Crystal Muse
Page 18
If you look at your mandala as the face of a clock, place the Black Tourmaline at the 3 o’clock position to represent the New Moon.
Place the Clear Quartz sphere at the 9 o’clock position to represent the Full Moon.
Place the Moonstone at the 12 o’clock position to represent the Waxing period of the Moon.
Place the Labradorite at the 6 o’clock position to represent the Waning period.
After you’ve created your mandala, sit or stand in the center (if possible). Close your eyes, and visualize something new that you would like to bring into your life. The New Moon is the perfect time to manifest an intention, goal, or dream that has been on your mind. Set the timer, and allow yourself 5 to 7 minutes to become clear about what you want to manifest.
There are approximately 14 days in between the New Moon and the Full Moon, when the Waxing period occurs and the Moon builds. Nightly for these next 14 days, set the timer, and spend 3 to 5 minutes with your mandala outside under the Waxing Moon. Notice how the Moon changes and builds, paralleling your manifestation coming to fruition. Think about the steps you will take to create, manifest, and bring it to life.
On the night of the Full Moon, sit or stand in the middle of your mandala (if possible). Look up at the Moon, connect with its energy, and bask in its luminosity. This is a time when the Moon’s power is at its peak and the time when you’ll see your manifestation come to life. Do you see your dream being fulfilled? Set the timer, and allow yourself 5 to 7 minutes to reflect on this.
The final 14 days of the Moon’s cycle, the Waning period, are a time for reflecting, letting go, and resting. Nightly for these 14 days, set the timer, and spend 3 to 5 minutes with your mandala outside under the Waning Moon, reflecting on your manifestation. Was there anything you would change? How could you prepare better for the next cycle? This is a time to nurture yourself, to feel appreciative of the energy, and to recuperate before you begin again.
When you’re finished with this ritual, cleanse the crystals, and give back any of the Mother Moon Mandala elements you can to the Earth, such as scattering them in your backyard, a field, or a park. All other items, such as the sage and sweetgrass, can be used again. Repeat this ritual as often as you’d like to align with the Moon’s cycle, always remembering to start at the New Moon.
ALIGNING WITH THE ENERGY OF THE NEW MOON
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Many years ago, when I was first beginning my journey with Mother Moon, I was given a secret New Moon ritual from a wise medicine woman. She never explained the reasons behind this specific formula, but I have to say, after using it for over 15 years, it really works. Until this moment, I’ve never shared this New Moon secret with anyone—I didn’t even tell Timmi until we sat down to write this chapter—but I felt it was time for everyone to experience its energy.
Labradorite
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WISDOM KEEPER:
THE MAGICIAN
COLOR: Iridescent dark gray, blue, and white
ORIGIN: Canada, Madagascar, Mexico, Russia, and the U.S.
HISTORY AND LORE: Labradorite is thought to ignite sparks of neon to illuminate the path to your destiny. Labradorite is a stone of magic and curiosity. Its base color is dark gray, but when it catches the light, flashes of iridescent color appear. Legend says that some of the northern lights are held within Labradorite, giving it the colorful flash known as labradorescence. It’s a tantalizing stone, one that takes you on a journey of color. It will bring light to the unknown of any situation. It’s also a symbolic reminder to look deeper and from many angles, instead of taking things at face value.
HEALING PROPERTIES: Wearing or holding Labradorite helps you tap into a higher state of consciousness. It’s a protective stone as well, so it will keep your energy body grounded, while allowing you to explore the expanded states of the universe. It boosts mental and spiritual power. Labradorite opens you up, forcing you to become aware enough to see your true intentions. Once your eyes are wide open, it will encourage you to find solutions.
NEW MOON WISHES RITUAL
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TIME FRAME:
Approximately 11 minutes; begin on a New Moon
The New Moon symbolizes new beginnings and a fresh start, making it the ideal time to make wishes, set new intentions, and plant new seeds. Watch them bloom and grow throughout the remainder of the Moon’s cycle.
This New Moon Wishes Ritual allows you to honor the energy of Mother Moon while making wishes on the night of her new cycle. Creating a regular practice of setting New Moon intentions is a mindful way to commit to your dreams and goals. It will also allow you to stay in touch with her divine feminine energy. The power of writing down your intentions cannot be understated.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
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1 copy of the New Moon Wishes Sheet
1 metallic silver pen or marker—silver is linked with the Moon
1 blue pen—blue is the color of truth. It’s believed that you’re more likely to retain information when you write it with blue ink.
1 Phantom Quartz point to bring spiritual growth and evolution
4 Lemurian Seed crystals to represent the planting of new seeds, wishes, and dreams
1 small Clear Quartz point to activate your New Moon grid
1 sage stick
1 feather
1 abalone shell or fireproof container to catch ashes from the sage
OPTIONAL: Colored pens or pencils
RITUAL STEPS:
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Sage your environment, and cleanse your crystals.
Hold the crystals in your hands, close your eyes, and take 3 deep breaths. Aloud or in your head, say the following: “I ask that the highest vibration of love and light connect with my highest self to clear all unwanted energy and any previous programming. I command these crystals to hold the intention of my infinite potential. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Consult a Moon calendar (you can find one on the Internet) to find out the timing of the next New Moon.
On the New Moon, grab your New Moon Wishes Sheet, silver pen, blue pen, and crystals, and find a comfortable environment outside where you can sit.
With your silver pen, go over the outline of the circle and the four Moons on your sheet.
With your blue pen, write up to 10 wishes inside the circle. Start with “Dear_________, [whatever fits with your belief—God, Higher Source, Angels, zero-point energy, or a similar entity].” Then list your wishes. It’s very important to write your wishes within 24 hours of the specific time that the New Moon starts. (If you need help writing your intentions.) OPTIONAL: Decorate your New Moon Wishes Sheet in whatever way you’d like. You can add colors or drawings inside or outside the circle, but your words must remain within the circle.
Add your signature and date at the bottom of the sheet as indicated.
Say “thank you” aloud three times to emphasize that what you’re asking for already exists in the universe.
Fold your New Moon Wishes Sheet in half once and then in half a second time.
Place your wishes in an area where they can remain undisturbed for 28 days, or the entire Moon cycle.
Place your Phantom Quartz point in the center on top of your folded New Moon Wishes Sheet. With the points facing outward, place the four Lemurian Seed crystals around the Phantom Quartz at the 4 cardinal directions—north, south, east, and west.
Take your Clear Quartz point and draw an invisible line starting with the Phantom Quartz and moving to all four Lemurian Seed crystals until you have energetically connected them all. Think of it as “connecting the dots” like when you were a kid.
Leave your New Moon Wishes grid undisturbed for 28 days. At the end of the 28 days, on the night before the next New Moon, remove your crystals, and open your sheet. Reflect on your wishes, seeing which ones have manifested and which ones still need time to seed. Transfer those to your next month’s New Moon wishes.
Cleanse yo
ur crystals, and repeat this ritual as often as you’d like to be in alignment with the Moon cycle, always remembering to start at the New Moon.
New Moon Wishes
Phantom Quartz
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WISDOM KEEPER:
PUSH THE LIMITS
COLOR: Clear, colorless, transparent to translucent; can have various colors due to the different mineral deposits that they are composed of
ORIGIN: Found worldwide, including Brazil and the U.S.
HISTORY AND LORE: You may not see the energy of Phantom Quartz, but you’ll certainly feel its presence in the room. Muhahaha! Actually, Phantom Quartz, also known as the ghost crystal, is nothing to be scared of. Like Casper, this is a friendly ghost. It gets its name from secondary crystal growths that haunt the crystal from within. These growths can be made up of minerals or can appear as another type of quartz, like Rose Quartz or Smoky Quartz. The crystal envelops these secondary growths, and creates the look of minerals or crystals floating within the primary crystal.
HEALING PROPERTIES: Not surprisingly, these crystals are all about growth. If you’re feeling stuck in life, know that Phantom Quartz can help you to continue to move forward. The energy of Phantom Quartz can help guide you through a spiritual journey. It has the ability to receive and deliver messages to and from the universe. This is a crystal that can help you transition from one phase of your life to another. The transformational power of Phantom Quartz is a strong one, and the ideal energy for anyone going through a major life change.
RECLAIMING HER FEMININE SPIRIT
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While living in New York City in the 1990s, Timmi would often meet her friends from the garment industry after work at the trendiest spots. She and her friends would scan the room for the best table—one with easy access to the bar but close enough to a window so they could watch the action outside. The conversation was always the same, with each person trying to one-up the other about sales from the day and where they were traveling next to meet the big client. Business was booming in the garment industry at the time. If you were lucky enough to represent a hot clothing line, the money flowed . . . and Timmi’s line was hot, hot, hot!
On one particular night, the bar scene banter and drinks couldn’t drown out the replay of Timmi’s day in her head. At that point, she’d learned to turn a deaf ear to her boss when he started yelling at her. He was constantly threatening to replace her if she didn’t “sell, sell, sell.” But the daily degradation was finally beginning to take its toll. Timmi was living in a man’s world, because men owned most of the businesses that manufactured clothing. In order to master the game, she’d push aside her femininity to “play with the boys.” Although she hated what it was doing to her, Timmi liked the lifestyle and money. Remember, the mantra of the era was still, “Greed is good.”
Soon, though, the days turned into months, and the months turned into years. Timmi was beginning to wonder if this lifestyle was the best one for her. She’d made a promise to herself long ago that the day she became a “hardened bitch,” she would get out of the industry.
On this night, someone ordered another round of drinks, followed by another and another. She kept up with her friends drink by drink, and joke for joke, while she quietly smothered herself in worry. Finally she excused herself to get some fresh air on the rooftop bar. Looking over the railing at the bright city lights, from the corner of her eye, she noticed a woman sitting by herself. This woman took Timmi’s breath away. She had an inner glow that seemed to emanate from every cell of her being. She wore an elegant, flowing dress, and the wind billowed through her long, lustrous hair. She sat quietly. She wasn’t trying to capture the attention of anyone on the rooftop, but she was doing it anyway. Yes, she was attractive, but that wasn’t what was catching everyone’s eye. It was her inner confidence and grace. It was her poise and femininity.
Timmi gazed down at her own clothes. She was wearing tailored blue pants and a jacket with a crisp white shirt and barely heeled shoes. Her hair was cut into a short bob. Was she purposely dressing like a man now, too? She realized that her confidence was at an all-time low. Looking over again, Timmi wondered if that woman would ever let herself be treated by her boss the way Timmi was being treated now. Would she endure the verbal and emotional berating that Timmi had been getting from him for the last seven years? I’ll bet she wouldn’t, Timmi thought.
Just then, a man came up behind the woman and kissed her neck. The woman smiled. It was a private moment, so Timmi quickly looked up at the night sky, at the Full Moon beaming down on her.
She cracked. A tear fell down her cheek. She’d conditioned herself to think of tears as a sign of weakness. But she didn’t feel weak, she felt ready. This mysterious woman had reminded Timmi of something she’d lost touch with—her feminine spirit.
Timmi realized in that moment that she had indeed become the “hardened bitch” she swore she’d never be. She wasn’t outwardly mean, but she’d grown out of tune with her own true self. Was all that money worth it? Nope. The lifestyle she’d been living had run its course. It was time to make a change.
The next day, Timmi gave her two weeks’ notice.
ALLOWING THE FULL MOON TO FOSTER YOUR UNIVERSAL CONNECTION
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On the night of a Full Moon, you can feel the height of her powerful energy. She’s at her peak expression. It’s a beautiful sight to behold. Learning how to harness the energy of the Full Moon connects you with your own internal rhythm—as well as the rhythm of the universe.
Spending time under the luminous light of the Full Moon will help you develop a deep connection with the world around you. It will illuminate your inner light and encourage you to let go of the separateness. It will inspire you to feel the oneness of the universe. If, like Timmi, you’re feeling as if you’ve lost touch with your feminine spirit, the Full Moon is a wonderful time to start getting it back.
The energy of the Moon is available for everyone—not just women. Its luminosity, beauty, and grace shine upon us, for all of us to take in.
COSMIC CONNECTION ALTAR RITUAL
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TIME FRAME:
2 days before the Full Moon for altar setup, and 11 minutes on the night of the Full Moon
On the night of a Full Moon, Mother Moon illuminates the Earth with her powerful light. Physically connecting with this energy by creating an altar outside in the moonlight unites the light of your soul with the light of the universe. Allowing yourself the time to connect with the lunar, Earth, and universal energies at once helps to bring all aspects of your mind, body, and soul back into balance. Your cosmic connection altar will hold the energy of wholeness and oneness, deepening your relationship with the cosmos to become more in tune with yourself. We are all made of the same light that lies within the Moon.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
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1 small table, tray, or blanket to serve as the surface for your altar
1 Selenite crystal—named after the Greek goddess Selene, the goddess of the Moon
1 Moonstone to facilitate a deeper connection with the Moon
1 Labradorite crystal to connect you with the energy of the universe and cosmos
1 Unakite stone to balance masculine and feminine energies through the energy of love
1 Mason jar or bottle with a lid, filled with at least 1 cup of drinkable water
Flowers to be used as an offering. We recommend choosing white flowers that resonate with the energy of the Moon, such as Casablanca lilies, gardenias, or jasmine. Place them in a vase or bowl with water.
1 white candle to symbolize pure energy
A timer
1 sage stick
1 feather
1 abalone shell or fireproof container to catch ashes from the sage
OPTIONAL: A pinch of glitter to represent cosmic energy
RITUAL STEPS:
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Sage your environment, and cleanse your crystals
.
Hold the crystals in your hands, close your eyes, and take 3 deep breaths. Aloud or in your head, say the following: “I ask that the highest vibration of love and light connect with my highest self to clear all unwanted energy and any previous programming. I command these crystals to hold the intention of cosmic connection, wholeness, and expansion. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Consult a Moon calendar (you can find one on the Internet) to find out the timing of the next Full Moon.
Set up your altar 2 days before the night of the Full Moon. This period of the Moon cycle is the most powerful. Find a place outside where your altar can remain undisturbed for 3 days (the night of the Full Moon plus 2 days before), and place your table or blanket in the space. If you don’t have a space outside for your altar, you can create a mini cosmic connection altar on a tray that can be moved outside nightly.
Place the Selenite, Moonstone, Labradorite, and Unakite on your altar—4 represents the energy of foundation.
Place the flowers and candle on your altar. If you choose, throw a pinch of glitter onto the altar to represent cosmic energy.
Set the jar of drinkable water on your altar.
Leave the altar outside until the night of the Full Moon, and let the components absorb the Moon’s energy.
On the night of the Full Moon, head outside to your altar, and light the candle.
Set the timer for 11 minutes, and sit in front of the altar underneath the Full Moon. Feel the moonlight filling every cell of your being. Feel the Earth underneath you and the universe above you. Release into the Earth anything that no longer serves your highest good. Feel everything shift back into alignment—your body, mind, and soul. Feel your soul and energy expanding outward, becoming one with the energy of the universe.