Are You an Empath or an HSP? How to Know & What to Do!
Did you grow up being told over and over again that you’re “too sensitive”? If you did, you might be an empath, a highly sensitive person (HSP), or both. Being sensitive is often deemed as a bad or undesirable personality trait, but this isn’t true.
Did you grow up being told over and over again that you’re “too sensitive”? If you did, you might be an empath, a highly sensitive person (HSP), or both. Being sensitive is often deemed as a bad or undesirable personality trait, but this isn’t true.
I grew up being told again and again that I was too sensitive, and for much of my life, I believed that this was my burden to bear. It wasn’t until I discovered that I was an empath that my sensitivities started to make sense and I began to love and cherish these qualities.
Being highly sensitive is a powerful skill that many don’t possess. It’s time to start celebrating it in one another, especially in our youth, rather than branding it as a negative trait. Today, I’m going to share what the differences are between HSPs and empaths, a checklist to help you determine if you might be one, and some next steps on your journey towards embracing your empathic abilities.
Are you an empath?
Do you identify with most of these statements? If you do, you may be an empath.
I’m often told that I’m sensitive or an introvert.
I feel drained by large groups of people.
I struggle with anxiety.
I prefer more intimate group settings.
I have don’t have a lot of friends but am very close with the friends I do have.
My body is sensitive to medication and caffeine.
I absorb the emotions of others easily.
I often get hunches about people before speaking to them.
Loud sounds, bright lights, and strong scents agitate me.
It takes me a long time to recover from spending time with large groups of people or people that are require a lot of my energy.
I consider myself clairsentient. (Learn more about clairsentience on this blog post.)
Strangers open up to me often.
I tend to attract the same kinds of partners that aren’t healthy for me.
I consider myself to be very intuitive.
What’s the difference between being an empath and an HSP?
The term empath is often used in the spiritual community whereas highly sensitive person or HSP is a more clinical term used by therapists and counselors. Their meanings do overlap in many places but also have differences.
The primary difference between being an empath and an HSP is that HSPs don’t absorb the thoughts and emotions of others and don’t get the same hunches that empaths do. Most empaths fall into the category of HSP, but not all HSPs are empaths. Think of empaths as highly sensitive people with the ability to absorb or feel others' emotions.
What to do now
Being able to absorb the moods and feelings of others is a gift for sure, but it also comes with its challenges. Undiscovered empaths are an easy target for energy vampires and unhealthy relationships. If you find yourself exhausted and anxious regularly and don’t know why it might be time to learn some new tools for your empathic abilities.
The good news is, there are a variety of tools available to you to help you better understand what being an empath is, techniques for turning your energy absorbing abilities off, and how to better navigate the world with your sensitivities in mind.
Being an empath myself I’ve learned a lot about how to navigate this energy-packed realm and still thrive! This blog post covers a variety of techniques and tools to help you flourish as an empath.
Why being an Empath or HSP is awesome!
Before I leave you, I’d like to share a shortlist of why being a super-sensitive empath is such a gift! Here’s a shortlist of why you’re amazing:
You can help people more easily because you understand them.
You’re always motivated to bring more light to the world because you also feel its pain.
You will excel as a healer of any kind.
You are more connected to the spirit realm.
You are intuitive by nature and can easily hone your psychic gifts.
You’re a good listener.
Yes, being an empath comes with its challenges, but once you learn how to cultivate your empathic abilities, you’ll likely agree that it’s indeed a gift.
The Spiritual Side of Boundary Setting + 4 Steps to Help You Set Boundaries
Many of us, especially women, have been taught to give and give and give without question. Over time, as you probably know, this becomes exhausting and depleting. You might already have strong boundaries, or maybe you’re realizing just now that you really need to set them, but you’re afraid. If you’ve been waiting for a permission slip to create more boundaries in your life, consider this it.You are a powerful being, and you get to decide what is and is not acceptable to you in your life…
Many of us, especially women, have been taught to give and give and give without question. Over time, as you probably know, this becomes exhausting and depleting. You might already have strong boundaries, or maybe you’re realizing just now that you really need to set them, but you’re afraid. If you’ve been waiting for a permission slip to create more boundaries in your life, consider this it.
You are a powerful being, and you get to decide what is and is not acceptable to you in your life (if reading that gave you a strong reaction, check out this post for tips to connect with your authentic power). You are allowed to take up space. You are allowed to speak up and stand up for yourself. This is the spiritual work of boundary setting.
Boundaries are an important way of setting the terms for how it is and isn’t okay for other people to interact with you, and on an energetic level, they’re a way of protecting your own energy.
Because spiritual work isn’t all pretty all the time. Sometimes it’s the deep, unglamorous work of digging into the roots of your heart and seeing what you truly need, and then telling people that no, you won’t answer their DMs, or no, you won’t do free work anymore, or no, you can’t hold energetic support for them at this moment because you simply have nothing left to give.
I saw Gabby Bernstein live last year, and during the Q&A portion of the night a woman went up to the mic and told Gabby that she was feeling so spiritual these days— so spiritual, in fact, that all she wanted to do was lock herself in her room and meditate and read spiritual books. She said she was starting to resent her life— her kids, her work, her husband— for taking her out of that.
Gabby said, “Here’s what you don’t yet understand: your life is your spiritual practice.”
That’s always stood out to me. Meditating, ritual, yoga, tarot, all of the things we love— they can all be part of your spiritual practice. But they’re not THE spiritual practice. Your spiritual practice is how you treat people, how you treat yourself, how you move in the world, how you set boundaries.
And since we’re always evolving and growing, our boundaries are always evolving, too.
Scroll down for some tips on how to set clear boundaries.
Figure out what your boundaries are
How do you know which boundaries need to be set? How do you know when a boundary has been violated?
Practice checking in with your feelings. Boundary violations may manifest as making you feel powerless, confused, drained, disassociated, angry, or upset. When you feel that way, take an honest look and ask yourself why?
Did someone treat you in a way that’s unacceptable to you? Did you perform free emotional labor that’s leaving you drained? Are you speaking to yourself in a way that’s hurtful?
Dig in and look at why you may struggle to set boundaries
Try these journaling questions:
What did I learn as a child about the importance of being liked, going with the flow, and saying yes?
What did I learn as a child about saying and hearing “no?”
What am I afraid will happen if I set and stick with clear boundaries?
Open your throat chakra
The state of your throat chakra is heavily associated with your ability to set and communicate clear boundaries. When your throat chakra is blocked, you might be afraid to stand up for yourself and be seen or fear being judged for the boundaries you set. Get seven ways to balance your throat chakra here.
Communicate clearly
Once you’ve done the work in steps 1-3, this step should come more easily. Just remember when you’re communicating your boundaries to stand firm. You can speak your boundaries with love and compassion without apologizing, feeling guilty, or making them feel optional. Be as clear, honest, and direct as you can.
Remember, you have to set that boundary clearly with yourself before you can communicate it to anyone else.
You’ve heard it before but I’ll say it again: saying no creates the space for your big YES to come in—whether that’s relationships with people who treat you well, a job that fulfills your soul, or something else. Setting boundaries aren’t just about saying no, it’s about saying YES to only the things that feel good to you and light your soul up.
What’s your relationship with boundary setting? Now’s a perfect time to take a look!
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!
You are Psychic! How to Determine What Kind of Psychic Gift You Have
You have psychic abilities. We all do. Some of our psychic gifts are more pronounced than others, but we all have them. The best place to start when it comes to making your psychic gifts more effective is knowing what kind of psychic you are.The way that we each receive psychic information varies. Just because you don’t see premonitions of the futures does not mean that you’re not psychic! Some of us intuit psychic information through touch, feel, sight, and even smell. Once you determine what kind of psychic you are, you’ll be able to perfect and hone your abilities.
You have psychic abilities. We all do. Some of our psychic gifts are more pronounced than others, but we all have them. The best place to start when it comes to making your psychic gifts more effective is knowing what kind of psychic you are.
The way that we each receive psychic information varies. Just because you don’t see premonitions of the futures does not mean that you’re not psychic! Some of us intuit psychic information through touch, feel, sight, and even smell. Once you determine what kind of psychic you are, you’ll be able to perfect and hone your abilities.
Let’s find out what kind of psychic you are so you can start mastering your psychic abilities! I’ll break down signs to look for each psychic category and a few ways for you to sharpen your skills.
What kind of psychic are you?
As you read through this list, keep in mind that It is entirely possible that you contain gifts from more than just one of these psychic categories. Many of us have two to three that stand out, or, you may have one that is very prominent.
If you haven’t been practicing your psychic abilities you may not be receiving fully formed messages from the other side just yet, and that’s perfectly ok! Determine which of the psychic skills listed below pique your interest, start paying closer attention to that ability in yourself, try out some of the suggested “fine-tuning tips,” and see what happens! If you do have that psychic ability you’ll likely notice that you become more sensitive to it.
A little note: the Latin word “clair” translates to clear, which is why each of the psychic abilities starts the same. I’ve added the English translation to break each one down.
Clairvoyance // Clear Seeing
Clairvoyance is the most commonly referenced of the clairs and is likely one you’ve heard mentioned most often. Don’t be fooled by the term's popularity. It certainly isn’t the most common form of psychic ability!Clairvoyance is the ability to see things before they happen. If you’re clairvoyant, you may have intuitive hits that include seeing visions of future events or having dreams about future events.How to fine-tune your clairvoyant abilities:
Write down any visions you have so you can cross-reference their accuracy if/when they happen.
Keep a dream journal.
Practice third eye meditations often with the help of crystals like amethyst to help open your third eye.
Clairaudience // Clear Hearing
If you fall into the clairaudient category, you’re likely very sensitive to sound and may even get different feelings from sounds. Practiced clairaudients may hear messages from loved ones who have passed on, music from the other side, or hear about the future. If you’ve ever heard voices or music when there are none to be heard you may be clairaudient.How to fine-tune your clairaudient abilities:
Try sound healing with gongs or singing bowls.
Keep a journal of how certain sounds make you feel or any messages you hear.
Practice sound healing meditations often.
Clairsentience // Clear Feeling
If you’re clairsentient, you’re also likely an empath or consider yourself very empathic. Clairsentients can feel the energy of others with ease through their energetic field or aura. You may even have strong feelings about the well-being of plants and animals too. If you’re the type of person that knows that someone is no good immediately upon meeting them, you’re likely clairsentient.How to fine-tune your clairsentient abilities:
Experience Reiki and consider learning more about Reiki and the auric field.
Keep a journal to record any intuitive hits you receive about people you come in contact with.
Clairtangency // Clear Touching
Clairtangency is also referred to as psychometry and is the ability to receive intuitive hits from holding different objects. Many people that are clairsentient are also clairtangent, not always, but there are many overlaps between the two. The objects that clairtangents read carry the same energy that clairsentients pick up on. You may receive intuitive hits from holding objects through feeling or visions. Think about the last time you were in an antique store or someone’s home with a lot of older items, how did it feel? If you’ve ever had a strong sense or vision from holding an object, you may be clairtangent.How to fine-tune your clairtangent abilities:
Keep a journal with any intuitive hits you receive from touch.
Have friends or family test you by giving you different objects to hold, check with them to see if any intuitive hits you receive are accurate.
Practice meditations while holding different stones and objects and be aware of how each meditation feels different based on the object.
Claircognizance // Clear Knowing
This psychic ability is a little tougher to pin down and to describe. Claircognizants know things, from either the past or the future, and may not understand why or how they have the information. Unlike clairvoyants, claircognizants may not see a vision, they simply know. If you’ve ever had a strong feeling of knowing something to be true without anyone having told you, you may be claircognizant.How to fine-tune your claircognizant abilities:
Keep a journal for anything you know all of a sudden, so you can cross-reference it for accuracy later.
Begin to trust your instincts more rather than questioning them.
Practice crown chakra and third eye meditations often.
Clairalience // Clear Smelling
Smells are powerful and one of our strongest ties to our memories. Though this psychic ability may seem strange, it’s not surprising that scent can invoke a strong intuitive hit. Seasoned clairaliences receive messages through smells, even if there are no actual smells present. If you’ve ever become overcome with the scent of a loved one that has passed on this not only may indicate that you’re clairalient but that your loved one is nearby.How to fine-tune your clairalient abilities:
Keep a journal to record any intuitive hits you have that include smell, be sure to include where you were and what you were doing at the time too as this may have something to do with the intuitive hit.
Surround yourself with scents you enjoy like, herbs, plants, flowers, or essential oils. Record how they make you feel.
Practice third eye meditations often with the intention set to receive intuitive hits through scent.
Clairgustance // Clear Tasting
Like clairalience, clairgustance involves one of your senses, taste. Not always one of the most pleasant psychic abilities, if you fall into the clairgustance category, you may taste things when you don’t have anything in your mouth. Odd as it may seem, these mystery tastes may be related to intuitive hits. For example, if you’ve ever experienced a familiar taste that took you back to childhood and you weren’t eating anything, you may be clairgustant. How to fine-tune your clairgustant abilities:
Practice mindful eating to become more in tune with your palette and any feelings you receive from different tastes.
Keep a journal to record any intuitive hits you receive through taste. Remember, you may not actually be eating anything when you receive a hit of this nature!
Practice third eye meditations often with the goal in mind to receive intuitive hits through taste.
If you love visuals, below you can find an infographic with some of the psychic abilities that we went through:
Opening your third eye will help to hone any psychic ability listed above!
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 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.
7 Self-Love Rituals for Valentine’s Day
It’s that time of year where everything is about love, but the most important thing you can remember about love is this: Love is not outside of you. Love is within you.Love is your divine nature.It’s easy to forget that, but it’s true. The rituals below will help you connect to the love already within you, and most importantly give it to yourself.
It’s that time of year where everything is about love, but the most important thing you can remember about love is this: Love is not outside of you.
Love is within you. Love is your divine nature.
It’s easy to forget that, but it’s true. The rituals below will help you connect to the love already within you, and most importantly give it to yourself.
For all of these rituals, you might like to incorporate:
Rose quartz, to open your heart chakra
Clear quartz, to amplify the energy
Myrrh incense, a healing scent associated with feminine energy, the moon, and the water element
Try just one of these rituals, or try them all throughout the month. Each of these rituals will be more powerful the more you do them, so find one you like and make it part of your routine this month.
Create Something
Nothing gets the energy of love flowing like creativity. Do a coloring meditation, make a vision board, cook a nourishing meal, write a poem, paint with watercolors, play an instrument, or create your own yoga flow.
Whatever you’d like to do, create a sacred space and tap into your creative energy.
Here's also a fun idea for a self-love ritual where you can play with your creativity:
Tarot or Oracle Card Spread
Tarot and oracle cards are amazing magical tools for self-reflection and connecting with your intuition. Try this three-card spread with your favorite deck:
What is holding me back from loving myself right now?
What might I experience if I give myself the love I desire?
How can I deepen my love for myself?
Don't know how to get started? Check out this blog post for tarot, or this post for the ultimate tarot guide. If you feel called to try oracle cards check out this blog post.
Burning Ceremony
What holds you back from loving yourself more? What limiting beliefs do you hold onto that keep you small? What things about yourself do you struggle to love? What parts of yourself do you hide from yourself and from the world because deep down you believe in their unworthiness?
Get quiet, get your journal, and allow a stream-of-consciousness type of writing to flow until you feel like you’ve got it all out on the page.
Once you’ve poured your heart out, light a single white candle and hold your paper over the flame. Allow the negative energy, limiting beliefs, and your dislike for any part of yourself to burn up with the page.
Then, free-write to these questions: What do I love about myself? What is amazing about me? What am I grateful for? What parts of myself am I working on loving?
When you’re done, place this page on your altar and return to it anytime you feel those sticky, negative beliefs trying to creep back in.
Write a Self-Love Mantra
Writing your own self-love mantra is incredibly powerful because while there are many beautiful affirmations and mantras for self-love, you are unique and your journey with self-love is unique.
Write your own mantra that tells you exactly what you need to hear. Something kind, nonjudgmental, and compassionate that you might say to your sister or your best friend to let them know that you love them and they’re not alone.
Say it to yourself.
Write it on your mirror, on a piece of paper to tuck in your bag or place on your altar, or paint it in a picture (see ritual #1!), and return to it whenever you need it. Learn more about embracing the power of mantras here.
Heart Chakra Meditation
Inhale deeply into your heart chakra. Exhale out of your mouth, releasing all that doesn’t serve you. As you inhale, visualize a bud of green light glowing in your chest, blossoming bigger and brighter with each inhale as you strengthen this chakra. Allow the unconditional love to wash over you with your breath. If you'd like a guided meditation, you can click here for a meditation bundle done by me.
Herbal Bath for Self-Love
Turn bath into a ritual by using herbs, lighting candles, and playing whatever music or sounds help you relax and turn inward.
Try using rose-hips, lavender, elecampane, and balm of gilead to promote self-love. Rose-hips promote healing, compassion, and self-love. Lavender balances and calms while elecampane opens the heart chakra. Balm of gilead promotes love and helps you manifest your desires.
Simply fill a muslin bag with about a third of a cup of the herbs, loop the bundle onto the faucet, and let your tub fill with hot water as it runs through the bag. When it finishes filling, drop the bag into the water and let it infuse with the herbs for about 20 minutes.
For an extra dose of self-love, add a rose quartz crystal to your bath. For more herbal bath recipes, check out this blog post.
Create a Goddess Altar
Creating a goddess altar is a beautiful way to honor the divine feminine energy of the universe and the divine feminine energy within. Make this altar your own! Buy a statue of a Goddess who resonates with you, or just print out a photo online. If you’re not sure which Goddess you’d like to use, do some research! What Goddess energy would help you love yourself more? Some suggestions are:
Greek Goddess Aphrodite for love, gratitude, and beauty
Hindu Goddess Lakshmi for abundance and wealth
East Asian Goddess Kuan Yin for mercy and compassion
Hindu Goddess Kali for destruction, creation, and transformation
Greek Goddess Artemis for independence, strength, and fearlessness
Egyptian Goddess Isis for magic, healing, and protection
Greek Goddess Athena for wisdom and courage
Sumerian, Babylonian, and Phoenician goddess Inanna for sensuality and divine femininity in all its forms
Once you choose your goddess, add a white candle, incense, and maybe a cloth to your altar. Choose some objects that represent love to you and ask for help loving yourself. You can also put fresh flowers or a piece of fruit on your altar as an offering to the Goddess.
Goddesses are beautiful archetypes and energies to work with because they remind you that you, too, have this energy within you. You possess the abundance of Lakshmi, the compassion of Kuan Yin, the magic of Isis, and the transformative energy of Kali.
