July is a vacation month. Everyone seems to be out on vacation or out of their mind. The sun does that--takes us far from our daily tasks. We're either sun bathing, wishing we were sunbathing, or cursing the heat (or the too cold air conditioning)! Regardless of the temperature, the days are longer, and we feel more relaxed about our time frames. At least in the northern hemisphere.

Despite the fact that I am waging a battle against "Walking Pneumonia" (the Universe's way of forcing me to slow down), I do feel more relaxed. My journey over the last year has been a fascinating and astonishing one. I have experienced events which I had never conceived before, and met people who are so normal and yet extraordinary at the same time. Some of those most extraordinary of all were my family, friends and acquaintances; people who have surrounded me all of my life. And I never knew….

My sister in law was very ill as a teenager, with a very high fever. She had a dream that she knew was not a dream. She went down into a cave, accompanied by two important religious figures, to see her grandfather who had died many years before. Although she was happy to see her grandfather, she was afraid. One of the religious men asked her if she wanted to go back. She turned to see a bright light up above them that she knew was the opening to the cave. She said, "Yes, I want to go back." She said goodbye to her grandfather, and the religious figures accompanied her to the opening of the cave, which grew larger as they approached. My sister in law never forgot the feeling that accompanied this dream, and she feels convinced it was a near death experience (although she has a hard time saying the words).

My younger brother experienced a short period of time where he was convinced that the CIA and FBI, as well as everyone else in the world was watching him and listening to his words and thoughts at all times. My family believed that he was hallucinating due to malnutrition, stress, and sleep deprivation. It was only a few months ago that he mentioned to me that he never allowed himself to leave the room when he meditated. I asked him what he meant. He then told me about his experience with a group of people who had taught him how to meditate and astroproject by touching him on the back of the neck. He said that he could go out of his body, out of the room, and even to places out in space when this happened. Soon, he began using alcohol to help himself to continue the experience. However, after his scary experiences with people "watching and listening" to him, he just stayed inside the room.

I was totally stunned by this admission. I exclaimed, "You mean to tell me that four years ago you learned to consciously leave your body and go exploring, and never learned how to ground yourself? You basically ripped open your aura, and let every form of energy attack you, with no filter to help you sort through all of the information you were receiving? And all of this time you were telling me that you were being watched by the CIA and FBI, etc.?!" "It's the only thing I thought you would understand," he replied. "Well, now you know different. When you are ready to discuss it, I know some books you can read that deal with this exact experience. Don't ever 'try' to put things in terms 'you' think I might understand without trying to be open with me first, okay?" said the big sister in me. This whole situation was out of a science fiction novel. I couldn't believe that my brother had experienced an event that I longed to experience, or that I understood in concept what he had gone through.

Then there is a friend of mine who has precognitive dreams. She always knows when someone in her family is going to die. "But I'm afraid," she said. "I shut it off, because I don't want to know." We then talked about the reason for her understanding. Perhaps she was the one in the family who could persuade others to communicate their love with the dying person. Or maybe she was more energetically "in tune" with her family on a global level.

One of the other astounding discoveries, was a girl friend of mine who has powerful dreams. Her dreams are filled with vivid color, crammed with religious and daily life symbolism, strongly connected with other members of her family and those she loves, and almost blatant in their messages. I was so amazed that I immediately asked her to speak to Aynnett (see March's article), an intuitional reader who had recently begun her practice. We spoke of my friend's dreams and the fact that she and her mother were constantly trying to interpret them. In the dreams, my friend had visits from dead people giving messages to those around her. She had had these dreams all of her life, and never realized what potential they might have. Aynnett indicated that my friend had a very special gift, and when the time was right she would use this gift to help others in a big way. I, personally, can hardly wait to see what happens as this friend matures and learns about metaphors and dream interpretation!

Then, there was Sholeh. She is a friend from a foreign land. I discovered in conversing about intuitional readers that Sholeh reads coffee grounds, and uses a regular poker deck to tell fortunes. I asked her how she got started. She said that an old woman had wanted to teach her all of this because Sholeh was 'sensitive' to people around her. After reading a friend's thesis on the subject of ancient practices, Sholeh decided to give some of them a try. "I'm not really serious about this stuff," she said, "but people who know about it come to me often, and feel I help them. I am not doing anything, or telling them anything they do not already know. Most of this is just making them feel comfortable with what they know already."

Then there was a brand new acquaintance who allowed me to read her American Indian Medicine cards. I met her for the first time at this reading (I was literally reading the meanings from a book). She herself is extremely sensitive to those spirits who are helping to guide her through extremely negative karmic patterns. She knows and senses things about her family (deceased and living).

Our encounter allowed me to experience channeling and trusting other formats of information. As we were discussing the last of her cards, I "sensed" something over her left shoulder (my right side). I felt compelled to tell her. I then 'saw' with my mind's eye two men. They were both tall, one thin, one chubby. I "sensed" one had blue eyes, and one had brown, straight hair. From this description, and the tingle down her back, my acquaintance was able to identify her two deceased uncles. She was learning about them as she did the family genealogy. She had sensed them many times previously by the tickling down the center of her back.

For the next two hours, as this woman mentioned relatives, they would appear as shadows only seen in my mind's eye. They laughed and teased with her, and replied to her questions (through me). I was not hypnotized, nor in a trance, and totally astounded at the events. I finally asked them to leave, because I was so drained and enervated. I couldn't believe this was happening. The only assurance I have that this was real, was the fact that I was able to accurately describe at least two (and sometimes more) characteristics of each person—enough for my acquaintance to feel certain that these were her relatives.

The result of that encounter, and a few conversations, is that my friend can now "see" her uncles. She is more open to hearing them as well, as if they are in the same room speaking to her. Is she afraid? No. She says, "It's great just to be able to know they are there and that they are helping me. In fact, when I am in the same room with you, Valerie, or my relatives, the energy is so wonderful. I like feeling it."

Next there was a business acquaintance who has lunch with me occasionally. "I am so jealous!" she said one day. "Why?" "Because I see the excitement in your face. You are at a place I wish I were. I am just beginning to think about these things, and it's very difficult to re-examine your whole life and come to decisions," she replied. As we discussed metaphysics in general, she said, "You know, I really like watching programs and reading about UFOs and aliens. I even wonder if aliens are really our own selves in the future, coming back to learn about what we have lost over the generations. What do you think?" That goes off on other tangents!

Finally, there was another new acquaintance at a new job. We were talking about the crystal in my little medicine bag, and how she would like to learn more about crystals and that type of thing. She used to go to an intuitional and palm reader in California, but didn't know anyone here. The reason she wanted to go was that she felt her father, who had committed suicide when she was very young, was trying to give her a message. As she spoke, a black space began to coalesce over her shoulder. It was the wrong time and place, so I excused myself and went to my office.

At another time, when we were speaking privately, I spoke about what I had seen. She said, "I knew he (my father) was there. I felt cold for 10 minutes after you left." It turns out that she has been so sensitive in the past, that she got hurt. She closed herself off to outside energy, and is just beginning to open up again. This is because she senses her father is waiting for her to do something in relation to his death. She even admitted to seeing her father in her room about a year after her death, just standing at the end of her bed, waiting for her. She had been afraid and asked him to leave.

Most of the people I have had the most amazing experiences with are women. However, the men in my life are also very intuitive. They just don't call it that. My oldest brother, after listening to my experiences, said that he had heard a woman's voice saying 'goodbye' right before his dog was hit and killed by a car. He wondered who he had been hearing. When I asked Suzanne, an intuitional reader (see February's article), she indicated that it had been one of my brother's guides telling him that he would have to say goodbye to his dog because it was her time to go. My brother had only "heard" part of the message.

My husband, I believe, reads people. He will tell you he is very observant and that anyone can see these things. You just have to listen and hear. I agree. But I also believe that one must listen with one's inner senses as well to understand people the way he does. There are times when I would take an oath on a stack of holy books that he has read my mind. Perhaps he has. Ever heard of mental telepathy!

Why am I meandering along this trail of experiences? Just mention this article to people around you, and see what stories they will tell. I am a conduit. You can be, too. My journey is simple and step-by-step. As I share it with others, they feel they can share what they experience as well. Sharing new information and perspectives with others allows them to explore the same things. What a wonderful gift for myself and others!

What is real and what is not? That is not really the question. The questions are: What do all of these experiences teach us about ourselves and our lives? What have we forgotten about our past that can help us today? How do these subjects and experiences bring us closer to our fellow man? What do you think?

Next month, join me on a visionary journey accompanied by very special music.