Energy
The Metaphysical Properties Of Houseplants
Many people who use houseplants to brighten their living space do not realize that they also have metaphysical properties to enhance our spiritual and energetic well-being. Plants, in addition to beautifying our environment, have mystical qualities, and also serve to purify and detoxify the air we breathe.
Herbs are especially powerful and traditionally associated with mental clarity, serenity, and purification. An ancient spiritual cleansing tradition is smudging in which the smoke of burning dry sage and other herbs is used to purify spaces and banish negative energies.
Many herbs are also edible and can be made into elixirs, teas, or potpourri mixes. Delicious and nourishing herbal teas are the perfect way to begin or end a day. Herbs can also be added to healing baths and to enhance nutritious food. Some of my favorites are lavender, mint, rosemary, and basil.
Herbs are easy to grow and do not take up much space. They are no doubt the most versatile houseplant, and even a small apartment can host a herb garden if it has a sunny windowsill.
If you’ve never owned houseplants before, begin with a succulent, such as a cactus or aloe plant. They don’t require much maintenance or watering. Many succulents have spines or spikes, which is why they are associated with protective energies and healing. They are the ‘armor wearers’ of the plant kingdom and keep feelings of despair, gloom, and anxiety at bay. Aloe is also well-known as a treatment for minor cuts, itches, and burns, so grab a piece if you have a slight accident at home and rub some on.
Divination And The Element Of Air
Various ancient cultures, metaphysical traditions and mystical teachings identify five elements that constitute the world we live in. In Western occult traditions, these elements are typically arranged in the hierarchical order of spirit (aether), fire, air, water, and earth.
Spirit or aether is the nonphysical element (or ‘fifth element’) that serves as a bridge between the physical and the metaphysical realms. Spirit is the bridge between the body and soul.
Fire is the masculine element representing inner strength, transformative power, courage, protection, purification, and assertive action.
Air is the element associated with creativity, knowledge, learning, mental intention and the universal life force.
Water is the feminine element of emotion, intuition, inner reflection and the subconscious.
Earth represents grounding, stability, fertility, family roots, and the cycles of death and rebirth.
Air is my favorite element in spiritual practice, as is associated with ideas, concepts, inspiration, and innovative thinking. It is also the element of wisdom and divination.
Working with the air element sharpens ideas, enhances experiments, and paves the way for new inventions. Musicians and artists are typically inspired by the element of air. Air is however a fickle element as it can come as a gale-force hurricane, or a calm, soothing breeze…just like our thoughts.
Astrology Forecast November 14 – 20, 2022
Leo Moon energy has us in high gear for the first three days of this week, encouraging us to be more assertive and proactive in reaching for our dreams.
If you commute to work, be on the lookout for potential road ragers or aggressive people on public transport when you make your way home Tuesday afternoon, as the Leo Moon square with Uranus in Taurus could cause people to become extremely moody, irritable and unstable. Also avoid getting into an argument with your partner or spouse, as things could turn really nasty very quickly! The Leo Moon opposition with Saturn in Aquarius Tuesday night may add even more fuel to this fire, so it may be a good idea to avoid unnecessary drama at home by going to bed early.
Venus will move into Sagittarius on Wednesday, bringing out our light-hearted side as we begin to prepare for the holidays. Creativity will be heightened for the next six weeks, encouraging us to invent new traditions, create home-made gifts, and find innovative ways to celebrate the Christmas season that lies ahead.
Mercury will join Venus in Sagittarius on Thursday, adding even more fuel to the fire, as we let our imagination soar!
Thursday and Friday’s Virgo Moon will bring out our organizing side, encouraging us to start putting a detailed plan together for the weeks ahead. This Moon is also ideal for attending to important health and financial matters that need to be addressed.
A lovely Libra Moon transits this weekend, reminding us to embrace the beauty in our world and embrace an attitude of gratitude. It will be a good time to regroup, rebalance and relax.
The Truth About Spiritual Growth
One increasingly sees social media influencers and self-appointed gurus preaching personal growth and development online. It has become a fad to sell such growth courses, services and products. But do these offerings represent and promote true spiritual growth?
Material growth can indeed be achieved with some discipline, determination, further education, hard work and proper use of one’s mental faculties. However, spiritual growth is a different matter. It cannot be bought, learned, or achieved with temporary efforts, for it is an organic, lifelong growth process. Always seeking with sincerity, patience and humility is to grow spiritually.
Our spiritual growth is something we are solely responsible for, and it is a process in which you alone can be your worst enemy, or best ally. This is the kind of growth where the reality of what you have been attracting into your life is exposed over time. Regardless of your choices, the only one who bears the responsibility and consequences is you.
Spiritual evolution is highly personal and individual. Other people and external situations cannot secure your spiritual expansion in this lifetime. It may be that the people and circumstances in your life are currently not resonating with you. If you want to grow spiritually and attract more of what you want, instead of what you do not want, trying to force situations or change other people is pointless.
The true spiritual seeker must also take care not to become caught up in a ‘savior mentality’ of thinking you need to save or open the minds of everyone around you. The spiritual choices of another is not your duty or responsibility. Your only responsibility is to personally evolve and inspire others by example through your own attitude and achievement.
The Supreme Source Of All Healing
Spiritual practice is unique for every individual. I have been drinking from the well of wisdom in the Vedas for the past 35 years, especially the Srimad-Bhagavatam, also known as the Bhagavata Purana, one of Hinduism’s eighteen great puranas.
The Vedas are the original Sanskrit texts of India’s ancient spiritual culture featuring a vast body of wisdom in every field of human life, to help the soul navigate this world and reach the ultimate destination beyond.
This ancient manual of life was compiled by Srila Vyasadeva, who is revered by great saints and seers as a literary incarnation of God. In Sanskrit, he is called a saktyavesa-avatara, which means one who is empowered with energy of Divinity to fulfill a distinct purpose. In the case of Vyasa, his Divine purpose was the writing of everything that humans need to know to fulfill their aims and completely awaken spiritually.
Although Vyasadeva was an avatar, and therefore not an ordinary person, he felt despondent after composing all the Vedas. His guru, Narada Muni, the great sage among the demigods, then appeared to him and explained that the cause of his despondency was that he had not yet fully glorified the personal feature of the Absolute Truth.
Taking this to heart, Vyasadeva then meditated deeply on the Supreme Personality of Godhead and wrote Srimad-Bhagavatam from his matured and purified realization.
In Vyasadeva’s own estimation, the most profound of all spiritual wisdom within the Vedas is found within the Srimad-Bhagavatam. And the cream of that cream he describes as bhakti, devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Communicating With Your Pets In The Spirit Realm
It is known among my friends and clients that have had certain very challenging life experiences, including former struggles with addiction and sobriety. But I can honestly say, the most painful was a traumatic event just a few years ago, when on a walk along a familiar path two of my dogs chased a hare and were never seen again.
My husband and I did everything in our power to locate them and used every possible way to get the message out that they had gone missing. We even offered a substantial reward for whoever could help us find them. We put up posters in a 50-mile radius and walked day in and day out talking to everyone who cared to listen. My husband even purchased an electric mountain bike to get to areas we might not otherwise have been able to access.
The kindness we found in our community was overwhelming and there were endless phone calls and concerned friends and neighbors doing searches because they wanted to help. Nobody seemed to care much about the potential reward; everyone just wanted to help. Out of all of the leads we received, there were only two scam calls from individuals who were only after the reward, but I was quickly able to suss them out on the phone.
Our dogs’ names were Amber and Brutus. Two days after their disappearance, and still having hope of them coming home, I felt Amber communicate with me. “This was meant to happen,” she said. The telepathic message was vivid but didn’t help in terms of knowing if they were still alive.
Last week, I asked for a sign from the dogs. Looking at their pet booklets, there would be a good chance that, even if Amber had survived, she may have passed in the meantime due to old age.
Astrology Forecast November 7 – 13, 2022
Tomorrow the Taurus Full Moon eclipse marks the second lunar eclipse in two weeks, setting us up for a major energy shift and a new focus for the next six months. Because it occurs in Taurus, it presents us with a golden opportunity to devise new plans, strategies or goals to improve our financial prosperity and our physical and mental health well into the first quarter of 2023. Be wise and make good use of this energy influence.
Today and tomorrow’s Taurus Moon make for a productive start to the week, allowing us to address anything that’s been on the back burner or at the bottom of our to-do list.
Wednesday through Friday we’ll be spending more time than usual on the information highway, as the Gemini Moon encourages us to do research, develop new ideas, and reach out to collaborate with others. There’s power in numbers, so join forces with others to make the most progress.
If you currently have unresolved conflict or tension with a loved one, friend or relative, then the Gemini Moon trine with Saturn in Aquarius this Wednesday evening provides the ideal opportunity to have that talk and settle the matter. This transit makes us feel mentally strong and helps us to better control our emotions. It will also be a good time to talk about money matters and make financial decisions.
An easy and flowing weekend awaits under the Cancer Moon, encouraging us to focus on self-care, restoring order to our surroundings, and immersing ourselves in creative and self-care activities.