Lesson 3 Craft Activity - Pinwheels

Create a Spinning Pinwheel to remind you of your intimate connection to Air Energy through breathing!  A pinwheel is simple enough to create, here are a couple different websites with instructions on how to make one;

http://www.leslietryon.com/3dcolorcutout/makepinw/makepinwheel.html

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Pinwheel

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/includes/content/curiousgeorge/pdfs/cc_pinwheel_bw.pdf

Decorate your Pinwheel in yellow and sky blue colors, and if you want, decorate it with stickers or draw symbols on it that represent Air Energy.

You can meditate with your pinwheel, take a deep breath and then blow strongly through your mouth to make the pinwheel spin.  Watch it spin and contemplate your relationship with Air and what you have read in this week's previous posts on meditation and breathing.  Think about how your breath has the power to move the pinwheel... something outside of you.  Your breath sets things in motion inside of you, circulating from your lungs, to your bloodstream, to your heart, and throughout your whole body.  Your breath (your life-force) also creates chain reactions in life around you.  Think about how your words, thoughts, actions, and even your presence on the planet has an effect on things around you as you blow your breath on your pinwheel and watch it spin.

Pinwheel Wishing Spell

Use the Power and Magick of your own breath and your intimate connection with Air Energy for this simple spell.  Create your wishing pinwheel and decorate with Air Colors or symbols, as suggested above.  

Meditate on your own breathing for a few minutes, feeling your connection with Air Energy.  If you wish, use one of the Air Meditations shared here earlier, Breath Meditation or Journey for Air.

Spend a few minutes of your meditation thinking about your wish.  Visualize it as if it has already come true.  Visualize how you will feel, how you will act, and what your life will be like when you have what you desire.  (If it is a waning moon period, you may want to wish for what you need removed from your life; while if it is a waxing moon period you may want to wish for what you need to come into your life.)  This spell will be particularly powerful if what you wish for aligns with Air Energy - communications, clear thinking, passing an exam, learning, divination, confidence, and removing obstacles or mental blocks.  Try not to worry about how your dream will come to pass, just hold the happy feeling  of your wish coming true as you meditate and let it fill you with each inhalation.

Speak your wish out loud, and then blow on your pinwheel to make it spin.  Then say this prayer, pausing between each verse to again blow on and spin your pinwheel while envisioning your wish coming true.

"I call upon my Sacred Breath,

the very cycle of Life and Death

With each breath my wish I know;

to the Winds my Wish I blow

I send my wish with Trust and Love,

Winds now carry it to Spirit above!

Air I send my wish to Thee,

As I Will, so mote it be!"

Thank the Air for giving you life, and breathe in with gratitude, knowing that you will find that which you seek.  Keep your pinwheel on your Altar or in a place you will see it often.  Make it spin with your breath whenever you want to, remembering to feel hopeful and grateful and visualizing your wish coming true.  You will receive inspiration or opportunities to help it come to pass! 

Meditation Spell Guide

If you feel you need to give your meditation an extra boost, or would like to ask for help meditating in a ritual or spell, here are some basic magickal correspondences dealing with meditation.

Colors; Blue, White, Silver, Indigo, Purple, Violet, Yellow

Astrology; Aquarius, Pisces

Planets; Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Day of the Week: Saturdays or Wednesdays

Element: Air

Plants & Herbs;
Basil, Bay Laurel, Benzoin, Copal, Frankincense, Gardenia, Jasmine, Lavender, Mugwort, Myrrh, Nutmeg, Patchouli, Sage, Witchgrass, Wormwood

Crystals & Gemstones;
Amethyst, Aquamarine, Blue Topaz, Calcite, Citrine, Herkimer Diamond, Jade, Lapis Lazuli, Mica, Moonstone, Obsidian, Onyx, Peridot, Quartz, Rose Quartz, Sapphire, Selenite, Sodalite,Topaz, Turquoise, Ulexite

Additional Tools;
Bell, Chimes, Tibetan Singing Bowl, Meditation Pillow, a Meditation Table or Altar


If you are having trouble with meditation; whether it be finding the time to meditate, or being able to still your mind long enough to relax, look at this list and see what you can put together to encourage and enhance your meditation practice.  The more ritualistic you make your meditation time, with the continuous practice and repetition of the same ritual each time, you will begin to settle more quickly and easily into a meditative state. You will also have made more of a commitment to practice meditation and there fore will find more time, or time will present itself to you.

For example, using the list and suggestions above, I would make a small meditation table in my bedroom or another private area... even a bathroom!  Place a few of the above mentioned crystals on it, along with an Air Element representation of my choice.  I would place my bell or Tibetan Singing Bowl on this table, and an incense burner or essential oil diffuser.... and choose from the above listed plants and herbs for a scent for my incense or oil.  I may find a candle in one of the colors listed above, anoint it with essential oil from one of the plants listed above and bless it with my intention to meditate more often or for longer periods of time.  I might choose to carve symbols that represent the astrological signs or planets listed above into the sides of my candle.  Once I have my area set up, I begin each meditation the same way.  I make note of what order I do things in and remember to do them in the same order each time I sit down to meditate... this repetition creates ritual.
For example, I might do a few simple stretches and drink some water.  Roll my neck and shoulders gently and stretch my back and legs to prepare for sitting.  Then I light my candle, and say a simple prayer to God/Goddess/Angels/Spirit Guides to protect me and help me during my meditation.  Next I light the incense or oil burner and simply breathe the aroma for a minute, enjoying it.  Then I would sit myself in the position I am going to meditate in, ring my bell one time to signal the beginning of my meditation, and then begin.

This is just one example of how you may use the list above to help you in meditation.  There are so many possibilities with the things listed above, from the blends of incense you might make, a mojo bag to hold while you meditate, crystals to use on a meditation mala necklace, symbols and colors to create a mandala for meditation.... come up with whatever works best for you and use it to enhance your meditation practice!

Message from the Angels; Breath

This is from the book, "Messages From Your Angels" by Doreen Virtue.  Doreen works very closely with the Angels, who are non-denominational beings of Light and Love.  She can see, hear and feel them, and she wrote this book of messages she has channeled from the Angels for all humans to hear.  I felt this is an important message to share right now, with our focus on Breath and Meditation in this week's lesson on the Air Element

Breath

"Ahh yes, your relationship to oxygen.  The very breath that you take at this moment is fueled by a desire to continue on this path that you have started.  Some may say that breath is an automatic instinct, but from our perspective, it is a behavior that you engage in, as confirmation of your desire to stay upon the earth.

Each breath contains information within it's molecular structure.  We are in charge of this exchange of information.  For, as you continue with your stay upon Earth, you need sustenance and assistance.  We imbue each molecule of precious oxygen with guidance and instructions.  It is our chief means of staying in touch with you, and within you.

Your breath is tantamount to a continuous meeting between us angels, your higher consciousness, and your Earthly self.  It is a round-table discussion, in which your next move is planned, and then the next.  All of this is based upon your intentions, you see.  With your out-breath, we are able to extract from you that which you no longer desire.  And with your in-breath, we imbue positive direction that holds you up in the face of apparent discourse.

The stronger your desire, the stronger your breath.  That is why during moments of strong desire, your breath deepens, and during moments when you feel helpless, your breath is shallow.  Anytime you desire to create strong and rapid movement in your life, simply deepen your breath while perceiving your desire.  You can achieve this through physical exertion, or simply through breath combined with meditation.  

This formula may seem quite simple, yet we assure you that it is a powerful one that is instilled deep within your subconscious mind,  So often we see you weary and in need of our help.  You call upon us, yet our effectiveness is hampered by your slow and shallow breath.  Right now, draw upon a deep and elongated breath while you call upon us for assistance.  You shall feel our presence as you inhale.  

When we encourage you to exercise, we do so partly to encourage this deeper form of breath.  We know you have noticed how many of your questions and troubles are answered at the conclusion of your exercise activities.  That is because we are deeply transmitting to you as you exercise and deepen your breath.  We are instilling you with comfort, guidance, and new perspectives on the situations at hand.

Awareness of your breath is essential for you at this time.  Breathe deeply into your belly, and enjoy the sensation of filling your lungs.  The higher the percentage of oxygen within each breath, the greater our degree of transmission to you.  This is why it is more difficult to hear us when you block your body from receiving oxygen through such activities as smoking, drinking alcohol or carbonated drinks, and breathing fumes and polluted air.  That is one more reason why we ask you to join with us in dispensing toxic soot from your air, as it diminishes our abilities to freely communicate with you and all beings.  For now then, dear child of God, establish your foothold strongly by concentrating on deepening and strengthening your breath.  Then, we shall see what information is in the store for you - information that can free you in so many ways!!"

A Spell For Balance

Air Element Studies, Lesson Two

Air Pollution and What We Can Do about it.

A Spell For Balance

by Starhawk, from "The Earth Path"

"When you are faced with a choice to do something small in service of the Earth that requires some sacrifice [or change] on your part, stop first, breathe and ground and say;

"I offer up this (walk, bus ride, effort of recycling, creation of a compost pile, money spent on an energy saving light bulb... etc.) to the greater balance and healing of the Earth.  Let this small act be like a ripple that grows into a wide circle as it moves outward, leading to greater change.  With every breath in as I (walk, ride, compost, enjoy the light...etc), I will remember my gratitude to the ancestors for the miracle gift of air.  With every breath out I will renew my love and commitment to the balance"."

If you haven't yet, choose something you can do to help prevent and clean up air pollution.  Make a commitment to do it, say this prayer, and remember to breathe in and out slowly and feel gratitude, respect, balance, and intention every time you do whatever it is you have chosen.  No matter how small it seems, it is an act to restore balance and show your love for the Earth and respect to your Ancestors.

This is one small thing I have done so far.  I bought a second trash can for my kitchen, and I labeled it so my kids know to use it for items that can be recycled.  This helps them remember to sort the recyclables from the regular trash, which means we should be recycling a little bit more every week!  I am going to say the above prayer every time I empty this trash bin into our Recycling Collection bin that the city provides for us.  

Morning Rituals and Routines

Magick of the Mornings
Most people think of Magick as something that happens at night, preferably under a starry night sky or a glowing full moon.  While the night does hold certain power, all times of day have a different type of energy and a different type of Magick to them!  The Air Element is associated with Mornings and Dawn, perhaps because this is the time of day when the air feels the freshest, and the morning light of the sun is the most life-giving and least damaging (for plants and animals alike).  Whenever you first wake up, you are still strongly connected to the Astral Realm from your time of dreams and sleep.  Upon first waking up it is a great time to pray, meditate, say your daily affirmations, and set your intention for the type of day you want to have - because part of you is still connected to Spirit, the Astral Realm, and the Divine.  It is easy for you to communicate with your Spirit Guides, Angels, Deities, and Faeries in the mornings when you first wake up.  Mornings are the perfect time to practice yoga, do some meditation, say prayers, and just set your intentions for the day, asking The Air Element to bring you focus and help you manifest the kind of day you want to have.  Every morning is a fresh start and an opportunity for a new beginning!

Morning Devotions & Meditation
It might be a good idea to come up with your own Morning Devotion, prayer, or meditation.  Write or find a simple prayer you can say every morning, and spend a few moments breathing deeply and feeling gratitude.  Focus on what you want for the day and visualize your day going just the way you want it to.  Smile.  Even if your day doesn't go exactly as you wanted, keep up this positive thinking and prayer every morning... it takes time to get used to meditating and manifesting your desires.  Mornings would also be a good time to say daily affirmations.  You can choose an affirmation the night before, or use an affirmation from our Tarot Card or Air Element studies here... that way you could have a different focus for your meditations and affirmations every week!  Maybe write down the affirmation you want to use for the week and tape it somewhere next to your bed or in your bathroom where you will see it first thing in the morning!

Morning Routines & Housework
I have gone over some basic FlyLady stuff here before, such as the baby steps.  FlyLady suggests having a morning routine of things you do every morning in your home to keep your household running smoothly.  You can infuse your morning routine with Air Energy Magick by asking the Element of Air, the Fairies, or your Angels to help you with your routine.  You can also look at it in a way that reminds you that today is a new day, time for a fresh start - and what you do around your house in the morning is a blessing to your home and family for a wonderful day!

FlyLady's Basic Morning Routine from www.flylady.net

* -Get Dressed to Shoes including Hair/Face, Brush Teeth
* - Make Bed
* -Swish & Swipe
* -Empty Dishwasher
* -Reboot Laundry (a Load a Day Keeps CHAOS Away) 

* -Check Your Calendar

* -Check Your Control Journal

* What's For Dinner?

* Drink Your Water

* Declutter for 15 Minutes

* 15 Minutes of Loving Movement (exercise)

I have my morning Routine Broken down into rooms (zones) and 15 minutes at a time.  Here's my current Morning Routine (Which I have not been doing lately, but I plan on changing that very soon! 

MORNING HOUSEWORK CHECKLIST

Getting Started

• Deep Breathing / Positive Thoughts / Daily Affirmation
• Make sure kids are doing their morning routines.  Start coffee or make tea.
• Get Dressed To Shoes / Veil
• Morning Prayer or Invocation.  Meditation.
• Take My Vitamins.  Drink Water.  
• Start a Load of Laundry

Bathroom & Self Care (15 to 25 minutes)

• Gather dirty laundry
• self-care (Hair, face, teeth, make-up)
• Put away self-care products
• Swish & Swipe

Bedroom (10 minutes or less)

• Make Bed
• Gather Laundry
• Hot Spots - Tops of Dressers & Bookshelf

Kitchen (15 minutes)

• Put away clean dishes
• Wash Breakfast Dishes
• Wipe Table & Counter top
• What's For Dinner?

Living Room & Front Entrance - (15 minutes)

• Living Room Hot Spots (side tables)
• 5 Minute Room Rescue Living Room (Floor & couches)
• Front Room Hot Spots (coffee table, bar, Launch Pad)
• Sweep Front Room

Office - 10 minutes

• Hot Spots - Homework Desk, Computer Desk
• 5 minute room rescue

Finishing up (10 to 30 minutes)

• 5 minutes of folding laundry
• Dinner Prep if possible (crockpot, etc)
• Calendar / Budget work.  Check today's schedule, pay bills if needed.
• Prayers of Gratitude, Affirmations

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Morning Routines For Kids

Angelic Guidance for the week of April 15 - 21

As many of you know, I am a huge fan of Doreen Virtue.  I consider her to be one of my personal spiritual teachers, one of my "gurus".  Although I have never met her in person, I own many of her books and oracle card decks, listen to her radio show, and watch her weekly oracle card readings on youtube.

This week I wanted to share with you the video she posted for the coming week.  It speaks of the empowerment that comes from our own personal choices, and also the importance of seeking for an accepting the help or guidance of others.  I think this week's reading goes quite perfectly with our Fairie message for this week, don't you?  The Fairies have urged us to cleanse and detoxify our bodies; cleansing ourselves of harmful toxins we put in our bodies.  Watch this reading for the week by Doreen and see how it might fit in with our week as we embark upon a somewhat uncomfortable - yet empowering - journey of detoxification!

I also found another Oracle card reader who works closely with the Angels who posted a similar style of reading for the week, using a different Oracle Card Deck.  I was delighted with how these two readings seem to really align with and support each other!  Once again keep in mind our goal of detoxification as you listen to this reading;

Overview from both readings & my thoughts as they apply to our "Detoxification" reading from Friday.
Beginning of the week;
Page of Water.  Intuition, sensitivity, fears.  (deciding to give up an addiction or detoxify your body can be scary, overwhelming, and set your sensitivity on edge.)
What do Your Desire? - set your intention clearly in your mind, decide why you are doing this and that you deserve to treat your body with respect.
Manifesting Dreams; My dreams are coming true!  Again, all about setting your intention clearly and trusting that you can manifest your desires, and you CAN accomplish this goal!  Oh, and check out the picture on that card- full of fresh fruits and vegetables!

Middle of the week;
King of Air; Brilliant, impartial, professional, diplomatic.  You gain confidence as the week goes on, and possibly encounter a person or people who are supporting you along the way.
Energy Work; The power of self-healing, taking care of your body... these are now coming through on a spiritual and energetic level as well!
Awakening Ancient Wisdom; Deep inner knowing is emerging within me!  This card perfectly complements the King of Air - confidence, knowledge, support, and wisdom! Pay attention to sychronicities and signs that will be affirming that your detoxification process is going well, and trust that this process will bring you great inner wisdom!

End of the week; (Weekend)
Eight of Water; a new emotional level.  You will have moved on from fear and sensitivity of the beginning of the week, to a point where you are feeling ready to move on to the next stage in your life.  Isn't that one of the goals of detoxification?  Removing some blocks and freeing ourselves to see and feel what we really want!
Be Honest with Yourself - Clarify what you are feeling.  Now that you have detoxified your body, you can take a more honest look at how you are feeling, without worrying about whether your feelings and intuitions are being clouded by certain toxins or physical ailments.
Exceeding Expectations; I soar into excellence!  If you have followed through on your detoxification and the advice of the cards from earlier in the week (Setting your intentions clearly, manifesting what you want, being confident, getting support from others, doing energy-work and self-healing) then you have something to be proud of and you have probably exceeded your own expectations!  You have removed blocks and physical ailments and are now able to be truly honest with yourself.... you are ready to soar to the next level of healing and learning!

____________________________________________________________
Thanks for reading and make sure you come back often as we learn more about the Air Element, and listen to and apply the advice of the Fairies and The Angels as we continue our Air Element Studies!

Daily Inspiration, Jan. 5

DAILY INSPIRATION;

Affirmation of the week;
"With every breath I am growing more into the self I am to be."
(See this week's Card of The Week post, Page of Pentacles)

"By staying with the higher energies of optimism, forgiveness, understanding, reverence for spirit, creativity, serenity, and bliss, your own purpose -- which revolves around serving others and serving God -- becomes fulfilled, and as a bonus, you create allies."
~ Dr. Wayne Dyer, "The Invisible Force"

"Do you know what you want?  Are you enjoying the evolution of your desire?  If you are among the rare humans who answered "Yes, I'm enjoying the evolution of my desire," then you understand who you are and what this physical life experience is really all about."

~ Abraham (channeled by Esther and Jerry Hicks), "Ask and It is Given"

Question of The Day;
What life lesson did you learn the hard way?

Daily Inspiration, Jan. 4

DAILY INSPIRATION;

Affirmation of the week;
"With every breath I am growing more into the self I am to be."
(See this week's Card of The Week post, Page of Pentacles)

"Remain humble and grateful for all your accomplishments, and know that a force greater than your ego is always at work in your life."
~ Dr. Wayne Dyer, "The Invisible Force"

"We are communicating with you at many levels of your awareness, all at the same time, but you will only receive whatever you are now ready to receive.  Everyone will not get the same thing from this material, but every reading will net you something more."

~ Abraham (channeled by Esther and Jerry Hicks), "Ask and It is Given"

Question of The Day;
What gets you excited about life?

FlyLady - Pagan Style - BabySteps Day 4

For those of you who don't know what FlyLady is, it's an inspirational website designed to help you clean and de-clutter your home and your life. It helps you create routines that work for you, your lifestyle & your family to help housekeeping become stress-free and something you just do naturally and daily rather than something you put off until the last minute and then stress about when you have company coming over.

I have felt for awhile now that many aspects of the FlyLady program can be applied in spiritual ways to those who consider themselves, Neo-Pagans, Kitchen Witches, Hearth Witches, Green Witches, etc. I will be going over some FlyLady basics here in my blog and writing about how they can be seen as a spiritual thing; not just a house-cleaning and organizing thing! If you missed it, check out my post called "FlyLady - Pagan Style; Welcome Letter"

When you start with FlyLady, there are 31 days of "Baby Steps" to help you slowly start to integrate small changes into your daily routines. It's about developing habits and changing your mind-set to a positive one!

BabySteps Day 4;
Keep Doing What You have been doing!

Get dressed to shoes when you get up!
Keep your Sink Shining!
Write notes to hang above your sink and in your bathroom to remind you to do these things!
(see FlyLady's Day 4 Lesson HERE)

Day 4 we continue to reinforce the habits we have already started, getting dressed to shoes, and keeping our sink shining!  We also begin a new habit; writing things down!  Writing down your goals and putting the notes or reminders in a place we will see them is our way of holding ourselves accountable.  You might be embarrassed to have a note to yourself above your sink where your family will see it.  Think of it this way... if you have a note to yourself to keep the sink shining, and your family sees it, and then they see you NOT keeping the sink shining, that will be pretty embarrassing too!  But if you have a note on the wall, and your sink stays nice and shiny all week... if anyone says anything to tease you about your note to yourself... you can point out; "Hey, it works, and don't tell me you don't love how the sink has been shining all week!"

Writing things down and looking at your reminders is the beginning of creating a "Control Journal".  Your "Control Journal" isn't something here to control you, so don't let the name of it scare you off.  Think of it this way; in an Airport there are many different important things that need to be done.  There is a "control room", or "Control Tower" where some very important people work to keep things running smoothly, giving guidelines, take-off and landing schedules, etc.  Your Control Journal is like the Command Center for how you run your home.  Don't worry too much just yet about building your control journal.... first we just develop the habit of writing things down and checking our reminders!

From a Pagan Perspective, we know that both spoken words and written words have great power.  Magickal symbols, runes, sigils, etc help us embrace and capture certain energies.  Your "Control Journal" will be like your "Household Book of Shadows", especially as you learn that the simplest of things; like shining your sink or sweeping your floor, can be just as magickal as an advanced ritual!  For now, think about any symbols you would like to add to your notes to help remind you of success and positivity!  You may choose to add a symbol of the Sun, for energy, motivation, and willpower.  You might choose a rune to symbolize Victory, home, positive change, etc... whatever you feel drawn to add to your note!

 

You may also want to write down an affirmation, to remind yourself to stay positive and not be so hard on yourself!  Or simply write F.L.Y. - you know what it means, and just seeing the reminder that these baby steps are the first steps to Finally Loving Yourself may help as a reminder to be more loving to yourself on a daily basis!

 

Day 4!  You're doing great!  Keep it up and continue to meditate with these affirmations daily along with reinforcing your new routines!  By the end of this month, (or sooner) you will have these affirmations memorized and thinking more positive loving thoughts to yourself will also be a habit and come much more easily!

 

Daily Inspiration; Jan. 3

DAILY INSPIRATION;

Affirmation of the week;
"With every breath I am growing more into the self I am to be."
(See this week's Card of The Week post, Page of Pentacles)

"When life appears to be working against you, when the supposedly wrong people show up, or when you slip up and return to old, self-defeating habits, recognize the signs that you're out of harmony with intention."
~ Dr. Wayne Dyer, "The Invisible Force"

"Words really do not teach.  Your true knowledge comes from your own life experience.  And while you will be a constant gatherer of experience and knowledge, your life is not only about that -- it is about fulfillment, satisfaction, and joy.  Your life is about the continuing expression of who you truly are."

~ Abraham (channeled by Esther and Jerry Hicks), "Ask and It is Given"



Question of The Day;
What's the most sensible thing you've ever heard someone say?

Daily Inspiration, Jan 2

DAILY INSPIRATION;

Affirmation of the week;
"With every breath I am growing more into the self I am to be."
(See this week's Card of The Week post, Page of Pentacles)

 

 "At our Source, we are formless energy, and in that vibrating spiritual field of energy, intention resides."
~ Dr. Wayne Dyer, "The Invisible Force"

 

 

 

"Abraham is a family of Non-Physical beings naturally assembled by our powerful intention to remind you, our physical extentions, of the Laws of The Universe that govern all things.  It is our intention to help you remember that you are extensions of Source Energy; that you are blessed, loved Beings; and that you have come forth into this physical time-space reality to joyously create."

~ Abraham (channeled by Esther and Jerry Hicks), "Ask and It is Given"

Question of The Day;
Who do you sometimes compare yourself to?

 

FlyLady - Pagan Style; Get Dressed To Shoes!

For those of you who don't know what FlyLady is, it's an inspirational website designed to help you clean and de-clutter your home and your life. It helps you create routines that work for you, your lifestyle & your family to help housekeeping become stress-free and something you just do naturally and daily rather than something you put off until the last minute and then stress about when you have company coming over.

I have felt for awhile now that many aspects of the FlyLady program can be applied in spiritual ways to those who consider themselves, Neo-Pagans, Kitchen Witches, Hearth Witches, Green Witches, etc. I will be going over some FlyLady basics here in my blog and writing about how they can be seen as a spiritual thing; not just a house-cleaning and organizing thing! If you missed it, check out my post called "FlyLady - Pagan Style; Welcome Letter"

When you start with FlyLady, there are 31 days of "Baby Steps" to help you slowly start to integrate small changes into your daily routines. It's about developing habits and changing your mind-set to a positive one!

Baby Steps Day 2!
Get Dressed To Shoes
Shine Your Sink Before Bed

Read the FlyLady's description of BabySteps Day 2! 

Today is easy.  Your sink is shining when you wake up in the morning - now get dressed!  Don't just stay in your pajamas and slippers all day.  I know many stay at home moms groan when they hear this step!  I have heard a hundred times, "But I don't wear shoes in my house.", or "I don't want to put my shoes on until I have to leave the house.", or "Can I just wear my flip flops or slippers?"  You don't have to wear shoes around your house if you don't want to.  The important thing here, is the ritual.  The Routine.  FlyLady says that when she puts on her shoes, it sends her brain a message to get started, get moving, start doing things!  It's easy to go back to bed, settle into the couch, or in front of your computer on facebook when you don't have your shoes on, your hair up, your make-up on... something.  So even if "SHOES" aren't your trigger, find something you can do in the morning that says "I am getting ready to start my day."  Is it putting your hair in a ponytail and putting on some make up?  Getting fully dressed?  Lighting a candle?
This isn't just crawling out of bed and turning on the coffee pot and the computer.  This is why FlyLady suggests putting on your shoes.... it's a little different than your usual routine which results in you being lazy for 3 hours before you guilt-trip yourself into getting something done at the last minute.  Please take a minute to read FlyLady's essay on the importance of getting dressed to shoes.... you may change your mind about the whole "shoes" thing.... or at least give it a try for a couple weeks and see what a difference it makes in your attitude and your mornings!  If putting on your shoes still doesn't work, find something else that sends a message to your brain, your body, and your spirit that "It is time to start my day."  It could be something you already do - getting dressed and doing your hair.  But all witches know there is power in intention.  Start your day with intention; get dressed and pick something you do each morning that represents your intention to get things done.
Personally, I love "Getting Dressed To Shoes"... putting on my shoes DOES make me feel like I am ready to start my day, prevents me from crawling back into bed after the kids have gone to school, and having my shoes on reminds me that I'm supposed to be moving, not sitting here at my computer!  But I have never had a problem with wearing shoes in the house, so I know this is hard for some people.  If you're still resisting the idea, read this wonderful "Ask FlyLady" letter about getting dressed to shoes, and just try it for a week or tow!!  In the end though, it's about focusing your intention on having a productive day, first thing in the morning!  Find something that works for you, find a physical expression of your intention, and work on doing it every morning when you wake up!

One great thing that works for me is Veiling, or Headcovering.  I have written a blog post about it here, and when I have my shoes and my veil on, I feel more motivated to get things done!  As a bonus, when I am covered, everything I do is dedicated as an offering to my Matron Goddess, Hestia.

Now, let's watch this simple meditation video again, affirm our self- love, and go put on our shoes!

At the end of the day, before you go to bed, make sure your sink is shining again!

Daily Inspiration; Jan. 1

DAILY INSPIRATION;

 

Affirmation of the week;
"With every breath I am growing more into the self I am to be."
(See this week's Card of The Week post, Page of Pentacles)

"The power of Intention is the power of love and receptivity.  It asks nothing of anyone, it judges no one, and it encourages others to be free to be themselves."
~ Dr. Wayne Dyer, "The Invisible Force"

 

 

"We are called Abraham, and we are speaking to you from the non-physical dimension.  In this Non-Physical Realm, we do not use words, for we do not require language.  We also do not have tongues with which to speak or ears with which to hear, although we do communicate perfectly with one another.  Our Non-Physical language is one of vibration, and our Non-Physical communities, or families, are those of intention."

~ Abraham (channeled by Esther and Jerry Hicks), "Ask and It is Given"

Question of The Day;
When was the last time you tried something new?