Be Careful What You Ask For

Mistakes and missteps can sometimes be our most effective teachers. One thing I have always admired about Aly is his willingness to openly discuss his own mistakes and missteps in his books and courses. There is something incredibly valuable about seeing not only what worked, but also what didn’t—and what was learned along the way. So, in that same spirit, I thought I would share a recent experience of my own in the hope that it might help someone else.

I love spirit interactions. Usually.

I live in a forest, so I encounter elemental spirits and various critters fairly regularly. Most of the time, I simply observe them as they go about their business. Every now and then, though, I enjoy interacting with what presents itself. I will sometimes do a general mediumship reading for myself and see who or what chooses to show up.

I am a dark and infernal medium, although nine times out of ten, my readings have tended to lean dark. Recently, however, something changed.

A couple of weeks ago, I began encountering mostly infernal spirits—a fallen angel and several demons. And, honestly, it scared me.

I didn't know enough about them to feel particularly comfortable. I knew that infernal does not automatically mean evil, but I also understood that these spirits may be less inclined to suffer fools (which I can sometimes be). None of the spirits I encountered were threatening. One, in particular, gave me the impression that he could potentially be problematic, but when I thanked him for his time and bid him farewell, he left. Still, the sudden shift had me wondering what exactly was going on.

Why were these particular spirits suddenly showing up? Why me?

There was, admittedly, a little bit of "spotlight syndrome" happening there. Had I somehow been chosen? Was something trying to get my attention? Should I research these spirits, or would researching them somehow invite something in? I spent about a week mentally spinning my wheels, trying to figure out what had changed.

Then one of my guides gave me a very simple suggestion:

Check your Book of Mirrors.

I write my spells in my grimoire. My book of mirrors is a journal where I record my spells and workings, and then return to them later to reflect on how well they worked. So I looked back. And there was my answer. Over the previous six months, I had been doing a series of self-improvement workings. I had asked to become my most authentic self. I had worked toward improving my mediumship abilities. I had asked to increase my personal power. I used growth for the casting agent- these spell types are powerful but results are not quick. 

Suddenly, everything clicked into place. I wasn't being singled out. I hadn't been "chosen." I had done this to myself. I had spent months intentionally strengthening myself as a practitioner and medium. I was already relatively strong in working with dark spirits, but I had been less experienced—and therefore weaker—in recognizing and interacting with infernal spirits. The experience was a wonderful reminder that spells don't always manifest in the way we expect. Sometimes we perform a working with a very specific idea of what the result should look like. We imagine becoming stronger, more capable, more intuitive, more authentic. We don't always stop to consider what those changes might actually look like once they begin unfolding.

If I had only looked at the experience itself, I might have decided that something strange or frightening was happening to me. But when I looked at the larger picture—and, most importantly, looked back at my own record—I could see that this wasn't an external mystery at all. It was a consequence of my own work.

And that, perhaps, is one of the most important lessons I took from the experience: keep your Book of Mirrors.

Record your workings. Record your intentions. Record what happens afterward—even when the results don't make sense. We can become so focused on the immediate experience that we forget to look backward and connect the dots. Sometimes the answer isn't in the spirit standing in front of us.Sometimes the answer is in the spell we cast six months ago.