4 Ways to Connect with Your Passed Loved Ones // Guest Post by Lindsay Marino

Losing a loved one is something that is indescribable. It’s as if a part of you has died with them. When someone has a physical presence in your life and they’re taken away from you, it’s hard to imagine communicating with them when you can’t “see” them as you did before. With the loss of my own loved ones, I’ve felt so much grief, at times that I could hardly get out of bed. The moment I started communicating with them, everything started to shift for me.

There are ways you can still continue communicating with them because they’ve actually never left. They are very much alive, but just in a different form. It may feel odd at first, but once you get in the flow of connecting with them, there’s no turning back.

Here are 4 ways to communicate with your passed loved ones:

Talk to Them

• I always suggest for first-timers, to talk to them out loud (even if you feel like a crazy person).

• Wait for their response to pop up as a thought in your mind. This is an easier way to separate your thoughts from theirs.

• Once you get comfortable with that, you can start communicating through your thoughts. It’s very easy to feel like you’re making up this conversation in your head, but you aren’t!

Acknowledge Their Signs

Your passed loved ones are constantly nudging you to listen to song lyrics, look at the clock at a certain time, remind you of a memory they’ve had with you, and play around with your electricity. Once you start seeing these signs, let them know that you recognize them. They live on and want you to be aware of their presence.

Use Automatic Writing

Automatic writing is an amazing way to connect with them too. Here are some directions on how to use automatic writing:

• Set the intention for them to communicate with you

• Take out a pen and notebook

• Put on some relaxing music

• Move your pen and allow them to write a letter through you

Use Physical Tools, such as Oracle Cards or Pendulums to Get the Conversation Flowing

When you focus your attention on something, you will bring in that energy. Using an oracle deck specifically for connecting with passed loved ones, will help you open up to their messages. I created an oracle deck called Unlock Your Connection so you can receive messages from your passed loved ones.

• Directions to use my oracle deck “Unlock Your Connection” cards:

• Hold the deck of cards in your hand

• Think of your passed loved one

• Shuffle the cards and ask your loved one to help you choose a card

• Read your healing message

Click here to read this previous post by Cassie Uhl, on using a pendulum to learn another way of connecting with your passed loved ones.

Once you open up to communication with your passed loved ones, you’ll notice your loved ones are constantly guiding you in your life. They want you to live a full life and they are always a part of it. You just have to become aware of their continued presence. 

I hope you find some peace in these tools! To order my Unlock Your Connection oracle deck, click here.

DIY Crystal Powder Uses

Need a good excuse to fit in some self-care and buy crystals? First and most important, you don’t need an excuse for either. Second, I’m going to go ahead and give you 3 really good reasons to invest in some serious self-care time and my new favorite use for crystal, crystal powders.

Wearing crystals is always nice, and I’m usually wearing a point crystal necklace or a gemstone ring that has a meaning behind it. Crystal powders can expand your crystal benefits even more by using them in body care products.

These products can come for pretty steep prices, but I’ve got three recipes to get you started with crystal powder products that will leave you some cash to spare.

Garnet Love Oil

Connect to your earthy sensual side with this garnet love oil. Red garnet is a great stone for promoting loving relationships, and has even been used in the past as a stone to attract a lover! Rub the oil into your skin for a sensual glow and delicious scent or use it as a massage oil.

What you’ll need:

• 1 oz. garnet powder, finely ground.

• 3-4 oz. sweet almond oil

• 6-8 drops of essential oil. Any of these will work wonderfully: Plant Guru’s “Love Potion,” rose, sandalwood, ylang ylang, and/or jasmine. I used “Love Potion” with a couple drops of rose oil, which made a heavenly combination!

• Small funnel or folded card stock to get your crystal powder in your bottle mess-free

• 3-5 oz. glass bottle

• Garnet chunks (optional, but, again super cute)

• Craft labels (optional)

Directions:

• Combine all of your ingredients into your vessel and give it a good shake.

• Apply oil to your skin fresh out of the shower or anytime you’re wanting to feel extra sexy! This blend is also an ideal sensual massage oil.

Quartz Body Scrub

Need some balancing? This scrub is for you. Quartz is the ultimate balancing stone so I love it for the body scrub. Click here if you want to learn more about the ultimate crystal. Scrub with intention as you visualize your chakras while receiving the energetic balancing from the quartz crystal, and a nice glow from the exfoliation!

What you’ll need:

• 1-2 oz. quartz, medium ground

• 10-15 oz. of organic cane sugar (amount can vary depending on how much quartz you intend to purchase and the size of your vessel)

• Coconut oil, enough to cover your sugar and quartz sand

• Essential oil of your choice (optional). I used Plant Guru’s “New Beginnings” for an uplifting and invigorating blend. Quartz is a balancing stone so any scent you want will work well for this one!

• Large glass vessel, I used a 16 oz. amber jar

• Kraft labels (optional)

Directions:

• Combine sugar and quartz powder, give it a good shake.

• Poor enough coconut oil in to cover the sugar and quartz.

• Add your EO’s and stir it up.

• Keep this concoction in your shower for an exfoliating glow and energetic balancing.

• Store in an airtight container.

Amethyst Foot Soak

Already love amethyst? Prepare to become obsessed with it.  This mix has stolen my heart! There are SO many amazing benefits to this combo. If this is your first time hearing about this amazing stone, click here to learn more. Some believe that amethyst can actually help remove toxins from the body. In fact, you can even purchase detoxifying foot pads with amethyst in them. I say, save your $$$ and use this recipe for a more cost-effective amethyst detox!

What you’ll need:

• 1 oz. amethyst powder, finely ground

• 1-3 oz. Himalayan salt, small to medium ground

• Amethyst chunks (optional, but super cute)

• Essential oil of your choice, I used lavender for this soak

• 2-5 oz. metal or glass container

• Craft labels (optional)

Directions:

• Combine all of the dry ingredients into your vessel and give them a good shake.

• Put 5-6 drops of the EO of your choice in your mix and give it another good shake.

• Create a rad label (optional).

• Add half of your amethyst foot soak into a large bowl of warm water and soak your feet in it for a minimum of 30 minutes.

• When you’re done, pat your feet dry rather than wiping them off or cleaning them off. This will leave some of the salt and amethyst residue on your feet for continued benefits.

• This mix will be good for 2-3 foot soaks, depending on how much salt you end up using. Keep it sealed in an airtight container while not in use.

I hope you found these recipes as delicious and cleansing as I did! One final note, some gemstones, like lapis, are toxic and are not appropriate for body care products! None of the crystals used in these DIYs are, but be safe and do your research before creating your own concoctions.

Cord Cutting a Ritual for Letting Go

What are you holding onto right now that you’re afraid to let go of? Is it a career that you thought was your life’s calling, something hurtful someone said to you, a relationship gone south, or your lack of control over a situation?

If you haven’t already been faced with one of these “letting go” hurdles, it’s likely you will at some point. The need to let go comes in all shapes and sizes throughout life and might be some of the hardest tasks you’ll face.

Why is it important to let go?

Holding on can take up a lot of unnecessary headspaces, leaving you anywhere but in the present moment. When you’re afraid to let go, it’s usually your ego that’s in control, and no one wants that! Refusing to let go means you’re also refusing to trust that you’ll be taken care of and that the universe does have a plan for you.

This week I’m breaking out my favorite ways to help you let go of whatever it is that’s holding you back from your highest potential. These rituals can be done on separate days or all together as one big ritual, your choice! Let’s get started.

Step 1: Burn Baby, Burn

Time to get out your candles and cauldron. The first step is to recognize what it is that you’re trying to let go of and become willing to work on it. A burning ritual can help make this decision more concrete for you.

You’ll need:

• Black and white candle. The white candle is for protective loving light and black candle is to help absorb negative energy, but any candle will work if you don’t have these colors available. Click here to learn more about candle magick.

• Pen and paper

• Cauldron or other fireproof vessels

• Optional: Frankincense EO or incense. Frankincense will help you center yourself and let go. I like using Plant Guru’s Meditation blend.

The best moon phase to perform this ritual is during a waning moon. Set aside some quiet time, and center yourself with as many deep breaths as you need to feel calm and present.

To get started, light both of your candles and incense, if you’re using it. Write what you need to let go of on a piece of paper. Light the paper with the flame of each candle and place it in your fireproof vessel. Watch and breathe as your paper burns, allow any feelings you have to come to the surface. This is also a great time to call upon any angels, deities, or energy you’d like to invite in to help you through this process.

When you feel like this part of the ritual is complete, thank any spiritual energies that you invited in and blow out your candles. You can leave this setup and the ashes of your burned paper out as long as you’d like as a reminder.

Step 2: Cord-Cutting Ceremony

This is my personal favorite ritual for letting go. I discovered it from The Goddess Oracle by Amy Sophia Marashinsky and is the suggested ritual when you receive the Lilith Goddess card.

You’ll need:

• String. Must be strong enough to be worn for a long period of time.

• Scissors

• Candles, incense, EO (optional and can be the same as above)

This ceremony should also be performed during a waning moon. it blends well into the first ritual and I recommend performing them in tandem, though they do not have to be. If you do start this ceremony separately from the above one, be sure to set aside time to quiet your mind and center yourself.

To begin this ritual, start by deciding where your cord should be tied on your body. You’ll want to tie the string somewhere that connects with what you’re letting go of. If what you’re letting go of has something to do with work and you use your hands you might decide to tie it around your wrist, if you’re walking away from something you could tie it around your ankle, if it has something to do with your creative center you could tie it around your belly.

As you tie your cord on your body say out loud what the cord represents and what it is you’re trying to let go of. Wear this cord for the rest of the moon cycle, or longer if you feel it is necessary, as a reminder of your commitment to let go. When you feel that you are ready to let go and cut the cord, prepare a quiet space to do so. Thank yourself for your commitment and willingness to be more present and let go.

Step 3: Visualize & Verbalize

During this process, you may find that your desire to hold on becomes even stronger. It’s normal and is usually your ego screaming at you to stay in control! Here are some tools to use to keep your ego in check through this process.

Voice and movement are powerful tools to reinforce your commitment to let go. Here are my favorite supportive tools to use:

• Woodchopper yoga pose with a loud “HA” exhale

• Lion’s pose

• Allow time to shake it out, dance it out, and/or yell it out

• Wear a reminder of your commitment to let go.

• Create a vision board of what your life would look like if you did let go, and place it somewhere you’ll see it regularly.

• Create a mantra about what you’re letting go of. Write it down somewhere and place it where you’ll see it regularly.

• Journal. Write out all of your fears associated with what you’re letting go of. I find that if I write out my fears and look at them, many of them are pretty silly and things I don’t have any control over in the first place.

• Above all, be gentle with yourself!

Letting go can be hard but I hope my offerings give you the tools you need to move forward in your healing journey. Sending you strength and peace through your process of letting go!

3 Powerful Crystal Healing Techniques

Looking for some summer-friendly healing uses for your crystal collection? If you’re like me and have designated crystals for your purse, car, bed, and altar you’ll love these three healing techniques so you can put all of your favorite gemstones to work.
Even if your crystal collection is small, some of these techniques only require one stone, so you’ll find something in here for you.

Summertime is a perfect time to dive into these techniques! Grab your favorite crystals, a fellow goddess, a blanket, and find a park to soak up good vibes from your crystals and Gaia.

Body Crystal Grid

Having some discontent in your gut, or a busy mind? This technique is perfect for working on specific parts of your body. Similar to creating a crystal grid on your altar that has a specific purpose, you can create a crystal grid with stones specifically for an area of your body.

Once you’ve chosen your desired stones and purpose for a body grid, have your goddess friend place them on your body in a place that coordinates with their purpose.

You can follow the same steps for creating a crystal grid on your body or on your altar, to learn more about creating a crystal grid check out this post I shared last year by clicking here.

A serious side note: I love my crystals but won’t let them substitute for necessary medical needs! Body crystal grids are the perfect additional support to medical care, but shouldn’t substitute expert medical advice. Please, love yourself, and be sure to see a trained professional of your choosing for serious ailments.

Chakra Balancing on the Body or in Your Bed

Feeling like you need an energetic overhaul? This is the place to start and my personal favorite use of crystals. Here are a couple of uses for restoring and balancing the energy of your chakras with crystals:

Suggested Stones for Chakra Balancing with Crystals

• Root: garnet or red jasper

• Sacral: carnelian or tiger eye

• Solar Plexus: citrine or yellow jasper

• Heart: green aventurine or rose quartz

• Throat: sodalite or turquoise

• Third Eye: amethyst or labradorite

• Crown: quartz or rainbow moonstone

Chakra Crystal Alignment on Your Body

Place the stone for each chakra in its coordinating location on the body. Starting at the top of your head, imagine the color for each chakra lighting up around the stone. Spend 3-5 breaths on each chakra as you imagine the colored light around them glowing.

This is also a great time to scan the chakras to see if any of your chakras are especially deficient and need any extra attention. If you come across a chakra that feels deficient you can create a special body crystal grid just for that chakra or wear a stone or amulet to remind you to bring energy to that specific chakra.

Chakra Crystal Alignment in Your Bed

Looking for a more passive way to bring balance to your chakras? I love the simplicity of this tool. Place one of the stones listed above for each chakra in its coordinating location in between your mattress and box spring. As you sleep let the stones work their magic and wake up restored and balanced!

Wearing a Programmed Crystal

This healing crystal technique is perfect for long-term goals or deeply rooted shifts you’re working on. Wearing a programmed crystal will give you a moment-to-moment reminder of the shifts you’re trying to make, and the energy of the crystal will help you maintain your goals.

I like to use point crystal necklaces for this purpose. I like them for programming because of their size, it’s just right for holding it in your hand when you want to soak up some good vibes from your programmed point crystal. I’ve been wearing a grounding green jasper with the programmed message to stay rooted and calm.

The point crystal in this picture is of an amethyst and would be perfect for programming anything that has to do with your third eye or honing psychic abilities.

To program a crystal follow these steps:

1. Cleanse your crystal (read more about cleansing and charging your crystals here)

2. Clear your mind.

3. Hold your crystal in your dominant hand or in both of your hands.

4. Mentally and verbally repeat your goal or intention into the crystal.

5. Do this until you feel the stone is programmed with your intention.

There’s more than one way to program a crystal, so if you’d like to change these steps, do it!

I hope you found some healing ideas you’re excited to try out! These techniques are the perfect excuse to grab your favorite soul sister and get out for a picnic with a side of crystal healing.

Protection Rituals for Travel

Getting away on an adventure is one of life’s greatest pleasures, but as much as we love it, traveling can be anxiety-inducing too. Setting intentions with rituals, symbolism, and crystals can be a powerful way to ground yourself before travel and offer a layer of protection.

There are so many uncontrollable situations when it comes to traveling, especially if you’re visiting a new place. I’ve got a list of rituals to offer peace and protection during any summertime travels you may have coming up! Read on to learn 4 protective tools for traveling.

Invoke Green Tara

Tara is an adored Buddhist Goddess that is portrayed in many colors, 21 to be exact, each with their own qualities. Green Tara, one of the more well-known of the 21, is your go-to Goddess for protection. She will help shield you from negative energy and soothe your fears and anxiety.

Invoke Green Tara’s protective energy by inviting her into your meditation, carrying around a card or image of her, or repeating her mantra, “Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha,” (Ah-um Tah-ray Too-tah-ray Too-ray So-hah).

Protective Crystal & Stones

There is a multitude of protective gemstones, but some are better for traveling. Here’s my list of favorite crystals to keep in my bag, on my rearview mirror, on my finger, or around my neck while traveling.

Tiger Eye

This stone has long been used as one of the most powerful stones for protection and warding off evil. My favorite part about this stone is that it can bring confidence and a sense of security when going through anxiety-provoking situations. Tiger eye is perfect for wearing to act as a protective shield during travel.

vYellow Jasper

This stone is specifically helpful for traveling, mentally and physically. It is protective like tiger eye, but it also connects with your solar plexus chakra. The solar plexus chakra often becomes drained during travel, and yellow jasper is ideal for keeping the energy of your solar plexus balanced and energized. Place yellow jasper on your solar plexus chakra (in between your belly button and heart center) to balance and restore your will and power center.

Smoky Quartz

This is your stone for grounding and protecting any valuables as you travel. Put a piece of smoky quartz in your suitcase or purse to help guard them. Between flying and projecting fears about the unknowns during travel it’s easy to throw your root chakra out of balance. If you’re feeling detached from Mother Earth place a couple of smoky quartz pieces in each hand pointing down and take several deep breaths to restore your root chakra.

Wear a Protective Hamsa Hand Amulet

If you prefer to keep your crystals in your luggage or purse wearing a Hamsa Hand is beautiful and powerful alternative. The Hamsa Hand is perfect for traveling because it is said to see all things and ward off evil for the wearer. Beyond protection, the Hamsa Hand is also good for bringing good fortune, blessings, and strength.

The Hamsa Hand has roots in many cultures so its meaning will vary from person to person. Some believe that each of the fingers represents an element, the combination of these elements is said to change the flow of energy within the body and offer healing.

Whatever your beliefs are about this symbol, they all come back to protection!

Protection Magic Charm Bag

Charm bags are one of the easiest magical tools and great for travel because they’re small, powerful, and easy to create. I travel often and like to tuck away a protective charm bag somewhere in my luggage. During my most recent trip back home, I drew a Hamsa Hand on my charm bag for an extra layer of protection and it made it look extra fun!

To create your magic charm bag, put any combination of the following ingredients into your choice of bag color. As you place the items in the charm bag imagine a white shielding light enveloping you and your luggage. This is a perfect time to invoke Green Tara too! Place your charm bag in a suitcase, on your rearview mirror, or in your purse as you travel.

• Bag color: black, blue, or yellow

• Stones: Any of the stones listed above!

• Earth: Pointed shell, black and white feather, pine, acorns, cinnamon

• Amulet or Symbol: Hamsa Hand, Eye of Horus

Now you have all the tools you need to travel with confidence that you’re protected mind, body and spirit. Wishing you a summer full of new and magical experiences!

5 Surprising Quartz Crystal Ball Uses

We all want our crystals to be multifunctional, right? The fact that they’re beautiful is nice and that many of them offer healing benefits is even better!

When it comes to getting the most out of your crystals, the quartz crystal ball is where it’s at. Think of the quartz crystal ball as the Goddess of all crystals.

Sure, you’ve seen crystal balls played out in Disney movies and maybe even the magical crystal ball juggling by David Bowie in the movie Labyrinth. But, crystal balls go way beyond the fortune teller stereotype.

Now, I have to be honest with you, I told a little lie, I really only have 4 surprising uses for a crystal ball. The first one is totally expected, but I couldn’t pass it up! All of these uses, expected and unexpected, will have you glued to your crystal ball and reaping all of its magical benefits.

Fortune Telling & Asking Questions

Since we went through the basics on the blog last week, today let’s start with the most obvious use for a crystal ball: asking questions, fortune-telling and crystal gazing.

It’s time to take your intuitive training wheels off and dive into trusting your natural abilities with a crystal ball. Reading crystal balls may not be as popular as tarot or oracle cards because there’s no guidebook for this intuitive tool. Crystal ball gazing requires you to build up a symbol vocabulary of your own and truly trust the messages you receive. Here’s a shortlist for reading your crystal ball and asking it questions.

How to Read your Crystal Ball:

• Center yourself, and try to reach a meditative state before you begin. Use any method you like to do this, breathing or a short guided meditation will work.

• Energetically attune yourself to your ball. You can do this by placing your hands on the sphere until you feel the ball is connected to your energy.

• Begin gazing into your crystal ball. You can even imagine yourself becoming a part of the crystal ball or going within it.

• Mentally or aloud ask your question, if you have one, or simply allow information to come to you.

• As you gaze, be open, and allow images to form. Images may come as shapes you see in the crystal itself (almost like seeing forms in the clouds), or you might see images appear in your mind's eye. Don’t expect to see a movie scene appear in your crystal ball, our favorite childhood movies have exaggerated this part a bit! Imagery may come to you in a variety of ways, there’s no wrong way to receive a message.

• Once you’re content with the message you’ve received exit the crystal ball the same way you entered it. For example, if you imagined going within the sphere, imagine leaving the crystal ball in the same way.

• Thank the crystal ball and cover it, if you use a cover.

Don’t give up! Crystal gazing isn’t easy and may a bit of practice before you start seeing results, but is a great way to sharpen your intuitive skills.

Even though fortune-telling may be the most common association with a crystal ball, it’s certainly not the only use. Read on to learn some unexpected uses for your new crystal bestie.

Meditation

It’s easy to get lost in the beauty of a crystal ball, so it’s not hard to imagine using it as a meditation tool. Similar to the art of candle light meditation, meditating with a crystal ball can effectively bring you to a deep meditative state.

To use your crystal ball as a meditation tool, stare into it just as you would for a reading. Notice everything you see within the crystal ball but rather than trying to analyze it, simply notice it and then let it go.

Let the soothing energy of the quartz wash over you as it calms and centers your mind.

Clearing Negative Energy

Quartz crystal is a powerful stone for clearing negative energy and balancing the chakras.

A quartz necklace is perfect for personal clearing and balancing but if you want to keep your office or home negative-free, a quartz sphere is the way to go! The spherical shape is what gives a quartz ball its cleansing and balancing superpowers. Unlike a crystal wand or point, a crystal sphere will emit smooth and even energy in all directions. This is why is perfect for large spaces.

If you’re using a crystal ball for energetic cleansing and balancing it’s best to have one specifically for this purpose and another for reading and meditating with. But let’s be honest, do we really need reasons to buy more crystals?

Inspiring Creativity

This is the perfect tool for getting out of a creative block! Similar to using it as a meditation tool, gaze into the sphere to clear your mind of your creative woe’s and allow your mind to focus on the emptiness of the crystal ball. Here’s some crystal ball inspiration from Uma Silbey’s book Crystal Ball Gazing:

Just by gazing you stimulate your third eye, the subtle energy center associated with,among other things, intuition and creativity. This will help open you to the creativeflow….As I gaze, I free my mind of everything I was saying and thinking and let it restempty and clear…. After I’ve rested my mind for a few moments, I focus on my topicafresh, while still gazing into my crystal ball. Soon all of these new ideas start coming to me.

Next time you find yourself unsure of how to move forward on a creative project take a break to gaze into your crystal sphere.

Sending Messages

Here’s another gem from Uma Silbey’s book Crystal Ball Gazing! Even though sending messages with your crystal ball is for the practiced gazer, it’s a use that’s still worth discussing.

Once you’re in a meditative state during gazing, imagine the person in the crystal ball, then send them the healing message you’d like to share with them. Spend as much time as you’d like sending them positive energy and messages.

After you finish, Uma also suggests setting your crystal ball on an altar for the same person to amplify the message.

I could go on because the uses for these beauties are endless, but I’ll let you start enjoying your crystal ball instead. Before you run out to get your own quartz sphere be sure to check out my last post on how to choose one and take care of it properly here.