30 Days of Witchcraft ~ 30-Day Challenge ~ Day 17 Astral Projection

 

Welcome, fellow heathens! Today marks day 17 of our 30 Days of Witchcraft "Write Your Craft" journey! This 30 day challenge has been, well, challenging! But it's been healing for me to open my mind to my craft and share with you all. I've accomplished things this last few weeks that I never imagined, and I owe it all to you.

When I wrote this 30 day list I was just writing with no rhyme or reason, just things I wanted to talk about or learn more about. And I popped "Astral Projection", right in the middle of the list. So, here we are.

I know some about this, I've done it a few times with varying degrees of success. But A lot of today's post will be researched. I have a bibliography page that I put all my references on for the blog, but today I will add these specifics here, at the bottom of the post, as well.

What is Astral Projection?

Astral Projection (AP for the duration so I don’t have to type it 100 times), or dream walking, is an interpretation of an out of body experience that promotes one’s mind to an existence in am astral body or form separate from your physical body. This experience can be heard worldwide, in all religions, and all walks of life. It can be brought about intentionally or unintentionally; by skill and purpose, meditation, mind-altering substances, surgical procedures, illness, near death experiences, and more. Some spiritual practices believe it to be (What Does Astral Projection Mean?, n.d.)higher realms”, but it is commonly any visualization of yourself outside your body. 

AP is a liminal state. That is a different sensory threshold that you are used to being on. In this phase, you may be barely capable of responding when spoken to. Therefore it is best to do this in private, or at least tell anyone you are with what you are practicing. In liminal states, you may see things in greater detail or have a higher amount of visual stimuli: colors, shapes & patterns, sightings of the heretofore unknown. With practice it can feel like flying. You leave your body and travel to a location you wish to see or watch,  unknown to those on the material plane. 

While it is still largely unknown as to the how and whys of the experiences, it is no longer dismissed by the scientific community. It is believed to be a neurological “glitch” or dysfunction of the brain - otherwise everyone would be doing it, right? It does lend itself to a belief in a higher consciousness from ourselves, and a belief in a liminal, astral, plane of existence.

I will tell you that AP isn't something to be taken lightly or dabbled at. For that reason, I won't tell you how I have gone about it. There are a million “how-to” guides out there. I will say it takes a suspension of belief, deep meditation, and a tether to the material plane - some use a person to call them back some use what is called a “silver cord” - just remember that this plane of existence is where we currently belong, and please return to us.

References

How To Astral Project (Beginner's Guide To Astral Travel). (n.d.). Psychic Gurus. Retrieved August 12, 2022, from https://www.psychicgurus.org/how-to-astral-project-safely/

Stamper, J. (n.d.). Liminal Definition & Meaning. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved August 12, 2022, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liminal

What does Astral Projection mean? (n.d.). Definitions.net. Retrieved August 12, 2022, from https://www.definitions.net/definition/Astral%20Projection

What is Astral Projection? An Astral Projecting Guide. (2020, February 24). Gaia. Retrieved August 12, 2022, from https://www.gaia.com/article/what-is-astral-projection