00:00 Mel – INTRO
Hello everyone, join me a small medium at large as we explore the world of Spirit, energy, tarot, mediumship, psychic abilities, Angels, oracles, paranormal activity and basically anything downright spooky. If any, some, or all of those things interest you, then you've come to the right place my friends, I'm Melanie Mahmood and welcome to the Spirit Level podcast.
00:29 Mel – WELCOME
Hello, hello, hello and welcome to the Spirit Level podcast. How are you doing folks? What’s it feeling like in your part of the World? It’s definitely starting to feel Autumnal here in the UK, but I have to say the weather has definitely been odd. It starts of looking cold and miserable, so you wrap up in woolly jumpers and winter gear and by lunchtime it’s been 17 degrees C and if you’re a lady of a certain age like my good self, blimey it’s horrendous!! I simply do not have a clue what to wear really but it is unseasonably warm for what we are used to here. Anyway, wherever you are I hope you are doing okay and looking after yourself.
In Astro news we have a Full Moon Eclipse in Taurus on the 19th of November which is a Friday I do believe…ooooooh so what does this mean? Well, the key energies are Change, Pardoning, Possessiveness and Expressiveness but eclipses can also send things a bit haywire. It’s only a partial eclipse so it may not be so bad but if things or messages go astray or communication just isn’t happening, just wait until the dust settles after the 19th and try again. This is all because Mercury the planet of communication is Trine to Neptune, so any water signs may be seeing or hearing things that upset your sensitive soul. Try not to react, just sit with it because it’s not what you think darlings and no need to get upset for nowt now.
Coming up in today’s show…….
A slight change to what we had planned -:
HOWLITE is the featured crystal in CRYSTAL CORNER. There will be some more of your listener questions. We welcome back our Sound bath and Spiritual all-rounder, our dear friend Maria Atherley. In HOUSEHOLD HOCUS POCUS, we have a ritual for helping with EXAMS & TESTS, and in TIME FOR TAROT we move onto TAROT SPREADS. So here we go.
03:14 Mel - CRYSTAL CORNER
This week’s Crystal Corner is HOWLITE. This is a new crystal to me, so I thought we'd explore this one together.
It's milky white in color and it's got kind of a soapy feel to it, according to my gem book.
HOWLITE is linked to the third eye Shakra, and also linked to the astrological sign of Gemini, it's apparently a very good transformative stone, and changes negative for positive, and this includes emotions, so it changes rage, selfishness and impatience into calm, peaceful and patient, allowing the wearer to drop the mask they show the world and be true to themselves.
HOWLITE opens the soul to attunement, so perhaps would be useful in Reiki type practices and prepares the mind to receive wisdom. So, again, I'm thinking perhaps this crystal would be useful in meditation practice.
HOWLITE is said to assist in accessing past life memories. So, because of this, I would suggest that it may be of use to hypnotherapy practitioners. So, in general terms, HOWLITE assists in the formulation of ambitions that's physical, material and spiritual and helps one to achieve those goals, I think.
This would be quite useful in manifestation work. It feels foundational and energy, and it feels quite solid, but it's quite smooth, it's a smooth energy. It's not jumpy, so perhaps this is why it's said to facilitate calm communication. I can definitely sense that when I hold this crystal.
So that's an introduction to HOWLITE folks. I hope you learnt something useful there, as I certainly did. That's why I love crystals, there's so many different uses and they've all got their own characteristics.
05:16 LISTENER QUESTIONS
Mel - And now it's time for listeners questions what do we have this week, darling?
MR M - Thank you Mel. Hello again everyone, three questions for you this week, Mel. Our first question comes from Jen in Leicester, who asks -: I know you are trained in acupuncture. In your opinion, what are the benefits to receiving that treatment as opposed to traditional treatment?
Mel - Hi Jen, thank you for that question. It's a, it's an interesting one because it's all to do with a holistic approach. That's the bit that I like about acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine is that they take the individual and the individual's symptoms and signs and how they're feeling and build a picture, a case study if you like rather than oh this is the symptom. That's what you give to that symptom, which is generally what happens with Western medicine. One size doesn't fit all, whereas in Chinese medicine and in acupuncture it's, it's tailored specifically to you.
The other thing that I like about it is that it's natural, so you're not adding anything you're not adding any drugs, any compounds, any tinctures, nothing like that in acupuncture. What you're doing is you're balancing your body and getting the energy moving in the way that it should be moving so that your body will heal itself because that's what it's designed to do. Your body is designed to heal itself, and by using acupuncture you’re tapping into that power. The power of Qi to do that.
Whereas instead you don't become reliant on medicines, you don't become reliant on medicines that have side effects. There is no side effects to acupuncture. The only side effect is, it doesn't work, or it won't work, or it might need tweaking. It's as simple as that. That's why I like it. It just feels more natural and it's more, uh, more in tune with your body, your particular body, and getting you well.
In fact, in Chinese medicine, the traditional Chinese medicine you paid your acupuncturist to keep you well. If you got ill, they had to pay you back.
And the other thing that I like about the Chinese system is when they tried to get rid of it and they wanted to Westernize it, they did a massive study and found that it was just too effective and so they couldn't get rid of it. And so, in China they have two systems, and you can have a choice whether you want to be treated and this is in hospitals as well your doctors.
You can be treated one way or the other, dependent on what it is. So, my theory is if you need something chopping off, changing or mending as in like a broken bone, then Western medicine is easier, is your best bet. But anything where your body can probably heal itself or get rid of a cold or whatever, then Chinese medicine and acupuncture will help with that.
MR M – Great stuff Mel, really thorough answer. Thank you, now our second question this week comes from Suzanne in Braintree who asks -: I strongly believe in reincarnation, but is there a point when it stops, and we do not become something or someone else?
Mel - Yes, that is the point of enlightenment. This is where Buddha achieved enlightenment and didn't have to be reincarnated again that's where it comes from, so you get, you do get to a point where spiritually and not physically so much, but certainly spiritually, you are enlightened enough to not have to come back to this earthly plane to learn the lessons that your soul needs to learn at that time.
I think I've spoken about it before, about eventually you just become part of the consciousness. There is no physicality to you. You become part of a lake, if you like, of energy and thought and knowledge and I take great comfort in that coz that sounds lovely.
MR M - Yeah, it does indeed, well, thank you and our final question this week comes from Nicola in Sunderland who asks -: My husband has a recurring dream which he can recount almost exactly. I know we all dream, and I must do as well, but I can never remember what I've been dreaming about. Why is this?
Mel - That's one of the mysteries, isn't it? We have this don’t we? Because I dream every night, I dream in technicolour, sound, you name it. Whereas Mr. M says he doesn't dream, but I know he does coz he kicks me and says things in his sleep.
MR M – I'm not asleep when I’m kicking you!!!!
Mel – So, I know he is. They think it's something to do with how you come out of the consciousness states and if you are a very conscious person like myself who works with consciousness and energy, we're a bit more tapped into that side of our brains.
I think, I don't know the scientific answer or the spiritual answer, but I guess I'm guessing that that's what it is.
It's, it's to do with whether you're a visual person, whether you're affected by your emotions during the day, and whether you are tapped into all your consciousness levels.
MR M – OK. Good stuff Mel. Just a very quick one on that.
Mel – OK.
MR M -: Is it bad for you if you can't remember your dreams?
Mel - I don't think it's bad for you. I don't. I just think there is the theory that dreams are just your consciousness getting rid of rubbish that it's accumulated during the day or bits of information that aren't required. I don't think it's bad.
MR M - OK, thank you and thanks to Jen, Suzanne and Nicola for getting in touch with us. If you would like to send Mel a question or have your question feature as a 3-card tarot reading or want to get in touch with us for any other matter, whether it be suggestions for show content, guests or just to get in touch. Then here is how to do so.
Mel - Thank you to everyone who submitted a question. There are a number of ways you can get in touch with us. You can get in touch with us via email and the address is thespiritlevel22@gmail.com.
On Facebook, on the group's search for The Spirit Level.
On Twitter, search for thespiritlevel.co.uk. We have a Twitter handle which is @thespiritlevelU, which is a capital U.
On Instagram, search for me, Melanie Mahmood or thespiritlevel.co.uk
Or you can click on the Speak pipe link in the episode notes and send us a voicemail free of charge.
In addition, there are a number of resources for you to download and access on our website totally free of charge, at www.thespiritlevel.co.uk we look forward to hearing from you.
11:21 GUEST INTERVIEW – MARIA ATHERLEY
Mel - Well, I've got a little bit of a surprise for you and a little treat. We've got our beloved friend, my soul sister from another Mister, MARIA ATHERLEY from the love shack is here. Hello my darling.
Maria – Hi Mel
Mel – So, we had a question last week on the last episode about Chakras, and I think I mentioned at the time that I would ask Maria all about it, and so, as a little surprise, she's very kindly offered to join us to explain that question a little bit better than I did. So, I think the question was all about CHAKRAS and whether they move and the different locations of them. And obviously we know about the traditional ones, or most people do. What they don't know is about the extra ones as well. So, if you could just tell us all about it, Maria.
Maria - Yeah OK, well, thanks for the opportunity to explain this and I'll do this from, and this is only from my experience, my perspective and my interpretation of what CHAKRAS are, so I'm not. I don't want to kind of say I am the leading authority on CHAKRAS, but as someone who's been teaching Yoga for four years and understanding meditation and energy and learning a lot myself, then it's kind of like a culmination of all of that. So that's my disclaimer to start off with.
Because if people really want to find out about it, then you know everyone's got their own journey and they can go and find out coz there's an enormous amount of information out there and our access is infinite to that. So, and that's really all I've done.
But basically, in a nutshell the CHAKRAS are, as you rightly said, they are energy vortices, so they are invisible to the naked eye, and they're not something physical, they are etheric, they are metaphysical, and they do move because they oscillate, and they vibrate at different frequencies. Now there's been a lot of research coz I work with sound as well, as you know, and a lot of research been done to correlate the frequencies of each CHAKRA as well. So, you can do some research and find out about that, if you're interested about that.
The main 7 CHAKRA are what we traditionally associate with Yoga, and I guess it's a good starting point. So, they are located in the physical body, and they begin at the ROOT at the base of the spine, and then we work up to the SACRAL CHARKRA, which would be located in or around our womb or womb space, and that is for male and female bodies. Then we move up to MANIPURA, which is our Solar Plexus, which is somewhere between our belly button and the lower part of our ribs. Yeah, somewhere in between there, then we move up and then we move up into our HEART, which as you said rightly so that's most people can really, you know, associate with that. Our heart is actually our biggest CHAKRA and our most powerful energy aspect within our body once we activate it. And then and cleanse it and clear it and get it all working in the right way. Then we'll move up to our THROAT. Excuse me as she coughs.
Mel - There you go. Talking about it, it’s the energy there.
Maria - That's hilarious what needs to shift out of my throat CHAKRA I wonder uhm so then we move out from the THROAT up to the THIRD EYE or the AJNA CHAKRA in Sanskrit. So, that is in between the eyebrows and that is the place traditionally where you might be guided to focus your inner gaze when you are meditating. And then we will move up to the top of our head, THE CROWN, and that is the end of the seven really, the traditional cycle.
Mel – So the extras are?
Maria - The extras are, the extras that I work with now are another 5 CHAKRA’S and they are known as the 12 Atlantean CHAKRA’S, so that might be something for Mr. M to go into ….
Mel – Ooh yes
Maria - …. in his MENAGERIE
Mel – He loves his Atlantean stuff
Maria - and he might enjoy exploring that coz he's looked at Atlantis, hasn't he as well?
Mel – He has yes.
Maria – So, we begin beneath our feet about 6 to 8 inches below the surface of the earth, and we take our attention down to EARTH STAR. So, EARTH STAR is the place where we actually have our, our real grounding, our pool. It's almost like our magnetic connection to the Earth, and that follows us around wherever we go and if we're not very grounded, then we might not have a very strong connection to our EARTH STAR CHAKRA. We have to really practice as we do with connecting and clearing them all, but the more as we know, the more we do, the better we get, the clearer we get, et cetera. So, EARTH STAR. One of my teachers actually is really cleverly helped me Imagine what this is like and I kind of imagine EARTH STAR a bit like a Metatron cube like a sacred geometric shape that's spinning and it's like an energy storage, and it's a bit like a memory store for all the work or the energy work that we do while we're on the Earth plane and it'll get sucked into there, so good or bad as well, I guess.
Mel - It's an interesting way of viewing it. Yeah, I never thought about it like geometry.
Maria - Yeah, I really like that. I really like that and then so moving up to another one that we might not ordinarily focus on and that is called the NABI or navel and NABI is the belly button basically, and if any of the listeners are interested in doing any research into that, it's actually a really central healing point, and we can do a lot of healing through our belly button actually, with oils. But that's for another episode.
Mel – Absolutely.
Maria - It might be a whole series actually.
Mel - We could talk for hours about oils!!
Maria - Yeah, so then the NABI and then we have so like 123. Oh crIckey, I'm going to get lost now and then we move up to the HIGH HEART, THE THYMUS. So, and this is a forgotten one as well, really, but this can be activated as well, and it will hold and store an awful lot of healing because this is physiologically, in the body when our thymus is not working, that can have a massive impact on our overall health,
Mel - Absolutely.
Maria - I believe it's a master gland.
Mel – It is the thymus, yeah.
Maria - Yes, so therefore, if that's out of kilter so it goes, doesn't it If the physical and the energetic are not in alignment, then so that might be something that people might want to tune into, and then we move up. So, we go up and then we go to the back of the head. So, we go to the crown and then we go to the back of the head kind of midpoint. And this is the CAUSAL CHAKRA. Again, it can be researched, and it is one of the Atlantean Chakras, and then I believe that that goes into the pineal and the pituitary gland from the back of the head.
Mel - I was assuming that that would be the case, so that would be important if you're doing any kind of spiritual work.
Maria - Yeah, that's 1 2 3 4, yeah, so actually, we're actually probably going to go up to 15, not 12. So, then we're going to go up to SOULSTAR, which is about 10 to 12 inches above our heads and that is when we activate that. That's when we start connecting up into the ANGELIC REALM, so this is a really high frequency now, we're getting into probably seven, eight hundred Hertz at this point, and then we go up even further to the STELLAR GATEWAY, and this is when we're breaking through into THE COSMOS.
So, I don't know how many that is. I've lost count, but they're the ones that I work with now. External to the body and then the internal ones if we need to cover those as well. But definitely the CAUSAL CHAKRA is one that has been forgotten and it is very powerful for activating and particularly working with the THIRD EYE to activate our psychic abilities as well coz it works front and back.
Mel – Adding on to that, have you ever heard of ones in your ears?
Maria - Umm, probably......
Mel – Because I’ve been told about those
Maria- ...I mean, there's so many honestly. There's, there's so much that's been lost in the mists of time...
Mel – I think so, I think you’re right
Maria ...and It actually feels like we're painting by numbers to be fair....
Mel – A lot to pick up
Maria - …. but there's been a lot of work and research and everything, but it it's I guess it's easier to just home in on 7, because it's a good starting point, and obviously there's lots and lots of books and everything being written about 7 CHAKRAS.
Mel - Well, that was really, really interesting and I hope that that has padded out and sort of like layered onto the question and the answer that I gave last week to anybody who is interested in CHAKRA work. So just to finish off then, what are you up to? What's happening at the love shack? What you got planned? The sound baths are still going on. If anybody has not heard my review of Maria’s sound bath work, it's absolutely amazing and obviously full moon and New Moon ceremonies, and now you're getting into the CACAO kind of ceremonial work. How's all that going?
Maria - Yeah, it's amazing. It's going really well. I mean, my space is very intimate, and I can only hold up to six people and me. So, uhm, the sessions tend to get booked out, so, if you are in the Sheffield area then reach out if it's something you're interested in. So, I'm holding space three times a month regularly on like a programme basis.
So, every new moon and full moon in the evenings and then once a month on a Saturday morning, I'm holding space walker CACAO ceremony because CACAO is a stimulant. She's a heart opener, so again, HEART CHAKRA, she is heart medicine, she's sacred plant medicine. I'm working with her in the morning because to take her in the body in the nighttime, it's like having 6 double espressos.
Mel – Not a good idea.
Maria - She doesn't have caffeine in her. She has theobromine in her and that is a sister stimulant to Caffeine doesn't have the same buzziness as caffeine, but still, she keeps you awake so I don't work with her ceremonially in an evening because it's just too much.
Uhm so yeah. And I'm also now going up and down to Glastonbury 6 8 times a year. Every six weeks as I've been, I'm embarking on my priestess of Avalon Spiral 1, so this is a three-year training that I'm now undertaking. I began my training at SAMHAIN weekend, 2 weekends ago and yes, some pretty life changing stuff...
Mel – I can't wait to see what happens, it's.
Maria -...so, I guess watch this space.
Mel - I love seeing other people's spiritual journeys and how different they are, but how similar in other ways they are, and it's just fabulous to have made a connection with you through a mutual friend as well. That was all meant to be, wasn't it? And then yeah, I can't wait to hear all about it.
So, folks, if you're interested in what Maria is up to and the work that she does, we will put all of her details and her social media on today's episode notes, and you can catch up with her there. So, thank you very much Maria as ever. Absolute superstar, love you to bits. Keep doing the good work.
Maria - Yeah, thank you, love you too.
24:18 Mel - HOUSEHOLD HOCUS POCUS
Here’s a quick, easy and simple exam ritual that I have used myself on several occasions and so can vouch for. As you sit down to the exam but before it starts, you know that horrible gut churning bit before they say “begin”. Somewhere on the answer paper draw a small pentagram and put your initials in the middle.
Then say quietly to yourself:
“By the Earth, Wind, Fire and Sea, may the answers come swiftly to me,
With precision, correctness and clarity
So, mote it be”
Then unfortunately you still have to sit the exam but if it just gives you the edge to get that extra 1% to push you over the line, it will do that for you. I cannot and will not state it will work if you haven’t put the swotting in though!! It’s magic not miracles folks!!
26:06 Mel - TIME FOR TAROT
Well, we’ve been through the Major and the Minor Arcana cards and now it’s time to start pulling our knowledge of the cards together and begin to read or interpret them.
Now it’s important to reiterate at this point that a real good reading of the cards in any spread is not just a blank and direct interpretation of the cards meaning, parrot fashion style. The cards are a guide to your intuition, and it is really this that will give you the real insight as to what is going on in the reading.
You do have to be able to trust your intuition though and this only comes with practice and experience. Give practice readings for friends and family and explore the “feel” of the cards and not just the basic interpretation. Get used to their energies and listen to the feedback it will help you develop; I promise. There are also groups online, Facebook etc, where you can practice, and these can be useful to practice in a learning environment.
It is also important to note at this point too, the enormous responsibility the card reader has to their receiver of the reading. Trust me even the most skeptical of folks will be paying very close attention to everything you say, so it is important to be careful and loving in how you conduct the reading and the words you use. Be clear, be honest but most importantly be loving and kind about how you put your interpretation across, especially if people are going through a difficult time, which is often when they seek out this type of help and counsel and it really is like counselling folks and a good reading should provide support and a positive and clear way forward for the querant.
It is also very important to note, especially when you start to charge money for readings (more on this in later episodes), that you clearly state for legal purposes, that any decision made off the back of any information or interpretation of the cards provided by you is at the sole discretion and decision of the person receiving the reading. I cover this legal requirement on my website and include this at the beginning of any readings I do, paid or otherwise, even better when it is being recorded so for legal purposes, so it is there. Most people know and understand this, but it is always better to make sure it is said to protect yourself. Right on to the spreads.
The first and easiest means of starting to read the cards is the one card reading. The one card reading is useful in a couple of ways but does have its disadvantages too.
The one card reading gives a quick snapshot of a present situation and what energies may be at play in this present time. It cannot give a detailed analysis of any background or underlaying issues or energies that may be affecting the current situation, so it is very basic in its reach. It can, however, provide a quick Yes or No answer to a specific question and that’s really how I would use a single card reading, perhaps at the end of a general reading if the querent or person I am reading for wants a positive or negative response to a direct and specific question. So, let’s have a couple of examples of what I mean.
Let us imagine that you have the situation where you want a yes or no answer to whether you should apply or go for a new job. Shuffle the cards whilst thinking about the situation and often the card will drop out or just jump out of the deck. Make a note of whether the card is upright or reversed but usually for a one card reading I would only read in the upright position. If more than one card “jumps” out that’s fine and will offer more insight but for the sake of demonstrating purposes let's just stick to one card.
So, let’s say the Ten of Cups comes up. The Ten of Cups is the “Yes” card of the Tarot deck and so has an easy interpretation, that all is positive and will go in the querants favour. But what if The Fool presents itself as the card for the answer? A bit trickier this one! As a Major Arcana Card, it is a strong indicator card and is all about starting new adventures it is Card 0 of the deck and the start of the journey and all about making a leap of faith. A positive card, so a positive Yes answer. So, the interpretation could be a go for it, it’s part of the journey / the universe has your back, and this may be a great learning opportunity. However, The Fool can also be taken at face value “a foolish endeavour” so what would you do and how would you interpret it?? What does your gut feeling say? I personally would go with the first interpretation and couch it in terms of it all being a learning experience no matter what because it is, everything is. The querant ultimately will place their own interpretation on top of yours anyway and ultimately it is their decision, which of course you will remind them of!!!
What about an example of a negative? So, let’s say the Five of Swords, conflict, disagreement, and defeat. Not a positive card so a definite “No”, but in this case I would also be checking if this is what has led the querent to seek a new job in the first place??? You see it’s not easy to give a fully rounded answer with just one card. So next week we will look at expanding on this to THREE CARD SPREADS which are more useful and more in depth, see you then!
32:28 Mel – CLOSING
Well, that’s it for this week folks. Coming up in next week’s show -:
JASPER is the featured crystal in CRYSTAL CORNER.
There will be some more of your listener questions.
In MR M’s MENAGERIE, AREA 51 is being discussed.
In HOUSEHOLD HOCUS POCUS, we have a ritual for helping with CLEANSING A NEW HOME.
And in TIME FOR TAROT, we move onto A 3 CARD TAROT SPREAD.
A big thank you to BUZZSPROUT for hosting us, and for the technical help and advice from the folks at AUDACITY & AUPHONIC.
A big thank you to my beloved husband and producer, Mr M for his help and support.
A big, big thank you to MARIA ATHERLEY for being our guest this week. All of Maria’s contact details can be found in the episode notes.
A massive thank you to you, our listeners, wherever you maybe for your continued support and your lovely messages. Please subscribe and review our podcast. Your feedback will help us improve the show.
Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox or via your usual podcast provider.
Please visit the website www.thespiritlevel.co.uk where you can book a personal reading with me, wherever you are in the world, enrol on one of the courses, browse the online store, for the crystals that we talk about, crystal packs, power bracelets, aromatherapy and scented candles, or just to get in touch, we always love to hear from you and don't forget you can also send us a voicemail by clicking on the Speak Pipe link in the episode notes or via the podcast page on the website. It’s free of charge and no download required.
So, until next time folks look after each other and love and light to you all.
