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juniper stokes 10/26/21 juniper stokes 10/26/21

Celebrating Samhain: Modern Rituals and Festivities for Connection and Protection

Twelve ways to celebrate Samhain and Halloween with modern rituals, crafts, and recipes. Plus protect yourself and learn to communicate with the spirit world.

Blessed Samhain and Happy Halloween! Samhain (pronounced sowen) marks the end of autumn harvests and the beginning of our descent into the dark quiet of winter. It’s a time when the veils are thin and our ancestors beckon (it’s no coincidence that Dia de los Muertos is right around the corner!).

Samhain also marks the arrival of the new year in the Celtic calendar. Originally celebrated midway between the autumn equinox (Mabon) and winter solstice (Yule), we now celebrate Samhain in conjunction with Halloween.

Among my witchy and non-witchy friends alike, Samhain is an eternal favorite on the holiday scale. From the epic indulgence of a good Halloween party to the subtle thrill of thinning veils, this is a time of year for celebration, connection . . . and protection.

Here are a few ideas for your own connection, protection, and celebration this Samhain…

Connect

Samhain is a wonderful time to connect with those who are not in physical bodies—this includes both our ancestors and those in the non-human realms (the fae, the elven folk, and other spirits). I also find that the combination of thin veils and the Celtic New Year make this a wonderful time for significant card readings.

Honor Your Ancestors

With the veils thin, our benevolent ancestors are often more accessible. There are myriad ways to honor and connect with them, so these are just a few ideas:

Create an altar to honor your ancestors
Take a shamanic journey to meet a benevolent ancestor that would like to teach you about your lineage and family gifts
Perform ancestral healing work on behalf of your family, in whatever traditions you feel comfortable with
Learn more about your own ancestors' traditions and see if you can incorporate some of their dress, food, and ritual into your celebrations
Create a piece of art, poem, song, or write a letter to honor a deceased loved one
Have a ceremony to honor those who have come before
Celebrate a positive ancestral mythology—who among your ancestors do you admire, and why?

Connect with the Spirit World

Many people have an easier time connecting with the spirit world at this time of year, as the density that often stands between us melts away. What is your favorite way to connect with spirit? Try some of your regular practices, and see what happens! Here are few more ideas:

Leave offerings for the fae, your house elf, or other local beings—they tend to appreciate special foods and treats.
Do a guided meditation to connect with your spirit guides (I’ve created one to help you meet a spirit animal ally here!).
Journey to meet with a benevolent representative of the fae in your area. Most neighborhoods have a fae council, though few of us are aware of them. See if a representative would be willing to meet with you during a shamanic journey and ask how you might build a good relationship with them.
If you already have a practice in these arts, this is a good time of year to perform psychopomp or host a Wild Hunt (in other words, help lost and suffering beings cross into the light).

Do a New Years Reading

Grab your favorite deck of Tarot or oracle cards, a set of Runes, or perhaps the I Ching, and see what’s in store for your Celtic year. The Tree of Life and Wheel of the Year are great card spreads to do at this time. Or make up your own!

Protect

Thinning veils aren’t all fun and games…keep yourself, your loved ones, and your space safe this season! While spiritual protection is a big topic—one I have a whole class on—there are a few things you can do to maintain your spiritual sovereignty right now.

White Light

So common it’s almost cliche, White Light works. And it’s the easiest, most accessible thing you can use for protection. How? Simply visualize whatever you want to protect surrounded by white light. Feel the protection in your body and energy field, and affirm that it is so.

Perimeter Protection

This is a practice that I’ve been doing for decades to protect my home and all inside it. Every night before I sleep, I walk my consciousness around the perimeter of our property. I go slowly, visualizing a powerful boundary of white light glowing all along the border. I then ask angels and spirits of the land to help me maintain the light-filled protection around my home.

That’s it! Simple, but I swear it must work. When I lived in Denver, my neighborhood was plagued with porch pirates (our next door neighbors had multiple packages, bicycles, and a car stolen while I lived there!). Not only did we never have a package stolen, a psychic friend commented on the protection around my home during a reading, without any knowledge of the work I’d done.

To go the extra mile here, you can infuse stones or crystals with your intentions and place one in each corner of your property. Just check back and recharge them often.

Botanical Allies

Plants have long been used for space clearing and protection—especially through their smoke. Burning incense, resins, and dried bundles purifies the air and the energies in your home. When you combine your intentions for clearing and protection with the natural gifts of the plants, you’ll enjoy a powerful experience.

I offer sustainable and potent smoke bundles for clearing and protection in the apothecary. I make these bundles by hand and include a wide variety of plant allies—sages, mugwort, herbs, and high altitude flowers all contribute their unique medicines. These bundles make a nice alternative to the white sage bundles that are so popular today—white sage is vastly over-harvested, and there are local plants everywhere that are just as powerful for cleansing negative entities from your home.

Discernment

The most useful tool in your kit this season is that of discernment. I’ve often seen people get so excited or thrilled by being able to contact the other worlds, that they take any spirit’s word as gospel, assuming that the spirit knows more because of their view from the other side.

Here’s the thing: Not all spirits have your back. Some are tricksters, some are confused, and some are downright mean. If you’re going to intentionally engage with the spirit world on a regular basis, it’s worth developing skills to protect yourself and discern who you’re dealing with. (I have a really fun workshop on this coming soon!)

For now, as you engage with your connection practices this Samhain, just remember to fill and surround yourself with white light. Affirm that you will only allow benevolent spirits into your space and awareness, and keep the perimeter protected. If something doesn’t feel right, call on your angels to help clear it.

With this protection in place, it’s time to celebrate!

Celebrate!

This time of year asks us to shed the guise of normalcy and embrace our dark sides in the funnest, most gluttonous ways possible. Watch that scary movie, dress as your alter ego, and delight your senses with delectable goodies!

Dress up

Back in the day, the Celts would don costumes and wear masks to blend in with the spirits around them. Today, dressing up lets us freely play with self-expression in ways we rarely see throughout the rest of the year.

One of my favorite costumes was my dark forest nymph outfit, an ode to my longstanding relationship with the great goddess Diana. I made an antler head band embellished with bones and roses and decorated a black corset with more dark imagery.

Make some spooky treats

There are a million fun ways to make Halloween-themed treats. This year, I’m playing with black tahini. Yup—black. Made with black sesame seeds, it tastes almost like regular tahini but a little richer and definitely unroasted. But be forewarned--eating this will make your mouth black! (wipe the corners often…)

Wondering what to do with black tahini?

Bake some vegan black tahini cookies or swap regular tahini for black in these healthy honey cookies
Goth Hummus (the author uses black beans, but you can actually find black chickpeas here!)
Make a spooky orange and black hummus duo with my favorite pumpkin hummus

All the Halloween TV

I’ll admit it—I’m a sucker for a night in with spiced wine and Halloween movies on repeat. And my favorites? Really old Disney movies…silly, but yes. Escape to Witch Mountain, Donald Duck’s Trick-or-Treat, and The Watcher in the Woods to name a few.

Also, I haven’t missed a Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror since Bart and I were the same age…gulp!

Craft party

A group of girlfriends, a couple bottles of wine or giant pot of mulled cider, and a massive amount of craft supplies. This is one of my favorite ways to celebrate any holiday.

Pre-covid days, I hosted a sugar skull painting party in honor of the Dia de los Muertos aspect of this season. Everyone made amazing skulls…and I got carried away with gold and sparkes. As usual.

Carve a Jack O’Lantern

Years ago, I used to teach in English in Japan, and one of my favorite parts was putting together English history lessons of well-known American holidays. (I think I managed to stretch our Halloween lesson over 3 days, ha!) One fun tidbit—the Irish didn’t have pumpkins, so they carved turnips, adding a candle to ward off trickster spirits.

I love keeping this tradition alive. Carve a pumpkin, or even a turnip! I save and roast the seeds, and let the squirrels and deer devour the rest in the days after Halloween (a gruesome sight indeed…poor disappearing pumpkin faces!).

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juniper stokes 9/13/21 juniper stokes 9/13/21

Are You Scared of an Animal? Here's What Spirit Has to Say...

What does it mean if you're scared of, or don't like, your power animal? Is there a hidden meaning when you have a fear of a particular animal in general? Here’s how to look at animal phobias from a spiritual perspective.

What does it mean if you're scared of, or don't like, your power animal? Is there a hidden meaning when you have a fear of a particular animal in general?

In every intro to shamanism class I've taught, at least one student has received a power animal that made them uncomfortable. And I view this as an excellent opportunity...

Our power animals offer us just what the name suggests—POWER. True spiritual power that helps us decondition from false constructs and remember that we have far more ability to steer the direction of our lives than we may realizing.

When you connect with your spiritual power, your soul takes the lead and you enter unknown territory. And you know what doesn't like this? What wants to keep you small and safe and in the realm of the known? Your ego.

And what better way to keep you separate from your power than to make you afraid of it?

I remember years ago, at least a decade now, I dreamed that I was eaten by a crocodile. This dream was so insanely impactful that I developed a fear of crocodiles and alligators that lasted for years. On one level, I loved and appreciated them as part of the animal kingdom, but on a more subtle, embodied level, I felt fear whenever I saw them.

And I even saw one in the wild—only six feet from me! While kayaking in Queensland, I pulled up onto a beach and looked over only to see a baby crocodile calmly watching me.

This was both scary and exhilarating. And something shifted.

I now realize, through years of shamanic experience and study, that the crocodile that appeared in my dream so long ago was initiating me into its medicine through a dismemberment—one of the most traditional and time-honored forms of initiation.

When I understood crocodile’s true relationship with me, I began to work more intentionally with crocodile as a spirit guide. And wow. Talk about a powerhouse ally! So much power had been cut off from me when I resisted its medicine.

Now whenever I see a crocodile, my heart swells with love. All I see is beauty and all I feel is gratitude. The shift in my response has been a full-bodied transformation.

If you receive a power animal that you're scared of, take time to learn about its gifts and lifestyle. The more we know and understand our animals, the more we can appreciate and eventually learn to love them.

And, if you have an unexplained phobia or dislike of a particular animal, perhaps this is a signpost—where might you be afraid or resistant to your own gifts and power?

For help exploring these important questions, take a look at the Spirit Animal Workshop. It will guide you step-by-step through everything you need to know about claiming your power through your power animal relationships.

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juniper stokes 8/2/21 juniper stokes 8/2/21

Wildcrafting with Fireweed

Every late July and through August, the mountain meadows are dotted with neon pink blossoms. It's fireweed season ❤️ Both medicinal and edible, fireweed is one of the first plants to come back after wildfires. I've heard that the young shoots can be eaten like asparagus, though I've never tried. I do decorate summer salads with the blossoms, though…

Every late July and through August, the mountain meadows are dotted with neon pink blossoms. It's fireweed season.

Both medicinal and edible, fireweed is one of the first plants to come back after wildfires. I've heard that the young shoots can be eaten like asparagus, though I've never tried. I do decorate summer salads with the blossoms, however.

Fireweed is also an excellent tonic for the digestive system and has massive amounts of Vitamin C. When the blossoms are peaking, I like to either tincture or make a vinegar infusion with all the aerial parts to create a natural dose of Vitamin C throughout the year.

Fireweed also has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, which make it wonderful to infuse in oils for healing salves (I made a limited amount of fireweed oil to use in my newest batch of healing salves this year—be sure to grab them while they’re in stock!)

One of my personal favorite ways to work with fireweed is with fireweed flower essence. The flower essence is one of my favorites for encouraging resilience, energy, and passion.

Fireweed is also a fairly common smoking herb, often used in herbal blends. Personally, I enjoy adding it to my wild smoke bundles for joyful wishes, to help carry our enthusiasm for all we wish to create up to spirit.

Fireweed grows abundantly almost all over North America, so it’s a great flower for foraging. Go out and see if you can find some!

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juniper stokes 7/22/21 juniper stokes 7/22/21

Bear Medicine

Meeting my first bear in the wild, understanding spirit animals, and knowing that we are not alone

We are not alone...

I saw this marking just two days before a huge brown bear sauntered right by me, maybe 20 feet away.

My eyes must have looked like a cartoon character's—I've waited my entire life to see a bear in the wild and I couldn't believe it had finally happened. For better or worse, pure ecstatic joy overrode any fear.

If you look up Bear as a spirit animal online, you'll find everything from bear signifying a cycle of hibernation coming, being courageous, motherhood, appreciating the sweetness in life, protection, and so much more.

When I encountered Bear, I knew the appearance was significant. I knew Bear was coming as a messenger from spirit—but I also knew that online animal references could not tell me the personal meaning of my experience. I believe that we must cultivate the ability to work with spirit without a middleman, the ability to find our own answers.

I felt that this bear's appearance was less about Bear medicine specifically, and more about me opening up to a new era of power.

I've just been through—well, I'm still in it really—an extremely challenging period of major transformation and initiation. Everything, in every part of life, has felt stuck, blocked , grief-ridden, unnecessarily difficult, and bizarrely bad for so long, despite my best efforts. But I've been making my way through, trusting in spirit and doing the work, and have finally felt a shift and a bit of levity enter back into my life.

The day before I saw this bear, I commented to my partner that a bear was the one animal I hadn't yet seen in these mountains that I wished I would someday, even though seeing one in the wild might feel a bit scary.

The timing of all of this feels like a pure gift from spirit, a sign of encouragement and confirmation that I am in touch with spirit and on my path. A confirmation that indeed, I have reached a turning point.

As I enter this new era, I feel Bear blessing me with power, protection, maturity, sweetness, rest, and so much more.

Many of these qualities of course overlap with what you might read online, and yet the major lesson and confirmation from my bear sighting had to come from my personal reflections about this encounter, my own intuitive perceptions.

Have you ever encountered an animal and wondered if it carried a message of some sort?

Animal sightings are one of the most common ways spirit communicates with us, and learning how to understand the omens and messages coming to you is an absolutely invaluable skill. If you’d like to learn more about how to interpret the animal messengers in your own life, be sure to take a look at The Spirit Animal Workshop.

This self-paced mini-class will teach you how to differentiate between animal messengers and power animals, and how to understand what animals mean without having to look them up in a book or online glossary. If you have any interest in spirit animals at all, then this is for you!

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juniper stokes 7/18/21 juniper stokes 7/18/21

Great Northern Bedstraw: A Beloved and Underrated Wild Plant

One of my favorite fragrances as I hike through the mountains is that of Great Northern Bedstraw. It smells of honey and fresh hay, and was often used as bedding because of of it's sweet scent.

One of my favorite fragrances as I hike through the mountains is that of Great Northern Bedstraw (Galium boreale). It smells of honey and fresh hay, and was often used as bedding because of of it's sweet scent. Some native tribes would even add it to perfumes.

Though it's not commonly used in modern day herbalism, northern bedstraw has a few important internal uses. It was traditionally made into a tea for intestinal issues and internal bleeding. It's also very mineral rich, so I like to infuse it into wild greens vinegar so I can have a wild nutrient boost throughout the year.

But before you consume―some literature suggests that great northern bedstraw was taken by indigenous people to prevent pregnancy. Though I haven't found much evidence on this, if you're trying to conceive, it's probably best to be safer than sorry!

Externally, great northern bedstraw can be used to soothe a variety of skin conditions—rashes, burns, cuts, eczema, and more. And, its roots make a beautiful red dye!

Energetically, great northern bedstraw helps bring about sweet dreams and deep rest. It can help cultivate feelings of love between partners, as well, and I recommend misting your bed with the flower essence before sleeping…or participating in other bedroom activities ;)

Carefully separating the delicate flowers of great northern bedstraw for perfuming tinctures.

During my most recent foraging adventures, great northern bedstraw gifted me with much medicine to share.

First, I carefully removed the delicate white blossoms from the green stems to make a tincture in organic alcohol. The scent is of fresh hay and delicate florals, a beautiful sweet green note that I can’t wait to share through new perfumes. Combining my own wildcrafted aromas with rare oils from around the world allows to me to create fragrances that you just can’t find anywhere else. They are beautiful and love making them and wearing them.

I also infused the entire areal plant into organic sunflower oil. Sunflower oil is a long-lasting carrier oil with a lovely texture, and infusing it with bedstraw gives the oil the same lovely scent as the tincture―with benefits! The potent nutrients fill this oil with healing benefits for your skin, joints, and muscles, so I’ve included it in this year’s healing salves.

You can also find this year’s harvest of great northern bedstraw in the psychic dreams smoke bundles, as well as in a flower essence.

Have you ever worked with this lovely plant? Send me note and let me know. :)

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juniper stokes 7/6/21 juniper stokes 7/6/21

Ethical Wildcrafting and Making Mountain Medicine

Every summer, I head to the mountains at about 10,000ft for my annual botanical medicine making retreat. I hike for hours each day, communing with the plants and making wild medicines. This medicine making trip is by far my favorite time of the year, in my favorite place in the world.

I've been cultivating my relationship with the plants and nature spirits at this sacred spot for nearly a decade now. My understanding of the unique gifts each plant offers, my ability to discern what is actually being offered and what wishes to remain untouched, has grown deep with time and intention.

There’s something about being at such a high elevation when I collect and commune with these plants. I know it’s silly, as spirit is within and around us always, but I do feel just a bit closer, as if the veils thin with the atmosphere. Plus, the resilience in these high-altitude plants is astounding―to survive the alpine winds and winters and then the scorching summer sun...they have so much to teach us.

As I've nurtured my relationship with the plant spirits over the years, I've refined the “mountain medicines” I'm able to share, as I call them. This year, I'll be adding new flower essences, teas, smoke bundles, elixirs, healing salves, and maybe a few tinctures to the apothecary, all full of wild botanicals.

All geared up and on the trail for some legit mountain foraging!

In order to gather the plants I work with, I hike for miles and miles everyday. This is in part because the plants I work with are spread throughout various micro-climates. But it’s also to support sustainability: When I make my smoke bundles, I clip only one or two sprigs from each Great Western Sagebrush. When I gather my resins, I take only what falls from a tree easily, so as not to hurt its defenses. Gathering this way might be a slow, laborious process, but it’s an enjoyable one. And the sustainability of the forest always comes first.

As interest in wildcrafting and foraging grows, attention to the sustainability of our wild places becomes ever more important. During my most recent stay in the mountains, I encountered another woman gathering rose petals. I must have come at the end of her harvest, because when I arrived almost no roses were left at all.

Part of me wants to give her the benefit of the doubt―it was the end of a bumper rose season and many hips had formed already, so perhaps there weren't many blossoms left to begin with.

Still…I have an especially protective instinct when it comes to wild roses. When I harvest rose petals, I do so very judiciously. The bees and pollinators need the flowers more than I do, so I want to make sure they have plenty to enjoy during the rose's short season. Plus, roses also turn into rose hips―one of the most important food sources for many animals during the winter months.

This is why when I harvest rose petals, I ask myself, "Could 10 people come to this same spot and harvest the same amount without making a visible dent in the blossoms?" The answer must be yes.

These sacred offerings are true gifts from the spirits of nature and provide us with a deeply wild healing—a healing so many of us could use these days. In a world where we’ve become overly domesticated, it’s critical that we remember to rewild a bit. When we touch into our innate wild natures, we tap into a well of resilience, sovereignty, and inner knowing.

Preparing a basket of mountain medicine ❤️

Whether or not you have the desire or the ability to escape into the natural world, I hope the wild offerings in my apothecary will bring the healing wisdom of nature to you. Each carries the energetic imprint of the wilderness, an imprint which is passed onto you when you use the products. Plus, wild plants are especially potent healers on the physical level. I really can’t say enough about how much these products have changed my own life.

As for those roses…

I have a longstanding love of rose medicine, which you can read about here. But what did I make with the petals I carefully gathered?

Wild rose elixirs! They are my favorites. Sweet and floral, these elixirs open and protect our hearts. To make the elixirs, I use wild rose honey with organic wild rose-infused grape vodka and wild rose flower essence. If you happen to grab one before they sell out, take one dropper full three times a day to bring more love and sweetness into your body and energy field. (Rose elixir is also delicious added to sparkling water!)

A strawberry cupcake? Nope! Wild rose-infused honey in the making :)

And, if this looks like way too many petals for such a small jar of honey…it is! I hike with only a small jar, cover the petals to preserve them, and transfer this to bigger batch of honey when I return home. But it is quite the image :)

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juniper stokes 7/3/21 juniper stokes 7/3/21

The Magic and Medicine of Elephant's Head Flower

Elephant's Head, or Pedicularis groenlandica, is one of my favorite mountain friends. I adore the magical little purple flowers and the "elephant trunks" they display. The beauty of this plant alone is enough to celebrate—but it also has awesome healing powers…

Elephant's Head, or Pedicularis groenlandica, is one of my favorite mountain friends. I adore the magical little purple flowers and the "elephant trunks" they display. While the beauty of this plant alone is enough to celebrate, its healing gifts bring even more blessings.

The tiny flowers look like elephant trucks!

The Many Benefits of Elephant’s Head Flower

Native to the alpine regions of North America, the Elephants Head flower has a long-standing history of medicinal use. You can tincture the entire areal plant, infuse it in oil for healing salves, or make a tea with just the flowers — a rare delight when I'm on my annual mountain medicine making personal retreat.

I love elephant’s head because it's so beautifully relaxing for mind, body, and spirit. Its calming and sedative properties have been utilized to alleviate anxiety, nervous tension, and promote restful sleep; while its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties make it a valuable ally for releasing tension from the body and managing pain naturally. (It’s a key ingredient in my Tension Tonic tincture, which I created using organic grape alcohol and only wild mountain plants and those grown in my own organic gardens, all gathered by hand with reverence. There are a few bottles left at the time of this writing.)

One of my favorite uses for elephant's head is for smoke, and many people add this plant to smoking blends, as did Native tribes. I prefer to add it to my Dreamtime smoke bundles — burned before bed, they clear stagnant energy and welcome a peaceful night’s sleep. It's even said that elephant's head has almost hallucinogenic properties and can enhance lucid dreaming (I’ve added some to my magical Blue Moon Lucid Dreams tea if you want to try any!).

Elephant's head has so many uses that I'd love to harvest heaps of it. But I don't, and neither should you if you come across any. While it's not a threatened or endangered plant, it's not overly abundant either. And, elephant's head can draw poisonous components from other nearby plants into its roots, so you really want to know what you're doing in the plant world if you plan on using it internally.

I gather my elephant's head from a particular patch in a secret location, a place I've been visiting for years. I took the time to develop a strong relationship with elephant's head before ever asking it to share its medicine with me. Now, as I go back each year, I'm able to see that more elephant's head is growing than the year before, letting me know that my collections are sustainable.

Which brings us to the most sustainable and magical way to work with elephant’s head — the flower essence. I created a batch of essences on site in an elephant’s head grove, at over 10,000ft in the Rocky Mountains. This essence carries vibrational attunements to enhance clairvoyant gifts, astral travel, and intuition.

Have you ever worked with magic and medicine of elephant’s head flower? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments.

the author gathering elephant's head high in the Rocky Mountains

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juniper stokes 6/17/21 juniper stokes 6/17/21

A Shamanic Guide to Illness: 5 Types of Imbalance

Understand major causes of illness from a shamanic perspective. What does shamanism say about illness, health, and healing? How is illness diagnosed, and what techniques are used? Discover the five main types of illness.

Being human means we suffer (yes, I took that little gem from the Buddhists). Our bodies are susceptible to injury and illness, and our minds struggle with emotional difficulties, addiction, and more.

You probably have a pretty good idea of what’s behind your challenges—from viruses and bacteria, to brain chemistry and the microbiome, to emotional trauma and straight up injury.

While these factors are important to understand and work with, from a shamanic perspective they paint an incomplete picture.

Shamanism holds that everything originates in the unseen world before it manifests physically—and that includes illness and disease. By tending to the spiritual and energetic roots of illness in addition to whatever physical, mental, and emotional support is needed, we can heal more fully.

Causes of Illness from a Shamanic Perspective

On a basic level, shamanism views illness as an energetic imbalance of some sort—either something is there that shouldn’t be, or something should be there that isn’t.

That said, there are a few areas of imbalance that are helpful to understand:

1. Power Loss

In shamanic terminology, the idea of “power” could be likened to life force, vitality, or chi. The late shamanic teacher and physicist Claude Poncelet also defined it as “the ability to transform energy,” which makes sense—when you are fully empowered, you are more capable of creating the changes you want to see.

There are many reasons we lose our power—it seems to be part of the human condition. A few things that appear to be connected to power loss are: having our boundaries violated, sacrificing our own integrity to get certain needs met, internalizing limiting beliefs about ourselves, and anything that disconnects us from our true divine nature. In some traditions, there’s even the act of stealing power.

How do you know if you have power loss? This often shows up as a lack of vitality or zest for life. If you seem unable to make positive changes or take action on your dreams, power loss could be at play. Other common symptoms of power loss include chronic illness, depression, fatigue, low self-esteem, poor boundaries, suicidal feelings, or ongoing misfortunes.

2. Soul Loss

This might sound scary, but it’s actually very common from a shamanic perspective. Soul loss is when a part of your soul’s essence leaves, usually due to some sort of emotional or physical trauma. This can be from a sudden shock, such as a car accident, or an ongoing difficulty, such as an unhealthy relationship.

When part of your soul essence leaves, it does so to protect itself—soul loss is a survival mechanism. And not to worry, your soul essence is never fully gone and is usually comfortably waiting in the unseen world for an opportunity to return.

How do you know if you have soul loss? If you’ve ever experienced an injury or trauma and never quite felt the same again—even after your physical symptoms healed—there could be soul loss. Other symptoms include addiction, PTSD, depression, a weakened immune system, dissociation, grief, or, in extreme cases, coma.

Shamanic sessions can help with soul loss

3. Entanglement

Entanglement is often the result of power or soul loss. It occurs when we take on energy that isn't our own—this may come in the form of intrusions, attachments, cords, or even possessions. I’ll go into more detail about what all these terms mean in future posts. For now, just know that this is all totally natural, even common, and very fixable with shamanic healing.

Symptoms of entanglement vary widely. You might have localized pain with an intrusion or enmeshed relationships that are sustained with energetic cords between you and another person.

Now, I know “possession” sounds intimidating, and it kind of is. Yet, in my own healing journey, working with possessions has been one of the most powerful practices I’ve experienced. Basically, some sort of spirit becomes enmeshed in your field with varying degrees of influence on your personality and life. It is an amazingly healing process to decouple from this outside influence and reclaim your sovereignty through shamanic healing.

4. Lineage Patterns

Much of what we experience has actually been passed down through our lineages. This is a complicated subject, but in short, I work with three main types of lineage healing:

Blood lines—this is the lineage held in your DNA, your genetic makeup
Milk lines—similar to blood lineages, milk lines incorporate other influential relationships, such as adoptive or step parents and important caretakers
Light lines—this is your own spiritual lineage, comprised of the many lives you've lived and all the vows, beliefs, influences, and experiences you carry from them

Shamanic work can help you uncover not only unhealthy patterns and curses, but also the hidden gifts within your lineages. It can also help you heal ancestral trauma in ways that serve generations to come.

5. Disconnection from the Natural World

For most of human history, our daily survival depended upon being in right relationship with the natural world. We recognized the spirit in birds and trees and rocks and rivers—in Mother Earth herself. We honored the sun, stars, and moon.

This need for intimacy with the natural world runs deep in our blood, yet we’ve largely forgotten how to nurture this relationship. As a result, we’re collectively becoming more and more out of balance with our environment.

The effects of this on our planet are clear—I won’t go into a laundry list of environmental destruction here. But what does this mean for us? What soul-level illness might be occurring because we’re missing out on some of the most important relationships in our lives?

Shamanism doesn’t ask that we all go live off the grid (and I’m in no hurry to give up my Netflix subscription!). But it does recognize that healing our relationship with nature is essential to the survival of our species and the planet. As above, so below; as within, so without.

Right relationship with nature - rewilding

Final Thoughts

So, are you worried you might have soul loss and intrusions and—gulp—even a possession?

I can't emphasize enough how common and normal all of this is. Shamanic healing has been around for thousands of years, and as my own teachers say, it wouldn’t have lasted this long if it didn’t work. The reason we’re discussing these causes of illnesses is so that we can tend to them and heal.

Also, please note that this information is not intended to define or diagnose anything you're experiencing. Your “symptoms” could be related to something that would completely surprise your human mind. And in truth, these areas overlap quite a bit (since when has the spirit world been a fan of categories anyway?).

Ready to experience shamanic healing for yourself? Learn more about my one-on-one offerings.

Want to go deeper with these teachings? Enjoy a FREE workshop on Shamanic Illness & Health

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What causes illness from a shamanic perspective?

juniper stokes 6/17/21 juniper stokes 6/17/21

The Magic and Medicine of the Rose

Perhaps no other flower has been so exalted throughout history, in mythology and for spiritual purposes, as the rose. Discover the magic and medicine of this sacred flower.

Perhaps no other flower has been so exalted throughout history, in mythology and for sacred purposes, as the rose.

The rose appeals to our senses, opens our hearts, and enhances our beauty and health. As June ushers in the rose season here in the Northern Hemisphere, it is the perfect time to celebrate the magic and medicine of this sacred flower.

The Rose in History

The symbolism of the rose is highly complex and has inspired a variety of associations across cultures and times. It has represented both heavenly perfection and earthly passion, fertility as well as virginity, and life and death.

Primarily associated with the feminine, this complexity carries into the variety of important women the rose is associated with, from Cleopatra and her magical perfumes to the Queen of Heaven in Dante’s Divine Comedy to the Virgin Mary of Biblical times.

In ancient Rome, the rose was a sign of pleasure, a companion of mirth and wine, and was also used at funerals.

In Middle Eastern traditions, only the red rose was allowed to accompany one into the afterlife.

Roses filled the great gardens of Persia, and according to legend, the first bloom of the rose had an aroma so heady that it caused the nightingale to sing. Overcome by the rose’s perfume, the bird dropped to the earth, spilling blood that turned the first petals red.

In 15th century Europe, the secret society of Rosicrucians chose a rose on a cross as their symbol, for the rose represented the perfection of paradise to these alchemists and philosophers.

Early Christianity associated the rose with the blood of martyrs, and therefore life after death.

Some Native American tribes turned to rose for not just medicine and food, but to keep ghosts away.

And yet, of all that the rose symbolizes, love is perhaps its most enduring association.

Indeed, within the ancient Greek and Roman pantheon, the goddess of love herself, Aphrodite, holds the closest association with the rose.

Have you ever really studied Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus? In addition to sacred myrtle leaf Aphrodite holds, the rose appears floating through the heavens as she emerges from the sea.

The poetess Sappho was christened “the rose the queen of flowers” in 600BC, and has since inspired lovers throughout the ages.

The Rose as Healer

Just as the rose carries rich and complex symbolism, it also offers us one of the most chemically complex essential oils known, containing over 300 compounds, which contribute to the its many healing gifts.

And, when it comes to these healing gifts, ancient uses are almost identical to our modern ones, as we can see in part thanks to extensive medical compendiums like Pliney the Elder’s Natural History.

Though complex, rose medicine is remarkably consistent: the energetic, mental, and physical effects of rose medicine all assist us with the very things rose symbolizes most―love, beauty, and romance.

Perhaps rose’s affinity for both the nervous system and heart center are part of what makes it such a well-known aphrodisiac: Mentally and emotionally, rose is wonderful for soothing a troubled mind and helping you relax, while physically, it nourishes the nervous system, so you can get into your body and enjoy a bit of pleasure.

Interestingly, Rose’s symbolic connections with the heart center and femininity are found in medicinal uses across cultures.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine rose is a well-recognized heart tonic and increases yin, the feminine and cooling energy of the body.

Rose also supports skin care, which enhances beauty, and helps regulate the female reproductive system. (And for this reason, rose as herbal medicine is contraindicated during pregnancy, so do be careful!)

The wild roses of North America were used as food and medicine by many tribes, with similar but even more diverse applications than their European counterparts: Roots were made into hot compresses for reducing swelling, tea was taken for stomach upsets and reducing labor pains, and seeds were eaten to relieve sore muscles.

Today, we still use rose medicine in many of the same ways, as rose is known to soothe digestion, relieve cold and flu symptoms, relax the body and mind, and support the immune system.

On a spiritual and energetic level, rose is cooling, nurturing, and widely associated with the heart chakra. Both the essential oil and flower essence can balance our ability to give and receive love.

In her fascinating book The Fragrant Mind, Valerie Worwood explores the subtle shifts in how different varieties of roses can act upon our energy bodies and our consciousness: She describes Rosa damasca, most commonly found as an essential oil, as a gentle type of rose with a truly feminine personality, one that is pure-hearted and opens us to unconditional love. Rosa centifolia on the other hand, which is what we most often find in botanical absolutes, is passionate, sensual, and erotic, helping us tune into our own sexuality and enjoy life’s romantic pleasures.

As flower essences, Damask rose and other fragrant garden varietals are known to increase feelings of confidence when it comes to sexuality.

I find that wild rose carries rose’s typical connection to the heart center with an added dose of resilience, joy, and independence.

The flower essence of wild rose is known for supporting feelings of love and joy, particularly how they karmically manifest in our physical experiences. According to the Bach Flower Essence Repertory, wild rose can help cultivate a will to live in those who struggle with lethargy or depression.

Rose’s magical uses include cultivating love, peace, sex, and beauty, with its planetary ruler being Venus and its element being water (I love that again, we see the connections between the rose and Aphrodite, as her Roman name is Venus and she was born of the ocean...).

The prolific author of many books on Western magick, Scott Cunningham notes that magical rituals to be done with rose include spells to draw in emotionally satisfying relationships and to enhance inner and outer beauty.

The gifts of rose will affect us in slightly different ways depending on the form of our “medicine”―be it in a tea or tincture, spell, flower essence, essential oil, infused oil, or living flower. That said, here are a few of rose’s many benefits at a glance…

Benefits of Rose

Opening and balancing your heart chakra
Sensuality and appreciating life’s pleasures
Awakening and empowering your erotic, sexual nature and confidence
Enhancing your feminine nature
Love in all its forms―passionate, romantic, familial, friendship, spiritual, unconditional
Supporting the reproductive system―regulating menstruation, toning the uterus
Relaxing, anti-depressant, supports insomnia
Enhancing beauty inside and out―wonderful for mature or sensitive skin, inner confidence
Soothes the nervous system, sedative, cultivating feelings of peace
Releasing negative emotions
Clears heat and inflammation, cool and moist energetics
An emotional stabilizer, relaxes untended tension and provides mothering love
Supports digestion and boosts the immune system
Soothing a tender, broken, or grief-stricken heart
Attracting love and joy into your life

How to Use Rose Magic and Medicine

If you’d like to bring the magic and medicine of rose into your own life, here are a few ideas:

Make a rose petal infused honey, glycerete, or tea
Spritz some rosewater or a rose hydrosol on your skin
Infuse a nourishing oil with rose petals for skin care
Enjoy rose hips dried in tea or fresh in jams and jellies
Add a few drops of rose or wild rose flower essence to water or tea
Diffuse rose essential oil, or a rose-forward blend
Anoint yourself with a rosy perfume or ritual oil
Display a bouquet of organic and sustainable roses
Grow your own roses to really deepen your relationship with rose spirit
Place fresh roses on your altar
Stop and smell the roses whenever you can ;)

May rosy blessings be upon you!

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References

Mojay, G. (2014). Proceedings from NAHA ’14: The World of Aromatherapy VII: Beyond Aromatics. Seattle, WA.
Battaglia, S. (2003). The complete guide to aromatherapy (2nd ed.). Brisbane, Autralia: The International Center of Holistic Aromatherapy.
Worwood, V.A. (1996). The Fragrant Mind: Aromatherapy for Personality, mind, mood and emotion. Novato, CA: New World Library.
Mojay, G. (2000). Aromatherapy for healing the spirit: Restoring emotional and mental balance with essential oils. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.
Cunningham, S. (2013). Magical aromatherapy: The power of scent (7th ed.). Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications.
Keville, K. & Green, M. (2009). Aromatherapy: A complete guide to the healing art (2nd ed.). Berkley, CA: Crossing Press.
Pliny the Elder. The natural history. J. Bostock, M.D. (Ed.). (F.R.S. H.T. Riley, Esq., Trans). B.A. London: Taylor and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street. 1855. (Original work published 77-79 AD). Retrieved from: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0137%3Abook%3D13%3Achapter%3D2
Wiles, B. (2018). Mountain states medicinal plants: Identify, harvest, and use 100 wild herbs for health and wellness. Portland, OR: Timber Press.
Kershaw, L. (2016). Edible & Medicinal Plants of the Rockies. Edmonton, AB: Lone Pine Pub.
McIntyre, A. (2010). The Complete Herbal Tutor: The Ideal companion for study and practice. New York, NY: Hachette Book Group.
Kamininski, P. and R. Katz (1994). Flower Essence Repertory: A Comprehensive Guide to North American and English Flower Essences for Emotional and Spiritual Well-Being. Nevada City, CA: Earth Spirit, Inc.
McIntyre, A. (1996). Flower Power: Flower Remedies for Healing Body and Soul through Herbalism, Homeopathy, Aromatherapy, and Flower Essences. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Co.

juniper stokes 5/17/21 juniper stokes 5/17/21

Ritual Beauty: A Sacred Skincare Routine

There is something about taking time to care for the precious body that you live in that nourishes your soul as well as your skin. Learn how this simple, botanical skincare ritual really can transform your life ;)

There is something about taking time to care for the precious body that you live in that nourishes your soul as well as your skin.

We are spiritual beings, yet we came into these amazing bodies for a reason. And though experiencing various lessons and challenges is often cited as our soul’s motivation, this is not a complete picture…

We also came into these bodies so we could experience sensual pleasure.

Only embodied can we smell the aroma of lilacs in spring, witness the explosion of color in a sunset, listen to masterful melodies, taste perfectly paired spices from around the world, and feel the touch of a beloved’s arms.

Our skin covers and protects our entire body, providing us with a portal to experiencing the physical sensations of life. When we nourish and care for our skin, we’re showing ourselves that we matter. Our bodies matter. Our pleasure matters.

Of course, pausing for pleasure in the midst of our overpacked schedules and often monotonous lives seems to slip off the list of priorities all too easily. At least, it does for me.

But whenever I finally do take time once again to treat my senses and embrace the beauty of this physical life, I’m always so grateful that I did. A simple skincare ritual really can transform your life ;)

Here’s the kicker though―what you put on your skin matters. Endocrine disruptors, reproductive and developmental toxicity, contaminants, and cancer-causing ingredients are sadly common―even in “natural” brands.

(You can check your favorite products at the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database.)

This is why I began making my own skincare products years ago, and I started selling them to friends and family soon after. The following are my personal skincare rituals―one for everyday care, and one for a once-a-week treat (usually done after a bath...I like to go all out on my self care days).

I’ve linked to the products I personally use whenever possible, but feel free to use whatever you already love (just check that database first!).

Your Botanical Beauty Ritual

Opening the Ritual

Before beginning, be sure to set the scene. Light a candle, put on some music, grab a tea or glass of wine...whatever helps you remember that this is a special time for you to connect with yourself and your senses.

Step 1: Cleanse

Massage your favorite cleanser is into your skin and gently rinse with a damp cloth.

Wondering what to cleanse with? There are endless options on the market, but my favorite is a simple mix of nourishing oils and aloe vera. I use one part jojoba and one part aloe (unscented and undyed), along with a few anti-inflammatory essential oils, like German chamomile and blue tansy.

Other simple, eco-friendly face wash ideas: You can oil cleanse with pure jojoba oil, or for a more luxurious experience, cleanse with your face oil. Sometimes, I’ll use my Alchemessence skin serum as a face wash—it contain nourishing oils, aloe vera, botanical extracts in glycerin, and essential oils, making it a wonderful cleanser.

Step 2: Mask

Apply a clay mask. Mix your dry clay mask with a bit of carrier, such as honey, oil, or pure water. Apply to skin, avoiding eyes, and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. Gently remove with a warm cloth.

One of the oldest beauty secrets, clay masks have been used since in ritual beauty for thousands of years. I love a “dry” clay mask. Dry masks tend to have less ingredients like stabilizers and preservatives, so they’re a wonderful choice for natural beauty rituals.

Clay removes impurities and excess oil from the skin, smooths and evens skin tone, and can even provide moisture, depending on which clay and carriers you use. I’ve added special botanical powders to each of my dry clay mixes to give your mask even more skin-saving benefits―bamboo extract, iris root, green tea, olive leaf, blue-green algae, and frankincense resin, to name a few. You can explore all five masks here.

Step 3: Tone

Next comes toning. If you’re using a liquid toner, such as Queen of Hungary water, apply with a reusable cotton or bamboo pad. If you’re using a mist, close your eyes and spray your skin.

Toning is an essential step in any beauty routine. It balances your skin, helps purify toxins, and gives you an opportunity to add even more of a botanical boost. I alternate toning between homemade Queen of Hungary water (apple cider vinegar and rosewater infused with toning herbs), and facial mists.

I offer several facial mists at Alchemessence. Each is made of hydrosols, botanical extracts, essential oils, and other nourishing ingredients to balance and tone your skin. They are non-drying and wonderful for even the most sensitive skin types.

Step 4: Boost

Step four is optional but fun―add a boost of nutrients to your skin with a skin serum. Simply place a few drops of serum in the palm of your hand and massage into your skin.

Alchemessence serums contain nourishing oils, soothing aloe vera, and potent botanical extracts like edelweiss, green tea, and açaí, along with essential oils.

This step is a good time to add a gua sha massage, as the serum helps the gua sha tools move smoothly over your skin.

Step 5: Moisturize

Your final step is moisturizing. Place a few drops of a botanical face oil into the palm of your hand and gently massage into your skin, avoiding contact with your eyes. If you didn’t gua sha in step 4, now is the time.

I love botanical face oils because their ingredients are so pure and full of nutrients―they really are like food for your skin. Contrary to popular belief, they don’t leave you feeling greasy or breaking out either. Your skin really doesn’t need all the extra ingredients in cosmetic creams, as pure oil soaks in without clogging your pores.

My Alchemessence face oils contain around 40 ingredients, each chosen for very specific reasons. (You might like to read more about my process in this Insta post.)

Closing the Ritual

Once you’ve finished your ritual, give thanks to yourself for taking this time for you and for committing to natural beauty. Affirm that you love your skin and yourself, and you gratefully allow your inner radiance to shine forth.

Simple Daily Ritual

The daily ritual is a simplified version of the above. Cleanse, tone, and moisturize — that’s it! I actually like to keep my toning mist with me throughout the day. A couple of spritzes and my skin feels totally revitalized.

If you’d like to put together your own ritual beauty kit, you can explore everything mentioned here and more in the Alchemessence Apothecary.

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juniper stokes 2/25/21 juniper stokes 2/25/21

Pause & Play: A Mini-Revolution

Brief thoughts on breaking free from the cultural impulses of busyness.

All of us are doing are best to survive in a broken economic system.

Side hustles can be fun and meaningful. But for a huge percentage of a generation, they're also necessary.

Self employment can be liberating. And it can easily blur the lines between what you do for yourself and your income.

Either way, our capitalist system brainwashes us to believe that time is money and social media is power.

Have you ever felt guilty for simply relaxing? Working on a creative project just because—with no attachment to monetizing? Do you feel as if you must share every cool thing in your life on social to keep building a following? Does every activity need to be for the goal of personal betterment?

Mainstream commentators often credit these patterns to narcissism —"your self-esteem comes from likes", or "you think you're special and can sell socks on Etsy while the rest of us work".

On the other hand, many spiritual teachers teach that these drives are your fault—you're not prioritizing your energy, or your have limiting beliefs that keep you stuck.

While narcissism is a legitimate epidemic in our society (more on that in another post), and we absolutely can learn to work more effectively with our energy and shift limiting beliefs (this is a huge part of the healing sessions I offer), these toxic patterns are not that simple.

The feeling that everything you do must be monetized, or for personal betterment, or to build social followings, comes down to systems of work and economy that no longer fit our evolutionary path forward.

And it comes down to survival.

Younger generations are are inheriting a dying and unjust world wherein the very rich get richer—and so do their children—and everyone else is losing wealth, home-buying opportunities, access to basic healthcare, and fundamental financial and environmental safety.

Getting out of our cultural trappings is much more complicated than the "law of attraction" teachings many are fed. Yes, we are powerful creators, but our collective creations are, in fact, co-created.

We are co-creating with the divine…and each other.

None of us is an island. The effects of our actions do impact the well-being of others—and their actions impact us.

I share this because sometimes it's good to know you aren't crazy for struggling. AND because we can collectively change these dynamics.

You have more power to change yourself—and the world around you—than you probably realize.

One small thing you can do today is SAY NO to the capitalist, colonial, patriarchal BS that tells you to monetize every minute of your life. To only express your creative energy if it will be compensated or rewarded with likes.

Do something just for fun. And don't post about it on Instagram.

Though this seems small, it's an act of rebellion. It loosens the cultural shackles that keep us running like hamsters on a wheel. It teaches you a new way of being, just for a moment. And over time, it will shift your energy…and therefore the energy around you. These little acts of self care support the revolution we need.

juniper stokes 2/17/21 juniper stokes 2/17/21

Conspiracy Overwhelm

Brief thoughts on finding the truth in a world in a world that keeps us divided and disempowered.

Conspiracy overwhelm? Fear taking hold?

Come back to love.

There are terrible truths we must face, but constantly trying to know what's real or not can fuel crazy-making.

The key is to listen to your heart.

Where do you feel hope? Empowered to make a difference? Where can you trust that you will continue to be guided by divine wisdom?

What information makes you feel as if your personal power is being taken away? What makes you feel overwhelmed with fear? Hopeless?

One of the most tragic effects of conspiracy theories is to hijack all the attention and energy of light workers who would otherwise be loving, powerful, and effective in their actions.

To be clear, just because something is labeled a "conspiracy theory" does not mean it isn't valid or important to look at. This languaging is charged and can be used to gaslight those with real concerns.

But if you notice yourself obsessing about how horrible and terrifying something is, perhaps shifting your life mission even, take a step back.

Ask your body which sources of information bring terror and overwhelm, and what information is delivered in a way that allows you to maintain a strong connection to your true self.

Reconnect with your power and your truth. Remind yourself that there are infinite beings of light supporting all of us through our darkest times.

juniper stokes 2/8/21 juniper stokes 2/8/21

Projection: Healing a Toxic Phenomenon with Shamanism

At some point in our lives, all of us are the mercy of the projections of others. And we know from countless studies that this can affect our ability to bring our full self and gifts into the world in very real ways….

I became acutely aware of this phenomenon during my decade as a university lecturer. Many of the teachers I worked with would form these opinions about who students were and what they were capable of, and this alone had far too great an impact on these students' lives.

I made it a practice very early on in my career to see every student as a whole, individual person. I reminded myself that each one of them had important relationships, responsibilities, and gifts outside of my classroom, and remembered that I was only seeing a part of who they were. (This is something I continue to consciously do with my shamanic clients and students.)

The results of this practice were palpable. Students who had struggled with other teachers blossomed in my classes. Students who I might have written off at the beginning of a semester made surprising progress…And my teacher reviews were always stellar 😉

This approach was hard won for me though. One of my earliest, and still one of my favorite jobs ever, was teaching swimming lessons. I've always been a natural teacher, and I was incredibly good at helping kids make breakthroughs in their swimming abilities.

But there was one class. A super beginner class that was usually made up of 4 or 5 year olds. And I really messed up.

I had only 3 students in this class―two siblings, both about 4 years old and the cutest things ever. And an older girl, about 6 I think, with absolutely zero body awareness.

This girl seemed hopeless. She sank like a rock and thrashed in the water as if her only goal was to splash as many people as possible with her eyes closed.

So, as I taught this two-week session, the siblings made beautiful progress. It was so fun to help them bob and float, to learn basic kicks and arm motions. I loved it.

And the older girl made no progress. I had to fail her at the end of the session.

Parents have the opportunity to submit reviews after each session of swimming lessons, and I usually looked forward to getting mine because they were always so complimentary―happy words, happy ego 😛

The mother of the siblings gave me five-star feedback. The mother of the older girl raked me over the coals. She said I gave preferential treatment to the other children and ignored her daughter and then had the nerve to fail her at the end.

Wow. It stung. But she was right. And I knew it.

The next session, I taught the same class and the same girl was placed with me. My first response was terror―oh god, this mother hates me, and now I have her daughter again?

But I sucked it up and was determined to do better. I consciously efforted to give every student the exact help they needed, no matter what my first impressions were. I stopped viewing the girl as a lost cause and started seeing actual progress in her skills. At the end of the session, she still couldn't pass, but she had made significant improvements.

When it came time for parent feedback, her mother wrote that when she saw that I was her daughter's teacher again, she almost requested a move. But she was so glad she let her stay in my class. She saw the care I gave and improvement her daughter made, and she understood the decision to have her daughter repeat again.

I was young when this happened, as most swimming teachers are, and it was a formative experience for me. A tough lesson, but I've seen what's possible for people when we stop seeing them through our biased filters and open ourselves up to see their true selves.

The Dangers of Becoming Victim to the Projections of Others

Perhaps because I've been aware of the effects of projection from such a young age, I've been extremely sensitive to it in my own life.

Projection is a common, normal phenomenon, and in many cases, it doesn't make that much of a difference. In some cases however, we need to challenge ourselves to remember who we really are in the face of other people's views about us.

One of the more difficult examples of this in my own life happened during my three-year shamanic practitioner training.

I was fortunate enough to be in a relatively small group for this training―only about 25 people. For three years, I spent a huge portion of my time and energy with this community. As we shared our personal struggles and practiced hundreds of healings on each other, we really did get to know everyone in that circle quite intimately.

And this intimacy is what made projection from that group so especially dangerous and uncomfortable.

These were people who believed they knew me inside and out because of what we'd been through together. Yet, no matter how much of what they knew of me was true, there was so much more that they didn't see or know.

Part of their projections occurred because their views of me weren't keeping up with my own inner growth and transformation. Part of this was because our teacher held very strong opinions about who I was and what my issues were―and honestly, a lot of these were reflections of her own triggers. (Note: if you're a healer or teacher, do your work! again and again and again!)

By the end of my three years with this group, I could not wait to escape what felt like a cultish mentality about who I was. The group-think was powerful, and a weaker or less experienced person would absolutely have started to believe the projections put upon them.

Fortunately, my past experiences, as well as the intense personal growth and reflection I engaged in, helped me remember my truth. When I finally graduated, it felt like a toxic weight had been lifted, and I spent the next several months fully reconnecting with my soul's truth.

I don't share this example to shame anyone, and in fact I still absolutely love the magical humans from my training. I have so much respect for who they are and miss seeing them as often as I used to. I share this to show that none of us are immune to projecting upon others, and when it comes to spiritual or healing circles, I feel this can be especially damaging.

I've been reflecting on the role projection has played in my life a lot recently, as I've just experienced another challenging situation because of it. This one was at work. Have you ever had to work for someone who viewed everything you did through a critical lens?

As a recovering perfectionist, I've always had an excellent performance record when it comes to my employment, which currently involves editorial and marketing writing for spiritual content.

But about a year ago, a new manager was hired at our company. And let's be clear―this is a very gifted, heart-centered person who has positively impacted our team in many ways. Yet this person also decided, almost from the moment he met me, that I just wasn't good at my job.

It's been a surreal experience. Nothing in my process or the results I get has changed. Yet no matter what I do, how effective my writing is, or how much I try to show enthusiasm―the projection of me as "not good enough" has remained stronger than any actions on my part.

As a side note, I feel that part of this is because I have a deeply feminine way of working, and this manager thrives on masculine concepts like hunger, fire, and achievement. My process is quiet and deep. I dive into content, connect with the spirit of the book or course I'm working on, and emerge with words channeled from the divine. I wonder how many other women suffer because our way of working doesn't look like the masculine ideals our culture celebrates….

Anyway, all of this endless projection has made an already challenging year that much more difficult. It's been exhausting to keep looking at the actual results and numbers for my projects to keep reminding myself that I am good at what I do. And honestly, it just sucks when projection has the potential to hurt your livelihood.

I'm grateful, however, to work at a company where by and large my colleagues are capable of having difficult conversations without getting defensive or reactive. Recently, I was able to communicate what I felt was happening and how it was impacting me, and I'm hopeful that things will shift, though that's yet to be seen.

Shamanic Perspectives on Healing the Projections in Your Own Life

My inner strength and all the deep work I've done through shamanic practices have given me a clear and evolving understanding of my true self. I'm grateful that I don't easily fall victim to other people's projections.

I'm also extremely grateful that those closest to me―my family, my partner, and my closest friends―see me for who I truly am.

Given how difficult it's been to have projections placed upon me by my shamanic circle and colleagues, I can imagine how exponentially challenging it might be to remember who you really are when these projections do come from loved ones.

Think back upon your life. Many projections we receive are subtle―only your intuitive hits alert you their presence.

Many however, especially those we received when younger, will have obvious verbal clues, often in the form of parents or teachers telling us what we are and aren't good at.

Can you see what projections were placed on you in the past? If you feel called to, try journaling and witness what arises.

From a shamanic perspective, the verbal projections we receive when we're younger can become curses. Yes, it's a loaded word that probably conjures images of wizards and fairy princesses. But it also offers us an extremely accurate description of what happens when we receive and then internalize a limiting belief about ourselves.

In my practice, I'll often tend to this phenomena with either extractions or curse-unraveling. These are very energetic processes, ones that clears the imprints of projection from your field and energy body. When I'm able to work in person with someone, I'll also use specific essential oils from the Jade Purity Taoist tradition to anoint relevant meridian points―it's fascinating how our body's energetic blueprints actually shift to accommodate the beliefs of others, and how we can undo these shifts through energy medicine and shamanic practice.

Shadow Work: Is It a Projection or a Blindspot?

As detrimental as projections are, we also need to realize that sometimes a viewpoint isn't a projection so much as an arrow to one of our own blindspots.

Whenever you become aware how someone else's views about you are influencing you, it's important to ask yourself, are you experiencing a projection of something that's not true, or a reflection of something you just don't want to see in yourself?

Sometimes the answer will be obvious, but more often this will not be an easy process. It forces you to look at your own shadow, to really question what you believe and know about yourself. And I’m not going to lie―this can be a painful.

If you can dive deep, however, you will emerge with greater self-knowledge, strength, and resilience.

I've found shamanic practice to be especially effective at helping us see the difference between projections and blindspots. The helping spirits can reflect back to us who we truly are. They provide guidance to help us see where we are in alignment with our truth and where we've fallen off balance. And so much more.

Owning Our Own Projections of Others

As you investigate the places where projections have impacted your life, as I hope you're inspired to do, remember to check your own projections of others, as well.

It's all too easy to think you know someone better than they know themselves―to convince yourself that what you see is their blindspots, that your intuition is spot on.

Maybe this is true, and maybe it isn't. What would you see if you dropped that belief?

This line of questioning is especially important for those who consider themselves to be highly intuitive or empathic, as well as anyone who works in a healing profession. Always question your reactions and assumptions about others. With practice, you’ll begin to more easily discern between what is true intuition and what is a limiting projection.

If you have a meditation or journey practice, these are wonderful question to bring to your own spirit guides. Ask them to show you where you're holding false beliefs and projections about others, and then ask that they help you heal and release those projections. See if there are clues or patterns you can notice about where you start projecting versus intuiting.

As you explore these questions, you may like to focus on people you feel a strong charge around. If you have strong emotional reactions or triggers around someone, it’s worth seeing what might be lying beneath the surface. This is such a gift to yourself and others.

A Final Blessing

I honor all who endeavor to both free themselves from the projections of others and who are willing to do the deep work of owning their own projections.

May we all remember our true selves with greater clarity and joy every day.

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juniper stokes 2/6/21 juniper stokes 2/6/21

Aphrodisiacs - essential oils, flower essences, and crystals

Aphrodisiacs, named for one of my patron goddesses, the great Aphrodite, enhance sexual desire and pleasure. Some work by helping us relax, while others rev us up. The following are just a few of the many aphrodisiacs you might like to incorporate into your Valentine’s Day ritual.

Crystals

Place some crystals in your bath water to absorb their essences. Place the rest around the ledges of your bath and on your bath tray. You can also add crystal essences directly to your bath water.

Rose Quartz — to open your heart and enhance feelings of love
Garnet — for passion and physical connection
Carnelian — for a healthy sacral chakra and creative expression
Moonstone — for tuning into your natural cycles and enhancing connection and passion
Lapis Lazuli — for enhancing love on a spiritual level
Green Aventurine — for luck in lasting love
Amber — for spontaneous, passionate encounters

Flower Essences

Add 2-3 drops of desired essences to your bath.

All Lilies — for connecting with the divine feminine, healthy sexual energy and expression
Rose — for romantic love and an open heart
Basil — to integrate sexual and spiritual energy
Bleeding Heart — to feel unconditional love
Hibiscus — to enhance sexuality and connection with the body
Pomegranate — for joyful feminine expression

Essential Oils

Add about 6 drops of essential oils to either a bit of oil or bath salts first, and add this blend to your bath once it’s fully run.

Floral essential oils open us to love on spiritual levels and enhance romantic, sexy moods. Warming and spicy essential oils can increase circulation and energy. And citrus scents add joy, ease, and playfulness.

Rose — enhances love and supports a balanced loving heart
Jasmine and Ylang Ylang— seductive, sexy flowers with a special affinity for the sacral chakra
Patchouli — this earthy, musky scent grounds us into our sensual natures
Black Pepper, Ginger, Cardamom, and Coriander — these spices can help spice up your sex life
Sweet Orange — adds some playful joy
Myrtle — sacred to Aphrodite, myrtle enhances true love and increases physical pleasure
Lavender — melt away tension
Sandalwood — has an affinity for the sexual centers
Vanilla — warm, playful, and edible

Recipes

These above all go together beautifully—feel free to mix and match anything from these lists. Or, try one of the following magical blends. Each blend can be added to a mist, diffuser, bath, or body oi:

An Erotic Blend — 2 drops jasmine, 2 drops ylang ylang, 2 drops sweet orange, 1 drop garnet essence, 1 drop amber essence, 1 drop basil essence

A Sensual Blend — 2 drops rose, 3 drops patchouli, 1 drop ginger, 1 drop moonstone essence, 1 drop lily essence

A Loving Heart Blend — 1 drop rose, 3 drops lavender, 2 drops bergamot, 1 drop rose essence, 1 drop bleeding heart essence, 1 drop rose quartz essence

A Balancing Blend — 3 drops lavender, 3 drops geranium, 1 drop moonstone

A Spicy Blend — 1 drops cardamom, 1 drop vanilla, 2 drops rose, 2 drops patchouli, 1 drop amber essence, 1 drop hibiscus

A Stress Relief Blend — 3 drops grapefruit, 2 drops ginger, 1 drop ylang ylang, 1 drop pomegranate, 1 drop green aventurine

juniper stokes 2/5/21 juniper stokes 2/5/21

The Age of Aquarius & Psychic Protection

As we collectively shift into the Age of Aquarius, the vibrational density of our planet is changing. Our own density is changing. It’s becoming easier for us to connect with various realms of the multidimensional world we live in―and the many beings who inhabit those realms. What does this mean, and what additional protection might be needed?

Have you felt extra sensitive or emotional lately? Has your intuition felt super on point? Maybe there seems to be more strange phenomena happening around you? Or maybe you’ve even had weird health issues pop up?

This phenomena is impacting all of our lives in a few interesting ways:

⭐️Even people who haven’t felt especially “psychic” in the past are finding that their empathic abilities are increasing, which can feel really disconcerting if you’re not used to it

⭐️The thoughts we have, and words we speak, tend to manifest and take form more quickly than in the past

⭐️Gurus and any teachers who need their students to be dependent upon them for spiritual wisdom will continue to fall (find teachers who empower you to find your own answers!)

⭐️Many people’s spiritual lights are shining brighter, and the various spiritual beings around us recognize this

⭐️For those who know how to keep their energy clear and align with soul, this will continue to be a powerful time of joy, purpose, and service

⭐️It’s easier to get hijacked by other people’s (and other being’s) energy unless you up your protection skills

There is a lot more going on that meets the eye, and all of us are affected by this energy whether we realize it or not.

But this isn’t something to be scared of! It’s actually very empowering to recognize the energetic influences at play in our lives, and to know we have the power to keep our own energy protected and clear.

Each month I offer a virtual shamanic journey circle, and this month, we’ll explore psychic protection.

I was recently taught a new protection practice from my helping spirits, and while it borrows elements from Western Magick and Egyptian Mysticism, as far as I know, it’s a unique practice that is perfect for the times we live in. I’m honored to be the messenger that gets to share this practice with you.

If you’d like to join us, be sure to sign up below!

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juniper stokes 2/1/21 juniper stokes 2/1/21

Reimagining Valentine’s Day - How does the divine feminine view this day of love and romance?

Valentine’s Day. Of all the holidays, this one seems to elicit such diverse reactions. It can be tempting to write off Valentine’s Day as an over-commercialized holiday that upholds patriarchal gender roles and relationship standards. But there is so much energy behind this day, centuries of energy, all focused upon February 14th as a day of love and romance. How can we harness this energy?

Ah Valentine’s Day. Of all the holidays, this one seems to elicit such diverse reactions. From making time for a romantic evening with a loved one, to stressed out gift-givers complaining about it’s commercialization, to feminist critique of how patriarchal this holiday is, to the Singles Awareness Day effort...everyone seems to have their thoughts on February 14th.

I get it. It can be tempting to write off Valentine’s Day as an over-commercialized holiday that upholds patriarchal gender roles and relationship standards.

But there is so much energy behind this day, centuries of energy, all focused upon February 14th as a day of love and romance.

As someone who lives and breathes by reading energy, I just can’t ignore the energetic potency of Valentine’s Day. What if we could harness this energy to feed love, romance, and sensuality in their highest forms? What would this look like for ourselves and our loved ones?

The energy of love is one of the highest frequencies we can attune to―and there are all types of love we can celebrate.

Romance is the recognition that life is more than our routines and tasks―it’s an invitation to step outside of the ordinary and notice the beauty available to us if we only effort to notice.

Sensuality is our ability to enjoy embodiment―more than vehicles to live through, our bodies can be portals to pleasure, intuition, and shared experiences.

The invitation from the divine feminine energy rising throughout our planet is to harness the collective energy of this holiday to raise our vibrations of love and take time for pleasure.

Love and pleasure, even, and perhaps especially, in the midst of shutdowns and long winters.

This invitation will look different to everyone, and I encourage you to ask your heart what it most needs this Valentine’s Day.

For those in relationships, this can be a powerful time to acknowledge and show your appreciation for your partner. If you’ve been distracted or just getting by each day, try pausing to deeply express your gratitude for all you love in your partner.

This year will mean staying home and spending Valentine’s Day with the entire family this year for many. What if this became an opportunity to express familial love and appreciation?

If you’re trying to call in a partner, or if your relationship has been on the rocks, or your heartbroken, beat down, and tired, you might like to see if you can harness the energy of Valentine’s Day for your own rituals and reflections. What happens when you open your heart and feel into your deepest needs and desires?

Regardless of our individual situations and needs, Valentine’s Day offers us all an invitation to engage in exquisite self care. To romance ourselves, engage our senses, and set aside precious time for pleasure and joy.

For me, this almost always involves botanical treats―herbal teas, aromatic baths, body oils, homemade chocolates, perfumes...the plant world brings us both energetic and aromatic blessings.

Enjoy these rituals and recipes for self care this Valentine’s Day, and explore the apothecary and perfumery for special Valentine’s Day gift sets, sensual perfumes, and heart-healing aromatherapy products.

Curious as to a bit of the history behind this day, and why there’s so much energy here?

In many ways, Valentine’s Day is one of our more mysterious holidays as far as its origins go. There are at least three saints named Valentine or Valentinus, though legend has it that one in particular inspired the holiday: While in jail, he sent the first “Valentine” to his crush. And then he was martyred, so his legacy, now a quite romantic one, lived on.

But all the saints get days. What made Saint Valentine’s day become such a popular holiday?

For this, like with many holidays, we need to look further to the past and the ancient Roman celebration of Lupercalia―a fertility festival celebrated mid-February. As Christianity spread, this festival was outlawed.

Still, in the Middle Ages, February 14th was known as the day the bird began mating—the love and fertility connections continued…

Whatever the origins, we can trace the popularizing of Valentine’s Day with romantic love to Chaucer, and this holiday has continued to celebrate love and romance ever since.

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juniper stokes 12/5/20 juniper stokes 12/5/20

The Alchemy of Making Spiritual Perfumes

A peek into the secrets of botanical perfume making. Discover the role of the shamanic journey, symbolism, traditional perfumery, and more as you follow my process of creating spiritual perfumes.

John William Waterhouse - The Soul of the Rose, 1903

Updated! This is article is currently being updated — check back soon for what is becoming a rich resource for you aromatic studies!!!

In the meantime, you might enjoy taking a look at the Complete Guide to Magickal Anointing Oils and my growing collection of Spiritual Perfumes.

Scent holds the unique power to transcend the physical realm and connect us with the spiritual. Across cultures and civilizations, the use of fragrances in spiritual practices has been a common thread that weaves together the human experience with the divine.

It seems our ancestors intuitively knew the wisdom we’re reclaiming today: Fragrance can invoke emotions and trigger memories, shift both our vibrational frequency and our chemistry, and alter our state of consciousness. Fragrance elevates our rituals, creates sacred spaces, and facilitates a deeper connection with the unseen realms.

Of all the many historical and ritual uses of fragrance, it is the art of perfumery that inspires true soul-level alchemy. Through spiritual perfumery, the healing spirits of nature and the gods themselves are invited into elixirs of beauty and transformation.

The alchemy of making spiritual perfumes is one of the lost temple arts.

As someone who walks the path of the wild priestess, I’ve been initiated into ancient temple arts by guides in both human and spiritual form. I’ve studied with shamans throughout the world, apprenticed in Taoist anointing practices, become clinically certified in aromatherapy, been mentored in Western magickal practices, and professionally trained with the preeminent natural perfumers of our time. I’ve traveled to temples and perfumeries in India, Egypt, and Greece.

Many people who are drawn to natural perfumery are motivated by their spiritual connections with plants and perfume — yet it’s been incredibly challenging to find teachers in human form who truly bridge the artistry with the depths of spiritual practice possible when it comes to the alchemy of spiritual perfumes (though my teacher Roxanna certainly brings spirit and art into her creations). And so, I also learned perfumery as a temple art from the goddesses themselves.

In the deepest part of my soul, I’ve always known that perfume is a path to the sacred.

Through the alchemy of beauty, art, ritual, intention, and the healing power of the plants themselves, perfume has the potential to shift us out of the mundane and into the magical.

It breaks the spell of our collective sleep. It rewires us for pleasure and delight. And it bridges the physical with the spiritual.

In this article, I’ll share an overview of the alchemical art of making spiritual perfumes. Together, we’ll dive into the aromatic history of spiritual fragrances and the importance of the priestess path when it comes to aromatics. We’ll explore the divine nectar of fragrant plants — and look at why spiritual perfumes must be made with natural materials. And we’ll look at rituals and ceremonies for both creating and using sacred scents.

You are about to step into the endless world of spiritual aromatics — a world that has been subtly and intentionally removed from us, with devastating effects on our psyches and feminine power (read “Severed from Scent” for more on this). But we are reclaiming the true potency and transformative power of these lost arts. And your journey of remembering is just beginning.

Creating an Elevated Perfume and the Feminine Reclamation of Beauty

Fragrance is sacred. Aroma is healing. And the spiritual use of scent has taken many forms throughout history.

So what sets spiritual perfumes apart?

The word “perfume” can be a bit of a confusing word because of its dual meaning: It can refer to both a pleasing aroma in general, as well as the liquid fragrances you probably first think of when you hear this word.

While I adore fragrance in all its forms, this article is about perfumes in the “perfume in a bottle” sense — and why bringing back the sacred and the natural to the art of perfumery is a divine act mandate for bringing our world back into cosmic balance.

Okay… yes, that probably sounds a bit over-the-top. But bear with me. Perfume is powerful.

Part of what sets perfume apart from other spiritual fragrances is its emphasis on beauty. Far from the superficial reputation “beauty culture” often has today, beauty is actually an essential part of the cosmos.

Beauty reminds us that we are not here only to survive but to thrive. We are not here only to learn and grow but to delight in pleasure and the sensual nature of our embodiment.

Pausing to fully experience the beauty of life is an act of rebellion in a culture that’s always pushing us to go and grow. It is a reclamation of feminine value, power, and ways of knowing.

Beauty awakens our hearts to gratitude. It is the celebration of the natural world and the potential of elevated human creativity and culture.

And all of this comes together in an elevated spiritual perfume.

When I create true spiritual perfumes, I bridge the magic of nature — partnering with plant spirits and using only natural materials — with inspiration from spirit — filling each aromatic bottle with a transmission of spiritual power. And, I always do so within the context of artistry and beauty. An aromatic blend might be healing and spiritual (many aromatherapy blends are), but it’s not a perfume unless it ignites the senses with blessings of artistry and beauty.

This is why the alchemy of making spiritual perfumes is so close to my heart. And why I hope you become inspired to reclaim the temple arts of the priestess path and journey into the world of spiritual perfumery.

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juniper stokes 11/17/20 juniper stokes 11/17/20

Daily Ritual to Unplug & Get Grounded

A simple daily ritual to help you unplug from technology and reground your nervous system.

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We are of the Earth. Our bodies and the Earth’s body are made of the same materials. When we’re in a healthy vibrational state, we resonate with the frequencies of the Earth. We’re able to remain rooted and grounded, and this supports our health in myriad ways.

Yet, over the course of our lives, many of us gradually get off balance and ungrounded, and one of the main influences on this ungrounding is our relationship with technology.

Giving so much of our attention to technological communication, social media, and entertainment can have very detrimental effects on our wellbeing…

Unconscious use of technology often leads to energy leaks, as we can easily become corded to other people and online groups.

Addiction to various media and obsession with information are also common, and both knock us out of alignment with the truth held in the earth.

Without discernment, we can become unwittingly programmed by ideas that do not serve our true nature—we become susceptible to whatever is in the field of mass consciousness and our decisions become driven by false fears rather than divine guidance.

Technology’s ungrounding influence doesn’t just happen through the information it allows us to receive, either—it also carries frequencies that our human bodies have not fully adapted to. The full impact of EMFs and other frequencies emitted by new devices are still emerging.

To be clear, the broad field of technology is neutral. Just within my lifetime I’ve seen developments that save lives, increase creative expression, and foster peace. I’ve also seen how it can be used to create chaos and inflict harm.

In either case, as technology’s impact on our lives continues to grow exponentially, we must more consciously adapt to the vast amount of new frequencies and information we’re exposed to.

When we take time to reconnect with the energies of the Earth, to ‘unplug” from tech energetically, we give ourselves the opportunity to reset our vibrational frequency to that of the Earth. We come into coherence, a state of health. This grounded state is our true nature.

Ritual to Unplug and Get Grounded

In our increasingly technological world, it’s more important than ever to energetically detach ourselves after a day in internet-land and reconnect with the physical and energetic earth. This is a beautiful ritual to end your work day with, or to do anytime you’ve just spent a lot of time online.

Find a comfortable seat or lie down.
Take a few deep breaths and bring awareness to the sensations of your body.
Bring your conscious awareness to a quiet place to rest, perhaps just behind your third eye.
See yourself and your computer or another device in your mind’s eye.
Notice any energetic cords that have hooked into you from your time online. Some might form as a result of interactions on social media. Some might be purely energetic. Knowing where they originate can be helpful, but isn’t necessary.
Witness each cord being unhooked from your energy field and returned to where it originated, flowing back into your device.
Ask for all other energy leaks, cords, or ongoing connections between you and your experience of technology to be completely severed. Feel any remaining energy entanglements draining into the earth to be cleansed and transmuted.
Feel the energetic body of the Earth rise to meet your energetic body.
Allow the resonance of the Earth’s frequency to reset your energetic system. This will happen naturally as you hold the intention to receive the healing.
Give thanks to the Earth and for the healing you’ve received.

Botanical Support

I find that using an intentionally charged aromatic spray or anointing oil greatly supports this ritual. Use one you have on hand, or visit the apothecary to check out my selection, which will be released in the coming days:

Cleanse & Protect is a good choice for supporting cord cutting and energy leaks.
Spiritual Light is a wonderful option for helping you remember your true nature.
Tree of Life helps you stay grounded to the earth while opening to divine inspiration.
Grounding does just what is says—an obvious choice for this ritual :)

Visit the apothecary to learn more.

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juniper stokes 8/29/20 juniper stokes 8/29/20

Earth Friends & Reciprocity (You Belong Here)

Sensitive souls feel the pain of how humans have harmed the Earth so deeply that they often feel, on a fundamental level, that we don’t belong here. Yet your “Earth friends” need you now more than ever.

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This weekend I escaped the heat and smoke of the city by heading to my favorite place on Earth—the Colorado Rocky Mountains in the traditional lands of the Ute and Cheyenne. My very generous extended family has a place up here, so I've been blessed with spending a lot of time wandering these trails and communing with mountains over the past few years.

This year, as we drove into the mountains, I felt my eyes begin to tear up. My friends were welcoming me home.

My friends. The mountains here are my friends. I feel their spirits and their love and our mutual delight in each other just as I would a human friend. The same with the trees, rocks, flowers, and animals. And with the unseen nature beings, ancestors, and land spirits that enliven and guard this place.

At this stage in our relationship, we recognize each other. I feel their warm welcome. I am overcome with heart-bursting love. And this is why teary waters stream down my cheeks.

Last night, I took a walk through the aspen after dinner. Sun was setting and the crepuscular animals were stirring. With every step, I felt the love of the earth rise to greet me. Any hint of fear gently left my being, replaced with a sense of belonging. Of reuniting with my kin.

I began to whisper, "I love you. I love you. I love you."

Reciprocity is important with the natural world. Humans aren't meant to take and take. Or even to only "receive". We are beloveds of the land, giving and receiving in the dance of life. We belong on this earth.

Our voices are powerful ways to offer reciprocity. Sing to the land. Speak your awe and your gratitude. Let the vibration of your heart dance upon subtle waves that meet with the spirits of the trees.

Near the end of my evening walk last night, after chanting my love to spirits here out loud, I rounded a corner only to find two giant moose enjoying their dinner of aspen leaves. I must have sat watching them for 20 minutes in a timeless state of joy. I find that even the smallest act of reciprocity, if infused with the purest of love, comes back tenfold. As I write this, a beautiful fox trotted out to hunt only 20 feet in front of me.

At this point, you might wonder, "But do we really belong here? We've destroyed this planet. And let's face it, the rise in fascism is revealing the stupidity of the populace."

It's true. But it's not humanity that nearly destroyed and wrought our earth with violence. It's the patriarchy. And we are dismantling it. Don't give up. Our Earth and her children still need us.

When those of us who deeply love the earth focus on all the harm humans have done, we begin to feel like we don't belong here. Think about this—we feel like we don't belong on the very planet that sustains us. Our sense of any home, of any rootedness or resting place, becomes fundamentally damaged.

In my recent post on food sovereignty, I discussed one way that our root chakras are damaged by being disconnected from the Earth. Well, this is another one. When we lack a fundamental sense of belonging on this planet, our root chakras are unable to fully function. We carry a soul-level feeling of unworthiness that makes it next to impossible to actually enter into reciprocity with the Earth.

We live in times so troublesome it's tempting to give into anger, fear, and apocalyptic thoughts. I'm certainly not immune. Yet the healing that comes from love, unconditional and divine love that cannot be broken no matter difficult our challenges, is what is called for now more than ever.

What words are you speaking? Can you be authentically angry and terrified and grieving, as well as authentically rooted and hopeful and grateful? Can you speak the truth with a vibration of love? Take the first steps of reciprocity with your voice. Begin shifting the vibrations that create our reality with your intentions and your words.

This is a gentle yet powerful step into reciprocity. And of course, I encourage more radical ones as well (like for real changing your entire lifestyle, but that's another post . . . )

We are not alone. The Earth is still our ally. And she needs our love.

Sit Spot Ritual

From Thoreau's observations of the natural cycles at Walden Pond to Monet's appreciation for the seasonal shifts in his own gardens, humans throughout the ages have deepened their relationship with the natural world through Sit Spot rituals.

A Sit Spot ritual is a wonderful way to cultivate your own relationship with the natural world and all the potential "friends" who reside there. To start a Sit Spot ritual, simply find a place in nature that you can visit regularly. This can be somewhere in the woods or outside the city, a park, or even your own backyard. Then visit this place as regularly as you can—weekly or monthly, preferably.

A few ideas for when you visit your sit spot:

Notice the seasonal and subtle changes each time—Who's blooming? What creatures are visiting? Who comes and goes throughout the seasons, and who stays?
Choose a constant nature spirit to connect with each time—a tree, a rock, a stream
Ask to feel the presence of the other spirits of the land—ancestors, fae, guardians
Learn a bit about the land you're on—Who were the original people of the land? How did it form? What brought you to this place?
Get grounded—Sink your energetic roots into the earth to strengthen your root chakra and sense of belonging.
Bring your journal or sketchbook—You can alternate between tracking what you see and feel, and allowing spirit to communicate you through automatic writing or drawing.
Use your voice—Speak to the spirits of the land and share all that's in your heart. Sing your gratitude for your relationship with them.
Bring offerings—seed crystals, feathers, a hair, flowers, mandala creation, healing rituals
Receive, as well—The land may offer you an extraction or cleansing, a blessing, messages, or even physical gifts.

You do belong here. You are important. Let the land show you how much your presence is needed.

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juniper stokes 7/27/20 juniper stokes 7/27/20

Who is your Spirit Animal? A 4-Step Guide for Understanding Our Animal Allies

How to understand the unique gifts and messages of your animal allies

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How often have you had an unusual encounter with an animal and immediately wondered, “What does it mean?”

Perhaps you saw an owl in daylight. Or you kept noticing images of elephants everywhere. Or maybe a huge spider appeared right in front of you on the sidewalk.

If you’re like many spiritually-inclined folks, the first thing you’ll want to do in these situations is google what that animal “means”.

I understand the temptation, but please—hold off!

The universe and spirit have many ways of communicating with us, including animal messengers. And the universe does not play by a set of preexisting rules. The messages each animal carries will be unique to you, and no book or website can tell you the full meaning of your encounter.

The same is true of power animals—spiritual helpers in animal form who share their gifts and medicine with us. While a bit of research can certainly be helpful, if you dive right in to other people’s interpretations, you’ll be more likely to miss important elements of your personal relationship with your power animal.

Animal messenger or “normal animal doing normal things”?

I can hear it now . . . Sometimes a bird is just a bird. It doesn’t have to mean anything.

That’s true. Not everything has to mean something.

But I have to be honest—one of my biggest pet peeves in spiritual communities is dismissing others’ experiences in this way.

Because the truth is, the universe is always communicating with us. Who are you to say what does or doesn’t have meaning for another person?

The great Advaita scholar Richard Miller, PhD, once spoke to this in a training while teaching us about the art of welcoming. As he explained, it’s too exhausting to keep trying to figure out which parts of life are trying to tell us something and which parts are so-called “normal life”, so he has the practice of “welcoming everything as a messenger”.

This practice of welcoming is a beautiful way to fall deeper into relationship with all of life. Every sensation, emotion, encounter, or insight can provide an opportunity to open to and learn from spirit.

If this sounds overwhelming, not to worry. This doesn’t mean you need to go through life looking at every little thing as a symbol to decipher or every animal as a messenger bearing life-altering news. Instead, it means that spiritual guidance is always available to us. To access this wisdom:

Relax. You don’t need to overwhelm yourself by seeing every little thing that happens as a critical message. You will notice what you need to notice.
If something does catch your attention, even if it’s something very common and “normal”, trust your intuition and recognize that you are noticing it for a reason.
You can also set an intention to receive a message from a spirit via the natural world. Bring your awareness into your heart, send your request to spirit, and then open your awareness, letting your attention wander and draw you to your answers.
Finally, once something does call your awareness, use the process outlined below to discover the meaning and messages it holds for you.

When to Pay Attention

Many teachers share that for an animal to actually mean something, rather than be a simple sighting, it must show itself to you four times. For example, let’s say you see a hawk on a walk, then on TV, then hear the word “hawk” in a conversation, and then find a hawk feather.

Still others will note that if an animal is behaving in an unusual way, it could very well carry a message for you.

If either of these happen, definitely pay attention.

And if you only see a normal animal doing normal things, but feel that there is a message for you, trust that too.

Maybe the Message is Love

Sometimes when our attention is drawn to something in nature—a beautiful flower, an animal sighting, or an unusual cloud—we’re receiving a blessing. In this case, you don’t necessarily need to go through the process below. Simply receive your hello from spirit and know that the “message” is love.

So, when you encounter an animal—whether a messenger in nature or an actual power animal—what are you to do? How do you figure out what the message is? How do you know what gifts your power animal carries?

Here’s the process I recommend for understanding your animal messengers and power animals. This is based on years of working with my own animal spirit guides and those of my clients.

Step 1: Journey to the Spirit of the Animal

Journey to the spirit of the animal. Ask them to teach you about themselves and your relationship. If you don’t have a journey practice, you can meditate on the following prompts.

If the animal in question is one you’ve encountered in ordinary reality, you might like to ask:

Are you here to share a message with me, or are you appearing to bring my awareness to a new power animal relationship? Or both?
What is the message you bring me?

If you’ve received a power animal, whether from a power animal retrieval or another means, you might like to explore some or all of the following questions:

What medicine do you carry?
What gifts would you like to share with me?
How may I carry your medicine?
What areas of life can you help me with?
Why are you appearing in my life now?
Are you a new power animal, or have you been with me for sometime?
May I have an attunement to your energy?
What name may I call you by?

If you don’t have a journey practice, or if you simply want support in going deeper, an experienced shamanic practitioner can help you discover personal gifts and messages from your animal spirit guides. This is one of my favorite things to do in a session ;)

Step 2: Use What You Already Know

After you’ve done your journey or meditation, think about any preexisting ideas or knowledge you already have about this animal. This process can provide many clues as to how the animal will support you.

Ask yourself:

What is my immediate reaction to this animal? Am I excited, fearful, surprised?
What symbology or associations do I think of first?
Are there any stories or myths that come to mind?
What character traits do I personally connect with this animal?

Then, reflect on what your answers might mean for either a message, or for unique gifts a power animal might share with you.

Step 3: Do Some Research

Once you’ve finished this personal exploration, it’s time to learn more about your animal in ordinary reality. Try to find out:

What do they eat?
Where do they live?
What is their social nature? Family dynamics?
What unique features stand out about this animal?
When are they most active? Quietest?
What are their biggest threats?
What do you find most fascinating about this animal?

Ask yourself how the following information might help you understand either the message or your power animal’s gifts.

Step 4: Access Our Collective Wisdom and Mythologies

Finally, go ahead and look up existing ideas, symbolism, and mythology about your power animal might mean. Even though we don’t want to fill our minds with other people’s and cultures’ ideas first, this information can be helpful.

As you explore, pay attention to a few things:

What feels right and relevant? Where do you get an immediate hit or “ah-ha” moment?
What doesn’t feel right or relevant? Not everything you read will relate your personal relationship.
Does the animal have any particular meanings within your own ancestry? What about within other cultures you feel especially connected to?*

*Make sure to explore a variety of cultural mythologies at this stage, as each might have quite different interpretations of your animal. For example: In North America, many indigenous tribes associate the owl with death. Yet in Greek and Roman mythology, the owl was a bearer of wisdom. Though in China the owl was viewed as an ominous creature, the Japanese considered the owl to be a sign of good fortune.

I’ll also encourage you to avoid the spirit guide websites out there—in my experience, many of them seem to exist just for profit and do not have the depth of meaning you can find in a book, such as Ted Andrew’s Animal Speak or Jamie Sam’s Medicine Cards. If you’re looking online, visiting sites that detail mythological or symbolic associations from more academic perspectives can be useful.

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Receiving messages from spirit through the natural world is a gift that has been bestowed on humanity since the beginning of our species on this planet. Be gentle with yourself as you learn to read the signs and deepen your relationship with the natural world. It is your birthright.

And, while the steps outlined here can initiate your journey into understanding your power animal, getting to know your power animal and its gifts is a lifelong journey. Revisit each of these steps often, and make sure to nurture your relationship with your power animal just as you would with a beloved friend.

Want more insights and guidance around spirit animals? Be sure to get your copy of The Spirit Animal Guidebook today.

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