January 2017 Column - starting the year with a bang!

I'm on a spiritual journey, it's the only way I can make sense of life.  Often its hum-drum, and  we long for some excitement to pepper the monotony. Sometimes life seems to go swimmingly and then all of sudden things happen which don't make any sense whatsoever.  It's difficult to put things into perspective, particularly in relation to your own situation.  It's worth remembering that every man/woman, however wonderful their life may seem on the surface, has their own private challenges.  Time out, even five minutes for yourself can just be a wonderful calming tonic which is why I am drawn to Wicca. Put simply Wicca is a way of life whereby its followers embrace the simple power of nature, whether it be a stunning sunset or a dramatic storm.  It's about learning to just simply 'be' in natures presence and really grasp the moment, without allowing all our thoughts to scattergun into our heads and destroy the pleasure of the experience.  I believe there is real magic to be found in the beauty of the natural world, and harnessed correctly with a true pure intent these natural powers can be used to magically enhance our lives.  Sometimes it takes a leap of faith, and every journey begins with one step, so let's go!

January is a time when we often feel flat as a pancake.  The celebrations of Christmas are over, (maybe that's a good thing!), we have over indulged over the festive season and all we have to look forward to in the short term are bills, dark mornings, dark afternoons, rain, snow and a long long wait until spring.  In fact Spring is really not that far away.  In Wicca we have 8 sabbats or festivals that we celebrate, they are all linked to the natural world, and the first one Imbolc which is the 'beginning' of spring is celebrated on February 1/2.  We will look at that in more detail next month.

New year resolutions are also something that we sometimes write with gusto and then very quickly lose interest in.  How can we make January a more positive experience?

Make A Resolution Star

Cut out the shape of a pentagram (5 pronged star ) on some card of your colour choice, use a colour you love that makes you feel positive.  On this star write 5 things you want to achieve this year, keep them concise and simple otherwise the universe will get confused. E.g. Don't just put 'I want to lose weight' as the universe might interpret this as giving you an illness which makes you lose weight , so rather more write something along the lines of 'I want to eat more healthily so I can lose excess weight' as this is a clearer message.  Make sure at least one of the things you want to achieve is something which has a positive effect on someone else as in the laws of magic all selfless actions bring more positivity into your own life and all negative actions will likewise come back on you threefold.  Put your star away and in 5 months time have a look and see how well you are doing.

Crystal of the Month- Chiastolite

This is a beautiful brownie coloured crystal with black markings on it, usually in the sign of the  cross.  It's a brilliant stone for helping you to face the future with courage and hope.  So if you have challenges facing you this year make sure you have this stone with you.  When you get new crystals always wash them first in running water to wash away the residual energy on them, you can also 're charge' their batteries by sitting them in a full moon's rays.  Just place them on a window sill where the moons rays will shine upon them.  Then you are ready to use your stone: sit quietly and hold it giving the stone your worries and anxieties and its power will help you to gain strength and courage in facing your future with positivity.

Archangel Michael Card

This set of Angel cards by Doreen Virtue are beautiful positive Angel cards that can really help guide you with difficult decisions, or give you simple food for thought for when you require it. I have chosen a card randomly for January for you which is  'Admit The Truth To Yourself and Act Accordingly'.  This suggests that  there is an important feeling that you've been trying to ignore. It might be an unhealthy situation or relationship that you need to deal with, or a hunch about a person.  Trust your instinct and dig deep to be honest with yourself as facing the truth will be ultimately healing for you. Archangel Michael reassures you that he is guiding you and making sure that your needs are met and your relationships stay healthy.  

Moody Moon: Don't be surprised if your moods change according to the moon cycles.  The moon affects the tides and likewise we are made of 90% water, so we will also be affected.  The full moon in January is on the 12th, this will be a day when things come to a head , it's in Cancer so expect to feel particularly emotional around this time.  It might be a good idea to snuggle up amongst your home comforts and enjoy having close family or friends around you.  Start new projects on the 28th January, the day of the New moon.  Make your wishes on 4th January as after midnight this will be a great time to see shooting stars as there is set to be a Meteor shower.

Eat: Beetroot, brussel sprouts, leeks parsnips, sweet potatoes. These are all in season!

Play: Go for a wintery walk in a wood and look out for early snowdrops

Love: yourself warts and all. You are unique, no one else has your combination of genes so celebrate your strengths and accept your weaknesses.