MAGICAL HERBAL DIRECTORY

MAGICAL HERBAL DIRECTORY

 
ALFALFA- prosperity, attraction of money, burn or place in the kitchen

ANGELICA- Protection, Healing, inreases life energy bringing warmth of Fire element, Exorcism

ANISE, STAR PODS- Protection, Purification, Winter Solstice

ASTRAGALUS- Fortification, Strength

BAY- Healing, Protection, Psychic Powers, Strength

BLACKBERRY LEAF- Healing, Money, Protection

BLACK COHOSH ROOT- Courage, Love, Potency, Protection

BLADDERWRACK- This sea governed plant makes a wonderful water or sea ritual herb, Money, Protection, Psychic Clarity, Wind Rituals

BLESSED THISTLE- Abundance, Flow

BLUE COHOSH ROOT- Courage, Balance, Protection

BURDOCK ROOT- Healing, Protection, Clears space & holds the space safe, spirit of North

CALENDULA- Opening to the 3rd Chakra, helps energy move outward from center of body extending in all directions

CATNIP- Beauty, Happiness, Love

CHAMOMILE- Love, Money, Sleep, Purification, Child’s Annointing

CHAPPARAL- Fire element rituals, Protection, Spirit of South

CEDAR LEAF TIPS- Healing, Protection, Purification of body, aura field, & space

CELANDINE- Escape, Happiness, Legal Matters, Protection
CHASTE TREE BERRIES

CHICORY ROOT, ROASTED- To inspire Frugality, Invisibility,Removing Obstacles, Favors-annoint body to obtain

CLOVES- Exorcism, Love, Money, Protection

CINNAMON, GROUND- Healing, Love, Personal Empowerment, Protection, Spirituality, Success

COMFREY LEAF- Money, Safe Journeys (Worldly or through Meditation)

COMFREY ROOT- Money, Safe Journeys (Worldy or through Meditation), Winter Solstice

COPAL RESIN- Love, Purification, Earth Element, Sets Sacred Space,Allows Guides and Guidance to come in

CORNSILK- Water Element, Stimulates Flow

DAMIANA- Love, Visions, Opens Door Between Worlds

DANDELION LEAF- Calling Spirits, Divination, Wishes

DANDELION ROOT- Calling Spirits, Divination, Wishes

DONG QUAI, SLICES- Health, Vitality, Fire Element Rituals

DRAGON’S BLOOD RESIN- Exorcism, Love, Protection,
Stimulates action of other herbs in incense blend,
Stimulates movement of energy

ECHINACEA- Strength Wards off negativity or undesireable energies

ELDER BERRIES- Ancient Wisdom, Contact with Elementals, Healing, Invoke Majic, Protection

EUCALYPTUS LEAF- Healing, Air Element Rituals, Protection

EYEBRIGHT- Mental Ability & Clarity, Psychic Ability, Visions

False Unicorn Root- Connection to Majical Realm, Contains Energy & Intention

FENNEL SEED- Healing, Protection, Purification, Stimulates Movement

FENUGREEK- Clearing, Money

FLAX SEED- Beauty, Healing, Initiates Flow, Money, Psychic Openness

FRANKINCENSE TEAR RESIN- Consecration, Exorcism, Protection, Purification, Sets Sacred Space, Sets Safe Space for Guides to come in,Spirit of East or North

Geranium- Abundance, Fertility, Health, Love, Protection

GINGER ROOT POWDER- Fire Element Rituals, Brings into Existance, Bringer of the Manifestation, Love, Money, 3rd Chakra Vitality,Inner Strength, Success, Stimulates flow of Energy, Spirit of South

GINSENG, SIBERIAN- Encourages a long lasting affect, Health, Strength

HAWTHORNE BERRIES- Fertility, 4th Chakra Strength & Vitality, Love, Contentment

HIBISCUS FLOWERS, WHOLE- Divination, Love, 5th Chakra

HOPS- Sleep, Opens the Channel In & Out of the body in
relationship with the Universe

HOREHOUND- Exorcism, Mental Ability, Protection, Opens Air Element within body & in the world, Opens Channel for Clear Communication

IRISH MOSS FLAKES- Luck, Opens Throat, Opens Channel for Clear Communication

JUNIPER BERRIES- Exorcism, Health, Protection, Sets Sacred Space, Spirit of North

KAVA KAVA ROOT- Luck, Visions, Opens one to receiving guidence and guides,Protection

KELP GRANULES- Connection to Divine Source through the Physical & Spiritual, Unity, Life-Force Strengthening Spirit of Center

Lady’s Mantle- Love, Self Control

LAVENDER FLOWERS- Happiness, Love, Sleep, Purification, Peace

LEMON PEEL- Friendship, Love, Purification

LEMON VERBENA- Love, Happiness, Purification, Peace, Mental & Emotional Balance, Summer Solstice

LICORICE ROOT- Fidelity, Love, Meditation, Harmony

MANDRAKE ROOT- Protection, Protection in the Subconscious, Unconscious, & Underworld, Fertility, Money, Health, Love

MARSHMALLOW ROOT- Boundaries, Love, Protection, Strength, Emotional Balance

MEADOWSWEET- Divination, Harmony, Peace, Love, 3rd Chakra

MILK THISTLE- Creativity, Protection, Dispell, Transformation

MOTHERWORT- Balances Within, Self Empowerment, 2nd Chakra

MUGWORT- Purification, Clearing, Sleep, Visions, Opens one to the teachings of the Subconscious & Unconscious Self, Dream Clarity & Rememberance, 6th & 7th Chakras

MULLEIN LEAF- Courage, Health, Opens Life Energy flow through the body

MYRRH GUM POWDER & RESIN TEARS- Protection, Purification,
Sets Sacred Space, Ancient Wisdom

NETTLES- Exorcism, Healing, Protection, Abundance,3rd & 6th Chakra

 
PAU D\’ARCO- Fertility, Wards off Negativity, Clears

PEPPERMINT- Love, Psychic Ability, Healing, Clears Energy & Space

RASBERRY LEAF- Love, Protection, Spirit of Center, Spring Equinox

RED CLOVER BLOSSEMS- Abundance, Love, Money, Protection, Success, Summer Solstice

RED ROOT- Clears Energy, Dispells

ROSEBUDS- Abundance, Attraction, Healing, Love, Luck, Prosperity

ROSEHIPS- Abundance, Strength, Fall Equinox Ceremony

ROSEMARY- Exorcism, Mental Clarity, Psychic Ability, Healing, Spirit of South, Purification

SAGE, GARDEN- Clears, Healing, Immortality, Inner Guide, Longevity, Protection, Purication, Vision, Wisdom

SAGE, WHITE- Clears, Healing, Immortality, Inner Guide, Longesvity, Protection, Purification, Vision, Wisdom

SARSPARILLA- Inner Strength, Grounding, Purification

SPEARMINT- Clarity, Love, Mental Ability

SWEETGRASS- Bringer of Positive Energy, Clears, Seals In,
burned after White Sage which clears, the sweetgrass is
the Bringer, Spirit of East

TURMERIC- Purification(used with sea salt), Fortification, Strength, Clears Aggression

UVA URSI- Boundaries, Clears blockages, Psychic Workings

VALERIAN ROOT- Protection, Self Esteem, Sleep

WHITE WILLOW- Sacred Earth Connection between human & Earth & Spirit, Healing, Protection, Spirit of East

WILD LETTUCE- Love Divination, Protection, Sleep, Opens to the deeper consciousness, Attunes to Deeper Meanings

WILD YAM- Fortification, Grounding, Release, 1st Chakra

WINTERGREEN- Hex-Breaking, Protection, Good Fortune, Opens Channels

WITCH HAZEL- Healing, Protection

WORMWOOD- Calling Spirits, Psychic Ability, Protection

YARROW- Spirit of South, Courage, Clears, Stimulates Movement

YELLOWDOCK ROOT- Clears stuck energy, Fortification

YERBA SANTA- Clears Channel to Divine Life Force, Healing, Protection, Psychic Ability

Doing the Best We Can

Doing the Best We Can
by Fran Hafey/Mysti
 
In a conversation the other day, I could hear bitterness and sadness
in the voice I was listening to.
 
Then I heard myself say very calmly “We all did the best we could at that time,”
and with that proceeded to share about my own experience.
 
When we remember the past, we have choices. We can hang on to those bitter memories
or we can let them go. It’s alright to remember and share them, even more than once.
It’s what we then choose to do with them that is important.
 
When I was about my oldest daughters age, she is almost 25, I lost all my childhood memories.
I only remembered the fear, the darkness, the pain, hurt and who had inflicted this on me.
It took me many years to let it all go.
 
Once I worked through it… I started receiving my memories back. Sometimes in dreams,
and sometimes I would just be doing something and a memory would pop in my mind.
I would share them with my family at times and I was so happy, that now,
I could remember what a great childhood I had.
 
I cried sometimes, when I remembered things. I let my emotions flow and released them.
I laughed, cried and shared.
 
I realized a wonderful thing. That the people in my life, in my past,
did the best they could with what they had. So profound and so true.
 
I have forgiven and I have put away things I no longer need. I remember the love
and the good times as well as the bad. They all made me who I am today.
I would not change a thing.
 
Now, I help others do the same.
 
I help them find those blocks and what is in the way of remembering the good
or the indifferent. I help them learn to let it go and grow from it.
 
Not everyone had a great childhood. Even the ones that tell you they had a lousy one
usually can find some good, when they look hard enough.
Helping our inner child remember and laugh again,
is worth more than gold. Much more.
 
I hope that you,… no I believe that you can find some of the good in your past
and remember that we all did the best we could
then, with what we had
and just look at what we can do
with what we have…now.
 
Sent with love and light,
Mystiblu~
 
About the Author: Fran Hafey (Mysti) is a Reiki II Practioner, Writer, and Spiritual Counselor.
She provides guidance and inspiration via her Website, groups, ezine’s and newsletter on the World Wide Web.
To read more of her articles visit the Author’s Website: http://Mystickblue.com

Spell Of The Day – Celtic Tree Month of Rowan Begins

Spell Of The Day – Celtic Tree Month of Rowan Begins
Also known as the mountain ash, the rowan tree has long enjoyed magical eminence for its protective properties.
With the festival of Imbolc just around the corner, today is the perfect day to clear your space of negative energy
and make a protection charm for the remaining winter days ahead. Burn a sprig of rosemary to cleanse your home,
sweeping the rooms widdershins (counterclockwise) to banish stagnant energy. If possible, find a branch or twig
from a rowan tree. Or, if rowan is not available, use a sturdy branch of rosemary. Wind a red ribbon thrice around
the branch. With each wrap, say:
 
The power of rowan
protects me and thee.
 
Hang the branch above your door.
By: Karri Allrich

Shine a Light into the Darkness

Shine a Light into the Darkness

by Freya Ray

What does it mean, to shine a light into the darkness? If we’re going to talk about candle magick, what more powerful candle is there than the human spirit? In the face of a wide array of conflicting information, it seems worthy to explore the idea of how best to make a difference in the world.

What conflicting information? As you’re reading this paper, you identify as some form of witchy pagan, or are at least curious about such. That’s great, but it does not automatically liberate you from the Judeo-Christian heritage of our culture. That heritage says that to be a good person, to do good for others, you suffer. You give up yourself to take care of those in need. On the other hand, there is a streak of self-indulgent hedonism running through much of today’s Wiccan culture. “Do what you will and harm none.” What’s the harm in doing this little love or money spell, to create what I want in my life? A third opinion about how to be in relationship with the world that affects many of us is the metaphysical hive mind. That cosmic-consciousness PC-police brain hums out, “It’s all good. Everything is happening exactly as it’s supposed to. We have all chosen our own destiny, and can all choose perfect abundance and love if we just, well, choose it.”

Before you get all up in arms about my brattily simplistic summaries, I’m just making a point here. Which is: Most of us feel an instinctive urge to give back, to make a difference, and it can be hard to figure out how best to do that. Following are my musings on the question, “How can I up the wattage on this little light of mine, and shine it where it can do the most good?”

Rest Your Spirit

It’s hard to do anyone any good when you’re run down, crabby or emotionally overwhelmed. Somehow, some way, find the time to restore yourself when you need to. I could run through all the cliché remedies: Take a nap, soak in the bath, be in nature and so on, but you already know how best to take care of yourself. This is your monthly scheduled reminder from the universe to actually do it.

Have Cosmic Sex

Talk about upping your wattage! Great, chakra-blowing, mind-altering sex is better than any drug for opening you up to the beauty of others, increasing the generosity of your spirit and making you more patient with everything. Not only does it benefit your partner (we hope), but the energy of divinely inspired sexual congress overflows to benefit everyone. If you have a partner, seek to actively bring God/Spirit/Goddess/whatever into your lovemaking. Call circle before you begin. Focus every scrap of your attention on the energy between you and your partner, on elevating what you’re doing to the level of art. Take hours and hours. If you’re alone, do all of those same things. Be aware of your energy, of every subtle nuance of your reactions. Get a book on Tantra (The Art of Sexual Ecstasy by Margo Anand is a good one), and practice elevating your energy as you pleasure yourself. Some of the best sex I ever had was just me, my hands and my breathing.

Have you ever considered sending a shot out as you come? As you reach orgasm, take that juicy energy and send it to AIDS orphans in Africa, or the women of Afghanistan, or your ex-boyfriend, or whatever. It can’t hurt, right?

Make Yourself Available

It’s all fine and good to talk about reciprocity and balance in our relationships, but the truth is that sometimes I give a friend apples and get back kiwis. Common metaphysical lore holds that everyone in our life is a teacher for us in some way. But some of my friends just teach me about my ability to be there for someone learning stuff I already know. These “unequal” relationships are not only okay, they’re necessary. I know I never would have made it through the last 10 years without my older (or just wiser) friends who knew the things I was learning. They freely taught, gave advice or just let me cry on them. I do the same thing for a few people younger or less experienced than I.

I believe it’s good to have a list of people who are allowed to make outrageous demands on you from time to time. For some reason, a particular friend’s emotional crisis touches you, and you give them permission to call at any hour, and you’ll be a friendly ear. Conversation after conversation ends up being mostly about them, and their struggles, and you don’t mind or feel “owed.” When energy work, ritual or a Tarot reading happens, it’s for them, not you. Call them projects, call them puppies, call them friends having a hard time. Just have some people you personally care for.

Be a Relentless,
Irrepressible Optimist

Think of it as a meditation, as a spiritual practice: Find the upside in everything that happens in your life. I can talk for five minutes about the good things I learned from being in an abusive relationship. Talk about impulse control! I’m not condoning all the ugliness of life, and certainly I’m not saying we should perpetuate it to help others learn hard lessons, but I do believe that any situation can be interpreted any number of ways. I feel more empowered if, instead of going to the “poor me” place, I answer these questions: What am I learning here, and how is it benefiting me?

For example, I recently fell completely, utterly in love with someone who I am not currently able to talk with. My friends who have heard every blow-by-blow think he’s a jerk and offer all kinds of sympathy. But I know what I’m learning from the situation. I finally found that place in myself that was unwilling to give up on someone, just because of something they said. I found the place in me that can be mad as hell and not walk away. I’m learning some measure of patience. I have a mantra, “Nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, you can’t make me stop loving you.” It’s my process, I own it, I refuse to feel victimized by life.

If you’re at all prone to martyr or victim thinking, I can’t begin to tell you how much psychic energy will be liberated by running your thoughts along more positive lines. Giving away your power is a huge drain on the psyche, on your ability to feel positive about your own life and on your ability to have anything to offer to others. Try keeping your own power instead. You’ll like it!

Follow Your Impulses

Between the opposites lies the path. Sometimes we need to be selfish, sometimes we need to be selfless. The best way to navigate life between the poles is to listen to Spirit, to the voice of your own intuition, in every moment. If you’re in doubt about how to proceed, sit still (or nap) until clarity comes. Trust yourself.

Find the Connections

Alienation and separation do not help us help each other. The false sense that we are all alone, that we are different from others, leads to thoughts like, “Why would I want to help those ones. They’re nothing to me.” Seek to find the connections. Do some past-life work, so you can remember for yourself how a life could lead one to be dirty and poor. Meditate, finding the dark impulses inside yourself, so you don’t feel yourself better than the one who succumbed. There is no separation. What is done to the least of us, is done to us, we do. It’s all one.

We don’t all have to be bodhisattvas in order to care. Some glimmer of the kinship between all of us will open up remarkable compassionate vistas.

Reach Out

Ask yourself, “How does service best manifest in my life?” As a professional psychic, shaman and healer, I find most years that much of my time serving others is done in that way. I have a collection of friends I give my professional services to, without expectation of return. From time to time, I offer my services free to a stranger. For a while, I tithed. Sometimes I do shamanic work for strangers in my dreams. Sometimes I pray or do ritual for a person or family or part of the world in crisis. Sometimes I drive my mother to the dentist.

Not everyone is cut out to volunteer at the hospice. But everyone is capable of some kind of service. Your professional expertise might lend itself to occasional gifts of time and knowledge. Your body might like to express itself in some good physical barn-raisin’ activity from time to time. You might be a fundamentally lazy person, who can still feel like a good contributing citizen by gifting 10 percent of your income every month to someone deserving. Give it some thought, and find your own way.

Everyone needs to know that their flame helped light the way for someone.

Daily OM for Jan. 20 – Releasing and Welcoming

Releasing and Welcoming
Energetic Sweeping

Sweeping the front porch every morning is an important cleansing ritual that prepares the ground for new energy.

In some of our lives, sweeping has become an activity performed without much thought. In many cases, sweeping is a lost art, replaced by the noisy, efficient vacuum cleaner. But in several cultures and religions, sweeping the front and back porch every morning is regarded as an important cleansing ritual that prepares the ground for new energy on every level—physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. It is often employed to sanctify a space and prepare it for a ceremony. This seemingly simple action has the power to clear away the old and make space for the new. It stirs up the energy in a place, clearing out the astral buildup that is the natural by-product of the presence of humans.

This kind of sweeping is not about cleaning the area of dust. In fact, the broom doesn’t have to actually touch the ground to be effective. You might want to consider having two different brooms, one you use for cleaning dust and dirt, and one you use for energy clearing. If you are so inspired, you could decorate your broom by carving its handle, painting it, decorating it with gemstones and ribbons, or any other creative adornment that appeals to you. You can also make your own broom out of tree branches and twigs, or choose a naturally appearing broom from nature, such as a pine bough.

Sweeping each morning prepares the ground for the new day at the same time as it deepens our awareness of the importance of letting go of the past to welcome the present. As we clear the energy of our space, we clear our own energy systems. In addition, we create a space that feels clean, clear, and open to all who enter. Be sure to think welcoming thoughts as you sweep, manifesting what you need for the day. Making sweeping part of our daily ritual tunes us into the continuing cycle of releasing the old and welcoming the new that is the hallmark of a healthy energy system.

An Earth Wand

An Earth Wand

 

For an earth-oriented magickal wand, it is best to use a fallen branch from a maple, ash or rowan tree. Take the branch, strip the bark, and lightly sand the surface. Carve the alchemical symbol for earth into it. Add any other personal carvings you would like. Use a malachite stone for the tip. Anoint the wand with cypress oil and bless it under a full moon. Allow it to charge under the moon all night. When not in use, store it in a green silk wrapping cloth to which you have added a teaspoon of dirt.

Where is the Energy in Your Home?

Where is the Energy in Your Home?

By Erica Sofrina, Author of the book Small Changes, Dynamic Results! Feng Shui for the Western World

The Bagua

According to the Ancient Chinese Feng Shui masters, there are certain sections of a person’s home that energetically correspond to the key areas of their lives. By balancing and enhancing a particular section, it correspondingly brings into balance this part of the person’s life. The teaching is called the nine energy centers of the Bagua. The Bagua is a may that you lay over the floor plan of your home which determines where the key energy centers reside.

In this article, I will show you how to find these energetic sections of your own home and give you some tips for enhancing them. In so doing, don’t be surprised as powerful changes begin to unfold in your life!

The term Bagua is the Chinese term for eight trigrams. A trigram is a three-lined reading made up of broken (yin) and unbroken (yang) lines.

The wisdom of the Bagua comes from the ancient Chinese book of wisdom and divination, the I Ching. Scholars have been studying the I Ching for centuries. It is one of the great books of wisdom that charts all of the mysterious cycles of life.

Each trigram of the Bagua relates to a key part of our life experience. The nine sections cover Health and Family, Wealth, Fame, Creativity, Helpful People, Career, Knowledge and Self-Cultivation and Center

The Bauga is one of the more esoteric parts of Feng Shui and requires a bit of a stretch for westerners who tend to come from a more logical, left-brained place. In my own experience of many years as a consultant, I have found there is an uncanny connection between what is going on in my clients lives, and what I find in the corresponding section of their home Bagua. In case after case, balancing this area of their physical surroundings brought about positive shifts in that area of their lives as well.

The Story of Sandra

Sandra was a lovely young woman who called me because she and her husband had been trying to get pregnant after tragically losing her first child who had been still born. It had been a year and they had tried everything to no avail.

She had been reading about Feng Shui and hoped that I might be able to find some blockage in her home that might be contributing to her inability to conceive.

I put the Bagu map onto the floor plan of her home ( how to do this later), which identified the nine key sections or gua’s of her home.

I talked to Sandra about how we can often glean important clues to what is going on in our lives by reading the signs in our physical surrounding. If there are blockages they will often show up in the area of the Bagua that corresponds to it.

In Sandra’s case I found a key blockage in the Dining room, which, interestingly enough, happened to be in her Health and Family area. There hanging from a string from wall to wall were about 50 condolences cards that still remained up from when she had lost her baby girl a year prior.

Her environment told me that her grief was still filling both her internal and external spaces, and, as a result there was no room for a new little person to come in.

As I gently pointed this out to her she burst out sobbing. My heart broke for this lovely young woman who had so bravely tried to cope with the tragic loss of her first child.

 

My Recommendations for Sandra

I recommended Sandra find a beautiful box with an angel on it to put the cards in. This would become her ‘helpful angel’ box. Her affirmation was that her angel who had passed would now prepare the way for the new little one.

I also recommended that she bring in affirmations throughout her home that represented a family of three, such as two larger objects that looked like they belonged together with a smaller one nestled between them.

I found one more Feng Shui splinter in the property behind the home. They had purchased the adjoining lot with the intention of fully landscaping it but had run out of money. There sat a barren lot, perfectly tilled, without any weeds, but none the less barren of all life. This is was the visual picture from the back of the home, energetically reinforcing something that was not serving her.

I knew they had no money to landscape but asked her to do two things: to sprinkle wild flower seeds throughout the field and to buy three trees – two larger ones and one smaller one- and plant them in the Health and Family section of the empty lot. Every time she looked out of her window she would now see a field of vibrant wild flowers and an affirmation of their little “tree” family of three.

Sandra’s Happy Results

A month later I received a letter from Sandra. She had done all of my recommendations and was elated to announce that the weekend they planted the trees they got pregnant. Eight months later they sent me a picture of their darling new little boy Nathan.

I am blessed to have been able to assist many clients in removing blockages from their physical environments and in so doing see their lives dramatically change.

 

The Bagua Map

Here are step-by-step instructions for how to put the Bagua Map onto the floor plan of your own space.

1. Draw a sketch of the floor plan of your space. This should be the birds-eye view as if you are looking down on it.

2. Draw a square or rectangle over the floor plan in the shape of the Bagua map. Your floor plan may not be a rectangle or square and may be missing some areas, draw the shape as if you are looking down on the house. This applies to apartments and condos or if you live in one room, draw the shape as if you are looking down on it.

3. Stand at the front door with the map perpendicular to the floor with the Entrance Quadrant touching your stomach. This will tell you the direction to overlay the Bagua map onto the floor plan of your home.

4. Now divide your home with the Bagua map overlaid on it in nine equal sections. This will identify for you where all of the key nine areas are of your home are. The wealth area will always be the far left quadrant of the home and the Love and Marriage the far right section.

Now walk around your home and look at each section of the Bagua observing exactly what is there. Do you find the junk closet in the wealth area? Perhaps the Love and Marriage area is missing all together from your floor plan? Do you have a dead or dying plant in the health area?

If you are missing areas of the Bagua, you can do a mini-bagua for each room that you can, taking the shape of the room and orienting the Bagua from the main entrance. Enhance the section of the room that pertains to the missing area of the Bagua in as many rooms as possible which will energetically bring this back into your space.

If you have a multi-level home, do this fore each level using the main floor to orient to Bagua map. You may find you have two or three of the same areas of the Bagua, what ever is above will be below. Enhance these areas accordingly. Please note, you do not change the direction of the Bagua for each floor. Once you determine the way the Bagua map is to go according to the front door, this same direction will apply to all floors.

If you use another door other than the actual front door of the home, you will still orient the Bagua map according to the true front door, even if you primarily use another entrance.

Put on your new Feng Shui eyes and see what kinds of ah’ha’s show up for you as you look at your home in this new way. Now work on clutter clearing and enhancing these areas with objects that represent what it is you do want to bring into your life.

Don’t be surprised at how quickly these things start to show up for you. Your environment is a powerful ally, which can both serve or hinder your progress. Learning about this powerful art and science will give you invaluable tools to set the course of your life in the direction of your highest aspirations!

Your comments are always welcome.

Click her for your own free Color Bagua Map from my book.(PDF Format)

For those who are interested in an in-depth course on the Bagua, or about how you too can become and Environmental Healer as a Certified Feng Shui Consultant, I invite you to visit my web site at www.ericasofrina.com

Enjoy!

 

Your Daily Horoscopes for Wednesday, Jan. 11th

Our actions don’t seem to elicit the responses that we expected today. Instead, everything takes longer now that energetic Mars in detail-oriented Virgo is moving very slowly, getting ready to go retrograde in a couple of weeks. Mars forms supernatural septiles with Venus and Mercury, turning things weird. Thankfully, dreams can become real as the fearless Leo Moon guides us to overcome uncomfortable situations by maintaining a positive attitude.

 

Aries Horoscope
Aries Horoscope (Mar 21 – Apr 19)

Your ruling planet Mars is held suspended in time today, making it difficult to initiate action. Even if you have a concrete plan, it may be nearly impossible to stick to it. The timing is off now; just as you are finally ready to start a new project, a wave of emotions can sweep over you and catch you off guard. Nevertheless, you don’t need to wait any longer; it’s time to sprint toward your destination no matter what. Concentrate on reaching your goals, even if they suddenly seem far away.

Taurus Horoscope
Taurus Horoscope (Apr 20 – May 20)

Taking action too soon may not seem like your regular style, but you might become so impatient today that you do something without considering what might happen next. You could get hooked by someone who has a specific idea of what you should be doing at work. You’re willing to jeopardize the stability of your current job for a chance at real success. Go for it, but don’t burn any bridges that you will later regret.

Gemini Horoscope
Gemini Horoscope (May 21 – Jun 20)

You want to create a big splash now as you demonstrate how proactive you can be in a tough situation. However, you might not think that revealing your emotions is a good idea. Although finding your center of gravity is useful, acting cautiously actually helps your cause. There’s no need to change everything all at once. Instead, take a few steps backward, breathe deeply and give it your best shot again once you’re ready.

Cancer Horoscope
Cancer Horoscope (June 21 – Jul 22)

You’re motivated to take on a new project today, but as you get closer to starting your excitement might begin to wane. Even if you do jump in, you might not have sufficient stamina to finish it, so try not to waste too much energy. Managing your resources wisely now could be crucial to your well-being later. There’s a lot happening around you, so it’s wise to prioritize your tasks immediately and not after it’s too late.

Leo Horoscope
Leo Horoscope (Jul 23 – Aug 22)

You may not be comfortable with your role as an action hero today as fiery Mars runs into a complex web of aspects. You might feel as if you’re ready to boil over, yet the fire isn’t quite hot enough to do the trick. Cooling your jets until everything is in order may not be an option because the window of opportunity won’t stay open for very long. Even if you don’t have a detailed plan in place, just grab the chance while you can and apply your energy to creating your future.

Virgo Horoscope
Virgo Horoscope (Aug 23 – Sep 22)

You may not feel like seeing too many of your friends and acquaintances today, so your initial impulse might be to withdraw from the action. Unfortunately, this isn’t the healthiest response, especially if your presence is helpful. Think about following through with your social obligations while still leaving some time left over to follow your dreams. You can do it all now if you don’t lose yourself to your fantasies along the way.

Libra Horoscope
Libra Horoscope (Sep 23 – Oct 22)

Nearly everything in your life appears to be growing more complicated again, especially if your friends and associates make demands that raise your anger. You’re not interested in being pushed around now, and if you’re provoked you’re likely to surprise others by stepping into combat mode. It makes the most sense for everyone to leave you alone today, unless they’re ready to play by your rules.

Scorpio Horoscope
Scorpio Horoscope (Oct 23 – Nov 21)

Your traditional ruling planet Mars is the major planetary player today as it surrealistically septiles magnetic Venus and motor-mouth Mercury. This erratic energy can transform a simple conversation into a major conflict or a passionate encounter. Fortunately, you may be more adept now at making peace, not war. However, you must remain vigilant because conscious effort on your part won’t just happen on its own.

Sagittarius Horoscope
Sagittarius Horoscope (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

Your day is busy with noisy conversations, too many emails and a phone that won’t leave you alone. You could even lose your temper if today’s data overload becomes too much for you to manage. However, ego battles aren’t useful and have no place in your life. Blaming someone else won’t accomplish anything of value; stop talking about the past and shift your attention to the positive changes you want to make for the future.

Capricorn Horoscope
Capricorn Horoscope (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

You might want to demonstrate your passion to a loved one today and see where the process carries you. However, you could miss a prime opportunity unless you stay true to your feelings and communicate them honestly. You really don’t have to add flourishes to your words or need to embellish your actions. Just tell the truth in a straightforward manner to minimize the possibility of misunderstandings.

Aquarius Horoscope
Aquarius Horoscope (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

Partnerships remain in the spotlight today as the needy Leo Moon’s presence in your 7th House of Companions pulls you toward others. However, Mars is being stressed in your 8th House of Intimacy, prompting you to believe that a friend or lover is crowding your comfort zone. Be courageous and defend your personal space, but don’t take things too far by attacking someone else. Even if you’re a bit worried, you’re probably not in as much danger as you might think.

Pisces Horoscope
Pisces Horoscope (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

You may seem more approachable to others today, which encourages them to trust you with their needs. If someone is trying to finish a project and looking for reinforcement, you’re the go-to person now. Unfortunately, you’re growing tired of having to hold down the fort. But avoiding your responsibilities isn’t a real option, so start right away. The quicker you get rolling, the sooner your work will be complete.

Feng Shui to Alleviate Anxiety

  • Jana, selected from Natural Solutions magazine

Anxiety escalates around the holidays as life’s frantic pace shifts into overdrive. Too much to do in too little time leaves you more susceptible to the telltale signs of anxiety such as headaches, muscle tension, insomnia, irritability, and even panic attacks. Looking for relief? You could follow the typical Western path, or you could try an option with considerably fewer side effects: The metaphor-rich design system called feng shui (pronounced fung shway).

Based on influencing the flow of qi (chi) or energy through your home and other aspects of your environment, feng shui principles align energy patterns with healing forces of nature. The result is a harmonious home that lays the foundation for emotional, spiritual, and physical health, says Brooklyn-based chakracologist (a term she’s coined) and feng shui expert Nancy SantoPietro.

“The feng shui of your home mirrors your life and health back to you in an objective, tangible way,” says SantoPietro, author of Feng Shui and Health: The Anatomy of a Home (Three Rivers Press, 2002). Survey your abode. Do clutter and chaos reign supreme? If so, your home’s feng shui may reflect the emotional, spiritual, and physical issues contributing to anxiety. But according to SantoPietro, by correcting the energy flow in your intimate living space, you can dismantle anxiety supported by unhealthy energy patterns and design layouts.

Use these feng shui tips to make your home an anxiety-free zone.

Repair all electrical systems. “Electricity runs through the wires of your home much like qi runs through the meridians of your body. When your home’s electrical system breaks down, it interferes with your energy flow and ability to stay focused, clear, and calm,” SantoPietro explains. Avoid energy clogs or leaks by repairing or replacing worn wires, blown light bulbs, and faulty outlets.

Clear away clutter. Clutter stagnates energy, both in your environment and in you. Entranceways are particularly important, SantoPietro notes, as they set the tone for the feng shui throughout your home. Keep them clear and unrestricted.

Reduce bedroom energy. “Remove electrical sources such as TVs, computers, and LED clock radios from your bedroom because they leak radiation, depress immunity, and interfere with sleep,” urges SantoPietro. The bedroom is meant for rejuvenation, renewal, and intimacy.

Just add color. “White decor deflects life force and thus neutralizes feelings,” SantoPietro says, “but decorate with color and you’ll invoke it. Any time I evaluate a home with all white decor, I know that someone in that house is not dealing with something.” And avoiding feelings often leads to anxiety.

SCRYING, Crystal Gazing

SCRYING, Crystal Gazing  
Scrying or crystal gazing is to use a crystal ball, a seer stone ,or other crystal as a divining tool . One seeks to receive visions or information about issues, the future, a present situation or to foretell events , discover hidden knowledge , prophecy, or perception by intuition and instinctive foresight.

Traditional crystal gazing is something I don’t often do because it seems easier for me to receive information by using an imaginary ball or screen which I see in my mind or which appears before me .

Sometimes this occurs while I am holding a crystal. On the occasions I have received information while crystal gazing, the information has not appeared in the crystal but in front of my brow chakra or in my head . So to me the
crystal is like a meditation tool ,something that you use as a focus while you reach the mental openness that allows you to perceive information .

Many people do see visions in the crystal. Some see or sense symbols, colors or shapes that they interpret. Other people actually see images or events unfolding as though viewing a movie.

The process of gazing is quite similar to other psychic reading and meditation techniques .
While tools may help with scrying, the knowledge and ability to do this work lies within the seeker rather than in the tools. Many people have had visions and gotten information while holding a crystal or gazing into a crystal but possibly as many or more have the same experiences without gazing into a crystal .

Crystals are amplifiers and transmitters and receivers of energy. This gives them the capacity to assist seekers in scrying and other divination. The choice of a crystal scrying tool is entirely up to each individual. Some people prefer a clear crystal ball or a seer stone which is frosted on the outside with a clear polished internal center area. Others people prefer
crystals or crystal balls with inclusions or rainbows which act as points of focus, These inclusions are often called doorways. Some people use window crystals or place a crystal cluster in a bowl of water. The clear or included quartz crystal is the most commonly used scrying stone but other stones including black or other dark obsidian can also be used .

The process of learning to scry consistently can be a long one so patience is of importance.
While some people are able to scry as soon as they try, most people find that it may take several weeks of of at least 20 minutes practice daily before they begin to get results.

There are several different traditions of scrying. The principle differences are often in the set up and lighting surrounding the crystal . The best lighting for beginners seems to be a dimly lit room. Neutral light, such as that of north light or an overcast day or twilight is usually less distraction than brighter light. Some scryers prefer that light be behind them and over their shoulder . Others prefer to place a candle behind the crystal ball or other scrying crystal.

You want to have your gazing crystal in a place where it is comfortable for you to gaze into it for quite a while. You do not want to have reflections of surrounding objects visible in the crystal. If you have a light box you may find that placing your scrying tool on it is perfect as the crystal is completely lit from beneath. If you do not have a light box the crystal is often placed on a stand on a black or dark blue silk or velvet cloth or on a dark covered pillow.

Your gazing crystal may want to be cleared before and after each use by your preferred method. I recommend clearing with shakti from the Crystal Empowerments if you have been attuned to that system or a shakti from another energy system or with breath. Other clearing methods also work well if not as swiftly. Clearing crystal balls is more about removing influences from previous work than about clearing the crystal itself.

Many crystal reader and scryers prefer that they be the only person to touch their gazing crystal because another person’s energy might be absorbed by the crystal and effect readings . A few scryers do have the querant ( person being read for) hold the crystal before reading. This is in order to fine tune the crystal to that persons energy.

Most people probably try too hard when learning to scry. Their own effort to see something in the crystal interferes with the process. Relax and allow yourself to be open to the experience. Begin by Communing with the crystal and grounding and centering yourself. Connect with your high self and or spiritual source. Deep breathing can help with this connection. This will eliminate any possibility of contact by or with entities that might be considered hostile or negative.
This should not be a problem but should you have specific issues with protection or fear of psychic attack by all means surround yourself with a circle of light, call in your angels or use a simple protective method of your choice before beginning. I presume anyone reading this would never seek contact and information from destructive entities. (energy follows attention).

Whatever gazing or other divination method is being used people get clearer results when they have a clear reason for scrying. It is good to have prepared a question or questions or formed a clear intention to receive information about a particular subject or situation rather than to read the crystal just out of curiosity .

Decide your intention and purpose for the reading , (which initially will probably just be to learn how to scry). Gaze into the crystal with a soft visual focus and a mental openness.
This is just like a basic meditation when your attention wanders bring it back gently to focus on the center of the crystal.

Gaze into the ball, but do not stare. Some people suggest you try not to blink but blinking will not interfer with your reading. Do not focus on your blinking while you are gazing. Just relax and gaze. Most people do not get results the first time or first few times they sit with the crystal .
Eventually you may notice a small cloudy glow in the center of the crystal or in front of the crystal. This is the focusing area where your visions will appear. Often beginning readers are so startled by the initial appearance of images or colors that they lose focus completely. When you practice persistently you learn how to maintain clear focus .

You might see easily understood images but you may see clouds or colors or symbols. Often it helps to have a pen and paper at hand to keep a quick log of symbols or words and other impressions Though not everyone can maintain focus and take notes .

There is no absolutely uniform system for interpreting the meaning of symbols and colored clouds. Dream books and color healing guides can have suggestions for traditional interpretations of symbols . These tools help you awaken your intuition about the meaning of the patterns and images you see. The degree of turbulence and movement in clouds may
indicate the intensity of the event referred to or its nearness in time .

There are traditions that many readers use. Here is one set of interpretations ,but it is not definitive, use your intuition .

Blue clouds may symbolize success of career or business,
Gold clouds symbolize prosperity, steady cash flow and possibly new romance.
Gray/Dark gray or Black may symbolize sadness or ill fortune.
Green clouds symbolize health, happiness .
Orange clouds may symbolize hidden aggression and anger, or troubled emotions.
Red clouds symbolize danger to come.
Silver clouds symbolize troublesome times ahead followed by good times.
White clouds symbolize very good fortune ahead.
Yellow clouds symbolize upcoming obstacles.

I recommend that if you have a set of color meanings and correspondences that you are already familiar with see if those work for you in scrying before you work at learning another system. There are quite a few books and web sites about crystal gazing and other scrying methods if you want to explore this area more thoroughly

Astral Magic: How It Can Improve Your Life

Astral Magic: How It Can Improve Your Life

Author: Nita

There are a few simple methods that anyone who can astral travel can use to improve their life. Astral travel can be used in many different ways to achieve this.

Man has used the astral planes and alternate realities to affect the physical world from the earliest times. Shamans enter astral realms to help, cure and protect people from things they could not see. Shamans can bring elements or parts of alternative realities into existence for short periods of time. The degree of enduring change possible depends upon the Shaman’s skill, how much energy is used, and how big a change is attempted.

Magic can be used to manipulate the unseen forces that are at work in and around your life. Everyone knows what makes him or her happy or unhappy. Many times I have looked at what was going on in my life and wanted to change things. I’m sure you have too. But how do we go about changing things to make life better for us?

The first thing to do is write down what would make you happy and what is causing you problems. The easiest things to work on are things like a new vehicle or material objects to resolve problems.

I once had a car that really was a problem. Every time I started to get ahead, the darn thing broke down and took all my hard-earned money for repairs. I was tired of these recurring problems, but I could not afford another as my current car was doing such a good job of taking all my money.

Finally I decided to use astral magic to get rid of that lemon of a vehicle. I carefully planned out what I was going to do. There is a real time plane when you astral travel. This is the plane most similar to real life. You can form and shape anything you want in the astral plane because it is a fluid environment that is affected by the power of mind.

I astral traveled to the real time plane near my home. I then visualized myself walking out of my house and going to my car. I made sure that the car on the real time plane was different than my present vehicle. I pictured a dependable vehicle; one I could afford that would have me be happy and not take all my money and time fixing it. I did not picture any particular model or make of car. I wanted something that could be pulled into my life easily. Being non-specific about fine details like this makes it easier for life to bring you what you want in a short time. I picked my end result as being happy and unworried about driving my dream car anywhere I wanted to go.

I took my created image and placed it over my present vehicle. I made sure the image kept repeating itself endlessly into the future. I did this by matching the colors and feeling of the energy. I also matched the vibrations and musical notes I received from the image. You can do this by observing things closely in the astral. Everything has colored energy around it. This energy tells you whether it is something good or bad. The pitch of the energy is also a good indicator. The pitch is like the tone you get when you strike a tuning fork. The musical notes of astral energy can form a little tune or medley. If you like the tune and pitch of an astral object’s vibrations and colors, it will usually be good for you in real life. Anything that makes you feel uncomfortable or uneasy should be removed or left alone.

I checked all these things and made sure they felt right for me. I then hooked it all up to my old car. I wanted it to feel like the car I wanted and had created on the real time plane. A week later, I was given a car by a lovely retired couple I hardly knew. They had been sympathetically watching me struggle with my problems. It was an older vehicle but had been well looked after and was dependable. It was just what I wanted. The couple had just received a big settlement and bought a new car. They wanted to do something nice for someone. They had been looking for someone who really needed help and would thus appreciate the gift of their old car.

We can create changes in our physical lives by thinking and doing positive things. This is the power of positive thinking. Bad things and bad luck are caused by discordant energies and negative patterns of thought. These are the underlying causes of bad luck. Unfortunately, many people take bad luck for granted and accept it into their lives, expecting it at every turn. Thinking like this causes you to become stuck in an unhealthy mental pattern where disharmony and a continual stream of problems are manifested in your life. In an astral sense, it could be said you are creating and thus attracting more and more discordant astral colors and tones around you.

Negative astral colors and tones can be cleaned away by positive thinking and regular astral housekeeping. To do this, I perform a simple mental exercise every night before going to bed. This only takes a few minutes.

First I visualize myself going to the real time astral plane. I picture the things I want to have around me or need and visualize them making my life easier. I populate my space with these and hook them over the things in my present space. I feel good colors, vibrations and musical notes replacing those on the physical plane. I see these energies and tones repeating endlessly into the future. I give my own mental image the energies and tones of good health, good luck and happiness. It really does help your life if you do this wholesome practice every day.

When someone you care about is ill or having problems, you can astral project to where they are in the real time plane and help them. You can see the colors and tones of a person’s energy when you are in the astral. It helps if you temporarily change part of your shape when working on a friend or loved one. Extend the length of your arm and fingers and use them to go through your patient’s energy field. Remove any energy that seems wrong or bad and then banish it from the person.

You banish the energy by changing it to a pure white color with different tones. You can also send it to an energy level that will disassemble the negative energy. A high- pitched pure white energy will destroy the components of anything negative. You will find that they do feel better the next time you talk to them. Sometimes they are so used to negative energy that it is drawn back to them. I have found that is because that the inner them feels that is the way it should look in their aura. They have to find the root cause of this and that is where my articles on letting go, forgiving yourself, and finding out if something else could be causing the problems come in handy.

You can repeat this astral cleansing as often as necessary. You can also add pure white or pure light blue energy in a pretty shade to their energy. You can notice the different energy that it creates around them. They will heal quicker and feel better quickly. Cleansing with an electric purple color is akasha flame and will destroy unhealthy and unwholesome energy. You can do all of these methods for yourself or others.

I once had a friend who was really ill. I saw some really strange, discolored spots in her aura. In an effort to help, I astral traveled to her home that night. I again saw the same discolored spots in her aura. I combed these out with my extended astral fingers and removed them. I then filled her aura with bright-blue energy from head to toe. I saw her the next day and she told me she had experienced a burst of energy that morning. Her disorder healed rapidly and I repeated the astral healing each night until I was sure she was healed.

The astral dimension is also the best place to pray and contact God, in any shape or form that a person may worship. The restrictions of the physical planes are removed and you can contact and receive their true essence. You can use this connection to ask forgiveness for anything you might have done wrong, or to ask for help with problems.

You can also thank whatever forces have given you help or assistance. Joining to the principles and virtues of God or the great Now is the best way to resolve any problems and restoring the Good to your life. Your Good is there and waiting for you no matter what mistakes you have made because of the energies of divine love and kindness.

I also use dreams to get advice to solve seemingly unsolvable problems. I ponder and meditate on my problem before sleep and ask for help. I then dream up solutions while I sleep, and know the answers in the morning.

Astral projection can also be used to meditate on the types of energies you would like to bring into your life. A little research will unearth a wealth of symbols, runes for example, each of which has a different meaning. I project out and then visualize and create a doorway. I visualize the most appropriate rune appearing on the door. I have the door attached to a wall, with a doorknob so I can get in and out easily. I walk through the door in my astral body and enter the realm of that symbol.

I ask for help with problems, ask specific questions, or simply ask to learn what I need to know. I feel what energy, vibration and pitch the symbol has, so I can draw it into my life in the real world. I then try and absorb what the experience has taught me, so I will remember and realize it better. This can be an amazing and enlightening experience.

Every symbol has its own realm. If you open yourself to its energies, it brings you into an understanding of the elements it is composed of, and of what can best help you in your life. It also opens you up to the elements involved with that symbol, so never use anything symbolizing something you do not want to experience. Many shamanic type symbols involve birth, death, and rebirth. You can almost duplicate the elements of a near death experience by using them. This gives you a way to review your life and decide what directions you would like to go in and the things you would like to experience. You can also use this to talk to Saints and Angels. You write their name upon the doorway and the symbol of the cross. You can use this for any God or Goddess or Buddha depending upon your beliefs. I feel this method has much to offer for everyone.

You can use the symbol energies in these planes to accomplish the goals they represent. It takes careful research and thinking to pick the symbols that relate best to you, your life and its problems, and your dreams and aspirations. Some of the symbols I have used are the cross, ankh, Buddha, pentacle, and the curved spiral of shamanism.

It is important to erase and remove each doorway you create when you have finished using it. This cleans up your personal space and makes it so you don’t have conflicting symbols that might cause you problems. I suggest keeping a diary of everything that you do, and rating the effect it had upon your life when you used any symbol or method. This helps remind you which symbols you have used, so with hindsight you can link it to the effects it had upon your life at that time.

A good book with meditations and exercises for each rune symbol is “Esoteric Rune Magic” by D. Jason Cooper. The Germanic runes are excellent examples of shamanic symbols. Using these will show what I mean about their different aspects, energies and the effects these can have upon your life.

All these methods are easy to do once you are capable of astral traveling. These practices can make your life easier and richer and prevent problems before they happen. Ignoring problems, or potential problems, will not make them go away. Being aware of your life, working on yourself, thanking the forces that help you and asking for advice can solve far more problems than ignoring them ever will. I believe in taking an active role in my future and helping myself along my life path. I hope that you enjoy and benefit from these methods as much as I have.



Footnotes:
Further Reading
“Esoteric Rune Magic” by D. Jason Cooper, 1994, Llewellyn Publications, St Paul MN, USA, ISBN 1-56718-174-0.
“Tree of Life, A Study in Magic” by Israel Regardie, June 1983, Samuel Weiser, ISBN 0877281491.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for December 31st is 57: Gentle Penetration

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for Everyone:

57: Gentle Penetration

Hexagram 57

General Meaning: The general situation here points to subtle penetration. Reeds bend softly in the wind, symbolizing flexibility and endurance, symbolizing quiet, relaxed effectiveness in action. A gentle influence is at work, but just as the wind is ceaseless in its efforts, so too small forces can persist to produce lasting results.

Gentle penetration bodes well for new relationships of all kinds. Just as a summer breeze slowly penetrates the woods to cool the forest, the brilliant ideas of gifted leaders or the sincere feelings of warm-hearted lovers slowly penetrate the minds and hearts of others. In personal relationships, a gentle beginning is often linked to a long-lasting union.

When employing a force that is weak but persistent, careful aim is necessary, for only when a small force continually moves in the same direction can it have much effect. In human affairs, this kind of influence comes more through strength of character than by direct confrontation or seduction. It’s important to have, and stick to, clearly defined goals. Maintaining a strong vision and following a steady course of least resistance often brings good fortune.

Daily Feng Shui Tip for December 27th

You know what they say — there’s no place like OM for the holidays! Ancient scriptures from Eastern cultures tell us that the ‘OM’ is the mother all languages and that repetition of the word enables us to maintain mental and emotional calmness, overcome all obstacles and facilitate deeper understanding of the circumstances and situations in our lives. OM is the primordial breath. Take a minute to give yourself a break and a boost by using the power of your OM breath. Lie down and keep one hand over your heart and one over your abdomen. The hand that is over the belly should have the thumb over the belly button and the other four fingers below. The fingers of both hands should be spread. Breathing in through the nose, take in a big bit of air and pull it into your belly so it puffs up like a balloon. As you slowly exhale back out through the nose, visualize your breath as a silver ball of light traveling from your belly, down and around and then back up your spine, over your head and out your nose again. Do this three times in succession to successfully oxygenate your blood while massaging and bringing a big boost of energy to all of your organs. Man, OM Man, you’ll feel a lot better after doing this empowering exercise!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Daily Feng Shui Tip for December 22

On ‘National Regifting Day’ remember that anything you receive that once belonged to someone else, no matter for how long, needs to be cleansed and cleared of what Feng Shui calls ‘predecessor energy.’ This applies even if you’re the one doing the re-gifting. Just light a sage smudge stick or some sandalwood or frankincense incense. Let them burn for a few seconds and then blow them out before using the smoke to help clear away any and all other energies. Now the gift is good as new. Well, almost.

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

CRYSTAL WANDS – The Making & Using

CRYSTAL WANDS

Crystal Wands are one of the most powerful forms of ‘light tools’ presently known to mankind.

The wand itself consists of a hollow copper tube of about one foot in length. The copper tube should be around three-quarters of an inch in diameter.

A quartz crystal of at least three inches in length and around three-quarter of an inch wide, clear and with reasonably unchipped facets, should be affixed to one end of the copper tube. At the other end of the copper tube is either a copper cap or another quartz crystal.

Either single – or double terminated quartz crystals may be used. The whole copper tube is insulated by a leather strip wound completely around the wand.

The very best way to discover exactly how a crystal wand functions – and its tremendous potentialities as an ‘energizer’ – is to make one for yourself. By
constructing your very own crystal wand you will soon find that it then becomes much easier to merge your own vibrations with that of your wand………

To make your own personal crystal wand first take your hollow copper tube and, with a hacksaw, cut two lengthwise strips at one end of the tube, about three inches deep. Then, with a pair of pliers, bend the sides outwards so as to allow your quartz crystal to slide into place.

Before doing so, however, you must glue the sides of your quartz crystal and then gently slide the crystal into its place within the copper tube. You must now bend the sides back into place and ensure that at least one inch of your crystal protrudes at the end.

At the other end of the copper tube, either glue the copper cap into position or affix another quartz crystal.

Finally, take your leather strip (any color will do) which needs to be about three feet in length and place a small amount of glue at intervals along one side. Then tightly wrap the leather, in spiral fashion, around the copper
tubing. Your crystal wand is now ready to be used!

When your crystal wand is lying by itself without you holding it, it is in what I would describe as the ‘passive’ mode but as soon as you pick up your crystal wand it becomes operational and is in an ‘active’ mode.

Crystal wands are extremely simple to operate. All that you need to do is to pick up your wand, focus the crystalline energy by visualizing a blue/white
light of energy radiating from the apex of the quartz crystal in your wand, and you have now created your own powerful ray of energy and power.

You must, however, be very sure that you use your new ‘tool’ and crystal friend very wisely!

At my very first crystal healing workshop, when I had only just constructed my very first crystal wand, I was holding my wand in my right hand whilst I was
talking and, without thinking, I must have directed the wand at the third eye chakra of one of the students present.

With a ‘yell’ the student nearly toppled back on his chair. Apparently he had experienced a tremendous burst of energy and power emanating from my wand which
had almost thrown him back into his seat!

It is therefore very important that you are extremely careful where you point your crystal wand when you are holding it.

For ordinary crystal healing purposes I use my wand in much the same way as if I were using a normal quartz crystal. I take my wand in my right hand and I move
the wand around the perimeter of the patient’s body, in a clock-wise direction – for a few moments.

I then focus the crystalline energies of my wand through the apex of the quartz crystal and direct these energies into the body of the person whom I am treating. I find that about fifteen minutes is sufficient at any one treatment session.

After directing the crystal healing energy into the patient I finish the treatment session by once again moving the wand around the perimeter of the patient’s body, again in a clock-wise direction, for a few moments.

Using this technique the patient’s body becomes surrounded by a ‘sea’ of crystalline energy and this energy penetrates every fiber of the patient’s inner and outer being; and, in most cases, deep, lasting, healing occurs.

As soon as I pick up my crystal wand I can feel the whole wand begin to vibrate and pulsate. My hands start to tingle and I feel alive with crystalline energy and power. I channel my own healing energies into the wand which then becomes even more powerful and thus by the time the healing rays are projected through the quartz crystal at the end of the wand I can sense that I have managed to create a wonderful source of power and energy.

I am often asked at my workshops and seminars why it is necessary to insulate the wand with leather. Insulation is essential for your own personal protection as I have found out myself from painful experience.

When you are working with your crystal wand for any length of time a great many subatomic particles accumulate within the copper tube and, on occasions, if you were to touch the actual copper you may receive an electrical type shock. This has happened to me on more than one occasion in my experimental work. So be
warned!

The results that you are able to obtain by using a crystal wand depend very much upon your own ability in being able to attune yourself at a high enough level with all the vibrational energies at your disposal. Like everything else in our earthly life, the more you practice, the more you achieve!

As your energies become stronger, your wand will grow more potent too! Crystal wands never ever breakdown, never need an external power source (eg batteries or
electricity) and may be used twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

The possibilities are unlimited. Experiment with your crystal wand. Stretch your imagination and inventiveness beyond their normal range. Allow yourself to become at one with your crystal wand. Establish a complete rapport and empathy with it.

Crystal wands may, from time to time, be used for purposes other than for healing. For example, one evening I had to give a talk at a town some 50 miles
from where I live. I was running late!! I had been unavoidably delayed and I knew that time was short. I came off the motorway and found myself engulfed in
traffic being delayed by a continuous stream of red traffic lights.

By a strange coincidence my crystal wand was lying on the front passenger seat next to me. Without really thinking about what I was doing I idly picked the wand up with my left hand and focused it on the next red traffic light that I came across. It turned to green immediately!

And so it went on. Every red traffic light, virtually instantaneously, turned to green as soon as I directed the crystal wand in its direction. I thus managed to
arrive at my meeting dead on time. Strange, but true!

Why not construct your very own crystal wand now – and discover for yourself all that it can do?

Beat Holiday Blues with Feng Shui

Beat Holiday Blues with Feng Shui

  • Erica Sofrina

One of my favorite fall rituals is to fill my trunk with an abundance of the multicolored, unusually shaped pumpkins and gourds that richly grace the Half Moon Bay, N. California coast side where I reside. I especially love the lime- green and tangerine ones with exotic curly handles. I throw in handfuls of dry, crackly autumn-colored corn and drive happily home where I arrange them artfully around a haystack on my front porch.

Inside I arrange a bountiful ‘horn of plenty’ with the smaller multicolored gourds and mini-pumpkins along with the acorns, dry corn and colorful autumn leaves I have collected.

This is my celebration into fall. I don’t really feel it has arrived until I greedily scoop up nature and feature it prominently in my home.

The Chinese art of Feng Shui emphasizes the importance of bringing nature into our living space, which is called the Five Elements Theory. This is the part of Feng Shui that I have found the most powerful when working with my clients, and the part that I most enjoy teaching to my students. I think it must be because this teaching is so intuitive and simple, yet transformational.

As human beings we are connected to 100,000 generations of ancestors who lived in the natural world. It is embedded into our DNA to feel a deep sense of balance and well being in nature. Studies have shown that people become depressed, lethargic and unproductive when deprived of it. We don’t need science to prove the joyousness we feel sinking our feet into white sands while watching a magnificent sunset. We experience it healing our soul and nurturing our spirit.

 

One powerful way to remedy winter blues is to work with balancing the elements that begin to diminish during the fall and winter seasons. In working with the Feng Shui five elements of fire, earth, metal, water and wood, we work with the controlling and the nurturing cycles. When we have too much of an element we control it by bringing in the element that is stronger. An example would be the element of earth which we would enhance in order to control the element of water. When we have too little of an element we can nurture it with the element that feeds it, such as the element of wood which will strengthen and feed the element of fire.

By bringing into our homes more of the elements of fire (red), wood (green) and earth (gold) during the colder months, we overcome the abundance of the water element and bring them back into balance. Because we are deeply affected by our physical surroundings, our physical bodies come back into balance as well. As a result depression and lethargy often naturally lifts.

It was no surprise to me to discover that our ancestors had been decorating in this same fashion for centuries. As creatures of comfort we will always try to bring our environment into alignment. In so doing they were naturally balancing these seasonal imbalances.

My favorite winter ritual is to fill my trunk with large branches from the unclaimed fir trees and berry bushes around my home. I give them their seasonal ‘haircut’ and into my trunk they go. That evening, I put on my favorite holiday music and immerse myself in the creative process of adorning my home with these bountiful earthy treasures.

Always preferring to save a Christmas tree, I create my own ‘greener’ recycled version and adorn a tall vase with pine boughs with twinkly white lights, shiny gold balls, strings of red cranberries and my collection of small unique ornaments. I cover the mantle with pungent greens, red poinsettias, strands of magical white lights and shimmering silver and gold ribbons. A cherished Angel holds the place of honor at the center Every tabletop gets a unique variation on this theme creating a sense of interest and visual surprise everywhere the eye rests.

I encourage you to play, create, feel and experience the objects, textures, smells and magic of nature. Bring it into your homes in abundance during this time and especially emphasize the more earthy, woody and fiery aspects. It will replenish your soul and create a deep sense of joy and well being within you, making the fall and winter a magical cozy and happy time to be in your home.

Your comments are always welcome. Tell me how you bring nature into your home during the holidays.

Enjoy!

Grounding, Centering and Balance

Grounding, Centering and Balance

Author: Nita

Over the years I have told people hundreds of times to ground their energies, center their energies, and balance their elements. It is supposed to be taught everywhere and be common knowledge. Yet most people do not know how to do this properly. I have had an experience recently that has proven how important this is in life. It is important to relax, unwind, and do many things. I will give a few simple methods.

Grounding:

Grounding is essential to clearing out negativity when you have an off day or during the day when you feel spacey or not quite here. It is especially important with all of the exercises everyone does to elevate himself or herself. We live on this earth and when you elevate yourself with out grounding any energy can be picked up because the person is wide open.

Method 1- Grounding and Centering:

Stand with your feet apart and your hands in the air. Place your feet different distances until you feel comfortable and balanced. There is a point in your solar plexus that centers you. It completes the circuit so to speak where you can ground yourself properly.

Raise your arms in the air and see yourself as reaching all the way into heaven. Next put energy spikes through out your feet and visualizes the spikes reaching to the center of the earth. Pull the golden energies down from above and have the energies fill every molecule, cell, and part of your energies. Push all energies that are not colored gold out through your feet into the center of the earth. Pull your spikes back up to the earth around you and circulate the gold energy around you in circles until you feel cleansed and purged of all energies that are not in harmony with your higher self.

Say-“I ask my higher self to help me to center, ground, and purge and cleanse all energies that are not for my higher good. So be it.”

After you are done, picture yourself buckling a gold belt around yourself and say may I be sealed and safe from all energies not for my higher good.

This method will help with illnesses or any sort of energies that push you off center. They will ease up any psychic attacks or problems occurring with energy fluctuations.

Method 2- Grounding and Centering:

Go to a relaxing place such as a park or into your back yard. Pick out a tree that seems friendly to you that you like. I always like oaks and willows but different people respond to different types of trees.

Go to the tree and hug the tree, and try to energetically feel the tree. You can do this a couple of different ways. I like trying to join with the tree until I feel tingly energies in my hand from feeling the life of the tree flowing into me. We have minor chakras in the hands, which can receive energies, and the experience is great for developing your ability to feel energy changes. If you feel rejection or not friendly energies then you should move to a different tree.

If you are a pagan you might do this prayer:

“I ask that the Divine Mother of Creation link me to the spirit of this tree. May I have all my negativity drawn into the tree to fertilize it and to release me to grow strong and powerful. May all the energies of life be drawn into me to help me be happy, healthy and grounded to the earth through the energies of life. May I be centered, and accepting of all challenges that will bring knowledge, change and joy in my life. So Be it.”

Angelic Version:

“I ask that the divine Father Adonai link me to the angels of trees and creation. May I have all my negativity drawn into the tree to fertilize it and to release me to grow strong and powerful. May all of the energies of life be drawn into me to help me to be happy, healthy and grounded to the earth. May I also be grounded to the divine Father Adonai and all his shapes so that I will know his will, accept my challenges and enjoy my life. May I be centered and grounded in the divine energy of creation and the creator.”

I always tell people to modify my prayers in any way that they wish to do so. It will make them work better for each person and their belief system. I have found that if you are severely ungrounded where the normal exercises do not seem to help it is essential that you ground. I have helped many people with problems that did exercises that pushed them into the upper planes too quickly.

If you have life problems that have not healed, have been abused, or other issues it will stick you open and in an unbalanced and ungrounded state. To close the levels down is not easy. I received such a huge burst of grace in one of my cases for the work I did to help a whole country. It unbalanced me because I have been a person who has been abused through out my entire life. I knew nothing they said was right or true and would ignore vicious cruel people. Yet it hit my soul with the way they treated me and made it so I was held back. I had worked on major abuse but not the cruelties that insecure people do to make others feel just as bad as they do.

I tried to explain to the people I was around that I was trying to ground. All the bad habits you hear mentioned are grounding. People who say that humans do not need to eat meat may be incorrect in that there are many times meat is useful and grounding is one of them. Beer with the herb hops in it is grounding also. You pray over the food and ask it to ground you so you can exist on this earth.

The next thing is sex. Sex is grounding and ties you to this earth. I mentioned this to the people and you would think I was suggesting that I run around and pull men’s pants off. They had been studying Indian methods with gurus and all of that was about evolving to where they do not reincarnate. They were taught celibacy was the only way to do that in this life.

It made me realize that most people only know what they read and then they filter it through their own opinions and it comes out warped. Sex is not evil or it would not be created to bring people into existence. Lust might not be good if it is all you do and do not care about the person. Yet healthy love and sex is not wrong. If you were to be put under medications because you could not deal with reality or have sex, which would you chose? I would choose sex without thought on that question. Love is never wrong and just loving someone can keep you going in cruel upsetting circumstances more than anything else in this world.

The question is what works for you. I found that what works for me is charity, kindness, unconditional love for the divine, and prayer. I have never worked to evolve but to do a good job to please the divine. I found out years ago each of us has our own path and cannot judge anyone else’s path.

So recognize your priorities and do whichever ones work for you as long as you do not overdo anything. Excess is more of the enemy to evolving than anything else. You are meant to live on this earth and learn not to cut yourself off and just work for evolving.

Method 3-Balance:

I always ask for help from either specific angels or my higher self.

I ask that Archangel Michael help me to balance myself. May the elements of air, fire, water, earth and spirit be balanced in my body, mind and soul and on all levels of spirit. May the energies of the divine be balanced and place me in complete equilibrium. May I be grounded, centered, balanced and focused to live today and every day in the light of the divine.

You can ask the Divine Mother or any other form of the divine that you worship and have as what makes your spirit sing to do this for you. I hope that these methods will be helpful to you. I know that staying in balance has helped me many times in the stressful situations that I get into doing work for others who are suffering.

Good vs. Evil…Light vs. Dark. What Is The Truth?

Good vs. Evil…Light vs. Dark. What Is The Truth?

Author: Sleeping Moon

I understand that in writing this article, I might (more than likely) get some uproar about it. I’m willing to spout off what I am thinking and am willing to accept the consequences. I’m going to go ahead and start off scientifically (in the very loose definition of the word) instead of magickally. Even in magick, science has its place.

The color black is the absorption of all colors. The color white is the absence of all colors. If you hold a crystal to the sun, the rays of the sun will fracture and bounce off the crystal creating a rainbow prism. If you hold a piece of coal to the rays of the sun, no color will bounce off yet the coal will get very warm.

During the day, when the sun is beating down its warm rays upon the earth, we can sometimes see for miles around us. (Depending on where we are.) Nothing is hidden and all in plain sight. Yet, when the sun sets, a chill dampens the air and the light gets snuffed out. Everything is hidden in shadows and darkness. Everything that was there during the day remains the same at night, but light has been taken away so we cannot see. Our perception has in this case, decreased.

Beneath our skin we find blood, muscles, tissues, organs and bones to make up our bodies. We don’t see these on a daily basis, but we know that they are there. We see that with a cut, a scrape of the knee, with a break with in a bone. But, there are other things that we also don’t see; like atoms and protons, cancerous cells, diseases, sickness and so forth.

More often than naught, what we can’t see, we fear, and what we fear, we tend to hide from. Why hide from the dark when it is a major part of us?

I will admit that until I started on this path when I was 19 years old, I had been afraid of the dark. I didn’t understand why nor did I care until my eyes were open to it. Before I opened my eyes, I thought things where going to come out of that dark and attack me. I had no idea how much that darkness could be an ally. And how much fun it could be. Once I embraced the darkness, I found myself (on so many levels) .

We also, as a culture, have categorized depression as a negative, as the ‘bad’ along with debt, loneliness, aches and pains and even death. We have dubbed bubbly happy energies such as wealth, good health and love as good. Of course this is true for the most part, but we need to acknowledge both in order to prosper. How can we grow if we do not accept our faults, our bad habits, and our bad moods? I don’t care who you are, but no one is happy all the time. And I don’t care who you are, but no one is perfect either. It’s impossible. What would be the point of this life if it where so? We need the Ying to our Yang to balance ourselves out. It’s the laws of nature. It’s within our genetic make up. It’s our trial and error.

There are people who we run into on a daily basis who throw us off, who rub us the wrong way… but are they “evil”? Not necessarily. If at all. I could give countless examples here, but for the sake of the article, I’ll leave this to that single point.

Now magickally:

Since white repels all colors and black absorbs them, how do we know we don’t have every thing backwards? I’m not saying that demons are really the good guys and angels are the bad, but it makes me pause to wonder. What if, for centuries, we have been wrong?

It’s been proven that the Bible has been rewritten numerous times to suit that current authors’ needs. And we, as pagans, know that most of our deities have been demonized throughout history by others who don’t understand them. What my point is, who is to say what’s the truth and what isn’t? History’s authors may have deceived us all. Please note that I said, “may”.

Typically in general culture, we view the good or the light as the angels, as the playful faeries or as the source of all things. We view the bad, dark, evil as demons, devils, trolls, goblins and other nasties that go bump in the night.

Are we right?

I have to question it myself through my own personal experiences. I’ve worked with less than so-called “light” entities before and have had a great many POSITIVE responses from them. Never have any of these beings asked for something absurd from me in return for their services. I’ve never been demanded a living sacrifice (for the Gods honor life) and never been asked to harm myself or someone else. And in company, I’ve never gotten anything “testy”. I’ve opened the door numerous times to the other side and nothing strange ever happened.

I’ve never experienced a nasty entity in the “real” world and often wonder why. Is it my perception on them? Is my psychic shield that powerful to the point where they can’t get within ten feet of me? Do I try to work with something that a lot of people shy away from and therefore they respect me because I give them that chance?

No. I don’t think so.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve had plenty of bad stuff happen to me throughout my life and expect more to come. But, who is to say if it comes from the good guys, the bad or if it was even predestined before my birth?

And to be honest, completely, brutally honest with yourself… If some kind of harm ever befell your friends or family that you loved, would you really send them love (the perpetrator) in return? Would you really just sit back and say, ‘it was meant for a reason so let it be’? I think not. You would do every thing in your power, physically, mentally, spiritually to prevent that person from harming another soul again. (Physically–within the law, of course.)

For quite a few years, I worked with this specific entity (that shall remain nameless) and the breed of it. It helped me out of some dark holes in my life and I can attest to it even saving my physical life once. (I will swear to this until my dying breath!) So, how can an entity that had been dubbed by the masses as “negative” be so bad?

*I also wanted to note here, I’m not some fanatic, and I know the difference between the waking world and the astral world where these beings reside. I know they can cross over planes from time to time as energy forms, and it isn’t at all like how they portray them in Hollywood. But, I’m not naive enough to say they don’t exist either. *

I have a friend who once told me, and a very valid point it is, that in the Biblical sense, Angels are the ones that are threatened by mankind. And yes, Demons want power, but they aren’t after revenge as the Angels are. They aren’t here to take over the world, as we know it. There is a movie out there that recently been out of the big screen portraying just this idea. Legion
Another friend of mine recently gave her impression of what I’m trying to get across: “There are many different energies in the world. Some are known as “evil” and some are known as “good.” But I don’t think it’s really a question of whether THEY are the evil or good; instead I think that they might reflect the energy we give into them. For example, there may be an entity that is perceived as evil (name any so called evil spirit or demon) , yet if you were to ask their cooperation and/or assistance with good intentions, or at least with fair intentions and respect, I think you are likely to find them cooperative and perhaps even helpful.

Of course, I do not mean to say that this will always be the case. I am sure that there are some entities out there that are better left untouched, because you certainly don’t know what the consequences will be and it might be more than you are expecting or willing to give…but in general, I think so called “demons” are capable of good deeds and cooperation, just as “angels” are capable of negative energy, mischief and general non cooperation – after all, I would think that the “fallen” angels are demonstrative of this.”

As she stated, if we “feed” a certain type of entity a certain form of feeling or thought, then that entity will more than likely take that to heart, because that’s the only type of energy it is getting. In a sense, it’s sort of like a ‘Tulpa’. A Tulpa is a form of energy that takes on a mass of energy from one person or many and acts in accordance to its creator. For example (possibly a bad one) : the Christian/Catholic God. (He just may be a real entity. I for one don’t know either way and I could care less at this point.)

I am not stupid enough to say that this applies to all things that have been dubbed negative. Or even to say that the dubbed masses of good should be questioned here either. There are some things that even I am wary of working with. Both good and bad. What I’m just trying to say here is to use your own intuition on what you work with. Even if this article has opened one person’s mind to the possibilities of working with different types of energies (other than just lovey-dovey good) , that’s good enough for me.

Use your head. Use your intuition. Try working with an entity that you have never considered working with before with no fear in your heart and you just might be pleasantly surprised. Just as you can’t judge a person until you’ve met them, so can’t you judge an entity before you work with them. (Unless the source you hear it from is a good and trusting one!)

How are we really to know what entity is “good” and what entity is “bad”? I for one am not going to judge ‘just because’. Will you?

Feng Shui to Alleviate Anxiety

Feng Shui to Alleviate Anxiety

  • Jana, selected from Natural Solutions magazine

 

Anxiety escalates around the holidays as life’s frantic pace shifts into overdrive. Too much to do in too little time leaves you more susceptible to the telltale signs of anxiety such as headaches, muscle tension, insomnia, irritability, and even panic attacks. Looking for relief? You could follow the typical Western path, or you could try an option with considerably fewer side effects: The metaphor-rich design system called feng shui (pronounced fung shway).

Based on influencing the flow of qi (chi) or energy through your home and other aspects of your environment, feng shui principles align energy patterns with healing forces of nature. The result is a harmonious home that lays the foundation for emotional, spiritual, and physical health, says Brooklyn-based chakracologist (a term she’s coined) and feng shui expert Nancy SantoPietro.

“The feng shui of your home mirrors your life and health back to you in an objective, tangible way,” says SantoPietro, author of Feng Shui and Health: The Anatomy of a Home (Three Rivers Press, 2002). Survey your abode. Do clutter and chaos reign supreme? If so, your home’s feng shui may reflect the emotional, spiritual, and physical issues contributing to anxiety. But according to SantoPietro, by correcting the energy flow in your intimate living space, you can dismantle anxiety supported by unhealthy energy patterns and design layouts.

Use these feng shui tips to make your home an anxiety-free zone.

Repair all electrical systems. “Electricity runs through the wires of your home much like qi runs through the meridians of your body. When your home’s electrical system breaks down, it interferes with your energy flow and ability to stay focused, clear, and calm,” SantoPietro explains. Avoid energy clogs or leaks by repairing or replacing worn wires, blown light bulbs, and faulty outlets.

Clear away clutter. Clutter stagnates energy, both in your environment and in you. Entranceways are particularly important, SantoPietro notes, as they set the tone for the feng shui throughout your home. Keep them clear and unrestricted.

Reduce bedroom energy. “Remove electrical sources such as TVs, computers, and LED clock radios from your bedroom because they leak radiation, depress immunity, and interfere with sleep,” urges SantoPietro. The bedroom is meant for rejuvenation, renewal, and intimacy.

Just add color. “White decor deflects life force and thus neutralizes feelings,” SantoPietro says, “but decorate with color and you’ll invoke it. Any time I evaluate a home with all white decor, I know that someone in that house is not dealing with something.” And avoiding feelings often leads to anxiety.