How do you connect with your Ancestors and Spirit Guides?

Snake Charmer by Kathy Crabbe

Dear Moon Muser,

How do you connect with your ancestors and spirit guides?
I do this for a living, but still find it difficult to do for myself! I’ve included some tips below.

Why Nude Aliens?
Painting is a way I bring spirituality, ancestors, magick and ritual into my life.

Right now I’m being guided to paint nudes. Nudes with alien heads! (drawn with my non dominant hand, of course) and animals, plants and words chosen intuitively (randomly?) from 4 different sources.

This is how I welcome intuition into my work. I open the doors to the Other Realms and invite them in to share their magickal synchronicities.

How can you apply this to your own life?
By recognizing when a coincidence is more than a coincidence and instead points to a synchronicity connecting you to your path, your guides, your inner compass.

How can you welcome more of this kind of knowing into your life?
By allowing it. Recognizing it. Accepting it. Trusting it. It may not make a lot of sense at first, but that is how the non rational, intuitive brain often communicates.

For example, to write this blog I asked my ancestors for help. My paternal grandmother came through the loudest. She cut out a star for me and helped me paint my eyelids blue which may sound bizarre, but this helped me recognize my own starring role and the need to acknowledge it. The blue eyelids helped me understand that I connect with these watery, Piscean, under water realms of emotion and dreams to help guide others in accessing their own hidden gifts.

Create a Dream Journal
If you need help, try starting a dream journal and recording your dreams and any symbols and signs that come your way. Share your feelings about these findings so you’ll know what headspace you were in when they appeared and then watch and learn, be open, and allow spirit into your life. Make sure to say an affirmation or prayer for protection as well.

If you need more help with any of this please contact me for a soul reading, or for ongoing soul support.

Sparkly Blessings!
Kathy Crabbe

How To Develop Your Psychic and Intuitive Abilities

This blog post was written a while ago in response to a question from a client and I’ve just updated it.

Andrea’s Question: "Do you have any recommendations about how one should go about furthering their psychic abilities? I've read tarot cards on and off, and seem to have a knack, and then of course there's my natural ability to "read" people. But not necessarily with dates & times and all that predictive stuff."

My Response: I personally like to learn experientially in a hands-on fashion, but my very earliest experiences with the intuitive realms involved private exploration of dreams and dream journaling, astrology, tarot and paganism. I began learning about these things in my early teens and have gone on to develop my natural intuitive abilities (which we all have) with the help of teachers, through group classes, workshops, lectures, books and private sessions with healers and intuitive guides.

Dreams

I started out by working with my dreams and recommend keeping a dream journal by your bed where you can record dreams when you wake up or by setting an alarm clock to wake yourself up at an odd hour to facilitate dream remembrance. Significant dreams will stay with you and resonate for years to come and you will begin to know which dreams are significant with practice. You can also work with lucid dreaming or by asking yourself a question before falling asleep and requesting that the answer come to you in a dream. Often dreams will allow you to re-connect with deceased friends or relatives and sometimes you may astro travel as well.

Update: Now that I’ve been dream journalling for so long I don’t like to request dream guidance very often because I often find that it disrupts my sleep. But sometimes on special occasions (significant moon phases/equinoxes etc) I will.

Recommended books: “Symbols for Self Understanding” by Betty Bethard

Astrology

There is much more to astrology than just your sun sign (determined by the day you were born.) Becoming involved with the study of the planets and stars will expand your awareness on a universal level connecting you with the bigger picture crossing generations and even universes. My own studies in metaphysics began with dreams, which led to astrology.

Recommended books: “The Only Way To Learn Astrology” (6 Volumes) by Marion March & Joan McEvers, “Planets in Transit” by Robert Hand, “Astrology for the Soul” by Jan Spiller, “The Liquid Light of Sex” by Barbara Hand Clow, “The Changing Sky” by Steven Forrest
Recommended magazine: “The Mountain Astrologer”
Recommended authors & teachers: Steven Forrest, Barbara Hand Clow

Tarot

Tarot decks are a whole world onto themselves and can involve you in an ancient study of images and symbols with mysterious origins. Working with tarot cards has allowed me to access the many realms depicted in the cards. By working with a Pre-Celtic Shamanistic deck called “The Greenwood Deck” I first encountered one of my main spirit guides while meditating upon the Ancestor card.

Update: I’ve self published 3 oracle decks (as of 2020). Oracle Decks also help to stimulate our intuition connecting us with universal archetypes. I prefer to create oracle decks because I can create my own system rather than working within an established system such as the Tarot.

Recommended books: “Tarot For Yourself” by Mary K. Greer

Paganism
& Goddess Worship

I became involved with the study of paganism and ancient goddess religions when I was at university taking a Women’s Studies class. On a more personal level I was first introduced to this topic by a male friend of mine who liked to dress up as Pan on Halloween. I have attended several goddess groups and pagan rituals but prefer to practice my own solitary, eclectic and personal blend of reverence for Mother Earth.

Update: Currently I work within the tradition of Third Road Celtic Faerie Shamanism and was initiated into this tradition in 2017 by Francesca De Grandis.

Recommended books:”The Language of the Goddess” by Marija Gimbutas (archaeology), “The Motherpeace Tarot” deck and book by Vicki Noble, “The Book of Goddesses & Heroines” by Patricia Monaghan, “Be A Goddess” by Francesca De Grandis.

Recommended authors, teachers & leaders: Starhawk, Szusanna Budapest, COG (Covenant of the Goddess), Francesca De Grandis

Upcoming posts will delve into: shamanism, energy healing, herbs, mediumship, crystal healing, channeling, psychic work, meditation, yoga and past life regression.

To read more posts about My Psychic Background please click here and for Psychic Development please click here.

About Kathy Crabbe

I’ve been an artist and astrologer forever and a soul reader since awakening my intuitive gifts while painting with my non-dominant left hand. I’m here on this planet to be of service. My Lefty Oracle, Elfin Ally Oracle, and Zodiac Goddess Power decks can help awaken your intuition and creativity and my readings heal and guide. I am proud to have my work featured in women-centric places such as We’Moon Datebook, Women’s Museum of California and Sage Woman Magazine. I write for Witches and Pagans, belong to Hey Grrrl Collective and teach a Divine Feminine eClass at Wise Woman University. I make my home in Southern California with two pooches and architect partner, Mark in an adobe style home we built ourselves.

Break Free: How to Be More Present and Enjoy Life!

This Cancer Full Moon (Jan. 12) was an emotional breakthrough moon for me. The theme that came through was BREAK FREE. How about for you?

Breaking free from social media's time sucking and time wasting was a biggie and it was also my first bargain with the Divine. Bargain Number Two (for this week) is to be the greatest artist I can be without doubt and fear as I give myself fully to the Divine.

I began by stopping my incessant checking of the Instagram feed and this has pretty much stopped me from going on it at all, other than to posta pic or two to go with my blog and at the new and full moon for my museletter..

Next I looked at all my dreams in my dream journal from 2012 until now and then put together a list of creatively soulful things about myself and my work. Here's my list:

• I create power objects and talismans.
• I create artists' books.
• I paint custom portraits.
• I challenge the status quo.
• I paint in many styles.
• I paint large (48"x48"), circular, layered, Japanese inspired paintings with clouds and trees.
• I do not sell my own art; galleries/stores do that for me.
• I give phone readings.
• I teach a watercolor class called, "Painting for Relaxation."
• My artwork sells out quickly at galleries and home decor stores.
• I'm a writer and illustrator.
• I work in a large industrial live/work space surrounded by other creatives, but also have a quiet space for spiritual work.

So far I'm taking my own advice: "Awaken Your Intuition".- see the tagline on my site? Well, I'm living it. Plus, I do most of the things above already although there are a few I long for: the live/work artist's community and selling out at galleries.

I can tell you that so far, cutting out all this social media and leaving behind fear and doubt so I can fully be the amazing artist I am has helped me be more present and it's simplified everything.  I have more time for me, my loved ones, my friends and in nature. Time that isn't co-opted by social media and being ON 24/7. I'm having more fun and enjoying life more. WHEW! How about you?  Why not make a bargain with the Divine right now?

More articles on addiction to social media can be found here.

Break Thru by Kathy Crabbe. Space Twins Story, Gouache in sketchbook, 2017.

I'll be posting more paintings like the one above here on my blog so please check this category to keep tabs: Space Twins Story.

To help yourself be more present and go more deeply into your own life please check out my Soul Readings, Past Life Readings and Astro Reports here.

Want to see what your Spirit Animal looks like? Then commission me to paint your portrait along with your Spirit Animal here.