Month: February 2013

Healing Begins

~ soulunfold ~ 2 Comments

This morning while I was in the shower, I was mulling over some recent advice from an intuitive I met at a festival a couple of weeks ago.  “Transformation,” he said, would be my path to the life I have dreamed about.  It’s all waiting for me, but I need to transform myself.  I assumed he meant physically, but as I venture further down this path of spiritual development, I realize that it’s a holistic transformation I’m after.  He showed me the card of a lotus blossoming, and said that that was what I needed to do.

So what’s my next step, then?  As I showered, I thought of Althea, my spirit guide. I thought of Althea tending her garden, pruning shrubs and enriching the soil and watering the gorgeous plants.  I thought of the garden as the landscape of my spirit–Althea is growing my spirit with her tending. I thought of her cutting some of the flowers, and sending synchronistic signs to me like bouquets.  I thought of my spirit growing and becoming lush and full, as a garden will do over time–I thought of the before and after photos of home gardens, and I thought of my own mother, who loves to watch her garden grow. And it comforted me to think of my soul flowering for its gardener.

Later, for the first time, I heard the song “Balance” by the band Future Islands. The lyrics say it precisely, “And you can clean around the wound/But if you want it to heal/It just takes time.”

The Future Islands get it right–it does take time. The next stanza of the lyrics tells us that it takes more than time–but it takes something we all have–hard work, “And you can go up to the moon/but if you want something to change/you gotta change your life/and take your time/it just takes time/hard work and your time.”

My soul is a landscape right now with some dry patches, some places that need the enrichment of love, attention, mindfulness, compassion, patience, and joy. Althea and I are planting our spring bulbs and maintaining the earth, but we can’t make it flower overnight. We can, however, tend the gardens daily and watch the bulbs slowly unfurl, step by step, and push up through the earth in their glorious, natural process. And yeah, I’ve worked on going up to the moon, but if I want transformation, baby–I have to change my life and take my time.

And finally, when it’s darkest, you know, right before the morning comes, “there’s a certain calm/and then there’s light.” For those of you out there who are interested in Tarot, these lyrics speak to me of The Star–a card that heralds a time for healing, a time for balance, and most of all, a time for <i>hope</i>.  This song and The Star card were messages for me because it’s time for me to heal the landscape of my soul–my soulscape, if you will–before I can achieve my goals.

Moonshine Meditation with Archangel Haniel

~ soulunfold ~ Leave a comment

After a few months’ hiatus, I am returning to blogging regularly about my spiritual development. I have had some wonderful breakthroughs over the last few months, for which I am grateful. I will write about them here and weave them into my daily posts.

Today, I asked my Doreen Virtue Archangel Oracle Cards deck for guidance on where to focus my energies. I was torn with some anxiety over whether to clean, organize, prepare my syllabus (I work a full-time job and I’m an adjunct English instructor at a university), read the books about Parapsychology and dreams that I just took out of the library, deal with the remaining birthday plans I am working on for a family member, or meditate–or try to fit in all of these things. I expected to see the “Teaching and Learning” card, or the “Clear Your Space” card, or maybe one of Raphael’s healing cards, but that’s not what came up.

Instead, what came up was Archangel Haniel’s “Moon Cycles” card, in which she urges you that “The full moon is a perfect time to release anything you’re done with, the new moon is the time to focus on manifesting desires and intentions and the evening before the full moon is an optimal time for healing, and for recharging healing instruments…” Well, it’s February 24, and tonight is the night just before the completely full moon–it’s a waxing gibbous moon, and it’s in the zodiac sign Leo, a perfect time to draw courage and strength to yourself and to release fear and insecurities.

I took Haniel’s guidance and created a meditation special for this time–I will perform it tonight, and if I feel tomorrow like I need the “fully full” moon to do it properly, I’ll perform it again. Because it is the night before the full moon, I will be smudging my crystals and lavender oils with my sage candle as well to clean and recharge them for the next lunar cycle. Please find below the meditation that I will use, with preparation directions. Disclaimer: Please remember before using epsom salt baths to consult with your physician. This is a meditation that I do for myself but it may not work for everyone. Proceed at your own discretion and risk.

Preparation:

1. Write a list of the things in your life that you are ready to release. It can be anything–a physical ailment, fears, insecurities, doubt, hate, depression–you name it. This is the time to cleanse yourself of it and be made new again. With each burden that you are preparing to release, imagine an opposite, light-filled energy that will take its place. See below in the meditation for my examples. Remember: nature abhors a vacuum. When you imagine emptying yourself of the heavy burdens in your life, something naturally more light rushes in to take its place.

2. Change the linens on your bed and set out clean pajamas. Place your favorite lotion or oil with a calming scent by your bed for moisturizing after your bath. Lavender and vanilla are excellent choices for encouraging sleep.

2. Run your bath. I tend to take on the fears and emotions of others and carry it around as my own baggage, so I prefer to sit in a de-magnetizing bath during this meditation. I add 1 cup of baking soda, 2 cups of epsom salts and a touch of lavender oil to the bath and mix it.

3. Light your candles. When meditating, I like to light a Sage & Citrus candle from Yankee Candle, a prosperity candle and a love candle.

4. Start your meditation music–my favorite meditation music is “Alpha to Theta” by Lowell Brams, looped on my iPhone.

4. Step into the bath and settle in.

Meditation:

Start by breathing in deeply through your nose and out through your mouth. Work to cleanse all of the air out from your diaphragm, making each breath cleansing. Continue this three times until your breathing has deepened.

Imagine yourself surrounded in a bluish-white rush of light that extends from the sky down to the center of your head, bathing you in comfort and putting you at ease. You are pulling this light to you with each deep breath. Imagine the light coursing around every contour of your body and finally exiting through your feet, looking like roots moving into the ground. This is Archangel Haniel’s moonglow and aura surrounding and comforting you with her maternal presence.

Close your eyes. In your third eye, imagine a stone path beneath your feet, with the bright, full moon above. The smell of lavender from the surrounding gardens comforts and relaxes you. The path winds forward through trees, with the moon always visible just ahead. Feel your bare feet on the cool stones and the warm air on your skin as you move toward an impossibly tall silver and violet gate at the end of the path.

Inside the gate is a seating area, with benches all around. On one of the benches, a beautiful angel awaits you. Her wings are silver-tipped, and she wears a gown made of silver and gold light. She steps forward and embraces you, and you walk together to a stone bench with cushions on it. As Archangel Haniel’s wings surround you, you continue to breathe in deeply through your nose and out through your mouth.

You look into Archangel Haniel’s beautiful face, and she asks you kindly, “Child, what is it that you need to release to me?”

You tell Archangel Haniel, “Archangel Haniel, I give you permission to take the following burdens from me.” With each response that you give to Haniel, pour a cupful of water over your head to physically release the unwanted emotion from your body and give it to Haniel. With each cupful of water, imagine that Haniel is cleansing you of the unwanted emotion with her healing, bluish-white light. As you do each one, imagine yourself living free of this burden and the positive aspects that will replace it, as I do in the examples below. Below are the things that I will tell Haniel that I want to release, but you will have your own list:

“Following is a list of the burdens I release tonight, on the night of the full moon.

I release all of my fears to you, Haniel, especially my fear of my spiritual abilities and my fear of change. Courage and strength take its place and flow through me.

I release my doubt to you. Faith raises me up.

I release my depression to you. A positive outlook lights my way.

I release the physical weight I carry to you. Along with it, I release my dependence on unhealthy foods. I can see food as fuel now and something to enjoy with moderation. I can move much more freely now, as well.

I release my tendency to over-analyze to you. I can be at peace and accept my life as it happens now.

I release my insecurities to you. I am human. I am also brave, magnetic and confident.

I release my issues with control to you. I move forward one step at a time in grace and faith, allowing the Divine Spirit to guide me. I give myself over to God to be led by the light.

I release my discontent, boredom and impatience to you. I am infinitely patient and grateful for my life and the gifts that God has given to me.

I release the emotional baggage of others. I can help others without suffering for them.

I release the rest of this sinus infection. I am clean, healthy and energetic again.

I release any negative feelings toward others to you. We are all children of God, filled with his Divine Spark. Love and compassion flow in to replace these feelings.

I am free.”

In response, Archangel Haniel embraces you, and whispers in your ear “So shall it be.” You stand together and as she waves goodbye, you follow the path out of the gate, and through the gardens, with the moon and the scent of the lavender bushes and sage guiding you. Slowly, open your eyes and wiggle your fingers and toes in the water to bring yourself back to earth. Remember to rinse again in regular water before leaving your bath.

I hope this meditation helps someone. Please leave me a comment if you have used it and had success with it or have any suggestions. Also, this meditation can be done at any point in the lunar cycle–it’s just particularly effective at the full moon. Thanks for reading.