Scrubbing the Soul!

Fluffy Vanilla Patchouli Eggnog Scrub

Day 3 of the new year and the weekend is upon us! The first day I usually take it to relax and generally just watch some movies with the kids. The second day though, I go into all out planning mode! And I love that while I'm super stoked and motivated to get things done, I also want a little bit of that calmness. So since I had planned out a good chunk of my calendar, and started on a writing project; I figured my next step was to hop on the treadmill for 30 minutes! Then while I was quick stepping along.. ok it did briefly look like THIS when my husband and son came into the room and I felt the need to bust a move; thankfully I didn't bust my ass! But it suddenly occurred to me that I needed to make a scrub! I went back to that whole feeling of wanting to keep the motivation, but definitely needing to mellow out a little! But it was sorta starting to be more than that too.. I wanted something to still remind me of the holiday season. To give me that warm fuzzy feeling! I figured while I was at it I'd add a little magick into it of course!

Thursday is ruled by Jupiter and matters of prosperity, luck, and expansion. The Moon moved into Aquarius and is good for making connections! And since we're in the waxing cycle, it's the best time in bringing things too us! Vanilla immediately came to mind, since anything vanilla reminds me of baking, but it used as a GREAT pick me up. Cinnamon can help amplify any working and is used for vitality, prosperity, protection, and psychic awareness. But you do NOT want to use cinnamon in essential oil form, as it is highly irritating to skin! Patchouli is also multi-functional and I didn't want my scrub to be too sugary sweet, so I thought the earthiness would bring a nice undertone to the scent. Plus it's been one of my go to scents since I was a teen, so I knew it was going to be added. Nutmeg is used for clairvoyance and divination so I figured with the Aquarius energy, I'd like to use it to "tap in" a little more! Plus, you can't have eggnog without a little nutmeg! And eggnog's magickal properties include fertility, new beginnings, transformation, the future, prosperity, mood boosting and about keeping traditions! So here's how it's made!

EGGNOG SCRUB

1 c. epsom salts

1/3 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
a smidge of nutmeg

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. water (optional)
2 Tbsp. egg nog

7 drops vanilla essential oil

4 drops patchouli essential oil

I started by putting my epsom salt, sugar, cinnamon, and olive oil in my Ninja Master Prep (THANKS MOM!). Using it makes it a little easier since I can just use it straight from the container and not have to find something else to put it into! After pulsing that a few times and mixing it up, I'll add a little water. I don't like my scrubs to be super dry. I like to have a little bit of moisture, but still have it be able to retain it's structure without breaking it down. I wouldn't add more than a teaspoon of water though. Then add your essential oils and mix again!

By now it should have about the scent and consistency you're looking for! But wait, where's the eggnog!? Here's where it get's interesting! Pour your eggnog into your scrub, take a fork and whip it up! You don't have to vigorously mix it, but the picture I took was the final consistency of what it should look like. Sorry it sucks, I am so not a photographer!! But lemme tell you.. this scrub feels absolutely DIVINE. Like a gritty silk pie or whipped cream! For a scrub, it works double duty and even while it's exfoliating you're getting a great lathering of moisture!

So if you happen to have a little bit of eggnog left over and you just can't bring yourself to have one more cup... switch it up into a scrub and give yourself a little bit of indulgence!

If you're looking for some good books to get started on making your own beauty products.. you know minus all the chemicals and whatnot! Here are a few I recommend checking out!

The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood
Enchantments: 200 Spells for Bath & Beauty Enhancement by Edain McCoy
Magical Aromatherapy by Scott Cunningham
Natural Beauty at Home by Janice Cox


BTW.. more good stuff will be on the way shortly!!

Have a great weekend!
Andi

What You Do, You Be! Do-be-do-be-do!

"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude." ~Maya Angelou

"Things do not change; we change." ~Henry David Thoreau

"Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow." ~Dan Rather

I was thinking to myself earlier, this seems to happen on occasion! ;) And if you've read my earlier posts Minding Your Thoughts or Minding Your Words, you'll see this one follows along the same lines! Anyways.. It's sometimes easy for us to get caught up in the monotonous feelings that can be there. I mean, sure.. who doesn't want to be happy all the time for the most part?! And usually we're pretty happy with the way life is going, but then there's always something that gives us a little "what if"? What if I decided to quit my job and pursue my hobby as a career? What if I took the jump of singing in front of people? But if you don't take the chance, you would never know the opportunity. Because the opportunity is there... they'll always come around. But what you do, is what you'll be...

And this works in a lot of ways! It's the same with what you say. If you're always complaining and it's coming out of your mouth; it's coming out, because you've already thought it, it's been processed. Uh-oh. And now you're feeling like you've got a big 'ol F! So then you're grumpy throughout the day. It's what you're doing is what is going to determine what you'll BE doing while you continue down the path. What you say is what you think and what you think is what you'll do and what you do is what you'll be... see the cycle? Too many times we stand in our own way! It is easy to make excuses for why we do this as we'll rationalize it out to where it becomes acceptable to what we think and feel. But then after a while we are upset at ourselves for letting the time pass by! There needs to still be the understanding and acceptance that things happen for a reason.. whether or not we decide to take that leap. But the opportunities that present themselves are there for the taking. It is only up to us to make the decision on what we want to DO, for what the future will BE!

Here is a great meditation to help with mental clarity and allowing for new experiences!

Items Needed; 1 blue candle, 1 orange candle, 1 white candle.. place in a triangle with the white candle at top, blue to the left side and orange to the right.

If possible, make an essential oil blend with the following; 4 drops of Lemongrass, 2 drops of Bay, 1 drop of Basil, 1 drop Ginger, 1 drop of Nutmeg; anoint your third eye before beginning meditation.

Begin by sitting and gazing at the candle light. Watch as the candle flames dance and flicker. See the energy within the flame as golden energy as each day begins the blazing sun crests the horizon. Feel how that energy is a new beginning and eternal as it is there for you to take at any time, every day. Either continue to sit upright or lie down in a comfortable position. Take a few deep breaths in and let them out and begin to steady your breath. As you begin to slip into a light meditative state, let yourself feel light and airy... visualize yourself laying on a BIG, WHITE, FLUFFY cloud.. feel how soft and relaxing and carefree it has you feeling. Sail through the sky and enjoy the relaxation it brings. When you are ready, feel the cloud bring you to a clearing on the top of a mountain. There is a lush meadow filled with many wildflowers. Step off the cloud and walk through the meadow to a giant tree. The only tree that you can see. Feel it's strength in the adversity of being on this mountain by it's lonesome. You notice there is a desk with a journal on it under the tree. You see this journal containing thoughts on situations you've wondered about being different. As you sit reading though them, you realize that some are things you no longer wanting to worry about.. mark in the journal underneath the entry how you are done worrying of this and move on to the next. There will be some you won't be able to go through at this time and that is ok. Then you will notice the blank pages that are still there. Now is the time to journal what you are feeling of your "WHAT IF"... After you are done, re-read the journal entries you may want to revisit and also your WHAT IF entry. Close the journal knowing you are going to work on what it is you want to be so as not to have that feeling you didn't try. Climb back on the cloud and let it take you through the sky and back to the beginning of where you first found it. Let your body adjust to coming more into the physical. And slowly open your eyes.

When you come out of this meditation you should feel relaxed, but SUPER motivated and released of any failing negative feelings!! :)

If you have any questions on how you can connect with your soul's purpose, you can send me a message at my email or at facebook and feel free to leave comments as well!

Namaste!

Spring Spiritual Housecleaning

The Spring Equinox, or Ostara, is just a few days away!! And while we wake ourselves from Winter's slumber, that wonderful time of year is back! SPRING CLEANING!!!! ;) Spring cleaning can bring about such a love/hate relationship. We love the outcome, just hate cleaning up that mess. It can be a spiritual time though too. Asking yourself "do I really need this?" or "is hanging on to this really benefiting me?" can be tough whether it something material or is something emotional. Sometime the material and the emotional can be tied together. I know it can be for me; I still have my old prom ticket! ;)

However, every year at this time, I grumpily start in one room and work my way through the house and usually along the way somewhere I step back and say HOLY COW that's a LOT of JUNK!!! How did I let it get that way? And why did I allow it to sit in my house for months on end for no reason?? But by the time I'm done.. I'm happy to be done and everything just feels more lighter. Like a breath of fresh, spring air!

So first I wanted to share this little excerpt that I had posted to my Myspace page a few years back..


Spiritual Housecleaning
By Kathryn L. Robyn


Your entire home can be sacred space if you treat it with respect & understanding as to how its cleanliness or lack of it affects aspects of your life.

To invite more nurturing into your life, clean your kitchen
To connect with your soul & its purpose, clean your living room
To have healthy self & body images, clean your bathroom
To rid yourself of doubt & failure, clean cracks & crevices
To dump baggage from your past & childhood, clean your basement, closets & storage areas
To draw a sex life healthy for you, clean your bedroom
To set up healthy boundaries in your life, clean your hallways, walls, floors & ceilings

It also helps these aspects of your life if the corresponding places in your home are asthetically pleasing to you as well as clean. The author of Spiritual Housecleaning warns, however, that too clean is not necessarily a good thing & may invite a sense of sterility & barrenness into your life.



Now this is all fine and good.. but you might be asking, OK anything else I can do to help draw in more positivity? But of course!! You didn't think I was going to let you get away empty handed, did you?!

Before actually starting to clean.. Take a brief moment to meditate and ask your guides and angels to help you along the process.. To help you to see what you need and be able to let go of that which you don't.

You might want to make an aromatherapy spiritual home spray too! To do this you'll need:
a container to put your mixture in
1 Tbsp. vodka (isopropyl alcohol will work, but honestly, not as well!)
1/2 c. of water
and some essential oils, of course!

Here are some basic essential oil properties. An extensive amount of information can be found at AromaWeb. As always, BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR OILS FOR TOXICITY CONCERNS!!!!

Confidence
Bay Laurel, Bergamot, Cypress, Grapefruit, Jasmine, Orange, Rosemary

Happiness and Peace
Bergamot, Frankincense, Geranium, Grapefruit, Lemon, Neroli, Orange, Rose, Sandalwood, Ylang Ylang

Prosperity
Basil, Ginger, Jasmine, Laurel, Oakmoss, Patchouli, Pine

Protection
Clove, Geranium, Juniper, Lemon, Lime, Pettigrain

Stress
Benzoin, Bergamot, Clary Sage, Frankincense, Geranium, Grapefruit, Jasmine, Lavender, Mandarin, Neroli, Patchouli, Roman Chamomile, Rose, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Ylang Ylang

Besides making a house spray... BEFORE I spray the house with it; I will open ALL the windows, and doors, in the house and go through with a sage smudge stick. I ask that all negativity be carried out of the house with the smoke from the smudge stick. Some people and children, especially those with asthma, have a tough time with the smoke... that is one reason for opening up all the windows, to allow the smoke to move through quicker. Though I have also heard this as being a very old tradition as well; not the sage part, but just opening all the windows! I remember BOTH of my grandmothers doing that! After smudging and allowing the smoke to clear. I will spend a moment in the center of the house, which thankfully in my one level ranch happens to be the family room! I meditate on peace and happiness and thank the house spirits for what they have brought me through the previous year and ask for more of their blessings this year! THEN, I go through my house, usually with some really upbeat music playing and spray, spray, spray!

So go get some spring spiritual housecleaning done! As Gwen Stefani says, What you waitin for? ;)

If you need any help choosing some essential oils or want to share some of your own housecleaning tips; feel free to contact me at my email or at Facebook.

Many Blessings!!!!
Andi