Thursday, April 22, 2010

Happy Earth Day!

Join us today as we focus on the importance of minimizing our individual carbon footprints, as we strive to raise collective consciousness about the importance of recycling, reusing and renewing. Take time today to reconnect with nature. Join me in a meditation to connect with mother Earth and recharge your life force with her cool, nurturing energy.

A Lovely Grounding Meditation
Use this meditation to neutralize negative energy and replace it with earth energy. I find it does wonders to ground and center when I feel my life has gotten out of control.

Set aside about a half an hour for this exercise. Choose a quiet place where you will not be interrupted or distracted. Make sure that you are comfortable and in a positive state of mind.

Sit quietly with your eyes closed and your palms face up in your lap.

Breathe and relax.

Spend a few moments focusing to relax your body working your way down from the top of your head to the tips of your toes until every part of you is relaxed.

Connect with the soles of your feet and be aware of how they feel. After a few moments, move your attention down to a spot within the Earth about a foot below your feet. Visualize a sphere of cool blue energy pooling in this spot.

Now Visualize roots slowly extending from your feet. Slowly they travel down, down, through the soil. Imagine the feel of the cool, secure soil all around your roots, keeping you safe as you breathe deep the smell of fresh, wholesome Earth. Your roots grow until they find the cool pool of Earth energy. Allow them to plunge into this pool and drink up the cool energy. As the roots of your feet drink in the cool Earth energy, they grow becoming a strong cord. Feel the cord growing until it becomes a strong cable between your body and the earth. See the cool energy traveling up this cord. Feel the earth energy rising up through the bottom of your feet; up through your ankles and calves; earth energy rising up through your knees and thighs; up through your pelvic area; earth energy flowing up through your abdomen and lower back; rising up through your hands and arms.

Imagine earth energy flowing up through your chest and back; up through your shoulders and neck, chin, jaw, face; earth energy flowing up through your scalp.

This earth energy flows up and up over the top of your head and flows back down to the earth healing and revitalizing your aura as it flows through all the layers and levels of energy around your body before spilling down to flow back into the earth. Let the energy run until you have created a loop the moves from the Earth up your feet, legs and spine, out the top of your head, down your aura and back into the Earth. Run this energy until your sprit sings and you skin begins to tingle. Let the energy nourish you charkas and set them to spin like brightly colored jewels.
When you are finished running your energy, and you are ready to return to your previous state of consciousness, bring your awareness to your fingertips and wiggle them, take a breath and slowing open you eyes.


Namaste

Thursday, January 21, 2010

A Magickal Moment.


It's interesting how the universe responses to us giving us exactly what we need the moment we need it.


A pigeon came to me while I was in circle. I didn't know his message until I looked him up.


The pigeon assists us in finding the stability of home that has been lost.

This was the perfect message and comforts me that yes I was is circle releasing the home where I had raised my family and lived for the past 18 years. I was releasing the old and accepting the new cycle on the cusp. I guess I harbored a little sadness letting go, not really knowing if I would find a new home….and then came the pigeon brave as a pet, he flopped down into my circle to blink at me.


" The Pigeon

Pigeons originally lived on the wild cliff faces of the European and Asian seacoasts. Used by the Chinese for hundreds of years to send messages they also carried money exchange rates between banks in Canton and Hong Kong. Pigeons have been used extensively for delivering messages in times of war. Early navigators took pigeons to sea in hopes that, if they became lost the pigeon would show them the way to land. Pigeons can fly for 550 miles in one day and can travel in bursts of speed up to 60 knots. They teach us how to preserver and keep our focus on the goal at hand.


This amazing bird holds the qualities of home, security and maternal instincts. Those with this totem often experience unsettling childhood's and will be challenged continually to acquire a solid secure foundation in all areas of their lives. The pigeon assists us in finding the stability of home that has been lost.

No matter where pigeon ends up or how it gets there, it knows the way home.


The Pigeons gift to us is the ability to accomplish. They do not get lost because they are in tune with the natural ways of earth, and are always aware of their goals. They use all their senses equally and navigate their lives in a balanced way. If Pigeon comes to you, it is asking you to keep your sights and sensitivities clearly set on where you want to be, and start moving. Even if you don’t know exactly how to get there, by following your inner guidance you can find your way. "


Blessed Be!

Friday, December 11, 2009

Harmonizing With the Moon

Do you know what phase the moon is in today? With the busy lifestyles modern people lead it is easy to lose track, but becoming aware of the moon and its monthly rhythms was the first step that led me to become more connected with the natural world. Appropriate timing is very important when working with Magic and Ritual. The goal is to perform a rite or spell at the time when the forces at work in the natural world complement your intentions.

Each year the Moon has thirteen Lunar Cycles per year, each with four phases.

The New Moon is the best time to cast spells for new beginnings and new projects. It's influence can also boost ambitions and careers. This is the time to plant seeds for things you want to manifest.

Any month that has a second new moon (called the black moon) is more powerful than the first in the cycle. Seeds planted at this time will manifest more quickly.

The Waxing Moon is a good time for building up strength, manifestation, expansion and growth.

The Full Moon Use this moon's energy for expansion and growth. This is the best time for The Blue Moon is the name for the second full moon in a month. It is a powerful time to manifest spells begun at new moon.

The Waning Moon is the time for decrease. This is the most powerful time to cast spells to remove problems, protection and neutralizing adversaries. It's also a good time for reflection,meditation and study. Use this moon's energy to banish harmful energies.

The Moon spends a day or two each month in each of the twelve signs of the zodiac. The sign the moon is transiting through can be used to good advantage during spellwork. Void-of-Course Moon or v/c is the time the Moon is "between signs". It is when the Moon moves from the sign of Gemini, but has not yet moved into the sign of Cancer. Void-of-Course can last for a few minutes or a couple of days. Spell working should be avoided when the moon is void of course as the energy is unpredictable. V/C is a time of disruption when nothing works as expected. Knowing when the moon is void of course will eliminate a lot of frustration and wasted effort.

Click here for moon V/C tables

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Do You Know What Phase the Moon is in Right Now?

As John Lennon said, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”.

It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and let days, weeks and even months slip by. One conscious way to slow down and connect with the natural world is to keep track of the moon and it's monthly cycle.

Each month the moon shifts from new to full to new again spending about 3 1/2 days as it travels through each phase on its 28 day cycle.

New (also called the Dark Moon) - not visible

Waxing Crescent

First Quarter - commonly called a "half moon"

Waxing Gibbous

Full - we can see the entire illuminated portion of the moon

Waning Gibbous

Third Quarter - another "half moon", but the illuminated part is opposite of the First Quarter

Waning Crescent

New - back to the beginning

Ancient cultures looked to the moon and followed its path through the sky to plant, harvest, hunt, fish, to forecast the weather and foretell events of the months to come.

The moon is associated with the unconscious, the realm of dreams and intuition. It represents the feminine, mystical side of our nature. The moon is a symbol of the goddess. The sacredness of the moon is connected to the rhythms of life: birth, life and death.

The phase and aspect of the moon is a key component to working a successful spell. (click here for more on corresponding energies) At the new moon we begin projects. We plant auspicious energy to bloom at the full moon and we work with banishing and decrease with the waning cycle. It is also important to take into consideration the aspect of the moon when working with the moon's energy.

When the Moon is in a cardinal sign (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) do work to generate ideas and get things started. When the moon is in a fixed sign (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) maintain follow-through and aim for completion. When the moon is in a mutable sign(Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) gather loose ends and take care of details.

Seasonal awareness, awareness of the solstices and equinoxes and reflecting seasonal changes in our own person practices, allows us to attune our own personal energy to the energy of the natural world. Celebrating these ancient rituals are a way of attuning with the magical tides, to recognize the rhythms of life, death and rebirth. Living a magical life is a way of living and working with nature to harmonize with the world and to recognize that we are a part of it. Sure our schedules might still be harry but it is possible to take control of your day, your life and slow down to rediscover the magick.

Take control of the flow of your life and slow down. Taking the time to gain that control will make all the difference in the world. Here are a few things to help you on this quest:

Take time to meditate
The art of meditating is actually easier to learn than you might imagine. The key is finding a practice that works for you and sticking with. Click here for more information on Mediation.


Stop multi-tasking.
Why are you trying to do so many things at once? You can’t stay sane if you’re trying to juggle your way through life st a million miles a minute. If you are doing this, you are not being productive either. Focus on one thing at a time being mindful of the moment.

Connect to the natural world as you plan your day be aware of the turning of the wheel of the year, the changing seasons and the cycle of the moon and celebrate!

Indulge in a simple pleasure. Make a cup of tea or take a bath. Click here for some lovely bath salt recipes.

Eat right and get some exercise. Everyone knows the benefits of laying off the booze and eating green. Read more here

Life is a sacred journey don't let it pass you by.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Books For Your Magickal Library

Books can be dangerous. The best ones should be labeled "This could change your life."
~Helen Exley

There are so many books out there sometimes it's hard to find the one that will fill your needs. Here is a list of my favorites. The books I go back to time and time again.

HOUSE MAGIC: The Good Witch's Guide To Bringing Grace To Your Space
by Ariana

Feng Shui, witchcraft and astrology are already familiar to many readers, but this is the first book to bring them all together. By using a little bit of each, people can activate positive energy in their homes and consequently in their lives.
In a casual, chatty style, Ariana "demonstrates ... how to activate positive energy flow into your home, and therefore, into your life" by using feng shui, candles, gemstones, smudging, and rituals to create a harmonious environment.

Three from Ellen Dugan;
Cott
age Witchery - Natural Magick For Hearth And Home
The natural magick of the cottage Witch makes use of the bounty of the world around her - a leaf from a tree, a flower grown in the yard, herbs from the pantry, a candle from the cupboard. With her trademark down to earth humor and hand on approach, Ellen Dugan shows you how to bring the beauty of nature and its magickal energies into your home.
This charming and creative guide book is ideal for cottage, hedge, or green Witches, as well as anyone who just wants to add
a little magickal sparkle to her home. From planting begonias for protection to casting a maple leaf spell for happiness, Cottage Witchery is filled with practical advice, personal stories, and hearth Witchery lore and magick.

Natural Witchery: Intuitive, Personal & Practical Magick.
With the goal
of fostering spiritual development within a personal pagan practice, Ellen Dugan emphasizes "natural magicks" and draws from innate intuitive talents. Her primer for "green" witchcraft--i.e., witchcraft in tune with seasonal elements--is a gold mine of concepts and resources for the novice to intermediate practitioner. The seasoned adept, too, will find the handy correspondence lists and exercises immensely useful. Also included are spells, rituals, and blank space for a personal grimoire to jot down ideas and insights.

Chock-full of relevant wisdom and lively humo
r, this is a valuable addition to any avid pagan's personal reference library.This friendly guidebook also includes a Book of Witchery with magickal correspondences and a handy journal section for keeping track of your progress.

Garden Witchery: Magick from the Ground Up
How does your magickal garden grow?... With violets, rosemary, and yarrow to attract faeries; an apple tree for love and health; and a circle of stones in some tucked-away corner? Whether you live in a cottage in the woods, a home in the suburbs, or a city apartment with a small balcony, a powerful and enchanted realm awaits you. Discover the secret language and magickal properties of the trees and flowers, herbs and plants found growing around you, and learn how to create your own witch's garden.

Written with down-to-earth humor by a Master Gardener who is also a practicing witch, this creative and encouraging guide will inspire gardeners of all ages and experience levels. It includes a journal section that makes it easy to keep track of your progress, practical gardening advice, personal stories, and garden witchery lore and magick. Inside, you'll get the dirt on:

A natural Witch has an appreciation of nature and an awareness of the magickal energies present in all things.
This kinship with the unseen world is at the heart of Witchcraft. It is also the foundation of all magickal work.

You will enhance your spellcrafting, empower your witchery, and add richness and depth to your everyday life by developing your intuition and psychic skills. Natural Witchery features straightforward how-to's, first-hand stories, spells, rituals, fun quizzes, and creative exercises to help you live a more magickal life:

Learn ho
w to tune in to many different kinds of energy, such as the cycles of the moon and the energy of the seasons, and use it to fuel your spellwork
Explore
different types of psychic abilities, and discover your own elemental strengths and challenges. Use natural witchery to create more harmony and balance in your home, workplace, and circle.

Two from Scott Cunningham:
The
Complete Book of Incense, Oils and Brews (Llewellyn's Practical Magick)
Recipes ab
ound in this handy volume. Create your own incense, oils, tinctures, inks and more with Cunningham's easy to follow guide.

Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. This comprehensive guide to over 400 herbs should be in everyone's library. Each herb is complete with image, folk name, herbal lore, correspondences, and magickal uses presented in an easy to use format that will help to make your spells successful.

Two Llewellyn Reference books I use almost daily are:
The Witches' Datebook a, book I buy every year and keep at my bedside. This practical calendar is filled with magical references that will help you keep track of daily correspondences and the moon's courses.

Llewellyn's Herbal
Almanac is another of the Llewellyn series I buy every year. An almanac that features dozens of articles on: gardening, cooking, crafts and herbal lore.
Chocked full of herbal remedies and tips for using nature's most versatile plants. Th
is is a treasury both the avid garden and the window box tender will equally enjoy.

The Magickal Life by Vivianne Crowley is a comprehensive guide that combines the ancient spiritual wisdom of magic and contemporary self-help techniques such as meditation, yoga, and positive thinking. Perfect for novices and seasoned practitioners alike, The Magickal Life illustrates how magic can help you lead a more successful and satisfying life and see the world as full of endless possibilities.

Listening to the Oracle: The Ancient Art of Finding Guidance in the Signs and Symbols All Around Us by Dianne Skafte. Oracles--wise messengers that help steer our lives--co
me to us from sources such as dreams, divination, patterns in nature, chance words overheard in a crowd, and inspired wisdom-speakers. Ancient peoples revered oracles as communications from the sacred life maxtrix. But in modern times, we need a little help attuning to the signs and wonders all around us.

Dr. Ska
fte rekindles our oracular knowing by exploring oracle traditions from many time periods and applying their wisdom to our own lives. Topics include: Preparing to receive oracles; The arts of divination, Sibyls; The oracle of Delphi; The shadow side of oracles; and Communications from animals and nature. Discussions are based on extensive historical research. The book contains over 400 indexed citations. Every chapter contains
useful exercises
and practices.
The ancient oracles haven't stopped speaking, Skafte says. We've just forgotten how to listen. But they warmly await our return.

Go on a journey with Omar W. Rosales in Elemental Shaman,One Man's Journey Into the Heart of Humanity, Spirituality & Ecology. Oman follows his dreams on a spiritual quest that takes him across four continents to shaman, priests, ghosts, legends, and mountain deities. This inspiring true story chronicles one man's search for the truth behind the healing practices of four shamanistic traditions: Toltec, Cherokee, Maya, and Buddhist.

This book made me wonder why I have not gone on a quest of my own.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

On Guides and Guardians

In one of my very first meditations to meet my spirit guides, I found myself in a beautiful temple built up on the edge of a cliff and there I met Diana, Isis and Athena. They proved to be powerful energies in my life and in my practice.

Set aside about a half an hour for this exercise. You'll want to be able to sit in a quiet place where you will not be interrupted or distracted. Make sure you're comfortable and in a positive state of mind.

When you're ready, sit quietly with your eyes closed and your palms face up in your lap.

Visualize the infinite creative energy of the Universe swirling around you, like a gentle whirlpool moving all around your body. Draw it into your crown chakra and send it down to the next chakra point with each slow deep breath you draw until you’ve sent the energy though your root chakra and back into the earth.

Breathe. Imagine the energy growing to surround you in a cocoon of color as each of your chakra points glow. Feel your aura thickening, as the energy wraps around you, mending any holes or thin places.

Now relax. Breathe and as you breathe visualize stepping into a forest path. Walk into the woods. Notice the branches you step over, the feel of the earth under your feet, the coolness of a gentle breeze as it stirs your hair and caresses you cheek…

Hear the birds call…

Breathe and follow the path deeper into the woods.

Follow it until you cross a dry stream bed. Careful pick your way to the other bank. Climb up the other side and step back on the path as it continues up the other side.

Notice that the earthen path has turned to stone.

Breathe and begin the gentle climb. Observe that the path you are walking is now etched into a stone face that steepens.

Draw a breath as your walk begins to climb. Look ahead of you and visualize a path carved into the side of a cliff. See how the gray rock was cut away to make the hike to the top safe and easy.

Walk until you near the top. Visualize a beautiful, open-air, temple carved into the stone. Great stone pillar support a massive ceiling. You notice an altar covered with candles. You watch as the flames of the candles dance in the breeze. You step into the temple and notice the pleasant scent of roses surround you, lifting your spirits and you smile as you draw closer to the altar. One candle in the center is not yet lit. You pick up a long match, light it from the candle nearest you and light it. Your spirit quiets as you whisper a prayer to meet your guide.

A soft sound behind you draws your attention and you turn to see a shimmering light. The light takes on a form and there before you stands your guardian.

Notice their face, their expression. What is their name?


AN EASY PAST LIFE REGRESSION



Set aside about a half an hour for this exercise. Find a peaceful place where you will be allowed to be completely calm and undisturbed for the entire session.

When you're ready, sit quietly with your eyes closed and your palms face up in your lap.

Ask for your Guides and your Guardian angels to be present for the entire session and to keep you safe and protected at all times.

State your objective. "I want to see who I was in my past life." "I want to heal the trauma I experienced in my past life." Or "I want some insight into a past personality."

Now visualize the infinite creative energy of the Universe swirling around you, like a gentle whirlpool moving all around your body. Draw it into your crown chakra and send it down to the next chakra point with each slow deep breath you draw until you’ve sent the energy though your root chakra and back into the earth.

Breathe. Imagine the energy growing to surround you in a cocoon of color as each of your chakras spin and glow like bright jewels of energy.

Feel the energy of the Universe wrap around you, strengthening your aura with a rainbow of colorful energy, mending any holes or thin places.

Take a moment to bask in the beautiful healing light. You are now at peace.

Take a deep breath and visualize on the screen of your mind that you are sitting on a couch in a room with a closed elevator. You notice that the doors of the elevator are made of shining chrome. It draws your attention and you rise from the couch and walk towards the elevator.

Your shoes click on the tile floor as you cross the room. You notice your reflection growing larger as you approach the reflective doors.

The elevator opens and you step inside.

The floor indicator shows you are on the 10th level. The lower floors are numbered chronologically below.

You push a button and the doors close. You feel the elevator as it begins to descend.

You feel the vibration in the floor as you move downward.

After awhile, the elevator stops and a bell chimes as the doors slide open.

You gaze out at the lower world and take note of what you see. If this level does not feel right to you, then stay on the elevator and push the button to descend to another level. Continue on your journey until you find the level you are looking for.

When you are ready to return to your previous state of consciousness reverse the process and take the elevator back to the room with the couch. Sit back down on the couch. Take a deep breath and wiggle your fingers and toes then slowly open your eyes.

The first time I tried this meditation I descend several floors until the doors opened on a moonlit path that led to a peaceful dark lake. I walked to the lake and found a canoe beached on the bank.

I pushed the canoe out into the dark water and paddled across until I came to a hut on the other side and there I met a moonlight Sophia who had several bits of wisdom for me.

Another time I tried this I stepped out onto a red sand path and found that I was running barefoot. I ran until I came to a village and there I met the leader and gave him a message.

I hope you are able to experience the wonders of meditation. May you gain the ability to tap into 'your well of inner peace' whenever you need to and connect with the state of altered consciousness for inner work.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Blessed Be on this New Moon



With the arrival of the New Moon in Leo, we've passed through the emotional energy of Cancer which began at Summer Solstice with its emphasis on family, roots, heritage and home and now we move into the
playful, creative, joyful energy of Leo.

So
why not make the most of Leo's new moon energy (Tonight) by beginning a new or dedicating a creative project, planning a trip or making time for play, or standing in your own personal power. (tonight's moon holds energy for divination)

The new moon is the best time to cast spells for new beginnings and new projects. It's influence can also boost ambitions and careers. This is the time to plant seeds for things you want to manifest.

"Moon in Leo- Spells involving leadership, prosperity, fame and career are best done in Leo. This is a moon energy for 'the self'. Do not perform any spells involving love, or any other emotion, as Leo may actually counteract it." from Liminal Landscapes


A Clairvoyance Brew from the archives of Scott Cunningham

3 Parts Rose petals
1 Part Each
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Bay
Mugwort

Place in a teapot, fill with boiling water, let steep, covered, for a few minutes. Remove cover, sniff steam - (not so that you burn your nose) for a few moments, visualize the mystic scent opening your psychic awareness, then lie down and prophesize. If you wish, drink a bit of the brew as well, & let the steam continue to rise as you stretch your psychic awareness