Reach to the Sky

Earth Energy Tree Meditation

Go to a quiet place where you will not be disturbed and can sit comfortably in a chair with your feet touching the ground. Have a glass or bottle of water nearby. Begin by closing your eyes and breathing slowly and deeply, expanding your rib-cage and your belly for six breaths. Notice how this feels by focusing on the expansion and contraction of your ribs.

Relax and breath normally. Now bring your focus up between and behind your eyebrows, this is your Ajna Chakra or Third Eye and will help you with visualizing the rest of the meditation. Keep your eyes closed and picture a ball of white light in the center of your body, imagine it growing and expanding filling your body and creating a glow to about two feet from your body all around. At the outer edge imagine that a light blue electric light starts to form, like a forcefield it is protecting you and your space from any distractions.

Now feel the weight of your body where you are sitting, and imagine your chair as a tree stump, with roots reaching deep into the earth. Focus on your contact to the stump, and imagine that the white light flows freely from you to the stump and back again. Notice any sensations you may feel as you connect and ground yourself to Mother Earth.

Move your feet back and forth, and wiggle your toes while touching the floor. Imagine your feet have sent shoots down deep into the heart of Mother Earth as energy begins to flow effortlessly like water into your Energy Body. Picture the energy as a warm, golden-green color or loving pink color, whichever you are more comfortable with. Still your feet as they continue to drink and focus on the rising warmth as earth energy fills your legs, knees, hips, torso, arms, hands, neck and finally your head where it flows out the top, down your body, and back to the earth through the trunk of your tree-chair to the center of the Earth to be transformed into clear clean energy again. Allow it to flow at it’s own pace, and imagine as it does so it’s cleaning away all your doubts & fears, anger & frustration, and any negative speck or blocked idea that keeps you from pure love and joy.

As Earth Energy cleans out a space, it fills it with love, peace, and contentment. Focus on how this makes you feel.

When you are ready, open your eyes and drink your glass of water. Know that the water came from the earth and is nourishing your Energy Body which just had a good workout! As you continue your day, you can renew your connection to the earth by imagining a vine reaching from the base of your spine to the center of the earth.

Like an anchor it keeps you connected to Mother Earth and you can make it as large or small in your imagination as you think it should be. Use it any time you need to eliminate any negative or unpleasant emotions or energies throughout the day.

So begins Chapter One – Tarot’s Romantic History in Tall Dark Stranger – Tarot for Love and Romance by Corrine Kenner. Romance is a mystery of the heart that bring many to the Tarot to search for answers, and Ms. Kenner has written a book that explores exactly how tarot can do that. In Part 1: History and Mystery, the Elements of Attraction are explored as they relate to the tarot, as are the Astrological influences on the Major Arcana that have an effect on our relationships. Deciphering all these signs and symbols to understand how they teach us about our love relationships is a true art, and Kenner is a master at explaining things in language you can understand.

Part II consists of detailed definitions of all the cards, as they relate to love and relationships and beyond. Over all, Tall Dark Stranger is a well rounded book, never forgetting the most common reason people turn to the tarot in the first place, the quest for love. This book goes beyond the love match, and would make an excellent starter book for the novice tarot enthusiast, as well as a great addition to the experienced reader’s library.

As it says on the back of the book, Corrine Kenner is a certified Tarot Master who specializes in bringing metaphysicial subjects down to earth. She holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and she has taught Tarot classes and workshops since 1998. She’s also a nice person, I’ve met her and went to one of her workshops. She even gets personal in the introduction and talks about the reading she gave herself when she first met her husband.

So if you’re looking for love, love the tarot, or just want a good book written by a seasoned Tarot professional with a fun and informative voice, Tall Dark Stranger just might be your perfect match.

Delving deep in the mystery of womanhood, these flowing forms represent many aspects of the goddess that are being honored again today. Whether you are a girl or woman seeking to celebrate your feminine strengths, or anyone seeking a more intimate connection to the goddess, Forms of the Feminine Spirit brings it all into the palm of your hand. Faceless, they have a universal appeal that speaks to a broad audience of mysticism and devotion. Other themes that are explored include acceptance, balance, creation, desire, fertility, and wisdom.

Discover the mythical art of Meredith Dillman. These exquisitely detailed watercolor paintings echo the best spirit of the season. Look at her painting Yuletide, can’t you almost hear the medieval band begin to play, with it’s lutes, recorders, drums and harps?

Meredith’s art has been published in role-playing games, the books “Watercolor Fairies“, “Fairy Motifs”, “How to Draw and Paint Fairies” and metaphysical magazines and journals. Winterfest is the first one woman show of her paintings, and we are thrilled to celebrate the holiday season with her artwork in our gallery, both online and in our showroom.

Not only do we have her beautiful original paintings, but we have obtained a wide selection of prints and keepsake boxes created from Meredith’s artwork as well. Even though she lives and works in our own backyard, she has gained a following around the world through the books, magazines, and journals that have published her artwork. The Winterfest Art Show runs from November 4th 2007 through January 31st 2008.

Wheels of Light Chakra

One of the most often recommended books on Chakras, Wheels of Life by Anodea Judith, Ph.D. is subtitled as “a users guide to the chakra system” and it does a good job of living up to it’s title. Many books on this subject are written for a reader already familiar with the intricacies of yoga and the mythology of India. Those are great if you were raised with that, but for the western reader, Wheels of Life is a better, more readable introduction. That’s not to say that it doesn’t discuss the yogic roots of the chakra system, it does that admirably in a way that is both informative and enlightening.

Anodea Judith takes this Eastern System and explains it in a way that any average person can understand. She first introduces the origins, and then chapter by chapter explores each individual chakra, beginning with a meditation. While she explores them seperately, Judith is careful to include how they interrelate, and just how we as humans can not only gain understanding, but begin to explore our own chakra system.

One thing that this book does admirably is to stress that all the chakras work together as a whole, and that all are needed for a healthy human life. Often in metaphysical circles there is a stress on the importance of “higher” thought, which relates to the upper chakras, but Judith points out that without the lower chakras, our physical bodies would not be able to operate. With all the talk of manifesting by putting your wishes out there, this is one of the few voices of reason which remind us that just as in childbirth, our dreams must first be constricted to the confines of the physical plane to become reality. The beauty is that she describes the cycle in a way that each of us can relate to and apply in our daily lives.

Another feature is that each chapter contains exercises in working with the chakras, and the last few chapters discuss their role in our personal relationships, and our evolution as human beings on this planet. This book makes learning the chakra system possible for the beginner, and at the same time has wonderful insight and tools for the experienced energy workers out there. Wherever you are on your journey, Wheels of Life by Anodea Judith, Ph.D. should be one book you can continue to return to for integrating the mind, body, spirit connection.

Working at a Metaphysical Store called Eye of Horus, we are constantly asked questions about all things Egyptian. One of the most well-known symbols of ancient Egypt is the ankh, which also is known as the original cross. For most people it’s just a cool looking image for a tattoo or as a pendant worn by the Goth kid down the street. Much of what we know about Egyptian culture and beliefs came from the artwork and artifacts of the tombs of the kings, and the ankh plays a prominent role in that aspect, not because it’s a symbol of death, but because it’s a symbol of life.

“This magic knot or cross, known as Nem Ankh, the key of life, was often used in the iconography of opposites. The loop over the tau-cross could stand for the Sun, for Heaven and Earth as the macrocosm and for man as the microcosm. It is generally interpreted as a symbol which expresses the reconciliation of opposites of the integration of active and passive qualities. This is amply confirmed by the fact that, when recumbent, the ankh symbolizes both male and female sexual attributes in precisely the same way as the very realistic Hindo depiction of a Hermaphrodite standing on a Lotus flower.”

A Dictionary of Symbols, Jean Chevalier and Alain Gheerbrant

The ankh also resembles a key and is considered the key to eternal life after death. As such, it was traditionally used as a pendant to ward off destruction or decay, and was cast in gold rather than silver, to better reflect the nature of the Sun. Speaking of the Sun, another theory says that that the ankh symbolizes the sunrise, with the loop representing the Sun rising above the horizon, which is represented by the crossbar. That leaves the vertical section below the crossbar to represent the path of the sun. There are many pictures of Gods and Kings holding the ankh, indicating that they had the power to give life. Whatever the meaning of this beautiful symbol, we at Eye of Horus celebrate the Ankh as the dance of life, and the abilities that are given to us to enjoy that life.

Related Links:

• The Ancient Ankh Symbol of Life – Feature Story with photos from Tour Egypt Website
• DancenAnkhen – Another unique design for clothing, gifts & accessories from HorusGear

About the Author
Beth Hansen-Buth is a Reiki Practioner, Faeries’ Oracle Reader and Artist of Reiki and Mythical Fantasy Art.
copyright © 2007, Beth Hansen-Buth

I watched the store while they talked, and then he said his farewell before I even knew what had happened. Then Thraicie showed me his beautiful wands, created with loving care. We were so impressed by the quality and spirit of the “Harry Potter” style wands, we asked him to create a collection of wands for truly magical use. The result was our exclusive line of Tree-Magic Wands.

Since then, Oliver’s Wands has found a home at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival every fall, and we’re thrilled that our friend Bill has gotten the attention he deserves. He is a Master Wandmaker indeed!

Related Links:

The Potter Blotter
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

About the Author
Beth Hansen-Buth is a Reiki Practioner, Faeries’ Oracle Reader and Artist with some Wizarding World tendencies. Someday she’ll have one of her own Tree-Magic Wands from Oliver’s.
copyright © 2007, Beth Hansen-Buth

A lot has been said and written about what’s wrong with a variety of pagan or new age spirituality sarcastically referred to as the Fluffy Bunny. Just search Google for Fluffy Bunny Wicca and you will see what I mean. Those who follow the FB tradition may call themselves White Witches, Pink Witches, or Lightworkers. They are different than the black-clothed goth-lings who get their kicks out of frightening their parents and delight in improving their psychic vampire skills. Those would be the Misguided Gothic Vampire Bunnies from Hell or MGVH.

A true Fluffy Bunny believes that God and/or Goddess is good, loves us, and wants what’s best in our lives. Fluffy Bunnies like angels, spirit guides, crystals and flower fairies a great deal; as well as healing just about anything with the help of angels, spirit guides, crystals and flowers. Fluffy bunnies glow with childlike joy when they talk about their Goddess, and work hard at opening their third eye without getting bogged down with complex tools like the Tarot or Runes. Their chakras put out pastel rainbow colors when they are doing their lightworking, which is just about all the time.

Fluffy Bunnies embrace love, life, springtime and high vibrational energies. Sometimes they jingle when they walk because they love wearing bells and baubles which sparkle and tinkle. This often makes many Serious Traditional Wiccans, or STWs, who prefer their Gods imperfect, dark, tricky and unknowable very uncomfortable around the FB’s. Their circles are filled with seriousness, angst, and secrecy, believing that’s how it always has been and always should be. Incapable of lightening up, they shun the light, soft comforting embrace of Fluffy Bunnies.

Those who follow the FB tradition love to hug you any chance they get, wear lots of pink and violet, and smell like flowers. The FBW, or Fluffy Bunny Wiccans, take the wiccan rede “Do as thou wilt an it harm none” to a place closer to “do as thou wilt an it heal and uplift all” in actual practice. They make spells out of nursery rhymes, love children, and enjoy singing happy songs. They sing praise to the Goddess and thank her for her beauty while wearing super sparkley eye shadow and lipstick.

They also offer a gentle bridge to people seeking alternative, new age or pagan spirituality. Sometimes they settle down and learn to dig in the dirt becoming Gaia Pagans, and start wearing earth tones and ecologically friendly make-up. But when the flowers bloom in spring you can see the FB in them come out in all it’s glory. For they are glorious in their joy. When you see the twinkle in the eye of an FB a part of you may even see the Goddess in all her dancing, shining Maiden and Mother-love self, while the Crone and the Hunter are off catching bunny rabbits for the children to play with. Maybe, just maybe, there’s some wisdom to be found in wonder and joy too.

About the Author
Beth Hansen-Buth is a Wiccan, Reiki Practioner, Faeries’ Oracle Reader and Artist with some Druidic tendencies. She thinks it’s high time for grouchy old Wiccans to lighten up and enjoy themselves and hug a Fluffy Bunny or three.

copyright © 2007, Beth Hansen-Buth

by Beth Hansen-Buth
Beltane, or May Day is a celebration of flowers coming into bloom, and is often considered a spring festival today. The celebrations usually begin on April 30th at sundown, and involve things like bonfires, selecting a May Queen & King, dancing the may pole, and other quaint old world customs. Today there is a renewal of celebrating this yearly fire festival around the world. In Scotland the Beltane Fire Society will be celebrating it’s 20th year of putting on this festival which attracts 12 thousand people to Calton Hill in Edenburg. Just as Halloween/Samhain marks the beginning of winter, Beltane marks the beginning of spring. Legends tell us that on May Eve the Fairy Queen rides forth to lure mortals to her realm.

In Germany, April 30th is known as Walpurgisnacht, and it was believed that witches flew on their brooms to the Brocken Mountain where they danced all night around bonfires. This night is named after St Walpurga, who came from England in the 8th century to become the abbess of a German monastery, who’s feast day is May 1st. In Sweden and Finland there are still huge bonfires on this night, and May Day picnics are the norm.

These ritual activities attune the community to the cycle of the year, and to each other as a part of the cycle of life. Donald Tyson has this to say about the importance of ritual:

Ritual is a mechanism for changing all four levels of being: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. We all know that our feelings affect our physical health and condition. We know that our minds, both the part we see and the part we do not see, control our feelings. What many do not realize is that there is a fourth level of spirit that determines the state of our minds…The greatest benefit of ritual may be, not its limitless power of transformation, but the way it allows those who practice it to perceive value in things they already possess, whether these are the forests and lakes around them, or the people in their lives.

Participating in a Beltane ritual allows us to welcome Summer with an attitude of excitement, celebration, and community. At the same time, we have the opportunity to honor and revere the cycle of life and nature as sacred. For over 30 years In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre has held a May Day Parade and Festival at Powderhorn Park, here’s the details of this year’s event:

This year’s theme is Somos Agua / We Are Water
Sunday, May 6 the Parade begins at 1:00pm at Bloomington Ave and 26th Street in South Minneapolis, proceeding south to 34th Street. The Tree of Life Ceremony and an all-day festival follows in Powderhorn Park.

Time: 1:00- 4:00
Cost: free

Weather permitting, the Eye of Horus Secret Garden Labyrinth will be available for walking and meditation during daylight business hours. Come and visit the flowers and have a happy Beltane everyone!

What Two Secrets Can You Apply to Turn Every Movie You Watch into a Spiritual Experience?

There are two things you can do to transform Every movie you watch into an opportunity for spiritual growth and learning. What are they?

Before revealing the secrets of turning simple cinema into spiritual cinema you might want to examine your movie watching tendencies. What are your favorite movies? Do you prefer romance, comedy, sci-fi, adventure, westerns, etc.?

While these movie watching secrets can be applied to any movie, it is important to remember that what you put into your mind helps to shape your reality and view of the world. With that in mind, why not choose movies that will motivate and inspire you?

Though a steady diet of horror or crime films might excite you, they might also leave you with a view of the world that is less than stellar. A negative outlook on life will not help you in your interactions with others or in your quest for achieving what you truly desire in life.

On the other hand, watching motivational and inspirational movies can help spur you to improve your own life and the lives of others. So, the next time you go to watch a movie, why not make it a film that will uplift or inspire you – or at the least bring you some joy?

Your choice of movie will make applying the following secrets easier to implement. (Remember, though they can work with any movie).

THE FIRST SECRET

What is the first secret to turning any movie you watch into a spiritual experience?

It is simple but powerful. Before the movie begins close your eyes and ask your mind or subconscious to pick out and remember any aspects of the film that you can use and apply in your own life to make your life better. It is that simple.

While you’re watching the movie, remember anything that impresses you deeply. Then, immediately after the movie is over, write down the scenes, situations, or lessons that come to you as being important in your life. Don’t judge them initially just jot them down then go over them later.

THE SECOND SECRET

Next, review the movie highlights that you have jotted down. The second secret is to actively apply the lessons in your own life. In other words, take something from the movie and use it to improve your life – or the lives of others.

As an example, I recently watched the movie What the Bleep Do We Know? A motivational movie about the power you have to create your own reality. There was one part of the movie, though, that really demonstrated the power of intention.

Japanese scientist Masaru Emoto did a very interesting experiment on the power of intention and the written word to affect the molecular structure of water. Photographs of the structure of the water were examined before and after certain events. The molecules was brighter, whiter, healthier, purer looking after a blessing by a monk, and also after words were taped to bottles of distilled water – words like “love” and “thank you.” (It should be noted that when the words were negative in nature the molecules turned a dingy yellow.)

In some of the experiments the words were accompanied by the mental projection of that particular word to transform the water. The scientist also noted that these intentions seemed to affect the structure of the molecules. (Hint: Intend to watch a movie with the purpose of learning something that will improve your life).

So, the lesson of the water was a testament to the power of thoughts and words to shape physical reality. But, how to translate and apply that lesson? That particular lesson could be applied in a number of ways, notably, recognizing that the thoughts and words you use on a daily basis help create your reality. So why not continually think and use positive words and phrases?

Of course, the most obvious application of the lesson is to actually write down words of power on jugs of water that you drink. (Actually, the simplicity of it eluded me until a friend of mine told me he was doing this.)

So, now I’m drinking jugs of water “blessed” with power words. My first batch features the words, “love energy.” Is it working? I think so – it inspired me to skip some reality tv and write this…

Get your free spiritual ebook – 50 Spiritual Movies. It lists and reviews motivational movies. And why not join a free abundance club where others beam you wealth visualizations and prosperity affirmations.

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