Musing Mystical

✨ A Gathering Place for Magical Readers and Writers ✨

The Diamond Rose, by Daniela Valenti

The Diamond Rose: A Sentinel 10 Novel, by Daniela Valenti
Daniela Valenti, 1777427304, 258 pages, 2020

I love a good paranormal-romance, mostly because as an intuitive person that’s how all my life usually feels, if only in my own mind. I can always relate to the trials of learning how to use one’s powers wisely while encountering spirits, energies, and deities with their own agenda. I appreciate when a fiction book strengthens my confidence in my own intuition from inspiring me with how a strong character handles what comes their way; sometimes it’s just more relatable than reading a nonfiction book on a topic because I can develop a connection to the characters and use them as inspiration. Therefore, I was thrilled to discover The Diamond Rose by Daniela Valenti, which is the first book in an on-going series, that kept me hooked from the start with a relatable, intriguing plot. I could not get enough of this book and am already eagerly awaiting the next one coming out in 2021!

The premise of The Diamond Rose is the protagonist, a medical student named Amanda, suddenly develops psychic abilities during a solar flare. Luckily, her best friend since childhood, Lydia, also has her psychic powers activated so she’s not alone in this venture. Together, the women are encouraged to join the most powerful secret society in order to learn how to control their powers and receive protection from a mafia-like Committee. The fact that the Committee is the most powerful, filled with secrets, and may or may not have its Sentinel’s best interest at heart only adds interest to how this will play out in the long-run within the series. Meanwhile, Amanda struggles with feelings for her stoic, handsome, and ripped partner James, while also fending herself from the attraction of Alain, a rogue assassin stalking her. The mixture of intrigue and romance set the stages for Amanda as she navigates this new way of life in a way many modern women can relate to – drinking her tea, lots of baths, and frequent shopping.

What I liked most about The Diamond Rose was the cast of characters that Valenti brings to life. From the start, she develops layered-interactions between the characters, generating enough conflict to be engaging but also a sense of teamwork. It made me wish I had my own team of psychics to tackle energy-suck plasma and mind-controlling bad guys with! The variety of characters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, make for a force to be reckoned with. You can see they are a team, but there’s still alliances that are forming, which keep it interesting as you keep guessing at what may transpire between them.

I especially appreciate the focus in the plot on Amanda’s relationship with her best friend Lydia because it demonstrates a healthy and mature friendship between women. Too often, women are pitted against each other as competitors, portraying them as envious or not to be trusted. I found it refreshing to see the dynamic between these two, who openly share their opinions on the other’s love life (is the guy ever really good enough for your bestie?), work through their disagreements, and continue to be honest and loving with each despite differences of opinion.

Beyond the variety of characters, there’s also competing secret societies, each with their own agenda that add even more complexity to the story. The book perfectly satiates readers’ curiosity about these rumored secret societies, so often alluded to in modern times, while laying a web that ties another main character, Basil, and his family to these different organizations.This is just one example of the foundation laid by Valenti that keeps the readers questioning what lay ahead for the characters further into the series.

Another unique feature of the book is Valenti’s profession as a psychiatrist, which allows her to expertly weave in psychological and medical concepts. Being that many of the characters have a scientific background, she creates the perfect counter of reason and logic to all the paranormal happenings, which adds humor and keeps the story grounded in a reality that seems plausible to the reader. Valenti’s use of contrasting perspectives enables the reader to see the characters’ perspective from a scientific view-point and also supernatural one, especially in disagreements between Lydia and Amanda, and leaves the reader’s reflection on whose point is right.

My favorite part of the book was when the Sentinels get their initial training. I have been very into studying defense and protection magic recently, and Amanda gave me a lot of inspiration for accepting my abilities and learning how to protect myself with them. I used the technique for turning off psychic receiving that Amanda got in training in real life with much success. It was fun to engage with the experience of the characters in this way and to imagine what it’d be like to be a Sentinel myself.

One-downside of the book for readers may be their frustration with Amanda’s romantic choices. Just like a good friend, you’ll be screaming “Why are you putting yourself through this heartache?” when she full-fledge throws herself into a rather toxic relationship. Since it seems Amanda’s childhood wounds are only healed by utterly consuming love, she tosses all reason to the side and dives in headfirst to an “unconditional” love affair with a domineering suitor. It’s a classic mash-up of toxicity and bonding over abuse that fuels the love, in my opinion, and this may have some more level-headed women smacking their palm to their face saying, “Girl, get a grip.” However, by the end, the twist of events certainly seems to be a set-up for the evolving plot in the upcoming books. As much as I wanted to hate on Amanda for her choices, I also have experienced my fair share of flings with the bad boy. Being that she’s young, I hope to see her mature as the series goes on.

The only other thing worth mentioning about The Diamond Rose is that it’s lacking any BIPOC in it, which is a bit disheartening. I think a little more diversity would make it more appealing to a wider range of audience. Amanda is a very much “basic white girl,” though still with enough depth to make her an interesting lead.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Diamond Rose and read it under 24 hours (I even stayed up late one night because I wanted to know what would come next). I think Valenti is off to a great start with the series – I’m already invested in the characters – and I look forward to seeing what’s next for the Sentinels. This book perfectly blends the suspense that comes from a good thriller with the romance at the heart of chick lit. I highly recommend it for anyone whose is seeking a paranormal-romance, especially for those who are looking for a fictional role model to inspire them as they hone their psychic abilities.

Winter, by Jo Graham

Winter: Rituals to Thrive in the Dark Cycle of the Saeculum, by Jo Graham
Llewellyn Publications, 0738763712, 211 pages, 2020

I was intrigued by the title of this book and looked forward to diving into it to familiarize myself with the saeculum in general — the season of Winter specifically. I had no knowledge of the concept of the saeculum, first mentioned by the Etruscans but also written about by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Saeculum roughly translates into the expected lifetime of an individual (80 years). It is based on the cycles of the Great Wheel that, if we live to 80 and beyond, we will experience during our life lifetime.  In Winter: Rituals to Thrive in the Dark Cycle of the Saeculum, Jo Graham does a marvelous job of detailing out the concept of saeculum and also explaining each season of the Great Wheel, including what to expect. She also goes back in time to what happened during each season in both recent and ancient history to help us understand the current time of Winter.

As Graham explains, the Romans called this 80-year cycle the Great Wheel, or the wheel of generations. The Great Wheel is aligned with the seasonal nature of all life. Each cycle of the Great Wheel lasts roughly 80 years, and each of the four seasons within the Great Wheel cycle lasts approximately 20 years. Each season is further divided into periods of 10 years, including Imbolc, Belatane, Lammas, and Samhain. Therefore, we are all born in a certain season in the cycle of the Great Wheel. Graham provides charts to determine in what season you were born. I was born in Spring of the current cycle. Therefore, I experienced my youth in Spring, adulthood in Summer, maturity in Autumn, and am now entering old age in Winter. I admit gasping at being categorized as being in Old Age, but in terms of the Great Wheel, we all get to live through each of the four seasons if we are blessed to live to 80 (at which point the cycle begins again). “Every eighty years we pass through what the Classical Greeks called ekpyrosis, a destruction by fire that then allows for rebirth and the growth of new things.” 1

Graham also breaks down how each of the so-called age groups (Millennials, Baby Boomers, Gen-Xers) are going to meet the Winter (the season in which we are living now) challenges in their own unique ways. According to the Great Wheel, we entered the season of Winter around 2010. In 2020, we are in Imbolc. Winter will be nearing an end in 2030. Graham goes into detail writing about how events that have occurred since 2010 are exemplary of things that happen in the season of Winter which, like anything natural, does not have a fixed start and end date. For example, the approach of Winter could be felt in the attacks of 9/11 and the stock market crash of 2008, which happened in Samhain in the Fall season.

Winter is divided into four sections: Introduction, The Crisis Approaches, The Storm Rages, and Aftermath. There is also an extensive bibliography at the end of the book. In each section, Graham describes what to expect in each phase of Winter, what happened in a Winter seasons in times past, and includes detailed rituals to help cope/survive and ultimately thrive during this season. In addition to explaining about the Great Wheel and the seasons, Graham also writes extensively in the Introduction about the last season of Winter, 1925 – 1945, which included the Great Depression and World War II. Definitely not good times for civilization. I shuddered to think that we are in this season again.

One ritual that Graham recommended in the Introduction was to help reconnect with ancestors who you know experienced the last Winter. Without going into too much detail, the ritual involved mask-making (how the Romans honored and invited in their ancestors) and also journaling to invoke our ancestors for counsel, wisdom, and ways to cope during Winter. I loved this ritual and was happy to receive guidance from grandparents and extended family who lived through this period. I was shown that while there was hardship, families worked together and everyone in the world was in the same boat – much like today’s Winter with COVID-19.

In the section titled “The Crisis Approaches,” Graham offers a broader picture of the last cycle of Winter. She also asks us to remember where we were when this current season of Winter began (around 2010), what we were experiencing in our life at that time, what our community, country, and the world at large was also was experiencing. She brings us back further in time through another journaling exercise to 2000, just before the start of the current Winter. When I sat quietly and journaled about this time, I realized that my 18-year marriage had come to a sudden end. As Graham writes, “Winter as a season is inevitable” and it always arrives. 2 

The first phase of Winter is what she describes as the “Gathering Storm,” 3 which is easy to dismiss as a gradual change in temperature, a few snowflakes. She encourages us to prepare for the Winter and not to be complacent and caught off guard. “We can get through Winter the same way our ancestors did: with planning, community, and faith.” 4 She also recommends journaling exercise with questions about our values. “Our values can help guide not just ourselves but those around us as we navigate this season.” 5 This exercise asks us to look at who we are now in this phase of Winter by answering questions on topics such as hospitality, honor, our relationship to the Earth, and how we feel about Pagan values. It was a very interesting exercise and I soon found out in the next section the relevance of the topics. As she cautions, “Remember, we cannot make good decisions about the events to come if we don’t realistically understand our own situation with its vulnerabilities and strengths and receive truthful information about events as they happen.” 6

In the section titled “The Storm Rages”, Graham helps us to prepare for the inevitable storm, including rituals to invoke Athena Strategos (for strength) and Hermes (for effective communication based on clarity and truth). She also asks us to choose what seeds we want to preserve through the Winter to plant in the Spring, not just for us personally but also for our country at large and includes a ritual to save these seeds. She also walks the reader through the process of creating a haven, once again not just for ourselves but also for others who might come to us seeking shelter from the Winter. There was a beautiful rite to Vesta to hallow the house, to protect it, and bless it, that I found quite moving. While the ritual is best done with a community, due to the pandemic I did this alone and found it equally as beautiful and beneficial. I especially like the direction to keep a candle burning (artificial) throughout the night.  

Heroes are needed to get through the Winter, and the final chapter in this section deals with different types of heroes. Graham offers an exercise to determine the type of hero we are based on our temperament. Ideally, we will want to be in a community of heroes who possess different skills and strengths: communicator, warrior, helper, and conservator. The exercise revealed that I am a helper warrior. Graham includes a ritual to make a bracelet to wear as a reminder of our hero skill-type; also recommended is a community-based ritual to help all of us carry out our unique roles depending on our hero-type. 

The final section is “Aftermath”. Jo includes a meditation to help us move from Winter into Spring. Included is a ritual to bring forth the seed we saved and preserved and how to decide how and when to plant it. There is also a ritual to welcome the returning Winter warriors and to honor the departed who did not survive the season. Graham concludes Winter with rituals for invoking Concordia, the daughter of Mars and Venus to “rule our interactions so that the world to come is the best we can make it” 7 and a ritual to banish Discoria, or lawlessness.

Do not expect Winter to be a quick read. I recommend reading each section slowly and engaging in the rituals, exercises, and meditations that call to you. It would have been personally helpful if I had read Graham’s first book, The Great Wheel, to have had an initial fuller understanding of the natural cycle of the Great Wheel. No doubt, the topics covered in the book are heavy, for Winter is not to be trifled with. At times, I found myself depressed, especially in reading that the coming years are those of cataclysm. But it also helped me put into perspective what is happening in the country today in terms of bad communication, unrest, a lack of empathy and civility, a pandemic, and governments turned on their heads. I very much enjoyed that Graham asked me to remember via a journaling exercise that my grandparents and extended family came through the Winter. It left me with hope that “in the early 2030s we will be charting new courses socially, economically, environmentally, and physically. Spring will be fully upon us.” 8

Cosmic Dancer Oracle, by Sedona Soulfire and Tess Whitehurst

Cosmic Dancer Oracle, by Sedona Soulfire and Tess Whitehurst, illustrated by Elinore Eaton
Llewellyn Publications, 0738767107, 44 cards, 148 pages, 2020 

The Cosmic Dancer Oracle by Sedona Soulfire and Tess Whitehurst perfectly captures the soulful integration of mind, body, and soul. This deck is a mixture of radiance and delight, as the cards beautifully show the flow of energy within the relationship between body and spirit. Elinore Eaton, the deck’s illustrator, has magnificently expressed the dynamic rhythm of the movement as a form of self-expression in this illuminating, brightly colored work of art. Working with this deck has been an exciting journey, as it’s invited my body to participate in the process of connecting with the unseen to glimpse the answer I seek and revitalize my spirit.

I’ve always enjoyed exploring my intuition through my body. I actually wrote my thesis on the importance of teaching in a way that promotes one’s kinesthetic intelligence, or the body’s knowing, as a learning tool. This project evolved into me dancing the principles of eco-psychology and documenting the self-reflection process. Countless hours were spent discovering my body’s intelligence, while also researching how impactful dance can be as a form of therapy. It is for this reason that I absolutely adore and appreciate Soulfire and Whitehurst’s intention in creating this deck.

As the introduction states, “Life really is a dance. Sometimes it’s time to sparkle and shine, and sometimes it’s time to retreat and recharge. Some days you’re called to lead, and others you’re called to follow. At times it’s appropriate to improvise, and others call for well-practiced choreography. What’s more, invisible currents of energy and vibration coalesce in ways that create and animate everyone and everything in the Universe (seen and unseen), even the passage of time.” 6 This deck has done a wonderful job of portraying this sentiment visually, while also providing guidance for the reader to use movement to anchor the oracle cards’ messages in their own body.

There are 44 cards in the Cosmic Dancer Oracle, and every single one is unique. The deck truly represents the range of emotions people are able to share through their bodies. Blending cosmic energy and elemental power, the cards offer the reader intuitive images that are sensational visual representations of dancers using movement to embody a sacred oracle message. Truthfully, the artwork on the cards is some of the best I’ve ever seen in an oracle deck. Looking through the deck, each card fills me with the excitement akin to going to a museum exhibition of my favorite artist. Eaton’s imagery activates my psyche and speaks directly to my soul. Some cards make me want to get up and dance, while others help me to honor the need to rest. As I look from card to card, each one’s energy activates both my body and intuition.

The accompanying guidebook is uplifting and straightforward in the guidance offered. Messages affirm the importance of ancestry, offerings, surrender, and creative flow. It feels as though I am receiving a gentle spiritual reminder when reading the message for the cards I’ve pulled that help me to shift my focus towards love, openness, and unity with the current situation I am inquiring about. The guidebook’s messages further help to facilitate connection to one’s body by offering a movement, pose, or dance for every message. I’ve really enjoyed following the guidance and doing this, as I feel like it imparts the cards within into my embody reality.

For instance, the card I pulled today was Clear The Vessel. This was very apt to how I was feeling, as I had just finished deleting emails back to 2018 to do a bit of techno-cleansing to prepare for the new year. The guidebook offered a breathing posture of moving into a stance with my feet shoulder-width apart, extending my arm upward, pressing together my index finger and thumb, and doing rapid breathing. As I did this pose, I instantly felt my energy becoming grounded and excess energy being released through  my body. It made me feel purified, relaxed, and ready to move onto my next task.

Overall, Cosmic Dancer Oracle is a wonderfully intuitive and well-integrated deck. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to add a bit of mystic movement to their life. The artwork is gorgeous and makes it so this deck can be used for oracle reads, meditative visualization, and altar creation. All my readings with the deck thus far have been just what I needed to hear in the moment. This is definitely a deck that’s not going to get dusty, as I’m sure it will be used it frequently.

Year of the Witch, by Temperance Alden

Year of the Witch: Connecting with Nature’s Seasons through Intuitive Magick, by Temperance Alden
Weiser Books, 9781633411876, 224 pages, 2020

Year of the Witch: Connecting with Nature’s Seasons through Intuitive Magick by Temperance Alden is a charming yet quirky little book.  I say little because the book itself is a comfortable, hand-held size with wide pages and margins roomy for note-taking.  It makes the experience of reading it more pleasurable.  I selected it thinking it would be a guide to practicing with the pagan sabbat days, like Beltane and Yule.  It is, but it takes a meandrous journey getting there.  The author’s thesis is that a witch can customize their experience of “the witch’s year” to be an authentic communion with the Earth and not limited to a conceptual celebration of holidays reflecting seasons that do not align with lived experience in one’s locale. 

For example, the author resides in South Florida, and moved there after living in Montana – so her experience of autumn has varied widely.  She wants witches and people exploring a witchcraft practice to feel empowered to claim their own sacred Earth holidays.  Therefore, her personal annual celebration of seasons includes “Shark Season” and “Avocado Harvest.”. 9

Alden makes it clear from the get-go that her aim is for fledgling witches to develop a connection to the Earth and an appreciation for local nature spirits. She goes into great detail towards what this practice entails, beginning with what I found to be the very best explanation of what intuition is that I’ve ever come by (and a message I very much needed to hear):

“The most common questions asked by those beginning their paths of witchcraft usually boil down to a variation on ‘Am I doing this right?’…. These questions often indicate that someone is going too fast down the path…and trying to run before they learn to walk’…. It is necessary to first learn how to distinguish between the voices of anxiety, ego and intuition…. Intuition is the literal gaining of knowledge without any conscious thinking or reasoning.  Intuition hardly ever comes in the form of an impulse. More often it feels like a lazy afternoon breeze flowing through our lives without any effort.”10

In Chapter 2, “Cycles, Seasons, Death and Rebirth,” she talks about hormonal cycles, the cycle of the seasons, cycles in climate, and astrological cycles as well.  Here, the book takes a sharp and unexpected twist when [TRIGGER WARNING] Alden reveals that she does not believe in climate change and cites some academic sources to back up her point of view!!!  This is not what most readers seeking guidance on how to work with earth-based witchcraft are going to expect, and frankly I don’t know what to say about this.  We are all entitled to our opinion on whether the science supporting the actuality of climate change is accurate, but in this book, her opinion stands out like a big yellow caution sign.  Everything else in this book is wonderful (if not a bit divergent at times), but throwing climate change denial at an unsuspecting reader bites a bit.

From there in Chapter 3, “Elemental Magick,” Alden goes on to explain the elements — earth, air, fire, water and spirit — and their role in magic work. In Chapter 4, “Sheparding the Land,” she comes across as a true eco-activist, insisting that students of her magical-methods make it part of their spiritual work to create ways of reducing their footprint on the earth, such as not using single-use plastic water bottles, and buying seasonal produce from farmers instead of shopping big box grocery stores. 11

My only other criticism of Year of the Witch, is that in Chapter 5, “At the Gates of Witchcraft,” Alden deep dives into a rant about being called a “plastic witch.”  She accuses witches who use this term insultingly as spiritually bypassing their privilege.

“I believe the term plastic witchcraft is twofold in its meaning. First ‘being plastic’ refers to being superficial and fake. Second, [it] refers to using plastic products. However, the term itself is very condescending and shows an aggressive amount of spiritual bypassing. [It] allows for more privileged witches to ridicule and scorn less fortunate witches.” 12

For a moment, I forgot I am a 46-year-old woman reading a spiritual book of my chosen belief-system from the comfort of my favorite armchair, and I was transported into my 16-year-old-self up in my bedroom flipping through the latest issue of Sassy Magazine and reading an essay written by the staff intern who just passed Psych 101 with a B+.  All I have to say about that is I think this book aims at a younger audience….

Finally! After all that drama, and through some delightful ideas about creating altars and building spiritual gardens outside, we get to the end of the book where Alden presents the traditional “year of the witch” and explains the eight sacred sabbaths: Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lughnasadh, and Mabon.  For each holiday she goes into traditional lore and a suggested practice for celebrating.  The chapters are brief, but they are well referenced and offer some fun ideas, such as bread-baking recipes to celebrate the harvest feast at Lughnasadh (also called Lammas).

Alden’s ending conclusion in Year of the Witch is that if you are a witch living in a region with a climate differing from the classical four-season year, you can make your own holidays and create your own personalized “year of the witch” to follow.  Adding to the overall charm, she put in a recipe to make your own Florida Water and also for cascarilla powder in the appendix, along with a calendar of all pagan holidays celebrated in different countries around the world.  Overall, this is a fun book!

Astrology’s Higher Octaves, by Greg Bogart, Ph.D.

Astrology’s Higher Octaves: New Dimensions of a Healing Art, by Greg Bogart, Ph.D.
Ibis Press, 9780892541935, 232 pages, November 2020

Astrology’s Higher Octaves: New Dimensions of a Healing Art by Greg Bogart, Ph.D. is a must-read for astrologers! I finished it earlier today, after savoring it over the course of this week, and am still processing all the revelations I’ve had as a result of Bogart’s incredible knowledge and expertise of astrology. While it’s not exactly a linearly progressing book, each chapter has its own theme, I deeply enjoyed reading Bogart’s insight, which he conveys with humility, humor, and profound self-realization.

The content of this book is so utterly refreshing to me because of the unique viewpoints Bogart puts forth about the practice of astrology and all its potential for personal growth, spiritual awakening, and aligned living. By the end, the reader gains an understanding of how astrology can tap us into the imaginal realm and also be the best guide for structuring our daily lives. The multi-facet approach depicts the usefulness of astrology on many levels, offering perspectives that invite an integration of mind, body, and soul as one looks towards the cosmos for answers.

To begin, Bogart describes for the reader his own personal journey that has led him to where he is today. As a therapeutic astrologer, Bogart incorporates psychology with mythic symbolism and astrological timing techniques in order to facilitate healing and stages of development in his client’s life. What really struck me about this is how well Bogart elucidates his methodology and clearly states how he uses astrology to facilitate emotional healing, spiritual growth, and expanded awareness with his clients, which is the primary focus of the next chapter.

Once the methodology is clearly laid out, Bogart bridges therapeutic astrology with dream interpretation. Drawing on the work of Carl Jung, Bogart examines how archetypal energy of the planets is easily expressed in dreams and can help to journey deeper into the mythical experience of working with energy of certain planetary transits. By combining astrology and dreamwork, he helps clients to develop awareness of the unconscious energy within their psyche and in turn have more agency in the co-creative expression and manifestation of these archetypal energies at play in their lives. I personally loved his thoughts on the topic because my entire time in graduate school for depth psychology, I was also studying astrology and directly saw the link between these two fields. I wholeheartedly agree with Bogart as he writes, “In the future I believe the link between astrology and dreams will become a major focus of depth psychology.” 13 Yes, thank you, more please!

From here, the book becomes a bit more grounded and practical as Bogart describes his use of diurnal astrology. This is my only caution about this book: sometimes the material may be over the head of someone just learning astrology. For instance during this whole chapter, Bogart doesn’t explain how one might create their own diurnal chart and for someone who doesn’t fully grasp the transits of planets yet, this section may be a bit advanced. That being said, it was refreshing to read about someone else who lives their life by the stars! Bogart’s explanation of how different plants influencing angular placements in the chart invite different types of energy into the day. He gives all sorts of examples about how the harmony or disharmony of the planets crops up in daily life, and also offers insight on how to best navigate the different energies to find a feeling of flow and alignment with the current moment in time.

In the following chapter, spanning nearly 70 pages and by far the longest in the book, Bogart dives into the topic of vocational astrology. I found this section absolutely fascinating, but that could be my 5-planet 6th house Capricorn stellium speaking, being mercilessly transited by Pluto and squared by Mars in Aries nearly this whole past year. Did I mention Uranus is hanging out in my 10th house? Career stability is something I could use some insight on! All joking aside, this section was truly phenomenal. I appreciate Bogart’s approach because he fills the chapter with dozens of anecdotes and charts for the reader to look at, which really helps with getting a visual for what he’s describing, of both his personal clients and celebrities. Once again, I have to say this section may be over the head for someone who is not familiar with the different planetary aspects (conjunct, opposing, square), but still feel there’s value for even a novice astrologer in this chapter if only to gain an understanding of the premise of vocational astrology. The whole chapter is packed with insight about different models used for assessing one’s vocational type, reference to work of other astrologers who have written on this subject, and in-depth chart analysis.

The book concludes with a chapter on Bogart’s evolving focus on the music of the cosmos, or the sound of astrology. This chapter is simply mind-blowingly amazing. While I’ve read about the harmonics of the universe before, Bogart’s description of how music and astrology can co-evolve together made me perceive the subject in an entirely new way. He writes, “Music and astrology have the power to awaken us to states of consciousness outside the mundane, the profane, to tap our sense of the sacred, our perception of a greater beauty and harmony.” 14 Reading about Bogart’s ideas of weaving together the components of music (tone, rhyme, tempo) with the movement of planets made me wish I could hear the sound of my own natal chart, and I’ve been trying to imagine what it would sound like ever since! I look forward to his new direction and hope it generates a new book sometime down the line. There’s a lot to explore here and all music lovers will appreciate Bogart’s insightful perceptions of link between astrology and sound.

My favorite thing Bogart said in the whole book was about the need to have both structure and improvisation in astrology.

“Rather than just repeating what we’ve read and staying in interpretative ruts, it’s possible to improvise and say something new, bold, and edgy, as long as it’s in alignment with the astrological symbolism. That’s the main parameter — that we stay within the form and that we don’t just make things up. That’s part of the astrologer’s ethical responsibility: to be true to what the planets indicate.”15

All in all, Astrology’s Higher Octaves is a wonderful read for those looking to explore new dimensions of astrology. It teeters on the edge of the field, and gently pushes new boundaries, backed up with a beautiful blend of Bogart’s research and intuition. I was actually so moved by reading this book that I decided to sign up for a year-long program at the Portland School of Astrology, finally taking a leap of faith towards furthering a career in astrology combined with my background in depth psychology due to Bogart’s inspirational writing. I’m excited to see what Bogart has to share in his next book and will certainly be getting a copy of his previously published book Planets in Therapy. He is a wonderful guide for people seeking to explore the realms of psyche and expand their perceptions through astrology to create a meaningful, fulfilling life.

Dreams, by Mary Phelan

Dreams: Exploring uncharted depths of consciousness, by Mary Phelan
Mandrake of Oxford, 1906958985, 240 pages, November 2020

I decided to read Dreams: Exploring uncharted depths of consciousness by Mary Phelan because I’m in the midst of an 8-week course with Robert Moss, a pioneer writer in the field of dreams, and am finding myself seeking other perspectives to supplement what I’m learning. I figured Phelan, who has documented all her dreams for 11 years, might have the insider perspective I was seeking! Reading Dreams, it became very evident that her dedication to analyzing her dreams has yielded impactful information that has assisted her in navigating life’s twists and turns. Luckily, this book offers methodologies for readers to effectively understand the messages of their dreams and the great wisdom they hold for us. It was a wonderful complement to the exercises, activities, and dream-timing I am doing these days.

What stands out most about the content of Dreams is the way Phelan recounts her personal experiences to assist the reader with making their own connections to their internal world. Discussing the content of dreams isn’t alway easy, as it calls for a different type of thinking: the mythic, poetic, and creative side of our brain. Phelan helps the reader to get into this state of mind by referring to the great works of Shakespeare and other artists to awaken this mindset for us. She also refers to the work of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung to illuminate the connection between our subconscious and conscious mind. There is quite a bit of focus on the concept of archetypes and the individuation process, especially as it pertains to fairy tales.

Drawing on examples of ingenuity that were prompted by dreams, such as the invention of the sewing machine, Phelan asserts that success in life comes to those who nurture their ability to discern the subtle prompts of their subconscious. A dream isn’t simply random images that appear in your slumber, it’s a jam-packed reel of scenes, feelings, encounters that when examined can lead to revelations about your waking life. Phelan devotes a good portion of the book to describing imagery, settings, and relationships that occur in dreams to explain their web of possible meanings. She has a wealth of experience to share about how she would interpret a dream and, as a result, was able to capitalize on something in her waking life.

A strong sentiment that Phelan conveys in the book is that one must take action in order for this process of working with dreams to be effective. Yes, most people naturally dream every night, but there’s a whole slew of ways to improve one’s ability to have dreams and successfully recall them. Some examples are getting enough sleep, not eating or exercising too close to bedtime, having an evening routine. It is also vital for one to put in the effort of tracking their dreams, both big and small, in order to be able to track on-going patterns. One way she suggests doing this is by having a dream notebook.

Then the most important step follows: taking action on what the dreams reveal! As much as you are prompted and prodded in your dreams, nothing will actually change or manifest without acting on the knowledge that has come through the dreams. I enjoy this reminder because sometimes I do not take the time to reflect on my dreams, especially on a busy morning. By taking the time to slow down and create an intentional practice, I have already started to be more aware of the content of my dreams and piece together the bits of information I receive while asleep.

The other point Phelan repeatedly brings up in the book, truly more of a warning than assertion, is about keeping one’s dreams secret and only revealing them to a trusted few. I was intrigued by this because I’d never heard any other dream practitioner offer this caution to the dreamer. From what I’ve studied, in certain cultures, such as the Australian Aboriginal, discussing dreams is part of the social bonding. Families will discuss dreams every morning to piece together the information they are receiving to assist the community as a whole by connecting the dots to see a bigger picture, or sometimes messages are sent through the dreamer to share a message with a relative or friend. 16

However, Phelan takes the approach that because dreams contain such sensitive subconscious information, one must be careful who they are shared with. Before sharing your dreams with another, it is worth reflecting on how much of your personal life you are comfortable with this person knowing, and whether they are truly someone you can trust to hold space and respect the content of your dreams. Furthermore, Phelan brings up a wonderful point about how speaking your dreams too soon – before you’ve fully figured out their meaning – can make them confounded with someone else’s interpretation. Above all, Dreams helps the reader to value their own ability to decode the messages of their dreams and respect just how valuable the insight contained within them can be. Thanks to Phelan’s insight, I now can respect and value the aspect of silence regarding dreams and hope to better sense when it is appropriate to share and when it is not.

My only reservation about this book is that at times it can feel a bit scattered. Phelan has packed in so many topics, ranging from the science behind why we dream to the effectiveness of dream catchers to an analysis of the story “Aladdin” that it becomes hard to fully follow along with ease. Sometimes it felt like the book was here, there, and everywhere, with very abrupt transitions from one focus to the next. This may be because I prefer to go deeper into one topic, rather than explore a variety of topics quickly. For instance, there’s a chapter titled “Cosmic Dreams,” which delves into astrology, astral bodies, and aliens, that is followed by “Sleep Disorders and Nightmares,” which describes the phenomenon of sleep paralysis and other sleep disorders. The smorgasbord of it all can feel a bit overwhelming when not in the right headspace to be integrating so much knowledge at once. For those who like to move slowly and really dive into a subject, this book may be too much to handle.

Additionally, although Dreams is meant to empower readers to discern their own meaning of dreams, Phelan shares a lot of personal examples about how she’s interpreted things and not as much insight on how someone can do this for themselves. The amount of archetypal explanations of possible meanings for situations, scenes, and objects in dream described in the book seems like it could steer a reader away from figuring out their own interpretation. I hope new readers are able to use her personal experience as a model without resorting to it in order to draw upon her pre-made associations to interpret their dreams. There is a chart at the end with all types of objects, places, and situations that may appear in one’s dreams. While this tool may be a good starting place, it also seems contradictory to Phelan’s advice to figure out your own personal interpretations because every symbol will have its own meaning based on your personal experience and mindset.

Overall, Dreams: Exploring uncharted depths of consciousness is a candid depiction of Phelan’s journey and process of working with dreams that is a suitable read for beginner or advanced dreamers. It is well-sourced and packed with scientific data, psychology knowledge, and personal experience that offers a strong framework for someone who is seeking to develop their own practice of working with dreams. Phelan effectively conveys how this work can be used for deepening one’s self-knowledge and empowering oneself by getting in touch with the internal guidance of dreams. If you want an overview of all the different facets of dream exploration, this is a good choice because it spans many topics in an introductory fashion that will help you get started in doing your own dream analysis.

The Heart Path Oracle Cards, by Nadine Gordon-Taylor

The Heart Path Oracle Cards, by Nadine Gordon-Taylor
Bear & Company, 1591433903, 53 cards, 128 pages, September 2020

The Heart Path Oracle Cards tell stunning, evocative stories through rich imagery. Nadine Gordon-Taylor, artist and author, offers us the beauty of the natural and the mythic world with incredible technical skill and a visceral understanding of color. Each of these 53 cards holds the galaxy within them.

Gordon-Taylor is able to render exquisite details in a surrealist landscape. Her intimate understanding of the natural world allows this vivid imagery to come alive. The images themselves are portals, offering an initiation into the energy they hold. Each card comes with text that aids you in understanding the transmission of the image if this visual way of understanding the universe is new to you. The visual depth of each card also allows you to put the book aside for your own journey and information to emerge. 

Gordon-Taylor holds an MFA and EdD. She is a classically-trained visual artist. She has a depth of knowledge of both the natural world and the mythological one. The accompanying book offers a vivid description of what is held within the card itself. She includes a channeled message of the card as well as an affirmation to anchor the energy of that card in your body. It is a helpful tool, particularly if you are a beginner in using oracle decks, to deepen your intimacy with yourself and with the more than human world.

I confess, I quickly put aside the booklet, more drawn to the imagery than the writing. As someone who sits with clients regularly, tarot or oracle deck in hand, I found that these cards deepen the divinatory and narrative arc of the reading. They are generous in how they invite you into the mysteries of yourself, of the natural world, of the cosmic and elemental energies swirling around us just waiting to be acknowledged. 

One thing I loved about this deck as I sat with clients is how deftly it moved from the mundane to the inner realms of the heart to the outer realms of the galactic. Each card holds the human-being experience, and how it is that we root into the earth and reach up to the stars. 

As a white person working with a variety of decks, I appreciate in this deck that there are different races and ethnicities as well as some variation in body size.

There are some cards that feel like initiations into the deeper mysteries. Some cards that remind you it gets better. These cards can be an instruction on your spiritual path. “Programming your Highest Intentions” is a card that invites you to use the power of intention to change the reality of your everyday life. There is a playful irreverence to some of the messages. This artist allows vitality and play as a through-line to her work. 

My favorite card, “The Connection” invites you to take deep breaths. A woman-tree at the center of a grove of trees is circled by lambs and her tree family. Above, helping guides offer peace and love. The trees themselves take the shape of a heart. The use of light and shadow brings both grace and soft intensity. It reminds you that you are always held in the nest of the universe. 

The guidebook is practical and accessible as it speaks to these great cosmic archetypes and energies. It is a tool that will meet you where you’re at and invite you to go deeper into what you are seeing and feeling with the imagery. There is a glossary at the back of the book to support you in your growth and learning, if you come to these cards as a beginner. I celebrate the work to take these profound energies and make them accessible. 

Each card is laid out so that the painting fills the majority of the frame. The text of the card gives both title and baseline instruction. Take deep breaths, setting boundaries, manifest your dreams, birthing a new life. In this way, you can be in imaginal space and communion with the card without having to refer to the book. The book will take you deeper if you desire it. For me, the style of writing didn’t land with how I receive and understand information. 

The Heart Path Oracle Cards are truly for anyone who wants help in deepening understanding the messages of love that are offered to us from the unseen world, from the natural world, from our own bodies and hearts. It is a fantastic beginner deck because it delves into profound concepts in accessible ways. For me, this deck inspires me to get outside, to breathe, and to remember my vital, small role in the great organism of the universe. 

7 Ways to Prepare for a Mediumship Reading

I had the most incredible reading with psychic medium Nikki Steward last week. Well, it wasn’t exactly my mediumship reading – I had gotten it for my grandmother as a birthday present and she asked me to be on the call with her. Since my grandmother is well-past 80 years old, many of the people she has loved in her life are on the other side now. I was hoping to give her the opportunity to reconnect with loved ones who have passed on. Most especially, I was hoping she’d hear from my grandfather who passed away 5 years ago, just shy of their 60th wedding anniversary. So, we set the time and date for my grandmother’s birthday.

Believe it or not, the reading happened with me in California doing a three-way call with Nikki and my grandmother, who were both in their own homes in New Jersey. Still, my grandmother’s loved ones were able to come through, eager to chat. The interconnection between our world and the spiritual realm amazes me, and I’m fascinated at how technology was used to facilitate a wonderful reading.

My grandfather didn’t end up coming through, but rather hilariously, my grandmother’s mother dominated the entire hour and hardly let anyone else speak! I guess it makes sense since it was my grandmother’s birthday and she had been the one to bring her into the world. It was a really heartfelt experience because even in the afterlife, my great-grandmother wanted to remind my grandmother how loved and protected she was by our family, both here and in the spirit realm.

The days following this mediumship reading with Nikki (who truly is phenomenal if you want a genuine mediumship experience) got me thinking about what one should do to prepare for a session. I’ve had many over the years and know there are a lot of questions that come up about what goes on during the reading, especially before someone’s first time. As I am often encouraging others to embrace the spiritual side of life, I felt maybe I could write a bit of guidance to help others prepare for their reading.

Every medium has their own style, so their processes will vary, but always remember there’s way you can enhance your time with spirit. Here’s a list of things you can do before your mediumship reading to prepare yourself and make the most of the session.

Begin speaking with your passed-on loved ones a few days before

Mediums have the ability to communicate with the spirit realm, which is a true gift and blessing. Loved ones who have passed are often with us in our daily lives, and they do their best to leave us messages. Some of the most common are pennies on the sidewalk, feathers, and angel numbers. You can speak with your loved ones on the other side any time and they will certainly hear you! This is especially good to do a few days before your reading.

Share your prayers with them, talk to them about your day, invite them into your space. You can let your departed loved ones know soon you’ll be opening a space to commune with them. As you facilitate this connection, you are also awakening your own spirit to be more open and receptive for the time of your reading. 

Make peace with knowing a certain loved one may not come through

Many people seek out a medium hoping to connect with a particular deceased loved one, but mediums cannot guarantee a spirit can come through. There are some mediums who will push for that connection to happen, but most mediums don’t tend to impose their will like that and let clients know ahead of time. In fact, most mediums have a disclaimer that they can’t guarantee they will even be able to make a connection on your behalf.

Don’t worry – this hardly happens! Most of the time, the medium will have spirits lining up to talk with you. Be open to who comes through and you will be pleasantly surprised. For instance, in this past reading, my grandmother’s neighbor had just passed a few weeks before and stopped by to simply say hello and she was doing well, while my grandfather never came through at all. Trust that who comes through during your reading is who you’re meant to talk to that day, so make the most of it.

Do a brush-up on your family history

During your session, the medium is translating images, sensations, and phrases imparted to them by the deceased. The medium will share what they’re receiving but you need to piece it together to help figure it out. Many mediums will describe the way your loved ones passed, things they cherished, or prominent physical features in order to inform you about who is speaking. Remember these spirits are all strangers to the medium describing them to you. You need to be ready to play this game of guess-who.

Speak with your family and friends about your deceased loved ones and recall all their life stories. Yes, your uncle Johnny twice-removed on your father’s side may want to swing by and speak with you. You’ll feel empowered when you can remember he loved the Yankees and died of a heart attack, hence the medium’s pain in her chest as she’s seeing a baseball, to identify him as who you’re communing with. Do your research and you’ll find your reading has a lot less head scratching and “I don’t know.”

Cleanse your home for the spirits to join you

Your medium will be trained in keeping negativity at bay, so this is not something you need to worry about. But you can still create a relaxing, inviting atmosphere for your deceased loved ones in your home. It’s good to take a cleansing bath or shower before your reading, and then follow-up with burning incense, sage, or palo santo to clear any lingering energy. Light candles and respect the sacred connection you’re about to make with your loved ones.

Try to be in a state of openness and receptivity when you begin. You may even want to bake a family favorite as an offering or create a small altar with photographs and relics of the loved ones who have passed on. These objects can help to anchor the spirit in the physical world and enhance the connection for the medium.

Make sure you have a pen and paper handy — and some tissues

You will be feeling all sorts of emotions once the medium begins the reading. Memories of loved ones come rushing back, and you may become very sentimental. It’s common to cry during your reading, as well as laugh at the good times you’ve had. Amidst all the emotions, it’s easy to forget all that was said. Having a pen and paper nearby to jot down things you want to remember is something you’ll be grateful for when you’re reflecting on the reading. Make yourself comfy, have a refreshing drink nearby, and tissues for when the tears start to flow.

Also, it’s important to keep in mind that time isn’t the same in the spiritual realm, and sometimes the messages can come through a bit jumbled. It’s worth detailing everything the medium shares, even the bits that don’t make sense at the time, because something may jog your memory in the days that follow, or speaking with another family member can help you connect what was said. For instance, the medium told my grandmother one man was saying, “Get him some rye on the rocks.” My grandmother had never heard that phrase before, but when she spoke with her sister, she recalled their dad saying the words vividly as a child, which helped my grandmother realize it was her dad speaking then.

Have a list of questions you’d like to ask

Most mediums will ask if you have questions you’d like to ask the spirits toward the end of your reading. Often those who don’t realize they’ll have the ability to ask questions, and not just receive information, don’t make use of this wonderful opportunity. Your departed loved ones can be a source of great wisdom, as they are part of the spiritual world, and can be of huge assistance in guiding you on your path.

Making a list of questions beforehand helps you to not feel put on the spot, which is when your mind often blanks. It’s better to avoid questions related to time such as, “When am I going to get married?” because time moves differently there than in the material realm, though I’m sure you’d get an answer! Some good questions to ask are: how you can strengthen your connection to them, what are signs they are around, and whether they have any spiritual guidance for you. They are more than happy to offer their love and assistance to you.

Create space in your schedule the rest of the day for reflection and integration

After your session, you may still be feeling a bit psychically open and emotional. It’s best to create space in your schedule to be able to reflect on the special time you shared with your deceased loved ones to integrate the experience. If you can make it so you don’t need to immediately tend to practical matters, you’ll be able to rest in the liminal a bit longer and relish the connection you shared with spirit.

You may feel called to offer your gratitude, or go digging for the box of photographs one of your loved ones reminded you of in the attic. Make time to cherish your bond with family and friends who have passed, honoring all the special moments you’ve shared with them while alive and still get to relish together in their afterlife. You will always be connected to the ones you love.

Magical Self-Care for Everyday Life, by Leah Vanderveldt

Magical Self-Care for Everyday Life: Creating your own personal wellness rituals using the Tarot, space-clearing, breath work, high-vibe recipes, and more, by Leah Vanderveldt
CICO Books, 1782498513, 144 pages, March 2020

Magical Self-Care for Everyday Life by Leah Vanderveldt is an amazingly comprehensive book that introduces readers to the myriad of ways that self-care can be practiced in our daily life. Leah has a wealth of experience in this topic as a wellness and nutrition expert. As the founder of The Nourish Exchange and Witchy Wellness, her bio notes that she writes with a “focus on intuitive living, creating healthy recipes, herbalism, and self-care with a mystical twist.”17 This book stretched the bounds of “traditional” self-care recommendation by introducing magic through rituals and energy work.

I purposely chose to read this book during my favorite week of the year, the week between Christmas and the New Year, which for me is a time of quiet and introspection. I absolutely loved this book and savored every moment reading it. Vanderveldt expanded self-care to include mind, body, and spirit, while also reminding us that self-care means different things to all of us. As Vanderveldt explains, “magical living gives us an opportunity to claim our power, make the changes we seek, and create a life that lights us up.”18 I was ready to embrace magical living as I stood on the threshold of a new year. I have been using this time as an opportunity to get clear on my intentions, and so far I’ve tried many of the meditations, rituals, and activities described in the book. 

The book is divided into nine chapters: “embracing the Feminine”; “mirroring nature and the seasons”; “creating a magical home”; “lunar living”; “self-awareness with astrology; connect to your wisdom with Tarot“; “herbs and plant medicines for wellbeing”; “healing with energy flow and movement”; “manifesting and honoring your shadow.” The book is very comprehensive, and each chapter offers details on the topic at hand such as gemstones, moon cycles and phases, magical plants and flower essences.

Each chapter also includes related healthy recipes. For example, the lunar living chapter has a recipe on full moon pasta, the mirroring nature chapter has recipes for a spring equinox bowl and a grilled veggie summer solstice bowl, and the Tarot chapter has a recipe for an Empress breakfast. I am planning on making the Winter Solstice Soup in a few days!

The book closes with helpful reminders such as “taking care of yourself first will help you show up fully for others” and “give yourself the gift of time and space”19 The Resource section offers a chapter-by-chapter list of practitioners and websites. 

Intention, energy work, self-care are the main focus throughout. Vanderveldt encourages us with various rituals and recipes to shift the energy within us and the energy that surrounds us with practices such as healthy eating, astrology, moon work, shifting our thoughts, Tarot, cleansing rituals, attunement with the seasons, and working with plants and stones. The book is extremely sensual, a veritable feast for the senses and the spirit. The recipes and rituals indulge one or more of our senses at various times. The photography is amazing and brings the writing to life.

“Magical self-care is the practice of using rituals and tools that might be considered mystical, witchy, or esoteric to identify and address your needs. It requires being inquisitive, diving deep, and trusting yourself and your instincts. It is a process of self-care that combines the earthy and the spiritual for personal evolution and healing.”20

What I like most about the magical self-care concept was that this is a practice, much like yoga, one that best works when it is ongoing to help us grow and become self-aware. I also loved that Vanderveldt recognizes that often our time commitments are sometimes stretched thin and has created it so most rituals or activities can be done in 30 minutes or less. She purposely chose exercises that were quick, adaptable, and affordable (some of which are relatively inexpensive or free). The recipes to nourish the body and spirit are not intended to be difficult to make.

I appreciated that Vanderveldt recognized that “sometimes self-care looks like not taking any action at all. Or like getting serious about my boundaries. Or just going out with my friends and celebrating life.” 21 There’s no right or wrong. There’s not judgement. Self-care is about self-inquiry and self-awareness and trusting one’s intuition, which Vanderveldt reminds us how it is “not always easy to hear it clearly, especially after decades of not being aware of it or ignoring it.” 22

Vanderveldt encourages the reader to try what rituals or activities resonate with us without the pressure to do every ritual in the book. She does recommend, though, that we do the chosen ritual or activity consistently. I was particularly drawn to creating a magical home and lunar living; again, because these are what I focus on as the new year is birthed. I cleansed my home using the rituals in the book. I did a full moon check-in and release. I tried some Tarot spreads of which I was not familiar: three-care spreads on releasing, asking for guidance, and working with the new moon.  Vanderveldt asks us to take a bird’s eye view of things — to see the larger picture and the higher good — while also encouraging us to literally get into the weeds through working with plants such as dandelions!  

I highly recommend Magical Self-Care for Everyday Life to anyone who wants to incorporate a spiritual self-care practice into their life. But don’t just read the book — use the book, treat it as a companion and engage with it every day. Feel worthy to take time for yourself. As Vanderveldt reminds us, “manifestation is a simple energetic equation, but it can get tripped up when we don’t feel deserving of what we want – we only get what we believe we deserve.”23 Believe that you deserve joy and happiness. Believe that you deserve to make magical self-care a daily practice.

Temporal Experience of Flow

Introduction – Different Experiences of Time

We are all familiar with phrases like “Time flies when you’re having fun,” or the feeling that some activity (e.g. a boring class or meeting) seems like it’s taking forever to finish. These are examples of our subjective perspective of time and how it seems to speed up or slow down under different circumstances. Although these experiences sound odd when compared to the “everyday” perception of time as a uniform succession of events, the feeling that time is sped up or slowed down is undoubtedly common and relatable.

While I do not intend to set down a complete explanation of this phenomenon, I propose that we might be able to understand such experiences by applying a metaphor. Specifically, we could consider our experience of time – especially, the perceived rate at which it “flows” – to be like the effects of time dilation. Perhaps this description is not merely metaphorical, but I leave that judgement up to the reader.

Time Dilation – Just the Basics

I am no expert in physics, and don’t purport to have mastery over the concepts involved, which is why I choose to present this as a metaphorical explanation rather than a straight-forward application of scientific principles. For those who are less familiar with time dilation, the basic idea is there is a difference in the time measured by two observers as a result of a difference in velocity (or gravitational potential) relative to one another. So, if person A is moving at a higher speed compared to person B, it will seem to person A that more time elapsed for person B than the time that elapsed for person A themselves.

Put another way, person A’s watch will record that less time has passed than the time recorded by person B’s watch. However, this effect is miniscule in the context of relative velocities that we are familiar with in everyday life. For this effect to be noticeable in the hard scientific sense, person A would need to be moving at incredible speeds – near or equal to the speed of light.20

The Symbolic Nature of Time

For our purposes here, we’ll not be concerned with what two clocks tell us about the passage of time. Clocks measure time only in the sense that human society has established a certain metric (a system of measurement) and we compare what our personal clocks say (our phone, watch, grandfather clock) to that “objective” metric. That is to say, clocks only measure other clocks. Naturally, through scientific discoveries, we’ve come up with more and more precise ways to calibrate our clocks to one another (e.g. using the rate of decay of atoms).

Yet, achieving higher degrees of precision does not avoid the fundamental point that time – as something that can be measured – is not a feature of the Universe. It is, instead, a symbolic, representational system imposed by humans to effectively coordinate our activities. We can, of course, choose natural phenomena to serve as the basis of that metric (e.g. the decay of atoms, the speed of light, the rotation of the earth, etc.), but the chosen metric is only a reference point for clocks. In no case have we established anything about the flow of time as something we experience.

The Flow State

Let’s return to the opening idea that our experience of the passage of time varies in different contexts. One of the most demonstrative examples of this idea is the “flow experience,” a particular state of consciousness described by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi.24 Again, I will not dig deeply into this intriguing phenomena, but only provide a brief overview of the idea (though I encourage readers to pursue the topic on their own!). In its simplest form, the flow state is characterized by being completely engrossed in your current activity – to the extent that you lose conscious awareness of pretty much everything else: other people, bodily needs, and time.

The person in flow (unintentionally) merges their awareness with their actions to such an extent that self-reflective consciousness is no longer present. Put another way, your attention becomes so focused on the activity that none of your attention is available to put toward other activities, thoughts, or concerns. The do-er and the activity being done become one and the same, with the action-reaction interplay becoming nearly simultaneous and indistinguishable. What’s more, the experience of flow is also described as being intrinsically rewarding – the subjective value of engaging in the activity is potentially limitless.

This analysis of the flow state comes from a psychological lens: what’s going on in the individual’s conscious experience. However, what does this psychological state tell us about the relationship between the person in flow and the world around them? Csíkszentmihályi describes the state of flow as an “optimal” experience. True or not, I’m interested to see what this psychological state indicates about one’s state of being. As an aside, we should not overlook that the experience of flow can’t be reported while it is occurring, as reporting on the state of consciousness would be a self-reflective activity (and thus, the person would no longer be in the flow state). The experience of flow can only be described after the fact, which always comes with complications: memory can be a fickle thing.

Vibration

Returning to the main thread, what is the link between time dilation and flow, or any other instance in which our sense of time doesn’t conform to the “typical” experience of time? My suggestion is that it all has to do with vibration. There are several senses to this word, whether we want to talk about physical phenomena – the vibration of particles and energy – or the more “New-Agey” way we might talk about a person, event, or experience having a higher/lower vibration. I intend to use ‘vibration’ in both senses – after all, words don’t always have to be used with a single, explicit meaning (something we tend to forget as modern English speakers)25. What’s more, the latter sense of the word is at least partially derived from the scientific usage, so the two meanings already have a linguistic connection.

However, the non-scientific meaning of ‘vibration’ also comes from ideas in Indian philosophy and spirituality; Om from Hindu/Vedic and Buddhist traditions is the symbol of cosmic vibration, signifying the fundamental essence of reality. That the entire Universe (and therefore persons, events, etc.) is a confluence of vibrations is a notion that was around long before any scientific ideas about particles and energy. All that to say, let’s not get ourselves stuck by clinging to one, explicit meaning of ‘vibration.’ The core idea that I want to draw on is that our individual experience is in some way constituted by vibrations: our physical bodies could be described as vibrating “wavicles” of energy that are embedded in the larger field of wavicles that is the Cosmos.

Conscious Experience as a Frame of Reference

So, let’s start putting all the pieces together. To reiterate: time dilation occurs when the measurement of time from one frame of reference (or, perspective) does not correspond to the measurement of time in a second frame of reference – this is due to the difference in velocity between the two frames of reference. The difference in velocity usually has to be quite large for this effect to be noticeable when we are measuring time with clocks. But perhaps this does not have to be the case if we consider our frames of reference to be a person’s experience of time: i.e. their individual perspective as a locus of experience.

Thus, if my immediate/direct experience establishes a particular frame of reference, then time dilation could occur when comparing my experience to that of another person.  Either experience could include awareness of time as it is being measured by a clock. Whether this description is strictly metaphorical, or we wish to expand our concept of time dilation to include differing experiences of time, this idea seems to have some fascinating implications. 

Flow: Psychological and Metaphysical

In particular, let’s consider what this could indicate about the state of flow. Earlier I noted that the flow state describes a particular mode of conscious experience. But I suggest that we can expand on that idea. This state of consciousness could be a reflection of the individual’s overall state of being – a metaphysical state – a general idea which is not uncommon to many spiritual, mystical, or philosophical traditions, especially those originating in Asia. The Vedic and Buddhist traditions originating from India, Taoism from China, and many of their offshoots such as Zen all make use of the idea that, in some sense, reality is a manifestation of consciousness.

This metaphysical state is where vibration comes in. When in flow, the person experiences a unity between their actions and the responses from their environment. Put in terms of vibration, the individual as a pattern of vibration has completely merged with the vibration of the Cosmos. The “two” patterns of vibration have merged so seamlessly that the distinction between “the person” and “the environment/Universe” disappears. This description probably sounds familiar to those who’ve studied Taoism, Zen, and other mystic traditions. This is no accident, as the flow state seems to be a (western) psychological perspective of the kind of pure awareness often ascribed to mystical states of consciousness: satori, nirvana, and the like. As such, I cannot claim to be saying anything new or revelatory with regard to flow as a state of consciousness. But I do hope to offer an insight on the shift in temporal experience which seems to occur in such states.

Conclusion – In the Flow State, We See Time Dilate

The final move I wish to make is the suggestion that we can combine the idea of a perspectival frame of reference and this metaphysical state of flow. If we accept the suggestion that a person’s experiential perspective can serve as a frame of reference, we can then ask: what happens when that frame of reference merges with the frame of reference of the (local) Universe?

If the individual’s vibration is in complete harmony with the surrounding vibration of the Cosmos, I suggest that there would be little (or no) experience of time as we would normally describe it: a linear sequence of changes, or something to that effect. In a typical state of consciousness, we are aware of the changes that occur around us – changes considered separate from the consciousness that is aware of them. But when one’s vibration is in tune with the vibration of the Cosmos, consciousness is no longer tracking changes as something happening apart from, or Other than, itself. With this harmony of vibration, there is no resistance to change: no restriction to the flow of the Universe.

Meanwhile, for someone outside the state of flow, consciousness keeps itself involved with tracking the changes in case something “goes wrong” and must be altered, fixed, or corrected. This sort of thinking creates resistance, and so, from that frame of reference, an experience of sequential/linear time.


Thus, the person in the flow state experiences no resistance – their “actions” are indistinguishable from the ever-flowing changes of the Universe. Their experience of time (if it can be called an experience of time at all!) is of the ever-manifesting present, the NOW, the Tao. 26