection
With astral projection, you can also be lucid, or totally unconscious, or somewhere in between but you’re usually not fully in this dimension. What I mean by that is, with an OBE, everything around you looks the same as it does when you’re in your body. With Astral projection, it typically doesn’t, if you’re even “here” at all.
Out of Body Experiences
I’m a little bit surprised that I’ve had this blog for over two years now and I’ve yet to write a post about or even receive a question submission regarding out of body experiences and/or astral projection – thought I know that we’ve discussed it a few times in various groups here and there.
More people have experienced OBEs than you’d ever think, and to be honest, all of you astral project pretty much every single night. You just don’t usually remember it.
Why Psychic Abilities Come And Go
Question from a reader: “My abilities come and go and are very few and far between. I don’t have the ability to sense, I only have the ability to see and hear. Why does it come and go and why is it not consistent?”
Spiritual Loneliness
Question from a reader: “I feel like my perception of my/the world has changed so much over the past 4 years due to this spiritual development. However I feel as if I’m the only one in my family and friends to get this so I feel quite alone and many of my friends I cannot be around now as our worlds are so different…. However how do you break away from them without it seeming odd and mean and how will I find people on my wavelength?”
Discerning Between Intuition and Imagination
Question from a reader: “I was recently informed that I was a medium. I want to enhance my gift to be able to help others. I have tried meditation to help myself embrace my gift but I can’t stay focused long enough to concentrate. What would you suggest I do? I would really love to embrace this gift. What are other methods that I can try? Also how can I tell the difference if it’s just my imagination or it’s a message or someone trying to contact me?”
Should Psychics and Healers Charge For Their Services?
This is definitely one of the more hotly debated topics I’ve seen here and there. Should people be expected to pay for a psychic service or healing? Read on…
When You Continually Find Yourself in Abusive Relationships
I feel very much like I live feeling everyone is part of myself. However I seem to always have abusive people involved in my life. How can I improve my situation? So far only my faith in God is keeping me strong but there are only so many roads we can travel.
Universal Archetypes: The Connection Between Tarot, Numerology, Dream Interpretation, Palmistry and Astrology
Did you know that numerology, astrology, dream interpretation, tarot and palmistry are all connected? A lot of times when you learn about these things independently, you may miss the ways they all intersect. Learn more about archetypes in today’s blog post.
When Your Reading Isn’t What You Expected
Question from a reader: “I had a reading in which I talked to my higher self. At the time I really needed some serious advice and probably still do. What I got from my higher self was something I didn’t think was even close to being as important as the the things I really needed advice on or answers to. My question is why your higher self, when given the chance to give some serious answers or advice, would choose to pick a topic on something which I thought was sort of trivial in comparison to what I really wanted advice or guidance on?”
How Past Lives Affect Our Current Life
Question from a reader:
“Can your past lives create havoc on the life you are currently living? Does regression therapy help? If you feel completely and entirely unbalanced and you have this guy feeling it has something to do with a past life or something along those lines, do you have any solid advice? Thank you!”
Incarnate Spirit Guides
A follow up question from yesterday:
“Ashley, could you please more fully explain your statement that begins ” A handful of my own primary guides are . . .”? What do you mean by “identities”? Specifically, are they separate from their identities that are now incarnate? I would very much like to know who are my guides and who that I know in this lifetime is in my soul group. That is why I find the above referenced statement so intriguing!”
How to Know How Many Past Lives You’ve Had
Question from a reader:
“I wanted to know if I had past lives and if so how many?”
When “Let It Go” Doesn’t Cut It
When you want to throat punch the next person who tells you to “Let it go.”
Create Your Own Vision Board & Manifest The Hell Out of Your Inner Awesome
Setting an intention is as easy as making a decision, but it’s hard to keep all of those decisions and intentions in our head without forgetting them or putting them on the backburner. That’s where vision boards come in. Get out your crafting gear (you know you have a tool box full of it, if not an entire room…like me) it’s time to get creative!
The Systemic Perpetuation of Sexism, Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault
Women experience their own cultural traumas as a collective, mostly in the form of sexual trauma, that needs to be healed on an individual level, but we also need to begin to recognize this problem as a societal issue.
How Being Psychic Works
Question from a reader:
“What does channeling feel like? Do you hear the spirits’ voices? Are you able to see them? How do you know that the ideas (if they communicate with thought) are really them and not something made up unconsciously by your mind?”
The Relationship Between Shame and Addiction
Question from a reader: “I would like to know what the HELL the addiction theme that keeps rearing its ugly head in my life is teaching me because I would really like to learn that lesson and get the f*ck on with it! Any thoughts on that?”
How To Contact Your Spirit Guides
When attempting to develop psychic abilities, contact guides or deceased loved ones, attitude is everything. It is what will make or break your attempts at getting in touch with the other side. There are a few foundational things that you need to internalize, and one of the biggest is ATTITUDE.
Buddha Inspired Meditation Spaces
I mentioned that as I go through my old posts and adjust the layout, I might re-publish a few oldies but goodies and hidden gems. I’m a little late for Throwback Thursday and Flashback Friday, but just in time for a Way Back Weekend. This was the very first blog post I wrote on here besides my intro 🙂 It also happens to be one of my most pinned posts on Pinterest.
8 Ways To Surround Your Home With Crystal Energy
One of the biggest trends as part of this is using natural stones and crystals in your home decor. As many of us have known for a long time, crystals are awesome for a lot of different things, the least of which is the fact that they’re pretty. So it’s great that you can now find crystals and natural stones in all sorts of home decor and create ways to incorporate crystals into your home without displaying them as your rock collection 😉
Do Spirits Stay Angry When They Cross Over?
Question from a reader:
“I know of three different situations where someone was visited from a loved one. In their visit, the spirit seemed mad. I always thought people were more content and happy and wanted you to know they were alright after passing on.”
Dream Visitations
Question from a reader: “I hardly ever dream of my mother. About 10 years ago I dreamed we were in the same room and she was washing dishes and I was asking her a question about picking polk and if it was poison. She turned to me with a smile, like always, and replied in a soft voice, “Now honey, you just follow your heart.” And then she dried her hands and told me what to look for. She went to the big long buffet and open the bottom drawer and pulled out a nice, clean flour sack and said, “Here is something to put them in.” What do you think these mean?”
Can Psychics Really Predict The Future?
Question from a reader:
“When a trusted channeler through his/her channeled spirits states unequivocally that a specific event/outcome will occur, should we accept that prediction at face value because it comes from the spiritual dimension? Can free will sometimes negate/change what seems to be an announced predestination?”
When Everything Falls Apart
There are times in life – and for some of us, those times seem more frequent than others – when it appears as though we are completely enveloped in darkness. All hope seems lost. Our hearts ache. The world as we knew it is crumbling all around us.
In times like these, it’s easy to fall prey to your limited perspective and to feel as though you can’t go on. All you see around you is the darkness. You cannot see what’s on the other side.
Why I Never Was A Lightworker
A lot of people who read this probably won’t like what I’m about to say, but to me, the entire concept is bunk. It’s just a label. And many times I see people using it as a way to puff up their ego and feel important, or they took a quiz on the internet that told them they were even though the “signs” are so vague they could literally apply to billions of people.
Everyone Laments The Death of the Institution of Marriage, But Maybe it Needs to Die
It seems like every day we’re bombarded with the statistic that 50% of marriages today end in divorce (even though that hasn’t been true since the 70s and 80s). Have you ever considered that maybe the reason that the institution of marriage seems to be failing so hard is because it’s an outdated dinosaur of a concept that can’t survive in the new paradigm?
When You’re Too Good for Your Guru
Question from a reader: “The local medium in my ghost hunters group always takes over the conversation and everything is about her. I have come to her for private classes where we talk about my life and what lessons I want to learn for five minutes then she asks me to help her organize her house! Lately, I have caught her on three different occasions taking credit on things I received on investigations with our ghost hunting team. She has gathered some more “followers” and they all seem to be in “awe” of her. Have you ever encountered someone like this in your life?”
Should We Never Get Angry?
I think, in the spiritual community, we often confuse healthy anger with bitterness and rage (unhealthy anger), which leads us to shun any and all expressions of anger. I know I’ve been guilty of that in the past, but anger can also be a healthy emotion. Here’s some tips to figure out whether or not anger is justified.
8 Consciousness-Raising Documentaries For Spiritual Awakening
If you’re like me, you’re taking a few days off around the holidays and you’re probably going to be looking forward to doing a little Netflix and chill after the fam heads out of town. If that be the case, here’s a few documentaries you might want to check out, personally viewed, approved, and highly recommended by me.
DIY Energy Cleanse
Energy cleanses: Why you need them, how they work, and a recipe to DIY your own!
Enhanced Kundalini Meditation With Frankincense Essential Oil
Looking to enhance your daily meditations, decalcify your pineal gland, and make a better connection to your higher self? This might be the thing you’re looking for.
Gratitude is the Foundation of Happiness
These last two weeks – actually more like last month and a half or so – have felt extremely heavy and draining to me. From personal struggles to global events, it feels like the world is upside down. All that’s really happening is that change is in the air, but it can be emotionally exhausting and that’s where I’m at right now. And Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means I’ll be feeling doubly zapped. But it’s times like these – especially when times are like these – that we really have to take stock of the full context of our situations and not just what we’re currently focused on.
The Long Goodbye
It’s been a rough week. Monday morning, my cat, Jordan, suffered a saddle thrombus – a blood clot in his back left leg. I’ve been going back and forth about whether or not it’s time to let him transition. Surprisingly – or maybe not – he gave me the answer himself.
Your Definitive Guide to Debunking Orbs: Lens Flares
A handy guide on identifying a naturally occurring phenomena that is often confused for spirit orbs.
Shame and Codependency
Toxic shame often lies at the core of addiction and codependency.
When Psychics and Spiritual Teachers Feel “Off”
I’m sure many of you have had experiences where you’ve come across a spiritual teacher who just didn’t resonate with you, or perhaps you had a psychic reading from someone that just didn’t feel quite right. In those times, we often doubt ourselves, because we’re still placing our faith in things and people outside of ourselves. But it’s of the utmost importance to trust your instincts.
Telepathy
In a post earlier this week, I discussed the differences between telepathy and channeling and promised that I’d write another post discussing telepathy more in-depth…and here it is.
Telepathy and Channeling The Souls of Living Human Beings
Question from a reader:
“I’m interested in the idea of channeling for those still living in the physical realm. Even possible? Such as those who are non-verbal due to autism, stroke, Alzheimer’s and dementia, coma, etc.”
Discerning The Internet: Misinformation, Media Bias, Conspiracies, and Fake Quotes
I think this is a HUGELY important topic among spiritual people for one reason: For people who are allegedly so concerned with finding the Truth, they sure do circulate an awful lot of bullshit. That being said, it is of the utmost importance that each of us takes responsibility for detaching ourselves from what we WANT to be true, and get off our lazy asses to find out what actually IS true.
If A Tree Falls in the Forest, Does it Exist if Nobody’s Looking?
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? The answer may be more complex – and surprising – than you imagined.
What is Enlightenment?
What is enlightenment? How does achieving it changes your perception, energy, psychology and what is its exact mechanism?
Understanding Dimensions, Densities and Ascension
One of the more difficult concepts to grasp when it comes to spiritual metaphysics is the idea of what exactly constitutes a dimension. So what is all of this talk about 3D and fourth dimension and fifth density, anyway?
Self-Love Is Not Selfishness
Question from a reader:
“For some reason, my quiet soul draws strong, demanding people in my life! It seems they only want me around when they need something from me. Some have also talked down to me in sarcastic ways or do not listen when I speak up. I am starting to get fed up with people like this! My question is how to not attract people like this in the first place and what do I do with the ones I have in my life right now? Thank you!”
Power, Control, and Understanding Boundaries
You hear a lot of talk about boundaries. “Set boundaries.” “Uphold boundaries.” “Don’t overstep boundaries.” But what exactly does that mean and what does it look like?
Ascension Isn’t Going To Change The World
Everybody thinks of “the shift” or “Ascension” or whatever the fuck you want to label it – they think it’s going to change the world. It’s not.
How To Spot A Narcissist and Narcissistic Abuse
Actual narcissistic personality disorder is one of the most misunderstood disorders by the general public and often confused with simply being ego-centric, which is not considered a disorder.
Tumbled Crystals vs. Natural Crystals And How To Store Them
Question from a reader:
“Do tumbled/polished crystals have the same strength as raw/natural ones? Also, does it matter if you keep them in an enclosed container like a small box or should I place them in an open one like a tray?”
The One Thing You Must Do Before Developing Your Psychic Abilities
It’s really hard to see clearly when there’s a yucky film on your glasses. It’s really hard to hear someone clearly when there’s a ton of background noise. It’s really hard to talk when you have a sore throat. All of these things get in the way of your ability to clearly communicate. So what’s getting in the way of your ability to communicate with spirit?
Why Fear-Based Belief Systems Are Distorted
A person lives in a fear-based belief system when they have not yet remembered who they really are and still cling to fearful beliefs and perceptions. When they have not yet realized that everything in their world is love, and the only thing that makes it appear as fear is their limited understanding of it.
Create Your Own Altar
You may have never realized that you have altars all around your house already, you just never thought of them that way. That photo wall dedicated to your family that hangs above your couch? That’s an altar. The photos represent the members of your family and the couch is the place where you come together. Your desk? The notepad that’s always sitting there, the pens in the cup, the little inspiration quote you have framed there that you look at every day? That’s an altar. Your sacred space. Now you’re suddenly thinking about your home decor in a whole new way.
How To Get The Best Results From A Tarot Reading
Everyone always asks the wrong questions from Tarot. In this post, I’ll show you how phrase your questions to get the best results!
Why We Have Recurring Dreams
Question from a reader: “My son, Jaden, passed away in 2012. He was 10 years old. He was also born with down syndrome, autism, medically fragile the entire time and I guess you can say cognitively, between 18 months old to 2 years old. So for about the last three years, I have had, I feel, intrusive dreams of my sons fragile state and all his surgeries. I also have had many dreams of holding him in my belly to protect him over and over! Why these repetitive, specific dreams? Is it the healing process of chronic trauma, or PTSD, or part of the grieving process? Any suggestions?”
Types of Dreams
Dreams are very rarely 100% literal. As I mentioned in a previous blog post about dream interpretation, dreams are often a mix of varying types of symbolism. Today, let’s take a look at the various types of symbolism as well as the different levels of consciousness that a dream can occur, and talk about how to decipher it’s role in your own dreams.
The Difference Between Venting and Releasing Emotion
Question from a reader: “When someone else says, ‘I need to vent,’ or ‘I need to get this off my chest,’ – Do you think/feel it’s good for those involved in that conversation? I personally don’t agree with that type of discussion, avoiding those who really LOVE to vent. It appears those who do that are looking for others to share in the dense energy they’ve created out of their own ‘situation.’ Any other thoughts on this subject?”
The Hypocrisy of Preaching Non Judgment
Have you ever noticed how hard it is to tell someone not to be critical or judgmental without being, well, critical and judgmental?
There’s a quote by Wayne Dyer that says, “When you judge another, you do not define them. You define yourself.”
Guest Blog: Energy Healing 101
Today, my friend Tara Olowoye of Introspection D.C. (based in Washington D.C., duh) is going to talk a little bit about energy healing. Tara and I participated in a little distance healing experiment a few weeks ago that you might be interested in reading about over on her blog once you’re done with this one.
Let’s Talk About Sex: Part 2
On Monday I started the first half of my post talking about sex and spirituality. I touched on just how out-of-touch our society is when it comes to sex and even ourselves, and all the things that are causing us to be blocked from experiencing true joy with our bodies and our hearts.
So how do we begin to undo what has been done?
Let’s Talk About Sex
Sex is probably one of, if not the most misunderstood, taboo subject on the planet in our current culture. So many people have shame and discomfort around sex, many of us aren’t even completely aware of it. I would wager that there’s a very large percentage of people out there who are engaging in sex under varying degrees of emotional numbness.