Did Michell Have an NDE (Near Death Experience) as a Baby? The Spiritual Witch Michell Little. Part 2: Episode 6
Learn about Being Wiccan and Witchcraft
Part 2 of Liz’s talk with Michell Little of The Spiritual Witch: A Spiritual Podcast. Michell is a practicing Wiccan and host of a podcast and website called The Spiritual Witch where she discusses being a Wiccan and all things spiritual.
How do you become Wiccan?
Michell explains that she did not become Wiccan the typical way. She just knew it was what’s he wanted to pursue as soon as she found the first book on Wicca. But now she has read many books and has made her own Grimoire.
Contacting Spirit Guides, Crystals, Pendulums and Runes.
Michell has been communicating with her spirit guides using a pendulum with an Angelite crystal, and it is surprisingly accurate. It let her know if she was going to get fired, if her friend would get a raise, and how her mother would do during a major health scare. Michell also uses other divination tools such as reading tea leaves and has been working with the Elder Futhark Runes - an ancient alphabet.
Elder Futhark Runes
What is the science behind pendulums?
But what is the cause of the pendulum giving accurate answers. Liz brings up that pendulums most likely move give the correct answer based on our own unconscious micro muscle movements in our hands. That is called idiomotor movements. Maybe we sense much more than we realize on an unconscious level, such as intuitively knowing the health of our loved ones and anyone we spend time with. Also maybe we sense on an intuitive survival level when our boss is going to fire us or give us a raise, even if we have gotten no obvious clues. Liz would love to study this.
Pendulums
Afterlife and paranormal science and research
While Liz would love to have these studies done, Michell is more wary. Although both agree that very often those who investigate this type of phenomena are too disrespectful.
NDE’s - Near Death Experiences
Michell is bothered by the way many doctors and scientists dismiss NDE’s as a lack of oxygen to the brain for example. Since she always wonders if she herself had an NDE since she died for three minutes when she was born, this is a cause close to her heart. However, Liz mentions, that there are serious NDE researchers.
Dr. Bruce Greyson, Dr. Sam Parnia, Dr. Kenneth Ring and Dr. Eben Alexander on NDE’s
Three researchers who Liz loves all have been studying NDE’s from a serious scientific perspective. Dr. Bruce Greyson is a psychiatrist and Dr.Sam Parnia is a cardiologist. While neither have had NDE’s themselves, they took their patients who claimed to have one seriously and dedicate their time to studying the meaning of NDE’s as more than a derivation of oxygen. Dr. Kenneth Ring, another science-minded NDE researcher, focuses on blind people who have reported seeing during their NDE’s and lastly Michell was very impressed with neuroscientist, Dr. Eben Alexander whose worldview was transformed after he had his own NDE.
Liz and Michell try to figure out if Michell had an NDE when she died at birth for three minutes. She has always had some of the traits of those who have had NDE’s, such as being exceptionally mature and empathic as a child.
How do you become Wiccan?
Michell closes the episode with tips on becoming Wiccan and how to navigate that struggle if your family is against Wicca, and you are still living at home. Michell understands that since she came from a very Christian family who does not approve. Stay in what she and other Wiccans jokingly call “the broom closet” with your family for as long as you need to.
Complete Summary
Being Wiccan
Michell opens the episode by explaining this is not typically how becoming Wiccan is done, when Liz asks her was it just one book that made her change from Christian to Wiccan. She found one book and after reading it, knew she wanted to be Wiccan. At this point she has read many books and has created her own Grimoire. She also has been working with runes.
Runes are a type of ancient alphabet. One of the oldest is the Elder Futhark Runes.
Michell has been using the Elder Futhark runes as a divination tool to connect her with her spirit guides.
Crystal Pendulums
Liz asks Michell if she has ever gotten any evidential or amazing messages from her spirit guides and if so how? Michell says yes, especially when she has been working with her pendulum, which is a crystal on a chain that one can hold and see if it gives a “yes,” a “no,” and sometimes a “maybe” answer. Michell used this pendulum to connect with a parrot names Arrow, who she felt attached to and had recently passed away. Michell explains that this pendulum uses an Angelite crystal which has its’ own energies and is able to connect to guides and give answers.
Animals are having a hard time during Covid
Both Michell and Liz discuss how sad the parrot’s unnecessary death was, and also how their animals are doing during Covid (note the interview takes place during August 2020.) Both of their animals love that they are home all the time, and Liz’s dog Pickles has become so clingy if she steps outside without him now. But Pickles misses playing with other dogs and being scratched by strangers during quarantine.
Can crystal pendulums answer questions or is it our own subconscious micro movements - ideomotor responses?
Michell shares three amazing times the pendulum was accurate. It knew about her mother’s health during a serious health scare, and it knew whether Michell and her friend were going to get a raise or get fired from their jobs. But this raises a question - how does the pendulum actually work? There are theories out there that when we ask a pendulum a question and it swings to answer it, that is not anything spiritual paranormal, but our own unconscious, involuntary muscular micro movements. Does that mean we are picking up lots of information on a subconscious level about other people’s health and thoughts? To what extent? While that answer makes the most sense to Liz, Michell thinks that the unconscious micro movements make sense, but that she is getting the information from her guides. Michell also explains that the crystal on her pendulum is an Angelite, which helps the healing process, but she is adamant that it only helps and make sure to go to the traditional medical doctor always if you are sick
Reading Tea Leaves and Predicting Covid?
Shortly before COVID hit, Michell got into another form of divination - Tasseography, reading tea leaves and this was weird. While reading her tea leaves she saw her wedding that was supposed to happen in October 2020, but right before the wedding, she saw a big black block. and she wondered what that could be.
Scientific studies of the paranormal.
Liz is intrigued by all of this, but would want data and studies done on the accuracy of pendulums. Michell is concerned that very often the scientific researchers of anything labeled paranormal are very disrespectful of the phenomena they are researching, and more importantly, of the people behind that phenomena. Liz agrees. A lot do not approach it with open-mindedness and curiosity. They approach it already knowing the outcome and with a snideness to debunk instead of a “let’s see” mindset.
Medical Doctors who study NDE’s (Near Death Experiences).
Michell explains that she is bothered by the medical community’s dismissal of NDE’s. They always insist that NDE’s are explained by lack oxygen to the brain and dismiss the amazing stories that come from NDE”s. Liz shares that some of the factual and evidential information that comes from NDE’s is so exciting. The two discuss how people who claim to have had an NDE often come back knowing things they could not have known, such as what was occurring in the operating room and what their loved ones were saying or doing in the waiting room. Liz agrees that while much of the medical community does dismiss NDE’s, there are some researchers who are taking it very seriously.
Michell mentions Dr. Eben Alexander, a neuroscientist who had an NDE, who was profoundly changed from it. Liz mentions how much she would love to meet him and ask him questions about it. Liz is admiring of the work of Dr. Sam Parnia and Dr. Bruce Grayson, two medical doctors who are studying NDE’s.
Another part of NDE’s that Liz considers evidential is that everyone from atheists like her, to Wiccans like Michell, to Christians, Jews etc of all different beliefs and cultures report very similar experiences during NDE’s Most come back no longer believing in any traditional view of religion, but are convinced of an afterlife. Most leave their organized religion.
Blind people can see during NDE’s (Near Death Experiences) - Dr. Kenneth Ring.
Liz discusses the research of Dr. Kenneth Ring who studies NDE’s. He has focused on blind people who report and give evidence of being able to see during an NDE. He is not woo minded at all and a serious researcher. Liz also explains there are studies that show when people are deprived of oxygen to the brain, the experiences are very different than during an NDE.
What are the consistent traits of NDE’s. Did Michell have an NDE when she died as a baby?
Michell apparently died for three minutes when she was born and luckily the doctors were able to bring her back to life. She wonders of she might have had an NDE because of course she does not remember. But does she have traits of those who’ve had NDE’s? She is very empathic and was always exceptionally mature. There were also things that happened while she was growing up that everyone else in the household, but not her. She shared the details of this story too in another podcast called Walking the Shadowlands.
In her family home as a child she had a cousin who used heroin and Michell perceives brought in a “demon.” Michell thinks that her cousin’s use at this same time of a Ouija board brought in more dark entities. Interestingly Michell was not affected, but the rest of her family was. She was calm and mature about this situation. Michell says she has learned (which seems to be true) that children who have had NDEs are much more mature.
Note that while Liz does not think demons exist or Ouija boards can really summon bad entities, she does think a family can and would obviously be really shaken by a family member in bad shape living in a household, and if one believed in demons, those feelings could be perceived as demons (no disrespect at all and Michell was there and Liz was not.)
Michell wanted to hang out with grownups, not other children, when she was little. She loved helping her mother around the house. She loved art and still makes art to this day. As a teenager in high school and college she was not into drinking and partying but into reading and learning.
Liz loved to drink and party as a teenager, but also liked to read and learn. She needed a balance. But she loved teenage parties and drinking back then because high school and collegeparties always had a vibrancy and an anything's possible excitement to them. Liz explains they had a very positive high buzzy energy. Even now Liz is not a drink to be calm person, she only drinks now in certain very positive social happy circumstances. But both agree in teen years the balance of partying and reading and learning is healthy.
The two discuss if they are introverted or extroverted (Michell both and Liz extroverted). They are both social though and are having a very hard time during Covid and quarantine. Both take covid very seriously.
Any advice for someone who wants to become a Wiccan?
Michell explains she has an episode on her podcast about this very topic “Oh, are you new to witchcraft? Do you want to be a witch?” She suggests you just start slow. Don't just jump in headfirst and go get all this Wiccan stuff. Figure out what resonates with you and what fits with you and then do that. And if you have to be “in the broom closet, be in the broom closet.” Michell is lucky in that she does not live at home so her parents and family don’t need to know since there is so much stigma against witchcraft, many families are against it. But she explains that “if you are living at home and you're with your parents, and they're very against this kind of stuff, leave the aesthetic. You don't need the aesthetic. All you need is you and the intent. What is your intent? Is it to harm somebody or is it to help somebody?”