Zen Space: The Office

Everyone needs a space they can go to meditate and perform other magical workings, but everyone also needs a harmonious space to work on day to day matters. Whether you work from home or have a job elsewhere, if you have a desk, you can make it more peaceful and productive. I redo mine once a year to start fresh. 

For me, this happens in December because one of the things I do is teach English online at a local Community College. The semester ends in December, so this is the perfect time to recreate my Zen space. This is when I do the fall cleaning and rededication of the office space to prepare for the coming of the spring as we begin the journey back to spring and growth.

My little u-shaped office area is my Zen space for work. The jewelry table sits next to the windows, on one side, with a table for paperwork or drawing on the other. Between the two tables at the end, sits the computer. Everything I need, to do almost anything I do, is in this space. I spend more time here than anywhere else in the house, so it's crucial to me that the space feel good and I feel good in it. 

What I don’t know, is how on earth the desks/tables get piled so high with “stuff.” I keep trying to move to a paperless office, but the mail seems determined to bury us all in papers, and somehow, all electronic devices, cords, plugs, chargers, etc. seem to land on my desk. To be fair, most of it is my "stuff," but it builds up to such a point that I feel like I’m drowning. At this point, usually about once a year, it's time for a fresh start.

Whether you have a home office, or an 'office' office or any other kind of space you can make your own, the more personalized and personally charged the space is for you, the more productive you will be in it. Plan your space as much as you can within your space. If possible, you might even want to sketch it out if that helps you visualize what you want.

For me, the hardest part of going through this process each year is sitting down and sorting the mail. However, other than having the space completely ready, it’s the one that makes me feel most accomplished. Next is finding a place for all those little bits and pieces, generally related to technology, that build up on the desk. Finally, decisions about exactly which books must remain on the desk and which can go to the shelf take place. This must happen in steps, or it doesn’t happen.

Once this all happens, I smudge the whole room, especially the desk area, and set up my stones. Part of what I include in my design for the space is the placement of specific stones and desk materials to enhance productivity and creativity. Since the jewelry table takes up one side, you might think I have plenty of stones around me, but jewelry stones, even though cleansed and charged, are not a part of the permanent energy of the space, so I use a few special stones that help energize me and boost creativity and productivity.

My first choice in stones usually includes Malachite, Citrine, and Tiger’s Eye for confidence and balancing the solar plexus chakra. The solar plexus chakra is the energy center of the body, so I want it strong and balanced. We get so caught up in our day to day lives sometimes we neglect ourselves and our need to balance our energy. These stones boost the energy in the area to make maintaining this balance easier.

Next time we’ll talk about the rest of the stones I use and how I finish out the space.  Maybe it will give you some ideas for your space. If you have ideas on Zen spaces you'd like to share, please leave us a comment, or send us a message.

The Wheel Turns

The wheel of the year turns, and soon it will be Yule when the days begin to get longer, and the nights shorter. The sun is reborn and soon the earth will follow. We’re usually more than a little busy during the period between Thanksgiving and Yule.

Since people often celebrate both Christmas and Yule, or maybe Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, for any number of reasons, including personal preference, that’s at least double the work than if you only celebrate one. People also often have more than one Yule celebration and one or more Christmas celebration. The gifts and food alone involved in that can be stressful. We have two Yule celebrations and two Christmas, so we’ll be among those super busy this season. It's good to take a little time out when you can, however, to feel the rhythm of the earth as it turns toward the reawakening of life in the spring.

What I like best about this time of year is the sense of anticipation you can feel in the air. This is not just the anticipation of kids for Santa. It’s more than that. Personally, I feel more deeply in tune with the earth and the turning of the wheel. The final harvest is in, we’ve celebrated, and we’ve thanked the gods for the bounty of the year. This spirit of gratitude makes us want to share with others at this time of year more than at other times too, so we share food and give gifts.

All of this is just a lead up to the big event though, solstice. At Yule, the cycle begins anew and the sun returns. One way to prepare for Yule is by doing a fall cleaning and clearing out the things you don’t need, things you don’t need to carry with you into the new dawn as the sun returns to the earth. 

That’s one of my projects for this year. I tend to collect “things,” so I have to go through periodically and clear it out. I recently started on the closest and gave away several bags of clothes. Do you have any of those, “Oh I might wear that again” clothes? I do, or I should say I did.

This type of cleaning out can help you let go of the things that hold you back. See if you can find those self-sabotaging voices, if you have them, and most of us do, and toss them out along with each thing you throw away. I try to do this once a year, and some years there’s less to throw out than others. The less physical clutter you have, the less spiritual clutter you will have.

Once I’ve gotten rid of everything, I feel like I’m making a new start on accomplishing what I want for the year. This is also one of those times when I open up the house, if I can, to bring in positive natural vibes. Trees surround my house, so on a nice winter day, I just let nature sweep the house. I know I’ve mentioned that before, but the days when that’s possible are too few.

How do you celebrate the solstice? Tell us by commenting on the blog, on Facebook, or through our contact page, and let us know what you’re doing for Yule, or Christmas, or Hanukkah, or whatever holiday you celebrate. We’d love to hear from you!

Reflection and Being Thankful

In the spirit of starting the Yule season off on the right foot, I like to reflect on the past year and the things I’m thankful for not only from this past year but also always. Personally, I am most thankful for my family and friends. I hope most people feel that way, but I know that is not always the case. Not everyone has family, or friends who are as close as family, but if you do, don't forget to show them how much you appreciate them. 

I confess that I’m as bad as everyone else, and sometimes it takes the reflection and meditation of the beginning of the year and leading to Yule, and of course, the traditional Thanksgiving holiday, to remind me how blessed I am. However, that’s one of the things that we should all think about more often, not just how thankful we are for our family and friends, although that is huge, but how thankful we are for all the wonderful things in our lives.

I have a wonderful family, and a great group of friends that have been my extended family for over 30 years, some for most of my life. I’m not sure you can really ‘be’ thankful enough for that, simply because, without it, I don’t know how we’d function. In the words of John Lennon, “I get by with a little help from my friends,” and I think that’s true of all of us.

Family is wonderful, sometimes, and having a good relationship with your family is something to always value, but not everyone has that luxury. There are many reasons that we may or may not be close to family, not all of them necessarily bad; they just are, and our relationship with family may change over the years. Personally, I am closer to my family now than I was for many years, and I love them dearly. However, during those years when I wasn’t as close to my family as I am now, I became part of an extended family that I wouldn’t trade for the world.

I wouldn’t begin to know how to thank these people for what they have meant to me through the years, and I can’t imagine spending the past 30 years without them. We have partied together, cried together, been present for childbirth and graduations, anniversaries and holidays. We have bonded over parents who are aging and children who are growing up much too fast. Many of my friends are creative types, musicians, writers, artists, photographers, and chefs, and let me just say my college graduation parties were pretty epic, but that’s beside the point. What isn’t beside the point is that most of us have people like this in our lives, and we should find ways to let them know how much we appreciate them.

Most years I try to show my appreciation for my friends and family by having a Yule celebration dinner at my house each year. I fix dinner and share the feast with all those who have been there and been my family and extended family for all these years. This year, someone else is hosting, but seeing everyone all at one time is always a wonderful time. Other than the fact that we party considerably less now than we did then, nothing has changed.

This might not be possible for everyone, it wasn't for me this year, but I do want to advocate finding some way to say thanks to those who have kept you sane over the years, and we all know we have them. We also know we probably wouldn’t have made it this far without them, if for no other reason than that they’ve given us an outlet for those quirks that we couldn’t share with anyone else.

"A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself."
Jim Morrison

On another note, this time of year, I think it’s also important to make sure to give back to your community as well. It’s so easy to pick up a toy for a kid or a warm coat. Some groups have people who will come get them. We all have rough times and sometimes that one gift can make a huge difference for someone who is not as blessed. 

Celebrating Samhain

Samhain, finally!! I don’t know about you, but this is my favorite holiday. Day of the Dead Celebrations, Halloween costumes and parties, and the feel in the air make me happy. I have a sugar skull clock hanging on my wall. Ritual was last night, and we didn’t make it, but we’ll have a small celebration here to honor those who have passed and letting go of the past, so we can welcome the New Year.

Samhain, or summers end, originated with the ancient Celtic celebration of the end of the “light” part of the year represented by the harvest, and the beginning of the dark portion of the year as daylight hours become shorter and the weather grows colder. It’s one of only two times a year, people extinguished hearth fires and relit them the next day to celebrate the new beginning. This happens at Beltane and Samhain, and at no other time. Celebrations start at sundown on October 31 and continue through the day on November 1.

At Samhain, the veil between this world and the spirit world is thinnest, and departed spirits can return to mingle with the living. Samhain celebrations take many forms. People often clean house to clear the way for the coming year. It is also a time for reflection on the past year and on goals for the future. Samhain is one of the best times of the year for divination and looking to the future.

Just as the ancients inventoried their stock and the last of the harvest, it is time for us to take stock of our accomplishments and goals, our beliefs and rituals. What is working for you? What is not working for you? What changes can you make, and keep, that will make your beliefs, rituals, and life work better for you?

I’m not talking about making “New Year’s” type resolutions. We all know how well those usually work.  What I’m talking about is more subtle.  Review your grimoire or book of shadows, or start a new one.  Revisit the teachings you have been living by, and look at new teachings and ideas. Expand your outlook.  Are there other ideas that would fit with your belief system? If your focus has been on stones, read about herbs.  If you’ve been studying the tarot, learn something about runes.

Every skill and idea we add to our knowledge becomes a part of our philosophy. This gives us a much larger spiritual harvest to carry us through the winter months. Just as the ancients harvested crops and herds to feed themselves through the winter months, so can we seek a spiritual harvest of knowledge to feed our souls. We can approach this from many directions; personally, I prefer to spend time in study, meditation, and ritual, and truthfully, I make the decision based on how my heart leads me at the time.

Sometimes, I will spend an entire evening reading and explore new ideas to find out what I want to study over the winter. I think this year, I'm going to read Temple of Shamanic Witchcraft by Christopher Penczack, Celtic Mythology by Ward Rutherford, and Handfasting & Wedding Rituals by Kaldera/ Schwartzstein. It doesn’t really matter what path or paths you explore, as long as you expand your knowledge and look for something new to learn.

Other times, I will conduct a divination ritual or, depending on the position of the moon, a moon ritual outdoors. For divination, I know I’ve mentioned that I use the Motherpeace Tarot deck because I like the more feminine and peaceful images, but whether you use a tarot deck, angel cards, spell cards, or runes, any divination ritual will let you look within yourself. Then you can reassess what has passed, what is to come, and how you can manifest in your life the things you want and need. Only then can you start to create what you want for the future.

Strength

Sometimes when I sit down to write a blog, I get Aeslin to draw a card to give me inspiration. She uses the Magickal Spell Cards by Lucy Cavendish, so that gives me something extra to draw on.  I use the Motherpeace deck personally, so sometimes it's nice to get a little extra perspective on a concept. This week the card is Strength.

The Strength card represents strength, determination, power, and a higher level of consciousness. This card also represents responsibility and compassion. Just as the woman in the picture on the card offers patience and compassion to the lion in order to tame him, we offer patience and compassion to others to develop our energies around this card.

If you're like me, that's easier said than done. Sometimes I find it more difficult than at others to exercise that patience and compassion toward other people. This usually happens to me when I forget to take into consideration that the other person almost certainly doesn’t think the same way I do. Nor do they have the same values. I am constantly amazed at the varied approaches people take to situations, and to life in general. One of the hardest things in the world to do is to watch someone make a mistake, especially someone you care about.

Part of having patience and compassion is having the ability to let others have their own space, strengths, and weaknesses, and to realize that you can’t impose your expectations on other people. If you don’t base those expectations on what the person is capable of doing, you’re sure to be disappointed. Part of gaining the Strength of the Tarot is acceptance of people as they are. With this acceptance, you can gently influence others rather than criticizing them.

As an example, I tend to work a lot, simply because I love what I do. I love writing and research and working on the store. I love finding new merchandise and information that we can share with you, so that’s what I’m doing most of the time. However, sometimes I have to remind myself that it’s okay that not everyone is that focused on something. Actually, it’s most definitely a good thing. Most of us have this tendency, so that's an area where our control of our reactions and our treatment of others comes into play. 

The lion in the picture, on most decks, represents the animalistic nature that we must overcome at times. We all have baggage, and at times, all the stuff, we have sublimated, comes out. Anyone who tells you different is lying. Many times the way this comes out is simply in intolerance and impatience. We base our reactions to what happens to us on experiences we’ve had in the past, and the strength of the tarot is the strength that allows us to overcome our baggage, and allow others their own path, even if you’re convinced you know better. I usually am, but you can only master your own feelings and actions. Knowing and allowing that is part of the strength seen in the card.   

Strength also relates to responsibility for yourself and your world. Learning to work properly with that passionate, instinctual core inside all of us, gives us the strength to create our world as we wish. We all put on masks at some point, maybe when we go to work, or when we’re with certain people, we feel the need to hide our true selves. When we can appropriately control and work with both sides of our nature, we gain the ability to create our world as we wish while being truly ourselves. This is truly a gift.

Fall

It actually felt like fall for the first time this year. I live in Texas, so it will warm up again, but it’s here! I love most seasons except summer, so I’m relieved that part of the year is over. Like most pagans, I’m also looking forward to Samhain, and while I don’t know about anyone else, I’m looking forward to winter. That said, I’ll admit we don’t get much snow, or really have what most people would call a winter, but I like it because it’s just cold enough that you feel like getting out and doing things, but not so bad you can’t go anywhere.

Along with fall comes Samhain, which is my favorite holiday. The veil thins and magical energy intensifies. You can feel the extra energy in the air, and everything seems a little sharper and clearer. I generally use the time between Mabon and Samhain to prepare for Samhain. I reflect back on the past year and determine what I want to let go of, and what I want to begin or change in the New Year.

If you keep a journal, all you have to do is look back over the past year to see what you want to let go of to close out the old year and prepare for the new one. If you don’t have a journal, spend some time in reflection to see what has served you and what hasn’t over the past year. Sometimes it’s easy because you had a bad relationship, or you have lost a friend or family member, and sometimes, that makes it that much harder to let go. I have seen it take years for someone to be ready to let go of the grief and pain and move on.

Sometimes it’s much harder to find those things that no longer serve you, so you will need to meditate, journal, sit outside in nature, or even just sleep on it to find the things you want to leave behind. The end of the year at Samhain takes us into the New Year and the fall holiday season, and you always want to start the New Year on a positive note. It will give you a head start to carry that positivity into the New Year.

In my case, I’m usually letting go of bad habits, but I don’t approach it like a New Year’s resolution. I try to incorporate keeping those habits out of my life when I set my intentions for the New Year. Taking a different approach to something than you have in the past can be all it takes to achieve your dreams. You create your own universe through your thoughts and actions. What will you become next year?

Our spell this week was about cleansing and charging your tools, and that is one excellent way to prepare to cut ties with the old year. However, whether you do that, spend time looking back over the past year, or decorate your space, you want to get rid of the old and set intentions for the new. What do you want to accomplish in the New Year? Let us know in the comments.

Ladybug Luck

I have a ladybug living on my desk.  I’m happy about this, of course, because ladybugs bring good luck. This belief may originate from their propensity to devour aphids and other bugs that harm plants.  Farmers love them, and who can blame them. For my money, that ladybug can eat all the other bugs he or she wants.

The ladybug made me think about the concept of luck. Some believe it is fated and nothing you do can affect how much good or bad luck you have. Others believe the amount of good luck you have is directly proportionate to how much work you do. If you’re like most people, you’re somewhere in the middle. We can influence the amount of luck we have, not only through our actions but also through our manipulation of energy through spells and connecting with the universal source, the divine.

The equinox reminds me how hard it is to maintain the balance required between our actions and our spirituality. It’s incredibly easy to become involved in the day to day of everyday life and fail to match our actions to our beliefs, and vice versa. This results in loss of contact with our spiritual selves, and we have to work that much harder to reconnect.

Friday's free spell this week was a spell for balance and harmony, which we need in order to create the reality we want. Obviously, we can’t work with the universe to create a new reality, if we aren’t in touch with it. One of the ways I like to connect to the universe is to sit outside and just enjoy the beauty of the nature around me. I’m lucky in that I still have just enough country left around my house that if everything is growing and green, and I don’t look to the left terribly closely, I can pretend I’m still surrounded by trees. It doesn’t work as well during the winter, but it’s still close enough for me to have a way to connect, informally, with the universe on a regular basis.

Connecting with deity during ritual or at a gathering is one thing, but to accomplish your goals, you need a daily, personal relationship with the universal energy or deity. Many people, myself included also use reminders of that connection such as amulets, charms, special candles, or even just having your altar visible and set up. I also make sure to cleanse my jewelry and my beads, so that when I’m making jewelry, I can feel my connection to the elements and the all.

The things that remind you of that connection will be specific to you, and sometimes you’ll find an unexpected one just by looking at the items that are important to you. When you maintain that connection and match your actions to your intentions, you create your own reality. Maintaining the balance to maintain the connection is not easy, and some days it will be extremely difficult. The important thing is working to keep that connection alive. It feeds the creation of your desired reality.

A Spell for Luck

With Mabon fast approaching, many of us are considering how we will celebrate. As for my house, we’re having a pot roast made with homegrown potatoes, carrots, and onion.  For those of you who know me, no, I did not grow these at “my” home. My thumb is unfortunately, somewhat brown, but my roommate keeps us in herbs and tomatoes. However, no matter how good he is, we just don’t have that big a garden.  This is a feast to celebrate the harvest though, so it’s only fitting to use fresh vegetables.

One element of my preparation for Mabon is to decide what type of ritual and spell we want to do for the Equinox, and get ready for that by casting a luck spell beforehand to add energy to our ritual.

As with most spells, the caster can customize the spell to individual preference. Many people simply choose to wear a talisman or charm to add to their good luck. Others want to cast a circle, call the quarters, and use formal customs. Both types work equally well. The focus, intent, and beliefs of the caster determine the effectiveness of all spells, so if something about a spell is not working for you, change it. Your ability to put everything into your spell will determine the outcome, so you want to make it good.

Not only can you draw good luck with this spell, you can also bless and anoint a good luck talisman of some sort at the same time. You will need the following:

1 Blue candle

1 Green candle

Almond Oil

Rose oil

Peppermint oil

Bowl or cauldron (we have some adorable new ones in bright colors)

Wooden Spoon

Athame

Set up your altar with small things that represent good luck to you. As you might have guessed, many of my altarpieces are triquetras of one form or another, so that’s what I use. Collect whatever says luck to you, and place it or them on the altar along with the candles, the bowl, and the oils. If you wish to bless an item, gather it within your space. Since you’re doing a blessing as well and blessing amulets, use your athame to cast a simple circle and raise energy.

Place the bowl in the center of your altar and combine your oils, pouring one at a time. Whether you want only enough of the blend for anointing your candles, and your amulet, you will use 1 tablespoon of almond oil to 1/8 tsp. each of the rose oil and the peppermint oil. If you want to save some to wear as a perfume, use 1 ounce of almond oil to 1/8 tsp. of each of the other oils As you pour each one, say

            Bless this oil that it bring its luck to me

When the oils are all in the bowl, gently swirl them together. Use your spoon to complete the blending.

Carve what type of luck you want, love, money, business, home, into the candle. Anoint your candles with the oils. As you do so say,

            Good luck and good fortune flow to me

Light the candles.

Dip your amulet into the bowl until the charm itself is covered. As you do this say,

            Bless this sign of fortune and see

            As my will, so mote it be

Slowly release the energy and your circle. Let the candles burn for at least one hour.

Setting Intentions for the Eclipse

According to Freud, the Superego is that portion of our psyche that causes people to view themselves as not good enough, weak, lazy, pathetic, or, weak, and compels them to do things that often get in the way of making progress.

Since I’m no psychologist, I’m not going to examine the reasons people feel this way.  Suffice it to say, the reasons are as varied as the people who feel this way. What matters for our purposes is that we always continue working to overcome the negative thoughts. They’re slippery and will sneak up on you when you’re least expecting them. Personal affirmations can help you remember to stay positive.

Next, we need to make sure we are willing to accept the abundance that the universe sends us and be grateful for it. Things may not happen exactly as you planned, but you need to be willing to welcome all the abundance into your life. For many, this is a complete change in their interaction with the universe because you have to open yourself to the energies of the universe.

With the eclipse coming up, this week’s spell was a grounding for during the eclipse.  This is also an excellent time to set intentions for the coming year. Once you’ve decided what intention you want to set, you’re ready to ground and set your intention. 

I generally phrase my intentions in one of the following ways:

I am succeeding in . . . .

I welcome the . . . of the universe

The . . . of the universe flows to me.

I am . . . .

I have enough . . . .

Gather your grounding tools, and find a comfortable place to sit/lie. Grounding instructions

Once grounded, meditate for 10 to 15 minutes, or however long it takes until you feel ready deep within yourself.  When you reach that point, open yourself to the energy. Feel the energy of the universe flowing through you. Welcome it in with gratitude. 

Now you will set your intention. I’ve heard several theories on the length of time you need to hold your intention before you send it out into the universe, but I find that the longer I can hold onto that pure thought, the more easily the intention comes into being. The trick is to hold your belief without doubt or question, knowing the universe will grant what you ask.

Sometimes, the hardest part is just remaining calm and maintaining the belief that your intentions will come to fruition. You may be the most patient person in the world, but I am not. Patience is hard, and one thing that works for me is to let it go. As hard as it is for some of us, myself included, to let go and let the universe control things. The energy of trusting in the universe will help change your mindset and help you allow the universe to bring about what you want to manifest.

Setting Intentions: Journaling

In this second installment of our Setting Intentions series, we’re going to talk about some specific ways to define what you want to manifest. Then in the third, we’ll look at more ways to eliminate the negativity that keeps you from manifesting your desires.

One of the best way to figure out goals and intentions is to write them down. You almost certainly have a very good idea of what you would like to manifest in your life, and one of the best ways to follow up on your goals and intentions is to write daily about the progress you’re making. Use your journal to plan your goal, reflect on the challenges, and record your development and accomplishments. I’ve included a couple of sample pages below that I use, but each journal is a personal creation. 

When we sit down with a journal, we can reflect on what it is we really want to manifest in our lives.  Whether you structure your journal in some way like the sample pages or work freeform, journal work is one of the best ways to keep track of goals, to help us remain focused.

The energy we send out creates our reality. What we think and believe determines how we focus our attention and awareness. How we focus, then determines what we see and don’t see in any given situation. When we focus our energy on our intentions, we create the reality that reflects the energy we’re sending out.

To make sure we’re sending out the energy that will create what we want to manifest, we need to work through those questions we have about what we really want to create in our lives and how to manifest the energy we want in our lives. To work through those questions, we have to know and stay in touch with ourselves.

When you sit down and reflect on what it is you’re trying to create, you may realize your goals have changed. Many times, a long held desire loses its desirability in the light of your personal growth. You may find new desires coming to importance that you would not have considered before.  Your individuality will lead you to your goals.

Journaling, in combination with meditation, can help you find your deepest desires. Once you discover what you want, you can look at the steps you need to take to achieve your goals.  This will help you know what intentions you need to set to help you manifest what you want in your life.

These questions may help you get started:

• What matters most to you?
• What would you like to create, or nurture in your life?
• What in your life would you like to release?
• What fears would you like to release?

 www.paganrealms.com

       

Setting Intentions; First Steps

This week we’re starting the Setting Intentions series Aeslin told you about earlier.  I hope you enjoy it.  Several times lately, I’ve had people mention they’re having trouble with spells or manifestation, or that nothing seems to be happening, and they’re not sure what they’re doing wrong.

We all know that to cast any spell or manifest any change effectively, we must first set our intention, but what exactly does that mean?  While dictionary.com defines intention as, “an act or instance of determining mentally upon some action or result,” or “the end or object intended; purpose,” for our purposes, we can use the working definition,” Your intentions are what you want to manifest, or what you want to happen.”  Sounds simple enough -- right?

Well, it is simple enough, on the face of it.  However, first, of course, we have to define what we want.  This is where the first problem comes in.  For many, the problem is just in taking the time to think carefully to figure out what they want.

Others, however, think they know what they want and set their intentions, but as soon as they set the intentions, they start putting all kinds of limitations on how they want the universe to deliver their desires.  For example, if your intention is to be wealthy, but then you say “I don’t want to be consumed by money,” or “I want to lose weight,” but “I don’t want to exercise.”  Often we do this either because we don’t believe we deserve to get what we want, or we don’t believe that it’s possible to get what we want, so we state our intentions in such a way that we set ourselves up for failure by not trusting the universe to work it out.

The question then is how to fix the problem.  The easy answer is that intentions need to be sincere.  However, I think we are sincere when we set intentions.  If you’re like me, when I first began setting intentions, you’ll have to work through some of these things, and you’ll sometimes need to remind yourself that you are “worthy,” although it becomes much easier with practice. 

www.paganrealms.com

Meditation can make the difference in your ability to set intentions and see them through. Carve out some time to meditate to help focus your thoughts on the positive and on being open to the gifts of the universe.

So, how do we get rid of those limiting thought and practices?  

  

Pay attention to how many times during the day you limit yourself.  How many times a day do you feel like you’re not good enough or that you don’t believe you can do something?  To set intentions that work, you must turn those thoughts around. I’ve listed some here.

1. Count your blessings.  Be grateful for all you have. When things are bad, it’s very hard to count your blessings, but if you make yourself look for one thing you are grateful for, you’re sure to find many more, no matter how small they may be.  Work on finding more.
2. Be open to all possibilities and willing to accept them.  Open your heart to what the universe brings you.  Are you truly willing and open to transform your life when your desires manifest
3. Take action toward your goal.  Once you set your intention, act on it as though what you want is happening and act on it.  Show your commitment to your intention through your actions. 

Remember, meaningful intentions do not have as their intention to try to control others. Nor do they wish for some miraculous change. You need to be willing to start where you are and step up to the opportunity to create what you want!  A meaningful intention is sincere and promotes well-being.

What do you want to manifest?