fromdreamertoachiever

[fromdreamertoachiever]

My animal Spirit is the Tiger. This is something I've felt since I was a little girl. I can't describe the feeling I get when I see them. I also remeber when I was about 11, I went to an animal circus (at that age, I was unaware of how evil these things are.) after the show, you could look at the anmals in thier cages. The tiger was asleep and I snuck under the barrier and poked my fingers through, stroking the back of the tiger. Luckily, it didn't wake up.

Although animal spirits come to me at all different times, they come and go but the Tiger always remains.

Tiger as a Totem Animal

Personal power, strength and courage

Being largely solitary, it is important for me to spend time alone, to recharge and connect with myself.

Stalking their prey and making one killing move shows incredible patience and staying power, waiting for the best opportunity to strike. This also shows the ability to reserve energy for when it is most needed: quality over quantity of action. They'll slowly plod over long distances, patrolling their territory.

As an incredibly independent creature, it works better working solo., much like me. Although, I can work in a team, I flourish most in independent work.

Only 10% of Tigers' hunts are succesful, but they perserve. I have this same determination, although some call it stubborness.

Tigers have a very "one-track" mind and do well when they focus silently on one objective. I would benefit doing the same.

A tiger totemm means tha I am vastly unque, but with the ability to blend in (or camoflauge so to speak)

Tigers are very perceptive, a trait which I also have.

Credit to Scandy_girl on Instagram for the watercolour tiger artwork.

[fromdreamertoachiever]

[fromdreamertoachiever]

Feng Shui: Lighting

Increase natural lighting

Sometimes it can be as simple as opening the curtains and raising the blinds but depending on your windows and the direction your house faces, you may have to make adjustments to maximise light.

Benefits of sunlight

Improved mood.

Synchronises natural body clock, allowing for better sleep patterns.

Vitamin D production, which encourages healthy bones.

Helps certain skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, acne & jaundice.

**Please note that sitting in direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time can lead to negative consequences**

Improving light in the home

It's not just natural light that it's important for good energy in the house (although it is preferred).

add lamps, candles, wall sconces, fairy lights etc.

choose lamp shades appropriately:

Mirrors reflect light, add more of them.

keep windows and mirrors clean.

Utilise light colours

Using full spectrum lighting and natural lighting bulbs are the best alternatives to sunlight.

[fromdreamertoachiever]

This resonates with the root chakra.

Credit: https://www.scoop.it/topic/my-photo/p/3997376249/2013/02/23/blazing-red

[fromdreamertoachiever]

🅲🅷🅰🅺🆁🅰🆂 🅰🆂 🅿🅻🅰🅽🅴🆃🆂

[fromdreamertoachiever]

Root Chakra Affirmations and Inspirations

Affirmations are positive statements which you can repeatedly say out loud or in your head. Even if you don’t believe them to be true, over time you will start to.

Having a list of them, or putting them up in places you can see or even having them play aloud is a good way to remember them.

The following affirmations encourage a balanced Root Chakra.

“I am safe.”

“I have the right to be here.”

“I love and accept my body.”

“The Earth supports me and meets my needs.”

“I am a mountain.”

“I am grounded and connected to the Earth.”

“I have all that I need.”

“I have nothing to fear.”

“I deserve to have my needs met.”

“I claim my body and the space it takes.”

[fromdreamertoachiever]

Root Chakra/Muladhara: Influences

Trigger Warnings: Pregnancy/Traumatic Child Birth. Neglect. Food/Eating Disorders. Physical Abuse. Domestic Violence

Next, I’ll be focusing on what influences our root chakra.

This chakra starts developing from within the womb until the age of 1.

Our Root Chakra is focused around self-preservation, survival and our basic physical needs. Therefore, anything that depletes us of our basic needs, damages our body, makes us feel unsafe/insecure or threatens our survival will have an impact

Birth trauma:

Our birth is our first experience in the world and first impressions usually last. Its something that none of us remembers and don’t really think about (unless it caused a condition such a cerebral palsy) but being born is possibly the biggest event in our lives. 

Being born in a traumatic way means that your first feeling is fear/stress as your survival instincts kick in. 

Trauma in birth can include: near death experiences, brain damage, delayed labour, sudden birth, use of forceps, needing neonatal care, premature birth, infection, hypoxia (lack of oxygen). 

I personally experienced Meconium Aspiration in the womb (basically I inhaled/ingested my first poo while still inside). This can be caused by stress, long or difficult labour (my mum was in labour for about 24 hours), overdue (I was about a week late), diabetes or hypertension/high blood pressure in the mother.

This meant I had difficulty breathing, became limp and my blood pressure dropped (I still have trouble with this).

As soon as I was born I was taken from my mum and had a tube placed down my throat to suck the fluid out.

Abandonment/Neglect

As a baby/infant, we are completely dependent on others to meet our needs and sometimes our parents/caregivers can’t meet our needs or they are unable to be present. It might be that they didn’t want a child, they passed away, became unwell or weren’t supported themselves. 

No matter the cause, it remains a fact that our basic needs were not met and we learned that we have to fight to get them met or go without. 

After giving birth to me, my mum experienced postpartum psychosis (later diagnosed as bi-polar) and had to be sectioned and placed in a hospital and I had to go into care. Although I have never blamed my mum for this and I completely understand, (in fact, if I ever have a child its something that needs to be monitored.) When I was at that age, all I knew was that my mum was no longer there and would’ve felt “abandoned”. My father wasn’t around, even before I was born and I never managed to meet him before he died; his side of the family never accepted me wither. At around the age of 2, the man who was a “stand-in daddy” also left, without explanation to me. 

Poor physical bonding with mother

Again, this might not be intentional but the fact remains that, as a child, would not understand. It has been shown that infants will take their mothers’ physical love over other needs such as food (as seen in Harlow’s studies, check for a link to a video at the bottom.)

When I was born and needed my lungs drained, I was unable to bond with my mum physically and again each time she was hospitalised (7 in total). Around the age of 3, I suffered horrific abuse and this led me being unable to touch my mum (without distress) until the age of 17. 

My mum passed away late last year, and although I am coping fine, I still don’t think it’s hit me that I’ll never have her physically again. 

Physical neglect to yourself. 

In addition to your caregivers being unable to meet your needs, as you grow and become independent, you become your own responsibility. You need to keep yourself fed, hydrated, clean, well-rested, safe etc. Not doing this will knock the root chakra out of balance.

Throughout my depression there have been times where I wouldn’t wash for long periods of time, I would overeat to the point of making myself nearly sick, wouldn’t drink much and my sleep patterns were all over the place. As time has gone on, I’ve learnt to look after my physical self better. (still working on that eating though!)

Malnourishment/Feeding difficulties

This could be caused by many factors such as difficulty latching to the breast as a baby, a mother is unable to produce milk, baby refusing to feed, low socio-economic status and not enough food, malnourished while developing in the womb, gastrointestinal disorders (e.g. constipation or Crohn’s disease), oral problems (e.g cleft palate), difficulty swallowing (Dysphagia), an eating disorder.

Remember it is possible to be overweight or well fed but still be malnourished. For example, If you only eat carbs with no vegetables, fruit or unprocessed meat, you’re likely to be malnourished.

Growing up, my cupboards were always full and I was always “well-fed”. I have had difficulties maintaining a healthy weight since childhood, leaning more towards being overweight/obese, due to overeating and unbalanced meals. 

Over time, I began to use food to fulfil more than a physical need, it started to have emotional value.

I also have difficulties absorbing nutrients in my intestines because of my Irritable Bowel Syndrome and lack of muscle definition there caused by Joint Hypermobility Syndrome (JHS) and lack of collagen production.

Physical Abuse/ Violent Environment.

Physical abuse is anything that caused physical harm intentionally (e.g. slapping, hitting, biting, burning, kicking, pinching, grabbing etc). 

A violent environment could be from witnessing domestic violence, living in a war-torn area or any environment where you felt fear of being hurt/killed.

It is possible to experience both of these simultaneously or separately. 

At the age of 3, I was abused by my mum’s boyfriend. The physical part of the abuse included: having my hair ripped out, being bitten, punched ( including in the face), suffocated, forced underwater, being tied up, being forced into tight and dark places, as well as being thrown down the stairs. 

These experiences installed a fear (the main “demon of this chakra” in me that altered me for a very long time. I became hyper-aware all the time and developed severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I never felt safe and couldn’t relax. 

Thankfully now, I am fully recovered from my PTSD symptoms and highly encourage anyone out there who has suffered abuse and/or symptoms of PTSD should seek professional help. 

Next Time… I will be looking at fear, the “demon” of the first chakra. 

As always I recommend the book: Western Body, Eastern Mind by Anodea Judith

Links: Harlow’s study: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrNBEhzjg8I

[fromdreamertoachiever]

[fromdreamertoachiever]

Root Chakra ✧･ﾟ:*

[fromdreamertoachiever]

Root Chakra/Muladhara: The Basics

I think the best place to start is back to basics.

I’m going to work on my Root Chakra, formally known as the Muladhara.

Please note that the following is not all-inclusive.

BASIC INFORMATION

Colour: Red.

Location: Base of the Spine, pelvis and the feet.

Mantra: LAM.

Element: Earth.

Demon: Fear.

Fear is often from unmet basic needs, feeling threatened, or being hurt. 

It is there to help us stay alive and to protect us from harm, but on most occasions, the threat is only perceived, not real. This prevents us from feeling secure, calm and effects our ability to focus.

My fears include: water (hydrophobia) when it is cold, dark and deep. I am also constantly worrying about dangerous situations, although I realise they’re illogical. e.g. worried I’ll bump into my abusive ex-boyfriend and things become violent/aggressive.

Right: The right to be here and the right to have.

We all have a place on this Earth, none is more deserving than the other. We all deserve to have our basic needs met: water, air, warmth, food, shelter, safety and security.

We should claim our body and the space it takes up. (Struggling with my weight over the years has made this an issue for me, I often find myself physcially tightening and curling inwards when in public or near others.)

Identity: Physical.

Our physical identity related to our body, its needs and what it feels. 

Understanding that we need to exist physically and should listen and meet our physical needs.

Key Themes: self-preservation, survival, basic physical needs, grounding, the physical body and being present.

Crystals: most red and black crystals including black tourmaline, onyx, jet, bloodstone, hematite, tigers eye (good for the first 3 chakras), obsidian, garnet, smokey quartz.

Essential Oils: black pepper, sandalwood, cedar, ginger, cloves.

Development stage: conception - 1 year.

All chakras can be balanced, deficient (lack of/blocked energy), excessive (overflowing with energy) or a mixture of both. This can be for a variety of reasons, but each state has its own “symptoms.”

Balanced: 

Manifestation

Good health

Vitality/good energy levels

Relaxed and feel safe/secure

Present in current time and space

Focused

Healthy Boundaries and self-discipline. 

Deficient:

Fearful/Anxious

Undisciplined and lack of boundaries

Restlessness

Feeling spaced out/ungrounded

Feeling disconnected from the body

Underweight

Poor focus and disorganised.

Excessive:

Heavy

Sluggish/Lethargic/lack of energy

Monotonous

Being overweight/obese

Hoarding/Greed over financial/material things

Materialism

Fear change

Boundaries that are too rigid.

My Current State:

At the moment I am struggling with lethargy and lack of energy. This is something I have struggled with over my whole life. I am overweight and have poor self-discipline. I struggle to say no to food and buying things. I also have difficulty doing things I need to do, such as exercise. I have this subconscious “need” to have everything now as if it’s going to be gone soon. I’m trying to teach myself that I don’t need to order everything I fancy on the menu in one sitting, as it’ll be here another day (that’s just one example.

This all suggests that my Root Chakra is excessive, but sometimes it drops into deficiency. I’ll suddenly have all this energy I don’t know what to do with and what to do everything all at once... Then I go straight back into the previous state. 

And as always, I recommend buying Anodea Judith’s book: Western Body, Eastern Mind. This book helped me change my life.

Next, I will look at why my chakra is in its current state and what I can do to balance it. 

[fromdreamertoachiever]

Spring Events 2019

Sabbats:

Ostara (Spring Equinox) - March 20th 

Walpurgisnacht - April 30th 

Beltane (May Day) - May 1st 

Astrological Events:

Full Moons - March 21st, April 19th, May 18th

New Moons - March 6th, April 5th, May 4th

Mercury Retrograde - March 5th-28th

Jupiter Retrograde - April 10th-Aug.11th

Pluto Retrograde - April 24th-Oct.3rd

Saturn Retrograde - April 30th-Sept.18th

To Do:

Spring is obviously a time to celebrate growth, regeneration, and healing. The Earth is reawakening for the year and you should be as well. You’ve reflected throughout the long nights of winter, you’ve used your early spring days to plan, and now it’s time to begin to bloom. Ostara welcomes the official start of the spring thaw, while Walpurgisnacht offers a chance to fly in communion with others, and Beltane stands as the last point before summer begins to take hold. This season ask yourself how you’re changing or growing and how your practice might grow as well. 

[fromdreamertoachiever]

✨🌷 Beltane for Lazy Witches 🌷✨

I’m always that witch that never has time (or the energy/resources) for an elaborate ritual or spell on any Sabbat. So if you’re lazy, chronically ill, a newbie witch, or don’t have the time, energy, or resources, here are some correspondences to incorporate into your celebration and some easy activities.

Beltane is associated with sexuality, fertility, and fire. It marks the peak of spring and the beginning of summer. It also represents the union of the Goddess and the God. 

Activities:

Take a bath.

Gather wildflowers, plants, and stones or tree bark.

Drink some herbal tea (preferably floral or fruity).

Decorate your altar.

Burn some incense or light a candle.

Divination.

Sex/masturbation.

Bonfire.

Scents:

Anything floral.

Frankincense.

Ylang-ylang.

Lemon.

Stones:

Rose quartz.

Carnelian.

Sunstone.

Quartz.

Garnet.

Emerald.

Flowers/Herbs:

Spring/summer flowers.

Roses, daisies, dandelions, violets, lilies.

Rosemary, mint, thyme, mugwort, woodruff.

Colors:

Pink.

Green.

Brown.

Red.

White/silver.

Gold.

Trees:

Birch, rowan, hawthorn.

[fromdreamertoachiever]

Pagan and Wiccan Holidays

So this year I’ve been looking into different pagan/wiccan festivals, how to celebrate them and what they mean.

So far I’ve celebrated Imbolc and Eostara/Spring Equinox.

Next up will be Beltane, which (lucky me) is on my birthday!!

BELTANE 

Maks the halfway point between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice.

Celebrates Bel

Fire Festival

Abundance of fertility

The sexuality of Life and Earth is at its peak

Deities associated: Artemis, Bes, Bacchus, Pan, Cernunnos, Flora & Hera. 

Assossiated colours: Green, red, white/silver

Ways To Celebrate

Bonfires: to honour the sun. 

Leaping over a fire. (could be a bonfire or even a candle)

Expressing sexuality.

Maypole dancing.

Marriage or Handfasting.

Make/Wear a flower crown.

Make a May Basket: arrange a basket full of fresh flowers and treats, then gift them to someone (Traditionally, you would hang it on your neighbour's door.)

Dress in bright colours.

balancing masculine and feminine energies: this can be expresssed literally through sex, figuretivly via maypole dancing (the pole represents male energy, the ribbon are female.), a ritual or meditation. 

decorate your house with May flowers.

Of course this is my first time researching and experiencing something like this, so there’s a chance I’ve got something wrong and there’s certainly more depth to this festival than what I’ve put here. If you have any information on Beltane, I would greatly appreciate it if you sent me a PM. 

Personal note: as always, if you ever intend on starting a fire make sure to use the right precautions!)

sites used: 

https://www.thoughtco.com/beltane-rites-and-rituals-2561678

https://www.goddessandgreenman.co.uk/beltane

https://www.circlesanctuary.org/index.php/celebrating-the-seasons/beltane-lore-rites

[fromdreamertoachiever]

Introduction.

So my life has been a series of unfortunate events, but I see it much like a Lemony Snickett’s style comedy. 

My humour is pretty dark, but I’m an overall light and positive person. 

I grew up in a loving but hectic household, where it was just me and my mum. She was plagued for years with mental health issues but always managed to make it through a better person. 

I’ve been through trauma and tragedy while simultaneously being blessed.

My mum had always been incredible spiritual, to the point where her head was in the clouds and the only thing keeping her grounded, was me.

My mum recently died of breast cancer and last year I finally managed to fully cut ties with an abusive ex-boyfriend.

I’m now a full-fledged adult, aged 25 (still have my L-plates on!).