ceremony
Spiritual Cleansing
With a new year comes the opportunity again to better ourselves, but how many of us consider the spiritual along with the physical or mental? Like our homes or our cars, our spiritual selves accumulate ‘junk’ over time and need cleaning too.
The first clue that a spiritual cleansing or psychic clearing is overdue is that general feeling of heaviness, emotional clutter, or being overwhelmed. Just as we tend to get depressed when our living space is a wreck, if our spiritual essence is no longer working properly, neither will we as a whole unit.
A perfect way to get started, which is inexpensive and environmentally friendly, is to smudge your physical space with a healing herb such as sage, or something stronger like frankincense. As you burn these herbs, focus on ridding negative energies and memories and repeat a mantra such as, “I release that which I no longer need, and focus now on the present.” Continue reading
Spiritual Rituals Provide Sacred Space
Spiritual ceremonies, where humans gather together in a circle, are especially potent. An energetic hoop gathers over the circle to assist in the endeavor for the gathering, whether it be for the purpose of celebrating a new birth, honoring a solstice, or to express anything of importance to humanity, as individuals, or as a group.
Altars are also powerful. They are a gathering place for spirits to provide protection and shielding, to aid in a calling or, perhaps, to provide a sacred place for the energy of one who has crossed to another dimension to gather and connect. Or, we might choose to build an altar dedicated to providing an anchor for our business when we are away, the same as when we are present. Continue reading
A Symbol To Know The Unknowable
This morning, I ran into one of my friends in our little Spanish town, and we decided to grab a coffee and catch up. I was delighted at how she took an interest in my Om/Aum pendant. She commented on how I seemed to treat my pendant as something rather sacred, and with respect – an interesting observation! She loved the flow of the shapes, and asked if the pendant had any specific meaning.
I had to remove the pendant and study it closely to try and remember what I was taught years ago, in order to give her a brief description to the best of my ability. One by one I tried to connect with each swirl in the design and was surprised that I had remembered quite a lot of what my mentor had taught me. It was a long time ago, when we used the Om/Aum chant in our meditation sessions.
With my pendant on the table I began to explain the meaning of the dot at the top of the symbol, and recalled that this related to the silence after chanting Om/Aum. It represents the Enlightened Self, and is known as the transcendental state of Turiya. Continue reading
Unleash The Power Of Your Inner Wise Woman
Why not let 2017 be the year in which you finally unleash the priestess that lies within, and so become a more confident and happy individual.
According to folk-lore, there is a trio of female archetypes, those being the Mother, the Maiden and the Crone – the latter often being referred to as a Witch or Wise Woman. Indeed, it is in the last and final stage, i.e. post menopause, that us ladies reach our spiritual peak.
In fact, the Crone side of ourselves is, incidentally, our priestess, healer and internal warrior, should we fully embrace it. The need for direction and guidance from others is no longer required. In short, we start to live life on our terms – without the need to apologize for doing so. Continue reading
The Ancient Art Of Smudging
There are many effective ways to purify ourselves of old baggage or toxins in our lives. A great place to start is a very ancient art popular among indigenous peoples known as “smudging.” This refers to the burning of sacred or blessed herbs, or grasses to cleanse yourself and your space.
If you are just beginning try burning sage, one of the most popular and fragrant herbs. As you become more adept, you may want to customize your herbal blend. Bundles may be purchased at an esoteric store, or a Native American or natural market, and burned in a vessel of your choice.
Before you start, make sure there are no fire hazards and open a window or two for ventilation. When you light your sage stick, make sure you are only using the leaves and not the other parts. Continue reading