Working with the Heart Chakra

Post originally from 14th July 2014 

For quite a while I've been putting off working with my Heart Chakra. For me it is the hardest work work with. I find trusting hard, and I find trusting with my heart even harder, especially in in the last 18 months. My heart and feeling have been through the mill. Though, today, I felt it time was time to begin working with this chakra. Normally this is the kind of work i keep to myself, but I thought I would open up my heart and share with you all. In a hope to rebuild the trust within myself. I'm not perfect, I am likely the least perfect person.

Now, what can be seen on my altar? As always, my craft is very intuitive and personal to myself. But I will walk you through it. First off, you see the altar cloths. They are Green and Pink, the colours that are closely associated to the heart chakra (I also ADORE pink). Next you can see that I have chosen items to represent the elements.
* Chalice - At the back - this represents Water
* The Rock (Moss Agate) - on the right - this represents Earth
* Incense - at the front - represents Air
* Candle - to the left - this represents Fire.
In the centre of the four elements you can see a blue ring with a green card. The ring is an Agate Slice - for me, this represents Unity and the Spirit. The Green car in front is one of my Chakra Cards about the heart Chakra. This give me something to focus on.

In front of the card there is a Green candle. This is from a Chakra set I got and it is scented Lavindin, Orange and Tangerine - it's quite refreshing actually. To the right of the Green candle you will see a selection of pink stones. These include Pink Agate and Rose Quartz. To the left of the Green candle you'll see a selection of green stones. These include New Jade and Aventurine. In front of the Incense holder you can see a little selection of more stones. These are Rhodonite. This is a stone that I have been very drawn to lately.

Finally, you will see that I have drawn 2 cards from The Goddess Oracle. These are Aphrodite and Hecate. These are the reason why i have chosen to work with my heart Chakra. The Aphrodite card represents LOVE and the Hecate card represents CROSSROADS. I'm very much at a crossroad in my life with respects to my heart chakra.

~ Info on the Heart Chakra ~

The Heart Chakra is located in the centre of your chest, just over your heart (I know, obvious right). The colours that are associated with the Heart Chakra are Pink and Green. (I've found the paler pinks have more of a connection than the brighter pinks, but this could just be me). The metaphysical themes that are connected to the Heart Chakra are - Unconditional Love - Compassion - Self-Love - Acceptance - Truth. Physical themes that are connected to the Heart Chakra are - The Heart - Chest - Lungs - Coronary - and Vascular System. The gland that is associated with the heart Chakra is the Thymus.

~)O(~ Rainbow Love, Light and Blessings ~)O(~

Working with the Base Chakra

I decided to work with my Base (or Root) Chakra today. I have a few health problems at the moment, and it is important to me to keep myself going, and not give up because my body hurts, or I am suffering from fatigue. I was looking at the Chakras today and tired to work out which would be the best to work with. It took a while, believe me, but I finally settled on the Base Chakra, because of it's 'physical' associations rather than the metaphysical.

Now, what can you see on my altar? As always my craft is very intuitive, and what I have here I was guided to have on my Base Chakra Altar. (If you decide to create your own, you may be guided to have something else). First, you can see the altar cover. When i was in Scotland a few years ago I fell in LOVE with this material, and for a very long time, I didn't know what to do with it - but I was looking in my box and found it this morning and WHAM perfect for what I wanted for my altar cloth. Red is the primary colour of the Base Chakra. Next you can see that I have items to represent the elements.
* Chalice - At the back - this represents Water
* The Rock (Smoky Quartz) - on the right - this represents Earth
* Incense - at the front - represents Air
* Candle - to the left - this represents Fire.
In the centre of the four elements you can see a blue ring with a red card. The ring is an Agate Slice - for me, this represents Unity and the Spirit. The Red card in front is one of my Chakra Cards about the Base Chakra. This gives me something to focus on.

In front of the Red card you can see a red candle, this is scented with Cassia, Clove and Nutmeg - it's a really spicy and invigorating scent, (it reminds me of Christmas at my grandparents house). To the right of the red candle you can see a selection of red stones. They are: Red Calcite, Garnet, Red Jasper, and red Tiger's Eye. To the left of the red candle you can see a selection of different types of Clear/Rock Quartz. In front of the incense holder and to the right of the card is Obsidian, Elestial Smoky Quartz and Hematite. To the right of the card is Obsidian, Jet and Onyx crystals.

Finally, you can see that I have drawn three cards, they match the reasons why I am working on my Base Chakra quite well. They are from the Goddess Oracle. They are Shakti, Pachamama and Kali. On the left Shakti represents ENERGY. In the centre Pachamama represents HEALING and on the right Kali represents FEAR. These are all very important to me right now.

~ Info on the BASE Chakra ~

The Base Chakra is located between at the very base of your spine, (pretty much your bum). The colour that is largely associated with the Base Chakra is Red. The metaphysical themes that are connected to the Base Chakra are Survival - Physical needs - Connection to the Earth - Materialism - Self-Defence. The physical themes that are connected to the Base Chakra are Skeleton - Bones - Blood - Cell Structure - Spine - Large Intestine - Teeth. The glad that is associated to this Chakra is the Adrenal gland.

~)O(~ Rainbow Love, Light and Blessings ~)O(~

How and Why cleanse your crystals under the Full Moon

When I say "cleanse" I'm not talking about a physical cleaning, I am referring to the clearing of energy from within the stone. This has many other names, re-tuning (or tuning) is another popular one that I have seen in reference to this.

One of the safest ways to cleanse the energetic signatures of your crystals is to use the energy of a Full Moon. When we work with crystals they absorb our energy, good or bad, they take it into themselves (think of a sponge soaking up water). The more energy they absorb, the more their original energy frequency is changed, and crystals become more and more ineffective for their original purpose. After working with crystals for long periods or for intense work you will want to cleanse them, so they can go back to it's original vibrational energy.

One of the most common questions I am asked when it comes to cleansing crystals is "how often should I cleanse crystals?" This is a toughie to give any definitive answer to, but the simplest answer is to listen to your intuition, and to your crystals. If you with a crystal quite a lot, them you will be cleansing it more often. if you only use a crystal once or twice a year, then you won't need to cleanse them much. I always charge my crystals under the Super Moon, they all get dug out and set somewhere (my kitchen windowsill) that gets the light of the Full Moon. This way they are cleansed and charged with the energy of the "biggest" moon of the year.

Why is the moon such a popular way to cleanse crystals? This is a really easy question to answer, it is the most popular because it is 1) the safest for *all* your crystals and it is the easiest as it needs nothing more than the Full Moon (which happens every month - who'd have thunk) and your crystals. The Full Moon phase of the moon lasts for 3 consecutive days. you have the day before, the day of and the day after, so if you forget, you have plenty of time to get them out. If you have a larger collection (like mine) then you may need all 3 nights just to make sure they all get a bathing in lunar light.

Now to the nitty gritty of cleansing your crystals by the Moon. What if I can't put them outside? When do you take them out? When do you bring them in? What if it's raining, cold, etc...? I live in an area that isn't too safe to have things like crystals outside, but I am lucky enough to have a west facing kitchen, and I can put them there for safety. You can do the same. If you can't put them outside, see if there is a place where you can put them inside that will catch the Moons light. I usually collect my crystals up throughout the day, and then around sunset I set them out in the windowsill. Amethyst and Rose Quartz can be damaged (energy wise - and in colour) by prolonged exposure to the sun. So, sunset is the best time to put them out. When to collect them in? In the morning. Thats when I remove mine off the windowsill. Whether you can see the moon or not doesn't matter, if it's raining, it doesn't matter, if it's foggy and really unpleasant outside, it doesn't matter to crystals, they can still absorb the energy. Though, if it is raining, you will need to cover your crystals if they are outside, or bring them inside as some crystals do not like water.

When you set them out you can lay them out on a tray, in a glass bowl, in a box etc.... I say use a glass bowl because - I have 3 kitties that like to py with my crystals, and if I left them out on a tray, I would be finding them all over my kitchen in the morning - you have them in a safe place that can allow though the most amount of light. You can leave crystal jewellery out too. One advantage of the window thing, is I use the latches to hang my favourite jewellery up.

You don't have to put your crystals out every full moon. with a collection like mine, that is quite a task. However, I do put out the crystals i use and wear the most out every Full Moon. I always cleanse my Amethysts that I use in my pouches too (I make up my pouches every Full Moon too. if you have a relatively small collection and wish to put them out every full moon, that is fantastic, but for those with larger collections and large specimens it is not always possible, so perhaps break it down into sections and rotate your way through your collection.  

I hope this has been helpful for you and has answered some of your questions about charging crystals under the Full Moon.

~)O(~ Rainbow Love, Light and Blessings ~)O(~

Full Moon Blessings

Cleansing Your Cards

Cleansing your cards is very important, it will "get rid" of any stagnant or negative energy that is clinging to the cards. There are a few ways to cleanse your cards, they are:

1) Leave your cards out (spread out if possible) somewhere that can get the light of the Full Moon
2) Spread out your deck and put all of your card in Numerical order (each suit and Major Arcana) - This works for Oracle and Lenormand cards too
3) Store your cards with cleansing crystals. The best (in my experience) are: Carnelian, Selenite, or an Amethyst Geode/bed. You can use a single crystal, or a combination. The Carnelian/Selenite are crystals that rarely (if ever) need cleansing themselves.

Have fun with your cards, they should never feel like a chore. If they are, it may be time to cleanse them. If they begin to feel "sticky" or "heavy" this is another sign that the cards need cleansing of the previous energy

~)O(~ Rainbow Love, Light and Blessings ~)O(~

Charms, Amulets and Talismans.. oh my!

Charms, Amulets and Talismans are in the most basic terms like uncharged batteries, it is when you give the words or object meaning and imbuing it with your energy does it have any magical power. Nowadays the three terms are used interchangeably, however from a historical perspective they are not the same. 

To begin you need to respect the traditions in which they originated and understand why each is unique and it is important to learn this, so you can make an informed decision on which you may be using.

Here are the meanings to wrap your head around. When presented in a clear manner they are pretty easy to distinguish and define them. 

Charms

Charms are probably the basis for the original forms of portable magic. The word Charm most likely comes from the Latin word Carmen which means incantation and maybe even song. This gives rise to the theory that at least in the beginning they were simply words uttered by a witch with her intent clear in her mind and heart. 

Much later the word was coined to small symbolic objects you could carry on your person, to ward off evil and to inspire good luck to come your way. Whether they are a spoken word or a small symbolic object, once they have been created and (unless you intend otherwise) they remain active, and typically the energy you have placed into them lasts less than a year. 

Quote:
Charms play an important role in many various magical traditions. In many tribal cultures, a person could not all themselves a Shaman until he or she knew how to contrive dozens of different traditional charms

Amulets

Amulets on the other hand are passive until something external gives them a purpose for their energies and therefore their energy tend to last a little longer than that of a charm. The main purpose of an Amulet is to give the wearer protection; more specifically it wards of any unwanted or harmful magic or any other influence that could be baneful to you. In some cases, amulets have been created for purposes similar to that of a charm; such as improving strength, adding to personal wealth and augmenting. The word Amulet comes from the Latin word amulet which means, if you haven't guessed it charm.

No wonder people have trouble keeping the definitions straight in their heads.

Talismans

Talismans are used as active participants on magic. A witch’s wand is a very good example of how the Talisman operates; this is because the wand transports energy and in so doing helps them with casting a spell. A witch’s wand is a Talisman of power (not to different from The Staff of Moses). Many stories of old tell us that many talismans had spirits dwelling within them, who were commanded by the person using the magic to do specific tasks. 
It is extremely rare to see instances of this in nature today, the word Talisman is now used to refer to any token or item that has been created in important astrological times, and using the right materials. 

Quote:
Aladdin's lamp was a kind of Talisman. The lamp held a genie (jinni), which is a VERY powerful spirit, constrained to obey its owner

The Rainbow Witch 17-09-2013 ~)O(~


~)O(~ The Rainbow Witch 03/07/2011

Prayer

Prayer

You may have childhood memories like I do, of praying at the side of your bed, or at mealtimes. As the years have passed, that practice may have faded away and got lost under all the hustle and bustle of daily life. Nonetheless, prayers offer much to Wiccans/Witches and Pagans (especially when directed to a specific god or goddess). Prayer can also become a useful tool for Witches, if used as a mechanism for reconnecting with the psychic self, and the collective unconscious.

??? What is prayer ???

The answer to this actually depends on who you ask... When I looked it up I found that a 17th Century preacher and writer John Bunyan thought that prayer is “sincere, sensible, affectionate, and pouring out of the soul to God”. However, in comparison Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American essayist and poet described prayer as “the study of truth”, which implies a more meditative element.

So, for this, I am going to say... that prayer is defined as a means of communicating with Spirit (or the deity of your choosing), which in part also means listening. Whether that communication take the form of a request, thankfulness, worshipfulness, or simply opening up to Spirit (or deity) in truthfulness, if you do not listen as well as talk; a great deal of the effectiveness of prayer remains unrealized.

The role of Prayer in Wicca and Witchcraft.

It has taken a while for Witches on the whole to integrate Prayer into rituals and daily magical practices. The problem for many has been the connection the idea of prayer and organised religion. Since many witches come from a past steeped in a faith to which they had no strong personal connection, it’s been hard for them to reclaim the power of prayer. Nonetheless, it is happening, albeit slowly.

This change is in part due to a realization that many prayers are really a kind of respectful deity-directed spell. Think of it this way; when we pray for something, we are indicating our desire for something to manifest. In spell craft, the Witch does the same thing, adding will and an awareness of how to build and direct energy into the equation. A Wiccan/Witch/Pagan can also invoke the quarters, or Spirit to bless and guide the energy – by all definitions, these invocations qualifies as a prayer.

Many Witches/Wiccans/Pagans approach prayer as a personal construct. If a practitioner doesn’t follow a particular deity, (s)he may not feel the need to pray, and will likely substitute this with meditations or other thoughtful practices. If a practitioner honours Spirit, or a particular deity, prayer will certainly have a place. This is to say, that just because someone may not have a deity, they cannot pray... because they can and I know some who do.

What to expect from Prayer?

According to Socrates “God knows what is good for us”. Prayers are filled with good intentions, yet often good intentions, pave the way to trouble. It’s a fact that we as human beings have a limited spiritual vision, and frequently don’t realize that a ‘good’ idea may have terrible consequences. Thus, the Witch may end a prayer (spell or ritual) with a phrase similar to “for the good of all, and it harm none”. This small phrase releases the energy of the prayer’s energy to the Powers so it can be guided for the best possible results. Even if those results, aren’t what we first expected

The Rainbow Witch 27-05-2012

Protecting Boundaries with Agate

Positive Rainbow Circle

We all need a little extra positivity in our lives on a day to day basis. The challenge of this is to find at least one positive thing to say about yourself. This isn't always easy. 

I love ........ about myself

I love my ..................

Nothing can be defamatory to your character, or a put down.  

Example: 

I love my CREATIVITY

I love my COMPASSION, KIND HEART and LOVING SOUL

What are yours?

The Rainbow Witch 13-04-14

Being a Rainbow Witch pretty much means I am eclectic in my path and where it leads me. Before I decided to use the name Rainbow Witch to describe myself and my path, I referred to myself as an Eclectic Witch, and here is my explanation and experience as an Eclectic Witch... As a Rainbow Witch.

When I began following a pagan path, I found that so many things were calling to me, and from learning all of these different things from many different traditions, I have become a better and fuller person.

Being Eclectic means that I don’t follow one specific path with its rules and beliefs. Instead I learn, read and research about a wide range of different paths and traditions, and most importantly, I learn about what feels right to me. Every new thing that I learn, becomes a part of who I am, a part of my own spiritual path, and in doing so, it changes me just a little bit each time.

At this point in my life, I feel like I am the best person I can be, and this is, I think, due in part to the spiritual growth I have attained and the fulfilment it has brought me. Do I want to stop growing? Hell no! I never want to stop learning and discovering new and exciting things. This is one reason I don’t want to give up on ‘The Pagan Tree’, in the short time I have been researching the different paths and traditions I have learnt new things, and I have also remembered things I have seemingly long forgotten.

Sometimes I will read a book, an article, or research a subject and I will take a lot from it and incorporate it into my own practices, but there are other times when I will take nothing from it other than the knowledge that I have gained from doing it.

“There is no right or wrong way to practice being an Eclectic Witch.”

If I feel like I want to study Shamanism or a certain Pantheon of deities I can do that, and I do. If I want to learn a new form of divination, or work on my chakras I can do that too. There are times when I do no studying at all, and I just practice and live what I have learnt, what I already know and believe.

I could never imagine leaving this path, at least in this lifetime. I feel that I can achieve all that I want and desire in my life both physically and spiritually. I will continue to learn and grow.

Being an Eclectic Witch, to me, means that I will never tire of my spirituality, it will never bore me, and it will never become a burden to me.

I hope this has answered any questions that you may have, or might have had. There are so many different paths out there to follow, but the best one for you is the one you choose for yourself.

The Rainbow Witch 05-12-2012