Ritual

Spring Equinox, Super Full Moon in Libra and an Offering!

Happy Marvelous, Magnificent, Magickal March Monday! There is so much to natter about this week it’s fabulous! We have the glorious Spring Equinox, Super Full Moon, Why Ritual is important and an Offering. Many of you have been reaching out and asking if I am going to offer a Spring Equinox special on private readings. Originally, I hadn’t thought I would and then I perked it a bit more and yes, two of the readings will be on offer for one week, thus, from today until next Monday March 25th, as I so want to help you set your seeds of intention for Spring and the next 6 months until Fall Equinox! To find out which readings you can see them HERE.

Okay, seriously, who doesn’t want to celebrate Spring? As a kid Spring time was filled with woodland flowers and baby lambs popping out everywhere and bouncing like mad fiends over the grass. Thus, I think that really nailed down the fact that I love Spring Equinox! When I did this reading, there were glorious birds in my bird feeder, the weather was gloriously warmer and as I walked around the garden I could see the shoots pushing up! Everything is starting to reach, expand and grow!

After a wet, gray winter, the idea, the knowing and the full Trust that Spring is going to come is amazing. To me it is about NEW. New plants, new ideas, new ways of moving in the world and releasing the blaugh. Spring Equinox (also known as Ostara), after the goddess Eostre is a fertility holiday, which celebrates the resurgence of life with such symbols as rabbits, cute little chicks and lambs (seeing any similarity to Easter symbols?)

Spring Equinox is the second of the four “sky points” in the Wheel of the Year, and is a time of balance, it is when the sun does a perfect balancing act in the heavens. In other words, the sun rises exactly in the East, travels through the sky for 12 hours and sets exactly in the West. Thus, all over the world, day and night are of equal length. For us in the Northern Hemisphere we know from this moment forth there will be more light than there is darkness, and growth will reign triumphant over death. (For those in the Southern Hemisphere it is Fall Equinox, a time of harvest and getting ready for Winter and a gentle letting go of the light to fold in and cocoon).

This is a time when the goddess is the Maiden in all her youthful glory, the god is reaching manhood, and energy abounds. So why not tap into that energy to bring the light into your own darkness, if you have any? For example spring cleaning is not just about your home, it’s about removing old or negative energies accumulated over the dark winter months to prepare you for glorious growth. It’s about planting seeds of intention, seeds of growth, seeds of food – it’s about shedding that heavy winter coat and picking up something a tad lighter and a bit more fun. If you are on the email list I will be sending out more information about Ostara on Wednesday with a lovely ritual, a grounding exercise to connect you to the earth and a guided visualisation to mark the day! So if you haven’t signed up and feel inclined, please do.

I often get asked how to “do” rituals and why are they important. To me a ritual is intention made manifest, it’s that place of connection with the Divine, Universe, God/Goddess or however you chose to name it. In other words, a ritual takes an idea, thought or emotion and gives it a physical form in the world. So for example when I invite or suggest that perhaps at certain times there are things that you might want to write down, release and burn – guess what? That’s a ritual. When you sit down at New Moon and write your wishes/intentions out, guess what? That’s a ritual. All it took was a brief moment of time, paper, pen and something to light either a candle or the paper with. When you consciously put your crystals into the moonlight, on fresh dirt or in a bowl of salt water and whisper a blessing over them – that’s a ritual. When you gather various herbs together, cast a circle of salt, call in the directions, offer up a spell or prayer – that is ritual. Are you with me?

To me ritual allows your body, your cells, you essence to understand your intention. Does that make sense? So what makes a mundane activity into a ritual is your consciousness while doing it. If you are smudging yourself or home, what is your intention? If you are having a salt water scrub shower or bath, what is your intention? When you light a candle every day when you walk in the door, what is your intention? Remember energy follows intention and attention follows energy and actions follow attention. Thus, a ritual can be a celebration such as the upcoming Thanksgiving in the States or it can be a practice which can be repeated daily, monthly or yearly. When ritual becomes a practice this allows us to go deeper, to explore all the various nuances and of course as we all know – repetition leads to mastery (think of that daily meditation, exercise, journaling etc).

On April 1st I am opening registration to the Pracktical Magic course and community where we will go deeper into rituals and and a myriad of other things, but more on that later!

On Equinox we also experience the Super Full Moon in Libra (also known as the Worm Moon!) Why the Worm Moon? It’s called this because the earth is thawing and robins are greedily pulling up lovely fat earthworms and gobbling them down! (Now if that doesn’t conjure up the image of Spring for you, lol!) Here is some lovely information from Forever Conscious about this Full Moon. This glorious Super Moon falls at zero degrees of Libra. Having a Super Moon at zero degrees is extremely potent and represents a wave of new potential. The fact that this Full Moon also falls around the same time as the Equinox enhances this energy, and brings new beginnings and fresh starts. This Full Moon is going to supercharge us. It is going to awaken and revive us. It is going to help us find new inspiration and joy for life. We are going to feel a push forward, and we are going to feel excited about the journey to come. Can you feel it? Can you feel the energy beginning to surge and inviting you to move forward (or I like to think of it as Springing forward)!

When I went to the cards and asked who felt impelled to guide this week and help us with the gorgeous Spring Equinox and Full Moon energy I was surprised to see the Oracle of the Shapeshifters. For a brief moment I was perplexed as to why they were adamant to come and guide and then I remembered and nearly laughed my soxs off! If these glorious guides are new to you, let me please introduce them (as that is the polite thing to do)! “These are the magickal familiars, once the companions of shamans, witches, wizards, and wise ones – and now they are here for you. Now is the time for you to undertake a great quest – to rebirth yourself within this lifetime and this quest of evolution does not need to be faced alone. We change and we change again. We fear change. Yet it comes. For us to fear change is as foolish as winter crying for the coming of spring. Change is. Fear corrupts. These guides are here to support, encourage and help you through transformation and to teach you to let go of fear. True , deep change must take place for you to fulfill your soul contract. You may have turned from possibility to what you have convinced yourself is probable: You diminish your possible self, reduce who you are, and dilute your spirit. But even when you have sought to remain invisible and hidden away, and said yes to everyone else, life will find you – and transform you. You are never alone with these beings.” Phew! So there we have it are you ready?

The crystals that wiggled and jiggled to come and play are Apatite, Angelite and Chrysocolla. And of course with Equinox just days away the lovely Spring flowers wanted to participate, so we have a cheerful pansy, a dashing daff and a gentle grape hyacinth! (Who could ask for anything more).

Ready? I invite you to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth for a few deep, long breaths. As you breathe see in your minds eye gorgeous roots pushing down into the earth as it warms, connecting, grounding and supporting. Breathe this way for however long you have and when your shoulders have relaxed away from your ears and your jaw is loose pick the card or cards that resonate for you at this time.

Did you remember to pick?

Let’s have a look shall we?

A LOYAL GUARDIAN

This sweet faery being holds within her arms a fierce, loyal, and very strong Rottweiler who will keep all predators and bullies at bay. He is unwaveringly devoted to protecting his faery friend – and to to protecting you. The Loyal Guardian is so powerful that he is unable to be hurt, and he will stand guard and watch, growl at, fight, and even kill any who attempt to harm you at this stage. There is fierce, protective magick surrounding you or another one with you who is fragile.

Think of yourself as a newborn: Babies are at their most vulnerable after transitioning from the sea of the womb to the world of breath and air. You are making a huge change, and this makes you vulnerable When you are rebirthing, changing your life, you need mentors and strong, calm guardians to assist you in moving into a world that seems full of danger. With my steadfast, calm, confidence, you will be safe. You can face the changes and the threats without becoming overwhelmed or rushing back to the familiar, less sensitive state because it seems safe.

You will have with you energetically at this time a very protective guardian. There may be some new people or situations in your life that make you feel threatened, uncertain, and uncomfortable. This wariness has been noted, and this shapeshifter in the form of a large, devoted, and very powerful companion will be at your side, sniffing out danger, sounding an alarm at any threat, even readying to fight for you, should it come to that. If there has been bullying or behaviour that has intimidated you, you have someone on your side who will not let you down and who will not let you face this alone.

DEEP DARK SEA MERMAID

This mysterious magickal companion will help you to find out what lies beneath the stories and beliefs you hold. She will show you the Universal laws that re being played out and the truths of situations that may have been hidden by the detail that can sometimes cloud our wisdom. She also will indicate some new and interesting ways of producing energy, growing food, receiving energy and nutrition and renewing yourself. She will take you deep and show you dark jewels of the self, help you to take certain things seriously and fearlessly, and show you that the monsters you feared can be rendered harmless.

There are alternative energy sources. There are solutions to your every dilemma. There is a truth beneath so much of the mystery. There is so much undiscovered in the world, in the great beneath. Just as the world has so many creatures and being that walk among you undiscovered, you, too, have deep, hidden potentials. I am here to show you that there are places you must go that you have feared exploring – that you must go deeper, dig down, down into your own self, and explore alternatives in the world.

New discoveries about your own capabilities are happening now. The energy you send and receive becomes known to you; you see the relationship between what you feel, send, and create in your own life. It all becomes; where once it was frightening, now you can see the beauty of this responsibility. A radical truth. You are responsible. It’s time to play with the wise wizards like Nikola Tesla and Albert Einstein and know that you are fully supported, growing, expanding as you explore and create a new way of being for yourself.

THE DELICATE FAERY AND HER FERRETS

Sometimes the transition between one cycle or stage and another is easy, fluid, flowing, and smooth. At other times it is rough, harsh, cruel, and painful. It is inevitable that, if we are truly alive, we will experience discomfort and challenges when confronted by the unfamiliar. This is no curse – it is evidence of wisdom being taught to us.

We change. We alter ourselves. We adapt. We choose. We become. You are now being shown a way and the gifted magickal tools to strengthen yourself while you develop your skills. You are also being sent a trusted companion to guide you through the deep forests of change. You feel very vulnerable, and there is fear in your heart. But why would there not be? Life is full of transitions, shifts, and epic moments when we can choose between our best self and the tired, conditioned, most often deflated self. In these time of change, there is no map, no guidebook, no previous knowledge to comfortably fall back on.

One cycle has ended. When a cycle changes or when we choose to create change courageously be challenging our limited self-beliefs, questioning our attachments to “truths”, or releasing our attachment to the way in which our lives “should” manifest, we are, either by choice or by contract, undergoing an initiation. A new friend, advisor, or piece of information will empower you. You must now shift the focus from what you fear to what you wish to become and face what it is that is frightening you needlessly.

It will not kill you. It might hurt a bit, but results will make it worth it!

Wowzer! Well there we go delicious lovely, what a fabulous reading for this glorious Equinox and Full Moon energy! Wishing you a stupendous week filled with bright Spring flowers, sunshine and ease. Remember if you would like to receive more information on Equinox and a lovely ritual and grounding, make sure you are on the email list. Also, don’t forget the reading special starts today and is only for one week. You can see which readings are available, here. Have a glorious week, remember to smile and laugh often and don’t forget to practice gratitude! Huge hugs and squeezes.

Celebrating Imbolc and 10 Easy Rituals to help you tap into the Energy.

Jenny Heston · 1:11 am ·

Let’s talk about Imbolc shall we? Also known as Saint Brigid’s day. (Though you may be scratching your head and asking who she is and why to celebrate this day).

Imbolc is a Celtic fire festival celebrating the emerging life in the world around us as well as the Goddess Brigid who represents the fire of creativity, the protective hearth fire and her fire wheel all of which cleanse and purify. Imbolc is a celebration, because for those of us in the mid winter it promises us emergence, growth, renewal and hope and massive cleansing and purification. Imbolc is also the halfway point between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox and occurs on February 1st. Okay Jenn, what’s that got to do with me?

Well whether you realise it or not your body is connected to the seasons, to the energy underneath you, around you, above you and in you. Imbolc is one of the seasonal changes on the Wheel of the Year. The Wheel of the Year is more than just the seasonal changes from spring to summer to fall to winter. It also encompasses the 8 holidays, or sabbats. Each of these holidays has its own energy and its own place in the cycle that influences. Imbolc brings us the burgeoning Spring energy that feels like a whisper or a possible promise.

I spent a lot of my younger years being raised on a sheep farm in Yorkshire and holy hannah! Imbolc was present with bells on!! Cow’s udders began to engorge with milk, ready for the first births of spring. The sheep would swell and look like fluffy balloons on toothpicks all waiting to lamb (and if you have never hung out with a lamb you are missing out!) Flowers were popping out on the floor of the copse and this was a time when farmers would prepare their fields for the first sowing and fishermen would return to the sea. All preparing and ready to expand and grow.

Imbolc is “Feile Brighde“, the ‘quickening of the year‘. The original word Imbolg means ‘in the belly’. All is pregnant and expectant – and only just visible if at all, like the gentle curve of a ‘just-showing’ pregnancy. It is the promise of renewal, of hidden potential, of earth awakening and life-force stirring. Here is hope. We welcome the growth of the returning light and witness Life’s insatiable appetite for rebirth.

It is time to let go of the past and to look to the future, clearing out the old, making both outer and inner space for new beginnings. This can be done in numerous ways, from spring cleaning your home to clearing the mind and heart to allow inspiration to enter for the new cycle. It’s a good time for wish-making or making a dedication.

Imbolc is traditionally the great festival and honouring of Brigid (Brighid, Bride, Brigit), so loved as a pagan Goddess that her worship was woven into the Christian church as St Bridget. She is a Goddess of healing, poetry and smithcraft. She is a Goddess of Fire, of the Sun and of the Hearth. She brings fertility to the land and its people and is closely connected to midwives and new-born babies. She is the Triple Goddess, but at Imbolc she is in her Maiden aspect. Brigid represented the light half of the year, and the power that will bring people from the dark season of winter into spring, her presence was very important at this time of year.

So how to mark or celebrate this day? Easy. Think about it – fire, hearth, growth, cleansing (not that you have to do all of them by any stretch!)

Rituals:

Gather snowdrops if you have them!

Why? These are the first signs of Spring in the bleak of Winter. Their merry bobbly white heads remind us that all things can grow and flourish even if the conditions feel bleak. So pick a posy of snowdrops and put them on your dining room table and breathe in the promise.

Plant seeds!

I love this one, especially when doing it with the kids. Each seed you plant represents a hope or dream, and it really doesn’t matter what seeds you plant. I have planted beans in egg cartons and paper towel with the kids. I have put seeds that need longer to develop into small pots to allow them the growing time that they need before going into the ground. The key is intention and celebration

Make a Brigid cross.

These look like a fire wheel when they are woven, they are traditionally made from reeds, but if that isn’t available to you, use something else, straws, hay, pipe cleaners….. If you have no clue what I am talking about, come have a little looksee here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq0ci42PnLc

Candles

Light a shed ton of candles which represent the the Flame of Brigid and make wishes for your family and friends – the simplest form of candle magic.

Food, glorious food!

Cook a lovely meal, light candles, invite friends and celebrate the days getting longer and all the promises that are burbling in the earth.

Yoga!

In Celtic mythology Brigid was associated with an awakening hibernating serpent which emerged from its lair at Imbolc. Traditionally serpents were associated with creativity and inspiration – the powerful Kundalini energy of the Eastern Mysteries. Paths of earth energy were called serpent paths and at Imbolc they are stirred from their slumber. So stir your body, stretch and offer up in prayer pose what you desire.

Eat Cheese.

Ahhh, but not just any cheese. Eat Ewes milk cheese (and it is very delicious) as this is the beginning of lambing time!

Clean your House! (Seriously)

Start your spring off with a good thorough cleaning, and then follow that up with a spiritual cleansing. (‘Spring cleaning was originally a nature ritual’ – Doreen Valiente). Personally I love putting everything back where it’s meant to be, releasing the stuff that is no longer needed and then washing my floors with an essential oil mix of Rosemary, Geranium, Lemon and Sage. As I wash I invite the energy of cleansing and purification in.

Take a Cleansing Bath or Shower.

Imbolc is known as a time of purification and cleansing. A great way to incorporate this into your magical practice is to take a ritual cleansing bath. The purpose of a ritual cleansing is to not only clean the body, but also to cleanse the mind and soul. It’s a chance to meditate and reflect upon the things you wish to wash away–whether it’s a bad habit, negative feelings, or anything else. Thus, if bathing, pop a container of Epsom Salts in with the essential oils that make you feel cherished and soak. Remember to wash off under the shower with soap afterwards.

If in the shower, mix together sea salt, olive/avocado/sesame oil with the essential oils you love and then scrub yourself and as you do – see it anything that feels murky or mucky or not fitting just drop and disappear down the drain.

Crystals

If you have crystals around, how often do you work with them? When were they last cleansed? Crystals are part of Earth and they loved to be handled and given a purpose. So here are 7 crystals for Imbolc.

Amethyst

Peridot

Moss Agate

Onyx

Selenite

Moonstone

Sunstone

Personally, I put these in a glorious little bag, cleanse them (with sage), bless them and give them the intention of growth, expansion, purification and expansion. I then pop them under my pillow and sleep with them until March 21st (Spring Equinox).

So there we are delicious lovely, rituals that are easy (as ritual shouldn’t be a “To Do”). Wishing you a fantabulous Imbolc and that moment where you tap into your essence and be flooded with Hope, Growth, Expansion, Purification and Planning.

10 Easy Steps to making Kick Arse New Moon Wishes!

Jenny Heston · 7:51 am ·

Yes, I do celebrate the New Moon, the Full Moon, every Equinox and both Solstice times (I think there is a hidden Pagan inside of me). Why? Because it makes sense to me. It is the celebration of our cycles, life, death, rebirth, a celebration of seasons and quite frankly I frigging love to celebrate most things! In my world life is a glorious, joyful adventure and the more reasons to celebrate and share thoughts, feelings, laughter and glorious food – the better.

One of the questions I often receive is “When and how do I make New Moon wishes and how do I know that I’m doing them correctly?” It’s really very easy and glorious fun. First and foremost, you make the wishes/intentions/commitments at – guess what – the New Moon. No it doesn’t have to be the exact moment and it doesn’t have to actually be that very day (although that is preferable), but if you are uber busy and remember the day after the New Moon, all good.

In fact, in my world, you can make your wishes up to about 48 hours after the original time, just don’t try and jump the gun and do them before hand.

Personally, I like to write them by hand as I spend a lot of time on my laptop writing so to stop, pull out my journal, find the pen that I love to write with (I am very picky about my pens, in fact I am a pen snob), curl up in a chair with a hot cup of tea and write, this is very Zen to me and I am far more present and focused.

Ahhh, now we get to one of the key (note that word please) key pieces – being present, focused and having intent. If your idea of writing your wishes is to quickly scribble them down on a scrap of paper whilst cooking dinner, helping a kid with their algebra and grabbing the cat to throw outside as it’s making that gross hairball coughing sound, you might want to make a little bit of space for yourself and your desires and intentions.

Also, if you are making wishes to “change or alter” someone else. You need to stop that now. The wishes are for you, the manifesting is for you and it’s really important that you recognise that. So for example, you can’t turn the arsehole you are sorta dating into a glorious Prince Charming, unless that is what he wants for himself. If you are in an abusive, toxic relationship – you can’t manifest that the other person will change, but you can manifest that you have the courage to leave. Does this make sense so far?

So here is my 10 step down and dirty list for making New Moon wishes.

Get a nice journal, writing book, cool pad of paper and a pen that you love to write with.
Give yourself a little window of space and feel gratitude for all that is fantabulous, fun, yummy and delicious in your life already and really drop into that space.
Then start thinking of 10 wishes or intentions for the next month that you would like to manifest. Now here is the key – get to the feeling piece of it. So for example, if your wish is for a huge flat screen TV. Why? Is it coming out of an envy or comparison (in other words your best friend has one and you just want one?) Or is it coming from a feeling of – Gosh, it would be amazing to have a big TV and curl up with my kiddos on a Friday night, make popcorn and have a connected, fun movie night with them. Do you see the difference? So do please get clear on how you want, what you want, to FEEL!
I tend to write mine out in present tense and most of the time with the words I AM at the front of the intention. So if I have been dealing with some health issues and energy has been low and I would like it to be different, I would write – I AM healthy and vibrant in my body. My body is strong, radiant, filled with energy and bug/virus free.
Now write or draw your 10 wishes (yes, there are only 10 – which is actually a lot).
Instead of closing the book and going back to busyness. Take a moment and visualise and see each wish/intention as here and now. How does it look? How does it feel? Does it feel scrumptious?
Then decide what YOU are willing to commit to each of these wishes. So for example, if your wish is to meet the partner of your dreams, what are you going to do to help? Join a social club, join an online dating site? You have to put some umph and action into your desires, it doesn’t have to be big, but it does have to be something. So if you want to lose 10 lbs, perhaps your commitment is to eat healthy snacks and stretch instead of sitting on the sofa every night and eating 2 bags of Doritos.
I tend to then take a few moments and just sit with my wishes/intentions and meditate on them. It doesn’t have to be long, but I do feel it is important to sit with them and release them out to the ether. As Abraham Hicks says, rockets of desire. So if you can spend 2 minutes purely focused on your wishes – holy hannah, you are creating a gorgeous set of fireworks for the Universe to work with.
Release the attachment to the outcome! You have pondered them, you have written (or drawn) them, you have visualised them, you have spent a few moments in meditation now get out of your own way. You may think you know the way they HAVE to come to you, but sometimes they can come in a better way. So I tend to say outloud – With grace and ease for my highest good and the highest good of all concerned, I release these.
At this point you can burn them if you want. I personally don’t as I love going back over them and seeing all the glorious ones that have come true. It is entirely up to you. However, I will say, if you are burning them – do it safely!

So there we have it. Is the New Moon a powerful manifestation time, most certainly. Does every New Moon have different energy with it, yes. Play with it, have fun. I invite you to try this for the next 4 new moons and see what happens.

Wishing you a glorious partial solar eclipse New Moon in Capricorn and remember that New Moon Eclipse wishes have a more potent energy (just saying).

9 Easy & Powerful Rituals to celebrate Winter Solstice.

Jenny Heston · 1:11 pm ·

Always, always start with setting the space. Whether it is lighting a candle, hanging a wreath of evergreens or just sitting in silence for a while. Honour yourself, your connection to Gaia and Spirit, the celebration and get clear on your intention. After all you wouldn’t dash willy nilly into any form of creation would you?

Let’s explore some rituals to help you tap into this gorgeous energy, gain more peace and clarity and release whatever is not serving you. I’ve created a glorious guided visualisation just for Winter Solstice to really help you tap into the energy and the mysteries of this day and season.

Winter Solstice

Be Still, Be Quiet

Tools – You, a candle.

The minute I wrote that title I thought of the song based on “Christina Rossetti’s” poem – In the Bleak Midwinter.

If you don’t know this poem the first stanza is “In the bleak mid-winter, Frosty wind made moan; Earth stood hard as iron, Water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow, In the bleak mid-winter long ago.”

Yet for some reason this poem captures the energy of this celebration. It is a time to stop, stand still. So if you are willing (appreciating we are all very busy – as we tell ourselves), take some time to just be quiet. Turn off all the electronica, the TV, the cell phone, your laptop or whatever it is. Sit in the dark and just breathe and as you breathe welcome the glorious warm dark that allows you a place to rest and create, then as you breathe out invite a golden sunlight ball to illuminate what needs to be let go of. Keep breathing in this way and with those intentions and when you’re ready gently bounce up. Turn on the lights, light a candle and eat something sunny. An egg perhaps?

Release, Cleanse and Create!

Tools – Frankincense, Myrrh, Cedar, Juniper Berries or Sage, a candle, journal for writing in. Peace and quiet for 20 minutes.

Create a space. Just sit, light a candle and give out a blessing. Anne Hayman has a lovely one that I work with – “ Bless me on this holy day, as I honor the traditions of my ancient sisters. I hold space for myself + for all living creatures on this planet. I stand strong in this long night of darkness. I trust that the light returns. I see my own energy reflected in nature as I go within, only to emerge full of light. May the blessings be… And so it is!”

Then take a bit of time to write out to write what you release, physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. Where are you holding it in your body and how you will feel when it is released? When you’re finished writing, rip the paper up and place it to the side.

Then using Frankincense, Myrrh and Cedar (if you are using the real thing then you will need a charcoal disc to burn them on). If you don’t have these, no panic – use Sage smudge or whatever you have. Light this sacred incense up let it waft through the air and take a moment to think about all you have released. Then with the candle you lit at the beginning, over a safe container, light up the pieces of paper you ripped up.

As you watch the flames devour your darkness and releasing see it all absorbed back into the sky, the Universe, healthy, cleaned and transferred. .

Sit for a moment with the waft of incense around you and your candle burning and say to yourself – “Light above me, light around me, light within me, light below me. My light is my strength and my protection.” You have just welcomed the light back.

So now you have created a glorious, sacred space within yourself with this ritual. What do you want to fill it with?

Imagine yourself as fully connected to the Divine and the Earth, you are a conduit in the middle. With this glorious energy pulsing through you – what do you want to create? What makes you feel energised? What makes you feel vibrant and alive? How do you want to share your light with others? Write it all down. If you use cards and feel fully connected to them, do a yearly spread. If you want some help, let me know.

When you are done, place both hands on your heart and breathe long and deep. You have just done something that is powerful and changes energy in a deep, subtle way. Breathe in, breathe out and know, trust you are a delicious being of light and love. So it is, and so it will be.

Get outdoors!

Tools – You and the outdoors.

Is there a trail you can walk or a field or bank of snow you can lie down in? A perch that provides the perfect view? Perhaps it is the top of your apartment building or a rocky outcrop. Wherever it is, even it is in your yard, find a quiet place to just acknowledge and BE.

Create a Giving Tree

Tools – Food in the fridge, popcorn strings, a tree, candles.

This is deliciously easy and can be done on your own, with your partner or with your kids. Create a giving tree (this is where the idea of Xmas trees came from). Make some strings of popcorn and berries, apple slices or whatever you would like to do. I have done nuts on strings, apple slices covered in peanut butter embedded with seeds, popcorn and cranberry strings.

Take all your glorious offerings to the tree you picked, whether inside or outside in the dark and as you hang your strings on the tree whisper to the tree and to yourself how you welcome the light back so that there is more than enough abundance for everyone and every being. Stand back in the dark and revel. Then light your candles up and just take some time and appreciate where you are, your glorious tree, the offerings you made and the light coming back. If you want to burst into song with something like “Here Comes the Sun” by Simon and Garfunkel, then you so need to send me a video!

Invite People for Dinner!

Tools: You, friends or family, candles, food and a willingness.

This is a celebration time and what better way to celebrate than share food with others. Sharing food is an important part of any celebration, it is particularly meaningful during Solstice as it represents faith in the return of the sun and the harvest. So have a friend or more than one over for dinner! Light some candles, share your goals, intentions and what you want to “harvest” in the next 6 months.

Turn off the Lights!

Tools: You, lights and thermostats?

This is super easy, turn off all the lights in your home, turn off your furnace, radiators, , baseboard heaters or whatever form of heat you have. Open the doors and windows wide and allow the cold air to flood in and breeze through (I highly recommend you bundle up).

In that soft darkness sit and BE in silence for a good 5 minutes or more. With the combination of dark, cold and silence it cultivates a stillness in yourself. You may feel a tad wiggly or odd but just keep breathing.

I used to do this with the kids when they were younger (and this is also my youngest monster’s birthday) it was quite profound to see what came up and out. When you are done with the dark (and don’t run from it), go around and gently close the doors and windows, put on your heating supply and as you do send a little blessing out “As the darkness begins to retreat and light beings its return once again – I am grateful”.

Then light candles galore (this welcomes back the sun), sing songs, share food and stories and what came up. And most importantly relax, enjoy and celebrate! If you are doing this on your own, after you have lit your candles, put on music that makes you feel awesome. Move your body and eat something delicious that is not your norm and give huge thanks.

Walk into the Dark

Tools – evergreen boughs, candles, apples and again – a willingness.

I have done this one for quite a few years with my kids and friends and it is stupendous and delicious. The Spiral Walk.

A few days prior to Solstice we would go gather a truck filled with cedar boughs (keep in mind I do live on the side of a mountain). Then on the white snow we would create a spiral that you could walk like a labyrinth. In the centre of the spiral would be a tree stump covered with nature’s offerings – berries, shells, pinecones and crystals and a large candle.

The evening of Solstice we would all gather together and each have an unlit candle in an apple and the only lit candle was in the centre of the spiral. One at a time gently holding the unlit candle a person would walk the spiral and as they walked into the darkness, towards the light they would whisper what they wanted to release. When they hit the centre they would light their own candle and as they walked slowly back out of the spiral they would say what their creation, hearts desire, manifestation was going to be.

When they saw a lovely spot that resonated for them they would put their apple candle on the spiral and so it would go. By the time this ritual was done the spiral was lit up all over the place and then we would go inside, turn on all the lights and eat a meal and celebrate together. Have to say, every time we have done this as a family the spiral has been lit up all night and the centre candle has never gone out, no matter the snow or the winds.

Gift and Share

Tools: You, your stuff, large bags.

You’ve heard the saying “What is one man’s trash is another man’s treasure?” What better way to release and invite in the abundance that comes with the sun than releasing things you don’t need. Now I’m not talking about those tatty, ripped stained jeans – but what about that sweater you haven’t worn in years, those jeans that are lovely but you don’t like? Things like that. What about the food in your pantry that was given to you or brought to a gathering that you are never going to eat as it isn’t your thing? (For me I think of nuts as I don’t eat them).

So intentionally gather these things together and as you bag them up to drop off where they can be really used, set the intention of releasing for yourself and that you have created space in your physical life for more abundance and light and that your donations are welcomed and helping someone who will really enjoy them and appreciate them.

Be the Seed (or Bulb)

Tools: You, Seeds, Some dirt, A Bulb

This is a fun one to do with kids, especially if you are living somewhere where the snow has hit and everything is going to sleep for a while. I would do this with Hyacinth bulbs. Get a little pot, fill it with dirt (if you are using seeds such as beans you can use an egg carton). Gently take your seeds or bulb and whisper over them your intentions for the upcoming spring and then tuck them into the dirt. Give them a little bit of water and wait. Now why this as a ritual Jenny? Think about it, you are the seed as we head into the Winter Season, this is a time to curl up in the Earth (Gaia) and snuggle down and allow your desires to perk, grow and slowly put out roots, just as the bulb or seed does. It’s a fabulous physical representation of creation and everytime you give it a little bit of water or look over at it you know, deep in your core that as the seasons change and you get clear, the plants flourish!

There we have it! Easy, intentional ways of celebrating the Winter Solstice! Thus, wishing you a stupendous Solstice and a massive release and intention setting. Remember there is no right way, you just have to take the time, set an intention and do it. Oh yes, and don’t forget as some of you have asked – the Solstice special on Private Readings ends at midnight on December 21st.

Happy holidays to all of you, whether it is Hanukkah, Christmas, Solstice or none of those. May you feel peace, may you feel love, may you allow yourself to BE and explore the mysteries found in the glorious warmth of the darkness and tap into your light.

Ritual, Mercury Retrograde, Full Moon in Gemini and Thanksgiving! – Phew!

Jenny Heston · 9:06 am ·

Hello delicious lovely, happy Magnificent, Marvelous, Magical, Mighty, Manifesting, Majestic, Mindful, Mesmerising Monday! (Have to love the letter M lol). Did you know that in Egyptian writing, its ideogram is derived from the character for water, which explains why it’s so gracefully written. In terms of Roman numerals, it represents the number 1000? I really quite like the idea of the Egyptian ideogram and the letter “M”.

I don’t know about you but for me this last week has been an interesting weave of ups and downs and really having to manage my energy carefully as there has been someone around me who is sooooo self absorbed, rude, narcissistic and an energy vampire – it’s been most interesting to watch and very peculiar to experience. But later in the week, with the holiday season starting to roll in, we will talk about energy management and how to keep yours and mine clear, clean and strong.

The other week a few people talked to me about ritual and what I found interesting was their thought that it was highly complex, time consuming and that you needed multiple “special” tools for it. Hmmmm, I don’t agree with that. Sure you can make it that way if you would like, and there are certainly times that you really want to make it super duper special, but for the day to day it doesn’t have to be that way. So let me share with you how I view and interpret the word “Ritual” and what it means to me.

To me a Ritual is intention made manifest, it’s that place of connection with the Divine, Universe, God/Goddess or however you chose to name it. In other words, a ritual takes an idea, thought or emotion and gives it a physical form in the world. So for example when I invite or suggest that perhaps at certain times there are things that you might want to write down, release and burn – guess what? That’s a ritual. When you sit down at New Moon and write your wishes/intentions out, guess what? That’s a ritual. All it took was a brief moment of time, paper, pen and something to light either a candle or the paper with.

Here is an example; since being guided, led and pushed by the Universe to head off on an adventure and move to somewhere that I didn’t know, leave my home, dogs, kids etc and then having the landing being so incredibly bumpy with all sorts of drama llamas playing out. I felt rootless. That is not a feeling that I enjoy, nor one that makes me feel safe, secure and at ease. Thus, when I found my little nest in a gorgeous locale I set the intention of community, connection and roots. Great intention right? However, I took that intention and turned it into ritual and then into a daily practice and made a commitment that I would “do” this practice for 40 days. Thus, every morning I would bound out of bed, rain, wind or shine and I would do a loop into the massive park nearby, down onto the beach and walk by the ocean and when a rock called to me I would park my arse on a wet driftwood log and offer up my prayers, my blessings and whatever else needed to come up. Then I would pop the rock into my pocket, loop back home and drop the rock in a bowl and say thank you. Now doing this has introduced me to a plethora of people that live nearby, I have been invited for tea, had great conversations and have helped two of them with lifting heavy items! Talk about community. Now keep in mind I committed to 40 days and there was no way I was going to miss one as if I did, I had to start again. Well, I didn’t miss a day, nor did I give up at the end of 40 as this glorious daily ritual feeds my soul, my body and my mind. I now have 49 rocks in my bowl. I guess what I am saying is ritual is easy. Set the intention, let the energy follow it, then the attention, but the key piece is action!

Now let’s talk about Mercury retrograde shall we? (No, don’t go running to the closet to try and hide!) Mercury went retrograde on November 16th and this is the last and final Mercury retrograde for 2018 (thank goodness!) Now as the retrograde happened in Sagittarius there is a lot of heat and fire to this baby. In other words with all this hot headed energy flying around, choose your words carefully. Sagittarius loves to turn up the volume and can be very blunt and loud mouthed, thus with the retrograde happening it can make everyone doubly tactless. So remember to watch your words carefully and try not to go dashing down the hot headed rabbit hole that may be sending sparks off all around you – especially if you are celebrating Thanksgiving!

To all my American friends, Thanksgiving is coming up this week and I hope you take time to just BE, Play, be Thankful and Feel. For some people family holiday celebrations can trigger all sorts of stuff, some great and some rather challenging. So remember to take the energy of the Full Moon that happens at the same time and just get clear about how you want to feel and what is okay for you. Energy Management! Okay, I do have to ask what’s with the Black Friday Sale thing? I appreciate a good deal, but I went once to a store in the states on Black Friday and it was insane! People were pushing, shoving, being rude all for $100 off of an item they wanted. Totally terrified me and have never gone to a Black Friday sale in person again. With that being said I do wish you all a marvelous Thanksgiving filled with family, gorgeous food, connection, joy and big laughter and remember Gratitude!

The Full Moon is on Thursday November 22nd and this full moon is in Gemini and called The Beaver Moon. Now what is the energy of this wonderful moon? “The full moon in Gemini delivers the goods in terms of versatility. That’s because this lunation is ruled by none other than Mercury—the messenger of the gods himself. This full Moon is all about action and change. Will you choose remaining stagnant in the cycles of your past or will you be consciously moving forward by enriching your spiritual blessings? As we move in step with the coming end of our calendar year, we choose enrichment of spiritual blessings or remain stagnant in our past.

Suddenly life is moving at an accelerated rate and be prepared to keep up with it during this full Moon until the next full Moon in December. Be flexible and not so rigid with your thoughts or actions. This full Moon is about leaving behind the noose of old habits, patterns and broken dreams.

Here is an appropriate quotation from President John Kennedy who passed 55 years ago November 22. “For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.” Think on this quotation.

What has been cannot be changed and it is time to let it go, while we lean forward to embrace all that lies ahead.

The lesson, energy and influences of this full Moon helps us to create a new legacy and to finally free ourselves from all obstacles, barriers and blocks that prevent our individual prophecy and birthright.”

Well that is certainly an interesting Full Moon to accompany Thanksgiving don’t you think?

The cards that wiggled and giggled to come support this week are The Divine Circus Oracle, which made me laugh and nearly snort tea out of my nose! Of course they would come, especially as we may be rubbing up against people that we love but sometimes find quite challenging to be around. Now, if you have never worked with this deck before let me give you a brief introduction – “This deck is for those who find it hard to follow rules, conform, bend to authority and generally ‘do what they are told.’ May your rebel heart always be bold. May your spirit always be free. My you remember to live the Divine Circus and have fun doing things the way you aren’t supposed to, whilst living your most creative and unique divine destiny.” The crystals that came to play are the ones from the beach, the gorgeous rocks that I pick up every morning and bring home to their beautiful bowl. And of course some delightful rose petals and Selenite to amplify.

Thus, I invite you to take a pause and a moment for yourself. Just BE and as you breathe in a lovely deep breath resonant with giving Thanks/Gratitude and as you breathe out through your open mouth release the past, the old, the worry and tension. Breathe like that for a few lovely, luscious breaths and when you are ready ask for the guidance that you need this week and then pick the card or cards that resonate for you.

Did you remember to pick?

Let’s go have a little look see, shall we?

CROWN OF THE BUTTERFLY BAMBINI

Just as nature imbues the butterfly with an innate ability for radical transformation, so too do you have natural instincts within, guiding you to grow in dramatic, utterly life-changing ways. Progress is your perfection. Growth is your attainment. Do you shun what you have been or mistakes you have made? Or instead, do you wear your ability for transformation as a sacred crown of power?

Transformation is an ability, an art, a sacred power. It requires an ability to go through the death of an old self, to be reborn again. That death might be an identity, a lifestyle or career, or an inner sense of self that no longer seems enough to truly reflect who you are becoming.

It requires both strength and flexibility, to be like bamboo, to bend without breaking. Are you willing to let go of what you have known, who you have been, without judging it, except to understand that you are outgrowing your past and becoming your future in this very moment? This takes great courage whilst flexibility of mind allows you to believe there are other possibilities in this life beyond what you have already experienced. The strength gives you enough courage to bear the loss of the known and the terror of the unknown, perhaps even turning that terror into excitement for what may be.

Don’t dream small dreams, for you are capable of far more dramatic and colourful creations. Trust in the magnificence of what you are becoming, the expression of the transformational intelligence and power within you.

DATE WITH DESTINY

Out of the ethers and into your life, she arrives now because you have a date with Destiny. She is a mysterious creature; her ways are wild and her guidance is true. She may create chaos from which a new order can emerge, but there is no need to fear. She has come to inspire, uplift and direct you.

A date with Destiny is a big deal. It is the moment when you realise there is something helping you out, something intelligent, powerful, wise and, no matter how empowered you are, something even more powerful than your own efforts. All bets are off! Nothing is held sacred and anything can happen. If you are a control freak, this will probably scare you witless! You need to trust Destiny’s interventions on your behalf, even if her work seems to be causing your best intentions to go astray. Trust or go mad because you cannot control her. And you do not need to! Your divine destiny is your best life. It is you in the fullest and most beautiful creative expression possible. It is what you want and need, even when you don’t immediately realise it, even when that is rather different to what you once thought you wanted and needed.

The Universe has heard the prayers in your heart, and life is going to answer them by rearranging what needs to be rearranged to sort out whatever has been troubling you. Make sure you let it happen. The more you allow yourself to trust in her, the more you will realise that the universe is working with you, rather than against you, and if you are willing, it will show you the time of your life!

DIVINE DISGUISE

Some blessings are obvious – the door that opens, the person who says yes and the instant success of an idea. But not all blessings are instantly recognisable. Some blessings are so veiled that at first you might consider them to be an unwanted development. A concealed blessing is either already at work in your life or on its way. Don’t worry if you feel like things aren’t working out as they should. Soon enough, the disguise will be dropped, and the blessed unmasked in all its beauty.

Blessings are the mysterious workings of the universe, there to help us along our unique life path to live our truths and fulfil our potential. The universe has the knack of knowing just what it is we need, even when sometimes we might think we need something altogether different. This is how it can be that something we resist and reject in our lives can become the very thing we’re most grateful for later on. We realise it had been a blessing masked, something actually helping us, even though it might have come in the form of a challenge or a struggle before we eventually gain great benefit from it.

The real beauty of a situation isn’t obvious to you yet. But trust and have peace of mind and a realisation that the universe does really know what it’s doing. It’s in your corner, on your side, cheering you on and helping you avoid unnecessary pitfalls, even if you don’t know they exist. There is no need to worry, even that which appears to be most troublesome is going to reveal itself to be working in your favour!

Well delicious lovely, wishing you a stupendous week and I have an invitation for you. Think of the things that you do that nourish you, whether it is playing music, lighting a candle, going for a walk under the trees and give it the energy of a ritual. In other words, set an intention, let the energy follow it make it a conscious action. Also, no matter if you are in the States and celebrating Thanksgiving or live somewhere else, play with the energy of this wonderful Full Moon and give thanks and bless everything that is in your life. In my morning practice I always say “ I bless everything I have and I bless my increasing good and good fortune” and then I start listing them. So I might say “I bless my bed and the cosiness of it and I bless my increasing good and good fortune, I bless the sun filtering through the autumn leaves and I bless my increasing good and good fortune.” Yes? Give it a try and really think of everyone and everything that could do with a blessing. At the full moon take some time to write down the things, or aspects, that you are ready to release, then burn the list and allow it to become compost. Play with it and see how you feel. Sending you big hugs and squeezes and sloppy wet kisses! See you next week and most importantly be grateful for yourself and bless YOU!

Ritual

jennyheston

Release Anxiety And Claim Your Power