With Belief, It Should Be All Or Nothing

 I believe in Magick. I believe in spirits, sprites, magical beings, faeries, and other worlds or realms. I'm 38, and I still believe. That's not to say society, from my parents to my peers, hasn't tried to shame or mock this belief from me. Even my own husband who doesn't believe in the faerie world or mermaids, but does believe in angels and ghosts and haunting's, mocks me for my 'fantasy filled' mind.( But still wants his cards read every now and then.)

 I think that my belief of otherworldly things, solid belief, is what helps when I need things done. When I read the tarot, I believe. When I light a candle for someone, I believe. When I meditate or journey, I believe. When my intuition kicks in, I listen. Wholeheartedly. And it works.

 In my opinion, you can't 'dabble' in belief. You can't, say, say a spell, then wake up in the middle of the night from fear and pray to Jesus nothing gets you, then defy the Bible(and it's beliefs)  the very next day with  another 'spell'. You can't say a spell for a friend out of a book, then the next day mock your own practice or make light of it. Your constant belief is what makes it come true. Thought and belief are the two most powerful things out there. If you believe anything, then, in your world, it's the truth. But it must be true. You must stay consistent. 

 I never believed in speaking in tongues, but my great grandmother did...and she could not only tell you if someone were true, but she could interpret exactly what they were saying. She could also pray off a wart or a sickness. And her faith in God was true. My great-uncle could cut your hair, put it in a hole in a tree, and rid you of an aliment. They did this, and succeeded, because their belief was strong and never wavered. They never second guessed themselves or their understandings. 

 Whatever you believe, wherever your faith lies, you must first, believe. And, second, you must study. You must devote your life to your truth. No truth comes easily. If you want a 'power' you have to earn it. If you want an outside force to work for you, you must first understand who and what you are asking. Begin by studying. If you feel it isn't worth your time and energy, do yourself a favor and find another way to achieve your goals. If you want to cast spells, you can't simply pull one up from a random book or website and expect success. You first need to learn about magic. Spells don't work because of the props you use, or your ingredients, or the words you say. They work when you understand the principles of  what you're doing and why you are doing it. They work when you have learned to meditate and have disciplined your mind in order to alter your state of consciousness at will and to raise and focus your energy. 

I'm not saying you have to, in anyway, abandon your faith and religion to practice a new 'faith' or belief. Or give up what you know to be true to travel a new path. I'm just saying that no matter what you want or want to be, you must first have faith in what you say and feel. And know that it is true. Don't doubt yourself or your faith. 

Remember the three wise men of the Christmas story who brought gifts to baby Jesus? They were Magi. 

Historically, Magi weren't known for pulling rabbits out of hats, but they were a part of a long line of  consultants to kings who worshiped various gods, practiced the occult, studied the stars, foretold the future,  interpreted dreams, and probably experimented with spells, potions and elixirs. Then around 600 B.C., the  Old Testament prophet Daniel was put in charge of the Magi of Babylon (Daniel 2:48). That's when there  was a noticeable shift in how the Magi of Babylon worked. They operated more like a priestly order,  became monotheistic (worshiped one God), and even sacrificed animals for their sin. Daniel no doubt turned  them to depend upon God for their powers. So while sorcery is condemned by the Bible, not all the  magicians in the Bible are "bad guys." The difference? The three wise men bowed before Jesus, and Daniel  was clear that he could interpret dreams by God's power, not his. (Found here)

Find your path. And meditate on it. Decide if you are willing to change or alter yourself or habits in order to live your chosen path. And if you are- Keep your faith strong and your heart true. Nothing should sway you. 

I'd love to hear your opinion on this...please, lets be civil, this is a touchy subject; I know, but it's been rattling in my head for a few days and I need to air it out. 

Shhh- My Souls Talking

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Shhh- hear that? That litany of voices in your head...how do you ever get anything done? I have the same mixture of sounds blaring through my skull every day. Here are a few things that I do to shush them up.

!. Julia Cameron is a genius...I write three pages in long hand everyday. EVERYDAY. Some times its lists, sometimes its notes, diary pages, sketches with catchy phrases...but everyday I write something. It totally dispels a bit of that noise and trash that's cluttering up my brain space.

2. Meditate- I sit for 10 minutes EVERY DAY in a quiet place and let my self quiet down and I just breathe. When a thought comes in my head, I gently imagine that I let it float into a box and then I concentrate on my breath again. Even if I only get a few seconds of real meditation everyday, a few seconds to me is better than none.

3. Walk outside. Go into nature. Sometimes just letting my bare feet touch grass and soil soothes the loudness in my brain.

Try one or all of these things. Get a routine set up, where you write, then meditate, and then maybe go outside. Slow down and b-r-e-a-t-h-e. With time you'll notice that its a lot more quiet and roomy in that ole skull of yours.

Intuition-a practice worth listening to

 Intuition, that thing that your gut does when you aren't thinking with your soul. The tiny whisper that vibrates through your body that you know you should listen to. It's your soul knowing whats right for you, and your 'logical' self not listening.
 Why? What are you afraid of?
 Me- being wrong.
 I get afraid. I question my spirit and think "does my intuition really know better than I do?" the answer, quite simply, is yes. In my life, I believe my spirit/energy/soul has been around a lot longer than my 37 years. And I know that I have definitely put it through some adventurous growing this time around. But it still knows more than this body of mine ever will.

"How do you 'hear' your intuition? Just listening doesn't seem to do the trick." And it probably won't either. Think about how full your mind is right now...your reading this, maybe judging it, fending off a child, eating a burrito,  listening to the radio/TV- anything...how often do you really take for yourself? Just quiet. No electronics, no noise, no other distractions. Hey, I have 4 kids and a child like husband, I know all to well how hard it is to find a bit of quiet. But for your sanity, connection to your intuition and relationships with others I urge you to TAKE IT! You need quiet time or meditation every day! You don't need a designated space (although it makes it easier to quiet down, quicker) or a gong or candles or anything. All you need is you, 10 minutes, and a quiet private place to just be. Just sit somewhere comfortably, sit don't lie- you'll fall asleep and defeat the purpose!  And begin to breath. Really inhale at a slow steady pace and then exhale at a slow steady pace, try to inhale and exhale at the same slow deep steady pace. Ideas are going to form, and inner conversations are going to sound...when they do don't get frustrated! Just nudge them away for later reflection and come back to your breath. Concentrate on breathing fully. That's it! Just breathe and be, nothing hard is involved. The more quiet time you give your mind, the tighter your soul and mind/body become. You'll stop second guessing yourself. All good things come with meditation.

I meditate everyday, if I miss it for a day i feel...frustrated, angry, easily aggravated. It's soothing to my soul, and I really feel like it fine tunes my 'intuitive channel' and i can hear it more clearly. Since I've really started giving myself meditation time and started listening closely to my intuition, its gotten stronger. My inner voice is strong and positive. and I found that listening has also given me a new sense of strength and confidence I never really had before. Your intuition knows you better than you know yourself. Take some time to listen to it and embrace it. After all- it's the real you!

My Reality

 Frida Kahlo has always inspired me. She Lived in a body that fought her, loved a man that fought her, and lived a life that fought her. Yet she pushed on. She created beauty out of chaos and light out of dark. She coaxed music from her pain and placed it upon canvas. She was a rock star.
  One of the things  I like about being an artist is that I have a visual account of my life that will be left behind for all who care to see. My great great great great grandson could look through the art that I leave behind and learn more about me than the passed down stories of family members. To me, that is legacy.

 When I went to school for Yoga, the one thing they stressed the most was MEDITATE. You can't teach Yoga if you don't know yourself. This is something that will always stick with me. even if days go by where I don't hit the mat, I make it an obligation to myself to sit, everyday, twice a day, and meditate. Now, to a lot of folks i've spoken with, they equate meditation with something un-christian...this is silly on so many levels. I'm non-denominational, but I encourage my children to pray before each meal, they go to church and I read bible stories with them. I will never spoon feed religion down their throats, but i will encourage them to seek a spirit within and without themselves, and trust something bigger than themselves. I've been told that "OM' is un-christian and should not be included in my practice for the public!?! Here's the real deal(according to me)
 Jesus himself was said to meditate. It's a time of self reflection.
 OM is said to be the vibrational hum/sound that the earth and Universe make when listened to. When you say Om, you are trying to create the 'Universal"sound, to become one with the Universe and all.
 Meditation- You sit, you breathe, you still your mind...You listen to yourself, make peace with your sub concious, and strengthen your brain on so many levels...how the heck is this bad?!?

 When I meditate, I sit in front of my altar, or Puja table. On it are all of the things that are influencing me right now. I add to and take away all of the time. I like to have the elements present, it makes me feel more grounded, more one with Mother Earth. I sit in a comfortable position on the floor on a cushion and have a blanket under the fleshy part of my booty. If this won't work for you, sit in a chair! This is for you. be comfortable! I light candles, and sing a little, then I set my timer close my eyes and breathe. In and out for an even count. When I feel calm and my crazy monkey mind has slowed, I start to chant my Mantra. Eventually you should choose one, but try out as many as you can till one fills right. A great place to find one is Spirit Voyage, they have a huge list with audio so that you know how to say them. If this is to 'woo woo' for you, recite your favorite parable, or hymn, or just repeat a word- truth, love, peace...etc. I started at 10 minutes twice a day, but now I sit for about 20 minutes twice everyday. do what's right for you. but, the more time you take for yourself, the more you will get out of it. I really do have a better understanding of who I am and how my brain works, as well as my heart and soul. And that helps me in all areas of my life, especially my creative life! 

Svadhisthana

this is the second in the Chakra series- 

self worth- the seat of life

(I've been working on my Chakras for a while now, and I feel like it's an ongoing process, but that I'm really starting to understand the process and myself a lot more...here is just a bit of what I've learned for you to start your own practice and healing...)

What are Chakras?
 Chakra's (pronounced Cha-kra, like chocolate chip...thanks Sam and Kaoverii!) are mental and emotional energy centers placed along your spine. Asana's (yoga poses) were invented to help heal and release blockages within your chakra system. ANYONE can work on their Chakra's- without going against their religious beliefs.  Learning about your chakra's gives you access to your bodies physical responses so you can minimize the negative effects and maximize the positive ones!
 There are currents of energy that course throughout your body - like a road map they are plentiful, but there are 4 main highways...the first two are-
 The upward current-Mukti or the freedom path runs from the earth and rises through the body toward ever more awareness.
The downward current Bukti or manifestation  starts at the crown of your head and goes down towards the earth growing more and more specific until it manifests on a physical plane.

Peoples issues are almost never physical but always tied to mental or chakra energy. Heal that and heal yourself.

Svadhisthana is your second Chakra also called your Sacral Chakra. It represents how you handle your own emotions and sexuality. Imagine it as an invisible wheel of energy located a few inches below the navel in the center of the pelvis right in front of the sacrum. Blocked Svadhisthana energy can result in feelings of 
having done something wrong and guilt can ensue. It is difficult to taste life’s sweetness and nothing seems good enough. There also may follow a feeling of helplessness, as if you have no choice and no initiative to change. In some cases denial of pleasure may result along with self-imposed boundaries about food intake or exercise.The Sacral Chakra is associated with passion and creativity – and the soul desire to feel.

So, I recommend journaling everyday, and also meditate and do asana's. While working on your Sacral Chakra ask yourself a few questions while sitting grounded comfortably and concentrating on the chakra such as...

Am I well in my body- where are my insecurities and how can I fix them?
What can I let go of that was traumatic to me?
What can I forgive or grow away from?

As you journal, really listen to your truth. Envision your self; safe and sound, and open your self to the energy around you. This may bring up issues you never realized you had, with yourself, environment or your spirit. That's okay! Getting to know the real you is scary. Admitting your different than what you thought you knew is weird to most people. But, the better you understand yourself, you give yourself the gift of growth and truth and change. Open up and experience all that life is offering, it's an amazing trip!

Following journaling try to meditate – focus on the region of the chakra, envision the color orange and repeat a mantra (I am well in body, mind and spirit or something that resonates within you)

If you feel as if this is a journey you can't handle on your own, you're welcome to email me ( happysappytrees@gmail.com) with questions and comments. I would be happy to help in any way I can. I'm no expert, but,  I have been working on myself since I realized I was alive. It's a never-ending journey and I'm constantly being taught by others around me as well as my subconscious. You can never have enough knowledge or growth! I'd love to hear about your journey!

 I will be offering an on-line workshop based on healing, art,  chakras and intuition starting in January. I hope that you will join me for that as well!

Muladhara

this is a self empowering series that I will offer on Wednesdays- let me know if you enjoy it!

Survival- Security

(I've been working on my Chakras for a while now, and I feel like it's an ongoing process, but that I'm really starting to understand the process and myself a lot more...here is just a bit of what I've learned for you to start your own practice and healing...)

What are Chakras?
 Chakra's (pronounced Cha-kra, like chocolate chip...thanks Sam and Kaoverii!) are mental and emotional energy centers placed along your spine. Asana's (yoga poses) were invented to help heal and release blockages within your chakra system. ANYONE can work on their Chakra's- without going against their religious beliefs.  Learning about your chakra's gives you access to your bodies physical responses so you can minimize the negative effects and maximize the positive ones!
 There are currents of energy that course throughout your body - like a road map they are plentiful, but there are 4 main highways...the first two are-
 The upward current-Mukti or the freedom path runs from the earth and rises through the body toward ever more awareness.
The downward current Bukti or manifestation  starts at the crown of your head and goes down towards the earth growing more and more specific until it manifests on a physical plane.

Peoples issues are almost never physical but always tied to mental or chakra energy. Heal that and heal yourself.

Muladhara is your first chakra, also called the root chakra.  It  represents how you participate in the physical realm...body, home, work, environment ..it's self preservation...it makes sure you survive so you can continue to grow and enjoy this journey.

So, I recommend journaling everyday, and also meditate and do asana's. While working on your Root Chakra ask yourself a few questions while sitting grounded and concentrating on the chakra such as...

What keeps me grounded?
How do I connect with my physical body? With Nature?
Where do I feel safe?

As you journal, really listen to your truth. Envision your self; safe and sound, and open your self to the energy around you. This may bring up issues you never realized you had, with yourself, environment or your spirit. That's okay! Getting to know the real you is scary. Admitting your different than what you thought you knew is weird to most people. But, the better you understand yourself, you give yourself the gift of growth and truth and change. Open up and experience all that life is offering, it's an amazing trip!

If you feel as if this is a journey you cant handle on your own, you are welcome to email me ( happysappytrees@gmail.com) with questions and comments. I would be happy to help in any way I can. I'm no expert, but,  I have been working on myself since I realized I was alive. It's a never-ending journey and I'm constantly being taught by others around me as well as my subconscious. You can never have enough knowledge or growth! I'd love to hear about your journey!

 I will be offering an on-line workshop based on healing, chakras and intuition starting in January. I hope that you will join me for that as well!