rite
The Symbolism Of Wedding Ribbons And Cords
In a recent reading, I had visions of a wedding and a shotgun! I did my best to diplomatically convey what I was seeing to the client. I also mentioned how I saw lots of colored ribbons, and a rather large gathering of people of all ages and cultures.
He laughed, and said that two years ago, he felt a strong urge for himself and his partner to get married. They both came from large families and wanted to make sure that certain ailing, elderly members would still be able to attend and join in the celebration.
He also said he was so glad spirit prompted them to marry sooner than later, because the pandemic would have prevented not just the large gathering of guests from attending, but also many from traveling from various corners of the world as they had done. Apparently, the ribbons I saw related to the traditional pagan handfasting they had chosen as the ceremony for their special event.
The handfasting ritual had always fascinated him, because of his own Celtic origins and he explained how both his and his partner’s hands were bound together with a ribbon during the vows and exchanging of rings. I later learned from a Pagan friend that cord is sometimes also used for this purpose in such a ceremony.
In many traditions the use of colored ribbons and cords is of spiritual significance at certain ceremonies, especially weddings. They are typically used to physically connect the couple, or they are placed in or around an altar. The cord is a symbol of the lifetime bond the couple is entering into.
For example, a wedding cord, also known as the ‘wedding lasso,’ is used in some Catholic wedding ceremonies. It typically consists of a loop of rosary beads made out of white satin or silk, and formed into a figure eight shape, and placed around the bride and the groom after they have made their vows.
Time To Cleanse The ‘Energy Clutter’ Of 2020
The year 2020 is coming to an end. It has been a challenging year for most of us, to say the least. Some have lost everything that they thought was important in their lives, while others discovered what truly is important in their lives.
In many cases, the material and superficial things that we used to cherish so much have now been replaced by the simple longing to just hug a loved one, touch a friend’s hand, or just be part of a crowd of like-minded people at a music festival or sports event.
It has indeed been an exceedingly difficult year for our relationships, social life, careers, businesses, finances, and especially our mental health and well-being. The lockdowns, social distancing and mask wearing (or lack thereof) has been taking its toll.
Mental illness is said to at an all-time high, and suicides rates have increased significantly. Families will be celebrating the holidays this year without one or more of their family members, and many are having to grieve the tragic passing of a loved one.
You may look at all this stress, chaos and suffering, and ask yourself if any possible good can come from the events and circumstances of the past year?
Well, I do believe 2020 to be the best opportunity we will ever have in our lifetime to truly find the deeper meaning and purpose of life. This is the ideal time to identify everything that is not important in our lives and release what no longer serves us.
This is a time to cleanse your aura, clear your vibration, and discard the ‘energy clutter’ in your life. Loving and caring for yourself is fundamental at the moment. Be kind to yourself and do not judge yourself harshly for things you have no control over. Just do the best you can with what you have and take it one day at a time. We are simply being sidelined for a period of time. This to shall pass.
White sage is my go-to for clearing my living space and my personal energies. When bad vibes and negative energy clutter start to pile up, I take a few moments to simply breathe and relax, cleanse my aura with white sage, then breathe again. It lifts my inner being.
To The Beat Of My Own Drum
I am in the process of moving home. While going through years of stored stuff in the attic of my old home, I found a Christmas gift that my parents gave me around the age of four. It was a little drum, intact, with sticks to play to the beat of my young heart. I am sure there were many times my parents thoroughly regretted buying a four-year-old a drum to bang on!
To my surprise, throughout the house, I also found a total of eleven more drums. All different sizes and kinds. And it is safe to say I can still make a joyful noise with each one (although my family might consider this debatable).
In the summer we spend a lot of time at Camp Etna, one of the spiritualist camps here in Maine. We have two small cottages here – one that we live in, and another I use as my office. Some of the drums I found are kept in the office cottage, for my clients to enjoy.
Why the obsession with drums, you may ask? Well, drumming has always been a form of great stress relief for me. You can release pent up emotions, by beating the drum as hard or soft as you wish. It feels good to express yourself through the primal beat. Moving to the sound of the beat seems to make doing most tasks easier. Drumming is just plain old-fashioned fun, and people around the world have been moving to the sound of drums since the beginning of time.
Drums are also a very useful spiritual tool. In energy work, for example, I use drums to get in touch with the heartbeat. We also host a drumming circle here, at least once a week. Young and old come out to participate, and everyone in the area is invited. It is a spiritual activity that helps to unite the community. One person sets the intention, and the beat for the circle, and then all join in. It is wonderful to see the smiles and joy the drumbeat brings to faces.
Anyone can learn to play the drum. With people being at home much more these days, if you have always had the desire to learn to play and instrument, it is a good time to try the drums. With all the information technology we have these days, there are many courses and tutorials available online for one to learn drumming techniques in the comfort of your home.
Tibetan Prayer Flags Are Blessings In The Wind
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to constantly have your prayers and blessings emanating into Universe? Well, you actually can achieve this by hanging a Tibetan prayer flag. Also known as lungta and darchor prayer flags, these beautiful, colorful flags are traditionally found festooned along the Himalayan trails. They are believed to bring peace, prosperity and good fortune to all.
Although it is a Buddhist tradition, you don’t have to be a practicing Buddhist to hang your own prayer flags. Anyone can use them with the intent to spread positivity and blessings in the wind, far and wide.
One of the most beautiful aspects of Tibetan prayer flags is that they are unique in design, and calming to look at. Each flag carries a variety of prayers, incantations and sacred symbols that represent specific blessings to be carried by the wind. Each set of flags has several different prayers written on it – one even has a special prayer specifically for the person who is hanging the flag!
A set of lungta flags feature five separate rectangles that represent the five elements, to create energy and a strong connection to the Universe. They start from the top with a blue flag representing sky or space, then a white flag representing air or wind, a red flag representing fire, followed by a green flag representing water, and lastly a yellow flag representing earth.
Most often hung vertically, with the blue (air flag) at the top and the yellow (earth flag) at the bottom, these flags aim to bring good fortune, blessings of opportunities, abundance and prosperity, inner strength, compassion, and wisdom to all.
A Sweetening Ritual To Rekindle Your Love
The traditional love spell is a metaphysical practice that is ill-advised and extremely selfish, because it aims to influence and interfere with someone else´s free will. This is never a good idea. The endulzamiento or ‘sweetening’ ritual, also known as a ‘honey jar spell,’ is a better and safer alternative.
A sweetening has similar aims as a love spell, but its mechanism is very different. It is a simple act that seeks to attract higher, more positive energy to your relationship. It´s about finding a better way for both you and your partner. It aims to improve communication and find the best in each-other. In essence one can describe it as ‘kindness magic.’
A sweetening not only enhances positive feelings and attitudes in the relationship, but also seeks to remove all negative feelings and attitudes. For this reason, a sweetening is always considered to be a good metaphysical strategy when difficulties and conflicts are causing damage in your relationship.
Execute a sweetening when you feel you need to save your relationship, or when you want to reawaken the feelings and get the renewed attention of that someone special in your life.
Many people forget what a passionate, intimate, warm and satisfying relationship is like. I have seen many couples wear themselves out with routine, complacency, getting stuck in a rut and taking each other for granted. In time it leads to boredom, emotional exhaustion, unwanted tension, and conflict at every turn.
As it happens gradually, we typically do not notice the decline of passion in our relationships, and we get used to living with a second-rate version of our original love. That initial loving feeling tends to grow cold with the passing of the months and years. A sweetening ritual is the perfect recipe to recover the nature and quality of that original relationship.
Transmuting The Negative Energy Of Self-Sabotage
In many religions and spiritual wisdom traditions we find guidelines on healing and mind-body wellness. Many of these philosophies, in conjunction with modern medicine, can be a great aid for mind, body and soul. In all spiritual traditions there are usually rules or recommendations aimed at the well-being of society as a whole, as well as each individual soul. Many of these teachings warn us of dangers we might find in our own thought, choices and actions. And if we are unaware or careless, a damaging thought or action can turn into a harmful pattern.
Recognizing a damaging thought or behavior pattern in our lives is not easy. We might realize that someone else makes the same mistakes over and over, but it may be difficult to have the same insight about ourselves. We create the imagined walls of our own limitations, and abide by them, without being aware of making this decision. These limiting, destructive thoughts and actions that appear repeatedly in our lives – especially those demeaning, self-sabotaging, angry thoughts – are in essence negative energy vibrations. A few example of such thoughts can be:
I am useless and incompetent.
I am not strong enough.
Nobody cares about me.
I do not deserve better.
I hate myself.
The Laying On Of Hands
The laying on of hands, also known as the imposition of hands, is a ritual act performed in some religious and spiritual traditions. It is used for the purpose of ordination, healing, or the transmission of a spiritual gift or blessing. In this blog article I will explore the different traditions and how they use this ancient practice in diverse ways, with a special focus on healing.
Judaism
The hands are of particular importance in certain Jewish religious rituals. Deuteronomy 34:9 describes, for example, how Moses laid hands on Joshua, his successor. The term used for it is semicha, meaning ‘leaning of the hands.’
It is also associated with sacrifice. Thousands of years ago, priests practiced semicha by laying hands on the sacrifices right before offering was made. Moses tells Aaron, “This is the thing that God commanded you to do, that God’s presence may appear.” It is understood that this passage in Leviticus 9 refers to the laying on of hands.
Christianity
In the New Testament we find a continuation of the Jewish practice of semicha, still connected to the liturgies of ordination and now also of baptism, in both of which the imposition of hands is an important part of the ritual.
Ordination involves conveying a gift and an authority within the Church. The imposition of hands connected with baptism is a means whereby the convert is born to the ecclesia, or the Christian community. The action itself of laying on hands is connected with the gift of the Holy Spirit and is also used to convey a blessing. For example, in Acts 6:6: “These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.” It is also practiced as a means of healing (Luke 4:40).