Table Of Content© Sarah O’ Brien
About the Author
Alexandra Chauran is a second-generation fortuneteller, a third degree elder
High Priestess of British Traditional Wicca, and the Queen of a coven. As a
professional psychic intuitive for over a decade, she serves thousands of clients
in the Seattle area and globally through her website. She is certified in tarot and
has been interviewed on National Public Radio and other major media outlets.
Alexandra is currently pursuing a doctoral degree, lives in Issaquah,
Washington, and can be found online at EarthShod.com.
Llewellyn Publications
Woodbury, Minnesota
Contents
Introduction
Part One:
Environment Part Two:
Body
Part Three:
Mind Part Four:
Prayer Part Five:
Getting in Touch with
the Divine Feminine Part Six:
Getting in Touch with
the Divine Masculine Part Seven:
Infusing Spirit in
Your Everyday Life Part Eight:
Connecting with Spirit During
Challenges, Milestones,
and Rites of Passage Part Nine:
Your Own Faith Part Ten:
Fellowship Bibliography
This book is dedicated to Spirit in all its expressions.
May my work be worthy of you.
Introduction
Perhaps you’ve always been a seeker, asking probing questions of anyone who
seemed to have their religious life all put together. Or maybe you’re just starting
to wonder about a higher power or higher powers in the universe that might offer
you confidence, comfort, success, or other blessings. No matter what you pursue
in life, be it financial stability or wealth, true love with a soul mate, family
harmony, or physical bliss, something will always be missing if you don’t also
search for a way to get in touch with Spirit. Conversely, even if you live a simple
life in solitude, you can feel fulfilled with a richness of Spirit.
What Is Spirit?
Spirit, in the context of this book, represents a source of spiritual inspiration, a
well of energy and love from which you can draw and inform your life. Spirit is
available and accessible to people of all faith traditions and can be
conceptualized in many different ways. It is okay if you don’t know what you
believe or understand about Spirit at this point in time. Throughout the course of
this book, you will grow to feel more comfortable and at home with your idea of
Spirit the way you might feel in a worn pair of jeans that feels just right. For
now, be aware that there are many ways that people conceptualize Spirit. For the
purposes of this book, Spirit can include the following contexts:
God or gods—The idea of god encompasses many religions. God can be
immanent, right here on earth, or transcendent, existing on another higher
plane. God can be a single source or there might be many gods. God can be
unknowable or an intimate friend.
Goddess or goddesses—The divine feminine can also be a single diamond
with many facets or there could be many goddesses that populate the human
experience. She could be creation itself or the mighty essence of love and
fertile new beginnings. She can work with a consort or alone.
Universe—For those who steer entirely away from the anthropomorphism of
deity, Spirit can be that abundance out there in the universe just waiting to be
poured out as blessings. The universe is filled with life and death, mystery,
energy, and untold wonder, which can form the concept of Spirit.
Higher Self—For many, the concept of Spirit is a human construct and resides
entirely within an individual’s heart, mind, or soul. Spirit can be the best and
wisest part of yourself, and Spirit can be that spark we see in the eyes of
others we meet that encourages us to feel compassion.
My Case in Point
Of course, though Spirit is for everyone, my concept of Spirit is my own. It is
my hope that I can guide you to discover your own personal connection with
Spirit, whatever that might mean to you. I’ve always been a spiritual seeker
myself, drawn to reach out to Spirit and to understand how others explore Spirit.
As a child I was highly spiritual, and as a young adult I was given to gentle
debate about Spirit. I never shy away from participating in the faith traditions of
others, trying to understand how the eyes of others see each path. I’ve
participated in varied local religious services from Salah with Muslims to a
Vodou ceremony. I’m the person who always invites the witnessing Mormon,
Jehovah’s Witness, and Bahá’í missionaries to come in for tea, making my home
a center for spiritual discussion.
I went back to school at the University of Washington to study Clinical
Pastoral Education to act as an interfaith chaplain at Harborview Medical Center
and the University of Washington Medical Center, helping people of all faith
traditions confront jarring tragedies and end-of-life issues. I like to help others
tackle issues with Spirit intellectually, emotionally, and on the front lines, in the
trenches of real-life experience, which inspired me to write this book as a guide
to all the perpetual seekers out there. I was particularly inspired by good friends
of mine who envy those who do have a close connection with Spirit. I wanted to
find a key to the door of belief for those who are doubtful but willing.
How to Use this Book
This book is organized so that each day should be read in succession, and with
exercises also practiced in order. Some skills build upon each other, so skipping
some exercises could make future ones more difficult to perform. In some cases,
I have organized parts of this book so that your beliefs and understandings
inform your practice, and in other cases I’ve purposely switched the order so that
you must first gain experience in order to populate your belief system with new
ideas.
Though you shouldn’t skip around until you’ve worked through the entire
book in order, it is okay to slow down and spread the days out over a week or
more. Just please try not to rush through several days’ work in one day. This
isn’t a school assignment, and reading this book isn’t like cramming for a test.
You’ll need time to digest the material inwardly, even though it is simple, so that
you can integrate it into your life. Finally, remember that this entire book can be
repeated over again. Your relationship with Spirit will change over time as you
move through the phases of your life and your adopted roles in our culture. The
key word here is “relationship.” As you move through this book, remember that
you are getting to know Spirit rather than turning on a lightbulb. Give yourself
some slack and some serious kudos for your efforts.
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