A Moment Of Pause

I invite each of you to take a moment to yourself. Just breathe.

Take a breath in and then release it slowly.

Honor all that you are today - all of your strengths AND your imperfections.

Relax your mind and let your troubles drift away.

Know that you are sacred and that you are loved.

Repeat as often as necessary. This is also a great exercise to help you calm and center yourself when your relatives or those busy shoppers are getting on your nerves this holiday season.

And know that I am thankful for you.

Incense Check In - 4 Days

It has been a few days since I posted anything. Without a topic, I have decided to post about the incense cones that I made. This is meant to be a quick little check in as an update, so I'll try my best to be brief. You all know how I love to use ten words when three would suffice.

The incense cones are still drying. They are hard on the outside but I'm skeptical about them being finished "drying" on the inside. I've even attempted to light one of the cones. It smolders for a few seconds and then goes out. This tells me that they aren't ready yet. I'm thinking of waiting another 7 days before even looking at them because the waiting is driving me bananas.

To cope, I resorted to taking the one incense cone I previously mentioned and placing it upon a charcoal disc. The aroma was sweet and Earthy, perfect for a devotional incense. I have in the past used too much lavender in previous recipes and that become the sole aroma in them, so I'm happy to report that it is no longer the case. The amount of lavender used is just right.

I'm still hoping that further drying will end in a combustible cone. Until then, charcoal discs will have to do.

I'm also looking at making this incense into pellets using honey as a binder. I'll let you know if I go that far.

Devotional Incense Cones

I've been reworking my morning and evening devotional rites and wanted to get some incense that would better set the mood and experience, as well as be able to be used as an offering to the Gods. An incense stick would take too much time to burn for this process while loose incense would require heating a charcoal disc or setting up a Makko trail. What's a guy to do? Make your own!

I opted to make incense cones with a small amount of herbs that I have on hand. I've turned up my heater a few extra degrees in the hope that it will help to shorten the drying time. Since I haven't made this recipe before, I was cautious about going too far by making too much product. Cones seemed like a good option because of their small size and I found the entire process really easy.

I started out by grinding my herbs into a fine powder (I cheated because some of my ingredients were bought in powdered form). Only the rosemary gave me a bit of trouble but I don't think full strands of rosemary will do any harm to the finished product. Once wet with some blessed water specifically for incense making, I set out to knead the dough and them form it into cones. I'm pleased with how they turned out.

I still had a little left over so I opted to try a large and small cylinder shape to help me gauge which size will best work. 

The hardest part in this process is waiting for the drying time, which I estimate to take about two full weeks. If they dry sooner then I'll consider it good luck and get to experimenting. I'll post an update and let you know how they turn out. If they work for my needs and the scent is pleasant then I will share the recipe.

Day 7 – Bringing it All Together

Carnelian	“Creativity and Action”
Take action; make life what we will.
Labradorite	“Illumination”
Incoming message for our highest good.
Rose Quartz	“Love and Healing”
Self-love and healing are needed.
Snowlake Obsidian	“Balance”
Insert balance into your life.
Unakite	“Live in the Present”
Embrace the present to achieve happiness.
Apache Tear	“Hidden/Negative Emotions”
There are emotions you aren’t dealing with; do so.
Aquamarine	“Think Clearly & Carefully”
Gain clarity over emotions.

We touched on emotions a lot through this challenge. We were also reminded about healing and self-love. Looking back at the past 7 days and the cards we drew tell me that the messages were all connected. The meanings were all working together to help bring us to our higher selves, to a state where we are whole and present in our lives.

Life is what we make of it.

Thank you for joining me for my self-imposed Crystal Guidance challenge. It has been enlightening and I have enjoyed connecting with these 7 crystals over the course of the challenge. I encourage you to do a daily draw with a similar oracle deck if you're interested in connecting more with your crystals.

For more information on the Crystal Guidance Oracle Cards that I used, go here.

Day 7 - Aquamarine

Our final day for the challenge brings us to Aquamarine.

Known for calming the emotions and soothing the body, Aquamarine is a powerful crystal that is tied to the element of water. It is also tied to the throat chakra.

The message for this card is one of gaining clarity over emotions. It encourages us to take the time to look at how we are feeling and determine if what we're going through and processing in our lives lines up with the way we feel about the situation(s). This card signals a time for a calm reflection.

Day 6 - Apache Tear

Today's draw is a form of obsidian. It should be no surprise that it is about bringing negative emotions to the surface so that we can deal with them. The PDF encourages, reminding that "now is not the time to bury emotions; know that it is okay to cry."

This card usually comes up during my severe bouts of depression. It is a wake-up call to signal that there may be things I'm not dealing with; things that are taking their toll on my emotions (setting aside brain chemistry as the primary cause for depression, of course). Alternatively, this card also reminds me that I have to be willing to embrace and allow myself to feel those emotions. If I don't, I'm just doomed to repeat the same cycle which keeps me depressed and unable to function.

Day 5 - Unakite

We've reached day 5 of my self-imposed Crystal Guidance challenge. It's been a fun ride so far and we've had an opportunity to work with four powerful crystals and stones. Some of us have even been lucky enough to experience the direct energies of carnelian, labradorite, rose quartz, and snowflake obsidian. All have greeted us with messages to help us navigate this life.

Today we find ourself heeding unakite's message of letting go of the past and living in the present. We are meant to be aware of what has happened and be aware of the many possibilities to come, but neither is more important than the present experience we are gifted with.

What can you do in this moment to make yourself happier? Embrace what you need to in order to allow yourself to experience a state of full happiness in the present moment. You deserve it.