7 Tips on How to Protect Your Aura

Did you know that if your radiant and glowing aura is left unprotected, it can be sensitive to outside energies? Those unwanted energies affecting your aura also have an effect on your physical body because your physical body and energetic body are divinely intertwined, one always affects the other.

With so much negativity out in the world, what’s a goddess to do to protect her energetic signature? Furthermore, when you feel energetically attacked, it can feel difficult to live your truth and stand up for what you believe in.

In my last blog post, I talked about what is an aura and what yours mean. Today I'm going to go into a variety of powerful and simple ways to give your vibrant vibes a protective shield, so you can stay at your peak physically and energetically.

Visualization for Daily Protection

This may be the simplest way to offer your aura the protection it needs, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not powerful. Visualizing a protective field around your aura each morning will set you up with a negativity shield that will keep your love-filled aura glowing and radiant.

This is perfect to add to a morning meditation practice because it can be done in just a couple of minutes. If you don’t have a regular meditation practice yet or needed to skip it for the day, you can still squeeze this simple visualization in with just a few moments of quiet mindfulness.

To do an aura protection visualization:

1. Close your eyes and focus on your breath.

2. Imagine your aura filled with love, glowing bright, and extending with each breath.

3. Once you have a clear image of your aura in your mind's eye, imagine a bubble around it.

4. Spend as much time as you’d like visualizing yourself in your protective bubble. If you know you’ll be encountering a lot of people and a variety of energies, you can spend more time. If you know you’ll be in safe spaces all day, less visualization may be required.

5. Tap into this visualization anytime throughout your day that you feel you need additional protective support. Alternatively, if you’re in a safe space and want to freely give energy and experience others' energy, you can imagine your shield going away.

Crystals & Symbols for Daily to Strong Protection

Wearing protective stones and symbols can offer energetic protection from bad vibes that could affect your auric field as well as a physical and visual reminder to take other steps to protect your energy. This method works especially well when you know that you’ll be in large groups of people while going on a flight, to a concert, a festival, or if you simply live in a big city.

Anytime I fly I either wear a protective talisman like a Hamsa hand or the Algiz Rune, gemstones for grounding and protection, or all of these. Though there are many stones and symbols that can help shield your energy, these are the ones I find to be the most effective for aura protection:

• Labradorite: Great for physical, mental, and spiritual protection labradorite will shield you from unwanted energies and can also help with energy leaks in your aura.

• Smoky Quartz: One of the most powerful grounding stones, smoky quartz will help keep you anchored to the Earth and feeling safe and protected.

• Black Tourmaline: This stone is great to keep around during rituals and spell work. It will create a protective shield around you and your space while also clearing and balancing all of the chakras.

• Hematite: Will help to block negative energies from entering the aura and help to rid the aura of any current negative energy.

Learn more about symbols for protection by reading this blog post about protection during travel.

Healers for Strong Protection & Cleansing

If you’ve been out of the loop on auras and feel like your energy needs a serious overhaul, working with a trained healer is a great place to start. Get started by doing a search online for a Reiki or energy work practitioner in your area, then do your research. Seeing a healer on a regular basis for a few months will not only refresh, restore, and help protect your aura, but you’ll also feel amazing.

Did you know that most energy workers can work just as powerfully remotely? This really broadens the scope of who you can work with. Take your time when searching for an energy worker or reiki practitioner to find someone who's a good energetic match for you.

Salt for Moderate Protection

Looking for some aura protection in your workspace? Salts of all kinds absorb negative energy. This protective tool is a perfect passive aura protection method. Keep a cup or bowl of salt on your desk at work or at home to keep any bad vibes of anyone passing by out of your aura.

Salt also works well as an aura cleanser. If you feel like you’ve been exposed to some bad energy, taking a salt bath can help cleanse and restore your aura.

Shield Meditation for Strong Protection

Think back to the last time you had a really powerful meditation. Did you feel like you were walking on a cloud for the next 24 hours, like negativity couldn't touch you, and that you were better able to react to people with love?

If you already have a solid meditation practice in place, you may already be experiencing the benefits of this aura protection method!

Meditation will raise your vibration and intensify your aura. Doing a white light meditation is standard for a protective shield, though some healers suggest a clear or golden light meditation. Black energy is also powerful and can help banish unwanted spirits or forces. I suggest trying each out to see what works best for you.

To practice, start your meditation practice as usual. Once you’re settled, imagine white, clear, or golden light coming from the universe and surrounding you and your aura. This can be a powerful protective tool, use it as often as you need throughout your day.

Sound Healing for Moderate-Strong Protection & Cleansing

Escape to another plane and protect and revitalize your aura with this healing tool. If you’ve not yet experienced the healing powers of sound, put it at the top of your self-care to-do list! Sound healing is not only a powerful tool to keep your aura in peak condition, but it will also leave your whole body buzzing.

Here are a few methods to experience sound healing and protection:

• Singing bowls in a class or individual use.

• Chanting mantras. My favorite is this Kundalini yoga protection mantra: AAD GURAY NAMEH.

• Tuning forks treatments or individual use.

• Some instruments can help with this like gongs and didgeridoos.

• Audio tracks via download or CD.

Learn more about sound and vibrational healing here.

Get Grounded for Moderate Protection

Getting grounded is a great tool to use when you don’t feel like you’re protected. You might be trying out all of the methods listed above but still, feel like you’re not protected. Grounding will activate your root chakra and make you feel protected as well as protecting you with earth energy. You can read all about tips for getting grounded in this previous blog post here.

Live to your fullest potential, fearlessly, knowing that you’re protected and safe! Now you’ve got all of the tools you need to be protected mind, body, and spirit. Learn more about auras in the Understanding Auras Book!

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

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

What is Quartz?

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

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

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

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

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

• Best stone for programming

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

• Master healer

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

• Contains the entire color spectrum

• Meets you where you are energetically

• Protects from negative energy

Quartz Uses & Rituals

Amplifying

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

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

Connecting with the Spirit Realm

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

Programming for Manifesting

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

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

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

2. Clear your mind.

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

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

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

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

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

Protection

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

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

The Perfect Stone for All Levels

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

Balancing & Healing

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

Energizing Other Crystals & Objects

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

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

• Amethyst

• Aventurine

• Citrine

• Smoky quartz

• Tiger eye

• Rose quartz

• Agate

• Carnelian

• Onyx

• Jasper

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is your third eye chakra blocked?

• Trouble sleeping or insomnia

• Confusion or anxiety about decisions you need to make

• Frequent headaches

• Lack of imagination

• Unsure of what to do with your life

• Poor memory

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

How to Open Your Third Eye Chakra

Third Eye Meditation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Repeat the mantra as often as you want.

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

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

Crystals & Symbols

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

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

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

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Caring for your Pineal Gland

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

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

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

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

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

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

Darkness & Light (Maybe)

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

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

Scents

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

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

Set Your Intentions with DIY Spell Bottles

Looking for a powerful and portable way to bring your intentions to life? Spell bottles offer the perfect solution to having all of your favorite intention-setting tools in one attractive and portable place. I also love that, unlike charm bags, you can add liquids to your spell bottle much easier and they’re pretty to look at!

What is a Spell Bottle?

Spell bottles are simply a spell that has all of its contents enclosed in a bottle. I like to think of them as little portable altars! You can add energetic materials into a vial or a bottle that relate to the intention you’re working on and have a reminder in your purse, your car, your desk, or wherever you want.

Today, I’m going to give you three recipes to create your own spell bottles and all of the tools you’ll need to create your own recipes!

Here are the basics to getting started with spell bottles. Read on to see my recipes for spell bottles to help with intuition, abundance, and deflecting negative energy.

What you’ll need to create your own spell bottle:

• Glass bottle or vial with a lid or cork, can be small or large.

• Piece of paper and pen

• Herbs, crystal in a size that will fit in your bottle or vial, essential oils, symbols (optional), and anything else you feel moved to add to it.

Creating your spell bottle:

1. Gather any herbs, crystals, essential oils, symbols, or other items that will align with and attract your intention.

2. Cleanse your materials by the light of the moon, the sun, or with crystals used for cleansing.

3. Write your intention on a paper.

4. Meditate on your intention for a few moments.

5. As you add your materials to your spell bottle speak your intention allowed.

6. Close your spell bottle.

Once your spell bottle is closed, don’t open it again until your intention has come to fruition. Place your spell bottle where it makes the most sense to you. If it’s a spell bottle for deflecting negative energy at work, place it in your workspace. Once your intention has been fulfilled, you can read this blog post for some ideas of what to do when your spell is over.

Spell Bottle Recipes

You can use as much or as little of each of the ingredients as you’d like, it’s just important that they’re each represented. If I list more than one herb, crystal, or symbol you don’t have to use each one, but they do each serve a specific purpose. The intention written on the paper can be changed based on your specific needs, so feel free to change it.

Spell Bottle Charms

Improve Your Intuition Spell Bottle

• Herbs: Bay leaf and star anise

• Crystal:Amethyst

• Essential Oil: Frankincense

• Symbols:Third eye symbol

• Intention:Intuitive

Full Moon Energy Spell Bottle

• Herbs: Cinnamon and lavender

• Crystals:Moonstone, peridot, and citrine

• Essential Oil: Myrrh

• Symbols:Moon or Goddess symbol

• Intention:Abundant

Negative Energy Deflection Spell Bottle

• Herbs: Dill

• Crystals: Obsidian and hematite

• Essential Oil: Rose and lavender

• Symbols:Hamsa with evil eye

• Intention:Protected

6 Signs You’re Not Grounded + How to Get Grounded

When was the last time you noticed that you were completely untethered from reality and ungrounded? Between the glorification of being busy and constant social media at your fingertips, becoming ungrounded might be happening more often than you think!

What does it mean to be “grounded”?

If you’re energetically grounded it means that your root chakra is balanced and healthy. You’ll feel strongly connected to the Earth, stable, and at ease. Fears and worries you have will fade away quickly. You’ll feel safe, protected, and have an inner knowing that you’ll be taken care of.

The most important part of being grounded is realizing when you’re not. Check out these 6 signs that you could use some more grounding energy. Does anything from this list ring true for you?

6 Signs You Could Use Some Grounding

1. Can’t finish projects or focus

2. Feel like your nerves are fried or are spacey

3. Questioning things more than usual

4. Difficulty with communication

5. Impulse to hoard things and money

6. Strong urge to be physical or go outside

The good news is that there are several ways to get grounded quickly, and one tip even involves chocolate! As someone who’s struggled with anxiety (aka the opposite of being grounded) for much of her life, I’ve used each one of these tips and find them all highly effective on their own and combined.

9 Tips to Get Grounded

Connect with Nature

Lay on the ground, go for a walk outside or rest your body on a tree. This one is a big one for me. A couple of years ago I was going through an extra anxious time and I kept having a strong pull to lay on trees! It was the strangest thing, but eventually, I went for it and started to feel better. My neighbors might think I’m a weirdo, but I don’t really care. Now when I feel the pull to be in nature, I listen.

Earthy Teas

Sip on some earthy herbal teas and definitely skip the caffeine. Dandelion root tea, hibiscus tea (red for the root chakra!), rose tea, and valerian root tea are all perfect for feeling more grounded. I suggest saving valerian root tea for nighttime, it is very calming and can make you sleepy.

Yoga pose

Nothing fancy here--a simple mountain pose, tree pose, or sukhasana work perfectly to tap into your grounding energy. Each of these poses offers you the opportunity to stand firmly on the ground and connect to the Earth.

Stones & Symbols

This tip is exceptionally important for feeling grounded. When you’re not grounded you’ll feel like you need more protection to feel safe. Wearing stones and symbols can be a great reminder to connect with your root chakra energy and feel protected. Obsidian, red garnet, and any earthy colors from the jasper family work great for protection and grounding.

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Eat

A mindful snack can go a long way, your body might be craving certain foods to feel more grounded too. Ditch the refined carbs and processed foods for a day or two and try adding some pink salt, root vegetables, nuts, beans, and even some chocolate to your diet. The darker the chocolate the more grounding it will be.

Get Physical

You know the feeling when you just need to get moving. Honor it! Go for a walk, head to the gym, a yoga class, or out for a run. Allow yourself time and space to connect with your body and give it what it needs.

Grounding Meditation

Another one of my favorites! Grant yourself 5 minutes of quiet meditation. As you meditate imagine roots growing out of you and into the Earth. Call upon the energy of the Earth to help you feel more grounded. You can envision your “roots” growing all the way into the center of the Earth. You can also try speaking this affirmation during your meditation.

If you love guided meditations, you can purchase my meditation bundle where you can find a grounding meditation practice. 

Muladhara

Muladhara is the root chakra which is located at the base of your seat. The color of this chakra is red. Another favorite grounding tool of mine is to imagine a red sphere in this area glowing a deep beautiful red color. Imagine the red energy around your chakra spinning and growing red around your pelvic floor. As mentioned above wearing a symbol of the root chakra or simply the color red will also be beneficial.

Scents

Anything earthy here will work wonderfully! Some of the most potent grounding scents are palo santo (be sure that comes from a sustainable source) frankincense, pine, and chamomile. I recently discovered palo santo essential oil and am in love with it!

One of my favorite things about all of these tips is that they’re all so simple. I hope you found some grounding gems here and if you know a soul sister who could use some extra grounding, please share this post with them.

4 Ways to Connect with Your Passed Loved Ones // Guest Post by Lindsay Marino

Losing a loved one is something that is indescribable. It’s as if a part of you has died with them. When someone has a physical presence in your life and they’re taken away from you, it’s hard to imagine communicating with them when you can’t “see” them as you did before. With the loss of my own loved ones, I’ve felt so much grief, at times that I could hardly get out of bed. The moment I started communicating with them, everything started to shift for me.

There are ways you can still continue communicating with them because they’ve actually never left. They are very much alive, but just in a different form. It may feel odd at first, but once you get in the flow of connecting with them, there’s no turning back.

Here are 4 ways to communicate with your passed loved ones:

Talk to Them

• I always suggest for first-timers, to talk to them out loud (even if you feel like a crazy person).

• Wait for their response to pop up as a thought in your mind. This is an easier way to separate your thoughts from theirs.

• Once you get comfortable with that, you can start communicating through your thoughts. It’s very easy to feel like you’re making up this conversation in your head, but you aren’t!

Acknowledge Their Signs

Your passed loved ones are constantly nudging you to listen to song lyrics, look at the clock at a certain time, remind you of a memory they’ve had with you, and play around with your electricity. Once you start seeing these signs, let them know that you recognize them. They live on and want you to be aware of their presence.

Use Automatic Writing

Automatic writing is an amazing way to connect with them too. Here are some directions on how to use automatic writing:

• Set the intention for them to communicate with you

• Take out a pen and notebook

• Put on some relaxing music

• Move your pen and allow them to write a letter through you

Use Physical Tools, such as Oracle Cards or Pendulums to Get the Conversation Flowing

When you focus your attention on something, you will bring in that energy. Using an oracle deck specifically for connecting with passed loved ones, will help you open up to their messages. I created an oracle deck called Unlock Your Connection so you can receive messages from your passed loved ones.

• Directions to use my oracle deck “Unlock Your Connection” cards:

• Hold the deck of cards in your hand

• Think of your passed loved one

• Shuffle the cards and ask your loved one to help you choose a card

• Read your healing message

Click here to read this previous post by Cassie Uhl, on using a pendulum to learn another way of connecting with your passed loved ones.

Once you open up to communication with your passed loved ones, you’ll notice your loved ones are constantly guiding you in your life. They want you to live a full life and they are always a part of it. You just have to become aware of their continued presence. 

I hope you find some peace in these tools! To order my Unlock Your Connection oracle deck, click here.

DIY Crystal Powder Uses

Need a good excuse to fit in some self-care and buy crystals? First and most important, you don’t need an excuse for either. Second, I’m going to go ahead and give you 3 really good reasons to invest in some serious self-care time and my new favorite use for crystal, crystal powders.

Wearing crystals is always nice, and I’m usually wearing a point crystal necklace or a gemstone ring that has a meaning behind it. Crystal powders can expand your crystal benefits even more by using them in body care products.

These products can come for pretty steep prices, but I’ve got three recipes to get you started with crystal powder products that will leave you some cash to spare.

Garnet Love Oil

Connect to your earthy sensual side with this garnet love oil. Red garnet is a great stone for promoting loving relationships, and has even been used in the past as a stone to attract a lover! Rub the oil into your skin for a sensual glow and delicious scent or use it as a massage oil.

What you’ll need:

• 1 oz. garnet powder, finely ground.

• 3-4 oz. sweet almond oil

• 6-8 drops of essential oil. Any of these will work wonderfully: Plant Guru’s “Love Potion,” rose, sandalwood, ylang ylang, and/or jasmine. I used “Love Potion” with a couple drops of rose oil, which made a heavenly combination!

• Small funnel or folded card stock to get your crystal powder in your bottle mess-free

• 3-5 oz. glass bottle

• Garnet chunks (optional, but, again super cute)

• Craft labels (optional)

Directions:

• Combine all of your ingredients into your vessel and give it a good shake.

• Apply oil to your skin fresh out of the shower or anytime you’re wanting to feel extra sexy! This blend is also an ideal sensual massage oil.

Quartz Body Scrub

Need some balancing? This scrub is for you. Quartz is the ultimate balancing stone so I love it for the body scrub. Click here if you want to learn more about the ultimate crystal. Scrub with intention as you visualize your chakras while receiving the energetic balancing from the quartz crystal, and a nice glow from the exfoliation!

What you’ll need:

• 1-2 oz. quartz, medium ground

• 10-15 oz. of organic cane sugar (amount can vary depending on how much quartz you intend to purchase and the size of your vessel)

• Coconut oil, enough to cover your sugar and quartz sand

• Essential oil of your choice (optional). I used Plant Guru’s “New Beginnings” for an uplifting and invigorating blend. Quartz is a balancing stone so any scent you want will work well for this one!

• Large glass vessel, I used a 16 oz. amber jar

• Kraft labels (optional)

Directions:

• Combine sugar and quartz powder, give it a good shake.

• Poor enough coconut oil in to cover the sugar and quartz.

• Add your EO’s and stir it up.

• Keep this concoction in your shower for an exfoliating glow and energetic balancing.

• Store in an airtight container.

Amethyst Foot Soak

Already love amethyst? Prepare to become obsessed with it.  This mix has stolen my heart! There are SO many amazing benefits to this combo. If this is your first time hearing about this amazing stone, click here to learn more. Some believe that amethyst can actually help remove toxins from the body. In fact, you can even purchase detoxifying foot pads with amethyst in them. I say, save your $$$ and use this recipe for a more cost-effective amethyst detox!

What you’ll need:

• 1 oz. amethyst powder, finely ground

• 1-3 oz. Himalayan salt, small to medium ground

• Amethyst chunks (optional, but super cute)

• Essential oil of your choice, I used lavender for this soak

• 2-5 oz. metal or glass container

• Craft labels (optional)

Directions:

• Combine all of the dry ingredients into your vessel and give them a good shake.

• Put 5-6 drops of the EO of your choice in your mix and give it another good shake.

• Create a rad label (optional).

• Add half of your amethyst foot soak into a large bowl of warm water and soak your feet in it for a minimum of 30 minutes.

• When you’re done, pat your feet dry rather than wiping them off or cleaning them off. This will leave some of the salt and amethyst residue on your feet for continued benefits.

• This mix will be good for 2-3 foot soaks, depending on how much salt you end up using. Keep it sealed in an airtight container while not in use.

I hope you found these recipes as delicious and cleansing as I did! One final note, some gemstones, like lapis, are toxic and are not appropriate for body care products! None of the crystals used in these DIYs are, but be safe and do your research before creating your own concoctions.

Cord Cutting a Ritual for Letting Go

What are you holding onto right now that you’re afraid to let go of? Is it a career that you thought was your life’s calling, something hurtful someone said to you, a relationship gone south, or your lack of control over a situation?

If you haven’t already been faced with one of these “letting go” hurdles, it’s likely you will at some point. The need to let go comes in all shapes and sizes throughout life and might be some of the hardest tasks you’ll face.

Why is it important to let go?

Holding on can take up a lot of unnecessary headspaces, leaving you anywhere but in the present moment. When you’re afraid to let go, it’s usually your ego that’s in control, and no one wants that! Refusing to let go means you’re also refusing to trust that you’ll be taken care of and that the universe does have a plan for you.

This week I’m breaking out my favorite ways to help you let go of whatever it is that’s holding you back from your highest potential. These rituals can be done on separate days or all together as one big ritual, your choice! Let’s get started.

Step 1: Burn Baby, Burn

Time to get out your candles and cauldron. The first step is to recognize what it is that you’re trying to let go of and become willing to work on it. A burning ritual can help make this decision more concrete for you.

You’ll need:

• Black and white candle. The white candle is for protective loving light and black candle is to help absorb negative energy, but any candle will work if you don’t have these colors available. Click here to learn more about candle magick.

• Pen and paper

• Cauldron or other fireproof vessels

• Optional: Frankincense EO or incense. Frankincense will help you center yourself and let go. I like using Plant Guru’s Meditation blend.

The best moon phase to perform this ritual is during a waning moon. Set aside some quiet time, and center yourself with as many deep breaths as you need to feel calm and present.

To get started, light both of your candles and incense, if you’re using it. Write what you need to let go of on a piece of paper. Light the paper with the flame of each candle and place it in your fireproof vessel. Watch and breathe as your paper burns, allow any feelings you have to come to the surface. This is also a great time to call upon any angels, deities, or energy you’d like to invite in to help you through this process.

When you feel like this part of the ritual is complete, thank any spiritual energies that you invited in and blow out your candles. You can leave this setup and the ashes of your burned paper out as long as you’d like as a reminder.

Step 2: Cord-Cutting Ceremony

This is my personal favorite ritual for letting go. I discovered it from The Goddess Oracle by Amy Sophia Marashinsky and is the suggested ritual when you receive the Lilith Goddess card.

You’ll need:

• String. Must be strong enough to be worn for a long period of time.

• Scissors

• Candles, incense, EO (optional and can be the same as above)

This ceremony should also be performed during a waning moon. it blends well into the first ritual and I recommend performing them in tandem, though they do not have to be. If you do start this ceremony separately from the above one, be sure to set aside time to quiet your mind and center yourself.

To begin this ritual, start by deciding where your cord should be tied on your body. You’ll want to tie the string somewhere that connects with what you’re letting go of. If what you’re letting go of has something to do with work and you use your hands you might decide to tie it around your wrist, if you’re walking away from something you could tie it around your ankle, if it has something to do with your creative center you could tie it around your belly.

As you tie your cord on your body say out loud what the cord represents and what it is you’re trying to let go of. Wear this cord for the rest of the moon cycle, or longer if you feel it is necessary, as a reminder of your commitment to let go. When you feel that you are ready to let go and cut the cord, prepare a quiet space to do so. Thank yourself for your commitment and willingness to be more present and let go.

Step 3: Visualize & Verbalize

During this process, you may find that your desire to hold on becomes even stronger. It’s normal and is usually your ego screaming at you to stay in control! Here are some tools to use to keep your ego in check through this process.

Voice and movement are powerful tools to reinforce your commitment to let go. Here are my favorite supportive tools to use:

• Woodchopper yoga pose with a loud “HA” exhale

• Lion’s pose

• Allow time to shake it out, dance it out, and/or yell it out

• Wear a reminder of your commitment to let go.

• Create a vision board of what your life would look like if you did let go, and place it somewhere you’ll see it regularly.

• Create a mantra about what you’re letting go of. Write it down somewhere and place it where you’ll see it regularly.

• Journal. Write out all of your fears associated with what you’re letting go of. I find that if I write out my fears and look at them, many of them are pretty silly and things I don’t have any control over in the first place.

• Above all, be gentle with yourself!

Letting go can be hard but I hope my offerings give you the tools you need to move forward in your healing journey. Sending you strength and peace through your process of letting go!