Connection.  Community.  These words have a new meaning for most of us due to the changes this pandemic has brought.  For many, 2020 has brought unexpected obstacles to connecting with friends, colleagues, and loved ones as well as to the larger community.  The world has also seen more global upheaval and movements towards the renegotiation of power.  Many people are experiencing transformations in positive ways of course, and I hope you are too.  Most people are experiencing some degree of increased isolation or loss, even if it is simply not seeing coworkers or being able to attend live music events.  Others have experienced bigger losses and changes as the human race enters a cycle of transformation.
 
Video chatting with a loved one is the next best thing to an in-person visit, but sometimes socially-distanced visits or video chats are not possible.  Even if you are able to video chat, it still pales in comparison to a hug or exchange face-to-face, possibly leaving one to feel disconnected, isolated, and cut-off from the world.  Isolation can lead to other problems, such as decreased energy, depression, and, of course, loneliness.
 
This past month, as I have been working on a video series called Intuition 101, it occurred to me how amazingly helpful our intuition can be right now.  Have you ever just known something was happening to a friend and felt an urge to contact him/her, then you called or texted this friend to find out they were indeed in trouble?  We are all connected in a mystical way, truly, and using our natural intuition (which everyone possesses) intentionally can provide more doorways of connection when are usual options are “altered”.  
 
So how do we connect with each other intuitively?  First of all, keep in mind we are already all connected on some level in spirit.  Just consciously reminding yourself of this can help you become more likely to have more of these experiences.  Here are some tips for using your natural 6th sense.  Of course, if you are already in touch with your intuitive abilities, these will be easier, but anyone can use these and develop them.  (Also, check in with yourself about the boundaries with any of these exercises.  Do what feels right and comfortable to you).
 

1. Send love or healing to someone in the Dream Time: Set your intention (also known as “incubating a dream”) to send them love in your dreams.  Dreams are a portal to multidimensional parts of ourselves and the collective, and can be a mystical and lovely way to connect with a loved one or friend.  Set this intention - better yet - write it down.  Visualize sending love to him/her in your dream, and how it will feel.  Repeat your intention as you fall asleep.  Afterwards, ask your loved one if they had any dreams or mysterious synchronicities involving you.  It is not uncommon!  If you both want to try using dreams to connect, you can incubate a shared dream by both intending to meet in the dream world on a particular night.  Report your results to each other in the morning!  Be sure you are checking in with each other about the boundaries with shared dreams, and make sure everyone feels comfortable trying it.  In my experience, it provides a very interesting and expanded experience of relating to others.
2. Sit in meditation and ask your Higher Self to help you know how best to keep or grow the connection with this person, in positive ways for both you and the person.  See what images, words, and ideas come to you in this relaxed state.  Write them down in your journal.
3. If both you use some type of divination in your spiritual practice, you could ask to pull a card or cast some runes, etc. for each other, and discuss what each means.
4. Use a crystal to send them love and blessings.  Ground yourself and take a few deep breaths.  Hold the crystal in your hand and visualize its energy mingled with energy from your heart, the sky, and earth, streaming to your friend and surrounding him/her with love.  In my personal crystal healing practice, if I didn’t ask the person if they wanted me to send energy, I will usually send this energy with the intention it goes to the space around the person, not directly to them, and it is up to them if they want to receive it or not.
5. Listen to an uplifting spiritual, metaphysical, or creative podcast or similar social media recording that helps you feel an intuitive connection with yourself, the speaker, and/or community.

 
Those a few beginning suggestions for connecting with your tribe in multidimensional ways, and I’m sure there are many more!  Can you think of some?  I’d love to hear your experiences!  It is my hope that we can take advantage of all the multiple avenues we have available to stay connected, maintain our sense of community, and put love and positive energy into the world during this cosmic shift.
 
Speaking of mystical and intuitive podcasts, you may have noticed I started my own online radio show/podcast/Facebook Live show, Mystical Adventures with Anne Vivian!  I am so excited to start this mystical adventure!  I just finished my first three shows, and it has been a mystical adventure of its own creating and filming this show!  I joined A1R Psychic Radio network, and they broadcast to an international audience with weekly shows hosted by psychics and mediums.  I invite you to check it out and go on a mystical adventure with me each week!  I explore mystical topics, have mystical guests, and give live mystical psychic readings to callers on-the-air!  Please see details below!
 
Mystical Adventures, Thursdays, 8:30pm EST (to change to Tuesdays at 4pm EST starting in November)
 ask1radio.com
moonstruck.tv
Facebook.com/psychicradio
Find the podcasts on iTunes, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms!

Love and Blessings,
Anne 

How are you faring during this, shall we say, unique, summer, my friend?  Are you excited and relieved to be able to go more places with the restrictions slowly lifting?  (Some places being more or less restricted than others.)   Or, are you frustrated and drained with all the mask-wearing, social distancing, threat of illness to self and others, and virtual, instead of in-person, activities?

Quarantine fatigue is a phenomenon experienced by many during these times, and can include increased anxiety, decreased energy, social withdrawal, among other symptoms (https://www.massgeneral.org/news/coronavirus/quarantine-fatigue).

In an article put out by Massachusetts General Hospital (see link above), tips for coping with quarantine fatigue include practicing mindfulness, self-care through healthy diet, sleep regime, and exercise, and connecting with others.  Many of my clients have found these very useful, as have I.  However, there is something else I want to address:

How are you feeling lately?  How is your body feeling lately?  I was reflecting how in this current summer of the pandemic, so much has become virtual and nonphysical (for good reason), and the truth is, so much of this takes a toll.  The boom in video chat and online forms of communication has been undeniably helpful to our society as a way to maintain connections while preserving safety.  However, this new practice of virtual relationships can contribute to experiencing increased isolation and quarantine fatigue, and also can lead to a feeling of disconnection from one’s body and physical senses. 

The threat of contamination can create a certain psychological affect:  chronic thoughts and feelings of threats or danger.  Some of this is helpful to keep our wits about us and follow proper cleaning and hygiene guidelines.  Some of these thoughts and feelings, however, may be affecting us in not-so-great ways though.  The lack of our usual in-person engagement with others (for many, but not all of us), combined with constant reminders of the threat of contamination and ongoing media overload can add to feelings of anger, disorientation, decreased energy, and disconnection with our bodies.

So what can we do?  I would like to suggest some holistic ways to ground and reconnect with ourselves and our bodies, (to add to the Massachusetts General Hospital solid list from above):

1. Connect with Spirit and your Higher Self!  In whatever way you connect.
2. Ground in Nature.  Smell the air, smell a flower, feel your body.  Hug a tree!
3. Find pleasurable ways to engage your sense of touch.
4. Pay attention to how your body is feeling.  Where is the tension?  Where do you feel relaxed?
5. Engage in activities that make you feel safe and grounded in your body and spirit.
6. Meditate. Pray.  Visualize.
7. Visualize your lower chakras being cleansed and expanding.
8. Do something to nourish (or, if you are able, pamper!) your body.
9. Limit your exposure to the news.
10. Come up with an uplifting or humorous phrase you can tell yourself when faced with annoyances.  Great, more masks.  It’s like Halloween in the summer. (laughter ensues) (or not). I tried!
11. Schedule in-person or virtual time with friends, family, and loved ones. 
12. Come up with a routine to give a sense of normalcy and structure.
13. Practice yoga.
14. Give yourself a massage, give someone a back rub.  Purchase a massage.
15. Make a list of all the ways you do feel grounded and connected.

As we take time to connect with the Earth, our loved ones, and our body-temples, we can bring ourselves back down to a grounded state of being.  We can create a foundation for ourselves despite the turmoil that takes place around us.  When we do this, we add to the peace and nourishment of the whole, of the world.  I encourage you to do just that, knowing it helps others when you nourish yourself. 

I am grateful to stay connected with you, reader.  Thank you for reading! 

In our Dream Circle this month, we will focus on using dreams for just the these topics: body awareness, nurturing, and grounding.  The Intuitive Development Circle will empower you to expand your clairvoyant abilities, (which we could all use right now, more than ever)! 
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I hope you can join us!  Take care of yourself.

Namaste,
Anne 

​“Tidying is the act of confronting yourself.           
                                -Marie Kondo
I love this quote from the Japanese organizing consultant (she has a hit show on Netflix, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo).  I have been decluttering and organizing this past month.  I noticed, painful though it was, the end result has made a world of difference in my energy and quality of life.  Honestly, I had a modest amount clutter or chaos in my office space and home, (it was not reality-show worthy, not quite at least!), but this small increase in order has left me feeling an undeniable increase in the flow of clarity and chi through my psyche and space. 
I am reflecting this month how exposed we all have been to a huge amount media information lately, as well as social media activity, some of which is very important or empowering, some of which is rather anxiety-producing to the mind and body.  Is this a form of clutter?  I argue: yes, it is.  (Or it can be!)

For many, the past few months of quarantine has forced a sort of slow down, “the great pause”, as many media groups have referred to it, and pushed some to face difficult physical or mental clutter that otherwise would have become lost in the chaos of this work-a-day world.  This has certainly been the case for me, (at least to some extent).  When forced to look at my own clutter, I have begun to ask myself:

What is cluttering my life?
What is the right amount of media exposure to being informed? 
What commitments, thought patterns, or physical items are keeping me from putting my energy to better use? 

I invite you to ask yourself these questions.  (Of course, sometimes an investment in a particular commitment is not necessarily pleasant, but worth it, based on an important value or reason).  Sometimes, unfortunately, confronting physical or nonphysical clutter involves confronting hard issues, such as our fear of hurting someone’s feelings, disapproval, rejection, facing our own limits, the uncomfortable prospect of making a change, letting go, or just being uncomfortable for a temporary period of time.  Clearing and decluttering our mind, (media exposure!),  space, and schedule has the potential for opening oneself up increased life energy, clarity, prosperity (according to the practice of feng shui, as I understand it), love, creativity, and balance.  Is it worth it?

It might be time for a change!
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As we come back out into the world from this quarantine, I pray you are protected and blessed, and that you take the lessons learned from these past four months and use them powerfully for the next chapter of your life. 
Namaste,
Anne