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The Self-Fulfilling Fear Of A ‘Bad Luck Curse’
Some folks who consult with reputable psychics for the first time sometimes believe that the many unfortunate things that have been happening to them is due to some ‘family curse’ or ‘bad luck hex.’ While it may indeed seem like certain people and their families do have more than their fair share of ill-fated things happen to them, sometimes through several generations, this kind of superstition is usually just an overreaction to challenging life events, and too often merely an excuse to avoid personal responsibility for one’s own choices.
An famous example of a so-called family curse is the Kennedy family, who suffered a series of bizarre accidents, premature deaths, assassinations, and various other setbacks and calamities, including several ill-fated romantic relationships that all started out great, but then took a turn for the worse and ended in tragedy and disaster.
Whenever I read for a client who believes they are somehow ‘cursed,’ I always advise them that blaming a so-called ‘curse’ for the challenges and adversities in their life will never solve their problems, nor help them create a better life in the future.
Sometimes people are not ready and open to take an honest look at their own part in creating certain life events through their free will choices and decisions. When a relationship ends badly, for example, it is so much easier and convenient to simply imagine, “Oh, well I am probably cursed in the love department.” Meanwhile, the red flags for this relationship were waving high and bright since the very beginning, but they so desperately wanted a relationship that they ignored the early warning signs.
If we would only listen to our gut, and to the people who truly care about us, we will more often experience the blessing of good fortune, instead of ‘bad luck.’ Spirit always warns us early on when we are making bad life choices and heading for disaster. Some of these messages come courtesy of our intuition and inner guidance, some are revealed to us in dreams, signs, synchronicities and psychic readings, and some warnings reach us through our friends and relatives. Sadly, some people blame everything instead on ‘bad luck’ or ‘curses,’ as they would rather believe they have been cursed than take any personal responsibility by accepting they made a poor choices or decisions.
Throwing The Bones
Before studying various Western disciplines of healing and divination, I trained to become a sangoma some 30 years ago, on the borders of Mozambique and Kwazulu-Natal in Southern Africa, where I learned among other things the divination method known as ‘throwing the bones.’
A ‘sangoma’ casting the bones is the African equivalent of the Native American shaman, the Old Norse rune reader, or the European Tarot reader. To uninformed Westerners, indigenous African methods of divination are often thought of as ‘witchcraft,’ but just like there is good and bad in all cultures and professions, the true calling of the African diviner or shaman is a spiritual one of seeking advice through the wise ancestors. In the same way modern Western diviners rely on spirit guides, angels or the ascended masters for divine guidance, so the African diviner relies upon the ancestors.
My training came about after I consulted another sangoma and was told it was my calling to become sangoma myself. She also cautioned me that until I took up this calling, I would repetitively become ill – and how right she was!
Eventually I heeded the ‘calling’, as unusual as it was at the time for a young English woman to enter the mysterious realm of African mysticism in the country in those days. Training was harsh and intense with my mentor and included coaching in various disciplines, such as divination, dream interpretation, ritual, indigenous medicines, and herbalism over a two and a half year period.
One of the divination methods I was taught is known as ‘throwing the bones’. Since the beginning of recorded history the notion of throwing tokens, casting the dice or drawing lots to interpret the divine will of spirit and the ancestors has been viewed as symbolically linking the diviner to his or her mission. Casting or throwing the bones is an ancient practice native to many regions of the world, including Africa, Asia, and North America. In Southern Africa it is a long-standing ritual among the sangomas of the Zulu, Swazi, Xhosa and Ndebele tribes.
Each bone or token used for casting is part of a kit the sangoma carefully selects with the guidance of spirit, initially with the help of a mentor. Spirit and the ancestors instruct the seeker as to the symbolism and meaning of each sacred item in the collection, and precisely shows the student where to find it and which one to use in a divination. In Southern Africa, a mentor assists the thwasa (trainee sangoma) in the process of learning to receive information from the bones, and in reading the patterns in which the bones are likely to fall.
Cleansing Your Crystals
If you regularly use crystals in your spiritual practice, it is vital to have a regular cleansing routine for them to work at optimal levels.
Crystal energy work uses the subtle energy vibration emitted by a crystal, for example to rebalance the human aura or energy field for mind-body-soul health and wellness.
Crystals have a vibrational frequency based on its geometric structure giving each crystal a unique default wavelength known as its oscillatory frequency or its ‘energy signature.’ It is a stable energy emission that is applied to rebalance and heal our own energies.
The human body also has its own oscillatory rate or energy frequency, but our vibration is constantly shifting and changing due to various internal and external factors, including our thoughts, beliefs, mood states, nutrition, sleep, lifestyle choices, relationships and our environment.
The difference between the energy frequency of humans and crystals is that while ours fluctuates and is constantly changing, the vibration of a crystal in its natural state remains constant, stable and unchanging. It is like the factory settings on a brand new computer.
However, like a computer or the human body, crystals can also become contaminated with negative energies, much like viruses or malware. For our healing crystals to continue working the way nature intended, it is important to cleanse them properly or a regular basis.
Some practitioners cleanse their crystals and stones after each session, and this is not a bad idea, considering we expose them to all kinds of energies, no matter how unintentional, every time we handle them. Think of how many smudges and smears you create on your phone screen or glasses every time you use them and then imagine what the many energy imprints your crystals must endure with regular use.
The Power Of Your Totems
Those of us who are metaphysically inclined often believe in the power of carrying a sacred object, symbolic item, or ‘totem.’ The totem is worn or kept on one’s person for various purposes, including healing, protection, guidance, or support.
This spiritual practice is known as Totemism. It is a system of belief in which humans are said to have a mystical relationship or kinship with a spirit-being, such as an animal, plant or symbolic object.
Believing in the power of a ‘totem helper’ gives one the kind of spiritual self-confidence that can make the difference between success and failure. Actually, I wear on my person a medicine bag in the Native American tradition, which contains various totems or ‘alliances’ I have found in nature.
Some of them were gifted to me, because they resonated with my energetic frequency and “wanted to be with me,” as friends and fellow metaphysicians have stated through the years. It is our custom to save special things of this nature for gifting to each other, especially at sacred times of the year, such as when we celebrate the solstices.
Right now, I am surrounded by all of these charming personal offerings. There are the great horned owl feathers that were gifted to me, for example. I used it to make a prayer stick, that I now make use of during meditation, and sometimes also as an altar piece. In the tradition of Totemism, I consider it to be part of a living being, which is the altar. Indeed, every altar has its own ‘being-ness,’ the same as any other sacred deity.
The Energizing Power Of Quartz Crystal
Quartz crystal is a stone of power. Some call it the ‘universal stone’ due to its multiple uses. It enhances energy by absorbing, storing, amplifying, and balancing energy. But in particular it is used to receive universal energy.
Quartz also improves our thinking, since thoughts are a form of energy. Because it directs and amplifies energy, it is very beneficial for manifestation, healing, meditation, protection and channeling. Due to its ability to balance energy, quartz is also excellent for harmonizing our environment, as well as energizing other crystals.
Quartz crystals, especially Amethyst, enable us to align our body with planet Earth. The quartz crystals help us to raise our vibration. So, when you feel sad, pessimistic, or abandoned and desperate due to the challenges of life, you can use amethysts or any other quartz crystal to recharge your energy and empower yourself.
Crystal attracts positive energy from planet Earth, while helping us to release out of the body the negative emotions and feelings of stress, anxiety, fear, depression, and all negative emotions of defeat or low vibration. One of the ways that quartz acts in the body is like an energetic shield that creates a bubble of spiritual light around your body.
Quartz also helps purify any negative vibration from your space, since they emanate a large amount of energy that you can use to thrive. They further help clear the mind of unnecessary thoughts and disorder.
How To Create Your Own Angel Altar
Over the last few months, I have written in depth about the angelic realm and all the wonders it bestows upon humanity. In today’s blog, however, I wish to share some ideas on how to construct your own angel altar at home, so that you can connect with the angels and archangels whenever you need their spiritual guidance and assistance in your life.
First, find a sacred space for your altar somewhere in your home or office. This can just be a small, private area in your bedroom where you know you will not be disturbed and will be at peace with yourself.
Select or purchase a base for your altar. It can be as simple as a small box or coffee table that is sturdy enough to hold whatever you choose to place upon it. Then drape a cloth over your altar. Anything that is large enough to cover the base will suffice.
Next, you can adorn your altar by placing appropriate objects on it, such as candles, crystals, angelic figures, plants, flowers, stones, and the like. You may use anything that is personally meaningful to you, or to which your are intuitively drawn.
To glamorize your display, you could add golden or silver colored objects, or even spray-paint an artifact of your choice to really add that personal touch. Silver, gold, black, white and mirrored rectangular trays are particularly on trend at the moment for decorating holy altars. However, if your budget is limited, simply paint or decorate an old tray, before placing it on your altar. Check around your home for other unused items that you could paint spray and add to your altar to compliment it.
Nine Lemons In A Bowl
You will always find a bowl filled with exactly nine lemons in the center of my kitchen island. It is a labor of love keeping that bowl filled to this exact number, but the happiness which fills my soul with just a quick glance at them, makes all the effort worthwhile – because I know they are doing so much for me physically, mentally and emotionally.
So, why lemons and why exactly nine? In Feng Shui, lemons are believed to help clear away bad karma and their bright yellow color is a symbol of optimism and happiness. Also, in Feng Shui, the number nine is considered to be the luckiest, as it represents wealth, accomplishment, and attaining personal goals. Why would I not want to welcome these wonderful attributes into my home with such a gift from nature?
I love the pop of color those nine lemons bring to my home and they have actually become a permanent part of the decor. Of course, it does help that I happen to have a large lemon tree in my backyard. From December to April lemons are available in abundance here in Arizona!
Lemons are also a great source of nutrition. They are a natural antioxidant and great source of Vitamin C. Lemons helps to detoxify the body and clear away negative energies, to bring balance to your health and your soul. They also create a positive, uplifting environment.