On Samhain night (pronounced sow-in) it is said the veil between the worlds is at it’s thinnest. That mysterious cloak separating the realm of our deceased from the realm of our living. Many cultures subscribe to this thought, from pre-Celtic peoples to modern Mexican. This dark time of the year is closely connected with the Crone, or Wise Old Woman, and marks the beginning of the end in the yearly cycle. On this night, more commonly known as Halloween, and within three days of the Full Moon, I created a gemstone elixir intended for working with our Ancestors. Specifically for healing work. This work may be taken on with intention and ceremony, or through Shamanic processes; journeys, curse unraveling, negative core belief repair, or even before meditation and opening your heart to communication; thereby facilitating conflict resolution or ‘saying what was left unsaid’. Perhaps you have other methods at hand in your healing basket. Simply take 3 drops under your tongue before you begin and periodically as you are called to during the healing work. Get creative, you could add a few drops to a preparatory bath, anoint candles, tools, objects or yourself, mist your sacred space or even as an offering. This Ancestral Healing Elixir was lovingly prepared with: Clear Quartz crystal with a naturally formed Ancestral Timeline: This type of formation has an inherent ability to trace ancestral difficulties to it’s source for healing to take place as well as holding the regular clear quartz aspects; amplifying energy, being easily programmable for specific intention, enhancing mental clarity, harmonizing & balancing energy while being, healing and protective. Petalite: sometimes called the “stone of angels” it is extremely useful for ancestral & family healing, going back to a time before the dysfunction arose. This gemstone carries a high spiritual vibration, facilitates connection with the spirit realm, intuitive ability & clairsentience while clearing negative energy and lending protection. Petalite brings a peaceful calm to situations and is quite useful for astral travel & meditation. Also considered a shamanic stone. Labradorite: bringing clarity, understanding, harmony, strength, enhancing intuition & psychic perception, especially during times of conflict and change. Linked to the Crone, Labradorite facilitates inner knowledge of the Mysteries, helps to release judgements and bring ‘shadowed aspects’ into the light. This stone is also considered a shamanic stone and supports shamanic journeying. Citrine: offers courage & self discipline, supports getting tasks done & matters settled. Great for uplifting mood & bringing forth feelings of Generosity. Helpful with healing emotional trauma. A stone that never needs energetic “cleaning” after use and is a gentle beacon of Light during intense work. Empowered by: Samhain Energy: A long held time of communion with Ancestors and the Deceased. Full Moon: A most profound refection of the Life, Death, Rebirth cycle, the Moon at it’s fullest heightens energy & empowers intention.
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A shaman woman friend of mine came from across the water to visit. We only had an hour and a half together and the rare opportunity presented itself that we actually could be uninterrupted by responsibilities, children, deadlines etc for part of that time. After coffee and cheesecake we immediately headed to the river to work with our Lia Malas – our medicine bundles – give some offerings to the land, and send blessings, gratitude and offerings for the work 12 shaman ladies were doing during a sweat ceremony that day. I asked her what type of place energy would she like – Ocean, Mountain, River, Fire, Forest, Wind… she chose River for its cleansing and clearing, and I knew I needed some Fire to accomplish the same in balance of where I am at. I brought a beeswax votive and we set off to a lovely river I have often visited. It always feels peaceful and quiet even on it’s “busy” days with a few kids and dogs walking along its banks. Well today was a different story. I hadn’t been down to this particular stretch since the salmon started spawning this year, and had completely forgotten about all the many fishermen who would gather. To top it off, despite the land on the other side being a protected Eagle sanctuary, the buzz of 2 chainsaws cut sharply through the air. The sweet energy of the place was being overpowered with jarring activities. Now, I do eat salmon and so it must be caught to do so. I have much gratitude for salmon, it’s nutrition, taste, spirit medicine, and legends. I do however have a hard time with catching them while they struggle to return to their birth place, full of wisdom, to spawn. To me, it feels disruptive of the cycle and is rarely done with the honour that is due. We didn’t have time to relocate and I didnt feel comfortable enough to be at the waters edge to work in sacred space among the men fishing and bludgeoning. I half closed my eyes and began to walk away from the river into the trees. I followed with my senses to a place. The right place. My dear friend was beside me and I lit my candle to rest in its cup on the leaf strewn earth under the birch. We took out our Malas and began our separate ceremonies together. The moment I held my bundle to my forehead and began with gratitude – I noticed the chainsaws stop. A sweet relief! The rain drops falling all around blessed us with forgiveness and gentle heart cleansing. The fire transmuted the dense energy I had been dealing with. The earth held and supported us. The trees sheltered us. I made my offerings, said my prayers, expressed gratitude, asked for balance to be had in this place as well as within, and thanked the Airts. When we were finished and tying up our bundles – the chainsaws began to rip through the air once again but a shift could be felt. I find it amazing what a short space of time working with Spirit can accomplish. I am blessed to be aware of the omens that accompany such wakeful living, for working with community both near and far. For the grounding among the chaos and the wisdom gleaned from the ‘ordinary’. As I walked away, I remembered a similar story I read on another woman’s blog – if I find it again I will post a link to it – it had similar connotations. She was heading into hosting a large ceremony only to be greeted with overwhelming chaos of logging taking place – the messages gleaned from that, the continuance of ceremony regardless, and how for just those moments – the chainsaws stopped. |
Juliette JarvisA bean feasa of Gaelic heritage shares stories & insights from her animist and 'shamanic' practice on the West Coast of Canada. Categories
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February 2023
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