Tarot Card of the Month - The Heirophant

Originally called “the Pope”, this month’s Tarot card is the Heirophant. The value of the Heirophant Card is number five and is ruled by Taurus.

The Heirophant represents spiritual leadership and guidance. He is the vehicle for spiritual knowledge and stands for conformity and responsibility. His right hand points heaven-wards and is held in a sign of benediction, symbolising a blessing of love and spiritual well being. A gold and silver key appear at his feet, meaning “keys to the kingdom of heaven”. They are crossed in a papal emblem of authority and unlock spiritual knowledge. In his left hand is a staff. It is the symbol of the triple cross with each mark a symbolic level of devotion. The staff as well as the keys and the hand blessing are all signs that the Heirophant is more than qualified to extoll spiritual advice and leadership to the people.

On the one hand, the Heirophant is a wise counsel, striving to create harmony and peace in the midst of a crisis. On the other hand, he can also represent strict conformity and uncompromising ideas or values. At his best, he is wise and soothing, at his worst, he is an unbending traditionalist.

When the Heirophant appears in a spread, it could signify advice and guidance received or sought from a professional source, such as a teacher, lawyer or spiritual adviser. As the Heirophant stands for conformity, it may warn the Querant against being too stubborn, unbending or too conventional in the area of moral, religious or social conventions.

Key words of the Hierophant – conformity, good counsel, tradition, knowledge

Full Moon in Leo - 18 February 2011

Feeling out of sorts and on edge? Tomorrow night's full moon in the sign of Leo is causing all kinds of turmoil. Watch out for conflicts as this alignment is forcing secrets to the surface, amongst other things. Any frustrations you feel in your relationships will be highlighted and you can see where you need to make changes. It’s also a good time for reevaluating any new projects recently undertaken.

As people tend to be more emotional during a full moon, the best way to deal with any conflict is to understand that they are simply lost in their own drama and don’t take it personally.

Any major decisions are best made after Sunday when things begin to settle down.

Valentine's Day

In celebration of Valentine’s Day on 14 February, this month’s article is dedicated to love and romance. Hopefully, most of us will be spending Valentine's Day with that special someone. But for those who are single, rest assured love is never too far away. In the meantime, there are plenty of things you can do to help shift old energy patterns and help bring more love and romance into your life.

Crystal Therapy
A great way to align yourself with loving energy is by using crystals (see my earlier article on Crystals). Once they are charged with intent, carry them around with you or put them where you will see them. You can place them by your bed or wear them over the heart chakra. The crystals I would recommend for any matters to do with the heart are Rose Quartz, Rhodochrosite and Jade.

Rose Quartz is the stone of unconditional love and peace. It is the most important crystal for the heart and the heart chakra. It purifies and opens the heart at all levels and brings deep inner healing and self love. It is calming and has a very gentle soothing energy. It releases repressed hurts, promotes forgiveness and offers inner peace. If you want to attract love, Rose Quartz is the crystal for you. In existing relationships, it will restore trust and harmony and encourage unconditional love.

Rhodochrosite is a wonderful stone that promotes selfless love and compassion. It is an excellent stone for the heart and relationships, especially for people who feel unloved. This stone helps bring repressed and painful feelings to the surface, allowing them to be acknowledged and then released. Emotionally, it encourages expression of feelings and helps lift a depressed mood bringing lightness into life.

Jade is a symbol of purity and serenity. It is associated with the heart chakra and increases love and nurturing. It is a protective stone, which keeps the wearer from harm and brings harmony. Emotionally, jade is a “dream stone”. Placed on the forehead it brings insightful dreams. It aids emotional release, especially of irritability. It calms the nervous system and channels passion in constructive ways. It can also be used to harmonise dysfunctional relationships.

Essential Oils

There are plenty of essential oils that can be used to support the heart and emotions. These include rose, geranium, lavender, juniper, bergamot, jasmine, sandalwood and ylang-ylang. Here are some suggestions on how to immerse yourself in these healing aromas:

• Burn a few drops of your favourite oil in an oil burner. If you’re after something sensual, ylang-ylang is a well known aphrodisiac aroma. For emotional healing, choose Rose.
• Use a few drops of essential oil in a spray bottle with water and spray throughout your home.
• Sprinkle a few drops of essential oil into your bath.
• Dilute 20 drops of oil in a carrier oil such as jojoba and give yourself (or that special someone) a romantic massage.

Colour Therapy
 This is another complementary therapy dating back thousands of years. Colour has a profound affect on our moods and emotions which is why we find some colours depressing and others uplifting. Colour is simply light of varying wavelengths, thus each colour has its own particular vibration.

For matters to do with the heart, surround yourself with warm pinks and green. These are the two colours that resonate with the heart chakra. Pink is the colour of universal love and green represents life, nature and fertility. Try burning some pink coloured candles around the home to help open the heart and stimulate love and beauty.


Ways to Love Yourself
Valentine’s Day isn’t just about lovers, it’s also about loving yourself. As the old cliché goes, you need to love yourself first before someone else can love you. Here are some ways to give yourself the gift of love on Valentine’s Day:

Self Acceptance
Accept yourself for who you truly are. We all have negative feelings regarding ourselves but when we recognize that none of us are perfect, we can accept our flaws more easily. To have self love means to be non-judgmental about yourself, accepting all parts unconditionally. When you accept yourself fully, others will too.

Forgiveness
We all have guilt from our past. Mistakes are unavoidable and a necessary part of life. How else would we learn if we never made mistakes? Feeling shameful and guilty about the past doesn’t serve anyone, least of all yourself. Spend some time meditating on your past mistakes and offer yourself and others total forgiveness.

Let Go of the Past
Being bound by regrets and disappointments from the past can keep many of us in chains. Recognise that the only time that exists is this present moment. Release old energy and thought patterns by offering forgiveness to the divine. Treat yourself to a spiritual healing to help your body reach an inner state of harmony - physically, mentally and spiritually.

Spoil Yourself
Many of us spend too much time worrying about life instead of living it. Do something out of the ordinary to spoil yourself on Valentine’s Day. Have a relaxing full body massage or spend a weekend away. Treat yourself to a special gift to boost your self esteem and make you feel good about yourself.

Do Something Different
Many of us define ourselves by who we think we are. Challenge your self perception by trying a new activity – join a new club or book in for that course you have always wanted to do. Every path leads somewhere and you may find yourself on a whole new journey of self discovery.

Tarot Card of the Month - The Lovers

This month’s Tarot card is the Lovers Card. It’s numerical value is six and it is ruled by Gemini. The Lovers card can have several different meanings, depending on the surrounding cards.

The symbols on the card show a man and woman. Their nakedness represents having nothing to hide and innocence. Behind the man is the Tree of Life bearing 12 fruits. Behind the woman is the Tree of Knowledge with a Serpent wrapped around the trunk symbolising enlightenment. Archangel Raphael presides over them both.

The man represents the conscious mind (logic and reason), while the woman represents the subconscious mind (passion and emotion). An amalgamation of the two is represented by Archangel Raphael, the super-conscious mind.

The image shows the man looking at the woman, who in turn looks up at the Angel. She is the bridge between the physical and spiritual planes. When these two forces come together, we experience love and union, which in turn allows us to get a glimpse of Heaven.

When the Lovers Card appears in a spread, it usually indicates a physical relationship of some kind. It can point to love, intimacy, physical chemistry and mutual attraction. It may suggest a platonic relationship is now moving towards a more intimate one. It may also indicate harmony, co-operation and unity within an existing relationship. There is an element of commitment with the Lovers card.

Another aspect of this card is the element of choice. You may be faced with having to make a choice in love, work or career. There may also be decisions that involve personal beliefs, values, standards and ethics. Moral crossroads is often shown by the Lovers card which tells us to consider all consequences before acting.

Keywords of the Lovers card are – love, relationships, intimacy, union, conflicting choices, temptation, personal values

Crystal Therapy

The ancient Egyptians used them, as did the Mayans, Aztecs, American Indians and Celts. There is a lot of mystery surrounding crystals with many people unsure how to use them. Admittedly, before I started practicing Reiki, I was a little dubious about the effectiveness of these stones. These days, they are an essential part of my practice and I use them with every healing. Many clients have told me that they feel an upsurge of energy the moment I place crystals on their body. I have seen the results for myself and I wouldn’t use them if they were ineffective. So how do crystals actually work?

A crystal is a mineral that has crystallized. They formed deep under the earth using compression which affects their properties and the way they function. In effect, they are our earth’s DNA containing records of the development of the earth over millions of years. Each crystal has it’s own specific “note” or healing property. Their structure can absorb, focus and emit energy, especially on the electromagnetic waveband.

Think of crystals as conductors or conduits of energy, much the same as batteries. Just as batteries need charging in order to work, so do crystals. They work on a very subtle level, using resonance and vibration. When charged with energy they are very effective when used for healing.

Crystals are used today in medical practices. They are piezoelectric, which means they conduct electricity. They are used in ultrasound machines to produce sound waves. Sound is now being applied at the leading edge of surgery. A tightly focused beam of ultrasound can cauterize wounds deep within the body and blast tumours apart without the need for invasive procedures. I like the think of crystals as mother nature’s gift to us, she has provided us with the the tools we need to heal our bodies.

Clients frequently ask me how to charge and clean their crystals. I’ve heard a lot of weird and wonderful stories on how to do this, but it’s not as difficult or mysterious as you may think.

Choosing your Crystal

Crystals can be purchased at most new age shops or markets. You may need to do some research if you want a crystal for a specific purpose. The best way to choose a crystal is to let your intuition guide you. When making a selection, pick them up in your hand and allow yourself to be drawn to the right one. Find one that resonates with you.

Cleansing your Crystal

Most crystals can be held under running water or immersed in sea or salt water. As you rinse, hold the intention that all negativity will be washed away and the crystal will be reenergized. Place it in the light of the sun or moon for a few hours to allow it to “recharge”. I have seen many clients who come to me with “dead” crystals that need recharging. Remember, you are dealing with subtle energy so you need to do your cleansing and recharging on a regular basis.

Programming your Crystal

To focus the energy of your crystal, you will need to program it. Place it in your hand and allow yourself to open to higher guidance. You can do this while meditating. Consider the purpose you want to use it for and be specific. It may be to attract love or for healing. If you have an illness you want to heal, state the condition. Put the crystal in a place where you see it frequently or keep it with you. Crystals are highly responsive and will absorb whatever you program them to do.

As you become more aligned with the crystals you will begin to see and feel their energy. There are thousands of crystals available and each has it’s own specific purpose. In time you will have your own collection that you can draw on whenever you need them.

Tarot Card of the Month - The World

I have chosen to begin 2011 by looking at the World card. It is the last card of the Major Arcana and represents completion. Why begin the year with a card representing completion? Simply, with every ending there is always a new beginning!

The value of the World card is 21 and it is ruled by Saturn. The figures in each corner of the card represent the four fixed signs of the zodiac – Aquarius, Taurus, Leo and Scorpio. They are also symbolic of the four elements, four compass points and four corners of the universe. The card shows a woman dancing within a laurel wreath with red ribbons wrapped at the crown and base. They are in the shape of the infinity symbol, representing continuation. The two batons in her hands indicate balance. They have also been noted as sacred scrolls of knowledge.

When the World card appears in a spread, it indicates that something has come to a successful conclusion. There is a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment with goals being realised. The end is in sight and with it will be celebration and success. It also indicates endings and change. Sometimes travel or a short trip is indicated.

Keywords of the World – conclusion, success, accomplishment and fulfillment.

Going Green

Essential oils are a great way to disinfect and freshen up your home naturally. Fill a spray bottle with warm water (not boiling), add a cap full of Eucalyptus oil and give it a shake.

Eucalyptus is an antiseptic and bactericide, which means it inhibits the growth of bacteria. Research has proven its anti-viral properties as well.

Use it to wipe down any surfaces or as an air freshener. It not only makes your environment smell lovely but it makes it safe as well.