How Does One Go About Channeling the Divine/Higher Self?

So today I was searching for my Faerie oracle because I could sware up and down I packed it in my carry on luggage or something. Well I still can't find it and I fear I will not be able to properly get my answers without A) Asking the right questions or B) Channeling like I have in the past.

I have no idea how I've been able to do it before and I refuse to believe that my last mentor, Thorn, served as catalyst for my success and it merely means I will not be able to do it again unless within his presence. He expressed that channeling is not something that occurs all the time, rather once in a blue moon, yet when mediums contact the dead they apparently go into trance or they say they are "Channeling". There must be some shred of truth in that sort of statement and if there is, there must be a way to be able to channel possibly at all when it is needed. I can understand having an off day and maybe not being able to do it, but the fact that I've been able to do it and I'm told it's more like rare blessing/gift, I just refuse to believe I can only do it once in a blue one let alone with a catalyst by my side.

Any ideas in regards to this issue would be most appreciated.

P.S. For the record the type of channeling I did was more of the divine nature. Like I tapped into higher knowledge like the Akashic maybe because when I was channeling it was when I was using my tarot cards and the answers or details I got from the cards were clearer due to the channeling I was doing. Not trying to contact the dead or anything like that. Just trying to find a way to possibly do this same thing again with my cards.

well, first i offer blessings, and then my advice.

there is a method of concentrating and invoking th eforces you need to. it is a matter of meditation first, and concentration second. you need to be able to focus on the energy that you are trying to reach. use the Astral itself. it records as an imprint every event that has ever happened. by tapping into your own subconsious memory you can pull out trace of the energy if you have encountered it before. afterwards, just use that and follow it back like a string to the source. pull yourself towards who you are trying to reach, and in teh astral you can converse. this is a sort of reverse-channeling. much safer in my opinion, because you don't open a very wide gate between the veil.

Twi you saw this part right?

P.S. For the record the type of channeling I did was more of the divine nature. Like I tapped into higher knowledge like the Akashic maybe because when I was channeling it was when I was using my tarot cards and the answers or details I got from the cards were clearer due to the channeling I was doing. Not trying to contact the dead or anything like that. Just trying to find a way to possibly do this same thing again with my cards.

that usually discomforts me... :? i don't like to bring things to the material...

*raises a brow* But what I did was more of temporarily channel or tap into the Akashic records then a being. I think you are making this more complicated then it needs to be or is. I really don't think this is hard in the least, but finding the right questions to find the answers to my questions is another thing. :-/

i suppose.... so what you are saying then is that you are simply traversing the Great Library of the Akashic records itself, and not any being that would know the answer? i am sorry, it is just that when i think channel i think of spirits temporarilly possessing you.

There are other forms of channeling my friend not just spirit contact. I was not possessed. I was completely aware of my surroundings and it felt like I was high. It was awesome! XD ^_^ Yes; it is more like I tapped into the great library and was just kind of maybe downloading its knowledge for temporary use. Maybe it's not even that, could be something similar though.

i am just saying that i usually don't think of that as channeling. o.o Delving is my term for tha.

Well Thorn says there is more than one type of channelling. Communing with spirits is one, divine intuition/inspiration is another, and there were like two others he managed to name off.

well, glad that it pays off. ^_^ whatever it is called.

It is cool and very useful, but Thorn feels divine intuition/inspiration should only be a once in a while thing. He tried to make a scenario where if I could use the ability at will, wouldn't that be like raping a muse? I don't know I thought most of the deities up there found some way or another to rape one another now and again...pardon my humor, but it's true. XP Not to mention as I said before, if I don't know whether or not I can do it without him, then how do I know I will ever be able to do it again at all without him as a catalyst.

gotta say, you make a point... O_o;

but anywho, i hope you figure it out.

lol ye-ah me to.

Finally got an excellent response on Paganspace.net:

Lady SpringWolf, D.D. wrote:

"He expressed that channeling is not something that occurs all the time, rather once in a blue moon"

Well I don't want to pooh-pooh your teacher, but I would strongly disagree with this statement. There are many ways for a person to channel, from the simplistic channeling energy for healing, to the complicated trans-channeling. Now while not ever psychic has the ability to trans-channel, those that do can channel at will.

There are many people who have their own ideas about channeling and how it works. But through my own research, knowledge and experiences I can tell you what I know/believe. I have articles on my site that go into some of this in greater detail, so I'll include links for those concepts.

Everyone is psychic to some degree, some people are just more in-tune with that side of their mind-body-spirit connection. These gifts are really abilities and like all abilities, some are stronger than others. This gives the impression that the psychic ability is a "gift" rather than a common ability or sense that everyone has. There are different types of psychic abilities, and different forms of channeling.
Psychic Gifts @ paganspath.com/meta/psychic.htm

Our psychic connection is part of our consciousness. By that I mean it is part of the levels of the consciousness and the connections between each level. In the simplest of terms, we are made up of 4 levels of being.
1. The physical being - governed by the physical mind - this is our consciousness
2. The soul being - governed by the soul mind - this is our subconsciousness
3. The spiritual being - governed by the spirit mind - this is our super consciousness
4. The Divine Consciousness - governed by the Divine mind
The Conscious Minds @ paganspath.com/meta/theminds.htm

Meditation is the way we build the bridge between our conscious (physical mind) and subconscious (spiritual mind) and super-conscious (Divine Self) and the Divine consciousness. By making this connection stronger and stronger each time you meditate, you are establishing a permanent bridge between these levels of the mind.
How To Meditate @ paganspath.com/meta/medhow.htm

Contrary to popular belief, not everyone can tap into your Akashic records. These are pretty sacred folders that hold the very essence of who you are as a spiritual being and as a physical human. So there is a great responsibility given to the individuals who can tap into that information. These records are the most important piece of your soul and access to them is granted to the person them self, or to a few channels who have proven their understanding and acceptance of the responsibility, even accountability.

Ok so what does all that mean?
In order to tap into your higher consciousness you only need to bridge the gap. Through meditation you can visualize yourself walking across a bridge from one area of your consciousness to the next. You can visualize walking up a staircase and entering your spiritual sanctuary as a means to raise your consciousness to the next level. There are as many ways to bridge the gap within meditation as there are people on the planet. The key is finding a method that works for you and then to stick to it and practice it on a regular basis.

Over time you will be able to establish a connection when and where ever you want to. You will be able to stand in the middle of a room and move your consciousness up to your Super Conscious Self/The Spirit Mind where you hold the ability to connection or bridge to the greater Universal Divine Spirit and knowledge. You can ask questions of the Divine Spirit for yourself, or tap into energy that you can pull through your physical body and channel it to someone who needs healing.

There's another article on my site that talks a little about how we all can connect to the Divine. It's not specifically about that topic, but for some reason I feel someone telling me to include it here. It's called Meditation, Energy and Action and I personally think it's the most important article on my site. You'll find it @ paganspath.com/meta/m-e-a.htm

I hope this gives you some ideas, or at least inspirations for creating your own methods/thoughts about channeling and connecting to the Divine.

Many Blessings,
Spring

huh... o.o that was a more than interesting read, to be sure! hmm.... it makes me think about alot, including how focused i am... perhaps i should take a time to myself to do this...

Keep in mind that is just one persons perspective on it. Each persons paradigm is different and is no less accurate, in my opinion.

i guess so. ^_^ after all, no knowledge is wasted knowledge.

Poisoned Spoon of Paganspace.net wrote:

There are ecstatic rituals that also do this through chanting and dance.

~*Spoon*~

Some people recommended yes, dancing and here is yet another testimonial if you will.

Celticlass of Paganspace.net wrote:

When I dance,it connects me to my roots,different type of dancing can have a different effect,however. when I am dancing around the balefire,with the drums,I literally AM back in the Scottish Highlands doing what i believe my ancestors did. I feel it. when i bellydance,I feel the energy radiate out from the center. When I just get down and dance wildly,it is a letting go of negative energies. When I dance to some of the jazz an modern pieces,especially to the music from Braveheart,I have choregraphed,I can almost transcend to another plane,you see? Very ritualistic and empowering.

I can agree. Dancing definitely puts me in a wonderful mood. If I remember correctly some monks dance before meditation because it adds in the meditative process.

Typically people go out of their way to try and find the astral library known as the Akashic Records.

By the Beat of my own Drum of Paganspace.net wrote:

"These records are the most important piece of your soul and access to them is granted to the person them self, or to a few channels who have proven their understanding and acceptance of the responsibility, even accountability."

In my experience that which one calls the Akashic Records is more metaphorical than literal. When I am in such states I find I have a simple and undeniable answer to whatever the querry. However I do not puruse the racks of some lost astral library...I simply feel it. That does not make me all knowing for these states are rare and I often am at a peace of mind that I am quite unable to question myself usually. As a result it is only in response to others questions. And never on cue. And though there is most certainly a fair amount of practice before this began to happen...noone granted anything...I simply fell into a state while already engaged in a mystical mindset...usually tied to my practice.

This was a response in regards to the Akashic Records being mentioned.

Lady SpringWolf, D.D. of Paganspace.net wrote:

There are just as many ways to view the Akashic as there are ways to think of what they are. Whither they're files, books or some other metaphorical energy that we can't put a name to. When talking about them to someone who is learning, it's helpful to put them, or any spiritual subject in a context that can make sense or be related to. The visual concept is nothing more than a mechanism that helps an individual reach the desired destination in a way that makes sense to the person. Once someone has a concept to work with and practice they will develop a 'sense' of knowingness. In other words, they will simply "feel it".

Again there are many different types of channels. It's not something that is bestowed upon someone. But just not everyone can be a brain surgeon, not everyone has the aptitude for channeling. I don't think this is an ability that is "granted", I think it's one that is earned and earned over time, and probably lifetimes.

Each person is different and each person has their own way of connecting to higher consciousness and spirit than the next. What is true for one person, may not be the same experience for another. For some, like myself, I can tap into the necessary information for myself or for another on cue. When I'm giving a lecture, 80% of the time I don't remember what I have said after it's over primarily because I've channeled the information. I may remember glimpses, but there will be gaps in what I remember. This is normal for me, and a few other channels I know; but it's not normal for everyone.

If I'm giving a trance channeled reading for a client, I will not remember the session at all. I will be aware of the beginning of the session and the end, but once a guide steps forward and speaks with the client, the "I" part of the self is not aware of whats going on.

This was my response to Spring's comment:
That's a bit strange to me considering when I was channeling I was still relatively aware and conscious. In fact it kind of felt like an awesome "High" and I'm clean and I was sober. What are your thoughts on that Springwolf?

Lady SpringWolf, D.D. of Paganspace.net wrote:

Let me start by saying, I don't drink or do drugs. Sometime we can share drinking stories, my is short and involves moonshine. ;-) But what I'm talking about here is not part of an altered state through mind altering drugs or some form of drinking. In fact, it doesn't really work if you're not clean and sober.

In my experience there are 3 levels of consciousness when channeling. Well let me preface this by saying all channels control and instigate the channeling session. I know of no ethical person who just falls into a channeling state and has no control over when or where it happens. I guess it's possible, but I personally don't know of this ever happening. What we're talking about here is 'willed' communication.

The most common is conscious channeling, when a person connects with divine energy and can channel it through their body to a client for healing; or provide information for a reading. Such as being a Clairaudient and hearing spirit talk to you, then delivering the message you "feel" you hear. This is a common method of channeling spirit. It's a little more than a psychic using a tool to give you a message; as this form of reading requires direct contact with a spiritual being.

..let me back up.. A psychic cannot tell you the future. All they can do is pick up on energy patterns that have already been put into place by your choices and those decisions of other people involved. If those patterns are not changed, there is a probable outcome. A psychic will pick up on this energy and interpret what they "see", "feel" or "hear" about that pattern of energy. Sometimes the problem lies in the fact that a person is interpreting the message and their own ego, or their own previous experiences can interpret the wrong message. This can happen through a psychic reading or a direct conscious channeled reading. (I'm not saying it happens all the time and these types of readings are unreliable, don't get that idea. Just that there's a potential and the level of experience and knowledge of the channel should be taken into consideration). The ideal situation is to move the conscious thoughts out of the way. I hate to put it this way, but a simplistic view is; you want to move out of the way for 'pure' communication.

One of the ways to do that is through the second type of channeling. Sub-conscious channeling or what some call semi-trance channeling. This is the type of channeling I primarily do. There are many people who learn to do this, and in my experience we have very similar experiences. We enter into an altered and very deep state of awareness, we consciously make a connection with a spirit guide, either our own guide or the guide of a client we're reading for. The deeper one goes into the altered state, the more the conscious mind moves out of the way and the super consciousness steps forward. In some ways this is ideal as it moves your ego and personal perspectives out of the way, allowing your super consciousness to deliver information without screwing up the message. In this state, the channel is both "here" and not "here". Each person is different, but most people I know, including myself, remember the physical things; where we are, where we're sitting, who is around and what is physically going on during the session. But our 'ego' is so far out of the way that we don't remember what is being said. As if the spirit is using our physical body to speak the words they want delivered.

When I'm in this state, I feel very uplifted physically, as if I am outside my body floating over the scene. Which maybe why we remember the physical things; because we're watching them from an astral projection type of consciousness. But I also feel someone/thing holding my throat from the inside, as if they are manipulating my throat/voice box to speak. It's not like being choked (I know what that feels like), it's a totally different feeling and you really feel the pressure from the inside of your throat.

Additionally I've had clients tell me that when I reach this state, and I've seen this in others, the facial features of the channel seem to change. Well that's not right, it's more like seeing someone else's face on top or super imposed on the channel's face. In my case, people describe seeing a dark haired Native American woman. I'm blond with fair Irish skin. Ok..I'm a bottle blond but let's just thank Ms. Clarol and move on. The description of what people see sounds exactly like my personal Spirit Guide.

The next type of channeling is full trance channeling, where a channel goes into a trance and a spirit guide enters the body and manipulates the physical body to directly communicate with a client; or whoever. If you've ever seen the made for TV Movie with Shirley MacClaine "Out on a Limb" she is provided a reading by a trance channel who comes to her house. Another example is JZ Knight who trance channels Ramtha. And the most famous trance channel is Edgar Cayce, who is known as the Sleeping Prophet. If you haven't heard of him you might check out the Association of Research and Enlightenment, which is located in Va. Beach (www.edgarcayce.org).

All the trans-channels I know, never remember the session. Of course I can't speak for everyone, only myself and those I know personally. We each seem to experience the same thing. As we fall into a deep meditation, we astral project and have no idea what's going on back there with our physical body. It's important to note that a trance channel will never conduct this type of session unless someone they know and trust is present to "protect" their physical being while they are in trance. After a trance channeling session, one feels a little disoriented. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes to feel full aware or "back here" so to speak.

There are many 'famous' examples; but even more non-famous trance channels. If you're interested in this type of channeling there's a good book you might like to check out. "Open To Channel" by Sonya Roman & Duane Parker (HJ Karmer, Inc. 1987).

Hope that helps.

By the Beat of my own Drum of Paganspace.net wrote:

I don't use mind altering drugs....outside of ciggerettes...which I do not do when I am 'Channeling' the collective. I do not nor have I ever channeled a 'being' ghost spirit avatar higher self spirit guide...whatever. I always remember the session but feel that the info is being provided and guided from beyond myself, yet I could assert concious control and omit or change such things would weaken the bond. Further, I do not interpret...ever. I have predicted future events in perfect detail....though rare as this maybe. I am more often precognitive on my own without entering such states. My conciousness feels displaced but not removed...sure I get a floaty feeling and my conciousness feels like a knot at the back of the top of my head but I am still there....judging evaluating...holding back. I do not hear spirits...not ever...wish I could...though I feel them and can empathically pull info from them and on occasion, as the spirit desires, allow them to steer me to where they need me...but I still control my body...have never been able to lose conciousness or physical control to anything other than myself. Not sure it is even possible....though I have tried. I have never seen anyone with a different face...but my mannerisms become calm and remote...my eyes dialate...a lot...and my voice has more bass and command...command without ego or desire. Just replying to the above post....I know this must be damn near unreadable.

This was my response to what Beat said:
Beat it sounds like you and I have something in common when we channel. This is how I have felt and how I feel when I do channel the collective as you call it.

The next excerpt had some good suggestions on how to possibly raise your personal vibrations for energy work, possibly astral projection, etc.

Fenyx of Paganspace.net wrote:

meditation, slowing your brain to where you aren't thinking but allowing your subconscious to filter through... I use a lot of meditation! I also feel that energy flows better if I am eating healthier which leads to me feeling more energies...

when you are feeling sick, your inner vibrations lower, but a healthy body vibrates on a higher scale. Divinity is on a higher scale. My suggestion is using chants or mantras to raise your vibrations within your body and maybe channeling will be easier for you!

I hope this helps and doesn't sound like mindless babble!

This was a decent post but I had difficulty translating some of it. To me it didn't offer me with too many ideas except toward the end.

Lara of Paganspace.net wrote:

Listening helps, so does journal writing & time scheduled meditations.. A desire to channel for your highest good and potential along with a point of focus, giving the universal mind a wave to travel upon so to speak works well too.. Perhaps thats why your original use of the tarot worked for you.. Whilst focusing upon the deck, so to speak so too was your channel, & the energies flowing through connecting with your consciousness added to your questioning thoughts as your mind's eye daydreamed so to speak upon the images of the deck layed out before you.. safe & sound with a mutual reason for being one mind/body/spirit..
Another useful way to develop your desired state, is to imagine via visulization a rock solid being that you trust as you would a dear friend, becoming intimate with them & treat them as you would a being worthy of love, beauty, peace and above all else respect & safty.. You would stand gaurd before them, protecting them from the ugliness & cruel behaviours of this world.. And therin begins your greatest teacher.. You.. through which by developing this sense within you opens your channel in your four lower bodies, through which the All knowing flows, albiet enters.. Ask away with intent & at times offer to be of service for the highest good of all concerned.. Great moments of creative thought have been sparked through the channeled energies of spirit/mind/body inspiring us all in infinite ways, the possibilities are limitless.. Great works like books, artistry, healing modalities, insights on world changes, & more / or moments of quite reflection & personal development in knowing thy self stem from our relationship with our inner being & our external being-ness in the world of manifesting matter.. Some will share in perceptions whilst suttle difference are sighted shaping ways to balance & unite our world peacefully.. Some will lean towards real events & issues that spark journeys to educate & free soul poverty, but you get to be the activist not the puppet, by your free will clause
Do what feels natural & comfortable, what you seek will guide you as you walk your path, & like anything we apply ourselves to, be honest with yourself and practise discernment taking responsibility of what you experience and how you process and share that information..

Also.. Hindsight Is a wonderful thing the closer we move into higher dimensions the less time we have to reflect, so make good use of our time wheels the stillness & the movement.. Don't forget to wing it sometimes trusting the natural process of your life & that what you really need in this life will be placed in your path, time & time again..
A joyous space IS a channel space, octaves albiet singing, chanting help open the way to voiceing & holding vibrations known as channeling.. blah blah-respectfully

Your awesome! you have a beautiful vibration.. Gentle is not a weakness, dearheart...
Blessings as you journey forth.. Lara..

sounds like alot of info. o.o

What you didn't get that from the two posts? lol XD Or was that the joke? O.O?

*shrugs.* i'm loopy from sickness. it has been blazing summer-hot outside last week, and the past so many days have been nothing but thunderstorms.