We all require our own space from time to time. A place where we can be alone, quiet, reflective, or creative. I've discovered how important it is to have a space like this for myself, a place where I can retreat to write, read and create. The more I settle into my connection with nature, the cycles of the moon, and using ritual and meditation for manifestation the more I find my sacred space to be just that, sacred. And even if you don't have an entire room to dedicate to such endeavors that doesn't mean you can't sprinkle it among your home-which I do as well!
I have several altar spaces set up around my home, some simple and subtle, others more elaborate. I may set up a spring altar in my main living space with symbols of the season; newly sprouted plants, eggs, bunnies, items which represent fertility and renewal. I place sprigs of lavender and rose petals around the rooms with crystals for creating a peaceful and loving home. I've fashioned my own special curio for my oils and herbs I like to use in my bath and to anoint my candles for meditation or ritual. The kitchen is a magical place, as I love to cook and entertain! I put out fresh herbs, flowers and fruit, and when a bouquet of flowers or herbs is on its way out I simply dry them and decorate the table or save for sachets, dream pillows or other uses. I love to sprinkle dried herbs and petals onto candles, to infuse elements of nature into all I can within my space. I feel as though I am embraced in a warm hug from Mother Nature and can find meaningful expression of my moods, my desires and what I honor in life. I'm fortunate to have my own den at home, where I choose to surround myself with 100s of books, art, and all my treasures. I've created a meditation station/altar space for daily contemplation and sacred ceremony, and have my desk where I can write my classes, workshops, stories and this article! Even if you have a small space in your yard, front porch, or anywhere you can have a special chair or cushion, you don't need much to create your own sanctuary in and around your home. Here are some ideas on creating a sacred space and bringing a little more magic and nature into the home:
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Love thyself.....words we all need to hear and probably practice more often than we do. In light of the #metoo movement and the call so many women are waking up to answer, women are stepping back into their power, finding their voice and taking back control over their sacred bodies-who can see them, who can touch them, and who can honor them. In addition to that we often fall into the business of life, taking care of others, or for any other reason, find the beliefs of our own beauty and Divine feminine essence can get diminished, stifled or even forgotten with insecurities, the media and stereotypes, or a disconnection to our sensual nature. Well, no more, I say! Loving yourself and feeling good in your own skin is essential to any kind of growth or healing. Our internal power is limitless and we find we can tap into that part of ourselves for self expression, intimacy and yes-self love. Goddess archetypes can serve as an extension of aspects already within ourselves, and whom we can petition to reawaken the spark that already lays smoldering within our being.....so I've taken the liberty (and had fun doing it!) of creating a self love ritual working with the West African Yoruban Goddess Oshun. ![]() Oshun-Goddess of luxury, beauty, fertility, sensuality, divination, the rivers, prosperity, sexuality, sweet waters and dancing. She is your girl to call upon to get your self love groove on. She teaches us how to love ourselves and our bodies, and there are many tales of her compassion and healing of the earth, while maintaining her independent and sensual nature. Used in the Yoruban traditions as well as Voodoo and Santeria, there is no doubt that she will help deliver your devotion to yourself so that you may practice giving, receiving and expression love for yourself as well as others. This ritual involves tokens to her and a means to connect to your intimate self and bring out the Divine Goddess waiting to express herself. Many things are sacred to her, including honey, mirrors (to love herself, of course!), water, peacocks, yellow copper and more, and she is said to be connected to our solar plexus or Mani Pura chakra which rules our personal power, self esteem and confidence. Oshun Altar Tool Ideas:
![]() The Ritual First be sure to give some quiet time to yourself, preferably with an empty house if possible. This is sacred space and love is for only you....for now anyway.
Remember you are a beautiful goddess capable of not only giving but receiving all of the love in the world. We can be forces of compassion and healing, while remaining our strong, independent and bad ass selves. Give yourself some love this Valentine's Day......you deserve it! Want another bad ass goddess to work with for some sensual self expression, check out a new moon ritual working with my other girl, Lilith! Happy Valentine's Day, beautiful one.....
Shadow Work & Dark Goddess Magic-Embracing your Darkest Self to find Personal Alchemy and Healing2/6/2018 ![]() In modern day spiritual evolution and practices we are often told to stay positive, overcome our flaws, and only embrace the light along out path to enlightenment. However, is it possible that if we ignore the darker, repressed, untamed and fearful parts of our psyche that we are robbing ourselves of personal alchemy, cohesion and full transcendence? Psychotherapist Carl Jung made popular the idea of different parts of psyche-including the shadow, the light, the persona are a ways we become fragmented from childhood to only show what we think the world wants to see and hide away that which is taboo or not socially accepted. The word persona is derived from a Latin word meaning mask, and he suggests that we put on a persona with certain archetypes of roles we play in life, the social masks we wear, if you will. These archetypes are fragmented parts of ourselves to organize how we experience life in different roles, what we would like to be or how we wish to bee seen in the world. (the mother, the co-worker, the spouse, etc.) Some say in today's modern day it's simply our persona we put on social media, not expressing the deeper, darker aspects that may not be accepted. This of course all up for debate, and I certainly don't accuse anyone of not living a full, authentic life, but I find this is something to explore....so let us dive a little deeper. The shadow according to Jung is the hidden place within our own subconscious that holds repressed ideas, beliefs, weaknesses, impulses, fears, embarrassments, perversions and the untamed and chaotic parts of ourselves. That these accumulate along our life journey and often time ignored causing a block of living a fully authentic life and to truly love ourselves. If we allow ourselves to acknowledge these core wounds and dark spaces with full ownership can we then work to let go of anger, guilt or shame? Can we change the pattern of self-sabotage if learn that we hate to feel vulnerable and weak? We've been taught our whole lives to be afraid of the dark, but there is a strong creative energy in that space that longs for you to shed your light upon it. Seeds take roots in the darkness and we can often find a fertile underground just waiting to be tapped. There cannot be light without the darkness, and we are after all the sum of all of our parts...so why not explore, acknowledge and walk boldly and lovingly into our darkest of places? We are all light and dark, weak and strong, and can find a balance of all that we are with love. I love to find creative ways to move towards transformation, and I'm all about ritual and Goddess work to bring about aspects of myself I want to explore and shift. So here are a few ways to can delve into the darkness for creativity and exploration, and Dark Goddesses we can call upon when doing our own shadow work. How to Explore your Shadow Self:
Now these woman are not to be feared, but revered! Working with Dark Goddess energy can bring about a sense of personal power, protection and creativity. These Goddesses embrace the shadow, follow the darkness and tread where others only fear. Create your own ritual to call upon one of these bad asses of the dark to illuminate your truest self so that you may wrap your arms around every aspect of yourself-mind, body and spirit. ![]() Kali-The Bad Ass Destroyer Kali, meaning black, is the Hindu Goddess of destruction, chaos, transformation, rebirth and primal energy. She helps to liberate us from who or what we think we are, so that we may find wholeness. Call upon her to help slay some demons and explore the darkness from which the entire universe was created. Read more about Kali here. ![]() Hekate (Hecate)-Queen of the Underworld The Dark Moon Goddess-of the night, and of the crossroads. Hekate is the guardian of the spirit world, protectors of travelers of the crossroads & Goddess of all witches, magic, ghosts and witchcraft. Her sacred animal is the black dog and she is depicted holding two torches-call upon her for protection, insight and guidance in the dark. Petition her for direction at the crossroads and she will give you the key to taking your own, truest direction. ![]() Persephone-The Balance between Darkness & Light The story of Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter, is one that leaves her another Queen of the Underworld. Abducted by Hades, Lord of the Underworld, she became a symbol of the cycles of the seasons as well as death and rebirth. When first abducted Demeter called upon Hekate to help find her child. This Goddess of harvest and fertility was made to live among the shadows and the dead for half of the year, and each time she left her mother Demeter dried up the earth, creating winter. When she was allowed to return into the Upperworld in the spring, the earth would then come back to live with new growth. She was tricked into eating pomegranate seeds during the negotiations of her return, and she's forever obligated to make this return to the Underworld each year. Inanna & Ereshkigal-Sisters of Light and Dark Inanna, Sumerian Goddess of Heaven and Earth, love and war. Ereshkigal, her dark sister of the Underworld, and represents the unseen parts of ourselves. There tale tells us that neither side is more important than the other. When Inanna ventures into the Underworld her sister kills her, they then merge into one reminding us that that we are both the light and the darkness. Read their full story here. To work with these Goddesses follow your own intuition to invoke these energies.
Create your own ritual to petition for guidance and support as you explore your Shadow as well as your Light. Some ideas for ritual can include:
![]() I enter into the moonlight, the crisp air of the night brushing my flesh as the slight beat of a rattle and a drum pulse behind me. I look around to see tree lines, a quiet wood, and a blazing fire before me. The smoke speaks to me, wishing to whisk me up into the sky for the answers that I seek. "How do I remember?" I ask. "How do I see?" I wait in anticipation to be consumed by the flames, looking above for guidance 'Can they hear me?' I wonder. The rattle ceases and the drumbeat grows louder, a steady pulse rushing through every ounce of my being. The rhythmic, cardiac beat entrances me and my sensations begin to shift. Eyes closed, I feel a gentle tugging at my heart as though something nudging to lift me up. To fly me up into the sky, through the cosmos and into the upper world. I sit, I surrender, I wait for the lift. The tugging continues, but I do not ascend. Looking around I see that I am still alone, the blackness of the evening hovering over the landscape and holding my energy onto the earth. I begin to feel a different pull, a knowing that the underworld is where I am meant to go. Turning around I see a distant cave, its open mouth leading straight down into the earth. Without hesitation I make my way into the grotto and follow the dim light deep down beneath the earth's surface. Moving with ease, the beating of the drum follows me and leads me along my way. Easing past the twists, turns and dark corners my anticipation grows as my heart goes along with the rapid beating of the drum. Dark gives away to light then turns back into darkness, flashes of earth and rock blaze past my eyes. I was moving with some speed and knew I must be getting close. ![]() -Finally I arrive into the underworld and my guide awaits me. Soft grey hair, jetting out in every direction like short silk strands moving through water. Reaching taller than I, her eight arachnid legs grappled the uneven earth as her one red eye peered at me. "What messages do you have for me?" I asked. "How do I remember? How do I see?" Not needing words she infused a flash of white light into the dark cave, illuminating an enormous web. It faded back into the darkness just as quickly as it came. 'Create'. was the message I received. 'Just keep creating.' She invited me onto her back and we began to journey deeper into the cave, I held onto her soft grey hair as her legs crept up around me like a cage she walked. She moved with the quickened beat of the drum that pulsed all around us. ![]() She brought me to a well of water, its surface illuminated the inky air and shadows around us. She walks us up to the edge and peers into the rippled surface. I see not only our reflection in the water but the reflection of a circle of women all around us. Wise women of old, their grey hair long and their faces loving. Were these the women who had come before, who were to come still? Were they perhaps a reflection of myself from a time long ago, or still to come?Again no words were spoken, but impressions were being made and messages received. That sense of remembering that's been burning in my belly ignited even more, knowing that down to every cell in my being I was moving in the right direction. To remember. To answer the call. Looking over to the side of the cavern a white rat with red eyes had joined us. It too offered me messages without words; climbing up and scratching the walls as though to find its way. The yogini in me knew the red in the eyes of my guides had to do with the root chakra, fear, and a sense of safety and security. My spider guide's red third eye was telling me to release my fear and trust my intuition and I knew that I would be safe and protected. She and I climbed onto the back of the rat as all three of us now worked to make our way. We went down a few tunnels, none illuminated by the light and we had to eventually turn and try another way. We came upon a tunnel glowing with the light I knew I needed to follow. It welcomed us all like it was lighting our way home. 'Follow the light'. They sent me up into this tunnel on my own, staying behind for when I needed to return for more counsel. The drumbeat began to slow as I made my ascent back up into the woods. As I reached the top I emerged to see the moon still shined bright, quiet and formidable. The forest was still and the only sound was a gentle breeze moving through the branches. The final strokes of the drumbeat solidified my consciousness back into my body, the cool crisp breath energizing all of my senses. As the pulse ceased and the final drumbeat was struck I felt the silence ringing in my ears. It felt as though the soul whispers I had been receiving were still resonating within the fabric of my being, and woven into my heart~ This was a Shamanic journey I had taken, a practice to work with direct revelation and connect to my ancestors, spirit and animals guides. It is a powerful practice to connect with your own Divinity, tap into your creative potential and ignite your inner light. It is the most ancient form of meditation dating back over 77,000 years. I am very new into this practice and am thankful for having found it. See my Shaman friends and inspiration below! *The spider symbolizes balance, wisdom, creativity, communication, a networker, cyclical, crafty, fate, protection. * The rat represents fertility, stealth, scavenging, intelligence, enjoys luxury, intelligent, wealth, success, drive. *Get a full list of Animal totems and guides here Try a journey with Shaman Sandra Ingerman Begin your own journey practice at home with Teri Williams to connect you to wisdom, unconditional love and healing One of my other favorite Shamans and business neighbor, Megan at New Myth Energy Shaman Apprentice Lisa Harthun at Healing Balance will be performing beautiful Crystal Bowl Healing meditations at the studio for each solstice and equinox of 2018 to help shift our energy with the seasons Answer the call with the book Witch by Lisa Lister and the book Rise Sister Rise by Rebecca Campbell I thank you for letting me share my journey with you and as the Shamans say....Aho! We are connected in so many ways with Mother Nature-her cycles, her rhythms, her raw nature. Blessings are the awareness and the ability to tap into our deeper selves and to mindfully connect with theses rhythms to find growth and transformation in our lives. The new or dark moon is a time for deep reflection, to set new intentions and allow space for new growth. There are many ways to work with this energy, and often times it's a matter of resonates with you for the moment. I was introduced to working with the new moon with the Goddess and archetype Lilith, and om my Goddess did I find it a delicious way to go!
When the moon phases fall under specific astrological signs, we can deepen our work that much more for intention and transformation. With new moon in Scorpio we find opportunities to tap into our sensual selves-elements of passion, ambition and resilience. Lilith is a dark moon goddess-willful, powerful. Scorpio offers transformation and a direct line into primordial energy. Like our Mother Moon we are cyclical creatures, falling into a rhythm of creation, destruction, and shedding of our old energies and layers that no longer serve. This is the time to sink into our shadow selves and see what lies beneath the surface......and awaken into our passion and our power. Lilith is most famously know for being cast out of the Garden of Eden when she refused to be subordinate to Adam and fled to live in exile in the Red Sea. She got the bad rep of being an evil demon who flew into your home at night to eat the children and seduce the men. Forever cast out for making her own choices and being in charge of her own pleasure. Her totem is the sacred serpent, and we call call upon her to embody independence and the will to live loud and with passion. With new moon energy we take the time to reflect, to dream and to plant seeds. What new ways can you connect to your own sexuality? What sensual side of yourself needs rekindling? As we cast off a layer of ourselves that is too heavy to carry, allow the shimmering radiance beneath shine through. This is a time to connect to and honor our Divine feminine self, to step into our power and our passion. Set something into motion today. Something that ignites a spark within your very being. Let any wounds or raw spots heal with this new energy, honoring all lessons that have been bestowed upon you. Here is a new moon ritual to work with Lilith and honor your journey, your passion and your most sacred self. NEW MOON RITUAL WITH LILITH 1. Take a ritual cleansing bath, infused with oils of jasmine and bergamont (a few rose petals wouldn't hurt, either!) Set your intentions, allowing the water to cleanse and release anything keeping you from seeing your Divine radiance and grace. The water element is deeply connected with the moon, and ourselves being made of mostly water allows our interconnection to be that much stronger. 2. Put something on that makes you feel sensual, material that is pleasing to the touch. From simple sexy panties, or perhaps nothing at all! Do this for yourself, it's not for anyone else- unless you chose it to be so. 3. If you'd like to set up an altar for Lilith you can include red wine, dark chocolate and ruby red or maroon candles, cloths or jewelry-this color represents the wise blood of the woman (even if we are no longer bleeding in our moon cycles) and the magic that resides within. I've also included a picture of her sacred serpent and her flower, the lily, but the rose and poppy are said to be among her favorites as well. 4. Sit in meditation to shed any layers, offer yourself healing and embrace the quiet energy of the dark moon. Draw the darkness into yourself to transform into light and illuminate any new path you set for yourself. Awaken into your most sacred self and offer a new way to see yourself as Divine, magical and confident. 5. In a seated position, ground down through the hips and allow just the rib cage to shift from side to side, then in circles. Moving slowly, perhaps with eyes closed, feel the rhythm of the body moving in a fluid, flowing motion......moon energy is soft, nurturing. Spend some time here to connect with your fluidity and grace thought movement. 6. Find yourself on hands and knees (what us yogis call table top) and pretend you have a paint brush attached to the end of your tail bone, with eyes closed imagine drawing a circle on the wall behind you with that paint brush. Slow moving circles, feeling the movement of the pelvis sweeping to one side, then to the other-awakening your sacral and solar plexus Chakras. The sacral or Svadhisthana Chakra is an energy center located just below the navel. Known as the sweetness, it's the seat of our desires, pleasures, intimacy and sensuality. The solar plexus or Mani Pura Chakra is located above the navel and governs our self confidence and self-esteem. Spend as much time as you'd like here to activate this sacred energy. 7. Put on some music that moves you, and simply move. Dance, spin, stomp and flail about with primordial energy allowing any energy shifts to take place to awaken into a new confident and sensual you. Literally dance like no one's watching! 8. Should you partake, enjoy some of the red wine and dark chocolate as you sit once again. Eyes closed, falling back into that quiet space and let that new energy quell within your very being. You are magical, connected to everything in the Universe. Never let anyone tell you differently, or that you are not beautiful, radiant and magnificent. We all have the ability to be vulnerable, quiet and soft, but to also be powerful, ever healing and resilient...... Magical moon blessings, lovely one! Namaste, Heather Rae If you've come to any of my Modern Goddess meetups then you know how in love I am with my monthly subscription to Moonbox where I get my monthly supply of magickal tools and teachings. They are great to expand your knowledge of different tools of the trade and they send you the theme for the month, based on energetic shifts, moon phases or other topics. This month was a Storm Moon Box shifting into new energies with the coming of spring.
My box including a white sage stick dipped in Dragon's Blood resin, great for super charging your cleansing and the releasing of negativity. A beautiful red quartz stone to promote creativity, orange peel and thyme, and cinnamon sticks for success, love and spirituality. An always breath-taking homemade sigil is included to focus your attention and intentions into. Sigils are signs or symbols designed with the lines of the words of your intention that are said to hold magical power. Carefully crafted bath salts are included to cleanse before your meditation or ritual, as well as homemade beeswax candles and essential oil blends to anoint your candles, your stones or yourself. These help to add even more elements into your practice. A pre-written mantra is included to recite during your meditation for a focused direction or you may create one yourself. It's important to keep a book to write down your rituals to return to when you need them, it's like a recipe book for life! Incorporate any other elements that speak to you such as tarot for added inspiration. But my favorite additions to my collection are my Besom broom and power pyramid. Besom brooms are brooms made with sprigs or bundles of twigs. This special broom was made with baby's breath and dons a precious citrine stone. The broom is used to clear the energy, cast a circle and bring about new blessings of the spring. The power pyramid is lovely and opens in the front to add stones, written intentions or other objects to put your energy into. Holding your hand over the items in the pyramid is said to add a potent dose of your energy and intention into them. Check out my tools of the trade page to see what else you can incorporate to your practice. Working with these tools to shake off the remaining dust of winter help to renew my energy help and put my intentions into motion. The importance and significance of ritual in your daily routine can give you empowerment in your sense of direction and what you want to attract into your life. Elemental magic is as old as time, working to harness the raw potential and energy of the Earth's oldest elements, such as earth, air, fire and water. You can incorporate the elements on your altar with stones, crystals, candles, incense, herbs, flowers, water and more. Awaken the energy in you to manifest your best you, every day! Whether you are just starting out with ritual, meditation and manifestation or want new inspiring tools for your practice I highly recommend Moonbox to introduce you to some transformational tools! It may not fee like it, but spring is almost upon us! Syncing up our lives and energy with the seasons helps us to take the path of least resistance. Like nature and the earth, we will be soon awakening from the slumber of winter. With the return of the sun the ground will be fertile, everything will move from a more passive energy to more active and new life will spring forth! So just as Mother Nature, her creatures and everything with roots get ready to bloom so shall we! Here are some ways to set up your Ostara altar for the coming of the Spring Equinox on Monday March 20th. Ostara means 'movement towards the rising sun'. Now the creative energy is strong, a time for balance, hope and warmth-a promise of warmer days to come. We can take this time to plant new seeds, both figuratively and literally. Start new projects and breath new life into what you want to drive into the new season. To read more check out the Celebrate Spring page here. Set up your spring altar, here are some tools:
![]() The definition of invocation is the action of invoking something or someone for assistance or as an authority, also the summoning of a deity. Often times in life we find ourselves seeking guidance; for reassurance, divine strength, healing, courage or fiercelessness. To do our own inner work we must sometimes call upon the quiet wisdom of the ones who came before us. The resonance of their grace lives all around us, in the trees, the moon, the stars. Through presence and intention we can call upon the Original Goddesses, those who throughout history have inspired, nurtured, captured hearts and destroyed fears. Whether these woman come from mythology, folklore, ancient tales or lived not so long ago they embody aspects we carry within ourselves. We can beseech them or gently call for guidance, drawing in their essence to awaken our own power. When you find yourself challenged and not sure where to turn, see which version of the Goddess you can call upon. Perhaps Lakshmi for prosperity, or Flora for fertility, Tara for liberation and protection or Kuan Yin, the Goddess of mercy. These deities and Goddesses serve to empower us; to allow us to draw in strength and direction for our lively endeavors or the healing of our souls. When you sit down for meditation, ritual or invocation choose your inspiration and write their name down or place a picture on your altar. Connect to the divine essence of which you seek, and allow the magic to happen. Know that there is always the Divine essence and goddess light within you, they are here to simply help you find it. Blessings, love and light lovely ladies. Join us February 20th, 2017 for our next meetup to get an introduction the 'original O.G.s'. Learn and discuss some of the most inspirational women of history and lean a ritual for the moon goddess. Plus take home a new moon ritual a time to plant seeds and set intention. Space is limited, learn more here. ![]() As summer nestles down into a slumber and we get that first rush from a cool breeze, something happens and we begin to shift our energy. Whether we realize it or not, we follow Mother Nature’s lead and sync with her circadian rhythms. She has spent the last season on fire reaching a height of growth and fertility, celebrating the power of the sun. Our energy matched hers, spending time outdoors and enjoying all she has to offer. Some of us may have even celebrated the Summer Solstice by offering 108 Sun Salutations with the rising of the sun. Longer days prevailed, and now they have begun to wane. Longer, regenerative nights lie ahead-and we need to take advantage and set our intentions to match hers. At the Autumn Equinox we hit a complete balance of light vs. dark, and have now just fallen past that tipping point. Now that we’ve burned off that fiery energy of the sun we can begin to shift to a more reflective, cooling energy of the moon. A season of letting go, we begin to settle under a blanket of reflection to see what hasn’t worked in our lives. Reaping the harvest of our past few months of hard work and investments, it’s time to till the soil and release what didn’t pan out. Our lives mirror the seasons, and if we align our energies properly with can work with the cycles instead of against them. So as the world is set ablaze with the colors of the fall, here are 6 ways to align your energy with Mother Nature and find magic this season: 1. Let it go Use the elements of Mother Nature to let go of what no longer serves you. Allowing for contemplation, autumn is a time to turn inward for deeper self-healing and take a look at all we’ve worked to build. What do we need to work on? What didn’t work, and we can release? Create your own ritual of letting go. You can write down what you wish to release, toss the paper in to a fire (only safe practices here, a fire pit or other means of outdoor burning) and watch it turn into ash and disappear. You may also bury the list into the dirt and allow it to be consumed by the Earth Herself. Perform these rituals under the full moon to enhance their effects. Gather a sage bundle or smudge stick, used in purification and protection, to cleanse your home of negative energies. You may also use Palo Santo, wooden sticks made from a mystical tree in South America, found in some metaphysical shops. Related to Frankincense and Myrhh, this ‘Holy Wood’ helps to cleanse home and energy, enhance creativity and enhance immunity. 2. Protection Yourself & Your Home Every fall we gather beautiful chrysanthemums to adorn our home with beautiful colors of the fall. But did you know these are known to be flowers of protection? When we get closer to Halloween then the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest this flower is said to keep the evil spirits at bay. Red mums offer love, yellow & orange bring joy & good cheer, purple represent power & passion, white invokes the truth & bronze encourages a loving, happy home. Gather your mums to create a happy, healthy environment for your pets and your family. You may also set out stones of amber for added protection. 3. Make a Feast! Gather friends and family to celebrate this time of harvest. Foods of the season include root veggies such as beets, potatoes and carrots, nuts, breads, corn, figs, honey, as well as apples which are said to be a most magical fruit! Pomegranate and its seeds are related to Greek Goddess Persephone and her return to the underworld every fall season. Cider, beer, wine and mead can be added to the table as loved ones offer gratitude and reflection during this celebratory time. 4. Set Up Your Meditation Altar Create your space to align your energy with the shift in seasons. The colors yellow, orange, red and brown set the tone for autumn and the changing of the leaves as they work to let go and prepare for winter. Some elements to adorn your altar include: candles, herbs of ivy, myrrh and sage, cloves, cinnamon, and stones of amber and hematite to offer protection and grounding. Add photos of loved ones and what holds gratitude in your heart, or write down a mantra you can return to every day during this shift. Offerings of fresh cut flowers, honey and mead can add another element to invoking the creative and nurturing side of nature. 5. Keep a Gratitude Journal Listen to the transition, journal and prepare for self-healing and reflection. You find you can sense, feel and become one with the change happening all around you. Once you’ve released what you no longer need you are more able to sit back and look at all that you have. Cultivating gratitude is very powerful and has a tremendous effect on your over-all health and well-being. You may choose to journal outside in nature, sitting under an oak or maple tree to connect with their energy and wisdom. This is also a nice ritual to be before you go to bed at night. Begin with some light yin yoga poses to offer the cooling energy of the moon and set a reflective and restorative tone for your journaling. 6. Seva-The Art of Selfless Service When we cultivate gratitude we see all that we have, but may also become aware of what many do not. Take this time to practice the art of Seva, or selfless services. Offer to volunteer at a nursing home or hospice, bring offerings and your kindness to the homeless or disabled veterans. Offer some free classes or services to those who may otherwise not be able to afford such things. Join together communities and help to offer gratitude and self-healing to others and match the nurturing side of Mother Nature during this time. Mother Nature has all that we need readily available at our fingertips, we simply need to know how to apply it and connect with her energy for transformation and change. So let’s work with the currents of the Earth and find a ride with them into beautiful alignment, peace and well-being. Bring a little magic back into your life this fall and nurture your mind, body and spirit. Namaste. |
AuthorHello lovelies. Thank you for letting me express my journey of discovering my magic and Divine Feminine. I am happy to share my experiences with you to heal, love, and evolve. Archives
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