Deck Review: The Kitchen Tarot

This week for my card of the day posts on Instagram and Facebook I used The Kitchen Tarot by Dennis Fairchild and Susan Shie.  I wanted to give this deck my official Review and talk a little bit about it for my fellow Tarot enthusiasts.  (Disclosure: I have not been asked to write this review by the publisher or the author of the deck and I am not receiving any kind of compensation or payment for doing this.)

Fittingly enough, my first card of the Year for 2017 was The Calendar AKA The Moon!

As we all collectively changed our calendars and thought about cycles, and some people were no doubt recovering from a late night celebrating and ringing in the new year - here came this card about resting, taking time to dream and plan ahead and be aware of the cycles of the Moon.

The Kitchen tarot artwork by Susan Shie is simply perfect.  Each of the Major Arcana cards was made as a large mixed media quilt with images of the home or things in the kitchen replacing our familiar tarot archetypes.  The symbolism is really fitting for each card, with things like "Cream and Sugar" for The Lovers card and "The Compost Pot" for the Death card.  There are teeny tiny words filling in most of the spaces inside the quilt sections.  Some of these words are sayings or affirmations that reflect the lesson of the card.  Some of the words are more personal stories that the artist felt were moments of her life that fit in with the story or archetype of the card.

The guidebook that comes with the deck is well written and continues the theme of the kitchen through clever puns and allegory while describing what the card may mean in your life.  Some of the symbolism is explained, and an affirmation is offered for each card as well.  This deck is perfect for a "Card of The Day" or "Card of the Week" type reading, and I also like to use it occasionally in a 3 card spread such as "Body, Mind, Spirit" to get a deeper picture of energies present in my life.  When these sometimes profound Major Arcana archetypes come into play in your life they can sometimes be overwhelming.  . . but when they are interpreted and presented as familiar themes that I encounter in my kitchen - they can suddenly feel familiar and manageable!  What a blessing!

Overall I do love this deck! 

I would rate it 4 stars out of 5
The only drawbacks I find when working with this deck are

1) I wish it were a full deck and included Minor Arcana Cards!  But that doesn't stop me from using it or getting accurate readings with it... I just would like to see what a full deck looked like!

2) The small detail in the cards is hard to see.  Sometimes I wish I could read some of the small lettering in the artwork as I feel like I might be missing out on something the artist wanted me to see!

I would be happy to do a 3 card reading for you with this deck!  You can order one through my Etsy Shop or visit my website to learn more about the Tarot and Oracle Card Readings I offer!

You can also order a copy of this deck for yourself from Amazon

The Kitchen as a Sacred Space? YES!

This week on my facebook page and instagram page you may have seen my "Room Of The Week" posts that have been focused on The Kitchen.  While our modern kitchen is a far stretch away from our ancestor's kitchens, we can struggle to see it as the "Hearth" of a home.  Without the open fire, is the kitchen still a Hearth?  My answer is yes.  Much of our daily life is still centered around this part of our home where we store food, prepare food, and wash the dishes.  Some people might feel that the Oven is their new Hearth, while others may find it to be the Kitchen sink - or even just the kitchen as a whole.  For someone who is spiritually minded (meaning spiritual but not pinning this down to just one religion or spiritual path)  The kitchen can be seen as a room of nourishment and healing, as well as alchemy and devotion. We find nourishment for our bodies (and also for those cravings that feed our spirit) We can cook up a batch of soup for a sick family member, or comfort food to take to someone who is grieving.  We watch as magic-like alchemy takes place in pots on the stovetop and rising dough on the countertop.  We can also express a form of devotion and commitment to our home and family by cleaning the kitchen.

I asked everyone on Sunday to determine what their kitchen needs most in order to begin feeling like a sacred space.  Does it need to be Decluttered?  (That's where I am starting and recommend If you have too much stuff in your kitchen or many things that don't belong there.)  Or you could be at the Organizing Stage, where "too much stuff" isn't the problem as much as "where does it go"?  Finally, if your kitchen is already clutter free and organized, you can move on to Deep Cleaning - these are the tasks you don't do every day like cleaning out the fridge, cleaning the small appliances and backs of cabinets, etc.  

When your kitchen is cleaner and more organized it is much easier to connect with it as a sacred space.  Clutter or mess causes stress and blocks our intuitive guidance.  

Here is part of a blog post I wrote in 2015 (from the post titled "Starting Over"

"Confession Time; I'm a horrible housekeeper.
Ironic, since my Matron Goddess is Hestia - Keeper of the Hearth.  But this is exactly why She's my Matron; I return to her when I need the motivation to care for my home properly.  She reminds me that caring for my household is a great act of Love - for myself and for my family.

In mythology, Hestia volunteered to keep watch over the Fire of the Gods.  Instead of returning to Olympus with her brothers and sisters to reign and rule, she chose a life of service; keeping the Fire of the Gods lit and tended.  In ancient times it was important to keep the hearth fire of the home lit and ready at all times.  It was the source of heat, light, cooking, and other preparations and activities that went on through the day.  If the fire went out or was untended and dwindled - precious time would be needed to get it going again; time that could have been used being more productive.  One never knew when the fire would be needed, so it was best to keep it steadily going.  As Hestia watched over the Fire of The Gods in this way, she became the Goddess of The Hearth and Home, representing the service of the housekeepers that blessed the household and kept it running smoothly.  

In our modern world, we don't need to keep a fire lit in our homes at all times.  Yet we do take actions that keep the household running smoothly and keep our family safe, fed, and protected.  Paying the electric bill.  Preparing the meals.  Cleaning and Maintaining the home.  Hestia reminds me that these acts of service are a loving choice I make for my family - not an evil chore that I am tied down to or required to do as a slave, but an act of love."

..... and continued....

"My starting point is the Kitchen Sink.  As I mentioned, we don't really have a "Hearth" in modern homes.  Even homes that have a fireplace - that fireplace Hearth does not necessarily play the role of center of the home.  So what place in the home does serve as the central focus?  For me, it's the Kitchen Sink.  This is probably because of FlyLady's teachings of Starting with the Kitchen Sink.  Her theory is that if you keep your kitchen sink shiny, the rest comes easier.  It's easier to keep up with the dishes if you're not letting them pile up.  It's easier to be motivated to keep the rest of the kitchen clean and shiny if the sink is clean and shiny.  It's easier to be motivated to keep the other rooms of the house clean if the kitchen is clean.  Then the other things you need to do come easier too, because you don't have to clean before you cook, or you don't have to clean up the living room just because you want to sit down and relax.  In theory, if you keep your kitchen sink shiny, the rest will fall into place (it still takes work, but that's the basic idea)  You can read FlyLady's Kitchen Sink lesson HERE. 

So for me, the kitchen sink is becoming my "Hearth Fire".  It is the place to focus on, it is the place to start and the place to end.  Hestia is considered 'The First and The Last" and it was traditional to honor her first thing every morning and the last thing every night.  Incidentally - FlyLady says to shine the kitchen sink first thing every morning and the last thing every night.  So this just works!  "

So thinking of the kitchen as a central focus of our home, we absolutely must also think of it as a sacred space.  It can't really be one and not the other.  So as we have done in other rooms, we can Clear The Space and make sure that our kitchen is filled with things that serve a purpose or match our intention for that space.  You can read my full post on How to Declutter your home with a spiritual intention here - Clutter As A Block To Spiritual Flow. and make sure you follow my facebook page for some more tips and challenges through the week!

Bathroom Magick - Banishing

Bathroom Magick - BANISHING

You may not think of your bathroom as a very magickal place, or a place to do spells other than Ritual Bathing.  Check out my previous post about the Bathroom and see some ideas and tips for thinking of your bathroom as a sacred space (along with tips for cleaning it)

One type of magick that is perfect for the bathroom is Banishing.  As this is where we quite literally wash away dirt and grime, and ermmm... "release waste and toxins" from the body, we already have subconsciously related the bathroom to Banishing.  Let's bring that correspondence to our conscious mind and utilize this space for some magick!

• Pretty obviously, you can set the intention to banish or release stress and negativity every time you wash your hands and face or take a shower or bath.  You could even choose a soap that is infused with an oil or herb with banishing qualities and bless that soap with the intention of removing negativity every time you use it.  You can find soaps or face washes with Aloe, Blackberry, Cedar, Cinnamon, Clove, Coconut, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Lemon, Lime, Peppermint, Raspberry, Rosemary, Sandalwood, Tumeric, and Witchhazel - all of these have banishing properties as well as benefits for the skin!
  
• For washing away a bad habit, get a bar of soap and carve the name of the bad habit deeply into the soap.  Use the soap every day during a waning moon cycle and as the words carved in the soap fade so will your bad habit.  (intention and willpower are also important here!)  When the words have faded completely, throw the remaining soap away.
  
• Detox - find some bath salts, face mask, or body mud that have detoxifying properties.  As you use these products, visualize the product not only drawing toxins out of your skin - but drawing out negativity and stress too.  Light some candles and bring some gemstones in your bathroom that absorb negativity - like Obsidian, Onyx, or Black Agate. (check out these awesome detox bath and skin products!)
  
• Flush it! For a quick banishing spell, write down what you want to banish on some toilet paper.  Examples; "stress", "debt", "illness", "depression".  Sprinkle some banishing herbs or spices on the toilet paper, wad it up and Flush it down the toilet!  This can be really empowering as you visualize your problem being flushed away.  Add some power by saying,
  "Problem of mine, you cannot stay
  Problem be gone, flushed away!"

Thanks for reading!  Do you have more ideas for banishing spells that can be done in the bathroom?  Leave a comment!

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Sunday Magick

Sundays are ruled by The Sun and are associated with Solar energy. On a Sunday you can empower your life and magick by accessing this masculine, fatherly, solar energy in your rituals or meditations.

Colors: Gold, Yellow, Orange, Red Deities: Apollo, Ra, Horus, Sol, Atum, Helios, Amaterasu

Archangel Michael


For Meditations or Rituals on a Sun-Day focus on: Fathers, Masculine Energy, Authority Figures, Leaders/Leadership, Power, Prosperity, luck, vitality, energy, money/wealth, growth, protection, courage, strength, self preservation, the self/Ego, fire magick, candle magick, solar magick, life force, willpower.

SUNDAY HOUSEHOLD MAGICK The Sun is the Ego - or the self that we show outwardly to the world. In terms of the home - this is our front yard, the porch, windows, doorways, and entryway. Sundays are a good day to clean up and bless these areas of the home - like cleaning ourselves up before a date or interview; these outer parts of our home are the "first impression" of the home for visitors, friends, family and even yourself!

The windows are where the sunlight enters the home, so cleaning and blessing these can help us welcome Solar energy into our homes. Clean the windows and windowsills while focusing on the intention of your desire flowing into the home (luck, prosperity, protection, etc - choose your intention from the list above!)

Yard Work or a barbeque (if weather permits) are good ways to honor Fire energy while also blessing the home, yard, and self.

Sun-days are also a good day to honor the ancestors - especially male ancestors or strong leaders, soldiers, and fathers on the family tree. Honor the living male family members too - clean up or bless a part of the home they use the most, or cook them a special meal or help them with a project.

Sun Magick can be done in so many ways around the home. Use the above suggestions to create your own Sun-Day rituals and home blessings.

Mercury Retrograde Housekeeping Challenge!

It's Mercury Retrograde time again!  (This current Mercury Retrograde is September 17 to October 9th of 2015.)
You probably know that Mercury Retrograde isn't a great time to start any new projects, but it IS a great time to go back and finish up anything you started before!  Revise, edit, repair! 
As far as the household, Mercury retrograde is great for releasing excess belongings.  Get rid of clutter and trash and use this time to focus on releasing that which no longer serves you! Review my previous blog post; Clutter As a Block To Spiritual Flow to remember why this clutter can be so detrimental - and how freeing it can be to let it go!

I found this great list of simple challenges on Pinterest.  It's perfect for a Mercury Retrograde because it is a 21 Day challenge!  Mercury Retrogrades usually last about 3 weeks (21 days) and this gives you a simple area of focus for those days!

If you follow ("Like") my facebook page I will be putting up daily reminders for each challenge.

Have fun, keep it simple, and let this retrograde be a time of releasing that which no longer serves you in order to welcome positivity into your life in unexpected ways!  And you may find some great things to donate to charity!

Housekeeping and The Law of Attraction

I've been writing a series of blog posts about Magickal Housekeeping and the spiritual aspects of the home, room by room.  Starting with the spiritual power of Clearing Your Space and getting rid of clutter I've challenged myself and my readers to begin to declutter the home.  I've so far covered the Bathroom and the Bedroom and will be moving on to the Kitchen soon.

This post is a bit of a follow-up on the original post on this series - Clutter As A Block To Spiritual Flow.  I wanted to talk again about the Law of Attraction.  As mentioned in my original post, Clutter and mess can be a factor in slowly draining away energy, or blocking the flow of energy in your home.  The best of intentions and the positive thinking that are crucial aspects of the Law of Attraction can be diminished if your home is in disarray.

Trust me, my home is far from clean and organized!  I'm probably the last person to be telling someone else how to get organized!  But, I've recognized it as a challenge for myself and have learned a lot over the past few years.  My housework has become a spiritual practice - giving it meaning instead of letting it feel like a chore that I do grudgingly.  I often fall behind on my goals and upkeep - I suffer from Chronic Migraines that end up limiting how much I can do from day to day.  When I feel good, I often spend my time playing "catch up" on the chores like laundry, dishes, and basic cleaning. This is part of why I'm challenging myself to de-clutter and get organized.  It is much easier to maintain and "catch up" when there isn't all this extra stuff cluttering up the place!  Plus I know I have felt a difference in a room that has less junk.  When the things in a room all serve a purpose - and they are all either useful or beautiful - the room functions as it is designed.

Here are some of my thoughts about The Law of Attraction and how it applies to the home and housekeeping:

• Everything around you elicits some kind of emotional response or thought.  The pile of papers on your desk that need to be organized - makes you feel stressed, overwhelmed, or panicked at the thought of those upcoming bills or things to do.  The beautiful trinket that is a family heirloom and makes you think of a beloved family member can bring feelings of comfort or belonging.  The gift that was given to you by an Ex - while it is nice and you like it, just reminds you of the failed relationship or the anger associated with that person.  The clean countertop with a beautiful vase of flowers makes you feel refreshed and joyful every time you walk past it.  Now, thinking of the Law of Attraction and how our thoughts and feelings attract things to our lives - which of the above examples would you want around you?  It's easier to maintain the positive thinking when you're surrounded by things that promote feelings of positivity.  And much harder to maintain the positive attitude when things around you are consistently making you feel stressed, regretful, or sad.

• What are you thinking of while you clean the house?  If you're thinking "I hate doing this." or feeling angry that other household members haven't helped out as much as they should; what effect is that having on the Law of Attraction?  If you can maintain some level of mindfulness while you do your chores, however - you can change those simple jobs into a beautiful experience.  While you wash the dishes, try focusing on feelings of gratitude.  After all if you have dirty dishes it means that you had food to eat.  You have running water and dishes to eat off of.  When you sweep or mop the floor you can visualize sweeping away the negativity or any stress that may have entered your home.  When you fold the laundry you can focus on feelings of love and protection for each family member.  There are many ways you can turn those chores into active meditations or spiritual rituals.  And then they become a powerful source of positivity to contribute to the Law of Attraction, rather than moments of frustration or anger that are attracting the wrong sort of energy.

• Taking care of your home is a strong expression of LOVE - for yourself and your family.  I love the website www.FlyLady.org and the methods FlyLady teaches.  Her primary message is that cleaning your home is a powerful act of Self Love.  F.L.Y. stands for "Finally Loving Yourself" and she teaches that creating simple routines and doing little things every day to bless your home is simply another act of self care.  Just as we must care for our body with healthy diet and hygiene, we must take care of our environment as well.  Not only does it do the obvious part of providing a sanitary place to eat and sleep; it also promotes an environment that is good for our mental and spiritual health.  Avoiding the stress of trying to find some important paperwork that was lost in a pile of clutter.  Feeling more empowered to go about the tasks of the day because you have a plan, a routine.  Having more time to focus on the things that truly bring us joy and satisfaction. 

Having a "Perfect" home is not the goal.  It's about creating a home that is functional to what you need it to be; a place of rest and safety.  I've come to accept the fact that I'll never be perfectly organized and tidy.  I'm okay with that.  But I've listed some attitudes and tools that have helped me maintain a sense of control.  A place to start and things to remember when I'm feeling bogged down or overwhelmed.  As a person with a chronic illness I have trouble sticking to daily routines because not every day comes with the energy or ability to do even the smallest tasks.  I'm working on creating habits that help me on my good days and my bad days.  Getting rid of clutter is just a part of the process; as well as having a spiritual purpose or mindfulness behind the tasks that I do.

Good Luck and Blessed Be!

This post was inspired by the writing prompt at The Pagan Experience for more posts about the Law Of Attraction from Pagan Blogs click here

Bedroom Magick - Sleep & Dreams

Here are some more ideas for further exploration of The Bedroom as a place of Magick. I discussed some of the magickal aspects of the bedroom in a previous post, and have included a post with spells for Sex and one for a Mindfulness while making the bed.  Let's talk about Sleep!

Sleeping and Dreaming have long been associated with Magick.  They continue to be mysterious to us, even with more and more scientific studies emerging about sleeping and dreaming.   If you approach your time of sleep with an attitude of wonder, respect, and magick, it can increase the spirituality of this time for you.  Here are some correspondences and associations that go along with sleep and dreaming;

Sleep Magickal Correspondences
Colors; Silver, Blue, Purple, Indigo, White
Plants/Herbs; Catnip, Celery seed, Chamomile, Elder, Fennel, Frankincense, Gardenia, Lavender, Mugwort, Myrrh, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Valerian
Gemstones; Amethyst, Aquamarine, Blue Lace Agate, Calcite, Coral, Jade, Marcasite, Moonstone, Opal, Quartz, Sandstone, Selenite, Turquoise
Astrological Sign; Virgo
Planet; Mercury
Day of the Week; Wednesday
Element; Earth
Direction; North

Dreams Magickal Correspondences
Colors; White, Indigo, Purple, Lavender
Plants/Herbs; Basil, Bay Laurel, Copal, Frankincense, Gardenia, Horehound, Jasmine, Lavender, Mugwort, Myrrh, Nutmeg, Patchouli, Sage, Witch Grass, Wormwood
Gemstones; Amethyst, Calcite, carnelian, Emerald, Jade, Mica, Moonstone, Selenite, Turquoise, Ulexite
Astrological Sign; Pisces
Planet; Neptune
Day of the Week; Thursday
Element; Water
Direction; West

Astral Travel
Colors; Silver, Purple, White, Black
Plants; Bay, Benzoin, Frankincense, Mugwort, Myrrh, Nutmeg, Sage, Skullcap, Vervain
Gemstones; Amethyst, Aquamarine, Calcite, Diamond, Ulexite
Astrological Sign; Scorpio
Planet; Pluto
Day of the Week; Tuesday
Element; Water
Direction; West

Make a Dream Pillow or a Sleep Pillow
Using the correspondences above, you can make a Sleep Pillow or a Dream pillow.  Get some cloth of the corresponding color for what you want (you may want to make one for helping you fall asleep, or you may want to make one for helping you remember your dreams or for promoting Lucid Dreaming or Astral Travel.)  Cut two six-inch squares of the fabric and sew them together, leaving one side open to add the stuffing. Fill half full with cotton batting or your fiber of choice.  Then add dried herbs of your choice from the corresponding list above.  You may also wish to tuck a gemstone or two from the list as well.  You can write a simple prayer or the word "Sleep" or "dream" on a small piece of paper and put that in the pillow as well.  Sew it shut after it is filled, visualizing your intent and the energy of sleeping or dreaming flowing into the pillow.  You may wish to place a couple drops of corresponding essential oil on the pillow.  For added effect, create your pillow on the day of the week associated with your intention, or when the moon is in the corresponding astrological sign.  You may also choose to bless or consecrate your pillow as you see fit. Keep the pillow on your bed and sleep with it at night. You can also make one for children for helping them sleep or for promoting peaceful dreams. 

Some recipes for Herb Pillows -

• For prophetic dreams stuff with dried mugwort and nutmeg and use frankincense oil.  If you are sensitive or have many personal problems you may not want to sleep with this pillow often as it can bring about very intense dreams.
• For headache relief or to guard against nightmares; 1 oz. lavender flowers, 1/2 oz. verbena, 1/2 oz. lemon balm, 1/2 oz rosemary
• Men's sleep pillow; 1 oz. lemon verbena, 1 oz. lavender flowers, a pinch each of thyme and mint
• Cherokee Dream Pillow
  The following mixture is said to bring prophetic dreams.  Use dried herbs & flowers.  2 oz. lavender flowers, 2 oz. sage, 1 oz. ground orris root, 2 oz. deer tongue herb, 1 oz. cedar shavings, 2 oz. coltsfoot herb, 2 oz. sweet fern, 1 oz. violet flowers

Blessing Your Sheets To Promote Sleep
On a Wednesday or when the Moon is in Virgo, wash your sheets.  When you're ready to put them in the washer place a couple tea bags of chamomile tea in a clean sock with some dried lavender or drops of lavender oil.  Tie the sock closed or secure it with a string. Place it in the Washer with your sheets and say;
"Chamomile, Lavender work as a balm; Bring to my bed Peace and Calm!"
You can place the herb-filled sock in the dryer with the sheets also, and repeat the prayer.

Tea for Clairvoyant Dreams
You may want to drink this tea to accompany your Dream Pillow.
1 tsp. chamomile
1 tsp. mugwort
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. rosemary

Tea For Peaceful Sleep
You may want to drink this tea to accompany your sleep pillow, or any night right before bed.
equal parts (about 1 tsp. each)
peppermint, chamomile, catnip, valerian, skullcap, passionflower, strawberry leaf

Sleep Prayer
If you are having trouble falling asleep, you can repeat this prayer at bedtime or as you lay in bed
"Sleep Come Easy
Sleep Come Fast
Sleep Come Tonight
and Through The Night Last"

Some Tips For Getting a Good Night's Sleep
If you have trouble sleeping, falling asleep, or experience insomnia, here are some tips to help.

• Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening.  Also avoid foods with added sugar.  Drink a calming, relaxing tea such as chamomile or passionflower.
• Have a clean, tidy bedroom.  The energy in the room will be much more peaceful and help promote sleep if the space is free of clutter.  Also having your kitchen sink clean and empty before bed is said to help promote sleep.
• If the "things I need to do tomorrow" keep you awake, make a list of things you need to do before you go to bed.  Having a list will help ease your mind and you won't be so worried about forgetting these things. 
• Take a walk, do yoga, stretch or do some Tai Ji before bed.  Peaceful movement will help bring your body to a more relaxed peaceful state.
• Meditation.  Meditate for 10 to 15 minutes before bed.  With or without music, just dedicate some time to peacefully sitting in silence.  Focus on your breathing and relaxing your body.  The more you practice this the easier it will become.
• Go to bed at the same time every night.  This helps your body establish a set sleep schedule.
• Have a routine.  If you practice some or all of the above tips consistently before bed, then when you do them you're sending the message to your mind and body that it is time for sleep.  If they don't help the first few nights, keep going and be persistent and consistent.  Eventually when you have established a routine and keep a regular bedtime, you should have a much easier time falling asleep.

Spell; Invoke The Great Mother Goddess for Wisdom
You'll need;
A blue or purple candle in a fireproof holder
Essential oil of Lotus (or Jasmine or Myrrh)
A small statue of an Owl (or a picture of an owl)
A journal and pen
A deck of tarot cards or a set of runes
optional; a dream pillow made with the correspondences above and cup of dream-promoting tea

Anoint the candle with the essential oil and place it in the candle holder.  Place the owl next to the candle and your deck of cards or set of runes on the other side of the candle.  Cast your circle or set the boundaries as you wish.  Call upon any Mother Goddess of Wisdom that you choose, (Isis, Hera, Athene, Frejya, etc) or simply call the Great Mother Goddess.  Meditate and simply talk with the Goddess awhile about why you seek wisdom and for what areas of your life you are seeking wisdom.  Write down in your journal these intentions and desires.

Light the candle and say;
"Wise Mother, great counselor,
Teach me waking and sleeping.
Send me omens true and dreams wise.
Instruct me in your great wisdom.
I open my heart and mind to you, Wise Mother.
I ask for your all-knowing counsel and guidance
that Wisdom may come to me quickly!"

Lay out three tarot cards or runes in front of the candle and owl.  Write down any impressions, thoughts, and feelings that you receive while studying the cards.  When you are finished journaling your thoughts on your reading say;
"Grant me skills of Clarity and Wisdom.
Great Mother, make me wise.
You who are both skillful and strong,
guide my steps, keep me from wrong."

If you are including a Dream Tea in your ritual, drink it now.  When you are done, extinguish the candle.  Place the tarot cards or runes in a cloth bag and sleep with them under your pillow.  When you wake up, immediately write down anything you remember from your dreams.  Even if you don't understand what the images meant.  You may choose to draw one tarot card or rune each day, and continue to journal your readings and your dreams for as long as you want.  You may light the candle and repeat the prayer each night before bed for as long as you like or until you feel like you have received the insight you are looking for. 



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Resources;
Natural Magick by Sally Dubats, The Magical Household by Scott Cunningham & David Harrington, Moon Magick by D.J. Conway, Mrs. B's Guide To Household Witchery by Kris Bradley

Mindfulness Practice - Making Your Bed

I have been adding my thoughts on how cleaning your house, even the simple stuff, can be part of a spiritual devotion.  This week I've been focusing on the bedroom so today I wanted to talk about the simple act of making your bed.  I've discussed how having a clean, organized bedroom can help promote a restful night's sleep, provide you with a relaxing space to unwind, encourage a healthy relationship with your partner, and possibly even be a Sacred Space for your meditation area or your Altar.  You begin your day and end your day in your bedroom. 

When you begin your day, it is the best time to set your intentions for the day.  A few minutes to check-in with your Spirit or Higher self and decide what you want out of the day.  When our bed is made, we feel like our day is officially beginning!  It reduces the temptation to just crawl back under the covers, and it makes the bed that much more welcoming at bedtime when we are done with our day and ready to go to sleep!

 When I make my bed, I like to say a little blessing prayer for the day.  I feel like when I make my bed, I am turning the page to a brand new day.  I am saying "yesterday is over." and preparing to start a new day.  Each day is a blank page, a fresh start in writing our story!  Making the bed doesn't take long, but I love to take those few moments to take a deep breath, turn the page from yesterday to today, and say a blessing for the day ahead of me!

In ancient yogic traditions, as well as Buddhist teachings, we find a practice called "Mindfulness".  It's about being fully aware of what you are doing in the present moment.  Being aware of your actions, your feelings, and your intentions.  Making your bed is a good place to start with practicing a few minutes a day of Mindful Awareness, and of Devoting some time to your Spiritual Practice.

A simple prayer for making your bed might include gratitude for your sleep and safety, followed by an affirmation or promise to make the most out of your day.

Example;
"I am grateful for the sleep, safety, dreams and healing I received here last night.
Today is new!  Yesterday is done and today I begin again!
My goal for today is _____________________"

Simple visualization and focusing on a feeling of gratitude is enough!  Just focus on the task of making your bed while holding the feeling of gratitude in your heart and try not to let your mind wander!

Bedroom Magick - Sex

Since I wrote about The Bedroom last week - and the many spiritual aspects of the bedroom, I thought I'd make a couple posts including spells that apply.  So here are a few Sex & Romance spells for your bedroom!

First, here's a list of correspondences for Sex - you can create your own spell, sachet, craft, or ritual based on these - just gather what you want to use and be creative!

Sex Magick Correspondences*
Colors; Red, Orange
Astrological Sign; Scorpio  (or choose the astrological sign of your partner)
Planets; Pluto and Venus
Day of the Week; Friday
Elements; Water & Fire
Direction; West or South
Gods; Ares, Eros, Pan, Bes, Enzo, Freyr, Cupid
Goddesses; Aphrodite, Bastet, Hathor, Xochiquetzal, Astarte, Aine, Parvati, Rati,Freya, Venus,
Plants / Herbs; Apple, cinnamon, Clove, Copal, Gardenia, Garlic, Ginger, Lavender, Nuts, Patchouli, Pomegranate, Raspberry, Rose, Saffron, Tonka Beans, Valerian, Yarrow
Gemstones; Agate, Amber, Carnelian, Cat's Eye, Copper, Garnet, Moonstone, Quartz, Rhodochrosite, Rose Quartz, Sapphire, Smoky Quartz
       * not a "complete" list!  You may find other associations that are not listed here!

With any kind of Magick - but especially with Sex Magick - be careful what you wish for!  You don't want your partner to be overly attracted to you - resulting in you getting tired of the advances or risk hurting their feelings if you reject their advances.  You don't want to interfere with anyone's free will - it's best to use these spells to "spice up" the sex life of existing relationships, or to just make you more open and comfortable with your own sexuality - not to convince an otherwise unwilling partner into the bed with you!  Also - a lot of correspondences relating to sex are also related to Fertility!  If you or your partner are not wanting to get pregnant, use precautions!  Be very clear in your intentions about what you want!

Keeping Things Sexy Spell
from Mrs. B's Guide to Household Witchery by Kris Bradley
"As the years go by, as children join the family, and as schedules get more and more complicated, passion can sometimes take a backseat to all the other things going on in your life.  If you find that you want to try to heat things up a bit, use this simple spell.
Supplies; Red Ribbon, Rose Petals, a pair of your underwear, a pair of your partner's underwear
1. Grab a pair of your underwear (The sexier the better!) and a pair of your partner's
2. Lay out one pair and sprinkle the rose petals on top.
3. Lay the other pair of underwear on top of that one.  Then fold them both into a small bundle with the rose petals inside.  Wrap them tight with the red ribbon, tying three knots while saying;
Knot of one, bring on the fun.  Second knot, get things hot.  Knot of three; Passionate sex for me and thee. (visualizing you and your partner)
4.  Place the bundle under the bed.  Then make the effort to go to bed before you're too tired to do anything about it!"
* you can add a crystal or another herb or two to this spell from the list at the top of this post!  Make sure your bedroom is clean and your bed is made with nice clean sheets so the energy of your spell doesn't get lost in the clutter or a mess!

Simple Friday Sex Spell
Fidays are sacred to Freya, Frigg, and Venus or Aphrodite.  Find a red candle and gather roses, cinnamon, and any other plants or gemstones you want to include.  On a Friday Morning or, set these items on a table or altar.  You may also wish to have incense or essential oil of rose, lavender, or cinnamon.  Arrange the altar with these items and light the candle.  Sit for a few minutes with the Goddess of your choice, and just talk to her.  What are your fears?  What do you think is blocking your sex life from being what you want it to be?  What exactly do you want your sex life to be like?  Be honest.  Ask the Goddess to help remove any obstacles and clear the way for intimacy in your life.  State your desire and then say "So Mote It Be" and swiftly blow out the candle like you're blowing out a candle on a birthday cake (making a wish).  Go about the rest of your day as usual, but be open to any inspiration from your Goddess.  You might be inspired to have a conversation with your partner, clean up your room, buy new sexy underwear, change the appearance of your hair, make a "date night" with your partner, etc . . . just follow those promptings and keep in mind your goal and your conversation with the Goddess from the morning.  In the Evening try to find Venus rising in the sky - usually the first bright star in the evening sky.  Thank her for her continued blessings and go have some fun!

Clear Your Space - The Bedroom

Last week I blogged about the importance of Getting rid of clutter and "Clearing Your Space" as your home environment, clutter and things around you have an effect on the energy in your home and flowing through you & your family.  I decided I needed to focus on getting rid of some clutter in my home and invited you to join me as I go room to room.  I started with The Bathroom and now I'm moving on to the Master Bedroom!



Not my room!  Just a nice picture!

Identifying The Energy Focus of the Bedroom
Everyone's home and home life is a bit different.  Some people only use their bedrooms for sleeping and sex.  Some others may have a multi-purpose bedroom that is also their home office.  So to start, it's best to identify how your bedroom is used, and what kind of energy you want to encourage in your bedroom.  Is it a Sanctuary?  Do you need better sleep?  Is it a place where you want more romance?  Are you trying to conceive a child?  Who do you share the room with?  Does the bedroom also have another use, such as a computer room / office?  Is there a meditation area or an altar?

I'm lucky to have a large bedroom, but it's broken down into different areas.  Obviously I have my bed and a dresser with my clothes.  I also have a couple different altars and a meditation area.  My desk is in here with my computer - so yes it's also an office.  Oh, and did I mention my son shares our bedroom with us?  (Due to the number of bedrooms in the house.  His bed and belongings are on the opposite side of the room from mine and my husband's)

Since this is a multi-purpose room, and is used by all members of the family (because the kids need to use the computer too!) I find it easier to break my room down into sections rather than just "The Bedroom" as a whole.  If you have a smaller bedroom or don't use it for as many purposes, this room's energy will be a lot easier for you to identify.

You see, everything is energy - including our thoughts and wishes!  If our thoughts and wishes swirl around our room and get "stuck" on clutter - they just get bogged down and lose potency.  Plus, a big part of manifesting anything is feeling good!  If you're content, happy, and not distracted or stressed out, it's so much easier to use positive visualization, meditation, or ritual to manifest what you want!

Sleeping and Dreaming
Since MOST people use their bedrooms primarily for sleeping, we'll start there.  There have been studies that show a clean and organized environment helps promote a better night's sleep.  If your room is cluttered; laundry is on the floor, the bedside table is covered with junk, the dresser is in shambles, and even things piled up under your bed - well it's no wonder you're having trouble sleeping!  (Interesting note - in Feng Shui it is widely believed that a dirty kitchen sink will prevent a good night's sleep as well!  So there's another reason to wash those dishes and shine that sink before bed!)  Sleep is quite possibly one of the most magickal things we do.  While we sleep our body heals and rejuvenates itself - even regenerates new cells!  Our brains enter into states that they rarely enter during the day, and science has shown that these sleep states are crucial to our body's health and healing ability.  And we dream!  Dreaming has long been associated with the magickal and mystical.  Whether we practice lucid dreaming, or receive messages from our ancestors, or just get to let our brains sort through our fears and worries - dreaming is an important part of life!  So, as you begin, just look around your bedroom and ask yourself; is this area helping me sleep?  What can be moved, organized, or simply gotten rid of to help me sleep better in this space?  I've found the simple acts of cleaning out under the bed, making the bed every day when I get up, and keeping the surfaces of any bedside tables neat and clean is very helpful in promoting a good night's sleep.  You can also place some crystals near your bed to help you sleep, or make a sleep pillow with herbs in it.  I'll be posting a couple tips and spells about sleeping and dreaming this week to go along with our bedroom topic!

Romance and Sex
Whether you're in a relationship or not - if sex is going to happen it will probably happen in the bedroom!  Hey, by all means be adventurous!  If you prefer the couch or the kitchen table, go for it!  But I'm guessing those other places are for sometimes and the bed is going to be the most comfortable and natural place for those things to happen!  If you're wanting to attract a realationship and some romance into your life - you need a clean bedroom to help you manifest that!  If you're in a relationship already and want to spice things up or keep those flames going - you're going to need a clean bedroom to manifest that!  If you're trying to conceive - guess what - you're going to need a clean bedroom to help manifest that!  So look around your room again.  What things in your room are "blocking" that sexy time energy?  A pile of bills and paperwork from work is probably not helping you or your partner feel relaxed and in the mood.  Kid's toys cluttering up the floor are probably not helping either.  If you live alone, then things that remind you that you're single and make you feel lonely or sad are not going to help you attract a partner - or simply feel okay with being single!  A really simple thing to do when trying to decide what to keep or not (this applies to every room) is to pick an item - look at it and ask, "Do I feel good when I look at this?"  If not - you need to let go of that item!  Once you get rid of things that make you feel bad, or clutter that is detracting from the romance factor in your bedroom - you can then start looking for things to decorate the room to help promote attraction, sex, romance, or fertility.  But don't just add these things on top of or next to clutter!  That clutter will just drain away any effect those items might have had!

Self-Care & Sanctuary
Another purpose of the bedroom has a lot to do with self-care.  We pick out our clothes, get dressed, and put on our shoes in the mornings.  In the evenings we undress.  We recover from illness or sickness in our bedrooms too.  We may do things to "wind down" or relax in our bedroom such as reading, watching tv or a movie, and cuddling with the kids (or the cat or dog)! It's where our day begins and ends.  So as you look around your room, ask yourself - on what note am I beginning and ending each day with this environment?  It should be somewhere you feel safe, comforted, relaxed, and truly yourself!  This is why so many people refer to their bedroom as a "sanctuary" - it should be a safe place not just for your body, but for your mind and spirit!  Keeping this space organized and clutter free will help it feel like a sanctuary.  A problem some people have is that their bedroom becomes a "dumping ground" for things through the day.  Don't have time to fold and put away those clothes right now?  Just throw them in the bedroom.  Need to go through this pile of mail or paperwork, but don't have time right now?  Throw it in the bedroom.  It becomes the "I'll deal with it later" space because of the Out Of Sight - Out Of Mind concept.  If you can't see it, it doesn't exist.  Until you go to bed - then you remember it!  But by then you're tired and on your way to bed, so it gets ignored again "until tomorrow".  Since any guests who come over won't see your bedroom, you feel like it's okay for this room to be messy, because no one sees it but you.  But what kind of message are you sending yourself with that attitude?  You're saying that other people's thoughts/feelings/opinions are more important than your own!  You're saying that your own comfort comes last!  Taking the time to create a Sanctuary in your bedroom is a Scared act of Self-Love!  You deserve to have a place to unwind, relax, and feel safe!  A place where you can just be you!

What next?
So I've given you some ideas of what your bedroom energy should be focused on, and why.  You've looked around your room and asked all the right questions.  Now it's time to tackle some clutter and start clearing your space!  We'll use the same process we did in the bathroom;

Clearing The Space In Your Bedroom

• Choose a time to focus on your bedroom.  It can be as simple as 15 minutes a day for a few days, to one hour . . . whatever works best for you.  Don't overwhelm or overwork yourself!  Pick one area to focus on at a time.
• Gather what you need.  Trash bags, a box for items to donate, cleaning products.  If you want- bring a candle or some incense and crystals to set up a temporary altar.  This will help you stay focused on your task as a spiritual process of releasing and cleansing.  Think about what Deity you may want to help you, or what Deity you will dedicate your work to.  . 
• When you're ready to begin, start by simply sitting in your bedroom.  Think about the type of space you want it to be.  Sleep, Romance, Sanctuary, etc.  Visualize how you would like the room to look.  Visualize yourself and your family being healed, comforted, and blessed when they use the space.  Light your candle and say a prayer to the Deity you want to work with.  Ask for their blessing on your work and your bathroom
• Go to the area you've chosen to work on.  This might be the bed, dresser, desk, bookshelf, or side-tables.  (Just pick ONE area at a time!  Take everything out.  Wipe down the surface, visualizing that it is not only physically cleaned, but energetically cleaned.  Then pick up each item you took out.  Ask the following; *Do I need this?  *Do I actually use this?  *Does it promote the energy that I want in this space?  Does it make me feel good when I see it? If your answer to any of these questions is NO - you can either throw it away, donate it, or put it aside to be put somewhere else.  (If it is something you need and use, but doesn't belong in the bedroom you can keep it but it needs to be "rehomed" to a more appropriate area)
• Put back neatly the things you are keeping.  Take the throw-away items to the trash.  Put items that need to be put away somewhere else in a small box and take them out of the bedroom.
• Feel gratitude!  Thank yourself for releasing things you don't need!  Thank yourself for taking the time to cleanse this space and dedicate it to becoming an area of Sanctuary.  You may choose to smudge with sage or a blessing incense.  Thank whatever Deity you worked with for their blessing on the area.
• Dedicate yourself to keeping that area clutter-free.  Maybe once a week you can take 15 minutes to quickly look through your bedroom and make sure that only the things that belong there are there.  Pick one day as a "bedroom rescue" day - say Mondays - and make a reminder to yourself to simply bless and maintain this area once a week.  OR you might choose to do a quick "sweep" every morning.  Since you wake up in your bedroom every morning to get ready for your day - why not just take an extra minute or two while you're in there to keep things clear and make sure clutter doesn't build up. Same for the evenings - part of your bedtime routine can be just a couple minutes to pick up / neaten your bedroom again before you go to sleep.

Repeat as needed in other areas of your bedroom until it's done!  Remember it can be just one area a day, or all in one day depending on your time and energy.  Just take breaks between areas if you need to!

Overwhelmed? 
Need some missions to help you get started?  Sometimes if a room is particularly cluttered it can be overwhelming to think about cleaning it up.  Here are a few missions from FlyLady.net to get you started.

Mission # 1 - Clean Out Under Your Bed!  Go on, pull everything out!  Chances are, there's a lot under there you didn't realize was there!  You may find something you had lost!  Throw away any trash, put things where they belong.  You'll feel a difference in the room once this is done!

Mission # 2 - Organize your sock drawer.  Get rid of socks that don't have mates, underwear that is old and worn out, or things that don't fit.  Get rid of anything that may have been hastily put in the drawer, put it away or get rid of it!  This is a simple task but you'll feel better when you can just reach in the drawer and grab the socks or underwear you want without digging around!

Mission # 3 - Dust!  Get a washcloth or a duster and get those "up high" places around your room.  Shelves, windowsills, and the tops of dust frames.  Don't obsess, just quickly wipe away any dust that has gathered!

Mission # 4 - Clear off the tops of the nightstands or bedside tables.  Put away books you aren't reading, throw away those old tissues, water bottles, or candy wrappers!  It will make a huge difference to have a flat surface next to your bed that only has a few things on it!  A lamp, a book, a crystal or gemstone, or a framed photograph of family/loved ones.

Mission # 5 - Clear off the top of your dresser or desk.  Same as the bedside table, a flat surface with a few intentionally placed items will make the space so much more inviting!  Get a bowl or jewelry box for your jewelry instead of just having it dumped on the dresser.  Have a plate for your keys and change from your pockets.  Place a few items that make you feel happy and safe and promote the energy of your bedroom - then put everything else away!

After you've done those 5 missions, you might feel brave enough to begin working on the hidden areas - like inside the dresser drawers!  The closet?  The desk drawers?  Yeah there are plenty of hidden places in our bedrooms holding clutter.  Don't worry about getting it all done in a week!  Just work on a little at a time, when you have time and feel up to it.

Good Luck!

Sun-Day Shower Spell for Protection

This is a simple shower spell that you can do every week to provide protection through the week.  I choose to do it on Sundays because they are ruled by the Sun - which has powerful energy of protection.

First you'll want to find a bottle of body wash or shampoo to bless and charge for this purpose.  It can be any brand of shampoo or body wash you want, or even better - a kind you make yourself!  I chose this one because of it's name and scent!

I drew symbols of the Sun, Leo, Aries, Mars, and Fire on the bottle.  Believe it or not, I designed this as a Fire Element spell!  You can think of it as both a Water element and a Fire element spell because of it's focus in the shower.  Water for cleansing and blessing, and Fire for protection and energy.

I placed the bottle with symbols drawn on it outside in the sun for a full day.  I surrounded it with some fire element crystals and gemstones, and visualized the sun and the crystals infusing the shampoo with the energy of protection.  I did this on a Sunday and a Tuesday in April - the Sun was in Aries and Tuesday's are ruled by Mars and Sundays ruled by the Sun.  You don't have to wait until the sun is in Aries again, but it may be helpful to do this on either a Sunday or a Tuesday, or look for a day when the moon will be in either Leo or Aries.  Just remember, using the moon phase and days of the week can help boost your spell, but they aren't 100% requirements.  All you really need is a good sunny day and clear intentions!

Once your bottle is blessed, use it every Sunday for a shower!  While you shower, visualize the soap leaving a bright golden light of protection around your body.  Visualize that this light will stay in place all week, protecting you.  I like to say this prayer;

"Mind and Body I do ward;

Protection from the mob and horde.

No spirit or person of baneful sway

May harm me now in any way."

 

(I wrote it on the bottle so I can remember it while I'm in the shower!)

Bathroom Blessings and Spells

Last week I started a De-Cluttering project - to get rid of clutter in the home.  Both for practical purposes and spiritual purposes.  I started in the Bathroom.

I created a sacred space in my bathroom by making a small altar in this window ledge.  Candles, seashells, a clay Goddess figurine, and my Yemaya Mojo Bag.

I cleaned my countertops and went through the cabinets and drawers and managed to get rid of quite a bit of clutter that had been hiding there!  It is amazing how much stuff just gets put aside to use or deal with "later".  And "later" never really comes!  It felt good to let go of and release some things, and re-organize other things.  My bathroom truly feels like a relaxing retreat now!

An example of Before & After under the sink:

Before

After

 

Before

After

With my cleansing and blessing of the space, now when I go in my bathroom I am reminded of the importance of self-care.  And I'm reminded that many acts of self-care can be so magickal!  You can turn the act of bathing, showering, or washing your face into a simple ritual of cleanising, releasing, and banishing.  You can turn the acts of brushing your hair or applying make-up into simple rituals of beauty and self love!

If you're interested in spells or rituals for your bathroom, here are a few links:

A really great book; Enchantments: 200 spells for Bath and Beauty

Here I have a Detox bath and Meditation with Yemaya

Cleansing Bath

Another Book; Wicca Spiritual Bath Spells

Book; Crossroads Mama 105 Spiritual Baths for Every Occasion

Book: Magical Herbal Baths of Santeria

If I add other Bath/Beauty type spells or rituals here after this blog post, they will be tagged under "bathroom" so you'll be able to find them!  I have a few I want to share, I'll add them when I have time! 

Clear Your Space - The Bathroom

Ready to start clearing your space and turning your whole home into a spiritual haven?  I'm starting this week in the bathroom.  Feel free to join me!  Comment with a link to your own blog or just a simple text comment with your goals and progress!

Identify The Purpose of Your Bathroom
What kind of energy do you want in your bathroom?  I consider the bathroom the home of the Water element in my home, as it tends to have a lot of water energy with the shower or bath and sinks!  Bathrooms are a center of self-care and healing.  We release toxins on a daily basis (yes, everyone poops!) wash our faces, brush our teeth, bathe, and beautify ourselves in our bathrooms.  So if you start to think of your bathroom as your center of Healing and Self-Care you can focus on what things in that room serve that purpose. 
The bathroom can be an important area for the Household Witch.  Bathing is often recommended to clear your energy before ritual, and the bath or shower can be a powerful place to focus energy for healing.  For some, the act of Hair Brushing or braiding can be part of a ritual or spiritual practice, as can the other "mundane" tasks of daily self care like putting on makeup- brushing teeth, taking vitamins or medications, etc. Keep these in mind as you work on your bathroom.

Clearing The Space In Your Bathroom

• Choose a time to focus on your bathroom.  It can be as simple as 15 minutes a day for a few days, to one hour . . . whatever works best for you.  Don't overwhelm or overwork yourself!  Pick one area to focus on at a time.
• Gather what you need.  Trash bags, a box for items to donate, cleaning products.  If you want- bring a candle or some incense and crystals to set up a temporary altar.  This will help you stay focused on your task as a spiritual process of releasing and cleansing.  Think about what Deity you may want to help you, or what Deity you will dedicate your work to.  For the bathroom I think a Goddess of Healing or a Goddess associated with Water would be perfect!  Don't fixate just call upon who you feel comfortable working with. 
• When you're ready to begin, start by simply sitting in your bathroom.  Think about the type of space you want it to be.  Healing, Comforting, Blessing, Cleansing.  Visualize how you would like the room to look.  Visualize yourself and your family being healed, comforted, blessed and cleansed when they use the space.  Light your candle and say a prayer to the Deity you want to work with.  Ask for their blessing on your work and your bathroom
• Go to the area you've chosen to work on.  This might be the countertop, the medicine cabinet, under the sink, or the shelves in the shower/bath.  Take everything out.  Wipe down the surface, visualizing that it is not only physically cleaned, but energetically cleaned.  Then pick up each item you took out.  Ask the following; *Do I need this?  *Do I actually use this?  *Does it promote the energy of healing and cleansing that I want in this space?  If your answer to any of these questions is NO - you can either throw it away, donate it, or put it aside to be put somewhere else.  (If it is something you need and use, but doesn't belong in the bathroom you can keep it but it needs to be "rehomed" to a more appropriate area)
• Put back neatly the things you are keeping.  Take the throw-away items to the trash.  Put items that need to be put away somewhere else in a small box and take them out of the bathroom.
• Feel gratitude!  Thank yourself for releasing things you don't need!  Thank yourself for taking the time to cleanse this space and dedicate it to becoming an area of Healing.  You may choose to smudge with sage or a blessing incense.  Thank whatever Deity you worked with for their blessing on the area.
• Dedicate yourself to keeping that area clutter-free.  Maybe once a week you can take 15 minutes to quickly look through your bathroom and make sure that only the things that belong there are there.  Pick one day as a "bathroom rescue" day - say Wednesdays - and make a reminder to yourself to simply bless and maintain this area once a week.  OR you might choose to do a quick "sweep" every morning.  Since you probably use your bathroom every morning to get ready for your day - why not just take an extra minute or two while you're in there to keep things clear and make sure clutter doesn't build up.

Repeat as needed in other areas of your bathroom until it's done!  Remember it can be just one area a day, or all in one day depending on your time and energy.  Just take breaks between areas if you need to!

For my Bathroom Cleansing & Blessing, I'll probably work with Yemaya - Mother Goddess of the Ocean that I work with for Healing bath rituals.  Her healing and mothering energy seem the perfect compliment to my focus and purpose for my bathroom!  I'll post at the end of the week with my progress / results of my bathroom blessing!  I'd love to hear about your process too!  Comment here or on my facebook page!

Here's some simple tips from FlyLady about your bathroom: http://www.flylady.net/d/zones/zone-3/
And, if you're ready to think about Feng-Shui in your bathroom, here's some tips; http://fengshui.about.com/od/designbyroom/ss/Create-Good-Feng-Shui-in-Your-Bathroom.htm

Clutter as a block to Spiritual Flow

I'll admit it - like many people, clutter is a problem for me.  With three kids, my husband and my brother living here with me, it seems like clutter is a constant battle.  Things just seem to accumulate.  Yes, a lot of things are useful, helpful, convenient to have.  But it's amazing how things just add up, multiply, pile up, and become a mess. 

I've realized and accepted long ago that clutter can be a source of stress in any environment.  Have you noticed that after you clean up a certain room, the energy in that space will just feel better?  Clearer.  Like you can breathe easier and just relax better?  That's because everything has an energy to it.  Just like your crystals and gemstones or magickal tools carry a certain vibration, so does everything else in your home.  When you enter a room, you will pick up these subtle vibrations and it will immediately effect how you feel.

We all have heard of having a "Sacred Space" in our home... it may be an altar, a meditation area, a yoga room, etc.  It is good to have a place devoted to a spiritual practice; a place that you go just for meditation or prayer.  If we use the same space repeatedly for that purpose, and keep it clear of clutter and decorate it with things that bring us peace - it becomes a Sacred Space and will amplify our ability to meditate, pray, or focus on spiritual matters in that area.  But really, why keep it to just one part of our home?  Shouldn't our entire home be a place of spiritual respite?  We should be able to feel safe, relaxed, and spiritually fulfilled no matter what part of our home we are in!

One of the biggest blocks to feeling this way is clutter!  Those things that are laying around serving no purpose and just blocking the flow of peaceful energy in our home.  Feng Shui is a spiritual practice of clearing and improving the flow of energy in the home, and it's basic principal is that everything in your home is either inviting or blocking some sort of energy.  It's a great place to start if you're interested in making your entire home into more of a relaxing safe haven.  But I suggest that the best way to start is just by clearing out clutter, getting rid of things that don't serve a purpose.  Decorating and placement of items using Feng Shui is great, but if you're just moving around clutter you won't really be doing much to cure the energy of your home.

Making Clutter Clearing into a Spiritual Experience

I find that usually when I'm inspired to start getting rid of clutter in my home (again) it usually coincides with an internal need to remove blocks and move forward.  As I work on the physical clutter, I experience the removal of internal blocks.  It can be a powerful time of personal healing, and a wonderful "active meditation" that serves a dual purpose of healing my home and my inner being.  As I approach an area or task, it helps me to call upon Goddess to help me make the act of cleaning into a spiritual practice.  Keeping a mindful awareness is key.  You'll have to ask yourself as you pick up each item; what purpose does this serve?  What energy do I feel when I see or touch this item?  Have I used it in the last 6 months?  Does it remind me of a person or a time in my life - and does that memory trigger positive feelings or negative ones?  If I keep it, is there a better place to keep it?

It can be easy to get overwhelmed in this process!  Try to break down each room into smaller areas and just focus on one area at a time.  Pick something you can complete in one hour or less.  So instead of thinking "I need to clear the clutter out of my bedroom closet", make a goal of one box or shelf in that closet.

Before you begin, set your intention.  You might want to light a candle and say a paryer or affirmation before you begin.  You can call upon a specific Deity to help you with the process.  There are many household Deities who love to help you do anything that blesses your home.  You can devote your work into an offering to them, or just ask them to assist you with your goal.    You may want to research some household Deities to see which you are called to work with (or just try working with the Deities you already work with for spiritual purposes).  You might find you're called to work with a different Deity for a different room or part of the home depending on the type of energy in that space or what you want to attract to that space. 

A short list of Household/Hearth Deities;

• Hestia (Greek Goddess of the Hearth & Home)
• Vesta (Roman Goddess of Hearth)
• Brigid (Celtic/Irish Goddess of the Home)
• Tsao Wang (Chinese God of the Home & Kitchen)
• Kamui-fuchi (Japanese Goddess of the Hearth)
• Kamado-no-kami (Japanese God of the Kitchen)
• Gabija (Lithuanian Goddess of home protection)
• Ertha (Domestic Deity of Norns / Northern Europe)
• Frigga (Norse Goddess of Domestic Life and Household management)
• Bes (Egyptian God of Household protection)
• Artemis (Greek Goddess - protection, goal setting, manifestation)
• Kuan Yin (Chinese Goddess of Compassion & Protection - especially for Mothers & Children)
• Lakshmi (Hindu Goddess of Blessings and Abundance)

Archangels that can be called upon to help with Space Clearing

• Jophiel - "Beauty of God" - helps to beautify space, clears away negativity to help us see beauty in all things, supporter of artists.
• Michael - "Warrior of God" - protects lightworkers from lower energies - will help protect the home and escort away any negative energy.
• Raphael  - "Healer of God" - heals physical and emotional pains and ailments, also helps remove negative energies to promote healing in that area

Card from the Archangel Oracle Card deck by Doreen Virtue, Hay House

Message from Archangel Jophiel ; "Your home and work environments affect you on many levels. Clutter can erode your energy, creativity, and prosperity. I'll help you find the time and motivation to clear interferences from your physical environment. Together, we'll release anything thats not serving you. We'll donate, recycle, or discard unused items. We'll open the windows to circulate fresh air in the rooms. And I'll escort lower energies away. You'll notice huge improvements in all areas of your life as a result of this endeavor."

I'm going to be working on clearing some clutter from my home in the next few weeks.  I'll post my weekly goals here on the blog and if you want to join me I'll be here to support you and encourage you!  I'll post an area or room to focus on and maybe an affirmation or meditation/prayer to help us focus on our goal!

FlyLady - Pagan Style; Shine Your Sink!

For those of you who don't know what FlyLady is, it's an inspirational website designed to help you clean and de-clutter your home and your life. It helps you create routines that work for you, your lifestyle & your family to help housekeeping become stress-free and something you just do naturally and daily rather than something you put off until the last minute and then stress about when you have company coming over.

I have felt for awhile now that many aspects of the FlyLady program can be applied in spiritual ways to those who consider themselves, Neo-Pagans, Kitchen Witches, Hearth Witches, Green Witches, etc.  I will be going over some FlyLady basics here in my blog and writing about how they can be seen as a spiritual thing; not just a house-cleaning and organizing thing!  If you missed it, check out my post called "FlyLady - Pagan Style; Welcome Letter"

When you start with FlyLady, there are 31 days of "Baby Steps" to help you slowly start to integrate small changes into your daily routines.  It's about developing habits and changing your mind-set to a positive one!

BabyStep Day 1;
SHINE YOUR SINK!

Read FlyLady's Day 1 letter here; Day One- Shine Your Sink! 

My favorite part of this letter is where she says; "The voices that you hear in your head keep telling you that you are behind and you have to get it all done now. We are going to quiet those negative voices that are beating you up constantly and replace them with a loving, gentle voice that tells you that you are not behind and you can do this one BabyStep at a time!"

You may look around your house and think there are areas that need more work than my kitchen sink!  The desk is covered with paperwork, the closets are overflowing, The kid's rooms look like a tornado hit.  It's okay.  We are going to listen to FlyLady and start with one small task for today.  We are going to shine that kitchen sink!  Then for the rest of the day, we are going to keep it shining!  Before you go to bed, make sure it is shining again!  Even if you do nothing else today, and the rest of your house is messy, you will LOVE waking up to a shiny sink!  Trust me!

Here is FlyLady's "Lesson" on How To Shine Your Sink! Check it out!

Keeping your sink shining is going to be your first habit with FlyLady.  Even when I fall way off the bandwagon and my whole house is a mess, I know exactly where to start to feel better... the kitchen sink!  Once my sink is shining I usually feel the motivation start to flow again, and it's easier to keep going and start work on other areas of my home.  Energetically, this makes sense, because all sinks and drains in our home represent and reflect "energy flow" both in and out of our homes.  If the sink is blocked with dishes, clogged with dirt, or just plain grimy, how does this effect the flow of energy in and out of our homes?
In Feng-shui, the Kitchen is associated with both Health and Prosperity, as well as being the "Heart" of the home.  So, as you clean your sink it can be great to visualize this task as a moment you take to care for the "Heart" of your home.  Open the flow of energy... let the good pour in and the bad drain away!  You can easily make the process of shining your sink into a Home Blessing Ritual!  Smudge with some sage, pour salt water down the drain, visualize and pray for the energy flow of your home to become open and cleansed.  Here is a great article called "Clearing Your Sink and Magickally Sealing It." by Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom.... I love her ideas and I have incorporated her suggestions with my monthly sink-clearing ritual, as well as just simply visualizing and praying while I shine my sink each night before bed!

So now you have read FlyLady's First Babystep and how to Shine your Sink in a spiritual, magickal mindset!  Off you go.... shine your sink and let yourself feel proud of this small but important task!