Gifts of the Spirit by Cate Cavanagh - HTML preview

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On Being a Spiritualist

Every culture has its “medicine” or practice. I recently participated in freeing a woman of spirits plaguing her as a result of voodoo, which is African medicine. Under the protection and “insurance” of Chief WhiteEagle’s presence, my circle, comprised of four women (including myself), assisted him in ridding her of these entities. She has been unable to hold down a job for three years and her family had brought her from place to place at the cost of thousands of dollars in an attempt to help her and nothing had. Since the work done had been of African origin only African work could undo what had been done. The result of the intervention is that she is now fine, has returned to work is now married. This was an interesting experience because it was the first time I personally utilized African medicine, to which I was very new.

I learned another aspect of spiritualistic intervention which I will explain this way: were I to go to visit Italy, speaking French wouldn’t do me much good, would it? The same is true of spiritualism. Although other medicines can be used for cleansing and balancing and weakening the hold of a negative spirit force over time, it is more effective and expedient if you know how to fight a spiritual opponent. Know this—the moment you are called upon to help someone in this kind of situation, the force around them becomes your enemy. It knows you are coming and it will do everything in its power to prevent you from interfering or to make you believe you are not able enough to take it on. It will do everything to frighten you into retreating. People who claim envisioning a white light protects them from all evil have NEVER had a malevolent entity angry with them!

This happened to me. When the appointment was made, I was suddenly under ‘attack’. I would see evil beings in my woods, waiting to jump at me to harm not me, but my dogs. I had nightmares from which I could not awaken but when I finally did, I saw the four spirits that were the culprits. The purpose of this was to prevent me and my circle from going to help the woman. I became afraid of the dark, I became afraid of the day, I became afraid to sleep and became afraid to walk my dogs because in the forest, behind my house I would see spirit monsters and hear their threats of violence to my family, my animals and me. In short, I was getting psychic threats. A psychic assault plays with the mind, for the mind is where all focus and power begins.

Some people are suddenly ‘cursed’ only because someone SAID they were going to do something. I have known people who became terrified because someone they knew who did spiritual work just told them they had done a spell and that they would only have bad luck. For the untrained and innocent mind verbal threats are as powerful as any other threat for the mind can then create the very reality the person fears just by expecting it to happen. Fear all by itself can send out enough energy to cast a spell of misfortune without anyone doing anything!

Many of my clients fall into this category. They pick up a negative force along the way or become an easy prey for the bad wishes of others. Sometimes it is nothing more than a self induced hex that gets out of hand and picks up extra momentum up as a bonus. You see, once someone feels like something is wrong, the churning and worrisome energies can take off. It is like a generator revving up power and increasing the power to run the house, freezer or whatever you need it to do. This energy generator causes ripples in space and time, like a pebble being thrown into a still lake. But, instead of keeping the house going, the generator begins to short out and causes problems. Before you know it, there is a whole new set of circumstances being created and a path is changed.

As a spiritualist, I know that once a shift in the thought process can be made another or new path can be planned and recreated once more. Clients come to me and sometimes the only thing they have wrong is the way they are thinking! By the time I see them, they have created a condition and a mental rat race they cannot stop. The problem is when someone is so distracted, they draw more negativity to themselves, soaking it up like a sponge. So, although the problem may have begun originally as a thinking problem, it has become a problem fed further by the mischievous/backward spirits the powerful thoughts a fretful state of mind has attracted. The spiritualist has learned to know the different causes for different problems and, if truthful in the Old Way, will address the cause appropriately.

Are spiritualists ever bothered the way their clients are? Of course they are. The difference is a spiritualist is always working to know when to say,”Stop, what is going on here?” They can USUALLY tell when they need a cleansing. If they are ineffective on themselves, they turn to their teachers or peers for further assistance.

Spiritualists are sponges and since they tend to work with people that have problems, spiritualists can be assailed before they even begin to help. They can take on the symptoms of the person they are trying to help and can feel quite ill physically or mentally after successfully cleansing someone. This has often happened to me. Things happen because I deliberately draw negativity into myself from someone and then push it through myself then out into the earth. But, many times, there are lingering effects as a result of this work. I can feel someone’s old injuries acting up, get that headache or feel the sorrow. New clients are often surprised at the pains and ailments I identify. This is part of cleansing someone of blockages to their own healing energy. Nervous people often feel calmer, especially after they do a spiritual bath I have prepared or instructed them to prepare for themselves.

As an eclectic, I know my limitations and do not profess to be an adept at all I study. But I do know what kind of spell has been done when I encounter it and this requires familiarity with all systems. What I do acquire from my knowledge of all the crafts is basically a personal thing. Since each system focuses on a different approach to life, I can meditate in a Buddhist fashion when I am frustrated or am worried about something. Buddhism helps me remember what the important things are such as gratitude for what I have in the present in order to release worry (attachment). If I know I must confront/ persuade people on important community issues, I often reflect on Native Medicine where dedication to the tribe (or community) is the highest priority. Sometimes I ask for animal spirits to assist me because they can help to persuade by not creating an energy field around you that feels aggressive to other people. Wicca is helpful in the area of personal gain such as finding a job, or getting that raise you were promised or finding a new place to live.

Sometimes life is just too hard for focusing which is why I never forget the Creator who will always help me as will legions of angels, guides and protections who are ready to roll up their sleeves and give a hand. I believe we are here to connect with what our souls ‘know’ in order to master our life experiences.

I enjoy thanking the Creator everyday for the things I have and welcome every day as another day of possibilities. I make it known I am receptive to the gifts that may come for only good things come from that Divine Source (I do not believe anything bad can come from the Creator). I ask for my faith and trust to be renewed so that I do not falter. I immediately feel the Creator’s strength and protection with which I will be guided through that day. At the end of the day, I give thanks for what work I have completed, what blessings I received and for the beautiful things I have witnessed. I try to recount them all! Whatever gives me joy, I thank the Creator for receiving. I ask for angelic guidance and protection, especially from Raphael (of whom I have written) for I never doubt his presence in my life.

Raphael, as I pointed out earlier, is the patron of my family. A while back, my daughter was in a car accident caused by a speeding jerk whizzing around a blind turn in the wrong lane! Thankfully, she suffered only minor injuries. It took a few days before this was conclusive but I just felt she would be okay.

When we knew she was really all right and she was back home again, my husband and I went to see the car. When I saw the car, I knew her life was saved by angelic interference! The car was an accordion! I knew Raphael had protected her that day. It was the only way she could have survived!

By now you may have noticed how awareness and shifting awareness plays a great part in mysticism. Part of this awareness comes from taking time to thank benevolent beings for guiding you, protecting you or helping you. In our earlier discussion of offerings, if nothing else, thankfulness is always appropriate. You can offer a prayer, fasting, a candle, fruit, corn or tobacco. Offering a portion of your food gifts and meals from time to time is a sharing of your survival. With faith and trust you will be provided for, even meagerly. It is a great accomplishment to be able to trust that what you sacrifice (offer) today will be replenished tomorrow.

Lives just become so much enriched when you give as part of the Spiritual Way. When you give, despite what you have, whether to help another person or to make an offering to your guides and protections, gratitude and joy somehow begins to permeate your being. Some of the most grateful and joyful spiritual people I have ever met have also been the poorest. This is putting material desire in its perspective and appreciating blessings when received. Many people confuse wanting something with needing something. Learning to distinguish between the two can create an opportunity for living day to day majick! This is a majick that enables us to see the trees as that much more majestic and the skies more mysterious. When this happens, the coldness of science is replaced with the knowledge that all those fantastical things abandoned along the way in traveling from childhood to adulthood really do exist, after-all. But, more than anything, we discover the gift of hope!