Llewellyn Publications's Blog, page 41

#YogaRisingBook Instagram Challenge: Calling All Yoga Renegades!

Calling all yoga renegades!

Join the Yoga and Body Image Coalition and Llewellyn Worldwide in celebrating the release of Melanie Klein’s newest anthology, Yoga Rising: 30 Empowering Stories from Yoga Renegades for Every Body,  as well as the yoga renegade in every body!

Follow these simple steps and become eligible for one of 3 FREE spots in Melanie Klein’s next Yoga & Body Image Online Immersion offered this March that will dive deeply into this new collection of stories with a worldwide community.

Dates: January 8 – 14, 2018.

To enter:

Follow @melmelklein, @ybicoalition, and @llewellynbooks on Instagram
Post a photo of you with a copy of Yoga Rising
Tell us what it means to be a “yoga renegade”
Use the hashtags #YogaRisingBook #YogaRising #whatayogilookslike

3 winners will be announced via the @@ybicoalition Instagram on Tuesday, January 16, 2018. And, if we get a lot of submissions, Melanie Klein will offer 5 FREE spots in the next Yoga & Body Image Online Immersion instead of 3.

Good luck, and here’s to yoga renegades everywhere!

New Year’s Day Crystal Magic

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Sandra Kynes, author of The Herb Gardener’s Essential Guide, Crystal Magic, and the new 365 Days of Crystal Magic, among many others.

There is something special about the first day of a new year that makes our lives seem fresh and clear. It’s like coming to a path in the woods where no one has set foot before. Even though we cannot see the twists and turns that may lie ahead, the thought of stepping onto the path to start a new journey is full of promise.

Begin your year with a little crystal magic to foster positive energy for a boost towards your goals and to add a little spark of enchantment. A clear crystal is especially potent to use on this day.

The following is a list of clear crystals and some of their attributes:

Apophyllite: This stone is instrumental when seeking self-knowledge. It stimulates intuition and aids in trusting inner wisdom.
Calcite: Clear calcite was the “sunstone” of the Vikings who used it as a navigation aid. It is instrumental in manifesting what you seek.
Cerrusite: The grounding energy of this stone is especially helpful for transformation. Use it to initiate any type of change in your life.
Danburite: This stone stimulates the mind for psychic work and heightens sensitivity for channeling. It also aids spiritual growth.
Diamond: In addition to being a symbol of love, a diamond aids in cultivating trust and commitment. It also helps to meet challenges and overcome obstacles.
Goshenite Beryl: This crystal is effective in bringing clarity to situations and relationships. It also provides support to live up to one’s potential.
Herkimer Diamond: This type of quartz attracts luck and prosperity. Use it to invite happiness into your life.
Phenakite: This crystal is instrumental for working with spirit guides. Also use it for introspection when seeking self-knowledge.
Rock Quartz: This crystal is a powerhouse that amplifies and focuses energy. Use it to maintain stability when making changes in your life and when seeking wisdom.

Once you have chosen your crystal, light a candle on your altar, and with a soft gaze look at the flame through the crystal. Take a few minutes to visualize what you want to accomplish in the year ahead. If you don’t have a specific goal or plan, think of personal qualities you want to foster or changes want to initiate. Next, hold the crystal in front of you as you face each of the cardinal directions and say:

“As this year, we now start;

With a new course to chart.

May this crystal be my guide;

With good fortune by my side.”

Afterwards, place the crystal on your altar for a few days. This exercise isn’t limited to New Year’s Day. Adjust the words of the incantation and use it to mark any beginning such as the start of the school year, a birthday, handfasting, or any event that may mark a change in your life.

Our thanks to Sandra for her guest post! For more from Sandra Kynes, read her article “365 Days of Crystal Feng Shui for Your Home.”

Tarot Experience: Working with Multiple Decks

Lo Scarabeo’s Tarot Experience is a treasure chest of intermediate ideas, activities, explorations, and practices. If you have the basics under your belt, this book will give you lots of opportunities to grow as a reader.

As a reader and as someone who owns many decks, I love using more than one deck in a reading. Each deck has its own personality and its own wisdom.

Here are some ways I like to use multiple decks.

Use one deck to select the significator from.

In a relationship reading, use one deck for one partner, one for the other, and a third for the relationship.

Use one deck to lay the initial spread and say it represents what is apparent or on the surface level of the situation. Use another deck to lay another card next to the original card to represent something that is hidden or not easily apparent.

Tarot Experience offers more ideas such as making one deck your personal deck, another your study deck, and another (or several) that are for use in public. Or use a different deck for each position in a spread.

Here is a reading technique from the book that I really like:

Use the Majors only from one deck and lay out three cards. These cards define the “position” in that spread. For example, if you pulled the Empress, Hermit, and Temperance, the positions might mean Abundance, Solitude, and Balance. Use a second (full) deck to deal a card into each of these “positions.” In this way, you are trusting tarot to guide you as to the nature of your question (very useful with clients who “don’t have a question”) as well as to tell you what you need to know about those areas in your life.

Most of us have more than one deck, so it makes sense to develop techniques that are both relevant and useful to modern readers. Get creative and please feel free to share some of your favorite ideas.

 

Your Precious, Singular Self

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Jenya T. Beachy, author of the new Secret Country of Yourself.

I have a theory about humanity, and all the other beings on Earth and beyond. My theory is that things and people are called into being at the time they are needed. This means that WE are the gods that the Universe invoked into the circle of life at this perfect moment, this perfect location.

This doesn’t mean that here and now is flawless; it means that the flaws we see around us are the flaws we are meant to fix. Or to participate in fixing. No one person made the problems. No one person is going to fix them.

But also, this means that we are not alone. Not only are we surrounded by co-creators (some of whom are creating things we don’t like), but we are made for the challenges we see. Someone/something called us forth from the milieu and said, “We invite you to the ritual of now. We need you here.” To me, that is very comforting. I feel trusted by the Universe.

And those who are actively making unskillful choices, whose contributions to the whole are mean, racist, bigoted, hateful: they are our sparring partners, our scratching posts. They are how we get stronger and build courage.

This is not to make light of the suffering that the hateful few bring about. Life in the ritual of now is not a game. It is the culmination of all that has gone before, and carries an element of cause and effect, though those are not always clear. There is the possibility of creating a more equitable, compassionate, and supportive world. But that entails holding those qualities within ourselves, even when we fight like lions to protect what we love.

Each entity who is present here, now, has work to do. This might look like wielding the torch, or making the food, or singing the songs. All contributions that come from the heart are necessary and important, whether they feel so in the moment or not. It is our charge to know ourselves, to heal ourselves, and become all of who we are: creative, wise, imperfect.

When we do our work together, we have more power and a farther reach. So, let’s stick together, ok?

Our thanks to Jenya for her guest post! For more from Jenya T. Beachy, read her article “11 Cool Places to Visit in the Secret Country of Yourself.”

Believe and Receive – Six Key Elements to Success

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Melissa Alvarez, author of Your Psychic Self, 365 Ways to Raise Your Frequecy, Animal Frequency, and the new Believe and Receive.

Have you ever thought about your beliefs and how they affect your daily life? Are your beliefs based in positivity or are they fear-based in negativity? Using the natural laws to reach your desires can also help you change the way you look at life and how you react to situations. They can help you change negatives to positives and to move forward on your path in happiness and joy. There are six things to be aware of as you connect to the natural laws:

You are responsible for your own energy. Your spiritual frequency is of primary importance. Your thoughts, emotions, and actions should connect to positivity and abundance. If you feel off center, now is the time to bring yourself back into balance.
Whatever you strive to attain in life is also striving to come to you. Connecting to your belief and holding strong to it can help you attain your goals. If you allow this flow of energy to become part of your internal spiritual essence then it’s easier to attain success in receiving.
The deepest connections with the universe are made when you take the time to be at one with the natural world. In order to succeed in your beliefs that you’ll receive what you desire, you must be at one with your core spiritual self. To expand this connection, spend time outside in nature and feel the energy of the world around you and the importance of the moments you spend within that energy.
Be present in the moments of your life. Deepen your connection to the natural laws of the universe by being more aware of and thankful for the little things in your life. Stop being too busy.
Love is an integral part of the whole. By creating positive, loving, and honest relationships with one another, we make our universal connections stronger. To be successful, live your life filled with love for everyone and everything you encounter in life.
When you look for the positives in life, you’ll be filled with a sense of peace, and will experience less worry, struggle, and conflict. Difficult times are part of your spiritual growth. It can be hard to find balance in these situations but connecting to natural laws will help you move forward in a positive belief to receive your desires.

To be successful, to truly soar to your goals, belief in yourself and your desire to achieve all that you want out of life is essential. You can receive all that you want from life, you just have to believe that you will receive it and take steps to make it happen. Connecting to your spiritual truth, Universal truth, and the natural laws will enable you to see life from different perspectives. You may experience changes along the way and that’s part of the process of opening yourself to receive all that the Universe deems is yours.

Our thanks to Melissa for her guest post! For more from Melissa Alvarez, read her article “Four Additions to the Law of Attraction.”

Drive Theory and the Suits of Tarot

Anthony Louis’ Tarot Beyond the Basics is filled with really fascinating ideas, techniques, and practices. His application of drive theory to the four suits was particularly intriguing. Here’s what he says:

Psychologists love to invent theories about what motivates people. For Empedocles, the two basic drives existence are Love and Strife, which in astrology are embodied by the planets Venus and Mars respectively. Freud expressed a similar idea when he reduced human motivation to the two basic urges: libido (sex) and thanatos (the death instinct). Jung became fascinated with the four humors, based on the four elements, and came up with four fundamental personality types. Each psychologist has his or her own way of slicing the pie.

In tarot, the idea of viewing the four suits as four basic human drives is helpful in appreciating the significance of the cards. This understanding is rooted in ideas about the four elements and the four primary qualities. By way of review, “hot” and “cold” are active qualities that bring together things that are, respectively, alike or different. “Wet” and “dry” are passive qualities that indicate whether something conforms, respectively, to an outer structure or an inner ideal form. The drives represented by the four suits are morally neutral. Hence, philosophers linked each drive to a cardinal virtue. We might summarize them as follows:

Fire/Wands: the urge to create something new, expand our horizons, express our will, and infuse life into our plans and intentions. Wands do best to act with fortitude, displaying strength of purpose and courage in the face of adversity.

Water/Cups: the urge to mercy, to enjoy pleasure, to experience a sense of unity with others. Cups do best to at with temperance, displaying moderation and self-restraint in feelings and imagination.

Air/Swords: the urge to penetrate and to analyze dispassionately, to separate into distinct parts and perceive the connections between things. Swords do best to act with justice, displaying fairness in disputes and reasonableness when thoughts trouble their mind.

Earth/Pentacles: the urge to make tangible and enduring, to survive and provide security and sustenance. Pentacles do best to act with prudence, displaying discretion in practical affairs and good judgment in managing fiscal and physical health.

 

Connecting Your Mind to Your Emotions…By Way of Your Muscles

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Emily A. Francis, co-author of Witchy Mama and author of the new Body Heals Itself.

We don’t just wear our heart on our sleeves; we wear our heart on our sleeves, in our energy field, and in the belly of our muscles. The magic in this information is that by accessing where those thoughts, feelings, and experiences have burrowed down we can connect, communicate ,and release those emotions by releasing the various muscles that guard against that emotional baggage. For example: we know that when we use the saying, “they broke my heart,” we know that our pericardium has not been torn or damaged. We know that in this statement we are referring to the energy and emotion carried in our heart space—or, technically, in our heart chakra. But it’s not always that simple when it comes to the messages of our bodies if we don’t know what to look for. Feeling the ache of sadness, loss, shame, anger, and a host of other feelings doesn’t just sit in the heart space. It shows itself behind the heart space through the backside. Like a stab in the back just behind the heart space sits just as deeply in the belly of the rhomboid and trapezius muscles. It will show itself as pain under and at the inside of your shoulder blade. So many people carry pain there and so many people seek help to get it to subside.

What this entails is treatment that encompasses the full awareness of what is occurring. We must we address the muscles and at the same time acknowledge the energy and emotions that are also held in that space. Now the big ticket item: we must invite the mind to pull out from the bank of memories what caused this pain in the first place and then go through it again this time without being attached to it. We view the situation as the observer or narrator instead of as the main character. From this angle we can process the situation and transmute all the pain and energy into something tangible that we can now release from our bodies. The most incredible way to do this of course is by having a very skilled manual body worker helping you to process all of this and help you release it once and for all. Hopefully they understand the patterns of your muscles as well as the energy work that is needed during this time. And of course, they must possess the depth and wherewithal to help you process this through the mind without stepping too deeply into your own memory bank. We don’t want anyone leading you through this with their own opinions. This needs to be information that you gather and look at with your present awareness—not someone else’s.

If you do not have a body worker there with you to help you to do all of this, don’t fret—you can do this by yourself too (though maybe not as intensely, it is still very therapeutic to do by yourself). Instead of having the muscles manually worked, you will stretch them at the same time as pulling up the old memory bank that occurred in your life to make this pain stick. Below are some easy and quick ways to access your own pains.

Remember the old game where you don’t think, but rather just blurt out the first thing that comes into your mind? Well, this game works when you are stretching or touching the area of pain, too. Don’t think; just jump to the first thoughts that come into your mind once you set your intentions and address your muscles by way of stretching, rubbing, or drumming over that area. Whatever comes up in your mind, do not judge it, just go with it. Stretch the muscles with intention. Allow yourself to re-experience the original story but again, this time you are no longer the main character. Following this part, you must become your own therapist and best friend. Talk to yourself, your body with kindness and understanding.

If this way doesn’t work and you can’t quite pull it in and see the whole memory you can try this trick. It’s a handy little backdoor trick to getting in touch with your child mind. Sit down in a quiet space with a piece of paper and pen. Write down basic questions: what is your name, who is in your family, where do you live, followed by more poignant questions that pertain to the memory you are trying to access. Keep the questions simple and don’t try to answer them while you are writing them out. Once you have written your questions change hands and answer each question. Write them with your non-dominant hand. This is your child brain. Do not judge your answers, do not stop to read each answer just keep answering them. Once you have answered all of your questions put both hands down and close your eyes for a few deep, intentional breaths. Once you are ready open your eyes and read your answers again without judgement. You are simply gathering information. At least one answer from your child brain will surprise you. Go with it. Head directly into the fog. Once you have your information go back to your physical body. You can lie down and drum over your body to help break up some of the energy and emotions that have been stored in the muscle body, followed by stretching the areas that seem to be holding on to certain painful emotions. Stretch with kindness and intention of letting go of both the muscle tension and the old experiences. If you can cry this is the very best release of all. This is a physical manifestation of pain leaving your body. Crying with knowledge of what you are crying about brings a new sense of peace and creates space in your being for something better to plant itself in there.

There are a lot of way to heal your body and your mind. There are many avenues in which to go deeper into yourself. Communicating with your body, mind, and soul space is essential and no one can do this for you but it is always wonderful to have some help. Your body and your mind are capable of so many things wonderful and we block ourselves from experiencing that supreme bliss because we punish ourselves or limit ourselves with small thinking that we don’t deserve something amazing and that is entirely backward. We all deserve amazing. So many people feel lost and lonely and are trying desperately to find some peace. It is all right there for the taking and you are entirely deserving of living a happier more fulfilled, peaceful way of living. I believe in miracles and I believe in you.

Our thanks to Emily for her guest post! For more from Emily A. Francis, read her article “The Body Heals Itself: How Our Physical Pain Alerts Us to Emotional Pain.”

A Way to Get Advice

In Bringing the Tarot to Life, Scott Martin adapts activities that actors use to prepare for performing to tarot. Because tarot is often used for advice, I thought this example might be a good one to peak your interest in this really fun and useful book.

A Piece of Advice

In this exercise you are writing a letter requesting advice about a personal matter. Before you write the letter, make the following decisions:

What is the specific nature of the issue about which you are seeing advice?

Select a card that represents the person you think is in the best position to give you advice, and explain why.

Give this person a real name, other than its tarot name.

What is your relationship with this person? advice columnist? relative? friend? partner? therapist? other?

Now that you have articulated the nature of the problem and the kind of advice you are seeking, write the letter in the first person using a traditional letter format.

It is time now to switch roles. You are the personification of the card to whom the letter was written. Write a response, again in the first person, giving your advice from the card’s point of view.

How can letter writing be a more intimate way to communicative when you are sharing a personal concern? Energy both letters in your journal. Repeat this exercise from time to time with a different tarot card.

 

Offerings to the Dark Goddess

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Stephanie Woodfield, author of Celtic Lore & Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess, Drawing Down the Sun, and the new Dark Goddess Craft.

For those seeking to build a relationship or devotional practice with dark gods, offerings can often be a stumbling block. What do I give as an offering? How should it be given? And how does one dispose of it from their altar?

Some people approach offerings simply as presents. What do I get for the war goddess who has everything? But it’s not quite a present exchange involving gods. When we think of offerings in this way it comes with some of our preconceptions connected to other types of gift giving. Offerings, unlike a birthday gift, aren’t just something that should be plopped on the altar and bam! done, gift exchanged, end of story! No matter what physical item you are offering, the most important part of the offering is the intent and energy behind it. A simple way to imbue your offering is to hold it and see the energy and intent you wish to offer to the gods flow into it. Or you could speak your intent aloud. Sometimes you won’t have access to an ideal kind of offering; you might be traveling or be at work, and may just wish to offer pure energy to deity, or a commonplace item imbued with your intent. Pennies and dimes work well in a pinch, as do condiment packets of honey found at most coffee shops.

We also tend to offer gifts and expect to receive something in turn. With offerings it is important to give without necessarily expecting getting something in return. It’s true that the gods do give us blessings in turn, but when one expects a pay back then we tend to see gods as cosmic vending machines. Leaving an offering when petitioning a deity for help manifesting something is a particular type of offerings and should not be confused with offerings one makes regularly to a shrine or altar for a god/dess.

Another common question is, “What do I do with my offerings?” Unless you are leaving your offering in a natural spot, tossing them into a fire, etc., you are more than likely leaving them on your altar inside your home. Cream, butter, beer—any kind of food or protein is not something you want hanging around indefinitely in your home, especially on your altar. There are a few approaches to deal with this. Generally speaking I leave an offering on the altar for at least 24 hours, or until I feel the deity is done with it. The deity takes the energy of the item and the energy you have put into the offering, essentially leaving just a “husk”—the physical item remains, but the energy of it is gone. Some prefer to dispose of what is left in a special outdoor space, such as below a tree or an area of the yard you use just for disposing of offerings. Others prefer to just throw away what remains of the offers. Since the deity has already taken the energy of the item, it is, in my opinion, not disrespectful to throw the shell that remains in the garbage.

Perhaps one of the most important things about offerings is knowing the deity or spirit to whom you are giving the offering. Read their mythology, know their likes and dislikes, spend some time simply asking the deity what they would like as an offering. As you learn about their mythology you may also learn that certain items are taboo to offer to certain gods, which is useful information. And one should not always assume an offering is something physical. Offerings can be our actions. I know a devotee of Ares who offers their physical training and sweat to the god, and I have often offered the Morrigan acts of courage in my own devotion. A simple acknowledgement is all that is necessary: “I offer this task/challenge to you this day” or something similar with suffice.

Offerings to dark gods don’t have to be gruesome or over the top. We should make offerings often, and in the process we build a connection with our gods and learn how to commune with them. Offer things that you are comfortable with, and don’t forget to be creative.

Our thanks to Stephanie for her guest post! For more from Stephanie Woodfield, read her article, “Devotional Work to the Goddess of the Battlefield.”

The Book That Saved Thanksgiving…Or At Least Helped!

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Larry Sagen, who works with Elana Zaiman (author of the new book The Forever Letter).

George Burns, the godfather of early comedy radio and television, once said: “Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family— in another city.”

Ahh, Thanksgiving! A paradox for many! By design, it’s a holiday about thanks and appreciation for all we have, yet for many, Thanksgiving offers more stress than gratitude. And this Thanksgiving may be even more difficult, exacerbated by our country’s growing political and social divide.

In her new book The Forever Letter, author, speaker, rabbi, chaplain, and social worker Elana Zaiman offers hope, new perspectives, and tools that can help both holiday hosts and guests shift their focus from fear and avoidance to a place of deep listening, healing, and authentic communication.

Zaiman has been working with families from different cultures for more than twenty years, and she wrote the book to help people of all ages more effectively and productively share their love, gratitude, forgiveness, and personal agendas in ways that enhance relationships, rather than destroy them.

She observed that many Thanksgiving meals begin with the dreaded exercise of going around the table with everyone sharing one thing for which they are grateful for; she came to the conclusion that people often respond out of peer pressure and obligation, rather than with something they’ve deeply considered.

Zaiman recommends a simple adjustment that can make the exercise and experience more positive, powerful, and meaningful:

“I suggest that people take some quiet time, in a safe space, before Thanksgiving Day to deeply think about what gratitude means to them. It may seem like no big difference, but I promise, when people speak from their hearts about their gratitude and appreciation around the table, they’ll be more in touch with what really matters, and that will bring people together at a deeper level and positively impact the experience for all.”

Both The Forever Letter and Zaiman have received high praise from authors and speakers, including Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul), Parker Palmer (Let Your Life Speak), and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman (The Gottman Institute); ethics expert Michael Josephson (Josephson Institute of Ethics); clergy, including Rev. Susan Sparks (Laugh Your Way to Grace), Rabbi Sherre Hirsch (Thresholds: How to Thrive Through Life’s Transitions to Live Fearlessly and Regret-Free); and prominent Elder Law and Estate Planning Attorney Barbara Isenhour.

The Forever Letter makes an inspirational holiday gift that will keep on giving from generation to generation.

Our thanks to Larry for his guest post! For more from Elana Zaiman, read her article “3 Reasons to Write a Forever Letter” and her blog post, “It’s Never Too Late to Learn Your Own Lessons.”