This Tarot Deck: Connolly
Every one of us will occupy all the points on the wheel at some time or another. The cycle of the wheel is its lesson — and we can learn to take comfort in it (as we do when we celebrate our birthday). If you don’t like the look of things right now, just wait — things will change. Of course, if you do like the look of things right now, enjoy it while it lasts, because that will change too!
We hope you enjoy the next two days of our Annual Yule Online Edition. You will find your usual Daily posts such as the Horoscopes, Runes, Tarot, I Ching plus tons and tons of information on Yule. Everything from graphics to use as greetings, to the history of Yule, to craft projects, to recipes, everything we can dig up, just for you, our dear readers.
Enjoy and Blessed Yule!
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!
Today is a lucky day for you, in which you’re likely to experience progress in your career and/or finances. You feel a sense of closeness with relatives and friends, and an overall healing of the heart. Few things could be better.
About the Number 6
Theme: Family and Social Responsibility, Service, Healing
Astro Association: Gemini
Tarot Association: Lovers
This Tarot Deck: Cagliostro
While the hourglass was an identifying feature on the earliest Hermit cards, more modern ones have shifted the metaphor, showing more or less light released from his lantern. In either case, the Hermit card reminds us of the value of time away from the hubbub of civic life, to relax the ego in communion with Nature
To some, the concept that everything is alive and has intelligence may be foreign, but I have learned that the wisdom of Nature itself can guide people through every aspect of aligning their homes and office spaces with the purpose of the property.
We can access our own feng shui consultant in Nature Herself. She can guide us very specifically as to how to best align with Her for harmony and balance. Read more:
Feng shui means “wind and water” — aligning with the forces of nature. Instead of trying to dominate and control Nature, we learn to come into contact with Her as a co-creative partner, and elicit and respect Her wisdom.
Feng shui has long held to the notion of what has been referred to as the “Spirit of Place.” That spirit of place is a consciousness and as such is accessible and able to lend its wisdom to help us to live in harmony with the earth at that specific location. If asked, Nature will give us instructions that are specific and tailored to each situation about how best to live in harmony with Her. Through a direct connection and communication with the spirit of Nature itself, we have access to the original “author” of the various feng shui texts. Sometimes we forget that feng shui, and the Indian counterpart, Vastu are an art of divination. If not from Nature, then from whom do they divine?
This co-creative potential with nature has been demonstrated by many such as MacHaelle Small Wright in the gardens of Perelandra who, working with the spirit of nature of the gardens, demonstrated miraculous events such as insects who left crops alone and stayed instead only in the areas designated for them. There is also the now famous example of the magical gardens of Findhorn, where 40 pound cabbages grown in the sandy soil of Scotland defied conventional wisdom; by contacting the intelligence and consciousness of Nature itself, the gardeners gained a direct wisdom of how to proceed. Similarly, we hear stories of Luther Burbank teaching cacti and roses to grow without thorns simply by communicating with the consciousness of the plants themselves.
In the larger context of the Re-emergence of the Feminine principle upon the planet, we are really talking about re-uniting with an aspect of ourselves as Creators, with the aspect of ourselves reflected in Nature. We have thought of Nature as separated from ourselves for so long that many will find it difficult to think of it as anything other than foreign. However, it is the Shakti to our divine Shiva nature. When working together, as co-creative partners, magic happens! We interact with nature spirits in everything we do all day long, known or unknown. The difference between the magician, the alchemist, the Shaman, is that they do it consciously. So, let the magic begin.
This Tarot Deck: Angel Tarot
The feminine soul-force contains a persuasive power that can nurture and induce cooperation from others, stilling disruptive energies by harmonizing differences in the spirit of collective good will.
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?
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.
Dreams and psychic ‘insights’ will not be unusual for you today. You’ll be a master problem solver when it comes to personality issues. Others are drawn to you in a real and lasting way. Your tact and wisdom will have a profound influence on others.
About the Number 2
Theme: Adaptable, Tactful, Gentle, Cautious
Astro Association: MoonTarot Association: High Priestess
This Tarot Deck: Art Nouveau
Huge wheels and frisky steeds speed the rate at which the driver’s willpower can be realized. This kind of charge makes more of the world accessible to anyone ambitious enough to seize the Chariot’s reins. But there is danger in this feeling of freedom, because of the increased rate of change and its power to magnify mistakes in judgment. As a seasoned warrior, the Charioteer is called upon to be extra attentive to the way ahead.
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.
By Jennifer Lang, Natural Solutions
Americans spend billions on prescription sleep aids each year, even though the drugs produce a number of unwanted side effects. Natural sleep remedies, on the other hand, are generally side effect-free. For the most part, they help you fall and stay in deep sleep without relying on sedatives. And because they’re muscle relaxants, they also help alleviate pain and may even improve libido. Some to consider:
L-theanine, an amino acid (protein) derived from green tea, improves deep sleep and helps people maintain a calm alertness during the day. It also plays a role in the formation of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter that’s critical for sleep. Take 50 to 200 mg at bedtime; L-theanine can also be used for daytime anxiety.
Hops reduce hot flashes in menopausal women, studies show, and they also reduce anxiety and help muscles relax enough for you to fall asleep. Take 30 to 120 mg at bedtime. Often used in combination with valerian and lemon balm, hops have to be dried to have any medicinal effect–the hops in beer, however tasty, provide no sleep benefit.
Passionflower (Passiflora) is an herb commonly used as a calming agent. Take 90 to 360 mg at bedtime.
Valerian helps reduce the time it takes you to fall asleep and improves the quality of sleep you get–without next-day sedation. Take 200 to 800 mg at bedtime. (Valerian causes wakefulness in some people; if that’s the case for you, take it during the day to reduce overall anxiety.)
5HTP (hydroxytryptophan) is what your body uses to make sleep-inducing serotonin. One downside: It can take up to six weeks to start working. Take 200 to 400 mg at bedtime. If you also take serotonin-raising medications (for example, antidepressants), make sure your holistic practitioner supervises the use of the 5HTP to keep serotonin levels from going too high.
Melatonin retrains your circadian rhythm so you become sleepy when the lights dim and wake up more alert at morning light. Take 3 mg at bedtime for three nights and gradually increase to 6 mg if necessary. Melatonin is not recommended for teens, however.
How Yoga Helps Insomnia
�Most insomnia has to do with �restless mind syndrome,�� says Judith Hanson Lasater, PhD, a physical therapist and author of Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times (Rodmell Press, 1995). Because the mind is always spinning, you need to do something physical to allow the central nervous system to come into balance. This quiets the mind and lets the parasympathetic nervous system dominate while you sleep�crucial for the body to restore. Three poses to help you drift off–and stay asleep:
Before bed: Savasana
This is the gold ring of relaxation poses, says Lasater, because there’s no stretching at all. Lie down on the floor with a blanket folded under your head and neck, another blanket rolled under your knees, a soft cloth over your eyes, and a blanket to cover your body. Stay in the pose for 15 to 20 minutes or longer if possible. Use a breathing practice with a long, slow inhale and a slightly elongated exhalation; the exhale helps stimulate parasympathetic nervous�system dominance, prompting your body to go into “rest and repair” mode.
Can�t fall asleep? Halasana
Also known as Plough Pose, this legs-over-head pose is especially helpful if you have trouble winding down. A modification: Lay on the floor and rest your thighs on a padded chair, so thighs and shins are parallel to the floor.
For midnight awakenings: Side-Lying Savasana
“Side-Lying Savasana is a position of emotional comfort,” says Lasater. “It’s great when you feel exhausted and overwhelmed, pulled in all directions.” Lie on your left side and put a pillow or bolster under your right knee, right arm, belly, and head so you feel completely supported.
Feng Shui for Fostering Sleep
The ancient art of feng shui seeks to maximize the flow of life force energy, or qi, through environments, homes, and other structures. Five guidelines to set your bedroom up for good sleep:
• Place your bed diagonally across the room from the entrance, so you can lie in it and still have a full view of anyone entering.
• Try not to position your bed so you look directly through other doorways (to the bathroom or closet, for instance). If that’s unavoidable, shut the door at night.
• Don’t set up your bed directly beneath a window, otherwise you�ll lose vital energy during the night.
• Keep clutter to a minimum; it can agitate the flow of energy in the room.
• Add objects that help stimulate the movement of qi, such as mirrors, plants, and stones or statues, and remove overstimulating items, such as the stereo, computer, and TV.
Today has strong spiritual overtones for you. It’s a great day for communing with nature and acknowledging all things good in your world. A debt may be finally paid. Be aware of the possibility for mechanical breakdowns.
About the Number 7
Theme: Quiet, Insightful, Analytical, Mystical, Intuitive
Astro Association: CancerTarot Association: ChariotThe Hierophant
This Tarot Deck: Ukiyoe
Because monasteries were the only places a person could learn to read and write in the middle ages, a Hierophant was one to whom a student would petition for entry. He was the one to set the curriculum for the neophyte’s course of study.
Often pictured with the right hand raised in blessing, the Hierophant is linked with the ancient lineage of Melchezidek, initiator of the Hebrew priestly tradition, the one who passes on the teachings. All shamans of any tradition draw upon this archetype.
Four Elements Consecration Charm
By all the powers of land and sea. As I will this, then so shall it be.
Five Elements Charm
All-Purpose Kitchen Magick Charm
Houseplant Charm
Witches Of The Craft® 
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