Accessing Energy Through Metatron's Cube

Sacred geometry is beautiful but knowing how to use it in your spiritual practice isn’t always obvious. Metatron’s Cube is an excellent example of a complicated-looking sacred shape that has rather practical uses.

First, let’s break down this shape and discuss who Metatron is, then I’ll share some ways to start using this symbol in your spiritual practice.

Who is Metatron?

This sacred symbol is named after Archangel Metatron. He is considered the scribe of God or Source Energy and his cube is responsible for protecting and balancing the flow of energy from Source to the physical realm. Metatron’s story also aligns with the story of Thoth, the Egyptian scribe.

What is Metatron’s Cube?

Metatron’s Cube is comprised of 13 circles that are all touching; this shape is called The Fruit of Life (shown below). To create the cube, straight lines are drawn from the center of each circle that connects to the center of all of the other circles.

Metatron’s cube also contains the five platonic solids, which represent the five elements (earth, air, water, fire, and spirit) and are the geometric building blocks of the universe. This topic is a blog post for another day!

How to Use Metatron’s Cube

Because Metatron’s cube protects the flow of energy, it is an ideal tool to use for cleansing, protecting, and accessing more energy. Here are three ways to use Metatron’s Cube.

Protection

Because Archangel Metatron and his cube control the flow of energy they also protect it. This symbol has long been associated as a symbol of protection. The easiest way to start using this symbol is to use it for protection.

Start by placing it in an area where you desire your energy or the energy of a space to be protected. When you place the symbol, imagine Archangel Metatron enveloping the space in a protective shield of white light.

Energy Clearing Grid

If you feel like your energy or the energy of your home are stale and need a refresh, try using Metatron’s Cube for a cleansing crystal grid!

Download a printable sheet of Metatron’s Cube for a crystal grid here.

To create your grid collect the following stones.

• Clear quartz for cleansing and amplifying, 6 or more pieces

• Selenite for cleansing and purifying, 1 large piece

• Amethyst for cleansing emotions, 1 or more pieces

• Kyanite for connecting you with Metatron’s cleansing energy, 1 or more pieces

• Smokey Quartz to ground and protect you and your space, 1 or more pieces

Cleanse your stones with a herbal wand or any other cleansing tool you prefer before you begin your grid. With your stones and Metatron’s Cube shape ready, close your eyes, quiet your mind, breathe, and call on Archangel Metatron to help cleanse your space through the help of your crystal grid.

Place the piece of selenite in the center of the grid, the quartz crystals in the six outer circles, and any remaining crystals where you feel called to place them on the grid. Imagine yourself and your space being cleansed as you place each stone on your grid. Thank Archangel Metatron for helping you to cleanse yourself and your space.

Keep your grid up for as long as you’d like and try to make contact with it daily for as long as it is up.

Energizing Meditation

Metatron’s Cube can also be used as a means to connect with Archangel Metatron to balance and amplify the energy throughout your chakra system. Meditating on Metatron’s Cube is a great way to access this energy.

Follow this guide to perform this meditation.

• Find a comfortable sitting position.

• Place an image of Metatron’s Cube in front of you on the floor so you can gaze at it as you meditate. Click here to receive the free download of Metatron's Cube.

• Close your eyes, breathe, center yourself.

• Call on Archangel Metatron to assist you in your meditation. Ask him to help cleanse, balance, and amplify your chakra system.

• Open your eyes and continue your meditation as you gaze at Metatron’s Cube.

• You may feel a buzzing up your spine as your chakra system wakes up and that’s ok. If you don’t, that’s ok too! You may also want to envision each of your chakras glowing and brightening in order up your spine.

• Stay in your meditation for as long as you’d like. Before you end, thank Archangel Metatron for assisting you.

I hope you feel more equipped to start using Metatron’s Cube in your practice!

Four Abundance Rituals

Do you want to call in more abundance? You’re in the right place! Abundance can come in so many forms and means many different things to different people. Abundance could be time, money, freedom, or anything else that makes you personally feel abundant!

In this blog post, I’ll be sharing four rituals to help you connect with the abundance that’s always available to you. Keep scrolling to read them!

ABUNDANCE CRYSTAL GRID

Crystal grids are a beautiful tool for manifesting more abundance in your life! The ideal time to set up your abundance grid is at the new moon, and you can leave it up until the full moon.

Start by gathering your stones and cleansing them. Your abundance besties in the crystal kingdom are aventurine, citrine, quartz, moss agate, tiger eye, and kyanite! Try one of each stone, although if you have more than one, that’s great, too.

You’ll place your citrine stone in the center and arrange your other stones radiating out around the citrine in a way that feels good to use. Use the crystal grid in the Goddess Discovery Book or place your stones on a cloth or table.

As you place each stone, keep an image in your mind’s eye of what you’re trying to attract. Ask yourself how you’ll feel when you receive the abundance you’re requesting.

After all your stones are in place, trace your crystals with a pointed quartz. Imagine the quartz connecting your crystals and unifying their energy. Try to connect with your grid daily until the full moon!

ABUNDANCE SPELL BAG

Spell bags, known in Voodoo as “gris-gris,” or to Native Americans as “medicine bags,” are one of my favorite ways to make magick. The waxing moon is the best time to do any abundance spell work, so try to do each of these rituals then if you can!Here’s what you’ll need to make a spell bag for abundance:

• Basil or a sprinkle of cinnamon

• 10 of Pentacles tarot card (or a copy of this tarot card if you don’t want to put the actual card in the bag!)

• A knob of ginger

• Honey calcite, pyrite, citrine, or green aventurine

• Anything else that represents abundance to you. For example, if you work for yourself you might include a printout of an email where a client booked a session with you.

Spend some time with your spell bag to infuse your energy into it. Hold it in your hands as you meditate on abundance, and breathe into it before you pull it closed!

ABUNDANCE CANDLE MAGICK

You can work with the magic of fire to help you call more abundance into your life! If you’ve never done candle magick before, read this blog to learn how to get started.For this spell, you’ll need:

• Green candle

• Carving tool like a sharp point crystal, toothpick, or athame.

• Tiger eye, citrine, and green aventurine

• Patchouli or frankincense oil

• Coins or money

Start by cleansing all of your items for the spell. This can be done by wafting herbal smoke over them or visualizing white light cleansing them.

For this spell, you’ll be carving the Fehu Rune into your candle. Fehu is a powerful symbol of abundance. If you’d prefer to carve a specific dollar amount or item you’re hoping to attain you could carve this into the candle too.

Anoint your candle with the oil of your choice. As you carve and anoint your candle, visualize your abundance goal.

Arrange your crystals, money, and candle in a place where you can leave it up for a few nights. Light your candle and meditate on the flame. Visualize your abundance goal clearly, imagine yourself reaching your goal and what it would feel like to attain it.

You can continue this until the entire candle burns or snuff out the candle and continue the same ritual each night until the candle has burned completely.

Bonus! You can get this spell as a free printable spell card (along with spells for love, letting go, and connecting with your intuition) here.

ABUNDANCE TAROT or ORACLE CARD SPREAD

Turn to tarot or oracle to understand your blocks to abundance and what you can do to connect to more abundance. You can create a ritual space by grounding yourself first, lighting candles, burning herbs or incense, or doing anything else that feels right to you.

Cards from the Journey Tarot Kit

When you feel grounded and centered, shuffle your cards while holding the intention to connect with the wisdom of your highest self. Draw cards for each of the following questions:

• What belief system or patterns blocks me from the abundance I desire?

• How to release this belief system or pattern

• How to open myself up to greater abundance

• My mantra for calling in abundance

Spend some time journaling with your cards and meditating on your mantra card. If you’d like, you can place your mantra card on your altar!

Aura Crystals // Are they real and do they help?

Crystal purist or not, you can’t deny how stunning aura crystals are. So, what’s the deal with them? Are they real and what are their benefits? I’m going to demystify aura crystals for you today. Let’s dive into the big question first.

Are they real?

Yes and no. Aura crystals are enhanced crystals. The crystals themselves are real, or at least they should be, and the rainbow coating on the outside is a human enhancement. Genuine aura crystals are enhanced with metal, so the entire aura crystal itself is comprised of components from Mother Earth. Think of it as modern-day alchemy.

How are they made?

There are a couple of techniques, but all of the methods used to create real aura crystals involve coating a crystal with a very thin layer of metal. The metal coatings range from gold, silver, titanium, niobium, indium, and cobalt. Each metal will enhance the crystal differently with different colors.

Some aura crystals, like aqua aura, are heated and placed in a vacuum where the metal vapor is bonded to the crystal. Aura crystals that undergo this technique can be weakened in the process making them brittle, so be extra careful with them. Other aura crystals, like rainbow aura, also called titanium aura don’t involve heat leaving the crystal more intact.

Here are the metals used for different aura crystal varieties:

• Angel aura: silver and platinum

• Aqua aura: gold

• Opal aura: platinum

• Flame aura: titanium and niobium

• Rainbow aura or Titanium Rainbow aura: gold and titanium

The high price tag on some of these crystals might make a little more sense now.

Fake aura crystals?

Now, there are some crystals on the market being touted as aura crystals that are not the real deal. These crystals are sometimes called “jelly crystals” but sometimes they’re marketed as aura crystals and still come with a high price tag. These wannabe aura crystals are beautiful but undergo a very different, and less expensive process. Jelly crystals are coated with Teflon and dyes. Not quite as glamorous. How can you spot these fakes?

• Look for brighter more fluorescent colors

• Notice if the aura coating forms a pattern on the crystal

• Jelly crystals will appear unnaturally glossy and smooth to the touch

• The coating might not cover the edges of the crystal

Jelly crystals are real crystals underneath the coating, so if you find one you love, go for it! I just don’t want you to pay a super high price for something labeled as an aura crystal that isn’t. Also, Teflon is definitely a person-made component that doesn’t have the greatest reputation, but as long as you’re not licking it or adding it to your bath, you can enjoy these colorful crystals too.

What are the healing properties of aura crystals?

Because aura crystals are genuine crystals coated in metals from Gaia, you’ll receive the benefits of the crystal itself and the metals used to cover it. Furthermore, the gorgeous colors produced in aura crystals can be used to focus on specific chakras. Because most aura crystals contain a rainbow effect, they’re especially good for balancing the chakra system. This may be why so many feel that aura crystals have a very uplifting effect.

Some crystal purists believe the aurafying process can hinder the healing benefits of the crystal, especially the processes that involve heat, but many believe it enhances the healing benefits of the crystal.

Personally, I love having aura crystals around and do feel quite attuned to them. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide how you feel about these crystals!

How to Tap Into Your Resiliency (And Why You Should)

Resiliency is about your comeback rate.

It’s not about never getting knocked down, or dropping into fear, or letting your ego drive the car. It’s about how fast you can come back: to joy, to love, to trust, to who you really are.

Because we’re all humans, and life can be really messy. Sometimes things happen to us, sometimes we hurt people, and sometimes we forget our divine nature.

That’s where resiliency comes in. Resiliency is here to bring you back to trust when bad situations happen, to bring you back to love when fear starts to take over—even stronger and wiser than before, with an even deeper and more meaningful connection with yourself.

You may have heard before that you can only go into joy and pleasure as deep as you’ve gone into your pain. This is a necessary part of living and an important part of your spiritual practice. But that doesn’t mean you have to or even can live there.

Think of the moment you connect with your resiliency and come back to joy as the Temperance card in the tarot. You’ve been through death, but you’ve come through it into the magic of rebirth, of stillness, of calm. There are still more challenges ahead (the Devil card is next) but you can know that and still be in a place of Temperance.

Scroll down to get some tips to help you tap into your own resiliency and strengthen that connection.

Lean on your community.

You don’t have to do it alone. Who are the people you trust to tell it like it is, lifts you up, and not judge you? Whether it’s your mom, a close friend, or your sister, don’t be afraid to call on that person or those people to help you when you need it.

Look for the lesson or greater meaning.

You don’t have to believe that everything happens for a reason. But look for the greater meaning or lesson in whatever it is you’re going through— and if you can’t see it yourself, ask your community to help you find it.

I find that the tarot is an incredible tool for this. Each card of the Major Arcana is a step on the journey to the World, a card of wholeness and joy.

Try laying out each of the Major Arcana cards in front of you and asking yourself which card you’re in.

Are you dealing with a shedding of your former self, of parts of your life? Maybe you’re in Death.

Are past hurts keeping you in fear? Maybe you’re in the Fool reversed.

Each card can help you realize which lesson you’re learning right now. Once you pick your card, look at its place in the journey. See the greater context of where you’re heading—to the vibrant energy of the Sun, to the wild juicy feminine of the Moon, to the wholeness of the World.

Why do you do what you do in the world?

Whatever your greater purpose is, connect with that and remember that you are on this planet for a reason. You are here to bring forth what only you can bring forth, and the world needs.

So rest, feel your feelings, go through what you’re going through, and know that ultimately you will get through it because you are here to fulfill your greater purpose.

Connect with your intuition.

Is this ever not the answer? Connecting with your intuition can help you see the greater meaning in what you’re going through. It can help you know when you need to reach out for support and who to reach out to. It can help you know the best path to take forward.

If you’re feeling blocked, one simple thing you might like to do is ask your oracle or tarot cards, “What message does my intuition have for me right now?”

Get more tips to connect with your intuition in this post.

Find what makes you feel good.

When you feel stressed, upset, or you’re going through a difficult time, what are some simple things that help you feel better? Think about what they are for you (use the list below to spark your creativity) and write them down on a piece of paper that you can return to when things aren’t easy. Some ideas are:

• Dancing

• Doing yoga

• Rubbing your feet with oils

• FaceTiming that friend or family member who always knows what to say

• Reading your favorite book

• Spending more time alone

• Spending more time with people you care about

• Taking a walk

• Playing a singing bowl

• Listening to an inspiring podcast

• Eating your favorite meal

• Being held

• Drinking a cup of tea

• Receiving energy healing

• Meditating

• Journaling

This is going to be super unique for everyone, so think about what it is for you!

Move your body.

You’ve probably heard a yoga teacher talk about how what you do on your mat is a mirror for life: what you do when it gets hard, how you talk to yourself, how you move through transitions.

It turns out, even science knows that’s true. The researchers who wrote the book Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life's Greatest Challenges actually found that the most resilient people in their studies had exercised regularly.

It turns out, that the stress of exercise helps us adapt to the stress of life challenges. So however you like to move, whether it’s yoga, running, weightlifting, dancing, jumping rope, or something else, try to make it a regular part of your life. It will actually help you be more resilient!

10 Ways to Increase Your Shakti Energy

How is a society that’s stuck in the patriarchy able to find balance? The answer lies in you. The answer lies in one person at a time increasing their Shakti energy.

I’m sure you’ve heard the term “Shakti” before but do you know how to tap into this creative life force that is the personification of feminine energy? I’m going to share what this term means with you, but more importantly, how you can increase your own Shakti to help our world find balance. First, let’s dive a little deeper into what and who Shakti is.

What is Shakti

Shakti is life, death, rebirth, destruction, and creation. Shakti energy is the divine feminine force coursing through the cosmos and all aspects of our reality. She is the ultimate Goddess and the creative energy behind all Goddesses. Even though Shakti is a divine feminine force, it is present in all life forms, male and female, though it may be repressed in some. The balancing force to Shakti is Shiva or masculine energy.

Who is Shakti

Shakti is referred to as the “Mother Goddess” in Hinduism. She is the Goddess that guides all other Goddesses. Shakti is represented in the Hindu Goddesses Durga, Parvati, and Kali. Each Goddess utilizes Shakti energy differently and can be called upon for different purposes.

Kundalini Shakti

If you’re familiar with Kundalini energy, then you have probably heard the term Shakti used here as well. Kundalini Shakti refers to the idea that every being has Shakti energy coiled up at the base of their spine, waiting to be awakened. You may have already had a Kundalini awakening and not even known about it! That’s another blog post for a different day though!

Here are ten simple ways to increase your Shakti. Warning! Shakti energy is INTENSE. Be mindful of this as you practice the following suggestions. Build in some time to ground yourself after practicing any of these exercises and if it feels like too much, take a break for a few days.

10 Ways to Increase Your Shakti Energy

1. Activate your sacral chakra

Your sacral chakra is your hub of creativity and feminine energy. This chakra is located below your belly button and above your pubic bone. Imagine it glowing orange with each inhale and exhale to awaken it. Learn more about activating your sacral chakra in this blog post.

2. Tap into the water element

The water element represents femininity, so it’s the element to focus on to increase your Shakti energy. Let the water element wash over you, literally, by taking a soothing bath. Learn more about yoga poses for the water element here and ways to represent the water element here.

3. Meditate, meditate, meditate

Meditation in and of itself will help increase your Shakti energy (check out guided meditations here) but here’s a technique to give it an extra boost. Visualize your Shakti energy coiled up like a snake at the base of your spine. With each breath visualize this snake-like energy uncoiling and traveling through each chakra, lighting it up and cleansing it along its path. Continue until you reach the crown chakra. This meditation can be very intense and energizing, allow ample time to calm and ground yourself afterward.

4. Call on Kali, Durga, or Parvati

Remember the three Hindu Goddesses I mentioned above? Kali, Durga, and Parvati represent Shakti in Hinduism, calling on any of them can bring some extra Shakti into your life. Each Goddess will bring a different kind of energy. Parvati is a Goddess of love, Durga is a warrior Goddess, and Kali is the destroyer who ultimately brings balance. Learn more about connecting with Kali here. Goddess cards are from The Goddess Oracle.

Goddess cards are from The Goddess Oracle.

5. Follow the Moon

The moon has long been associated with divine Goddess energy due to its correlation with our menstrual cycles and the Triple Goddess. Try charting your cycle or journaling with the moon to connect to this moon energy. Learn more about the Triple Goddess symbol here and more about rituals for every moon phase here.

6. Grab some moonstone

Moonstone carries the energy of the moon and can serve as a potent reminder of her Goddess energy. Wear it, carry it with you, or place some moonstone on your altar as a glowing reminder of the moon and Shakti energy.

7. Get in touch with your shadow side

The imbalance of Shakti in our society is a direct reflection of our own imbalances. We so often focus only on our light, while directly under the surface our shadow side is seething. Take time to explore your light and dark to find balance within yourself. Learn more about shadow work here.

8. Practice the Shakti mudra

Guess what? There’s a mudra dedicated to Shakti! Try using this mudra during meditation or your yoga practice to increase your Shakti. Breathe deeply and focus on Shakti rising from the base of your spine.

9. Yoga asana practice

Let’s jump straight to the obvious here, Goddess pose. Remember when I said Kundalini aka Shakti energy is coiled at the base of your spine? Any pose that helps activate the base of your spine can help get your Shakti flowing, and Goddess pose certainly does this! Try to work different variations of this pose into your yoga practice or any postures that activate the sacral and root chakra.

10. Breathe Deep

Prana, your breath or life force, is Shakti. Any focused breathing can help increase your prana and therefore your Shakti energy. If you’re not familiar with any pranayama techniques, start with a three-part breath. Inhale, filling your lower belly with air first, then your middle section, and last your chest. Exhale in the reverse order. Practice this three-part breath 5-10 times and notice how you feel after you’re done. If you’re familiar with different pranayama techniques, try adding one into your practice daily. You can learn more about breathwork here.

You might find that you’re already practicing some of these things regularly. If you’re not, don’t stress! No need to start implementing all of them right away, in fact, I wouldn’t recommend it. Start small and start with the tips that sound most appealing to you. Learn more about your chakras system, the moon phases, and more in The Goddess Discovery Book.

When’s The Best Day For Your Ritual? // Days of The Week & Magick

You know all about the moon phases and the best phases for specific rituals and spells (if you don’t learn more here) but did you know that the days of the week also play a part in the energy of your rituals? Each day of the week has an energy of its own that will affect any rituals or spellwork you’re doing.

Of course, it can be easy to become overwhelmed with all of these magickal “rules” but rest assured your spellwork won’t be ruined if you miss the perfect day. Think of using the energy of the days of the week as an added layer of energy. Just like a specific stone won’t make or break your ritual, the day of the week won’t either, but it can help push your intentions in the direction you desire most.

Each day of the week carries the energy of a planet, an element, and masculine or feminine energy. These factors give each weekday its magickal energy. Here’s a rundown of the energy each day of the week carries.

Want to adorn your space with a beautiful reminder of the energy of each day of the week? Click here to receive the printable featured below! 

Sunday

• Planet: Sun

• Element: Fire

• Energy: Masculine

• Key Words: Growth, personal power, goals

Get excited! Sunday is your day to plan big and expect to conquer all of your goals. This is the perfect day to set the wheels in motion for anything you’d like to accomplish in the week ahead. Set up your special altar, start your candle spell, or place your crystal grid on Sunday to get the energy of your intentions set in the right direction.

Monday

• Planet: Moon

• Element: Water

• Energy: Feminine

• Key Words: Intuitive work, increased psychic abilities, emotion

Want to hone your intuitive abilities or connect with spirit on a deeper level? Monday is your day. If you’re planning to do a ritual with the moon, try to implement it on a Monday for an extra boost of moon vibes. Save your special oracle or tarot card readings for Monday to connect with the special intuitive energy it brings.

Tuesday

• Planet: Mars

• Element: Fire

• Energy: Masculine

• Key Words: Strength, courage, leadership

Invoke your inner warrior on Tuesday because this day is all about fire and intensity. Feeling stuck or need some inspiration? Try a ritual or spell to light your internal fire on this day. Maybe you just need an extra boost of energy, try lighting an orange candle on a Tuesday. The strong fire energy of the day can help give you the boost you need.

Wednesday

• Planet: Mercury

• Element: Air

• Energy: Masculine

• Key Words: Creativity, change, communication

This is your day to express yourself. Let your words, needs, and desires flow freely from you. Have you been holding back with someone, not letting them know how you really feel? Try to schedule your hardest convos on Wednesdays. Have a spell or ritual based around making a big change that requires you to speak up? Wednesday is your day.

Thursday

• Planet: Jupiter

• Element: Earth

• Energy: Masculine

• Key Words: Abundance, wealth, success

Smile, Thursdays are all about happiness and harvesting your desires. Save all of your abundance rituals for this day to take advantage of Thursday vibes. Whether it’s money, a new house, or an abundance of friends you’re looking for if you’re looking to multiply something in your life this is the day you’ll want to plan your magick work for.

Friday

• Planet: Venus

• Element: Water

• Energy: Feminine

• Key Words: Love, romance, fertility

Friday is the perfect time to slow down and offer some love to yourself or another. Try drawing a luxurious bath for yourself and lighting a pink candle to invite more love into your life. If you desire to have a baby, Fridays are the ideal time to set an intention to be open to new life dwelling within you.

Saturday

• Planet: Saturn

• Element: Earth and Fire

• Energy: Feminine

• Key Words: Protection, cleansing, endings

Saturdays are the ideal time to cleanse your space. Invoke both the Earth and the Fire element by burning herbs to cleanse yourself or your home. If you intend to perform a ritual for protection Saturday is the ideal time to do this. Any kind of cord-cutting or detachment ritual could be performed at this time too.

Again, don’t stress too much over the day you perform your rituals. It’s certainly better to devote some quiet reflection time to ritual any day rather than not at all! Your timing will sync up perfectly at times, sometimes it won’t, and that’s OK. Perhaps you’ll even be inspired by this list to plan some rituals for specific days.

Benefits & Uses of Rose Quartz

Rose quartz is a stone known as the ultimate self-love crystal…making it one of our favorites over here and of course, a great stone for February!

But rose quartz isn’t just about self-love. It has a whole slew of benefits and uses, which I’ll be sharing in this post. Keep scrolling for some of the major benefits of this stone!

Unconditional Love

Rose quartz is associated with the heart chakra, helping you open your center of giving and receiving unconditional love.

Energy Muse states, “According to [ancient] myth, Cupid, the Roman god of desire, or Eros, the Greek god of love, bestowed the gift of love to humans in the form of a rose quartz.”

Rose quartz can be used to cultivate unconditional love of all kinds: self-love, romantic love, friendship love, love for the earth, love for family, and more.

Compassion

Along with unconditional love, rose quartz helps cultivate compassion. By opening the flow of love throughout your body and energy field, it helps you connect to the interconnectedness of all beings, creating more love and compassion for the people around you and even those you can’t see and will never meet. I’d love to get rose quartz into the hands of every person in the world and watch how the world changes!

Restores Trust

In the heart chakra, we store fear, anxiety, and broken trust. Rose quartz can be used to help us accept past hurts, forgive ourselves and others, and ultimately restore trust.

Softening & opening

Sometimes our hearts get hardened. This often happens when, as I mentioned above, our trust has been broken, our hearts have been broken, or we’re holding and carrying past pains and hurts with us.

Rose quartz is your ally to help you gently soften and open this center of love. It’s here to help you soothe and break down the walls, opening yourself back up to connection, love, and vulnerability.

Gratitude

Gratitude comes from the heart chakra. When our heart chakras are closed, it can be difficult to experience gratitude and really feel the depth of all that we are grateful for. Rose quartz can help you release blockages here and open up to a flow of gratitude, helping you love your life for all that it is.

Cleansing

This stone is associated with the element of water and is thought to be very fluid, helping wash out stuck emotions, toxic energies, and negativity to return you back to your pure, divine essence: love.

It works slowly and gently — think more of a softly flowing river than a crashing ocean wave!

Venus energy

Rose quartz carries with it the energy of Venus. Venus is the ruling planet of the signs Libra and Taurus, and connects to the Empress card in the tarot.

We can think of Venusian energy as the energy of lushness, self-care, receiving, beauty, and flow. If you’re wanting to up your self-care game, open yourself up to receiving, and release stress — work with rose quartz!

Uses of Rose Quartz

Now that you know some of the benefits and meanings of rose quartz, how can you actually incorporate it into your life? Here are some suggestions but as always, use your intuition! You can also meditate with rose quartz and ask it how it wants to work with you.

• Add rose quartz to your altar to call in Venus energy.

• Use in self-love rituals and spells. Find a rose quartz ritual in The Ritual Deck.

• Create a gratitude or love crystal grid featuring rose quartz. Find grid and crystals for a love crystal grid in The Goddess Discovery Book.

• Meditate with rose quartz on your heart to help you open your heart chakra and let forgiveness flow through you.

• Wear rose quartz as jewelry to carry its vibration with you wherever you go.

• Create a self-love spell bag with rose quartz in it.

• Incorporate a rose quartz facial roller into your daily routine.

• Place rose quartz in the corners of your home to open the flow of love throughout your space.

How to Get Started with Spiritual Activism

If you’re reading this, you probably have a desire to make the world a better place. But you may feel like you’re not sure how to go about it in a way that aligns with your spiritual practice and values.

Your spiritual practice and your activism aren’t separate, they’re one. They can be, and I think they should be— because the world needs you, as an activist, to show up as a spiritual being...and as a spiritual being, to show up as an activist.

This means that not only are we meditating on healing the world, manifesting collective healing, and whatever other healing practices you have…but we’re also bringing that work into how we show up in the world as agents for change. We show up as our whole, spiritual selves when we call our senators and representatives. When we march, when we protest, when we volunteer, when we donate, when we organize, when we listen, when we post on social media.

That is spiritual activism.

COMPASSION

One really important piece of spiritual activism is compassion for yourself and for others. It’s really easy and often justified, to get caught up in your feelings and forget that the person you’re engaging with is also a human being. A human being who may be really offending you right now, but still a human being.

Remember that your feelings are justified. And of course, you don’t have to continue to engage with someone who is hurting you. But remembering some of the truths that are likely part of your spiritual practice, like compassion for all and the idea that at the core of it, we are all one, is just as important in these situations as it is in others.

ANGER

Ask yourself:

• How do I want to feel?

• How do I want others to feel around me?

List these answers out, and think about how they apply to your activism. If you want to feel inspired, open, safe, joyful, free, loved, whatever it is — you probably want other people to feel that way around you, too.

How can you approach your activism in a way that holds space for that? How can you approach your activism in a way that makes yourself and the people around you feel that way the majority of the time?

A note about anger: you probably want to create change around two things: things that break your heart, and things that make you angry. In some dialogue about spirituality, anger is bad. It’s something to be stifled and ignored.

But anger is human, and I think the only thing that makes it bad is repressing it. You’re going to be angry about injustice. It’s what we do with our anger, how we express it, and how we channel it that can help or hurt us.

So instead of repressing your anger or using it to lash out at people, I invite you to channel your anger into productive change, remembering that compassion and anger aren’t mutually exclusive.

START WITH YOU

When it comes to activism, start with you. It can be hard to wrap your head around at first but understand that you are not separate from the problem. You are not separate from these oppressive systems.

As a white person, racism isn’t about someone else. It’s about me.

As a cisgendered person, violence against transgender people isn’t about someone else, it’s about me.

The list goes on.

Ask yourself: in what systems am I an oppressor?

You can be oppressed in certain systems, like gender, and be the oppressor in others, like race.

This is where we get into the idea of privilege.None of this is about berating yourself for being a bad person or being complicit in these systems. You’re not a bad person! But the point of this being the first step is that when we know better, we do better. But we can’t do better if we don’t immerse ourselves in the “know better” step first.

Ask yourself: what privileges do I hold?

(Ideas: able-bodied privilege, white privilege, cisgendered privilege, straight privilege, thin privilege, in your country legally, etc.)

Take some time to really think about how those privileges manifest in your life and how they’ve become systems of belief. For example, what beliefs have you absorbed about people who don’t hold the privilege of being documented, or who don’t hold thin privilege?

What can you do to root down, shift those beliefs (which always manifest into actions even if you may not realize it!), and create more equality in your own life?

How is this spiritual activism? I think it comes back to the idea that healing yourself is healing for the world. I think most of us can probably get behind that. In this sense, cleaning up your own baggage, the ways in which your hurt and oppress is the most important thing we can do.

RELEASE

These days in this political climate I think it’s really important to have an embodiment practice to help you release trauma, anger, and other emotions you’re storing up from your cells. Tapping, breathwork, and a good old-fashioned scream are great ways to release.The practice can look like anything you need it to, but choose something that’s a physical release.

How to journal with the moon phases + 10 journal prompts

Your mood, physical body, and spirit body all go through phases, and journaling with the moon is an ideal way to track all of these. You may find that you’re more synced with the moon than you thought!

Why You Should Try Moon Journaling

Wouldn’t it be nice to know which moon phases make you feel the most intuitive, expressive, or reserved? The way you relate to each moon phase is reflective of you alone and experiences will vary from person to person. You may find that your diet, intuition, and menstruation are affected by the phases of the moon. Keeping a moon journal will enable you to track any patterns to better understand all of your cycles. 

How Often Should You Write in Your Moon Journal?

Take notes in your moon journal as often as you like! Journaling once a week will ensure that you hit each of the main phases of the moon: new moon, waxing moon, full moon, and waning moon. Moon journaling twice a month, on the full and new moon, can also be enlightening.

Starting out, I suggest making a quick note in your moon journal for 30-60 consecutive days. Making a quick note daily, in the beginning, will help you catch any obvious patterns right away.

What You’ll Need to Start Your Moon Journal

1. You’ll need a moon phase calendar, digital, or a hard copy.

2. You’ll also need a writing utensil and a journal or notepad. That’s it!

10 Topics for Moon Journaling

Here’s a list of suggested moon journaling topics. Read through the whole list. What topics call out to you the most? You can journal on all or some of these topics, it’s completely up to you.

Start your moon journaling by recording the date, the moon phase, and the zodiac sign for the phase (optional).

1. Record how you feel emotionally. Check-in, do you feel content, happy, sad, jealous, excited, energized, grateful, anxious, or angry? Record your mood for the day or overall week. This can be as simple as writing one word.

2. Record how you feel spiritually. How connected and intuitive do you feel? If you meditate regularly, was it easy for you to “drop-in” or did you find your meditation to be a struggle (this is always a good indicator of my spiritual well-being).

3. Record how you feel physically. How are you sleeping, your energy levels, and your diet? Are there any particular foods you're craving? If you exercise regularly, was your activity easy or more forced?

4. Record when you start and end your menstrual cycle. You may also decide to notate what each menstrual cycle feels like to help unearth patterns. If you’re particularly in-tune with your cycle or trying to conceive (or not conceive!) you might also find it helpful to track your ovulation with the moon.

5. Note any goals, intentions, and manifestations you’ve initiated and when they manifest. New intentions are best to set on a new or waxing moon.

6. Note any habits, people, outcomes, or things you’re trying to let go of and when you feel you’ve shed them. Releasing and letting go is best to initiate during a full or waning moon.

7. Notate the zodiac sign the moon is in. If you want to take your moon journaling to the next level you can notate what zodiac sign the moon is in. The moon is always positioned in a zodiac sign and cycles through them every 2-3 days. The sign the moon is in will also have an effect on you too. Try looking for even broader patterns by notating what sign the moon is in when you journal. I like this online resource for tracking the zodiac sign for each moon phase.

8. Track your triumphs! Did something happen that was totally out of the blue and made your day? Maybe you received an unexpected promotion, landed your dream job, or ran into an old friend, write it down!

9. Track your worst days. Did you have one of those days where nothing seems to go as expected and you just can’t shake it? These days aren’t as fun, but being able to estimate when they may come up can sure be helpful.

10. Note your dreams. Dream journaling is an insightful activity on its own. Notating the moon phase for your dreams can shed even more light on what your subconscious is trying to tell you. You might be able to identify times when your dreams are most active so you can plan to have a notepad ready on your nightstand.

Moon journaling can be as simple or in-depth as you’d like and can be tailored to suit your needs and schedule.

4 Ways to Honor the Winter Solstice

The winter solstice marks the longest night of the year, and so we traditionally associate it with darkness.

But it’s also the beginning of the waxing phase of the year, as the days start to get longer and nights start to get shorter. We are reminded that light always follows dark. The balance begins to shift, the wheel of the year turns back again.

This sabbat, also known as Yule, is a time for us to connect with our darkness and alchemize it into lessons, into medicine, for the year to come.

Below are some ways to honor this sacred holiday.

Journaling prompts

Create a quiet, safe space (candles are recommended!) and let yourself free write to the questions below with no editing. No one’s going to read your answers but you!

• Write a love letter to your darkness.

• What am I most ashamed of? How can I transmute this shame into a source of power and love?

• What part of me do I want to feed and grow?

Tarot or oracle spread

Pull out your tarot or oracle deck and set the intention for your highest self tospeak to you through the cards. Give them a shuffle, and pull a card for each of the questions below. I recommend writing down the spread and the cards you pull, as well as your interpretations of them.

• What shadow wants to work with me?

• How does it want to be worked with?

• Advice for moving through shadow

• What wants to be born from my darkness?

• Advice for birthing whatever needs to come through

• Message from my inner child at this time

Lay out the cards in two rows of three like so. The deck featured here is The Ritual Deck.

Create an altar

Creating an altar is a beautiful way to honor any sabbat. Let this be an intuitive, creative process and place anything there that feels good to you! Some ideas to spark your creativity are:

• Your Death and Temperance tarot cards

• A Yule log or branch

• Holly or mistletoe

• An evergreen wreath to symbolize the wheel of the year

• Any red, green, or white crystals that you’d like (I love carnelian for red, selenite for white, and moss agate or malachite for green)

• Ash, frankincense, and any other sun herbs you like

• Pine cones

• White and silver candles

• A representation of something in your shadow that you’d like to honor and alchemize this year

Painting

One of my favorite ways to work with my subconscious these days is intuitive painting. Get out your paints, paper, and allow whatever wants to come through you as you focus on the winter solstice and what it means to you. Try not to focus on how it looks— no one needs to see it but you!

After you finish, you could place it on your altar.

Below is an infographic with a visual representation of rituals for Yule

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A post shared by Cassie Uhl (@cassieuhl)

Want to learn more about the different sabbats on the wheel of the year? Click here to learn more about the wheel of the year and download your free wheel of the year printable.

6 Ways to Support Your Goddess Sisters

Our society has a long history of pitting women against each other. Of making us fear each other and compete with each other. Of creating division and separation between us.

But we can choose to end that cycle. It ends with us. It ends with us every time we choose to uplift, love, and hold the women-identifying humans in our lives.

Below are some ways to support the women in your life.

Hold space for them

Holding space isn’t just your regular conversation where we mostly just wait until it’s our turn to talk. There are a few important keys to holding space:

Give your full presence

Give your full presence with deep listening and eye contact. Your friends can tell when you’re not really there with them (and you can tell when your friends aren’t really there, too!). Put your phone to the side and really focus on what they’re saying.

Non-judgment

Offering non-judgment to others starts with doing your own work on not judging yourself. This may be part of your shadow work process—click here for 5 simple steps to help you get started with shadow work.

Asking questions without giving advice

Try not to give unsolicited advice. Asking helpful questions to deepen your friend’s understanding of her own situation is so much more helpful because it allows the answer to truly come from her—not you.

Facilitate their growth

Sometimes we get stuck in fear patterns. Sometimes we want to shrink out of our fullness, our magic, our bigness. When your sister is falling into her fear, wanting to shrink, help facilitate her growth. Help remind her of her magic. Don’t give her your permission to shrink.This is about being honest and constructive. This is about not always telling your friend what she wants to hear. They may not appreciate it at the moment, but they’ll likely appreciate your honesty in the long run.

Support their connection with their intuition

You give your community a beautiful gift when you support their connection with their intuition. Our society loves to make decisions based on logic alone, and looks down on things seen as “impractical.” But by validating your sister’s desire to listen to and make decisions based on intuition, you help shakti rise.

The Goddess Discovery Books are a great tool to use for improving your intuition and are even more fun to work through with a group of Goddesses!

Understand and respect their boundaries

Have a clear, open conversation with your sisters about their boundaries. What is an acceptable way to handle disagreements? What do they need from you to feel safe and supported in your friendship? What do you need from them to feel safe and supported in your friendship?

Strong boundaries can keep your relationships strong. Respecting each other’s boundaries can help set the expectation for strong boundaries in other, more difficult relationships as well.

Celebrate their successes

When they rise, you rise. It’s easy to feel threatened by the expansion of someone close to you but remember: it’s not a competition.The world is an abundant, infinite place and one woman having something you may want doesn’t mean you can’t have it, too. Celebrate their expansion, their growth, their wins.

Create community

Grow together. Meditate together, do moon rituals together, cast spells together, go to talks, or do courses together. Gather together and share wisdom. Gather together and connect with your intuition. Support each other by not allowing each other to stay stagnant.

Start out by implementing one of these tools each month to get used to doing it and add on from there. Before you know it your circle of supportive women will be flourishing!

Healing with Meridian Tracing

Meridian tracing is a form of energy healing that just about anyone can do.

The meridians are energy pathways in the body that traditional Chinese medicine has studied and worked with for centuries. These pathways allow the flow of energy, called Chi in Chinese medicine, through the body.

There are 12 major meridians, and each one works to support and nourish a specific organ system. If the flow of energy in any of your meridians is too strong or too weak, the associated organ system may be disrupted. I’ll be covering eight of them today.

Meridian tracing can be a powerful self-care tool to add to your toolbox. Using it regularly helps keep your Chi flowing freely through your body, releasing blockages and revitalizing you.

Scroll down to look through eight of the 12 main meridians in the body and learn how to trace them to balance your flow of Chi.

How to trace your meridians

To trace your meridians, start by simply moving your open hand (either an inch or two above your body or directly over your body) along the course of each meridian. Visualize the energy flowing freely through the meridian. That’s it!

Take your meridian tracing a step further by tracing them with a favorite crystal. If you’re unsure, clear quartz is always a safe bet. Point crystal necklaces make the perfect wearable tool to practice this self-care technique.

Meridians

Read through the list of meridians below to find one that suits your needs. The eight meridians below are mirrored on the other side of your body. So, for example, a meridian that runs down your left leg also runs down your right leg.

Liver meridian

When this meridian’s energy is imbalanced, you may experience issues with menstruation, blurred vision, jaundice, irritability, or depression.

Heart meridian

Imbalance in the heart meridian can show up as chest pain, shortness of breath, hot flashes, heart palpitations, insomnia, irritability, anxiety, depression, and lack of joy in life.

Spleen meridian

An imbalanced spleen can manifest as diarrhea or constipation, lack of appetite, fatigue, bloating, brain fog, and absentmindedness.

Stomach meridian

When your stomach meridian is imbalanced, you might struggle with feelings of worry and nervousness.

Lung meridian

An imbalanced lung meridian can manifest as infections, upper body inflammation, excessive sweating, issues with your nose and sense of smell, and skin conditions.

Kidney meridian

This meridian rules willpower, determination, and the ability to cope with difficulty— so an imbalance here could manifest as a lack of any of those skills. Physically, an imbalance can manifest as backaches, asthma, and urinary disorders.

Bladder meridian

Emotionally, an imbalance here is associated with suppressed anger and an inability to express your true feelings. Physically, an imbalance is associated with neck and shoulder tightness, headaches, and urinary issues.

Pericardium meridian

When this meridian is imbalanced, you may experience difficulty expressing your feelings. Physically, you might have issues with your heart, chest, or stomach.

The best thing about this self-care tool is that you don’t need any tools to perform it. Meridian tracing is a simple practice that can give you an excuse to pause during a busy day to focus on your body and energy.

If you’re trying this practice with crystals, make note of how you feel after using different gemstones, as they’ll each offer you a different kind of energy.

3 Goddesses to Call on for Samhain

Samhain pronounced So-win is considered the Wiccan New Year. It’s a powerful time of the year that is steeped in ritual and magick. During this special time, the veil between our physical world and the spirit world is the thinnest it will be all year. The thinning veil makes it the ideal time to practice magick and ritual of all kinds, it also makes it the ideal time to call in the energy of Goddesses associated with Samhain.

Most Goddesses associated with Samhain are considered dark Goddesses, they’ve been cast out, forgotten over the years, and sometimes unfairly associated with evil deeds. This “casting out” was often provoked by the patriarchy. The meaning and power behind these Goddesses have been twisted into something undesirable. Why? Because these dark Goddesses are extremely powerful women.

There are several Goddesses associated with Samhain but I’ll be focusing on three that I believe cover the greatest variety of needs. Today I’ll be sharing tips to invite the energy of Oya, Hecate, and Lilith into your Samhain rituals.

Keep reading for more information on each Goddess, what she can offer you, and techniques to invoke her energy. The cards shown here are from The Goddess Oracle by Amy Sophia Marashinsky, it’s my favorite Goddess Oracle because it contains several dark Goddesses. I recommend this deck for anyone wanting to become more acquainted with different Goddesses and their energy.

Oya for Transformation

If you’re looking to create an internal transformation this season Oya is your Goddess. Mighty Oya, a Yoruban Goddess, controls the rain, winds, and storms. She’s mothering, powerful, and has a strong desire to help women through their struggles to transform.

Oya represents the crone phase of the Triple Goddess and is closely associated with death and rebirth, another symbol of transformation. Sometimes parts of us must die or be let go of in order to transform into something greater. Allow Oya to blow her winds of change around your life to bring about something greater.

Tips for invoking Oya

• Wear wine or purple-colored clothing to honor and connect to Oya.

• Place purple flowers in your home or on your altar.

• Place a picture of Oya on your altar or somewhere you’ll see it regularly.

• The number 9 is Oya’s sacred number. Place an offering of 9 coins to Oya on your altar or in a sacred space.

• Meditate imagining the winds of change from Oya surrounding you daily until your transformation is complete.

• Light a purple and red candle for Oya. Purple for her and red to inspire action on your part.

Hecate for Magick

Hecate is considered the mother of all witches and of witchcraft. Her energy is ideal for Samhain because she is queen when it comes to performing spells, rituals, and magick of all kinds. Hecate is also the Goddess of the crossroads and is said to be connected to the physical world, the spirit world, and the underworld. Her connection to other realms makes her ideal for magick that concerns connecting with loved ones passed on.

If you’re planning to take advantage of this special time by performing magick or spiritual connections of your own, you’ll definitely want to call on the energy of Hecate to guide and protect you. Consider her the loving grandmother figure over your magick as you work. That said, Hecate is also extremely fair and just. She will give you exactly what you need and what is best for you, which may be different then what you have in mind!

Tips for invoking Hecate

• Hecate is represented by the waning moon or crone in the Triple Goddess symbol, so the ideal time to perform spells with her guidance is during a waning moon.

• Have an image of Hecate or the waning moon placed nearby you as you do your spellwork.

• Place a cauldron on your altar or wherever you perform magic work to represent Hecate’s magickal energy.

• Before beginning any magick or when trying to connect to the other side verbally call upon Hecate to guide and watch over you as you work.

• Represent the presence of Hecate with the number 3 or a depiction of a three-headed animal.

• Burn candles, especially black candles to represent her protection over you during spellwork.

Lilith for Unleashing Your Inner Wild Woman

Get in touch with our inner wild woman through Lilith. Often branded as an evil Goddess she did not start out this way. Lilith is a Goddess not afraid to be wild, sexual, or speak her truth which quickly puts her in the category of being “bad” and “evil.” Her name quickly became synonymous with Satan and cruel and deviant acts. Lilith was blamed for anything undesirable about women and became associated with any woman not willing to conform to her wifely duties, or desiring to live an alternative lifestyle.

Lilith is not bad or evil. Lilith is the voice inside of you telling you to act when you feel you’ve been treated unfairly by the patriarchy. She is the voice that says it’s not only ok but good to enjoy sex and your sensuality. She is the voice calling for all women to stand up and fight for our power. If Samhain has inspired you to get in touch with your inner wild woman Lilith is here to let it come roaring out. Tread lightly with invoking Lilith, her energy is very powerful!

Tips for Invoking Lilith

• Place a picture or Lilith on your altar or sacred space to remind you of your ability to take your power back.

• Place symbols or replications of snakes on your altar to honor Lilith.

• Meditate on the energy of Lilith filling your being before doing anything you find scary or intimidating.

• Light a red or orange candle to honor Lilith. Light an orange candle for more sensuality or red for power and passion.

• Write down ways in which you’ve been suppressed and burn them in Lilith’s honor.

• During a full moon allow yourself time and space to call on Lilith’s energy to perform a dance or sensual act to allow her powerful energy to flow through you.

I hope you take advantage of this special time to connect with these powerful Goddess. You can find more rituals for Samhain here and meditations for the Wheel of the Year here.

5 Powerful Rune Meanings & Rituals

Runes are symbols that each carry unique universal energy. These special symbols were used by Nordic and Germanic cultures in Northern Europe as forms of language, for religious purposes, and as tools of magick and divination.

Runes an extremely versatile spiritual tool. You can use Runes together as a set, like an oracle card deck, learn more about using Runes in this way here. You can also hone in on the energy of specific Runes for specific purposes, that’s what I’ll be covering here.

Most Rune sets are comprised of 24 Rune characters, though this can vary some depending on the set used. I’ll be referencing five of the most frequently used Elder Futhark Runes here.

The cards shown in the images and rituals are from The Ritual Deck®, an oracle card deck I created based around rituals.

The Runes I’ll discuss today are Algiz, Fehu, Berkano, Wunjo, and Tiwaz. Keep scrolling for ways to tap into the energy of each one.

Algiz for Protection

Think of Algiz as a spirit guide or connection to your Higher Self always watching over you. This Rune is not only a symbol of protection but goes much deeper and wants to offer you guidance on your journey. Tap into the power of this Rune anytime you’re feeling lost, scared, or like you need additional protection.

Algiz Ritual

Create an Algiz wall hanging to protect you and to remind you of your connection to your Higher Self. This activity is ideally performed on the night of the dark moon, but it can be done during any moon phase. You’ll need one long stick (this will be used as the center of the Algiz symbol, so any size you’d like will do), two shorter sticks that are the same size (about half the size of the longer stick), and string. Place the two shorter sticks in a “V” shape at the center of your longer stick. The wall hanging should look similar to the Algiz symbol on the card. Wrap your string or twine around the three areas where the sticks meet until they’re stable, and then tie a knot. You can hang this symbol on your wall or place it on your altar.

If you are interested in creating another wall hanging for protection, check out this past blog post.

Fehu for Abundance

Fehu is here to shower you with abundance! This is your Rune for bringing abundance of all kinds into your life, whether it be financial or other. Fehu can also be used as a useful tool to tap into the abundance already surrounding you. If you’re having a difficult time tapping into gratitude for all of the gifts you already have Fehu can help fill your heart with gratitude for all of the abundance you already have.

Fehu Ritual

During the next waxing crescent, or any growth phase of the moon, create a Fehu carved candle. You’ll need a green candle, a toothpick, and a lighter. Using the toothpick, carve the Fehu symbol into your candle. As you carve the symbol, imagine yourself being showered with wealth, provisions and blessings. If your well is already full, think about your gratitude for all of your blessings as you carve the candle. Light your candle and gaze at it for short while, inviting the energy of Fehu into your space. Extinguish your candle when you’re done. Light this candle as often as you’d like throughout the waxing moon phase until the full moon.

Berkano for Manifesting

Bring your gifts and goals to life with the help of Berkano. This Rune is all about birthing new things into the world, this could quite literally mean birthing a child into the world or a new project. Whatever it is you’re trying to bring to fruition, Berkano is here to help bring it to light.

Berkano Ritual

To connect with the energy of Berkano, create your own Berkano charm during the next full moon. You’ll need a medallion of wood or a small stone, and paint or a permanent marker. Visualize the goal or desire you’d like to fulfill as you draw or paint the Berkano symbol on your wood medallion or stone. Once you’re done, take a few quiet moments to visualize what you’ll feel like when your goal is manifested. Place your Berkano charm somewhere you’ll see it regularly, or carry it with you.If you would like to learn more about manifesting with runes, click here to read a past post.

Wunjo for Happiness

Need more reasons to smile? The Wunjo Rune is here to help you make the decision to live in joy. This is a great Rune to use if you’re feeling down or anxious because it will help you see the good in things around you even if you’re going through a hard time.

Wunjo Ritual

Create an altar or sacred space for Wunjo as a reminder to find the joy in each day. You might find that Wunjo’s jubilant energy starts to bring more optimism into your daily thinking. This is a great ritual to perform on the day or night of the full moon. Use the Wunjo card from The Ritual Deck® or draw it on a card to place on your altar. Collect objects that bring you joy, such as pictures of happy memories, joyful flowers, or trinkets that make you happy. Other items to consider are green aventurine and a yellow candle. Get creative and have fun with this! Your Wunjo altar should make you smile anytime you gaze at it. Keep this altar up for as long as you’d like and try to make contact with it daily for one complete moon cycle.

Tiwaz for Strength

If you’re going through a challenge with another person or have a difficult decision on the horizon, Tiwaz is here to help you through it. Consider this Rune the warrior Rune. The energy of Tiwaz wants to help you find truth and justice, which is not always easy. Rely on the strength of Tiwaz for help during disagreements, legal battles, or making difficult decisions.

Tiwaz Ritual

Create a Tiwaz candle for any disagreements, difficult decisions, or legal encounters you have coming up. If you need a fresh look at the situation a white candle will serve you well. If you need momentum to help you make a difficult decision a red candle will serve you well. During the next first quarter moon or any waxing moon phase, gather your candle, a toothpick, and a match or lighter. The addition of a sodalite stone will help for speaking your truth and a tiger eye stone for energizing your solar plexus chakra. Carve the Tiwaz symbol into your candle and light the candle. Invite the just energy of Tiwaz into your situation. Sit with the lit candle as long as you like, and once you’re finished extinguish the candle. Continue to sit with the candle daily until the moon grows full, you’ve reached a decision, or your issue is resolved.

Ancient Scents & Their Meanings

Have you ever smelled something and it took you back to a specific moment in your life or a certain feeling?

We can’t always explain why scents attach themselves to moments in our lives and stick, but we know that scents are powerful.

Think about how you feel when you smell fresh cut grass, the incense burning in your local yoga studio, onions sautéing on the stove, or winter candles burning.

Each one of those scents probably evokes a specific emotion in you.

This is the power of scents.

Smell is one of the most primal senses, and it can awaken the deep emotions that may be hiding in your cells.

Scents are a way to connect to our heart space. They’re a way to shift our energy, our emotions, and our mood. They can also be an incredible way to connect with the Universe or the Divine.

Some scents, such as the ones below, have their roots in ancient civilizations around the world. They’ve been used for their magickal healing properties in the ancient civilizations of India, Rome, China, Egypt, and more.

Why?

Scroll down to learn more about some of the most powerful ancient scents' meanings and uses.

Frankincense

Frankincense has been used for centuries in the Middle East (where it’s from), Egypt, Israel, Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece, other parts of Europe, and more.

In different cultures, it was used for different things:

• As incense in sacred Jewish rituals, Christian ceremonies, and other religious ceremonies in Greece, Rome, Egypt, and Israel

• Healing and purification in the Ayurvedic tradition

• To drive insects away in the Middle East

• Flavoring food and drinks in the Middle East

• In burial rituals in Egypt and Rome

• To treat medical issues including ulcers, nausea, post-childbirth recovery, chest coughs, and fever

• To embalm bodies in Ancient Egypt

Besides its practical uses, it was revered as a powerful tool for protection, purification, and connecting with the divine.

How can you incorporate frankincense into your life today? Here are some ideas:

• Burn frankincense resin as an offering to a goddess you’re working with

• Use frankincense oil to anoint your candles in candle magick

• Use frankincense oil (diluting with a carrier oil if needed!) on your wrists before meditation or ritual work

• Rub the soles of your feet with frankincense oil before bed to help you relax

• Diffuse frankincense oil on summer nights on your porch for a natural bug spray

• Use frankincense oil as a perfume on your skin to imbue your day to day with some extra magic

• Burn frankincense incense in your space to protect and purify it

Myrrh

Myrrh also comes from trees in the Middle East and North Africa, and was used alongside frankincense in the great ancient civilizations of Egypt, Israel, Europe, and the Middle East. Where frankincense is associated with the sun, myrrh is a bit murkier. It’s associated with the sun because its tree thrives in the desert sun, but it’s also associated with the moon, because of its strong feminine history as an herb for ancient goddesses.

Some of its historical uses are:

• Embalming the dead in ancient Egypt

• Used as medicine, especially with honey, in ancient Egypt for many illnesses, especially skin conditions, infections, and bruises

• Burning as sacred incense in Christian traditions

• Used in ancient Egyptian rites as an offering to the sun god Ra and goddess Isis

• As a perfume and purification oil for the Hebrew people

• For its restorative properties in Eastern medicine

Myrrh was used as a powerful tool for healing, protection, purification, meditation, and expanding inner wisdom. It was often used as a great complement to frankincense, and it’s thought that combining the two even increases their power.Try these ideas for incorporating myrrh into your life today:

• Burn myrrh resin on your altar as an offering to the goddess Isis

• Use in banishing and protection rituals and spells

• Purify and bless magical tools such as your tarot cards, crystals, and talismans

• Burn myrrh incense when you need personal healing and comfort

• Use myrrh oil on your skin (diluting with carrier oil if necessary) to help you meditate

• Incorporate into any of your work with frankincense above

Sandalwood

Sandalwood isn’t technically an herb. It’s actually, like the name suggests, a type of wood. Sandalwood has been used for thousands of years in many different contexts, including:

• Buddhist rituals

• Muslim rituals

• Egyptian embalming rituals

• Folk medicine in Tibet and China

• In carvings for shrines and homes in India

• In figurines and jewelry in India

• As a paste for anointing in Hindu temples

• As a perfume and soap in Europe

• As a powerful remedy in the Ayurvedic system of medicine

• Consecrating ritual tools in Hindu ceremonies

Practically, sandalwood has been used for its anti-inflammatory and cleansing properties. Magically and energetically, sandalwood has been used for many things including healing, purification, grounding while also assisting in meditation, clearing negativity, deep spiritual relaxation, clairvoyance, and manifestation.Some ways to use sandalwood in your life are:

• Write your desires on a stick of sandalwood on the new moon and burn it, letting the smoke carry your desires into the universe

• Cleanse your magical tools (like crystals, athames, cauldrons, and tarot cards) of negative energy

• Burn sandalwood chips to help heal coughs and UTIs

• Burn sandalwood incense for meditation

• Burn sandalwood incense or chips for astral projection and communicating with spirits

• Wear sandalwood beads for higher spiritual awareness

Nag Champa

If you’ve ever walked into a yoga studio or a witchy shop, you’ve probably smelled the earthy, slightly sweet scent of Nag Champa. But what is Nag Champa?

It’s a blend of different scents, most famously the champa flower, as well as sandalwood, and halmaddi resin. The champa flower from the Magnolia champaca tree, a tree often planted near ashrams, has long been prized in India for its sweet fragrance and bright yellow color.

As you’ve probably guessed, Nag Champa’s origins are as incense in India where it was often used for meditation, yoga, and rituals in Hindu temples and ashrams. It’s now one of the most popular incense scents in the world!

Nag Champa is thought to stimulate spiritual awareness while simultaneously grounding you in the present.

Here are some ideas for incorporating this popular scent into your life:

• Burn Nag Champa when you meditate or do yoga

• Use Nag Champa oil as a perfume

• Burn Nag Champa for chanting and kirtan practices

• Use Nag Champa oil to massage your feet (diluting if needed!)

• Use Nag Champ soap or body wash (there are tons of options) to add some magic to your everyday