talismans
The Mystical Healing Properties Of Amethyst
Amethyst, an enchanting purple variety of quartz crystal, is celebrated not only for its stunning beauty but also for its powerful metaphysical properties.
Traditionally held in high regard as a spiritual and esoteric tool, this semi-precious gemstone is revered for its potent energy and versatile healing properties.
The captivating purple crystal is associated with the third eye and crown chakras, making it a powerful aid in enhancing spiritual awareness and deepening meditative states. Its calming presence also helps to quiet the mind, promoting a sense of inner peace and emotional balance, which is essential for spiritual growth and clarity.
Amethyst is also known for its protective qualities, shielding the user from negative energies and psychic attacks while fostering a connection to higher consciousness and universal wisdom. Whether used in meditation, healing rituals, or simply carried as a talisman, the amethyst serves as a trusted companion on the journey of self-discovery and spiritual awakening.
As a psychic practitioner, I’ve always felt a deep, almost magnetic affinity for amethyst in both my personal spiritual practice and my professional psychic work. This beautiful violet crystal has a calming energy that enhances my psychic awareness and helps me achieve a sense of inner serenity for connecting with the spiritual realm.
When I hold Amethyst, I feel a heightened sense of clarity and insight, as if the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds is gently lifted. Its calming energy helps me stay centered during readings, allowing me to channel messages with greater precision and compassion.
The True Spiritual Meaning Of The Pentagram
Perhaps no other spiritual or religious icon is as misunderstood as the pentagram, or pentacle. The true symbolism of the pentagram, a five-pointed star often surrounded by a circle, is commonly misrepresented.
Contrary to popular misconceptions that associate it with darkness, evil, or Satanism, the pentagram has multiple meanings within various spiritual and religious traditions, most notably within Paganism and modern Wicca.
The pentagram has been a spiritual symbol of significance for millennia, long before its association with modern religious movements.
Historically, it has been used by cultures around the world, often to represent celestial bodies, principles of harmony, or mystical concepts. Its use first appeared in ancient Greece and Mesopotamia around the 1st millennium BC.
It is not widely known that there are significant historical connections between the pentagram and Christianity. Prior to the widespread use of the cross, the pentagram was a popular symbol to adorn the jewelry and amulets of early Christians, often alongside an “X” or a phoenix. This symbol was associated with the five wounds of Christ and also represented the concept of Alpha and Omega united, as the star could be drawn in one continuous movement of the pen.
In contemporary contexts, particularly within Wicca and related neo-pagan belief systems, the pentacle has positive connotations. It’s seen as a symbol of protection, spirituality, and the interconnectedness of the elements. Each point of the star represents an aspect of balance, holistic existence, conscious living, and the cyclical nature of life.
The Mystical Properties Of Ancient Amber
Crystals, gemstones, and incense have been widely used in spiritual, esoteric, and healing practices throughout the ages and continue to be popular today.
But there is another type of natural material that does not enjoy the same level of widespread recognition and popularity, despite its unique metaphysical properties and significance in various cultures and mystical traditions.
Resins are less well known and used by modern practitioners. I find that many people are unfamiliar with the various types of resins available and their metaphysical properties.
Compared to crystals, gemstones, and incense, which have gained widespread popularity in recent years, especially through social media and the Internet, resins have received less attention and exposure.
As a result, people may be less likely to encounter resins in their exploration of metaphysical tools and practices.
I also find that people who are at least somewhat familiar with resins tend to associate them with their use as incense. Resins such as frankincense, myrrh, copal, and others are often burned as incense to purify spaces, objects, and individuals. The smoke cleanses negative energies, purifies the aura, and creates a sacred atmosphere for rituals and ceremonies. Continue reading
The Mystical Symbolism Of The Hamsa
The well-known Hamsa symbol has a rich tapestry of esoteric meaning that spans several cultures and religious traditions, including Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. It is commonly used as a protective amulet, offering protection from the evil eye, as well as a talisman or good luck charm, bringing its wearer blessings in the form of happiness, health, and fortune.
The Hamsa is also known as the Khamsa, Hamesh, the Hand of Fatima, the Hand of Miriam, or the Hand of Mary. The names “Hamsa” and “Khamsa” both refer to the number five in Arabic while “Hamesh” means five in Hewbrew, all symbolizing the five fingers of the hand.
In Islamic tradition, this famous esoteric hand is named after Fatima al-Zahra, the youngest daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and his first wife Khadija. Fatima is known by many titles in Islamic tradition, of which al-Zahra (meaning “the Radiant One”) is one of the most prominent. Her life, devotion to family and faith, and moral integrity are admired and serve as an inspiration to Muslims around the world.
In Jewish culture, the hand symbol is named after Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, who was a prophetess and is an important figure in Judaism. In some Christian contexts, it is also known as the Hand of Mary, although it is less commonly referred to by this name. In this instance it is associated with Mary, the mother of Jesus, who is revered for her purity, grace, and maternal protection.
The Psychic Power Of Crystals
I’ve been surrounded by crystals, both in my personal healing and psychic work, since I can remember. I wouldn’t call myself an expert on the subject, but I do know that these beautiful stones are aesthetically pleasing, and powerful to have around.
Many crystals have been given to me as gifts, and it’s as if the giver always knows exactly what I need in terms of what the gemstones or crystals can help me with.
When choosing crystals and stones for psychic work or energy healing, I simply allow them to ‘speak’ to me. The vibration of the ideal ones for every purpose always resonates with me. I simply allow them to ‘speak’ to me, trusting that their vibrations will call me. The actual color of the crystal or stone can have quite a profound effect on the mind. For example, medical patients are known to respond to the color blue, when it is used decoratively in a recuperative environment, and criminals are known to be calmer in a cell painted in very pale pink.
I also own a small collection of crystal balls, and it’s as if an image materializes in my mind when gazing into my crystal ball, as opposed to what I see in the actual crystal itself. You might say it is a third eye opener!
I surround myself with amethyst for the calm it brings, rose quartz to bring in loving energy, pyrite for psychic protection and various quartz crystals to assist me energetically, and just because I find them beautiful to behold.
My bone-throwing divination kit consists of a large collection of stones, each representing a token or a symbol. Each stone has its own story and can represent a significant meaning, person, animal or place to me.
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.