 As summer nestles down into a slumber and we get that first rush from a cool breeze, something happens and we begin to shift our energy. Whether we realize it or not, we follow Mother Nature’s lead and sync with her circadian rhythms. She has spent the last season on fire reaching a height of growth and fertility, celebrating the power of the sun. Our energy matched hers, spending time outdoors and enjoying all she has to offer. Some of us may have even celebrated the Summer Solstice by offering 108 Sun Salutations with the rising of the sun. Longer days prevailed, and now they have begun to wane. Longer, regenerative nights lie ahead-and we need to take advantage and set our intentions to match hers.
At the Autumn Equinox we hit a complete balance of light vs. dark, and have now just fallen past that tipping point. Now that we’ve burned off that fiery energy of the sun we can begin to shift to a more reflective, cooling energy of the moon. A season of letting go, we begin to settle under a blanket of reflection to see what hasn’t worked in our lives. Reaping the harvest of our past few months of hard work and investments, it’s time to till the soil and release what didn’t pan out. Our lives mirror the seasons, and if we align our energies properly with can work with the cycles instead of against them. So as the world is set ablaze with the colors of the fall, here are 6 ways to align your energy with Mother Nature and find magic this season: 1. Let it go Use the elements of Mother Nature to let go of what no longer serves you. Allowing for contemplation, autumn is a time to turn inward for deeper self-healing and take a look at all we’ve worked to build. What do we need to work on? What didn’t work, and we can release? Create your own ritual of letting go. You can write down what you wish to release, toss the paper in to a fire (only safe practices here, a fire pit or other means of outdoor burning) and watch it turn into ash and disappear. You may also bury the list into the dirt and allow it to be consumed by the Earth Herself. Perform these rituals under the full moon to enhance their effects. Gather a sage bundle or smudge stick, used in purification and protection, to cleanse your home of negative energies. You may also use Palo Santo, wooden sticks made from a mystical tree in South America, found in some metaphysical shops. Related to Frankincense and Myrhh, this ‘Holy Wood’ helps to cleanse home and energy, enhance creativity and enhance immunity. 2. Protection Yourself & Your Home Every fall we gather beautiful chrysanthemums to adorn our home with beautiful colors of the fall. But did you know these are known to be flowers of protection? When we get closer to Halloween then the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest this flower is said to keep the evil spirits at bay. Red mums offer love, yellow & orange bring joy & good cheer, purple represent power & passion, white invokes the truth & bronze encourages a loving, happy home. Gather your mums to create a happy, healthy environment for your pets and your family. You may also set out stones of amber for added protection. 3. Make a Feast! Gather friends and family to celebrate this time of harvest. Foods of the season include root veggies such as beets, potatoes and carrots, nuts, breads, corn, figs, honey, as well as apples which are said to be a most magical fruit! Pomegranate and its seeds are related to Greek Goddess Persephone and her return to the underworld every fall season. Cider, beer, wine and mead can be added to the table as loved ones offer gratitude and reflection during this celebratory time. 4. Set Up Your Meditation Altar Create your space to align your energy with the shift in seasons. The colors yellow, orange, red and brown set the tone for autumn and the changing of the leaves as they work to let go and prepare for winter. Some elements to adorn your altar include: candles, herbs of ivy, myrrh and sage, cloves, cinnamon, and stones of amber and hematite to offer protection and grounding. Add photos of loved ones and what holds gratitude in your heart, or write down a mantra you can return to every day during this shift. Offerings of fresh cut flowers, honey and mead can add another element to invoking the creative and nurturing side of nature. 5. Keep a Gratitude Journal Listen to the transition, journal and prepare for self-healing and reflection. You find you can sense, feel and become one with the change happening all around you. Once you’ve released what you no longer need you are more able to sit back and look at all that you have. Cultivating gratitude is very powerful and has a tremendous effect on your over-all health and well-being. You may choose to journal outside in nature, sitting under an oak or maple tree to connect with their energy and wisdom. This is also a nice ritual to be before you go to bed at night. Begin with some light yin yoga poses to offer the cooling energy of the moon and set a reflective and restorative tone for your journaling. 6. Seva-The Art of Selfless Service When we cultivate gratitude we see all that we have, but may also become aware of what many do not. Take this time to practice the art of Seva, or selfless services. Offer to volunteer at a nursing home or hospice, bring offerings and your kindness to the homeless or disabled veterans. Offer some free classes or services to those who may otherwise not be able to afford such things. Join together communities and help to offer gratitude and self-healing to others and match the nurturing side of Mother Nature during this time. Mother Nature has all that we need readily available at our fingertips, we simply need to know how to apply it and connect with her energy for transformation and change. So let’s work with the currents of the Earth and find a ride with them into beautiful alignment, peace and well-being. Bring a little magic back into your life this fall and nurture your mind, body and spirit. Namaste, Heather Rae
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 At the end of every given year, we may either be happy for sad to see it go. It's important to leave any cycle with reflection and intention on which direction to go moving forward. Before each new year we come to the passing of the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. This is a time to sync up with Mother Nature, reflect over our year, and release what no longer serves to create space for new adventure and abundance into our lives. When we reconnect with nature, sync with her seasons and her elements we can then create our own future; find the path of least resistance and take back perhaps a little bit of control over our lives. I'm talking intention and manifestation time!
With the busyness of current society it’s easy to see why so many of us feel out of control and victims to the chaos around us. That’s why this year we must pull back on the reigns, wipe the filters from our eyes and for one, just breathe. If we begin with meditation then there’s half of the control. To close your eyes and tune into the sensations of your breath you alone can soothe the central nervous system, release tension and that sometimes sharp, reactive thinking. Meditation give us the power to be the calm center; the eye of the storm that is the chaos around us. I’ve meditated in many spaces including my office before a presentation or teaching a class and even the Secretary of State. You don’t need to have your eyes closed and tune out the entire world, you simply need mindfulness and peace will follow. Meditation can be about being content while being completely present and aware of the world around you. As little as 5 minutes a day can be enough to release stress, increase focus and set intention for your day. Create an altar space in your home, somewhere you can be alone if possible. Here you can gather all you need for working with the elements and working with manifestation and setting intentions. My space often includes stones and crystals for healing & grounding. Mother Nature's healers, crystals and stones hold vibrations and have qualities that can help to enhance health. We are naturally receptive to the healing qualities of these Earthly elements and they can work to balance blockages of the body, mind & spirit. Use these in rituals for health, wellness, prosperity and more. I also use inspiring words or photos, candles and sage or Palo Santo for cleansing negative energy. Draw a tarot card if you find you need direction in a situation or somewhere to put your focus. Here’s a little ritual that’s easy to put together to set positive intentions and direction. Set up your space and gather your tools. 1. Pick your stones- My favorite three stones for this ritual would be Hematite, Moonstone and Obsidian. You may set these on your altar or hold in your hands. Hematite is great for grounding, protection, and bringing harmony to body, mind and spirit Moonstone is for new beginnings, reflection and intuition Obsidian offers support in growth, deep soul healing, shields from negativity, and very powerful in releasing/absorbing emotions 2. Clear the space- Grab a bundle of sage or a stick of Palo Santo to cleanse negative energy. If you have a small bell set that near you as well. 3. Get your photos, either of family, friends or create a vision board of what you would like your upcoming year to look like. 4. Create your Mantra-Decide whatever your personal mantra or intention is for the year, write it down and set that on your altar as well. Gather anything else inspiring and set that in your space. 5. Grab your candles and your oils- You can use different colored candles for different meanings, or I like to use white as a universal and put my intention into it. If you have essential oils, anoint your candles before you light them; a lemongrass oil to balance, uplift and calm or Sandalwood for good fortune, protection and success are two good choices. Settle into your space with your tools around you. Offer yourself a meditation to tune into your breath, get centered and release tension. Set your photos, mantra and anything else you'd like on your altar space, then anoint and light your candles. Take time to take inventory over your year, see what has worked, what has not. What old belief systems have been holding you back? What projects lead you in the wrong direction this year? What relationships no longer serve? Start to find a release process with your breath to let go of the old; imagine creating space in and all around you to release and let go. Take as much time as you need, then continue by lighting your sage or Palo Santo and smudge your room and yourself; you may extend out to the entire house if you'd like to do a house cleansing or blessing for the new year. I like to use my hands to literally sweep the old energy off of me; a cracked window will draw the old energy out and allow fresh air to come in. When finished ring your bell to 'ring out the old'. Sit in meditation with your mantra and envision what you wish to manifest for the upcoming year. Envision and feel all that you want to draw to yourself, and see it as though it was already here. Draw that intension into every aspect of your being.....and like cultivating a seed to sprout nourish that intension and let it grow. When you feel complete and full of new direction for the year, ring your bell to 'ring in the new'. Allow a deep cleansing breath to set your intension out into the Universe, ready to come back into fruition when it's ready. Learn more about using the elements for meditation and manifestation at our new website, Modern Goddess Living Live well, love well, be well. Namaste. |
AuthorHello lovelies. I am a life/Goddess/meditation coach, body and energy worker , yoga instructor and author. I hope you enjoy my journey of discovering our magic and connecting along our journey of health, wealth of spirit and evolution. I am happy to share my experiences with you to heal, love, and evolve. ArchivesCategories
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