For many of us the holidays are a time of family and fellowship, giving, feasting, and merriment. However, for some, the holidays are a reminder of wounded friendships, family disagreements, and mental and emotional exhaustion. Personally, in past years, I’ve fallen somewhere in the middle! Wherever you are this season, I am here to tell you, I am a firm believer that ANYTHING can be resolved in communication…yes, anything! From small occurrences like first date tension, to national emergency situations like the responses to hurricane Katrina and other recent disasters…anything can be cleaned up, resolved, transformed, created, and re-created in communication.
I, more often than not, forget what a true miracle the gift of human language is! How blessed we are to be able to create, and express ourselves with words! It always brings me back to that Bible verse: “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God…”. Unfortunately it seems as we blossom into adulthood, our language becomes a barrier to our expression. Our words become conscious and subconscious weapons of manipulation or self-inflicted guilt. We forget that communication is just a dance, and that falling doesn’t mean we’re bad; or that our partner in communication is wrong, or the situation is hopeless.
Wouldn’t it be nice to dance into the new year free to be fully expressed with family and friends? Free to clean up the relationships that have been wounded over the years? Dancing is the answer this year! It’s ok to miss a step, to trip and fall…we all have, and we all will again. The key is to remember you’re still in the dance, and that only you have the power to pick yourself up and begin again in the flow of the universe! Speaking of the universe…we’ve been given many tools to help us learn how to do this communication dance. I’ve created a small meditation with these tools that I have found very inspiring in opening up my expression, raising my rhythm, and clearing out negativity from my dance floor! My only hope is that through this meditation you will be swept off your feet by the magic and power of your own words, and the beauty of your own human expression!
The Recipe
- 1 sm. White Sage smudge stick: to cleanse you and your space of negativity
- 1oz. Orris Root powder: to help keep your communication honest and expressive in all relationships
- Lavender Incense: to relax away your mental and emotional clutter
- Ylang Ylang Essential Oil: to help you bring love and passion to your communication with others
- 1 Rose Quartz stone: to remind you to be gentle and loving in communication with yourself
- 1 Turquoise stone: to open your throat chakra, to say the things you’ve been afraid or unwilling to say
- 1 Lepidolite stone: to help ward off depression, self-loathing, guilt, anger, and negativity
- 3 Crystal Journey votives: Positive Energy, Courage, and Creativity
(All tools for this recipe are available at Earth-Lore, Livonia & Plymouth!)
The Affirmation (add anything you need to this affirmation to be inspired by it!)
- “My words are magic steps.”
- “I dance in the freedom of my self-expression.”
The Meditation
- Choose three consecutive nights to complete this exercise.
- Cleanse your space with the sage, and burn a stick of Lavender to begin each night.
- In a fire-safe bowl begin burning the 3 votives all at once. Put 3 drops of Ylang Ylang oil on each candle while saying your affirmation (1x per candle).
- Next, sprinkle a very small amount of Orris Root over each candle and say your affirmation again.
- Cleanse your three stones in the smoke from the candles and hold them tightly in your hands while saying your affirmation one more time.
- Follow with 3 deep breaths and a prayer of thanks to the universe.
- You may leave the candles burning for up to an hour afterward if you wish.
REMEMBER: Every step should be done slowly and mindfully. Be intentional and precise with each movement, each word, and each breath. Repeat this same exercise for the next two nights. During this 3-night period, keep the 3 stones on you AT ALL TIMES! After the 3 nights are through, you may keep the stones by your bedside, on your desk, or anywhere they will be REGULARLY visible to you.