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Astral Guide: Starter Pack

Astral traveling has been a part of my path since the first day I started and has only grown. I am able to meet and speak with the spirits and gods I work with, do spell work, do healing, and a large amount of other work in the astral. I worked almost every night before bed, unknowingly to me at first, to get where I am at now. I was going to make a long “how to” on astral travel, but simplicity is better. If you have any questions or need me to elaborate on anything, please don’t be hesitant to send me an ask. I could write ten pages to better explain how I work in the astral but no one will read that, so asking for me to elaborate is definitely fine with me!

Before you start:

Astral traveling does not equal astral projection.

In astral projection you fully leave your body but while astral traveling you do not.

In astral projection you view everything with crystal clear imagery but while astral traveling you do not.

Have you ever done a guided meditation? Did you know you were pretty much astrally traveling? In fact, if you have never astrally traveled before, try out a guided meditation so you can get an idea of what you should be “seeing” in your mind’s eye. The next step will be to drop the guided meditation and do it for yourself.

First, learn how to visualize. If you can’t visualize, you can’t travel in the astral. There are no ways around it. This website is the most clear and concise way to learn how to visualize. The level three exercise there is what you will need to learn how to do in order to travel in the astral. If you have a hard time visualizing, start at the level one exercise. Once you have learned how to visualize, try the exercise below.

Easy starter method for dipping your toes into astral traveling:

Make sure you are comfortable and in a room where you will not be distracted

Set up the protection you need around you

Ask any spirits you want to accompany you to do so

Think of what you want to do in the astral. If you want to meet a spirit, specify that. If you just want to explore, you don’t have to think about what you want to do and you can just enjoy exploring. 

Get on YouTube and look up “forest sounds”. Find one you like and put it on with headphones.

Close your eyes, ground, center, breathe - do whatever you do to get into a meditative state.

Now start to imagine that you’re in a forest. The sounds you are hearing from the video are the sounds the forest is making.

Walk around and explore. As you continue, stop forcing your imagination to see where you’re going and start letting your mind’s eye truly start viewing where you are at on it’s own. If you wanted to meet a spirit there, ask it to meet you there. Don’t worry if you don’t end up seeing the spirit you want to meet there. Sometimes they will be around just through a feeling and will want to let you explore the astral on your own without visually distracting you.

When you feel you’re done, thank any spirits that were involved with the process (if they were) and wiggle your fingers and toes. Open your eyes and head off to eat or drink something to ground yourself.

Yes, that’s literally it. It is truly that simple. Get used to visualization and get used to wandering around a space in the astral you have created. For instance, the forest you were just in within that exercise is yours. These are the foundations you need to learn and get comfortable with. Soon you can visit places that truly exist in the astral, rather than creations of your own.

What can you do in the astral?

You can create a sanctuary, visit with spirits, heal your own energy - the amount of things you can do is unlimited. Do you want to do a spell in the astral? Craft the ingredients out of the energy around you. Yes, this seriously works! Spells done in the astral are just as potent (if not more potent, if you know what you’re doing) than spells we do on our physical plane. The most important thing is to not doubt what you are doing and have true intent. I have done some heavy spell work in the astral that worked extremely well to gain results on our physical realm. The exciting thing about doing spells in the astral is that you can actually have your spirit companions or gods visually next to you to aid you. You can also craft up offerings and altar spaces for your gods and spirit companions there. You are not limited while you are in the astral. You can take on any form you want in the astral (this is called your vehicle). You can surround yourself with the elements and weather you want in the astral. Do you need it to be storming while you do a spell? You can make it storm. The stronger your visualization skills are, the more you can do. That’s why you have to work at it often. Within your own created space, you can allow spirits to visit. You can ward your sanctuary and allow your spiritual guides and friends to visit. There are no limits! Just be smart about it.

Useful links to further illustrate what I’m talking about:

How to communicate with spirits, gods, and other unseen

Create an astral temple

Tips and extras:

Don’t doubt what you see

Work at it everyday

Make use of herbs of crystals that will aid in visualization 

Always set up protection beforehand

Also set up protection around your sanctuary if you build one

Ask your gods or any spirits you trust to guide you as you travel

Don’t limit yourself to what you can do there

When traveling outside of a space you created yourself (aka the whole wide world of the astral), tread carefully and be smart.

MONROE TECHNIQUES FOR ASTRAL PROJECTION

One of the chief barriers people learning to project face is fear.  Many are afraid that they may die, or be harmed in some way as a result of their projection. Once you can counteract this fear you can begin trying to project.  

Step one:

Relax the body. According to Monroe, “the ability to relax is the first prerequisite, perhaps even the first step itself” to having an OBE. (out of body experience) This includes both physical and mental relaxation. Monroe does not suggest a method of attaining this relaxation, although Progressive Muscle relaxation, coupled with deep breathing exercises (inhale 1, exhale 2, inhale 3…. until 50 or 100) are known to work well.

Step two:

Enter the state bordering sleep.  This is known as the hypnagogic state. Once again, Monroe doesn’t recommend any method of doing this.  One way is to hold your forearm up, while keeping your upper arm on the bed, or ground. As you start to fall asleep, your arm will fall, and you will awaken again.  With practice, you can learn to control the Hypnagogic state without using your arm.  Another method is to concentrate on an object.  When other images start to enter your thoughts, you have entered the Hypnagogic state.  Passively watch these images.  This will also help you maintain this state of near-sleep. Monroe calls this Condition A.

Step three:

Deepen this state. Begin to clear your mind.  observe your field of vision through your closed eyes.  Do nothing more for a while. Simply look through your closed eyelids at the blackness in front of you.  After a while, you may notice light patterns.  These are simply neural discharges.  They have no specific effect.  Ignore them.  When they cease, one has entered what Monroe calls Condition B.  From here, one must enter an even deeper state of relaxation which Monroe calls Condition C– a state of such relaxation that you lose all awareness of the body and sensory stimulation.  You are almost in a void in which your only source of stimulation will be your own thoughts.  The ideal state for leaving your body is Condition D.  This is Condition C when it is voluntarily induced from a rested and refreshed condition and is not the effect of normal fatigue.  To achieve Condition D, Monroe suggests that you practice entering it in the morning or after a short nap.

Step Four:

Enter a state of Vibration. This is the most important part of the technique, and also the most vague.  Many projectors have noted these vibrations at the onset of projection.  They can be experienced as a mild tingling, or as is electricity is being shot through the body.  /their cause is a mystery.  It may be the astral body trying to leave the physical one.  For entering the vibrational state, he offers the following directions:

1. Remove all jewelry or other items that might be touching your skin.

2. Darken the room so that no light can be seen through your eyelids, but do not shut out all light.

3. Lie down with your body along a north-south axis, with your head pointed toward magnetic north.

4. Loosen all clothing, but keep covered so that you are slightly warmer than might normally be comfortable.

5. Be sure you are in a location where, and at a time when, there will be absolutely no noise to disturb you.

6. Enter a state of relaxation

7. Give yourself the mental suggestion that you will remember all that occurs during the upcoming session that will be beneficial to your well-being. Repeat this five times.

8. Proceed to breathe through your half-open mouth.

9. As you breath, concentrate on the void in front of you.

10. Select a point a foot away from your forehead, then change your point of mental reference to six feet.

11. Turn the point 90 degrees upward by drawing an imaginary line parallel to your body axis up and above your head.  Focus there and reach out for the vibrations at that point and bring them back into your body.

Even if you don’t know what these vibrations are, you will know when you have achieved contact with them.

Step five:

Learn to control the vibrational state.  Practice controlling them by mentally pushing them into your head, down to your toes, making them surge throughout your entire body, and producing vibrational waves from head to foot.  To produce this wave effect, concentrate of the vibrations and mentally push a wave out of your head and guide it down your body. Practice this until you can induce these waves on command.  Once you have control of the vibrational state, you are ready to leave the body.

Step six:

Begin with a partial separation.  The key here is thought control.  Keep your mind firmly focused on the idea of leaving the body. Do not let it wander. Stray thought might cause you to lose control of the state.

Now, having entered the vibrational state, begin exploring the OBE by releasing a hand or a foot of the “second body”.  Monroe suggests that you extend a limb until it comes in contact with a familiar object, such as a wall near your bed.  Then push it through the object. Return the limb by placing it back into coincidence with the physical one, decrease the vibrational rate, and then terminate the experiment.  Lie quietly until you have fully returned to normal. This exercise will prepare you for full separation.

Step seven:

Dissociate yourself from the body. Monroe suggests two methods for this.  One method is to lift out of the body.  To do this, think about getting lighter and lighter after entering this vibrational state.  Think about how nice it would be to float upward.  Keep this thought in mind at all costs and let no extraneous thoughts interrupt it. An OBE will occur naturally at this point.

Another method is the “Rotation method” or “roll-out” technique.  When you have achieved the vibrational state, try to roll over as if you were turning over in bed.  /do not attempt to roll over physically.  Try to twist your body from the top and virtually roll over into your second body right out of your physical self.  At this point, you will be out of the body but next to it.  Think of floating upward, and you should find yourself floating above the body.  Monroe suggests you begin with the lift-out method, but argues that both are equally efficacious.

Source: Scared text archive & (Taken from Leaving the Body: A Complete Guide to Astral

Projection, D. Scott Rogo, prentice Hall Press)

As Always

-Robin

Pathworking and Astral Travel

In spirit work, we often connect with the spirits that have crossed over and are present in the physical world. However, there are also ways to cross over into the spirit world and connect with spirits in their home environment.

Pathworking

As I mentioned in a previous post, a pathworking is a specific type of meditation where you go on a psychic journey, but are still anchored to your physical body. It’s sort of like dipping your toes into the spirit world.

There are two important elements to a pathworking: a clear entrance/exit point and a way to retrace your steps. Pathworking journeys are typically cyclical — there is both a journey out and a return where you go back the way you came. This makes it easier to fully return your consciousness to your body, and failing to do so can cause you to feel disoriented upon the return.

Your entry/exit point can be absolutely anything, but common examples include a door, a gateway, a tree (or sometimes The World Tree), a cave/tunnel, or a natural landmark like a beach or mountaintop. What’s important is that it’s recognizable and easy to find your way back to.

If you want to try pathworking, make a rough “road map” of your journey beforehand. This doesn’t have to be super specific, but it should contain the following: a goal for the pathworking (such as to connect with a certain spirit), an entry/exit point, and a general idea for the route you’re going to take. If you’re worried about getting lost, author Thea Sabin recommends using “the Theseus trick.” Like in the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, you can tie a golden thread or rope to your entry point and the other end to your astral body. If you get lost, you can follow the thread back.

Pathworking is fairly beginner friendly, and I highly, highly, highly recommend starting with pathworking and becoming comfortable with this method before trying astral travel. Even for more advanced witches, pathworking is often a better option than astral travel because it’s less involved and requires a little bit less effort. I personally prefer pathworking for most situations.

Performing a Pathworking

Before you begin, establish a clear goal for your pathworking and write out a rough “road map.” At the very least, you should know what your purpose is, where your entry point is, and how to find your way back.

Begin in a dark, quiet room. Cleanse the room by burning incense, diffusing or spraying essential oils, or using a ritual broom to sweep out old energy.

Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down and begin meditating. You may want to play meditation music, practice breathing techniques, or use some other method to help you reach a meditative state.

Once you reach a meditative state (you should know what this feels like if you have experience with meditation), see yourself standing at your entry point. This is your entrance to the astral realm.

Set out on your pathworking.

When you are ready to leave the astral realm, you will need to find your way back to your entry point. Once you reach your entry point, it should be fairly easy to return to your body.

Once you’re fully present in your physical body, use your favorite method to ground yourself.

Write down everything you experienced during your pathworking in a journal.

Astral Travel

If pathworking is dipping your toes into the spirit world, astral travel is diving in the deep end. Also called spirit flight and hedge riding, astral travel includes actually sending your soul/consciousness out of your body and into the spirit world. As you might guess, this is more complicated and requires more effort than pathworking. For this reason, astral travel is not beginner-friendly. If you are completely new to meditation, witchcraft, and spirit work, it’s best to learn to pathwork before you attempt astral travel.

A word of warning: you may want to avoid astral travel at times when you’re in a very vulnerable or volatile emotional state. Some days you just aren’t up for it, and that’s okay. On those days, a pathworking or another form of spirit work may be a better option.

Triggering Spirit Flight

In astral travel, a trigger of some kind is used to help disconnect the soul from the physical body. Common triggers include drumming, special music, shaking a rattle, chanting, and dancing.

You can find shamanic drumming tracks on YouTube that can help you achieve astral travel. If you find that repetitive motion helps you trance out, you may look into getting a small drum or rattle to play.

Animal Guides

In many cultures, those who travel into the spirit world do so with the guidance and protection of an animal spirit. From the Norse fylgja, to the shamanic power animal, to the witch’s familiar, history is full of examples of these types of guides.

Before you begin astral travel, do a pathworking to meet your animal guide. It’s important to note that you aren’t choosing an animal guide — only meeting one that has always been with you. Your guide may be an animal that you like or identify with, or it may not. When I first began experimenting with astral travel, my guide was a coyote — an animal I had never identified with before, but who I learned was deeply connected to my inner self.

It’s important to always have your animal guide with you when going on astral journeys, as they are an important source of protection and power. They may also literally guide you to the things you need to see and the spirits you need to meet.

Flying Ointments

Historical accounts describe witches using “flying ointment” to help them achieve spirit flight. These traditional flying ointments contained toxic and/or hallucinogenic plants like belladonna, datura, henbane, mandrake, and opium poppies. For obvious reasons, most modern witches do not use these herbs.

Please do not try to create your own flying ointment with poisonous plants. If you’re a true traditionalist and feel like you just have to try a historically accurate flying ointment, Bane Folk Apothecary sells several. Bane Folk is run by Sarah Anne Lawless, a kickass witch who knows her stuff and produces safe, medicinal products inspired by traditional flying ointment formulas. I am usually very pro-DIY, especially when it comes to witchcraft, but this is one case where it really is best to defer to a professional.

To create a modern, non-toxic flying ointment: heat eight ounces (or one cup) of poppy seed oil over low heat on the stove. Once the oil is warm, add 2 ounces (or ¼ cup) of beeswax into the oil. (Use carnauba wax for a vegan alternative.) Take the mixture off the heat, and allow it to cool off a bit. Once it has cooled (but before it’s begun to solidify), add nine drops each of mugwort essential oil, star anise essential oil, and peppermint essential oil. Pour the mixture into a mason jar and seal tightly. To extend your ointment’s shelf life, add a few drops of Vitamin E oil and store in the refrigerator. If you don’t have access to essential oils or prefer a more traditional method, you can buy dry herbs and infuse them into your oil instead — to do this, crush up 2.5 ounces (or 1/3 cup) each of dried mugwort, star anise, and peppermint and add them to a mason jar; add enough oil to the jar to cover the herbs completely, with about an inch of oil above them; seal the jar and place it in a sunny window for 2-3 weeks to infuse; and finally, strain the herbs out of the oil with a mesh sieve or a cheesecloth. You can then add your Vitamin E oil and beeswax to create an ointment.

This modern recipe does not contain hallucinogens, but it does contain plants that are commonly used in magic to increase psychic abilities and aid in astral travel. You can say an incantation over this ointment while making it to add some extra magical potency. Applying the flying ointment can also become a sort of ritual that prepares you for spirit flight by helping you slip into a more spiritual head space.

Performing Astral Travel/Spirit Flight

Before you begin, know why you are journeying to the spirit world. You should always have a clear goal for your astral journeys.

Begin in a dark, quiet room. Cleanse the room by burning incense (mugwort incense aids in astral travel), diffusing or spraying essential oils, or using a ritual broom to sweep out old energy.

Use your favorite method to ground yourself.

If you are choosing to use a flying ointment, rub it on your skin now.

Hold a protective item in one of your hands. I like physical items for protection during spirit flight, because they can ground you and help you find your way back to your body. Examples of protective items include a sprig of rue, a piece of iron, or a protective crystal like black tourmaline. If you ever feel scared or uncomfortable during your journey, you can bring this object into the astral realm to protect you. It will also keep your body safe while your consciousness is occupied.

Start up your trigger, whether this is drumming, rattling, dancing, etc.

Allow yourself to drift into a trance state, and then to disconnect from your body.

Call your animal guide to you.

Set out on your journey in the spirit world.

When you are ready, feel yourself returning to your physical body. Allow yourself to come back slowly — don’t rush it.

Ground yourself. One good way to ground after astral travel is by eating a snack.

Write down your experiences in a journal.

Resources:

Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin

Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon

Hedge Riding by Harmonia Saille

“How to Make Herb-Infused Oils for Culinary & Body Care Use” and “How to Make Herbal Salves” from the Mountain Rose Herbs blog