December 27th, 2013

It's amazing, all the little signs that come to us sometimes, saying that all is well. About a week ago, I was feeling a bit low at work when I found this:

It's the sequel to the first Rupert's Tales book that I found sometime last year, including narrative poems about Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, and Ostara (the author is Kyrja). It made me smile, and I set it on the top of the shelf as a display item. Hopefully the next person to find it smiles, too.

December 26th, 2013

I was bored this morning, and frequently when I am bored I play with my photomanipulation software. For lack of another idea, I decided to make a quick illustration of the chakra crystal layout I did yesterday, in case my halfhazard explanation in the previous post was somewhat ambiguous. All the images are shopped together off the internet, so don't sue me, please.

From the bottom up, the list runs as follows:

• Grounding Cord - Andalusian Cross Stone
• Base Chakra - Red Jasper
• Sacral Chakra - Carnelian
• Solar Plexus Chakra - Citrine
• Heart Chakra - Rose Quartz
• Throat Chakra - Turquoise 
• Third Eye Chakra - Lapis Lazuli
• Crown Chakra - Lepidolite
• Higher Crown Chakra - Clear Quartz

Get comfortable - you may want a mat or a blanket, the latter especially if you're likely to get cold. I always find that energy work makes me feel warm, so I didn't use one, but you may find differently. You may want to play music - my family was watching a movie, so I popped in my earbuds, but sometimes silent meditation can be even more powerful. Lay out the stones, from the bottom up. You needn't use the same ones on my list - any stone of the same color or correspondence will do the trick if it's meaningful to you. Getting the last few in place can be a little awkward if you're working by yourself since you can't move around as much.
Then relax - your eyes can be open or closed as you prefer. Breath regularly and focus on each of the chakras in turn. As you contemplate the meaning of each energy vortex, look at your life specifically, see how each chakra relates to it, and decide what changes, if any, need to be made on an energetic level to bring things into balance. If, for example, your work with the heart chakra shows you that your relationships have been lacking due to an inner lack of self-acceptance, then broaden the energy flow to the region, filling it with white light that assimilates into the chakra's pink or green glow. On the other hand, some chakras might be too open, bringing too much of an energy into your life. If this is the case, temper the flow of the energy vortex, bringing it back down to its appropriate level. Work with the stones' natural vibrations to bring the energy centers into equilibrium.
Seek any additional insight from the meditation. Then allow excess energy to drain into the ground. Visualize it returning to the earth and being recycled through the planet's endless cycles. Before you return to your daily life, you may want to do a quick aura combing with the Quartz crystal. Just run it through your aura on all sides, allowing it to fill in any holes in the energy and smooth any rough patches. It only takes a few minutes and feels great afterwards. Make sure to cleanse your crystals after working with them.

December 25th, 2013

Merry Christmas to all those of the Christian faith, most of my family included. I got a lot of wonderful presents from my parents and Santa, but there were a few in particular I wanted to share...

I received Llewellyn's 2014 Faerie calendar, with illustrations by Linda Ravenscroft, and The Crystal Bible, by Judy Hall. The former included this great picture:

The label read "Titania and Puck". After playing Puck in our school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream this year, I was especially appreciative thereof.

I spent most of my day reading my new book and marking the stones I already own with sticky notes. It gives a little bit of physiological information about the individual crystals, but most of the entries are delegated to explaining the metaphysical properties they have, and how they can be used in healing. The book also has an index with lots of great information, including zodiac associations, divinatory meanings, and more. Each stone is illustrated in full color.
Other than the obvious reason of "now I have a Pagan resource regarding minerals", I'm incredibly pleased with my gift because it enabled me to identify a very unusual stone of mine.
I was given one of these by my grandma earlier this year:

Neither of us had any idea what it was. Then, reading through the appropriately named Bible today, I learned that it is what is called a Chrysanthemum Stone. Look it up! Or don't - now that I know what it is, I can do a proper post about its properties in the near future. I also decided to try one of the crystal layouts recommended in the back of the book. It was a chakra layout, and a reasonably simple one at that.
I took a lie down on the floor - my bed is really too soft for this sort of work - but a firm mattress or mat would work just as well. The book said to lay a brown stone in front of the feet, a red one at the base of the spine, an orange stone below the navel, a yellow one on the diaphragm, a pink one on the chest, a blue one on the throat (don't move around too much or it'll slide off), and an indigo one on the forehead. Then place a violet stone above where your head is laying, and a white or clear stone above that. I chose to use Andalusite, Red Jasper, Carnelian, Citrine, Rose Quartz, Turquoise, Lapis Lazuli, Lepidolite, and Clear Quartz, respectively. Then I put in my headphones and played some quiet New Age music while I meditated for about 20 minutes. It was ridiculously relaxing and insightful, and it seemed to clear up both my headache and the back pain I usually get from lying on the floor. I'm definitely going to have to get into the habit of working with my stones more frequently!
And then, finally, I figured out why I've been feeling somewhat off-balance all month. After Thanksgiving, I moved my mini shrine to make space for my Yule tree. Unfortunately, I never thought to change the orientation of the things on the shrine, so that my objects for water were pointed South instead of West, and so on. I about clapped myself on the forehead when I saw that, but it's all fixed now and the energy imbalance is corrected. What a day!

December 23rd, 2013

It is bitterly cold outside - I had trouble getting the car started after work! Yikes! Yule is past, but if you're bundled up indoors and looking for a project, here's a great one to put together this holiday season:

Yule Seed Amulets

The legend goes much like this: malevolent spirits are just that - malevolent. And on the solstices, like Samhain, the veil separating the Otherworld from ours is much thinner than its usual. These Astral nasties may choose to come bother we mortals with a string of bad luck. Fortunately for us, lesser spirits of this variety have a few consistent weaknesses. For one, they abhor salt. For another, they tend to be a bit OCD. By mixing salt and protective herbs in a small jar, any spirit of ill intent passing by it will be forced to sit and count the jar's contents, keeping them from making mischief until they leave at sun-up.
Making yourself one of these amulets is a fun, easy way to keep your home clear of negativity - moreover, the kids will get a kick out of putting them together, too. Once finished, hang the completed jar on doors, set on the porch, or hide in other creative places around the home. They also make great gifts.

Supplies:

• Glass jar of desired size
• Tightly fitting lid for the jar
• Yarn, ribbon, twine, or thread
• Salt
• Enough protective herbs to mostly fill the jar (examples include...)
• Anise
• Basil
• Bayleaf
• Belladonna
• Black pepper
• Chamomile
• Chives
• Cinnamon
• Clove
• Comfrey
• Fennel
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Lavender
• Lime
• Mint
• Nutmeg
• Willow
• Other decorations (optional)

To Make:
Pour a layer of salt into the bottom of the jar. Then add herbs until it is full.
Seeds are the best option, although in the case of cinnamon, ginger, and other like spices, a ground powder may be better. Whole or crumbled leaves can also be used as desired. Just remember that the goal is to give our less pleasant visitors something to count, so definitely include at least one ingredient that is small in size. The herbs listed above are just ideas - you only need to use one variety, and may certainly employ something not on my list. Including layers or mixtures of different herbs might make the amulet prettier. Even glitter can be added - this is an especially good option for a jar going in a child's room. Once you have the contents to your liking, screw on the lid tightly and if it is meant to hang on, above, or next to a door tie on a piece of yarn or ribbon. Other decorations may be added as desired - a small pentacle charm, for example, or other carving of a protective symbol. Sigils of protection can also be drawn or painted right onto the glass.

 

This larger jar might get set among the flowerpots or next to the stoop.

December 22nd, 2013

Happy Yule, everybody! (Oops, it was yesterday.) My grandparents came to visit, so I've been enjoying the holiday with them, and felt it would be gauche to sit on the internet and ignore them, hence my lack of posting yesterday.

This image may or may not have appeared on the family Christmas card this year, recreated by me (I'm not the artist, so apologies to the owner):

There's really only so many times one can draw baby Jesus before it all begins to feel a bit contrived. I've tried, for the last few years, to draw something a bit less religion-specific. After all, my Aunt C is getting one of these, too...

Once again, happy Yule to my Pagan followers. To everyone else, enjoy the season and any holidays you may or may not celebrate. It's the spirit of love and happiness that really counts, after all.

December 10th, 2013

The weekend after Thanksgiving, I decorated my Yule altar and set up my tree. It's super colorful to match my room, and my mom bought me a shiny pink tree skirt this year to go with it. I also added my wide collection of fairy ornaments to the décor.
It feels so nice to have most of my Yule gifts made and purchased. On the off-chance that someone I know stalks my blog, I'll not post the contents of said gifts, but they're all wrapped and pretty. I still have to make something for one of my grandmas and my uncle, but otherwise...


Also, I found this while dredging the mire that is Facebook and thought it seemed relevant to this season of the year.

Happy Yule, Christmas, Saturnalia, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus and other generic winter holidays to all of my readers.