Dear Julia:

When I was young, I was able to see things that were going to happen in my life through visions and dreams. In my 20's, this gift got too overwhelming for me, and I asked God to take it away. I have come back full circle to my original beliefs, and am on a spiritual journey that began with menopause. I have begged God to let me have my gift back, but now the voice is so quiet I can hardly hear it. Once in a while, I get a premonition that warns me of future events in my life, but most of the time I get nothing. I wonder if I have become so busy with my life that I just don't recognize it anymore. I also wonder if I'm out of my element because my psychic abilities seemed to thrive when I lived on the Northwest Coast amongst the trees and nature. Since I moved to Texas, my visions have tapered to almost nothing. I hardly spend any time outside because it's too hot and dry, and my soul just aches to be in crisp, green nature again. I long for guidance but know a part of me is still afraid. There have also been some disturbing ghostly phenomena happening in my house lately. How do I open up psychically without seeing and feeling things that frighten me?
Sherry

Dear Sherry:

It sounds like many things have changed since your abilities were really humming. Not only have you moved away from nature and a place where you felt at peace and at home, you also say that perhaps you've gotten too busy with life to notice the still small voice within you. There are many factors coming into play here.

First, there are indeed some places in the world where psychic abilities flow more freely and powerfully than others. Some locations are just more psychic, for want of a better word. For example, the energies in Sedona, Arizona, are famous for being spiritually potent. Often places that are considered spiritual today were intuitively recognized as being highly spiritual in vibration long ago, and thus churches or temples were built there, or they were consecrated as sacred ground.

Just being in nature also facilitates clear psychic awareness, for it's easier for us to hear our inner voice in quiet, serene settings. This just makes sense, for when we're in a peaceful place, we can hear ourselves think. While everyone tends to open up in nature, when we go to a place that has a lower vibration, such as a spooky house or the bad part of town, we may sense energies that feel harmful or negative and shut down.

Even in happy, bustling places like malls, amusement parks and fabulous big cities, the energies tend to be so loud, discordant and overwhelming that we shut down without even realizing it. For example, I can't imagine being psychically on in New York City. One might think that we'd pick up even more in the city given all the vibes racing around the atmosphere, but when we're in crowded, busy places, it's like we blow a fuse. This is especially true of people who are highly sensitive who haven't learned how to consciously control their abilities.

It sounds like you were much more at peace when you lived in the Northwest. Because you were more relaxed and open, your psychic abilities were more active. When you moved to Texas, you became a bit anxious. This is normal, since any move can be unsettling, especially if we move to a place that doesn't feel wholly comfortable to us. Regardless of the cause, you're not as happy and relaxed in Texas, so your vibration is lower, which is locking down your higher abilities.

On top of all the above, it sounds like there may be some energies/entities of an unsettling nature in your new home. Though you may not be conscious of it, on some level you are ever aware of this, which may cause constant anxiety. This will lower your vibration and may cause you to block your psychic abilities so you won't perceive anything disturbing.

There are a couple of realizations you must embrace in order to get past whatever is blocking you and reawaken your psychic senses. First, ignorance won't protect you. Asking God to take away your psychic awareness doesn't change reality - it just disempowers you from responding to whatever happens in the best possible way. Shutting down is sort of like covering your eyes when you're driving because you're afraid you're going to crash: obviously, the more attention you pay to what is happening around you and where you seem to be headed, the better. Further, the less consciously aware we are of earthbound spirits and the like, the more they can unconsciously influence our thoughts and feelings. It is through becoming more aware that we empower ourselves to create what we want in our lives.

Second, the only thing we have to fear is fear itself, for when we are beyond fear, our vibration is so high that we are invulnerable to lower influences. The things you fear are not causing you problems; instead, it is your fear itself that is undermining your goal of reawakening psychically. While it's natural to fear what we don't know or understand, it's also natural to lose that fear after we become familiar with new territory.

To conquer your fears and cultivate empowering faith, you should read all you can about psychic matters with a focus on uplifting, positive books. Also, associate with people who have positive belief systems in regards to such matters. For this, I highly recommend you find a local Spiritualist church, for there you will find a development circle for the reawakening of your abilities as well as a medium/minister who can guide, mentor and support you. If you can't find a good local Spiritualist church, there are also many wonderful schools for psychic development. I can't stress enough how helpful it can be to connect with other seekers in a positive way; it will give you the support you need to push past your fears and explore new realms of spiritual experience.

I also think it would be wise for you to practice psychically tuning in when you're in an environment where you feel safe and peaceful. This may be in a class or church setting, or you may want to find a spot in nature that feels really good to you. I'm sure there are some gorgeous areas of Texas. You could even create an indoor garden or meditation room in your house.

As you do this, honor your true nature. Some people really resonate with animals, while others connect with rocks and crystals and others feel drawn to the plant kingdom. Work with whatever speaks to you in order to facilitate pleasant, easy success.

It sounds like you're a plant person - I am too. My plants tell me when they need water, and I talk to them in my mind. You can even train yourself to see the auras of your plants. If you're more of a pet person, you might begin by communicating telepathically with your beloved animals. If you're a crystal girl, try meditating with quartz or amethyst crystals, or tuning in to a stone and asking to be mentally shown the place where it was taken from the earth.

While we're on the subject of honoring your true nature, you may want to stop and ask your intuition about how well your current location is working for you. You wrote that your soul is aching for a certain natural setting. If this move to Texas and all it has entailed is really not right for you, and you've been trying to ignore that realization, then you've turned away from your inner guidance. By simply stopping and really listening to what your intuition has been trying to tell you, your psychic senses may instantly kick back on.

- Julia