The 12th house holds the secrets of the universe. When we fall asleep at night, our mercury clocks out and our Neptune activates. The subconscious mind begins to unravel all the thoughts and experiences of the days from the past and beyond. But similar to being in an awakened state, there is a present and future that also exists within the subconscious. We experience the present and future through the likes of the astral realm. Figured it out yet? That's right! We're about to get into the nitty gritty of astral projection!

Astral Sexy ⥺  

Astral projection is one of the most sought out experiences that mystics and spiritual enthusiasts wish to encounter. The astral realm holds the key to all of your heart's desires, while also serving as an escape from the bitterness of the world. No wonder 12th house play such a huge role! Unfortunately, it's not so easy to visit and leave as you please. Consist and meaningful astral projection takes time and practice. Many experience astral projection on accident. Some, with a more active third eye, can induce sleep paralysis and eventually slip into the astral world without much preparation. Others (most) will need extensive guidance and mental preparation. The first projection is the most frightening experience one can encounter. If I'm being honest, the first month can be pretty disheartening. It takes a while to get used to the sensations experienced in the astral world. They are not of this world, and will require a bit of desensitization to say the least. 

As a Plutonian/Neptunian, I found myself roaming through the astral realm with great ease. Though my 12th house does not consist of any major planets, Black Moon Lilith and Eris point both occupy the space. These two energies alongside my moon's conjunction to Neptune grant me a lot of subconscious ability as well as psychic self control. However, I have paid close attention to my experiences in the astral realm and have made note of a few commonalities in the hopes of helping guide others to a more pleasant and peaceful astral experience. 

The Initial Stages ⧫

Sleep Paralysis: Though I have encountered sleep paralysis time and time again, I cannot help but feel an enormous pool of empathy for those who experience their first episode of paralysis. Imagine waking up to a surrounding that is perceived to be the exact place you fell asleep in. Imagine everything being in order, just as you left it, only to feel as if something is off. You could've sworn you've been awake for at least five minutes. You can see your surroundings so clearly that you could just a paint a picture. But something is missing. Why are you still glued to your bed? You're quite confident that you're awake and ready to start your day. only problem is, you can't move! You can't lift a finger. You are paralyzed. What will happen to your future? How will you make out? Who will take care of you now that you can no longer move a limb on your own? I'm sure these are all thoughts that cross a person's mind during their first episode of paralysis. Well, you can take a breath and relax for a second. In fact, that's one of the very few ways you are going to get out of this mess to begin with. 

Sleep paralysis does not equate to actual paralysis. So please do not panic if ever you find yourself in this situation. The trick is to command your mind to move a specific part of your body. Start with a finger, then maybe a toe. Keep on commanding your body to regain awareness over itself and you are sure to return to your natural state. You will wake up in your bed, possibly wondering if you've just experienced a nightmare. You will touch your surroundings with desperation, questioning your very perception of reality. If you have gotten past this step, congratulations. Welcome to the initiation. 

Roaming: The trick to getting to the next step is relinquishing ALL forms of control over to the unknown. Sounds easier said than done, huh? No doubt about it. However, it's necessary and must be learned. Your mind is going to be exposed to phenomenon it has never encountered before. And without the proper discipline and mental preparation (hey Saturn and Mercury), you will not be psychologically strong enough to move on nor will you be able to process what you've experienced without a mental breakdown waiting on the back burner. The strength of natal mercury and Saturn can determine how quickly (or Slowly) this process will take. A strong natal Saturn (Capricorn; Scorpio; Aquarius/12h; 8h; 9h) followed by a psychically charged mercury (Pisces; Aquarius; Scorpio; Cancer; Taurus;/ 9h; 4h; 8h; 12h) will serve as a crutch throughout this difficult process. Although these natal positions are not necessary in order to induce astral projection. 

After the first couple of times falling into sleep induced paralysis, the experience should become a tad less frightening. Curiosity should rule out fear, promoting further exploration and progress within the mysterious realm. Instead of cowering with fear when you find that you are glued to your bed, with enough surrender and healthy optimism (hey Neptune and Jupiter!), you will be released from the prison of your body. My 12th housers know what I mean by this. How exciting! Now there is a whole world to explore of that is free of systems, greed, and power. What a dream (;

Is This For Real?: When you finally put fear aside and have faith in the universe, you will find that you are no longer stuck in your bed. You are walking around and exploring what seems to be you room. Well, it is your room. You're just not your "self". Get it? Haha. But all jokes aside, you are no longer a physical being at this point. You are a floating, curious spirit with much to learn! Welcome to your playground.

Eventually you will find your way out of your boring house and into astral territory. What does this look like? Well it's different for everyone. Some will immediately begin to soar the outskirts of the heavenly sky. Some will browse their neighborhood and check up on neighbors. Others will remain in the house. This step is an important projection/reflection of the current state of your psyche. Feeling trapped? Don't expect to leave the house anytime soon. Feeling liberated? The astral world is yours! 

What Happens Next?: I truly wish I could provide that answer. But this part is severely up to you. Once you've left the comfort of your corpse, it is up to you to decide how far (or how close) you wish to remain. This is YOUR soul. And only you can determine how far you soar. However, I advise everyone and anyone to tread carefully. This is a world of spirit we are dealing with. And for every yang, there is a yin for purposes of balance. Though the astral realm is beautiful and ethereal in nature, it can be just as frightening as hell itself. I will not get too deep into the negatives in this article, as I would hate to petrify your curious minds. However, I will share that the monsters in your closet cannot compare to some of the dark and malicious entities that exist in the astral realm. Tread carefully.. 

Tell Me About Astral Sex: When you get completely used to the ways of astral projection, it is likely that you will begin to meet other astral bodies. Astral bodies can be anyone and anything. The interaction that goes on in the astral realm is very similar to the conversation that occurs back down on earth. However, it is not always guaranteed that the people you come in contact with will remember speaking with you in the astral realm come morning. If the person you come in contact has little awareness of the likes of the astral realm, it's highly unlikely that they will be able to identify coming in contact with you. There will be moments where there will be an opportunity to engage in astral sex. Astral sex is an amazing experience. In my opinion, it's far better than the real thing. The soul connection that one experiences through astral sex is far out of this world. You are feeling the sexual experience through an emotional, psychic, and spiritual frequency. Positive sexual experience can raise your vibrations while negative sexual experiences can suck you dry. It is important to protect yourself just as you would in the psychical realm. Unfortunately, there are negative and malicious, entities known as succubus and incubus, that prey on vulnerability. They will often disguise themselves as human being and use sex as an opportunity to psychically attack you. It is important to have boundaries in the astral realm, you hear me Neptunians? The last thing you want is to be psychically attacked while you are far away from your source (body). 

Fun Fact: Incubus and succubus often prey on the vulnerable. Those who are socially isolated, those who have recently experienced trauma, those in long distance relationships and many more are capable of falling victim to such entities. Education is key to staying safe and having a good experience. 

This Was Fun, Now How Do I Get Back to My Body?: So you've had lots of fun but you are still attached to your little life on earth. That's fine. Time to get back. No need to worry too much, there is a cord that all spiritual beings are equipped with. The cord is used to keep your psychical and astral self connected for when you project. There is no special process needed to return to your body. When you are ready to wake up, you will naturally return back home. It will feel as if it were all a dream. The cord keeps you safe and allows you to get back free of ease. However, it is best not to wander to far from the body when first learning how to project. Baby steps guarantee the most success and enjoyment of the astral process. 

Stay tuned for part two, where I will talk about lucid dreaming and astral bullies!