Regarding how to become more spiritual, I am no guru or professional so I can not speak authoritatively on the matter, I can only speak from my own experiences. I will give what advice that I can. there is no one way to become spiritual, its subjective to an individuals needs and tastes. There are a variety of methods that you can try and what helps some people may not help others. I would recommend trying out different paths until you find the one that helps you connect best on an emotional or spiritual level.

Nature:
For a few years in my early twenties I associated myself with a spiritual traveler claiming to be a Cherokee medicine man, during the time that I spent with him we would often go to local mountains or wilderness, sometimes even just to a nearby park or field. Sometimes he'd play soothingly on a spirit flute, but mostly we would just sit under trees or on some rocks and simply listen in silence to the world around us, we would enjoy the clouds, sounds and scenery.

We felt that the trappings of modern life and the mendacity of daily responsibilities distanced us from the spiritual. I learned that returning to nature once or twice a week and appreciating its beauty and essence would draw us closer to the earth, our personal and external energies, and to the creator. I was often warned to always have a balance in all things, that to lean too far into the spiritual would be detrimental to my daily life, but to lean too deeply into daily life would be detrimental to my spirit or soul. I was taught to always find some time for nature and to keep a balance between the two worlds.

As a dragonkin I found the time I spent in nature personally uplifting, it felt natural, when lounging in the wilderness or staring at the clouds or mountains I would often visualize myself as a dragon, flying or lounging as I once had in prior lives. It always helped me to feel more connected to my perceived past and would be emotionally invigorating. In short, just getting outside and exploring, resting and connecting with nature can bring us closer to spirit. Many Native American and old European mythologies were nature based, another famous example is Buddha who discovered enlightenment while mediating under a bodhi tree. The energies of spirit always flow through nature, all one needs to do is seek to connect with it.

Music:
I have personal a love for music and when I listen to songs of any genre I tend to sense an energy in them, some are positive, some neutral, some negative. It is my opinion that the music that is emotionally uplifting or connective to you on a personal level can give a good spark to your spirit, ignite the imagination and emotions and when combined with visualizations or interactions with subjects that are spiritually important to you, can lead to a highly connective or invigorating experience.

Meditation:
(I always fall asleep.. meditation doesn't work well for me outside of nature.) I have bad luck meditating unless I'm outside listening to nature or focusing on calming myself from a stress or problem. I have difficulty clearing my mind or keeping focused, either my mind drifts to random thoughts, I day dream about flying, or I fall asleep.. so I cannot speak well on this. But meditation is obviously a quick and helpful path to become more spiritual, it focuses the mind and spirit and disconnects from reality allowing calm and clear thought. Guides and lessons can be found online, its always an option or something to try.

Reiki and Chakras:
This subject is also not my forte, though my mate is quite versed in the study of such and I can always ask her if any questions should arise. Reiki teaches that the physical body has seven spiritual energy pools through which your spiritual energies flow back and forth through. These seven energy pools are called Chakra, each Chakra is effected by different emotions or pains we experience in life. If we accumulate too much of a particular negative emotion or trait it can clog one or more chakra and prevent the free flow of spiritual energy throughout the body. Its the spiritual dimension or side effects of psychological pains or emotions on our bodies. Usually the only way to cleanse a chakra is to find the emotions that are clogging it and work through them. If you find yourself continually depressed or lacking spiritual motivation or connectivity with no obvious underlying reason, it may be an unseen chakra issue.

Prayer:
Growing up in a religious family this one may be quite obvious, as all entities physical and non must come from a source, all things are interconnected, call it God, the creator, great spirit, divine consciousness or what have you, there must be a source of all spirit, and man, dragon or spirit, we that exist must be interconnected and of the same energy as that which created us. To pray to that source is to connect to that source and in so doing, all things within spirit or reason can be possible.

The Arts and Creativity:
Art, Music, Writing, and all other creative expressions are the emotions of the mind and spirit put to paper, vision or sound, creativity through whatever your talent may be is the expression of the spirit and is a great way to feel connected, in my personal opinion there are fewer better paths to connectivity as a dragon then to be reminded of your inner spirit through a form of creative expression..

Just Sense:
The world is comprised of energy in all life and in all things, it is simply a matter of opening ones mind to the possibilities and understanding. In all things try to sense or visualize the energies within, start small with plants, the energies that flow through the wind and in the streams, then move up to that of pets and friends, from there to the unseen and beyond. As well, feel and sense yourself, both as you exist, and as you feel you once were, shape the energies with your mind, sense and feel, visualize the unseen and let it be felt.

May you fly high on dragon wings

~Jafira Dragon

(In response to a letter sent regarding a spiritual state of interconnectiveness)

I have felt such a few times in the past, but as I've aged and life has progressed it has become harder for me personally. I cherish every opportunity I have to reach that state of attunement, it truly is a form of bliss to be aware of all that is and can be.

In regards to how to obtain such, I am afraid that it is impossible for me to give an exact method to become closer to your spiritual self. It is really impossible for me to answer accurately because for every person it is different. I can only speak from my own experience, due to the nature of spirit and self, I cannot state with any certainty an absolute answer to your question.

For myself It was always through a form of meditation or trance that I devised. It was what worked for me, it was my own personal tool. I knew I was a dragon, and I wanted to try to learn more so I created a meditation that would allow me to speak to my own spirit.

I created for myself a personal symbol or sigil to represent my inner self. I would go in to a silent room, (sometimes I had meditative or instrumental music) I would close my eyes and visualize on the darkness, I would imagine my sigil glowing in the darkness, the symbol would slowly and gently pull my spirit from my body into that space, I would be out of my body, outside of physical reality, detached from physical self I would appear as a dragon, I would feel my tail, claws, wings, horns, I was a dragon.

I would open my eyes in the vision and the darkness would fade into aura's and clouds consisting of endless strands of energies. I would perceive that I was existing simultaneously as and within my own spirit. I would be speaking to my spirit as a part of it and that all its forms memories and knowledge would be accessible to me in that state.

In this space I was free from my body and my mortal consciousness with its fears, insecurities, inequities and trivial or egotistical pursuits. Visualizing myself as this spirit within itself in this detached reality, I could ask myself questions, and get an honest answer. I was disassociated from mortal judgement and as spirit was connected with the universality of all things.

It was in these trance states that I felt that I could ascend to an unbiased outside perspective of self. That I could speak directly to my higher self or spirit. I could ask in my mind any question, if my spirit knew it from its bountiful knowledge it would answer in kind, unbiased and brutally honest.

But that was only my method, for everyone there is a different or unique path, what worked for me may not work for you. I would often go into that visualization and come out in a sort of trance where I would often type on my computer spiritual information/advice about myself from an outside perspective, spirit looking out.

I would recommend trying out different paths until you find the one that helps you connect best on an emotional or spiritual level.

Some alternative methods to getting closer to your spiritual self may be found in spending time in nature, relaxing or questioning yourself while listening to emotionally powerful music that may appeal to you, searching through meditation, possibly through reiki or chakra work, through prayer, through expressing yourself with art and creativity or simply by continually sensing and seeking to know that part of your spirit.

I hope some of this may have been of help.

~Jafira Dragon

Letters to Jafira:

Quote:
"You mentioned the importance of examining the awakening memories in your draconity guide, but I'm not sure how to do that because spiritual things are difficult to be proven by science after all. So how exactly do you examine them?"

In answer to your question I must admit that there is no real way to go about examining awakening memories, it is all very subjective, its a matter of personal faith,

For myself, when I was a teenager I had only a few flashes, dreams and some extremely strong emotions to interpret from, I believed I was a black dragon and that I likely existed on another world. Being young at the time I ended up writing a fictional story based on what I wanted that life to be like and then convinced myself that it was truly my history. A couple of years later when I was challenged to substantiate the evidence for that history all I had to fall back on was the aforementioned dreams and emotions, so I had to be honest with myself and just state that I felt in my heart as a matter of faith that I may have been a black dragon and abandon the false history or narrative behind them.

The point I was hoping to convey was to be honest with oneself and try not to trick yourself into believing a memory or scenario just because it may have made sense or been what you would like to have happened. I personally only have three possible memories, one of flying over a valley, one of possibly being with my mate and the event of my supposed death. Each is a strong emotional scene, but they're also subjective and unprovable, they are each a matter of faith based on the emotion involved.

In writing that others should examine their possible memories I just meant that I didn't want newly awakened or those possibly curious to fall into a trap of filling in gaps and making up a fake reality like I did. That it was better to have a few personal emotional memories as a foundation rather then a false narrative that you've convinced yourself is true. I wanted to convey the importance of meditating on why the reader believed the possible memories related to their kinism and to determine if they were based on fantasy and egotism towards a desired reality or if they were based off of a more personal source. I just wanted the readers to do their best to be honest with themselves was all.

You would be surprised how many kids have come up to me in the past saying they were otherkin when all they had done was taken a favorite role play character and decided that they were the entity or persona just because they thought it made sense at the time. Once challenged to actually look into their beliefs on a deeper level they realize this and tend to move on. Others have had “evidence” or the feeling most of their lives and have other experiences/emotions to anchor them in faith outside of a possibly fictional history. Questioning the source of ones memories just helps to separate the two groups.

Quote:
"I love my mate very much, but I'm afraid that if I fall in love with a human one day it may be a disloyalty to my mate. What do you think about it"

One of my fondest possible memories was a dream of being intimate with my perceived mate from my last life. For many years I was convinced that if I had ended up on this world, maybe she had been born here to and that perhaps we were still connected and would meet. It was honestly one of the motivations for making my dragonkin web sites, I thought that if I put my existence out on the web she might find me. In that sense my website was partly created as a beacon to lead her to me. In the past I turned down many relationships in my youth and although I was emotionally close to many friends I never truly dated anyone until my early twenties because I was still holding out hope for finding “her”.

In time though I started to philosophize about the possible nature of ones soul and on the topic of reincarnation. I came to the personal conclusion that if reincarnated spirits truly exist, then physical existence was possibly meant for our spirits to learn and experience new things. (I was raised to be agnostic so had no spiritual upbringing of any sort to draw from, these were simply my own personal views) I wondered, if I had once existed as a squirrel and had a mate, then fell from a tree and died would I still have a sense of loyalty to that last mate if I reincarnated as a dragon next?

I concluded that each existence most likely has a unique new mate to diversify the growth of the spirit. I also felt that although I loved my old mate, if she were unable to be on this world with me I felt she'd want me to move on and try to be happy without her. It took me many years to break away from the loyalty and searching for my old mate but I chose to move on and prayed she'd forgive me and live a new life without me. Since then I have been happily partnered for several years, I still miss my old mate at times but I felt in my heart she wouldn't want me to let her hold me back in this life.

Quote:
"In your consideration, should otherkin stuff be known and understood (if they can) by the public like homosexuality? Or would it be better to keep it as a secret? I would like to know your opinion on this."

In my consideration, otherkin topics and discussion should be kept out of the public eye for the time being. I say this as it is honestly a very controversial belief and impossible to be substantiated outside of personal faith. Although that statement is true for a variety of religions and beliefs I personally feel that we would be unfairly targeted for ridicule due to the low numbers of experiencers and the relative newness of our existence to the social mainstream.

Although there may be some evidence of possible dragonkin and therians throughout select pantheist or animist mythologies in human history that we could try to point to, the topic in a modern context would likely be interpreted as an internet phenomena or fad and may not be taken entirely seriously. I do believe that in the coming years there may be a time when the topic could be more openly discussed in the mainstream without ridicule, but at present I feel the global kin community needs some more time in the shadows to settle, mature and find its cultural voice.

Frankly we're just too new, prior to the internet anyone with kin beliefs would likely had been isolated and alone, there were few ways for possible kin to know that they were not insane or the only ones with their beliefs. Suddenly over the past thirty years we are beginning to find each other around the globe. So it does make sense that we are a new group, but we'll have to exist long enough to show that we are not a passing fad. The otherkin/therian community as a whole will likely need more time to evolve and grow before we can begin to seek such acceptance from the public.

Remember a lot of what I write is my own speculation based on personal experiences. Remember the obvious - that spirit and understanding of ones self is unique to the individual and that only you can determine what is true for your personal reality. I'm just sharing my thoughts, remember in all things know yourself and who you are.

~Jafira Dragon

Advice for hard times #2 (2011)
(By Jafira)

I could write a seven page biography of how awful my life was and how I learned to get over it etc, but you don't need the patronizing and nobody has the time to read all that. I'll keep it short. Growing up I had a speech impediment, came from a poor family and had a learning disability, I was physically weak and broke all my bones all the time, always injured, death would have been a release from the pain. I was bullied every day for my injuries, speech impediment, shyness and just simply being a loser, I had no talents, no real friends, and no true purpose. Eventually I had a near death and got a second chance.

After that, I guess I learned to embrace life, I changed my attitude and worked with what I had. I changed my appearance, changed my grades, changed my friends, and changed my life, it took several years and to be honest my life still kind of sucks. But I strive to see the good in it and make the best of what I have.

Not too long ago a close friend of mine was living in the desert with nothing, regardless, she kept her spirits up and never gave up, she dug herself out of that rut and has a good life now. I am fairly poor, but I have a home and I am thankful for what I have, there is always someone worse off, it is the attitude that makes the difference. You've got to try to find the good in your life, only you can choose if this world is a prison or a paradise. It is the attitude in which you perceive it that matters in the end.

I will confess, we live in a world controlled by money, politicians and those who have the wealth or power to dictate reality to the ignorant masses, education is just training to be a slave and society has been trained to shun art and beauty in exchange for rampant materialism and self indulgence, differences and weakness are disdained and nobody cares whether you or I die in the cold, so long as it does not effect their latest media distraction. This world is by no means perfect and never will be.

But if you choose to see only the bad (and at times it seems that is all there really is) you will miss the wonders of this world and this life. As individuals we all have a choice to choose whether to be conformed to the ways of this world, or make our own path and vision of life. Make your own future.

I know my place in this hellhole, but I strive to work around it. I doodle my dragons at work and on break, I explore the wilderness when off of work, I listen to music whenever I can, I admire every tree and every blade of grass, I marvel at the technological innovations and artistic achievements of mankind and I pridefully battle to keep true to my beliefs and the freedom of my draconic spirit(s).

As for why we are forced to be here? I don't know. In my prior dragon lives I existed as feral dragons, an animal. As a feral entity one doesn't have the capability of understanding the beauty of life and without hardships I guess maybe you can not properly appreciate or learn from the good things in life? I don't know. But when I was a dragon I just slept, hunted, ate, mated and died. It sounds like paradise but even those lives had their hardships, it seems the very act of existence results in learning and overcoming obstacles. Some creatures have it easier, but there is never a perfect or fair existence.

As a human on a technologically advanced planet I can at least experience the wonders of the world around me and understand its complexities. With sentience I can comprehend anything without limitation, I can imagine, I can explore outside of instinct, I can question, learn, love and hate.

It is admittedly a hard and painful life, it can be unfair on this world and the best that I can do is dissociate from it and work to live my own life and path. But when it is all said and done, this life as a human has personally been the greatest spiritual journey that I could have ever chosen - no wild beast could experience in a lifetime what I now may experience in a single day, this world is amazing, just strive to slowly change the way you look at it, little things here and there. Attitude is everything.

Advice when life sucks and your doubting (2010)
(By Jafira)

(A Letter to a Friend concerning life sucking and struggles with draconity.)

At the time that I write this It is nearly five thirty in the morning, I regret that I have stayed up quite late, this week has been fairly stressful for me as well, mostly due to temporary problems that will drift and fade into history.

When I was growing up, as a child and in to my mid teens, I was forced to hide and suppress the fact that I associated as a dragon, my parents, particularly my father vehemently disapproved of my love and fascination of dragons, it wasn't until my parents got divorced in my late teens that I was safe to somewhat express myself.

Even then, I was still beat down and discouraged, when I was in high school I was a social outcast with only two friends, (Kisai and Kyrla) I was bullied and rejected, I felt worthless and insane, as well, my teachers were generally Jehovah's Witnesses and though legally unable to evangelize, they still criticized my dragon drawings, T-Shirts, and jewelry on a daily bases, hinting continuously that I was wrong and condemned in my beliefs.

Even in the dragon community on line, (around 2001-2002) I was somewhat of an outcast, as my early beliefs were deeply flawed and my website was considered a joke as I was trying to mimic a dragonkin I idolized, as well, at that time in my personal spirituality I rushed through memories and made a lot of false assumptions and mistakes, alongside the fact that my perceived dragon spirit guides were often considered imaginary or delusions, I myself suffered a lot over the years on line and off.

It is a growing process, at least a dozen times throughout my life I had rejected my draconity, earliest being the age of ten, also at the age of thirteen I rejected the belief in being a dragon until I was sixteen in a half, and most recently I rejected my draconity about three years ago for roughly six months, but the truth cannot be suppressed, it will come out one way or another, for years I tried to be normal, but it just felt only as though I were wearing a mask, and I was miserable.

So I have been through a lot of trouble over the years, out of most of my real life friends, I feel my present mate is the only one who truly believes me, the rest I fear just think I'm playing a game or am trying to freak people out for my own amusement.

The stress became so bad in my early awakenings that I tried to use magick and metaphysics to somehow return to my past life or form, to escape this world and its pains and drama's. The experiments failed of course as they were just escapism, (though they did cause a lot of poltergeist activity...) in the end, I realized that I had to stay and fight, I had to help others who were just as alone as I was, or even worse off then I was.

I am presently blessed to have an immense dragon collection, some sixty or so statues, wall to wall dragons posters, art, collectibles, etc, as well as a binder full of hundreds of (poorly drawn) dragons, but it was only in the past three or so years that I was able to obtain such a collection, mostly as I am now an adult, (don't feel like one.) and can't be stopped, but when I was sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, everything had to be done in secret, because everyone despised, my "foolish fantasies, and nonsense with dragons.

I did get a job, (four part time jobs at one time, 0,=,o) and I did go to college, I " grew up" and "focused on the real world" like they wanted, but that didn't stop me from loving and knowing what I was behind their backs, and it couldn't change me from being who and what I was on the inside.

So, all I can really say is fight, and be strong, it is hard now, but in a few years you will have the freedom that you desire, and your wings will stretch wide and fly towards the sunset victorious. Live in the human world, wear the mask when need be, but always know in your heart and mind who and what you truly are.

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Below are a few Links which may, or may not be of use

The Social Section of my Spirituality guide, it may have some decent advice:

http://www.jafiradragon.com/Social.htm

Page Four of my Spirituality section, it contains quotes and advice I gave others in the past:

http://www.jafiradragon.com/Advice.htm

An open letter for those going through hard times:

http://www.jafiradragon.com/Advice7.htm

A Rant to my Father about my websites:

http://www.jafiradragon.com/Advice6.htm