Druid Journal

I’ve written before about the sea change in the world religious scene. Religion is becoming something you have to seek out, instead of something you’re born into.

But it’s an ancient pattern, really. In the oldest times, you generally stuck with the religion of your tribe, simply because you never heard about any other ideas. But as tribes began to interact more, they would often exchange religious beliefs. A popular god could spread from community to community across a continent, each new tribe grafting the deity into their existing mythology. There was usually a priesthood that facilitated contact with the Eternal, but individuals had patron gods or spirits, and each person did their level best to maintain a good relationship with the Otherworld and its denizens. And it was not uncommon to see someone’s altar populated with idols or symbols from a variety of traditions. After all, it was best to be on the safe side.

But then came the Revealed religions, with their sacred texts and strict ideologies. If you were born into one of these, you had your religion handed to you, no questions asked. In some of them, a personal relationship with the Eternal was encouraged, but in many it had to be mediated with religious authority (which was often also government authority, coincidentally enough). And these religions spread so widely, swallowing up surrounding indigenous religions over such broad areas, that soon, for most people, there might as well have been just one religion in the world.

Now that’s changed again, of course. No matter what religion you’ve started out with, sooner or later you start hearing about all the other options out there, and if you’ve got any particle of curiosity in you, you wonder what those other religions are like, and what they offer their believers, and whether the religion you have been given is really the perfect one for you…

Erin Pavlina is a medium who is spiritual, but not religious. She did not have a strong religious upbringing, and never identified herself as Jewish, Christian, pagan, or anything. Yet she’s always had an interest in, and talent for, occult and psychic phenomena — a talent that has blossomed hugely ever since she focused her life on it at the urging of her guides. At her blog, she discusses psychic phenomena and psychology with a gentle, loving, yet down-to-earth and practical style, and her one-on-one Readings are always in high demand. Her connection to Spirit is strong and getting stronger, and that connection has given her a powerful perspective on the spiritual forces molding this planet.

So I’m delighted to present this interview with her, in which she discusses ways in which we all can foster a greater connection with spirit — in ourselves and those we love — and what we’ll discover out there when we do.

Druid Journal: You had a great post recently about automatic writing. One of the things you mentioned was the difficulty beginners frequently have in distinguishing the voice of the guide from their own voice. This is something I certainly struggled with; and even when I did make contact, for some time I assumed I was communicating with my subconscious. Could you say a few words about distinguishing your voice from your subconscious, and from voices of guides and other entities?

Erin: Distinguishing the voices has a lot to do with what frequency you’re tuned in to. When you’re talking to your subconscious, you’re working at a lower frequency and more likely to hear from your ego. Your ego will make comments to you designed to keep you safe and protected, for example, “Forget doing that speech. You’re not expert enough. You’ll probably just look like a fool up there.” When you’re tuned in to your higher self or your spirit guides you will more likely hear something like, “This speech will be a major growth experience for you. Remember your message; let others really hear what you have to say.”

The other way you can tell whether you’re talking to something higher versus lower is that as you continue your conversation the person you’re talking to will sound less and less like yourself. You’ll find yourself responding to something they say with thoughts like, “Wow, I never would have thought of that.” Or, “You bring up a good point, I didn’t think of that.” It will really start to feel like you’re talking to something outside yourself, but something very connected to you.

The trick is to raise your vibration as high as you can before you start. Don’t do an exercise like automatic writing while you’re in a very low state of awareness unless you are very practiced at raising your frequency first. The longer you talk to the other awareness, the more connected you will become and the more wise the answers will begin to be.

DJ: Many people cannot contact their guides, but they need comfort. Just something to keep them going through a tough spot, perhaps. Sometimes just knowing that help is there, even invisible help, can be a wonderful thing. Is there a simple way people can open themselves up to messages of comfort from their guides?

Erin: Remembering that you are never truly alone and carrying this thought with you can help during the times when you are unable to hear your higher self. Also understanding that every tough spot has an end, every tough spot is an opportunity for growth, and every tough spot you are responsible for creating on some level, will help move you past a state of fear and into a state of (hopefully) courage or higher. One of the very best ways to lift your frequency when you are feeling low is to feel gratitude. Remember a time in your life when you felt very grateful, or think of what you are truly grateful for in this moment. Another way is to give love and help to someone who is in an even lower state than yourself. Acts of kindness can pop you back into a higher state of awareness which will help you solve or overcome the tough spot in which you’ve found yourself.

DJ: I have noticed that my children seem more closely connected to Spirit than the adults are. A couple of my children have seen fairies; one has seen a couple of benign apparitions; they have “imaginary friends”; and they readily take to the idea that there are invisible guardians and spooks about. Have you done anything with your own kids to encourage this connection, to keep it from dying away as they age?

Erin: Yes, indeed. I’ve introduced both my son and daughter to the concept of angels and explained to them how to see or know they are with them. My daughter will often tell me she had a conversation with an angel at night when she woke up afraid from a nightmare. I’ve taught her how to call upon the angels for help when she is feeling scared.

A couple of years ago when my daughter was 5 she saw something on tv about death and she asked me what happens when we die. Best question she ever asked me! I explained to her what I believe happens to us when we die and she is very comforted by the explanation. I’ve also explained to her that she is here for a reason and that she probably won’t die until she has fulfilled her purpose on Earth.

And whenever my kids tell me they think a monster is under their bed I never dismiss this as fantasy. We look for the monster, talk to it, and send it home to its Mommy. I don’t want my children growing up thinking negative entities don’t exist. I’d rather they learn how to deal with them appropriately.

DJ: Occasionally on your site you’ve mentioned feeling the presence and energy of those you call Ascended Masters, including Jesus. There are many of us in the world who are not Christian, and our opinions about Jesus are varied; but I for one am very interested to know what exactly an Ascended Master is. How would you describe them? And what is their role? In what way can we feel their influence?

Erin: The Ascended Masters are a group of highly evolved, high frequency beings that help guide our planet. To use an analogy, they are like the chief administrators of our earthly organization. They are the holders of the master plan, the right hand of Source. Jesus was/is such a master, and chose to incarnate at a time when he felt it would do the most good, to bring enlightenment to human beings. The religion surrounding Jesus is man-made. Jesus is just one member of this group. There are many others, some of whom have incarnated in human form and some who have not.

In general, the Ascended Masters do not involve themselves with individual people, but rather concentrate on moving the planet towards a state of love, harmony, and grace on a global level. You can see and feel their influence during major world crises. To handle more of the day-to-day work, they rely on angels and spirit guides.

DJ: Have you encountered — or heard of anyone encountering — the presence and energy of people such as the Buddha, Lao Tzu, Mohammad, or of beings that might be called gods?

Erin: Except for Jesus, I personally have not encountered the specific energies of known figures such as Buddha, Mohammad, or of the pagan gods such as Apollo or Artemis. That doesn’t mean they are not there, however. My contact with Ascended Masters has been limited. I can sense a small collective of Ascended Master energy which may include those beings but they have not come to me directly with their wisdom as of yet.

DJ: There seems to have been a change in the last few years, as if many people around the world have begun to wake up and notice the spiritual side of life, to recognize its importance, and to remember where they’ve come from. It happened to both of us, and many other people I’ve met or heard of. What do you think is causing this? And if the world is changing, where are we all headed? Is there anything we, as individuals, can do to encourage it, to help it along?

Erin: It does seem to me that there has been a greater rate of spiritual awakening recently. I think this actually has to do with the internet and the ability of us to share information across a wide network. In the past, we’ve had books. You read a book, maybe share it with one or two friends. But now, you can disseminate thoughts across the world instantly using a blog, community forums, and newsgroups. People with shared interests are finding each other half a world away. That fosters growth for our planet. The opportunity for us to live as one world community becomes possible when we are able to communicate instantly with the other side of the world. We start to see that we are not so different.

I hope we are headed for a united planet. I hope we someday realize that we should not fear each other. I hope one day people stop confusing religion with spirituality. Really the only way to encourage and help it along is to work on yourself first, then live as an example to others. Working on our spiritual awareness and personal growth are the keys to a world united as one.