Ostara

Ostara came and went in the blink of an eye! As happens, life has been busy with all its ups and downs and I'm finally finding some time to get to some of the things that have been on my to-do list. Like post Ostara pictures!.

Here are some pictures of my Ostara altar for this year. I left up most of what I had for Imbolc and added a few items like the eggs I had dyed last year. I changed out the crystals adding some pretty ones that I thought represented Ostara.

If you follow my blog you'll know that last year Mary spoke to me saying she wanted to be on my Imbolc altar and so she is here and will stay on the altar through the end of May. As May is the month of Mary, I'll change the altar to reflect this special month.

I hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Ostara!

Happy Holidays!

It seems that I have been enjoying the 'hustle and bustle' of the season since about September. So much has happened and is happening that I feel at a loss to express it all. The past year has been extraordinary in so many ways.

Firstly, I became a Certified Reiki Master and EMF Balancing Technique® Practitioner. I set up my own practice in my home and just recently moved into a space at the Harbor Wellness Center in Middleton, WI. Truly a blessing of which I'm most grateful for. If you haven't visited my website, you'll find it at 'Loving Heart Reiki, LLC'. I designed the website myself and am really quite proud of it.

Along with the website I've started a blog 'Loving Heart Reiki, LLC' where you'll find more information and keep up to date on what's happening with my Energetic Arts practice.

Yesterday I graduated from the 'Hibiscus Moon Crystal Academy' and am now a Certified Crystal Healer! You'll find a Graduation post at the LHR blog at the link above.

This past Tuesday I attended a Volunteer Orientation at 'Agrace HospiceCare' and am looking forward to starting HomeCare training in February. It is intensive, for a volunteer position, with five 4 hour sessions after which I'll be able to visit Hospice patients in their homes and at Nursing Homes. This is a position which I'm truly looking forward to and one that I'm called to do. I believe it's part of my life's purpose to bring healing and comfort to those who are making their transition from this life to the next. It is a humbling and awesome responsibility and one that will be fulfilling in so many ways.

None of this, however, would have been accomplished without the love and support of my husband, Brian; my teachers and mentors, Mary and Stephanie; my best friend south of the Canadian border, Carl; and all the friends who have shared and encouraged me along the way. Without you, life would be very dull indeed!

I'm ready and positioned for an awesome start to 2012. Foundations have been laid, I've done the work, and now I'm ready to sail on to the horizon . . . ever mindful of the highs and lows of the waves.

Wellness Fair - 2011

This past Friday and Saturday I attended the Wellness Fair at the Harbor Athletic Club. I had an amazing time, met some new friends, and connected with people from all walks of life. It was truly an inspiring and energizing experience!

I've posted pictures of my table display at my 'Loving Heart Reiki' blog, but here's one to tempt you!

Gloomy Day Decorating

Well, the weather outside is frightful, but inside it's so delightful . . . okay, so I'm not really a singer, but I try! Anyway, the weather here really is frightful, it's gloomy and raining and I'm trying to find ways to keep myself from giving in to the melancholy that's sitting just below the surface of my being. I'm doing pretty well by keeping my thoughts positive and of course, when all else fails, there's always a bit of decorating that can be done!

I'm always amazed at how an altar or in this case, garden window theme, comes together considering I always start out thinking I haven't got a thing to wear . . . or, ummm . . . a thing to decorate with. I started out by removing all the items and giving the window a good cleaning. Then I placed back the owls and green glass candy dishes. I added my favorite teacup, a tealight lamp that's been sitting in my basement for ages, a bit of greenery, some crystals and the glass dome that I didn't have a thing to stick under. Then inspiration struck! Why not fill it with pinecones?! And so I did. Voila! A beautiful new decorative scene for me to enjoy whilst I get dishpan hands doing dishes.

I hope you enjoyed this little break from the stroll and hope you'll be back again tomorrow for Day 9 of Stroll the Shops for Christmas!

Mabon Blessings!

The Wheel of the Year is turning into fall and with that comes the fall harvest Sabbats. Mabon falls on September 23rd this year and I'm looking for the colors of fall and enjoying the cooler weather after a summer filled with extremely hot and humid weather.

Mabon, which falls at the Autumnal Equinox, is the second harvest celebration. As at the Spring Equinox, it is a time of balance between light and dark. In the autumn, we move from light to dark and from warmth to cold. It is a time to gather the harvest of summer, apples, grapes, corn, wheat, and vegetables such as squashes and gourds, and prepare for the long winter ahead. It is also a time for thanksgiving and enjoying the bounty set before us.

One of the best known harvest mythologies is the story of Demeter and Persephone. Demeter, was a goddess of grain and of the harvest in ancient Greece. Her daughter, Persephone, caught the eye of Hades, god of the underworld. When Hades abducted Persephone and took her back to the underworld, Demeter's grief caused the crops on earth to die and go dormant. By the time she finally recovered her daughter, Persephone had eaten six pomegranate seeds, and so was doomed to spend six months of the year in the underworld. These six months are the time when the earth dies, beginning at the time of the Autumn Equinox.

The Sumerian goddess Inanna is the incarnation of fertility and abundance. Inanna descended into the underworld where her sister, Ereshkigal, ruled. Erishkigal decreed that Inanna could only enter her world in the traditional ways, by stripping herself of her clothing and earthly posessions. By the time Inanna got there, Erishkigal had unleashed a series of plagues upon her sister, killing Inanna. While Inanna was visiting the underworld, the earth ceased to grow and produce. A vizier restored Inanna to life, and sent her back to earth. As she journeyed home, the earth was restored to its former glory.

In the British Isles, the ancient name for the goddess of this time was Modron, which means 'mother'. Sometimes she was pictured as a trio of women, each seated on a throne. Together, they were called the 'Mothers'. They were responsible for abundance and sustaining the life of the people in the Celtic myths, as was Modron's son who was stolen away into the underworld. Whenever we feed the hungry, we honor the Mothers.

This Sabbat takes its name from the god 'Mabon'. He was called 'Mabon, son of Modron', which means 'son of the mother'. Mabon is such an ancient god that most of the stories about him have been lost. All we know is that he was stolen away from his mother when he was only three nights old and imprisoned until he was rescued by King Arthur's companions. Because Mabon knows what it is like to be imprisoned, he is also the god of freedom. He frees animals from their cages and loosens the bonds of all those unjustly imprisoned. He protects all things wild and free. His totem animals are the owl, blackbird, stag, eagle and salmon. We honor Mabon when we protect animals and when we work for freedom for all people.

The Mabon altar can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. For a simple altar you can have an arrangement of some of the things harvested that will keep for a few weeks like winter squash, dried corn, wheat, pumpkins, and pomegranates. Autumn leaves, a bouquet of late-blooming flowers, a picture or figurines of animals are also appropriate for your Mabon altar.

Candles in various shades of autumn colors like yellow, red, rust, and orange are also nice additions. You may also add fresh herbs like juniper berries, sage, campunala and cloves. Crystals are also a nice addition and I've included ones like carnelian, red tiger's eye, garnet, orange calcite, and citrine. You can also include incense such as sandalwood and myrrh.

Be sure to get outside as much as possible now and enjoy the sunlight. All too soon, we will be enveloped in darkness and cold as the wheel turns into winter.

Mabon Blessings!

Crystal Grids by Hibiscus Moon

My crystal teacher, Hibiscus Moon, just wrote and published her first book. If you've seen my youtube videos, you know what I've been learning in her classes so you can imagine how chock-full of information this book is. It's now available on Amazon and I highly recommend it to people who are interested in crystals, creating crystal grids or who are just interested in the science behind it all!

And while I'm at it . . . CONGRATULATIONS Hibiscus Moon . . . wishing you much success!

My Crystals and Stones

Here's my first video on youtube . . . hope you enjoy!

New Stones and a Shelf to Put Them On

Last Sunday my husband drove me out to a small town a few miles away to have a look at a shelving unit that I found on Craig's list that I thought would be perfect for my crystals and stones. To be honest - it was hideous and definitely not worth the $20 they were asking for it. However, it did have a couple of redeeming qualities - it had glass shelves and a light at the top.

So, upon offering $10, which the lady gladly accepted, we were on our way . . . once we finally got the unit into the back of my car that is. Let's just say it was a very uncomfortable ride home for me.

After a good washing, a coat of primer and two coats of paint, the shelving unit turned out to be not half bad.

And of course, not one to leave a shelf empty, this past Saturday we took a drive to Milwaukee so that I could get some stones that were on my wish list. With the help of my 'intuitive' husband (he seems to have a knack for this) I was able to fulfill my wish list and then some.

On this shelf from left to right are my two Quartz Wands and a Quartz point, two Labradorite spheres, Citrine, Cherry Quartz, a Carnelian sphere (which I love, love, love), and a Smoky Quartz crystal.

On this shelf are from left to right and front to back:
Black Onyx, Garnet, Black Obsidian (Root Chakra)
Red Jasper (Sacral or 2nd Chakra)
Moonstone, Tiger's Eye, Malachite (Solar Plexus or 3rd Chakra)
Unakite, Green Aventurine, Rose Quartz (Heart or 4th Chakra)
Fluorite, Blue Kyanite, Blue Calcite (Throat or 5th Chakra)
Sugilite/Charoite, Lapis Lazuli, Amethyst (Third Eye or 6th Chakra)
Black Tourmaline (Crown or 7th Chakra)

So, with some of the thousands of crystals and stones available in place, a crystal class under my belt and having signed up for an eight week crystal class, I'm on my way to seeing one of my goals realized - that of a Certified Crystal Healer.

Granted, it will take time, bit it's so worth the effort! There is just so much to learn about these amazing entities and I plan on enjoying the ride . . .

The Moon, Crystals and a Stone

Last night the Moon was glorious! I hope you were able to get outside to enjoy Her. Although it was a bit chilly to do anything outside, I did step out to breathe in her essence and take some wonderful pictures. Just in time too because shortly thereafter the clouds started rolling in.

For those who may not know, the moon was at its closest to Earth in almost 20 years, appearing 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than more frequent full moons. The last full Moon of this magnitude occurred in March, 1993.

Yesterday I attended a class on Crystals and Stones at a beautiful crystal shop called 'Free Spirit Crystals' in Milwaukee. The instructor, Diane Bloom, was engaging and knowledgable. I enjoyed the class immensely and came home with a new sense of appreciation for crystals and stones and their uses in our lives.

As I had a few minutes before the class started, I decided to look around the shop at the myriad of crystals and stones available for sale. I was drawn to a Cherry Quartz. I had never seen anything like it. I picked it up, thought about it, and placed it back in its spot on the shelf. I walked a few feet away wanting to see what else was available, but promptly turned around being beckoned back by the crystal. I picked it up and asked Diane to hold it for me until the end of the day (I knew I wasn't done shopping!). I knew I had to have it!

Cherry Quartz is a crystal of relationship and focus. It enhances one’s intention and clarity between people, one's self and the Divine. Cherry Quartz is a healer of emotional wounds and it dissipates anger and tension. It brings new hope, acts as an anti-depressant, gives relief from anxiety, sexual problems related to tension, and helps develop vision for the bigger picture.

Cherry quartz is an energy crystal and a powerful healing crystal. The healing properties of Cherry Quartz are used to aid respiratory difficulties,regeneration of cells, flow of energy throughout the body, and it is an excellent balancing stone for a sad or weak heart.

In the afternoon of the class we picked out two Quartz wands to use in our practicum. I picked out two wands that were about the same size and upon using them for the afternoon decided that they were meant for me and so I purchased them. They have a wonderful energy to them and I'm looking forward to using them in my Reiki practice.

Quartz crystals have six primary properties; they are able to structure, store, amplify, focus, transmit and transform energy - including matter, thought, emotion and information. Quartz naturally harmonizes and energizes our gross and subtle bodies. The chakras can be activated, cleansed, balanced and energized. As well, psychic abilities can be initiated and strengthened. Here is a great site to learn more about Quartz.

Black Obsidian is the stone of 'truth'. As a stone of protection it was probably used to make arrowheads and knives. A stone of honesty, sincerity and truth, Obsidian will bring out the warrior spirit in you. It can help you reach your subconscious, reclaim yourself, and help you find or rediscover forgotten abilities within yourself. As a protection stone, it can help to prevent negative energy from affecting you and it also helps to keep your thoughts from turning negative. It is also a good grounding stone.

Black Obsidian's mirror-like surface reveals its special ability to act as a mirror and help you to see your own flaws honestly. It won't abandon you there however, also providing insight in how to correct those flaws. Black Obsidian is an effective stone to use for change aiding your desire to alter behaviour, change harmful communication patterns or overcome obessions.

Obsidian's forceful dose of reality can be tempered for timid or shy people by combining it with Aventurine, Rose Quartz or Chrysocolla.

The timing of this class couldn't have been better . . . I was able to charge all of my stones by the light of the Moon last night, ready now for whatever purpose I put them to.

In closing I'd like to share a quick and easy way to clear your crystals that I learned in my class yesterday. This should be done before and after use. Hold your crystal or stone in your hand and say:

"I invoke the light of the Universal Energy within. I am a clear and perfect channel. Light is my guide."