Mystical Musings on Manifesting Happiness

I had posted that I had manifested a sale for the commercial building that I own in order to relocate to help my aging parents. Well… that deal fell through. The very day we signed the offer, the roof leaked and a 3 X 3 foot section of ceiling fell down in one or rented apartments. My insurance company denied my claim stating the the contractor didn’t do a proper repair on the roof the year before. So the buyer and I tap danced around. I jumped through hoops for him and at the last minute, he decided to back out of the deal. If that wasn’t bad enough, I had a divorce settlement based on the sale of the building. Well that all fell apart. My X took advantage of a trip i took to visit my parents and went through computer and read my emails (many of which were about him). This infuriated him and our amicable divorce has turned into a war. And so…. I am forced to search through the very lessons I teach in my blog to overcome these problems.

The most powerful tool I have is profound gratitude for those who love and support me. I can see a light at the end of this tunnel because of those who help me see it.

As my X has had control over my finances, I have been penniless for the 2 months since the sale fell through. I have moved in with my parents as that was my plan anyhow as my Mom is handicapped and my 98 year old grandmother requires assistance as well. For the moment, I am living by the grace and generosity of my parents. In return, I have cleaned out Mom’s many neglected flower beds, cultivated a small garden and cleaned up the yard to help make it like a park. I found great healing in pulling out weeds for days at a time. In days where there was little to find any happiness in, I was grateful for those weeds because they gave me a sense of purpose and accomplishment. It was also healing to have my parents take such joy and pleasure in the work I have done. The flowers are now in full bloom and the place is incredible. It is like a sanctuary. I joke around about the gazebo being my office. I take my phone out there and work in the sun, surrounded by singing birds and the aroma of flowers. If you call and hear the birds singing in the background, I am in my outdoor office *lol*. The huge responsibilities that kept me indoors are gone (maintaining 4 rentals and a commercial property along with running a brick and mortar store). I haven’t sold the building yet… but my brother moved in and is repairing things for me. So I feel blessed for that because his work is meticulous.

I am grateful that my 19 year old son has reconciled with me. It’s still a struggle because he doesn’t want to grow up and be responsible. This was a major reason for my divorce. I have spent his life trying to teach him to work for what he wants because there is pride of accomplishment in that. His Dad thwarted those lessons by giving him everything he wanted. But I am blessed that he still wants my approval and he is making steps to do that. I am proud that he was 7th in his graduating class and is headed to Penn State for chemical engineering because I motivated him to do well so he could reach his true potential. He hasn’t found a job yet but at least he’s looking. That’s a step in the right direction. I know that once he sees what it’s like to have some money…. money that he worked for…. he will see what I mean about being empowered through responsibility and accountability.  

Sure… 2009 is a year I am sooooo looking forward to putting past me. But until I can do that, I have to find the good things in my life that are happening and can easily be overshadowed by the bad. I create from what I anticipate. I create from where I focus my thoughts and my vibration. I can choose to look at all that is wrong in my life in which the universe will support by sending me more. Or I can focus on the good things so that I manifest more energy  to support that higher vibration.

One last thing… I must be careful not to let these negative aspects of my life define me. Rather let these contrasts enrich me like a lovely patina on metal that has endured for years. It’s no longer bright and … but it is definitely more interesting.

I am blessed to have had so many wonderful people keep me on track through this challanging phase of my life. Blessed be!!!

 

Hi!

I just added carnelian to the gemstones metaphysical properties.

http://www.alleghenycandles.com/carnelian_properties.html

I will be added citrine later today.

http://www.alleghenycandles.com/citrine_properties.html

Thanks! Have a wonderful weekend!

Amy

Hi!
I have added several new links on spiritual subjects. The first 2 are metaphysical meaning of amethyst and aventurine. I will be adding a whole list of crystals and gemstones but it will take me awhile. Please check back.

www.alleghenycandles.com/amethyst_properties.html

www.alleghenycandles.com/aventurine_properties.html

This link is to create gemstone elixirs for healing and magick. They are incredibly easy to make.

www.alleghenycandles.com/gemstone_elixir.html

This is a crystal reference page where I have listed the gemstones according to the energy they emit. So if you’ve never known what crystal to use, this handy little guide will get you started.
www.alleghenycandles.com/crystal_categories.html

Have a fantasic weekend! Go play in the sun.

Blessings!!!

Amy

I often overhear customers saying that you must be gifted with your first tarot deck. That might work if your friends and family know of your interest and are accepting of it. Unfortunately, many people feel it necessary to keep their spiritual interests to themselves. So… if they want to learn tarot, they will never get the opportunity because nobody knows of their interest.

In addition to that… I find that a tarot deck is a very personal thing. It is difficult to find a deck that you really connect with. I don’t think anyone could choose a deck for me as I have had my own struggle to find just the right one. In my own experience, I bought my first deck and never connected with it because I found the images to be unattractive to the point of looking somewhat negative. I struggled with it for years and gave up. Then I opened my store and had the chance to look at many decks. I chose the Universal Rider Waite deck and even though I didn’t like the primitive art work, I was able to learn the cards. I changed to another deck that was similar to the Rider Waite so that it wouldn’t be a drastic change in symbolism (the new deck was prettier). But I returned to the Rider Waite because I found that this new deck had characters that lacked emotion which made them hard to connect with their energy. Then I found the Radiant Rider Waite deck that was much more pleasing to my eye. That is the only version of that deck that I offer because it has all the traditional symbolism but the colors and images are much more pleasing to the eye.

For a first deck, I do highly recommend the Radiant Rider Waite deck because if you buy tarot books, take classes or start a study group, most will refer to the Rider Waite deck. In other words, it sets the standard for tarot symbolism, color, numerology etc…. If you purchase a different deck, you may become very confused by a book that refers to something that isn’t depicted on the card you are studying. This deck is the world’s best selling deck which is why teachers and authors refer to it more than the others.

Often, those interested in tarot will bounce from deck to deck to deck until they find one that resonates with them. I know many that have quite a collection of tarot decks that they never use. This is fine if you want to collect tarot decks. For myself, I have had 3 decks and then settled permanently on the Radiant Rider Waite deck. I gave the others away because I am not one who collects things.

If you choose to follow my advice and get the Rider Waite deck, once you learn them, you should be able to more easily learn other decks (if you feel drawn to change). Learning the Rider Waite deck can be accomplished  by taking many of the free classes you will find online. There are many good books as well. I have a selection of tarot books that I offer on my website because I have used them myself and found them to be the most helpful (in my opinion). So if you follow a Native American or Celtic path, you can learn tarot decks with their symbolism easier because you will understand what to look for in the cards. You will know to look beyond just the symbols and images for a deeper meaning.

Some tarot readers keep one deck just for themselves and have another deck to read for others. This depends on how you feel about your cards. For me, I have 1 deck. That’s it because I like to live simply. I cleanse it between readings to remove residual and undesired energy from the cards. I don’t feel like my cards are contaminated when someone else touches them. A quick cleansing with sage is all they need to be ready for the next reading. If you want to know more about cleansing/ purification with sage, you will find instructions on my blog.

In a nutshell, choose a basic deck… Rider Waite… Robin Wood…. or Morgan Greer if you are a beginner. They are all very similar and will correspond with any classes or books that you use. If you are not a beginner, choose a deck that not only looks good to you….. but also “feels” right for you.

A few years ago, my son was into motocross racing.  He got into a racing rut. He was placing lower in the races even though he was very capable of beating his competitors. So I thought I’d use the same techniques we use in spiritual manifesting to help him out. I told him to envision himself in first place. I told him to feel what wonderful exhilaration it is be the leader.  He looked at me with disbelief. He said “Mom, you don’t understand. Being in first place is terrifying. In all other positions, your goal is to pass the guy in front of you. When you are in first place, everyone is after YOU. You are the one who picks the line first (chooses the way the obstacle is approached). If you pick a bad line and go down, you can be run over many times. If you pick a bad line and get slowed down, they others will choose a faster line and possibly pass you. If the track has an unexpected obstacle (big mud hole, rocks etc…), you are the first to see it and have no warning. The guys behind watch you to see what lies ahead. In a way, they have the advantage because they don’t have surprises. The guys behind are looking ahead… the guy in the lead has to watch his back (not easy on a MX track)”. Anyhow.. I pondered my son’s problem. He wanted to win but feared the challenges of first place. I applied that to my own experience in manifesting and realized this is a problem we all face. We have situations in life that we’d like to change but fear stands in the way of success.

• you hate your job and would like to start your own business - but you fear the loss of financial security
• you are unhappy in your marriage - but you worry that you can’t support yourself on a single income or you fear being alone
• you want to live more spiritually - but you fear the loss of family and friends who will judge you
• you want to go to college - but you don’t know if you are smart enough or if you can handle family and college or the financial aspect
• you want to lose weight - but you think you lack the willpower since you may have tried in the past and failed

I can go on and on. We all want change in certain aspects of our life. But we fear the unknown. No matter how good you are at manifesting, these doubts can create a block to what you are working so hard to accomplish.  I have an exercise that might help you.

Think of what it is you want to accomplish. Take a piece of paper and draw a line down the center. On the left side, write “negative aspects”. Sit an ponder everything that scares you about making it become a reality. Write it all out. What obstacles would you need to overcome? What resistance will you get from others? What are the worst things that could happen? Write all this down.

On the right side, write “positive aspects”… Really think about the whole thing. What would success mean? If you could have just what you want… what would that be? Ok…. now imagine you have done it and have been 100% successful. How do you feel? How has your life changed? What doors are opening up that had been closed before? Write all this down. Pour your feelings into it as you write.

When you are done. Read over the whole thing. Now tear the paper separating the negative and positive sides (neatness doesn’t matter).

Now…. imagine I am giving you a psychic reading. And I am such a good psychic that I can see clearly into any one’s future. So you sit down in front of me and ask me about your desire. I slip into a trance… and I tell you that I see you exactly as you have described in the positive side of your manifesting list. You overcame all the challenges and difficulties as if they were almost nothing. I see you not just reaching your goal, but surpassing your greatest expectations. I see you divinely blessed with profound happiness, peace, prosperity, love and healing.

Take the negative aspects and tear them to shreds. Toss them in the trash so they are gone forever.

Now… I want you to imagine yourself in the place that I have just described in your reading. Imagine that all those fears were overcome more easily than you could imagine.  You have found great success. You have accomplished your desire and even more. The naysayers have been quieted. You feel very powerful because you know that YOU made this happen. And you know that if you had to do it over again, you would do so with no fear, delay or trepidation.

Think of a time in your life when you had to make a change of some sort. You didn’t think you’d survive it. But… you did. And as you looked back, you realized that your fear was for nothing. You wouldn’t hesitate to make that change again.

This is what you need to think of when manifesting a change. Don’t think about the logistics of it coming to pass. Don’t think about what others are saying. Think only of yourself successful in the future looking back only long enough to see what a great accomplishment you have made.

By seeing yourself in the future tense… as successful in your desire… you feed energy to support that. When you look at your desire as something you have yet to accomplish. And you ponder the fears, obstacles and challenges, you feed energy to them. Don’t look at the finish line from the racer’s point of view. Look at it from the winner’s point of view.

Sometimes as you have forward momentum in your manifestation, an unexpected obstacle will arise. Do not paid any heed to it. Just envision the problem resolving itself with little or no effort on your part. Again…. see yourself in the future.. looking back at this obstacle being little more than a bump in the road to your success.

I wish you great success in creating a happy life!!!

I get this question all the time. I asked my tarot cards a question but the answer didn’t make any sense. What am I doing wrong?

The are several things that I can advise you that might help. First.. make sure you are in the proper frame of mind to do a reading. If you are tired, sick or even feeling worried, depressed or angry do not read your cards. They will reflect your negative state of mind. Only do readings when you are feeling healthy and are in a pleasant state of mind.

Second…. look for a larger understanding of what the tarot book says the interpretation is. When you asked about deceased family and it spoke of pets, they are family members too. It may mean that they (family members and pets) are all in heaven together living happily. Also a pet may be a connection to a certain person. Maybe you are having trouble connecting w/ your Mom…. but her favorite cat is there to help. It could also represent that someone you knew who was devoted to animals. Maybe someone in your family is wondering about the pets and could benefit from knowing they are happy and safe. So ponder all the possibilities of what the card means. Think outside the box. You see, the book tells you the basic meaning of the card… but you need to examine the card and how it makes you feel. What does that card mean to YOU? What do the colors make you feel? Is the person doing anything? What symbols are there and how do you feel about them? Does the energy of the card remind you of anyone? Go beyond what the book meaning is…. and dig deep within yourself to find a more in depth interpretation. Your interpretation may conflict with the book and that’s ok.  Also, if you change decks, the new deck might have a different interpretation for the cards. Sometimes that is a problem. I learned from the Rider Waite deck. The devil card represented a constricting relationship, addiction, bondage, control. Now I use the Llewellyn deck and it represents the “animal nature” of oneself. But for me, I still go with the Rider waite interpretation because it’s more useful in a reading. Neither is right or wrong… I used my intuition to decide what this card mean to ME.

Third… one of the hardest things to read about in your cards is relationships. This is because you have an emotional connection to the outcome. Practice doing readings from an objective point of view. Ask about something in which you don’t card about what shows up. The secret to reading any kind of divination tools (cards, crystal ball, runes etc…) is to be OBJECTIVE. If you are connected to hearing a certain answer…. you can make it come up as that…. or it may show up as a cunfused answer that doesn’t apply (which is what usually happens). So practice objectivity by asking questions you don’t care about. Then maintain that when asking about things you do care about.

Forth… be clear about your questions. Rather than asking “what does X think of me?”… maybe reword it as “does X have any romantic feelings towards me?”.

Lastly… have you bonded with your cards? Do you FEEL a connection with them? If not…. when you are in a mellow mood.. sit quietly with your cards…. admire each of them.. then ask each card to connect with you as the energy of that particular card. When finished, explain to the deck that they are not just cards… they are energy. Ask them to help you in your quest for spiritual guidance for yourself and for others. If you use angel cards…. then imagine that card as an actual angel. Same goes for animal cards or any other image. Take that a step further…. when you sit down for a reading… envision that angel or animal physically coming into your reading to share advice or guidance. If you use a tradtional deck with court cards and major arcana, envision the queen of cups coming forward with a message from a gentle loving female energy or a warning from the tower.

Don’t look at your tarot cards as a piece of cardboard. See them as energy patterns. Once you make a connection with that energy, you will find that your readings get more and more detailed and accurate. 

 

More on selling your home….

With the help of my wonderful real estate agent who also follows the law of attraction and deliberate creation belief… we send out energy to the right people to purchase my building. These people must be good honest people. They must be hoping to create a stable future for themselves. They must be hardworking and they must have good credit to be able to get the commercial loan (way harder to get than a home loan). These are the energies that I possess and that I have put out there for the new owner. My city is full of slum lords and shysters.  I am embarrassed over what they have done to this city and I was determined to set an example. I rose above it all and cleaned and repaired my place. I offered a safe home to people starting over or young people starting out. I wanted this to continue. We got in the perfect couple. They fell in love with the place as I did.

So… think about yourself and your family. What kind of people are you? What kind of values do you have? What was your vision when you bought your home? What is causing you to sell? This is the energy that resides in your home. If it is good energy like I have in my building, I sought to continue it. However, if you are selling due to divorce or forclosure, you need to change the energy. Bless the home with what you want in your life… if it’s divorce… ask that your home be blessed with love, peace, tranquility and emotional healing. If it’s financial hardship… ask that the home be blessed with prosperity and financial security. Why would you do this if you are selling the place???? Buyers will feel the negative energy and be turned off by it. They may love the layout and appearance of the home but not the way it feels. The “feel” of a place is the energy stored within it. Negative emotions have energy… fighting and arguing have energy… stress and worry have energy. This energy collects and though you may not notice it, others will. But the good news is that you can change the energy easily. The first method is through meditation.  In your mind, envision brilliant sunlight coming in through the windows, clearing away all shadows (representing the negative energy). See every corner, crevice, nook and cranny being exposed and cleared of it’s shadow. Feel this beautiful sunlight as having the feeling of happiness, joy, hope, peace, comfort, stability and security.

The 2nd way… if you don’t know how to meditate… is to pray. Ask God, angels, spirits, guides etc… whomever you fee drawn to ask for help, to bless your home with happiness, joy, hope, peace, comfort, stability and security. Ask them to make a spiritual connection with a buyer who will be attracted by these energies and one that can get the financing needed.

Do this often… especially if the home is being shown. Remember to do the whole property as some people will do a drive by before taking the time to schedule an appointment to see it.

When you do move, remember to bless your new home. You want to clear away the energy from the former occupants. You also want to lay a foundation to help attract the energy you want in your life. You will find a house blessing ritual on my blog.

How to sell your home with a Sage Smudge Ceremony

 

Right now, it’s pretty much a buyer’s market. If you have a home that you wish to sell, there are steps you can take to help attract a buyer. I can’t promise you that this will sell your home. But, it can’t hurt to try. If your house has been sitting on the market for awhile, you have nothing to lose.

 

Mundane steps to be dealt with first to help sell your home

 

First, you need a good qualified realtor… someone who is very familiar with the area and has experience selling homes. Make sure your realtor is dependable and has your best interest in mind. Remember…. They are to be representing you… not the buyer or themselves! Is your realtor listening to your questions and concerns? Do he or she understand what your needs and goals are? It doesn’t matter how nice your home is or how good of a price you have if your realtor isn’t doing his or her job.

 

Second, clear out the clutter. Recycle or throw away junk. Give away or sell items that can be reused. I have found www.freecycle.org to be a very helpful resource for getting rid of stuff. You can also donate it to charity and write it off your taxes. Rent a storage unit for the things you want to keep. Remove all personal items like photos and artwork that might not appeal to the general public. Don’t feel bad about that… it’s your stuff going to your new home. Don’t let it stop your sale b/c someone just can’t imagine themselves making your home their own. Remove unnecessary furniture, kitchen appliances..etc… This includes books. Yes! Books I said! They make a room feel small and cluttered… pack them up and send them to the storage unit. Do not use the garage as a storage unit. If I’m looking at your home, I want to see that my car(s), tools, lawnmower etc…. will all fit in there. If I see your junk, then I’ll think your house is too small to suit my needs.

 

Getting rid of these things does several things to your home:

 

• look bigger
• look cleaner and more organized
• more comfortable
• more neutral so buyers can see their own possessions in the home
• improves feng shui
• makes it appeal to more people

 

Negative energy tends to stagnate around clutter. Think of it like this. Imagine energy is air. Wherever air is likely to stagnate, so is energy. This is a bad thing when trying to sell your home because people feel this on a subconscious level. You want it to feel fresh, clean and inviting to those who enter.

 

Once the clutter is cleared, give the house a very thorough cleaning. An unclean house means that you probably don’t do maintenance. That’s a red flag to buyers. If it’s too big of a task, hire a reputable person to do the job. Wash walls (or repaint), scrub carpeting, clean out cupboards and closets because buyers are going to look. You want it to look and smell CLEAN.

 

Spiritual steps to attracting a buyer for your home.

Once your home is decluttered, organized and cleaned, it’s time to move onto the spiritual part of things.

 

Smudging is a traditional method used by indigenous people to clear away negative and residual energy. To “smudge” is to clean with smoke… a smoke bath. The smoke is generated by burning herbs believed to have spiritual properties the are desired. Sage is the most popular herb used in smudging. There are many varieties of sage. However, California white sage and desert sage are the most commonly used. It must be dried. If you have some that is not ground, you may be able to light it as it is. If it is powdered, then you will need charcoal tablets to burn it. However, the most common way to smudge with sage is with a smudge stick (also known as a smudge bundle or smudge wand) in which the sage has been cut and tied up into a little bundle. Sometimes, you will find sage sticks that are combined with other herbs such as lavender, cedar or sweetgrass. All will work just fine for the purpose of your smudge ceremony.

 

• Cedar is powerful protection and purification
• Lavender is for love, peace and tranquility
• Sweetgrass is to attract good spirits

 

Supplies needed for the smudge ceremony:

 

Sage smudge stick

Lighter (not matches)

Heatproof bowl (a big ash tray will work)

Sand (optional) – pour a ½” into the bottom of your bowl if it might get too hot. This will dissipate the heat.

Hand-held fan or feather (optional) – to fan the smoke around. You can also use your hand like I do.

 

Important notes:

 

Sage is difficult to keep lit. You may want to cut the bundle open and separate the sage into several smaller bundles (they tend to stick together naturally). The smaller bundle seem to burn better and give off more smoke (which is what we want).

 

Always work counterclockwise to banish the negative energy.

 

Ready to smudge?

 

This is the pattern that you would smudge a home for sale. It can also be applied to any building you wish to sell.

 

1. Go to the highest part of your house and start there.

• If you have an attic in which you can walk around, start smudging to the right of the entrance. Work your way counterclockwise toward the left of the entrance.
• If your attic is a crawl space, fan a lot of smoke into the attic so it can reach all the corners and around anything stored up there.

 

1. Work your way down to the next floor, keeping with the counterclockwise pattern. If it is the 2^nd or 3^rd floor, start to the right of the staircase smudging each room in the clockwise manner. Do this till you end up to the left of the staircase.
2. Smudge the staircase.
3. Do each floor the same way till you reach the ground floor. Skip the ground floor for now if you have a basement. Smudge the basement. Spend a lot of time here because basements can be like a dead end for energy. It can sit there and collect. That’s why basements are so creepy.
4. Move back to the ground floor. Start smudging from the right side of the door, again moving room to room in a clockwise pattern… smudging each room clockwise.
5. Work your way out the front door.
6. If you have a porch, patio, gazebo etc…. smudge them.
7. If you have a garage, workshop or pool house, smudge them as well.
8. You can smudge the entire property if you feel comfortable enough to do it in front of the neighbors.

 

 

The actual smudge ritual is quite easy. It is little more than a Native American ceremony with a twist to it.

 

1. Light the sage. If it doesn’t go out on it’s own, carefully blow on it. The goal is to get it to smoke and smolder. You can relight it as needed… hence the reason for a lighter over matches.
2. Place the smoking sage into the heatproof container.
3. Use you hand, fan or feather to GENTLY move the smoke to the areas to be cleansed.

·        Pay attention to corners, under and around furniture, cluttered areas and areas where negative energy might be really bad (like the place where you pay bills). Smudge inside of cabinets, the stove and fridge if they are being sold too. Think like a little kid playing hide and go seek. Where could a small child hide? Smudge it!

4.      As you walk around each room, you may want to ask for God, the universe, source or spirit to attract a buyer to your home. The Lord’s prayer is also quite popular for this. You can get creative… kindly ask you guardian angels, spirit guides and passed loved ones to help you make a spiritual connection with the buyer for your home.

5.      Be careful as you walk so as not to trip and burn the flooring. Walk slowly… fanning the smoke gently. Relight as needed. Stop walking when you want to say your prayer. As you smudge, envision this smoke as your desire going out into the universe and making a connection with a family who is looking for “just the right home” which happens to be yours.

6.      Take great care not to burn yourself or get close to curtains, fabrics or anything flammable. Don’t leave the smudge burning if you are interrupted. Remove pets and small children who may get in the way.  Keep in mind that smudging might be an issue for folks with allergies or asthma. Only you can decide if you want to risk  smudging knowing how it might affect them.

7.      An important step in selling your home is to release it. Let your home know that it’s time for you to move on. The home has served you well and it’s time for a new family to come in. Thank your home for the protection, comfort and shelter it has provided. Give the home your blessings and tell it “goodbye”.

8.      When you are done, thank you angels, guides, loved ones, god and anyone else you believe has helped you with your ceremony.

 

If you do not have a local store that carries sage smudge sticks, please consider purchasing from our website. You will find them at: http://www.alleghenycandles.com/sage-smudge-stick.html

 

I wish you blessings of good luck in the sale of your home AND in your new home!

Magick with the “k” refers to ritual magick rather than illusion magic. Illusions are used to fool the eye into believing that something impossible has just occured for entertainment. Magick is a conscious effort to manipulate energy toward a specific goal. Everything has energy, even thoughts. Your thoughts can be used to change the energy of a situation (I’ll get into this in another post). However, most magick is performed by the use of spells and/or ritual.

A magick spell is generally an easy series of gestures and incantations. It may require candles, incense, herbs, crystals, photos etc…. A spell may be done alone or within a ritual.

A ritual is a ceremony that can be quite detailed. In a Pagan ritual, certain things may be done. A sacred space is cleared and prepared for the ritual. This is done physically by cleaning the space of clutter and dirt… and then spiritually by clearing out negative and residual energy. This may be done by working counterclockwise to banish unwanted energy with a ritual broom which is followed by smudging with sage or ringing a bell, sprinkling salt (a good option for those who can’t tolerate smoke). Once the space is cleared, a circle is drawn clockwise. This might be an actual circle created with a rope… or a circle of salt… or a chalk line. It might just be drawn with the point of a ritual knife (athame) that creates an invisable line. Either way is just as good. In most rituals, the 4 directions/ elements are called and honored as teachers, protectors and guides. Often, candles and a symbol of the element is used in each quarter. Lastly, the deities are called to the center of the circle which might hold an altar of some sort (or a cloth). Most Pagans honor both male and female deities. They may have a favorite.. or call upon one that has certain qualities that might be helpful in the covenor’s request.  EX: If you wanted to become pregnant, you might called upon Gaia, Kwan Yin or Astarte. Candles and / or incense may be lit to honor and respresent the god/dess. Now the circle is complete so you are divinely protected and can use this protected space to work magick spells and / or do divination or to handle special needs. EX: consecrate tools, dedicate a covernor, send healing to someone etc… Most Pagans first raise energy through chanting, drumming and/ or dancing and then focus the energy raised to the activities done in circle. Ritual sex can also be done to riase energy when it’s appropriate. When you complete your work, you generally do the opening in reverse. Thank the gods and release them (extinguish candles representing them)… thank the elements and directions (extinguishing their candles and releasing them) and thank all energies that have offered their assistance. Remove the circle by working counterclockwise.

The good thing about doing ritual is that it empowers you greatly. Rather than sitting in church and observing a communion with God, you become your own priest(ess). You are in the driver’s seat. You learn and grow in ways that you would never believe. You directly commune with God.

The bad thing about ritual is that it is labor intensive and time consuming. This is especially true for those who have to work around family who doesn’t support their faith or those with small kids. So…. as far as magick is concerned, I encourage folks to do spells when they need them and to fit ritual in on important times of the year. It is better to do ritual less and be in a better frame of mind, then to do it because you feel like you are required to in order to have success.  I don’t want you NOT to do magick because it seems like too much work. Keep it simple and really make those rituals count when it’s important.

What does magick do? Magick is an advanced form of prayer. By working a spell or ritual, your mind is focused for that period of time. Magick can be performed through meditation. Unfortunately, most people do not meditate because it’s a challenge to keep the mind focused. Magick… keeps us focused with words and gestures.

How does magick work? This is my own opinion. I am a Virgo and have a very logical brain. I personally cannot wrap my brain around gods and spirits fixing my life because I lit a candle or recited an incantation. What I do believe (feel free to disagree) is that since everything has energy (including thoughts), I am consciously manipulating the energies that are connected to my issue in order to change them to suit my desire. I believe that the deities are simply energies that are related to my desire. So I can do a beauty spell to make me more attractive. It probably won’t change me physically, but it might make me FEEL more attractive. AND…. there is NOTHING more sexy than confidence! In this new confidence, I might start to lose a few pounds or feel and urge to get a make-over.  Basically, nothing has changed but my perspective. BUT…. in that shift, comes the desired affect. I feel more attractive and I become more attractive to others.

What a spell can’t do. A spell can’t make you an Olympic gold metalist if you are a couch potato. Magick can’t make you rich if you make bad financial habits and don’t like to work. Magick is NOT a quick fix or a cure-all. It brings awareness. But ultimately, it is all up to you. If you want change, then change your habits, choices and behaviors.  Use spells to help you help yourself. And while I have your attention, PLEASE do not believe in anyone who guarantees their spells and charges large amounts of money. Don’t you think they would be on Oprah if they could work these miracles!? The best person to work magick for you is YOU!

 

Learn how to do tarot readings

 

Tarot reading can be a helpful tool in your spiritual evolution. Tarot readings can act as a guide when you are seeking a solution to a problem, making a decision or looking for the outcome on a situation. It can be a fun and rewarding skill to possess. If you practice enough, tarot reading can be a good way to generate a supplemental income. Almost anyone can learn to read tarot. You do not have to have any psychic ability to read tarot cards. Though we all have psychic ability but most of us can’t give a “psychic reading” as we haven’t been trained to receive messages. That’s a whole different ball of wax. You do not need to use psychic ability to read tarot cards because they are what are called a “divination tool”. In other words, a tarot deck is a tool in which the reader divines messages from spirit. Spirit sends a message to the querent through tarot cards. You are the translator between spirit and the querent. In other words, you look at the card layout and divine the message from symbolism, numerology and card patterns. Even though this is not a psychic reading, you may get messages from spirit. You may have words or symbols pop into your head that probably don’t make sense to you but they may to the querent. Likewise, you may just get a “gut feeling” on the querent’s question before they even shuffle. What is happening is that you are an open channel.

 

 

How to study the tarot cards

 

If you really want to learn to read tarot without using a book, you will have to study each of the 78 cards including the reversed position. There is no shortcut unless you feel confident enough in your abilities to use your intuition.

 

I highly recommend the Rider – Waite tarot deck for beginners because you may want to buy books on tarot reading or perhaps take classes. This is the #1 selling deck and most books and classes will refer to it. It’s not the most attractive deck, but for a beginner, it will have more resources than the other decks.

 

 

 

 You will need the following items:

Tarot deck

Book with interpretations for that deck– you can use the little white book that is included with the deck, however, it’s best to get a more detailed interpretation.

Notebook

Pen

 

My method for learning the cards is as follows:

 

Separate the deck into 5 piles based on suit (major arcana, wands, cups, pentacles and swords). Stack each pile in numerical order starting with the lowest on top, 2’s second….. and so on through to the king. The major arcana begins with the Fool card which is #0.

 

In your notebook, write the interpretation for the fool and each ace based on the book. Do upright first… skip a line or 2 for future notes and then write the reversed meaning. If you get any intuitive feelings, be sure and include them even if they go against the book. The book is only a guide used to give you a rough understanding of the suit, number, symbolic and elemental meanings and to jump-start your intuition. Repeat this for the 2^nd card in each pile.

 

Set up your cards and notes as follows:

 

 

 

&

 

 

 

notebook

 

    

           

m. arcana    wands   cups     pentacles    swords

 

Now study the fool’s interpretation in the upright position. When you have it, quiz yourself (or a have a study buddy help you) till you get it right. Move onto the ace of wands and repeat the study / quiz process. When you feel comfortable, repeat for the remaining aces.

 

Go back to the fool and quiz yourself again and repeat with the aces of each suit. When you have them all, turn the cards upside down (called the “reverse” position) and repeat the process for the reversed interpretation of each card.

 

Continue to quiz yourself till you get them all correct in both positions.

Move onto the 2^nd card in repeat the entire process. When you get them all correct, add them to the previously learned cards and quiz yourself.

 

I like to write the interpretations for a series of 2 numbers (a total of 10 cards) to give myself a break from the memorizing. I like the rhythm of learning 2 number cards and then getting the break. It’s less monotonous than writing them all out and then studying them. BUT… if you want to do that, or do more than a series of 2 numbers, that’s fine. The idea is to create a system that leaves you wanting more rather than feeling like giving up.

 

After you get through a series of numbers, shuffle the cards and quiz yourself. Create 2 piles. The first pile is for cards that come easy to you (“hit” card). The 2^nd pile is for those that you “miss” on. Repeat the quizzing process to the “miss” cards until each one comes easy enough to you to be added to the “hit” pile. Keep the cards in the same position when you lay them in the correct pile.

 

Turn the cards around and study them from the other position repeating the “hit” and “miss” pile process.

 

Move onto another series of cards in the same fashion. Continue with the quizzing / hit and miss process.

 

Add all the cards you have studied to one pile and shuffle. Repeat the entire process until you get them all correct. By now, you should notice that they are starting to “sink in”. You may even get to the point that you don’t like the interpretation that they book gives and create one of your own. GOOD!

 

Keep at the process till you get through all 78 cards in both positions. Continue the quizzing till you feel confident to do a reading without consulting the book. Practice…. Practice…. Pratice!!!!

 

You can practice on yourself by doing a 1, 2 or 3 card reading for the day or week. Practice reading for friends and family that are open to tarot readings.  You can also do readings on celebrities and current events and watch in the media to see what transpires.

Some areas require certification for professional readings. You can find information on tarot certification online.

 

To take your readings a step further, I highly recommend The Complete Tarot Reader by Teresa Michelsen and Simple Fortunetelling with Tarot Cards by Corrine Kenner. I have used these books and found them to be very useful in learning the deeper meaning of each card and how to combine a series cards for a more in depth reading. Readers often get frustrated when the card they choose doesn’t pertain to their query. These books may help you learn to get around that problem.

 

Once you get comfortable doing readings, you may want to switch to a new deck that is more appealing or perhaps has a spiritual connection. That was my intention because I didn’t like the artwork on the Rider – Waite deck. However, as I learned the deck, I began to really connect with it. I even took the time to learn a lovely deck that was similar. But I found myself wanting to return to my original deck. I noticed that my attention was no longer focused on the artwork…. But rather on the symbolism that I found lacking in many other decks.

 

Note: There is a shortcut to learning the reversed cards. Some don’t learn the descriptions in the book. They take the upright means and consider the reversed as either energy turned inward or unrecognized.