Rita Berkowitz, co-author of this book, is a certified medium and ordained minister in the Spiritualist Church. She began drawing faces when she was a child. At the time she thought these were of imaginary people and didn't recognize that this was what she was doing; she just drew what she saw. Now, as an adult with many years of education and experience that have broadened and deepened her knowledge, understanding, and skill, Rita received spirit communication through drawing and other forms.

Do you receive spirit communication? Answer these questions to find out!

1. Have you felt sudden changes of temperature? Often, spirit presence results in sudden and unexplainable temperature jumps up or down. Cold in particular is associated with the presence of a spirit. You might walk down a hallway and feel as though you've walked into a refrigerator. Less commonly, you might be sitting in your favorite chair when it feels like someone's cranked up the heat.

2. Do you see sudden lights? Spirits are energy, and light is an expression of energy. Floating or flickering lights often suggest the presence of spirits. Orbs (also called ghost orbs, ghost lights, or earth lights) are a particular form of presence, well documented and often photographed.

** Caution: Although we discuss seeing sudden lights here in the context of what this might suggest about the presence of spirits, it's important to recognize that this phenomenon can also suggest certain eye disorders. If you notice any interference with your vision, contact your eye-care professional.

3. Have you ever seen an image out of the corner of your eye? Can you identify that image? Many people report seeing vaguely human shapes or shadows in the peripheral vision. Some can further report, if they don't give it too much thought or analysis, that the figure was a young girl in a nightgown or sure looked like Uncle Albert even though he's been gone for 15 years now. Yet turning your head to look directly at the image generally reveals nothing, which might cause you to doubt whether you actually did see anything.

4. Have you had a discarnate spirit visit you in a dream? It's often a source of comfort to those grieving the loss of loved ones to have their loved ones appear in dreams. Sometimes the dreams are reenactments of events that took place when the loved one was still in the physical plane. Other times the dreams appear to be messages from the loved one, attempting to reassure and convey love.

5. Has your mind suddenly (and out of context) been brought back to a specific time and place, with a loved one who has passed? Somewhat like a waking dream, this phenomenon could be the work of a spirit that wants you to know they are still with you and remains part of your everyday life. Activating the memory of an event that was meaningful to both of you is one way the spirit can validate its identity to you and demonstrate the continuity of life.

( More here )

Taking Familiar Form

Spirits often find it necessary to interact with us in ways that we, as physical beings, can experience. We like to see, hear, and touch our environment and all that is within it. After all, that's the essence of our physical existence. And especially if communication with the spirit world is new to us, we're more comfortable when we can experience such contact in familiar ways. You might see an image of the person, hear his or her voice, or even smell a favorite fragrance that the person used to wear.

Sometimes the contact might come through someone else, not necessarily a medium (a person who acts as a link, through his or her sensitivity, between the spirit and physical worlds) but perhaps a friend who might say, "I don't know where this is coming from because your mother has passed away, but I have this image of her in my head and she wants me to tell you that you should not go to the lake this weekend. Instead, you should stay close to home. And she's saying,for heaven's sake, paint the living room blue, not beige." If the words and tone sound just like your mother, don't panic: It's just your mother's spirit with a message for you, coming through in a way you recognize and through a source you trust. So for heaven's sake, stay home and pain the living room blue!

Personal Growth, Insight, and Empowerment

Communication with the other side might be common, but it is also special. Put it to good use! This is your opportunity to learn about yourself and your purpose in this life. Use the insights you gain to further your life purpose and to leave a positive imprint in this, our physical, world.

Knowledge empowers. It can help you to understand why you feel and act as you do, so you can direct your energy in positive ways. What you learn through your contacts with spirit entities can help you heal emotional wounds, physical ailments, and get your life on track.

Sometimes the insights that come to you through spirit communication are intense, or even disturbing. It can be helpful to have someone you can turn to, to discuss your feelings and concerns. There are professionals who combine psychic consultation with conventional therapeutic approaches.

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The venerable Gallup Organization surveys Americans on nearly any topic that could come up during dinner conversation. In a June 2001 poll, 38 percent of participants said they believed it is possible to have contact or communication with the spirits of people who have died. Fifty-four percent said they believed in psychic or spiritual healing, and 42 percent believed that houses could be haunted.

While there are many reasons why people want to communicate with spirits, all paths lead to only one purpose: healing. Healing can take numerous forms, from emotional closure to physical health. It can be understanding, insight, knowledge, or acceptance. We speak of this healing as being "guided by the light" -- undertaken with the protection of the Divine, however you define it within the framework of your belief system.

Comfort from the Other Side

Countless people, grieving the loss of loved ones, find comfort in contact with the other side. Sometimes it is loved ones who have passed who initiate the contact, reaching from beyond to comfort and even protect those on this side. Sometimes contact comes indirectly, from other spirits who want to reassure the living that those who have passed are at peace.

Often, relatives who have passed become regular visitors. In their communications, they have joyous stories to share. They want to be of comfort, to establish that existence continues beyond what we view as the boundary of death. As a result, many people live the remainder of their physical lives in regular communication with spouses, parents, grandparents, siblings, other relatives, friends, and associates who were close to them before passing. And they lose whatever fear of death they might have had, as they become confident that existence continues.

Unfinished Business

Communicating with those who have passed gives us an opportunity to wrap up loose ends. Family members are sometimes at odds with each other, lovers quarreling, siblings squabbling, friends bickering. It happens; it's a part of life. But we seldom know in advance when we've reached the end of our physical lives. Sometimes the physical part ends before the disagreement does, leaving the living steeped in grief and guilt.

Contact with the spirit that has passed can give both parties the chance to mend rifts. Sometimes the contact is direct, in which the spirit of the departed appears to the the living loved one and there is a one-to-one communication. Sometimes the contact is indirect, as when a third-party spirit appears to say, "Robert is here. He wants you to know that he is fine and he's sorry for that argument right before his heart attack. It wasn't your fault, and his love for you will never die." There is great comfort in being able to apologize, explain, forgive, reconcile, say "good-bye" or "I love you" -- whatever communication needs to take place.

What about spirits who are apparent strangers to us, and don't have a message from departed loved ones but instead just want to communicate with whatever physical entities they can reach and who will respond? Such spirits typically have their own reasons for making contact. In some way, they need help from you so they can continue their evolution on the higher, or other, side. Perhaps you're the contact point because you are in a space, such as a house, that belonged to or was familiar to the ghost in its physical existence. Maybe there is something about your life mission that intersects with the spirit's mission. Such a spirit has unfinished business, and you can help bring completion and resolution for the spirit.

Throughout history and across cultures, human kind has shared a common belief in the continuation of life after death. Although the physical body dies, the spirit lives on. These beliefs form the basis of numerous religions and faith systems.

How often do you pick up the phone to call your sister, brother, parent, friend, or lover - someone near and dear to you - for no apparent reason and then find out that something significant has happened or is going on in the person's life? These bonds connect you in ways that transcend conscious communication. We welcome, and even expect, these connections as evidence of the depth of our relationships.

As these bonds connect us to others in our physical lives, they also extend beyond physical boundaries. Many people expect to stay in contact with loved ones even after they pass on. And we expect this contact to take place along the bonds formed in our physical lives. Spouses, parents, children, and dear friends - people connected through love in the physical world and separated by death - establish and maintain contact that transcends life and death.

Many people who want to communicate with spirits desire to make contact with loved ones who have passed on. And many spirits that initiate contact with the physical world have the same desire. This contact can be for comfort, to protect or shelter, to explain or forgive, or simply to continue a loving relationship.

The Continuity of Life

You might think of spirits as ghostly images that drift around just beyond the boundaries of physical experience. And in a sense, the perception isn't wrong ... just incomplete. Spirits are all around us. Some we can see, hear, and touch - those who, like us, inhabit physical bodies. We may not recognize others that are present as discarnate spirits. They might be spirits that once lived or are yet to live in the physical plane, or spirits that exist solely in the spirit plane.

A discarnate spirit is one without a physical body. The physical plane is the level of existence at which spirits take physical form (our physical world). The spirit plane is the level of existence at which there are no boundaries of tangibility, time, or space.

They cycle of life and death has fascinated humankind for all of its existence. What, we ask through our spiritual and religious pursuits, defines the start and end of this cycle? This line of questioning finds itself limited by the boundaries of physical existence. But what if we reverse this thinking? Instead of looking at human beings as physical bodies that have spirits (or souls), what if we look at human existence as spirits inhabiting physical bodies? Then the cycle becomes a continuum.

The Greatest Journey Begins with Preparation

Many ancient cultures buried their dead as though they were leaving on grand, extended journeys. Excavated burial sites on nearly every continent show bodies carefully prepared and surrounded by valuables, food, and other items the departed might need in the afterlife. Scientists have dated some of these sites to be as old ad the Neolithic period 10,000 years ago. Consistencies among sites in certain locations provide evidence that cultures often followed precise rituals in burying their dead. The ancient Egyptians meticulously removed the body's major organs, sealing them in clay jars placed around the body so the spirit would find them ready as it entered its next life.

1. Find help. Find a person or, better yet, a group of people who inspire you, challenge you, and can help you to become the person you want to be.

2. Practice humility. Try to avoid feeling better than people who are not consciously on a spiritual path. If your path leads you to feel more separate from others, you're probably moving in the wrong direction.

3. Take risks. Having an attitude in which you're willing to experiment, try new things, and face small fears is helpful in accelerating your growth.

4. Practice honesty. The more honest you are with yourself, the more likely you can avoid the problems of arrogance and separation that can hinder your spiritual progress.

5. Develop humor. An ability to laugh at yourself and at the many absurdities in the world is a great ally on the spiritual path.

6. Nurture positive qualities. Kindness, courage, compassion, sincerity, and curiosity are great allies on the spiritual journey. Nurture these qualities in yourself.

7. Listen to intuition. Your intuitive wisdom, or "still, small voice" within will feel "right" to you and is a way of keeping you honest and headed in the right direction.

8. Watch your mind. As you grow in awareness, your prison of thoughts becomes more obvious. Seeing your prison is a first step to becoming free of it.

9. Observe devotion. Opening your heart to the Divine through the use of various devotional methods can be useful to many seekers.

10. Experiment with prayer. There are many ways to pray or converse with Spirit. As you try different approaches, note the way(s) that feel right or deepest to you.

11. Practice service. All spiritual traditions emphasize the importance of service. It helps to lessen one's sense of importance and connect more deeply with one's heart.

12. Meditate consistently. If prayer is talking to the Divine, meditation is listening to the Divine (or God). Try different meditation methods, but choose one that helps you to consistently connect with the silence within.

13. Develop body awareness. By increasing your connection to your body through body-centered spiritual practices, you can increase your health, energy, and receptivity to Spirit.

14. Use negative feelings. Your negative feelings can be a signpost alerting you to shortcomings in yourself and can be a helpful "wake-up call" to become more present.

15. Learn from relationships. Relationships can be wonderful mirrors that help you to see yourself, and through the power of total honesty, can be a helpful path toward opening up to deeper levels of intimacy and vulnerability.

16. Discover inner obstacles. The "kingdom of heaven" is already within you. Your job is to identify the obstacles you have inside yourself that prevent you from feeling more connected to Spirit.

17. Explore religions. Each religious tradition is like a unique path up the spiritual mountain. By learning from them, you can find new ways to explore your spiritual self.

18. Live simply. Money can help or hinder your spiritual growth, depending on how you use it. Fortunately, by living a simple life, you can have less stress and more time for spiritual practices.

19. Seek experts. Constantly look for people who can teach you to be more kind, help you to increase your knowledge of a specific spiritual discipline, or enhance your wisdom.

20. Find your calling. By listening to your intuition and the messages the universe sends your way, you can better know what type of work you are best suited for and what work will lead to the greatest contribution.

21. Practice appreciation. You can feel more aligned with the Divine by focusing on gratitude and the beauty in people, nature, art, and music.

22. Seek frequent inspiration. If taken in with a reverent attitude, spiritually focused books and movies can be a helpful tool along the spiritual path. Nowadays, there is an immense amount of information and inspiration readily available.

23. Explore creativity. When you create, you come closer to the Creator. Let your ability to sing, write, dance, paint, or even cook a meal be an act of opening to Spirit.

24. Create sacred space. In this fast-paced world, you need to make sure you create both the internal and external space you need to commune with your soul.

25. Prepare for the end of life. Learn to use sickness, aging, pain, and the knowledge of death as a motivator and method for going deeper within the part of you that doesn't die.

We are definitely in a retrograde right now. The affects of it began around November 22.

In general, Mercury rules thinking and perception, processing and disseminating information and all means of communication, commerce, education and transportation. By extension, Mercury rules people who work in these areas, especially those who work with their minds or their wits: writers and orators, consultants, commentators and critics, gossips and spin doctors, salespeople, teachers, travellers, tricksters and thieves. Mercury also has an occult side, so healing, astrology and the transmission of spiritual knowledge are also in his area.

Mercury retrograde gives rise to personal misunderstandings; flawed, disrupted, or delayed communications, negotiations and trade; glitches and breakdowns with phones, computers, cars, buses, and trains. And all of these problems usually arise because some crucial piece of information, or component, has gone astray or awry.

It is not exactly wise to make important decisions while Mercury is retrograde, since it is likely that such decisions will be clouded by misinformation, poor communication and careless thinking. Mercury is all about mental clarity and the power of the mind, so when Mercury is retrograde these intellectual characteristics tend to be less acute than usual, as the critical faculties are dimmed. Make sure you pay attention to the small print!

I think I'm going to only discuss personal issues in my journal and avoid the wide internet world out there for awhile. This time of year is always bad for me in the communication department. I encounter misunderstandings, had breakups, arguments, and all sorts of other mishaps during the winter retrogrades.

My only advice for people is to be aware of it and if you encounter mis-communications more than usual - this is probably why. Be easy on each other. Hugs.