Our favorite Librans are often caught in a balancing act of weighing—and reweighing—their options before they make a decision. This can lead to vacillating in a cycle of indecision. To spur more decisive determination, try Scleranthus flower essence for more clear thinking and real balance.
The time you take to restore yourself is precious. Morning is the optimal time to perform a self-blessing, which will help you maintain both your physical health and provide an emotional boost. Today, lavender oil is the most popular essential oil the world over, but the benefits of lavender were actually discovered over three thousand years ago. Because of its deeply powerful calming and soothing effect as well as antioxidant, antimicrobial, sedative, tranquilizing, and antidepressive properties, lavender oil is simply wonderful—even the scent brings joy. When King Tut’s tomb in Egypt was opened in 1923, a faint perfume of lavender remained after three thousand years. In the Bible, lavender was beloved for anointing and healing. Lavender, let us count the ways we love you:
Jade brings with it the power of love and protection. It is also a dream stone, promoting prophetic and deeply meaningful dreams.
I am sure you will find this to be true: certain crystals can be true touchstones in your life and bring multitudinous benefits, both emotional and spiritual. Find a spot in your workspace or office where you can incorporate gemstones into your each and every day. My desk is where my crystals are placed, so I can see them often. This can be your special corner of the world where you can renew and connect with your spiritual center. Picking up and holding your touchstones can be one of the most soul-nourishing small acts of self-care you can do.
Here are different crystals to rock at work and what they will do for you:
Inspiration: amazonite, aventurine, carnelian, chrysolite, chrysoprase, citrine, green tourmaline, malachite, yellow fluorite
Love: amethyst, magnetite, rhodochrosite, rose quartz, twinned rock crystals
Abundance: bloodstone, carnelian, citrine, dendritic agate, diamond, garnet, hawk’s-eye, moss agate, peridot, ruby, tiger’s-eye, topaz, yellow sapphire
Intuition: amethyst, azurite, celestite, lapis lazuli, moonstone, selenite, smoky quartz, sodalite, star sapphire, yellow calcite
Protection: amber, apache tear, chalcedony, citrine, green calcite, jade, jet, smoky quartz
Self-belief: azurite, chalcedony, chrysocolla, green tourmaline, hematite, rutilated quartz, tiger’s-eye
Serenity: amber, aventurine, blue jade, dioptase, Herkimer diamond, jasper, kunzite, moonstone, onyx, peridot, quartz, rhodonite
Confidence: carnelian, obsidian, quartz, selenite, sodalite, topaz
Positive Energy: agate, aventurine, bloodstone, calcite, chalcedony, citrine, dioptase, emerald, garnet, orange calcite, ruby, topaz
Deep Wisdom: emerald, fluorite, Herkimer diamond, moldavite, serpentine, yellow calcite
Throughout your practice, make sure to maintain a sense of personal abundance and acknowledge the great spirit within you. Be grateful for your body and for your health. Stand in front of a mirror, preferably naked, and drop all self-criticism. Concentrate on your real beauty and envelop yourself with unconditional self-love. Wrap your arms around yourself as you say:
In Her/His image, I too, am a Goddess/God.
I walk in beauty; I am surrounded by love.
Blessed be.
Light three candles in your favorite color and scent. Sit in front of your altar and meditate on what will make you achieve your full potential.
Do you need to change your health habits? Do you need to open up your creativity? Do you need to revitalize with a vacation? Concentrate deeply, and choose three wishes to write down and place under your three candles. Every night for seven days, repeat this spell:
Today I arise.
This night I embrace my serenity, radiance, splendor, and wisdom.
Blessed be.
The following is a comprehensive overview of different crystals and what their presence on your altar will mean.
CREATIVITY
Amazonite, aventurine, carnelian, chrysolite, chrysoprase, citrine, green tourmaline, malachite, yellow fluorite
INTUITION
Amethyst, azurite, celestite, lapis lazuli, moonstone, selenite, smoky quartz, sodalite, star sapphire, yellow calcite
LOVE
Amethyst, magnetite, rhodochrosite, rose quartz, twinned rock crystals
PROSPERITY
Bloodstone, carnelian, citrine, dendritic agate, diamond, garnet, hawk’s-eye, moss agate, peridot, ruby, tiger’s-eye, topaz, yellow sapphire
PROTECTION
Amber, Apache tear, chalcedony, citrine, green calcite, hematite, jade, jet, smoky quartz
SELF-ASSURANCE
Azurite, chalcedony, chrysocolla, green tourmaline, hematite, rutilated quartz, tiger’s-eye
SERENITY
Amber, aventurine, blue jade, dioptase, Herkimer diamond, jasper, kunzite, moonstone, onyx, peridot, quartz, rhodonite
SUCCESS
Carnelian, obsidian, quartz, selenite, sodalite, topaz
VIGOR
Agate, aventurine, bloodstone, calcite, chalcedony, citrine, dioptase, emerald, garnet, orange calcite, ruby, topaz
WISDOM
Emerald, fluorite, Herkimer diamond, moldavite, serpentine, yellow calcite
You might do well to go to a Japanese teahouse to fully experience the tea ceremony before you undertake one yourself, but don’t be intimidated if you cannot. As with all ritual, your intention is the most important aspect. I am fortunate that I live in San Francisco, home of one of the last North American Japantowns. Thus I have several options for tea services in this unique shopping district, where there is a Japanese tea garden near a Shinto shrine. Following are the steps to take in the Chaji, a full tea presentation.
Establish a chashits, which is the special room for the ceremony. If you are like me and don’t have a special room just for tea, clear out space in the living room and place pillows on the floor and set up a low table. I find it rather amusing that the stone basins whose purpose it is to provide cleansing water for the housemaster’s hands and mouth are now sold as fancy garden ornaments for those modern folks who like a Zen look for their house. Establish a peaceful environment—no clutter; perhaps set out a lovely flower such as a single orchid or artfully arranged flowers in the high art form of Japanese flower arranging, ikebana. A Japanese teahouse has no distracting decor and is the ultimate in simplicity and serenity. One decoration, the exquisite scroll painting kakemono, is carefully chosen by the host. Choose a painting or drawing to represent the spiritual sense you want to suggest to your guests through the ceremony. I have friends who have done some kanji characters in the brush painting style to express the emotions they felt at that moment. A light and clean scented Japanese incense is the perfect energetic balancer and cleanser. Now you will take on the role of the host: the teishi, or housemaster.
Invite four people, the traditional and ideal number, and offer them hot water for the tea, referred to as sayu. The guests are to choose someone to act as the hanto, or “main guest.” In formal Japanese tea ceremony, the host actually has a guest who is the hanto. The main guest is not set apart by hierarchy; it is just an arbitrary selection by the host to have
a person with whom to engage first in the formalities of this high ritual. Also, there is an anteroom for a reception and a special flowerless garden that has been anointed with water for the purpose of offering a place for the guests to shrug off the cares and grime with which the world burdens them. This garden without flowers is the roji, or “dew ground.” After leaving the mundane world behind, the guests go to a waiting bench called the koshikake machiaii. Complete silence reigns as the housemaster takes the guests through a symbolic gate in order to leave the material and physical world behind, and enter into the magical realm of the tea ceremony.
While the Chaji could easily take up its very one book, the way any Westerner can enjoy the spiritual aspects of tea is to receive the gift of tea from the master, pass it around, and share it with the other guests. The gift of tea is the gift of fire and water, yang and yin. Taking tea in this ritualized style is to help keep the world in balance, to escape the material world for a time, and then to return, refreshed and rebalanced.
Inspiration Infusions
Along with healing and energizing properties, herbal teas can aid the mind. Try the following blends:
I am sure you will come to find this to be true, certain crystals can be true touchstone, in your life and bring multitudinous benefits, both emotional and spiritual. Find spots in your home or office where you can incorporate into your each and every day. Whether is shrine, your nightstand or stacked in a corner on your desks, a sort of crystal cairn. This can be your special corner of the world where you can renew and connect with your spiritual center. Picking up and holding your touchstones can be one of the most soul-nourishing small acts of self-care you can do.
Following it a table of different crystals and what their presence will bring you:
Inspiration: Amazonite, aventurine, carnelian, chrysolite, chrysoprase, citrine, green tourmaline, malachite, yellow fluorite
Intuition amethyst, azurite, celestite, lapis lazuli, moonstone, selenite, smoky quartz, sodalite, star sapphire, yellow calcite
Love amethyst, magnetite, rhodochrosite, rose quartz, twinned rock crystals
Abundance: bloodstone, carnelian, citrine, dendritic agate, diamond, garnet, hawk’s-eye, moss agate, peridot, ruby, tigers-eye, topaz, yellow sapphire
Protection: amber, apache tear, chalcedony, citrine, green calcite, jade, jet, smoky quartz
Self-belief: azurite, chalcedony, chrysocolla, green tourmaline, hematite, rutilated quartz, tiger’s-eye
Serenity: amber, aventurine, blue jade, dioptase, Herkimer diamond, jasper, kunzite, moonstone, onyx, peridot, quartz, rhodonite
Confidence: carnelian, obsidian, quartz, selenite, sodalite, topaz
Positive Energy: agate, aventurine, bloodstone, calcite, chalcedony, citrine, dioptase, emerald, garnet, orange calcite, ruby, topaz
Deep wisdom: emerald, fluorite, Herkimer diamond, moldavite, serpentine, yellow calcite
Rose essential oil is extracted from the flower’s petals and has an exquisite perfume. Rose is also highly prized for how it relaxes and stimulates the senses and memory.
Lavender is one of the most beloved of all aromatherapy oils, not just for its singular scent; it has been proven to relieve tension by the reaction of the limbic system in the brain that controls our emotions.
Jasmine essential oil has an arresting floral scent which can cause an increased sense of well-being. Jasmine calms the nervous system without causing sleepiness.
Vetiver oil is derived from the vetiver plant, a grassy native of India. It has a sweet, earthy scent and is used to attain a meditative state and is a marvelous anti-anxiety remedy as well.
Basil essential oil comes from the same herb that you use in cooking. In aromatherapy, it’s used to help calm the mind and alleviate stress.
Clary Sage is a woody essential oil that is valued for its antidepressant qualities. It has been proven to reduce the body’s production of the hormone cortisol, known as the “stress hormone.”
Bergamot comes from bergamot oranges and has a revitalizing citrusy scent. Bergamot is beloved for how it can uplift and improve mood.
Ylang-Ylang is highly floral and a great relaxant. It is also proven in scientific tests to lower tension, reduce blood pressure, and even out the heart rate.
Chamomile is pretty well-known for its relaxing and sedating properties and appealing scent; it can help overcome sleep disruptions and bring about a good, deep rest.
Frankincense oil is made from a tree resin and has been cherished for its sweetly musky yet purifying aroma, which is used to create a meditative state and ease anxiety.
Lemon Balm has a bracing and uplifting scent which is very soothing and restorative; it can also be a sleep aid.
Valerian: an herb that has been used since ancient times to promote sleep and calm nerves. It has a tranquilizing and sedative effect on the body.
Patchouli also has a musky woodsy scent and is used in ayurvedic medicine to relieve anxiety, stress, and depression.
My aunt Edith, who introduced me to the wonders of gardening, had a linen closet that always smelled sweetly of lavender. I remember breathing in the smell and immediately feeling comforted. Sleeping on crisp, clean, herb-scented sheets always made for the soundest sleep and delicious dreams. (Little did I know at the time, lavender is also a moth repellent and an adaptogen, adjusting to satisfy your own energy needs.) Here is a potion for dreamers:
Shake the oils and water in a colored glass spray bottle or mister.
Fifteen minutes before you retire, spray your bed linens, bath towel, pillow, and all around your room. You may want to keep a dream journal by your bed to record what happens during the night.
Our favorite Librans are often caught in a balancing act of weighing—and reweighing—their options before they make a decision. This can lead to vacillating in a cycle of indecision. To spur more decisive determination, try Scleranthus flower essence for more clear thinking and real balance.
The word sapphire has many origins, among them the Greek word sapphiros, meaning “beloved of Saturn,” and indeed this is one of the most beloved stones in the universe. Gorgeous one and all, sapphires are usually thought of as blue but also come in gray, black, orange, pink, and white. Sapphires are found in Australia, India, and North America and are held in reverence the world over. I believe the healing power of a true blue sapphire to be a great gift to humanity, and will begin there. The dark blue sapphire, which looks like the inky blue night sky, is a creativity crystal. It also instills deep loyalty and close, long-lasting bonds between people.
Blue sapphire carries the blue ray of harmony, nourishing the mind, giving perspective, and putting the thoughts in order. Blue sapphire also increases mental flexibility and helps an individual achieve mastery of the self-mind, body, and spirit. Sapphire is a simple light on this most complicated thing, the human mind, with its myriad levels and endless new thoughts. On a soul level, sapphire is about clearing and focusing the mind. Discernment, deciding what to process and what to filter out and let go of, is the key to soul growth.
Sapphire is best worn as a necklace so it is closer to your head. The collective wisdom of healers tells us that a short necklace is even better because it connects with the throat chakra more quickly and has more immediate and more powerful effects. The throat chakra also corresponds with the blue ray. Many practitioners speak of cases in which the senses of sight and hearing became keener after exposure to blue sapphire.
You should not wear sapphire, especially large stones, too frequently, as they can begin to drain energy. Sometimes the body will throw up resistance to too much change too rapidly. The healing ray of sapphire will cause a mental dumping of unnecessary baggage, which could lead to spaciness. Do watch for this, as it is a sign that you need to stop wearing your sapphire for a week, at least. With blue sapphire, the color and clarity greatly impact its healing abilities. You will want your jeweler or gem dealer to allow you to look under the microscope to see healing influence at all. Look for a true blue, a rich hue that’s neither too indigo nor too purple nor too pale.
The gemologist’s term “candescence” comes from the word “incandescence,” meaning the level of light glow inherent in the stone. Not all stones possess candescence, but blue sapphire possesses nearly the highest level, giving this gem the ability to infuse us with the healing blue ray. My absolute favorite aspect of blue sapphire as a gem is that it is a direct way to get in touch with your spirit.
* Dark Blue sapphire brings serenity and inner peace. This is a real
tool for deep meditation. This gem also helps avoid negative
energy and can help get rid of it. This particular sapphire frees your
from perplexity in regard to your soul mission in this life; it helps you
to know your true values and who you are at the deepest level.
* Light Blue sapphire is the stone of inspiration, bringing new ideas and thought patterns. This blessed crystal also creates a feeling of excitement and fullness in daily living. This stone can reignite your lust for life!
* Green sapphire is a lucky gem. It is supposed to be good for your eyes and vision. A green sapphire will help you to remember your dreams more vividly. Wear this heart-chakra opener as a ring touching the skin and it will bring loyal love and friendship into your life. Additionally, this jewel smoothes your way through life, clearing obstacles out of your path.
* Lilac sapphire is the stone for artistic and innovative people’ it can eradicate any creative blocks and allow the free flow of ideas and motivation.
* Orange sapphire is a truth stone, allowing nothing but profound, base-level reality. If you suffer from illusory thinking or denial, this gem will cut right through that and help you see things just as they are. Orange sapphire is good for researchers, scholars, teachers, investigative journalists, and writers.
* Pink sapphire is a stone of surrender. This gem connotes higher love and infuses a sense of the greater good. Pink sapphire will help you deal with control issues and allow you to cooperate better with others. This rock reminds you that you don’t have to do it all by yourself.
* Purple sapphire is a spiritual stone, a gem of awakening, raising kundalini energy. This is a wonderful tool for contemplation and meditation. Purple sapphire also kindles the crown chakra.
* White sapphire is a terrific stone for self-protection. This is good for anyone with issues of codependence or martyrdom. If you put yourself last, then get a white sapphire (your first act of putting yourself first) and be good to yourself. Caring for yourself physically, emotionally, and spiritually will make for a better world because there is a better you in it!
* Black sapphire is absorptive and draws harm away from the wearer. This is the most protective of all the sapphire family. Black sapphire also lends you confidence that comes from the intelligence inherent in the body. Wearing this stone will make you more sure of your hunches and intuition. This is a stone of steadiness and is great to wear on job interviews—you will get the job and keep it!
* Yellow sapphire, associated with Ganesh, the Hindu god of abundance and prosperity, is a wonderful stone for knowledge, for inner knowing and trust in that. This bright gem is also great for the memory and retention of what you are learning. If you are wearing it for healing and the intellectual stimulation it offers, the actual stone should touch your finger.
