When most of us think about health, we think about two sides, physical health, and mental health. To enjoy physical health, we should focus on healthy eating and exercise. Taking care of our mental health means keeping stress to a minimum and engaging in positive activities and relationships that contribute to mental wellbeing.

     Many of us forget about the third aspect of health - the soul. Spirituality is the way you find meaning, hope, comfort, and inner peace in your life. Many people find spirituality through religion. Some people find it through music, art, or a connection with nature. Others find it in their values and principles.

     Spirituality can be defined as sensitivity or attachment to religious or other values that help a person gain insight, self-knowledge, and a heightened understanding of life. It can be of great value when coming in terms with your illness or whatever discomfort you may be feeling. Sometimes your mind alone can not comprehend and explain the situation in a way you could understand. That is where your beliefs come into play. They are a powerful tool for coping and helping your mind and body.

    So, in the most basic sense, spirituality is about connecting with what's meaningful to you in a way that lightens or enriches your spirit. Spirituality can come from religious and non-religious experiences alike. It includes the need to find answers to questions about the meaning of life, suffering, and death.

Is spirituality linked with health?

     The body, mind, and spirit are connected. The health of any one of these elements seems to affect the others. When our body suffers so does our mind and soul. Some research has shown that what you believe in can have a strong impact on your health. 

   Positive beliefs, comfort, and strength gained from religion, meditation, and prayer can contribute to your overall wellbeing. Improving your spiritual health may not cure an illness, but it may help you feel better. Spiritual wellness can bring comfort and give strength for handling life's challenges. Some people find that tending to the spirit seems to be as healing as medicine itself.

How to better your soul?

     For some people, making time for spiritual practice is a key part of their wellbeing. Some take time to be in nature, to meditate, or to pray. Others spend time with music, art, or poetry, or just enjoying the silence. Many people pay special attention to beauty, kindness, gratitude, healing, or faith in a higher being. It all depends on one simple question: 

What brings peace, purpose, beauty, and meaning into my life?

     A spiritual practice can help you connect in a new way with what is meaningful to you. It can help you connect firstly and most importantly with yourself, your family and your loved ones.

     I am sure we all have experience with this topic. For me, that was when a family member got diagnosed with cancer. After months of therapy, nothing worked. A therapist then suggested that we have to take the mind, body, AND soul as the vital part into consideration. Taking care of just the body can only get you so far, all is connected. So since none of us are traditionally religious we turned to something more alternative. Every morning we started doing yoga, at the beginning it was quite funny but as the routine settled a morning doesn’t go by without it. What was your way of doing something for your soul? What is spiritual for you is very personal. It is for you to define. But that doesn't mean that you have to explore spiritual questions and ideas by yourself. You can share and learn from others. You can also turn to your religion, community or family for guidance and support.

     Imbolc is the ancient Celtic festival that honors the goddess Brigid that takes place between the first and second day of February. This holiday is known by many names such as Brigid’s Day and Oimelc. Oimlec means milk of ewes since it is also the traditional lambing season in the old world, animals have either given birth to the first offspring of the year are soon to give birth.  Imbolc is the second Sabbat of the Wiccan year and it celebrates the coming end of winter. After Imbolc we start seeing the first signs of spring, days are becoming longer and the sun shines bright again.  Imbolc is a time of new beginnings and of purification, which is perfectly symbolized by the transition from winter to spring.

     There are many different ways you can celebrate Imbolc. Some people focus on the Celtic goddess Brigid, as a deity of fire and fertility. Celtic Fire Goddess, Brigid, is a patron of smithcraft, healing, midwifery, and poetry. Others focus their rituals more towards the cycles of the season, and nature.

Imbolc Candle lighting ritual

     One of many names for Imbolc is Candlemas. Hundreds of years ago it was believed that our ancestors relied upon the sun as their only source of light, candles represent the sun and the guiding path. This ritual is often used as a way to call back the lights, and it is practiced today with the seven candles ritual. One candle represents the thin line between good and evil, some of them stand for the cleansing that fire brings, and the rest of them symbolize the light that comes with the end of winter.
     To perform this ritual you will need seven candles, in red and white colors, something to light your candles with, a large bowl or cauldron that can hold the candles, and or salt to fill the bottom of the bowl or whatever you choose using. Pour the sand or salt into the bowl or cauldron. Place the seven candles into the sand so they don’t fall. Once you light the first candle you should say:

 “Although it is now dark, I come seeking light. In the chill of winter, I come seeking life.”

Then light the second candle and say:

“I call upon fire that melts the snow and warms the hearth. I call upon fire that brings the light and makes new life. I call upon fire to purify me with your flames.”

Light the third candle and say:

“This light is a boundary, between positive and negative. That which is outside, shall stay without. That which is inside, shall stay within.”

After lighting the fourth candle repeat the same as for the second candle:

“I call upon fire that melts the snow and warms the hearth. I call upon fire that brings the light and makes new life. I call upon fire to purify me with your flames.”

Light the fifth candle and say:

“Like fire, light and love will always grow. Like fire, wisdom and inspiration will always grow.”

After sixth candle you should repeat:

“I call upon fire that melts the snow and warms the hearth. I call upon fire that brings the light and makes new life. I call upon fire to purify me with your flames.”

And finally after lighting the last candle, imagine all the flames coming as one, a union, and say:

“Fire of the hearth, blaze of the sun, cover me in your shining light. I am awash in your glow, and tonight I am made pure.”

     This ritual perfectly represents Imbolc, the time of healing and purification. It can help you deal with your problems in a healthy way and start fresh in the spring. That would be the whole point of Imbolc, throwing out the old and breathing in the new just like the snow melts allowing plants to bloom so shall you.
     If you are not really up to do the seven candles ritual, an easier way is to just light up all your house lights. That will symbolize the sun and fire of Imbolc.

 

Searching for Signs of Spring

      The first thing that comes to mind is the groundhog coming out of his cave to greet spring, but this can be a lot of things. You can go for a walk and find a flower that started to bloom or a leaf that started growing. Watch for the birds that started returning like little beacons of hope that spring is coming!

Hello, beautiful one!

Hope you have had a wonderful Yuletide and New Year. And I wish your 2016 is filled with peace, happiness, health, love and prosperity!

     January is the month of the Full Wolf Moon.
 It first appeared when wolves howled in hunger outside the villages. It is also known as the Old Moon.
     To some Native American tribes, this was the Snow Moon, but most applied that name to the next full Moon, in February.

It will be on January, 23rd

Moon Folklore:

It is said that a bright first Moon promises rain and a bountiful harvest.

Here's the spell I'll be casting on this full moon and a great suggestion!

Do you struggle with anxiety, impatience, a little bit of stress growing in you? Do you find yourself too often easily losing your nerve with people and life situations?

If so, try this spell to help you increase your patience and relieve all of those unhealthy bad stuff out of you.

      I find this one a big tool dealing with all of that, plus telling my social anxiety to shut up!

What better way to bless this year?

You will need: 

-A cup or bowl filled with water;
-A blue candle;
-Essential oil – lavender, palmarosa or jasmine.

1.  Cast your circle and light the candle. 

2.  Take ten deep breaths while gazing at the candle flame.  For each in-breath, imagine that you are inhaling the peaceful blue colour of the candle as it was smoke, and for each out-breath, imagine all your frustrations leaving your body. 

3.  Now take the bowl of water, and put three drops of your chosen essential oil in it.  Dip your fingers in the water, stirring slightly, and recite the following:

Blessed waters cool my spirit, 

Fill me with your soothing peace.

Like the river I shall flow Patiently,

with joy and ease Now 

4.  Blow out the candle and close your circle. 

If you like, you can keep a bowl of water with the essential oil in it on your altar – if you feel impatient again, inhale the scent of the essential oil while repeating the incantation.

Hope you found this useful!

Hugs and Kisses!

Reny

Hey there, my sweet little princes and princesses! :D

A few weeks ago a precious friend of mine sent me a beautiful amethyst pendant, first of many in my inventory, indeed!

  I'm already starting to get affectionate with it and feeling it's special proprieties changing my life!

       When I'm not wearing it or meditating with it, I can still feel it cleansing the air of  any negative energies. ^-^

       Amethyst has been known as one the most highly prized forms of quartz. It is the presence of manganese in quartz that produces the purple color, and iron content varies the coloration. 

=Mythology=

"Bacchus", by Anna Dorothea Therbusch

 Bacchus, the god of wine, declared in a rage, that the first person he passes would be eaten by tigers. This turns out to be a beautiful maiden named Amethyst. The goddess Diana quickly turned Amethyst into a white stone to save her from the tigers. Regretting his anger, Bacchus poured red wine over the stone as an offering to Diana, so turning the stone purple. Amethyst has long been associated with relieving hangovers, or curing drunkenness, probably as a result of its wine-like color and the Bacchus tale.

=Healing properties of Amethyst=

      Amethyst is a gemstone often worn by healers, as it has the power to focus energy. A healer will usually wear several pieces of jewelry with amethysts set in silver, especially an amethyst necklace. The person to be healed will have an Amethyst to hold while the healing is being done. The healer will place another piece of Amethyst on the area of the body in need of healing, the heart or lungs usually.

      Amethyst as been also used for problems in the blood and in breathing problems.

Amethyst crystal clusters are used to keep the air and life force in the home clean and positive.

Me and my Amethyst Pendant ^-^

Earth teach me stillness

as the grasses are stilled with light.

Earth teach me suffering

as old stones suffer with memory.

Earth teach me humility

as blossoms are humble with beginning.

Earth teach me caring

as the mother who secures her young.

Earth teach me courage

as the tree which stands alone.

Earth teach me limitation

as the ant which crawls on the ground.

Earth teach me freedom

as the eagle which soars in the sky.

Earth teach me resignation 

as the leaves which die in the fall.

Earth teach me regeneration

as the seed which rises in the spring.

Earth teach me to forget myself

as melted snow forgets its life.

Earth teach me to remember kindness

as dry fields weep in the rain...