Breathe Deep with These 3 DIY Lavender Recipes

Aside from smelling heavenly, lavender comes with a slew of amazing benefits. Lavender can help with anxiety, insomnia, restlessness, PMS, antiseptic and a recent study reported in the Journal of Medical Microbiology shows that lavender oil is a potent anti-fungal as well. Take a look around your home. Hand soap, body lotion, countertop cleaner, linen spray, candles…you probably keep some sort of lavender-scented item in your home.

I wondered, what else this amazing herb could be used for? It turns out lavender is a gold mine for DIY home products! I’ve chosen three that I think you’ll find come in super handy.

Lush Lavender Bath Scrub

Lavender oil is a choice pick for a bath time scrub! This oil works as an antiseptic to promote healing of the skin. It’s also popular for assisting with sleep. Insomnia may have met its match with this one! So, get ready to settle your senses after a long day.

Here’s what you’ll need to whip up a batch of this delectable and healing scrub:

• Mason or apothecary jar

• 1 1/2 cups of organic sugar

• 1/4 cup of olive oil

• Mix the ingredients together to coat the sugar. Add dried lavender flowers for some extra pizzaz!

Chilled Lavender Towels

Lavender oil’s sedating qualities work well for sleeplessness AND pain relief. Whether you have a headache, fever or you’re white-knuckling it through childbirth--its ability to curb pain really is astonishing! Here is one of my most cherished methods for diminishing discomfort.

How To:

• Fill your sink with water and add 6-10 drops of lavender oil

• Soak several hand towels in the lavender water (let excess water run off of the towels)

• Roll up the towels and put them on a tray in the freezer

• Grab a towel from the freezer whenever you are in need. These little bits of magic are nothing short of amazing. Place one across your forehead or unroll it to cover your nose and mouth. Now relax and breathe in the crisp, cool, heavenly aroma for some obligatory tranquility.

Lavender Insect Repellent

My personal favorite! If you’re worried about all of those harsh chemicals in regular bug sprays like I am, you’ll love this one. Plus, it’s super easy! What’s better than an au naturel bug spray smelling of sweet, sweet lavender? Gliding through the woods, free of bug bites and smelling like an angel…Ha! I’m in!

Ingredients & How To:

• Fill an 8oz spray bottle halfway with distilled water

• Add 30-50 drop of lavender oil

• Add witch hazel to fill the remainder of the bottle

• Venture to the great outdoors with a new-found freedom from deet…and mosquitos!

Bonus Lavender Quick Tips

Make lavender oil a staple in your stash. You can find it at a health food store, specialty grocery store, or maybe you even have a friend that sells EO’s. It can be used alone, or with a carrier oil. Choose a food-grade oil for lavender lemonade, or pick a lavender oil to keep in your first aid kit for its topical anesthetic properties. Sometimes I’ll even rub a little lavender oil on my hands to give my easily irritated chi, Ren, a belly rub, this miraculously always helps him calm down.

Lavender is a great reminder to stop and take a deep breath on a busy day. Send me a DM with your lavender oil tips and tricks! Bonus points if you can let me in on your favorite lavender oil rollerball blend and its uses. I’d love to feature it in an upcoming post and share it with all of our community!

3 Ways to Honor & Connect with Gaia for Earth Day

Every year Earth Day rolls around and I get this sinking feeling in my stomach that I’m not doing enough. I’m quick to jump on the shame wagon and ask myself, “What more can I do to heal Mother Earth?” Sometimes, it seems like the small things I do, like taking reusable bags to the grocery, using reusable water bottles, and walking more just aren’t enough. There’s too much healing that needs to take place, how can my small acts make a difference?There is always more we could be doing, but it is also important to start where you are and slowly build in more habits and rituals to help the earth. Like any habit, taking on too many or too much at one time will inevitably lead to feeling overwhelmed and result in abandoning the habit altogether. Rituals are important for me, they make me feel more connected to the universe and help solidify the actions I want to take. To celebrate Earth Day and honor our natural home, I found several rituals for the goddess Gaia and think they’re a perfect way to feel more connected and spiritually in tune with Earth Day.

Who is Gaia?

The Greek goddess Gaia was born out of chaos. Gaia is the personification of Earth, the primal mother. She bore the sky and the sea, the sun and the heavens, and all of life. Gaia is the being that nurtures and heals us. She supplies our medicine, food, clothes, and shelter.

3 Ways to Honor Gaia for Earth Day

1. Get outside!

One of the best ways to honor the earth is to engage with the earth. In our homes, it can be easy to forget that we are earth. The land you live on has wisdom to share and the only way you can learn it is by engaging with it. Getting outside also comes with a slew of health benefitsNature doesn't move on our timeline, things move slower. Take your time forming relationships with your local plants and trees. After a time, you'll begin to connect with them and may start to receive intuitive insights from them too.If you're unable to get outside consider bringing in some earthy scents into your home, altar, or sacred space, like honeysuckle, spruce, or cypress. Visualizing a connection with the earth can be just as powerful and adding scents can enrich your experience.

2. Get involved locally

Find ways to support the earth in your community that are doable for you. It can be easy to focus solely on the big problems while forgetting that there are solutions needed for our local environments. Finding ways to support locally can have just as much of an impact long-term as global issues.

3. Gratitude Offerings

Bring some life to your altar or sacred space by making a fruit and flower offering to Gaia. Spend some quiet moments and deep breaths with this offering, asking Gaia for guidance this Earth day.

Choosing Your Lucky Charm: The Use of Talismans

Do you need a little extra luck for that upcoming project, adventure or dream that you’re planning to embark on? Talismans have been used since the dawn of mankind to enhance fertility, ward off evil and bring luck. These mystical uses are not just wishful thinking, there have actually been some recent studies that support the use of luck charms and talismans.

What is a talisman?

A talisman is an object believed to bring luck to its keeper. Talismans have been present since the Stone Age and can be traced through multiple cultures. Similar words for “talisman” can be found in French, Spanish and Italian. They are all derived from the word “tilsam,” which is an Arabic word meaning “charm.” Further roots are traced back to the Greek expression “telein,” which is “to initiate the mysteries.” These similarities in languages tell us that talismans have been used across the globe and throughout time.

Are there real benefits of using charms?

Okay, so here’s the scoop on why you should be using a lucky charm. In short, they’re basically holistic performance enhancers for your soul. That’s right, a totally natural way to up your game. In 2010, the University of Cologne performed a study on people who used lucky charms. The results?

• Increased Confidence: Belief in a talisman in turn makes you believe more in yourself

• Higher Goal Setting: When you have more confidence in your abilities you set your sights higher

• Persistence: The belief that you have a lucky charm on your side enables you to push through until you’ve reached the desired result

Our Top Picks

THE LOTUS FLOWER: SUN, REBIRTH, PURITY, PROSPERITY

Because the lotus flower grows beautifully despite its murky habitat, this might be the talisman you choose to rise above any murky waters in your life.

HAMSA HAND: PROTECTION, STRENGTH

The hamsa hand brings luck by warding off the evil eye. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, this has been a chosen charm for me. I’ve told you of a time that it has helped me push through a challenging yoga mala. What I didn’t tell you is that I began wearing the hamsa hand because I had someone directing bad energy my way, specifically towards my yoga practice.

DREAMCATCHERS: SUCCESS, BALANCE, PEACE, CREATIVITY

Many of us know that dreamcatchers “catch” our bad dreams. However, they also have the ability to harness the magical qualities of dreams and present these qualities in our lives. So, dream big! This talisman represents success, balance, peace, creativity, and a deeper connection with the spirit.

SAYING GOODBYE

If you lose your charm you might think you are totally doomed. Fear not! Often times when we lose our charms it is simply the Universe’s way of communicating to us that our charm has served its purpose and the job is complete. In fact, I lost my hamsa hand when the person sending me bad energy ceased to be in my life.

Rune Symbols: A Beginner’s Guide to Divination

Sometimes we just need a message from the Universe to pull us through. Does this ring true for you? My grandmother relied on answers from her pendulum for big and small life questions, her open-mindedness to divination tools caught my attention at a young age and I was instantly hooked. Oracle cards, tarot, palmistry, astrology, pendulums, tea leaf readings, name a divination tool and you’ll be sure I’ve dabbled in it. Runes are new for me though, I’ve always been intrigued by their symbolism but never knew how to use them.

You could be wondering how to proceed in a relationship, or just looking for some guidance as you start your day. Rune symbols can remedy many of the nagging questions you might have racing through your head. Here are some basic history and tips I’ve learned for getting started.

A Brief History of Rune Symbols

Before the Latin Alphabet, rune letters were used to write German languages. Their roots can be found in Old Norse, and they make up an ancient runic alphabet containing 24 symbols. Rune symbols have been found to date back as far as 150 AD. They have been discovered on spearheads, charms, and even on headstones in the form of spells! It is said that the word “rune” has come to mean “secret, something hidden,” and many people believe the symbols were used as a form of divination. Some people continue this practice today.

3 Ways to Use Runes as a Divination Tool

There are several ancient tales that explain how to cast the symbols.

THE 3 RUNE SPREAD

Around 98 AD a book was written (The Germania) detailing Germanic tribes. In this book, a story is told of symbols being chosen from “a nut-bearing tree” in groups of three. In this version, you will draw three rune symbols to answer your question.

YNGLINGA SAGA

In an Old Norse saga (Ynglinga Saga) dating between 1869-1872 a king learns his fate when all of the “chips” are cast. This refers to a full reading casting all 24 symbols

VITA ANSGARI

A biography of Saint Ansgar written around 875 CE, recalls the lives of some of the common people during the Viking Age. In the accounts of the everyday people, Ansgari describes several situations where runes are used for divination. He refers to these instances as “drawing lots.” This describes the method where you will draw only one rune symbol at random.

• The symbols should be cast East to West or facing the sun

• Symbols should be cast on a white cloth

• Facedown symbols shouldn’t be read

• Reversed symbols take on a different meaning

Meanings of the Rune symbols vary slightly from source to source, but here’s an image that shows the simplest meanings I’ve found. In general, the reversed symbols will mean the opposite.I purchased my new set of runes at a local crystal shop, but quite a few Etsy sellers offer handmade sets, here’s one of my favorite finds. Whether you’ve had experience with using Rune’s as a divination tool or you’re just starting out I’d love to hear about your experience!

Cleansing & Charging Your Crystals

By now you’ve been putting your crystal collection to good use (I hope you’ve been enjoying using the Metraton's Cube grid!). You’ve undoubtedly realized though, that these sweet little gemstones take on the harshest of vibes! Think of the amethyst you might keep under your pillow to rid yourself of restlessness, or the sunstone you’ve been carrying around to help pull yourself out of a funk.  Everything I explain below can be used to clean and clear your crystal jewelry as well.Have you considered a way to cleanse your crystals of these negative energies? Like everything that we value in our lives, these precious stones need our TLC.

Cleansing Your Crystals

Here are two of my favorite ways to cleanse your crystals:

AMETHYST CAVE

I know what you’re thinking, “sure, let me just run out to my backyard and hop in my crystal cave!” Although that would be fun, this type of cave is much more compact. An amethyst cave refers to a cathedral-shaped structure. Geodes and clusters will also work well for this. Just leave your crystals on the amethyst for 24-48 hours.

SMOKE & HERBS

A well-liked method for clearing crystals, I suggest exploring some plants and tools that are related to your ancestral lineage. Some examples of  smoke and herbs are:

• Lavender

• Mugwort

• Cedar

• Rosemary

If you want to learn how to make DIY herb sticks, check out this blog post.

Charging Your Crystals

Success! Your crystals are now super fresh and ready for charging. Charging is meant to keep your gemstones in tune with you and your personal uses for them. Try to charge them soon after cleansing them so they don’t pick up any of those bad vibes.Just like cleaning, there are several methods for charging your crystals but here are a few:

SUNLIGHT

Light, life, abundance, and vitality. Be careful not to keep your crystals in sunlight for too long as this can cause fading.

MOONLIGHT

Inward fulfillment. Crystals can be left outside under the moonlight for a few hours for charging.

WAXING MOON

If you are hoping to use your crystals for an intention focused on new beginnings then place them under the light of a waxing moon as it is moving towards a full moon.

WANING MOON

If you are looking to decrease something in your life, such as illness, place the crystals under a waning moon as it is moving away from a full moon.

I hope all of this talk about cleansing and charging has been helpful. I sure did learn a lot! There are as many methods of clearing crystals and charging them as there are people.

Please reply and share some of your tried and true personal favorites! For more ways to cleanse and charge your crystals, click here.

Activating Your Crystal Grid

You’ve set an intention and created a beautiful crystal grid, but now what? Activating your crystal grid is a great way to spend more time with it, reinforce your intention, and bring positive energy into it. We covered the basics of making a crystal grid for reaching your goals on the blog two weeks ago, and today I want to talk a bit about how to carry on with this practice.As a note, crystal wands are beautiful but they’re not a necessity for activating your grid. You can use a point crystal of your choice or even your hand.  

Three Ways to Activate Your Crystal Grid

With all three of these methods, it’s important to center yourself with a few deep breaths and focus your mind on your intention or goal for the crystal grid. You may want to repeat a mantra or visualization throughout the activation process to help reinforce your intention.

THE “CONNECT THE DOTS” METHOD

Start on the outer crystals of your grid with your crystal wand or a pointed crystal, and start drawing lines between the crystals, just like you’d do for a dot-to-dot drawing. Continue working your way closer to the center, drawing invisible lines between all of the crystals. Once you reach the center stone take a moment to close your eyes and imagine the energy of the stones uniting and connecting.

THE “CAKE CUT” METHOD

Starting on the outside of the crystal grid, circle your wand or pointed crystal around the grid in any direction that feels good to you. As you slowly circle the crystals' image, invisible lines of energy begin connecting them. Once you’ve finished this first step, place your wand on your center stone and slowly trace out on the rows of crystals, using the same motion you would cut a cake, until you’ve traced over all of them. Imagine the energy of the crystals uniting and radiating from the center stone.

THE “HAND” METHOD

Start by moving your hand above the stones in a circular motion. Imagine a ray of light connecting all of the crystal and traveling through them. Spend as much time as you’d like on this step, moving your hand over the crystals and visualizing the light. When you feel that the stones are connected, hold your hand over the center stone and feel all of the energy centralizing there.With all of these methods, take a moment to sit with your activation and fully experience and thank the universe for the energy to activate your crystal grid.If you're looking for a crystal grid to start with, download our Metraton's Cube crystal grid here.

2 Spring Equinox Rituals to Cleanse & Refresh

Have you ever been curious about how to celebrate the Spring Equinox, also called Ostara in the wheel of the year, or ever wondered what it is exactly? We’ve got explanations and two different ways that you can celebrate rituals for the Spring Equinox.The coming of Spring is marked by the Equinox - meaning “equal light.” The Spring Equinox, or the first day of Spring, occurs when the sun crosses the celestial equator from South to North. This special event happens every year on March 19th, 20th, or 21st. This year it is happening on March 20th. During this time, daylight and night are equal and balanced, right before tipping over to the side of light. Flowers are blooming, bees are buzzing, and birds are chirping…it’s officially SPRING!!Around the world, many different cultures hold celebrations for the Spring Equinox, and I want to share with you some of my personal favorites.

Yoga Mala Sun Salutations

More than a beaded bracelet, a yoga Mala is completed by doing a set of 108 sun salutations. It’s a great way to cleanse the mind, body, and spirit. Completing this could take as long as two hours (expect a lot of jump backs into Chaturanga), but you can always rest in downward facing dog or child’s pose. Sweaty as you may be, it’s a great way to cleanse and detoxify the body for a new season.

How to Get Involved

If you’re an experienced yoga practitioner you can set a time special time and place to do this on your own or with friends. If you’ve got a favorite local studio it’s likely that they’ll be offering something for Spring.

What to Know Before You Go

• Sign up ahead of time for this special event at your local studio.

• Come to class with an intention. An encouraging message will help you to push through.

• Be prepared to sweat! The room will naturally heat from all of the movement and breathwork of you and your fellow yogis. Bring a towel to place over your mat, or a hand towel to wipe off any excess moisture that might cause you to slip.

• Wear an inspirational piece of jewelry. I wear a hamsa hand around my neck that inevitably dangles in my face while I’m resting in downward facing dog reminding me “you’ve got this!”

Forest Bathing

Forest bathing is a Japanese tradition called “Shinrin-yoku,” or “taking in the forest atmosphere.” Unlike the vigor of a Mala, forest bathing is meant to be a calm, low-speed experience. As leaves begin to bud, and flowers begin to bloom, a forest bath is a perfect way to honor the arrival of Spring. You could do this by meditating in a lush green area, taking a hike, or even having a picnic.Not only are these ideas relaxing from a spiritual perspective, but there are actually scientific advantages behind these inspiring practices, too. Many trees give off organic compounds that decrease stress hormones and boost your immune system.

Additional Benefits Include:

• Decrease in anxiety, depression, and anger

• Increased cognitive function

• Reduced blood pressure

• Accelerated healing

• Increased ability to focus

• More energy and better sleep

Let me know if you’ve tried any of these in the past or have plans to create a new ritual this year. Happy Spring Equinox! Find more rituals for Ostara here.