Working with Colour - Red

This week's Pagan Blog Project is R, which for me was easy as I am really into colour and its vibrations and benefits etc etc. I started out with a very clinical approach to this blog, but just didn't feel it. I had read something this morning from another blogger which got me thinking about my own blogs - are they real? Are they what I truly believe in my heart or what I have read in books? I hope it is the former as I always try to be authentic, but this morning it just felt clinical. I had a formula based on previous work with colour and it wasn't working for me. So, as I am learning to be more spontaneous (which is anathema to my 4 vibration) I thought I'd just sit and write and see what happens.

So, Red? What do I use it for? What does it mean to me?

I love red, have done so for a while now and it is probably my favourite colour after orange. To me, red is about passion, vitality and life. When I wear it I feel sexual and sensual (especially as a lipstick!), confident and ready to tackle anything - dare I say bullet-proof?

I also feel like me... I am not a pastels girl, and never will be, so wearing strong colours is part of who I am, wearing the standard rainbow colours gives me strength I can't describe. It also fills me with hope, hope that today will be a good day, hope that maybe I can achieve anything, hope that I will get through the day and whatever challenges it may bring (and as a casual High School teacher, these are many!).

I would love to say that I use red for grounding, but until recently I didn't think specifically of grounding techniques so I would be lying. I guess I naturally moved towards it without understanding it properly. I have owned and worn a read pair of boots for a few months now and I love them and wear them any chance I get! I now realise I may have been doing this instinctively as I desperately needed grounding and was unaware of it - I live in my head and have recently discovered my inability to understand the earth element reflected a deep need to be grounded, but that is another story...

In my travels (Inna Segal's book again!), I have learnt that red can be good for improving the circulation (which I often have trouble with), healing wounds and blood disorders, constipation, sciatica, increasing the sex drive and helping with weight loss but I have not had the urge to use it for these issues... probably should see what happens the next time I cross my legs for a period of time in my red boots! An interesting experiment... I may yet have cause to test the other theories out along my journey, but today they remain untested!

I do, however, use it for balancing my base chakra, which I am assuming is common practice. If I have money troubles or issues concerning the home or security, I will wear my boots or another piece of clothing to help balance this chakra. I will also meditate with a red jasper at my base or wear a garnet if the mood strikes me (or if I have the flu, as garnet is great at helping to assist with flu-like symptoms - to this I can attest!). I have also recently 'learned' that red is the numerological equivalent of the number 1, being about all things physical and how you relate to the world around you.

To me though, it is a colour of passion and vitality! I always feel a little sexier when I am wearing it, a little more confident and able to meet the challenges of the day. I do feel just simply better... Blue also does this, but for different reasons... Red is just such a strong colour to me, it gives me strength and for that I am forever grateful.

Working with Colour - Purple

Well, it's P week on the Pagan Blog Project and I thought I'd continue with the previous week's post and do another one on colour. This will focus on how I work with the colour and include some of the work of others, but as there seems to be a plethora of different uses I have just kept this post to what I use it for.

Purple is often associated with the Crown Chakra, but I see it in my Brow Chakra, despite many attempts to try and change it! I finally decided to stop fighting it and run with it, but now I just as often see indigo for the Brow so I tend to wait and see what happens on the day. Still, my Crown Chakra has and always will be white I guess. I wont go too closely into the Chakra other than to say that it governs the intuition, imagination, clairvoyance, dreams and visions/visualisation and purple can help in all these areas. In the tarot, purple is the colour of compassion (as in the Lovers), spirituality and visions. Inna Segal, in her book The Secret Language of the Body, states that purple helps to clear mental complexes and brings out leadership qualities. It can also help improve the connection between mind ,body and soul and attracts hope and success. On a physical level, purple helps boost the immune system, heal skin eruptions, rheumatism and bones, kidney, lung and stomach problems. It helps to relieve nervous tension, thus calming the heart and helping with blood pressure.

To work with purple, the easiest way is to wear it on or around the head, however, the location is not as important as intention when wearing of the colour. Purple socks will do just as good as a purple bandana if the intention is stated clearly! For physical healing, you can eat purple food, such as eggplant or beetroot, or visualise yourself inhaling the colour directly into the part of the body you want healed (this last is most effective while in a meditative state). Perhaps the easiest, and possibly the prettiest way to work with purple is to incorporate crystals, such as Amethyst or Purple Fluorite, into your healing regimen. Again, it is all about intention, so if you are having trouble seeing the big picture, with visualisation, clairvoyance and dreams or perhaps have constant sinus problems, then purple can help!

Working with colour: Orange

This week the Pagan Blog Project is up to 'O' and I thought it was about time I posted about one of my favourite colours! Orange... I did a bit of research into colours, their chakra correspondence and their energetic vibrations, a while ago and this is what I came up with:

Orange is associated with the Sacral Chakra, found a few inches below the navel. It is the centre of creativity, vitality, sensuality, appetites and desires. In the tarot, it represents passion, creativity and family connections. If you see orange a lot, it may be a message to further enhance these qualities in your life. It can, according to Inna Segal, indicate that shock or trauma is holding you back from moving forward in life and using orange can help bring up associated emotions for healing. On a physical level, it can help with digestive issues, breathing conditions and fertility. It also helps with fear and depression by creating optimism, enthusiasm, courage and determination. It helps to create bonds of love and connect you to your wisdom and intuition.

Orange clothes are a good way to utilise the energy of the colour. Orange directly on your Sacral chakra will help balance this chakra, however any orange clothing will do the trick!!

Wearing orange, particularly around the Sacral Chakra, can help to alleviate these issues and increase your vitality and optimism for life. You can also visualise breathing orange into your Sacral or Heart Chakra with the intention of healing any associated issues. You can also wear an orange crystal, such as a Carnelian or Orange Calcite, or eat more orange food. Remember, intention is key! Just ask that the orange clothing, food or crystal heal your ailment and trust in the universe to provide! 

There is a lot more to Orange than the above, I am sure, however, I find that it is great for increasing courage so when I am feeling a bit fearful, I wear it with the intention it increase my courage and allow it to do its work. There are a lot of changes going on in my life at the moment, so perhaps this is why I have been drawn to it for some time...

The Importance of Indigo - Pagan Blog Project

I am not sure if you are aware, but apparently scientists have taken Indigo out of the colour spectrum as it is not a definable colour between the blue and purple (this is only rumour for me, but considering the fate of Pluto, I am assuming the worst!). It got me thinking about the impact of this on the chakras and other aspects of paganism, spirituality and life in general.

Also, the Pagan Blog Project focus this week is 'I' and it seems 'coincidental' to me now that I should choose this week to think about colour therapy and my relationship with indigo in general... so here goes!!

For me, it appeared at first to have little impact as my brow chakra had always appeared as purple anyway, and my crown white, so I was not really used to working with indigo for this. So I forgot about it and got on with my life.

Lapis Lazuli, what I affectionately call my 'Atlantis Temple'

Then, very recently, I started to look at the meanings of particular colours, their vibrationary meanings, healing ability etc etc and stumbled upon an important personal truth. Even though I do not work with indigo, and very rarely have I since seen my brow chakra appear this colour (it has happened once or twice), it has it's own merits in the world and should be included and honoured among the basic colours used in healing, magick and other aspects of life. It is used to increase spiritual knowledge and awareness, intuition, inspiration and imagination and also has been said to soothe physical pain (through visualisation and intent of course!). And although it is a tertiary colour and I usually only work with primary and secondary ones, I still feel it has it's place in our lives. To me, colours like violet, turquoise and to come degree pink (although I do like to use this to differentiate between the types of love you would want to encourage) just seem to be watered down versions of their primary or secondary counterparts. Yet,  indigo seems to have its own specific vibration and magickal use, separate to the others. It just 'feels' as if it is important enough to include in my 'colour chart'! 

Perhaps this will lead me to further explore tertiary colours on a larger scale in time, but for now I'm taking a 'keep is simple stupid' attitude... I'll revisit the tertiary colours issue when and if it arises.

For now I am happy with my inclusion of Indigo in my work, and I hope you all do too, no matter what 'scientists' say!!!

Chakra Fundamentals: Heart Chakra - H is for Heart Chakra

If the other weeks brought confusion or indecision about what topic to write for the Pagan Blog Project, this week was easy! I am working on going through all the chakras eventually, but will wait til the appropriate letter to submit something (obviously...lol). I have also worked on its western name, for ease of access more than anything else... So, here goes......

The Heart chakra, also known as Anahata (usually pronounced anna-hat), is located in the centre of the chest, vibrates green, sometimes with pink flecks, and its symbol is the 12 petalled lotus flower. On a physical level, it is responsible for the heart, ribs, chest, upper back, circulatory system, lungs, immune system, the respiratory system and thymus. Emotionally, it governs all matters concerning love, including unconditional love, forgiveness, relationships, compassion and tolerance, however, negative emotions such as anger and hate can dwell here as well. Any imbalances in the heart chakra are indicated by physical pain or illness in these areas as well as feelings of being unloved or unlovable, issues with hate, forgiveness and compassion.

As with the other chakras, there are a few very simple ways you can balance this chakra. Possibly the easiest is to wear green, such as but not limited to a t-shirt or bra as it sits directly over the chakra, with the intention of balancing Anahata. Crystals, such as rose quartz and malachite (among many others) will also help to balance this chakra. I have also had some success with Tiger’s Eye. Specifically used for the Solar Plexus, I find that whenever I wear Tiger’s Eye I laugh a lot more, and that has got to do something for my heart as well right?? Play around with a few other crystals and see what ones make you happy or more prone to laughter and use these in conjunction with other heart chakra methods, after all, isn’t happiness the key to love? Or one of them anyway...

You can also balance Anahata through the food you eat. Eating green food with the intention of it balancing your chakra will be of great use, however, what might work more is to have an appreciation and love for the food you are eating. Take a few seconds to thank the universe, or the tree or animal themselves for providing the sustenance for you. This prayer is about giving gratitude for what you have and being more aware of the good in your life. This will also lead to feelings of happiness and love which will open your chakra more!

Here is a list of a few other easy ways to balance your chakra:    

• Breathe into the heart chakra
• Hug people. You will need to be IN the hug. Some people just put their arms around others and hope for the best. The next time you hug someone, be in the moment and feel the love inherent in the hug! Open yourself up and allow yourself to feel and be love!! 
• Write letters of appreciation to those who have helped you
• Apologise to those you have hurt
• Offer to help people
• Tell loved ones that you love them
• Own a pet and play and pat them
• Own plants and water them with love
• Be willing to forgive

Another interesting issue with the heart chakra is receiving love. It is all well and good to give it to others, but in order to have a properly balanced chakra you need to be ready to receive love. This has been an issue for me my whole life it seems, especially self-love in a culture that frowns upon people who ‘love themselves’ as ‘stuck up’. Love of self does not mean you think you are any better than anyone else, it just means (among other things) you have self-respect and understand your own worth. I have recently discovered that love of self gives you a deeper understanding and appreciation of love when you experience it for yourself from yourself. It helps you to better understand what it means to love and what your own expectations are concerning receiving love from others. Through the self-acceptance that comes from self-love, you can more easily accept others for who they are (tolerance and acceptance) which increases your capacity for unconditional love on a much larger scale.

But how to rectify these issues? There are a few easy ways, some may seem weird, difficult or unnatural but start small and work your way from there. 

1.  Look in the mirror and find one thing that you like (at first, later turn it to love) about yourself and focus on that aspect for a few minutes. If you can find more than one, then by all means honour them all! If not, after a week, make it two things, then three etc etc.
2. Wear clothes that make you feel good about yourself, that you feel are flattering for your figure or emphasises your assets. Include any make-up or particularly flattering hair styles.
3. Stand naked in front of a mirror and admire your body for what it is, lumps, bumps and all. Remember, you are the God or Goddess manifest! Loving yourself and accepting yourself for who and as you are allows you to accept them on such terms and gives you a closer relationship with them. 
4. Number 3 also works in a bath or shower situation, and may be a better first step for you if you particularly loathe mirrors. As you wash yourself, note your body shape and tone, any blemishes you have, honour any scars you have and just feel the love and acceptance wash over you as the water falls over your skin. You must, however, graduate to the mirror scenario eventually!!
5. Write down a list of your characteristics, flaws and all. Do not categorise or judge them, just write the list down. When you are done, read over them and send love to each of them. They all make up who you are and you must honour them. The one/s you do not like, you can work on (or may be at this very moment!), but in the meantime they are who you are, they make up a part of you, so honour them all and accept them. 
6. Put on your favourite music and dance around the house. Do not judge yourself, just feel the movement of your body and let the love flow!
7. Record your voice and play it back to you. This will need to serve a purpose though... it would seem silly just to record a random conversation and play that back!! I remember reading in one of her books that Doreen Virtue learnt to love her voice, and herself more, by recording and listening to a list of affirmations every day! This may work, but if affirmations are not your thing, then why would you start now? So, the next time you find a meditation in written form, instead of memorising it and doing it this way, record yourself saying it over nice music. Do the meditation to your own voice and remember to give your voice and yourself love as you hear it! If there is a ritual or anything else that you could record and complete in this same way, then do so! I am sure the added love you feel will serve to empower your ritual.
8. I recently read a book called Unleashing the Sex Goddess in Every Woman by Olivia St Claire. It was very confronting to me, whose own views on sex and masturbation have been in conflict throughout my life. The one thing I learned from this book is that love of the physical self is important for loving and accepting yourself and who you are (it will also help you to understand how your body works so you can tell your partner and make your love making all the more exciting! Anyway, back to the issue at hand... ) So, the next time you take some time out to pleasure yourself, instead of seeing your favourite movie star in your mind’s eye (although this can be very fun!), just be with yourself and feel what you are doing to yourself. Be in the moment and feel the love as you bring yourself to climax. This brings your spiritual and physical self closer together, giving you a better understanding of how the two are actually one, inseparable. A lot of people honour their spiritual selves and neglect their physical body (or vice versa), which to me now is an example of gross misconduct! OK, so I over exaggerate... again... But there is still truth in what I say. You can’t have one without the other in this life, so acknowledge, honour and love both!!
9. Do #8 in front of a mirror... Send yourself love and acceptance as you watch your body and facial expressions. This is not for the faint-hearted, so be sure that you are comfortable looking at yourself in the mirror before doing this. Remember, the goal is to increase your feelings of self-love. Do not do this if you feel it will shatter everything you have worked for... It can wait until you are ready!
10. This may be the most important one… Sit in a quiet place, where you will not be interrupted and put yourself into a meditative state. Play your favourite meditation music, burn incense (possibly rose for love!), light a candle (again, rose or a red one!) and wear or have on your person one of the aforementioned crystals. When you are ready, send the love out of your heart chakra into the universe or to a person, animal, place or situation that inspires love for you. Just send it out there for a few minutes. Then, draw it back into yourself. You can do this by seeing Anahata's green and pink flecked colour circling to the object or situation and back into yourself (through your back may help if you are particularly visual). Also, breathing out the love and then back in can help if you are not particularly visual. The how does not really matter, what is important is that you send it out and also RECEIVE IT BACK free of judgement or category, just allow it to come back. Sit in this energy of love for as long as you feel the need then bring yourself back. Thank the universe and deity for the experience and whenever you are feeling a bit down or overly negative about yourself, remember this moment and allow the familiar feelings to wash back over you. For a particularly fun twist, combine this with #7 and do the meditation this way! 

This one was longer than I thought it would be, but in writing it I realise the heart chakra is about more than just giving love, but also receiving it. The two aspects work hand in hand to promote love on a daily basis. It has definitely opened my eyes to the true nature of Anahata and love in general, as I hope it does for you. So a big THANK YOU to the PBP for allowing this to happen! 

If you have any other ways of balancing Anahata, please feel free to include them in the comments below.

Blessed be and Love to all!! 

(Most information is gathered from personal experience and discussions with teachers and like minded people, however, a good book to read to get an overall idea of the chakras is Janet Boyer’s ‘The Chakras’. Also, the following website is also of great use - Chakra Balancing - Heart Chakra Anahata) 

Chakra Fundamentals: The Crown Chakra

I know this will be blogged out of order, but I have been inspired by The Pagan Blog Project and, since this week’s letter was C, I thought it fitting to write this now. I have not submitted this to the project yet, however, follow the link for more exciting information about paganism and other associated topics. I will also refrain from explaining again what Chakras are all about as I have done it in Chakra Fundamentals: The Base Chakra, so if you are unsure please visit this page also! But now, down to business!

The Crown chakra, or Sahasrara (also Sahasrana), is located at  the top of the head, either resting upon the very top or just above your physical body. Its symbol is the thousand petalled lotus (pictured below) and its colour is traditionally purple, however, as much as I might try mine is always white! Either way you see it, it is the fastest spinning chakra, and these two colours reflect this. Generally the crown chakra is the centre of spirituality and connection with the divine, if it is open and active you will have strong faith in something, whether ‘new age’, pagan, or monotheistic etc. It is also the centre for connection to the higher self, understanding and knowledge of the self, spiritual wisdom and claircognizance (clear knowing) and for ‘living in the now’. It is associated with the element of thought and the planet Uranus.

In the physical body, Sahasrara governs the brain, skull, cerebellum central nervous system and the pituitary gland. If you are experiencing any issues in this area, such as migraines or headaches, it may be the manifestation of a crown chakra block or imbalance. Emotional issues connected to this chakra may be depression, alienation, confusion, inability to trust life and see the big picture, lack of inspiration, worry or living too much in the past or future.

So again, how can we fix these issues? Again, like all the other chakras, a good cleanse may be necessary, or perhaps a meditation with an associated crystal, such as amethyst, fluorite, diamond or clear quartz. Also, breathing in the colour purple or white (depending on what you see) into this area with the intention of clearing it will be of benefit. There are some other, simple, every day ways to balance and open you crown chakra:

Ø  Meditate

Ø  Bless food before eating

Ø  Recycle and avoid polluting mother earth

Ø  Send healing thoughts to people and situations

Ø  Ask for guidance from your higher self and spirit

Ø  Forgive

Ø  Spiritual practise and prayer that supports your religious beliefs

Ø  Wear purple or white material on top of the head

Ø  Drink violet infused water and visualise it flowing to the crown chakra

It is interesting that I have recently started to bless the food I eat, not regularly but when I feel necessary and I am also feeling more connected to the world and the people in it; I am sure the two are not exclusive!

(Most information is gathered from personal experience and discussions with teachers and like minded people, however, a good book to read to get an overall idea of the chakras is Janet Boyer’s ‘The Chakras’.Also, the following website is also of great use - http://www.healing-journeys-energy.com/Chakra.html)

Chakra Fundamentals: The Base Chakra

I know at first glance, chakras may not appear to be a part of Paganism, however, it is a part of our emotional and physical well-being, thus for me it fits perfectly! In this way I feel it is important to have a working knowledge of them, if not a close affiliation with them. It is part of knowing the self and should be incorporated into any self discovery journey. There are a lot of people in the world who are walking around, unbalanced and have no idea why or how to fix it if they are aware. I was one such person not so long ago. 

Chakras are energy centres all over the physical body that allow for the free flow of energy from feet to crown, and everywhere in between. We have hundreds of mini chakras all over our body that facilitate this energy flow, however, there are seven main chakras that govern certain key aspects of our lives. They are the base (or root chakra), the sacral, the solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye (brow) and crown chakras.

  

The first, and possibly the most fundamental to overall health and well-being, is the base chakra, or in the sanskrit, Muladhara. Its location varies depending on which source you read, but I usually feel it at the very base of my torso. If sitting down, it is located in the area resting on the seat. Other works will describe it as being at the base of the spine or coccyx or the cervix (for women) or perineum (for men), however, if there is one thing I have learnt so far it is that all things are individual. One thing is certain, it is the first of the main energy centres and it is situated roughly at the bottom of your torso, the specifics will vary and you will have to discover this for yourself. One way to do this is to get into a meditative or contemplative state and ask to become aware of my base chakra. Sit quietly now and try it! Be aware of any buzzing, or energy pooling in a particular area. This will be the location of your base chakra! Some people also see them as swirling discs facing the front and back of your body, at vertical to the ground. Mine, however, face from my feet to my head, horizontal to the ground. Again, you will have to discover this for yourself.

Each chakra has a symbol associated with it, usually a version of the lotus flower. Muladhara is often shown as a lotus flower with four petals.

Each chakra governs both the physical and emotional body; any imbalance or issue with your chakras can manifest as a physical pain, injury or disease. Issues with your base chakra can manifest through the legs, knees, feet and ankles, bones, large intestine, hips and pelvis, kidneys, sciatic nerve or lower back. Any pain in these areas is a sign that you are experiencing emotional disturbance in one or more area concerning this chakra.

So what are these issues? The Base chakra is associated with feelings of belonging (with tribe or community), career and finances, safety and security, familial law and order, ability to stand up for oneself or any other material or physical concern. One example may be financial worries manifesting in hips locking or cramps in the legs. I have a particular issue with my coccyx bone, which I have damaged at least twice in my life. Now when I start to worry over money or the home, it will ache. It is a timely reminder for me to take a few seconds to work on this chakra and alleviate any concerns and worries.

It is easy to rebalance or activate a chakra. One of the easiest is, after identifying the issue that has caused the ailment or pain, locate and wear a crystal specifically associated with the chakra. Any red crystal will do for the base chakra, but of particular note is red jasper, garnet and smoky quartz (these will usually appear in your standard chakra crystal packs). There is no need to wear it directly on your base chakra, although doing this in a meditative state will help to enhance the crystal’s efficiency. You may also breathe in the colour red into the area of your base chakra and visualise it clearing the negativity from the area. Eating red food (such as tomatoes, cherries or apples) or drinking red infused water with intention is also another effective way. The easiest method of balancing or activating this chakra though, is to wear red underwear! It sits directly on the chakra and is far less noticeable than other methods! And who could forget those Dorothy inspired red shoes? (sparkles or sequins preferred though optional!) Another discreet way to balance your chakra is to wear red nail polish on your toes... I do this all the time with the intent that it balance my chakra; it seems simple but it works. And you feel pretty too!! All is intent though, so no matter what you choose to do, be sure to state your intention when doing it!

Here are some simple ways to maintain your base chakra’s health on a daily basis:

• Take your off shoes and walk barefoot outside connecting with Mother Earth 
• Dancing
• Massage and pedicure
• Gardening or house work with the intention of balancing or opening this chakra
• If possible, have a space within your home that is entirely yours
• Daily short, brisk walks
• Have a routine and stick to it
• Pay bills on time
• Bake bread and peel potatoes for grounding

I have found that a solid base chakra is the foundation for all psychic or energy work. If your base chakra is closed or imbalanced it is likely (though not guaranteed) that your other chakras are in the same state.

So start with the basics! Get your physical life in order first to allow the magickal to enter your life!!

(Most information is gathered from personal experience and discussions with teachers and like minded people, however, a good book to read to get an overall idea of the chakras is Janet Boyer’s The Chakras. Available on Amazon.com or via Kindle.)