What plants are burned for energy cleansing? Where do these sacred plants come from? Some of these plants and their habitats are under threat. How can we use the plants responsibly and with respect for them, their ecosystems and the communities that live with them?
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Stagnant energy? Need a mojo uplift? Reach for the Plant! Burning dried plants or incense is a way to cleanse energy that is not only beautiful, but also connects us to the Earth and our human ancestral practices. In this article, I also explore the practice of burning special or sacred plants in world cultures and talk about what is cultural appropriation.
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108 beads on your Mala, 108 Sun Salutations, chanting OM 108 times… What does the number 108 have to do in all this? Magic? Mathematics? Sacred number? The mysteries of 108!
“Mala” means “garland” in Sanskrit.
Malas are Hindu or Buddhist prayer beads, or “rosaries”. Malas are used to recite mantras and prayers : touch a bead, say your mantra, then touch another.
Long malas have 108 beads, with an additional head bead or guru bead, most often a bigger or different bead.
But why 108 beads? Let’s get to know more about 108:
In Hinduism, Shiva and Krishna are known to have 108 assistants each. There also are 108 Upanishads or Vedanta, sacred texts from the Vedas. (note however that some sources say there are over 200 Upanishads, that’s more than our number 108!).
In Buddhism, 108 turns up as 108 sacred texts, as well as 108 kleshas, the “afflictions” or mental states that are at the root of all suffering (think: ignorance, jealousy, anger … and list 108!). Some schools also count 108 temptations to turn your back on in order to reach Nirvana.
Yep, these are pretty good reasons to have 108 beads on your mala!
Sky side, we find 108 too.
Astrologers talk about the 12 houses of the zodiac, and 9 planets – including Pluto, like astrologers do! My complex scientific calculation tell me that 12 x 9 = 108.
And, this is one of my favorite 108 facts: the distance from the Sun to the Earth = 108 times the diameter of the Sun, and the distance from the Moon to the Earth = 108 times the diameter of the Moon. (approximately!)
I’m a fan of 108, are you? I’m up for 108 Sun Salutations now!
Or shall we repeat OM 108 times instead?
Spring is here! Here’s a sweet ritual to celebrate Spring, rebirth, renewal, Mother Nature AND plant seeds for all your life’s projects!
Spring is here in the Northern Hemisphere on the March 20th Equinox. After the long winter months, the cold and the cozy cocooning, here come longer days and Nature awakening from slumber. If you are a Sun child like me, Spring is magical!
Let’s tap into the season’s rebirth and blossoming energy and call renewal and fresh new beginnings in our lives! YES!
How? With the Seed Planting Ritual!
Yep, we’re going to plant seeds. “Real” plant seeds and symbolic seeds of what we want to see grow and flourish in life.
This spring, we sow what we want to harvest : yummy salads yes, as well as the seeds of projects we want to see bear fruit.
1. Prepare your ritual space: choose a clear place, a candle, a song, your seeds, your soil (dirt) + pots if you plant indoors, your watering can etc.
2. Choose your seeds (we planted basil, yum yum! Plant what you want, edible plant, flowers, a tree!)
3. Choose a project, a part of your life that you want to take care of, that you want to see sprout, grow, and flourish!
4. With intent, plant your seeds! For example, say “I plant these basil seeds and the seeds of my project”
5. During planting, be open to any message from your intuition, or from the Universe.
6. When you have finished, water your seeds, give them Reiki, and close your ritual.
7. Remember to take care of your seeds! Just as you care for your plants, “water” and give light to your seeds of life!
What are YOU planting this spring?
Nurture your dreams!
Heard of Power Animals? Maybe you have even met your own Spirit Animal! What is a Power Animal? How can you find yours? What do they do and mean? Read on and find out!
A Power Animal is a compassionate energy that comes to support you. Often, we’ll say that they walk with you in your life. This means that they accompany you and can offer guidance and help on your path.
In the shamanic view, everything is ALIVE, and you can communicate with everything. You can ask questions and receive answers from people, animals, plants, but also minerals, rocks, or elements like water or fire, spirits of place … EVERYTHING!
In the case of Spirit or Power Animals, the positive and helpful energies come in the form of … animals.
Spirit animals bring you their medicine! In general, they offer you strength and power to live the life you want. And each individual Power Animal also offers you his own message: Snake brings you Snake wisdom, Tiger brings you Tiger wisdom, Dolphin that of the dolphins, Wolf that of the wolf …
For the shaman or shamanic practitioner, Spirit Animals are essential and powerful helpers for shamanic work.
Everyone has one or more Power Animals, not only shamans! All you have to do is … meet them!
A Power Animal may stay with you all your life. Other Spirit Animals walk with you for a certain time, maybe to help you through difficulties or changes. And then they may leave and are replaced by other Power Animals.
Meeting your very own Power Animals is like opening a beautiful door to life. The more you cultivate your relationship with them, the deeper, more beautiful and more powerful it becomes.
This work transformed my life and this is why I offer you the opportunity to deepen your relationship with your Power Animal through the mentorship program Spirit Animal, Power Animal. In this training, you’ll learn practical applications of this very special relationship. Because, yes, shamanism is useful tech in the modern world!
Here are 3 ways to meet your Spirit Animal:
When you consult a shaman or a shamanic practitioner, he / she will do a shamanic journey for you, called Power Animal Retrieval. This ceremony is the beginning of a beautiful love story, and I love to do it for my clients – get in touch if you are interested!
If you would like to meet your Power Animal yourself, you can learn shamanic journeying. It’s a skill I teach in group classes or as privates. The mentorship and training Spirit Animal, Power Animal offers a fantastic way to meet one of your spirit guides, and then learn how to deepen the relationship. All classes are possible in person and online.
Can you find your Spirit Animal without shamanic journeying? Yes absolutely! Open up your intuition, be receptive to messages, listen to your dreams, inquire in your meditations, observe the “coincidences” of your life. Power Animals have many -and sometimes very funny- ways, to ask for your attention!
You’ll find lots of cool resources in books and online. I’m pretty sure that if you have already met your Power Animal, you have Googled his/her meaning online!
Meanings, symbols and stories for the same Spirit Animal vary from culture to culture, and very often depend on geography. It seems normal that a penguin could be a Power Animal for someone who comes or is the descendant from cold climate people. And this same penguin will likely not be known as a Spirit Guide for people from the Amazonian forest. and its fascinating to find out.
However, some Power Animal share common meanings across cultures. Other times, we’ll encounter different animals in different cultures that share symbolic characters. Bear and Elephant are an example, as are the similarities between different families of felines. All this makes for many interesting discoveries, and I wish you happy reading!
For me, direct revelation is a great way of knowing what my Power Animals’ specialties are. Hence, asking them directly is the best way to find out about their medicine. Their answers are sometimes surprising and can be quite different from external resources. Their message is specially tailored for you instead of being a one-size-fits-all
There are thousands of ways to honor your Power Animal ! I’ll talk about that in another post.
My Power Animals and I say “Bye bye and talk soon!”
Done with the hangover? Ready for the new year? Grab a glass of champagne and set yourself up for this beautiful ritual. Bid the past year goodbye, and welcome all wonderful things to come!
Before making a new start, review your past year, and clear out what no longer serves!
I mean, think of your glass of champagne : you wouldn’t think of filling your glass if it’s still full : you have to empty it first!
Well, it’s the same for us human beings : make room first, THEN fill up with all good things!
Review your year. Celebrate the beautiful things that happened! And for the not so beautiful? Well, honor them too. Review what came about in the year, and give THANKS for EVERYTHING.
Goodbye old, Hello new! Set the good things in motion with this FIRE Ritual:
For this New Year ritual, you will need:
– A candle (and whatever you like to light it),
– A bowl filled with water,
– Paper and pen,
– Any other object you want to have with you.
Choose objects you like: a beautiful candle, your favorite bowl, your favorite essential oil.
Choose a time when you’ll be uninterrupted.
Take a few deep breaths, and get started!
Choose a clean space and light a candle.
Decorate your space with flowers, burn incense, spray essential oils, set up an altar, ring your gong, sing … Create your own ritual space!
RITUAL 2. CENTER YOURSELF
Take a few deep breaths, place your hands in prayer or on your heart…
RITUAL 3. STATE THE INTENT OF YOUR RITUAL
“I honor and thank the year that is ending, and I open to the coming year. “
RITUAL 4. MAKE A SMALL LIST
Write down the important events of your year.
RITUAL 5. READ OUR LOUD AND SAY THANKS
State and thank each event. Say “Thank you” to the people, places and things that took part in the events. Honor all events, beautiful and less beautiful.
RITUAL 6. BYE BYE PAST!
Fold your list. Burn the paper in the candle flame (don’t burn your fingers!). Goodbye and thank you, Past.
Dip the paper in the bowl of water to extinguish the flame.
RITUAL 7. WELCOME NEW YEAR!
Say clearly: “I open with love, compassion, curiosity and joy to the coming year”. Say it with your own words!
RITUAL 8. CLOSE YOUR RITUAL
Center yourself and close your sacred space: blow out your candle, empty the bowl of water. Then close with a song, a mantra, a sound of a bell …
Have fun!
Happy New Year ! May all your wishes come true!
OM Shanti, Peace on Earth.