Ritual

It’s All About the Balance Baby – Autumnal Equinox and 8 steps to harness this energy.

There are 8 spots on the wheel of the year and these are called Sabbats. 4 are major and 4 are called “lesser” in other words they are the mid point between 2 of the major. So this Equinox, which is also known as Mabon (named after the Welsh god, Mabon, son of the Earth Goddess Madron), is a lesser Sabbat as it is mid way between the summer solstice and the winter solstice. Does this mean it has less energy – heck no!

This is the second harvest, the fruit harvest, late July we celebrated the first harvest festival which was Lammas. With this festival, you are being invited to look at the seeds that you sowed in the Spring, on every level, and reflect on how they have manifested. Most crops are in and the fields are beginning to look brown and are slowly going to sleep for the winter (unless they are filled with gorgeous orange pumpkins). I personally have pulled up all my soft and tender zucchini plants and am almost done harvesting my tomatoes, but I am going to leave my carrots and beets in the ground until first frost (it makes them far more juicy!) In my wanderings with the hounds I also found a gorgeous old, old abandoned orchard filled with apple trees and have been harvesting apples galore (although the bears have had something to say about that!)

What you need to appreciate is that Mabon is the balance point, the place where there is equal amount of day and night. While we harvest and celebrate the glorious gifts we are receiving we have to accept that the soil is dying, and release. We have food to eat, but warmth is gently tucking behind us and cold and dark lie ahead. Now if this if making you gulp a little, don’t! Remember you can’t experience light without the dark and vice versa. When the day and night are of equal length, it offers a powerful vibration and harmony between the time of creation (night) and the time of manifestation (day). This allows the flow between creation and manifestation to be more seamless and flows with ease and effortlessness. There are no limits on what you can manifest during an Equinox, however, for a Spring (Southern Hemisphere) it is a time of new beginnings and for us in Autumn it is a time to harvest, release and let go.

So how do I mark this time and celebrate it and harness this glorious energy you may be asking. Good question and there are a myriad of ways, so pick whichever resonates for you. You can do more than one most certainly, but if it feels like a chore – put it to the side!

Create An Altar

Now if the word altar makes you uncomfie, call it a celebration nook or a gratitude space. It could be on the dining room table, a kitchen counter a dresser – you name it. Gather up leaves, acorns, seed pods, rocks, twigs – whatever calls out to you and put them in a lovely spot and enjoy them. Take your kids or friends on a Nature walk. When you have gathered and placed give them a little blessing and thanks. It’s the ritual of taking time to acknowledge that’s important, not the objects per se.

Clean House!

With the longer nights soon approaching and most of us spending more time inside than out, this is a perfect time to do a fall version of spring cleaning. Gather together the things that no longer serve you, it could be clothes you don’t wear anymore, books that you aren’t going to read again, those random arsed odd soxs that you hold onto just in case…… Release them. Gift them to a charity shop (not the odd soxs), take them to your library, but give them a little pat and thanks and pass them on to someone else who will enjoy them. Give your house a good clean and then do a smudging. Decorate your home with symbols of the harvest season. Buy or pick a gorgeous bouquet of orange, gold and green and have it somewhere where you can see it daily.

Celebrate Your Abundance!

When we say abundance, it doesn’t necessarily mean material or financial gain — you may be abundant if you have friends who love you, a satisfying family life, or a rewarding career. Think about that things you have for which you are most grateful. I get Notes from the Universe, every morning (and I love them) and today’s was – “If you’re reading this right now on a phone or computer, you’re rich. If you have somewhere to go today, you’re connected. And if there is anyone anywhere for any reason knows where you are at this moment, you’re loved.“

You can turn it into a game with your family at dinner time and everyone takes turns to share what makes them feel abundant (it’s very cool to hear all the various responses).

Play With Your Food

If you have access to berries, apples, pears or whatever fruit is around you right now. Gather it all together and create an abundance mandala. In other words, play with your food! Get your most favourite dish out and arrange the fruit in any way that you like that resembles a mandala and have it for dessert (or your main course). Involve your kids, have friends over, but celebrate!

Apple Magic

Apples are the perfect symbol of the Mabon season. Long connected to wisdom and magic. The apple has figured significantly in many sacred traditions. It is known as a symbol for life and immortality, for healing, renewal, regeneration and wholeness.

If you cut an apple widthways it reveals a pentagram containing seeds. The five points represent the elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water with Spirit at the top, and thus also the directions of East, South, West, North and Within. The circle of the apple around the pentagram represents the eternal circle/cycle of life and nature, and of wholeness.

So if there are apple trees nearby, or a local pick your own orchard go get some apples! Then think of the pies, crisps and crumbles you can make with your glorious fruit. You could also dehydrate (dry) the apple circles and make them into an edible wreath.

It’s All About the Balance Baby

As I mentioned earlier, Mabon is the perfect time of balance between light and dark. So why not give yourself the gift of balance. Take a few moments or longer and just sit and breathe slow and deep and meditate on balance. Reflect on how you handle pressure, how you manage your emotions and other people’s. Is your life in balance? Do you make sure you get enough rest, water and play or are you pushing and striving and feeling a tad overwhelmed? What little shifts and changes can you do to create more balance in your mind, body, work, home life, family? Do you need to practice saying No more or do you need to practice saying Yes more? Get it? So just take some time and if you feel inclined write down a few small tweaks that would make you feel more in alignment and balanced.

Decorate with Sunflowers

As I have said repeatedly, I love, love sunflowers! Their big bobbly heads that track the sun, their glorious cheerful faces that waft in the breeze. But as with all things, that changes. The petals are starting to drop off and the seed heads are beginning to curl back a bit and the leaves are drooping. So I’m gently going to trim the heads off the flowers, save one and dry the seeds (so I can’t plant my seeds at Spring Equinox) and with all the rest (and there are quite a few), I’m threading them on fishing line and hanging them in the branches of the trees for the birds. That way the birds and the squirrels can stock up on seeds before the winter comes.

Light ‘Er Up!

Get a candle or candles and as you light them you can ask for blessings on your home, hearth and self. This doesn’t have to be complex or over the top (although if you want it to it can be). You can just simply take a breath, light your candle and say “Goddess or Green Man, I ask for your blessing on this special day. Bless my harvest, my home, my hearth and my self. Keep us safe and warm, the winds away from the door, harmony and health abounding. I give thanks and so it is.” Voila! Remember though, please don’t leave candles unattended and most certainly don’t go to sleep with one burning.

If you like ritual there are two gorgeous ones here – one is for Autumnal Equinox (Mabon), and the other (if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere) is for Spring Equinox.

So delicious one, that is how to celebrate and harness this potent time of Equinox. I hope you give yourself the gift of doing something to mark this special day.

Enjoy!

Spring Equinox Ritual

Jenny Heston · 5:11 pm ·

Ritual for Spring Equinox

This ritual is wonderful for manifestation, protection and a clear creative mind.

What you will need:

About 10 brightly coloured flowers

A candle – preferably pink, yellow, purple or white

Your favourite crystal and here I would recommend Citrine if you have it.

Pen and Paper

A willingness to get creative and clear

Find a little space and a spot for your ritual. Personally, if the weather is half decent I go outside.
Hold your crystal to your heart and envision that as you breathe in long and deep you are breathing in through both the crystal and your heart.
Pick up your pen and paper and write down what you want to create, attract, manifest or bring into form into your mind, body, life, work, home. When you have finished writing, gather up your flowers and arrange them in a circle leaving one for later.
Pop your candle and the paper you wrote on into the circle, but keep hold of your crystal.
Say your manifestation aloud 3 times and then light your candle.
Just sit and take in the energy of your sacred circle. Just breathe and enjoy.
When you feel ready, release what you spoke aloud out to the Universe by picking up your flower that you put aside and tossing it into the air. Feel the Universe grab your words and whisk them off on a glorious Spring breeze.
Take the piece of paper you wrote on and burn it in the light of the candle. Then gently gather up your flowers and pop them into a vase so they can remind you for the next few days.

Awesome! You have just set the wheels in motion for creation.

It’s Summer Solstice! – Weekly Reading June 21st

Jenny Heston · 3:48 pm ·

Happy happy Summer Solstice delicious one. I’m so glad and grateful you took the time to come visit! I love Summer Solstice as much as I love Winter Solstice, they are two incredible markers to show us where we are and how the seasons are moving with us. What the heck is Solstice and why bother celebrating it you may possibly ask – if you want to learn more about Solstice there is great information, ideas and suggestions here.

However, in a nutshell why celebrate it, or at least acknowledge it? Because holy hannah honey you are connected, connected to the seasons, the changes, to the planet you live on, to the people around you and even that frigging annoying bug who keeps trying to dash up your left nostril when you’re riding your bike! Let me ask – do you ever pay attention to the moon? Do you ever sit and watch the stars? When you encounter a kid that you knew years ago do you think – wow, they have grown? Have you ever sat next to the ocean and felt the pulse of the waves? Have you ever planted a seed and watched it push up through the ground and flourish into a gorgeous flower? Do you celebrate the first snowfall? These are all seasons, changes and part of life, which is exactly what Summer Solstice marks.

Stonehenge was built over 5,000 years ago and thousands of people to this present day go to celebrate the sun pouring in and hitting the heel stone. This isn’t new, it’s deep, it’s the bones of ancestors and ancestors that make up part of the planet that you walk upon. So let’s go play, celebrate the sun, celebrate the fire energy – burn anything away that no longer serves us and take a moment to put our feet on the earth, reach up to the sun and say YES! Yes, i can love my life, yes – I believe in miracles, yes – I can show up as bright and shiny as the sun. Whoot! (Virtual High 5 is happening). This morning I welcomed in the Solstice by hiking way up a mountain with my friend and our dogs and doing some yummy sun salutations on the top of a large mossy rock. It was fantabulous!

So I did this reading on our old, comfie picnic table. I did it there as this table has seen a myriad of experiences and has sat in the midst of my garden for years upon end. It’s old, it’s solid and it has witnessed births, deaths, friends sobbing, celebrations, egg painting, spiral walks in the snow, candles galore, planting, blossoming, reaping and connection. It has witnessed so much and so many moments of huge connection that it felt like an appropriate place to create this reading. The pieces that begged to come and play are two delicious pieces of Septarian and of course Selenite to amplify and purify. The reading this week is done in a circle, like the sun and is a mix of two different decks.

With no more ado, let’s crack on as this is a BIG reading (see, I forewarned you!) I invite you to stop for a moment, close your eyes down and breathe long and deep, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Just breathe, feel your feet on the ground and gently raise your hands together in prayer pose in front of your heart. Stay here for a moment and breathe into that space, release the impatience and the anxiety. Then gently raise your hands up above your head and open them out so your arms are reaching up and welcoming in the sun. Breathe. Circle them down and take your hands back to prayer position. Do this a few times whilst breathing long and deep and as you breathe, remind yourself “There are no time limitations to my spirit’s work, and therefore all that I do will come to fruition at exactly the right moment.” Then, when you’re ready open your eyes and pick the cards that resonate for you on this glorious Solstice.

Ready to go see?

SEEING THE TRUE YOU

Sometimes we believe what others tell us we are, as though the self we see reflected back to us through their eyes is truth. Yet the accuracy of a reflection depends on the clarity of that which is doing the reflecting! You have been putting rather too much faith in the reflections others have of you – to the point that you might not be honouring all that you are and all that you are becoming, because you believe too little of yourself.

There may be those around you that are able to reflect you more faithfully, and even help you see more of your own greatness and beauty. These are the souls blessed with inner stillness. In the clear waters of their ocean of consciousness, you can come to recognise yourself with clearer perception. However, there are those who have not tended to their own ocean, and are unable to be still enough to genuinely receive and reflect your light back to you. Thus it’s time for you to begin to develop the art of direct perception. This is the ability to recognise yourself with how you experience yourself and how your observe yourself (with compassion and kindness) from within. This is a step towards a radical empowerment that does not require perfection in order for you to recognise you are loveable and have much to offer. It is empowerment based on the acceptance of all that you are, working with your strengths, tending to your weaknesses and being loving, encouraging and nurturing of all that you perceive.

This is a breathtaking experience that opens you up to the creative energy that flows abundantly through all of life. You must be strong within your own self love and acceptance to be able to hold acceptance for all of life! You are being nudged into this preparation, for when you have the experience of truly beholding yourself, all judgement, fear and doubt will fall away and you will just know yourself to be sacred. Don’t get confused about who you are and your motives or actions based on what others are saying or how they are responding to you, step back. More often than not the reflections from others are more about the state of the reflector than what is being reflected. Let those external perceptions go. Can you just acknowledge yourself? Do so and be free!

SWEETHEART

You’ve know violence in your life; maybe on the outside, maybe on the inside with a mind that has tortured you with fear, shame, darkness and doubt. Enough of that now. It is time for a gentler way – less pain, more gain. No more torture. It’s your time for sweets and treats.

There is so much violence in the world, and in our own minds, that we can assume this is just the way of the world, that we have to accept it, deal with it, and thereby forget we have the right to question it and even change it, if we so choose. Even the most ambitious desires for healing the world start with us as individuals. We cannot bring more peace to the world if there is violence in our hearts. Regrets, shaming judgements, fear of not being good enough, uncertainty and constant pushing to become more, to do more, to have more, can become the energetic equivalent of beating ourselves up every day. This creates invisible bruises that never have time to heal because we don’t give ourselves the sweetness, kindness and compassion we need to break free from the abusive cycle.

This cycle you are coming to is sweeter, one that is more loving, one that promises new life. But you have to be willing to dispense with the violence, one step at a time. You deserve to give yourself a gentler life journey. Would you accept this for yourself? If there are abusive or toxic relationships in your life, then you’ll need to do some relationship overhauling. No matter how much the people involved may proclaim their love, if underneath it is unhealthy, if a relationship is holding you back rather than helping to lift you up, then reconsider its place in your life.

You can’t taste the sweetness that life wants to bring to you if you are crammed full of stuff you don’t need or want anymore. Create some space. Ready yourself for receiving life’s nectar and believe in the power of your new beginning. You are a true sweetheart of the universe. Let yourself be treated accordingly.

RELEASING ALLEGIANCES

It is time to hold onto yourself and let go of another. Even if just for a time. You have gained all that was meant to be from that connection. At least for now. You have given and you have received. The need to let go does not deny the value of what has been acquired, it is more that the time has come for greater productivity, creativity, abundance and consciousness in your life. You have completed many cycles in the vibrational frequency of consciousness that you are now being asked to release. It is now time to expand into higher frequencies of experience that will bring enhanced love, empowerment and peace into your life. You will take the wisdom of what you have learned with you into something new – new connections, new relationships, new life experiences – at a higher turn of the spiral of life.

Trust that you can step into solitude for a time without being consumed by loneliness. It is time to reconnect with yourself. This is a time for self-love, for paying attention to yourself, for nurturing, holding and being with you. Back yourself! You must be there for yourself because you are doing well, you are on the right path and you are growing. Well done!

HER WICKED WAYS

You are meant to shine bright, to be a sun, even in the cold and dark depths of winter, bringing warmth to the world. Some don’t like the light. They want to freeze your enthusiasm, douse your creative fire and rain on your parade. Don’t let them! Shine your light with stubbornness and happiness. Defeat the Snow Queen and her wicked ways.

The Snow Queen depicted on this car has her wicked ways. She likes to test those that aren’t yet sure of their worth. She will try to freeze you with a glance that conveys criticism, judgement, ridicule. She’ll make you believe that you’ll be humiliated, that it’s inevitable you’ll fail and so it’s better that you just don’t try to begin with. She’ll plant seeds of doubt like a weed in your soul garden, and cause you to lose energy to mental anguish. You’ll find the way of your life more difficult than it needs to be if you don’t take heed of what is happening and use your power to stand up to her.

Whether she arises through a loved one who cannot support you, or a colleague who is envious of you and wants to see you fall, or the voice in your head that is afraid and is yet to really trust your heart to lead you. There is only one way to deal with her. You must stand up tall and true and reply “I am me! Save your soul-slaying, doubt-making for another day. If you stay anywhere near me, I’ll melt you with my creative fire and the warmth of my love. So be gone, it’s time for you to move on!!!!”

FOCUS ON THE LIGHT

A tremendous force of light is gathering around you. It is attracted to the purity of your intention to create from your heart. As your intention grows, so does the light. As the light grows, so does your intention. Magic wants to happen for you now! The synchronicity, perfect timing, opportunities and information that are needed will seem to be drawn right to your door. You may start to feel as if you cannot walk outside without stumbling into something helpful, wonderful and inspiring.

It is best to stay focused on your heart and intentions. Just allow all else to happen of its own accord, without making it mean anything too personal. Simply let it be the workings of the great light of love, flowing through a pure heart and touching the world. Even if the light that is drawn to you and flows through you has some dazzling effects, you don’t have to get caught up in it.

Don’t be distracted by other paths around you at this time as you are too close to succeeding on the one you are on now! Diluting your energies, in the pursuit of too much will slow down your success and the world needs your light to shine sooner rather than later! In time you may diversity and explore other ways to express yourself but for now, build what you are working on and know that success is coming swiftly.

THE JUGGLER

Many projects in the air; aspirations and inspirations everywhere. Action to take, commitments to make and yet another will soon join the fray! Say yes, do not delay. It will all work out in the perfect way.

You are capable of many things and you are too important an asset to the plan of love on this planet to be left idle. So life, the universe and your own creative urges will ask a lot of you. There will be many inspirations, ideas and dreams that you will yearn to bring to life in the world. You might wonder if it’s all a bit too much for any one person to handle. You might feel you are juggling so much already that if even one more demand or idea comes through, you’ll drop the balls already in the air, and the whole damn thing will come undone!

The Juggler is the master multi-tasker. He brings the skills wisdom and tricks you need to not only successfully bring to life all your current dreams and ideals, but to be open to even more flowing through you. If you feel overwhelmed, you are letting yourself get ahead of yourself, allowing your mind to move too far into the future. Bring it back to now, to just what can be done now. Let tomorrow take care of itself. Prioritise, what do you need to do most today, and what can be left until later? Remember to ask for help and remember that your individual success is actually part of the greater group success. The universe wants you to succeed. It will keep an eye on the pots on the boil whilst you stir the one that is bubbling over now. You are going to manage all that is going on in your life if you remember to stay present and relax, deal with what is immediately happening and not worry about any other distractions. You’ll not only handle all that’s currently going on, but when another opportunity heads your way, you’ll add it to the mix with grace!

EVERY JOURNEY STARTS WITH A SINGLE STEP

You are on a journey. Yes, it is an internal journey but there is also a physical expression of this journey that is going to become increasingly important to the fulfilment of your destiny in this lifetime. Your journey has started on the inside but its destination will be the physical expression of an internal healing. This journey will draw upon what you have learned and mastered over the course of your life – so much so, that you may feel as though your life experiences have prepared you just for this particular adventure.

You have all that you need within you. This is not a time to worry about what you are going to take with you. From within your heart, you will sense what needs to come along for the ride and what is best left behind you now. You may be surprised at exactly how much can be left behind without you feeling concerned or anxious. You will be able to travel far lighter than you ever imagined possible. To be best equipped for this journey, you will need a lightness of heart and the realisation that change can be an incredible blessing, even if what you are leaving behind is something you found secure, safe, familiar or comforting. Just as the butterfly leaves the chrysalis behind when it is time to spread its newly formed wings, so too are you ready to leave behind what once was and embrace what is more appropriate for you at this time.

The apparently small steps you are taking in an area of your life, important to you right now, are actually far more powerful and constructive than you realise. Sometimes we are gaining ground but the effect is not immediately obvious. This doesn’t mean that nothing is happening. It simply means that the effects of your actions are cumulative and soon they will begin to overflow into the physical world with a positive impact that my surprise you. Your inner and outer journeys are blessed with positive energy and all you need to do is keep going – one step at a time.

THE VELVET QUEEN

A rare prize is to be bestowed upon you. The universe is confirming that the most luscious dreams of your heart are being nurtured into manifestation. To this end, you shall be given a saving grace, an intervention if needs be. To be open to receive, surrender doubt in favour of unconditional trust. Through your trust and optimism, you make it easier for the universe to give you a most deserved gift. A rare prize is worth the effort to attain it. Your efforts will need to include loving discipline. Loving discipline is not about trying to bend the world according to your will but rather about readying yourself to align with the spirit of what you want to receive.

To receive, rather than attempt to take by force, requires strength, trust, spiritual intelligence and courage. It is easier to try and force things from a fearful place, but it is more effective and empowering to learn how to attract and receive through consciously chosen surrender. This allows the universe to do its best work for you! So it’s time to change your consciousness. Release issues around self-worth. Why should you not be empowered and assisted by the universe to create a life that fills you with joy and feels ‘just right’ for you? Of course you should, can will be! Release any lack of self-worth that would get in the way of your opening in complete trust to the universe.

Your most prized dream is within reach, through a combination of letting life unfold as it will and your own disciplined efforts. Don’t give up. You cannot make the fruit on the tree grow faster – that will happen according to the rhythm of life – but you can certainly do your part to be ready to climb the tree at the right moment to savour the sweetness of success!

So on this delicious Summer Solstice, I wish for you the ability to see how glorious and magnificent you are. You are like a gorgeous mini sun moving in this world and we most certainly need that! So take some time to put your feet on the earth, raise your arms to the sky and say to yourself “I AM, I AM!” (Oh yes and light a fire, or a candle or do something to acknowledge the day, the season and yourself.) Huge hugs and see you on Monday!

Ritual

jennyheston

Release Anxiety And Claim Your Power