Spiritual Forums - Hello Everybody!

Hey everyone, I’m a newbie, thought I’d introduce myself!!

I’m going by Pearl Coyote on this forum! I am a crusty cowgirl from Texas. I work with plant medicine as a community herbalist in my small town.
I have a hard time using labels to describe my beliefs about and experiences in the spiritual realm, because I think we are all infinite beings having an earthbound experience, and I believe spirit is accessible to everyone. So I hesitate to call myself an “empath” or “channel”, although that does apply.
I found this forum to find some guidance and share my experiences with soul traveling, or astral projection, which seems to be a rather new development for me over the past two years. I don’t have a lot of control over it yet, but I’d like to, so that I can stay grounded and protected, and receive more clear messages from beyond. This started quite accidentally when I started finding myself walking around my town square when I was “asleep”. I will make another post more about my story on another thread...
I also appear to be able to channel other people whom I am close to and my guide, who I call “Ben”, as in, “Been there, done that” :smile: and sometimes other beings who send me information about healing, philosophy and other stuff I end up having to write down whether I want to or not.
I soak up other people’s and animals’ and plants’ energy... my first profound experiences with this were with my horses in childhood. Because people can be tricky, this also made me quite a shut in in my teens and early twenties. It also made me a target. I was working with an energy healer at the time and I would beg for her to tell me a way to shut it out. Finally I figured out that, although I do not have control over what I receive, I Do have an effect on how other people are feeling, and if I give love, curiosity and compassion, I usually get it back. Other times you just have to shut the door and walk away.
I’ve dabbled in magic, usually I just prefer to stay open and receive what spirit has for me. I read tarot, palms and dreams. Right now in my spiritual development I am working hard at my meditation practice so that the messages I receive in the forms of symbols and metaphors become a little less obscure.

Anyway, that is probably enough about me! I look forward to getting to know you all.

Lots of love,

Pearl Coyote