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!
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 Open Your Sacral Chakra & Know When it's Blocked
The sacral chakra, Svadhisthana, is one of the chakras I personally feel most connected to. I think in the spiritual community, we can sometimes forget how important the lower chakras are, but remember: you are a spiritual being in a physical body! So the chakras we tend to associate with our physical bodies more, like the root, sacral, and solar plexus chakras, are just as important as the higher chakras like your crown and third eye.The sacral chakra is your center of creativity, sexuality, and feeling. It’s ruled by the element of water, and it’s located at the center of your low belly about three inches from your navel.
The sacral chakra, Svadhisthana, is one of the chakras I personally feel most connected to. I think in the spiritual community, we can sometimes forget how important the lower chakras are, but remember: you are a spiritual being in a physical body! So the chakras we tend to associate with our physical bodies more, like the root, sacral, and solar plexus chakras, are just as important as the higher chakras like your crown and third eye.
The sacral chakra is your center of creativity, sexuality, and feeling. It’s ruled by the element of water, and it’s located at the center of your low belly about three inches from your navel.
When this chakra is open, you’re able to feel deep pleasure in your life. You’re able to really feel the world around you and you’re connected to your emotions. You’re able to flow, expand, have healthy relationships with others, and use your creativity.
When this chakra is blocked, it may manifest as:
Disconnection from your sexuality or being ruled by your sexuality
Experiencing a lack of pleasure in your day-to-day life
Inability to connect with your creative energy
Feeling stuck in a certain feeling or mood
Dependency on a person or substance that gives you pleasure
Inability to feel your feelings or being too ruled by your emotions
If any of those sound like you, don’t worry. Our chakras are fluid, just like us, and they can change from day to day. Scroll down to get 10 ways to unblock your sacral chakra to connect with your creative and emotional flow.
The card shown in the image is from The Ritual Deck.
Get creative
This is one of my favorite ways to open this chakra! Even if you don’t feel creative in the moment, just start creating something. It might surprise you how your energy starts to flow! Try painting, writing, drawing, coloring, collaging, creating your own movement practice, or experimenting in the kitchen.
Use scents
My go-to essential oils for opening your sacral chakra are:
Tangerine
Orange
Ylang ylang
Patchouli
Bergamot
Sandalwood
Rosewood
Try massaging your low belly with one or more of the oils (diluting with a carrier oil as needed), diffusing them in your space, or placing a few drops in your bath (which, bonus points, connects you with the element of water!).
Dance
I know everyone says this, but seriously, dance like no one’s watching (because no one is!). Put on your favorite music and move intuitively however feels good for you. If you’d like, incorporate some hip circles to help you get into your low belly.
Breathing into your low belly. As you’re laying down, place your hands on your low belly. With your inhale, feel your hands rise as you flood the belly with breath, sending your life force energy to this chakra. As you exhale, feel your sacral center soften, expand, and open.
Use crystals
Some crystals that help open your sacral chakra are:
Citrine
Carnelian
Orange aventurine
Orange calcite
Goldstone
Tiger’s eye
Sunstone
Peach selenite
Try sleeping with them, meditating with them on your low belly, placing them around your home, or placing a little tumbled stone in your pocket to carry with you all day.
Meditation
Bring your palms to the center of your sacral chakra in your low belly, and start to take deep belly breaths into that space. With each inhale, visualize a little orange ball of light over your sacral chakra. With each exhale, visualize it opening, softening, and expanding until your entire body is surrounded by a beautiful aura of pure orange light.
Check out my Energy Reset Meditation Bundle here.
Use affirmations
Write them down, say them every day, make them the background of your phone—the options are endless! Choose an affirmation from the list below or create your own:
I am fully in my body.
Creative and sexual energy runs through me.
I am in love with life.
I am a passionate being.
I am deeply connected to my feelings.
I honor my feelings.
I honor my pleasure.
Yoga poses
Poses that stretch your hips are really helpful for opening your sacral chakra. Some of my favorites are:
Low lunge
Goddess pose
Reclining cobbler’s pose
Wide-legged standing forward fold
Frog pose
In each pose, just remember to breathe into your low belly!
Get to the root of the blockage
One of my favorite ways to get to the root of a chakra blockage is pulling tarot cards for these two simple questions:
Why is my sacral chakra blocked?
Advice for moving through the blockage
Tarot cards have such a beautiful, helpful way of getting to the heart of the matter. If you’re feeling like there’s a deep, underlying shadow or issue holding you back from fully stepping into your sexual and creative power, try this.
Play with color
The color associated with Svadhisthana is orange. Try bringing more of this color into your life by lighting orange candles, eating orange foods, wearing orange clothes, or painting your nails orange.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Mudras & Crystals for Stress
In the modern world, we’re constantly bombarded with opportunities for stress: over-stimulation from technology, the comparison game from social media, fast-paced work, and a fast-paced lifestyle where “busy” is often a badge of honor.This post will walk you through some crystals and mudras (if you’re not sure what mudras are, click here to read an in-depth post all about them) to have in your toolkit when you need to de-stress. They’re powerful tools to help you relax, take a deep breath, get perspective, and connect with the peace that already lives inside of you.I love both of these tools because they’re simple and easy to use on the go. So whether you’re stressed on the subway, on your walk to lunch, or at home, you can use these tools.
In the modern world, we’re constantly bombarded with opportunities for stress: over-stimulation from technology, the comparison game from social media, fast-paced work, and a fast-paced lifestyle where “busy” is often a badge of honor.
This post will walk you through some crystals and mudras (if you’re not sure what mudras are, click here to read an in-depth post all about them) to have in your toolkit when you need to de-stress. They’re powerful tools to help you relax, take a deep breath, get perspective, and connect with the peace that already lives inside of you.
I love both of these tools because they’re simple and easy to use on the go. So whether you’re stressed on the subway, on your walk to lunch, or at home, you can use these tools.
Mudras
Samputa mudra
When we’re stressed, we sometimes can’t see clearly. Things feel like a much bigger deal than they actually are, and it can be hard to center ourselves.
Samputa mudra is here for you to find mental and emotional clarity, connect to your true self, and balance all five elements (fire, air, earth, water, and space or ether) within yourself.
To use this mudra, start by bringing your palms together at heart center. Hollow out a small space between your hands, keeping the tips of your fingers connected, and tuck your thumbs into that hollow space.
Prithvi mudra
Stress and anxiety are associated with air energy. What centers and grounds air? You guessed it, earth. Prithvi is Sanskrit for earth, and this mudra helps you get grounded, release stress, and connect with your roots.
To use it, simply touch the tip of your thumb with the tip of your ring finger while keeping the other fingers extended.
Vayu mudra
I mentioned that stress and anxiety are associated with air energy. Vayu is the Sanskrit word for air. This mudra helps you regulate the flow of air in your body, releasing any excess air energy that might be contributing to stress.
To use it, touch the top of your index finger to the mound of your thumb and wrap your thumb around the top of your index finger, stretching your other three fingers out.
Aakash Mudra
This mudra is associated with the fifth element, space. Using this mudra increases that element in your body, connecting you to the universe and the power of the cosmos, detoxifying negative thoughts, and emotions, and opening your throat chakra.
If you’re feeling stressed and blocked from communicating that stress to help you process and release it, use this mudra!
Press the tip of your middle finger to the tip of your thumb, and straighten your other three fingers upward.
Crystals
Howlite
Howlite connects to the crown chakra which can help give you a clearer perspective on your life. It is a powerful calming stone that can help soothe and reduce anxiety. If your stress manifests as sleepless nights, try placing some howlite on your nightstand as it can help soothe anxiety and stress at bedtime.
Blue lace agate
Blue lace agate is one of the most powerful crystals for anxiety and stress. Its calming, soothing color and vibration help you reduce your anxiety and come back to your center.Try keeping a small blue lace agate stone in your pocket or your bag to have with you while you go about your day.
Danburite
Danburite is a deeply comforting stone. It helps you to have a more calm, positive outlook on even the darkest of situations and helps rid your body, mind, and energy field of stress.You might like to keep danburite by your bed or under your pillow to help infuse your dreams with positive energy and start your morning off feeling calm and centered.
Black tourmaline
Black tourmaline is grounding, centering, and helps to absorb negative energy (including stress). When you’re feeling anxious, try meditating with black tourmaline and visualizing all of your stress leaving your body and pouring into the crystal. When you finish, make sure you cleanse your stone using smoke, sound, or sun.
Lepidolite
Lepidolite is a gentle stone that actually contains lithium within, an element often used in anti-anxiety medication. It’s a gentle, balancing stone that brings comfort and harmony. Use it as an aid during meditation, or keep it in your bag with you all day— this is another great stone to always have on hand!
Shunghite
This ancient stone is believed to reduce anxiety and insomnia (one of those awful cycles that makes you even more stressed). It helps detoxify your body and energy field and release any negative energy you’re holding.
If you feel called, drop a chunk of it in your drinking water and let it infuse the water for 30 minutes to an hour. Then mindfully sip your water and visualize all the negative energy being flushed out of your cells.
Which crystal and mudra are you excited to try first? What other tools do you use to relax when you’re feeling stressed?
What crystals, symbols, and scents do you need most?
It can be overwhelming to know what crystals, symbols, scents, and other tools to rely on for different purposes. Here’s a quick guide for a variety of situations you may be seeking support for or, perhaps, you have a friend who needs support in a specific area?
It can be overwhelming to know what crystals, symbols, scents, and other tools to rely on for different purposes. Here’s a quick guide for a variety of situations you may be seeking support for or, perhaps, you have a friend who needs support in a specific area?
Happiness
Who doesn’t want to be happier? Scroll through the tools below for symbols, crystals, scents, and herbs that can help you cultivate more happiness in your life.
Symbols & tools
Wunjo Rune is the rune of joy, pleasure, and harmony. Get The Ritual Deck to get your Wunjo Rune oracle card, a great reminder of joy to place on your altar or carry with you throughout the day.
Crystals
Citrine, a crystal of happiness, emits positive energy and can help you stay positive, attract your desires, and be more present in your life. That’s where the joy really comes from after all, right?
Scents & herbs
Brahmi, an ancient Ayurvedic herb, can help promote feelings of well-being. Try burning it in the morning as you do a gratitude meditation.
Grounding & Protection
There are so many reasons grounding and protection are important. For those of us who do energy work and psychic work, grounding can help us bring our energy back into our body, back into the lower chakras. Protection can help protect you from absorbing the energy of others, either in spiritual work or just in general as you go about your life (especially for anyone who lives in the city!).
Regardless of your work with magick, grounding and protection help bring you back into your body, feeling safe, supported, and cared for.
Get more tips for psychic protection here.
Symbols & tools
There are many symbols of grounding and protection in the magical world. Some of my favorites are:
Algiz Rune, the shield rune for protection
Salt, a tool that has been used as protection for centuries
Root chakra, your energetic center of safety and grounding
Dark moon, an invitation to ground into your body and shed negative energy
The Ritual Deck includes representations of each of these symbols, which can act as energetic stand-ins in rituals or on your altar.
Crystals
Use snowflake obsidian, a stone of cleansing negative energy and releasing blockages, or smoky quartz, the ultimate stone for grounding and balancing.
Scents & herbs
Clove is your go-to for protection. Spruce will help you ground, bringing you deeply into the present moment.
Anxiety Relief & Peace
Many of us struggle with anxiety in the modern world. It’s so easy to get caught up in what has happened and what might happen or could happen. The tools below help you relieve anxiety and connect with a sense of inner peace.
Symbols & tools
Blue is a soothing color that can help restore tranquility and peace. Try lighting a blue candle or working with the blue candle card in The Ritual Deck.
Crystals
The crystal kingdom has an abundance of stones to help soothe your anxiety and restore your inner peace. We love blue lace agate for its calming vibrations, labradorite to keep you from absorbing too much of other people’s energy, and howlite to help relieve stress and get better sleep.
Scents & herbs
Lavender can be used as aromatherapy to soothe mild anxiety, and chamomile has long been used to reduce stress and anxiety.
Abundance & Wealth
Who doesn’t want to call in more abundance and wealth? The tools below will help you connect with the abundance you desire to manifest in your physical reality.
Symbols & tools
The color green is associated with abundance, wealth, good fortune, and success. Light a green candle on your altar or work with the green candle card in The Ritual Deck.Fehu Rune 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. Check out a ritual to work with Fehu in this blog.
Crystals
Citrine is also known as the success stone. It’s associated with the solar plexus chakra and can be a powerful aid in manifesting wealth and abundance.Green aventurine is another stone well-known for attracting abundance, success, and luck. It’s also associated with the heart chakra, helping you to open to receive the abundance that is on its way to you.
Scents & herbs
Cinnamon has its roots in many cultures as a powerful plant for attracting abundance as well as success and healing. Try adding it to your coffee, blending it in your smoothie, and sprinkling it over a banana or your favorite dessert!
Love & Compassion
Turn to these tools when your heart chakra needs some healing. They’ll help you cultivate unconditional love and compassion for yourself and others. Find rituals to cultivate self-love here.
Symbols & tools
Use a pink candle when you’re working with self-love and compassion, or a red candle when you’re working with passionate love involving someone else.
Crystals
Rose quartz is your crystal ally for unconditional love and compassion. It’s a gentle healer for your heart chakra, a space where we can store so much fear and doubt.Carnelian is another beautiful stone of love, as well as faith and devotion. Use carnelian when you want to devote yourself to a healing practice or when you need to deepen your faith and trust in yourself.
Scents & herbs
There are many scents and herbs that help promote love and compassion! Try hawthorn, rose petals, lotus petals, or motherwort. Mixing a few herbs together into a tea or a bath can be lovely.
Cleansing Negative Energy
Sometimes, we’re not able to protect ourselves from negative energy. Life is life, and negative energy is sometimes inevitable. Use the tools below to cleanse yourself and your space of negative energy, especially after a difficult conversation, a break-up, or a stressful day.
Symbols & tools
Salt is an amazing natural tool to absorb negative energy. Use a representation of salt from The Ritual Deck, take a salt bath, use a salt lamp, or place a bowl of salt in your space.
Crystals
Black tourmaline, a dark stone for protecting and cleansing, is your go-to for cleansing negative energy. Try meditating with black tourmaline, visualizing all of the negative energy being absorbed into the stone.All-purpose quartz, the ultimate balancer, is another great crystal to have on hand for cleansing negative energy. Learn more about the magical properties and benefits of clear quartz here. Labradorite is also available to help you cleanse your aura. If your aura is weak, has tears, or holes in it labradorite can help. Keep your aura squeaky clean by meditating with a piece of labradorite or going around your entire body with a piece of it in your hand.
Scents & herbs
Rosemary and cedar can all help you cleanse negative energy. Burn them over yourself or in your space to cleanse, purify, and release.
Intuition & Psychic Abilities
These tools will help you open your third eye chakra, to connect with your psychic abilities and center of intuition. (We have a whole slew of blog posts to help you in these areas as well -- check out 5 Quick Tips to Improve Your Intuition,You Are Psychic! How to Determine What Psychic Gift You Have, and 3 Daily Actions to Improve your Intuition to get started.)
Symbols & tools
Your third eye chakra is the center of your intuition. It’s associated with the color purple, so try burning purple candles or connecting with the color in other ways like wearing it or including it in your space.
Crystals
Amethyst is a classic stone for your third eye chakra. It’s like a cool bath for your intuitive center, gently opening and awakening it to deepen your connection.Labradorite connects strongly to your third eye, making it ideal for honing your intuitive abilities. It can also help you connect with spirit guides and angels, and open the doors to the other side by helping you with astral travel. A multi-purpose stone for your intuition and psychic abilities, indeed!
Scents & herbs
Experiment with mugwort, lavender, juniper, and bilberry to open your center of intuition.
Connecting to the Moon
Symbols & tools
Work with representations of the moon in all her phases to connect with the lunar, divine feminine energy of the moon. The Triple Goddess is also here to connect you with the moon and its cycles, as well as the mother/maiden/crone cycle of life. Download your Triple Goddess free printable here.
Crystals
Moonstone, just like the name implies, is your crystal ally for connecting with the moon. It’s a dreamy goddess stone that channels the energy of mama moon into your energy field.Selenite received its name from the Greek goddess of the moon, Selene. Selenite offers the water element, connecting you to emotions, intuition, your highest self, and of course, the moon.
Scents & herbs
Mugwort is your go-to to harness the intuitive and psychic power of the moon. Burn it in your space to connect with the moon’s energy and your own inner Selene.
Femininity
Symbols & tools
The Earth element, represented as an upside-down triangle with a line across the bottom, and the Water element, represented as an upside-down triangle with no line, are both beautiful representations of the divine feminine, womb healing, and receiving. Work with the representations of these elements in The Ritual Deck.
The triple goddess symbol that I mentioned above, shown by two crescent moons with one full moon between them, is another beautiful symbol of the divine feminine. Besides the phases of the moon, it also represents the phases of womanhood we cycle through: maiden, mother, and crone.
Crystals
Rainbow moonstone is here to connect you to your inner goddess and divine feminine energy.
Strawberry quartz can also connect you to feminine energy as a gentle, loving stone here to fill you with the healing energy of love and open your heart center to give and receive love unconditionally.
Scents & herbs
Hibiscus, the flower associated with the Hawaiian goddess Pele, connects you with Pele’s fiery, passionate, and yet nurturing energy.
The lotus, whose petals represent the yoni, can connect you with your feminine energy and feminine center, the space of creation within you.
I hope you find this guide helpful for quickly finding tools to help you!
7 Rituals to Help You Sleep Like a Goddess
Want to skip the sleep meds to get your best rest? Much of getting a good night’s rest has to do with repetition, which is why adding ritual around your bedtime is a perfect way to train your body into falling and staying asleep peacefully.I’ve struggled with insomnia on and off throughout my life and have personally used all of these methods, most of them altogether. As a bonus, several of them have some science backing them up! I protect my bedtime ritual fiercely which has enabled me to stay off sleep medications and sleep well throughout the night. Of course, I still have the occasional sleepless night, but now they’re far and few between.
Want to skip the sleep meds to get your best rest? Much of getting a good night’s rest has to do with repetition, which is why adding ritual around your bedtime is a perfect way to train your body into falling and staying asleep peacefully.
I’ve struggled with insomnia on and off throughout my life and have personally used all of these methods, most of them altogether. As a bonus, several of them have some science backing them up! I protect my bedtime ritual fiercely which has enabled me to stay off sleep medications and sleep well throughout the night. Of course, I still have the occasional sleepless night, but now they’re far and few between.
Sleep deprivation can be serious or indicate a bigger problem, so if your lack of sleep continues, take care of yourself and be sure to talk to a health professional. If you want to try a more natural route first, here are seven rituals for getting better sleep.
Use the same scent every night
Scents create a potent cue for our bodies. Try rubbing the same essential oil (with a carrier oil) on your chest and neck or diffuse your favorite scent every night. There are a variety of essential oils that are ideal for priming you for sleep, and the act of using the same scent every night as a ritual will help cue your brain and body that it’s time for sleep. Here are a few scents that will help calm your mind and prep your body for rest:
Lavender
Bergamont
Vanilla
Crystals on your nightstand or under your pillow
If you’re sensitive to the energy of crystals, placing one or two on your nightstand or under your pillow makes for a nice visual, as well as a tactile reminder to get in the sleep zone. Here are some of the most soothing gemstones that can help your body calm down and sleep better at night.
Howlite
Take this ritual a step further and try holding your sleepy time crystals in your hands and meditating before bed.
Salt lamps or other soft orange light
Around 9:30 pm all of my screens and lights start to go off in my house and my salt lamps and soft orange lights go on, annoying as it may be to my husband. You’ve probably already heard the bad news, but the light from your cell phone, tablet, and computer are blue lights. Blue lights tell your brain that it’s time to wake up, which is one reason why it’s important to set good boundaries with your screen time.
Soft orange lights, like salt lamps, will signal to your brain that it’s time to start getting ready for bed. You’ll also enjoy the bonus negative ion benefits from using a salt lamp. Having a ritual in place of scrolling on your phone while in bed can help you detach from your beloved sleep time. Try making a special place where you charge and power down your phone every night that’s out of reach.
P.S. Salt lamp night lights are a thing, and they’re amazing! Learn more about the benefits of salt lamps in this previous post.
Herbal tea before bed
Indulging in a cup of sleep-inducing herbal tea is a great way to get your sense of taste in the ritual action. The more senses you can recruit for your bedtime rituals the better! Aside from the taste sensation, there are a variety of herbs that are ideal for calming your mind and body for sleep. You can use them on their own or get creative and make your own blend. Here’s a list of sleepy-time herbs to try in tea form before bed.
Chamomile
Valerian root
Passionflower
Lavender
Lemon Balm
Don’t like drinking tea? Try finding a tincture using any combination of the herbs above for a quick sleep-inducing tonic.
Check out this blog post for more herbal remedies.
Rest for your pineal gland
Your pineal gland controls your circadian rhythm which helps your body know when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to be awake. Your pineal gland loves a healthy dose of total darkness at night. Once you’re ready to catch some zzz’s, turn off any remaining soft lights or salt lamps and try to minimizing light pollution in your room. Try shutting out all light from the outdoors, and any inside lights to give you some pre-sleep time in a light-free space. Cohabitating with someone who reads at night or won’t abide by your new nightly ritual? Try a sleep mask.
Learn more about the pineal gland here.
Regular meditation
Your meditation practice goes beyond mindfulness and also directly correlates to the health of your pineal gland. Yep! The same teeny gland that controls your circadian rhythm. That means your morning or afternoon meditation practice goes beyond peace of mind throughout the day and can actually help you get better sleep at night too! You can also work a meditation practice at bedtime if it suits you, just know that meditating anytime throughout your day will benefit your sleep habits.
Make your sleep space a sanctuary
How do you feel when you walk into a cluttered space? Probably not like you want to go to sleep! Your body and mind will benefit from making your bedroom a clean and calm respite. This is especially true for the energetically sensitive and empaths. All that clutter carries energy, so if you’re sensitive to it, it will certainly disrupt your sleep.
This is my new favorite sleep ritual! After moving recently, I decided to make our bedroom as minimal and soothing as possible (turns out this is a lot less costly too!). I protect the cleanliness of our bedroom fiercely and I can’t believe the difference it has made. If you didn’t just move and want a quick fix for your sleep space, try cleaning your room and then cleansing the energy of your space with herbal smoke.
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.
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
4 Candle Magick Spells + Free Printable
Think of candle magick as a powerful tool in your manifesting tool belt. It’s all about setting intentions and visualizing the outcome. Candle magick can help you do both of these things by collecting the right tools and slowing down to allow time to really embody what you’re trying to bring to life.I shared in a previous post the basics for getting started with candle magick.
Think of candle magick as a powerful tool in your manifesting tool belt. It’s all about setting intentions and visualizing the outcome. Candle magick can help you do both of these things by collecting the right tools and slowing down to allow time to really embody what you’re trying to bring to life.
I shared in a previous post the basics for getting started with candle magick. If you missed that one you can read it here. Here I’m sharing four candle magick spells to get you started on your candle journey.
Today I’ll be focusing on these topics for spellwork:
Abundance
Love
Letting Go
Intuition and Spiritual Guidance
Click here to receive your free printable cards for each of these spells. Don’t hesitate to modify and make these spells your own. Once you’ve tried a couple you’ll feel confident to start creating your own.
Abundance
Whether you’re looking for some extra spending money or a serious pay raise this spell can help.
You’ll need:
Green candle
Carving tool like a sharp point crystal, toothpick, or athame.
Tiger eye, citrine, and green aventurine. Use one or all of these stones, whatever you have access to will work.
Patchouli or frankincense oil
Coins or money
BEST MOON PHASE: First quarter moon
SPELL STEPS: Start by cleansing all of your items for the spell. This can be done by wafting cleansing 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 them 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.
Love
Finding love started with loving yourself. When you love yourself intensely you’ll become a magnet for love.
You’ll need:
Pink candle
Carving tool like a sharp point crystal, toothpick, or athame.
Rose quartz and garnet. Garnet can be harder and more expensive to come by if rose quartz is the only stone available to you that’s ok.
Jasmine essential or ylang-ylang oil
A mirror
Rose petals, rose water, or roses for realizing beauty and self-love
BEST MOON PHASE: Waxing Crescent
SPELL STEPS: Start by cleansing all of your items for the spell. This can be done by wafting cleansing herbal smoke over them or visualizing white light cleansing them. For this spell, you’ll be carving a heart symbol into your candle. Anoint your candle with the oil of choice. As you carve and anoint your candle visualize a haze of pink and green light forming around you. Arrange your crystals, other items, and candle. Light your candle and look into your mirror. Begin to say loving affirmations about yourself like: I love myself. I am beautiful. My body is perfect just as it is. I am grateful for my beautiful body. Once you’re finished continue to meditate in front of the flame visualizing the loving pink and green light around you. Continue this until your candle burns completely or snuff out your candle and return to this ritual the next night until your candle is completely burned. Keep your items up as a loving reminder as long as you’d like.
This love spell was modified from a previous blog post, The Only Three Love Spells You’ll Ever Need. Click here to check out the other two love spells!
Letting go and releasing
Whether you need help letting go of a person, habit, or item this candle magick spell can help.
You’ll need:
Black candle
Carving tool like a sharp point crystal, toothpick, or athame.
Rhodonite, smoky quartz, and red jasper. For this spell, each stone does serve a very specific purpose so it is best to have all of them.
Bergamot or geranium oil
Cauldron or fireproof dish
Pen and paper
BEST MOON PHASE: Last quarter moon
SPELL STEPS: Start by cleansing all of your items for the spell. This can be done by wafting cleansing herbal smoke over them or visualizing white light cleansing them. For this spell, you’ll be carving the name of the person, habit, or item you’re trying to let go of or release. Anoint your candle with the oil of your choice. As you carve and anoint your candle visualize yourself letting go with ease and grace. Arrange your crystals, and other items, and light your candle. Write what you’re letting go of on a small piece of paper, light it with the candle, and place it in the cauldron or fireproof dish. Meditate on the flame of the candle as you visualize what you want to let go of and how it will feel. Ask aloud to be released from what it is you’d like to let go of. 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.
Intuition and Spiritual Guidance
Do you have a burning question that you need guidance on or feel like your connection to spirit needs refreshing? Try this spell.You’ll need:
Purple candle
Carving tool like a sharp point crystal, toothpick, or athame.
Amethyst, selenite, and labradorite. Use one or all of these stones, whatever you have access to will work.
Myrrh, clary sage, or frankincense oil
Images of any deities, angels, or guides you work with
Pen and paper
BEST MOON PHASE: Full moon
SPELL STEPS: Start by cleansing all of your items for the spell. This can be done by wafting cleansing herbal smoke over them or visualizing white light cleansing them. For this spell, you’ll be carving the Kenaz Rune into your candle. Kenaz is a powerful symbol of intuition and clarity. Anoint your candle with the oil of your choice. As you carve and anoint your candle visualize your third eye (between your eyebrows) glowing and radiating purple as your third eye opens. Arrange your crystals, any other items, and light your candle. If you have a specific question you need clarity on, write it on the piece of paper, fold it up, and place it under the candle. Gaze at the candle and any images you have set out and imagine your third eye opening to become a vessel for new information from The Universe or from your guides. This exercise is more about opening your third eye and less about forcing answers. Your answers may come now or later. 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.
Don’t forget to grab your free printable with all four of these spells here. You have all of the tools you need to dive into candle magick!
10 Uses for Labradorite
It’s hard not to fall in love with labradorite. Ancient people who came upon labradorite believed it was connected to the Aurora Borealis. Just like this natural wonder in the sky, no two pieces of labradorite look quite alike with their flashes of color.In addition to its colorful glow, labradorite comes with a slew of metaphysical and spiritual uses. The best part is that this stone is easy to come by and relatively inexpensive to acquire.Labradorite is said to be the stone of magick. This title isn’t surprising due to its long list of magickal and spiritual benefits. Keep reading for ten uses for labradorite.
It’s hard not to fall in love with labradorite. Ancient people who came upon labradorite believed it was connected to the Aurora Borealis. Just like this natural wonder in the sky, no two pieces of labradorite look quite alike with their flashes of color.
In addition to its colorful glow, labradorite comes with a slew of metaphysical and spiritual uses. The best part is that this stone is easy to come by and relatively inexpensive to acquire.
Labradorite is said to be the stone of magick. This title isn’t surprising due to its long list of magickal and spiritual benefits. Keep reading for ten uses for labradorite.
Aura Cleansing
Labradorite is queen when it comes to cleansing your aura (learn more about auras here). If your aura is weak, has tears, or holes in it labradorite can help with that too. Keep that aura squeaky clean by meditating with a piece of labradorite or going around your entire body with a piece of it in your hand.
Psychic Protection
Beyond protecting your aura, labradorite can help shield you during psychic work too. Whether you’re practicing tarot, using a pendulum, or scrying with a crystal ball labradorite can help protect you from any unwanted spiritual energy. Try wearing or placing a piece of labradorite nearby you the next time you practice any form of psychic work.
Enhancing Intuition
Labradorite connects strongly to your third eye, especially if you can find one with some purples in it! This third eye connection makes this stone ideal for honing your intuitive abilities. Start including labradorite into your daily life and see if it makes a difference. You may even try placing some labradorite on your nightstand to work on your intuition at night too.
Connecting with Guides and Angels
If you’re trying to connect with your spirit guides or angels, labradorite can help with this too. If you haven’t noticed, labradorite has a thing for helping you with the spirit realm! Think of labradorite as a window to the other side. This stone will make connecting with your guides and angels easier, and the best part is that it will also offer protection too. Wear or hold a piece of labradorite in your hand as you call on the guide or angel you’re trying to connect with.
Balancing Chakras
Because you can find labradorite in just about every color, it’s a potent healer and balancer for your chakra system. If you know that you have a specific chakra that’s out of wack you can try to find a labradorite stone that matches that chakra's color. Or, you can grab yourself an extra rainbowy labradorite that has every color in it to have a powerful chakra balancer for all of your chakras!
Astral Travel
Labradorite is a must for astral travel. It will help open the doors to the other side and will offer you protection along the way. Wear or hold labradorite in your hand anytime you intend to leave your earthly body for a trip through the cosmos or to the Akashic records.
Aid for Magick and Spellwork
Of course, the stone of magick is ideal for performing any magick or spellwork. Anytime you’re performing magickal spells you’re enlisting forces on the other side to help you. Because labradorite helps open doors to the other side, it’s the ideal stone to have nearby for any magickal work you’re practicing. If you already have an altar space where you perform spellwork placing a piece of labradorite on it won’t hurt!
Creativity and Imagination
Looking for a way to get more in touch with your creative side? Think of your creative thoughts as little nudges from the other side; labradorite can help let them in. If you’re looking for labradorite to help with a serious creative block, try finding labradorite with an orange flash to it so it can work on your sacral chakra too.
Anxiety
If you have anxiety or identify as an empath, labradorite is an excellent stone to keep handy while you’re out and about, especially in large groups of people. Because this stone is so good at protecting your energy, it’s great for super sensitive souls too. Don’t let labradorite take the place of your doctor or therapist, but it can offer some added protection when you’re feeling triggered.
Light Bringer
Remember when I said ancient tribes believed labradorite was connected to the Aurora Borealis? Remember that anytime you use it. This iridescent stone is all about bringing self-awareness and opening pathways for you. Labradorite is a true bringer of light in both appearance and its many applications.
I hope you’ve found ten more reasons to adore this stone! It truly is a stone of magick and has so much to offer.
What is The Soul Star Chakra and How to Connect to it
Have you ever experienced flashes or intuitive nudges about your past lives? If you have, you may have already connected to your soul star chakra. Your soul star chakra is said to be the seat of your soul, even though it’s located above your head. It gets its nickname because it’s your direct connection to your higher self, the Akashic Records, your karmic past, and your past lives.Think of this chakra as a storage bank for your soul. The soul star chakra carries all of the information for your soul’s past and present purpose for being here.Generally, this information about your soul isn’t readily available to you in your earthly body unless you accidentally stumbled upon it or inadvertently open your soul star chakra. All of this information is there, present within your energetic body, and can be tapped into with practice.
Have you ever experienced flashes or intuitive nudges about your past lives? If you have, you may have already connected to your soul star chakra. Your soul star chakra is said to be the seat of your soul, even though it’s located above your head. It gets its nickname because it’s your direct connection to your higher self, the Akashic Records, your karmic past, and your past lives.
Think of this chakra as a storage bank for your soul. The soul star chakra carries all of the information for your soul’s past and present purpose for being here.
Generally, this information about your soul isn’t readily available to you in your earthly body unless you accidentally stumbled upon it or inadvertently open your soul star chakra. All of this information is there, present within your energetic body, and can be tapped into with practice.
Where is the soul star chakra located?
Similar to the earth star chakra, the soul star chakra is outside of your physical body and located in your etheric body approximately six inches above your head. It resides within your auric field and is connected to your other chakras. The color of this chakra is up for negotiation. Some say it’s white and golden, while others ascribe a specific color to it. I suggest connecting to this chakra and deciding for yourself what color yours is.
What is the purpose of the soul star chakra?
Activating this chakra will act as a potent chakra balancing tool. Because your soul star chakra is connected to your higher self it is also connected to the light of the universe. This powerful energy can keep your crown chakra open and healthy along with all of your other chakras.
If you’re interested in tapping into your karmic past, past lives, or the Akashic Records, the soul star chakra is the key. Your soul star chakra is the direct link to all of this information. Tapping into your soul’s past may help you better understand fears and challenges in this current lifetime, why you’re being faced with them, and how to overcome them. Another benefit of tapping into your soul’s past is better understanding the relationships and people in your life.
Learning how to engage with information about your past lives and the Akashic Records can be powerful and life-changing. It could also be upsetting and shocking if you’re not ready for it. If you feel uneasy about it or encounter something you weren’t ready for, there are professionals that specialize in past life regression and the Akashic Records that can safely assist you.
As an added benefit, connecting with this chakra will also help support your psychic abilities.
How to connect to the Soul Star Chakra?
There are a variety of methods for connecting with your soul star chakra. Here are some of my favorites to get you started.
Crystals
Try holding any of these crystals in your hands during meditation to connect with your soul star chakra.
Kyanite: This is a great crystal to use when you’re getting started working with this chakra. Kyanite will help gently cleanse and balance all of your chakras to ensure that your energetic body is in good shape.
Phenacite: This less common crystal is a powerful one for connecting with all of your upper chakras and especially your higher self. Because this stone is rare it tends to be a larger investment. The other more common gemstones listed below will also prove helpful and you may already have some.
Selenite:This super cleansing stone can help open up your crown and soul star chakra. Try waving a selenite wand around the top of your head around your soul star chakra and crown chakra to cleanse and open them.
Clear Quartz: Clear quartz is queen when it comes to balancing all your chakras, and is especially helpful for your upper chakras.
Lithium Quartz: If you need help calming yourself as you begin your journey with this chakra, this stone has all of the added benefits of clear quartz with the addition of calming energy.
Meditation
Start your journey with curiosity as you become familiar with this chakra. A soul star meditation will be similar to a white light chakra meditation, but with your intentions set on your soul star chakra. Here are steps to perform a meditation for your soul star chakra.
Find a quiet place to sit and place some of the crystals mentioned above in each of your hands (the crystals are optional).
Focus on your breathing and begin to imagine a white or golden light about six inches above your head. If you feel this ball of light wants to take on a specific color, go with it.
Imagine a beam of white light from the universe zooming down to meet your soul star chakra. Once the beam of light connects to your soul star chakra imagine it growing brighter with every breath.
Ask to be connected to your soul star chakra. If you work with any guides or angels this is a good time to call on their support.
If you feel called to, repeat the mantra “I am divine light” or “I am love” during the meditation.
Once you feel connected to your soul star chakra imagine the light from it radiating to the rest of your chakras balancing them and restoring them.
Close this meditation slowly and thoughtfully by imagining the white light slowly retreating back to the universe. You can continue to envision your soul star chakra glowing above your head throughout your day.
Practice this meditation a few times, or until you feel comfortable, before asking to be shown information about your past lives or karmic history.
Have a healthy crown chakra
Because your soul star chakra links directly to your crown chakra it’s important to ensure that your crown chakra is healthy and balanced. If your crown chakra is blocked you may have a difficult time accessing your soul star chakra. Feeling stuck? Check out this blog post to find out if your crown chakra needs some attention.
Want to learn more about the basic chakra system? Understanding Chakras Book offers tools and information about your chakras.
8 Ways to Thrive as an Empath
If you identify as an empath you probably already know that it comes with a slew of benefits and challenges. As an empath, you absorb the energy of others even when you don’t intend to. You might also notice that friends, family, and even strangers feel called to unload on you. Both of these instances can leave you feeling drained, depressed, and anxious. What’s an empath to do?I’m going to share eight simple ways to help you thrive as an empath.
If you identify as an empath you probably already know that it comes with a slew of benefits and challenges. As an empath, you absorb the energy of others even when you don’t intend to. You might also notice that friends, family, and even strangers feel called to unload on you. Both of these instances can leave you feeling drained, depressed, and anxious. What’s an empath to do?
I’m going to share eight simple ways to help you thrive as an empath. As an empath myself I’ve personally used all of these techniques and use them often.
Not sure if you’re an empath? Check out this previous post to find out if you are.
Learn how to set better boundaries
Becoming a boundary-setting pro is key for anyone who identifies as an empath. Because you feel so much, you must learn to set limits for yourself and what you’ll allow from others to protect your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
Setting healthy boundaries as an empath may include: limiting time with people who drain you, choosing to only work in environments that promote a sense of safety, limiting stimulating screen time, and being kind to yourself when you have to remove yourself from an unhealthy environment.
Being a master of setting boundaries takes practice. Think of it as a muscle and try setting small boundaries first and then work up to bigger ones. Learn more about the spiritual side of boundary setting in this post.
Schedule regular alone time
Living in a realm that never stops empaths will benefit from scheduling in alone time. If you find yourself exhausted but can’t pinpoint why it might be time to ask yourself “When was the last time I spent a few hours alone and away from stimulation?”
As an empath, you may tend to overextend yourself to others and not even realize it. Empaths care so deeply for others; it’s in our nature to always offer a helping hand. Schedule time for solo revitalizing activities, quiet meditation, baths, or any solo activity that restores your balance.
Practice protective meditations
Even though it might be tempting to avoid large crowds as an empath, it may not be realistic. Protective meditations and visualizations can go a long way when it comes to shielding yourself from absorbing the energy of others. There are a variety of techniques and methods to do this, and most involve shielding your aura (energetic field around your body).
Imagining a white protective light around your body and your aura can do the trick. Click here to learn a more detailed protective meditation and more about protecting your aura.
Have a plan for energy vampires
Do you have any people in your life that you dread meeting with because you know it’s going to be an hour or more of listening to them lament about all of the horrible things happening to them? That’s an energy vampire. As an empath, you’re a target for energy vampires because you care so deeply. You want to listen, offer a shoulder to cry on, and be there to make that person feel better; it’s one of your strong suits.
I’m not saying you can’t be the shoulder to cry on, but you need to have a plan for it. If you know you’re going to be spending time with an energy vampire, be sure to set clear boundaries for how much time you can spend with them, do some energy clearing after you meet or talk with them, and maybe pencil in a revitalizing solo activity after your time with them.
Dive into Shadow Work
Have you experienced any addictions? Empaths are constantly bombarded with the emotions of others, so it’s common for empaths to find ways to “numb out” through food, drugs, alcohol, sex, or spending. If you suspect you may be overusing a substance or feeling outside of yourself as a way to handle your feelings digging into shadow work is a good place to start.
Here’s an explanation of why shadow work is so important for empaths from Awakened Empath by Luna & Sol.
In order to heal ourselves, function well in the world. And reclaim our life purpose as empaths, it is vital that we learn how to identify and embrace our Shadow Selves. When we are not conscious of our Shadows, they have the tendency to secretly run our lives and sabotage our efforts to be happy.
Learn more about what shadow work is and how to get started with it in these previous posts by clicking here.
Use protective gemstones
There are a variety of gemstones that can help shield, block, and absorb the negative energy that as an empath you may otherwise be getting all for yourself.
Labradorite: Great for physical, mental, and spiritual protection labradorite will shield you from unwanted energies.
Smoky Quartz: One of the most powerful grounding stones, smoky quartz will help keep you anchored to the Earth and feeling safe and protected.
Snowflake Obsidian: This stone is not only grounding and protective but a great aid for diving into shadow work. Snowflake obsidian is the ideal stone to use to help you identify and release negative patterns.
Black Tourmaline: This stone is perfect to use anytime you’re planning to spend time with a lot of people. It will create a protective shield around you while also clearing and balancing all of the chakras.
Hematite: Will help to block negative energies from entering the aura and help to rid the aura of any current negative energy. This is a great stone to place on your desk at work.
Cleanse away negative energy often
The simple act of making a trip to your grocery store could leave you dripping with unwanted negative energy. As an empath, it’s important to cleanse yourself and your space often. Think of it as brushing your teeth! There are a variety of ways to do cleanse yourself, here’s a list of some of my favorites.
Meditate with clear quartz. Clear quartz is the master balancer and healer and can help cleanse your entire energy system. Learn more about clear quartz here.
Cleanse yourself and your space with smoke. Learn more about herbs and herbal wands here.
Take a shower or a salt bath and visualize any unwanted energy being washed away from your body.
Spend time in nature
Mother nature has a wealth of revitalizing energy to offer; you merely need to tap into it. Because you’re already primed to feel the energy as an empath, you’ll be able to absorb the nurturing and healing energy from Gaia with ease. Try taking a break and walking barefoot in some grass, feel the energy of the Earth below you offering her support. Learn more about getting grounded on this previous post here.
Now that you’re armed with tools to protect yourself and your energy go forth and help heal the world, sweet empath, but don’t forget to take care of yourself first!
How to Balance Your Throat Chakra & Know When It's Blocked
When your throat chakra, Visuddha, is balanced, you’re able to speak your authentic truth from a place of love. You set loving and firm boundaries, and stick by them. You’re able to find your voice and share your unique gifts with the world. You trust that what needs to come through you will come, and you don’t get stuck in self-judgment or self-doubt wondering if you should or shouldn’t say something.
When your throat chakra, Visuddha, is balanced, you’re able to speak your authentic truth from a place of love. You set loving and firm boundaries, and stick by them. You’re able to find your voice and share your unique gifts with the world. You trust that what needs to come through you will come, and you don’t get stuck in self-judgment or self-doubt wondering if you should or shouldn’t say something.
So many of us get blocked at our throat chakra. When your throat chakra is blocked, it may show up as:
Holding back from saying what you’re thinking and feeling
Not standing up for yourself
Not having strong boundaries
Being afraid to be seen for who you are
Having a sore throat, neck pain, or hoarseness in your throat
Fear of being judged for what you say
Having trouble listening to others
Always needing to have the last word
Scroll down to look through some simple tips for opening your throat chakra.
Featured card from The Ritual Deck
Yoga Poses
Any yoga pose that stretches your throat is going to be really opening for Visuddha. Try one of my favorites below!
Upward-facing dog
Lift your chin and breathe deeply into your throat space. Try holding this pose for a few breaths instead of just flowing through it on your way from plank to downward facing dog.
Heart-to-Earth pose
Try heart-to-earth pose coming onto your chin instead of your forehead. This is a really deep stretch, so have blocks or blankets nearby to help you if you need them!
Camel pose
If your neck is healthy, try releasing your head instead of keeping your chin tucked. Bring your awareness to your breath flowing through your throat, dissolving any blockages.
Crystals
Working with crystals can be a beautiful tonic for your throat chakra. Try laying on your back and placing one of these crystals on your throat, sleeping with them by your pillow, or simply meditating holding one of them in your non-dominant hand.
Sodalite to help you express yourself, set boundaries, and grow your self-worth and self-esteem
Celestite to promote peace and soothe anxiety
Lapis lazuli to help you communicate effectively
Scents
Plants are here for us as medicine, so let’s use them. Pick your favorite essential oil (or two, or three!) from the list below and diffuse it, make a rollerball to use on your skin, or put drops in your bath.
Jasmine for greater communication
Clary sage to allow energy to flow more freely through your body
Cypress for transformation and renewal
Eucalyptus to promote inner freedom and expansiveness
Work with Tarot Archetypes
Queen of Swords and King of Swords can be your inspiration for opening your throat chakra. The Queen of Swords helps you do the inner work you need to understand why your throat chakra is blocked, and the King of Swords reminds you that you do have something unique to share and that what you have to offer can only come through you.Try this Queen of Swords inspired tarot spread to help you understand why you might be energetically blocked in this area:
What am I afraid will happen if I speak my truth?
The wound or shadow underneath this blockage
Advice for healing this blockage
Why am I afraid to set boundaries?
The wound or shadow underneath this blockage
Advice for healing this blockage
Mantra for working with the throat chakra
Journal about anything that comes up for you as you pull these cards. Place the Queen of Swords and King of Swords on your altar to remind you to speak your truth.
Meditate
I find that the heart chakra and throat chakra are so connected. If your heart space is closed, you’ll feel disconnected from your truth and not even sure what boundaries need to be set, so how can you speak your truth and set boundaries?
Try coming to a comfortable seat, closing your eyes, and placing one hand on your heart and one hand on your throat. Send your breath to your heart space, simply visualizing it arriving there and filling your entire heart with prana, life force energy.
When your heart feels full, begin to send your breath to your throat. Visualize your breath flooding this area, dissolving any blockages with love. Continue breathing into your throat space for as long as you feel you need.
Affirmations & Mantras
The bija mantra for the throat chakra is ham (pronounced “hum”). Try chanting that mantra, silently or out loud (out loud is super powerful!), or work with one of the affirmations below:
I speak my truth with love
I set firm boundaries easily
I clearly state my needs
My truth is love
I speak my feelings easily
I claim and honor my truth
I release judgment over what I did or didn’t say
Play with Color
The color associated with the throat chakra is blue. Try incorporating this color into your life more! Some ideas to spark your creativity:
Paint with different shades of blue
Eat blue foods such as blueberries, blackberries, and plums
Write in a blue journal with a blue pen
Light blue candles
Wear blue clothing
7 Tips for Psychic Protection
Once you open yourself up to working on your psychic abilities you’ll probably notice that you’re more in tune with subtle energies all around you. This is great most of the time but can also be troublesome when it’s negative or unwelcomed energy.
Once you open yourself up to working on your psychic abilities you’ll probably notice that you’re more in tune with subtle energies all around you. This is great most of the time but can also be troublesome when it’s negative or unwelcomed energy.
When you’re honing your psychic abilities it’s important that you learn ways to cleanse yourself after challenging psychic work, ground yourself, and protect yourself from unwanted energies.
In fact, you should perform some sort of psychic protection ritual anytime you perform an intuitive or psychic act. Leaving yourself so open may be seen as a welcome mat for negative energy and spirits.
I’m going to share simple and effective techniques with you so you’re able to protect yourself in a way that won’t block you off from all the positive effects of your newfound psychic abilities!
First, let’s cover some clues to know if you’ve ever experienced any negative side effects from doing psychic work. Keep reading for some common signs.
Have you experienced negative side effects from performing psychic work?
It’s true that there are many reasons you could experience the symptoms below. To be sure it was from practicing your psychic abilities, pay attention to your mood and emotional status on days you’ve been performing any psychic work.
You feel anxious, nervous, or restless like you can’t focus on anything. This may indicate that you need to ground yourself more before practicing psychic work.
You feel a heavy cloud of negativity for no reason at all that you can’t shake. This could mean that you picked up some negative energy from a lower-level spirit while performing psychic work.
You feel a wave or attack of pessimistic thoughts about yourself. This might mean you’ve left yourself too open and receptive to others and are experiencing a psychic attack. People can knowingly or unknowingly psychically attack you.
You’re receiving messages all the time and feel distracted and overwhelmed by them. This indicates that you need to learn techniques to better control when and how you receive psychic information. If you’re empathic, you likely identify with this!
How to protect yourself during psychic work
Shield Meditation
Create a psychic shield around yourself before practicing any psychic work or at the start of each day. If you’re very sensitive to the thoughts and energy of others you’ll find this tool very helpful! One popular meditation shielding technique is a white light meditation.To perform a white light shielding meditation, sit, close your eyes, get comfortable, and begin by focusing on your breath. Imagine your crown chakra (located right above your head) bright, white, and growing bigger with every breath. Next, imagine a cord of light stretching from your crown chakra out of your room, and out into the stars above you. With each inhale imagine light from this cord coming to your crown chakra and with each exhale visualize this white light creating a glowing white shield around your body. Continue this meditation until your shield is complete. You can visualize your shield anytime throughout the day as a reminder that you’re protected.
Crystals
There are a variety of protective stones available to you. The most effective are usually dark or black in color. Try having one near any time you practice psychic work or simply carry one around with you throughout your day for added protection. Here’s a short list of some of the most effective protective stones:
Fire Agate: This stone is especially helpful at shielding you from negative thoughts from others and psychic attacks.
Black Tourmaline: This stone is helpful at blocking negative energy of all kinds, it is also very grounding.
Hematite: This stone is great for protecting and balancing your auric field. It is especially helpful for empaths and psychics who feel other people’s energy.
Obsidian & snowflake obsidian: This stone does wonders for releasing and letting go of negative thoughts and energy. This stone will come in handy if you’ve picked up negative energy from a darker spirit and you’re having a hard time getting rid of it.
Salt
Cleanse, practice, repeat! Cleansing the energy of yourself and your workspace is key while doing psychic work and salt is a super simple and powerful protector and cleanser. Like I mentioned above, by opening yourself up, you may also be opening yourself up to some lower-level energy.Here are a few ways to use salt as a protective and cleansing tool:
Create a mixture of salt and water to spray around the perimeter of your home and around yourself.
You can also just sprinkle some salt around your house, this doesn’t work as well for cleansing yourself though!
Cleanse your psychic tools (oracle cards, tarot cards, pendulum, etc.) in a bowl of salt (no water for this one!) every once in a while to keep them energetically sound.
Take a salt bath! This is not only relaxing but will help wash away any negative vibes you’ve picked up.
Recruit the help of your favorite angels, guides & deities
This is a super powerful psychic protection technique that’s often overlooked. Your guides, angels, and beloved deities are always at the ready to help and protect you, but you have to ask! Place a picture or a reminder of some kind of your guides, favorite angles, or respected deities in your workspace, this will serve as a reminder to call upon them for assistance and protection during psychic work.
Ground yourself
One issue with honing your psychic abilities is that you may start to feel flighty and restless like you don’t belong here on the physical plane. Bad news, you’re still needed here and you can’t take off just yet! If you feel like your head is in the clouds call upon the nurturing and protective energy of Gaia after opening yourself up psychically. Click here to check out a previous blog post with lots of tips for getting grounded.
Cleansing Smoke
There are a variety of plants and herbs that can help cleanse your space and yourself. Bonus, some of them smell great too! Giving yourself a quick smoke bath in your favorite cleansing herb is a great way to “wash off” any residual negative energy from something you picked up while out or during a psychic reading. Click here to learn more about making your own cleansing smoke stick and which herbs are best suited for protection.
Prayer, mantra & positive affirmations
Super simple but very powerful, this is another protection technique that is often overlooked. The simple act of taking a few quiet moments to recite a prayer of protection can go a long way. Similar to asking your guides and angels for help, simply speaking it aloud and asking for what you need will help a lot. Here are some suggested mantras and positive affirmation to use during psychic work:
I am safe and protected.
I am surrounded by white protective light.
I open myself up to only the highest beings of love and light.
My guides and angels are always protecting me.
Try a variety of these tools out to know which ones work best for you. You might find that all seven bring some extra brightness into your day!
How to Open Your Crown Chakra & Know When it’s Blocked
Your crown chakra, known as Sahasrara in Sanskrit, is the highest of the seven chakras in the traditional chakra system. It’s located on the crown of your head and is the center of your connection with the Universe and with your highest self.It’s where you’re able to channel messages from the divine, access higher states of consciousness, and deeply trust the Universe. An open crown chakra helps you connect with something greater than yourself, experience the interconnectedness of all beings, and know that you are truly taken care of by an abundant, loving Universe.
Your crown chakra, known as Sahasrara in Sanskrit, is the highest of the seven chakras in the traditional chakra system. It’s located on the crown of your head and is the center of your connection with the Universe and with your highest self.It’s where you’re able to channel messages from the divine, access higher states of consciousness, and deeply trust the Universe. An open crown chakra helps you connect with something greater than yourself, experience the interconnectedness of all beings, and know that you are truly taken care of by an abundant, loving Universe.When your crown chakra is blocked, it may manifest as:
Feeling disconnected from the Universe
Feeling disconnected from magic
Experiencing loneliness
Feeling like life is meaningless
Disconnection from your spiritual side
Experiencing migraines and headaches
Strong attachment to material possessions and achievements
If any of those sounds like you, don’t worry. Our chakras are ever fluid, just like us, and they can change from day to day. Scroll down to get eight ways to unblock your crown chakra and experience a connection with the divine.
Slow down
Are you stuck in the “grind?” Waking up, going to work, taking care of all the necessary human things in life but not tending to your inner world?The first thing you can do to open your crown chakra is to simply give it space to breathe by carving out more time in your day to just be. To read a good book, take a salt bath, or take a leisurely walk with the purpose of just experiencing the pleasure of the outdoors rather than getting somewhere.
Do a ritual
Maybe it’s been a while since you sat at your sacred space and made time for magick. That’s okay! Open your crown chakra by doing a ritual that is meaningful to you, or try this simple one.You’ll need:
Purple candle
Pen
Piece of paper
On your paper, write “I connect with the Universe” or a similar phrase. Create a sigil out of the phrase by removing all of the repeating letters and vowels, and connecting the lines together into a symbol.
Breathe that intention into your sigil. Take a moment to visualize how you will feel when your crown chakra is open and energy is flowing freely.
Then, light your candle, and burn your sigil over it as you continue to focus on your intention. You might like to say, “As I burn this paper, I connect with the Universe.”
You can rewrite your sigil on another page and place it on your altar as an ongoing prayer to the Universe.
Affirmations
The crown chakra is not associated with a bija (seed) mantra like the rest of your chakras. Try meditating on one of the affirmations below instead.
I am deeply connected with the Universe
I trust the flow of the Universe
I am a channel for divine wisdom
I am a channel for divine light
I am always open to receiving messages from the Universe
I am magic
I am light
I am a deeply spiritual being
Use scents
Try using one or more of the oils below on your skin, in your bath, or in a diffuser to open Sahasrara:
Frankincense for tranquility and meditation
Vetiver to connect with the divine and your own spiritual nature
Sandalwood to quiet your mind and ego
Helichrysum to help you access higher spiritual states
Palo Santo for healing, purification, and opening up to higher spiritual realms (be sure it comes from a sustainable and ethical source)
Learn more about balancing your chakras with aromatherapy and crystals from this past blog post.
Meditate
Find a comfortable seat and lengthen your spine from your tailbone to your crown. Start to breathe deeply, focusing on sending your breath to a white flower at the crown of your head.
As you continue to breathe, visualize this flower blossoming open, opening the crown of your head as a channel to the Universe, letting the bright white light of the divine enter your energy field.
When you feel complete, close with a deep breath in and a long breath out of your mouth.
You can also try one of our guided meditations here.
Crystals
Try working with rutilated quartz, clear quartz, sugilite, selenite, or amethyst to help you open your crown chakra. Meditate with them, place them on your altar or by your pillow while you sleep, and journal with them to see what comes up around what’s blocking your crown chakra.
Yoga poses
As we move up the spine to the higher chakras, they become more affected by meditation than by physical postures. But there are still some yoga poses you can use to open Sahasrara:
Headstand
This pose directly activates your crown chakra. It restores the flow of energy in your body and inverts the flow of blood towards your crown. If you have trouble balancing in headstand, try doing this pose against the wall— you’ll still get the benefits!
Savasana
The most important yoga pose. As you come into savasana, set your intention to open your crown chakra. Then remind yourself that it is safe to relax completely, and release into your savasana.
Half or full lotus pose
Lotus pose helps balance the body and mind, helping you tap into higher consciousness. Find a comfortable seat, and start in half lotus. If you’d like to go deeper, try the full version.
Pray
Send a simple prayer into the Universe: “Please help me connect with you. I am open and willing to receive messages.” Try saying this prayer or a similar prayer that resonates with you each morning when you wake up.
5 Simple Summer Solstice Rituals
Litha, or the Summer Solstice, is one of the four solar festivals, celebrating the height of the season. Summer Solstice, of course, celebrates the height of summer: the longest day of the year.This solstice is about honoring the vibrant, healing energy of the sun. But it’s also about honoring the duality of light and dark as we start to shift into the days getting shorter.Honoring the sabbats with rituals is a beautiful way to tune into yourself, nature and connect with Mother Earth.
Litha, or the Summer Solstice, is one of the four solar festivals, celebrating the height of the season. Summer Solstice, of course, celebrates the height of summer: the longest day of the year.
This solstice is about honoring the vibrant, healing energy of the sun. But it’s also about honoring the duality of light and dark as we start to shift into the days getting shorter.
Honoring the sabbats with rituals is a beautiful way to tune into yourself, nature and connect with Mother Earth. You can learn more about honoring each sabbat by reading this past post. Scroll down for five summer solstice rituals to help you celebrate this day! And if you want more ritual ideas you can click here to check out a past post.
Burn Herbs on Your Altar
Fire, naturally, is heavily associated with the summer solstice. One beautiful way to honor this sabbat is to burn herbs on your altar. As you burn them, give thanks for the bounty of Mother Earth and for the healing, vibrant energy of the sun. Some herbs traditionally associated with Litha are:
Vervain
Mint
Basil
Fennel
Rosemary
St. John’s Wort
Mugwort
Iris
Honeysuckle
Mistletoe
Explore Your Relationship with the Sun Archetype
The sun represents the ego, the self, and the way you shine in the world. Try this five-card tarot spread (you can also use oracle cards if tarot isn’t your thing!) to explore your relationship with your ego and how you show up in the world.
How is my ego keeping me stuck?
What is my ego telling me that isn’t true?
How can I be more visible in the world?
What blocks me from sharing my gifts with the world?
My mantra and medicine for working with my ego
Charge Magical Tools in the Sun
At this solstice, the sun is said to be at its most healing and revitalizing. It can be powerful to charge any divination tools in the sun during the day, including (but not limited to!) crystals, tarot and oracle cards, and any talismans you have.
And on that note, don’t forget to get outside and soak up the sun’s powerful rays for yourself! Your magical tools aren’t the only things that can benefit from spending time outside. Lay on the grass and savor the feeling of the sun on your skin.
Meditate
Connect with your inner sun by meditating on your solar plexus chakra. Find a comfortable seat and breathe deeply into your belly. Visualize a golden sun growing brighter and stronger on your solar plexus chakra with each exhale.
You may like to incorporate the bija mantra for the solar plexus chakra, Ram (pronounced RUM), into your meditation by chanting it either mentally or out loud with each exhale.
Make an Altar
Making an altar is a beautiful way to honor Litha. Get creative and make it yours! Some ideas of things you might like to put on your altar are:
Elderflower
Any of the herbs from the list above
Tiger’s eye, goldstone, and/or citrine crystals.
Summer fruits and vegetables
Any summer flowers you’d like (try sunflowers if you have them)
Yellow, orange, and/or red candles
A mirror
Your altar is the perfect place to meditate, to give thanks to the sun, and to manifest what you want to create in the next 6 months.
To learn more about the different sabbats on the wheel of the year (plus, get a free printable), click here.
The Best Crystals For Each Zodiac Sign
Your astrological sign comes with a variety of good qualities. Your zodiac sign also comes with some, let’s call them, growth opportunities. Working with the right gemstones for your sign will make you feel right at home, honing in on your best qualities while bringing balance to some of your pitfalls.
Your astrological sign comes with a variety of good qualities. Your zodiac sign also comes with some, let’s call them, growth opportunities. Working with the right gemstones for your sign will make you feel right at home, honing in on your best qualities while bringing balance to some of your pitfalls.
The gemstones associated with your astrological sign are not the same as your birthstone, though some do overlap. These are all crystals with specific properties to help bring tailored healing for your astrological sun sign. Think of them as your crystal “glass slipper,” they should energetically feel like a perfect fit!
To incorporate these crystals into your daily life, you can place them on your altar or nightstand, carry them in your pocket, or you can wear them. Keep scrolling for a couple of crystal suggestions for each zodiac sign.
Capricorn ♥ Dec 22 - Jan 20
Hardworking Capricorns will feel comfortable and empowered with the aid of grounding stones like these.
Obsidian
This grounding gemstone will make you feel comfortable and at home with Capricorn being an Earth sign. If you’re overworked, like Capricorns often are, obsidian can help strengthen your energy and auric field, bringing you back to balance.
Hematite
Many responsible Capricorns find themselves in management and leadership roles. If you’re one of these lucky Capricorns, hematite is here to help! Hematite is a powerful stone for shielding yourself from negative energy so you can stand your ground and shield your energy.
Aquarius ♥ Jan 21 - Feb 19
Airy Aquarians can find balance with mentally clarifying stones.
Garnet
This stone is the ultimate balancing gemstone for air signs like Aquarius. If you’re an independent and sometimes temperamental Aquarius, garnet can bring you some much-needed stability.
Labradorite
Aquarians tend to have very active minds, always thinking ahead and trying to figure things out. Let labradorite hone your mental chatter so you can put it to better use. Labradorite can help your psychic abilities while stifling some of your negative traits.
Pisces ♥ Feb 20 - Mar 20
Intuitive Pisces will find a needed mental escape with these healing gemstones.
Amethyst
This sign is susceptible to taking on the woes and sadness of others. Retreat to the healing power of amethyst to transmute your sadness into love.
Fluorite
Escape your Earthly troubles with this stone. If you’re a Pisces, you may feel a desire to escape reality, or like you don’t belong here, fluorite can give you a safe place to relax and temporarily withdraw too.
Aries ♥ Mar 21 - Apr 19
Fiery Aries always on the go will find much-needed recharge in these stones.
Red Jasper
Aries can be quick to anger, but red jasper is here to help! The grounding and protective energy of this stone can help quench your temper before you react to a situation.
Ruby
This stone has intense energy and is perfect for a quick recharge. Aries tend to be continually going and love a good physical challenge. If you’ve overdone it and need a boost, ruby can help with this too.
Taurus ♥ Apr 20 - May 20
Practical Taurus will find flexibility and motivation with these stones.
Jade
Taurus signs are masters at completing their goals, and jade will make it even easier! Jade offers support for moving through challenges, tasks, and accomplishing your dreams. This stone will amplify your best traits, making attaining your desires a breeze.
Amber
Sometimes stubborn Taurus signs can find balance with this stone. Amber is excellent for releasing negativity and finding more flexibility in their unmovable personalities. This stone is also great for manifesting, which is a favorite hobby of Taurus signs.
Gemini ♥ May 21 - June 21
Gentle Gemini signs will find balance in the duality of their personalities with these stones.
Agate
If you’re feeling unstable or nervous from your dueling personality traits, agate can bring you a needed self-confidence boost and a sense of stability.
Sapphire
This stone can help you find focus if your mind is flipping back and forth. If you’re feeling indecisive about something, as Gemini’s often do, sapphire can help you follow through with decision making.
Cancer ♥ Jun 22 - Jul 23
Emotional and imaginative Cancer signs will be able to get their water fix with these stones.
Moonstone
Cancer is ruled by the moon and is also a water sign, making moonstone an ideal fit. Moonstone has a special relationship with both the moon and water. Moonstone can help you get in touch with the best parts of your personality. If you’re feeling insecure, like many Cancer signs can, this stone is also very nurturing.
Abalone
Cancer’s often long for the water. Even though Abalone isn't a true crystal, it's often found used in jewelry or as an altar tool. If you’re feeling called to the ocean but are landlocked, abalone can offer some serious water vibes to help you get your fix.
Leo ♥ Jul 24 - Aug 23
Sunny Leo will feel right at home with these radiant stones!
Carnelian
Though Leo’s are loved by many, this can make them lazy. If everything has come easily to you and you don’t feel like trying when the going gets tough, carnelian can give you the boost you need.
Sunstone
Let your best qualities shine brightly with this cheerful stone. Leo is ruled by the Sun and a fire sign, so this gemstone will help bring out all of your best qualities. This is also an excellent stone for Leo’s that happen to live in a cloudy or cold climate.
Virgo ♥ Aug 24 - Sept 22
Kind and cautious Virgo’s can find the confidence they need to speak their truth with these stones.
Blue Topaz
Earthy Virgo’s can have a difficult time connecting to their higher-self. Blue Topaz can help you tune into higher realms and boost your confidence in this area. Taking a less practical path might give you the perspective you need!
Amazonite
If you’ve found yourself consumed by worry or overthinking a situation, as Virgos tend to do, amazonite can help you separate your emotions from the situation so you can gain a sense of clarity.
Libra ♥ Sept 23 - Oct 22
Peace-seeking Libra will find just that in these gemstones.
Peridot
Libra loves to be in relationships but hates conflict. Unfortunately, conflict will show up at some point even in the best of relationships. This master heart healer will help you stay balanced and help you release grudges more easily.
Bloodstone
Libra is an air sign, so grounding energy is always a bonus! Bloodstone will not only help you stay grounded but help you keep your emotions balanced as well
Scorpio ♥ Oct 23-Nov 22
Passionate and intense Scorpio's will find a sea of respite and love in these crystals.
Aquamarine
Scorpio’s can come across as very assertive, which is an excellent quality in leadership roles but might sometimes need tempering when dealing with friends and family. As a water sign, you’ll find aquamarine to be soothing and cooling to your intensities. Aquamarine is also masterful at stabilizing fear and anger.
Rhodochrosite
Scorpio’s have strong emotions that can sometimes be expressed as jealousy and an unwillingness to trust others. This gemstone can balance your powerful feelings and help you understand and accept the actions of others more readily.
Sagittarius ♥ Nov 23 - Dec 21
Positive Sagittarius signs will find needed protection and communication aid in these stones.
Turquoise
Sagittarius loves adventure. Don’t forget to bring some energetic protection along with you as you’re traveling the world. Turquoise is a powerful stone of protection that can also help keep your throat chakra in check.
Lapis Lazuli
Though Sagittarius leans towards optimism, they are fire signs. If you’ve been known to sling some hurtful words at your loved ones, this stone can help balance and restore your throat chakra for optimal communication.These are just some of the stones that will benefit each zodiac sign. Want to find more crystals to balance your zodiac sign? The best way to find more gemstones for your sun or moon sign is to research your signs. Check out blog posts dedicated to each zodiac sign here.
What is the Earth Star Chakra & How to Connect to It
I know, throwing a new chakra into the mix of the familiar seven may be pretty surprising! Now, to fully blow your mind, you actually have three celestial chakras in your etheric body as well, and a slew of minor chakras throughout your body.Today, I’ll share tips for connecting to your earth star chakra. Don’t worry, I’ll dig into all of the others in a future blog post.
I know, throwing a new chakra into the mix of the familiar seven may be pretty surprising! Now, to fully blow your mind, you actually have three celestial chakras in your etheric body as well, and a slew of minor chakras throughout your body.
Today, I’ll share tips for connecting to your earth star chakra. Don’t worry, I’ll dig into all of the others in a future blog post.
What is the Earth Star Chakra?
Your earth star chakra is not a part of your physical body like the other seven chakras. It’s actually located below your feet and makes up part of your etheric body. It connects directly to the core of the earth and to Gaia.
The earth star chakra is sometimes referred to as one of the “new chakras” or “subpersonal chakras.” Think of your earth star chakra as a high-performance root chakra! Learn more about the root chakra here.
The earth star chakra differentiates from your root chakra in a few ways:
It is the grounding point for your entire chakra system and etheric body.
It connects you to not only the earth but the whole of humanity as well.
Some believe it is connected to our past lives too.
Why should you connect with your earth star chakra?
How much time do you spend inside using technology? If you’re like most humans today much of your time is spent doing these very things.If you’re anxiety-prone or lean on the airy side of the four elements, the earth star chakra is your new bestie. Developing a strong connection to this chakra can give you an unshakable feeling of being grounded. Here are a few benefits of deepening your connection to this chakra:
A greater awareness of nature and a stronger connection to mother earth.
Intuitively know how to help heal the earth.
A strong feeling of being grounded and safe.
A healthier root chakra.
Easily dispel negative energy you may pick up throughout your day. The earth star chakra is especially great for healers.
Because this chakra is connected to the energy of the earth you can easily pull energy from this chakra on days you need a boost.
Sounds nice, right? Keep reading for some tips on how to connect more deeply with your earth star chakra.
Ways to Connect to Your Earth Star Chakra
Meditation
The best way to connect with this chakra is through meditation. The next time you sit down to meditate try this visualization: imagine a cord coming from the sky, going through your body, connecting to each of your seven chakras, finally connecting to your earth star chakra about 8 to 12 inches below you, and then imagine the cord going through each layer of the earth until it reaches the core of the earth. Imagine this cord anchoring into the core of the earth so you have an unshakable grounding effect.
You can also try visualizing the color of this chakra creating a bubble around you. There’s some debate over what the color of the earth star chakra is. Many say it’s brown or black (representing the core of the earth), while others say it’s aqua (representing all the water on the earth’s surface). Personally, I feel that my earth star chakra radiates a very dark reddish-brown hue, but I suggest meditating and deciding what feels true to you.
Earthing
Earthing is direct skin contact with the earth. Of course, doing this with a conscious effort in mind of connecting with your earth star chakra will be best! Try meditating while sitting outside, or simply spending some extra time walking in nature (preferably barefoot), thinking about your connection to your earth star chakra.
Crystals
Black kyanite is the most highly recommended stone to use for connecting with your earth star chakra. Any dark earthy stones like onyx, black tourmaline, black or snowflake obsidian, and red or green jasper can assist you. If you fall into the category of having an aqua-colored earth star chakra, some recommend an aqua aura quartz.
Ask
If you’re just learning about this chakra now it’s likely that it’s been a bit neglected. No worries though, it’s never too late to start and you’re certainly not alone! The simple act of asking to be connected to this newly found chakra can go a long way. Try asking during meditation or while spending time in nature.
Tapping into this chakra can have a powerful effect on your own well-being and our world. Imagine the world we’d live in if everyone was more in tune with mother earth!
The Importance of Sacred Space & How to Create One
I think of sacred space as being very root chakra related. A sacred space feels like home. It feels safe to do your most vulnerable work and have your deepest breakthroughs there. It feels safe to put your worries, your fears, your joys, your disappointments, everything that you have and are on the altar there.The best part is that you don’t need anyone to hold this sacred space for you. You can hold it for yourself.What is it, exactly? It’s any space that you set aside as sacred or holy. It’s a place where you can meditate, do magic and ritual, and connect to your highest self. This might look like an altar, or it might not.
I think of sacred space as being very root chakra related. A sacred space feels like home. It feels safe to do your most vulnerable work and have your deepest breakthroughs there. It feels safe to put your worries, your fears, your joys, your disappointments, everything that you have and are on the altar there.
The best part is that you don’t need anyone to hold this sacred space for you. You can hold it for yourself.
What is it, exactly? It’s any space that you set aside as sacred or holy. It’s a place where you can meditate, do magic and ritual, and connect to your highest self. This might look like an altar, or it might not. If you are interested in creating your own sacred altar, check out this blog post.
Your space is personal and unique to you. This blog post is all about creating sacred space in your home, but remember that you are sacred, too, and any space you hold for yourself can be a sacred space. Divinity doesn’t have to be experienced just at your altar.
With that being said, here are a few ideas for things you might like to include in your sacred space:
A Window
Having your sacred space by a window can be a beautiful way to connect with nature even from the inside. See the sun, the stars, and feel the breeze right in your space.
A Moon Calendar
Connecting with the phases of the moon can help anchor you and connect you with nature. Having a moon calendar (and moon ritual cards) in your sacred space where you do rituals and other healing practices that you might base around moon cycles is ideal.
Crystals
Crystals can raise the frequency of your space and bring in specific energies you want to work with. The options are endless, but some crystals you might like to have in your sacred space are:
Amethyst to help you connect with your intuition and boost your mood
Clear quartz (the ultimate crystal!), the ultimate healer, balancer, manifestor, and energy amplifier
Rose quartz for heart opening
Labradorite for self-discovery
Citrine to bring in energizing and creative energy
Fluorite to cleanse your aura and draw off negative energy
Obsidian or black tourmaline for grounding
Selenite to access higher guidance and open your crown chakra
Candles
Candles and their colors have all different types of uses. You can use them in spell work, rituals, burning ceremonies, or just to bring some soft light into your space. Here are some different candle color meanings (source):
Blue for harmony, peace, and tranquility
Red for passion and action
White for purifying, cleansing, and clarity
Purple for psychic abilities and spiritual awakening
Yellow for inspiration and creativity
Orange for energizing, joy, and success
Pink for love, compassion, and forgiveness
Green for nature, growth, and fertility
Brown for grounding, Earthy energy
Learn more about candle magick here.
A Feather
You can use your feather to direct the flow of smoke when cleansing with a smoke wand or herb. For example, when cleansing yourself you might want to circle the smoke around the top of your head or other parts of your body. A feather will help you do that!
Plants & Herbs
Plants and herbs have so many practical and magickal uses. You can use herbs in your sacred space for burning or tea-drinking, and you might like to also have dried or fresh flowers, or other plants that you feel connected to.Learn more about herbal magick here.
Essential Oils
Like plants and herbs, essential oils also have many practical and magickal uses. Use them in your sacred space for ritual, to anoint your candles, to assist in meditation, or to massage your body. Some go-tos you might like to have are:
Geranium oil for self-love
Juniper for protection and purification
Cilantro oil for releasing negative energy
Lavender oil for peace and healing
Frankincense and myrrh oil for meditation
Yarrow oil to connect with your psychic abilities
Tarot or Oracle Decks
Your sacred space is the perfect place to keep any divination tools you use such as tarot cards, oracle cards, or runes. Display the card or rune you’re working with at the moment on your altar as a visual reminder of the energy you’re working to create, or the intentions you’re working to manifest.
Visual Representations of Goddesses You’re Working With
This could be a printed photo, a statue, an oracle card, a painting, or another creative representation that resonates with you. Everyone’s needs are different, so choose a goddess that you feel drawn to work with. That likely means that she has a message for you.
Salt Lamp
Salt has been touted for its magical properties for a long time. Practically, having a salt lamp in your space releases negative ions (which actually make you feel good, despite the name!) and detoxifies the air. But magically, salt also purifies and protects against psychic attacks. If you don’t want to go for a lamp, you can also opt for a small bowl of sea salt.
Additional Representations of the Four Elements
You don’t actually need additional representations of the four elements (fire, earth, water, and air), since you likely already have them on your altar. But feel free to add any other elements to your space that you’d like, such as a bowl of water.
Learn more about the four elements here.
Any Sacred Possessions
Anything that feels sacred and holds special meaning to you, even if it doesn’t make sense to anyone else, can also go in your sacred space. Maybe it’s photographs, special objects, or mementos. Whatever it is, feel free to add it.
You can customize your sacred space or altar depending on where you are in life and what you’re trying to manifest. For example, you might create an abundance altar centered around money, photos of abundance goddesses like Lakshmi, tarot cards like the 10 of pentacles, and herbs or spices that promote abundance when you want to manifest material wealth.
The most important thing to remember is that this space is for you. All of the above are just options and suggestions. Create a space that feels sacred to you, and you will have created a sacred space.
The Only 3 Love Spells You’ll Ever Need
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.” -Dalai Lama You not only want love, you need love. Love and compassion are like air for sensitive souls like you and me. If you’re anything like me, you probably grew up craving love and affection, and not getting it could be truly painful. Being highly sensitive makes us uniquely vulnerable to our emotions and the emotions of others. The cure, potent and honest love.So, what does magick have to do with this?As above, so below. As within, so without.
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.” -Dalai Lama
You not only want love, you need love. Love and compassion are like air for sensitive souls like you and me. If you’re anything like me, you probably grew up craving love and affection, and not getting it could be truly painful. Being highly sensitive makes us uniquely vulnerable to our emotions and the emotions of others. The cure, potent and honest love.
So, what does magick have to do with this?
As above, so below. As within, so without. Not surprisingly, the key to finding love in your life manifests from learning how to love yourself truly and fully. Any true magick practitioner will tell you that it’s not only inadvisable but probably won’t work to use magick to lure another to you, friend or lover. The true purpose of magick is self-development and intention setting, not casting spells to bend the wills of others.
This idea is best illustrated by this excerpt from Lisa Chamberlain from her book Wicca Candle Magic:
This phrase [as above, so below] is also known, as the Hermetic Law ofcorrespondence, which states that whatever is true in the microcosm (i.e., the Earth) istrue in the macrocosm (i.e., the Universe in total). Another way to say it is hat theethereal plane (also called the “higher” or “spiritual” plane) is a mirror of the seen,physical plane (also called the “lower” or “material” plane), and vice versa. In order tomake a change on the material plane, magic works by changing the spiritual plane. Thechange then works its way through the linear time and physical space of the materialplane until it manifests. (19-20)
By changing your internal frequency to complete and total self-love you’ll become a magnet for love.
With the constant signals, we can receive from social media and the like, building a solid self-love practice requires regular attention. This is why spellwork and ritual are such powerful tools for bolstering your self-love practice.
I created three love spells just for you based on my own experience with magickal tools, rituals, and learning to love myself. It seems that these are the three topics that have come up the most for me and I hope you find them applicable too. Let’s jump into the three love spell you’ll ever need!
The only 3 love spells you’ll ever need:
Pink candles and rose quartz are used for each of the spells as they’re pillars of self-love. If you don’t have some of the suggested tools for the specific spells you can certainly just use rose quartz and a pink candle.
Each of these spells can be used in a variety of ways. You can place the items on a nightstand, altar, or other visible space in the home. You can put the stones and herbs into a bag to carry around with you throughout the day. Do what feels right to you.
I love my body spell
You’ll need:
Pink candle
Rose quartz
Picture of the Goddess Amaterasu and/or Aphrodite
A mirror
Garnet to help you see the beauty in yourself
Rose petals, rose water, or roses for realizing beauty and self-love
Jasmine essential oil or incense to inspire sensuality
Spell steps:
Find a quiet space to arrange your items and light your candle. Looking into the mirror, say loving things about your body. Here are some suggestions: I love my body. I am beautiful. My body is perfect just as it is. I am grateful for my beautiful body. Take as much time as you need saying these loving statements to yourself. You may decide to meditate on the love and gratitude you have for your body as the candle burns. Thank yourself for taking the time to offer yourself this love and blow out your candle. Keep your items up as a reminder as long as you’d like.
I love my journey spell
You’ll need:
Pink candle
Gold candle for inner strength and to inspire self-realization
Rose quartz
Agate to bring you soothing strength
Rhodochrosite to inspire a loving positive attitude
Lavender essential oil, incense, or dried lavender will do for bringing calming love and peace
Spell steps:
Find a quiet space to arrange your items and light your candles. Holding all three stones meditate on your life's journey up to this point. As the candles burn think or meditate about your life, the challenges, the high points, and the low points. Look at all aspects of your life without judgment, simply be an observer. Think about three things you’re grateful for that have happened in your life and say them out loud. Say positive affirmations about your journey aloud, here are some examples: I trust my journey, I love my life, My challenges strengthen me, I am open to learning from this life, I trust that I am right where I’m supposed to be. Spend as much time as you’d like in quiet reflecting. Thank yourself for taking the time to offer yourself this love and blow out your candles. Keep your items up as a reminder as long as you’d like.
I love my mind spell
You’ll need:
Pink candle
Indigo candle for soothing emotions and bolstering your intuition and clarity
Rose quartz
Amethyst to soothe the mind
Rhodonite to balance emotions and help heal past wounds
Clove for banishing negative thought patterns
Spell steps:
Find a quiet space to arrange your items and light your candles. Lie down and place an amethyst on your third eye and the rhodonite on your heart center. Imagine your third eye chakra (purple) and heart chakra (green) glowing and swirling brighter and stronger with every breath you take. Aloud or in your mind repeat loving affirmations about your mind, here are some suggestions: I love my mind, my mind is calm and peaceful, I choose to let go of negative thought patterns that no longer serve me, when negative thoughts come up I choose to surround them with love, I speak to myself with love and compassion. Stay in this space as long as you need to. Thank yourself for taking the time to offer yourself this love and blow out your candle. Keep your items up as a reminder as long as you’d like.
Like all spellwork, you’re the creator. Do what feels right and what rings true for you. Feel free to amend or modify any of my tips and make these spells truly your own. You cannot choose wrong. Enjoy and love yourself first, always.
