Tag: Energy

Body-Wisdom: Grounding

Body-Wisdom: Grounding

by Erika Ginnis

 

This is the beginning of a series of articles that will appear in various issues of the paper. My goal in this series is to put in print some simple energy working techniques that I have learned and taught over the years in my own practice. I thought it might be fun and also helpful to provide some instruction in a format that was available to people regardless of where they lived and whether they had a group to practice with.

These techniques are not bound to any one tradition or pantheon and I have seen them used in a number of different circumstances with very positive results. Take them and add then to your tool kit if you like them or leave them if you don’t. However you respond to them remember, as with any magickal or energy working tool, “They will only work for you if you actually practice them.”

I am going to present the ideas in a specific order because I have found the techniques work best when they build on one another. I intend to add a brief review of some necessary steps at the beginning of each article so that it will be easy to catch up if you have missed earlier ones. Some of these tools will be second nature to many of you, and to some they will be a different twist on an old favorite. There are many many great techniques out there, and these are just a few that I enjoy.

I will offer possibilities, use them as a springboard. It is my hope that, for many of you, these techniques will become a new doorway to your inner self, and that they will assist you to become more aware and present in your magical and spiritual work.

Grounding:

Grounding is usually the first technique that I teach anyone. This is because it is the foundation upon which everything else is built. It is very simple and very powerful. I also think it is extremely important I imagine that many of you have heard of grounding or have practiced it in some way. Most of the rituals that I have attended use this technique in some form. Since there are various ways to ground, let me start with some explanation about what I mean when I say “grounding.”

Grounding is the act of consciously creating an energy connection as spirit (sometimes visualized as a cord) from your body into physical reality/Mother Earth. You are a spiritual being, and by your nature have a great deal of power and energy. Your vibration is rapid and can be intense. You have a body (yippee!!) which is an expression of you that exists in mundane reality (hopefully), but since it is made of matter the energy moves at a slower vibratory rate. (Hmmm, this sounds like a public television physics program!!) In any case when you bring your spiritual energy into the physical body more fully it can be quite a shock to the system.

Grounding helps keep the body (your sacred temple) a safe place for you to inhabit and experience life through, prevents it from becoming overly stressed. It helps to keep your energy system safe when you are doing magic or other spiritual work. It acts kind of like an “electrical ground” ( keeps you from getting “zapped” by an overload of energy). The act of grounding also brings power to your work because it aligns you as spirit with your physical body, so that you can be present and attend to what needs to be done. In addition to all of this it increases spiritual and energetic awareness.

Have you ever been at a ritual and felt slightly nauseous afterward or had a headache? Many times this is a reaction of the body to the more intense energy moving through it and not having quite enough grounding to shunt off the excess flow. This brings me to the next aspect of grounding that is important. Grounding is a technique that assists you to release energy! This is a wonderful thing. When you ground you release unwanted or excess energy, and it gets transformed within this amazing living planet, our Mother Earth, and it returns to you renewed. It reminds me of recycling in a way; you let go of what you are done with and you get it back transformed. Also, if you are releasing someone else’s energy that you took on for some reason, that energy gets returned to them as well. It works out well all around.

It is my opinion that the whole energy system of Earth (which I see as our larger body, our Sacred Mother) is set up to run in this way. I believe it to be a connecting web of moving and shifting energy, of which we are meant to be a balanced part. I also feel that as more people remember and use their grounding, it will begin to revitalize the whole system as the energy begins to flow again.

I have spoken briefly about grounding as it relates to ritual, but what I want to emphasize here is that you can be grounded anytime. I highly recommend grounding while playing, eating, making love, shopping, working, driving, etc., as well as during ritual, or while meditating. Grounding brings you more fully present and conscious in your life, so that you can respond to situations rather than reacting from past experiences (many of which might be unpleasant). It will enhance whatever you are experiencing, assist you to be aware of your path, and also assist you to move through uncomfortable times more rapidly.

Something that people sometimes notice when they ground for the first time, is that they become aware of aches or pains that they could swear weren’t there moments before. The reason for this is simple, if you think about it. If you come into the body more fully, you are going to start to become aware of what your body is actually feeling. If you spend most of your time with your mind in fantasy or off in the future somewhere you aren’t going to be very present to what your body is going through. The minute you ground, though, you align with the body and begin to tune in to what’s actually going on.

You might ask why anyone would want to feel tightness in their shoulders if they didn’t have to? My answer is this: if you know what is happening and know how you feel, you can begin to take steps to release and heal whatever is causing the problem. The body has much wisdom to teach us if we will but listen. If you ignore the body it will get louder and louder in an effort to get your attention. I see many people who have begun their spiritual work because some physical ailment caused them to stop and pay attention. You do not have to wait, you can begin the process beforeyou are “forced” to by circumstance.

The good news is: when you are grounded things that are pleasurable are even more pleasurable. You also begin to raise the vibration in the body by grounding it and being more consciously present in it; this will allow an even greatercapacity for experiencing the wonders of this planet. It will in turn increase your power and awareness, making you more effective in where you choose to direct your energy.

One of the examples I always tell my classes is this: “Think of all the different books and techniques out there, all the things you can do as being like a great wall of expensive stereo equipment. It has all the bells and whistles, the CD player and the VCR and the cool speakers. It looks great there on the wall but none of it will do you a bit of good if you don’t plug it in!! It really doesn’t matter how much you acquire, how many components you buy, if you can’t access it. It will just collect dust. Grounding is analogous to taking the power cord and plugging it into the outlet. Then you can use the system. Grounding gives you a way to access your power, because it brings youas spirit (which is the power source) into the picture. None of the techniques will do you much good if you aren’t grounded.”

There are many good ways to ground. I will not be touching on all of them by any means. I will pass on to you one form of grounding I personally use and enjoy. I hope you enjoy it as well. I teach grounding from the first chakra because that is the energy center that relates to physical reality. The first chakra contains information on how to survive and thrive in this reality, and since this is where we have our physical experience and where we want our healing and magic to manifest, I have found it to be a sound practice. Enjoy your exploration with connecting into this planet by grounding. Remember, as with anything, that the experience will change with time. Bring your willingness to explore and allow yourself to be open to your own deepening awareness.

Technique:

Sit comfortably in a straight back chair or on the couch (as long as you don’t tend to nod off to sleep) have your hands and feet apart and feet flat on the floor.

Close your eyes (this helps you to focus inward).

Take three nice deep breaths, breathe down into your belly and soften your belly as you breathe. It can be helpful (although not essential) to breathe through the nose, while keeping your tongue resting lightly on the roof of your mouth. This is from certain Yoga traditions and is said to help encourage the flow of energy through your system.

Relax as you breathe, noticing how you feel, how your body feels.

Be aware of your first chakra. This is simply an energy center (vortex) that is located in the general area near the base of the spine. For women the center is usually near the area between the ovaries (note: the chakra positioning doesn’t change if you have had your ovaries removed for any reason). For men the location is slightly lower in the body because the chakra placement is associated with the testicles.

Be aware of this area, and allow a cord of energy to flow downward from your body: Through the chair you are sitting in. Through the floor and down through the building you are in. Through the foundation and into the deep earth beneath. Allow your grounding to flow down into the earth past all the rocks and layers of the planet, past the water, deep deep into the earth, into the heart of the Mother. Until it reaches the center of the earth.

Allow your grounding cord to connect securely into the center of the planet. Be aware of your grounding cord being securely connected also to your first chakra.

Breathe and relax and experience your grounding, your spiritual connection to this beautiful planet.

Notice how your body responds to you grounding and becoming more present in it. Release tension and discomfort down your grounding, allow it to simply drain away.

Your grounding belongs to you and you can create it in any form you like.

Change your grounding into a waterfall, flowing and cascading from your first chakra down through all of physical reality to the center of the earth.

Experience this, release and relax, breathe. Take your time.

Next change your grounding into a supple and strong root of a tree, allowing it to grow from your first chakra to the center of the earth.

Notice how this changes your experience. Breathe. Enjoy.

Now shift your grounding so that it is a laser beam of light, shining though everything straight down to the center of the earth.

How does this feel? Be with this for a moment or two. (Remember you can use any of these groundings at any time, they are simply different ways to experience this connection.)

Now change your grounding once again. This time create you own grounding flowing from your first chakra to the center of the earth. It can be any one of the three you used before, or something completely unique, it’s up to you. This is your very own grounding.

Breathe, relax, and experience.

Use your breath and release down your grounding cord, any tension, distractions, or discomfort. Notice how you feel as you do this.

Be still, as you ground and relax. If you have questions this is the time to ask and listen for the answers. Or simply allow yourself to be.

When you are done, open your eyes, bend forward and touch your hands to the floor, as you relax your neck, and release any built up energy around the head and shoulders into the earth. Slowly sit back up. If you journal this would be a great time to record your experience. If not, then you’re ready to go on to the rest of your day or evening. Blessed be.

The Daily Motivator for Dec. 12th – Let yourself enjoy

Let yourself enjoy

Let yourself be. Let yourself enjoy.

Let yourself see and participate, know and feel, listen and understand. Let yourself live the brilliant richness that shines through even the smallest details of this very time and place.

Let go of the worries, the fears, the grievances, insecurities and inhibitions. Simply and lovingly live the beauty of this day.

Without judgment as to whether it is difficult or easy, popular or unpopular, do what you know is right, and what you feel is right for you. Let yourself be curious, in awe, inspired and in love with the ineffable reality of existence.

Live authentically as the unique person you really, truly are. Allow the fulfillment that naturally comes when you let all you do come from the best of who you are.

Let yourself be joyful, and generous with your joy, just because you can, and just because it feels so good. Right now, let yourself live in the best, most positive way you can imagine.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

Sun Water

Sun Water

 
Set a glass or crystal container of pure water outside just at dawn, in a place where the Sun’s rays will shine on it all day. At sunset, bottle and cork the water. Keep it in a sunny place. Add to baths for energy, sprinkle around the home to remove evil, anoint yourself for purification and so on.

“Break The Habit” Bath

“Break The Habit” Bath

 
2 parts Rosemary
1 part Lavender
1 part Lemongrass
1 part Lemon Verbana
1 part Sage
 
To rid yourself of negative, baneful habits as well as their root causes: Place the sachet in the tub. After it has colored the water, step into it. Lie back in the water and visualize yourself happily avoiding the habit or other negative condition–smoking, drinking, drugs, depressions, obsessions and so on. Visualize the water absorbing your desire and need for the habit. See in your mind’s eye all the energy you’ve been giving to this negative condition seeping out into the water. When you’ve visualized all that you can, pull the plug and sit in the tub until the water has drained out. Splash fresh water onto your body, washing away all traces of the taint. Repeat daily.

Protection Bath – Tormentil

Protection Bath

Tormentil
 
Tormentil tea is used to keep malevolent magick far away. Althought its identity is often confused with the root charm High John the Conqueror, they possess no herbal relationship. Tormentil, a frequent component of European magick is actually closely related to another Hoodoo herb charm, five-finger grass(cinquefoil). Those five fingers are used in gambling magick to draw luck and money, however five fingers also create a potent sign of protection.
 
Pour boiling water over tormentil to make an infusion. Add this to a tub filled with warm water and then soak in the water.

Santeria Stationary Cleanser

Santeria Stationary Cleanser

 
Many Santeria space cleansings use water as a defensive mechanism, on the premise that evil and psychic toxins will dissolve in water in the same manner as salt or sugar.
 
1. Dissolve a square of camphor in a pan of water.
 
2. Keep it under the bed.
 
3. Change the water weekly. However, if an unpleasant odor emerges, dispose of the water immediately and replace it.
 
4. Disposal of the water is part of the spell: ideally it’s thrown out the back window. If this isn’t possible, flush it down the toilet but smudge the disposal area immediately.
 
5. Never dispose of the water in the kitchen sink or elsewhere in the house. You want to eliminate any possibility of lingering toxins.

The Daily Motivator for December 11th – New beauty

New beauty

Today is a new and unique day, so fill it with new and unique experiences. Today brings valuable possibilities, so use it to create meaningful value.

If you’ve fallen into a rut, this is your opportunity to climb out and to give yourself a fresh, new perspective. If your dreams have seemed beyond your reach, this is your chance to take another look.

Yes, life can be difficult and painful and mercilessly unfair. Don’t assume, though, that any of it has to hold you back.

Even when you’ve failed a thousand times, you always have the ability to succeed. Even when just about every factor is working against you, you can still work your way forward.

Today is a day to do just that. Today is when you can reconnect with your most treasured, positive purpose, and recommit to making it a central part of your life.

Now is when you can transform both the joys and the disappointments into pure energy. Now is when you can use that energy to bring new and meaningful beauty to your life and to your world.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

Using Magickal Powders

Using Magickal Powders

 
The easiest method is to simply scatter them when and where you need their energies. Other methods are also available:
*Sprinkle the powder in a circle around you, beginning and ending in the East and moving clockwise. Sit within this circle and absorb the powder’s energies.
*Those who work with crystals and stones can add powders to their rituals. Sprinkle the appropriate powder around the crystal (or crystals) as it lays on the altar to increase its power.
*Sprinkle powders around candles before being burned to boost their energies.
*Scatter a ritually appropriate powder over the altar before spells.
*Sprinkle on the altar in specific shapes to use as focal points for visualization: protection powder in pentagrams; love powder in hearts; psychic powders in circles. It doesn’t matter if the powder remains in the shape for long. And so on, as your imagination teaches you.
But remember-do this solely for positive purposes, to affect your possessions, yourself or others from whom you’ve obtained permission. All manipulative magic is negative magic and will rebound on the magician.
One note: some powders, particularly those that contain dragon’s blood, will stain carpets, bed sheets, clothing and other materials. Be aware of this when sprinkling.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for December 8th is 16: Enthusiasm

16: Enthusiasm

Hexagram 16

General Meaning: Enormous creative energy is unleashed by enthusiasm. This energy is like powerful music that inspires people, loosening old constraints and generating new opportunities. Indeed, the power of enthusiasm is best symbolized by music and dance, for it is guided more by the heart than the head. Thus, great good fortune can follow someone who is able to guide this positive force toward victory and a joyous celebration.

Enthusiasm within a group generates a special kind of electricity. When a crowd is ‘charged’, the singer scales new heights, and life becomes its own reward. For who is not in awe of thunder? And who would fail to fill his or her lungs in the aftermath of a cleansing rain?

Arouse the passionate support of others, while adjusting your ideas and plans to suit their needs. In this way you can fill your sails with the mighty winds of shared enthusiasm.

To arouse others, re-double your own dedication and dare to create an environment that is free of tension. Take joy in your projects. Harness the power of song and dance.

The Magical Tool for Your Sun Sign

The Magical Tool for Your Sun Sign

  • Annie B. Bond

While most of us know that a good sun-sign horoscope can teach us about our characteristics, and even our soul-task in life, did you know that we were each given a magical tool at birth to help us?

We could all use a little help. Find out what the magical tool is that can help you achieve your spirit-goals, here:

Aries, March 21-April 19: Your magical tool is the ROD. The rod expresses the active and enthusiastic masculine principle. Rod power enables creative form and dynamic self-assertion. The rod represents enterprising and pure spirit, action, growth, life energy, identity, and direction. The rod is the symbol of building from a spring of passion. Heat flows through the body and causes an action that regenerates the cells. It is comparable to sun energy. Rod energy needs constant change and takes initiative when new thought is put into action. Self-trust believes that every obstacle can be surpassed. The path that ROD takes: All challenges and obstacles can be transformed.

Taurus, April 20-May 21: Your magical tool is the PENTACLE. The pentacle is the combination of all previous symbols. It is the material of earth–real and solid. The pentacle represents humanity, duality, outer life, work, and the experience of the body. It is also material success and practical health as well as home and earth connections. It represents the knot of endless love. The pentacle is the most human of all the geometric forms. The pentacle energy is faultless in the five senses, the five fingers, and five pure virtues of faithfulness (cleanliness, compassion, courtesy, fellowship, frankness). It is the symbol of balance. Its foundation is feminine wisdom. It is the everlasting fountain of creativity. Pentacle energy anchors every individual in the real world. It recognizes what needs to be done. The magic of earth resides in the pentacle as well as the capacity to survive. It is magical because it survives. In nature, it is earth, soil, and all life. Pentacle energy is active and creates consciousness. It lives in love of harmonious change. It mediates in “win or lose” situations. To sum up the path pentacle energy takes: It lives single and free, like a tree on the prairie. At the same time it is a kindred spirit living in the forest.

Gemini, May 22-June 20: Your magical tool is the SWORD. The sword represents light and clarity. It is power and the fairness of a triumph where mistakes are permitted. Problems are removed. The sword helps to recognize the connection between personal experience and the condition of the world. It is like a butterfly, the completion of the cycle by way of metamorphosis. The word represents willpower, understanding, enthusiasm, courage, and passion. It is a strong mental energy allowing insight and decision-making. It represents language, intellect, and the world of thoughts. The sword is the symbol for strict discipline aimed at constructing without the losses that may occur. This energy recognizes the logic of things. Any deceptions are penetrated in order to uncover the truth. In nature, it may be seen as the whirlwind or the movement of air. In the mind, it causes the subconscious to work through any structures that create the manifest world. It gains its strength through experiencing difficulties. The sword cuts through opposition in an attempt to end all differences. Sword energy will sacrifice itself and forget itself., so it needs to be given a direction. To sum up the path the sword takes: To be strong without being hard is an acrobatic act.

Cancer, June 21-July 22: Your magical tool is the CUP. The cup mainly expresses the feminine or passive principle. It represents the world of feelings, compassion, and receptivity. The cup represents happiness, love, beauty, and righteousness. It is the subconscious or the soul. The feelings of loss and grief find expression here. Cup energy lives in the world of feelings. It is receptive. It listens to the inner voice. It expresses a deep happiness of the heart. In nature, it is renewal and productivity. It is the place sexuality is birthed. It is the sensuous expression of life, as in a soft flowing landscape of hill covered in wildflowers. Feelings come to the surface in order to allow nature to take its course. The cup’s truth is to be what it is, when and how it wants to show itself. This energy is compassionate with a basic optimistic outlook. To sum up the path the cup energy takes: All things are flowing and my toughness is subdued.

Leo, July 23- Aug 22: Your magical tool is the ROD. The rod expresses the active and enthusiastic masculine principle. Rod power enables creative form and dynamic self-assertion. The rod represents enterprising and pure spirit, action, growth, life energy, identity, and direction. The rod is the symbol of building from a spring of passion. Heat flows through the body and causes an action that regenerates the cells. It is comparable to sun energy. Rod energy needs constant change and takes initiative when new thought is put into action. Self-trust believes that every obstacle can be surpassed. The path that ROD takes: All challenges and obstacles can be transformed.

Virgo, Aug 23-Sept 22: Your magical tool is the PENTACLE. The pentacle is the combination of all previous symbols. It is the material of earth–real and solid. The pentacle represents humanity, duality, outer life, work, and the experience of the body. It is also material success and practical health as well as home and earth connections. It represents the knot of endless love. The pentacle is the most human of all the geometric forms. The pentacle energy is faultless in the five senses, the five fingers, and five pure virtues of faithfulness (cleanliness, compassion, courtesy, fellowship, frankness). It is the symbol of balance. Its foundation is feminine wisdom. It is the everlasting fountain of creativity. Pentacle energy anchors every individual in the real world. It recognizes what needs to be done. The magic of earth resides in the pentacle as well as the capacity to survive. It is magical because it survives. In nature, it is earth, soil, and all life. Pentacle energy is active and creates consciousness. It lives in love of harmonious change. It mediates in “win or lose” situations. To sum up the path pentacle energy takes: It lives single and free, like a tree on the prairie. At the same time it is a kindred spirit living in the forest.

Libra, Sept 23-Oct 22: Your magical tool is the SWORD. The sword represents light and clarity. It is power and the fairness of a triumph where mistakes are permitted. Problems are removed. The sword helps to recognize the connection between personal experience and the condition of the world. It is like a butterfly, the completion of the cycle by way of metamorphosis. The word represents willpower, understanding, enthusiasm, courage, and passion. It is a strong mental energy allowing insight and decision-making. It represents language, intellect, and the world of thoughts. The sword is the symbol for strict discipline aimed at constructing without the losses that may occur. This energy recognizes the logic of things. Any deceptions are penetrated in order to uncover the truth. In nature, it may be seen as the whirlwind or the movement of air. In the mind, it causes the subconscious to work through any structures that create the manifest world. It gains its strength through experiencing difficulties. The sword cuts through opposition in an attempt to end all differences. Sword energy will sacrifice itself and forget itself., so it needs to be given a direction. To sum up the path the sword takes: To be strong without being hard is an acrobatic act.

Scorpio, Oct 23-Nov 21: Your magical tool is the CUP. The cup mainly expresses the feminine or passive principle. It represents the world of feelings, compassion, and receptivity. The cup represents happiness, love, beauty, and righteousness. It is the subconscious or the soul. The feelings of loss and grief find expression here. Cup energy lives in the world of feelings. It is receptive. It listens to the inner voice. It expresses a deep happiness of the heart. In nature, it is renewal and productivity. It is the place sexuality is birthed. It is the sensuous expression of life, as in a soft flowing landscape of hill covered in wildflowers. Feelings come to the surface in order to allow nature to take its course. The cup’s truth is to be what it is, when and how it wants to show itself. This energy is compassionate with a basic optimistic outlook. To sum up the path the cup energy takes: All things are flowing and my toughness is subdued.

Sagittarius, Nov 22-Dec 21: Your magical tool is the ROD. The rod expresses the active and enthusiastic masculine principle. Rod power enables creative form and dynamic self-assertion. The rod represents enterprising and pure spirit, action, growth, life energy, identity, and direction. The rod is the symbol of building from a spring of passion. Heat flows through the body and causes an action that regenerates the cells. It is comparable to sun energy. Rod energy needs constant change and takes initiative when new thought is put into action. Self-trust believes that every obstacle can be surpassed. The path that ROD takes: All challenges and obstacles can be transformed.

Capricorn, Dec 22-Jan 19: Your magical tool is the PENTACLE. The pentacle is the combination of all previous symbols. It is the material of earth–real and solid. The pentacle represents humanity, duality, outer life, work, and the experience of the body. It is also material success and practical health as well as home and earth connections. It represents the knot of endless love. The pentacle is the most human of all the geometric forms. The pentacle energy is faultless in the five senses, the five fingers, and five pure virtues of faithfulness (cleanliness, compassion, courtesy, fellowship, frankness). It is the symbol of balance. Its foundation is feminine wisdom. It is the everlasting fountain of creativity. Pentacle energy anchors every individual in the real world. It recognizes what needs to be done. The magic of earth resides in the pentacle as well as the capacity to survive. It is magical because it survives. In nature, it is earth, soil, and all life. Pentacle energy is active and creates consciousness. It lives in love of harmonious change. It mediates in “win or lose” situations. To sum up the path pentacle energy takes: It lives single and free, like a tree on the prairie. At the same time it is a kindred spirit living in the forest.

Aquarius, Jan 20-Feb 18: Your magical tool is the SWORD. The sword represents light and clarity. It is power and the fairness of a triumph where mistakes are permitted. Problems are removed. The sword helps to recognize the connection between personal experience and the condition of the world. It is like a butterfly, the completion of the cycle by way of metamorphosis. The word represents willpower, understanding, enthusiasm, courage, and passion. It is a strong mental energy allowing insight and decision-making. It represents language, intellect, and the world of thoughts. The sword is the symbol for strict discipline aimed at constructing without the losses that may occur. This energy recognizes the logic of things. Any deceptions are penetrated in order to uncover the truth. In nature, it may be seen as the whirlwind or the movement of air. In the mind, it causes the subconscious to work through any structures that create the manifest world. It gains its strength through experiencing difficulties. The sword cuts through opposition in an attempt to end all differences. Sword energy will sacrifice itself and forget itself., so it needs to be given a direction. To sum up the path the sword takes: To be strong without being hard is an acrobatic act.

Pisces, Feb 19-March 20: Your magical tool is the CUP. The cup mainly expresses the feminine or passive principle. It represents the world of feelings, compassion, and receptivity. The cup represents happiness, love, beauty, and righteousness. It is the subconscious or the soul. The feelings of loss and grief find expression here. Cup energy lives in the world of feelings. It is receptive. It listens to the inner voice. It expresses a deep happiness of the heart. In nature, it is renewal and productivity. It is the place sexuality is birthed. It is the sensuous expression of life, as in a soft flowing landscape of hill covered in wildflowers. Feelings come to the surface in order to allow nature to take its course. The cup’s truth is to be what it is, when and how it wants to show itself. This energy is compassionate with a basic optimistic outlook. To sum up the path the cup energy takes: All things are flowing and my toughness is subdued.

 

Prosperity and Luck Spell

Prosperity and Luck Spell

Tools:
A Gold Candle
A piece of Jade (or other lucky stone)

Light the Gold Candle. Focus on the changes you would like to happen. Hold the stone in your hand and focus those changes “into” the stone. Visualize your energy combining with the stone and say these words:

“Changing energies,
Universal luck,
Weighted my way~
Fortunate door opening,
Beginning this day.”

Visualize the release of energy to the universe. Extinguish the candle. Keep the stone with you as a reminder to be alert for new opportunity or as in the words of Lucille Ball:
“Luck? I don’t know anything about luck. I’ve never banked on it, and I’m afraid of people who do. Luck to me is something else: Hard work — and realizing what is opportunity and what isn’t.”

An Opening Ritual

An Opening Ritual

As we stand in our circle, let the arms of the Goddess enfold us. Feel her warm
loving touch. In her touch we feel all that is … around us. We can feel the
oneness of all things. We call her to enfold us … to encircle us. In her arms
we fear nothing, for everything is part of us.

We call upon the elements of Air. Spirits of the East. Let our thoughts be as
Air — clear and crisp. Swirling free, with no bounds. Whispering through the
lonely canyons. Rising up to meet the sun.

We call upon the elements of Fire. Spirits of the South. Let our will rise
within us like lava, radiating with energy and power, flowing down to meet the
sea.

We call upon the elements of Water. Spirits of the West. Let our emotions be
fluid as the tide, changing shape and form with its surroundings. Reflective
as deep blue pools … passionate as the crashing waves upon the rocks.

We call upon the elements of Earth. Spirits of the North. Feeling it beneath
our feet, we draw strength. We send our roots down into her soil. Growing solid
and firm. Partaking of her warmth and security.

Thus we are in her embrace, wherein we are not separate beings … but one …
in total trust and total love.

Feng Shui Tip of the Day for November 27th

The precious gem most associated with this month of November is the venerable and mysterious topaz. This stone has been a body adornment for at least 2000 years and has been called one of the precious gemstones that formed the foundations of the twelve gates to the Holy City of Jerusalem. These stones are often referred to as ‘apocalyptic’ in their nature since they are believed to hold miraculously protective powers. It has long been believed that when worn with this same intent, the topaz can keep anyone safe from enemies. In the realm of mystery and mysticism, the topaz contains a cooling or antiseptic effect while also being said to be able to dispel sadness and anger. It’s also said that simply sleeping with a topaz close or next to the skin can relieve nighttime fears. Some legend goes so far to share that a man who wears a topaz will grow more handsome and intelligent while a woman will become much more fertile and happy. Handsomer, smarter, fertile and happy? Get thee to a jeweler!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Soul Connection: The Means to Finding Your Life Purpose

Soul Connection: The Means to Finding Your Life Purpose
image
Author: Colleen Deatsman

There is quite a bit of talk these days about “self”, and what that means, in metaphysics and the popular media. In all of these forums and disciplines, a person is divided within themselves in one of a number of different ways. Most disciplines have these divisions designated with terms coined by their founders or adherents. Id-ego-superego and mind-feelings-emotions-spirit are examples of such divisions. But it really boils down to what can be called the “small-s-self”, the workaday self through which we interact with the world, and the “big-S-self”, our authentic or transcendent self. All these words and divisions are substitutes for the traditional terms ego and soul, respectively.

It has further been observed that humans appear to manifest on this plane as beings consisting of body, mind, and spirit. In all the philosophies and disciplines that we know of, the mind purportedly controls the body, strategizing and acting in the world, while the spirit or soul observes the journey, accumulating the “good” and “bad” from life, seemingly acting as the immortal scorecard of our deeds.

Oddly enough, it is the soul in these disciplines that is held to be the human element, which passes on from life to life or, in some belief systems, to an after life. We refer to ourselves by saying; “I have” a mind and body and that “I have” a soul. The relevant question here is: Who is it that has these three things? Who is the “I” that stands outside of body, mind, and soul when we make these proprietary statements?

We are missing the relevant truth by glossing over it. If the soul is eternal, and the body is ephemeral, it follows that the soul has a purpose in occupying this body and utilizing this mind at this time. The truth here shines clear. We don’t “have” a soul; we are a soul having a human experience for a particular reason. There is a lot involved in getting born and occupying a body in this world, after all, so the soul must have an agenda if it is to go to all that trouble to be here. The new question then becomes: What is my soul’s agenda? What is my purpose in life?

The key to finding the answer to this question is to get in direct contact with the subtle energies of the soul in order to then understand our life purpose. This is a three-step process. The first step is to shift our perspective from the self-involved egoic personality with all its frantic needs and machinations, to the slow, smooth perspective of soul.

The second step is to harmonize ourselves with the soul’s subtle energy, allowing it to flow through us unfettered by pettiness, strife or our own personal history. The third step is then to act in the world from the powerful place of soul. At that point we will have begun to actualize the performance of the soul’s agenda, our life purpose.

The First Step: Getting Out of the Way

When we are born, we are a blank slate. We stare out at the world from the perspective of pure soul. Because the soul uses the body and mind to interface with the physical world, we have to learn how all that works. Over the course of the next twenty-one years or so, we are filled, like a computer, with the programs that provide the needs for our survival along with the opinions, perceptions, preferences, behaviors, rules, protocols, and expectations of our various family, friends, schools, churches, and society. By the end of this process, the gross stimuli of the dense physical world are the only things that capture our attention. The still small voice of the soul is drowned out by the clamor of the world and our own programming. Our job then becomes to clear a pathway from consciousness, through the resident programming, back to the soul. The two elements of this step are re-programming the behaviors that do not serve us, and the combined discipline of reclamation and recapitulation.

Reprogramming occurs when we recognize and change one of the behaviors or issues in our life we find distracting, confusing, self-defeating, or in the way. Then, we seek out their origins, where they came from, and mentally and emotionally “change” them using the technique of reclamation and recapitulation. This last step requires that we remember the original events in their entirety, seeking out the feelings, emotions and ultimately the beliefs that hold these issues or behaviors in place. Once that is finished, we can dissolve those beliefs and substitute new ones, or we can fully free up the machinery of our being by just letting them go.

This combined technique alters the programming, but also repairs the energy body, reserving our personal energy for our use, rather than for maintaining a disadvantageous behavior. The following is a sample of the Psyche Inventory, a technique designed to dig out a particular behavior and it’s origins during the technique of reclamation and recapitulation.

Typically, you would start by creating a timeline of your life, filling in all of your memorable life events and occurrences. For our purposes here, pick a single memory that has had lasting repercussions in your life, preferably one that is emotionally charged or one where you still feel caught. The Psyche Inventory process requires you to write down everything you can remember about the event.

What happened? Who else was involved and what were your and the other’s actions, intentions, emotions, feelings, and thoughts during the event? Looking deeper, what were the causal factors of the event and what were the changes in you that issued from the event? Did you lose a part of yourself in this instance? Was anything taken from you or did you take something from someone else that needs to be returned?

After this detailed analysis, sit quietly, with eyes closed, and put yourself back in the situation in your mind’s eye, imagining it in precise detail. Give back and receive what was lost or stolen. Forgive and be forgiven. Re-imagine the event in a way that produces a more desirable outcome for you and everyone involved.

Feel with certainty the resolution of this event and the freedom you feel with its closure. Open your eyes and return to the present. From now on, set this event aside. You are finished with it, free to live your life unaffected by the memory or the issues and energetic drain these created.

Obviously, a more detailed and thorough approach, along with ongoing maintenance and monitoring of this process is recommended, but this brief example provides an illustration of the concept. When enough of the resident programming is moved out of the way using this method, the reconnection to soul is automatic and produces a profound shift in awareness and perspective.

The Second Step: Staying in Harmony

Any wise person with even a little experience will tell you that enlightenment is not durable, especially in the beginning stages of self-actualization. Once you are connected to your soul and are oriented to the world from it, the resident ego begins its fight of attrition as it slowly dissipates over time, energetically aligning itself with your new soul-centered orientation. During this period you will notice extensive swings from soul to mind to emotion and back again. It’s just as well, really, because it’s the observable difference between these varied states of awareness that help you sit up and take notice of where you are and where you want to be.

Once you have experienced the consuming clarity and slow brilliance of your soul, you need to find a way to remain in that state of heightened awareness. There are many ways to do this, each discipline has it’s methodology, but the best methods always utilize energy movement as well as some form of meditation. The energy movement will keep you clear and clean and allow you to monitor and fortify the boundaries of your energy body.

Meditation gives you perspective. It allows you to step to one side and get a good look at what you are doing and what is going on in your life. For millennia, shamans have utilized a technique called journeying that has proven to be particularly helpful with this necessary perspective shift.

Rhythmic drumming is employed as a sonic driver to push the individual out of everyday consciousness. That simple act is enough to deliver perspective, but the shamanic journey goes one better and utilizes the individual’s connection to soul to gain added and intense insight as well. The following is an example of a shamanic journey that incorporates healing energy movement.

Close your eyes and relax. Send your awareness around and through the inside of yourself and notice what is happening in your body and energy field. Allow yourself to feel what your body feels. Pay attention to each organ and each system, noticing its color, energy, and pulsating rhythm. Now allow yourself to feel what your energy field feels. Pay attention to each chakra layer. See, sense, and feel how your body and energy field work together. Send the inquiring part of your mind into your body and energy field and ask them to “talk” to you and listen to their response. Hear and feel what is being communicated.

Carry on a conversation with each layer of your energy field, each individual chakra, and each cell, organ, and system of your body, and ask them to communicate with you. See, sense and feel if you have any energy imbalances, blockages, or areas where the energy flow is sluggish. If you do, explore the issues surrounding your imbalanced, blocked, or weak energy flow. Listen.

Now send attention and energy to the areas that need it. Feel the gathering of power as your intent floods these areas with healing life-force energy. See, sense, and feel the healing nature of this energy as it clears and revitalizes your trouble spots. Feel the change in your body and energy field as you do this.

Your inner healer is healing your body and energy field. See and feel it happening. Now slowly open your eyes, holding the images and sensations in place, noticing how you feel.

By practicing a regular discipline of energy cleansing/movement and meditation/journeying, while staying on top of programs that are running your life, you can maintain your constant connection to soul and even enhance it over time.

Part Three: Acting From the Soul

After you have done the heavy lifting of rewriting the programs, and subsequently maintained and broadened your connection to your soul through energy work and journeying/meditation, you find things changing in your life. There is an extensive re-ordering of priorities that takes place as you begin to address the world from your soul connection.

Your thoughts grow quiet as you find less need to hold your old reality in place with the way you talk to yourself and your mind chatter. The conversations you have with others are increasingly substantive. You begin to make a profound difference with what you say and do as your words and actions resound with truth and authenticity. As this happens, you soon notice a pattern that is strangely familiar to you. You will resonate with it.

You realize then that your soul has been quietly trying to express itself through your resident programming for many years, but was not coming through clearly due to your own lack of clarity and soul connection.

It is then you will see the shape that your soul’s purpose has been trying to get your life to take. At that point you will no longer be a divided being, made up of body, mind and spirit, big-S-self and small-s-self, or any other separation. You will have become a unified being, a brilliant soul moving as a force in the world, fulfilling your intended purpose.

Feng Shui Tip of the Day for November 26th

Today’s ‘International Aura Awareness Day’ is one that someone like me can really be thankful for. First, let’s talk about what an aura actually is. In the world of parapsychology and in many spiritual traditions across the globe, an aura is considered a field of subtle radiation that surrounds a person or an object. One common depiction of this energy is the halo that often connotes a person of particular holiness or power. According to ancient legends and modern lore, all living things manifest an energetic aura, and like anything else that affects our own energy, auras occasionally need to be cleansed. And just as scents can be used to purify a living space, they can also be used to cleanse auras. In fact, depending upon your own emotional state, a variety of aromas can be used. A clove scent can resolve difficult relationships at home or work. The scent of cinnamon can protect and calm while fresh ground coffee can diminish nightmares and bad dreams. Crushed garlic can free you from negative thought and self-talk, while cedarwood will clear away angst, anxiety and stress. By far though, the gold standard for finding the silver lining when cleansing an aura or living space is sage. Light a sage wand, stick or even a small sage leaf. Blow out the flame and allow the smoke to do the rest. Just be sure to pass your entire body through the smoke at least ten times, all the while visualizing your worries going up in, well, you know!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Feng Shui Tip of the Day for November 25th

Oh, what to do? One calendar invests today’s energies in ‘Black Friday’ pre-holiday sales, but other calendars call today ‘Buy Nothing Day.’ So you can clearly see my confusion. Maybe we should spend our time learning about what Feng Shui says about the color black in the hopes of making it work for you! As far as ‘Black Friday’ is concerned, retailers use this term to suggest that today you can take advantage of low prices to stay in the black by spending less green. But black has its own identity when it comes to how color affects the psyche and the subconscious. Black is the Feng Shui color of mystery and magic that also holds the ability to provide protection and power. The color of night as well as the universal void, Feng Shui suggests using black when you want to add depth, strength or definition to any space. Just remember that a little goes a long way, and never use it in a child’s room. But do use it when you want to ground energies. Black is often employed when attempting to activate the energies associated with career, self-esteem and destiny! Putting an image of a waterfall inside a black frame and hanging it in either your front hallway or your ‘Career’ area will bring a wave of job opportunities that will not only put you in the flow but also keep you in the black!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Daily Feng Shui Tip for November 22

At a time of year when the tune ‘Over the River and Through the Woods to Grandmother’s House We Go’ runs through everyone’s head as they scramble off to distant destinations, today’s ‘Go For A Ride Day’ energies couldn’t be more apropos. So let’s address an automobile agenda before stuffing that last piece of luggage into an already overcrowded trunk, and look at ways of making driving a far more pleasant experience than you might think. First, never leave clutter in the car. Treat this traveling space as you would your own home, and realize that clutter in the car contributes to chaos on the road. It’s essential that the center of the vehicle remain clean and clear, as this space relates to the health of driver and passengers, reason enough to pull over the minivan and pull out the Mini-Vac! These next middle-of-the-car energies will bring your driving the middle of the road to a smooth and flowing agenda. Add ten drops of lemon essential oil to an atomizer bottle filled with spring or distilled water and spritz the inside of the car. This will help cleanse the more obvious odors while also bringing a bright, sunny scent to your driving experience. Finally, hanging a small and round faceted quartz crystal on nine or 18 inches of red string from the rearview mirror will pump protective energies, and make sure that everyone arrives at Grandmother’s house safe and sound and ready for a big slice of her homemade apple pie!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Dragon Rituals

Dragon Rituals

 
 
After one or two visits to a dragon place, you can try a ritual. I rarely invite dragons into my indoor altar as they are so potent and the energies diffuse and so are best encountered in their natural environment. You can, however, cast a dragon ritual in your garden Equally, when working with dragon magick, I don’t cast a formal circle because dragon energies need lots of space to avoid spiritual overheating.
 
Dragon rituals should be carried out no more frequently than bi-monthly though there is nothing to stop you visiting a dragon place and absorbing the power weekly. I have a local dragon cave. When the tide is very low I sometimes sit here and work. Inside the cave is too small an area for spellcasting as the dragon energies need to be free.
 
Create chants or drum to tune in with the dragon energies. You can chant spontaneously during a ritual or write one that you use to call your dragon or to connect with a particular dragon site that you visit regularly.
 
If you wish, you can use a crystalline dragon’s egg in dragon spells as a focus for power, courage or abundance, and afterwards keep it on your garden altar or in the heart of your home. Light a red candle next to it once a week to keep the dragon power flowing.
 
A dragon’s egg is a white, opaque, very solid kind of rock crystal that resembles an egg. Alternatively, you can use two matching halves of a stone egg with tiny crystal embedded inside like a geode. Any agate egg or oval white stone can be substituted.
 
If you are lighting incense in the dragon place, use dragon’s blood. Use tarragon, the dragon’s herb of courage and power, to sprinkle as the earth element. This is also a good offering to leave for your dragon in her place. If there is a suitable spot near the rocks, you can plant a tiny tarragon seedling and add a new one whenever you visit.
 
Empower a dragon charm, ring or pendant by setting it in the centre of a spell. Re-empower it by wearing or carrying it when you visit your dragon place.
 
Face south for dragon spells and rituals. East will then be on your left instead of right hand though the actual direction does not change.
 
After a dragon spell or ritual, leave an offering of thanks. Dragons love gold, perhaps in the forms of a small earring or a small carnelian or bright red flowers.

Dragon Power In Magick

Dragon Power In Magick

Working with dragons in magick is different in many ways from other magickal procedures, but not so different that you can disregard certain rules. You need to know how to practice visualization and self-discipline, ethics, absolute truthfulness with yourself, consistency of practice, and meditation. And there must be an exchange of energies while working, an absolute when working with dragons. All of these are important components of any magickal system.

Visualization begins with unlearning many so-called value systems shoved on us by other people, the most common of which is that use of the imagination and daydreaming are not productive and good. The imagination and daydreaming are a negative practice if they occupy most of your life and time; if you daydream about what you want to happen instead of planning and taking action, then you are avoiding responsibility. However, for any type of magick to become truly effective, you must learn how to vividly picture in your mind the event or result that you wish to happen. Once you firmly have the event or result in your mind, you perform your ritual and then release the mental energy for manifestation.

Self-discipline and ethics go together. A magician should not, for his/her own good, dabble in controlling other people or indulge in questionable personal behavior. Jealousy, envy, lust, greed, and anger should not control what a magician does during his/her rituals. In fact, these undesirable emotions should not control any part of a magician’s life. These intense emotions tend to cloud judgment, either bringing an emotional backlash on the magician or causing deliberate harm to others, which in itself brings an eventual backlash on the magician. Either way, it is not worth the misery.

A magician must sincerely desire what she/he is asking for in ritual. If it is half-hearted wish with little emotional intensity behind it, the dragons, or any other entities for that matter, will simply not be interested in helping. And do not think you can put one over on spiritual or astral plane entities because they can see straight through to the truth. The truth is never hidden from these creatures.

One of the worst things a magician can do is take something away from another person by means of magick. This includes health, property, life or freedom. Very often I find that beginning magicians want to control another’s decisions and life on the subject of love. Too often I heard that “I know so-and-so is the true love of my life, but they show no interest. How can I use magick to make them love me?” Forget it! The price is very high for doing this kind of manipulative magick! If they were meant to love you, they would already show interest. Obviously, they are not the love of your life except in your own mind. Any magician considering such a dark use of magick had better take a long, truthful look at their ulterior motives. If someone you were definitely not interested in started taking away your personal freedom to choose, how would you feel?

The second part of the use of magick is that the magician must release the emotions and desire after the ritual is finished. To constantly think about what you want accomplished after the ritual is ended binds the energies to you and they cannot manifest. To constantly talk about your desires, or to talk about the rituals you are performing to get them, will surely keep them from manifestation. To want something so much you can taste it and yet not care if you get it is a very difficult mood to cultivate. I have never known any magician who reached perfection in this area, but getting as close to it as possible is what is important.

There must be an exchange of energies between the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual planes for any spellworking to result in manifestation. Playing at ritual magick, particularly dragon magick, will not get you anywhere. Without mental concentration, physical working, emotional involvement, and intensity of purpose, in other words energies, dragons will not be interested in adding their vast energies to yours. No entity or companion, whether of this plane or another is gong to do all the work for nothing and let you sit on your hands. Dragons are attracted by the energies you raise during ritual, a kind of astral pay-off since they feed on this energy.

Belief in powers beyond yourself is important in any kind of magick. There is an old saying: “If you believe you can, or you believe you can’t, you’re right.” We may not understand how these powers and energies work: we may not be able to describe them to anyone else; we will not be able to prove “scientifically” what they are. But we maigicians know they exist. A magician believe in them because she/he sees the results of their use.

Every magician who wishes to be effective in ritual and manifestation, who desires to grow and expand in knowledge, sooner or later comes to the conclusion that magick is a very serious practice. They learn to set aside time for study and self-improvement through meditation. They practice what are commonly called the psychic arts: tarot, runes, the pendulum, crystal reading, dream analysis, and so on. They cultivate the senses, especially observation, which includes what is in both the physical and astral realm. They learn to read their own intuitive feelings and the vibrations of others.

“Dancing with Dragons”

D. J. Conway

Ritual Tools Dedication Rite

Ritual Tools Dedication Rite

 
This is fairly simple ritual for the consecration and dedication of your ritual tools. Use it as a basic guideline for the creation of a rite that is uniquely suited to you and your path. Trust your intuition and feel free to adapt this to meet your needs. You will need: the altar of your choosing, set with symbols of your spirit allies and deities, smudge or incense; pure water that has been left in sunlight and moonlight for twenty-four hours:; sea salt; essential oil of myrrh, frankincense, lemongrass or rosemary.
 
1. Smudge or cense your altar, yourself, your ritual space, and your new tool. Visualize any unwanted energies breaking up and releasing from your tool. Say, “By fire and air do I cleanse and consecrate this space.”
 
2. Add a pinch of salt to the water, then sprinkle your altar, yourself, your ritual space and your new tool. Say, “By water and earth do I cleanse and consecrate this space.”
 
3. Call upon your spirit guides, patron deities and any other beings you wish to have present. Invite them to share in this ritual and ask for their guidance and protection. State the purpose of this rite: that you have come before these honored spirits to present your new tool for their blessings. Tell them that you dedicate this tool to the highest good and ask that only the most beneficial energies might flow through the tool and through you when you use it.
 
4. Holding the tool in both hands, feel your energy filling it and forming a connection between you, so you might use it to its greatest benefits.
 
5. Replace the tool on the altar and pick up the essential oil. Offer the oil to those invoked and ask again for their blessings. Anoint yourself with the oil, inviting into yourself the qualities you want to bring to your path. Then anoint the tool, blessing it with the intent for a few moments to allow any spirit messages to come through.
 
6. Thank and release all spirits you invited to join in this ritual.
 
7. Close sacred space and keep your tool in a safe and special place.
 
It has been said that ritual tools and other magickal equipment must be crafted by the user to be truly effective. It is true that making your own working tools imbues them with a rare focus and attune them to your energy like nothing else. The process of crafting your own tools involves you, from the start to finish, in the journey from idea all the way through manifestation. It’s an experience that is not to be missed. However, sometimes our tools are already out there somewhere, and will find the way to us when we are ready to receive them. Some people find tools that connect instantly and directly to their hearts and souls at garage sales or metaphysical stores. Others receive the ideal tool from their spirit allies in a vision and the enlist the aid of magickal craftspeople. The tools they now work with have been accepted by their gods and are a physical manifestation of the tools they were given in these powerful vision.
 
Whether you find your magickal object on the seashore or in a yard sale, power objects and ritual tools can be significant partners and potent conduits for your spiritual development. These unique items bring great mystery and allure to ritual magick and meditation, thereby increasing the energy of those very sacred times. As gifts from the spirits we are blessed to received such treasures, whether they come to us in simple of elaborate forms.