What is energy work and do you need it? + 5 common types of energy work
What is energy work? Is it real? Should you try it? I can’t tell you what’s best for you, but I can share detailed information about various energy work modalities and my personal experience with them to help you determine if and what’s right for you.In this post, you'll learn a bit about what energy work is, if it's right for you, who can practice energy work, five common types of energy work, and experts in each field linked.
What is energy work? Is it real? Should you try it? I can’t tell you what’s best for you, but I can share detailed information about various energy work modalities and my personal experience with them to help you determine if and what’s right for you.
In this post, you'll learn a bit about what energy work is, if it's right for you, who can practice energy work, five common types of energy work, and experts in each field linked.
This is a big topic, friend! I invite you to cozy up with a cup of tea or to bookmark this read to refer back to later. Or, you can listen to the full episode here on my podcast, Rooting into Wholeness.
My Experience With Energy Work
I experienced energy work for the first time at a very young age, 10 or 11 years old. I got my hands on some books from my grandmother about spirituality that explained how to feel the energy between my hands and over my body. I was easily able to feel my energy and was hooked. I continued meditating and working with my energy from that day in a variety of ways.
As an adult, I’ve tried various energy work methods both on myself and from others. I’ve also been practicing shamanic energy healing (in a Celtic lineage) for the last two years. Any of the methods I share here are methods I’ve experienced or administered firsthand.
I will save my full story for another post that I’ll share soon.
What is Energy Work?
Energy work is the intentional effort to manipulate your or someone else's energy for spiritual, emotional, or physical healing. There are countless modalities of energy work practices in cultures around the world. You can perform energy work on yourself or seek it out from a professional.
Energy work affects both the subtle body system (the energetic body) and the physical body in various ways. The subtle body system shows up differently across cultures. Here are some of the subtle body systems we see across the world: chakras and nadis (Hinduism), meridians (Chinese Medicine), the three cauldrons (Celtic), aura (cross-cultural), Ojos de luz (Incan energy system), and the list goes on. Most cultures around the world have some reference of an energy or subtle body system.
Anything that affects the subtle body can also affect the physical body because they’re intertwined. It’s now commonly accepted that emotions can be stored in and affect the physical body. Many believe that energy can be manipulated to create changes in the subtle and the physical body in this same vein. As above so below, as within so without.
Science now recognizes that everything is energy. When we zoom in on the physical world, really far, all we have is vibrating energy. There’s nothing solid about anything in the world we live in. It’s all energy. It can be hard to wrap the mind around physical objects not really being solid, but it’s what we know now to be true. This quote from the physicist Erwin Schrödinger illustrates this well in the quote below.
“What we observe as material bodies and forces are nothing but shapes and variations in the structure of space. Particles are just schaumkommen (appearances).”- Erwin Schrödinger
Aside from the quantum world, there’s also something to be said for unseen energies that we already know exist, like light waves, sound waves, electromagnetic energy, and heck, even wind. There’s an entire world of invisible energy that can affect us both positively and negatively. Though science has not completely caught up with the idea of humans having the potential to spark healing through touch and other psychic abilities, I believe it's something many ancient peoples have known all along.
We spend so much time tending to and caring for our physical bodies, but what about our energy, our essence.
Should You Try Energy Work?
If you feel called to try any kind of energy work, I suggest trying it. The bigger questions that you'll need to ask yourself are what kind of energy work you want to receive and who you want to work with. These are not questions that I can answer for you and will require some research and reflection.
As someone who's received a lot of different kinds of energy work, the best advice I can give you is that you'll know when you know. If you feel pulled to work with someone, honor that, and then do a bit of research about them, which I cover in the next section, to ensure that they're in alignment with your values and are working ethically. If you get any internal nudges that someone is or isn't a good fit, honor that.
Who Can Practice Energy Work and Can I Practice on Myself?
There are a lot of grey areas and different opinions within the answers to these questions. I will do my best in this short space, but please know that many feel differently and that this is a short answer to big questions.
If there’s one thing I hope you take away from this post, it’s that you can perform energy work on yourself. It is not something you need to pay hundreds of dollars to receive. There are many great energy work tools that you can use on yourself, some of which I will share here. Personally, I think it can be extremely powerful and healing to learn different ways to manipulate and heal your own energy. I discuss some of this in my “Understanding Auras” and “Understanding Chakras” books, which are great places to start.
Regarding who can practice on other people, here are some suggestions and questions I always ask myself.
What is their training? Notice I said training, not Certification. Certification is not always a necessity in the case of energy work. Sadly certifications can actually be quite misleading and are not equally accessible. In fact, certification processes often leave out the very people who have trained in indigenous cultures and lineages.
Many certification processes end up being watered-down versions of traditional energy work methods. Furthermore, they could be actively causing harm to the indigenous peoples they came from.
Certification is not always bad, but it’s important to ask some follow-up questions and use discernment when hiring someone with certifications in the energy work methods listed below, like, “Where did the certification come from?”, “Who did they train with for the certification?” and “Were the indigenous and cultural roots respected in the certification process?”. If these things aren’t stated on a person’s website who’s offering energy work, you have every right to ask, and I’d encourage you to do so.
Benefits and Risks of Energy Work
The possible benefits of energy work are vast and will vary from method to method. I'll dive into specific benefits for each kind of energy work method I discuss in their respective sections. Here's a general list of benefits I've personally experienced from different kinds of energy work.
can induce deep calmness and anxiety reduction
can help you feel closer to the spirit realm and connected to All Life
can aid in the balancing of the chakras and subtle body
can spark physical healing (energy work should never replace the guidance of a medical professional)
can bring messages from loved ones and spirits
can help with the removal of unwanted or stagnant energy
can be supportive in processing shadow work and trauma (energy work should never replace the guidance of a trained therapist)
can offer a deep sense of feeling held
can give greater perspective on life issues
can help with decision making
can bring about a general sense of peace and ease
Are there any risks to energy work. Yes and no. Some forms of energy work are riskier than others. The practitioner is actively engaging with your energy for energy work like Reiki, Shamanic healing, and intuitive healing. This is a very intimate and vulnerable act. If you are highly sensitive to energy, it will be of utmost importance for you to be clear about what you do and do not want to experience and make sure you're a good fit with the person you intend to work with.
This is why it's so important to do your due diligence about who you decide to receive energy work from. If you find someone you'd like to receive energy work from, I suggest going within and asking something like, "Is ____________'s medicine in alignment with my highest good?" Notice what comes up. Beyond this, always be sure to run anyone through the questions offered above about who can practice energy work.Another risk is having too high of expectations. Remember, you have autonomy over yourself and your energy. If you go into a session thinking that the practitioner will be able to fix all of your problems in one hour, you might leave pretty disappointed. Energy work is not meant as a cure-all (though in some rare cases, it can be) and is intended, in my opinion, to be a catalyst for healing. I view energy work as a tool to spark healing, soothe the energy body, and open the door to spirit, but oftentimes, it will require further work from you as well. Also, who among us is truly perfectly healed? Here in physical, we will always have something we're moving through.
The Fine Print
Before we dig in, I have a few important things. See, I told you this was a big topic!
Energy work should never take the place of a trained medical professional or therapist. Though energy work can affect the body, and physical healing can take place, it should never replace the work of a doctor. We are multifaceted beings who require multifaceted care. I love receiving energy work, but you better believe I’m going to the hospital if I break my arm.
I am not trained in all of the energy work methods mentioned below. As I mentioned above, I have experienced or administered and have thoroughly researched all of the methods I share here. I will link experts trained in each energy work method so you can experience it or learn more about them.
This is a non-exhaustive list of energy work techniques. I simply did not have room to share more energy work methods and techniques here, but I will list some more at the end of this article.
Ok, let’s dive in!
Reiki
I think Reiki is what most people think of when they hear energy work, but energy work is quite a diverse practice, as you'll find from this post. Here’s one explanation of what Reiki is from a past blog post by Eryn Johnson.
“Reiki is a specific kind of energy work. It’s an energy healing modality that was channeled by Dr. Mikao Usui in Japan. The word Reiki itself means “Universal Energy.” It’s Universal energy, spiritual energy, the energy of oneness, that can be channeled from one human being to another to facilitate healing.
Reiki has its own intelligence. You don’t have to be special to give Reiki, which is one of the things I love about it. We all have this energy within us–it simply gets awakened through a process called a Reiki attunement.” - Eryn Johnson
Nowadays, it’s relatively easy to become “Reiki certified” and be deemed a “Reiki Master.” This is where like I mentioned above, it’s important to do your research and have discernment when seeking a Reiki practitioner.
The most insightful information I’ve heard and read about traditional Reiki has come from Marika Clymer, trained in traditional Japanese Reiki. If you are interested in receiving or learning more about traditional Reiki, I highly suggest learning more about Marika’s work. Visit her website to learn more or book a session here. Listen to an interview with her on the Living Open podcast here, where she discusses traditional Reiki and decolonial energetic healing.
My personal experiences with Reiki have been wonderful. In my experience, it’s a very gentle form of energy work that always leaves me feeling like I’m floating in the clouds.
Crystal Healing
Working with crystals for energy healing is great because it’s so accessible. You do not have to have an innate psychic gift to perform it on yourself, there’s loads of information available about it, and a few basic crystals are really all you need. Some good old quartz is my favorite go-to!
Crystal healing is based on the belief that because crystals are perfect crystalline structures, they can stabilize or shift the energy of other things and people around them. To learn more about crystal healing, check out this blog or my book “Understanding Crystals.”
In my experience, I do think you need to be pretty sensitive to energy and patient to notice this kind of energy work as the shifts can be subtle and happen slowly over time. Although, this isn’t everyone’s experience! For this reason, you’ll often find that crystal healing is combined with other kinds of energy or bodywork. It can be a standalone form of energy work, but it also makes a great compliment to many practices.
I highly suggest my friend Ashely Leavy of the Love and Light School of Crystal Healing to learn more about crystal healing. If you’d like to receive crystal healing, Ashley has recommended two of her former students, Samady Medina of Crystal Gaia and Peyton Johnson of Sol Energy Healing.
The Energy Alignment Method (EAM), The Emotion Code, and Applied Kinesiology
I’ve lumped these three together because they’re all based on variations of muscle testing. However, they do vary and are practiced and taught in different ways.
Applied Kinesiology (not the same as Kinesiology) was developed in the early 1900s by an orthopaedic surgeon named R.W. Lovett. He used it to help determine the effects of Polio on his patients. It’s since been used and further developed by a variety of medical and energy work practitioners. Applied Kinesiology is based on the idea that when there is dis-ease or blocked energy within the body, muscles will be weakened, and subsequent muscle testing will yield a different response from the body.
I’m most familiar with The Energy Alignment Method (EAM) by Yvette Taylor and The Emotion Code by Dr. Bradley Nelson, so that’s what I’ll focus on here.
EAM uses a sway test (a form of muscle testing) to identify blocked or unhelpful energy patterns in the body. It then uses a series of unique steps to release the unwanted energy and ends by calling in the desired energy. The emotion code works similarly and uses muscle testing to find “trapped emotions” but uses a different method for releasing the trapped energy.
I would probably tell you that this energy work modality was quackery if I hadn’t tried it myself because it almost seems too easy! Over the last year, I’ve worked with a wonderfully talented coach who uses EAM named Maria Saraphina. Not only could I feel the energy leaving my body when we did the EAM (I’m super sensitive to all things energy), but I also noticed marked differences around all of the issues we worked on.
Personally, I prefer EAM to the Emotion Code and have benefited greatly from working with the EAM. I found the emotion code to be a bit harder to follow and appreciate that the EAM takes additional steps to call in desired energy.
You certainly don’t need to hire a coach or practitioner who uses this method to benefit from it. It’s actually pretty straightforward to learn and try it out on your own. I suggest starting with Yvette Taylor’s book about EAM here or The Emotion Code by Dr. Bradley Nelson here. My friend and coach Maria also offers a free instructional video about EAM that you can find here.
Breathwork and Pranayama
This is another powerful healing method that’s been under some controversy in recent years. Depending on who you ask, breathwork is pranayama (the ancient yogic practice of breath control). Still, some believe breathwork is a practice of its own, rooted in various other ancient practices. I’m not here to tell you which is true, nor have I done the necessary research to offer you an answer. Wherever you land, I do think it’s important to offer credit where credit is due.
Pranayama is an ancient yogic practice that is one of the eight limbs of yoga and translates to “breath control” or “control over the life-giving force.” Breathwork pulls from a variety of cultures and practices. Both use a series of breathing techniques to control and move the flow of energy within the body. The idea is similar for both that by controlling the breath, one can create shifts and healing in the physical, emotional, and energetic body.
I can not speak highly enough of the benefit of practicing some kind of breathing technique, whether it be pranayama or breathwork. I find it helps to calm the nervous system, get into a deeper state of meditation, helps to release stored trauma, and can activate intuition. The benefits of practicing pranayama or breathwork are vast.
Like many of the other methods I’ve mentioned here, breathing is certainly something you can do on your own. However, the results can be intense. Pranayama and breathwork are not practices, in my opinion, that will always leave you feeling like you’re floating in the clouds (though it can). It can be incredibly emotional and physically draining. If you do want to practice pranayama or breathwork but do not have any prior experience with it, I highly suggest seeking the assistance of a trained practitioner to assist you, whether it be online or in-person. There are many group and solo sessions available by countless practitioners. Here’s a list of some I recommend.
For Pranayama, Susan Barkataki offers online and in-person yoga teacher training from a lens of respecting the cultural heritage of yoga.
Eryn Johnson, who shares posts here, often offers breathwork sessions here. You can also read a previous blog post by Eryn that dives deeper into breathwork here.
Chauna Bryant also offers breathwork sessions and coaching options here.
Shamanic and Intuitive Healing
I saved this one for the end because it’s the energy work field I work in, so I knew it would be the longest section! In my experience and personal practice, I’ve found a lot of overlap between shamanic and intuitive healing, which is why I’ve put them together. Shamanic practitioners often offer a wider array of services aside from energy healing, but for the sake of this post, I’ll be focusing on it as an energetic healing modality.
I’d also like to make it clear that I’m using the term shamanism as an umbrella term here, as the term itself is rooted in Siberian practices from the Tungus people. Shamanic-like practices have been found in cultures worldwide, similar to the Tungus people and often referred to as core shamanism. This is a much bigger topic that I will speak to another day! Intuitive and shamanic healing is based on the idea that energy can be accessed, manipulated, and healed by people with psychic and intuitive gifts that have been initiated or trained in this kind of energy healing. Traditional healing in this way can be found in nearly all indigenous practices.
Healers working in these modalities can “see” (objectively or subjectively in the mind’s eye) or sense (clairsentience) misaligned energy, blocked energy, cords, and physical issues. These healers can then remove, balance, or heal the energy through in-person or distance sessions. The healer will often enter a trancelike state to perform this kind of work but not always. Similar to Reiki, proximity is not necessary as all energy is connected. This work often relies heavily on collaborations between spirit guides and helping spirits from both the practitioner and the client.
My introduction into this work began when I received my first shamanic healing session in 2013 from my now mentor Robin Afinowich. It was the most impactful healing session I’ve experienced, but I will save my story and initiation into this work for a later post.
This is a healing modality that you won’t find many certifications for because people are often born or initiated into this work and taught through lineages of teachers that don’t always honor certification the way so many do in the West.
Of course, as for recommendations, I suggest my teacher, Robin Afinowich, but she only offers local sessions in the greater Phoenix area and is generally booked out.
Another intuitive energy worker I deeply respect who I’ve heard speak about her practice often is Judea Star. She also co-hosts an amazing podcast called Spirit Speakers, which I highly recommend! You can learn more about her or book an intuitive healing session with her here.
Other kinds of energy work
This is truly such a brief introduction to energy work! There are so many other powerful kinds of energy work that I didn’t have room to discuss here. Some of my personal favorites are sound healing, acupuncture, and reflexology.
Phew, my friend! Did you make it to the end with me? If you did, I hope you enjoyed and learned something from all of this information. As always, if you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it with someone you think will enjoy it too. If you have a question feel free to comment on social media here or reach out via email here.
Crystal Cleansing & Charging 101 // 8 Ways to Care for Your Crystals
Perfectly structured lattices of molecules repeat and layer until a crystalline structure begins to emerge. Crystals are the magical and living offspring of earth, heat, and pressure. Viewing your crystals in this way can help you sense their aliveness, at least it does for me.The perfect structures within crystals make them masters at storing and emitting energy. Because they’re so easily impressed upon, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they will require energy maintenance, just like you and me.
Perfectly structured lattices of molecules repeat and layer until a crystalline structure begins to emerge. Crystals are the magical and living offspring of earth, heat, and pressure. Viewing your crystals in this way can help you sense their aliveness, at least it does for me.
The perfect structures within crystals make them masters at storing and emitting energy. Because they’re so easily impressed upon, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they will require energy maintenance, just like you and me.
Aside from honoring your crystals as the entities that they are, charging and cleansing them will also make them more useful. Like all energy beings, your crystals may hold onto unintended frequencies or could be charged with energy that’s not in alignment with your desires.
Before we dive into some actionable steps for crystal care, I’d like to pull apart the differences between cleansing and charging. Even though these terms are often used interchangeably, they are entirely different facets of crystal care.
Here's a breakdown of the differences between crystal cleansing and charging.
Now that you understand the basic functions of cleansing vs. charging crystals, let’s dive into some steps you can take to care for your crystals.
These suggestions are by no means an exhaustive list of ways to cleanse and charge your crystals! Learn more in my new book, The Zenned Out Guide to Understanding Crystals. I also recommend you run everything through your intuitive filter and only practice what feels like a good fit to you.
Crystal Cleansing 101
Here are a few reasons why you might want to cleanse your crystals:
It’s new
You let someone else handle it
You no longer need to use it for a specific purpose
Your cleansing schedule can be as regimented or as intuitive as you like. You might decide to cleanse your crystals every time you receive or purchase a new one, or you can wait until the crystal feels like it needs cleansing. I lean towards the more intuitive method, but both are valid.
5 Ways to Cleanse Your Crystals
Direct sunlight for 10-20 minutes. This method works best with bright midday sunlight. Sun cleansing is one of the simplest and most effective cleansing methods. Caution: some crystals can fade in sunlight. Here are some of the most common ones: amethyst, citrine, celestite, and fluorite. Short periods in the sun, will be okay, but do not leave crystals susceptible to fading in the sun for more than ten minutes every few months.
Hold in running water for 2-5 minutes. Fresh running water from nature is ideal, but tap water will do in a pinch. Water from nature will require less cleansing time.
Bury in the earth for 1-5 days. The burying method is gentler, so it requires a bit more time.
Hold your crystal in cleansing smoke of your choice. Frankincense, lavender, rosemary, or even a cleansing incense will work.
Hold your crystal in your hand and call upon your guides, ancestors, and angels (or any other force you connect with) to cleanse your crystal. Visualize a white or rainbow light enveloping your crystals and cleansing away any unwanted energies.
Crystal Charging 101 Here are a few reasons why you might want to charge your crystals.
You want to use it for a specific purpose.
You feel as though it has lost its effectiveness.
You feel intuitively nudged to charge the crystal or feel as though the crystal is requesting to charging in a specific way.
You don’t have to charge your crystals to work with them, but it will undoubtedly enhance their effectiveness and increase your connection with your crystals. There are similarities between the techniques used for cleansing and charging; the most important distinction is that charging is adding specific energy to your crystal. There are a variety of ways to do this, but understanding your intention is critical.
3 Ways to Charge Your Crystals
Place your crystal under the light of the moon phase of your choice for 1-2 nights. Working with the moon phases is one of my favorite ways to charge my crystals. Each moon phase has specific energy; you can learn more about that here. For example, if you’re working with a crystal to give you energy, you’ll want to charge it under the light of a waxing moon. The waxing moon is the growth phase of the moon and corresponds to action and energy. Alternatively, if you’d like to charge a crystal to help you rest, you’d want to charge it under the dark moon, which is a restorative moon phase.
Place your crystal in the morning or evening sun for 20-30 minutes. Our life-giving sun can be used for both cleansing and charging. I do suggest being mindful of what time of day you use the sun for either charging or cleansing. This method works well if you feel like your crystal needs a little boost of energy.
Charge your crystals with your hands. The heat and warmth of your hands alone are enough to charge up your crystals. Charging with your hands is an ideal method to use when you’re working with crystals for massage or bodywork. Hold or rub your crystal in your hands for 1-2 minutes for a quick charge.
I hope you feel empowered to start connecting with your crystals using these tools! Your crystals will thank you, and the more you connect with them, the better they’ll work for you.
You can dive much deeper into this topic in my new book, The Zenned Out Guide to Understanding Crystals. In this new book, I share how crystal energy works, how to program a crystal, and how to use crystal grids. This book also contains a fully illustrated crystal guide!
Connecting the Head and Heart with Fluorite
Fluorite represents bringing together the intuitive mind and the emotional heart. Fusing one with the other, to help you find ultimate clarity. Though this stone is often touted as one of protection, I've found its energy to be most helpful with working with the heart and mind, so that is what I'll focus on here. Before I jump into some ways to work with fluorite, let's look at its unique mineral qualities.
Fluorite represents bringing together the intuitive mind and the emotional heart. Fusing one with the other, to help you find ultimate clarity. Though this stone is often touted as one of protection, I've found its energy to be most helpful with working with the heart and mind, so that is what I'll focus on here. Before I jump into some ways to work with fluorite, let's look at its unique mineral qualities.
What is Fluorite?
When fluorite crystallizes, it does so in an isometric system that can present as cubic or as an octahedron. That's why you'll sometimes see perfect cubes for sale as natural fluorite, it actually forms like this in nature! Another prized quality of fluorite is the banding of colors. Did you know that fluorite's actual color is clear? The banding occurs over time with various introductions of fluid, gas, and heat. Lastly, fluorite is one of few stones that are triboluminescent, which means it can create light when friction is introduced (p.s. I don't suggest trying this at home with your fancy polished stones, but here's a cool video to check it out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzBXXmcaf2M ).
Metaphysical Properties of Fluorite
Here's a reference guide for some of the suggested uses and meanings fluorite. One of my favorite crystal educators, Judy Hall, has this to say about fluorite from her book, The Crystal Bible: "Dissolving fixed ideas, it helps to move beyond narrow-mindedness to the bigger picture. This stone dissolves illusions and reveals truth. It is very helpful when you need to act impartially and objectively."Other uses and meanings associated with fluorite:
Mental clarity
Focus
Balance
Heart chakra - (green fluorite)
Third eye chakra - (purple fluorite)
Connects the head and heart
Stabilizes the aura
Helps to bring structure
Intuition - (purple fluorite)
Healing - (green fluorite)
3 Ways to Work with Fluorite
1. Clarity Spray or Spell Bottle
Because fluorite is so helpful at clarifying your thoughts. It works well for spells and intentions involving clarity and focus. Here's a simple recipe that can be used as a spell bottle or as a spray to use throughout your day.
For this spell bottle you'll need:
A glass vial or bottle
Piece of paper and permanent marker or pencil- only for the spell bottle, not for the spray
Water- enough to fill your vessel
Frankincense essential oil- 5 drops for a spell bottle and 20 for a spray
Smokey Quartz or Jasper of any kind
Rainbow Fluorite
Rosemary- dried or as an essential oil, use 5-10 drops of oil or a t. of dried rosemary.
To prepare your spell bottle, follow these steps:
Cleanse all of your items with sacred smoke of your choosing, under the moon's light, or by envisioning cleansing white light enveloping them.
If you're making a spell bottle, you may choose to write something specific on your paper that you'd like to receive clarity about.
As you place each item into your vessel, imagine yourself moving throughout your day with a perfectly clear mind and always knowing the next best action.
Once everything is in your vial, close the bottle, hold it in your hands, and repeat this invocation or something similar that feels right to you: My mind is open and clear. I will maintain a calm focus as I work. My heart and mind are connected. So it is.
Place your spell bottle on your altar or your nightstand. If you created a spray, use it anytime you feel the need for more clarity.
2. Meditation for Head and Heart Connection
Fluorite is an ideal stone for meditation. It can help you access both your heart and third eye chakra. To work with fluorite in meditation, hold a fluorite stone in each hand, or lie down with one piece on your heart chakra (sternum) and one on your third eye chakra (in between eyebrows).
As you settle into your meditation, visualize a line of energy connecting your third eye chakra and heart chakra. Begin to visualize each chakra glowing with light, purple for the third eye, and green for the heart chakra. Stay in the meditation as long as you'd like. This is also a great time to ask any questions that you've had lingering. You might find the answers come to you with ease with your heart and head connected in this way.
The open communication between your head and heart will help offer a balanced and well-rounded answer to anything causing confusion in your life. This same visualization practice can be performed with or without fluorite. Working with the actual crystals serves as a potent intention-setting tool, but you can call in this energy for meditation without having the physical crystals.
3. Focus and Structure at Work
The easiest way to start working with fluorite is to wear it while you work or place it in your workspace. If you decide to work with fluorite in this way, I suggest programming it with your work goals and desires. To do this, you'll want to cleanse your crystal first with water, smoke, or sunlight. Next, hold it in your hands and visualize how you want to feel at work. Crystals for this purpose work well as wearable talismans or pocket stones. However, a sphere or point on your desk is fine too.
The connection between your heart and mind is essential for staying true to yourself, especially at work! I hope this post has made you feel empowered to work with the energy of fluorite.
Understanding the Energy of Gemini Season
Welcome to Gemini season! Our mutable air sign, this archetype is here to help us open our minds, connect to each other, and communicate our truth. Whether you have Gemini placements in your birth chart or not, we’re all feeling into this energy during this season. In this blog, I’ll be sharing what Gemini is all about, the planetary and tarot associations of Gemini, and how to understand Gemini in your chart.
Understanding Gemini
Welcome to Gemini season! Our mutable air sign, this archetype is here to help us open our minds, connect to each other, and communicate our truth.
Whether you have Gemini placements in your birth chart or not, we’re all feeling into this energy during this season. In this blog, I’ll be sharing what Gemini is all about, the planetary and tarot associations of Gemini, and how to understand Gemini in your chart.
GEMINI ENERGY
Ruled by the messenger planet, Gemini is a sign that’s about exchange, communication, connection, and relating. It’s a mutable sign, transitioning us from the spring season into summer.
At its most soul-centered level, Gemini energy helps us bring together people and ideas, share our message and our voice, create love through connection and communication, and find the magic right here at home in our neighborhoods.
As an air sign, Gemini connects us to the mind. Mercury brings a lightness, a sharpness, a witness to this sign. Its mutability brings a capacity to change, shift, and morph. Exchange is critical for Gemini, which teaches us how to build bridges, share ideas, and bring communities, individuals, and ideas together.
All signs have a shadow energy and expression, and in its shadow, Gemini can stay at a shallow, surface-level and fear going deep. It can bring scattered quality and anxious energy. Sagittarius is Gemini’s polar sign, and this axis is all about the mind. Where Gemini taps us into the concrete mind of facts and knowledge, Sagittarius connects us to the more visionary, abstract mind. These polar signs teach us that we need a balance of both!
Keep scrolling to read more, or check out this video with Eryn to learn more about the energy of Gemini season.
THE PLANETS
In Western astrology, Gemini is ruled by Mercury. Known as the messenger planet, Mercury brings us into the realm of language, thought, and information. Mercury rules not only how we communicate but how we receive communication and process information. Its rulership focuses Gemini on relationships and self-expression.
In esoteric astrology, Gemini is ruled by Venus. Esoteric astrologer Heidi Rose Robbins says Venus rules Gemini at the esoteric level because Venus is interested in fusing things, in weaving a fabric of love together that underlies everything.
GEMINI IN THE TAROT
In the tarot, Gemini is associated with the Lovers, the Magician, and the Knight of Swords.
The Lovers is ruled by Gemini, the Magician is ruled by Mercury, and the Knight of Swords is mutable air in the court cards in my tarot practice.
In the Lovers, we see ourselves reflected in the other. Other becomes a mirror for self, and vice versa. Of course, there is a connection and weaving together here, of hearts, energies, and perhaps lives, which to me speaks very much to the esoteric Venus ruler of Gemini!
The Magician shows us how Gemini energy helps us translate our ideas and visions into the physical world. The esoteric becomes the tangible, formless becomes concrete. The Magician is a helpful aid that we need if we want to use our creativity and ideas to create actual change.
The Knight of Swords connects us to the mutable texture of Gemini. The airiest card in the tarot (double air!), movement is key here. Movement creates clarity, joy, and the change we seek. Air is also associated with the mind and the voice, which connects us to Gemini’s mercurial side.
UNDERSTANDING GEMINI IN YOUR CHART
To understand Gemini in your chart, you’ll want to look at a couple of pieces:
Any planets in Gemini
The house that Gemini rules in your chart. Whatever house Gemini rules indicates the area of life where you are meant to express, share your voice, and build bridges.
Your 3rd house. The 3rd house is the Gemini house. The sign that rules your 3rd house can add another layer indicating how Gemini themes show up in your life.
CONNECTING WITH GEMINI ENERGY WITH CRYSTALS AND ORACLE
Another way to understand Gemini energy in your life could be to ask your oracle or tarot deck: how is Gemini energy showing up in my life right now?
Want to connect more deeply with Gemini energy? You might like to connect with some crystals for Gemini season. Try apatite for clear communication and focusing your mind, howlite for calming anxiety, or celestite for throat chakra opening. Black tourmaline can help you ground the heady energy if it feels like a lot for you!
Healing with Kunzite // 4 Ways to Work With Kunzite
Feeling like you need a little emotional protection these days? Kunzite is a lesser-known crystal that comes with a variety of benefits for your mind and heart. The high vibrational energy of kunzite invites you to let go of fear and sorrow so you can move through life with a protected, but open heart.Let's dive deeper into the healing properties of this beautiful crystal and how to benefit from all it has to offer! Here's an overview of this potent healing gem. Keep scrolling for 5 ways to put this stone to use in your spiritual practice.
Feeling like you need a little emotional protection these days? Kunzite is a lesser-known crystal that comes with a variety of benefits for your mind and heart. The high vibrational energy of kunzite invites you to let go of fear and sorrow so you can move through life with a protected, but open heart.
Let's dive deeper into the healing properties of this beautiful crystal and how to benefit from all it has to offer! Here's an overview of this potent healing gem. Keep scrolling for 5 ways to put this stone to use in your spiritual practice.
What is Kunzite?
Kunzite ranges in color from the palest pink, light violet, green, or even white. It can vary from glass-like transparency to opaque, often with vertical striations. The soft pink hues of this stone along can bring feelings of comfort.
On an energetic level, kunzite aids in freedom of expression. It does this by opening the heart enough for you to follow your desires but subtly protects as well. Kunzite is a beautiful stone for those looking for emotional protection without closing themselves off from life or others.
Kunzite can help align you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. This stone can bring light and comfort into your everyday life. It is gentle enough to work with daily in meditation or ritual.
Kunzite Healing Properties
When carried, kunzite can aid in calming anxiety and panic attacks.
Wearing kunzite inspires us to be fully present in the moments.
Though kunzite primarily corresponds with the heart and upper chakras, it has the power to clear, activate, and open all chakras.
It helps to heal your inner child or emotional blockages from the past.
It can open your heart to receive spiritual and physical love.
Meditation with Kunzite
You will feel a powerful sense of peace and comfort when meditating with kunzite. This spiritual stone clears and declutters the mind, which can open you up to receiving blocked memories. Kunzite reduces stress brought on by anxiety, making it the perfect stone for meditation. Have your kunzite near while meditating, or wear it on your body for a strong, energetic connection.
Create a Crystal Grids with Kunzite
Kunzite is an excellent addition to your crystal grid. Use kunzite in grids for self-love, expression, working through trauma, peace, and healing. This powerful stone combines well with rose quartz, black tourmaline, malachite, and hematite, to name a few.
Kunzite can be harder to come by and more expensive, so I suggest using it as a center stone. Learn how to make a crystal grid here.
Heal Your Chakras with Kunzite
As a stone that represents unconditional love and compassion, kunzite aligns best with the heart chakra. It can help to open your spiritual and emotional heart and bring healing to past trauma.
Kunzite not only activates the Heart Chakra but aligns with all of the upper chakras (throat, third eye, and crown), triggering a harmony of transformative energy. To work with kunzite for chakra healing, place a piece on your heart chakra and visualize in creating a field of soft pink energy around your body. Learn more about chakras here.
Cleanse and Strengthen Your Aura with Kunzite
This delicate stone allows us to embrace kindness and joy while connecting to a higher power. If you've built walls around your heart over time, kunzite can help. The calming energy of kunzite will cleanse any negative auric shadows that may have accumulated. Cleansing with kunzite encourages us to breakdown barriers to make room for unconditional and abundant love. Kunzite will also strengthen your aura.
To work with kunzite to heal and strengthen your aura, hold a piece of kunzite about 6 inches away from your body and use your intuition to guide it through your aura, clearing away any negative energy. Performing suggestion number 3 will also similarly affect your aura. Learn more about auras here.
Energy Clearing 101 // For You & Your Home
At the smallest level, we are beings of energy. Your aura can radiate several inches out from your body and can pick up energy from people you don’t even know. If you consider yourself an empath, it’s even more likely that you’re picking up energy that doesn’t belong to you.Stuck inside your home for weeks on end, you say, due to a virus? You’re in the right place! I’m going to share best practices for cleansing the energy of yourself, your space, and a variety of energy cleansing tools. Use all of them, one of them, or any combination. They’re all useful, and many of the tools suggested you might already have in your home. Tip: you don’t need to be a trained Reiki master to cleanse the energy of yourself and your space! These tools are great for the novice and expert alike.
At the smallest level, we are beings of energy. Your aura can radiate several inches out from your body and can pick up energy from people you don’t even know. If you consider yourself an empath, it’s even more likely that you’re picking up energy that doesn’t belong to you.
Stuck inside your home for weeks on end, you say, due to a virus? You’re in the right place! I’m going to share best practices for cleansing the energy of yourself, your space, and a variety of energy cleansing tools. Use all of them, one of them, or any combination. They’re all useful, and many of the tools suggested you might already have in your home.
Tip: you don’t need to be a trained Reiki master to cleanse the energy of yourself and your space! These tools are great for the novice and expert alike.
Why is Energy Clearing Important?
Your subtle body (energy body) is connected to your physical body. This is reflected in the phrase, “as above so below.” What this common phrase points to is that if the energy of yourself and your space goes untended, it will no doubt begin to manifest in your physical body and your actions, and vice versa. If left untended, this bubble of energy swirling around your physical body will begin to muddy up your home as well.
Cleansing your energy and the energy of your home is one of the fastest ways to lift your spirits. It also makes for good energy hygiene! I’m sure you’ve had the experience of going over to someone’s house, and the energy just felt heavy, or like it stuck to you even after you left? When you let the energy of yourself or your living space stagnate or pile up, it can begin to affect other areas of your life.
Energy Cleansing Process
Before we dive into my suggestions for cleansing tools, let’s explore a few best practices for the energy cleansing process.
Dedicate time, 15-30 minutes, to the sacred practice of energy cleansing. Maybe even consider setting a weekly time to cleanse yourself and your space. Turning it into a regular ritual will mean you’re more likely to do it every week, and you’ll probably start to really look forward to it. I know I do. You’ll also probably start to become more aware of the energy building up in your space and how it affects you.
Clean and declutter physically first. This will get you into the right state of mind to clean the energy of your space. This doesn’t have to be a thorough deep clean, but get your space clean enough that you’re not going to be distracted by any messes.
Get your energy flowing. I like to dance, do some yoga, meditate, or do some breathwork before I begin my cleansing process. Anything to get your energy going and raise your vibration a bit helps! This isn’t mandatory, but it will help get your prana (life force) moving and your energy flowing. This will make it easier for you to clear away stagnant energy in your aura.
Know what kind of energy you want to bring into your energy field after you cleanse. Anytime you clear out stagnant or unwanted energy, it’s important to bring in the energy you want to fill up all of that extra space. If you skip this step, all of that cleared energy will likely just fill back up with all of the same stuff you cleared out. Some of the tools used for cleansing that I share below can also be used for bringing in some good energy. I like to use my energy, the energy of a higher power, candles, and selenite to bring positive energy, and I dive deeper into each of these below.
Salt
Salt has been used as a purification tool since ancient times. From witches to ancient cultures, salt acts as a tool to banish all kinds of unwanted energy. My favorite thing about salt is how versatile it is! Here are three ways to use salt for energy clearing.
Take a salt bath
Sprinkle dry salt around the edges of your house
Make or purchase a salt spray by mixing salt and water. Spray it around yourself and your house.
Smoke & Herbs
Like salt, smoke cleansing dates back to the ancients. A variety of plants have been prized for their energetic clearing throughout history and are still used to this day. You probably have some of these dried herbs in your spice cabinet!
I suggest exploring the plants used in your ancestral lineage for space cleansing first. If you want to rely on popular favorites like white sage and palo santo, be sure to do your research and ensure that you’re purchasing from a company that’s harvesting the plants ethically.
Herbs and resin for energy clearing:
Rosemary
Thyme
Peppermint
Sage- garden sage, desert sage, and blue sage are some great alternatives to white sage.
Frankincense resin
Copal resin
You can burn sprigs of loose herbs, wrap them in a bundle for a smoke wand (learn how to make your own here), diffuse essential oils, or if you have fresh versions, you can simply hang them in your space for the aroma.
Candles
Candles can be used for a multitude of purposes, including energy clearing. Candles are also a great tool for bringing in the kind of energy you want after you cleanse unwanted energy. To cleanse your space, I suggest a white candle. Light the white candle and walk around your space while visualizing a white cleansing light, clearing out negativity. Next, you can light a candle color associated with the energy you want to bring into your space. Learn more about candle magick here.
Crystals
When it comes to energy cleansing, selenite is my favorite! Selenite is a high vibrational crystal that is queen when it comes to cleansing away unwanted energy. Selenite is often sold in wands and plates, which are ideal for energy cleansing. You can use a wand to comb through your aura or a plate to rest objects on that you’d like to cleanse. Check out the video below to watch a video of my cleansing the energy of my shop and using a selenite wand to cleanse my aura.
Some other great options are clear quartz, amethyst, and black tourmaline. Crystals are another tool that can be used to bring in the desired energy after cleansing. To do this, place some crystals out that represent the kind of energy you want to bring in.
Crystal tip: Supercharge the cleansing power of your crystals by creating a crystal grid for cleansing. Learn more about creating a crystal grid here.
Sound
Sounds are an incredibly powerful and often undervalued cleansing tool. Sound occurs from vibration; the vibration causes the air molecule around the source of the vibration to vibrate. The vibrating air molecules affect more than just your eardrums, which turn the vibrations into the sound you hear, but will match everything around it to its vibration as well. This process is called entrainment.
Use sound to cleanse yourself, your crystals, and your home. You don’t have to have expensive singing bowls to cleanse with sound either. There are a variety of sound healing tools available. Here are some of my favorites.
Tuning forks
Gongs
Chimes
Chanting
Singing bowls
Online frequencies (free and paid versions are available)
Learn more about sound healing here.
Your Energy and Energy from a Higher Power
Using your energy or that of a power greater than yourself (Goddess, God, Angels, spirit guides, Source Energy, Universe, loved ones passed on, etc.) can be used for both energy clearing and bringing in the kind of energy you want. I like to use this technique in tandem with other tools. For example, if I’m using a white candle to cleanse my space, I will ask Source Energy to help remove stagnant and negative energy. After cleansing, I will call on ancestors and guides to bring in good vibes and inspiration.
You can work with this kind of energy through visualization, asking for the presence of your higher power of choice, and by placing physical reminders such as pictures or amulets of your higher power of choice.
Energy hygiene will have a ripple effect on your life. Remember, as above so below, as within so without. Whatever is going on inside will reflect what’s going on inside. I hope these tips help to keep your energy clear and flowing, sweet soul!