Tangled or conflicting energy lines?

[Eastling]

Look, it's yet another post asking for advice about the various magical situations and issues I've faced while moving from the suburbs to the city! 

In this edition of Eastling's Moving Troubles...one of the things I've really picked up on, moving into a busy city, is the flow of "energy" around the local neighborhood and beyond. That's a very imprecise word, but I don't know if there's a better way to describe it. It feels like one might expect leylines to feel, but I have no idea if that's an accurate moniker either--actually, a lot of these feel more ephemeral and dynamic than the picture I've been given of mystical ancient leylines.

It's fascinating, but unfortunately, it also presents a problem. The particular area I live in is very "tangled" energy-wise. There's many different corridors of traffic right here, both physical and metaphysical: a traffic-clogged major downtown road, multiple sidewalks and a number of elevators and skywalks frequented by tourists, lots of port traffic including ferries and cruise ships at nearby piers, a known goblin market almost directly up the hill, an elevated highway just to the south...and all of it runs often at cross purposes with itself.

I have experienced mundane troubles (it's hard to get groceries when you have to wind through a busy market and climb hills!), which are one thing, but also I've wondered a lot about how all this affects the mystical territory. I've noticed it's at least a little harder to feel I'm making actual contact with my Powers here.

Is this something I can work to alleviate? How should I go about it? How would you go about (or how have you gone about) dealing with similar situations?

[Skumring]

Look, it's yet another post asking for advice about the various magical situations and issues I've faced while moving from the suburbs to the city! 

In this edition of Eastling's Moving Troubles...one of the things I've really picked up on, moving into a busy city, is the flow of "energy" around the local neighborhood and beyond. That's a very imprecise word, but I don't know if there's a better way to describe it. It feels like one might expect leylines to feel, but I have no idea if that's an accurate moniker either--actually, a lot of these feel more ephemeral and dynamic than the picture I've been given of mystical ancient leylines.

It's fascinating, but unfortunately, it also presents a problem. The particular area I live in is very "tangled" energy-wise. There's many different corridors of traffic right here, both physical and metaphysical: a traffic-clogged major downtown road, multiple sidewalks and a number of elevators and skywalks frequented by tourists, lots of port traffic including ferries and cruise ships at nearby piers, a known goblin market almost directly up the hill, an elevated highway just to the south...and all of it runs often at cross purposes with itself.

I have experienced mundane troubles (it's hard to get groceries when you have to wind through a busy market and climb hills!), which are one thing, but also I've wondered a lot about how all this affects the mystical territory. I've noticed it's at least a little harder to feel I'm making actual contact with my Powers here.

Is this something I can work to alleviate? How should I go about it? How would you go about (or how have you gone about) dealing with similar situations?

The first step, which I believe you intimated here, is to determine exactly what all of these are so that you know how best to deal with the whole thing.

It's been my experience that Ley lines can be fractal in nature. So, some of what you sense may indeed be highly localized Ley lines. To muddy things still further there are also energy paths laid down by human and other travelers as move through their daily routines and even lines of connection between individuals. And, finally, for now, even the pathways taken by electrical lines can be sensed by some in the way you describe.

Being in a busy city you may be experiencing a combination or even all of these.

My advice? Make your own lines and connections to those places, people, and beings you wish to have ready and easy access to in the future. This way you have your own way there and need not be overly concerned with the mishmash in the area.

[Waldhexe]

I don't know much about ley lines, but I've moved a couple of times and have also experienced difficulties to connect to the new area.

What helped me was watching the plant and animal life there (this works also in big cities). I look at the trees and hedges and find out which ones are dominant there, then I work to get better acquainted with them. There are many London planetrees, lime trees, hollies and taxus trees (what's the plural?).

I have the impression that trees and hedges regulate some of the energy flow because they provide a home (shelter, food, comfy living space) for various city dwellers (animals, humans...)

[Eastling]

My advice? Make your own lines and connections to those places, people, and beings you wish to have ready and easy access to in the future. This way you have your own way there and need not be overly concerned with the mishmash in the area.

That's not a bad idea. I've been doing my best to set up my own contributions to the area--conducting small rituals just outside the apartment gates, putting up wards, planning a garden for meditation on my patio. Focusing more on the energy and spiritual constructions around here that matter to me and not getting caught up in everything else going on would probably help in the long run.

[SunflowerP]

... and taxus trees (what's the plural?).

In English, singular yew, plural yews.

So that's yew, to you .

Sunflower, who isn't even ashamed of that pun

[Emma Eldritch]

...and all of it runs often at cross purposes with itself.

I'm a city dweller, and for a few years I was lucky enough to live in the heart of downtown. Retail, tourists, art gallery, gay village, beaches... everything within walking distance. (I'd still be there save for my beloved landlord retiring and selling the building.) Anyway, my experience being in the energetic hub is that it often only seems to us like things aren't working together. To us initially it seems like a tangled mess, but after some time and observation you start to notice that there are rhythms to all of it - they're just not as immediately obvious as they may be someplace quieter.

Is this something I can work to alleviate? How should I go about it? How would you go about (or how have you gone about) dealing with similar situations?

For me, what works best is to observe - take walks if possible, or sit and chill and just pay attention to what's going on. If you're new to a city it can be overwhelming at first but I really do think anyone inclined to enjoy city living will adapt quickly. (Some people never do, and should probably move back to Red Deer or whatever.) After some observation, I like to start saying hello to the local spirits. Just, "hey, hi, how you doing" to be a polite neighbour. Then I try to adjust my personal rhythms to be more in tune to the energy around me. Like, for example, do I need some quiet time? Probably a dumb idea to try and do so on a friday night, even from a mundane standpoint. Be a better time to try something more active... or if I NEED that quiet, then I have to figure out a way to insulate my apartment.

That's what I find works for me, anyway.