On the 7th Day of Christmas, My Soul Self Gave to Me Clear Quartz Crystals

Back in 2001, Steve and I owned a sterling silver jewelry store and brought in natural gemstone jewelry and gemstone beads to make into bracelets and necklaces for our customers.

The first gemstone that caught my eye at a show at Dallas Market Hall was Dalmatian Jasper. The stone was just so beautiful to me and the artist had combined it with black onyx for some really nice bracelets. That was 2001. The items we bought didn’t really sell that well. We’ve always been ahead of our time!

Then, we left that business and began our training in mediumship. When we learned that crystals could be used to raise your vibration and amplify your connection to Spirit, we were hooked. We went to Tucson and Arkansas and began buying crystals for our own use.

While Steve studied crystals and learned all he could about them, I used the intuitive approach, as I have done with essential oils. If it caught my eye or “picked me” at a show or shop, I bought it. Then, I would do the research and find out why a particular crystal was appealing to me.

As I wrote on Day 2, Rose Quartz was one of the first crystals that appealed to me. When I did my research, I learned why. Rose Quartz is THE stone for love, self-love, healing the heart and clearing and balancing the heart chakra.

I was also really drawn to clear quartz, which I have used to amplify my connection to Spirit, as well as opening my heart and mind to Divine Guidance. Clear quartz is also known as a type of “master healer,” and will amplify the effects of any other crystal you are using for any type of healing. Clear quartz crystals are inexpensive and readily available, whether you buy them in a rock shop, a metaphysical shop, on Etsy or eBay or go to Arkansas and dig for your own crystals. In the words of many crystal healing teachers, clear quartz is a master healer and is “the supreme gift of Mother Earth.” (Hank Mason, http://www.crystalvaults.com/ )

In the words of master teacher Diane Stein, in her book “The Woman’s Book of Healing”:

“Any healing survey of gemstones begins and ends with clear quartz crystal, the most versatile all-aura, all-chakra healing gemstone. Clear quartz amplifies, holds and transmits energy and is directed/programmed by the woman healer for whatever visualization or color work, whatever psychic healing or “tinkering” she desires. The most totally positive, totally pure healing energy, clear quartz relieves and reduces bleeding, purifies, protects, sedates or energizes and opens for a woman’s well-being and good health. It works on the level of the seen and the unseen bodies, on all the aura levels, and for all the chakras. It affects, develops and balances the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies, unifies and integrates them for power-within and goddess-within on the Earth Plane.” (pg. 268-269)

Here are just a few benefits of clear quartz crystals:

• A must have crystal for all spiritual workers.
• An all-purpose healer that is a powerful amplifier.
• Balances emotions stimulates the thinking process.
• Stimulates the pineal and pituitary glands.
• Used to repel and destroy negative energies and vibrations.
• Great for meditation as it enhances communication with the higher self, spirit guides, and angels.
• Absorbs, stores, balances, and amplifies energy.
• Balances all chakras, and enhances your ability to heal.
• Beneficial for manifesting, healing, meditation, protection and channeling.
• Quartz crystals are cosmic tuning forks, harmonizing the soul, mind, heart and body.

(http://thebestofcreation.com/clear-quartz/

More about crystals from Diane Stein:

“The little crystals and colored gemstones in our pockets and jewelry do more for us than we know, and their energy is increasing in usefulness as time goes on….We are becoming much more than people can ever remember being before; we are becoming the Be-ings of Light, energy, and information, what was our original heritage. Human twelve-strand DNA contains the genetic keys of all life in the universe…[which is a] Living Library. That library is being repaired, healed, and reactivated, and returned to us primarily by way of gemstones and crystals.”

How might you use clear quartz crystals on your spiritual journey?

On the 6th Day of Christmas, My Soul Self Gave to Me a Massage Session

When was the last time you had a massage, Reiki session or other type of body work, such as CranialSacral or Rolfing?

Did you know that a massage or bodywork session can benefit you in many, many ways?

Here are just a few:
-Alleviate low-back pain and improve range of motion.
-Ease dependence on medication.
-Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow
-Exercise and stretch weak, tight, or atrophied muscles.
-Improve the condition of the skin, which is the body's largest organ
-Increase joint flexibility.
-Lessen depression and anxiety.
-Pump oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs, improving circulation.
-Release endorphins—amino acids that work as the body's natural painkiller.
-Relieve migraine pain.
-Enhance sleep quality.
-Greater energy.
-Improve concentration.

Some people say that most disease is stress related. Nothing ages the body faster than high stress. Although we can’t eliminate all anxiety and stress, massage and bodywork can help you release stress and old emotional pain. Some people often report a new sense of perspective and clarity after receiving a massage. The emotional balance that bodywork provides can be as valuable as the physical benefits.

I enjoy massage with Reiki and sometimes enjoy “just” Reiki, which is traditionally done with the person fully clothed, while lying on a massage table. In fact, Reiki doesn’t even require “touching” the skin or body. The Reiki practitioner simply channels healing energy through the chakras in their hands for your body to utilize for self-healing.

Another modality that I enjoy is CranialSacral, which is a technique that works with the Central Nervous System (brain and spinal cord) helping to clear restrictions within your body to start the healing process. It is a gentle type of bodywork that feels like massage, but is so much more.

I LOVE this modality. Stephanie McLaughlin is my favorite practitioner and she is in Allen, TX. As a registered massage therapist, she does the more traditional massage sessions, such as Swedish, Trigger Point, Shiatsu and Deep Tissue. She is also an UpLedger CranialSacral specialist and she uses her intuitive skills to masterfully guide you and your body back to a place of wellness.

I once went to Stephanie after a good friend had told me that she no longer wanted to be my friend. I had moped around for days! Finally, I booked a session with Stephanie and she worked with me and my body through the grief and sadness, including old grief and ancient sadness from childhood. (Stephanie always understands the links between present upset and past pain.)

I told her in an email later that “I have my JOY back!” And I do! I was able to lean into the pain, process it and release it in the safe container of her healing room.

If you live in the DFW area, contact Stephanie through her website: http://www.stephaniemcl.com/

Whether you choose CranialSacral or a massage at the day spa near you, enjoy a journey to wellness with bodywork.

On the 5th Day of Christmas, My Soul Self Gave to Me the Gift of Forgiving Others

FORGIVENESS. Does any other word conjure up such feelings, memories or utter disdain?

Many people confuse forgiveness with condoning the behavior of the person or persons you may want to forgive. However, in the strictest sense of the word, forgiveness means:
Noun
1. the act of forgiving or the state of being forgiven
2. willingness to forgive

So, what does the word “forgive” really mean:

Verb (used with object), forgave, forgiven, forgiving.
1.to grant pardon for or remission of (an offense, debt, etc.); absolve.
2.to give up all claim on account of; remit (a debt, obligation, etc.).
3.to grant pardon to (a person).
4.to cease to feel resentment against:
to forgive one's enemies.
5.to cancel an indebtedness or liability of:
to forgive the interest owed on a loan.

verb (used without object), forgave, forgiven, forgiving.
to pardon an offense or an offender.

I find it interesting that the dictionary meaning includes the idea of “willingness” to forgive. Isn’t that what true forgiveness is all about? Being willing to forgive or pardon or stop feeling resentment toward another person is at the core of forgiveness. This doesn’t mean that I condone the act, yet, I am allowing myself to pardon the person for the act or omission.

So many people fail to forgive because they don’t want to “let the other person off the hook.” However, true forgiveness is for the person doing the forgiving. True forgiveness clears the debt from your own heart and can also be very freeing.

When we fail to forgive, it’s as if we hold a grudge against the other person. That only clouds my heart and limits my own personal freedom. You don’t even have to tell the other person that you forgive him or her. However, until you forgive, it’s hard to let go and move on. So, unless you forgive the other person, you may allow the other person to stay under your skin, to continue to hurt you, again and again. This can also hinder your own personal healing.

Caroline Myss says that when we forgive others, it releases energy that allows you to move forward. It really is as simple as:
1. Think of the person who hurt you
2. Picture the person in your mind
3. Express how you felt when the person did what they did
4. Let out any emotions around this situation
5. Forgive the person in your heart
6. Let it go

Caroline goes on to say that forgiveness is the most selfish thing you will ever do! It’s a great way to say “I love me” because forgiveness leaves you feeling so much better.

"When we harbor negative emotions toward others or toward ourselves, or when we intentionally create pain for others, we poison our own physical and spiritual systems. By far the strongest poison to the human spirit is the inability to forgive oneself or another person. It disables a person's emotional resources. The challenge is to refine our capacity to love others as well as ourselves and to develop the power of forgiveness."-- Caroline Myss

I particularly like Caroline’s simple forgiveness model which is shared above. In private sessions with clients, I use hypnosis to help you envision each person, one by one and go through the forgiveness steps. In the end, we also cut the cords that bind you to the person. It is very healing and therapeutic.

Colin Tipping has a worksheet in his Radical Forgiveness program that works really well for forgiving others. He takes you through the steps to see how this situation may have been set up by your Higher Self or Soul to foster healing, growth and transformation.

You may access the FREE worksheet here:

http://www.radicalforgiveness.com/free-tools/

Who do you want to forgive this holiday season? When would you like to begin?

On the 4th Day of Christmas, My Soul Self Gave to Me a Smudge Fan and Sage

Incense, resins and botanicals are still used today in various Native American, shaman and indigenous ceremonies and rituals. The fragrant smoke purifies a room or space of negative vibrations. Incense is used for meditation or for simply scenting a room. The ancient Chinese believed that different scents induced different reactions such as tranquility and peaceful solitude.

Smudges are used to cleanse, purify, protect and remove negative energy. Smudges have been used by Native American and other indigenous people for thousands of years. The smudges most often used by Native Americans are sage, sweet grass and cedar. In central and South America, copal resin is also used. In the East, Frankincense and Myrrh resins have been used by Christians and Jews for purification and protection.

Sage, Cedar and Sweetgrass can be purchased and burned in small bundles. These can also be cut up and mixed together and burned. Sometimes these mixtures will contain Lavender flowers, as Lavender is used in love and healing rituals and promotes sleep and peace.

It is traditional to burn the smudge in something made of the earth such as an abalone, clam or oyster shell, a clay pot or flat or concave rock. These can be purchased at most metaphysical stores and some rock shops. Use a bundle of sage or pour a small amount of the mixture into the shell and light it on fire. Let the mixture catch fire and then gently blow out the flame and let the smudge herbs smolder. This will create a small stream of smoke. Now, you will use your feather or fan to guide the smoke around yourself or the room.

To Sage Your Home or Office:

After lighting the bundle of sage and other herbs and blowing it out, walk from room to room in your home or office, spreading the smoky mixture with your prayer feather or fan. Hold the shell in one hand by the edge. Be careful, for the bottom of the shell will be hot.

Use the feather to guide the smoke in a clockwise fashion into every corner of the room. Use the feather to guide the smoke and sweep the negative energy out. Say a prayer or set an intention for the smudge. For example if you are removing negative energy, set an intention to do so. Say and think it, while you are smudging the room. You may also ask for protection and purification while smudging.

Remember, you can also ask your Angels and Guides to help you clear the negative energy from your home or any space.

When you are done smudging the room, your home or other space, simply snuff out the end of the sage bundle or place a bigger bowl over your mixture in the shell and it will extinguish itself.

How might you use sage and other wonderful grasses and herbs to cleanse yourself, your home and office space?

On the 3rd Day of Christmas, My Soul Self Gave to Me the Gift of Meditation

There is nothing that has changed my life more than meditation.

When I take time each day to unplug from the world and plug into the Divine, my day flows with a grace and beauty that is both wonderful and affirming.

When I first began meditating, I would fall asleep. I’ve since learned that this is very common. Our teachers recommended that we honor the falling asleep. One teacher suggested that one reason that we fall asleep is because is because the ego is not interested in nothingness. LOL. Over time, this stopped happening for me.
One way to avoid falling asleep is to meditate when your body is not naturally sleepy. For this reason, early morning is a great time to meditate. My favorite way to meditate is to roll out of bed, go to the bathroom and then immediately take a seat in the big, comfy chair we have in our bedroom. I try to do it BEFORE checking email or Facebook, so that my mind is still clear.

If I am heading to the office, I meditate after I have arrived. I have found that a practice of 30 minutes is optimum for me. I started with 10 minutes, went to 15 and then to 20 and 30. I now do about 30 minutes each day. I meditate with a mantra, given to me by a teacher several years ago. Sometimes, I use binaural beats to help me get into the Theta brainwave state faster and stay there. My favorite are audios from Kelly Howell at Brainsync.

There are several other companies that offer binaural beats, as well. How does it work? Here’s an explanation from Kelly Howell’s website, www.brainsync.com:
Brainwave Therapy sends pure, precisely tuned sound waves of different frequencies to your brain via stereo headphones. In his EEG research, Oster discovered that when different vibrations, or sound frequencies, are delivered to the brain separately through each ear (as with stereo headphones), the two hemispheres of the brain function together to "hear" not the external sound signals, but a third phantom signal. This signal is called a binaural beat, and it pulses at the exact mathematical difference between the two actual tones. For example, a signal of 100 Hz delivered to the left ear, and a signal of 107 Hz delivered to the right creates a binaural beat of 7 Hz that in this case falls into the Alpha range.

Research shows that parts of the brain and eventually large areas of the brain begin to resonate sympathetically with this "phantom" binaural beat. This is known as the Frequency Following Response. Subsequent research determined that a binaural beat frequencies drive brain activity into specific brain states. Thus, effortlessly and naturally, your brain activity slides into rhythm with this binaural beat, becoming organized and coherent. Within minutes, the sound frequencies start to balance the left and right hemispheres of your brain – creating a remarkable state called hemispheric synchronization and driving the electrical activity of your brain into powerful states, normally unattainable. Flashes of creative insight, euphoria and a deep sense of calm is often accompanied by this extraordinary brain state.

Brainsync has a collection of 4 audio tracks that will take you from beginner, Alpha frequencies all the way to Delta, in just 4 weeks. It is called Sacred Ground and is available on their website www.brainsync.com and Amazon, as a CD or audio download. This is a fantastic program that I have used for about two years. Here is a description:

This is the perfect all-in-one program for all levels: from the beginner, who wants to be led gradually into deeper levels of meditation, to the more experienced listener, who wishes to have a variety of music and brain wave states available in a single program.

Week One - Relaxation and Grounding - Alpha Window Frequencies
Week Two - Relaxation and Release - Alpha & Theta Window Frequencies
Week Three - Opening Higher Consciousness - Theta Window Frequencies
Week Four - Deep Resonance - Theta & Delta Window Frequencies

There are other types of meditation, as well, including the use of a mantra, which I mentioned earlier. Primordial Sound Meditation (PSM) is a silent practice that uses a mantra. The mantra you receive is based on information provided to your teacher or guru and is not to be uttered allowed or shared with anyone else. My mantra is personal and specific to me.

Another type is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and these classes are often taught by physicians, nurses, social workers, and psychologists. This technique uses breath awareness and body scan. For breath awareness, you focus your attention on the inhale and exhale. Body scan is a process of focused attention on your body, starting at the toes and working up to the top of the head. You can also start at the top of the head and go down the body. As you focus on the body part, you relax that part and the practice takes you deeper within. This may be done seated, lying down, or walking.

Zen meditation or “Zazen” means “seated meditation.” It comes from Buddhism, and is done through observing both the breath and the mind. This is usually taught by a teacher and sometimes chanting is involved.

Transcendental Meditation (TM) was founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who trained many famous followers like the Beatles. It uses a mantra or series of Sanskrit words to help the practitioner focus during meditation. You will want to train with a TM Yogi to learn this technique.

Kriya Yoga is another form of meditation, brought to the West by the Indian mystic Paramahansa Yogananda. Kriya is an advanced Raja Yoga technique of pranayama (life-energy control). Kriya reinforces and revitalizes subtle currents of life energy (prana) in the spine and brain. The ancient seers of India (rishis) perceived the brain and spine as the tree of life. Out of the chakras flow the energies that enliven all the nerves and every organ and tissue of the body. The yogis discovered that by moving the life current continuously up and down the spine by the special technique of Kriya Yoga, it is possible to greatly accelerate one's spiritual evolution and awareness. If you are interested in this form of meditation, you will want to train with a Kriya Yogi.

"By the definite science of meditation known for millenniums to the yogis and sages of India, and to Jesus, any seeker of God can enlarge the caliber of his consciousness to omniscience to receive within himself the Universal Intelligence of God." — Paramahansa Yogananda

If you want to use guided meditations, this is totally acceptable. Kelly Howell has a number of guided meditations available and so do a lot of authors, such as authors and spiritual teachers from Hay House or Sounds True. Just go to these websites and search for meditation audios. Deepak Chopra and his Chopra Center host a meditation challenge several times a year. There are lots of meditation tips and sources. Let your angels and guides lead you to the style that is best for you.
Don't worry so much about the experience you are having or not having during meditation. As the saying goes, “Just do it!” If your mind wanders or if you drift away, gently bring your attention back to your mantra, your breath or back to what Wayne Dyer calls the “gap.” The gap is nothingness.

Don't struggle or beat yourself up if you don’t feel you are “doing it right.” Meditation is all about letting go and allowing everything to be. Remember the Beatles song, “Let it be”? Don't try to control your meditation experience. An advanced meditator will allow her mind to do whatever it wants. If thoughts come in, imagine them as leaves in a small stream and see them float off. Or, you can imagine thoughts as clouds floating by in the sky. Soon, you will see that as you allow these thoughts to float by, you begin to allow things in your life to “float by,” as well. Very cool how this works.

Please continue meditating, even if you do not see immediate results. Sometimes, it takes months to get into your natural rhythm and sometimes it take years to really relax into realizing the power and benefits of meditation. Meditation teacher Pema Chodron says that the students who come to her and want to quit are on the verge of letting go!

Over time you will develop a love for the peace that you feel, as you go into the emptiness, the “gap”, or whatever you want to call it. So celebrate the moment when you want to meditate and leave the world behind for a few minutes a day.

On the 2nd Day of Christmas, My Soul Self Gave to Me Rose Quartz Crystals

On the 2nd Day of Christmas, My Soul Self Gave to Me Rose Quartz Crystals for healing my heart and opening to more love in my life.

Rose Quartz is one of the first crystals I found when Steve and I began collecting crystals in 2001. I loved the pale pink color and the variety of options: beads, pendants, rough stones, jewelry, carved angels and skulls. You name it: Rose Quartz is available in many, many forms and is very inexpensive. What I love most about Rose Quartz is how it heals the heart chakra. It also fosters love on many levels, including Self-Love!

“The fair and lovely Rose Quartz, with its gentle pink essence, is a stone of the heart, a Crystal of Unconditional Love. It carries a soft feminine energy of compassion and peace, tenderness and healing, nourishment and comfort. It speaks directly to the Heart Chakra, dissolving emotional wounds, fears and resentments, and circulates a Divine loving energy throughout the entire aura. Reawakening the heart to its own innate love, it provides a deep sense of personal fulfillment and contentment, allowing one the capacity to truly give and receive love from others.[Raphaell, 82-85][Simmons, 331][Hall, 236]
Called the Heart Stone, Rose Quartz may have been used as a love token as early as 600 B.C. and is still an important talisman of relationships. It is quite effective in attracting new love, romance and intimacy, or in developing a closer bond with family or friends. It supports connection within groups and community, and carries a high spiritual attunement to the Earth, Universe, and the Divine. [Eason, 50][Simmons, 331][Hall, 236]

Source: http://www.crystalvaults.com/crystal-encyclopedia/rose-quartz
(Books used for the description are shown in parentheses by author’s name.)

I use Rose Quartz in a number of ways in my life:

1. Carry a small piece of Rose Quartz in my pocket. I make sure that it is a smooth stone.

2. Wear a pendant of Rose Quartz.

3. Wear a bracelet that has Rose Quartz beads.

4. Drop chunks of rough Rose Quartz in my bath. Wonderful as a skin softener and it also heals the physical body. One source said it’s good for wrinkles!

5. Use Rose Quartz to heal my heart by lying down and placing a piece over my heart chakra.

6. Use Rose Quartz in a crystal grid for healing on mental, spiritual, physical and emotional levels. Rose Quartz is a great stone to add to any grid.

How might you use the healing properties of Rose Quartz in your life?

To learn more about Rose Quartz, I recommend books by Adrienne Goff, Judy Hall, Philip Permutt or Katrina Raphaell.

On the 1st Day of Christmas, my Soul Self gave to me

Over the next 12 days, I’m going to share wonderful gifts of healing that you can give yourself. The very first one is my all-time favorite gift:

THE GIFT OF SELF-FORGIVENESS

What a gift! When I am truly ready to forgive myself for past wrongs, omissions and any other things for which I have judged myself, a cascade of healing can begin. How do I begin the process? My favorite vehicle for Self-0Forgiveness is Colin Tipping’s Radical Self Forgiveness:

https://www.radicalforgiveness.com/

Go to Colin’s website and download FREE TOOLS for Radical Self-Forgiveness. His worksheet and tutorial will take you through the steps. He also has a book on Amazon and an audio on www.soundstrue.com. In Colin’s own words:

“If you have a tendency to be hard on yourself and make yourself wrong a lot of the time, then this is the strategy for you. Radical Self-Empowerment is a combination of Radical Self-Forgiveness and Radical Self-Acceptance.

Even though the core technology is the same as Radical Forgiveness, we treat Radical Empowerment as a strategy in its own right, given the difficulty people experience when trying to forgive themselves or find love for themselves. It also has its own set of tools which I recommend you use if you find it difficult to accept yourself just the way you are.”

Are you ready? You may begin in small ways to forgive yourself. You can add crystals to support you while you are forgiving yourself. A few that work really well for forgiveness are:

Rose Quartz
Rhodonite
Rhodochrosite
Chrysoprase
Apache Tear

You might wear a rose quartz pendant or get a piece of Chrysoprase to carry in your pocket. I enjoy getting beads of the various crystals and making bracelets that are easy to wear.

You can also add essential oils to support yourself. I feel that the crystals and oils work together to hold me in a loving embrace, while I do the forgiveness work. doTERRA® has a new blend called Forgive! Or, you can use Bergamot or Thyme essential oils. Get a good quality essential oil like doTERRA® or Young Living® or Aura Cacia®, which is available at Whole Foods.

So, the next time you do something that you feel is a “mistake” or something you’d rather you hadn’t done, stop and:

1. Breathe
2. Go inside and connect with your HEART
3. Say: “I Love you and I forgive you.”
4. Take another deep breath and look around you. Find something for which you can show appreciation. Anchor this in your heart.
5. Inhale or apply your favorite essential oil to feel supported as you heal and release.
6. Carry a crystal or wear jewelry made with your crystal(s) for additional support.

You did it. What a great gift you gave yourself today!

PJ Spur pjspur@gmail.com www.soulrevelations.com