I've published my first Tarot Deck!!!

Lylliths' Tarot - now available!

Creating my own Tarot deck has been a dream of mine ever since I picked up my first deck at the young age of 10 or 11.

I have been working on this deck for a while now, getting the coloured pencils out whenever I've had some "me time" and after quite a few months (technically a couple of years if we're being honest lol) it finally feels right to get these cards published and out into the hands of others :)

This deck is inspired by the Rider-Waite tarot imagery with my own spin on the cards.

Major Arcana - Each of these cards features a scene relevant to the cards' message. Some are visually similar to the traditional Rider-Waite, while others are completely different and unique to this deck. I have included Astrological symbols for reference, along with the use of colour and other symbology within the images to highlight the meanings and messages of the cards.

Minor Arcana - I decided to keep the "suits" fairly simplified for a couple of reasons. The first being that over the past couple of years teaching Tarot to beginners, I've noticed just how overwhelming it can all be, I beleive that by keeping the suits simple with colour and the arranging of symbols on each card will help those using this deck in readings - particularly anyone who has never used tarot before which makes this deck perfect for all levels. My second reason for this is quite simple in itself - I just wanted to keep the Minor Arcana more simplified.

Suits are colour coded to represent the Elements along with the tools of magick - Pentacles, Cups, Wands and Swords (Athames). For some these will be reversed, as I associate Swords with the element of Fire and Wands with the element of Air.  Directions are according to the Southern hemisphere.

I also incorporated imagery with the Aces and Court cards, the Aces feature plants associated with their element while the Queens and Kings hold crowns and the Page shows letters. The Knights are a tad unique as I've included the image of a Labrynth to represent change of direction.

If you'd like to order yourself a copy of my Tarot deck, click the button below to order via PayPal
Lyllith Xx

Stunning Halloween Decor

Firstly I just wanted to say a huge thankyou to Linda for her help setting up my new blog!

I'm pretty sure she's part computer, she just whizzes up coding like it's nothing and without her my little dropdown menus would be hideous and probably not even work haha

Linda also creates AMAZING tablescapes and just so happens to have some pretty awesome halloween themed tables over on her blog which I just HAD to share with you all!

If you're reading my blog then chances are you, like myself, would quite happily have the table set for Halloween all year round ;) There's a meme I've seen floating around cyber-space of halloween decorations that says something along the lines of seasonal decorations in stores - normal house decor for me - sooooo true :P

Anywho, here are some of my favourites from Lindas' blog....

  

How adorable are these faery folk!?!?

To see more pop on over to - https://www.lifeandlinda.com/p/halloween-tablescapes.html
If you're interested in creating your own blog, Linda also offers design packages on her other blog - https://www.myfairyblogmother.com/ 

Charging Your Crystals

How to CHARGE your crystals (after cleansing them)

Charging crystals is different to cleansing them, charging them means you are giving them an energy boost, like switching on their "on" switch.

The most common way to charge crystals is to leave them out in the moon light, full moon works best and is often regarded as the only time to charge them - this like many other things is not true, you can charge your crystals anytime ;) You can actually use the moon phases for crystal spells as well but I'll leave that one for another day (remind me!) 

If you have fragile or soluble crystals, place them inside on a window ledge rather than outside where the due and moisture in the air may damage them.

Full Moon is a perfect time for charging crystals

Earthing crystals in the ground not only cleanses them, but it also charges them as well so you could simply bury them for a day or night and do both at once if you like. This method is particularly good for crystals which have been used for healing and have used up a lot of their energy to help someone.

Crystal grids can be created to charge certain crystals, as can crystal generators. This is a very broad subject (gridding) but basically you need to listen to the crystals themselves, or your intuition in order to know how to lay them out. For a crystal charging grid generally you will place the chargers around the one you wish to charge and they would "face" it sending their energy to it. Grids can be a little tricky, you could possibly over charge a crystal or drain the chargers by accident so this is not a way I would recommend unless you are confident with grids.

One of Saige Winterbears' crystal grids

You can charge your crystals using your own positive energy. To do this you simply hold your crystal in your right hand (or left if left-handed) and focus your energy down through your arm and into the crystal. You can also use tools such as a wand or Athame to charge them the same way.

Some crystals prefer to charge in the Sun light rather than the moon, crystals such as Citrine, Shungite, Malachite and Tiger Eye like to be charged in the sun. To do this you leave them out in the sunlight for a few hours, I like to place them on a clear quartz cluster in a sunny spot <3

And some crystals can actually charge others, just like Carnelian and Kyanite cleanse them, stones and crystals such as Apophyllite, Clear Quartz, Amethyst and of course the ever helpful Carnelian. Clusters do tend to work best when using them to charge other crystals as well as Generators.

~ Lyllith Xx

Cleansing Your Crystals

How to cleanse your crystals.... (This is not the same as charging crystals, which I will post about next)

Crystals hold energies, both positive and negative and need to be cleansed - the regularity (is that a word? is now) of how often you'll need to cleanse them will vary depending on how often you use them, if they have been used to help remove negative, stale or "bad" energy or when protecting from dark spirits etc. I also find it best to cleanse them before using them if they haven't been out to play in a while.

Most crystals can be cleansed under running water or in naturally flowing water

How to cleanse them - There are several ways you can cleanse crystals, the first and easiest way is to hold them under flowing water, of course a natural creek, river or the beach is best but not necessary. The good old kitchen tap will work just as well, especially if your intentions are set.

Not all crystals can be cleansed in water, such as Selenite, which will slowly dissolve if it gets wet due to it's crystaline salt-like formation, Malachite which may release toxins into the water, Raw crystals need to be kept dry. Most tumbled stones are fine to wash in water if you're unsure please check or cleanse using a different method.

Earthing is another way to cleanse them, you can do this by either placing them on the ground in a garden or actually burying them for a while. The Earth then cleanses and also provides a little boost to your crystals.

Salt is another good way to cleanse crystals, you can do this by placing your stones on a dish or bowl filled with salt - any salt is fine, though the purer the better. I have a special Cleansing Salt Blend available in my online store, which is what we often use and is available here. Our daughter, Saige, likes to then cover her crystals with more salt, and give them a bit of a salt bath and cover them up as much as she can.

Crystals in a salt bath

The last way to cleanse crystals (there are some others like singing bowls, candlework etc. but I like to keep things simple) is to smoke them. To do this you simply use a white sage smudge stick, palo santo or herbal incense blend and pass the crystals through the smoke. The smoke cleanses them just as it does when you smudge your home or anything else. Hold them in the smoke until you feel they are done or pass them through, back & forth several times through the smoke.

Smudging with White Sage - original image source unknown

Remember though to wipe off any water, salt or dirt once you're done to make sure they are clean and dry as well as cleansed in the energetic sense of the word.

There are some crystals which never need cleansing such as Carnelian, which also cleanses it's friends when kept together in a bag or pouch!

How do you prefer to cleanse your crystals? Do you have some which prefer a different way to others?

Xx

Shielding ~ Spiritual Protection

Shielding is an important spiritual practice and can be done to protect your energy field from spirits, negative energies and even other people - I don't mean from physical harm from other people but rather from those people who absorb others' energies and leave you feeling down, tired and drained. These people are known as Energy Vampires, and most people know of at least one in their lives.

So what is shielding? Shielding is a term we use to define a shield or bubble of protection. The most commonly used method of shielding is "white lighting" or "white bubble". 

 

Even Comic books, Cartoons and movies have depicted bubble shields, many times! This is pretty much how you would imagine your bubble shield to look. 

Why do we shield ourselves? to protect from negative energies and those who drain us of our positive energy. Have you ever walked into a room or building and it just felt "odd"? or perhaps you know someone who whenever they are around you feel drained, empty and possibly angry? These are all times when shielding is needed.

Before you go putting up your protection shield, you first need to be sure that you don't have negative energy yourself. A good cleanse is always good practice and you should certainly be sure you have cleansed you own energy before shielding yourself.

Cleansing can be done in several ways, smudging with white sage, palo santo or sacred herbs and resins is most common. Ringing bells, clapping your hands and chanting are other good cleansing techniques. 

Once you've cleansed your energy, it's also a good idea to ground yourself. (If you haven't already before cleansing).

The easiest way to shield yourself, is to imagine a bright white light of pure positive energy radiating around you, this can take form of a bubble which encases your body and aura in it's protection. 

Other ways are visualizing a suit or armor like a knight would wear, that you "put on" other people I know use visualization to shield themselves in other ways as well. I have been throwing up walls of fire to block energy lately which has been working quite well for me.

As with all magic and spiritual practices, find what feels right for you. Each of us is different and once you have the basics covered you can work on those to adapt to your own way and find what works for you.

This is just a very basic guide to shielding, there is a wonderful amount of detailed information available online for those who need more guidance. 

Lyllith Xx

Grounding Your Energies

Grounding is easy to do and something I STRONGLY suggest learning and practicing regardless of your religious or spiritual beliefs.

Do you ever feel a bit "spacey" or not quite "here"? this means you are not grounded, grounding is also useful when you feel emotional, whether sad, angry or too overjoyed. Grounding basically brings you back to reality and stabilizes you in your body and anchors you to the Earth.

So HOW do you Ground yourself?
There are a few different ways to do this, I'll list the most common and easiest way here...

The best way to do this to be seated on the ground itself, not always practical and not necessary, but for the best results I suggest trying it at least once to really feel it working.

Clear your mind as best you can, then focus and imagine all the negative thoughts, emotions, confusion etc. joining together and forming a ball of energy, I generally see the energy ball in my stomach. Then as it grows you want to visualize it moving down into the Earth itself, deep down into the center of the Earths' core.

Visualize the Earth core burning this energy ball up and turning it into a new ball of positive energy, a bright white light (or gold or blue whichever works for you) which is full or positive emotions, thoughts and energy.

Then see this new positive energy ball move up through the Earth and into your body. As it becomes part of you you are filled with positive energy. Repeat the steps, realeasing negative and drawing in positive until you feel calm and collected.

Another method is the "Tree Roots" method. I personally prefer this to the Energy ball, but it could be because I often ground myself while walking or out in public and find it easier and faster.

Start the same way, clear your mind and focus. This time you will imagine or visualize a cord, roots (like tree roots) or energy shards (like lightning) which come from your body and go deep into the Earth, into the core.

The cord, roots or shards you have visualized now act as a freeway for energy to flow between your body and the Earths' core. Draw up all of the negative thoughts, emotions and confusion etc. and push this energy down through the path you created and into the Earths' core. Then the same thing as before, see this energy transform into positive energy and draw it back up through your pathway and into your body.

Again, repeat this until you feel calm, collected and "heavy"

The feeling of being "heavy" means you have grounded yourself successfully, it can be a weird feeling at first if you've never felt it before. I compare it being anchored, like a boat to a dock, but you have anchored yourself to the Earth itself.

Once you get the hang of it, you can practice grounding anywhere and at anytime. If you're feeling stressed at work, or in line at a shop or bank just ground yourself and see how much of a difference it can make!

You don't need to be sitting down, you can ground yourself while walking, even driving (maybe not until you get the hang of it lol)

Blessings!

Lyllith Xx

Image found on Google search some time ago, apologies for not having the original source listed, If I find it I will update the article.

Easy Spells to Banish Negativity

Do you have some negative people in your circle? Perhaps a co-worker who constantly drains your energy or a pesky ex who just can't get over it. Maybe your own emotions aren't as positive as you'd like them to be and they are causing anxiety and distress.

There are several things you can do to help block negativity from other people (and yourself!), but there are also a couple of quick and easy and super effective spells you can also do to help. 

Now, the first thing I always suggest is self cleansing and shielding. It is pointless putting up your spiritual wall or protection bubble without cleansing yourself first, otherwise there's the chance you'll "trap" the negativity inside with you. 

Start by taking a shower or bath, you might like to add some salts, cleansing herbs such as Bay Leaves, Rosemary, White Sage, Lavender or even Rose Petals to your bathing water. If showering, you can always pop some herbs into a muslin or organza bag or if you're lucky enough to have some in your garden, attach a sprig to the shower head. The steam from your shower will help extract the properties from the herbs and induce a cleansing and refreshing aroma at the same time.

Whilst cleansing yourself, imagine all negative thoughts and feelings being cleansed from your physical body, allow the thoughts to pass through your mind and release them. Ask the water to cleanse your body, mind and soul. 

If you are unable to shower or bathe, give yourself a smudge with some white sage. 

  

Once you've finished cleansing yourself, visualise your choice of spiritual protection forming around you. Whether this is a spiritual shield of light, a bubble, suit or armour or whatever method you feel comfortable with. I have written an article on shielding as well, which you can find here. 

Now, before we get into the spells it is important to remember the following:

• Ensure your intentions are pure (not wishing harm to another person)
• If performing a spell using a persons' name, make sure you are absolutely certain this person is the right person.
• Remember, if the source of negativity is your own self you may need some inner work such as energy healing rather than a spell of this sort.

The spells....

The Freezer Spell ~ Freeze pesky people out of your life

This is one of the most simple, yet effective spells and anyone can do it. 

All you need to do is write the persons' name and date of birth on a small piece of paper. Focus your intention onto the paper - such as wanting this person to leave you alone, stop spreading rumours about you, move away from your neighbourhood, or whatever else it may be. Make sure your intention is to send them off on their way with love and kindness. 

Then, simply fold the paper up and place it into the back of your kitchen freezer. Leave it there undisturbed and forget about it allowing the spell to take affect. 

Optional: Some people like to put the name in a little ziplock bag of water, you can also add a little honey or sugar to the water to "sweeten them up" You could also get creative and add some herbs, such as lavender or white sage.

The Mirror Spell ~ Return negative energy back to the source.

This little spell takes a little more work than the freezer spell, but you don't need to know exactly who is sending negative vibes your way to perform it. 

You will need a black candle, a mirror (preferably one you will only use for this spell) and a little time.

If you'd like to, carve some protection or healing symbols into your candle. You may also like to annoint your candle with some oils such as Rosemary, Black Pepper or Frankincense. 

You might also wish to burn some purification incense while performing your spell. 

Sit yourself down in front of the mirror, place your candle between yourself and the mirror so you can see it and your own reflection in the mirror.

Set your intentions, such as wanting to send any negative energy back to it's source - do so with love and kindness. 

Light the candle and focus on the flame, concentrate on your desire to be free of negativity and when ready shift your focus onto the reflection of the flame in the mirror. Ask that the negative emotions, thoughts or situation be returned to their source. 

You might like to ask that they are not bounced back to you, and that no harm will come to another - whatever you like to say during spellwork. 

Once you feel ready, take a few moments to close your eyes and visualise yourself happy, free from any bad luck, ill health, negative thoughts or emotions. Feel how good it is to be free and positive and thank the Universe for helping you feel that way again long term.

Allow your candle to finish burning on it's own, whether it goes out or burns all the way down. You don't have to stay seated in front of it, but be sure to thank any guides or Deities you may have called in for help before you leave it to work it's magick.

Other simple things you can do to help reduce or absorb negative energies are:

• Using Salt Lamps
• Placing cleansing crystals such as Selenite around the home
• Keeping protective stones on you, in your pocket or mojo bag
• Slicing and onion or lemon into quarters and allowing it to absorb negativity (be sure to remove it and either bury or burn them afterwards.
• Keeping a glass of tap water beside the bed overnight, if it has bubbles in the morning tip the water out, outside (not down the drain)
• Practice meditation, yoga or other calming and balancing techniques.
• Aromatherapy, Energy Healings such as Reiki.

Blessings, Lyllith Xx

Help! My Book of Shadows is messy :(

I often get asked what to write in a Book of Shadows, along with other questions like "Should it be hand written?" and people worried that their writing is too messy for a Book of Shadows.

So I wrote this little article for my other blog a while ago and thought I'd better include it here...

Firstly, there are no right or wrong ways to create your own Book of Shadows so please never feel as though you are "doing it wrong" because quite frankly your Book of Shadows is YOUR Book of Shadows and you can write it however you wish.

Traditionally, a Book of Shadows is a book which contains religious texts, rituals, spells and herbal, crystal and other lore. In early Wicca there was only one Book of Shadows within a coven, which was kept safe by the High Priestess. Of course anyone can have their own Book of Shadows, especially nowadays as most of us are Solitary witches.

Modern day witches may like to keep a digital Book of Shadows, in a Word-type document on their computer, OneNote is a wonderful little program which also incorporates colour-coded categories and multiple pages which is perfect for the techno-witch! Others, myself included prefer a handwritten book with sketches and drawings to help describe things such as plants or crystals and even for spells and rituals. It is completely up to you how you choose to write your own Book of Shadows.

Many people are worried that their writing isn't clear enough, too messy or they make errors and don't want to "ruin" their book. Personally I think it adds character and makes the Book even more special! Take this photograph below for example. This is a photograph of the pages of one of Gardners' first Book of Shadows' let's be honest, his writing isn't perfect and if you look closely you can see he has crossed out lines, yet he is still highly regarded today in Wicca and Paganism.

Some people also prefer to keep their Book of Shadows purely for Spells and Rituals and have separate Grimoires for Herbs, Crystals and other information. This too is completely up to you.

Our daughter, Saige is currently writing her very first Book of Shadows as well, she currently has drawings of her own crystals with their properties, her favourite rituals and the Sabbats and I'm not entirely sure what else she has written as that's all she has asked my help with so far ;) 

At the moment I am in the process of transferring notes from my old Book of Shadows into a beautiful leather covered journal. My old Book of Shadows was started when I was 11 years old and I have added to it over the years. It literally consists of pieces of paper in 4 black folders and a box of loose notes I have made over the years. A big task but I can't wait until my beautiful book is "complete" - a Book of Shadows may never truly be "complete" as we are always learning and creating new spells etc. as we continue on our Pagan Paths! 

So.... basically what I am trying to say, is that you can create your Book of Shadows however you like! It can be hand written, typed, kept in digital format, spread into several books or folders - which ever way you feel is right for you!

Blessings! Lyllith Xx

Main Photo: Me!!! This photo was taken during a photoshoot I did for the 2016 Kooralbyn Calendar. In our backyard, with my actual Book of Shadows! (the new one) Photo by Renee Barlow, edited with butterflies by me ;) 
Gardners Book of Shadows, sourced from the Internet - Photos of Books/Journals, our stock available to purchase.

What to Do When You Have an Unwelcome Spirit in Your Home

We are always asked what to do when people have an unwanted guest in Spirit form in their home, so I thought I'd write a little article on some of the steps you can take to get the Spirits to leave you alone.

Firstly, I'd just like to say that most of the time ghosts are quite friendly and just want to get your attention. It could be Great-Aunt Margaret or Nanna who keeps knocking your little trinkets over on the dresser or perhaps watching over you or the kids as they sleep. Pay attention to how these incidents make you feel, do you feel calm and protected? This usually means your visitor is a relative, spirit guide or just a friendly Casper. 

Scene from Casper, the 1995 movie

A lot of the time activity doesn't necessarily mean you have an actual ghost in the home either, do you have teenagers at home? Have you had a rough period of time where everyone is agitated and arguing more than usual? Negative energy can manifest into something a bit more from our energies and emotions if they are able to build up enough to do so.

Now, in saying all of that, yes absolutely we have Spirits visiting us and yes, some may not be so pleasant to have hanging around. These are the ones which need to move on and out of your home. (As well as the negative energy build ups of course).

There are some very easy things you can do yourself without needing a medium, paranormal investigation team or other professional within this field to come in and help and we always recommend trying them first. I'll go through some of these steps here...

1. Asking the Spirit to Leave

I know, it sounds too simple. But in some cases this really is all you need to do! Tell the Spirit it is making you feel uncomfortable and that it's no longer welcome in your home and has to leave. If you feel you need to be forceful do so, tell it to f@#k off if you need to - we have done many times. Keep your focus on what you want to happen, tell it to leave, yell at it to leave and mean it. (Just like Elise Rainier does in the Insidious Movies)

2. Burning Candles

Contrary to popular belief and misconception thanks greatly to Hollywood movies, black candles actually absorb negativity not attract it. Burning black candles can often help remove negative energies. You may also like to say a prayer, chant or call upon your Spirit Guides for help as part of a ritual with your candle to get your Spiritual Guest to leave.

3. Water

Another ridiculously simple method to help is placing a glass of water out overnight. If bubbles are present in the morning the water has absorbed negative energy. Empty this water outside away from your gardens and not down your sink as you are metaphorically releasing the energy absorbed out and don't want it to stay in the house pipes or hurt any plants etc. Repeat this daily until no more bubbles appear.

4. Onions

Similar to the Water method, you can peel and cut an onion in half or quarters and place it on a dish in the most effected room. Leave the onion overnight or for the day then wearing gloves, take it outside and bury it or throw it into the wheelie bins. Some people prefer to burn it. Again you can use as many onions in how ever many rooms you need to and repeat if you like or feel the need to do so. 

5. Smudging with White Sage, Palo Santo or other Sacred Herbs

Smudging is probably the most popular way to rid a place of negativity, Spirits and energies. White Sage is most commonly used either bundled into a smudge stick or as loose leaf incense. Palo Santo (also known as Holy Wood) is also popular or you can use dried herbs with cleansing and purification properties such as Eucalyptus, Rosemary and Lavender. Blends are also available for smudging and clearing and fairly easily to obtain. If you can't burn incense or smudge sticks for whatever reason (living in a small unit, caravan, asthma, flatmates etc.) White Sage Smudge Sprays can be used instead. Just be sure your smudge spray contains the right essential oils as there are some on the market I have seen which actually have oils in them which will make the activity stronger (or appear that way). White Sage or Palo Santo are obviously the best choices.

6. Salt

Salt is wonderful for cleansing, you can absorb and reduce negative energy by simply placing little dishes of salt around your home for a couple of days then replacing the salt. I personally like to add some herbs to my salt dishes when I use them, particularly Rosemary, White Sage and Elder Berries. You may also like to add a Clear Quartz, Rose Quartz or other crystal either on the dish or beside it. Just take care as some crystals may become damaged from the salt.

7. Crystals

Crystals are amazing to work with and there are a few which are absolutely wonderful for helping to reduce, absorb and even alter the energies in a home. Selenite, Agate, Bronzite and so many others should be placed in the home to help. Crystals such as Jet and Bronzite can be carried in our pocket for protection as well. There are just so many to choose from!

8. Bay Leaves

Bay leaves are so underrated, they are truly magickal leaves (and wonderful in cooking too!). Place Bay Leaves around your home, inside cupboards, wardrobes, behind picture frames, under the bed and even attach to your mirrors. They are more powerful than many people give them credit for and I always recommend using them when ridding your home of negativity. 

9. Cleaning Your House

I know, I know, I hate housework too. But in all honesty, activity does appear to be stronger in a messier house. Over the years in our investigations and House Clearings we quickly noticed that the messier houses were often more active than the cleaner ones. Aside from mess, you can also incorporate the use of spiritual cleaning into your housework by doing simple things like adding essential oils and vinegar to your water to wash windows. Grinding herbs into a powder to sprinkle over your carpet before vacuuming is also helpful. Metaphorical cleaning using a Besom (witches broom) is also a great practice!

Now if you do happen to have a rather persistent, obnoxious or aggressive Spiritual Entity present in your home these methods may not (most likely will not) work so well. If any of these methods make activity worse (after trying 2 or 3 times) or you have unexpected strange results etc. I strongly suggest getting someone in to help you.

If this is the case I recommend seeking advice and help from a reputable medium, paranormal investigation team, or other professional with experience in dealing with negative entities and successfully moving them on. 

If you happen to be religious, a Priest or Clergyman may be more suitable for you and your home depending on what you feel more comfortable with.

There are so many different types of energies, Spirits, Elementals and so on and no matter who you end up choosing to help you, they need to know what they are dealing with and how to properly help you and often help the Spirit too.

Be wary of anyone who charges a fortune, claims you are cursed and can "cure you for a nice sum of money" or who you don't feel is genuine. Unfortunately in our particular line of work there are many frauds and scammers out there who will happily take your hard earned money and make things much worse for you. Always trust your instincts ;) 

I hope this helps in some way for those who are having some energetic issues, feel free to share and link back to us and of course if you have any questions or comments, I'd love to hear them.

Blessings,

Lyllith Xx

I sell a range of clearing products including my own Smudge Spray and a rather potent herbal incense blend which you can find here - https://lyllithsemporium.com.au/collections/smudging-cleansing-products

Image Credits: Character Elise from the Insidious movies; Black Candles found on Pinterest; Water, Onions and Salt found via Google (some time ago); Smudge Spray - ours; Bay leaves - honestly no idea have had this image for years!; the stunning Besoms "Aker Dantzaria" aka Victoria Francés. 

Cutting the Cords - break free from negative people

This is something I suggest to do regularly, it is also something I strongly advise for those who have recently left a relationship, are having trouble moving on from a relationship or those (particularly women) who wish to cut the ties from previous sexual partners and "reclaim" themselves....

 

Cord Cutting (my quick and easy version)

Some of you may have heard of this term before, it's another really easy little ritual to do and is great for those who need to let go of the past, cut negative people out of their lives etc.

 

As always, your intention is extremely important, if you aren't truly ready to cut the cords from people or places this isn't going to work and you'll need to keep repeating it until you are ready.

We all have a spiritual cord connecting us to everyone we've been in contact with

Visualize "cords" going from your own body out to everyone you know, places you've been and life events. Now don't freak out, those who are meant to stay in your life will, your memories will not leave you this is just like giving your self and your life a little Spring Clean.

 

Next, visualize yourself holding a sword, I like to see mine as a sword of lightning or fire - whatever works for you ;)

 

You're going to swing your sword all around yourself, in every direction and cut through each and every single cord. You can do the actions if you like, or just visualize it if you can.

 

Once you're satisfied that all the cords have been cut and are no longer attached to your body, you should feel a sense of freedom, or being light. This means you've done it!

 

As I mentioned earlier, those in your life like partners, children, family and friends etc. will stay in your life so don't freak out. If you prefer, you can imagine only those cords which you need to cut, one at a time if it's easier for you or you really need to focus on one in particular.

 

You don't need to say anything, but if you want to, something along the lines of "I cut these cords and break all ties with ___"

 

Hope this helps!

Xx

Smudging ~ An Easy Guide

Smudging is an ancient ritual carried out by all different religious faiths and backgrounds. Some may use different herbs and say specific prayers but when it comes down to it, the ritual is performed for the same reasons, similar ways and produces the same outcomes.

So what is "smudging"? basically put, smudging is the burning of sacred herbs to remove stale, negative and unwanted energies from the home or from a person.

Smudging is based on a combination of spiritual, medicinal, herbal and cultural teachings from the past, modern day smudging rituals can be anything from fancy ceremonies with traditional prayers or simply lighting a smudge stick with the intention to clear out unwanted energies from your home, from an object, to cleanse your crystals or even yourself.

The easiest way to smudge your home, is to use a smudge stick or piece of Palo Santo wood. Some people prefer to burn loose white sage, or a blend of herbs chosen for their cleansing properties such as Lavender, Frankincense, Sweetgrass or Eucalyptus.

 

Smudging your home doesn't need to be a big fancy ritual with incantations or prayers and in this article we discus the basics of smudging and some easy ways you can do this yourself at home. 

Firstly, you will need a smudge stick, or some palo santo. We sell these in our online store, but you should also be able to find some at your local Health Food store or crystal shop if you can't wait for one of ours to arrive in the mail ;)

You'll also need something to sit the stick in afterwards, or a heat proof dish with some sand to extinguish the smudge after you're finished. Some people prefer to allow their smudge to burn out on it's own - we do this in our home, but extinguish if we are performing a House Clearing etc. for a client.

So, let's get down to it....

As with all spiritual work, Intention is the most important tool you have. Be clear on your intentions to clear out unwanted, stale or negative energy before you even start, this helps your intention set and grow as you perform the ritual.

Starting at your front door, light your smudge stick at the "loose or leafy" end. If you're using a Palo Santo chip, it doesn't matter which end you decide to light. To light your sage smudge stick, light as you would an incense stick, allowing it to catch alight before gently blowing on the end to create little embers which smoulder releasing the beautiful smoke.

Firstly, you want to "smudge yourself". This is quite simply waving the smudge stick all around yourself allowing the smoke to cleanse your body. Once you feel ready (you'll feel lighter and clearer) begin to make your way around the home.

Now, some people will tell you that you need to move in a certain direction, generally I tend to move to my left and work clockwise around the home and each room, but Dean tends to go in the opposite direction. We don't feel that there is a right or wrong way to do this so go with whichever direction you feel is right for you at the time, use your own intuition.

As you move around, enter each room you pass and allow the smoke to pass through everything you can, inside cupboards, under and behind furniture and over any objects which you feel drawn to give an extra smudge. 

Keep moving around the house in the same direction until you come back to the front door.

If you feel the need to go around a second time, do so. Otherwise smudge the front door and either place your smudge stick in a fireproof container outside the front entrance or extinguish it.

I like to talk to my smudge sticks, and to the smoke (when doing a smudge at home), I tell it to clear out any energies which aren't welcome, to move out stale energy and allow fresh energy to take it's place. You can say any prayers or words you feel appropriate or be silent it's up to you. 

There are many different ceremonies and traditional prayers for smudging, however the point of this article is to let you know how easy it can be to clear your home of "bad energy" in the easiest and simplest way. 

Smudging is a wonderful practice which we should all do whenever the house feels stale, stagnant or "heavy" and is, in my opinion, essential after arguments or bad days - we all have those!

Blessings! Lyllith Xx

[Images found on the Internet, unfortunately I couldn't find the original sources.]