Change

So my life has recently brought some changes into it. And with change comes the closing of my Etsy store, Sofia's Rose. I am hoping that this is only a temporary closing and that next year at some point I will be able to reopen. So until then I am offering a 40% off sale in my entire store. Use coupon code 40OFF .
Sofia's Rose Etsy 

Day to Day

I thought this a beautiful picture and thought I would share. Not a whole lot happening. Just working my real job and Etsy! Have some items to mail out today, which is always a good feeling. Yesterday at work was crazy busy and so I am glad for the relief of two days off.... in a row! LOL Always thankful for the small things in life. It is those things that keep you going!

KYANITE

Smooth Kyanite wand

Kyanite is a great stone for meditation! It is amplifier of high frequency energies, aiding in psychic capabilities. This stone helps one connect to guides and installs compassion. Helps with dream recall and also, creates healing dreams. This stone automatically aligns the chakras. Per Judy Hall, Kyanite does not hold negativity therefore does not require cleaning of energies.

This stone helps self expression and cuts through fear. It unmask ignorance and opens one to spiritual truths. Helps confusion, anger, and stress. Used as a mediation tool, Kyanite shows how one has created the role they are in currently and how to create balance.

Buy Kyanite Now!

Pink and Pretty!

Rose Quartz is the stone of love! Love for others and yourself. It is the most important crystal for the heart chakra! It aids in teaching the true meaning of unconditional love. By opening the heart center, it aids in deeper inner healing and self love. In relationships it can help restore trust and balance. Rose Quartz draws off negative vibes and replaces it with loving energy. Great stone for mid life changes and crisis. It is a beautiful stone with it's soft, gemmy pink color and loving vibes. Rose quartz is known to help with heart ache and releasing unexpressed emotions while it soothes internal pain.For extra" umph" wear Rose quartz near the heart.

Buy Rose Quartz Now!

Gotye- Somebody that I used to Know

We all have been there...

Some Good in the Midst of Bad on Etsy

Today I am off work! YAY! I haven't really done anything today- just rested and chilled in the Florida heat. I have done a few small things. Lite a candle for my business/ Lakshmi, Ishtar and St Claire (3 seperate candles!). Worked on a Smokey Quartz necklace for a friend and had some cookies. I have been watching a BNR (Buy ~N~ Replace) board on Etsy today. A fellow estian's(Treasure Kelly) son was in an oil rig explosion and was badly burned and flown to the Minnesota Burn Unit. These wonderful people put this BNR together in hopes of raising money to help Kelly be able to fly out and be with her son. The son is in an induced coma currently and I can NOT imagine the horror that Kelly must be going through. In 3 hours they have had 34 sales, raising at least $170.00. Several people did not buy in, but did make a donation. How wonderful to know that people out there still care! They are continuing to plan out other ways to help this wonderful person who has helped so many of us.

~EDIT~ As of 08/22/12 $1000.00 has been raised to aid Kelly and her son!

There has been a lot of issues for me going on dealing with Etsy and their new guidelines. I understand that these guidelines are coming from the FDA,but the way that Etsy has handled it is what upsets me. It affects a lot of people on there and they don't seem to give a hoot about that fact. Many herbalist, pagans, bath and body, free loving spirits, and anybody else that would use a medical term are now having to change their listings (some have 100's of items). Disclaimers are still allowed, but do not affect the fact that medical terms are no longer allowed to be used. For example- acne, insomnia, headache, rash, depression- are words no longer allowed to be used in descriptions. For some this would hardly seem a horrible thing, but to those that make or sale items for these types of things- it hurts.I recently bought a organic lotion for problematic skin that works wonder. But the owner will have to edit the listing since it has the word acne in it.  And I can't help but notice that Etsy is looking to become public with the stock, instantly making a lot of employees very rich. While good for them, how many new rules with there be placed on sellers. Etsy is not a new form of Ebay and sellers don't want it to be. Etsy has been a great venue for me to start out and I would seriously hate to leave (at this point I am in compliance with the new rules), but if the rules get in tighter, I will have to leave. Is this the start to a modern day witch hunt? Or maybe the government just wants us to have no free will? Or do you think it simply boils down to making Etsy employees/ owners instant millionaires?

I have been looking at ArtFire and I do know that they have been contacted about the new guidelines on Etsy and to see what their stance is on the matter. They have agreed to look into it and I know that several shops are considering ArtFire as a possible new venue. I just do not know if ArtFire has enough traffic to help these sellers actually sell their items.

Ok, so maybe I should have reversed the two topics to end on a positive note!


New Guidelines
Questions about new guidelines
More info on the new Laws
Article of Taking Etsy Public

These articles are just a few, if you want to know more feel free to look us up on Yahoo chat groups were there is much debate about what is going on Herbal Sales Team .

Clearing Negative Energy With Salt Water

Guest Post by Francie (Abbie)

We have all heard of clearing a space of negative energy with a smudge stick or smudge mix as the Indians did but what about Salt Water! Salt naturally cleanses and absorbs negative energy from your home.Sea salt is best for this purpose! and change the water everyday so you get rid of all that negativity!!! keep a bowl of salt water in places you feel you need a little extra cleansing.So next time you grab that sage bundle for a house cleansing don't forget about SALT! It can be a very useful tool for clearing a space of negative energy.

Legendary Crochet 

LH Team Blog 

Goddess Ishtar

From an Akkadian hymn to Ishtar, translated by Ferris J. Stephens: Man, Myth and Magic. Vol.13. It was written in the latter part of the First Dynasty of Babylon, approximately 1600 BC. 

photo   © 2006   Ian , Flickr

 Praise of Ishtar

Praise the goddess, the most awesome of the goddesses.
Let one revere the mistress of the peoples, the greatest of the Igigi.
Praise Ishtar, the most awesome of the goddesses.
Let us revere the queen of women, the greatest of the Igigi.

She is clothed in pleasure and love.
She is laden with vitality, charm, and voluptuousness.
Ishtar is clothed in pleasure and love.
She is laden with vitality, charm, and voluptuousness.

In lips she is sweet; life is in her mouth.
At her appearance rejoicing becomes full.
She is glorious; veils are thrown over her head.
Her figure is beautiful; her eyes are brilliant.

The goddess - with her there is counsel.
The fate of everything she holds in her hand.
At her glance there is created joy,
Power, magnificence, the protecting deity and guardian spirit.

She dwells in, she pays heed to compassion and friendliness.
Besides, agreeableness she truly possesses.
Be it slave, unattached girl, or mother, she preserves (her).
One calls on her; among women one names her name.

Who - to her greatness who can be equal?
Strong, exalted, splendid are her decrees.
Ishtar - to her greatness who can be equal?
Strong, exalted, splendid are her decrees.

She is sought after among the gods; extraordinary is her station.
Respected is her word; it is supreme over them.
Ishtar among the gods, extraordinary is her station.
Respected is her word; it is supreme over them.

She is their queen; they continually cause her commands to be executed.
All of them bow down to her.
They receive her light before her.
Women and men indeed revere her.

In their assembly her word is powerful; it is dominating.
Before Anum their king she fully supports them.
She rests in intelligence, cleverness, (and) wisdom.
They take counsel together, she and her lord.

Indeed they occupy the throne room together.
In the divine chamber, the dwelling of joy,
Before them the gods take their places.
To their utterances their attention is turned.

The king their favorite, beloved of their hearts,
Magnificently offers to them his pure sacrifices.
Ammiditana, as the pure offering of his hands,
Brings before them fat oxen and gazelles.

From Anum, her consort, she has been pleased to ask for him
An enduring, a long life.
Many years of living, to Ammiditana
She has granted, Ishtar has decided to give.

By her orders she has subjected to him
The four world regions at his feet;
And the total of all peoples
She has decided to attach them to his yoke.

The Shrine of Ishtar 

Manifesto!

From Hibiscus Moon

Hibiscus Moon Crystal Academy

Day to Day

Today is just a little day to day blog. Yesterday, my roomy, my self, and my parents spent about 3 hours doing yard work just in the back yard! That's 12 hours of labor and it is still not done. *sigh* With all the rain we have been getting the grass grows quickly and so does the weeds! I love the rain. I love the coolness it brings and the noise of the rain drops are soothing. But it makes more yard work for me!

Petey

Speaking of the rain, my roomy's dog, Petey, is absolutely terrified of the rain. Even a little sprinkle. He starts to shiver and pant so badly we think he may hyperventilate!  She puts his "rain shirt" on him and that does help some, if it is a lite rain, but if it is a thunderstorm - forget it! So that's about it, just a little update on what's been going on! Not too much!

Special Guest Post by Gathered Roots

Reiki is the energy (or spirit or essence) of everything. There are not different flavours of Reiki - rather different flavours of thought, practice, and intention. It is the energy that envelops and forms all things, including humankind. The systems of Reiki, too, teach that when humans work consciously with Reiki they begin to evolve and strengthen their connection with the universe. 

- Bronwen and Frans Stiene

 The quote above defines Reiki quite beautifully! Reiki is a term composed of two Japanese kanji and is most commonly pronounced Ray Key in the English language. The kanji Rei refers to the spiritual, sacred, divine, and/or miraculous entity or power while Ki is defined as energy of the universe. Together Reiki means "Universal Life Force" with a spiritual context.

To explain how Reiki works using analogy, envision a simple water system in your home. The water system as a whole represents a human and the individual parts of that system, such as the pipe line, faucet, and drain correspond to human organs. Reiki as Universal Life Force is compared to the water that flows throughout the system. When the system is maintained, the water flows freely and fully throughout the system. Debris will inevitably appear at times, and it represents emotions such as anger, worry, grief, fear, etc.

In relation to the human experience, debris can arguably serve its purpose by providing us with valuable life lessons, understandings and insights. The concern arises when the debris is left unattended and unresolved. Over time, the water flows more slowly and can perhaps even become blocked altogether. Similarly, as the Universal Life Force that flows through each of us becomes increasingly obstructed, our ability to function at an optimal level decreases and stagnation may occur. It is believed that many of the diseases and symptoms we experience develop as a result.

Reiki practice is energy-based and holistic. During a Reiki treatment, the practitioner channels Universal Life Force and uses a series of hand positions either directly on or above the client's body. The procedure allows the client to draw upon the amount of energy required to clear the debris and obstructions, and for the flow of ki to be re-established. This in turn can support the body's natural ability to heal physically, emotionally, mentally, as well as spiritually. Continued Reiki treatments serve to maintain and strengthen the energy flow.

Services can also be offered through a second method, commonly referred to as “Distance Reiki.” Distance Reiki is convenient for clients who would like to receive the treatments but cannot schedule in-person appointments because they live in a different city or country, or are busy with their every day life (ie: work, errands, etc). For those who also prefer the extra privacy and comfort, remote Reiki healing can be a great choice.

Distance Reiki sessions are available for purchase in my Etsy shop, Gathered Roots:

30-minute Distance Reiki Treatment :  $15.00 USD

45-minute Distance Reiki Treatment:  $20.00 USD





All Distance Reiki treatments are done in the same treatment room used for clients who receive the services in-person at the Gathered Roots office. The photos shown in the listings are of the actual room; a clean and comfortable setting that is free of outside distractions. During a session, I channel the Universal Life Force and use a series of hand positions over a “Reiki doll,” which represents the client. Throughout the treatment, the energy is channeled and directed for the client only (multiple clients are not scheduled together).

The Reiki treatment typically beings at the scheduled time but at the client's request (while scheduling the appointment), arrangements can be made to meet over Facebook for a 10 minute chat. This period allows the client to receive confirmation that I am present for the appointment and allows for any questions to be answered. This offer is extended to both new and repeat clients.

I recommend that clients settle into a comfortable position during the session, either by laying down, sitting in meditation, etc. This can help bring the sensations and effects of Reiki to awareness. While the experience is an individual one, tingling and warmth is very common, as are feelings of enhanced well-being, relaxation, and creativity. Sometimes, there will not be much, if anything, that is felt at all. This is especially true if the client is busy during the treatment. However, whether a client is paying attention and noticing the changes or not, the energy is nonetheless reaching him/her and doing its job!

It's encouraged that the client practice a grounding exercise at the end of each session. The exercise can be as simple as envisioning himself/herself as a tree for a few minutes, and feeling the roots penetrate deeply into the earth. Ensuring an adequate water intake throughout the day of the treatment is also advised.

Clients are also welcome to contact me after each session to share their experience, ask questions, and/or schedule another appointment.

The Benefits of Reiki

Ultimately, Reiki supports the re-alignment with Source as well as the strengthening of that connection. We are all traveling a unique path however, and so the exact changes and benefits that manifest, as well as the pace at which they occur, can differ greatly.

One important but simple factor in benefiting from Reiki healing is that the client be receptive of it. Returning to the analogy, the water will only flow through the faucet if the tap is turned open. Similarly, the position of the tap will also determine the pressure of the water as it pours out of the faucet.

The following are some of the changes I have personally experienced since working with Reiki:

* Clears obstructions and toxins
* Re-establishes and/or strengthens the flow of ki
* Re-aligns one's self with purpose

* Restores the state of natural balance

* Promotes feelings of relaxation, wellness, and creativity
* Instills feelings of empowerment and confidence

* Reduces and/or releases stress and ailments

* Facilitates the transformation of life patterns

* Enhances personal self-awareness and clarity

* Enhances intuition (clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, and claircognizance)

Understanding the theory is a great starting point but building a relationship with Reiki through direct experience is the best way of becoming familiar with its power. I invite you to discover for yourself how life-changing Reiki can be!

Please note that Reiki is intended as a relaxation technique and as a complement to natural health care. Reiki Practitioners do not diagnose conditions, prescribe substances, perform medical treatment, nor do they interfere with the treatment of licensed medical professionals. Those experiencing physical or psychological conditions are encouraged to speak with a licensed physician or licensed health care professional prior to beginning a Reiki regimen.

 Jessica Bergeron is a Reiki Master, a student of metaphysics and natural health, and the owner of Gathered Roots (www.gathered-roots.com). Her awareness of and dedication for healing is always growing and she tries to regularly practice Reiki as well as herbalism as a means of reaching a higher state of consciousness and to be in alignment with her path.

To read other articles written by Jessica, please visit Gathered Roots' Blog   (gatheredroots.blogspot.ca/). You may also purchase Distance Reiki Sessions and a variety of herbs through the Etsy Shop (www.etsy.com/shop/GatheredRoots).

Pretty Purple Stone

Light Amethyst from Brazil

Being one of the most common crystals there is, Amethyst is a very powerful and protective stone.  It aids in guarding against psychic attack, turning that energy into love! Amethyst has long been used as a calming stone; it’s great to keep near one’s bed for a restful night’s sleep. It is also a great overall healer. Back in the day, it was thought to protect one against drunkenness.  People would wear it and go to town!  When mediating with it, Amethyst helps calm and focus the mind. Amethyst is great for balancing the ups and downs of life. Keep a tumbled stone in your pocket if you have a stressful job or keep some in the main location of the home to aid in tranquility. Amethyst also aids in increasing the effect of other crystals, so it is a great stone for crystal grids.

Dark Amethyst from Uruguay

When I use amethyst, I noticed that depending on the coloring, it has different effects for me. The lighter Amethyst is more nurturing, while the darker is more protective. I wear an Amethyst bracelet to aid in keeping my emotions in check and do notice a difference when I do not have it on. I love to meditate with Amethyst and use it in my crystal grids for its calming and amplifying effect.

Buy Amethyst Now 

Wordless Wednesday

Crystal Grid for Peace of Mind and Health

Semi-Precious Jewelry

Chalcedony Bracelet I created.

Recently I started making semi-precious gemstone jewelry to offer in my shop! YAY! I have really enjoyed creating works of jewelry art to be able to offer. It is a therapeutic venture so to speak. When I am working on these creations, I have to focus on what I am doing. My mind tends to wonder a lot, even as a child every question started with “I wonder…”.  That little phrase still follows me today! When making my jewelry, I really only like to use natural stones and crystals and not glass or plastic. I don’t have any thing against those that do, but I want to offer the metaphysical side of jewelry. Healing jewelry is used for several different reasons.  One is to aid the wearer in whatever it is that they need aid in. It serves as a reminder to them also. Plus, it looks purty! So if someone was feeling unhappy, they could wear some amber. Amethyst would be great for someone who has a high stress job since it calms. So to wrap it up (pun intended! *giggles*) - What kind of stones do you like as jewelry and why?

Buy Semi-Precious Jewelry

Guest Post About Tarot

Special Guest ~ Fracesca

This covers you. This crosses you. This is beneath you. This is behind you. This crowns you. This is before you.

 This little mantra is a handy mnemonic to learn and lay out the much-loved, and equally dreaded, Celtic Cross Spread. It makes the whole process of doing a reading mystical and mysterious for the querent, and difficult to master for the student.

 After the cross portion with its handy and rhythmic layout, comes the staff portion, which for the most part, seems to tell what the querent likely already knows; Fears, Family Opinion, Hopes, and Final Outcome.

 No wonder so many Tarot newcomers have trouble understanding and mastering this spread! But we should always remember that Tarot is ours to interpret, work out, and reinterpret. If the positions seem unintelligible to you, start moving things around a bit.

 The first thing I felt about it was that placing the "before you" card after the "crowns you" card seemed anti climatic. So I switched the order, though not the placement, of those two cards around.

 This is the original order and layout:

 1. This is You

 2. This Covers You

 3. This is Beneath You

 4. This is Behind You

 5. This Crowns You

 6. This is Before You

But this way works a little better, I think:

 1. This is You

 2. This Covers You

 3. This is Beneath You

 4. This is Behind You

 5. This is Before You

 6. This Crowns You

 Still, it doesn't help one to learn what these positions mean. Gray has short explanations that are a little bit helpful, but she explains that the Before You card is, "the near future" The Crowns You card is also supposed to be something that will happen in the future and, over on the staff, the last card is a future card. Why have three cards that mean basically the same thing?

 It seemed to me that the only way to wrap my head around all this was to read, read, read the cards. I read the cards, studied the examples in the books, and bumbled around as best I could.

 At some point I found that I had acquired a modest but decent library of Tarot books with lots of different points of view on the great Celtic Cross Spread. Greer, Gray, Pollack, a few others. I began to compare and take notes. One book focused on exploring the meaning of the first two cards renaming the positions to The Situation and The Challenge. Of course! What crosses you is what challenges you!

 Someone else changed Family Opinion to External Influences, and somewhere else it came up as Resources. These worked when the question concerned something the family had no knowledge of or no stake in.

 In a basic”very basic”way, the cross seemed to show where you were and how you got yourself there, while the staff showed how to move beyond that or at least make progress.

 I began to read books and interpretations of the spread as much as I read the cards to try and master it. I used different position names and ideas until I finally came up with a Celtic Cross that flowed for me and was helpful. The one I use now is not really a fortune telling spread the way the original tried so hard to be. Rather it is one for insight and inspiration, and helpful clarity.

 I put this new and hopefully improved version of the Celtic Cross below. Ultimately, though, I use the notes as guidelines. I prefer to find the story in the cards and what I see does not always correspond much to the position names. In fact, I consider the position names to be handy for adding another layer to the reading if needed or wanted.

 CROSS

 1. Situation: This is the core of the question. It should help to clarify the situation or a specific aspect of the situation

2. Challenge: This is the challenge the querent must meet in order to change or fix the situation.

3. Roots or Unconscious Awareness: What you don’t know you know. This could indicate ingrained habits or ways and means that fuel the question.

4. Intuition or Inner Voice: Some deep feeling or idea that the querent may have surrounding the situation. This card can move forward to #5 so that the intuition and inner voice guide the next card.

5. Potential Action (outer): A potential action the querent may take and is directly guided by the Intuition.

 6. Goals and Aspirations or Conscious Awareness: Some more options that the querent may wish to explore, and which she may already be aware of.

 STAFF

 7. You: The state of the querent at the time of the reading

 8. Environment and Resources: What the querent may or may not be able to depend on when resolving the situation. Can be an inner resource but probably something or someone from the outside environment.

9. Hopes and Fears: So often the same thing!

10. New Focus or Resolution: Where you go from here.

 

Francesca reads the Tarot with intuition, compassion, and accuracy.  She has many years of study and experience with the cards behind her, and is an artist and blogger as well.  She can be found at her blog, This Pagan Place, on Facebook, and Etsy.

This Pagan Place
Frankly Tarot FaceBook Page
FranklyTarot on Etsy!

Day to Day

A seagull standing pretty while I snapped a picture!

This is just a day to day blog. Recently I have been on FMLA (medical leave) from work. I thought I would never say that I miss work, but I do! I miss my coworkers and what I do for a living, which is working in a hospital lab. I guess I could say that if I ever won a millions, I would still work or have a charity that I was extremely active in. Not knowing what day it is really a hassle! Sure, I have been able to do things around the home and here, online, but I miss getting out. Yesterday I went to the beach and it was absolutely wonderful to get out of the house! The sky and ocean were just beautiful and so peaceful. There was a slight breeze that made the heat comfy. Looking out into the horizon was awe inspiring. I am so grateful to live where I do, the ocean less them 10 minutes away!

Totem Being and Auralite 23 Meditation

07/10/12

I just finished doing a 30 minute meditation with Auralite 23. A quick note on Auralite 23; this stone is Amethyst based crystals found in Canada containing at least 22 other minerals. It stimulates higher awareness and telepathic connections with one’s guides and guardian spirits. Caution- when working with Auralite 23, make sure to do some major grounding afterwards, I recommend Black Tourmaline.

I have recently discovered my Totem Being. I call them beings’ because they can be more than just animals, but insects, marine, and mythical. Mine happens to be a brown stallion. For my meditation I do ten minutes of relaxation to help me get in the alpha state of being. The alpha state of mind is your day dream mind. There are no conscious thoughts, just unconscious ones. Due to working with such a powerful crystal, my totem horse was at my side before I was even finished with my relaxation.  It was somewhat comical as he was pawing the ground, basically telling me to hurry up! I guess patience is not a virtue for him. After my 10 minutes of relaxation, along with images of him filling my mind’s eye, I was ready to let him show me what it was that I needed.  My first images were of racing at full speed across the earth, no harnesses, no saddles (Beaches, fields, mountains, and so on). Then my mind started to wonder a little. All of a sudden I was hit full force with the power of my Totem! It was as if I had been stopped by a Semi truck. 

In a fast forward like visual, I was looking into his eyes (beautiful brown and honest) and transported to another existence.   

I saw the universe, ours then others. All perfect in their own glory. A deep sense of calm and understanding came over me. We are not alone in that great vastness. There are guides that are just waiting to be called upon. Not only do we need them, they need us. For without us, they are nothing other than a fanciful passing thought. We make them real; we make them whole and alive. And they in turn will aid us, care for us, and guide us through life. My totem showed me all of this. This beautiful freedom and strength are what my Totem Being wanted to share during this lesson. An important one for sure, for going forward I will have this deep understanding respect for my Totem and his lessons, knowing that we care for each other.

Crystal Grid Question

Do you mess with the crystals after a crystal grid set up? Let me know! Leave a comment below.

Horse Totem- Some Thoughts

Having recently discovered my totem being, a brown stallion, I have been obsessing with what does that mean spiritually, physically, and energetically.  I have loved horses as a living animal since I was a small child, and so there are some thoughts that come to mind about the possibilities of representation. In my vision, my totem was not bridled or harnessed in any way. Horses have long represented freedom. In this case, I feel that my totem was the absolute in freedom and free will. Having struggled with the concept religiously, it is a major lesson to learn that while society says one thing, I do have the freedom and free will to be my own person. And just as we raced with utter abandonment, I feel that we also have the right to live with that same abandonment. Live by instinct, live my choice- how many of us conform to western thoughts? These people say we can only live one way (and this “way” can change with who you speak with!). 

 Spiritually the horse as a totem represents freedom, friendship, adventure, stamina, psychic abilities, a warning of possible danger, spiritual freedom, joy, perseverance, creativity, and expression.  People that have the horse totem are very independent, intuitive and compassionate people who can be teachers, leaders or healers. I work in a hospital lab and while I do not directly deal with patients, I have a direct impact on their care.

Physically and energetically for me, right off the top, horses represent strength. How wonderful, just to visualize the brown stallion and feel a boost of strength and energy! Standard rule of thumb by veterinarians is a horse can carry 20%- 37% of their body weight! My horse totem was large, tall and muscular with boundless energy, the feeling of endless stamina! We could have ridden for much longer and he and I both would have been fine. Being female, I think that it is important to note that my totem was a stallion (male). This has so many meanings for me. The strength, courage, and also the lack of a 'strong' male influence currently in my life come to mind.

While I am still in the process of getting to know my totem being, my horse friend, these thoughts are what have occurred to me since this discovery. If you have any other thoughts, please share them below! I would love to hear them!

Totem Beings

Having recently discovered my animal Totem (a brown Stallion) I have naturally begun a journey of understanding what a Totem is and what a Totem does. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary a Totem is – 1 a : an object (as an animal or plant) serving as the emblem of a family or clan and often as a reminder of its ancestry; also : a usually carved or painted representation of such an object

b : a family or clan identified by a common totemic object

2 : one that serves as an emblem or revered symbol

So according to M-W, a totem is a symbol, a symbol of family history (i.e. Coat of Arms) or an emblem/and or symbol of self. This describes what a Totem is. Now what does a Totem do?

            A Totem is an animal (mammal, insect, marine, and/or mythical) being that aids us throughout life. Some believe that we only have one Totem throughout our life, others I have seen feel that we have many and they can change as we ourselves change (physically and spiritually). My thoughts on the matter are that we all have one main Totem and then have “Totem helpers” along our life’s journey. A Totem inspires and gives us confirmation as to the path we need to take, or even confirmation on the path we are on. Totems can be powerful allies and sources of strength during difficult times. They can also remind us to be compassionate and calm. Totems encompass attributes that a lot of times we already have, but sometimes can have attributes that we need to work on.  D.J. Conway’s book Animal Magick discusses “The Art of Recognizing & Working with Familiars.” While this book deals with familiars, I have found it to be an excellent source for working with Totems. There are chants and also explanations for many Totems beings as well as how to connect to them on all levels. Meditation is a great way to work with a Totem or even to discover what your Totem is. When in an alpha state (day dream state) ask for your Totem and pay attention to what appears and/or happens. Any living or even non living (mythical) being could and can be a Totem. Take note of what you see. Compare this with your life. Do you see this animal on a daily basis (birds, insects, mammals). Is this a being that you have loved and adored since you were a child (unicorns, dragons, griffins). This could be your very own Totem Being!

 Buy Animal Magick

Clear Quartz

Clear Quartz (aka Quartz Crystal) is the Super Man of the crystals. Containing all colors in the light spectrum, it holds vast energy. People have used quartz for crystals grids, Reiki, meditation, activators, enhancers, making a watch run, gem elixirs and so much more.  Quartz is the stone that aids in increasing your mood to be more positive. It also channels energy, making it a superb tool in Reiki and meditation.  Quartz helps focus the mind and releases negative energy that has been built up.  It even helps protect against radiation and dispels static electricity! Quartz is widely available in raw, rough, and polished sizes.Quartz will work at whatever level the owner needs. It’s just that good! Quartz contains the energy required to bring a person to the most perfect state possible! Crazy right?! Overall, quartz is said to be a master healer and can be used for any condition.

Clear Quartz has always been a warm stone for me. When I say it is a “warm” stone, I mean that the energy radiating from it is intense! Energy feels like heat to me. Sometimes with other stones I get surges of tingles, but quartz is always warm.  I use quartz mainly as a center stone for my grids and amplifiers in my grids. My activator wand is clear quartz with phantoms that correspond to the natural point of the quartz itself.  The energy that quartz brings has been unsurpassed by any other stone for this blogger in regards to generating and amplifying in crystal grids.

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Elestial Clear Crystal Quartz Wand  

Healing with Blue Aragonite

A  Special guest Post~

 Aragonite is a form of calcite that was originally discovered in Aragon, Spain, but is now being discovered in other regions as well.  Its chemical composition is exactly the same as the calcite that we are all familiar with, so what makes this new player on the metaphysical scene so special?

Because of its gorgeous robin's egg blue color, Blue Aragonite corresponds to the throat chakra, making it an ideal stone for public speakers, teachers, or those who communicate with many people on a daily basis. Its calm and gentle vibration will help facilitate peaceful communications. Sometimes what we FEEL doesn’t translate into what we actually SAY…so if I mean to tell someone “I really respect your opinion, but I just don’t agree”, it might come out something like “UGH! You have no idea what you are talking about, just forget it!”.  Blue aragonite, with its loving vibration, helps us to speak from a more heart-centered place.

 Blue Aragonite also works well with the crown chakra, and helps with understanding and vocalization of messages from Source. This makes it a very helpful healing partner for intuitives, card readers, and healers of any kind.

 Blue Aragonite calms, centers, stabilizes and increases the ability to remain patient, even in the most challenging of circumstances. It will enhance and encourage sensitivity and generosity.  Blue Aragonite can also be an aid for those who lack discipline and self-control, and can help one to overcome stagnation in their personal growth.

 Jill Bloomer, CCH

Jill is a Certified Crystal Healer, entrepreneur, and a spiritualist.  Jill's goal is to help to bring healing and well-being to others through her crystal healing practice and Etsy Shop where she offers unique crystals and gemstones along with expert recommendations.  Visit Jill at Blog: Infinity Crystal Healing and Etsy: Infinity Crystals

Totem Animals and Citrine

Totem Animals and Citrine

"Pounding hooves, tossing mane,
Take me swiftly on my life's journey.
Loyal friend, carry me to a place of safety.
Lift me over the obstacles of my path."

-D.J. Conway

 During a Reiki session, I had a vision. In this vision I was in a field, enjoying the vastness and the serene beauty. A large brown stallion came to me. I knew this beautiful creature was meant for me. I got unto his back and we raced through the field with utter abandonment! He brought me to a stream that divided the field and a wooded area. I got off the horse and went to the stream and placed some of my fingers in the cool water. There were some fish that looked similar to Koi, but were silver in color. They were curious about my fingers and swam around them. When I looked up into the wooded area on the other side of the stream, a gray wolf was there. Utter calm. There was no aggression, just a peaceful trust. In the next moment, I was on the brown stallion, with the gray wolf at our side running through the wooded area. We were headed to this red glow. At first I was a bit hesitant about this glow, but glancing over at the wolf, I felt a deep sense of calm and knew that this was our destination. Once we reached the red glow, which now was a bright red light, I dismounted the horse and entered the red light. I then started to absorb this red light into myself, my animal companions watching.

I have always loved horses and feel that this was a confirmation that the horse is my power/ totem animal. The gray wolf felt like a guide during this vision and I hope and think, I will see him again.

 During this Reiki session, I was using my large citrine point. What I love about Citrine is the warmth and comfort that it offers. A safety blanket of sorts! It energizes all levels of one’s life. This is a great stone for creativity and abundance also, being used frequently in prosperity grids.  “Citrine awakens the higher mind.” (The Crystal Bible, Judy Hall) This means that meditation with Citrine can yield some pretty remarkable results. Such as this vision that I shared above. I am not one that easily has visions, even more so - ones that are so clear. Citrine allowed me to be open to new ideas and thoughts, so that my totem animals and spirit guide could reach me! Do you know your Totem Animal or Spirit Guide? Leave me a comment!

Interested In Reiki? 

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Hibiscus Moon

Hibiscus Moon is an author, workshop creator, teacher, mystical goddess & crystal junkie who LOVES teaching about crystals. As a self-admitted complete & total science geek, she brings a dose (maybe a smidge more than a dose) of science to the topic of crystal healing, while trying to make sure we’re all still having lots & lots of FUN!. Visit her website at HibiscusMoonCrystalAcademy.com, & grab her free Create Sacred Space with Crystals Kit!

Hibiscus Moon Crystal Academy

Do you do what you Love?

I work in a lab in a hospital. I love the work I do, yet I find myself being pulled in a different direction. That direction is Crystals. While there is no way I would be able to afford to leave my current job, perhaps one day I can work with Crystals and Stones on a full time level. But then I would miss my lab job. Hmmmm- it is a tough choice, one that I really have no reason to be thinking about since I can  not leave my lab job at the moment or even near future. But I still think about it. I think we all think about what we would be able to do if we could. As a child we may have wanted to be this or that. Why does it stop as an adult? Bills, families, social events are what limit us when living out our dreams. What would you do for a living if you could? Would it be what you are doing now or something else?

Selenite

Selenite Does What?

Let me introduce you to my friend, Selenite! Selenite is a mineral (part of the gypsum family) that is super special. When I first was introduced to Selenite, I had a bad migraine. My friend asked me to hold onto a Selenite tower that she was going to buy. About 5 minutes later, I happen to notice that my headache was decreased about 95%! Was this the crystal? Or was it just a happenstance, that my headache was gone? Hmmmm….    Regardless, I felt that it was the crystal and ended up purchasing that very one that my friend was going to get!  But of course, being a science loving nerd and wondering could a crystal really do that, I needed to test the theory out some more before I made any judgment.  So I waited for a headache to come along- which didn’t take long as I tended to get them every day. When the next one started to come, I grabbed my new Selenite tower and BAM! Within 10 minutes, my headache was gone. This became a game. Headache comes, grab Selenite, headache gone!  Of course, it is not convenient to carry a Selenite tower in your pocket or purse (which I HAVE done). So for awhile I used tumblies (small to large polished stones) or took some Migraine Medication. But why take a pill, when I knew that Selenite worked? Why indeed. I now wear a Selenite necklace 24/7. I have not had one migraine or bad headache since I have had it on. Of course, I get little headaches every once in awhile, but I can just hold my necklace in my hands, and about 99% of the time- Poof! Gone!

Selenite is a high vibrational stone. It works on the mind, mainly the Crown and Higher Chakras.  It brings deep peace and is great for meditation work.  Also Selenite is used for protective grids around the house. Place one piece in each of the four corners.  Selenite wands are also used to clear auras, aiding in keeping outside influences and detaching entities that may be “clinging”.  Selenite is one of the few stones that never need to be cleansed and you wouldn’t want to get this lovely stone wet as it may dissolve somewhat.  Selenite is readily available and comes in all sizes, towers, wands, and tumblies.

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Amber

There’s a Bug in That…

Amber, Oh Sweet Amber. How totally cool are you?! Let me enlighten you to this new friend. Amber is a resin that is produced by tree’s. To become Amber, one must solidify and then become fossilized.  Amber is a great grounding stone (I know- it’s not really a stone, but a resin- but for the sake of this article, I will refer to it as a stone.) since it has earth energies (being a resin and all). Amber is said to be a powerful healer by cleansing the chakra’s and supporting the environment. It transmutes negative energies into positive energies! Meaning it takes that frown and turns it upside down! :-)   This stone (resin) was worn by warriors back in the day as it was thought to bring luck and protection. Amber can also be ground into a powder to use as incense and therefore is a great tool for therapy rooms and reiki. Amber is also used in a lot of perfumes and jewelry! Just a note though- if it is Green Amber, it has been dyed.

My personal experience with Amber is as follows- When I very first held Amber, I couldn’t stop smiling. Silly, I know, but true. I like to think of Amber as a stone of giddiness! You will notice that a lot of Amber will have what I like to call “Earth Stuff” in them. Be it bugs (think Jurassic Park) or plant material, each piece of Amber is unique and incredibly old!  I love to hold Amber when I am feeling down as it really helps remove that negative energy and replace it with positive, happy energy. While not a cure all ( depression should always be treated by a professional), it does help.

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Greetings!

 What a very long day it has been! Worked a 9 hour day, plus trained a new coworker. Thank goodness she is super smart and has been working in the field way longer than I have. So yesterday I opened up a new shop on Zibbet. Pretty neat site. Also been stat stalking on my site at Etsy. No sales this week, boo. I feel like I am going to go crazy sometimes! All these ideas on things to create and not enough time to do so. Speaking of, I heard that today the day and night hours equal out. Pretty cool, huh?

Today I almost washed my hands with purple stain! What in the world was I thinking? I wasn't really! lol. I think my brain has been in shut down since yesterday!

I have some really cool items that I will be working on this upcoming week to add to my shops- super excited about them! And I am going to start making my dream catchers again! I actually have one that I found at my aunt's home that I started about 10 years ago and now I will actually finish it! Woot!

It's my sweet furbaby's 4th birthday! Yay! She is doing what she does best right now.... sleeping!

UPDATE 07/07/12- I am no longer with Zibbet.

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-Bobbie