Self-Help
Practical Guidelines For Aromatherapy – Part 2
Aromatherapy and essential oils are often used in spiritual and metaphysical practices, but it can also enhance our health and well-being in many ways, including relaxation, relieving tension, calming the mind improving concentration, and increasing mental clarity.
Below are three of my favorite essential oils and the best ways to use them.
PEPPERMINT
I use peppermint oil regularly. It has a crisp, clean scent that is both energizing and soothing. It evaporates rapidly and has an intense aroma. Peppermint is one of the essential oils commonly used for gastric issues and in muscle rubs. I used it for morning sickness and my mother put a few drops on a cotton ball pinned to her collar to help with nausea caused by chemotherapy.
It’s expectorant and decongestant properties make it excellent with upper respiratory ailments, colds, chronic bronchitis, sinus headaches, and seasonal allergies. Diffuse it in an oil diffuser, put 10 drops in a bathtub (4 for children), or make an alcohol plaster.
If you choose to use a tea light diffuser, be sure to put water in with the oil, or the oil will burn, and smell unpleasant. When using an oil diffuser start with 4 or 5 drops, then adjust as desired.
You will need a dish towel, or another rag that will fit around your person’s neck, rolled to fit, 2 or 3 inches wide. Pour 2 or 3 caps full of rubbing alcohol on a 2 to 3 inch square, put 3 or 4 drops of peppermint on the alcohol, place the square on the throat and pin to keep in place. The alcohol will help the oil evaporate evenly through the night.
Astrology Forecast October 25 – 31, 2021
Happy Samhain and Halloween! This final week of October culminating in the sacred Celtic holiday should run quite smoothly. A Gemini Moon today, followed by tomorrow and Wednesday’s Cancer Moon, will put us in the mood to embrace the spiritual tones of the season.
Two favorable aspects join forces today to inspire personal power and achievement in our lives. The Gemini Moon trine Mars in Libra will boost our willpower and resourcefulness to get some practical things done, while the Gemini Moon trine Jupiter in Aquarius will have us feeling positive, optimistic and popular.
We often present different facades and keep up appearance for the different people in our lives and this is a great time to examine why we do this and how well it is working for us. There will be an energy in the air this week to express ourselves more authentically or to show more of our true nature to the world, especially as the Moon travels through Leo on Thursday and Friday.
There’s a tendency to overthink things as the Moon moves through Virgo on Saturday and Sunday, so try to avoid those mental gymnastics and be sure to watch for critical thinking or high idealism, as these two mental activities can only get you into hot water this weekend!
Mars will move into Scorpio on Saturday, where it will spend the next two months shifting our actions and movements in subtle spiritual ways. Though our journey may not make sense or could change direction at a moment’s notice before the end of the year, we can trust that spirit is in charge now and directing the traffic.
Crystal Energy Work And Prosperity
Crystals used in spiritual practice can help us manifest many good things in our life. If you’re specifically looking to increase your financial security, wealth and prosperity, or maybe find that perfect job or start that successful business (or even win that lottery ticket), try adding some new prosperity crystals into your daily spiritual practice.
There are many ways you can bring these crystals into your life for financial success. Keeping a few of your favorites in a purse or wallet, or on your desk at work, is the best way to have them close at hand. Traditionally, the southwest corner of a space is associated with prosperity and wealth, so try a bowl filled with your favorite crystals and place it there. Some practitioners prefer to place a collection of these crystals in a prosperity grid. Maybe a piece of jewelry made with some of these crystals?
It’s also important to consider all kinds of wealth and prosperity (good luck, business sense, spirituality, knowledge) and not just material goods when using your crystals. Each of the crystals and stones below has unique abundance properties, so choose the ones most unique and meaningful to your situation.
The main thing to remember in your crystal energy work is your intention. Prosperity is something all of us aspire to, and it’s certainly great to have lots of extra spending money, but we also must remember different kinds of ‘wealth’ exist, especially the wealth of the heart. We must also seek to bless others, so always remember those in need and less fortunate. Wealth and prosperity without love and sharing is meaningless.
The Powerful Practice Of Eye Gazing
Eye gazing, also known as ‘soul gazing,’ is a powerful meditative practice that can be done on your own, or with a partner. Eye gazing is an ancient tantric practice of looking deeply into someone’s eyes to foster a spiritual connection.
Eye gazing is a potent means of connecting with yourself and others to build genuine connection in your life. It is also an exciting way to build meaningful intimacy with a romantic partner. If you have trouble opening up to others, eye gazing can be an effective tool to help you get comfortable and confront any fears you may have around being seen. It can be done alone, with a friend, or with a romantic partner.
It is also a powerful tool for discovering how past lives may be helping or hindering you in your current incarnation, and for receiving messages directly from Spirit. It can be used as a method for communication with your guides and higher self.
Anyone can eye gaze, and I feel everyone should try it at least once! Whether you do it alone or with a partner, eye gazing can offer some profound insight and create potent shifts in our perspective that allow you to break limiting patterns in your life.
Eye gazing requires no special equipment or paraphernalia to set the mood, although it can be pleasant to light some incense or candles if desired. You can also use music but ensure that it is meditative, gentle, instrumental music without lyrics that will not distract you. The only thing you really need is a timer, as well as a partner, or mirror if you are gazing by yourself.
Typically, I encourage people to start gazing for just a few minutes at a time, but as you become more comfortable you can certainly increase the length of your gazes.
Small Steps To Big Changes
Making positive changes in your life can often feel like an insurmountable task. At times it can be so daunting that it might even seem easier to just have things stay the same, no matter how uncomfortable it has become.
This is especially true when we have been working on the same aspect of our life for years and still not seeing the results we were hoping for, whether the issue is weight loss, finances, health and wellness, family, career, or relationship.
For me the challenge was a particularly frustrating relationship situation. I felt that no matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried to grow and move forward, I always got sucked back into the drama and negativity.
I continually called on my angels and spirit guides to help me improve the relationship, to heal our issues, release our karma, and so forth. I tried anything and everything I could think of to achieve some of the harmony and peace I so much desired in my life.
This went on for years, and I was ready to throw in the towel and just accept that this one area of my life would always be out of balance. But as soon as I let go, I received the most amazing piece of information from my guides!
They showed me how I was focusing too much on the big picture, or the end result. I also realized that because everything wasn’t miraculously healed over night, I was becoming frustrated and disregarding all the tiny steps and improvements I had been making in repairing the relationship.
My guides further told me to break the steps in the healing and reconciliation process down into smaller parts. Instead of seeking instant and complete resolution, I should be working towards small daily improvements. If I do this consistently, I will soon reach the end goal.
The World Is A Metaphor For Human Consciousness
The natural world around us reflects the internal evolutionary patterns of human consciousness. Seasons are a good reflection of how we as humans evolve and grow at the level of consciousness. The closer you get to the poles the climates are often cold and rigid. These climates do not support a large variety of life.
We see something similar taking place within the human mind. The more polarized and rigid someone becomes in their thinking patterns the less variety and the less diversity of life experiences take place. We can have very rigid patterns of thinking, which tend to leave us cold and static in our experiences.
As we move more toward the center of our globe, we see more diversity of life. We also begin to see seasonal changes taking place on a more regular basis. There are seasons where trees lose their leaves, animals hibernate, and activity slows down. In consciousness this could symbolize a person that is beginning to expand their consciousness. Someone willing to change and grow.
This level of consciousness that northern and southern regions represent easier it is for someone to accept the ebb and flow of life. An acceptance of both the light and the dark can emerge at this stage and people become more aware of their emotions.
The closer to the center someone gets within consciousness the more diversity and love they experience. They are not focused on polarity at all, but instead accept life as it comes. This often includes acceptance of the storms in life that are produced by the overall polarized climate.
Practical Guidelines For Aromatherapy – Part 1
Aromatherapy and essential oils are often used in spiritual and metaphysical practices, but it can also enhance our health and well-being in many ways, including relaxation, relieving tension, calming the mind improving concentration, and increasing mental clarity.
According to Dr. Brent Bauer of the Mayo Clinic, some studies have shown that aromatherapy might also have health benefits, including relief from anxiety and depression, improved quality of life, particularly for people with chronic health conditions, as well as improved sleep.
But I believe it is important to use only good quality oils. There are several ways the oils are extracted from the plant. Distillation and expression create the purest form of oil, which is the kind of the essential oils I prefer to use for health purposes. Other ways are infusion and extraction which create perfume oils, the ones you can buy in any store that also sells perfumed candles and related products. These can used as room deodorizers, but not for treatments.
Furthermore, not all oils are created equally. Most are easy to use, but some can be too strong and must first be diluted with other ingredients before it can be used. Some oils are simply too toxic and should never be applied directly to the skin. Before using any oil, please do some research online or talk with someone knowledgeable who can advise you.
Diffusion Methods
Light bulb rings. I recommend the ceramic ones, the metals in the brass rings aren’t good for the lungs, no matter how safe they seem to be, plus they’re harder to clean. The biggest advantage in using a ring is that the oils fill the room quickly. The biggest disadvantage is that it needs to be placed on a traditional rounded top bulb, but in my house I have energy efficient bulbs, which have a twisted shape.