What is energy work and do you need it? + 5 common types of energy work

What is energy work? Is it real? Should you try it? I can’t tell you what’s best for you, but I can share detailed information about various energy work modalities and my personal experience with them to help you determine if and what’s right for you.

In this post, you'll learn a bit about what energy work is, if it's right for you, who can practice energy work, five common types of energy work, and experts in each field linked.

This is a big topic, friend! I invite you to cozy up with a cup of tea or to bookmark this read to refer back to later. Or, you can listen to the full episode here on my podcast, Rooting into Wholeness. 

My Experience With Energy Work

I experienced energy work for the first time at a very young age, 10 or 11 years old. I got my hands on some books from my grandmother about spirituality that explained how to feel the energy between my hands and over my body. I was easily able to feel my energy and was hooked. I continued meditating and working with my energy from that day in a variety of ways.

As an adult, I’ve tried various energy work methods both on myself and from others. I’ve also been practicing shamanic energy healing (in a Celtic lineage) for the last two years. Any of the methods I share here are methods I’ve experienced or administered firsthand. 

I will save my full story for another post that I’ll share soon.

What is Energy Work?

Energy work is the intentional effort to manipulate your or someone else's energy for spiritual, emotional, or physical healing. There are countless modalities of energy work practices in cultures around the world. You can perform energy work on yourself or seek it out from a professional. 

Energy work affects both the subtle body system (the energetic body) and the physical body in various ways. The subtle body system shows up differently across cultures. Here are some of the subtle body systems we see across the world: chakras and nadis (Hinduism), meridians (Chinese Medicine), the three cauldrons (Celtic), aura (cross-cultural), Ojos de luz (Incan energy system), and the list goes on. Most cultures around the world have some reference of an energy or subtle body system. 

Anything that affects the subtle body can also affect the physical body because they’re intertwined. It’s now commonly accepted that emotions can be stored in and affect the physical body. Many believe that energy can be manipulated to create changes in the subtle and the physical body in this same vein. As above so below, as within so without. 

Science now recognizes that everything is energy. When we zoom in on the physical world, really far, all we have is vibrating energy. There’s nothing solid about anything in the world we live in. It’s all energy. It can be hard to wrap the mind around physical objects not really being solid, but it’s what we know now to be true. This quote from the physicist Erwin Schrödinger illustrates this well in the quote below. 

“What we observe as material bodies and forces are nothing but shapes and variations in the structure of space. Particles are just schaumkommen (appearances).”- Erwin Schrödinger 

Aside from the quantum world, there’s also something to be said for unseen energies that we already know exist, like light waves, sound waves, electromagnetic energy, and heck, even wind. There’s an entire world of invisible energy that can affect us both positively and negatively. Though science has not completely caught up with the idea of humans having the potential to spark healing through touch and other psychic abilities, I believe it's something many ancient peoples have known all along. 

We spend so much time tending to and caring for our physical bodies, but what about our energy, our essence. 

Should You Try Energy Work?

If you feel called to try any kind of energy work, I suggest trying it. The bigger questions that you'll need to ask yourself are what kind of energy work you want to receive and who you want to work with. These are not questions that I can answer for you and will require some research and reflection.

As someone who's received a lot of different kinds of energy work, the best advice I can give you is that you'll know when you know. If you feel pulled to work with someone, honor that, and then do a bit of research about them, which I cover in the next section, to ensure that they're in alignment with your values and are working ethically. If you get any internal nudges that someone is or isn't a good fit, honor that.

Who Can Practice Energy Work and Can I Practice on Myself?

There are a lot of grey areas and different opinions within the answers to these questions. I will do my best in this short space, but please know that many feel differently and that this is a short answer to big questions.

If there’s one thing I hope you take away from this post, it’s that you can perform energy work on yourself. It is not something you need to pay hundreds of dollars to receive. There are many great energy work tools that you can use on yourself, some of which I will share here. Personally, I think it can be extremely powerful and healing to learn different ways to manipulate and heal your own energy. I discuss some of this in my “Understanding Auras” and “Understanding Chakras” books, which are great places to start. 

Regarding who can practice on other people, here are some suggestions and questions I always ask myself.

What is their training? Notice I said training, not Certification. Certification is not always a necessity in the case of energy work. Sadly certifications can actually be quite misleading and are not equally accessible. In fact, certification processes often leave out the very people who have trained in indigenous cultures and lineages. 

Many certification processes end up being watered-down versions of traditional energy work methods. Furthermore, they could be actively causing harm to the indigenous peoples they came from. 

Certification is not always bad, but it’s important to ask some follow-up questions and use discernment when hiring someone with certifications in the energy work methods listed below, like, “Where did the certification come from?”, “Who did they train with for the certification?” and “Were the indigenous and cultural roots respected in the certification process?”. If these things aren’t stated on a person’s website who’s offering energy work, you have every right to ask, and I’d encourage you to do so. 

Benefits and Risks of Energy Work

The possible benefits of energy work are vast and will vary from method to method. I'll dive into specific benefits for each kind of energy work method I discuss in their respective sections. Here's a general list of benefits I've personally experienced from different kinds of energy work.

• can induce deep calmness and anxiety reduction

• can help you feel closer to the spirit realm and connected to All Life

• can aid in the balancing of the chakras and subtle body

• can spark physical healing (energy work should never replace the guidance of a medical professional)

• can bring messages from loved ones and spirits

• can help with the removal of unwanted or stagnant energy

• can be supportive in processing shadow work and trauma (energy work should never replace the guidance of a trained therapist)

• can offer a deep sense of feeling held

• can give greater perspective on life issues

• can help with decision making

• can bring about a general sense of peace and ease

Are there any risks to energy work. Yes and no. Some forms of energy work are riskier than others. The practitioner is actively engaging with your energy for energy work like Reiki, Shamanic healing, and intuitive healing. This is a very intimate and vulnerable act. If you are highly sensitive to energy, it will be of utmost importance for you to be clear about what you do and do not want to experience and make sure you're a good fit with the person you intend to work with.

This is why it's so important to do your due diligence about who you decide to receive energy work from. If you find someone you'd like to receive energy work from, I suggest going within and asking something like, "Is ____________'s medicine in alignment with my highest good?" Notice what comes up. Beyond this, always be sure to run anyone through the questions offered above about who can practice energy work.Another risk is having too high of expectations. Remember, you have autonomy over yourself and your energy. If you go into a session thinking that the practitioner will be able to fix all of your problems in one hour, you might leave pretty disappointed. Energy work is not meant as a cure-all (though in some rare cases, it can be) and is intended, in my opinion, to be a catalyst for healing. I view energy work as a tool to spark healing, soothe the energy body, and open the door to spirit, but oftentimes, it will require further work from you as well. Also, who among us is truly perfectly healed? Here in physical, we will always have something we're moving through.

The Fine Print

Before we dig in, I have a few important things. See, I told you this was a big topic!

1. Energy work should never take the place of a trained medical professional or therapist. Though energy work can affect the body, and physical healing can take place, it should never replace the work of a doctor. We are multifaceted beings who require multifaceted care. I love receiving energy work, but you better believe I’m going to the hospital if I break my arm.    

1. I am not trained in all of the energy work methods mentioned below. As I mentioned above, I have experienced or administered and have thoroughly researched all of the methods I share here. I will link experts trained in each energy work method so you can experience it or learn more about them.

1. This is a non-exhaustive list of energy work techniques. I simply did not have room to share more energy work methods and techniques here, but I will list some more at the end of this article. 

Ok, let’s dive in!

Reiki 

I think Reiki is what most people think of when they hear energy work, but energy work is quite a diverse practice, as you'll find from this post. Here’s one explanation of what Reiki is from a past blog post by Eryn Johnson. 

“Reiki is a specific kind of energy work. It’s an energy healing modality that was channeled by Dr. Mikao Usui in Japan. The word Reiki itself means “Universal Energy.” It’s Universal energy, spiritual energy, the energy of oneness, that can be channeled from one human being to another to facilitate healing.

Reiki has its own intelligence. You don’t have to be special to give Reiki, which is one of the things I love about it. We all have this energy within us–it simply gets awakened through a process called a Reiki attunement.” - Eryn Johnson 

Nowadays, it’s relatively easy to become “Reiki certified” and be deemed a “Reiki Master.” This is where like I mentioned above, it’s important to do your research and have discernment when seeking a Reiki practitioner.

The most insightful information I’ve heard and read about traditional Reiki has come from Marika Clymer, trained in traditional Japanese Reiki. If you are interested in receiving or learning more about traditional Reiki, I highly suggest learning more about Marika’s work. Visit her website to learn more or book a session here. Listen to an interview with her on the Living Open podcast here, where she discusses traditional Reiki and decolonial energetic healing. 

My personal experiences with Reiki have been wonderful. In my experience, it’s a very gentle form of energy work that always leaves me feeling like I’m floating in the clouds. 

Crystal Healing

Working with crystals for energy healing is great because it’s so accessible. You do not have to have an innate psychic gift to perform it on yourself, there’s loads of information available about it, and a few basic crystals are really all you need. Some good old quartz is my favorite go-to!

Crystal healing is based on the belief that because crystals are perfect crystalline structures, they can stabilize or shift the energy of other things and people around them. To learn more about crystal healing, check out this blog or my book “Understanding Crystals.”

In my experience, I do think you need to be pretty sensitive to energy and patient to notice this kind of energy work as the shifts can be subtle and happen slowly over time. Although, this isn’t everyone’s experience! For this reason, you’ll often find that crystal healing is combined with other kinds of energy or bodywork. It can be a standalone form of energy work, but it also makes a great compliment to many practices.

I highly suggest my friend Ashely Leavy of the Love and Light School of Crystal Healing to learn more about crystal healing. If you’d like to receive crystal healing, Ashley has recommended two of her former students, Samady Medina of Crystal Gaia and Peyton Johnson of Sol Energy Healing.

The Energy Alignment Method (EAM), The Emotion Code, and Applied Kinesiology

I’ve lumped these three together because they’re all based on variations of muscle testing. However, they do vary and are practiced and taught in different ways. 

Applied Kinesiology (not the same as Kinesiology) was developed in the early 1900s by an orthopaedic surgeon named R.W. Lovett. He used it to help determine the effects of Polio on his patients. It’s since been used and further developed by a variety of medical and energy work practitioners. Applied Kinesiology is based on the idea that when there is dis-ease or blocked energy within the body, muscles will be weakened, and subsequent muscle testing will yield a different response from the body. 

I’m most familiar with The Energy Alignment Method (EAM) by Yvette Taylor and The Emotion Code by Dr. Bradley Nelson, so that’s what I’ll focus on here. 

EAM uses a sway test (a form of muscle testing) to identify blocked or unhelpful energy patterns in the body. It then uses a series of unique steps to release the unwanted energy and ends by calling in the desired energy. The emotion code works similarly and uses muscle testing to find “trapped emotions” but uses a different method for releasing the trapped energy. 

I would probably tell you that this energy work modality was quackery if I hadn’t tried it myself because it almost seems too easy! Over the last year, I’ve worked with a wonderfully talented coach who uses EAM named Maria Saraphina. Not only could I feel the energy leaving my body when we did the EAM (I’m super sensitive to all things energy), but I also noticed marked differences around all of the issues we worked on. 

Personally, I prefer EAM to the Emotion Code and have benefited greatly from working with the EAM. I found the emotion code to be a bit harder to follow and appreciate that the EAM takes additional steps to call in desired energy. 

You certainly don’t need to hire a coach or practitioner who uses this method to benefit from it. It’s actually pretty straightforward to learn and try it out on your own. I suggest starting with Yvette Taylor’s book about EAM here or The Emotion Code by Dr. Bradley Nelson here. My friend and coach Maria also offers a free instructional video about EAM that you can find here. 

Breathwork and Pranayama

This is another powerful healing method that’s been under some controversy in recent years. Depending on who you ask, breathwork is pranayama (the ancient yogic practice of breath control). Still, some believe breathwork is a practice of its own, rooted in various other ancient practices. I’m not here to tell you which is true, nor have I done the necessary research to offer you an answer. Wherever you land, I do think it’s important to offer credit where credit is due. 

Pranayama is an ancient yogic practice that is one of the eight limbs of yoga and translates to “breath control” or “control over the life-giving force.” Breathwork pulls from a variety of cultures and practices. Both use a series of breathing techniques to control and move the flow of energy within the body. The idea is similar for both that by controlling the breath, one can create shifts and healing in the physical, emotional, and energetic body. 

I can not speak highly enough of the benefit of practicing some kind of breathing technique, whether it be pranayama or breathwork. I find it helps to calm the nervous system, get into a deeper state of meditation, helps to release stored trauma, and can activate intuition. The benefits of practicing pranayama or breathwork are vast. 

Like many of the other methods I’ve mentioned here, breathing is certainly something you can do on your own. However, the results can be intense. Pranayama and breathwork are not practices, in my opinion, that will always leave you feeling like you’re floating in the clouds (though it can). It can be incredibly emotional and physically draining. If you do want to practice pranayama or breathwork but do not have any prior experience with it, I highly suggest seeking the assistance of a trained practitioner to assist you, whether it be online or in-person. There are many group and solo sessions available by countless practitioners. Here’s a list of some I recommend. 

For Pranayama, Susan Barkataki offers online and in-person yoga teacher training from a lens of respecting the cultural heritage of yoga. 

Eryn Johnson, who shares posts here, often offers breathwork sessions here. You can also read a previous blog post by Eryn that dives deeper into breathwork here. 

Chauna Bryant also offers breathwork sessions and coaching options here. 

Shamanic and Intuitive Healing

I saved this one for the end because it’s the energy work field I work in, so I knew it would be the longest section! In my experience and personal practice, I’ve found a lot of overlap between shamanic and intuitive healing, which is why I’ve put them together. Shamanic practitioners often offer a wider array of services aside from energy healing, but for the sake of this post, I’ll be focusing on it as an energetic healing modality. 

I’d also like to make it clear that I’m using the term shamanism as an umbrella term here, as the term itself is rooted in Siberian practices from the Tungus people. Shamanic-like practices have been found in cultures worldwide, similar to the Tungus people and often referred to as core shamanism. This is a much bigger topic that I will speak to another day! Intuitive and shamanic healing is based on the idea that energy can be accessed, manipulated, and healed by people with psychic and intuitive gifts that have been initiated or trained in this kind of energy healing. Traditional healing in this way can be found in nearly all indigenous practices. 

Healers working in these modalities can “see” (objectively or subjectively in the mind’s eye) or sense (clairsentience) misaligned energy, blocked energy, cords, and physical issues. These healers can then remove, balance, or heal the energy through in-person or distance sessions. The healer will often enter a trancelike state to perform this kind of work but not always. Similar to Reiki, proximity is not necessary as all energy is connected. This work often relies heavily on collaborations between spirit guides and helping spirits from both the practitioner and the client.

My introduction into this work began when I received my first shamanic healing session in 2013 from my now mentor Robin Afinowich. It was the most impactful healing session I’ve experienced, but I will save my story and initiation into this work for a later post. 

This is a healing modality that you won’t find many certifications for because people are often born or initiated into this work and taught through lineages of teachers that don’t always honor certification the way so many do in the West. 

Of course, as for recommendations, I suggest my teacher, Robin Afinowich, but she only offers local sessions in the greater Phoenix area and is generally booked out.

Another intuitive energy worker I deeply respect who I’ve heard speak about her practice often is Judea Star. She also co-hosts an amazing podcast called Spirit Speakers, which I highly recommend! You can learn more about her or book an intuitive healing session with her here. 

Other kinds of energy work

This is truly such a brief introduction to energy work! There are so many other powerful kinds of energy work that I didn’t have room to discuss here. Some of my personal favorites are sound healing, acupuncture, and reflexology. 

Phew, my friend! Did you make it to the end with me? If you did, I hope you enjoyed and learned something from all of this information. As always, if you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it with someone you think will enjoy it too. If you have a question feel free to comment on social media here or reach out via email here. 

Crystal Cleansing & Charging 101 // 8 Ways to Care for Your Crystals

Perfectly structured lattices of molecules repeat and layer until a crystalline structure begins to emerge. Crystals are the magical and living offspring of earth, heat, and pressure. Viewing your crystals in this way can help you sense their aliveness, at least it does for me.

The perfect structures within crystals make them masters at storing and emitting energy. Because they’re so easily impressed upon, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they will require energy maintenance, just like you and me.

Aside from honoring your crystals as the entities that they are, charging and cleansing them will also make them more useful. Like all energy beings, your crystals may hold onto unintended frequencies or could be charged with energy that’s not in alignment with your desires. 

Before we dive into some actionable steps for crystal care, I’d like to pull apart the differences between cleansing and charging. Even though these terms are often used interchangeably, they are entirely different facets of crystal care.

Here's a breakdown of the differences between crystal cleansing and charging. 

Now that you understand the basic functions of cleansing vs. charging crystals, let’s dive into some steps you can take to care for your crystals. 

These suggestions are by no means an exhaustive list of ways to cleanse and charge your crystals! Learn more in my new book, The Zenned Out Guide to Understanding Crystals. I also recommend you run everything through your intuitive filter and only practice what feels like a good fit to you. 

Crystal Cleansing 101

Here are a few reasons why you might want to cleanse your crystals: 

• It’s new

• You let someone else handle it  

• You no longer need to use it for a specific purpose 

Your cleansing schedule can be as regimented or as intuitive as you like. You might decide to cleanse your crystals every time you receive or purchase a new one, or you can wait until the crystal feels like it needs cleansing. I lean towards the more intuitive method, but both are valid. 

5 Ways to Cleanse Your Crystals

1. Direct sunlight for 10-20 minutes. This method works best with bright midday sunlight. Sun cleansing is one of the simplest and most effective cleansing methods. Caution: some crystals can fade in sunlight. Here are some of the most common ones: amethyst, citrine, celestite, and fluorite. Short periods in the sun, will be okay, but do not leave crystals susceptible to fading in the sun for more than ten minutes every few months. 

2. Hold in running water for 2-5 minutes. Fresh running water from nature is ideal, but tap water will do in a pinch. Water from nature will require less cleansing time. 

3. Bury in the earth for 1-5 days. The burying method is gentler, so it requires a bit more time. 

4. Hold your crystal in cleansing smoke of your choice. Frankincense, lavender, rosemary, or even a cleansing incense will work. 

5. Hold your crystal in your hand and call upon your guides, ancestors, and angels (or any other force you connect with) to cleanse your crystal. Visualize a white or rainbow light enveloping your crystals and cleansing away any unwanted energies. 

Crystal Charging 101 Here are a few reasons why you might want to charge your crystals. 

• You want to use it for a specific purpose. 

• You feel as though it has lost its effectiveness. 

• You feel intuitively nudged to charge the crystal or feel as though the crystal is requesting to charging in a specific way. 

You don’t have to charge your crystals to work with them, but it will undoubtedly enhance their effectiveness and increase your connection with your crystals. There are similarities between the techniques used for cleansing and charging; the most important distinction is that charging is adding specific energy to your crystal. There are a variety of ways to do this, but understanding your intention is critical. 

3 Ways to Charge Your Crystals

1. Place your crystal under the light of the moon phase of your choice for 1-2 nights. Working with the moon phases is one of my favorite ways to charge my crystals. Each moon phase has specific energy; you can learn more about that here. For example, if you’re working with a crystal to give you energy, you’ll want to charge it under the light of a waxing moon. The waxing moon is the growth phase of the moon and corresponds to action and energy. Alternatively, if you’d like to charge a crystal to help you rest, you’d want to charge it under the dark moon, which is a restorative moon phase. 

2. Place your crystal in the morning or evening sun for 20-30 minutes. Our life-giving sun can be used for both cleansing and charging. I do suggest being mindful of what time of day you use the sun for either charging or cleansing. This method works well if you feel like your crystal needs a little boost of energy. 

3. Charge your crystals with your hands. The heat and warmth of your hands alone are enough to charge up your crystals. Charging with your hands is an ideal method to use when you’re working with crystals for massage or bodywork. Hold or rub your crystal in your hands for 1-2 minutes for a quick charge. 

I hope you feel empowered to start connecting with your crystals using these tools! Your crystals will thank you, and the more you connect with them, the better they’ll work for you. 

You can dive much deeper into this topic in my new book, The Zenned Out Guide to Understanding Crystals. In this new book, I share how crystal energy works, how to program a crystal, and how to use crystal grids. This book also contains a fully illustrated crystal guide! 

Connecting the Head and Heart with Fluorite

Fluorite represents bringing together the intuitive mind and the emotional heart. Fusing one with the other, to help you find ultimate clarity. Though this stone is often touted as one of protection, I've found its energy to be most helpful with working with the heart and mind, so that is what I'll focus on here. Before I jump into some ways to work with fluorite, let's look at its unique mineral qualities.

What is Fluorite?

When fluorite crystallizes, it does so in an isometric system that can present as cubic or as an octahedron. That's why you'll sometimes see perfect cubes for sale as natural fluorite, it actually forms like this in nature! Another prized quality of fluorite is the banding of colors. Did you know that fluorite's actual color is clear? The banding occurs over time with various introductions of fluid, gas, and heat. Lastly, fluorite is one of few stones that are triboluminescent, which means it can create light when friction is introduced (p.s. I don't suggest trying this at home with your fancy polished stones, but here's a cool video to check it out  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzBXXmcaf2M ).

Metaphysical Properties of Fluorite

Here's a reference guide for some of the suggested uses and meanings fluorite. One of my favorite crystal educators, Judy Hall, has this to say about fluorite from her book, The Crystal Bible: "Dissolving fixed ideas, it helps to move beyond narrow-mindedness to the bigger picture. This stone dissolves illusions and reveals truth. It is very helpful when you need to act impartially and objectively."Other uses and meanings associated with fluorite: 

• Mental clarity

• Focus

• Balance

• Heart chakra - (green fluorite)

• Third eye chakra - (purple fluorite)

• Connects the head and heart

• Stabilizes the aura

• Helps to bring structure

• Intuition - (purple fluorite)

• Healing - (green fluorite)

3 Ways to Work with Fluorite

1. Clarity Spray or Spell Bottle

Because fluorite is so helpful at clarifying your thoughts. It works well for spells and intentions involving clarity and focus. Here's a simple recipe that can be used as a spell bottle or as a spray to use throughout your day.

For this spell bottle you'll need: 

1. A glass vial or bottle

2. Piece of paper and permanent marker or pencil- only for the spell bottle, not for the spray 

3. Water- enough to fill your vessel 

4. Frankincense essential oil- 5 drops for a spell bottle and 20 for a spray 

5. Smokey Quartz or Jasper of any kind

6. Rainbow Fluorite

7. Rosemary- dried or as an essential oil, use 5-10 drops of oil or a t. of dried rosemary. 

To prepare your spell bottle, follow these steps:

1. Cleanse all of your items with sacred smoke of your choosing, under the moon's light, or by envisioning cleansing white light enveloping them. 

2. If you're making a spell bottle, you may choose to write something specific on your paper that you'd like to receive clarity about. 

3. As you place each item into your vessel, imagine yourself moving throughout your day with a perfectly clear mind and always knowing the next best action. 

4. Once everything is in your vial, close the bottle, hold it in your hands, and repeat this invocation or something similar that feels right to you: My mind is open and clear. I will maintain a calm focus as I work. My heart and mind are connected. So it is. 

5. Place your spell bottle on your altar or your nightstand. If you created a spray, use it anytime you feel the need for more clarity. 

2. Meditation for Head and Heart Connection

Fluorite is an ideal stone for meditation. It can help you access both your heart and third eye chakra. To work with fluorite in meditation, hold a fluorite stone in each hand, or lie down with one piece on your heart chakra (sternum) and one on your third eye chakra (in between eyebrows). 

As you settle into your meditation, visualize a line of energy connecting your third eye chakra and heart chakra. Begin to visualize each chakra glowing with light, purple for the third eye, and green for the heart chakra. Stay in the meditation as long as you'd like. This is also a great time to ask any questions that you've had lingering. You might find the answers come to you with ease with your heart and head connected in this way. 

The open communication between your head and heart will help offer a balanced and well-rounded answer to anything causing confusion in your life. This same visualization practice can be performed with or without fluorite. Working with the actual crystals serves as a potent intention-setting tool, but you can call in this energy for meditation without having the physical crystals. 

3. Focus and Structure at Work

The easiest way to start working with fluorite is to wear it while you work or place it in your workspace. If you decide to work with fluorite in this way, I suggest programming it with your work goals and desires. To do this, you'll want to cleanse your crystal first with water, smoke, or sunlight. Next, hold it in your hands and visualize how you want to feel at work. Crystals for this purpose work well as wearable talismans or pocket stones. However, a sphere or point on your desk is fine too. 

The connection between your heart and mind is essential for staying true to yourself, especially at work! I hope this post has made you feel empowered to work with the energy of fluorite. 

Understanding the Energy of Gemini Season

Understanding Gemini

Welcome to Gemini season! Our mutable air sign, this archetype is here to help us open our minds, connect to each other, and communicate our truth. 

Whether you have Gemini placements in your birth chart or not, we’re all feeling into this energy during this season. In this blog, I’ll be sharing what Gemini is all about, the planetary and tarot associations of Gemini, and how to understand Gemini in your chart. 

Tarot cards featured are The Starchild Tarot.

GEMINI ENERGY

Ruled by the messenger planet, Gemini is a sign that’s about exchange, communication, connection, and relating. It’s a mutable sign, transitioning us from the spring season into summer.

At its most soul-centered level, Gemini energy helps us bring together people and ideas, share our message and our voice, create love through connection and communication, and find the magic right here at home in our neighborhoods. 

As an air sign, Gemini connects us to the mind. Mercury brings a lightness, a sharpness, a witness to this sign. Its mutability brings a capacity to change, shift, and morph. Exchange is critical for Gemini, which teaches us how to build bridges, share ideas, and bring communities, individuals, and ideas together. 

All signs have a shadow energy and expression, and in its shadow, Gemini can stay at a shallow, surface-level and fear going deep. It can bring scattered quality and anxious energy. Sagittarius is Gemini’s polar sign, and this axis is all about the mind. Where Gemini taps us into the concrete mind of facts and knowledge, Sagittarius connects us to the more visionary, abstract mind. These polar signs teach us that we need a balance of both!

Keep scrolling to read more, or check out this video with Eryn to learn more about the energy of Gemini season.

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THE PLANETS

In Western astrology, Gemini is ruled by Mercury. Known as the messenger planet, Mercury brings us into the realm of language, thought, and information. Mercury rules not only how we communicate but how we receive communication and process information. Its rulership focuses Gemini on relationships and self-expression. 

In esoteric astrology, Gemini is ruled by Venus. Esoteric astrologer Heidi Rose Robbins says Venus rules Gemini at the esoteric level because Venus is interested in fusing things, in weaving a fabric of love together that underlies everything.

GEMINI IN THE TAROT

In the tarot, Gemini is associated with the Lovers, the Magician, and the Knight of Swords.

The Lovers is ruled by Gemini, the Magician is ruled by Mercury, and the Knight of Swords is mutable air in the court cards in my tarot practice. 

In the Lovers, we see ourselves reflected in the other. Other becomes a mirror for self, and vice versa. Of course, there is a connection and weaving together here, of hearts, energies, and perhaps lives, which to me speaks very much to the esoteric Venus ruler of Gemini! 

The Magician shows us how Gemini energy helps us translate our ideas and visions into the physical world. The esoteric becomes the tangible, formless becomes concrete. The Magician is a helpful aid that we need if we want to use our creativity and ideas to create actual change.

The Knight of Swords connects us to the mutable texture of Gemini. The airiest card in the tarot (double air!), movement is key here. Movement creates clarity, joy, and the change we seek. Air is also associated with the mind and the voice, which connects us to Gemini’s mercurial side. 

UNDERSTANDING GEMINI IN YOUR CHART

To understand Gemini in your chart, you’ll want to look at a couple of pieces:

• Any planets in Gemini

• The house that Gemini rules in your chart. Whatever house Gemini rules indicates the area of life where you are meant to express, share your voice, and build bridges. 

• Your 3rd house. The 3rd house is the Gemini house. The sign that rules your 3rd house can add another layer indicating how Gemini themes show up in your life.

CONNECTING WITH GEMINI ENERGY WITH CRYSTALS AND ORACLE

Another way to understand Gemini energy in your life could be to ask your oracle or tarot deck: how is Gemini energy showing up in my life right now?

Want to connect more deeply with Gemini energy? You might like to connect with some crystals for Gemini season. Try apatite for clear communication and focusing your mind, howlite for calming anxiety, or celestite for throat chakra opening. Black tourmaline can help you ground the heady energy if it feels like a lot for you!

Healing with Kunzite // 4 Ways to Work With Kunzite

Feeling like you need a little emotional protection these days? Kunzite is a lesser-known crystal that comes with a variety of benefits for your mind and heart. The high vibrational energy of kunzite invites you to let go of fear and sorrow so you can move through life with a protected, but open heart.

Let's dive deeper into the healing properties of this beautiful crystal and how to benefit from all it has to offer! Here's an overview of this potent healing gem. Keep scrolling for 5 ways to put this stone to use in your spiritual practice. 

What is Kunzite?

Kunzite ranges in color from the palest pink, light violet, green, or even white. It can vary from glass-like transparency to opaque, often with vertical striations. The soft pink hues of this stone along can bring feelings of comfort.

On an energetic level, kunzite aids in freedom of expression. It does this by opening the heart enough for you to follow your desires but subtly protects as well. Kunzite is a beautiful stone for those looking for emotional protection without closing themselves off from life or others. 

Kunzite can help align you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. This stone can bring light and comfort into your everyday life. It is gentle enough to work with daily in meditation or ritual.

Kunzite Healing Properties 

• When carried, kunzite can aid in calming anxiety and panic attacks. 

• Wearing kunzite inspires us to be fully present in the moments. 

• Though kunzite primarily corresponds with the heart and upper chakras, it has the power to clear, activate, and open all chakras. 

• It helps to heal your inner child or emotional blockages from the past. 

• It can open your heart to receive spiritual and physical love. 

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Meditation with Kunzite 

You will feel a powerful sense of peace and comfort when meditating with kunzite. This spiritual stone clears and declutters the mind, which can open you up to receiving blocked memories. Kunzite reduces stress brought on by anxiety, making it the perfect stone for meditation. Have your kunzite near while meditating, or wear it on your body for a strong, energetic connection.

Create a Crystal Grids with Kunzite 

Kunzite is an excellent addition to your crystal grid. Use kunzite in grids for self-love, expression, working through trauma, peace, and healing. This powerful stone combines well with rose quartz, black tourmaline, malachite, and hematite, to name a few.

Kunzite can be harder to come by and more expensive, so I suggest using it as a center stone. Learn how to make a crystal grid here. 

Heal Your Chakras with Kunzite

As a stone that represents unconditional love and compassion, kunzite aligns best with the heart chakra. It can help to open your spiritual and emotional heart and bring healing to past trauma. 

Kunzite not only activates the Heart Chakra but aligns with all of the upper chakras (throat, third eye, and crown), triggering a harmony of transformative energy. To work with kunzite for chakra healing, place a piece on your heart chakra and visualize in creating a field of soft pink energy around your body. Learn more about chakras here. 

Cleanse and Strengthen Your Aura with Kunzite

This delicate stone allows us to embrace kindness and joy while connecting to a higher power. If you've built walls around your heart over time, kunzite can help. The calming energy of kunzite will cleanse any negative auric shadows that may have accumulated. Cleansing with kunzite encourages us to breakdown barriers to make room for unconditional and abundant love. Kunzite will also strengthen your aura. 

To work with kunzite to heal and strengthen your aura, hold a piece of kunzite about 6 inches away from your body and use your intuition to guide it through your aura, clearing away any negative energy. Performing suggestion number 3 will also similarly affect your aura. Learn more about auras here. 

Energy Clearing 101 // For You & Your Home

At the smallest level, we are beings of energy. Your aura can radiate several inches out from your body and can pick up energy from people you don’t even know. If you consider yourself an empath, it’s even more likely that you’re picking up energy that doesn’t belong to you.

Stuck inside your home for weeks on end, you say, due to a virus? You’re in the right place! I’m going to share best practices for cleansing the energy of yourself, your space, and a variety of energy cleansing tools. Use all of them, one of them, or any combination. They’re all useful, and many of the tools suggested you might already have in your home. 

Tip: you don’t need to be a trained Reiki master to cleanse the energy of yourself and your space! These tools are great for the novice and expert alike. 

Why is Energy Clearing Important?

Your subtle body (energy body) is connected to your physical body. This is reflected in the phrase, “as above so below.” What this common phrase points to is that if the energy of yourself and your space goes untended, it will no doubt begin to manifest in your physical body and your actions, and vice versa. If left untended, this bubble of energy swirling around your physical body will begin to muddy up your home as well. 

Cleansing your energy and the energy of your home is one of the fastest ways to lift your spirits. It also makes for good energy hygiene! I’m sure you’ve had the experience of going over to someone’s house, and the energy just felt heavy, or like it stuck to you even after you left? When you let the energy of yourself or your living space stagnate or pile up, it can begin to affect other areas of your life. 

Energy Cleansing Process

Before we dive into my suggestions for cleansing tools, let’s explore a few best practices for the energy cleansing process.

1. Dedicate time, 15-30 minutes, to the sacred practice of energy cleansing. Maybe even consider setting a weekly time to cleanse yourself and your space. Turning it into a regular ritual will mean you’re more likely to do it every week, and you’ll probably start to really look forward to it. I know I do. You’ll also probably start to become more aware of the energy building up in your space and how it affects you. 

2. Clean and declutter physically first. This will get you into the right state of mind to clean the energy of your space. This doesn’t have to be a thorough deep clean, but get your space clean enough that you’re not going to be distracted by any messes.

3. Get your energy flowing. I like to dance, do some yoga, meditate, or do some breathwork before I begin my cleansing process. Anything to get your energy going and raise your vibration a bit helps! This isn’t mandatory, but it will help get your prana (life force) moving and your energy flowing. This will make it easier for you to clear away stagnant energy in your aura. 

4. Know what kind of energy you want to bring into your energy field after you cleanse. Anytime you clear out stagnant or unwanted energy, it’s important to bring in the energy you want to fill up all of that extra space. If you skip this step, all of that cleared energy will likely just fill back up with all of the same stuff you cleared out. Some of the tools used for cleansing that I share below can also be used for bringing in some good energy. I like to use my energy, the energy of a higher power, candles, and selenite to bring positive energy, and I dive deeper into each of these below. 

Salt

Salt has been used as a purification tool since ancient times. From witches to ancient cultures, salt acts as a tool to banish all kinds of unwanted energy. My favorite thing about salt is how versatile it is! Here are three ways to use salt for energy clearing. 

• Take a salt bath

• Sprinkle dry salt around the edges of your house

• Make or purchase a salt spray by mixing salt and water. Spray it around yourself and your house. 

Card featured from the Ritual Deck

Smoke & Herbs

Like salt, smoke cleansing dates back to the ancients. A variety of plants have been prized for their energetic clearing throughout history and are still used to this day. You probably have some of these dried herbs in your spice cabinet!

I suggest exploring the plants used in your ancestral lineage for space cleansing first. If you want to rely on popular favorites like white sage and palo santo, be sure to do your research and ensure that you’re purchasing from a company that’s harvesting the plants ethically. 

Herbs and resin for energy clearing: 

• Rosemary

• Thyme

• Peppermint

• Sage- garden sage, desert sage, and blue sage are some great alternatives to white sage. 

• Frankincense resin

• Copal resin

You can burn sprigs of loose herbs, wrap them in a bundle for a smoke wand (learn how to make your own here), diffuse essential oils, or if you have fresh versions, you can simply hang them in your space for the aroma. 

Candles

Candles can be used for a multitude of purposes, including energy clearing. Candles are also a great tool for bringing in the kind of energy you want after you cleanse unwanted energy. To cleanse your space, I suggest a white candle. Light the white candle and walk around your space while visualizing a white cleansing light, clearing out negativity. Next, you can light a candle color associated with the energy you want to bring into your space. Learn more about candle magick here. 

Crystals

When it comes to energy cleansing, selenite is my favorite! Selenite is a high vibrational crystal that is queen when it comes to cleansing away unwanted energy. Selenite is often sold in wands and plates, which are ideal for energy cleansing. You can use a wand to comb through your aura or a plate to rest objects on that you’d like to cleanse. Check out the video below to watch a video of my cleansing the energy of my shop and using a selenite wand to cleanse my aura. 

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Some other great options are clear quartz, amethyst, and black tourmaline. Crystals are another tool that can be used to bring in the desired energy after cleansing. To do this, place some crystals out that represent the kind of energy you want to bring in. 

Crystal tip: Supercharge the cleansing power of your crystals by creating a crystal grid for cleansing. Learn more about creating a crystal grid here. 

Sound

Sounds are an incredibly powerful and often undervalued cleansing tool. Sound occurs from vibration; the vibration causes the air molecule around the source of the vibration to vibrate. The vibrating air molecules affect more than just your eardrums, which turn the vibrations into the sound you hear, but will match everything around it to its vibration as well. This process is called entrainment.

Use sound to cleanse yourself, your crystals, and your home. You don’t have to have expensive singing bowls to cleanse with sound either. There are a variety of sound healing tools available. Here are some of my favorites. 

• Tuning forks

• Gongs

• Chimes

• Chanting 

• Singing bowls

• Online frequencies (free and paid versions are available)

Learn more about sound healing here.

Your Energy and Energy from a Higher Power

Using your energy or that of a power greater than yourself (Goddess, God, Angels, spirit guides,  Source Energy, Universe, loved ones passed on, etc.) can be used for both energy clearing and bringing in the kind of energy you want. I like to use this technique in tandem with other tools. For example, if I’m using a white candle to cleanse my space, I will ask Source Energy to help remove stagnant and negative energy. After cleansing, I will call on ancestors and guides to bring in good vibes and inspiration. 

You can work with this kind of energy through visualization, asking for the presence of your higher power of choice, and by placing physical reminders such as pictures or amulets of your higher power of choice.

Energy hygiene will have a ripple effect on your life. Remember, as above so below, as within so without. Whatever is going on inside will reflect what’s going on inside. I hope these tips help to keep your energy clear and flowing, sweet soul!

Understanding the Energy of Pisces Season

What is your relationship with Pisces energy?

Pisces is the last sign on the wheel of the zodiac, so it ends the zodiac year. It invites us into a season of water, dedicated to spirituality, art, and love.

In honor of Pisces season starting on February 18th, I’ll be diving into Pisces energy in this blog. I’ll be sharing what Pisces energy is all about, the planetary and tarot associations of Pisces, and how to understand Pisces in your chart. 

PISCES ENERGY

Pisces is our mutable water sign and as the third water sign on the wheel of the zodiac, it’s our superconscious, cosmic, or collective water sign.In its highest expression, Pisces is unconditional love. Pisces brings the energy of compassion and deep feeling. This energy can make us feel sensitive and like we need to retreat to be alone.Pisces invites us to open our hearts to let unconditional love and compassion pour through - for ourselves, for others, and for the world. It evokes the artist, the mystic, the dreamer, in all of us with its connection to music, poetry, spirituality, and the dreamworld. 

All signs have a shadow energy and expression, and in its shadow, Pisces can be depressed, aimless, and overwhelmed by their deep emotions. In its shadow, Pisces may not be able to tell what emotions and energies are theirs and what belongs to other people. This is why boundaries are critical for Pisces goddesses and all of us during Pisces season!

Pisces is the polar sign to Virgo, and this axis is all about healing. Where Virgo offers structure and grounding, Pisces offers boundless love.

THE PLANETS

In Western astrology, Pisces is ruled by Neptune. In esoteric astrology, Pisces is ruled by Pluto. 

As the planet of love and imagination, Neptune speaks to the mystical, spiritual, and artistic side of Pisces. But this planet can also bring confusion and illusion (think of the energy of the 7 of cups in the tarot!), making it difficult for us to tell what’s real and what isn’t. 

The Pluto rulership at the esoteric level shows how love is the transforming agent with Pisces. Love is the medicine, love is the channel for transformation, love is the vehicle of death and rebirth in our lives.

PISCES IN THE TAROT

In the tarot, Pisces is associated with the Moon, the Hanged One (pictured as the “Perspective” card from the Starchild Tarot), and the Queen of Cups.

The Moon is ruled by Pisces, Neptune rules the Hanged One, and the Queen of Cups is mutable water in the court cards in my tarot practice. 

The Moon card shows us the mystical side of Pisces - an invitation beyond the veil into the inner mysteries, into lunar magic, into an exploration that transcends the linear and logical. 

The Hanged One shows us the magic that can happen when we stay present with our discomfort. A key part of love and compassion is acceptance, and in the Hanged One we learn that we will never heal or thrive until we accept what is. 

The Queen of Cups brings the energy of the selkie, one who is just as at home in the depths of water as they are on land. The Queen of Cups invites us to go within - to feel our feelings, explore our subconscious and its manifestation in the dreamworld, to connect with our inner voice. 

UNDERSTANDING PISCES IN YOUR CHART

To understand Pisces in your chart, you’ll want to look at a couple of pieces:

• Any planets in Pisces

• The house that Pisces rules in your chart. Whatever house Pisces rules indicates the area of life where you are meant to pour more love, the area of life that has a spiritual flavor, a mystical flavor. 

• Your 12th house. The 12th house is the Pisces house. The sign that rules your 12th house can add another layer indicating how Pisces themes show up in your life.

Another way to understand Pisces energy in your life could be to ask your oracle or tarot deck: how is Pisces energy showing up in my life right now?

CRYSTALS TO HELP YOU CONNECT WITH PISCES ENERGY

• Amethyst. Amethyst is highly protective and aids intuitive abilities. Pisces season may leave you feeling more open and sensitive than usual. Amethyst can help you tune into the flow of intuition around you while also keeping you protected. 

• Aquamarine. Because Pisces is a water sign, watery stones, like aquamarine will help soothe and soften you during Pisces season. Aquamarine can also help to soothe emotions, which may be more present during Pisces season.

• Fluorite. It can be easy to become lost in your dreams during Pisces season, fluorite can help you find clarity and focus when you need to during this season. Green fluorite is also a heart healer which may also be helpful during Pisces season. 

6 Ways to Align Yourself with the Energy of Imbolc

Imbolc is a sabbat on the Wheel of the Year that happens on February 1st.

At Imbolc, the Earth is beginning to wake up and we celebrate the approaching return of spring. We are through the hardest and darkest part of the winter, and we begin to prepare ourselves to direct our energy outwards again in the lighter part of the year to come.

The word Imbolc means “in the belly” - offering us the promise of hope, renewal, of the awakening of the Earth again. 

Imbolc is also deeply associated with the Celtic triple goddess Brigid and her sacred flame. Brigid was one of the most powerful and most loved goddesses in Ireland, and she is the goddess of healing, poetry, and smithcraft. She is associated with the hearth, fire, the home, and water. At Imbolc, as the Earth reawakens, Brigid is said to be in her maiden aspect. 

In this blog post, I’ll be sharing some ways to align yourself with the sacred energy of Imbolc. Keep scrolling to read them!Page featured from The Goddess Discovery Book V2.

Page featured from The Goddess Discovery Book V2.

1. SPRING CLEANING

Imbolc is a beautiful time to clear some space for the new beginnings to come - physically, emotionally, and energetically. This could mean literally cleaning your home and donating things you no longer use, or it could be about letting go of an unhealthy pattern, belief system, or even identity. Whatever it is for you, it’s time to clear space in order to plant seeds for spring.

2. HONOR BRIGHID 

Honor the goddess Brigid in whatever ways feel good to you. Writing poetry, reading poetry, and making something with your hands are all beautiful, tangible ways to honor Brigid. You could also sit in meditation and ask Brigid to come to visit you and share messages with you.You can read more about Brigid in this blog post.

3. CONNECT WITH FIRE

As I mentioned above, this sabbat is deeply associated with fire, the sun, and the sacred flame that burns within. You might connect with fire by going outside during the day and sitting in the sun, lighting candles or burning a fire in your fireplace, meditating on the sacred flame within, or doing a fiery movement practice to open your solar plexus. Find a journey to fire here. 

Card featured from The Ritual Deck. 

4. CREATE AN ALTAR

Create a fresh altar with items and symbols that invoke new beginnings, hope, fire, and awakening. Some suggestions:

• Seeds 

• A Brighid cross (click here to learn how to make one)

• Fertility symbolism 

• Blackberry

• Tiger’s eye, citrine, or carnelian crystals 

• An image of Brigid - print one out or use her card from a goddess oracle deck if you have one 

• White and red candles

• Frankincense or dragon’s blood incense 

• A bowl of water 

As always with building altars, get creative and use your intuition!

5. TAP INTO YOUR INNER MAIDEN

Brighid is said to be in her maiden aspect at Imbolc, so we’re all invited to tap into our inner maiden. Connect with the young part of you that is playful, that believes in magic, that has a vivid imagination. Let yourself embody creation, pleasure, and desire - whatever that means to you.

6. PREPARE FOR SPRING

If you haven’t been resting through winter and really sinking into the winter invitation of sacred solitude, this is your last opportunity to connect with this energy. If you have been resting and feel excited about spring, preparing for spring could mean starting to plan, organize, and align yourself to set some strong foundations for spring growth.

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Wishing you a beautiful Imbolc, goddesses! You can find more rituals for Imbolc here and meditations for the Wheel of the Year here.

Full Moon High Priestess Mist

The High Priestess is the archetype in the tarot’s major arcana, who reminds us that we have all the answers we need within us. Ruled by the moon and associated with the triple goddess, divine feminine, and the story of Persephone’s descent into the underworld, the High Priestess, brings us deep within to awaken our connection to our wisdom and intuition.

I love working with tarot archetypes in different ways, and one of those ways is by making mists. In this post, I’ll be sharing how to create a High Priestess mist to connect you to your intuition - a connection that is your birthright. High Priestess card from The Starchild Tarot.

High Priestess card from The Starchild Tarot.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• A spray bottle

• Small tumbled crystal chips of amethyst or another stone you intuitively connect the High Priestess to (note that some stones dissolve or lose their luster in water) 

• Water charged under the full moon

• Witch hazel 

• Essential oils of frankincense, clary sage, and/or sandalwood 

HOW TO MAKE YOUR MIST

The ingredient that may or may not take the longest to get (depending on where the moon is as you’re reading this!) is water charged under the full moon. I recommend charging your water on the night before the moon is technically full - so for example, if the moon is full at 8:30 am on Saturday, charge your water on Friday night, not Saturday night. 

All you need to do to charge your water is to place a bowl or glass of water under the full moon and leave it out overnight. Place some amethyst in your water if you'd like, but it's totally optional. You can drink your excess water or use it in rituals and spells! 

Once you have your full moon water, I recommend creating this spray on the day of the full moon. Here are your steps:

1. Fill half the bottle with witch hazel 

2. Add 25-30 drops of essential oils (if using multiple oils, split up the drops according to whatever scents you prefer!)

3. Add your crystal chips

4. Fill the rest of the bottle with the full moon charged water

5. Close the bottle and shake!

If you’d like, it can be nice to spend a little time meditating with the mist to set intentions for it to connect you with the High Priestess within you. Use the mist before doing divination work to infuse your space with High Priestess Energy, before meditation, and in ritual and spellwork around intuition.

Let your intuition inspire your use and enjoy! Click here to share your mist with us on Instagram. 

Meanings, Benefits, and Uses of Larimar

Larimar, also known as dolphin stone or blue pectolite, is a beautiful blue stone that often has white veins swirling through it. It’s an extremely rare stone because it can only be found in one place, the Dominican Republic.

According to Judy Hall’s The Crystal Bible, Larimar is one of the “spiritual stones” that open to new dimensions, stimulating the evolution of the Earth. I picked up my first piece of Larimar at a local rock shop a year or two ago and knew I had to take it home - I felt immediately calmed as soon as I touched it. 

Keep scrolling to discover some of the top benefits and uses of this magical crystal! 

BENEFITS & USES

PROMOTES TRANQUILITY AND BALANCE

Feeling anxious or struggling with anxiety? Larimar brings calmness, equilibrium, and serenity. Meditating with this stone can also bring clarity, which can help you drop out of an anxiety spiral and into truth. 

Larimar can also help remove fear and guilt, bringing you into a more balanced, less stressed state. 

FIND MORE FLOW

It’s Scorpio season, and all of us can connect with the water-energy that water signs (Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio) naturally have. Larimar is our ally for releasing and flowing, connecting us to the power of water through cleansing and surrender. 

HELPS REMOVE SELF-IMPOSED BLOCKAGES AND CONSTRAINTS

Larimar helps gently reveal and dissolve self-sabotaging behaviors as well as limiting thought patterns and belief systems. It helps bring in more constructive thought patterns and systems to replace those that were shed. Try carrying a piece of tumbled larimar with you as a reminder throughout your day. 

FACILITATES ANGELIC CONTACT

Want to connect with your angels but not sure how? Use Larimar in a crown chakra meditation to open yourself up to contact with the angels here to support you. 

INDUCES A DEEP MEDITATIVE STATE

Incorporate Larimar into your daily meditation practice for access to a deeper meditative state. It can also be your ally for receiving Reiki, receiving sound healing, and other energetic and vibrational types of practices to help you fully surrender and sink in.

HEALS HEART TRAUMA

One of my favorite aspects of Larimar is its ability to reconnect us to a playful and joyful childlike energy. If you struggle to connect with your carefree, playful side as an adult with very real bills and responsibilities - work with Larimar to help. It’s not just limited to connecting to childlike energy - it’s also deeply healing for all inner child work. Use it on a visualization journey to healing your inner child! 

HELPS GUIDE THE SOUL ON ITS TRUE PATHWAY

According to Judy Hall’s The Crystal Bible, Larimar is ultimately an empowering stone that can help dissolve the boundaries that constrain the spiritual self and help guide the soul on its true pathway.

If you feel lost, confused, or unsure of the direction your soul wants to take you, work with Larimar to receive the gentle guidance you need and step onto or continue on your soul’s true pathway.

BALANCE THE WATER & EARTH ELEMENTS

Larimar connects deeply with the water element. Larimar was actually created by volcanic activity, which gives it a unique balance of energy. You can use this stone to help find more flow from the water element, balance fire the fire element, and connect with Earth energies.

This is definitely one of my favorite things about Larimar! Larimar is an Earth healing stone that helps us connect to the energy of the Earth goddess. If you feel disconnected from nature or from the Shakti part of yourself, work with Larimar to restore balance and tap into the energy of the Earth goddess. One of my favorite uses for Larimar is to work with it in spells and rituals to heal the Earth! 

Book featured is The Goddess Discovery Book.

DRAWS OUT PAIN

On a physical level, Larimar can help draw pain out of the body. Place it on a spot where you’re feeling pain and let it help you heal. It can also be used to clear the meridians of the body, restoring healthy energy flow throughout these vital energy pathways. Learn more about the meridians in the body and the practice of meridian tracing in this blog (just incorporate Larimar to get the benefits)! 

Three Dark Moon Rituals

The dark moon is one of my personal favorite times of the cycle. It’s the last few days of the waning time of the cycle, when the moon continues to shrink and eventually disappears from the sky.

Different traditions honor the dark moon at different times. Personally, I honor the dark moon when you can’t see the moon at all in the sky--which is technically the new moon. Others honor the dark moon the last few days before the new moon. I recommend using your intuition and noticing how you feel during these days to understand when to honor the dark moon versus new moon.

So what is the dark moon all about?

The dark moon is our time for radical rest, for deep clearing and releasing, and turning within. This is the time to cancel plans, to do shadow work, to go to sleep early and wake up late, and to pull tarot or oracle cards to tune in to your inner voice.

Keep scrolling for a few rituals to consider working with at this time.

WATER SPELL FOR CLEARING

One of my favorite spells to work during the dark moon is this simple water spell. Water is a helpful element for cleansing and purification, and this spell works especially well when the dark moon is in a water sign--Pisces, Cancer, or Scorpio. You’ll need:

• A large glass of water

• A piece of paper and pen

To start, choose what you’re focusing on releasing. Maybe there are blocks to self-expression, fear of being rejected, shame around your path, or blocks to abundance. Once you’ve decided what you’re ready to release (you’re welcome to spend some time journaling on this to get clear), start making a list of all the limiting beliefs and stories that you hold associated with this block.For example, let’s say you’re working with clearing blocks to abundance. Your list might hold beliefs like:

• I can’t make money doing what I love

• People with money are jerks

• It’s wrong to have money when other people have so little, etc.

Keep letting the beliefs flow! I tend to fill up a whole page when I do this spell.

Once you have your list, it’s time to work the spell. Ground yourself, cast your circle, and pick up your list. You’re going to say the first belief out loud, starting with “I clear the belief that ________ from my body” and then taking a big sip of water. Pause and notice, feeling and visualizing the water moving through your body, cleansing this belief from your system on every level.

Repeat this for each belief on your list, taking your time and really feeling the beliefs move out of your body.

Card featured from The Ritual Deck

When you’re done, use the energy of your palms to charge your last sip of water with what you do want - abundance, healthy self-expression, creativity, etc. - and feel your whole body being charged with this intention by the power of the element of water.

Give thanks to water and the Universe for their help, ground yourself again and open your circle.

CANDLE MAGICK FOR RELEASING

For this spell, you’ll need:

• Black taper candle

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

• Black tourmaline, smoky quartz, or petrified wood

• A simple oil like grapeseed or bergamot essential oil

• Rosemary

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

For this spell, you’ll be carving what you’re releasing into your candle as well as the glyph for Pluto, the planet that helps things die and be transformed. For your words, keep them simple and powerful by carving the basics of what you’re releasing like “fear” or “self-doubt.”

Anoint your candle with your oil and roll it in your dried rosemary. As you carve and anoint your candle, visualize your all of whatever you’re releasing - your fear or your self-doubt as in the example above - pouring into the candle.

Place your crystal(s) and candle on your altar, light your candle, and start meditating on the flame. Continue to visualize all that you’re releasing pouring into the candle, and watch as it burns and turns to smoke. Stay with this meditation until you feel a shift in your energy - until you really feel a release.

Let the candle burn out if you can or snuff out the candle and continue the same spell each night until the candle has burned completely.

SHADOW WORK TAROT OR ORACLE SPREAD

The dark moon is a deep invitation into shadow work.

What is shadow work?

Simply put, it’s an intentional exploration of our shadow side - the parts of ourselves that we reject, that we’re ashamed of, that we stuff down and hide. Click here to learn more about shadow work if you’re new to it!

For this ritual, you’ll want to create a ritual space - whatever that means to you. For me, it usually means cleansing my space with smoke beforehand, lighting incense, and lighting candles. Maybe you also like to take an essential oil bath beforehand, or sprinkle herbs in a circle around you.

All you’ll need for this ritual is:

• A journal and pen

• Your tarot or oracle cards

Spend a few moments grounding yourself, then shuffle your cards and pull a card for each of these questions:

• What part of my shadow is rising to the surface to be worked with?

• How has rejecting this part of myself manifested in my life?

• How can I show this part of myself more love and integrate it into my whole self?

Give yourself the gift of sitting with your cards after you pull them. Spend time meditating on your cards, journaling about them, or even painting with them to process and understand what their messages are for you.

Meanings, Benefits, and Uses of Amethyst

Amethyst’s popularity is for a good reason - it’s beautiful, fairly easy to find, and energetically, it’s an incredibly magical stone.

According to Judy Hall’s The Crystal Bible (a great book to pick up if you want to learn more about crystals!), amethyst is “an extremely powerful and protective stone with a high vibration.”

Keep scrolling to discover some of the top benefits and uses of this special crystal!

BENEFITS & USES

PROTECTION

Need some protection from a negative environment or psychic attack? Amethyst is your new go-to! It’s a natural protector and tranquilizer, able to transmute negative energy into love. If you identify as an empath or a highly sensitive person (Don’t know? Find out in this blog!), amethyst is a must-have to keep you from absorbing other people’s energy.

Card featured from The Goddess Discovery Book V2 // Magick & Nature

ACCESS HIGHER STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS

Amethyst has incredibly strong healing powers. It enhances spiritual awareness, opens your crown chakra, and helps you open to another reality — making it a helpful aid for meditation, visualization, and trance journeywork.

[Looking for more ways to open your crown chakra? Check out this blog: How to Open Your Crown Chakra and Know When It’s Blocked]

ADDICTION SUPPORT

Did you know that amethyst was traditionally worn to prevent drunkenness? It’s true! Amethyst has a sobering effect on overindulgence and helps overcome addictions and blockages of all kinds. Looking to quit alcohol, sugar, your TV habit, or reduce your phone time? Amethyst is here to support you!

CALMS THE MIND

Amethyst has a beautiful ability to calm the mind. If you ever feel mentally scattered, have trouble focusing, or struggle to assimilate and integrate new ideas, amethyst is your ally for a calmer, more focused mind. Along with this, it also aids in meditation and deeper understanding.

SUPPORTS GRIEVING

Amethyst can help provide emotional centering when you need it most, balancing your highs and lows. It can help you come to terms with loss, alleviating sadness and grief and gaining a higher perspective.If you’re going through a difficult time, like a deep transition, the death of a loved one or pet, or the shedding of an old identity, work with amethyst to support you.

OPENS INTUITION AND ENHANCES PSYCHIC GIFTS

Amethyst is said to be one of the most spiritual stones (and we have to agree!). It’s famous for bringing in spiritual wisdom, opening intuition, and enhancing psychic gifts. It gently opens your third eye, the center of your own inner wisdom.

That makes it the perfect stone to use for scrying, channeling, and pulling tarot or oracle cards. I recommend laying down and meditating with amethyst placed on your third eye for a few minutes before doing psychic work if you feel like you need some assistance!

Card featured from The Ritual Deck

INTUITIVE DREAMS & BETTER SLEEP

Amethyst is helpful for all things sleep! Amethyst can bring in deeper sleep, intuitive dreams, out-of-body experiences in your dreams, and aid in relaxation to help you fall asleep. If you struggle with insomnia or nightmares, you can place some amethyst under your pillow to help.

Learn more about dreamwork here.

AURA CLEANSING

Did you know that we actually have many bodies? Of course, we have our physical, mental, and emotional bodies. But we also have a spiritual body and an auric body, which includes layers of auric energy (Learn more about the aura here).

Amethyst helps cleanse your aura, that energy field that extends off of the body. It also balances and connects your physical, mental and emotional bodies, linking them to your spiritual body.

Your Spiritual Tool Box for Stress & Anxiety

Whether you’re in full-on crisis mode or wading through a stressful season of life, knowing which direction to turn for relief can feel overwhelming. A quick fix like reaching for a glass of wine or a shopping splurge might help now and then, but it’s not a long-term solution. What tools can you rely on to help keep your cool when things seem to be falling apart around you?

As a new mom to twins and a business owner, stress and anxiety have become part of my norm. Over the last year, I’ve had to put my spiritual tools to work like never before. I believe we all come to the Earth plane with an assortment of battles to accept and overcome to help our souls progress. We’re all fighting battles. The important part is how you walk through it.

Crisis often brings people to spirituality. I’m frequently asked, “ XYZ horrible thing has happened. Where do I begin?” Here are my top go-to tools that I turn to when life feels out of control.

1. Meditation & Mindfulness

Sit. Be still. Heal. When most people reach out to me asking how to ease stress and anxiety through their spiritual practice, they want a crystal suggestion to make everything OK. Sometimes, a crystal just won’t cut it and work better as an ancillary tool.

Meditation and mindfulness are at the top of my list because if you’re practicing them regularly, even five minutes a day, the rest of these tools will come easier.

Sitting in silence may feel incredibly uncomfortable, initially, if you’re going through a stressful season of life. If you haven’t given yourself a moment to process anything that’s happening in your life, of course, your mind is going to be running a mile a minute the moment you sit down.

During stressful times, I find it helpful to look at meditation as more of a time process and purge. Let all of the stuff that’s been running around in your mind run free. Permitting your thoughts to race around will allow you to process things you’ll otherwise keep cycling through over and over.

Once you’ve allowed your mind some time to run free with your worries, you might find a guided meditation helpful. I love all of the guided meditations from Meditation Oasis, and they have a wonderful selection of free meditations, including several specifically for stress and anxiety. You can also check out my Energy Reset Meditations Bundle and other guided meditations here.

Try meditating or sitting in silence for five to ten minutes a day for a week and see how you feel — having a hard time sticking to your meditation practice? Check out this blog post for ways to stick to it.

2. Body Awareness 

Your miraculous body does so much for you during times of stress! Taking time to become aware of your body offers the opportunity to tune into something other than your worries and can give your body a needed release. We store stress and anxiety all over our bodies but often don’t even notice it because we become so used to it. Try this body awareness exercise a few times a week if you’re in the midst of a stressful time.

To become more aware of your body sit or lie down and name each part of your body. Start at your toes and work your way up to the top of your head. You can do this by saying something like “I feel my left big toe” or “I breathe into my right thigh” etc. for each body part. Take a breath for each body part you go over and spend extra time on any parts that feel extra tense. You can make this activity as long or as short as you need. If your time is limited, try doing this activity in the shower or at a stoplight. Even little moments of body awareness can help.

Mudras are another great tool your body offers. Learn more about using mudras during times of stress here.

3. Breathwork

When we’re stuck in worry and fear, our breath often stays high in our chest. Short chest breaths signal to our body that there’s danger nearby. Directing your breath deep into your belly can help break the anxiety cycle and send messages to your body that it’s OK to relax. It also can take a little bit more focus to remember to breathe from your belly, which can give your mind a break too.

Deep belly breaths are a given if you’re meditating or practicing body awareness but can be an invaluable tool when you’re on the run. Running late and stuck in traffic? Have a screaming child in your arms? Whatever your stressor and wherever you’re at your breath is available to you. The hardest part about this tool is remembering that it’s available. You can learn more about breathwork here.

Remember how I said that meditation and mindfulness would help with all of the other tools? If you’re meditating regularly, even five minutes a day, the thought to take deep belly breaths may come to you more readily than if you’re not meditating.

4. Accept the imperfectness 

During times of stress and anxiety, it can be helpful, and sometimes necessary, to shift our expectations of ourselves. We so often compound our anxiety by placing pressure on ourselves to continue to perform at a near-perfect level even if we’re going through a stressful time. Warning, this one can feel the hardest because it often involves letting others see you in a vulnerable state.

Take an honest look at your week, what can you let go of to help you through this challenging time? Can you let go of cooking a few times and eat out? Can you call a friend or family member to ask for help with something you usually do for yourself? Can you take some time off from work to reset?Whether you choose to let some things go or are forced to, accept yourself and your life where it is in the moment, even if it doesn’t look the way you want it to right now. Accepting yourself where you’re at will let you off the hook from unnecessary self-imposed stress.

Working with a mantra can be helpful when working on acceptance. Find a list of mantras and learn more about using them here.

5. Crystals 

Even though crystals may not be a cure-all for working through stress and anxiety, they can still serve a purpose. I like to think of crystals as a physical reminder of the tools I do have during stressful times.

Grounding stones like jasper, obsidian, onyx and smoky quartz are great candidates when it comes to keeping calm during times of stress. Beyond the grounding energy these stones offer, keeping them nearby can remind you throughout your day that you do have tools to help you through times of stress.

For more tips to help you get grounded, check out this blog post all about the root chakra.

I hope these tips make you feel more supported and offer some relief if you’re facing a hard season of life. Know that it will pass and that The Universe wants nothing but the best for you. Your soul is here to learn and grow!

Magical Moonstone Meanings & Uses

The magic of moonstone has been fawned over for more than 2,000 years. Ancient Romans and Indians believed that moonstone was a moonbeam in physical form, which sounds pretty lovely to me! This soft, feldspar-based stone can be found all over the world in a variety of colors. The most prized variety being rainbow moonstone with its blue sheen that appears to radiate from within. I’ll be focusing primarily on rainbow moonstone today, but the magical attributes and rituals shared can really be applied to all of the moonstone varieties. Beyond its beauty, moonstone comes with an abundance of magical properties and uses. Here’s a guide that covers some benefits of moonstone, read on for five ways to use moonstone in ritual.

Moonstone Meaning

5 Moonstone Rituals

Moonstone Travel Ritual

Moonstone has been used as a protective stone for travel since ancient times, especially for night travel. Next time you’re going on a trip hold a piece of moonstone close your eyes and ask the stone to protect you as you travel. If your moonstone is a piece of jewelry, you can wear it for the duration of your trip. If your moonstone is a tumbled stone, consider carrying it in your suitcase or bag as you travel.

Moonstone Bath Ritual

Moonstone corresponds to the water element (learn more about the four elements here). To take advantage of moonstones watery vibes, place a piece of moonstone in your next bath. Take this ritual to the next level by enjoying your moonstone bath at night under the light of the moon. Add candles and some ylang-ylang essential oil to help you tap into the feminine energy of moonstone.

If you’re a water sign (Scorpio, Pisces, or Cancer), balancing your water element will feel like being at home, cozy and comfortable. If you’re a fire sign (Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius), balancing your water element can help balance your intense and fiery traits. If you don’t fall into either of these categories, you can still benefit from this ritual. Restoring your water element will inspire femininity, creativity, and cleanse you energetically.

Moonstone Sleep Ritual

Because moonstone is associated with the moon, it is connected to your sleep patterns too. Keep moonstone on your nightstand or under your pillow to inspire deep sleep and lucid dreams. If you’re focusing on your dreams or trying to have lucid dreams, consider keeping a dream journal near your bed too. Learn more about dreamwork here.

Divine Feminine & Sacral Chakra Moonstone Meditation

Ancient Romans believed the Goddess of the moon, Diana, could be found in every piece of moonstone. The moon has long been associated with Goddess energy, especially in the Triple Goddess symbol, which you can learn more about here. Follow these steps to help call in more Divine Feminine energy and open your sacral chakra with moonstone. This meditation can help you tap into your sensuality, feel more feminine, balance your menstrual cycle, and improve fertility.

The ideal time to practice this meditation is at night under the light of the moon, but anytime will be beneficial.

1. Find a comfortable seat and wear or hold a piece of moonstone.

2. If you have a specific Goddess you’d like to focus on you can place an image of her in front of you. This step is optional, tapping into the collective Divine Feminine energy source will also be beneficial.

3. Close your eyes. Send your breath to your lower belly and focus on your inhales and exhales.

4. In your mind or aloud ask that you be filled with the energy of the Divine Feminine, or of the Goddess you’re focusing on.

5. Imagine your sacral chakra area (between your belly button and top of your pubic bone) glowing orange. Visualize a beam of light the color of a rainbow moonstone streaming down from the Universe, through the top of your head, and into your sacral chakra. With each inhale and exhale, visualize the orange ball of light in your sacral chakra increasing in size.

6. Stay here as long as you’d like. When you’re finished take care to thank The Universe for sharing this Divine Feminine energy with you.

Moonstone Intuition Ritual

The next time you’re planning to do an oracle or tarot card reading take a moment to amp up your intuition with this moonstone ritual. Moonstone corresponds to your third eye and crown chakra, both of which are essential for your intuition to be on point. With a piece of moonstone handy, lie down and place a piece of rainbow moonstone in the center of your brow bone where your third eye is. Stay here for 2-3 minutes and focus on your breath. Imagine the moonstone opening and unblocking your third eye and crown chakra allowing information to flow freely to you.

I hope these rituals offered you some useful ways to bring moonstone into your practice.

How to Create a Crystal Grid in 7 Steps

Whether you’re trying to manifest more self-love, a vacation, or a new job, crystal grids can help! Crystal grids can be as simple or complex as you make them and a simple grid can be just as powerful at helping you manifest your goals as a complex one. Think of a crystal grid as your manifesting ally! It may not be the only tool you use to manifest your desires, but it can certainly help.

There are just a few necessary steps you need to follow to create a crystal grid. First, let’s briefly discuss why crystal grids work.

Why Crystal Grids Work

Crystals are formed from perfect geometric patterns and this is one reason why crystals are such a powerful healing tool! The perfect geometry within crystals makes them an ideal energy conduit and easily programmable. By placing several crystals in a repeating grid format, you will amplify their power. Using sacred geometry as a grid template for your crystals adds another layer of perfect geometric patterns to help better communicate your intentions.

If those reasons seem a little too out there for you, view crystal grids as a beautiful reminder of your intention. The most important part of manifesting your desires is visualizing what you want daily, and your crystal grid will serve as a reminder to do just that.

7 Steps to Create a Crystal Grid

1. Set an intention

Your intention for your grid is your starting place and will lay the foundation for everything else you choose for your grid. Get quiet and breathe for a few minutes so you can gain complete clarity about what it is you want. Don’t play small; you deserve everything you desire! Once you’ve set an intention for your grid, you can start selecting your grid format and crystals.

2. Select your grid format

Sacred geometry is an ideal format for crystal grids because it is symmetrical and each symbol carries unique energy that will help amplify your intention. To learn more about sacred geometry click here. Several different sacred geometry symbols can be used, here’s a list of the most common ones and the categories they’re best suited for:

• Vesica Piscis: Birth, femininity, sexuality, new beginnings, new projects

• Seed of Life: Inspiration, potential, chakras, creativity, growth

• Flower of Life: Community, connection, love, communication, partnerships, intuition

• Metatron’s Cube: Cleansing, clearing, balancing, energy, chakras, healing

• Sri Yantra: Balance, male energy, feminine energy, meditation, connection to Source Energy

3. Select your crystals

Now, the fun part! Let’s select your crystals. A pointed crystal will work well for the center stone, and tumbled crystals work well for the secondary crystals that will radiate around the center stone. You don’t need 50 crystals to have a grid that works. Even if you have one center stone and a handful of quartz, you can make an effective crystal grid. Clear quartz is your crystal grid bestie because it is ideal for all intentions, easily programmable, and super amplifying. I suggest using three different stones to strengthen your intention with the addition of five or more pieces of clear quartz.

A quick google search of “crystals to help with ________” will go a long way! However, here are some common crystals and the purposes they’re best suited for:

• Amethyst: Intuition, calm, peace

• Citrine: Abundance, joy, happiness

• Sodalite: Creativity, expression, communication

• Quartz: Balance, health, cleansing

• Rose Quartz: Self-love, compassion, friendship

• Carnelian: Sex, creativity, birth

• Green Aventurine: New beginnings, wealth, growth

4. Cleanse your tools and space

Cleanse your crystals, any other tools you’ll be using, and the space you’re creating your grid in. You don’t want any lingering bad juju playing a role in your manifesting! Cleanse with an herbal smoke of your choice, cleanse under the light of the full moon, or envision a bright white light cleansing your space and tools.

5. Set your grid up

You’ll want to place your center stone first. You can base your center stone selection on a few things, like a stone that best matches your intentions, the largest stone, or a crystal you have a personal affinity for. Next, place your other stones radiating out around the center stone in a balanced format. As you place each stone visualize your end goal of what you’d like to manifest.

6. Activate your grid

Think of activating your grid as turning on the lights. You’ve set everything up, and now it’s showtime! There’s more than one way to activate your grid. The simplest method is to close your eyes and imagine the energy of all of your crystals connecting and communicating your desires to the universe. To see more techniques and detailed information on activating your crystal grid click here.

7. Be present with your grid daily

Don’t just set it and forget it! Make sure to take a few quiet moments every day to connect with your grid. Connecting with your grid daily will allow you to visualize your desires and goals.Leave your grid up for a complete moon cycle, or longer if you’d like. If it does start to attract dust give it a light clean to prevent the energy from stagnating. Find a free printable crystal grid template here.