The Akashic Field

If you’re reading this blog, there’s a good chance that you’ve accessed the Akashic field already and didn’t even realize it. Read through the questions below to see if you have.

• Have you ever been somewhere for the first time and had a sense that you’ve been there before?

• Have you ever given a talk or presentation and felt like the words flowed through you from outside of yourself?

• Have you ever had a hunch about something that later came true?

• Have you lost your sense of self and time while working on a creative project?

• Have you had dreams or visions about yourself in a different life?

• Have you ever felt destined for a specific career or life path?

• Have you ever known the answer to something without knowing where the information came from?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you’ve likely accessed the Akashic field. Keep reading to learn what this field is and why you might want to access it more often!Card featured from The Ritual Deck.

Card featured from The Ritual Deck.

What is The Akashic Field

You may have heard the term “Akashic Records” and have an image in your mind of a big bright library with angels and spirits buzzing around. The true meaning of Akasha is bigger than anything our human minds can truly comprehend, including a sparkling library.

Akasha is a Sanskrit word that translates to ether. I know, you’re probably thinking, “great, what the heck is ether?”. Ether, or Akasha, encompasses all things and thoughts; past, present, and all future probabilities. It’s where the universe was born and where it resides still. I like to think of Akasha as the brain of the Universe or God.

Everything about your current life, past lives, and future life probabilities are stored in the Akashic field. Something as all-inclusive as this is difficult for our human brains to understand and that is why the term “records” is often used. I feel that the name “Akashic field” is more accurate because it is not something outside of us that we go and visit, it is something all around us and inside of us that we can tune into.

If you prefer the term Akashic records, that’s ok! I only explain the differences so you can have a more complete understanding of the Akashic field without limiting its scope.

Let’s recap. Here’s a short list of what the Akashic field is:

• Where every thought that was ever thought, word that was ever spoken, and action that was ever taken is stored.

• Information on past lives, present lives, and all future probabilities are stored.

• A frequency or vibration that can be tuned into to access.

• Accessible to anyone

Why Access The Akashic Field?

Ever feel paralyzed by not knowing how to move forward in your life? Wouldn’t it be nice to know that you were on the right path? Accessing the Akashic field can give you a sense of peace and inner knowing that you’re on a path that is in alignment with your highest potential.As I said before, the Akashic field has all future probabilities, not all future answers. That’s because you have full autonomy over your life. You always have options, and there is no “wrong” answer, just different learning experiences.For example, if you’re deciding between living a life of eating Hot Pockets on your couch and watching Netflix 24/7 or pursuing your passion for becoming a nurse (with occasional Hot Pockets and Netflixing), you’ll likely gain more from the latter. Not to say that the Hot Pocket and Netflix situation wouldn’t be a learning experience, but, you’ll probably be happier, and undoubtedly be of service in a more fulfilling way as a nurse. By accessing the field, you could have an inner knowing that being a nurse would give you a more fulfilling life. This is a pretty extreme example, but I think you get the idea!Here’s a list of other reasons why you might like to access the Akashic field.

• Learn from past life experiences.

• Heal traumas from past life experiences that may be affecting you during this life.

• Move through the world with more confidence and less doubt.

• Understand what you’re here to learn or overcome.

• Live life to your fullest potential.

• Strengthen your intuition.

• Connect with your higher self.

• Feel more connected to other humans.

This information is accessible to anyone, and it doesn’t require a special prayer or chant to do so. You can find more about how to access the Akashic Field here.

How to Create Oracle Card Spreads For Any Purpose

Wherever you’re seeking guidance, your oracle cards can help! Oracle cards are an intuitive tool that can help you gain daily wisdom or insights on significant life challenges. Though I’m partial to my oracle card deck, The Ritual Deck, you can apply this to any oracle card deck you’d like or, your favorite tarot cards.

Hint: Learn more about the difference between tarot and oracle cards here.

If you’re new to the world of oracle cards no need to be intimidated, you’re in the right place to learn how to perform oracle card readings for any issue.If you’re a seasoned oracle card reader, let’s breathe some new life into your card reading practice!

Bonus: Keep reading for links to download a free oracle card cheat sheet for love and a new moon.

Asking The Right Kinds of Questions

As is the case with most intuitive tools, oracle cards included, they will rarely give you a simple black and white answer. Your guides and higher self can help lead you but don’t expect definitive answers. Your life is your life, and you lead the way.

For example, if you’re trying to find a romantic partner. Instead of asking your cards, “When will I find love,” think about the different aspects involved with finding a partner and what you could focus on to manifest more love in your life.

Here are some possible questions to ask your oracle cards when looking for love:

Love 5-Card Spread

• How can I love myself more?

• What areas of my life should I focus on to find love?

• What should I look for in a partner?

• What is holding me back from receiving love?

• What is holding me back from finding a romantic partner?

Click here to receive a printable card layout for the 5-card love spread.

Sample Questions

Here are some open-ended sample questions that work well for oracle card readings.

• How can I invite more ____________ into my life?

• How can I overcome my fear of _____________ ?

• Am I going in the right direction with _____________ ?

• How can I let go of ____________ ?

• What should I focus on today?

• What should I focus on during this moon cycle?

• Where can I find more __________ in my life?

• What is blocking me from ____________ ?

• What is preventing me from manifesting ______________ ?

• In what ways am I holding myself back?

• How can I be in better alignment with my purpose?

How Many Cards Should I Pull?

You can pull one card or twenty cards. Your card readings can be as in-depth as you need them to be. It can be helpful to have an idea of what questions you’d like to ask before starting so you know about how many cards you’ll want to pull. That said, selecting multiple cards may lead to more questions! If more questions pop up, pull away, sister.

Designs & Cardinal Directions

Laying your cards out in a specific design isn’t necessary but can impart an added layer of meaning to your card reading. A simple design suggestion is to arrange your cards in an upward or downward-facing triangle. An upward- facing triangle will add masculine energy to your reading, and a downward-facing triangle will add feminine energy to your reading.

Click here to download the new moon card reading guide pictured above.

The four cardinal directions are another way to add meaning to your reading. Face yourself and your cards in a specific direction to add more meaning in this way. Here’s a quick description of how each direction can affect your reading.

• North: Issues related to the physical body

• East: Issues related to new beginnings

• South: Issues related to challenges or blocks

• West: Issues related to emotions

Let’s recap! Here are seven simple steps for creating oracle card spreads.

Steps to Perform an Oracle Card Reading

1. In what areas of your life are you seeking guidance? It’s always helpful to go into a reading with a plan. Without an idea of what you need guidance on your message may be unclear.

2. What question(s) could you ask that might shed light on this issue? Write them down beforehand to help stay on topic as you perform your reading.

3. Get quiet, breathe deep, and call on your guides and higher self to help you select cards.

4. Optional: Lay cards in a specific pattern that is meaningful to your topic.

5. Optional: Face a specific direction as you perform your card reading.

6. Pull your cards. Try not to judge the cards and what they might mean for you until you’re finished and can take in the entire reading.

7. Decipher your reading with an open mind using your intuition and any guidebooks for the deck(s) you’re using. Welcome nudges from your higher self and guides and be open to signs as you move about your day that may be related to your message.

What If My Message Didn’t Make Sense?

Didn’t receive the message you were hoping for or expecting? Before you doubt the cards, wait a few days, and look for signs. Often, you’ll find that the message you received was exactly what you needed and it will usually make itself apparent. If you wait a few days and the message is still unclear, try clearing your mind with a short meditation and asking your higher self or guides to make the message more clear and do another card pull.

I hope you feel empowered to perform meaningful card readings for yourself and others!

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!

3 Ways to Use The Ritual Deck

The Ritual Deck is here! Here are tips and tools you can use to jump in and start using your deck as soon as you receive it. Update 2022: The original Ritual Deck is currently discontinued but we’re working on having a similar version eventually!

Ritual has the power to ground you, help you manifest your desires, and unlock your intuitive abilities. I created this deck to help you tap into the power of ritual on a regular basis without needing to purchase several supplies.
There are three main ways to use The Ritual Deck.

1. As a traditional oracle card deck for regular guidance from the cards.

2. Unique card spreads designed specifically for performing the rituals you need most.

3. The cards themselves act as energetic stand-ins for ritual, perfect for spell work or placing on your altar.

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I’m going to share a few ways to start using your deck here but keep in mind, The Ritual Deck comes with a robust guidebook that goes into greater detail on all three of these methods. The guidebook includes much more than I can offer here in one blog post! Beyond the guidebook, this deck is incredibly versatile, and I’m sure you’ll be able to find more uses than what is outlined in the guidebook.

Oracle Card Pulls with The Ritual Deck

First and foremost The Ritual Deck is an oracle card deck. Use it for daily card pulls to receive a message for the day or bigger oracle card spreads to find guidance on more significant questions you may have.

The triad card spreads outlined in the guidebook is a common one for oracle card decks because it has so many applications. Apply the triad card spread to any of the situations you’d like more guidance on:

Steps to perform a triad card spread:

1. Hold the cards in your hands and focus on your question.

2. Shuffle your cards.

3. Call in any guides, Gods, or Goddesses you work with to help (optional).

4. Turn over the top three cards in a straight line or in a “v” shape as pictured below. The “v” shape indicates that you’d like to bring more feminine energy into your reading.

5. Apply the chart above to your three cards and reference the guidebook for more information on each card you selected.

As an example, let’s pretend that your question is, “What is holding me back from my goal to find a new job?”. The first card represents your desire to find a new job, the second card represents what might be blocking you, and the last card references how your problem may culminate. You’d then be able to dig deeper into the meaning of each card in the guidebook.

Card Spreads for Ritual with The Ritual Deck

The Ritual Deck offers several unique spreads specifically based around rituals that can help you balance your chakras, follow the phases of the moon, balance the five elements within you or your space, and more. Here are the steps for practicing the five-element card spread.

The five elements are energies within you and outside of you that can help you feel more balanced. They can also be used to bring in a specific kind of energy you’re seeking. For example, if you’re trying to accomplish a goal on a short deadline you may want to bring in more of the fire element.

To perform the element card spread follow these steps:

Place the earth card North, the air card East, the fire card South, the water card West, and the spirit card in the center.

Next, use the correspondences on the bottom of the cards to sort the cards by element. For example, all of the cards with a correspondence of water will go in a pile together.

Place each pile on top of its corresponding element, shuffle the cards, and place them face down.

Starting with the top earth element card pile select a card. This will be the ritual you perform to balance your earth element. Continue around the circle selecting one card from each pile until you end in the center at the spirit element.

This card spread can be modified for just one element, and you can decide to pull as many ritual cards from each pile as you’d like! Space your rituals out over a few days, trying to do all of them at once may be overwhelming.

There are similar card spreads outlined in the guidebook for balancing your chakras and performing rituals for every moon phase.

Using Your Cards as Energetic Stand-Ins

Your mind is a powerful tool. By believing that these cards carry the same capacity as the actual objects, they will. I do not mean to discredit the power of real crystals and tools — they are potent healers that I use and adore, but it may not be convenient or possible to find all of the physical tools you need in a given moment for a ritual. That’s why I created this deck: to provide you with the tools you need to perform regular rituals and be transformed by them.

For example, if you’re trying to bring more feminine energy into your daily practice you could place these three cards on your altar as reminders.

Or, if you’re performing a manifesting ritual and need specific tools to perform a spell or ritual, you can use cards that align with manifesting as stand-ins rather than acquiring several different physical objects.

I hope you enjoy these tips for getting started with your deck! Of course, if you have any questions about using your deck you can contact us. Click here to read a blog post all about chakra readings with The Ritual Deck.

You are Psychic! How to Determine What Kind of Psychic Gift You Have

You have psychic abilities. We all do. Some of our psychic gifts are more pronounced than others, but we all have them. The best place to start when it comes to making your psychic gifts more effective is knowing what kind of psychic you are.

The way that we each receive psychic information varies. Just because you don’t see premonitions of the futures does not mean that you’re not psychic! Some of us intuit psychic information through touch, feel, sight, and even smell. Once you determine what kind of psychic you are, you’ll be able to perfect and hone your abilities.

Let’s find out what kind of psychic you are so you can start mastering your psychic abilities! I’ll break down signs to look for each psychic category and a few ways for you to sharpen your skills.

What kind of psychic are you?

As you read through this list, keep in mind that It is entirely possible that you contain gifts from more than just one of these psychic categories. Many of us have two to three that stand out, or, you may have one that is very prominent.

If you haven’t been practicing your psychic abilities you may not be receiving fully formed messages from the other side just yet, and that’s perfectly ok! Determine which of the psychic skills listed below pique your interest, start paying closer attention to that ability in yourself, try out some of the suggested “fine-tuning tips,” and see what happens! If you do have that psychic ability you’ll likely notice that you become more sensitive to it.

A little note: the Latin word “clair” translates to clear, which is why each of the psychic abilities starts the same. I’ve added the English translation to break each one down.

Clairvoyance // Clear Seeing

Clairvoyance is the most commonly referenced of the clairs and is likely one you’ve heard mentioned most often. Don’t be fooled by the term's popularity. It certainly isn’t the most common form of psychic ability!Clairvoyance is the ability to see things before they happen. If you’re clairvoyant, you may have intuitive hits that include seeing visions of future events or having dreams about future events.How to fine-tune your clairvoyant abilities:

• Write down any visions you have so you can cross-reference their accuracy if/when they happen.

• Keep a dream journal.

• Practice third eye meditations often with the help of crystals like amethyst to help open your third eye.

Clairaudience // Clear Hearing

If you fall into the clairaudient category, you’re likely very sensitive to sound and may even get different feelings from sounds. Practiced clairaudients may hear messages from loved ones who have passed on, music from the other side, or hear about the future. If you’ve ever heard voices or music when there are none to be heard you may be clairaudient.How to fine-tune your clairaudient abilities:

• Try sound healing with gongs or singing bowls.

• Keep a journal of how certain sounds make you feel or any messages you hear.

• Practice sound healing meditations often.

Clairsentience // Clear Feeling

If you’re clairsentient, you’re also likely an empath or consider yourself very empathic. Clairsentients can feel the energy of others with ease through their energetic field or aura. You may even have strong feelings about the well-being of plants and animals too. If you’re the type of person that knows that someone is no good immediately upon meeting them, you’re likely clairsentient.How to fine-tune your clairsentient abilities:

• Experience Reiki and consider learning more about Reiki and the auric field.

• Keep a journal to record any intuitive hits you receive about people you come in contact with.

• Practice aura and energy meditations often.

Clairtangency // Clear Touching

Clairtangency is also referred to as psychometry and is the ability to receive intuitive hits from holding different objects. Many people that are clairsentient are also clairtangent, not always, but there are many overlaps between the two. The objects that clairtangents read carry the same energy that clairsentients pick up on. You may receive intuitive hits from holding objects through feeling or visions. Think about the last time you were in an antique store or someone’s home with a lot of older items, how did it feel? If you’ve ever had a strong sense or vision from holding an object, you may be clairtangent.How to fine-tune your clairtangent abilities:

• Keep a journal with any intuitive hits you receive from touch.

• Have friends or family test you by giving you different objects to hold, check with them to see if any intuitive hits you receive are accurate.

• Practice meditations while holding different stones and objects and be aware of how each meditation feels different based on the object.

Claircognizance // Clear Knowing

This psychic ability is a little tougher to pin down and to describe. Claircognizants know things, from either the past or the future, and may not understand why or how they have the information. Unlike clairvoyants, claircognizants may not see a vision, they simply know. If you’ve ever had a strong feeling of knowing something to be true without anyone having told you, you may be claircognizant.How to fine-tune your claircognizant abilities:

• Keep a journal for anything you know all of a sudden, so you can cross-reference it for accuracy later.

• Begin to trust your instincts more rather than questioning them.

• Practice crown chakra and third eye meditations often.

Clairalience // Clear Smelling

Smells are powerful and one of our strongest ties to our memories. Though this psychic ability may seem strange, it’s not surprising that scent can invoke a strong intuitive hit. Seasoned clairaliences receive messages through smells, even if there are no actual smells present. If you’ve ever become overcome with the scent of a loved one that has passed on this not only may indicate that you’re clairalient but that your loved one is nearby.How to fine-tune your clairalient abilities:

• Keep a journal to record any intuitive hits you have that include smell, be sure to include where you were and what you were doing at the time too as this may have something to do with the intuitive hit.

• Surround yourself with scents you enjoy like, herbs, plants, flowers, or essential oils. Record how they make you feel.

• Practice third eye meditations often with the intention set to receive intuitive hits through scent.

Clairgustance // Clear Tasting

Like clairalience, clairgustance involves one of your senses, taste. Not always one of the most pleasant psychic abilities, if you fall into the clairgustance category, you may taste things when you don’t have anything in your mouth. Odd as it may seem, these mystery tastes may be related to intuitive hits. For example, if you’ve ever experienced a familiar taste that took you back to childhood and you weren’t eating anything, you may be clairgustant. How to fine-tune your clairgustant abilities:

• Practice mindful eating to become more in tune with your palette and any feelings you receive from different tastes.

• Keep a journal to record any intuitive hits you receive through taste. Remember, you may not actually be eating anything when you receive a hit of this nature!

• Practice third eye meditations often with the goal in mind to receive intuitive hits through taste.

If you love visuals, below you can find an infographic with some of the psychic abilities that we went through:

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Opening your third eye will help to hone any psychic ability listed above!

Ways to Connect to Your Divine Feminine Energy (And Why You Should)

Divine feminine energy has a lot of names: yin, lunar, shakti, and passive, to name a few.

But they’re all the same thing. Divine feminine energy is the goddess energy within. It’s the energy of flow, of being, of intuition, of the moon.

Every human, regardless of gender, has both divine feminine and divine masculine (solar, yang, shiva) energy within them. Much of our modern culture focuses on the divine masculine: doing, pushing, producing, going.

Just like yin and yang, you need both energies: they complement each other. But sometimes you can get so caught up in your divine masculine that you forget to nurture the divine feminine, too, and you suffer.

You miss out on your intuition, on compassion, self-love, presence, and just simply being in silence.

Imagine the radical revolution in the world if more people moved from that divine feminine space. Imagine if more people were connected to their intuition, loved themselves deeply, lived compassionately, and allowed themselves to be present.

That can happen, and it starts with you—as within, so without.

Connecting to your divine feminine is always important, but especially this month. Your divine feminine energy reminds you that you are whole, that everything you desire is within you, and that you are worthy of love from yourself and from others.

Read through the list below to get some ways to connect to your divine shakti.

Pranayama

It all starts with your breath. Chandra Bhedana (Moon-Piercing Breath) is a version of alternate nostril breathing that connects you to lunar energy by inhaling only through your left nostril and exhaling through your right.

For this breath, find a comfortable seat. Bring your thumb and middle fingers to third eye center. Close your right nostril with your thumb to inhale through your left nostril, then close your left nostril with your right and pinky fingers to exhale through your right nostril.

Continue to breathe this way for at least twenty rounds of breath. Inhaling in through only your left nostril activates your lunar energy (which runs on the left side of your body) and exhaling only through your right nostril releases your solar energy (which runs on the right side of your body).

Yoga Poses

Divine feminine yoga is all about connecting with your intuition, creating, and being present. Allow yourself to get on your mat with no expectations, listen to your body, and get creative with a flow.

The poses below are some ideas to help you connect with lunar energy. Use them as a starting point for your own creativity!

Fetal position on your right side. The first yoga pose. Not only does this pose help you feel safe and cozy, but it also activates your lunar energy by having your left side only facing up.

Child’s pose, Balasana. Use this gentle pose to offer yourself some nourishment. Get still, get quiet, and be present.

Half moon pose, Ardha Chandrasana. Cultivate balance, a deep sense of confidence, and creativity completely grounded in your divine feminine in this pose.

Pigeon pose, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana. Breathe and allow yourself to feel everything you need to feel in this more intense hip-opener. Let any emotions that you need to release here release, and surrender them to your breath.

Crescent lunge, Anjaneyasana. Crescent lunge is part of Chandra Namaskar, moon salutations. Incorporate a mudra like one of the ones below to make it extra powerful.

Tarot Card Pull

Each of the questions below will give you insight into your relationship with your divine feminine. Get quiet, open your mind, and pull a card for any or all of these questions.

• How can I create more flow in my life today?

• How can I open my heart chakra?

• How can I open my third eye chakra?

• How can I connect with my divine feminine energy?

• What is holding me back from connecting with my divine feminine?

• What is my relationship with my divine feminine?

• What is my relationship with my divine masculine?

The archetypes from the major arcana that most represent the divine feminine energy are the High Priestess (deep intuitive understanding) and the Empress (deep connection with feminine energy manifesting as creativity, fertility, abundance, and sensuality).

Mantra Meditation

The Kundalini "Adi Shakti" mantra is said to tune you into the frequency of the energy of the divine feminine, eliminate fears and fulfill desires, get you in touch with your own power, and become Shakti, the feminine energy of the Universe.

Adi Shakti, Adi Shakti, Adi Shakti, Namo NamoSarab Shakti, Sarab Shakti, Sarab Shakti, Namo NamoPritham Bhagvati, Pritham Bhagvati, Pritham Bhagvati, Namo NamoKundalini Mata Shakti, Mata Shakti, Namo Namo

Chant this mantra as many times as you’d like, and then sit in silence for a few moments to allow yourself to feel the change in your vibration.

Crystals

Some of the best crystals for connecting with your divine feminine are:

• Labradorite, for intuition, self-discovery, and universal harmony

• Kunzite, to open your heart chakra and connect with the element of water to create more flow

• Rose quartz, to open your heart chakra and remind you of your capacity to both give and receive unconditional love

• Selenite, to access your inner goddess and connect with Shakti

• Peridot, to create abundance and flow by channeling Lakshmi’s manifesting power

• Moonstone, to connect with the energy of the moon and with your intuition

• Amazonite, to balance both the masculine and feminine energies within you

Mudra

Mudras, hand gestures or “seals,” can be a powerful way to shift your energy. Click here to learn more about how mudras work with the elements of the hands and the gunas to create different energies.

Yoni Mudra. Use yoni mudra to quiet your mind, connect to your divine feminine energy, and call on the energy of the goddesses.

Bring your palms together with your fingers pointing down. Open your palms up into an upside-down triangle with your thumbs as the base. Then turn your pinky, ring, and middle fingers in so that the backs of the fingers are touching and thumbs are pointing slightly upward.

Kali mudra. This mudra invokes the power of this fierce goddess of destruction and transformation. Kali mudra is a beautiful reminder that the divine feminine can be a fierce force for change.

Interlace your fingers in front of you, placing your left thumb over right. Lengthen your index fingers, press them together, and point them away from you.

Trimurti mudra. Use trimurti mudra to flow and connect with your inner healer.

Place both palms flat on your navel with fingers facing down, and bring them into a triangle pointing to your toes with tips of thumbs and index fingers touching.

Pay Attention to the Cycles of the Moon

Like the moon, you go through phases. Knowing the cycles of the moon and your own corresponding cycles helps deepen your connection to lunar energy and the divine feminine.

Scents & Herbs

Use the herbs and scents below in a variety of ways: to burn, drink, or soak in as herbs or to diffuse or roll on your skin as oils.

• Dried violet, to stimulate creativity

• Brahmi, to calm and cool your mind

• Hibiscus, to assist you in psychic growth and promote tranquility

• Lavender, to soothe, calm, and promote the energy of being

• Rose-hips, to promote healing, compassion, and self-love

• Juniper, to connect with your inner wisdom

Click here to get an herbal bath recipe to connect with your divine feminine.

I hope you find some tools within this blog that you can use regularly to connect to this energy. You certainly don’t have to do all of these to connect with the energy of the divine feminine. Do what feels good and calls out to you! I hope you feel more in tune with the divine feminine energy that’s already within you.

5 Amazing Things You Didn't Know About Amethyst

If you’re reading this then it’s safe to say you probably have some amethyst somewhere in your home. Amethyst is one of the most popular gemstones and for good reasons--it’s sturdy, beautiful, fairly easy to come by, and, energetically speaking, it comes with a slew of benefits.

Thirsty for more amethyst knowledge and uses? After doing loads of research about this purple powerhouse, I came across five amazing things about amethyst that I thought you should know, some are quite surprising! Read on to learn all five.

Your citrine was most likely an amethyst

Did you know that baking amethyst at 850°F for a certain amount of time will turn it into a golden yellow color? Amethyst is pretty amazing, but color-changing abilities too?! Most citrine on the market today was born from heat-treated amethyst. (It’s still up for debate whether or not this heat-treated citrine has the same metaphysical benefits.)

As far as the heat-treated citrine debate goes, some believe it’s all about your thoughts and intentions and some say it’s definitely not the same. Personally, I find that real citrine has a more powerful vibration to it, and feel that heat-treated citrine has a similar but slightly weaker vibe. Heat-treated citrine is also much more affordable and easy to find. I definitely don’t recommend throwing out all of your citrine! Sit with some of each and see what you think.

Here are some simple ways to determine whether or not your citrine is natural or was amethyst in a past life:

• Golden orange yellow rather than a pale yellow.

• Just golden yellow at the top part of the crystal with white at the bottom.

• Fragile and pointed shape. Heat-treated citrine breaks apart faster.

Amethyst likes to buddy up

Amethyst joins up with other crystals naturally within Mother Earth for some seriously magical combinations. Meet ametrine and super 7!

Ametrine hails from Bolivia and is a naturally occurring combination of amethyst and citrine. It creates a pretty dreamy combo. Metaphysically speaking, ametrine carries the healing benefits of both amethyst and citrine. Ametrine can be difficult to come by and heat-treated lookalikes are out there too.

Super 7, also called melody stone, comes from Brazil and has a little bit more going on than ametrine. It’s comprised of 7 different gemstones all in one! Super 7 is a combination of, you guessed it, amethyst, quartz, smoky quartz, cacoxenite, rutile, and lepidocrocite.

With so much going on super 7 comes with several benefits. Some, to name a few, are:

• Grounding and uplifting

• Balances all chakras

• Self-cleaning

• Connects you with your higher self

Recruit amethyst for your tiebreaker

On the fence about a decision? You’ve weighed all the pros and cons but just can’t decide? Amethyst is here to help! Amethyst and your third eye are besties. Your third eye aids in intuition, connecting to your higher self, and taming your busy mind. Amethyst can help to gently soothe the third eye, lull busy thoughts, and can help clarify decision making.

Here are a couple of ways to recruit amethyst as your decision referee:

• Meditate while lying down and place a piece of amethyst on your third eye. As you meditate ask for clarity about the decision you need to make.

• Place a piece of amethyst on your nightstand. Before you go to bed focus on your decision and ask for clarity to come to you in your sleep.

Boost your mood with negative ions

Amethyst won’t release these negative ions on its own, but, by heating it in the sun, an oven (not too high though, don’t want it to turn into citrine!), or from the heat of your own body it is said to release negative ions.

Don’t be fooled by the name, negative ions aren’t negative at all and some believe can help boost your mood. Similar to salt lamps, amethyst is said to release negative ions too. Not quite as much as a salt lamp, but some, nonetheless.

Negative ions are found naturally at waterfalls, beaches, and mountains. This is why some people believe visiting these types of places can put you in such a good mood. Among other positive side effects, negative ions are reported to help increase your energy and improve your mood.

The possible benefits of negative ions are still being studied, and though many people claim they work, the jury is still out in the science community.

Fend off bad vibes

Often touted for its intuitive enhancing abilities, amethyst is also a powerful shield against negative energy. Energetically, amethyst is a potent aid in handling negative vibes, it doesn’t just block them and is said to transmute them into good energy. Here’s an excerpt from The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall where she explains this:

Amethyst is an extremely powerful and protective stone with high spiritual vibration. Itguards against psychic attack, transmuting the energy into love. A natural tranquilizer,Amethyst blocks geopathic stress and negative environmental energies.

Now that you’re an amethyst genius, I hope you’ll take advantage of some of its amazing abilities!

Tea Leaf Reading // How to Do Your Own in 7 Steps

Looking for the perfect divination tool to get a glimpse of your future and entertain guests with for Samhain and Halloween? Tea leaf reading, or tasseography is the art of using tea leaves for divination purposes. Many cultures believe that around the end of October the veil between the physical world and the spirit world is thinned, so it’s the best time to perform divination of all kinds.

What is Tea Leaf Reading?

Doing a tea leaf reading involves you indulging in a delicious cup of tea and putting your sharp intuitive skills to work. After you enjoy your warm cup of loose leaf tea, you’ll leave the loose tea leaves at the bottom, where some of these leaves will form symbols, each having its own meaning. That’s where your keen intuitive abilities come in! Anyone can see a triangle at the bottom of a teacup, but your job is to intuit what it means for you or the person you’re reading for.

Where Did Tea Leaf Reading Come From?

You might be wondering where this unusual form of divination came from, so here’s a short history about tasseography. Shortly after tea was introduced to Europe, tea leaf reading, as it’s now recognized, was born. Similar divination tools had been used with an assortment of other materials, but tea leaves seemed to be the favorite! The art of tea leaf reading spread through Europe, especially in Gypsy cultures, and is now practiced throughout the world.

What You Need for a Tea Leaf Reading

• Tea cup with a wide brim that’s light enough to easily see your tea leaves. There are a variety of specialty tea leaf reading cups available, they are beautiful but unnecessary. I created mine at a local pottery painting studio. Keep it simple, buy your own, or get crafty with it, any option will work!

• Saucer

• Loose-leaf green or black tea, preferably organic.

• Napkins

• Pen and paper

• Water

• Enough time to savor a cup of tea and get lost in the maze of tea leaf symbols!

How to Perform a Tea Leaf Reading

1. Brew Your Tea

Gather all of your materials. Boil your water. Place about a teaspoon of loose tea in your cup. Pour your water in and steep tea to your preference.For the next 3 steps, if you’re doing a reading for someone else, have them do the following steps.

2. Sip & Swirl

Before you take your first sip, gently swirl the tea counterclockwise three times. Sip and enjoy your tea, but don’t drink it all! When there’s about 1 tablespoon of tea left in your cup, swirl it again 3 times counterclockwise and think about or speak your query aloud.

3. Create Your Tea Reading Canvas

Turn your cup upside down onto your saucer to remove the remaining water, allow it a minute or so to drain, then turn it back upright, and you’re ready for reading!

4. Look for Symbols

Look over your loose leaf tea pieces and see if any symbols or shapes jump out to you immediately. Don’t fret if you don’t see anything immediately, similar to scrying with a crystal ball, it can take some time for imagery to form for you. Try looking at the inside of the cup from different directions to see shapes. Keep in mind the images formed are formed from tea leaves, so you will really need to use your imagination!

5. Record & Decipher Your Findings

If you do start to see some shapes, begin writing them down on your piece of paper so you can decipher them later, note wherein the cup they are too. Now you’re ready to decipher your findings! Here’s a guide for the most common symbols found during tea leaf readings:

6. Understand the Timeline

Where your tea leaves are situated in your cup relate to when they will happen. This is why some of the tea leaf reading cups you find have circles inside of them. Timing is broken into thirds as follows:

• Bottom third: farthest away from happening, think 3-5 years out.

• Middle third: will happen in about a year from now.

• Top third: will be happening in the near future, think within the next few weeks.

7. Form Your Reading

Like most divination tools, a honed intuition is key for success, so be sure to lean on any gut instincts as you form the story for your reading. Once you understand the meaning behind the symbols it’s time to put all of the information into a story that makes sense for you or the person you’re doing a reading for.

This divination tool is so much fun to do with friends and family! Setting in on a fall evening with some loved ones and sip, laugh, enjoy, and maybe get a little glimpse at what’s to come.

The Power of Quartz // 6 Uses for the Ultimate Crystal

Are you looking for the ultimate crystal to do the work of an entire crystal collection? I won’t hold back on you, clear quartz is it. Want to learn how to put this workhorse of a crystal to use? I’ve got 6 simple rituals and uses for quartz to share with you, so you can get the most out of wearing and using quartz. First, let’s learn a bit more...

What is Quartz?

Quartz is comprised of silicon dioxide which is naturally occurring in the earth’s crust. It’s the most common and abundant crystal found on Earth.

These gems were so prized by ancient people that many believed that quartz crystals were alive, taking breaths once a year, or were incarnations of divine beings. Some still believe this to be true.

Quartz is the ultimate healer, balancer, manifestor, and energy amplifier. Judy Hall sums it up pretty well in this quote from her book The Crystal Bible.

If you’re not convinced that your quartz is breathing or the incarnation of an ancient Sumerian, don’t fret, because this beauty has a long list of powerful uses!

Here’s a short list of some of quartz crystals amazing qualities:

• Best stone for programming

• Ultimate balancing stone: balances chakra, immune system, mood, etc.

• Master healer

• Can create electricity!!! Quartz is piezoelectric, meaning if pressure is applied to it it will create electricity.

• Contains the entire color spectrum

• Meets you where you are energetically

• Protects from negative energy

Quartz Uses & Rituals

Amplifying

Because quartz is the ultimate amplifying stone, it’s perfectly suited for manifesting and spell work. Use quartz on a crystal grid to help amplify your intention for the grid. Learn more about making your own crystal grids here in this previous post.

Doing some spell work or magic? Be sure to add in a piece of quartz, its amplifying powers can give your spell a nice little boost!

Connecting with the Spirit Realm

Quartz can help you connect with spirit guides, the spirit realm, and be more in tune with your psychic abilities. Clear quartz strongly activates the upper chakras, which are responsible for your intuition and psychic abilities. Next time you sit down to meditate, try to connect with a spirit guide, or hone your intuition, place a piece of quartz in your hand to assist you. Having a quartz crystal ball in the same room that you’re meditating in will have a similar effect, you can read more about quartz crystal balls here.

Programming for Manifesting

Quartz is a powerful stone for storing information. In fact, scientists have discovered techniques to store up to 360 TB of information on pieces of quartz that can last billions of years. You don’t have to be a scientist to take advantage of this superpower of quartz, it can also store energetic information too.

Program a quartz crystal necklace or stone. Here’s a quick guide on how to program a crystal:

1. Cleanse your quartz crystal with a smoke wand or your favorite herb. You can read more about crystal cleansing here.

2. Clear your mind.

3. Hold your quartz in your dominant hand or in both of your hands.

4. Mentally and verbally repeat your goal or intention into the crystal.

5. Do this until you feel the stone is programmed with your intention.

6. Keep your programmed quartz nearby by wearing it or placing it somewhere you’ll see it daily.

7. Once your desire has manifested clear your quartz again for future programming. Because quartz is so good at storing information it can be powerful to use the same one for repeated programming as your successes and energy will build on each other.

Protection

The high vibration of clear quartz can also help protect your aura from unwanted energies. Wearing a point crystal necklace is perfect for this purpose. Patricia Mercier from The Chakra Bible explains:

When working with your higher chakras it is recommended that you wear a quartz point as a piece of jewelry hanging on your chest, with the point facing down toward the Earth. Place it in the position known to some Native American healers as “the spiritual grounding point”: right at the end of the breast bone between the heart chakra and the solar plexus chakra. Doing this will always keep you electromagnetic field or aura perfectly clear. Anything negative coming near you will be repelled by the light transmitted through the quartz. Always choose your crystal jewelry intuitively and don’t forget to cleanse it every night after you have worn it.

The Perfect Stone for All Levels

Quartz is special because it meets you where you are energetically. Just starting your woo-woo journey? Great, quartz can help! You’re a proficient healer, psychic, manifesting guru? Perfect, quartz can help you too! Simply keeping some quartz near you, at any stage of your spiritual journey, will be helpful.

Balancing & Healing

Clear quartz radiates white light, and white light contains all of the colors of the color spectrum in it. Because quartz carries with it all of the colors of the rainbow, it acts as a powerful balancing stone for all of the chakras. The balancing effect of quartz will go beyond your chakras and energize your entire aura, bringing greater health to your energetic and physical body. The clearer the quartz the better for balancing and healing.

Energizing Other Crystals & Objects

Use quartz to energize and elevate your other crystals or special objects. If you have multiple quartz crystals, you can place other crystals, jewelry, or other small objects in a dish with clear quartz to give them a nice charge. Quartz is also perfect for placing on oracle or tarot decks to keep them fresh.

Surprise surprise, many of your other favorite crystals are part of the quartz family! You might have more quartz hanging around your space than you even knew. Here are some other varieties of quartz:

• Amethyst

• Aventurine

• Citrine

• Smoky quartz

• Tiger eye

• Rose quartz

• Agate

• Carnelian

• Onyx

• Jasper

So, if anyone ever asks you, “If you were stuck on a desert island and could only bring one crystal with you, what would it be?”--now you know the answer! Quartz is where it’s at in the crystal world!

5 Quick Tips to Improve Your Intuition

Intuition goes by many names: sixth sense, inner knowing, gut feeling. I’m sure you’ve had at least one experience when you “JUST knew.” Maybe it was a safety concern, a work issue, or about a relationship.

If you look back you probably didn’t say, “hey intuition, can you please give me some information about…” Nope. The insight came in a flash and you knew exactly what to do.

What if you could call on that flash of knowing anytime you wanted? This post will help you do that with 5 simple tips on how to improve your intuition. If you want to learn 3 daily actions you can do to support your intuition, check out Cassie's post.

Acknowledge Intuition Exists

It’s innate in everyone, so even if you don’t feel like you have it, know you do. Make a declaration like, “I have a clear and strong intuition,” and observe how your body adjusts.

Clear Some Clutter

Getting rid of junk in your house and mind will create space for new information. Seem overwhelming? Start with just one small area of your house. Try to keep that area neat and tidy (maybe it’s your nightstand or corner of your desk).

Mental and emotional stuff got you weighed down? Dump all that stuff onto paper. No need to analyze or ponder, just freely write down what you are feeling and all the tasks you have to finish. You’ll be amazed at how light you will feel.

Know Your Colors

Here’s a quick exercise to help you connect with your inner knowing. Try this before you get out of bed in the morning. Ask your intuition to give you a color for “yes.” Stay away from the traditional stop light green. That’s too easy. Ask for your individual color for “yes.” Maybe it’s a light orange, or a deep purple. Then ask for your color for “no.” Again, watch for another color aside from red. Maybe it’s grey or bright pink.

Sit with this new information for a few quiet moments and be open for it to appear throughout your day.

Start Small

Now that you have your colors, let’s see how you can use them in everyday scenarios! Your intuition is like a muscle, it likes to be worked out, but you can’t start lifting 100 pounds right away. So start with asking about what shirt you should wear, or which road to take to work. Ask for your “yes” or “no” colors. Go with it!

Trust

Your intuition will get clearer with time and patience. One thing to keep in mind is following your intuition doesn’t mean that life will always go the way you want.

Your intuition is serving as your guide for a deeper purpose for reasons you might not see. Maybe that bad traffic your intuition lead you into was to keep you from something worse. Maybe those “yes” shoes you tripped in means you’ll get to tell a funny story to a new person!

The most important step is to have fun! Don’t worry about getting it right or wrong. Your intuitive power is supposed to bring you closer to who you are, not stress you out.

Developing your inner knowing just takes a few minutes a day. Clear some clutter, use your colors, and trust in your developing “muscle.” Your intuition is the inner gift that keeps on giving so have fun listening to what it has to say! If you are looking to play with your intuition some more, check out my funny and in-your-face oracle cards at www.rebeldeck.com.

How to Open Your Third Eye & Know When It’s Blocked

When was the last time you had a sense that you needed to check in with someone, leave a space, or had a flash of insight, and all at once something made perfect sense? These little intuitive moments are your third eye chakra at its best.

When your third eye chakra is balanced you do not only see but you understand. That inner knowing can be felt throughout your entire body, in every cell. Sounds nice, right?

If your third eye chakra is not balanced you’ll have a whole other set of manifestations that aren’t quite as favorable, which I’ll outline later.

The third eye chakra is located in the center of your brow bone. In Sanskrit, this chakra is called Ajna and translates to “to command” or “to perceive.” It is responsible for your intuition, imagination, and is your connection to having a deep understanding of the physical realm and the spiritual realm.

Before I dive into how to open your third eye, I want to give you some tips for recognizing when it’s blocked.

Is your third eye chakra blocked?

• Trouble sleeping or insomnia

• Confusion or anxiety about decisions you need to make

• Frequent headaches

• Lack of imagination

• Unsure of what to do with your life

• Poor memory

• Feel pulled to meditate, be in silence, and do restorative activities

How to Open Your Third Eye Chakra

Third Eye Meditation

Meditation is the quintessential method for tapping into the power of your third eye chakra. This can be as simple as sitting quietly for 5 minutes each morning. Whenever I get out of my meditation practice, I’m always shocked by how much of a difference 5 minutes of meditation affects my day. Check out this previous blog post for 8 Simple Ways to Be Here Now to help you bring more mindfulness into your day.

Here’s a meditation to try specifically for balancing and opening your third eye chakra:

• Clear 5-20 minutes of uninterrupted quiet time for yourself;

• Sit cross-legged on the floor or seated on a chair;

• Straighten your spine, lift your shoulders up and back and close your eyes;

• With your eyes closed, point them both towards the center of your brow bone at your third eye chakra;

• Focus on the inhale and the exhale of your breath;

• With each inhale imagine a deep purple glowing light expanding around your third eye center. As you exhale it decreases and then grows bigger and brighter with each inhale.

• Once you settle into a rhythm, repeat this mantra: I am connected to my higher self. I know that I am always guided. I make decisions with ease and grace. I accept and trust the path I am on. My intuition is my guide. OM. (OM is the bija mantra for the third eye chakra, so feel free to chant it more than once and really draw it out!)

• Repeat the mantra as often as you want.

• Once you’re ready to finish release your eyes, release any control over your breath, stop the mantra, and rest for a few moments.

If you love guided meditations you can also get my Chakra balancing meditation here.

Crystals & Symbols

The most potent crystals for your third eye chakra are amethyst, lepidolite, celestite, and azurite.

Crystal guru, Judy Hall, explains the benefits of azurite, “Azurite guides psychic and intuitive development. It urges the soul toward enlightenment. It cleanses and stimulates the third eye chakra and attunes to spiritual guidance.”

Wear any of these crystals or a symbol of the third eye as a reminder of your goal to stay connected to your intuition. You can also rest any of these stones on your third eye for added benefit.

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Caring for your Pineal Gland

Physically speaking, your third eye chakra directly relates to your pineal gland. Your pineal gland is a tiny, rice-sized gland tucked inside of your brain. It is part of your endocrine system, it releases melatonin and is responsible for maintaining your circadian rhythm. Research was done on the correlation between meditation and the pineal gland has shown increased activity and melatonin production in the pineal gland during meditation.

There are many foods and environmental factors that can affect it both negatively and positively. Fluoride can take a toll on your pineal gland. Excess fluoride can build up in your pineal gland and cause it to become calcified, lessening the efficacy of your third eye.

To care for your pineal gland, try to cut fluoride out of your diet as much as you can. Here are some foods that can help aid in removing excess fluoride from your body and help decalcify your pineal gland:

• Eat more iodine-rich foods like broccoli, spinach, and seaweed. Iodine-rich foods are helpful for many reasons but can also help cleanse fluoride from your body.

• Add more raw apple cider vinegar to your diet, in salad dressings, or simply in a mixture of water and honey. Raw apple cider vinegar has a high content of malic acid which is helpful for detoxifying the whole body.

• Have a cup of chamomile tea. Chamomile is a calming tea that can help soothe an overactive pineal gland.

Darkness & Light (Maybe)

Try minimizing light pollution in your room at night. Your pineal gland controls your circadian rhythm so it can be beneficial to give yourself time in the real dark. Try shutting out all light from the outdoors, and any inside lights to give you some pre-sleep time in a light-free space.

Alternatively, some ancient beliefs (that are still practiced today) suggest sun-gazing to invigorate your pineal gland and third eye chakra. I don’t really feel comfortable telling you to go stare at the sun because I’ve never tried this before and am not really sure that I feel comfortable doing it either! There are lots to read about it though, so if you’re interested in it I suggest doing your own research on it.

Scents

Meditative scents like sandalwood, frankincense, myrrh, and chamomile will help open and activate your third eye. Use scents in a diffuser or on pressure points on your body during meditation or as a reminder throughout your day.

I hope you take advantage of this amazing gift that lies within you! When your third eye chakra is balanced you not only see but you understand, so go get connected.

The Ultimate Guide to Caring for Your Tarot & Oracle Cards

Now that you have your magical Moon Phase Ritual Cards from last week's post, I thought it would be a perfect time to give you an ultimate guide for taking care of your tarot and oracle cards!

Have a growing collection of oracle and tarot cards that you’re always adding to? If you’ve got a growing collection, you probably don’t use all of those cards every day. You most likely have your favorite decks that you gravitate towards, decks you use rarely, and decks that you let other people use.

Your oracle and tarot cards can pick up vibes from other people, yourself, and accumulate stagnant energy. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to keep your decks energetically fresh so you receive and give the best readings.

These tips will work for tarot and oracle alike, they will also work for our free printable decks like our Zenned Out Mini Oracle Cards and our Moon Phase Ritual Cards. Here’s my ultimate list for taking care of your favorite decks!

Listen to Your Cards

Use your intuition. Ask your tarot and oracle cards what they need, and go with your gut. Have a deck that feels like it wants to be kept separate from your other decks, give it a special space of its own. Have a deck that you feel is pining for some grounding energy, put a little smoky quartz near it.

If you decide to try something new with one of your decks, be extra aware of any energetic signals you may get from them on the new change. The best part is, if you’re using your oracle or tarot cards regularly you’re already honing your intuition, and this is another opportunity to refine your intuitive skills.

Spread Cloth

Create a sacred space for reading your cards with a spread cloth. Traditionally these have been used for tarot but will work just as well for oracle cards.

Energetically speaking, using a spread cloth gives you and your cards a sacred space for reading wherever you are. It adds another layer to the ritual of reading your cards. Bonus, if you read in other places, it will help keep your cards clean.

Deciding on a spread cloth can be simple and inexpensive. There are many are beautiful handmade options on Etsy but you might already have something perfect at home like a silk scarf. Color carries a lot of energetic weight, so I suggest doing some research on color meanings before deciding on your spread cloth.

Cleanse Often

If you’ve had some off readings that didn’t feel quite right it might be time to give your cards a good energetic cleanse. Another reason to cleanse your cards is if they’ve been sitting for a while and haven’t been used. Stagnant decks will pick up all sorts of vibes, so it’s a great time to cleanse them.

Here are three quick and easy ways to lift any bad vibes or stagnant energy from your oracle or tarot cards.

1. Salt Bath: No water needed for this bath, simply set your cards in a tray of sea salt or Himalayan pink salt and let the salt soak up any unwanted vibes.

2. Smoke cleanse: Light your favorite herb and let your cards be bathed in the smoke of it to cleanse them. I recommend exploring some plants that are related to your ancestral lineage, some options of herbs are lavender, mugwort, cedar, rosemary. If you want to add some extra fun you can use tools like cauldrons or smoke wands.

3. Full Moon: Lay your cards in the light of the moon for an energetic refresh. Of course, each moon phase will have its own effect. You can use our Moon Phase Ritual Cards to get an idea of what kind of energy each phase will imbue them with.

Protect Your Cards

You may not want to keep your cards in the box they came in. If you don’t, it’s important that they have a special place to live and have some protection.

Here are some options for protecting your oracle and tarot decks:

• Cloth bag: Similar to the spread cloth, the color of the bag you choose matters. Use your intuition and do some research on color meanings to determine the best color bag for your deck.

• Wooden box: This is perfect for a deck you feel is calling out for an earthy vessel. A box will also offer additional protection if you travel with them.

• Wrap them in your spread cloth: Your spread cloth can serve dual purposes and will work well as a protective cover for your cards

• Crystals: Place a crystal on top of your deck, in the bag, or in the box with your cards to offer a layer of energetic protection. You can never go wrong with clear quartz!

Connect with Your Cards

One of the most important things you can do to care for your cards is to connect with them. The more you connect with them the more you’ll know how to take care of them intuitively. Here are two of my favorite techniques for connecting with your tarot and oracle cards.Sleep with them under your pillow or on your nightstand. This tip comes from guest blog post writer Brittney Carmichael. She mentioned in a previous post,

“Sleep with one card under your pillow each night to allow your subconscious mind to create symbols and meanings for the cards. Your tarot cards are like personal love notes from your soul and will help to guide you along your spiritual path of awakening.”

Take time to look at each card. If you’re feeling disconnected from your deck, take a few quiet moments to sit down and look at each card. Similar to sleeping with a card under your pillow, this will give you an opportunity to connect with the symbolism of your cards and become attuned to their energy.

I recently cleansed all my decks and gave some of my favorite decks a special home or crystal. I was surprised by the change when I did this! I immediately felt more in tune with my cards and my readings have felt more on point. I hope you find the same is true for you and your cards!

5 Surprising Quartz Crystal Ball Uses

We all want our crystals to be multifunctional, right? The fact that they’re beautiful is nice and that many of them offer healing benefits is even better!

When it comes to getting the most out of your crystals, the quartz crystal ball is where it’s at. Think of the quartz crystal ball as the Goddess of all crystals.

Sure, you’ve seen crystal balls played out in Disney movies and maybe even the magical crystal ball juggling by David Bowie in the movie Labyrinth. But, crystal balls go way beyond the fortune teller stereotype.

Now, I have to be honest with you, I told a little lie, I really only have 4 surprising uses for a crystal ball. The first one is totally expected, but I couldn’t pass it up! All of these uses, expected and unexpected, will have you glued to your crystal ball and reaping all of its magical benefits.

Fortune Telling & Asking Questions

Since we went through the basics on the blog last week, today let’s start with the most obvious use for a crystal ball: asking questions, fortune-telling and crystal gazing.

It’s time to take your intuitive training wheels off and dive into trusting your natural abilities with a crystal ball. Reading crystal balls may not be as popular as tarot or oracle cards because there’s no guidebook for this intuitive tool. Crystal ball gazing requires you to build up a symbol vocabulary of your own and truly trust the messages you receive. Here’s a shortlist for reading your crystal ball and asking it questions.

How to Read your Crystal Ball:

• Center yourself, and try to reach a meditative state before you begin. Use any method you like to do this, breathing or a short guided meditation will work.

• Energetically attune yourself to your ball. You can do this by placing your hands on the sphere until you feel the ball is connected to your energy.

• Begin gazing into your crystal ball. You can even imagine yourself becoming a part of the crystal ball or going within it.

• Mentally or aloud ask your question, if you have one, or simply allow information to come to you.

• As you gaze, be open, and allow images to form. Images may come as shapes you see in the crystal itself (almost like seeing forms in the clouds), or you might see images appear in your mind's eye. Don’t expect to see a movie scene appear in your crystal ball, our favorite childhood movies have exaggerated this part a bit! Imagery may come to you in a variety of ways, there’s no wrong way to receive a message.

• Once you’re content with the message you’ve received exit the crystal ball the same way you entered it. For example, if you imagined going within the sphere, imagine leaving the crystal ball in the same way.

• Thank the crystal ball and cover it, if you use a cover.

Don’t give up! Crystal gazing isn’t easy and may a bit of practice before you start seeing results, but is a great way to sharpen your intuitive skills.

Even though fortune-telling may be the most common association with a crystal ball, it’s certainly not the only use. Read on to learn some unexpected uses for your new crystal bestie.

Meditation

It’s easy to get lost in the beauty of a crystal ball, so it’s not hard to imagine using it as a meditation tool. Similar to the art of candle light meditation, meditating with a crystal ball can effectively bring you to a deep meditative state.

To use your crystal ball as a meditation tool, stare into it just as you would for a reading. Notice everything you see within the crystal ball but rather than trying to analyze it, simply notice it and then let it go.

Let the soothing energy of the quartz wash over you as it calms and centers your mind.

Clearing Negative Energy

Quartz crystal is a powerful stone for clearing negative energy and balancing the chakras.

A quartz necklace is perfect for personal clearing and balancing but if you want to keep your office or home negative-free, a quartz sphere is the way to go! The spherical shape is what gives a quartz ball its cleansing and balancing superpowers. Unlike a crystal wand or point, a crystal sphere will emit smooth and even energy in all directions. This is why is perfect for large spaces.

If you’re using a crystal ball for energetic cleansing and balancing it’s best to have one specifically for this purpose and another for reading and meditating with. But let’s be honest, do we really need reasons to buy more crystals?

Inspiring Creativity

This is the perfect tool for getting out of a creative block! Similar to using it as a meditation tool, gaze into the sphere to clear your mind of your creative woe’s and allow your mind to focus on the emptiness of the crystal ball. Here’s some crystal ball inspiration from Uma Silbey’s book Crystal Ball Gazing:

Just by gazing you stimulate your third eye, the subtle energy center associated with,among other things, intuition and creativity. This will help open you to the creativeflow….As I gaze, I free my mind of everything I was saying and thinking and let it restempty and clear…. After I’ve rested my mind for a few moments, I focus on my topicafresh, while still gazing into my crystal ball. Soon all of these new ideas start coming to me.

Next time you find yourself unsure of how to move forward on a creative project take a break to gaze into your crystal sphere.

Sending Messages

Here’s another gem from Uma Silbey’s book Crystal Ball Gazing! Even though sending messages with your crystal ball is for the practiced gazer, it’s a use that’s still worth discussing.

Once you’re in a meditative state during gazing, imagine the person in the crystal ball, then send them the healing message you’d like to share with them. Spend as much time as you’d like sending them positive energy and messages.

After you finish, Uma also suggests setting your crystal ball on an altar for the same person to amplify the message.

I could go on because the uses for these beauties are endless, but I’ll let you start enjoying your crystal ball instead. Before you run out to get your own quartz sphere be sure to check out my last post on how to choose one and take care of it properly here.

What is Scrying? // Crystal Ball Basics

Want to level up your intuitive skills? It’s time to take off your divination training wheels and try a tool that doesn’t provide you with a guidebook with all of the answers. Scrying with a crystal ball requires practice, patience, and a deep trust in your intuitive abilities. But, don’t be scared off! This ancient tool is worth the effort.

This week I’ll give you some background on scrying and all the know-how for getting starting with using a crystal ball. Next week I’ll give you tips for using your crystal ball as an intuitive tool.

What is Scrying?

“Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” Sound familiar? The witch in this familiar scene from Snow White is using a mirror to scry. Scrying is a term used for gazing into a reflective surface for psychic purposes.

Though many of our childhood memories of magic mirrors or crystal balls may give you the idea that these objects themselves are magical or provide images of the future on their own, this isn’t quite true. Think of scrying as using an object to open a door between you and your subconscious, or you and your spirit guides.

The word scry comes from the Old English word descry and means “to make out dimly” or “to reveal.” People have used a variety of mediums for scrying including water, mirrors, and crystals.

I’ll be focusing on the use of a crystal ball to scry. Because, crystals. Need I say more?

5 Steps to Get Started with Your Crystal Ball

Selecting a Crystal Ball

There are few loose guidelines for finding a crystal ball that will lend itself to scrying and, of course, a whole host of intuitive tips to find your perfect match as well.

There are 3 varieties of clear crystal balls: natural quartz crystal, lab-grown quartz crystal, and glass.

For the purposes of scrying, natural or lab-grown quartz options are the way to go. Glass just doesn’t have the same high vibrational qualities you want when forming a connection with your crystal ball. A very clear natural quartz ball will have a much higher price tag. Lab-created quartz crystal balls are perfect for getting started, they’re also perfectly clear and stunning to look at.

Can you start with a colored crystal ball or something opaque? You certainly can, but starting out, most teachers suggest learning on a clear quartz ball. That being said, trust your gut, if you’ve got a strong connection with a colored or opaque crystal ball, start there!

Size-wise, choose a sphere that is larger than 3" across and fits your budget.

Cleanse your Crystal Ball

By the time your crystal ball reaches you, it has probably come into contact with quite a few souls. Just like any crystal you acquire, you’ll want to start out by cleansing it.

Give it a good cleanse with smoke or with any technique that you feel called to use. Maybe even give it a good suds with some mild soap and water.

Cleansing your crystal ball will give it a clean slate for you to work with it by removing energy from previous people that have handled it.

Charge your Crystal Ball

Some feel that crystal balls are charged and alive with energy of their own already. If you’ve ever had an instant connection with a crystal, I’m sure you might agree, I certainly do! Because of this, some people don’t think it’s necessary to charge a crystal ball.

For this step, think instead of giving your sphere a certain kind of energy or adding to its current vibes.

If you would like to charge your crystal ball with the light of the full moon, it will take on that soft and feminine energy.If you would like to learn more on how to cleanse and charge your crystal ball or other crystals in your collection, check out this blog post here!

Proper Care & Handling

Once you have your crystal ball cleansed and charged here are a few tips for keeping it in its best condition physically and energetically!

First, try to avoid letting other people handle your crystal ball. Like any crystal, your sphere can easily pick up the energy for others. Because you'll be using your crystal ball for intuitive uses, it's important that it is primarily tuned in to your energy. If you do let other people handle your crystal sphere, be sure to give it a good cleanse before using it for a reading.

Second, consider keeping your ball covered when it's not in use. The color of the cover or cloth you decide on can affect the energy of your sphere, so keep that in mind while choosing. If you're unsure, many practitioners suggest using a black cloth. Keeping it covered will also keep your ball from becoming dusty and, more importantly, from starting fires. Clear spheres will act as a magnifying glass with sun rays and can start a fire. No joke, I've actually seen this happen at a festival!

Connect with Your Crystal Ball

Before you jump into doing readings for yourself and others, start forming a relationship with your crystal ball. Keep it near you, sit with it, touch it, and maybe even put it on your nightstand when you sleep. Become familiar with its energy and let it soak up yours as well.

Many practitioners name their spheres, which is a practice that I suggest and enjoy. Naming your crystal ball will give it more value and will encourage you to think of it as an entity of its own.

You've got all the tips you need to get started with your crystal ball! There are countless options to purchase crystal spheres online and you might even find some at a local crystal shop. Be sure to join me next week when I share methods for doing readings for yourself and others.

All Your Tarot Questions Answered // Guest Post by Brit Charmichael

Is something holding you back from giving tarot card readings? Do you have some unanswered questions that you’re just not sure about and don’t know who to go to get real answers from?

There’s something about tarot that seems a little more intimidating than oracle cards. It feels like you really need to “know” the cards in order to move forward, and you might be afraid that you’ll do something wrong in a reading. I know, because I had the same feelings about jumping into tarot!

This week, I’m rolling out our first guest blog post with tarot goddess Brit Charmichael. She’s going to be answering all of your tarot questions so you feel confident about doing readings for yourself and others. Enjoy!

Psychics. Tarot. Crystals. Intuition. Spirit Guides.

Four years ago, it was all new to me, but my curiosity kept pulling me in the woo woo direction.

Fast forward, I haven’t skipped a personal daily tarot reading yet and now I’m communicating with past loved ones (including my biological father). We can dive into that another time.

Because tarot is such a taboo topic, I thought diving deep into the questions I get asked ALLLL the time would help to debunk some of the funk we hold around the tool of tarot.

I always like to point out tarot is just another tool of divination helping us connect to the unseen world of energy and vibration. The cards reflect back to us the matching vibration of what we’re feeling so we can see more objectively and clearly into our inner world. The cards help us to look deeper within and uncover our Truth. No matter what religious background you come from, this tool will help you to make that deeper, Divine connection you crave with yourself.

Let’s dive into the most frequent questions I get asked about the tool of tarot…

How can a person be objective to the reading if they are not “trained” to be objective?

Just like learning any skill, you must practice. Sleeping with the cards under your pillow to receive intuitive guidance will help you to receive clear messages from the cards. This allows your subconscious to show you symbols that represent the energy behind each card. Journaling the meanings of each card and sticking to the traditional meaning will also help you to stay objective until you build confidence in trusting your intuition of what each card represents for you.

How do you learn to interpret the cards besides the booklet that it comes with?

I always get cracked up when I say “Sleep with your cards” because it sounds like you’re in an intimate relationship, but it’s SOO true! Sleep with one card under your pillow each night to allow your subconscious mind to create symbols and meanings for the cards. Your tarot cards are like personal love notes from your soul and will help to guide you along your spiritual path of awakening. You MUST begin to trust your soul’s intuitive guidance that comes through when reading the card. Let’s say you pulled the Magician card - instead of reaching for the booklet to find the answers, look over the card. Visualize it in your imagination. Allow the words, feelings, and visions you have about this card to arise from within. Trust your first feeling. Over time you will develop confidence in being able to trust your inner knowing.

When doing a tarot reading - do you do it alone or with someone?

You can read for yourself or another person. You can also read for an entire group of people. The most important thing when reading is to set the intention of who is receiving the message before beginning.

How do you do a reading for yourself?

When doing a reading for yourself, you want to make sure you’re in a safe, sacred place where you feel comfortable opening up your heart space to receive guidance. There are MANY different spreads you can choose from depending on what guidance you’re seeking. My favorite personal reading is simply pulling one card while asking your guides/Higher Self “What is my Divine daily message today?”

How do you do a reading for someone else?

When doing a reading for someone else, you want to make sure you two are both in agreement on what question is being asked from the reader. The reader will then set an intention to receive guidance through the cards and their own intuition to be delivered on behalf of the reader.

What tarot deck do you recommend for beginners?

I get asked this almost every day. I recommend something you will USE! Find a deck that makes your heart flutter. Let your soul/intuition guide you to the deck that suits your spirit. Anything from Doreen Virtue is highly recommended. Her decks are filled with positive and uplifting messages and she has something for everyone.

Where do I start?

You can buy your deck at a local crystal shop, bookstore, or even order on Amazon. When you receive your deck, unwrap the deck and light some herbal smoke or incense to clear away the energy. This helps you to claim the deck as your own. After cleansing the deck, you can begin to sleep with one card a night under your pillow to begin creating a connection with your intuition.

What is your favorite deck?

My current favorite decks are the Archangel Power Tarot and the Butterflies for Life Changes from Doreen Virtue.

How do I shuffle?

Some cards are much larger than other decks, so you can shuffle in whatever way feels right for you. You can slice the deck, spread the cards faced down across the floor and choose, or the traditional Vegas-style shuffle. Any will work. Just mix ‘em up!

How do you care for your decks?

Just like crystals, you want to cleanse and protect their energy. Cleansing the cards as soon as you receive them is important to clear away any other energy that has been left with the cards. Occasional cleansing is good if you feel like your connection to the cards is weak. I also recommend NOT letting others touch your cards as they will leave their energy behind. Check out this blog post to learn more about how to look after your tarot cards.

Temperance card from The Journey Tarot

Should you use the reverse meanings of cards?

If you’re feeling completely blocked and the card comes out upside down, my advice is to trust your gut if you feel the reverse meaning has a message for you. Sometimes I pull a card that’s upside down and the reverse meaning doesn’t apply, then I just go with the actual meaning of the card. I’m not a big fan of looking up the reverse meanings and I always have my cards oriented in the upright position so I typically don’t draw cards that are reversed.

What to do if you get a scary or "bad" reading for yourself or someone else?

Accept it. The cards are reflecting your energy so if something “bad” comes up - see how it applies to your life. Don’t hide from the truth and don’t over analyze the card. I find that sometimes we project our own illusions and fears onto the meaning of the cards which can create confusion when reading for yourself or someone else. I honestly don’t believe there are any “bad” cards in tarot. The “death” card gets such a bad wrap, but the meanings aren’t always literal. It could represent a metaphorical death such as the end of a cycle, job, relationship, or chapter in your life’s story, but not an actual death.

Where did tarot originate from?

Sometime around the 14th century, the tarot likely originated with Mamluk game cards brought to Western Europe from Turkey. By the 1500s, the Italian aristocracy was enjoying a game known as “tarocchi appropriati,” in which players were dealt random cards and used thematic associations with these cards to write poetic verses about one another—somewhat like the popular childhood game “MASH.”

Even the earliest known tarot decks weren’t designed with mysticism in mind; they were actually meant for playing a game similar to modern-day bridge. Wealthy families in Italy commissioned expensive, artist-made decks known as “carte da trionfi” or “cards of triumph.” These cards were marked with suits of cups, swords, coins, and polo sticks (eventually changed to staves or wands), and courts consisting of a king and two male underlings. Tarot cards later incorporated queens, trumps (the wild cards unique to tarot), and the Fool to this system, for a complete deck that usually totaled 78 cards. Today, the suit cards are commonly called the Minor Arcana, while trump cards are known as the Major Arcana.

Is there evidence to support the spiritual practice?

After spending time with your cards, your analytical brain won’t need PROOF that these cards can be used in your spiritual practice, because you will intuitively KNOW the messages coming through are always aligned with your best in mind. The cards are traced by some occult writers to ancient Egypt or the Kabbalah but there is no documented evidence of such origins or of the usage of tarot for divination before the 18th century.

What is the main purpose/intention behind using tarot?

Tarot acts as a tool that helps reflect your current energy and provides intuitive guidance for the clarity you’re seeking. You can use the tool to connect to your Higher Self/spirit guides.

How do you know what kind of energy you bring if you are doing the reading? Does negative energy affect your reading?

I wouldn't recommend a reading when your emotions are running wild. You want to come from a place of peacefulness when conducting your reading. Wait until the initial emotional surge passes before doing a reading on that particular subject.

How do you keep positive energy around your cards?

Do not let others handle your tarot/oracle cards because they can leave traces of their energy on the cards. Try burning herbs and letting the smoke clear away the energy of the cards if you feel they’ve picked up some funk.

Do you start by asking your guides to show you the cards?

I always say a little prayer before I begin asking my Higher Self to come forward to share the divine guidance I most need in that moment.

What happens if I draw the same card multiple times in a row?

Pay attention! The Universe is sending a CLEAR message by showing you again.

I hope by uncovering some of the untold truths about tarot that you’re able to let go of any hangups you have and make a deep and lasting connection with your spirit and guides.

Join my Facebook page here for a free weekly reading. If you’re looking to dive in deeper and would like a private 1:1 reading where we can uncover limiting blocks, discover your soul purpose, connect with past loved ones and spirit guides or even dig into past lives - you can book with me by heading over to brittneycarmichael.com/tarot.