Let's talk a little about astral projection....
How many of us have felt that sudden rush of heat as we have woken up, or that strange jolt as we kinda 'fall into' our body again? Did you ever stop to consider you have been out all night travelling?
As a child, I used to get quite excited when I could feel a shift in the energy around me as I lay in bed, signalling that I was about to go on another 'trip'.
Now I'm older, I find it interesting to note that I sometimes have sore legs or arms from the 'work' I do at night.
I can remember going to a psychic when I was younger and her asking me if I felt I was here to do something specific. I said 'Yes, ever since I can remember I have felt that I have an important job to do but I have no idea what it is. As I get older I am getting a sense of urgency, as I worry that I am not fulfilling my life's purpose.' I then added, 'and I worry that it's somewhere in a third world country, because I don't even like camping!' I am truly inspired by those who visit these places and actually live amongst the people, while doing wonderful things, but seriously, it's just not for me.
She laughed and said 'But you are already doing it! Each night, you travel to far off places to help those less fortunate.'
This made perfect sense to me, because I would have snippets of memories where I running with children through forests, or building bricks out of mud. And sometimes, I would wake with an 'impression' of a bruise or unexplained aches and pains.
I don't always remember my travels, but I do know I go on them. I have visited parallel lives, other planets and even friends and family (both living and in spirit) to 'check up' on them.
Many years ago, before I realised that what I did as a child was actually astral travel, I bought a book to help me 'do it'. I was really disappointed in my purchase. Not only did the person who wrote it, have a guru complex, where two thirds of the book was all about him and how amazing he was, but he also created a lot of fear. In the end I donated the book to charity (I never throw books away, they are too precious). In subsequent conversations with others I have sensed this 'fear' all too often, so I've decided it's time it was laid to rest. So lets look at some of them:
What if you get lost?
There is no 'lost'. You are connected at the solar plexus with a beautiful cord (rather like an umbilical cord) that gives you as much leeway or length as you need. When  it is time to come home, you can be either 'reeled in', hence the jolting feeling, or you can just gradually enter your body when you are ready, which explains the sudden heat wave we feel as our astral body and physical body become 'one' again.
What if the cord was to break?
The cord will never break. The only way your astral or etheric body and your physical body can become separated is through death. Even then it is not an abrupt ending, it is a gentle floating up and out motion. The cord has to wither and separate, not snap.
What if someone/something tries to enter my body while I am away?
Well, should this extremely doubtful thing even begin to happen, your physical body would send a message along the cord and you would be back faster than someone/something could get past your toes! Your physical body is specifically made for you and all the parts of you. No one and nothing else will be welcome in your body, without your express invitation.
What if my house catches fire while I'm gone?
Once again, your physical body would 'call you' back.
Where can I go?
It is possible to set your intent and ask to travel to specific places. My favourite is to set up a test with someone, and ask them to place something on a table and I will tell them after I have visited, what it was. It is possible to go anywhere you choose, or just to let your astral/etheric body to have free range.
I can't astral travel, what shall I do?
Just because you can't remember whether you travel or not, doesn't mean it isn't happening. Instead of focusing on trying to, start noticing the areas/countries your dreams are set in. Start noticing any strange aches and pains that are not easily explained.
I think I travel, but I don't remember anything. Why not?
Sometimes we aren't meant to remember everything. Sometimes that information is stored within our inner wisdom and it is later,when we say something that we can't remember learning about or knowing, that the information is ready to be used or utilised.
If you have any other questions that I haven't thought of, please feel free to contact me on angelicattitude@live.com.au.
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

The other day I was talking to someone who is getting a tattoo done this weekend. I asked her what she was going to get and she said 'What is meant for you won't go by you'. What a beautiful quote!
All too often we think of missed opportunities as something someone has 'taken' from us or we have 'lost' or 'missed out'. When we wrote our life plan on the etheric plane, we chose our opportunities, our disappointments, our obstacles, our relationships and our backup plans. We chose our parents because we knew they would teach us what we needed to know to begin taking the steps to fulfill the lessons we would learn during our life journey.
We chose our friends, the situations and events that would shape us, as we learnt more about ourselves and life in general. We chose our bodies, those divine vessels that transport the magnificent perfect being that is us. We did this deliberately because even our body shape has something to teach us, whether it's acceptance, self love or that we are 'more than' the outer layer.
We chose our opportunities - we even chose backup plans for each one. If we weren't ready to attempt something new or accept the opportunity, it wouldn't be lost forever, there would just be a different way to 'get there'. No one can 'steal' these from us, because they were designed with us in mind - by us!
We chose where we would live, how we would live and what that would teach us. We picked our playmates, our family, our friends, we even chose the people we would work with or meet briefly.  
We also chose our spirit guides for this life, the ones that would be here to help us always, those that would help us briefly and those that would assist during traumas or life changing experiences.
This doesn't mean that everything we do here on the physical plane is pre-determined. Each time we are challenged or at a crossroads, we choose what happens next. We decide whether to step forward, to step away or to step off  in another direction. 
An example of this is how I met my husband, Butch. We were born in the same hospital, five days apart. (in those days mothers stayed in hospital about 10 days before going home) Our parents didn't meet. We lived two roads away from each other, but never noticed each other. We almost went to the same school - but my family moved overseas. We found out years later we even had a mutual friend. It wasn't until we were in our 20's we officially met and fell in love.
So you see, if we had met earlier, there would have been a different scenario as a result. 
So, when it feels like life is difficult and everyone else seems to be getting all the breaks, remember that you chose the where, when and what of your opportunities. There will be many to choose from and you will choose what is right for you at the right time. And if you choose not to, there will be a backup plan. And if you don't like that one, another choice or backup plan will come along when you are ready.
Our life journey is like a movie or a book, we set the scenes on the etheric, but we live the adventure on the physical! We are the main character, the director, the screenwriter and the producer. We decide how our life here unfolds, moment to moment! How awesome is that?
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

Sometimes we have crazy dreams we can't possibly explain.  I believe dreams are the result of messages our unconscious, our intuition or our guides want us to listen to. Although some of them seem to have such strange content, we can always find a gem within that tells us something we aren't looking at or attending to within our lives.
Our subconscious uses dreams to help us to think about things we are repressing or trying to bury/hide from ourselves. It's usually a wake up call. It very rarely means exactly what the dream portrays. Our subconscious speaks to us in pictures we understand and the emotions that go with them.
Dreams aren't always as straightforward as we think they are.
Sometimes our subconscious or our guides are trying to tell us something
important. Each persons dream will be unique to them and their thought patterns,
values and mindsets, so we need to unravel these for you to discover what your
dream is trying to tell you.
The only time our guides and spirit family can get into our minds is when we are asleep or meditating - when our busy minds are at rest. Otherwise it's like trying to cross a busy highway, it's hit or miss for our spiritual companions.
Although dream books are extremely helpful, if a definition doesn't resonate with you, then you may find it difficult to make sense of it. Everyone's dream is unique to them, as what one thing symbolises a certain thing in one person's mind isn't always the same in another, so it's important to look at the symbols in a dream and what they mean to you. Once we establish what they represent, we may discover you have an Aha! moment. Once you have reached this stage you may find the dreams stop because your subconscious has made it's point.

 Here's an example of a dream to give you an idea of what I mean.
Supposing you had a dream where you were in a house, pregnant and very unhappy. Your partner was extremely happy. Next thing you were in a car and it spun out of control...and then you woke up.
These are some of the questions I would ask you:
Being pregnant to me means you have an idea, something you are thinking
of doing or a project, etc. What does pregnant mean to you? When you think of
being pregnant, what do you associate it with?
For me a baby is usually about a new beginning, so it could be a fresh start, new venture, something different about to happen in your life. What does this mean to you, not in actually holding one or having one. Is it a sense of fulfilment? A burden? A struggle? Contentment?
If you knew the sex of the baby, to me a girl would mean it is either to do with your femininity or something that affects you personally. So are you acknowledging your feminine side? Do you feel desirable? Are you being all you can be? A boy would be about being strong, taking action, feeling confident in yourself. Are you feeling overwhelmed by the will of others? Do you feel stuck? Are you feeling unhappy or stifled at work? Do you want to change your career direction?
Are you and your partner happy? Do you feel something is lacking? Do you feel less than desirable? Is there something you want to sort out within your relationship but don't know where to start? Do you have an idea for a venture that you would like to pursue but you aren't saying it out loud? Are you buying a house or taking a
risk financially and it is worrying you? Do you want to buy a house or take a risk and your partner doesn't?
I believe a house is usually symbolic of our soul, the place where we truly live. Do you feel happy in yourself? Do you feel you are being all you can be? Do you feel like there is more to life?
Are there any other specifics in the dream? Rooms? Colours? Where do you think you are? Country? Time, as in present time? Is anyone else around you? What else is happening?
If it's a kitchen, what does a kitchen symbolise to you? For me a kitchen is all about drudgery and boredom, never-ending sameness. If it's a bedroom, what does that mean? Is it about your inner sanctuary? Is it your cave away from the world? Is it a place for sleeping? Or is it a place full of romance and sex?
When I define my own dreams, a car typically symbolises our journey through life. What type of car was it? Is it your current car? Is it better? Is it worse? What colour iss it? What does that colour mean to you? Were you cramped? What does a car mean to you personally? What springs into your mind immediately when you think about a car accident? Could it be a fear for the person/people in the car's safety? Or for your relationship with yourself? Does it feel like your life is out of control, that you aren't driving your journey?
Is there a part of you waiting for something bad to happen to you....your partner, family or your relationship. Do you feel as if it's too good to be true? Do you feel unworthy or that he/she could/should have someone better?  Do you feel like your relationship has changed for better? for worse?

It is important to break your dream up into the bigger symbols and then look
at what each one means to you. I used to write down each item and list what they
represented to me; what I feel when I think about them and anything else that
popped into my mind. As I did so, I would usually have an Aha! moment and
understand the message. I love the challenge of defining what my message is. In
fact I'm disappointed when I don't get to dream! Having done it for so many
years, I don't need to write it down anymore. I wake up in the morning and think
'Okay, I need to address that issue, or I need to do that for me, etc'

Of course there is another theory as well.  As I say in another chapter, I believe we currently live on many planes, that major decisions we make impact how our life pans out (similar to the movie Sliding Doors). Generally it feels like we are a bystander, or that they can't see us. However, when we visit these alternate planes in our dreams it is possible to feel all the pain, emotions and anguish, because we are that person too. So in a different plane, someone may have been killed or the outcome may have been different.
I know that when I 'visit' another plane, although I am watching what is happening, I feel all the emotions of the person in the dream so acutely as if I was experiencing it, and in a way I am.
I'd be willing to bet that the next dream you have, you will look at it differently.
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx
(picture by Zen Gardener)