Summer is coming…

Here is the newsletter for June.

June2015stonenews

There are new “In-spiral-ation” Bracelets and Earrings being added each week so click the link at the top of the home page to view them. The latest ones featured Lapis, Rose Quartz, Garnet, Tiger Eye, Angelite, Mookaite, Serpentine, Iolite, Rhodonite, and Chrysocolla stones.

The Rock Star of the month for June is Tiger Eye.

Tiger Eye is a type of Quartz. It is found in South Africa and India mainly. Colours range from golden brown to red.

A variation of Tiger Eye called Hawk’s Eye is blue. Tiger Eye is easily identifiable by its shiny silky coat and chatoyance that gives it the shimmering appearance of the slant of a cat eye. It is said to promote insight and clarity of vision.

Very much an earth stone, Tiger Eye is grounding and protective. Use Tiger Eye to aid in concentration and focus. It can help those with Attention Deficits. It also protects during travel and promotes night vision. I used to carry a Tiger Eye stone in my car when I commuted out of town for work.

It is also a warming stone and as such is healing for those with asthma or bronchitis. It is best worn as a chest length pendant for this purpose or taped to the skin. Tiger Eye, with its golden tones also supports personal power via the solar plexus. It attracts prosperity and like Citrine can be kept in the cash box. In Feng Shui Tiger Eye is used to increase calm and patience. It is especially useful to place in children’s rooms.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Disclaimer: The associated legends, lore and metaphysical properties said to be attributed to gemstones and minerals are not meant to be a substitute for proper medical treatment by qualified practitioners.

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We will be at the Hope in the Streets night market this Friday, June 12 from 4 to 11 pm. Check it out.

May2015stonenews

In honour of the birth of the new royal Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana this edition is focused on the jewelry of the British Royal family.

Clach-na-Cinneamhain

The Stone of Scone

“Unless the fates be faulty grown
And prophet’s voice be vain
Where’er is found this sacred stone
The Scottish race shall reign”

The Stone of Destiny was the stone upon which all Scottish monarchs were crowned between 480 and 1292 AD. It is also one of the quintessential symbols of Scottish sovereignty. Legend has it that the 150 kg sandstone was originally the stone pillow upon which the Judean prophet Jacob dreamt of the ladder of angels. It is said to have made its way through Egypt, Spain and onto the British Isles. Some say it was taken from Tara, the seat of Kings, in Ireland where it was known as Lia Fail. The Irish maintain that their Lia Fial is still at Tara. Edward I of England had a coronation chair specially built over the Stone of Scone so that all future British Monarchs would then symbolically also rule the Scots. Our current queen is the last to be crowned upon it. On Christmas Day 1950, four University Of Glasgow students removed the Stone of Destiny from Westminster Abbey. It was eventually retrieved. In November 1996, the stone was officially returned to Edinburgh- finally honoring a 1328 peace treaty. There are some, however, who believe that monks hid the true Stone of Destiny under Dunsinane Hill or the River Tay and that Edward I was foiled in his attempt to use their own sacred stone against the Scots.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Disclaimer: The associated legends, lore and metaphysical properties said to be attributed to gemstones and minerals are not meant to be a substitute for proper medical treatment by qualified practitioners.

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Enjoy the spring energies. I am inspired by spirals right now. Spirals evoke the energy of change.

Click below to read the whole newsletter.

April2015stonenews

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Disclaimer: The associated legends, lore and metaphysical properties said to be attributed to gemstones and minerals are not meant to be a substitute for proper medical treatment by qualified practitioners. Crystal therapy, like all vibrational medicine, is complementary self-care used in conjunction with medical therapies.

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Change your Thoughts…Change your Life

There is an entire chapter devoted to resistance to change in You can Heal your Life by Louise Hay and another on how to change.

Change is really the stuff of living in all cultures. Babies grow, children develop, adults age and we all learn, adapt, or adjust along the way. The I Ching is the Chinese Taoist text that means the book of changes. It has been around for centuries. A great book on the adult stages of development is Passages by Gail Sheehy. We all have resistance to changes some of the time. Transitions mean loss and loss is painful. Even losing something that no longer serves us well means the loss of the familiar and, so, comfort zones (even the unhealthy kind) get eroded, which feels like a violation. Nobody wants to feel violated or disempowered. That is a normal initial reaction. It becomes problematic when it persists and interferes with natural evolution. While we might not be able to entirely control the changes, we can control our own thinking about what is in transition. Thoughts, even thoughts about resisting change, can be changed. Some thoughts may change quickly while older ones may take longer to change. From a brain perspective, the more we think a thought, the more we reinforce a neuropathway in our circuitry. It becomes entrenched, but recent discoveries in the field of neuroplasticity show that even hardened pathways in the brain can be rewired. Hope!

“The webs we create around ourselves need to be unwound. If you have ever untangled a ball of string, you know that yanking and pulling only makes it worse. You need to very gently and patiently unravel the knots. Be gentle and patient with yourself as you untangle your own mental knots. Get help if you need it. Above all, love yourself in the process. The willingness to let go of the old is the key. That is the secret.”

Louise Hay

Coaching Questions:

• What knots do you have to unravel?
• Do you feel lost? Do you ask for directions? Do you follow directions?
• What do you do to find your way home or back to centre?
• How open are you to change?
• In your own life journey right now are you home, on route or coming back? How long have you been there?
• What do you want to change in your life? What actually needs to change?
• What is stopping you from changing?
• Time to hit the road? Take a road trip or plan a pilgrimage.

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April 11th, 2015 I will have a table at the Hope House Spring Fling market place. See the attached brochure for information on the workshops and other vendors.

springfling2015brochure

http://www.springflingevent.ca

The Clover Flower and the Shamrock

Click here for the full newsletter  March2015stonenews

The actual clover flower is often forgotten while the trefoil leaf has become an iconic symbol.

Clover is edible and very high in protein, as it happens. Clover is prosperity and promises abundance. That is why it is linked to the proverbial pot of the gold. Finding a four leaf clover could lead to the second sight and an ability to see the fairies, who are masters of instant manifestation. “Seanrog” was the Celtic word for little clover. It became the shamrock.

The number three, as we know from fairy tales, is magical. For the Celts, the three key elements of their natural environment were earth, sky and sea. Clover grew abundantly and was forage for cattle. It was well known to the people and valued by them. It was an easy visual metaphor for St Patrick to adapt to preach about the Holy Trinity to earthy folk.

Practice makes Perfect

Do you see the shamrock leaf or do you see the clover flower? Where we put our attention is where we put our intention. Do we have to see what everyone else wants to see all of the time? What if, some of the time, we respectfully choose to not see through the eyes of group consciousness? Do we dare?

This month practice looking around your familiar surroundings to see what you never noticed before in people, objects, behaviours or even feelings. Just notice. Observe. You do not have to do anything. Resist the urge to fix. Just let it be and drink in the new insight.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Disclaimer: The associated legends, lore and metaphysical properties said to be attributed to gemstones and minerals are not meant to be a substitute for proper medical treatment by qualified practitioners. Crystal therapy, like all vibrational medicine, is complementary self-care used in conjunction with medical therapies.

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This is a month for hearts. Family Day is next weekend, as is Valentine’s Day.Find time to centre yourself into your own heart this month.

Click here to read the full newsletter Feb2015stonenews

Here is a guided meditation for opening the flower of the heart in this month’s newsletter.

Find a place where you will not be disturbed. Sometimes, in the midst of a busy day, a few extra moments in the bathroom are all we can get for a bit of peace. So be it. Any port in a storm will do

Make yourself comfortable. It is best to sit and not lie down or you might fall asleep instead. Loosen tight clothing. If you are so inclined, put on quiet music or light a candle. (The latter is not advised if you are in a public bathroom. A fire alarm set off by your candle might be counterproductive to the intended meditation mood.)

Take a deep breath. Good. Now, do another. Feel your lungs really fill up and watch your stomach rise. Inhale deeply. Exhale fully. Do this for a few minutes. The simple act of breathing is enough to break state. It resets the parasympathetic nervous system and reduces anxiety. Breathe again. You will start to feel more and more relaxed. Close your eyes, if you haven’t already. Your body feels heavier as you sink deeper and deeper into relaxation. Keep breathing. Bring your attention to the centre of your chest. Imagine a flower growing there. It can be any kind of flower at all.  Feel it tight as a bud. Breathe. With each breath imagine the flower opening up a little more. Keep breathing. Good. Imagine your entire being inhaling in the perfume of the flower. Breathe in the beauty. Breathe out any tension, sadness or discomfort. Breathing is good. When the flower is fully open, bring your awareness to your feet. Imagine its deep roots connecting the soles of your feet to Mother Earth. Open your eyes. You are grounded now and can return to your day. Anytime you begin to feel your inner peace wilt, breathe in the heart flower.

Coaching Questions

We attract love of all kinds when we are in love.

• Do you love yourself? Are you really, truly, deeply in love with yourself or do you just put up with yourself?
• What do you do to romance yourself? Do you ever treat yourself to beautiful music or wear luxurious fabric or write in a gorgeous journal or stop to fully drink in a breathtaking view?
• When you look in the mirror do you speak loving thoughts to yourself or do you criticize yourself for weight gain or look for wrinkles and berate yourself for the naturally occurring human developmental condition of aging?
• Do you feed yourself lovingly? Do you choose healing meals and prepare your food with love and patience or is it done out of anger in an impatient rush?

Practice makes perfect!

Upon rising in the morning, look in the mirror. Do it pre-makeup in all your scruffy, sleepy, morning glory. Tell yourself that you love you. Say it lovingly, like you would to a cherished child. You are saying it, after all, to your own inner child. She deserves a great send off today.

Repeat it several times using your own name. Your name is the single most important word in your vocabulary. Your subconscious is primed to pay attention when you hear your name. Salespeople know this. Why not use it to sell love to yourself instead?

At first, it will seem hokey and uncomfortable, but stick with it and it will become habit. Habits are hard to break. Slowly, the jagged edges around your self-image crumble, loving thoughts are polished and your heart softens.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Disclaimer: The associated legends, lore and metaphysical properties said to be attributed to gemstones and minerals are not meant to be a substitute for proper medical treatment by qualified practitioners. Crystal therapy, like all vibrational medicine, is complementary self-care used in conjunction with medical therapies.

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We are truly in the throws of winter here in Ontario now. January is always a bit of a nonevent after the new year arrives which is as it should be. Winter is a quieter time for reflection, to go within and be introspective. This January has certainly been a change of pace for me. As we start to dream of the promise of spring with the ritual of the marmot in February, let’s not get too ahead of ourselves in anticipation. Spring will come in due course. Anticipation can be exciting when awaiting an experience that delights. However, sometimes we get stuck in the muck of misery while we await the event. That is not a resourceful state to be in. Joy resides in the present moment, not the future. We are gifted with the opportunity to make a loving choice each and every moment, We can choose to wallow over extended winter weather or we can choose to use it to really stop, listen and learn a bit about our selves, our relationships, out community or our world.

Click here to read the full newsletter

Jan2015stonenews

I hope this newsletter finds you well and reflective in the quiet of these winterland days.

Me to We

(I have Rafiki bracelets to sell if you drop by my stall at any market I am at or contact me by email or phone.)

http://shop.metowe.com/us/we-are-rafikis-fundraising-kit

Karmic consumerism need not become massive second mortgage time investments. Little things can have a positive impact. More importantly, the energy behind the decision to purchase ethically has a greater impact. If we do it out of compassion, it is loved based energy. If we do it out of resentment or guilt, it is fear based. Recently, I was about to buy a birthday card for a friend. The cards were next to some Rafiki friendship bracelets in the shop. She currently has a baby in the hospital, so I opted to purchase the health bracelet which pays forward medical costs for a year for a child in a third world country. Yeah, it costs me a few more loonies than a card would have, but for a mere ten bucks it was a symbolic act of solidarity for my friend and a way to spread the hope of good health to others in need. I have taken to having morning tea at the McCafe after I drop everyone off to school/work (free Wi-Fi to boot). Since my friend’s family have been so generously fed and housed by Ronald McDonald House while the baby is in Sick Kids, I do not hesitate now to throw the spare change into the Ronald McDonald bucket.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Disclaimer: The associated legends, lore and metaphysical properties said to be attributed to gemstones and minerals are not meant to be a substitute for proper medical treatment by qualified practitioners. Crystal therapy, like all vibrational medicine, is complementary self-care used in conjunction with medical therapies.

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Nov14SacredStoneNews

I hope to see some of you at the old fashioned Christmas Market this weekend.

http://www.guelphchristmasmarket.com/

guelph_christmas_market_2014