So, what’s with this crazy stuff about the magical power of crystals? Here you can read some information on crystals based on science as well as the metaphysical. First, it’s important to understand what a crystal is. All crystals have a perfect geometric structure. They are extremely stable which makes them able to influence the environment. And, because of their stability, they’re able to influence everything around them, this includes us. We know that everything is energy and everything vibrates a some level of frequency. Crystals being some of the strongest, most energetic, vibrating physical things on the planet, influence us even when we don’t realize it. Us mere mortals aren’t stable, so we can’t influence them. Also, they can easily maintain their own frequency. In other words, they’ve got it together, unlike us. They know what they’ve got going on. Citrine will always be citrine and will always be just what it is. It will always help a person manifest differently, be more joyful and be more confident. It will never be influenced by the environment or by you, but the other way around. Crystals work on an energetic level Since we don’t have a stable structure, we’re just all over the place. On an energetic and physical level, we can’t influence them because our structure just isn’t strong enough. This is why crystals are so important to us. They can effect us on all levels by stabilizing us. Because we’re born connected to the earth in so many ways, crystals can influence us on such a deep level. Ways to use crystals First allow them to get in the body. The heart and the brain being central because it’s our intelligent nervous system that connects with them. The best connection into our whole system is through the palm of your hand. So, holding a crystal is best way to get the frequencies into the body. Next best is the heart, so wearing a crystal in a necklace on a daily bases works well. Girls, wearing a crystal in your bra is a great place too. Lastly would be in your pocket. When starting out, wear a crystal for three weeks to allow your body to adjust to it. Crystals are made up of minerals and so are our bodies. We’re born with a natural connection to them which allows us to take in their energies. The must haves Like Vitamin C for the soul, the Citrine crystal emanates positivity and joy. It carries the power of the sun, it’s a warming, energizing and highly creative stone. Citrine raises self confidence, enhances individuality, improves motivation, activates creativity, encourages self expression and so much more. Wear it, hold it, and meditate with it, especially with guided meditations to help open you up, create and take you to a more joyful state. Along with citrine, two other must have beginner stones are tiger’s eye and lapis. They work well together to help bring about healing on many levels. The end game with crystals is they change your energetic frequency. That shift in frequency in your life can change everything. So, please don’t just leave them on the shelf. You need to have a connection with them in order to bring healing and change. Tiger’s eye also grounds us and brings luck and courage. Citrine for manifestation as mentioned above and Lapis to allow you to overcome obstacles and to come into your true being. They make a great team! *Note, size doesn’t matter with crystals. The little ones are just as powerful as the big ones. Those in jewelry or the little tumbled ones are easy to wear, hold and pocket. While having them in your pocket is OK, touching your skin is always best. Metaphysically speaking... On a metaphysical level, crystals can effect us through our chakras. While there are many chakras in the body, I’m basically referring to the seven main ones. I invite you to check out this blog post on crystals & chakras for some great information on healing with crystals. https://www.energymuse.com/blog/chakra-healing-crystals/ If you don’t have a metaphysical shop near you, I can recommend a few places to go online to buy the three I mentioned and more. The least expensive are the small tumbled stones. They work great and are easy to have on you. I also like the bracelets and pendents. Bracelets should be worn on your left wrist as it has a direct path to your heart. I have several and wear at least one everyday. Energy Muse: Torrance, CA www.energymuse.com, Inspirit: Northampton MA inspiritcrystals.com, Modern Mystic Shop, Atlanta, GA modernmysticshop.com Modern Mystic shop also has a podcast called “Sunday School” that’s a wealth of all information on many topics related to the metaphysical. Namaste’ Stephanie
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Essential oils have been a main-stay in my life since 2005. I wonder now what I ever did without them. What are essential oils? First, the term “essential oil” is a contraction of the original “quintessential oil.” This comes from the Aristotelian idea that all matter is composed of five the elements, fire, air, earth, and water. The fifth element, or “quintessence”, was then considered to be spirit or life force. We now know that EO’s are physical in nature and composed of complex mixtures of chemicals, although on some level I feel that the spirit of the plant is still some how involved. Essential oils (EO’s) are the highly concentrated version of the natural oils, the life blood so to speak, found in plants. I’ve seen how surprised people are that they aren’t oily when they first try them. The name, essential oil, can be miss leading. Yes, they are essential, but few are actually oily. Depending on the manufacturing company, some are often mixed with a carrier oil. But either way you look at it, EO’s are the first natural medicine that date back 1,000’s of years. Getting essential oils from plants is done with a process called distillation. Most common distillation is by steam or water where many different parts of the plants are used, depending on the plant itself. This includes the plant’s roots, leaves, stems, flowers, and/or bark. After distillation, the product is a highly concentrated portion of essential oil, which will have the characteristic fragrance and properties of the plant from which it was extracted. It contains the true essence of the plant it came from. This includes the smell as well as the plant’s healing properties and other plant characteristics. The Healing Compound in Essential Oils It is fascinating to learn that the very thing that gives an essential oil its characteristic fragrance is also what provides that oil with its healing ability. There can be hundreds of phytochemicals (plant based chemicals) within a single drop of essential oil. Science is just beginning to learn exactly how each phytochemical works in the human body. These phytochemicals have peculiar names like terpenes, aldehydes, esters, ketones, phenols, oxides, sesquiterpenes, and more. Each one works differently within the body. This very potent extract of the plant can be extremely useful for many different purposes. That’s the amazing beauty of these EO’s. For example, ketones found in a common EO, lavender, can stimulate cell regeneration, liquefy mucus, and have calming properties. Essential Oil Quality Varies The phytochemical make-up of an oil can vary from plant to plant, even on the same farm. Growing conditions, harvesting methods, and even the time of day that the plant is harvested can have an effect on the phytochemical content of an oil. For example, ylang ylang flowers are best collected between midnight and 9:00 am in the morning. This is when the essential oil content in the flowers is at its highest and best. For this reason, it’s important to go for the highest quality to be sure that your EO’s, especially if you are using them for health issues, come from a reputable company. Make sure the essential oils you purchase are organically grown when ever possible. Be sure that the company knows how to properly distill the EO’s they sell, that they do not use chemicals during the extraction process and that they have excellent practices on the up keep of their machinery. What’s the point of using organically grown plants if they clean their machinery with harmful chemicals. A good essential oil company will also check each EO batch to be sure that it has the proper phytochemical components. Don’t just rely on a label that says “pure.” These days, that just isn’t good enough. Plus, only use EO’s labeled “therapeutic” grade. How To Use Essential Oils So, you bought a bottle of your first EO. Now what? Often, people get stuck here, but it’s really very simple. 1. Inhalation: easy peasy, put a few drops of EO on your palms, rub them together, cup them over the mouth and nose and breathe. If you do the bottle inhalation method, breathe gently at first and then if it seems appropriate, breathe the oil in deeply − as if you were dragging the oil up over your brain. Please sure to leave your eyes out of this as essential oils do not belong anywhere near the eyes. **Warning: If you accidentally get an EO into your eyes, dilute immediately with a carrier oil like almond or olive, never water. It will burn like crazy, but will ease in a few minutes. 2. Around your neck: Gently rub a drop or two on your chest or drop on a terra-cotta pendant and breathe in throughout the day. You could also put a few drops on a scarf, but beware it could stain. I haven’t had a problem doing this, but be careful. 3. Salt Bowl: Place a small amount (about 1/4 cup) of Epsom salt in a small bowl. Put 10-15 drops of EO onto the salt. Keep it by your bed. The salt helps to slow down the evaporation rate of the oils, allowing you a longer diffusion throughout the night. A great way to get some healing while you sleep. Also, depending on the EO, it can help you sleep too. 4. Home Diffuser: There are various diffusers on the market for EO’s at a wide range of prices. I do this year round before bedtime and often at bedtime. During the warmer months I diffuse EO’s that are natural antihistamines to help with allergies. Lavender is one of them, plus it has the added benefit as a sleep aide. I’ll also use lavender during the day around my neck as in #2. 5. Car Diffuser – You can now get car diffusers for their essential oils. Or, just get a cotton ball, put a few drops of your chosen oil onto it, stick it in the air vent or tape it on, turn on the vent and enjoy. Be sure not to do this with an EO like lavender so it doesn’t make you sleepy!! Peppermint EO is great for long distance driving to help keep you alert. 6. Foot Absorption – Massage a few drops of your chosen EO’s onto the bottoms of your feet before you go to bed or anytime. The soles of the feet contain some of the largest pores in the body. Therefore, the oils are easily and quickly absorbed and working in your bloodstream within just a few minutes. This is my go-to method of application. 7. Essential Oil Bath – Drop and mix your chosen EO’s into a few tablespoons of a dispersant like epsom salt first. Then put it into a warm (not hot) bath. You could use coconut oil too, which will assist in the absorption of the oils through your skin. Then just step into the bath and soak. Not only are you absorbing the oils, but also directly inhaling them at the same time. This is also a great way to finish off those bottles of EO’s that just have a drop or two left in them − just drop the entire bottle into your bath. I’ll also put my empty bottles into a large jar of epsom salt until I can’t fit anymore bottles in the jar. Then put the salt in my bath. It makes an wonderfully interesting mixed therapeutic scent. 8. My Go-to Perfume – Rather than using man-made (and potentially toxic) perfumes, which I stopped using many years ago, combine your favorite EO’s and wear them on those perfume points. Blended EO’s are perfect for this too. Not only will you smell fabulous, you are bringing the phytochemicals in those oils right into your body. Plus, because they’re natural, you won’t have the issue of allergic an reaction for you or those around you. I have a few favorite blends that are far better than any man-made commercial brand perfume. Suggested EO’s and their purposes: As a distributor with Young Living Essential Oils®, they’re mainly what I use. However, I have bought a few from Aura Caia®. There are many EO’s that can be ingested, but I’ll only take Young Living®. They also carry many other products that I use regularly such as their Thieves® toothpaste & mouthwash that stops receding gums. Here are a few of my favorite singles and blends that are reasonably priced and a small sampling of their uses. Lavender: known as the Swiss Army knife of EO’s with it’s many uses. But a few are: antihistamine, sleep aide/relaxing, healing the skin from kitchen burns, bug bites/sting and anything else having to do with the skin. Citrus Fresh: this EO blend is perfect for anything stinky such as shoes, gym bags, and as a room freshener. It’s the EO I use to make my deodorant. Peppermint: indigestion/tummy ache, headaches, and long drives. Purification: my go-to germ killer on any surface including my skin. It’s also great as a germ-killing room freshener such as in the bathroom or kitchen. Note: caution needs to be taken with EO’s when applied to the skin as they can be irritating for some people and/or with continued daily use. Mixing with a carrier oil solves that problem. Any oil can be a carrier oil such as grape-seed oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, even your usual cooking oil. About a drop or two per tablespoon of oil works well. Application: in addition to the ways mentioned above, drops (neet or mixed w/oil) can be applied directly onto the skin. But never ever on an open wound, in the ears and keep away from the eyes. Happy Oiling! Namaste' Stephanie Is your bedroom working for you...for better love, sex and sleep?
If not, here are some tips to help make it better...
The bed on the diagonal in the back corner with a plant works as well too. Namaste' Stephanie There is a huge misunderstanding when it comes to the meaning of a soulmate. Many feel that a soulmate is only about the perfect romantic partner. Not so.
They can be an animal, a person, a family member, they can be your worst enemy, or your very best friend. They can show up for a few moments or last a lifetime. Here’s the story of one of my soulmates from my early teens. One afternoon I got on a bus heading uptown from the 33rd St. Path station to my Grandma Grace’s apartment. There were several empty seats on the bus, but I choose to sit down next to “a little old lady”. She looked older than my grandma with her fragile body and very white hair. To this teenage girl, she looked to be 100. Now that I’m older, I’m guessing she was probably only 5-10 yrs. older than my grandmother. I wasn’t one to sit down next to a stranger unless I had to, but for some reason I decided to sit right next to this elderly woman, who I like to call Rose. We were sitting behind the bus driver on one of those string of seats that face the center of the bus. There were a few people sitting across from us, but I didn’t make eye contact with anyone except for maybe a passing glance or smile. After a few stops Rose was still sitting next to me and I still had a ways to go before my stop. Then out of the blue she turns her head to look at me and says, “You have the most beautiful posture”. I looked at Rose with surprise and some bewilderment but politely answered back, “Thank you.” Moments later she was up and on her way off the bus. I remember sitting there amazed, proud, and filled with such love for this woman. But, it wasn’t until many years later that I realized what a magnificent gift of the heart Rose had given me. I’m guessing she didn’t know either, at least not from this earthly plane. Now Rose, like my grandma Grace, is long gone. But ever since that day on the bus I remember her with such love every time I feel myself starting to slouch or realize (OMG!) I’m totally hunched over. I immediately sit up straight and whisper. “Thank you Rose”. Rose had a job to come, stay for a few moments, then be gone. But what she left in me will stay with forever. This one small woman gave me a great sense of pride in myself, to keep my heart open and lifted. To believe in the love that my heart holds. That’s what good posture does. I think of her often and aways with a smile. Rose was one of my soulmates. Soulmates come into our lives to teach us, make demands that give us strength, raise our vibration, and feed our soul. They aren’t always kind to us, but they all love us on a soul level. We fight some and embrace others. But in some way, big or small, they make us better. Our part is to listen and except their challenges with love so our soul can grow. Namaste, Stephanie In my early years growing up in Houston Texas, sometime between the ages of 5 and 6, I gravitated to a part of the backyard that was not in the path of my family’s daily living.
Opposite the driveway was a narrow strip of the side-yard that had a high (all relative to little me) brick wall with a wooden gate leading to the front yard. On one side of this strip of yard was the screened-in porch that was accessed from the living room as well as a large patio. On the other side of this strip was a chain-link fence that bordered our neighbor. Growing up the fence was wisteria. Oh, how I loved that wisteria! The fragrant purple flowers hanging over my head like a jungle canopy, the twisting vines dense with green and brown filling up all the holes in the fence to the point it created my own little cave. I never even minded the bees buzzing over my head, nor did I ever get stung. I would sit there for hours on end talking to who ever would listen. The wood fairies, tree elves, nature spirits and other spirits of all kinds. I didn’t consider this to be strange at all, but certainly didn’t want anyone to know because this was my place to be with me and to visit with my invisible friends. At some point I brought out my little metal gray and red folding table and matching chair so I could sit and “work” on creative projects, talk and not be bothered by anyone. Sometimes I came across a dead grass-hopper or other such creature and carefully buried them in my nearby graveyard that was between the back of the porch and the brick wall. Nothing much could grow there because of the deep shade, but the dirt was soft and pliable. I would speak to the nature spirits asking for them to take care of this little thing. I think a kitten or 2 may have been buried back there as well, but don’t remember for sure. I just felt that is was the ideal place to put everything that had once lived. Now who would have ever known what this special place could mean to me now, so many years later? Well, as I grew to be an adult, it became clear to me that taking care of myself was about survival, mentally, physically and emotionally. I did this by honoring the time needed in a quiet space, connect with source by looking inward, and understanding the important role nature has in my well being. This certainly doesn’t just apply to me, it is the same for all humans. I can only suggest to you, no matter how busy you are, to take a few moments daily to sit, listen to the sounds of nature with your eyes closed and feel the energy that connects use all. We are all connected. Once this is realized, peace will happen. Namaste’ Stephanie angels, animal communication, balance, being present, energy, garden, intuition, meditation, nature, nature spirits, quiet space, spirit guides, spirits, spiritual, spiritual growth |
AuthorI was never much into writing while growing up, but I was always creating through art and dance. Archives
September 2019
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