incense
Meditation Is Easier Than You Think!
No doubt you’ve heard of the many benefits of meditation, both physical and spiritual. But how does one start a meditation practice? It doesn’t have to be intimidating. According to the Zen master and teacher, Shunryu Suzuki, approaching meditation with a beginner’s mindset is actually ideal.
It’s important to clear up a common misperception about meditation. Meditation is not simply ‘thinking of nothing.’ Rather it is a spiritual process in which we learn to center, breathe, and achieve clarity.
Meditation is practiced by cultures all over the world and does not have to be associated with a specific spiritual tradition or religious belief system. It also does not have to involve sitting passively with a ‘blank mind.’ Rather it can be anything from coloring mandalas, to a walking in nature.
So, how does one begin, if you’re new to the practice? Consider the goals you wish to achieve with meditation: stress reduction, taming your thoughts, physical relief from pain, spiritual growth? Tailor your practice to build toward your personal goals. Remember, it’s a journey and not a destination.
Keeping a meditation journal, as you go along, can be very helpful. The most important thing is consistency. Make meditation a part of your daily routine, and ideally at the same time each day.
Once you have the basics in place, it’s time to begin. Choose a pose or stance which is comfortable, and a space which is calming, private and quiet. If playing comforting music or lighting candles, or incense, relaxes you, then do that!
Smudging Your Home To Clear Negative Energy
It’s a good idea to cleanse the energy in your home once a week, in my opinion. I do this with smudging, going around the perimeters of my house asking the powers that be to bless and protect my home and those who dwell in it. It helps to keep negativity and toxic energy out.
Smudging is an ancient shamanic practice and a ceremony practiced by Indigenous peoples of the Americas, which involves the burning of sacred herbs and resins. The smoke is believed to neutralize negative energy – as it clears it takes the unwanted, toxic energy with it, releasing it into another realm where it can be regenerated into positive energy.
I have also attended Catholic church ceremonies several times in my lifetime. They always start with incense at the beginning of a service. I like to describe it as ‘cleaning the negativity and toxic cobwebs’ that have accumulated. Yes, homes collect all kinds of energy over time, just like dust on a lampshade. And it needs to be cleaned! Every home benefits from a frequent smudging.
I especially like to always smudge after any negative encounter that may have taken place in my space – literally anything negative, be it the presence of an actual person, a bad dream, or telephonic argument with a loved one, I like to clear out that energy, as it makes my home brighter and lighter. As a highly sensitive empath, I just love the feeling of fresh, peaceful energy in my home.
On smudging days, I first dust my home and clean it, always with the windows wide open. Then I smudge myself, before smudging my home. I cleanse my own aura from my feet up, then go back down in a swirling motion all around my entire body. I use both hands when doing this, to evenly move the smudging stick around me. I visualize my aura being cleansed completely.
How To Deal With Ghosts In Your Home
Do you suspect your home may be haunted? If so, don’t panic! The majority of hauntings are generally harmless. However, it is nevertheless imperative that you be able to recognize when spirits are around you, and to know how to engage correctly with them at all times. If you suspect that you are dealing with something more ominous, then it may be advisable to find professional help from paranormal experts in your area. But in most cases there is usually nothing to fear. The following guidelines may useful to you when dealing with typical ghosts in your home
Spirit Spotting
Spirits are often experienced by humans as orbs, flashing lights, shadows, blurs or mists. Complete, full-bodied apparitions, as are often portrayed in the movies, tend to be more rare and less frequently encountered. Yet, this is what most people expect to see, which impairs their very awareness to recognize spiritual contact when it actually happens.
Interestingly, paranormal research suggests that ghosts tend to be more active during the night, rather than the daytime, possibly because there is less electronic disturbance being emitted from household appliances at this time. In fact, electricity is a crucial factor in tracking down ghosts, as a lot of professional paranormal investigators use Electromagnetic Field (EMF) meters to measure spirit activity.
When an electromagnetic current changes or moves, it creates an EMF, and as ghosts are understood to be a form of energy, this energy current interferes with the EMF fields that surround them whenever they move, thus allowing any detecting equipment to ascertain both the spirit’s presence and whereabouts. How exciting is that?
How To Create A Money Manifesting Amulet
Keep the money coming in with this powerful money manifesting amulet. Carry it with you and you will always have what you need, when you need it. The Universe directs the flow of our money and this amulet will enlist Spirit’s help to create more abundance and balance in your finances.
SUPPLIES
- 1 new dollar bill (or foreign equivalent)
- 1 green candle
- Eucalyptus or cedar incense
- Cinnamon (ground)
- Clove (ground)
- Gold string or cord
PREPARATION
Wear green or gold while creating this amulet. Play upbeat and energetic music – something you might be compelled to get up and dance to! This ritual is best performed on a Monday or Wednesday, or during the week of a waxing full Moon.
THE RITUAL
Light the incense wand and then light the green candle with it. Take the incense and wave it over the dollar bill, first on one side and then the other, to energetically charge it with spiritual power.
Home Cleansing Ritual
Doing a cleansing, purifying and sealing ritual will refresh your personal space, infusing it with restorative vibrations and a spiritual aura. You can use this ritual any time you feel the energy in your house is dimming, or to bless a new home or office. It will raise the levels of your own well-being, as well as your surroundings.
Supplies
- 3 white candles
- Cinnamon incense
- 1/4 cup whole cloves
- 4 cups water
- Sage or sweet grass smudge stick (or sage incense)
- Quartz crystals – one for each room in your house
- Sea salt
- Small bowls or dishes – one for each room in your house
Preparation
Gather the cloves, cinnamon incense, smudge stick, quartz crystals, bowls, and candles, and place it your kitchen. Wear white when performing this ritual and play soothing classical, or instrumental music. Center yourself with a prayer or short meditation to set the mood before you begin.
Ritual For Manifesting Your Every Desire
I recommend the following ritual for manifesting your every desire. The ritual is designed to create your intent, infuse it with power and then allow the Universe to bring a specific request, outcome, goal or dream into being.
Supplies
- 2 votive candles: 1 purple, 1 color of intent (see below)
- Intent incense (see below)
- Stone of intent (see below)
- Manifestation journal or notebook, and pen
- Bell
Intent Candles, Incense, and Stones
- Love: Pink Candle, Rose Incense, Rose or Clear Quartz
- Money: Green Candle, Amber Incense, Jade or Emerald
- Health: Yellow Candle, Rain Incense, Tiger’s Eye or Amber
- Career: Indigo Candle, Sage Incense, Sapphire or Lapis Lazuli
- Spiritual: Purple Candle, Lavender Incense, Opal or Moonstone
- Protection: Orange Candle, Jasmine Incense, Amethyst
- Other: Red Candle, Patchouli Incense, Obsidian or Jet Continue reading
Reclaiming Your Power When A Relationship Ends
One of the main reasons it is so painful to release someone when a relationship ends, is because we have usually invested so much of our time and energy in our connection with that person. In essence, what we are truly missing when we mourn a relationship are parts of our self that we have given away. What we are mourning is the loss of our hopes and dreams, not merely the presence of the person who is no longer in our life.
If this is something you are currently struggling with, I recommend the following ritual designed to help you reclaim your power after a relationship break-up, so that you can restore your inner wholeness and resume your search for true and enduring love.
Supplies
- 3 votive candles: 1 blue, 1 green, 1 yellow
- 1 aqua marine or clear quartz crystal
- rain or sage incense wand
- small mirror
- 3 copper pennies
- 2 tbsp of fresh or dried mint in a small bowl
- 2 tbsp sea salt