Out of Body Experience or Astral Projection?

Whew! Something strange happened to me as I embarked on a late afternoon walk around the lagoon, about three miles or so.

As I was walking and walking, the sun began to set. I took a photo of the sky even though I know the colors resulted from a couple local brushfires.

Unedited photo by Enchanted Seashells

As I walked up the hill, I guess my mind wandered; at least I think it did. I’m actually not really sure what happened.

At some point I realized that I had lost a chunk of time.

In one way, it seemed like time stood still, and in another way, it seemed as if I had been walking for HOURS, and yet I felt like I wasn’t even really in my own body, or even in my own specific reality.

I was somewhere else, or more accurately, I had BEEN somewhere else; again I’m not sure where.

When I came back from that nowhere land, it’s not that I became dizzy or lightheaded, but I definitely felt a sensation of a jolt back to my physical body when I looked around and realized that I was still walking but I’m not sure how I got to where I was — which probably makes no sense at all.

I said out loud to myself, “Well, that was really strange. Where did I go?

Where was I? Did I enter a portal to a different dimension? Did I unintentionally astrally project somewhere? A different time and space? I can’t rule out dissociation, but there had been no Immediate preceding traumatic event. I was simply walking.

Was it astral projection? A meditative experience? Did I really enter a portal?

I can’t remember that ever happening before. It wasn’t unpleasant, but I didn’t learn any earthshattering truths about the universe or receive any profound messages from beyond.

If it was a gateway to different spiritual planes or realities, I guess I prematurely returned HERE too soon to retrieve any memories.

Maybe I entered Leon Russell’s “…place where there’s no space or time…”

Have you ever had a similar experience?

A Painful Anniversary

It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly a year since I almost completely split open my leg in that stupid crazy accident.

Last year, we were drenched in neverending rain and this year we’re in the midst of a drought — it hasn’t rained a drop in months — and those LA fires are still burning out of control.

I’ll never forget the moment I slipped and fell on the steps and freakishly hatcheted my leg open all the way down to the bone. (It was SO gross.) Nor will I forget how I perfectly executed everything my RN mom had ever taught me as I carefully bandaged the gaping wound and drove myself to the emergency room in a heavy rainstorm; wracked with pain.

There’s still a slight numbness, an absence of feeling directly at the site, but my worst fears of an infection never happened, thank goodness. That would have been TERRIBLE. No MRSA, no staph, no bone nor blood infection; although the possibilities were there. Sometimes it hurts when I accidentally knock into furniture (actually, I just did that again), but healing was unremarkable.

I watched the whole sewing-up process; stuff like that doesn’t bother me, and I was especially interested in the internal suturing and VERY happy the doc was well trained in trauma. My wound was exceptionally deep (to the bone) and eight inches long — such a bizarre accident.

I’m surprised the internal sutures didn’t pop open because I didn’t pay very much attention to doctor’s instructions about not walking or putting weight on my leg or avoiding physical activities for a month.

Did I learn anything from that unfortunate experience? Did I stop running down the stairs in slippery socks? Actually, I DID, and I’ve continued to be slightly more careful because I definitely don’t want a repeat performance of that fateful day.

It’s an anniversary date that I won’t soon forget. I saved all the photos that I took when it happened and while I was in the ER. They’re constant reminders that life can change in the blink of an eye but those pics are too graphic and scary to share. (You’re welcome.)

I’m no stranger to accidents like the time I ran up the hill at sunset because I heard a coyote, and slipped and fell in the ditch. I broke a bone in my wrist — another completely avoidable incident. I think I finally learned the lesson. Well, maybe. Only time will tell.

Read the full stories here: https://enchantedseashells.com/2024/01/21/tales-of-the-er/
https://enchantedseashells.com/2013/07/09/slip-fall-break/

Bathroom Banter

Recently, I was in a public restroom that had several stalls on either side of a long aisle.

It was crowded with lots of flushing and doors opening to welcome another visitor.

There was an obviously broken toilet on the right side with a large black plastic bag covering it, but women kept peering in before they realized it was not usable. If it were me, I’d have an “Out Of Order” sign on the door and taped it shut…oh well.

I was next up in the (not-very-long) line when a young woman, maybe in her early twenties, swooped in with a flourish of her long trendy coat, high heels, and designer handbag — way WAY overdressed for the setting of a public lavatory. I could smell the entitlement wafting off of her.

Impatiently, and with a pompously demeaning tone in her voice, she turned to me and asked, “Is there a line?”

First of all, I wondered why she chose to address ME…did I look like I was in charge of the line? I was just standing there, minding my own business.

(Let me back up a wee bit and explain my response–I was tired, recovering from a horrible upper respiratory infection– not Covid–and her “I’m definitely more important than anyone else” attitude simply rubbed me the wrong way.)

I repeated her question slowly, “Is there a line? — looked around and responded, “No, obviously I’m just standing here so I can meditate for a minute before I urinate.”

I then pointed to the stall door (the broken toilet) that was ajar and said, “There’s an opening. Go for it.”

And then I confess that I laughed to myself as she flounced in, only to immediately discover that the toilet was out of order and she had to back out on her precariously high heels. (Heehee)

Admittedly, this wasn’t indicative of my very best self, but it was so satisfying to put that haughty and pretentious little girl in her place, to maybe take her down a notch or two as she assumed her rightful place at the end of the line.

No cuts! Wait your turn!

And namaste…

P.S. Lest anyone think I am always this snarky- whenever there’s a child or someone pregnant, the unwritten bathroom code is to allow them to go first, but that was NOT the case here.

Stardust

Image

The Veil is Thinning 🎃

🎃 Happy Halloween! 🎃

Samhain/Halloween is the time when the veil between the spirit world and the earthly realm is at its thinnest and is the best time to communicate with the dead. You can literally feel the change in energy in the air. If you feel a presence behind you, it’s not your imagination…

No ballerina princess costume for me this year; this time I’m a witch. I’ll take a ride on my broom, conjure up a spell or two…and do all the witchy things, of course! 🧹

Vintage art curated from Pinterest

A Wasted Day

Seasonal allergies (rhinitis) are horrible this time of year and I can usually deal with it by taking Claritin, but yesterday the sneezing wouldn’t stop and I had to, albeit reluctantly, pop a Benadryl because nothing else worked.

I knew what that would mean… the day would be totally lost; completely wasted. I’m pretty sensitive to all meds, and for me, the affect of the antihistamine Diphenhydramine is similar to being so drunk and impaired that all I can do is sleep.

It didn’t take long before I began to feel numb and drowsy. I couldn’t keep my eyes open and slept the day away which I loathe doing; I hate to squander any second of a day, however, when my allergies get that bad, nothing else works.

When I finally woke up, my allergies were gone and so was my Saturday. There was nothing left to salvage.

It wasn’t nearly as devastating as that 1945 film, The Lost Weekend, about the desperate life of a chronic alcoholic as he’s followed through a four-day drinking bout, but I felt useless and unproductive, even guilty for doing absolutely nothing. It’s not an enjoyable feeling.

Angel Numbers (514) and Life Path Numbers (11)

It’s so weird. I’ve been seeing this sequence of numbers (514) for a couple of years.

I see it all the time; on clocks, my phone, the oven, a timer, auto license plates — any and everywhere one might observe a series of numbers.

Since I was already aware of the significance of 11:11 and 1:11, I figured it might be symbolic to see recurring numbers — and especially 514, which is personally significant since it’s my birthdate.

I’ve always loved my birthday because every few years it falls on Mother’s Day, so I get a double celebration. A friend with psychic abilities told me that 514 could be a sign that my mom is around, offering love, support, and guidance. Whether it’s true or not (the jury’s still out on all that stuff), I appreciate the thought.

My life path number is 11 which means I’m supposed to be nurturing, highly sensitive, intuitive, a natural leader, an old soul, and a healer. That’s all good and fairly accurate, I guess.

What’s your life path number? Add up all the numbers in your birthdate including the year, and check it out. Is it accurate for you?

A Lifetime of Waiting

“Patience is not sitting and waiting,
it is foreseeing.
It is looking at the thorn and seeing the rose,
looking at the night and seeing the day.” Rumi

I was thinking about how much time I’ve spent waiting for people and things in my lifetime.

Just now, the original Angel Boy (son) said, “Wait a minute, I told you I’d walk with you at noon.”

“OK”, I said, “I’ll wait.”

While I’m waiting for him, I decided to be productive and jot down my thoughts.

I’ve waited at music and gymnastics lessons, I’ve waited to pick up kids after school, I’ve waited for doctor’s appointments, I’ve waited for cars to be repaired, I’ve waited for loved ones to come home, I’ve spent countless hours waiting at the airport.

I guess you could say that waiting is a big part of being a mom. We wait for them to lift their heads, to crawl, to walk, to speak, to read, to grow. It’s all about waiting.

I can’t even do the math to figure out how many years I’ve spent waiting, in limbo, for anyone and everyone.

One would think that all that waiting indicates a high level of patience, but I’m not a patient person; I just surrender and radically accept the action of waiting because there’s nothing else to do.

Most of the time I bring a book and read to make the time go faster, and that helps me feel like I’m DOING SOMETHING.

I’m still waiting because Angel Boy’s idea of a “minute” is not the same as mine…I told him I was leaving without him and again, he told me to wait.

So I’m waiting.

What happens next in this scenario is that he’ll find me and say, “Hurry up! I thought you were ready. Let’s GO!” As if I haven’t been waiting for him all this time. LOL.

I literally just said, “I’ve been waiting my whole life to see the northern lights.”

And I hope I do. Hope springs eternal, and that’s exactly what waiting feels like; an eternity.

let her be

Let her be
For her heart is filled with stardust
Her soul is as wild and free
As the wind

A Little Poem by Athey Thompson
Art by Roger Guinee

Life Goals

Instructions for living a life.
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.

— Mary Oliver

world of love hearts