Psychic Development and What Impedes It

Blessed Samhain and Dia de los Muertos season!  As we enter this sacred time of communion with the more mysterious layers of our reality, a kind of excitement to see beyond the ordinary emerges.  Many people look to their dreams, to the tools of magic, or even to stories about the supernatural, whether they are meant to frighten or awaken our more subtle sensibilities.  A longing is stirred, and though we might easily explain it as a desire to glimpse the fantastical, it’s also possible that it is simply a longing to be more of what we truly are.  The magic in which we want to believe feels closer than usual, and for a moment we sense that we are not truly separate from it.

But, what creates the illusion of a separation?  Why do most of us feel that the skill of perceiving and engaging the psychic is a gift given only to a select few?  And, if this is not the case, why are the gifts of perception harder for some to cultivate than for others? 

Living in this era of prophecy about the potential development of human consciousness, and even the potential re-enchantment of our world, begs some questions.  How do we go about it?  How, as a culture, do we get from where we are now to a more connected, psychic, dreaming-awake consciousness?  Will it take generations?  Will it come naturally, and if not, can it be learned?  What stands in the way?  We may not have all the answers, but we can find some understanding and a combined sense of patience and inspiration by looking back into our history, and it’s lingering shadows, as we prepare to go forward.

An inward investigation like this should probably begin with Ancestral trauma, both personal and collective.  Even if we don’t know the specific stories of our ancestors, there is a lot we can gleam from the times and places they lived.  All of us are born into this life with some sense of freedom and possibility, yet this is not exactly the full picture.  We all carry the unprocessed traumas, unconscious beliefs, fears, dreams, talents, and limitations of those who came before us in our lines.  That which was too large to resolve in one generation is sent to those to come, in hopes of resolution but often resulting in repetition.  Patterns become well worn tracks in the road, and it takes a lot of effort to steer our psychic vehicles and lives away from those paths.  In many places in the world, even to speak about magic and extra sensory perceptions meant danger.  This may have been as extreme as outright persecution, affecting the survival oneself and one’s family, including times of inquisition and the hunting of people of knowledge.  Though this kind of brutal and visceral danger is sometimes hard to imagine in our time and place, that level of threat may still exist in some parts of our world.  It may have also meant being labeled insane, and hidden away, even sent to the kind of asylum about which we tell our modern horror stories, among many other variations of oppression. 

Our brains are disproportionately wired to remember danger, especially that which has threatened our very existence.  It is part of our species’ way of survival and adaptation.  And yet, it creates legacies of fear and soul loss, shutting down aspects of ourselves that we unconsciously believe might bring harm to our ability to survive and thrive.  Perhaps many of us don’t believe in magic, can’t access psychic gifts, hide our capacities, even shut down or dissociate when the topic of the supernatural arises, because in the near or distant past doing so saved our ancestors’ lives.  Perhaps embracing such gifts ended their lifetimes, and created ripples of trauma for which we are still in need of healing.  Maybe this is also contributing to our collective disregard of the unseen layers of reality, along with the cosmic influence of the Fifth Sun, the era we have just exited.  Under the Fifth Sun (the name given to the previous epoch of 6,625 years in ancient Mexico) magic, the feminine, and earth based mystic knowledge were more oppressed, and far less supported by the Divine than ancient prophecies predict they will be in the time coming. These personal, collective, and cosmic influences have affected our dreams, our unconscious thoughts, our cultural attitudes, our language, and as a result, of course, what we teach our children.

What do the young people in your life and family believe about magic?  How do you explain Halloween or Samhain, and Dia de los Muertos?  How do we break a cultural legacy, while healing it in ourselves, so we may all reclaim our innate gifts?  I think it starts small, with examining our thoughts, beliefs, and words.  Maybe it’s natural to be psychic, but if we believe it is only for a select few, we are closing a door.  To open it, we need to reach into our hidden, unconscious influences.  We will need to change the stories we tell ourselves, and each other, about the nature of reality.  This may take time and effort, but why not start now? Considering and clearing our shadow legacies is an excellent place to begin.  If we tend to our roots, we will be more likely to grow in a healthy way, and to blossom more fully.

I think about this a lot, because ancestral healing and curse breaking are central to my healing practice, but this year I have the privilege of also watching how my son relates to the subject of magic and Halloween.  I’m noticing how he identifies with his own gifts, and how he takes in the cultural attitudes reflected in Halloween stories.  He is four, and thinks that Mexico is a magical land where his ancestors live, and that being a descendant of this place is a sacred blessing or stroke of divine luck.  No one has told him anything to the contrary, so in his heart he believes that he flew here from the land of dreams to find me.  For a long time he also thought that witches were wild healers that use herbs and magic to help people, when other methods can’t.  But lately he has been confused by stories and children’s programming that portray them as evil villains, with homely appearances and a taste for all things bad.  He told me that he does not want to see or hear anymore cartoons, movies, and stories that portray witches this way, because it makes him wonder about his own mother, and he doesn’t want to think that way.  It’s such a smart and self aware decision.  What false stories are we still taking in or telling ourselves?  Why?

The art of psychic development begins with what we feed ourselves, consciously and unconsciously.  To then fully cultivate and sharpen it is an art.  It takes patience and discipline, but anyone can do it.  If we are lucky enough to begin trusting our instincts when we are young, or if we had support in understanding our gifts and how to use them, then it may be an entirely natural process, even if we have to filter and make sense of mixed cultural messages.  For most of us though, we will need to address the past, both our own traumas, and those that came before us.  The degree to which we take care of this first step may be the degree to which we are able to flower our true gifts and spiritual inheritance.

The Ancestors, and the hidden realm of Spirit, are the closest to us that they are all year, or rather, the veil that creates the illusion of separation is at its thinnest.  Talk to your ancestors and guides.  Ask them what needs healing, what impedes your truest psychic gifts, and what first steps you can take to free them.  It doesn’t matter what method you use, whether a journey, drawing an oracle card, deep meditation, or asking a question to take into your dreams.  What matters is opening, even if you are uncomfortable or afraid, and trusting your intuition, even if it feels faint.  If you are just initiating this process, it may take time and patience.  If you have already begun, how much more may be there for you to uncover, heal, and reclaim?  How much discipline are you ready to to dedicate to this process?  And, what is one thing you can do to contribute to the healing of our collective unconscious, for the benefit of the younger and future generations. 

May we all remember who we truly are.  May we rise above the legacy of fear.

Ometoetl.

With love and reverence for those who brought us this far,

the eleventh house

-This blog was written by Melusina Gomez.  You can learn more about her work and healing practices at www.metzmecatl.com

Plant & Crystal Magic 14: Apple & Moonstone

Happy Harvest and Fall Equinox season!  This is a time when magic feels abundant, enticing, and so near to our conscious awareness that it enters our everyday customs easily.  Between the activity of Summer and the dreaming of Winter, is this liminal season, where we begin to slow down and look towards the hidden layers of reality.  In the service of that, and in the spirit of balance between the realms of day and night, here is a brief exploration of Apple and Moonstone.

Apple Magic

Few fruits have as rich a history of practical uses, mythic lore, and magical recipes as the apple.  Apples are the sacred fruit of Aphrodite and of Persephone, the fruit of knowledge in the Garden of Eden, the Golden Apple of immortality and perpetual youth that Hercules sought and which Paris awarded to Aphrodite in exchange for the love of the most beautiful woman in the world.  They were a cherished food and sacred offering to the gods in ancient Egypt, as well as to the Norse, and remain the appropriate offering to Chango, within the Yoruba tradition.  They are deeply connected to Goddess spirituality and mysticism in the British Isles, and were said to have once grown all around the island of Avalon, also known as the “Isle of Apples”.  Even unicorns are said to live beneath apple trees. 

Apples are a symbol of love, of enlightened insight, of health and fertility, of sweetness, of the underworld, and of the hidden magic in everyday life.  Even their sweet scent was once thought to grant longevity and renew waning health or physical strength.  Later folklore, however, advised rubbing them before eating, to remove all evil spirits that were suspected to hide within.

Actually inside each apple, and revealed when it’s cut into two equal halves, is a nearly perfect star or pentagram, a symbol of protection and magical potency, honored in many earth based traditions.  Roma lineage people refer to this as the “star of knowledge”, a name which evokes hidden knowledge, the mysticism and magic that often surrounds us in the natural or everyday world, but to which we must pay closer attention, in order to really see.  This makes sense in the context of more fearful myths too, like the (Apple) Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden, and the idea that demons could reside within.  Most of the history we have recorded and much of our folklore was shaped by people who feared and mistrusted magic, sacred knowledge accessible to all, and the natural power of the earth.  Even the fragrant, pink blossoms of the apple tree in Springtime have five points, like a star or pentagram.  Nature often gives us clues.

Apples have many uses in the realms of folk medicine and magic.  They can be portals or keys to enter the Underworld or land of the Gods, particularly when they are in the form of a Silver Bough, hanging on the branch of apple tree that once held buds, flowers and the fully ripened fruit.  This has to do with their mythic relationship with immortality.  They are sometimes considered a food of the dead, included on altars during Dia de los Muertos in Mexican and Mexican American culture, and on Samhain, in Wiccan traditions, which consider them a symbol of soul.  They are often buried on Samhain so that those who are to be reborn in Spring will have food in the colder Winter days ahead.  Perhaps this is the origin of their more modern and dark lore as the poison apple handed to Snow White.  An apple eaten in the Underworld, or in the gardens of the Faerie Realm, can prevent a return to the land of the living and of ordinary reality.  (It was certainly never the same for Adam and Eve.)  Yet, knowledge is power, and the Underworld is a gateway to this level of knowledge too.

There are many recorded apple spells.  These recipes cover magical intentions such as divination, self-transformation, banishing, binding, healing illness, increasing fertility, restoring youth, granting longevity, and enabling unicorn and Faerie sightings, but most prominently concern all matters of love. Love spells involving apples are abundant and relatively simple.  The common principle for most is infusing the apple with one’s intention to ignite desire, love, or loyalty in another by visualizing it while holding the apple whole in one’s hands, between one’s legs, or cut into slices and kept in one’s armpits (hopefully without chemical deodorant on!), and then giving it to one’s chosen love interest.  Love spells are often manipulative, which is a tricky and ethically questionable kind of magic that can also backfire, however this vein of spells is on the line, following the logic that the apple is a gift that the intended does not have to take, or eat, so there is some unconscious agreement at play if the person does.  Simply sharing an apple between lovers is said to increase love, just as carving a heart into an apple and eating it oneself can increase a sense of self-love.

However, this is the season of the Fall Equinox and the Harvest time.  Perhaps the best use of apple magic is that which leads one towards the inner harvest, towards cultivating balance, and towards hidden knowledge.  My four year old son and I celebrated the Equinox with a magical baked apple spell, a delicious and delightful way to focus intentions and call in the sweetness of harvest, while welcoming the magic of this liminal time of year.

Baked Apple Spell:

You will need: 

Large Apples- your favorite variety, but large enough to core easily

seeds such as pumpkin or sunflower- to represent the seeds of harvest, planted deep within for the next cycle’s flowering

Currants or other dried fruit- to represent the Underworld, it’s hidden path to knowledge, power and honoring all that came before us

Cinnamon- to empower all ingredients and intentions

Softened Butter- for a rich harvest (coconut oil would be a good vegan alternative)

Honey- for sweetness in life (coconut sap or brown sugar can also be substituted)

(optional) Chocolate Chips- cacao is for happiness, energy and balance, so try to find a good percentage.  This also adds to the decadence.

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees

• Use a sharp paring knife to carefully cut out the core of the apple, leaving the rest intact and hollow.  You can leave the bottom 1/2 inch intact, but I tend to remove it and then set the apple on tinfoil to hold in the ingredients.

• With the tip of the knife, or other instrument, carve into the skin of the apple, first writing words and symbols that represent what you have cultivated this past growing year and which to fully embody, then what you want to call in or grow within yourself, such as balance, self-love, magic, abundance, healing.

• Handle each of your ingredients, asking to awaken their innate magic and infusing your intention into them.  Add them together into a bowl.  Mix with a wooden spoon, while whispering, visualizing, or singing your intentions.  Be intuitive in your process.

• Place each apple on a sheet of tinfoil and set within a baking pan or tray.

• Use a spoon to stuff each apple with your magical mixture.

• Cover each apple with the tin foil so that it is wrapped.  (I sculpted the first initial of our names into the tinfoil, so it would be easy to tell them apart.  These can become very personal.)

• Bake for about 35 minutes. 

• Allow to cool slightly and eat them warm!

The following is an older Self-Transformation /Apple Spell from “The Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells”:

Self-Transformation Apple Spell:

This is for any kind of transformation, as self-transformation is the sacred territory of the apple.

1.   Hold the apple in your hand

2.  Think about who you truly are, who you want to be, or how you want to see yourself transformed.

3.  Take your time, but hold the apple the whole time you are meditating and visualizing this. 

4.  In a line, place a mirror, a yellow candle, and the apple.

5.  Gaze into the mirror and let the candle burn until it has burned all the way out.

6.  Now, consider whether or not you still truly desire this transformation.

7.  If the answer is yes, eat the apple.

This is the season of wild apples.  Some magic is free and abundant.  Enjoy.

Moonstone

So, how does Moonstone relate to the Fall Equinox, the Harvest, and apple magic?  Quite harmoniously, actually.  Moonstone is a deeply feminine stone, aligned with one of the most powerful of feminine forces, the moon.  This means that it has an innate relationship with the psychic realm and the development of intuitive abilities, with the reflection of light which can reveal what is hidden to the light of day or to conscious awareness, and with the emotional life.  This is the territory of the unconscious, guided by the Divine Feminine and the cycles of creation and destruction, waxing and waning, that play out in the passages of our lives.  Here we can connect with our inner knowing, view ourselves and our lives from the cyclical perspective, as an internal journey where each passage around the wheel of time and experience moves us closer to an awakened knowledge and embodied sense of power.  Here deep works of self-transformation are possible, especially over time.  Moonstone is an ally for looking within and recognizing which stage of creating, healing, or transformation we are in, while cultivating within us the emotional surrender, patience, and guiding dreams that will encourage us to see it through to its full integration.  

Moonstone is said to activate the feminine aspects within, and has a special relationship with women, and those of any gender who align strongly with the feminine or with the traditions of the Goddess.  It can help to regulate hormonal cycles and balance emotions, creating a sense of relaxed wellbeing, and enhancing the receptive side of one’s nature, as in psychic perception, dreaming and visioning.  Though there are several forms of Moonstone, color variations that influence the overall meaning, the two most prominent forms are White Moonstone and Rainbow Moonstone. 

White Moonstone harvests the full moon energy.  This makes it an activator of dreaming, clairvoyance, emotions in general, and the Quetzalcoatl or Kundalini energy forces rising up through the energetic centers of the body.  White Moonstone is also the most reflective, enhancing all acts of seeing through the darkness within and without, and amplifying magical workings. 

Rainbow Moonstone reflects light into prisms of rainbow color, which adds an action of dissipating energies that may be dense.  For this reason, Rainbow Moonstone has a strongly protective and healing element, particularly as concerns those who are highly sensitive to psychic information and the negative energies and emotions of others.  It has an affinity for trauma as well, clearing the body and mind of its residual effects and bringing lightness and energetic clarity.  At this time of balancing light and dark, consider calling on Moonstone to bring the light of reflection into your Harvest ceremonies, to deepen your inner sight, to connect with the potency of the full moon when working in the magical arts, and to dissipate the heavy energies that keep you from your true sense of joy, clarity, and wellbeing.  Though it might be tempting to use this crystal in bathing rituals, it is not compatible with water.

Suggestion for working with Apple and Moonstone:

The Self-Transformation Apple Spell described above might be far more powerful if instead of a mirror, you used a White Moonstone as your reflective surface.  If this is not feasible, consider wearing Moonstone for the ritual, and even placing yourself in a sacred protection circle with Rainbow Moonstone pieces.  Take one piece of moonstone to place under your pillow for transformative and guiding dreams. If you blow an intention for dreaming or a dream question into it, you may be able to focus the nature of the dream guidance.  Ask, respectfully, for dreams that are prophetic, healing, and visionary, as if you are asking the favor of the sacred moon herself.

May you claim all the gifts of your personal harvest and celebrate in sweetness!

Sincerely,

the eleventh house

-This blog was written by Melusina Gomez.  For more information about her work and healing practices please visit www.metzmecatl.com

Mabon and the Autumnal Equinox

Happy Mabon.  The Fall Equinox and Second Harvest holiday happens on Wednesday September 22nd this year.  With the arrival of Autumn comes the falling of leaves, in their red and golden hues, the bright harvest moon, the slight cooling of the evening air, and the beginning of the gradual shift towards home, hearth, and rituals of sharing whatever abundance we have cultivated.  Mabon is a time to take stock of what we’ve accomplished in the busy months of growth and activity, and to look towards slowing down and receiving the nourishment that our efforts have wielded, as we stand in the balance of light and darkness.

In the second harvest, we collect all that will sustain us, as we move away from Summer and witness the dying of the evening light and the vegetation around us.  If we feel prepared, this can be a welcome transition, as our internal systems acknowledge the need for rest and integration.  Celebration is an appropriate way to mark this passage.  Whatever you planted in the previous cycles, whatever you have flowered, both inside and outside, will become more tangible and more deeply integrated by taking this moment to acknowledge it.  It will serve both the aspect of ourselves that we are in the light of day (our tonal, our ego, our waking mind) and the aspect of ourselves that we are in the dark of night (our nahual, our unconscious, our dreaming mind) to count our blessings, see our growth, and regard ourselves as we are now, at this moment.  This can allow us to stop operating from outdated self concepts that may limit us, and to appreciate the true abundance that is before us at this time.  What have you worked for in these past months of activity?  What dreams planted in late Winter and early Spring have come to fullness?  What did you grow that can nourish you?  What gifts did you receive?  How have you become stronger, wiser, more whole, more like yourself?  Can you articulate to yourself, and maybe to someone close to you, that which you are now harvesting?  This tracking of the inner and outer life is the true essence of following the passages of the Wheel of the Year.  More than holidays, these moments help us to slow down and notice what might otherwise happen unconsciously.  When we engage in ritual, we see ourselves and our lives more deeply and intentionally.  We solemnize and seal in the magic and growth that we are constantly engaging, beyond our conscious awareness.  If self criticism and pessimism are held in check, there is often much more to be grateful for and proud of than we think.  What is your true harvest this year?

On the Equinox, the day is equally balanced with the night.  It happens only at the thresholds of Autumn and Spring.  This is a liminal moment that invites us to step outside of our fixed perceptions and embrace the relationship between dark and light within ourselves and in our world.  Even as we celebrate the abundance we have harvested, the fertility of the earth wanes and the plants wither.  Life and death, expansion and decay, play out their dance all around us.  This moment in the year asks us to cultivate balance, something which requires us to acknowledge all levels of ourselves and our lives, that which we shine the light of awareness on and that which we keep hidden from our sight.  What losses or inner shadows need to be addressed, so that this balance is possible?  Are there parts of yourself or your life that have been ignored, that need their voices heard at this time?

Mabon begins the season belonging to the Dark Mother.  This Divine Feminine force has many ancient names and attributes, Ereshkigal, Tiamat, Kali, Tlazolteotl.  She is the darkness from which all is born and to which all returns, is held, and transforms.  The darkness is not something to fear.  It is the richly magical space of possibility and power between that which appears fixed.  Between our words, between our thoughts, between waking and dreaming realities, is the Sacred Black Light that is her domain.  Even as we count the blessings of harvest, we walk towards her.  She takes our hand.  We begin to dream, to see what is hidden, to shed what needs shedding, to create in a more subtle way. In what ways will you acknowledge this liminal space, honoring dark and light, the inner and outer harvests?  How can you stretch to hold more liminality?  What do you need to do to claim more balance?  What gifts are waiting for you there, beyond the harvest you can see and touch?  Take a moment for divination, drawing a card, using a pendulum, or journeying into second sight.  Carve the answers to these questions on a newly harvested apple.  Eat it fresh, or bake it with butter, cinnamon and honey inside, for sweetness on the journey.

May your harvest be abundant.

May your balance be deeply embodied.

With gratitude,

the eleventh house

-This blog was written by Melusina Gomez.  You can learn more about her work and healing practices at www.metzmecatl.com

Plant & Crystal Magic 13: Meadowsweet & Celestite

This month’s Plant & Crystal Magic article is dedicated to gentleness. Gentle magic. Gentle medicine. Gentle self care. Gentleness in the plant and mineral realms doesn’t mean less potency, necessarily, only that the manner in which our allies work to improve our physical and spiritual well being is subtle and comes with a feeling of softness. This softness can help us to open ourselves to receive, which may even make gentle medicines more powerful in effect. Especially during times when we are feeling on guard, overwhelmed, or unsafe, the gentle allies are the ones we can easily invite in to make the adjustments to our sense of clarity and well being, right when we need them most.

Meadowsweet

Meadowsweet is an aptly named wildflower, with a strong and sweet fragrance, similar to almond. It is a perennial, native to North America, as well as Europe and parts of Asia. It’s foliage is fern-like, and it’s flowers are white, wispy, and delicate, with hints of pink or purple. It is in bloom from June to September.

Also known as “Queen of the Meadow,” this fairy-like flower was sacred to the Druids, and has a long association with spells involving peace of mind, matters of love, harmony, and protection. It’s scent is said to lighten the heart, and its uses involve having it near enough to smell the pleasant fragrance. It was once used commonly to make bedrooms smell fresh and welcoming, a practice which may have stemmed from it’s use as a protection plant. Sprinkling the flower petals around the home can promote peace within, while hanging it at the front door is said to protect the home from thieves, and placing the fresh flowers on an altar is a means for increasing the sense of sacredness and happiness within. Wedding bouquets are often made with Meadowsweet, to bless the marriage with harmony and joy. A flower petal path can also be made for the couple to walk on, after the marriage ceremony, towards their future together.

It is hard to resist flower magic. They have incredible power to shift emotional states and seduce our senses. My elder Curanderismo maestra in Mexico, Dona Enriqueta Contreras, once told me that she won’t step foot into a home where there are no flowers present, because the emotional energies become too stagnant, creating unnecessary turmoil, and often ill health. Flowers are fantastic at absorbing unwanted energies, and transmuting the aires around us into more joyful, harmonious frequencies. This works well with all flowers, especially those that are white (white rose petals in a bowl of water come to mind), but Meadowsweet has the visual softness and rich fragrance to create a harmony enchantment in the densest of energetic environments. It calls out the loving side of our nature.

To incorporate the emotional and spiritual medicine of Meadowsweet on a deeper personal level, a flower essence can be taken internally as well. Meadowsweet can also be made into a tea, to access its more physical effects. It acts as a tonic when one is feeling physically weak, an interesting compliment to its ability to uplift a heavy state of mind. It can also treat stomach upset, including diarrhea. For highest potency, the flowers should be harvested just after they bloom. The leaves can also be used, and are best collected just before the flowers blossom.

Celestite

The name Celestite means celestial, of the heavens. This crystal was named for its most common color, a gentle sky blue that calls to mind the cosmos. Connection with the cosmic consciousness is at the core of its nature. It promotes angelic or spiritual communication, and helps to instill a sense of trust, patience, and relationship with the divine and its infinite source of healing.

Celestite can be found in more than one color, and there are variations of meaning between its color expressions, however most of the crystals found on the market currently are a pale, grayish blue and come from Madagascar. These are generally formed in clusters or geodes. Though some blue tabular and double terminated Celestite crystals may be found, on occasion, they are far more rare. This means that, similar to Meadowsweet, the most effective use of Celestite will be in placing them around the home so that they can emanate their calming, positive, and gentle energies, purifying the space and drawing the attention of protective spirits and the angelic realm. Their presence can help counter fear, paranoia, anxiety, sleeplessness, and suspicion, replacing these difficult emotions with a sense of safety, protection, optimism, and even mild euphoria.

As a form of sulfate, Celestite crystals have a natural affinity for clearing and cleansing, from supporting the healing of physical infections to cleansing the energetic field and environment of negative attachments. They can be a strong ally in meditation and dream work as well, helping to open psychic capabilities and enhancing visionary states, while supporting clarity and the ability to maintain focus in altered awareness. These beautiful, calming crystals are ideal for magical practitioners, increasing intuition, calmness, clarity, remembrance of the soul’s true nature and purpose, and the purity and protection of one’s sacred space. They can help us to access inner power, while making relationship with celestial forces, and purifying our energy bodies and homes of negative influence, a threefold power of special importance in times of stress and uncertainty.

Suggestion for Working with Meadowsweet and Celestite Together:

This is an easy action to take to cleanse yourself and your household, and to offer softness and psychic care when you need it. Gather some ceramic bowls, ideally white. If you can, gather seven of them, because seven is the number of the moon, the cosmic force which both creates and destroys, and which holds sway over our dreams and unconscious. Seven is also the number of stars in the pleiades constellation, which relates to the collective, and to the Celestite stone, as the mythic bestower of its gift for wisdom. In each bowl place a small amount of water and fresh Meadowsweet flowers. Make sure to put one bowl on your altar, and spread the rest throughout your home, including every room. These can remain for as long as they still look and smell fresh. If the energies within the space are heavy, the flowers and/or water may take on a darker appearance quickly. Whenever this happens, it is time to return them to the earth with gratitude for what they absorbed and cleared.

Then, use your intuition and deep listening to engage your Celestite crystals. Having seven would, again, be ideal, but any number you have will do. Ask them where they need to be in your home in order to best promote serenity, protection, clarity, and helpful divine guidance. Make sure to put one close to where you sleep and dream. Breathe. Relax. Open yourself to insight, healing, and more ease within the sanctity of mind, heart, body, and home.

Ometeotl.

May gentleness surround you,

the eleventh house

-This blog was written by Melusina Gomez. You can learn more about her work and healing practices at www.metzmecatl.com

Demeter and Persephone in the Season of Lammas

We are currently in the season of Lammas, which this year fell on August 7th.  Lammas is one of the more subtle moments in the wheel of the year, at least for those of us who are not living a life based on agricultural rhythms.  Its meaning is not always understood and carries some complexity.  This is the last ritual moment before the true Fall harvest, the time when the first grains and corn would be cut and prepared into food to share and seeds to ensure that there will be harvests to come.  The first seeds collected are often the most potent, which means that steps to plan for future needs must be taken now, even as we celebrate the abundance that begins this month and carries us through the Fall.  Here, at the end of Summer, we look ahead to the coming Winter, to think about what we will need to store, so that we can be nourished, and to the coming Spring, so that we have the seeds we will need to plant for the nourishment to continue.  And it flows this way, on and on, in a circle.

This circular way of thinking is embedded within us, even if as a culture we have come to look at things in a more linear manner.  Inside of us, we hold not only the memories of this alternate worldview, but the biological reality that underlies it.  When a woman becomes pregnant, for example, she carries within her the seeds of future generations, quite literally in the case of carrying a female child, who will already hold in her ovaries all the eggs that will be released when she is of age.  

The process of harvest and seed is illustrated metaphorically in the myth of Demeter and Persephone.  Just as the harvest goddess Demeter is in late Summer’s full bloom, her daughter Persephone, as the embodiment of the seed, prepares to down to the depths of the earth, the underworld, where our dreams, unconscious impulses, and all of life begins, in deep sleep and slow unfurling.  With her abundant gifts given, and her daughter swept away beyond her sight, Demeter grieves, and the plants wither to become the more barren landscape of Winter.  But, in Spring, the seed will sprout and bloom again.  Persephone will return, more powerful than before, and join her mother again for the joy of Spring, the abundance of Summer, and the harvests to come.  The Lord of the Underworld, known as Hades to the ancient Greeks, was named Pluto by the Romans, a name which literally means “riches.”  This deep, unseen territory is not hell, but the place where life and death meet and create the alchemy of creation, rebirth, renewal, and growth on all levels.

So, here we are at the threshold of harvest.  There is still a little time to tend what will be harvested this coming Fall.  And it is the exact time to carefully collect the seeds that we will need to plant during the Winter and early Spring.  What will each of us take with us from this Summer and plant deeply in the quiet months?  What will we need to grow a nourishing harvest next year?  

We continue to face uncomfortable realities and uncertainty ahead, especially in terms of our changing climate, and the threats of illness and fire that have accompanied it.  It is an important time for us to think about our health and well being, and to care for our families.  It is also an important time for us to re-engage our cyclical thinking.  We need to stand together collectively, and look outside of our individual needs towards the steps we might be able to take to tend to our collective well being.  Many of the ways we depend on each other and on the cycles of the earth are invisible, but it is becoming more obvious as we face multiple safety concerns and social strife.  When fear takes the form of blame and anger, violence is often just one step behind.  Let’s be careful about what we carry and plant, from the harvest of this Summer.  Let’s ground now, be grateful for the abundance we do have, and begin to think of how to hold our communities with care through what may continue to be a dry Fall and Winter.  Even when what individuals see as the most important steps to take differ, we can agree that planting more fear, blame, rage, or violence won’t help anything.  What are the ways we can plant care, social responsibility, loving kindness, awareness, and preparation for future needs?  These earth based cycles live within us both physically and psychologically.  How can you tend to the coming harvest and plan to bless a future that nourishes?

Draw a card, as a tool for deep listening, or engage another method of inner guidance and divination.  The important thing is to stop and listen within, and send an intention ahead of you, one that is less a reaction to fear or other influences, and more an act of deep magic from the core of who you are.

In the old practices for this time of year, a doll was often made from the last stalks of corn or grain.  It was kept inside during the Winter, as a symbol of this harvest, whatever it brought, and offered to the earth with the next planting as an offering. This is a symbol of the dual magic of the God of the grains, who offers himself to be cut each year, and the Goddess who blesses us with the abundance of growth.  Perhaps it is a good time to make something as a gesture of what inside you is being harvested, and the new growth it will allow in the coming times.  This can happen in many ways, from creating your own corn dolly, to expressions of art, poetry, song, or the creation of a ritual image that will remind you of what you have inside, what you are growing, and what you want to plant into our collective consciousness at this time.

May it be blessed.

With love and compassion,

the eleventh house

-This blog was written by Melusina Gomez.  You can learn more about her work and healing practices at www.metzmecatl.com

Plant & Crystal Magic 12: Avena Sativa (Milky Oats) & Lepidolite

This month’s first article, Soul Loss and Retrieval, explored the topics of soul loss, trauma, dissociation, and the principles involved in calling lost aspects of soul home. There is a lot to say about this all too common phenomenon in our current culture, and certainly this is just an introduction. As a continuation, this month’s Plant & Crystal Magic article will take a look into addressing the symptoms of soul loss and supporting the physical and emotional bodies affected by trauma, shock., and ongoing stress, with the help of our plant and mineral relatives. Though there are many choices of allies to work with for this kind of healing, we will focus here on the harmonious medicines found within Avena Sativa, also known as Milky Oats, and Lepidolite.

Avena Sativa/Milky Oats

Yes, this is the same kind of Oats that make your hearty breakfast cereal, though perhaps its Latin name gives it more of the mystique and dignity it deserves. Avena Sativa is a generous and potent medicine, as well as a nourishing food, particularly for cultivating a calm mind, soothed nerves, and a bit of inner nurturing. Oat straw, its tall stalks, can be infused and consumed as a calming, tonic tea, especially because of the high mineral content, but the strongest emotional medicine this plant has to offer comes from the tiny, semi-mature seed heads called Milky Oats. This special medicine can only be cultivated in the liminal time between Spring and Summer, before the heat of the Summer sun dries the green grass-like stalks, turning them to the golden color most often called to mind.

You will recognize the perfect moment to harvest the seed heads by squeezing them each day of this season, until a drop of their white milky sap, which is actually a natural latex, appears at the tip. Creating this kind of intimate relationship with the plant also allows for energetic communication, so take that opportunity to ask for the healing you need, if you are harvesting this medicine in the wild or in your own garden. Once harvested, the Milky Oats should be made into a tincture for best effect. A tincture of Milky Oats can also be readily purchased. Dried Milky Oats can be saved for teas, as a nutritive tonic drink.

Avena Sativa is full of minerals and trace nutrients, including silica, magnesium, chromium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, protein, alkaloids, and vitamins A, B complex, and C. Calcium, vitamin B, and magnesium, in particular are known to calm and strengthen the nervous system, bringing needed nourishment in times of crisis, trauma, stress, and fatigue. This nourishment is key, because what happens in high stress and soul loss is both physical and emotional. The body is depleted by trauma, leading to many physical symptoms, including loss of focus, irritability, sleeplessness and general exhaustion, loss of desire, anxiety, and even heart palpitations, to name a few. Avena Sativa, and Oatstraw in particular as a tea, helps to ease anxiety, calm the mood, and restore the depleted body systems so strongly affected by stress. On an emotional level, we need nurturing in order to heal. If the body and mind are in a state of high activation, it becomes a natural unconscious defense to close down and even to block attempts at soothing and healing. We are not receptive in fight or flight mode. In this state, gentle nurturing and a feeling of safety must be cultivated, so that we have the chance to slow down, return to ourselves, and accept the process of healing. A nutritive and calming medicine, is just what is needed to hold us and help us restore, so that we can begin to unravel and make peace with our experience.

Another aspect of soul loss is a compromised immune system and a tendency towards accidents. When we are in a state of dissociation, our feet are simply not on the ground. We become susceptible to falls, trips, miscalculations while driving, illnesses, and other intrusions. Avena Sativa will help this by strengthening the immune system, soothing nerves, balancing the endocrine system, regulating hormones, and cultivating an overall sense of groundedness, and resilience. There are many herbs that can help one access the deep territory of the unconscious, or cleanse trauma from the system. (Chamomile comes particularly to mind.) However, Avena Sativa will help to carry us, physically and emotionally, gently back to the shore, when we are drowning in overwhelm and imbalance. It is an excellent place to start and to sustain, whenever we don’t know what to do for ourselves, in the face of an agitated mind, a wounded heart, a body with a myriad of symptoms, and a soul that is lost in fear. Nurturing is the key that opens the door to healing.

Some thoughts on working with Avena Sativa/Milky Oats:

• A medicinal dosage of milky oats tincture is between 3 and 5 ml, taken three times a day.  

• If you are harvesting the tops during the seeds’ milky stage, pinch the stem and gently slide up to pull them off. They are best when immediately tinctured, but can be dried and saved for tea as well. Remember to ask the plant’s permission, and to ask for what you need, allowing the spirit of the plant to make a personal relationship with you.

• When using Avena Sativa for healing, consider making an herb bundle with the dried or fresh herbs in cloth. Tuck this into your clothes, touching your skin, use it as a tea bag for an herbal bath infusion, or place it under your pillow and ask for a healing dream. Trying all three, with a separate bundle for each, will help to take this medicine deeper into your system.

• If you are purchasing Oatstraw or Milky Oats tincture, there is little reason to worry about gluten sensitivities. This association with oats generally comes from how they are processed with wheat, when used as a grain. This should not be the case with medicines.

• Avena Sativa also has a history of magical use or spells relating to abundance. This can be considered another area of grounding in one’s life. Consider incorporating a personal spell for safety and security, inside and out.

Lepidolite

What Avena Sativa does for the physical body, Lepidolite does for the mind and heart. High in lithium, and most often found in soothing colors like lavender with pink hues, and it’s most prized lilac, this is a powerful stone for calming an over activated nervous system and countering the effects of trauma, stress, fear, worry, and grief. When overwhelm seems never ending, and we are surrounded by anger, fear, loss, financial instability, and the consistent need for change, as has been the case for many this past year or so, Lepidolite helps sooth and to extend a lifeline that encourages us to stay connected with the best version of ourselves, so that we can handle what comes our way with more grace and integrity. This excellent stone for stressful times can be a lighthouse during the stormiest of emotional sea journeys.

Lepidolite also helps us to release trauma, while offering respite, and in fact gives a gentle push towards doing the inner work needed to truly move through suffering and towards healing. Rather than simply pushing trauma further away from our conscious experience, Lepidolite helps one to enter it with courage, accepting what is present and moving more deeply through the grief so that it can be met, expressed, and ultimately resolved, with new lessons integrated. When we refuse to dive into the true emotions and experiences we are facing, it is easy to get trapped in Depression or in the endless scheming of the Ego, trying to work out every possibility in an anxious manner.

Worse yet, we have the tendency to identify with our trauma and it’s emotional outcomes, like Depression and Anxiety, binding our experiences and symptoms to our sense of who we are. This happens unconsciously, and often makes what should be a passage into a permanent life condition, limiting our capacity for happiness, health, and the potential to create a life in alignment with our highest destiny. The primary reason for suggesting Lepidolite as a stone for soul retrieval, amidst others that can help calm, ground, and protect us when we are not fully with ourselves, is that it has an affinity for stopping this process of identification with trauma experiences and their aftermath. Lepidolite can help us to enter the unconscious levels in order to find past traumas we are still holding and release them. It will help to block the process of identification and even pride in the traumas we have faced or are currently facing. It helps us to truly let go and heal. If we can do that deep work, then we also can stop running the unconscious program that keeps bringing similar traumatic experiences into our lives. We can change the way we think, dream, and unconsciously create our lives, rescuing this aspect of ourselves from experiences that were most likely beyond our control.

Lepidolite encourages us to instead turn our attention towards beauty, even when it can only be found in small ways and unexpected places, towards accepting what is, and towards our higher awareness. This is the gentle, nurturing work of a healer, one that can make us feel calm and safe, and then take us deeply within ourselves so we can find our way to true change.

Suggestion for working with Avena Sativa and Lepidolite:

When overwhelm is present, the capacity for complicated rituals and can be minimal, even when we desire the effects. Creating space for healing, however can be very simple. Try this gentle but effective process just before bed.  

1. Make a cup of Oatstraw tea. This can be blended with other nutritive or calming herbs, such as nettles, red raspberry leaf, lavender, and chamomile.

2. Take a dropper full of Milky Oats tincture.

3. Create a small herb bundle of Avena Sativa in a piece of natural fabric and use a piece of cloth to tie it, so it won’t open. Set it aside.

4. Draw yourself a warm bath.

5. Hold your Lepidolite crystal in your hands. Gaze into its soft colors. Ask for and visualize the healing you need, even if all you know is the discomfort or numbness you feel. You can blow an intention into the crystal, or simply hold it and allow yourself to commune with its energy.

6. Place the crystal in the bath, and let it infuse its medicine into the water.

7. Take a relaxing bath, focusing on opening up to the energies of support and healing, while you sip your tea. Follow where your mind and heart are led and release what you can. Finish by calling your own name, inviting yourself home.

8. Take your herb bundle to bed, tucking it into your clothes or under your pillow. Ask Avena Sativa to bring you healing dreams and a restorative rest.

9. Take a moment when first waking to recall and record what you dreamt, what you experienced in the process, and how you feel.

10. Wear your Lepidolite, and gently try to notice the beauty you encounter throughout the day. Can you find 5 beautiful things?

May you be nourished and whole.

Sincerely,

the eleventh house

-This blog was written by Melusina Gomez.  For more information about her work and healing practices please visit www.metzmecatl.com 

Soul Loss and Retrieval

The phrase ‘soul retrieval’ has become relatively well known in the sphere of energetic healing. This is the process of recovering lost energy or aspects of oneself, most commonly after a trauma has caused them to flee, or alternately, caused them to become scattered or frozen in time. What soul loss is, how it happens on various levels, and the ways it can affect us in everyday life are, perhaps, less understood. This month’s blogs will explore the meaning of soul loss and ways to address it, on your own, with the aid of plant and crystal allies, and with the support of a healer.

Soul loss is not at all uncommon. It happens to us all the time. From the healing tradition of Curanderismo comes the phrase Susto. This is one of the main Aires, or emotional winds, that are identified and treated with personalized ritual healing and herbal bathing techniques . Susto literally means ‘shock.’ It refers to the moments we experience in life that startle us, literally, out of our skins, and create a loss of soul. These instances can be both very serious and more benign. The most common form of soul loss, or Susto, is trauma. During a traumatic event, like an accident, when one is physically hurt, a violent attack, a sexual violation, a sudden loss, and other moments of terror and devastation, the most vulnerable and essential part of us, which we call soul, leaves the body for its own preservation. This dissociation allows us to endure the experience in a kind of survival mode. The fear, pain, rage, and other heavy emotions are held away from our immediate experience, until we are safe, and more ready to handle them. Ideally, at this time we would receive nurturing and support, and our soul part would then be able to return on its own, bringing with it the emotions that need to be processed and healed, as we recover. However, in many instances, this is not what happens. The pressured pace of life, and the values of American culture, which idealize the notion of picking yourself up, dusting yourself off, and just moving on, encourage us to skip the tender work of acknowledging trauma and reconciling its emotional consequence. We often prioritize the outside aspects, tending to the physical hurt and the life disruption, but leaving the inner devastation to fester. And we may be able to go on, almost as normal, but if the trauma was significant, or if it was endured over time, such that the soul loss was ongoing and has become a familiar state, then it is not all of us that moves forward. In a sense, it’s as though we become frozen in time, with a significant part of our energy and mind still living in this difficult moment or period. While that part of us is held there, we cannot easily access the full pain of our trauma, but we will also not be able to access the emotions, talents, and impulses that belonged to who we were, just before the trauma occurred. To come back to these lost aspects of ourselves, we have to address the pain, fear, and needs of the part of us that left, and begin the work of healing and integrating our experience. When our trauma is severe, when we have lived in an unbalanced or dissociated state for a long time, and when we are still very guarded against feeling the uncomfortable emotions and memories related to this event, then it is likely we will need help to bring ourselves back home.

Soul loss can also happen in smaller ways. There are many moments when we become startled, overwhelmed, intensely emotional, or emotionally fatigued that can result in soul loss. The deep and illusive part of ourselves called soul craves experience, but its pace of absorbing and making meaning of this experience is slower than the mind or the body. Sometimes the body moves too fast for the soul, especially when aided by modern technologies, like airplane travel. Sometimes the startle of an alarm waking us from the depths of dreaming, can be enough to create a separation. The ongoing mental and emotional demands and pace of work can disconnect us from our deeper selves, particularly when working is a means to an end and not one’s ‘soul work,’ or when work requires an aspect of desensitization to an environment of crisis, toxicity, or danger. Vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue can create a sustained condition of soul loss, for example, often with somatic symptoms included. And, of course, dealing with consistent perceived threat and ever changing circumstances can lead to problems of this nature. When we add to this the bombardment of psychic intrusion from the news, advertisements, and other forms of media that provide a consistent hum of emotional pressure, it becomes clear how common it can be to feel only partially present in life.

The main problem with living in a state of soul loss, even on the less severe side of the spectrum, is that it means we are not working with our full capacity and attention. It is an unsafe state in which to move. Every day we make many simple decisions that can have dramatic effects on our lives and our safety, from driving a car to choosing a mate, from noticing or not noticing changes in our health, and the needs of our bodies and psyches, to navigating a changing world and giving our children the love and guidance they deserve. We need our energy fully with us, and our presence intact and alert, in order to avoid repeating the patterns of trauma, harm, and stress that bring us out of balance, and often limit our potential and affect our physical health.

So, what can we do to avoid falling into habitual soul loss and dissociation, or to address the more longstanding and serious instances of this in our lives? The first thing is to notice it, to begin to track ourselves. When we are not connected to our deepest selves and to our bodies, there will be signs. Numbness, in general, or in certain aspects of life, is one clear symptom. Emotional realms that we are unable to access, for example pervasive lack of self love, feelings of safety, or sexual desire are very telling. Areas in life where we try, but feel blocked from creating what we intend, can also be a strong clue, just as activities or talents in which we suddenly lose interest, or drive, and begin to avoid. Noticing when we drift away mentally, and what triggers this response is also very important. Once we identify in which ways we are not fully present, or not fully ourselves, we can begin the work of making relationship with the lost or overwhelmed soul parts. It might be a gradual process of listening to, inviting, nurturing, and honoring these parts of us again, showing them that we can hold them, value them, and handle the difficult emotions and memories they may carry. Of course, we also have to adjust the atmosphere of our lives to better accommodate our soul needs. It is hard work, but the rewards are satisfying and critical to our ability to thrive. And, when we can’t quite do it on our own, we can seek out someone to compassionately support us and give an energetic push.

This past year and a half has been a collective moment of Susto, but the fast pace in which many lived before also created the conditions for dissociation. In the months to come, there will likely be the need to tend to the soul, and meet the emotions that have been recently buried under survival mode. In the article to follow, the plant remedies and crystal allies that can support soul retrieval will be explored, along with ritual suggestions for supporting this inner process on your own. First, however, take a deep breath, and with the aid of your favorite divination or intuitive listening form, ask the following questions to see where you may have abandoned aspects of yourself and soul without intending to: What aspects of your life feel flat or numb? Where do you feel stagnant, or blocked from creating what you want in life? What interests, talents, or long held dreams have you recently abandoned? What part of yourself do you miss?

May you come home fully and sweetly, to yourself.

With love and solidarity,

the eleventh house

-This blog was written by Melusina Gomez.  You can learn more about her work and healing practices at www.metzmecatl.com

Plant & Crystal Magic 11: Oak & Amethyst

In honor of the Summer Solstice season, when the sun is at its full power and the Goddess and God come together in sacred marriage and conception, this month’s exploration will celebrate the strong earth magic of Oak and Amethyst.

Oak

There is an old European saying:  “Turn your coats, for Faerie folks live in old oaks.”  This little warning, suggesting that adding an element of confusion to your image, as you pass by a Faerie place, might dissuade any disturbed spirit from mischief, is just one of many magical customs associated with the majestic Oak tree.  Oak’s Faerie association is deepened by its role as one of the three trees named as places of Faerie world entrance, or special magical potency, in the phrase: “by Oak, Ash, and Thorn.”  These folklore references make sense when you consider the root of its name in the Celtic language.  According to Ellen Evert Hopman, in Tree Medicine, Tree Magic, the Celtic word for Oak is derw, and when put together with the word ydd, (meaning “a part of”), the combination forms the word Derwydd, an ancient name for the priest class of the Celts, and possible origin of the word Druid.  Hopman furthermore states that, in Gaelic, the word for Oak is duir, from which we have formed the word door.  Oaks and Oak groves are sacred places of magic, acting as a portal to the other worlds, as a protection from intrusive energies that would enter one’s space, and as a powerful conduit between earth and sky, with deep roots reaching down and wide branches stretching up and out, a powerful and enduring symbol of blending the mysticism of the natural world where we live and the surrounding cosmos.  This notion of the Oak as a conduit is further supported by the oak’s tendency to be struck by lightening, grounding the electrical energy of the heavens within the earth plane.  

Druids practiced their sacred ceremonies in Oak Groves, especially during the Solstices and Equinoxes.  These groves were so tied to their religious rites that the Romans burnt them down as an act of decimating their culture and spiritual practices.  Yet, Oaks remain a symbol of strength, endurance through time, and magic.  In Language of the Trees, Twylah Nitsch, of the Seneca tribe, describes the Oak as having a strength that comes from steady growth through decades, symbolizing reserved power, self discipline, awareness, and high ideals, an example of the kind of inner strength that can be cultivated through taking the time to center and develop intuitive knowing.  

Oaks have provided humankind with sustenance, medicine, and practical care.  The strong, dense wood is a favored heating fuel for hearth fires and for building.  The acorns, when boiled or leached, can be eaten or ground into flour in times of need.  The bark is used to make dyes, for tanning hides, and for making astringent medicine.  In fact, the leaves, bark, and acorns of the Oak can be used medicinally, and have astringent, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic properties.  The essence of the Oak, as a spiritual medicine, is said to support the ability to manifest goals, to cultivate stability in hard times of polarity, to access and integrate deep, hidden energy, and to nurture the inner strength of those who find themselves despondent in long cycles of struggle and perseverance.  

There are several varieties of Oak, and many variations of its medicine to explore, for those who feel an affinity to this sacred tree.  The following are some general suggestions for practicing the folkloric magic associated with the Oak tree:

• To protect against negative influence, find 2 Oak twigs of equal size and fashion them into an equal distance cross, as a symbol of balance and protection.  Tie this together with a red thread and hang it in the home.  

• Carry a piece of Oak wood for personal protection and good luck.

• Plant an acorn, a symbol of fertility and immortality, during the dark moon to bring financial abundance.

• Use Oak branches to make a magical wand.  You can also add an acorn at the end, if your purpose is fertility magic.  (Or charge and carry an acorn for increased fertility.)  Make sure to ask permission and offer a gift to the tree spirit in return.  Pouring wine at the base of the tree is a traditional offering.

• Gather acorns by day, leaves and branches by night, for magical uses.

• If someone in the home is ill, use Oak wood to make a hearth fire to draw off the illness and warm the home. 

• To heal a wound, take the dressing that covered it and add some oil of rue to the cloth.  Place this inside the hollow of an Oak tree, during the waning moon, with a prayer for the wound to be taken to the earth and there dissipated.

• To clear unwanted energies, hexes, or intrusions to your energy body, make a decoction of Oak root (particularly Quercus Alba) and add it to a bath, rubbing the body downwards towards the earth with prayers for releasing the energies to the earth.

• To cleanse one’s home or workspace of unwanted energies or unrestful spirits, burn dried Oak and mistletoe combined.  This is a combination that is held sacred both to the ancient Druids and the tradition of Hoodoo.

• Sit at the base of a sacred Oak tree.  Let it’s voice, once considered to be the voice of the goddess Diana, among other deities in various cultures, teach you about endurance, longevity, strength, and connection with the unseen mysteries.

Amethyst

Amethyst is a stone that draws many people into the realm of crystal allies.  It’s deep purple hues emanate magic and calm.  Though it is commonly found in jewelry, as well as polished pieces and geodes, this stone isn’t always seen for its true complexity.   Amethyst enhances psychic ability and intuition, as many know, and is a helpful tool for meditation and magic.  One reason for this is that it has an affinity for conscious awareness and the higher aspects of mind.  It can help reveal what is hidden from our awareness, and dispel the fog of dissociation or intoxication that is employed to keep true awareness, or reality, at a distance.  This means that Amethyst can be an excellent healing stone, helping one to see the root causes of an illness or imbalance, in one’s patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior, so that the issue can be directly addressed and unraveled.  It is also an ally for those battling with addiction, as it helps to lessen the hold of substances over the psyche, even making their ability to shift one’s mood lessened.  The name Amethyst comes from the Greek word améthystos, which means “not intoxicated” or “not drunken.”  

In fact, Amethyst has a mythic origin story from ancient Greece that describes this notion.  There is more than one version of this story.  In one, the god Dionysus was offended by a mortal and in a fit of drunken rage decides to inflict harm on the next person to cross his path.  He sets two tigers, in wait, to attack, while he watches.  The next person to come along was Amethyst, a chaste devotee of Artemis, on her way to worship at her shrine.  With little time to act, as this event unfolded, Artemis protected Amethyst at the last moment by turning her into a clear, transparent crystal.  Dionysus, remorseful about his actions, poured his wine over her as an offering, turning her to the deep purple hued stone we know.  This story is repeated with the Roman names Bacchus and Diana as well.  The other version is that Dionysus himself pursued Amethyst, having become obsessed by desire for her.  Amethyst resisted, not wanting to become his prey, and prayed to the goddess Artemis to protect her.  Artemis answered by turning her into the clear crystal to protect her, and Dionysus, in a state of grief and drunkenness spilled his wine on her, giving her its purple color.  Whether either of these stories are the original version, the ancient Greeks and Romans seemed to believe that Amethyst was imbued with the power to protect one from intoxication, and made wine vessels and jewelry for this purpose.  

What is especially interesting to consider is that there are at least two more ways in which Amethyst protects from clouded thoughts and emotions, and preserves the higher and more intuitive mind.  It is known to reduce stress and promote balance, clearing anxiety and the muddled thoughts of a worried mind.  It also clears the energy field of negative influence and attachments, which can certainly skew one’s thinking, feelings and behaviors.  This shield of higher vibration also clears and uplifts physical spaces, and geodes in particular are good to keep in the home.  

All together, this stone helps one to resist poor decision making, ruled by unbalanced emotion, distressed thought, and destructive beliefs, and instead connects one to divine guidance, spiritual alignment, psychic ability, and the depth of clarity needed to see the way in which we have woven our life circumstances through the complex tapestry of thought, emotions, outside influence, and unhelpful distractions.  With this support, we can unravel the unconscious programs and create better circumstances with clarity and intention.  To support this process, Amethyst promotes an environment of peace and balance, while opening the third eye and crown chakras to assist in psychic seeing, surrender to the divine, and even taking a co-creative role with conscious awareness in our lives.  This is a lot like creating a sacred circle for ritual workings of magic, cultivating a safe space and opening oneself energetically, while calling on the support and guidance of the divine.  

There is nothing simple about that magic.  No wonder ancient Egyptians favored wearing this stone to protect themselves from negative emotions like fear and guilt, as well as from psychic attack, European medieval knights carried it into battle to keep a clear mind, and Fung Shui masters place it strategically in spaces to ward of negative energies.  Make sure to cleanse your amethyst regularly.  Running it under water, with intention, is enough to keep it working as a protective and insight inspiring stone.

Suggestion for working with Oak and Amethyst:

Intuitive knowing, awareness, and cultivating the inner clarity and strength to allow one to access the mystical realms, with sobriety and purpose, is the common ground between these two potent earth allies.  During this Summer Solstice season, our suggestion is to bring your favorite Amethyst to an Oak tree where you can spend a moment in personal ritual.  

1. Make an offering to the Oak, a small amount of wine poured at the base would be appropriate, or bring water, flowers, sacred herbs, and your own breath to give.

2. Use your crystal to sweep your energy field and physical body downwards, clearing away negative influence and obstructions to your clarity and asking the tree to take them down through its roots.

3. Sit with your back against the tree.  Feel the conduit of earth magic that resides within it.  Hold your crystal or place it on your body.  Ask for clarity and guidance.

4. Speak out loud the things for which you are grateful in your life.

5. Name the things that you are struggling with.

6. State your need for healing or manifestation.

7. Now, ask these two allies to speak to you, to show you the pieces that added up to the puzzle you are currently living, and the root work that needs to happen to build your dreams from here.

8. Listen to the Oak, to the Amethyst, to the wind and divine forces.  Allow yourself to be guided and to receive even the uncomfortable insights.  Believe in the power of your own conscious awareness to see and take the steps needed to co-create your life.

May you deeply ground and reach to the heights this season!

Sincerely,

the eleventh house

-This blog was written by Melusina Gomez.  For more information about her work and healing practices please visit www.metzmecatl.com 

Summer Solstice and the Rise of the Feminine Forces

The Summer Solstice, also known as Litha, is the longest day and shortest night of the year. It happens on June 21st, and marks the sun at its full power, and the subtle shift that gradually begins to fade the summer light, as days get shorter again slowly from here. Though there is the hint of the eventual return to Winter, this is a time for celebration and expansion. It is the time when the Goddess is pregnant and abundant, and the earth forces express their virility and fertility in bright colors and warmth. European pagan rituals involve staying up in vigil throughout the night to witness the sunrise. A bonfire is created, representing the sun in its full force. People burn aromatic herbs, offer ashes to fertilize the fields, and even jump the bonfire. This is one of the long honored moments in the wheel of the year, throughout the ancient cultures, across our world.

Many monuments have been built to commemorate this movement of the sun in relation to the earth. Among the mysteries of Stonehenge, is the famous view of the sunrise on the Summer Solstice, when the sun rises above the Heel stone and shines directly into the center of the stones. For those facing North East, the view is breathtaking, a reminder of the knowledge and astronomical magic of cultures past. The mirror of this spectacle can be seen on the Winter Solstice, when facing the opposite direction at sunset. The Sphinx, of ancient Egypt also honors the Summer Solstice sun. If you stand at the Sphinx on the Summer Solstice evening, you will see the sun set directly between the two pyramids it faces. In ancient Mexico, many pyramids were built to mark astronomical events with amazing light play. The Kulkulkan temple at Chichen Itza, for example, creates strong shadows on the West and South sides at the Summer Solstice, giving the impression of being split in two. (The Spring Equinox is even more dramatic, creating the pattern of a moving serpent on the stairs.)

Why were ancient civilization so reverent to the movements of the sun? The sun is the source of nourishment on our planet, and the visible representation of the energetic force of light. It sustains and energizes us in more than one way. In the Nahualismo tradition, the sun is the force that brings us to our highest destiny. At this time of year, when it is in its full power, our energy levels rise, projects flourish, abundance is palpable, and the feelings of possibility, joy, and power are accessible. For many, it is an active time, a time to create, a good moment to take full advantage of the available energy to direct towards the blossoming of our cherished dreams and the fulfillment of our needs. Celebration helps us to align with this force, to acknowledge it and be grateful.

This year is a good time to think about the customs of ancient civilizations. With the full moon eclipse of May, we have officially entered into the era the Mexicas and earlier Anahuacan peoples called the Sixth Sun, and which Western Astrology names the Age of Aquarius. From what I understand from the oral tradition, this is a substantial change in terms of how magic, ritual, healing, and manifestation will work in our world. It is said that this time is the rise and empowerment of the feminine forces, most primarily the earth, the moon, and the night. It is a sun of darkness, but this is not meant the way it sounds. We have come from a time where value, meaning, power, and satisfaction were placed outside of ourselves. We have looked to spiritual authorities, religion, doctors, social classes, money, and material gain to validate, heal, and nourish us. Though what is of value in these systems will not be lost, what is predicted is that we will begin to, and need to look more to the inside territories and the hidden aspects of life for our fulfillment. The realm of the unconscious, the intuition, dreams, the path of knowledge, magic, and mystery are the territory of the feminine forces. What before was not fully supported there, and often greatly persecuted, is said to now emerge as strong and central. We are meant to remember, and to evolve, using capacities within us that have been sleeping or not yet tapped. A sun is a very long cycle, 6,625 years. We are only at the start, but the method of working with the feminine forces is different than working with the more masculine forces that guided the previous era. It may help to recall some of the ways earlier cultures supplicated and honored them.

I have been thinking about what I have learned essentially from Goddess traditions, in light of what I am learning now from the elders sharing about these predictions. Hugo Nahui, an oral tradition keeper, teacher of Sergio Magaña, and scholar, says that the feminine forces need to be supplicated with care, respect, and gratitude, more so than the male forces required, and that their power to create in subtle, magical ways will offer an increase in intuition, the potency of dreams, the energetic forms of healing, personal power for all rather than for a chosen few, and a strong awakening of the mystical nature and earth based power of women. May it be so! Thinking about this has me reflecting on a few principles that Pagan culture shares with Indigenous practices. Here are a few suggestions for working with the feminine forces. These are things you may already know, but which may take on more significance in the coming days. They are worth considering in daily or ritual practice:

• Beginning and ending with gratitude. Gratitude is respectful, particularly when one sees energy flowing and wishes or intentions fulfilled, but even early in the process of manifestation and supplication it has a role. Gratitude is like a contract of trust between us and the divine or elemental forces. It humbly assumes that prayers will be answered in a nurturing manner, and gives thanks for this exchange, thereby opening the inner door to receiving and the flow between ourselves and the unseen.

• Formal supplication with beauty and offering. Making an altar or an offrenda is an art. The more effort and beauty we add to this, the more meaningful it is, for ourselves on conscious and unconscious levels, and for the forces we are courting. Flowers, the best of the foods you have to share, sacred medicines, and your own artistry feed these forces without and within.

• Making personal relationship with the divine and earth forces. One thing I love so dearly in Goddess traditions is the manner in which the Goddesses and Gods are personified, connected with, spoken to with heart and creativity, danced for, channelled or aspected, and fed. This creates an intimacy of relationship and a pathway to learning and development that is intuitive and direct.

• Honoring the hidden pathways within and without. How many times have you sat and absorbed the energy of a waterfall, made an offering at the entrance of a cave, watched the night in a wild place, observed the movements and meanings of the moon and stars, listened to your own intuition with reverence, worked at first waking to recall and listen to your dreams? The more we honor and practice the gifts that are accessible to us within and without, the more these gifts will grow.

Now that we are at the fullness of the sun’s ability to amplify our lives, gifts and paths, isn’t it a good time to renew our sacred practices? There is so much more than what I am briefly describing here. But, here is a place to begin. Let it be a celebration of what is good and exciting within us and around us. It has been such a challenging time, but if there are also gifts, let us claim them.

We suggest aligning with this solstice by considering what you have to celebrate. What areas of your inner and outer life are flourishing? How can you honor and use this energy? Pull a card, or engage in your favorite form of divination, and ask: How can you awaken the full force of sun within you? What area of your life needs this light and energy? What gifts, belonging to a feminine Sun of night and dreaming, are you longing to recover or develop?

Ometeotl.

With so much gratitude,

the eleventh house

-This blog was written by Melusina Gomez. You can learn more about her work and healing practices at www.metzmecatl.com

Plant & Crystal Magic 10: Hawthorn & Rainbow Crackle Quartz

It’s May, the threshold month that brings us to Summer.  It is the time of year when the earth is abundant with activity, flowering, and the potential for magic.  This month we will explore the May Tree, Hawthorn, and the rare Rainbow Crackle Quartz, two allies with associations in the realms of enchantment.

Hawthorn

Hawthorn is known as the May Tree, and is deeply associated with Beltane and the Faerie realm.  It’s white flower buds open to reveal delicate pink and a musky scent that heralds the fullness of Spring, and the beginning of early Summer.  Hawthorn is actually part of the rose family, and is often kept small and used a garden or landscape shrub.  It is said that this tree is under the protection of the Faeries and marks the entrance to their realm, and that anyone who sleeps under it on May 1st, especially on a Faery hill, could find themselves permanently transported to that other world.  Hawthorn is also strongly associated with witches and magic, and named as one of the three sacred trees in British and Celtic lore: Oak, Ash, and Thorn.  When these three grow together it is said to be a Faerie place, and women knowledge often included them in magical gardens.  Superstitious onlookers, in times of fear regarding magic and healing, claimed that witches could turn themselves into Hawthorn at will, though this idea could have come about because of women healers and herbalists collecting the very useful medicine of this tree on a regular basis.

Because of the strong connection to Faerie, it has long been considered an offense to cut down a Hawthorn tree, and most practitioners collect only those branches, flowers, and fruits that have fallen on their own.  The exception, however, is during the rituals of Beltane, when after an evening in the woods, flowers and branches of Hawthorn were collected as part of the ritual and used for refreshing the home, making a flower wreath for the Maypole, and weaving flower crowns to give as gifts.  Hawthorn was considered a tree of fertility, love, and betrothal, partly because the scent of its flowers was said to be erotic, and something like feminine sexual secretions.  It has been associated with the rites of marriage, the virginal Welsh Goddess Olwen, celebrated as the May Queen, the Roman Goddess of flowers and fornication, Flora, and the Greek God of marriage, Hymen, just to name a few, and still is used as wedding bouquets, adornments, and ceremonial wedding torches.  It also has ritual associations in funerary rites.  The Teutons, for example, revered Hawthorn as sacred to Thor and as a mirror of celestial fire, or lightening.  They used its wood in funeral pyres so that the souls of the dead would escape through the burning thorns and ascend upwards.  Hawthorn is the hottest burning wood. In ancient Ireland, Hawthorns were known as Holy Thorns and grew near sacred wells.  Pilgrims would often tear off pieces of their clothing to hang on the trees as prayer flags, in hopes that their supplications for healing and good health would be carried to the Gods through the movement of the wind in the branches.  They were also left as offerings of gratitude, for cures that had helped them and their loved ones.  These practices continue today.

There are very practical reasons for this level of reverence and for the associations with love.  Hawthorn berry is a potent cardiac tonic.  It can normalize blood pressure, though if used for too long it can cause lower blood pressure than normal.  It can address the following functional heart problems:  heart murmurs, inflammation of the heart muscles, fatty degeneration of vessels, aortic disease, arteriosclerosis, leaky valves, and dropsy of cardiac origin.  Furthermore, the homeopathic remedy Crataegus is made from Hawthorn and is used as a heart tonic that can affect a wide range of conditions such as  chronic heart disease with weakness, feeble heart action, high arterial tension, oedema, irregular heart beat, myocanditis, arteriosclerosis, pressure on left side of chest, heart failure, and associated irritability, apprehension, insomnia, and despondency.  This medicine is also given to young children with diabetes.  

The berries can work as a cure, along with proper diet, exercise, sleep, and medical care for serious conditions, but can also be a strong preventative.  They help to tone the heart and can improve one’s resistance to infections that have the potential to injure the heart, such as strep throat, rheumatic fever, and tonsillitis.  It is often used in combination with other herbs such as motherwort, borage, garlic, dandelion, and cayenne for these applications.

The flowers, leaves, and fruits all have properties that reduce blood pressure, stimulate the heart, and act in a sedative manner, making them good for circulatory issues, migraines, angina, menopausal discomforts, and insomnia.  The flowers have the strongest sedative effect and medicinal actions.  They can be decocted into teas for drinking or for external use for skin blemishes.  The berries are high in Vitamins B and C, and can also be used to treat diarrhea, dysentery, and kidney disorders.  Because of its strength as an herbal medicine, and its effect on the heart, it is best to work with an herbalist when using Hawthorn for physical issues.

In terms of magic, Hawthorn has long been used to increase fertility.  This is the primary reason for its incorporation into wedding ceremonies, though it has also been used to maintain chastity, by placing leaves beneath the mattress or around the bedroom.  Plants often have a dual action based on one theme, and chastity, fertility, and sensuality are of course interconnected.  (Think of the Goddess aspects Olwen and Flora, named above.)  Carrying a piece of Hawthorn was said to bring luck in fishing, and was used as an amulet to ward off depression and bring happiness.  Its chastity aspect was also utilized to keep to a period of waiting and inner silence, when focused attention was needed, while waiting for renewed activity and the results of efforts or magic.  It has also been called on for protection magic, particularly protecting the home from storms, lightening, and harmful ghosts.  Romans put Hawthorn in or under cradles to protect infants from spells.  Hawthorn’s association with fertility also makes it an ideal ally for manifestation magic.  From the rituals of witches held beneath its branches, and the practice of sitting beneath one to develop the ability to see fairies, to the folk magic of prayer flags tied to its branches, Hawthorn attracts the attention of the sacred and mysterious, and can direct it to one’s focused intention.  Finding one to build sacred relationship with, or planting one, can potentate one’s magic.

Beltane season recipes for working with Hawthorn: (from Tree Medicine Tree Magic by Ellen Evert Hopman)

• May Brandy:  Try this folk style recipe by filling up a mason jar at least 3/4 full with fresh Hawthorn flowers, excluding the stems.  Cover with Brandy and allow to sit for 3 months.  Strain and drink, or add honey to make a lovely cordial.

• Hawthorn Cocktail:  You will need 1 bottle of white wine, a sprig of lemon thyme, 1/2 bottle of red wine, 2 sprigs of borage, 1 orange cut into slices, and a handful of Hawthorn flowers.  Pour the wine into a bowl, then add orange slices, herbs, and flowers.  Cover this with a cloth and let it stand for a day and a half.  Strain the mixture, and shake with ice in a cocktail shaker.  You can make it beautiful by decorating the glasses with pretty blue borage flowers.  This mixture will lighten the heart and would be great for May celebrations.

Rainbow Crackle Quartz

Rainbow Crackle Quartz is a rare stone, and one worth finding.  It is a form of Quartz that contains cracks within it, which can occur naturally or be forced through the use of heat.  Rainbow Crackle Quartz is generally a natural stone that appears clear, until it is exposed to a beam of light and reveals a rainbow prism of color within.  The unique magical quality of this stone, which has long been viewed as a symbol of hope and positivity, has to do with the combination of the crackle effect and the rainbow light spectrum.

Crackled Quartz, with its visible lines and cracks, dispels and counteracts negative energy.  For this reason, it is often used in a defensive manner, as an amulet to ward off negative intrusions, or for the general purpose of diffusing ones own heavy thoughts, moods, and emotions.  It can help to cultivate a clearer, lighter, more positive mind, and assist one in recovering a positive emotions, ideas, and inner self talk.  It absorbs negative energy, and acts as a filter, allowing for more balance in ones energetic body and mind.  The absorption capacity is stronger the more cracks it has inside.  In addition to this protective aspect, it also can easily be used for activation and intention programming, as with all Quartz crystals.  When the rainbow aspect is added, this potential is magnified.  Rainbow Crackle Quartz can both pull out the negative energies and replace them with positivity and intention.

All Rainbow crystals have special gifts in manifestation.  This is because they contain the full spectrum of light, all the colors of the rainbow, inside them.  This gives them the ability to stimulate all energy centers (Chakras, or in the Mexica tradition Totonalcayos).  This stimulation reaches all inner creative levels, our full system for accessing, grounding and projecting energy.  The implication is that the full spectrum of color can make it easier to bring one’s manifestations all the way into creation in everyday, physical reality.

Rainbow Crackle Quartz can also enhance the gifts of seers, psychics and magical practitioners, potentially opening wide the intuitive senses and allowing for a prismatic window into the past, present, and future.  Clear seeing and clear thinking are not only helpful, in general, but essential to the work of manifestation, lest you get what you asked for without awareness.  During magical workings and in times when action is needed, this stone can be a great ally in clairvoyance and the cultivation of power. 

One word of caution: though direct sunlight can reveal the rainbows inside, these crystals should not be kept in the sun for more than a few minutes.  And, when using them in the sun, be aware that clear Quartz can heat and even amplify the sun’s rays enough to start a fire if placed on paper, dry wood, or other combustible materials!  Here, in Northern California, we have good reason to be extra cautious when it comes to the potential for fire.

Suggestion for May manifestation magic with Hawthorn and Rainbow Crackle Quartz:

1. Find a Hawthorn tree or shrub in the wilds or in your own garden, if possible, as the setting for this working.  Alternately, make a Hawthorn flower tea, Brandy, or Cocktail, and offer it to the earth, the Faeries, a dab for your crystal, and last to yourself.

2. Begin a manifesting meditation with your Rainbow Crackle Quartz crystal by lying down, under the Hawthorn tree, or another sacred place on the earth.  If there are flowers present, this will be better for manifestation magic.  Place the crystal on your solar plexus or navel. Either will work, but in my training it was described that the navel is the center for dreaming, and particularly with the physical womb as a powerful center of creation in this area, it could be a better choice for those who are physically female.  Visualize and breath in each color, moving it through the crystal, through the solar plexus or navel, and into the corresponding chakra. These associations can vary some, but in general begin with red for the root chakra, orange for sex and sacrum, gold for solar plexus, green then pink for the heart, blue for the throat, purple for the third eye, and white light for the crown. For each chakra take 7 breaths, inhaling for seven counts and exhaling for seven counts each time.  This will align you to the energy of the moon, 7 being the number of days in each of the four phases.  The moon is a force of change, for both creation and destruction, and is important for manifestation magic.  Once you have attuned to your crystal and activated your energy centers, you can begin to program your intention into the crystal or use it to amplify your spell work. 

3. Program your crystal.  Crystals hold memory and command, both based on their original composition and in response to our focused intentions when programmed.  The process is not hard.  Begin with meditation and supplication, asking your ally to help you focus thought and for its permission to be directed in this manner.  Make sure to articulate your intention well, being clear, rather than overly general, but leaving enough room for your outcome to be brought to you in the best alignment with your highest good and manipulating no one.  You can clear this intent later, when it is no longer relevant, run more than one program per crystal, or set into your intention a particular timeline.  Crystals are flexible this way, and generally willing to work with you.  They absorb and then generate your intention, and magnify it with their own properties.  In fact that action of absorbing and radiating is what crystals do, even if you don’t intentionally activate and program them, which is one very good reason for cleansing the crystals you wear and keep in your home regularly.  To program your crystal, focus on your intention and then blow your will into it.  If it has a point, you can use that to blow.  You may also speak, sing, or commune with the crystal in your own way, as long as your process is clear. 

4. Make an offering of gratitude.  Gratitude is not only respectful, but also a kind of appointment with the future positive outcome.

May you move manifest in grace and abundance!

sincerely,

the eleventh house

-This blog was written by Melusina Gomez.  For more information about her work and healing practices please visit www.metzmecatl.com