Lughnasadh

July 2, 2010 at 3:37 pm (Holidays and Celebrations, Sabbats, Shapes and Symbols)
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by Larissa

Lughnasadh, also called Lammas, is the first of three harvest festivals celebrated on August 1st. It marks the sun’s mid-point of leo in the tropical zodiac. Symbolically, this Sabbat is a time of gain, or ripening of fruits. The promise of Spring planting is realized.

Also called Loaf Mass, this is a time for baking bread and harvesting wheat, berries, crab apples, and grain. As summer passes, remember with happiness its warmth and bounty in the food we eat. Be reminded that nothing in the universe in constant. Everything goes through a cycle of seed beginning, followed by established growth, corruption and decay, death, and often in a wiser more integrated form; eventual rebirth.

This holiday, synonymous with burial, birth, and bread  is not a somber time. Now the sun fades and dies, the crops will be cut down. He is life itself, his spirit has been passed into every kind of harvest. Changed, he is reborn for life itself can never finally die. Bread is baked to symbolize the sun’s life energy reborn, this is the bread of life which arises from the sun’s sacrifice.

Think of this time as a harvest of your own life. Perhaps you made resolutions at new year or Candlemas, are you reaping rewards or still stagnant in growth? Lammas is a time to really think about any long-term harvest you may hope for. Think and visualize your “harvest” and what results you’d like to reap. This could be love, wisdom, prosperity, earth healing, children, etc. Whatever your goal, Lammas meditation removes obstacles and replaces them with long-term ideals. Here is a little blessing to recite with your intentions:

“now as the sun pours out his strength upon the earth, that the crops may ripen and the harvest may be great, I too offer my strength to Mother Earth. I bring forth….. (your intention to protect earth from further harm, where and when you can, or whatever goal or intention you wish to manifest).

Gather with family and friends and give thanks for the first signs of harvest in your life as well as in the field. What you do in fun and celebration on Lammas will enhance creativity in life.
Bright Blessings!!!!

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Ignite Your Creative Fire

July 2, 2010 at 3:30 pm (Meditation)
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by Angela

As a poet and more recently a blogger, I know how frustrating writer’s block can be.  Writing is a creative venture driven by our inner spirit’s need to express our true nature.  Art, music, and dance offer us the same outlet for spiritual expression.  All forms of creative expression are essential to human enlightenment.  Just look at a Renaissance painting, listen to the music of John Lennon, or read the poetry of Rumi; creative expression is always at the forefront of social change.

No matter what form of creation you practice, know that you are an agent of change.  You hold inside of you the precious gift of creative fire.  As artists we know it is difficult to keep that flame lit all the time.  Either it burns out, or we do.  The only way I have found to reignite the creative fire is to walk away from the page and meditate.  If creative expression is spiritual expression, one will help ignite the other.  The following list of stones, oils, incense, and colors will allow your spiritual nature to light your creative fire.  Take yourself out of the equation and let your spirit take over.

For Starters:

  • Walk away from your computer, canvas, instrument, or dance floor.  Find a nice quiet space where you can meditate and not be interrupted.  Turn off your phone.
  • Sit with your legs crossed and eyes closed.  Breathe deeply.  Clear your mind of all thoughts, wants, worries, etc.
  • Focus on your breathing.
  • Stay in this meditative state for at least 5-10 minutes.

Meditative Tools:

  • Incense- Cleanse your meditation room as well as your creative tools with White Sage.  Burn a Frankincense & Myrrh incense blend while you meditate.  You may continue burning the incense when you return to your creative venture.
  • Oils- Annoint your 3rd eye chakra with Sandalwood oil, and your heart chakra with Jasmine oil.  This combination of oils will strengthen your intuition and help you create your art from a place of love.  These oils used together are motivating, sensual, and help deepen your connection with the Divine.
  • Stones- Meditate with Carnelian, Chrysoprase, & Gold Tiger Eye. Hold this combination of stones in your hands while you meditate.  Absorb their creative energy.  Carnelian offers a boost of creative fire, while Chrysoprase brings peace, positive energy, and emotional balance.  Gold Tiger Eye brings confidence, motivation, and creative vision.  Keep these stones with you while you create.

“There are three ways of knowing a thing.  Take for instance a flame.  One can be told of a flame, one can see the flame with his own eyes, and finally one can reach out and be burned by it.  We Sufis seek to be burned by God.”  ~Rumi

Spice Things Up!

  • Colors- Work with colors of Red, Orange, & Yellow. Burn red candles, wear an orange shirt, hang a yellow tapestry in your creative space.  There are no rules to color energy in this context so be creative.  Surrounding yourself with these 3 colors will infuse your aura with creative fire and passionate energy.
  • Flavors- Try some spicy incense such as Cinnamon & Patchouli.  Chew some cinnamon gum, burn some patchouli candles while eating a stir fry dinner with spicy Ginger.  Spicy flavors and scents will improve mental dexterity and increase physical vitality so you can paint, write, play, & dance all night.

I hope these spiritual tools help you in your creative endeavors.  Move forward fearlessly.  The world is waiting to see what you will create next!

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The Power of an Hour

July 2, 2010 at 3:30 pm (Meditation, Numerology)
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Clock

Clock

It’s easy to find your spiritual side meditating in your sacred space, singing hymns on Sunday morning or walking barefoot through a garden. It’s times like these that give us clarity, peace and most importantly a sense of connectedness in a rather unstable world. I’ve often wondered how I could create this kind of reality in my everyday existence. How does one stay Zen when your neighbor’s neurotic dog won’t stop barking? How would Jesus merge onto I275 during morning rush-hour? Did Kuan Yin ever have to juggle housework, a full-time career/school load, family obligations and keep her compassion for the needy?

In the burdens of our everyday existence, what seem to be irreverent, materialistic or earthly can become  just the spiritual transformation we need. Trials and suffering allow us to flex our spiritual muscles and raise our Divine Quotient.  I once read that any act, be it washing dishes or filing taxes can be a form of meditation or prayer if you allow it to be done with gratitude, love and grace. Consider how you write your mortgage/rent check. Do you grumble at the burden of paying  money out every month? Or with love and gratitude are you thankful for your ability to pay your bills… that you have work, that someone believed in you enough to trust they could give you a home on the faith that you would pay for it in time? It is with the mindset of gratitude that one can fill the emptiness in one’s life with Divinity.

For some this may be a very hard concept to put into practice. I’ve written up the following exercise for those who seek to bring spiritual balance in their life but aren’t sure where to begin. It’s called the Power of an Hour. It centers on timing  hourly intervals to keep you spiritually focused in the midst of your everyday reality. (You’ll need a watch or cell phone with an alarm. I prefer to use my phone on vibrate as it’s less obtrusive at work.)

As soon as you open your eyes in the morning, close them again and do one of the following as suits your path: pray, meditate, center yourself but above all GIVE THANKS to God/Great Spirit/ the Universe, etc . You’ve woken up today! 🙂

Set your watch/cell phone alarm for an hour later. I sometimes will set the time for a very specific number based on Doreen Virtue’s book: Angel Numbers which detail the meanings of numbers. For example, if I’ve been particularly stressed about my finances I will wake up at 7:38am (“738-You’ve accurately listened to your Divine Guidance, which has put you on the path of increased abundance.”) I give thanks for what I have and pray for Divine guidance in all matters  related to my finances. You can also simply make mental lists of things you are grateful for or would like help with. I then set my (silent vibrating) alarm for 8:38am, one hour later. (“838- Keep prayer and spirituality at the center of your consciousness, and avoid focusing on the material aspects of life.) I go about my morning getting ready for work and when my alarm vibrates again I take just a small moment to pray, center myself and bring spirituality into my life. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy ordeal, a minute or two will do. I continue this exercise throughout my day, resetting my alarm for the next hour.

But how can you do this at the office? Slip off to the water cooler or bathroom. Can’t do that every hour without getting strange looks, right? Well remember earlier, I mentioned that any act can be a spiritual act if done with love and grace? Here’s where that comes in.. If at 4:38p my alarm vibrates and I’m helping a customer, I take it as an opportunity to be thankful that I’m needed in my place of employment, while helping that person to the best of my ability. If your alarm goes off and your child is crying, or your spouse/friend/cat needs you.. Help them! After all, isn’t there something divine about selflessly giving of yourself through love and time for others? That is your moment for that hour. You’ve brought spirituality into your life with your actions! Isn’t it beautiful in it’s simplicity? Continue this until you are ready to turn in for the night.

There are many ways to enhance this simple practice. If you have Doreen Virtue’s Angel Numbers or any other numerology book, you can pick your times based off  what has most the spiritual intention for you.

If you enjoy working for healing crystals, add that to your ritual. (For example, whatever your trying to focus on that day.. Lapis lazuli for spiritual intuition, rhodonite for releasing and forgiveness, magnesite for creative endeavors, so on and so forth. When your alarm goes off, hold that stone and meditate focusing your intentions.)

The importance of doing this every hour is to create a heightened spiritual awareness. Though it may seem tedious, you’ll be surprised at how easy it really is. Practicing this exercise even just one a week, you’ll discover that Divinity can be anywhere,  in any thought and any action.

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Laser Wand Crystals – Straight to the Point

July 2, 2010 at 3:30 pm (Stones and Crystals)
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by Grant

Laser Wands

Laser Wand Quartz Crystals

Laser wands are a variety of quartz crystal, usually identified as a long crystal that gradually tapers from base to tip.  The facets at the tip are often very small, but should be present for the crystal to be effective as a laser wand.

The shape of these crystals focuses energy very tightly in the direction of the tip, and is immensely useful when  the object of your intent is located in a specific place that you could point to (such as a body part, another crystal, a stationary object, another person, etc).  They are often used at the top of staves, wands, and other items meant to send energy in a particular direction.  Their use in this way not only focuses the intent of the item in a certain direction, but also enhances the energy of all other stones and crystals in the object (all quartz crystal has this property!)

In addition to its ability to focus energy, laser wand quartz can also be used to ‘cut out’ negative things that have attached to us – negative energies, bad attitudes, self-destructive patterns, and other foreign influences can be separated out and dissipated using the energy or a laser wand.  Here’s an example of how you might do this:

  1. Cleanse your crystal using white sage smoke.
  2. Sit quietly and meditate on the specific energy you wish to be rid of – a good way to do this is to visualize a multicolored energy field around your body and search out any patches of grey, black or brown that manifest.  These are potentially hurt areas that need attenti0n.
  3. Carefully pick up your laser wand crystal and aim it toward yourself – begin above the head, and move the crystal slowly over your body until you feel a mild pressure.  Pass over the area a couple of times until you have it pinpointed.
  4. Visualize white light pouring from your own field, being focused and enhanced through the laser crystal, and reentering your body to break up the discolored areas.  Continue doing this until the area has cleared – usually less than a minute.
  5. Immediately cleanse yourself and the area with white sage smoke when you finish.

Note: This is not a practice to take lightly – work slowly and carefully!

Earth Lore carries laser wand crystals of various sizes, as well as white sage for cleansing.

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