This is a long one, so buckle up. One of the things I am privileged to have is the opportunity to meet people who have taken their first steps on their metaphysical journey. I get to see the wonder on their faces of all the possibilities that are presented to them. This road of spirituality has so many options that it can often leave their heads spinning. All of it is interesting. Most of the time, they come to the path by finally acknowledging their psychic abilities and wondering what to do with them, how to use them, or how to strengthen them. It may have also manifested with different abilities, such as mediumship or energy healing. It can be confusing, daunting, and uncertain. There are many advantages to walking a spiritual path with metaphysics, but also some pitfalls. Here are the tips I usually give to new practitioners when they ask me for the best advice for taking those first steps on a metaphysical path.

1. Take care of your energy

This is a big one. A lot of people don’t understand how important this is. We are comprised of mind, body, and spirit. Your energy connects to and feeds all three of those components. If your energy isn’t balanced, it can throw the components out of whack. Mental issues would be confusion, lack of concentration and focus. Physical issues would be a lack of energy or pain. Spirit issues would be a lack of motivation, anxiety, or depression. There are other symptoms that can arise, but these are the common ones. Energy is “measured” with vibration. How high or low it is makes a difference. Higher/faster vibration is achieved when all aspects of self are in harmony with one another. Lower/slower vibration happens when there is imbalance and discordance in the energy field. The objective is to keep your vibration as high as you can on a daily basis. We are human. We can’t always be at the higher end of the scale, but increasing our baseline, meaning the lowest level we sink to, can help keep us at the higher end of the spectrum.

Why should we care if our energy is higher or lower? Higher is more positive. Love and joy are high-vibration emotions. Anger and sadness are low-vibration emotions. How do I know that? When you feel angry, do you feel good? Nope. That means your vibration has dropped to allow that emotion to surface.

Does that mean a high-vibration person doesn’t ever get angry? No. It means that the high-vibration person understands that they are angry and then works through it to let go of it and return to their higher baseline. They don’t dwell in anger, and they don’t spend time reliving it while retelling the story over and over.

Part of taking care of your energy is to do things like clearing your aura and your chakras. This is especially important if you are or plan to be an energy healer. You are the vessel through which healing energy will flow. What will you pass on to your clients if it’s not clean? Think of it as trying to drink clean water from a dirty cup. That doesn’t work.

Clearing your energy system is a process. There are many ways to do it. I won’t go into any of them here. Do some research, find the method that works for you, and use it on a regular basis. It doesn’t have to be every day, but it can be. I have friends who make it part of their morning ritual after brushing their teeth. There is nothing more important than your energy; take care of it.

2. Protect your energy

I learned this lesson the hard way when I “officially” stepped into the world of metaphysics. It’s a lesson I pass on to anyone who will listen to help them avoid what I could not. There are two specific things to address here: entities and other people. Let’s begin with other people. There are people walking around who live off the energy of others. They are often referred to as energy vampires. Often, they don’t know they do it. You can tell if you’re around one if you get tired after speaking with them. They could be the nicest person in the world, but if speaking to them leaves you exhausted, chances are, they are an energy vampire. They create a connection, a cord, between you and them. Through it, they are able to vacuum out your energy. Again, they might not even be aware they are doing it. Some people don’t regulate their energy well, which is how their energy system compensates for it. Then there are those people who purposely want to steal your energy. Again, they attach a cord and proceed to find ways to get you to give up your energy by engaging you in conversations that make you angry or sad. These are two of the strongest negative emotions we have, and they generate a lot of energy. You may experience this type of energy stealing with someone who is a narcissist or has narcissistic tendencies. The other situation that may come up is dealing with someone so needy, energetically speaking, that they will latch onto you. This would be the very sick client attaching a cord, with or without the intention of doing so, to the energy healer attempting to help them.

Now, let’s discuss entities. They come in all shapes and sizes. Some of them can’t be bothered with us unless we annoy them somehow. We need to be aware of the ones that like to attach to us. They tend to attach when our vibration is lower. They will also attack when our vibration is higher. They aim to keep us as low as possible to allow for attachment. Having multiple entities attached to us can weaken and even kill us. The more suffering they can cause along the way, the better. Keeping your vibration as high as possible cuts down on the chance that entities will attach to you. It drives them away. That doesn’t mean you will never get anything attached to you. As I said, they come in all shapes, sizes, and strengths. You might have a vibration high enough to drive off smaller, weaker things but not enough to drive away something larger and stronger.

There is no guarantee that you will never have something attached to you. Some of the biggest entities I have seen were attached to experienced metaphysicians. That had to do more with ego than anything else. Please don’t fool yourself into thinking that you can’t ever get anything attached to you because you have all these practices. I haven’t found that to be true for anyone, regardless of how strong they were, myself included.

In my experience, an energy shield is the best way to protect your energy from both people and entities. It helps prevent things from attaching to you. It repels cords from other people and makes it difficult for entities to attach to you. This is not a foolproof method. We all have our moments of weakness when our vibration drops, leaving us vulnerable, but if you know yourself and your energy well, you can tell when something attaches to you soon after it happens and take steps to remove it immediately.

There are many ways to create a shield. Again, research on your part will find the best method for you. I recommend you put the shield on the outside of your aura before you leave the house for the day. It will be your best tool to protect your energy.

3. Drink a lot of water

When working with energy, you have to drink a lot of water. Water is necessary whether you are working on yourself, someone else, or someone is working on you. From science class, you remember that water is an excellent conductor of energy. When doing energy work of any kind, the energy tends to rise in the body. Even if you’re working at the feet, the energy generally doesn’t always stay there. Your energy system will automatically send it to where it’s most needed, such as if an area of the body is in pain. However, energy works on all levels of your existence. Meaning it could work on emotional or mental pain instead. Your energy system is always aware of your most pressing need and will send energy to whatever is at the top of the priority list.

Drinking water helps energy that is not designated for the priority to circulate through the body. If not, it tends to rise to the head, making the person light-headed or dizzy. This is also why one shouldn’t be so quick to jump up and move around after getting or giving an energy session. The body has to adjust to having been bombarded by excess energy and return to a state of equilibrium to function properly. It’s like jumping out of bed, immediately getting in the car, and driving. You know what to do; you understand what’s happening, but you’re not quite there. Drinking water helps to stabilize energy and get your brain working at its normal state. Energy work can and does change brain wave patterns. Drinking water is one of the fastest ways to bring your brain back to full wakefulness. Whenever you’re doing metaphysical work of any kind, always have water with you. It goes without saying that it should be the cleanest water you get. It doesn’t have to be distilled, but filtered water is better than tap water in a lot of places. Just like you would be conscious of what you eat, what you drink is also important.

Also, it will do if all you have is soda (or pop, depending on where you live), an energy drink, etc.. The point is to introduce some liquid into your body to help distribute the energy, but water is best. Other things have their own purpose in the body and may result in energy getting stuck in certain places. The thing that is most likely to happen is a headache, but to be fair, that can happen if you’re drinking water, too. I’ve noticed it goes away faster with water than it does with anything else, though, but use what you have.

Water helps to keep your body ready to move energy in general, whether giving, receiving, or letting go of it. Many of us carry energy blocks in our bodies, and water can help encourage that energy to be released. To help you on your metaphysical journey, it’s to your benefit to drink a lot of water.

4. Trust yourself

One of the main issues with newbies is that they don’t trust themselves. It makes perfect sense as coming into the world of metaphysics makes you understand that you’re playing with a completely different set of rules than you’re used to. You might even get into things that only really have guidelines and don’t have any rules at all. It’s scary and unfamiliar. Hesitation is practical. However, there has to be a turning point to make progress. You have to know yourself. You have to be able to tell when the feeling you’re getting or the little voice in your head is not you and is instead something else. You also need to know when the messages you’re getting are from your guides or from something else. The general rule I tell people is to think about whatever messages you’re getting and gauge two things, is it positive, and how does it make you feel? If you’re getting messages that you should hurt yourself or others, that is not your guides. It’s something else. If the words are good, but you feel something is off about the message, don’t act on it. Ignore it. Your guides would never tell you to hurt or harm someone. If you hear or sense something like that, it’s not your guides. Who is it then? It’s probably an entity, a ghost, or a demon speaking to you, attempting to get you to do something that will ultimately not be in your best interest. Our guides, angels, and ancestors always lead you to people, places, and things that are for your highest good. If something is attempting to steer you in a different direction, ignore it.

It takes time to believe that what you might be hearing, feeling, or seeing is real. We are used to getting validation from others, “Did you see that?” It makes us feel less crazy. In metaphysics, you will meet people with all kinds of gifts and abilities. Some of them will be similar to yours, others will be nothing like yours, and everyone will continue to grow as time goes on. Follow your intuition when it prods you to do something or call someone. Again, your gauge is whether or not it feels good. If it doesn’t, then pass. If validation is what you need, create little tests for yourself. Go to the grocery store. If there is someone in the same aisle as you, see if you can “tune in” to them and see which direction they will go in next when they leave the aisle, and then see if you’re right. It’s not foolproof because that person has free will and can change their mind, but as you do more little things like this, you will start to see that, more often than not, they will go the way you feel they will. It’s not that they are obeying your command. It’s that you have exercised the channel of information between you and the universe enough that the messages are getting clearer.

Learning to trust yourself takes patience. It is a process of allowing. Often, I find people trying too hard. To force it to happen. It doesn’t work. You have to keep practicing and relax into it. Some have described it as if something popped open, and it became easier to get information. With a lot of metaphysical work, it happens when you’re ready. In the meantime, do your best to trust yourself.

5. Be conscious of your power and sovereignty

The advice that made the most sense to me was when I heard someone say something like, “Once you figure out what your passion is, find someone who is doing great at it and do what they do.” It aligns with what I’ve always believed: “We don’t need to reinvent the wheel.” It means that you don’t have to pave your own road. Just find one that you can follow. Sometimes people think that it means you have to follow a road without questioning if it’s right for you. You can change directions, follow different roads, and skip back and forth between them, whatever works for you. There really are no rules. There is common sense, however, and I will lay out some guidelines on how to navigate through the world in general and the metaphysical world specifically.

The easiest way to learn how to do things is to take a class, attend a lecture, etc. There are classes you can take in person as well as online. Depending on your schedule and your budget, there are many things you can access to help you move forward on your spiritual journey. The next steps might be to follow/engage with a program or to find a mentor. There is nothing inherently wrong with any of this. Many people go to weekend retreats and come away with powerful insights after having been through a short period of intense growth.

However, there is a dark side. People are people, good and bad. The world of metaphysics is no different. It’s a smaller version of the world at large, but you will still find the same kinds of people. There are still narcissists, egomaniacs, and power-hungry manipulators. I’ve met them all in my time with the metaphysical community. Eventually, people who are not doing things for the highest good of others will fade out of the community, but not before they have done some damage. The ones most likely to get hurt are the newbies because they don’t trust themselves enough to discern the energy behind the encouraging words and the bright smiles.

I have run across many newbies who got stuck in an energy trap by someone due to them not trusting their own instincts about who to trust. A friend of mine joined a group of like-minded metaphysicians to discuss and learn about different things. One of the other participants decided he liked her energy so much that he attached a cord to her, making her tired and sick. Then he started telling her that she would never be able to grow her psychic ability without him as she was too weak without him. She came to me after weeks of going to doctors to figure out what was wrong with her and feeling like she was being controlled. We worked together to cut the cord and restore her energy. I reminded her that he was taking her energy, which meant that he needed HER, not the other way around. She stopped talking to him, but energetically, he kept attacking her for cutting him off. We worked on her energy protection, and she did fine after that. This wasn’t even a mentor. A mentor who is a bad actor can be even worse because they have power and don’t care about their followers. They only care about how much they can control them. Mentors who are unbalanced can manipulate their followers into doing all kinds of things. This is the realm of cults.

If at any time you feel as though you are being taken advantage of or something doesn’t feel right in any way, it’s time to cut and run. Don’t feel guilty about it or think about how much time and money you invested. Consider it an expensive lesson that you will never repeat, and make sure no one you know falls into that trap. Don’t allow yourself to be persuaded. Remember, they need YOU, not the other way around. Always be conscious of where your energy goes, how you are using your power, and if you have been convinced to give it away. No one can take your power from you. You have to give it away. You are in control at all times. Never let anyone tell you differently. That is how you remain conscious of your power and personal sovereignty.

These are the top five tips for navigating the metaphysical world. Think about how you’re moving through your spiritual journey and see if any of this pops up for you. If there are any red flags coming up, don’t be afraid to examine them. Ask questions, take nothing for granted. Stand in your power and use it. It is how you will grow as you walk the spiritual path.