Welcome to the season of honoring the sacred light within, as we feel the presence of darkness, and move towards the rebirth of the sun at the Winter Solstice. Entering this time of year invites a deeper sense of self reflection, calling us to see what we have been creating and what we may have ignored or kept hidden within, while we were busy in the active months of light. Healing and integrating the parts of us that are disowned, wounded, suppressed, or dissociated is sensitive work, but it is also the path to wholeness and the full embodiment of our inner purpose and power. Our two allies this month can be generous helpers, and our senses are directly drawn to them at this time of year.
Golden Citrine
Citrine is a special stone. Its ability to align us to the realm of higher spiritual consciousness, while healing our inner sense of self worth and generating radiance and abundance in our lives, is unparalleled. This is true of both the Natural Citrine, which tends to be a smokey, subtle gold or yellow color, and the deeply orange or bright yellow varieties that are more commonly found. This month, we will be focusing on the latter, the deeply golden colored Citrine that captures the senses with its warm glow. This form of Citrine is generally heat treated Amethyst, which doesn’t preclude it from being a powerful stone. Crystals, in nature, are often irradiated by earth processes, and those that are pushed in this direction by human intervention are somewhat changed but not exactly damaged. It is always important to use intuition to feel into a stone’s properties before making a determination, but the variation of Citrine that has been heat treated has some nuance to offer, primarily because it’s color is so vibrant, and because sometimes it contains the presence rainbows, making it an instrument of light magic. The eleventh house has a good amount of these striking pieces right now, making this a good month to highlight what they have to offer besides their beauty.
Golden Citrine, which is not an official name as much as a descriptor we’re giving to this variety, is a bringer of radiant sun energy into everyday life and especially into areas of shadow. The sun has a profound effect on our physical, mental, and emotional health. When we have the opportunity to be filled with its warmth and light rays, we feel more positive and clear minded, more vibrant in health. However, during the Winter months, when the days are shorter and the light is more grey, our moods shift as well. It is a time for dreaming and reflection, but for many this is an uncomfortable place. Without the uplifting energies of direct sunlight, it is easier to default to the inner voices of psyche that are often ruled by our wounds and traumas. Add to this the tendency to spend more time alone within one’s home, with less physical activity, and it’s easy to see why people fall easily into Seasonal Affective Disorder, a condition wherein people normally not suffering from mental health issues find themselves feeling depressed in the darker months. Though its energies may be slightly lighter than the natural Citrine, Golden Citrine’s vibrant color helps to wake up the light within, and as with its natural counterparts, it is a stimulator of the 3rd chakra.
Citrine, in general, has a strong effect on the 1st to 3rd chakras, the places where what we receive energetically and create with our will is grounded here in physical reality, in partnership with the earth’s blessing. If these first three chakras are blocked or holding old wounds, we often have trouble bringing out intentions fully into creation. This may be because we lack a grounded connection with the earth, because we lack access to or vitality within our sexual energy, which also is an important place for creating, or we feel unworthy or powerless in the area of will. The 3rd chakra, in particular, helps us to be assertive, to set appropriate boundaries, as well as to maintain them, and to feel outgoing and extroverted. It is crucial for us to trust ourselves to say no when needed, and to communicate what is acceptable and what is not, higher within our throat chakra. Without this clarity, assertiveness, and belief in our personal power and worthiness, it is easy to feel disempowered, taken advantage of, bullied, and unconfident that what one intends can ever come to be. This, of course, dramatically affects our sense of self worth, our relationship dynamics, and our our abundance. Golden Citrine can help to shine light on these areas, helping us to identify our problem areas with prosperity and personal power, define our true intentions, and begin to turn the tides towards better manifestations.
Bringing this golden color into the aura or home can also help to lighten up our energy, dispelling the heaviness of heart and more depressive thinking that keeps us feeling stuck. It can bring optimism and a shifted perspective to shake up the old patterns and invite more joy, courage, and clarity to our inner worlds and outer expressions. This is important, as the times we are in ask us to reclaim and embody more of who we truly are, which often necessitates a reckoning with past traumas, self-limiting beliefs, and unhelpful authority contracts. It is a bit like bringing in the energy of the sun into the darkness of our Winter dreaming, revitalizing our unconscious minds and creations. Beloved oracle Alana Fairchild has this to say about Citrine in both of its forms:
“If we are in a dark night of the soul, where challenge is so great, to have access to a source of light, such as the loving abundance increasing optimism and solar power of beautiful Citrine, is a true god-given gift. It won’t take away the dark night, but it will remind us that there is love seeking us through it.” (from Crystal Masters 333).
Peppermint
Another good ally for bringing in consciousness, clarity, and positive moods during the months of Winter, Peppermint is an herb already associated with this season and its celebrations. Perhaps this is no accident, since its bright, crisp, clean scent is immediately uplifting and cleansing. Peppermint is a potent herb for purifying our thoughts, and can also chase away the more stagnant energies that may accumulate in the home during the months of cold, rain, and staying indoors with windows closed. Keeping fresh leaves on the home altar attracts benevolent spirits and its scent, whether fresh or in essential oil, raises the vibration of the environment.
This combination of clearing negative influence or stagnant emotional energies and attracting a higher spiritual resonance is the reason why it is a much loved scent in oil diffusers and natural cleaning mixtures. The familiar scent of Peppermint is at once a cue for the soul to stay present within the physical body, when one is tempted to dissociate, and also an emotionally soothing aid for relaxation, clarity, and deeper sleep. This combination is particularly important when engaging in a healing process, as healing is far better integrated when we feel safe and relaxed, but fully present at the same time. The mind can block the transformations we initiate, which is why it is important to take the time to cultivate sense of safety, clarity, and relaxed alertness, so that the mind is able to accept and integrate what is happening on the deeper unconscious levels. Sharp, astringent herbs like Peppermint can be a great help in this process.
When taken internally as a tea, or an herbal accent in food, Peppermint works as a digestive aid, settling the stomach from nausea, gas, or cramps. It is said that the leaves can be rubbed against the forehead to relieve headaches and to help in making clear decisions when feeling stuck, or to enter deeper states of meditation. In addition, Peppermint has been used in magic involving love, abundance, and increasing psychic awareness. Below are a few suggestions passed down in folklore for working magically with this bright green, fresh smelling, and generous ally:
Carry fresh Peppermint in your wallet, or rub the leaves into it or directly onto your money for increased prosperity. Bringing Peppermint into your abundance spells or on an altar is another way to call in its money magic.
Place Peppermint leaves under your pillow in times of restless sleep, or to call for prophetic dreams. You can add Chamomile as well, if nightmares are part of the problem.
Make a Peppermint infusion, and add its essential oil, along with some white vinegar as a floor wash that cleanses more than the dirt that has accumulated.
Make a satchel of dried Peppermint leaves to add to dresser drawers, closets, and bedding
Working with Golden Citrine and Peppermint Together:
A simple gesture can go a long way when it comes to reminding the psyche to stay clear and uplifted throughout the Winter. Golden Citrine and fresh Peppermint would make a beautiful altar combination. Create a grid of small crystals and fresh or dried leaves. A spiral is a nice shape to use to keep the energies moving and clearing. Augment this by making a spray of distilled water and Peppermint essential oil to keep your spirits high and your home clear, or invest in a good oil diffuser. Make a ritual of tea drinking part of your Winter self care. And, if you can, bring some Golden Citrine crystals into your home to remind you to hold onto your sacred inner light, no matter how dark your surroundings may seem.
May you glow with the radiance and clarity from within.
Happy Winter Solstice Season,
the eleventh house
-This blog was written by Melusina Gomez. For more information about her work and healing practices please visit www.metzmecatl.com