A Guide to Balancing Your Energy and Well-Being

Edition 3 - February 2023

Welcome to the third edition of Living Magically on triplemoon.net

Thank you for your continued support, if you enjoy reading my ramblings please do subscribe by clicking the blue button at the top of the page.

The Wiccan Wheel of the Year - Ostara – March 21st

Ostara is the festival of the Spring Equinox, the moment between the darkest winter and the climax of summer.

It honours Eostre, goddess of the dawn. (Her name means East, from where the sun rises.) Ostara is considered the precursor to Easter. Ostara is associated with rising energy and setting intentions as well as ritual cleaning to sweep away old patterns and invite renewal.

Ostara is also a good time to change career because there is an expansive energy. Its also a time to start planting seeds.

Next Full Moon – March 7th

Marchs full moon is the worm moon, this moon is associated with the element of water and symbolises renewal and optimism. This is a good time to clear spaces and declutter in anticipation of the arrival of spring. It is also a time to think about things that you have been putting off, a time to plan for action.

The full moon occurs when the moon is directly opposite the sun in its orbit around Earth.

Full moons are linked to heightened emotions ,closure and endings and facilitates the release of negative and stagnant energy. It is thought that the light of the full moon exposes things that need addressing and actions that are required.

Overview of Chakras

When I first encountered chakras it made a lot of sense to me personally, it was a one day taster session and it inspired me to undertake further research which has contributed to my journey. If you have experienced yoga or any form of energy healing such as reiki you will have come across the concept of Chakras.

Chakras are a huge topic so I intend here to introduce the basics, if it is something of interest there are many sources of information available, I have uploaded an expanded version of this article onto triplemoon.net which goes into more detail if you fancy. Follow this link https://www.triplemoon.net/about-3

The word Chakra comes from an ancient Indian language known as Sanskrit, chakra means vortex, spinning wheel or circle. If you could imagine chakras as circles of energy, flowing all the way through our body these circles of energy assist in the running of our body, mind and soul.

When a chakra is not performing correctly it is believed to cause our physical health, mental health and our spiritual selves to suffer.

There are many chakras within the body but attention is generally focussed on the seven major chakras:

Root Chakra

The root chakra is situated at the base of or tail end of the spine and is the foundation of the physical body that assists in keeping us grounded to the earth. This chakra deals with the body's survival including food, shelter and protection and influences our immune system, our energy, basic instincts, endurance and fight or flight reactions.

Sacral Chakra

The second chakra is known as the sacral chakra and is situated in the lower abdomen and is the source of creativity and inspiration. It is the foundation of the emotional body and influences our ability to feel emotions, sensations and atmospheres. This chakra physically influences the lower abdomen, spleen, liver, bladder, kidneys, sexual organs, reproduction and fertility.

Solar Plexus Chakra

The third chakra is situated at the base of the rib cage and involves personal power, energy and self-control, emotional issues and issues of self-acceptance. This chakra physically influences muscles, stomach, digestion, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, metabolism and the nervous system.

Heart Chakra

The fourth chakra is situated in the centre of the chest around the area of the heart and is the place where these other six Chakras converge. Powered by love the heart chakra influences forgiveness, compassion, empathy, trust, equilibrium within our life.

Throat Chakra

The fifth chakra is situated at the base of the neck in the throat and influences communication, dreaming, artistic expression, good judgment, self-belief, wisdom and truthfulness. Physically it influences the mouth, teeth, throat, thyroid gland and the immune .

Brow Chakra

The sixth chakra is known as the third eye chakra it is situated in the middle of the forehead linking the eyebrows and influences our capacity to see things that are yet to come. When the sixth chakra is balanced we are able to link into our intuition, imagination, visualize, concentrate, with insight.

Crown Chakra

The seventh chakra is known as the crown chakra and is situated on the top of the head or crown area and is the foundation of our spiritual body and links us to the highest guidance and our creation. It influences spiritual will, inspiration, idealism and celestial knowledge it is our connection with the universe.

13 - 19 March, 2023 Neuro Diversity Week

Neurodiversity Celebration Week is a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences.

When it comes to inclusion, neurodiversity refers to a world where neurological differences are recognised and respected along with other human variations.

How our brains are wired affects how we think, move, process information and communicate and neuro divergent people think in different ways.

Neurodiversity is an umbrella term used to describe alternative thinking styles such as Dyslexia, DCD (Dyspraxia), Dyscalculia, Autism and ADHD. Approximately 15-20% of population has a neurological difference.

For more information visit https://www.neurodiversityweek.com

Check out this fascinating and illuminating interview with Dr Devon Price who has been at the forefront of highlighting what neurodiversity means and has written a series of books. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaK8b87myKg

Herb of the month

Chamomile is one of the most ancient plants in modern use dating back over 3,000 years as a medicinal plant.

Two of the most common varieties are English (or Roman chamomile) which is a low-growing plant that you'll often see growing between cracks in pavements and gardens for ground cover. And the German Chamomile variety with an upright growth habit producing small, white flowers during the summer. Either can be used .

Although associated with sleep people do not realise that Chamomile is also really good for stress relief as it depresses the central nervous system. It also reduces inflammation and has been found to reduce IBS flare ups and reduce pain .

Magically Chamomile is known as an herb of purification and protection, it can be planted around your home . It is said that gamblers wash their hands in chamomile tea to bring good luck. In some cultures it is uses as a hair garland to attract a love or just carried to bring good fortune.

Subscriber Offer

This edition I am giving away this Ostara Living Magically Box to a lucky subscriber who will be picked at random on 1st March. I am trying to create a reader community outside of social media. As a subscriber your details will never be shared with outside parties and you will just receive one email a month to let you know that the latest edition of Living Magically is available to view.

Decluttering

With decluttering as a theme for March it is worth noting that decluttering can actually have a positive impact on mental health. Try taking a step back and looking at your surroundings objectively, we tend to become blind to our surroundings and just because we don’t notice our clutter and mess it can still subconsciously occupy a lot of our head space.

TV Lifestyle programmes depict the transformative effects of a major declutter but realistically most of us don't have the time or energy to reorganise and rationalise our belongs on such a spectacular scale. So as a self-confessed messy person I have found the following tips useful:

• Decluttering a whole house is a massive undertaking so approach it bit-by-bit and start small, with just a drawer or a shelf for example.

• It’s an ongoing process , some people find it useful to allocate daily decluttering time, it could be as little as five minutes but it’s surprising what you can achieve.

• Create a simple plan and stick to it to avoid distraction.

• Get your unwanted stuff removed as soon as possible.

• If you are considering selling items give yourself a time frame, if they haven’t sold in a week donate them.

• Only shop for storage to organise what you use and what you really want to keep. (Storage is a hoarder’s best friend)

• When deciding what you can part with employ the Marie Kondo method and ask yourself if the item in question Sparks Joy.

• Kitchen Appliances take up a lot of space so either commit to actually using them or move them on.

• Keep Kitchen surfaces tidy, ensure there’s a home for everything so nothing gets left on the side.

Remember to take Before and After Photos so you can appreciate your handy work, it’s easy to forget how it looked before and this is great motivation to keep going. 😊 In future adopt a One in - one out approach – so if you make a new purchase make sure you remove something.

March - Cupboard Top (Altar Magic )

As you will have read previously, I don’t enjoy the term altar but I think there is genuine joy to be found in creating/ enhancing your own scared space to reflect your magical self.

To mark the coming of spring I am using yellow as this colour is associated with growth, daffodils and tulips to mark the coming of spring and hares that are associated with fertility and new beginnings.

March Crystal Picks – Rainbow Moonstone

One crystal that I am always drawn back to is Rainbow Moonstone. I have a number in my collection. The one pictured here is my favourite.

This stone is also said to be particularly beneficial if you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed because it carries a sense of peace and tranquillity.

The colours found within Rainbow Moonstone result from the presence of titanium or iron oxides and it is believed that because it contains all of the colours of the rainbow it can bring together disparate feelings more effectively than other stones.

I have personally found that this stone is good for calming and it can also be helpful with menopause symptoms.

Mindfulness

In our modern, busy lives, we constantly multi task and its easy to lose awareness of the present moment, we have become human “doings” as opposed to human beings.

It is hard to avoid references to Meditation and Mindfulness in the current age as people are looking for inner peace in what is becoming an increasingly stressful and frantic world.

Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to, and seeing clearly whatever is happening in our lives. It helps us recognise and step away from habitual, often unconscious emotional and physiological reactions to everyday events.

Mindfulness recognises two basic modes of mind: "Doing Mode" and "Being Mode."

Doing Mode is where most of us spend a lot of our time. Doing Mode is focused on achievement and outcome and is result oriented.

Being Mode is not concerned with the ultimate goal or outcome. Being Mode is all about the process, not the result. When you’re in being mode, you’re mindful of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. You’re not thinking about the past or future.

The being mode of mind is what mindfulness endeavours to cultivate find , follow this link for exercises you can try.

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/drugs-and-treatments/mindfulness/mindfulness-exercises-tips/#MindfulnessExercisesToTry

The Last Word - The Joy of Neurodiversity

The neurodiversity movement brings a massive message of hope to anyone who struggles in life , has struggled , feels anxious a lot of the time and doesn’t entirely understand why.

On a personal level I have spent years berating, searching and trying to fix myself , frustrated by my anxiety, my poor coordination and clumsiness, my propensity to zone out and shut down , my extensive and varied special interests, the amount of time I spend in bed, my inability to read maps and tie up shoes together with all the various unhealthy coping mechanisms I have adopted to get through it all.

In a world where we are conditioned to compare ourselves with others and are made to feel like we need to be fixed, the neurodiversity movement is a breath of fresh air because neurodiversity refers to a world where neurological differences are accepted and respected.

A formal diagnosis isn’t the point here and this isn’t about attaching labels, neurodiversity is about recognising and celebrating those who just happen to think and process differently.

So if you are someone who ; finds travelling stressful, finds driving to new places triggering, finds change difficult, feels overwhelmed a lot of the time, only likes a particular type of sock, gets freaked out by supermarket lighting, still sleeps with a toy, has certain rituals, prefers to separate food into component parts on the plate, freezes at social functions, gets obsessed with things, has a compulsion to touch shiny surfaces, has obscure interests that other people find weird, gets pleasure from alphabetising herbs and spices, enjoys moving furniture on a regular basis, likes lining up tins in the cupboard – whatever it might be – check out the neurodiversity community and declare yourself because you are f**king awesome just as you are !!!

Blessed Be- Lou x