Imbolc - Let us honor the Goddess, Brighid.

FEB 1, 2012

Imbolc is a time for celebration and ritual, but more importantly to honor Brighid, Goddess of the Hearth. Imbolc is also a time for new beginnings purification and cleansing. As long as you are taking the steps in celebration of winters end, you can't go wrong with your Imbolc celebration.

…she shall arise like a shining sun… — Lives of Saints, The Book of Lismore

CELEBRATING IMBOLC. . .

Imbolc is a great time of purification and cleansing as I previously stated. So, the first thing you will want to do is clean your house! Put away the entire holiday décor left around from yule/xmas, wipe the debris off the windows and allow the light in. As a matter of fact, let some fresh air in and open the windows if weather and temperature permits. Not trying to create a chore list, since we all have one that we already try to avoid as it is, but the cleaner and more organized your space, the more you will see the chaos that may be lingering around in your life disappear. Also this cleanse will allow a better flow of energy thru your home and energizing the hearth.

Things you will need:

-Brighid's crosses (can buy or make them, I have provided a link with instructions on
the manufacture of the Brighid's cross http://fisheaters.com/stbrigidscross.html, you will also need something to hang the crosses with, both cord and tack)

-1 white devotion candle or

-Floral scented candle (optional)

-A bouquet of flowers (your choice, I personally like to stick to white flowers and mix
in some sunflowers, but what ever makes you feel the joy of spring and the happiness
of the returning warmth and the end to winter)

-Athame

-Sea Salt (iodized salt will also work fine)

-Water (tap is fine, if possible gather your own spring, lake, river, or ocean water)

-Smudge wand (sage, cedar, or sweet grass, or a mix of all 3 - your choice)

-Quartz crystals/how ever many windows you have in your home (optional)

-an object you would like to have
  blessed by Brighid.

-Piece of cake

-Glass of milk

-A large pot or planting spot in garden or yard

-A potted flowering plant to be repotted. (Pot and plant are optional)

After your home is clean and organized, or at least tidy if you have time restraints, go ahead and start making or hanging your Brighid's crosses.

(I personally find that my rituals build more energy when I create the crosses on my own, but if you do find them for sale, make sure to purify and cleanse them, you will then want to charge them with your own energy. Hang them up around the house, one in each room and several in the hearth of the home. You can find directions on how to make the Brighid's crosses at http://fisheaters.com/stbrigidscross.html. Divine Spaces and The Divine Grove are not associated with this site, but found the instructions easy to follow, you can use what ever site or instructions you would like.

Once you have the crosses hung up, you will want to dress your altar with a bright colored altar cloth, (I will be using a bright, but pastel green). Use the bouquet of flowers to decorate your altar and if finances or garden permit, why not spread a floral welcome in every room of your whole home.

(With my altar I will be putting a vase of real flowers along with silk blossoms spread around the altar and home) The silk blossoms will probably stay around all month, or at least until St. Valentine's Day.

Light the white candle and place it on the altar, take a bowl of water and put 3 pinches of salt into the bowl. Stir the bowl 3 times with your chalice and place your hands over the bowl. Meditate and feel the peace and warmth of the candle, imagine the warmth of the sun beaming down on you, grass sprouting all around you. The trees blooming with flowers and you can smell the floral scent in the air. (The floral candle helps bring this meditation to life.)

Meditate and focus on what you would like to have grown in this New Year. Do you want to grow financially, health, ect...?

Once you feel the water is fully charged with positive happy energy, energy of growth and development, purification and cleansed of all negative energies you will want to smudge your home with sage, cedar or sweet grass. (Any is fine to preference, and if you have a smudge of all three that would be best). When you are smudging do this counter clockwise around the home while you are turning on every light. Make sure to get all the corners, cabinets, and closets.)

After you have smudged, you will then sprits the water into every corner of every room by dipping your fingers in the water and flicking them with intention into the spaces you are cleansing. You will want to do the water sprits in a clockwise manner as you continue the thoughts from your meditation spreading the joy of the end of winter. (I personally find Listening to inspiring and uplifting meditative music while you do this to be helpful.) Dip your fingers in the water and wipe every window seal and around every door way.

Once this is all done, put a line of salt in the doorways and window seals. (Optional- you can also put a quartz crystal in every window for additional protection and balance of flowing energy.)

You will want to put out an offering of cake and milk outside your front door. Brighid will be walking through your area along with her cow and she will definitely appreciate the offering.

Some traditions leave a cord or ribbon on the door for Brighid to bless, I will be putting a bowl with all my crystals and ritual tools outside along side my offering dish. (Do not do this if you do not feel comfortable with the safety of your sacred tools)

The next day, get your offering cake and milk along with the pot and flowers you will be planting. Place your offering into the ground or pot, pour milk into the pot, place more dirt, and then plant your selected plant according to its specifications. Welcome Brighid and the coming spring, putting an end to winter, live life filled with love and light. Blessed be, and have a merry Imbolc.

Brooks Brown
Take a visit to Divine Spaces for spiritual inspiration http://www.divine-spaces.com

The Lovely thing about Oils

Merry Meet!  So we've been getting questions about Oils: How do I use them?; What type of oils should I use?; Why should I use oils?; What kind of oils are there?


Well being a water sign I can tell you the oils are fun!  Everything from massage oils to synthetic oils have a purpose.  There have been two sides to the debate on synthetic oils.  Even I, for a time, held a nose up to synthetics.  However once one delves deeper in to magic we come to understand that a lot of what we are doing is through our Will, Feeling, and Consciousness.


Many of us have experienced a memory triggered or thought provoked by a familiar smell or a smell that is intriguing or quite possibly repulsive (trash days in the summer time).  Smell is still a stimulant and in a pinch synthetic oils can provide much needed sensory stimulation.  Now some synthetic oils maybe a compound that is only suitable for burning in oil burners.  Then you have synthetic oils, like rose oil for example, which maybe a culmination of other floral oils that will bring you as close as possible to the smell of a rose.


Most synthetics are created to cut cost and time. With oils it is always good to get an idea of what ingredients were you used in the oil.  When performing magic we all know that ingredients have place in our spell work and prayers.  It would be quite a predicament to use a synthetic rose oil in a love spell or attraction spell and yet it was made with a component that would banish or send away a lover.


Personally I enjoy making my own oils by adding a base oil, like jojoba oil or coconut oil into a mortar, then add the herbs you are using for a spell, then take the pestle and bruise the herbs and mix it together, then funnel it (herbs and all) into a container.  The longer it sits the more potent the smell (and you may want to use your sense of smell to detect if the mixture has gone 'off' after a time).


Now as for oil uses.  There is the dressing of a candle or items to be use if you'd like them to be charged with an intent.  For money draw oil you may want to add a few drops to your charm or dress a candle ( because you're drawing something toward you, you would dab oil in-between your thumb and index/middle fingers, starting at the top, you would make your way to the center of the candle, then you do the same from the bottom to the middle.  Keep in mind the top to middle and bottom to middle are two separate strokes).


If using an oil burner and an oil it may represent the joining of the earth element through the oil burner, fire element through flame and water element through oil, which then create the air element through fragrance.  You may also choose to have the oils free standing to represent the water element on an altar.


Oils are a very beautiful part of being a craft worker in my opinion and as you work with oils you are also working with the element of water and all that she/he has to teach through another medium of itself. Oh and one last little tid bit is if you want to charge an oil with a specific intent by all means add an herb or two, even a stone/crystal in the vile or jar you place the oil.  This will emphasize it's purpose and energy.  Heck you can even make a spell bottle or jar by doing this as well!!


Now when applying oils to the skin always apply a small drop and wait for about 5 mins to 10 mins to see if your body has a sensitivity to the oil.  Base oils can range from jojoba oils, coconut oily, grape seed oil, almond oil, etc.  READ THE LABEL!!!! Some oils will say "for incense burner use only" or some will say "may cause irritation".  Part of working with the water element is about learning more about yourself and connecting on a deeper sub level.  Knowing your bodies sensitivity is important.  Some perfume oils may be for topical use and not to be burned.  Always ask the person distributing the oil or read the label.


All of this being said have safe fun.  The fun part about the Craft is experimentation.  There is no right or wrong.  There is only what works and what doesn't work for you.


Blessed be.

Did I have a Spiritual Awakening???

          Over the last few weeks, well actually maybe a bit over a month I have been having so many strange feelings and situations. I have been getting light headed (out of body separation feelings). I usually start feeling anxious and feel like a surge of energy is taking over my body. My body begins to quiver a bit, then I get a tingling feeling around the top of my head. My hands emit a lot of heat, and I start to see flashing white light in my peripherals.

          Some of the other changes that I have been experiencing is insomnia. I just don't feel tired and will be up all night and force myself to lay down once the sun has fully risen again. I don't understand it as I am one who loves to sleep. But now I just don't feel like I need it. Even when I am getting a little sleep (2-4 hours a day) I still feel refreshed and energized as though I slept all night on a cloud. I normally crave junk food and don't hesitate to eat it, but for the last month, have just skipped the urge. I don't need it. I actually want and crave veggies now. Which is awful since I am a full blooded Texas and must have my beef.

          There are just so many changes that I am going through... those are some of the physical, but I have been experiencing these changes spiritually as well. I am channeling almost every time I meditate, and fully make contact with supernatural beings. I see and hear spirits all the time. I tap into infinite knowledge when I am giving a reading or doing some sort of divination. These are all things that I have always been able to do and been gifted with, but they are so much more enhanced these days. I don't even really need to try, its more of an effort to keep them from happening.

          At times these feelings can be overwhelming for me, and I start to panic. But then I remind myself that I em enlightening to a higher vibrational being and these are just the side effects. I try to allow them to take full control and enhances as much as they are going to during that particular session.

          After doing much research on these symptoms I have found a lot of suggested information that I am having or have gone through a spiritual awakening. With what I know, and with my strong spiritual beliefs I have come to believe this as well. I am now going to start to focus on doing Kundalini Yoga to help awaken my Kundalini fully and enlighten completely once and for all.

          I am wondering if anyone else has had any similar experiences to mine, and if they also started within the last few months - weeks?   Please post back and leave your comments. You can also join the Divine Gathering Spot, which is a Chat room on Divine Spaces (www.divine-spaces.com). I would love to converse with others on this matter.

Thank you for listening, have a wonderful night.

                           Happy New Years

          I want to kick off our first news letter of 2012 by wishing you all a Happy New Years from Divine Spaces and all our staff.  We have an exciting year ahead of us and want to share it with you.  There will be many additions to Divine Spaces and we look forward to all the new sales coming in 2012.  We have added some interactive features to our site to help make life easier for you, and will be adding more features through the year. 

          Some of the new features that have been added are: Daily Moon Phases- providing the current moon phase updated to real time.  We also now have Daily Horoscopes for that extra boost of daily guidance, and Pagan Radio Network.  Listen to streaming pagan music from around the world, pagan news and pagan podcast, all streaming live, and always free.




          We have added a blog to our site.  The Divine Grove is our blog and the link can be found at the top of our website.  Please remember to follow our blog for more in-depth discussions about spiritual enlightening, spiritual and pagan news, Sabbats and events, and so much more.  Our blog doesn’t discriminate against religious beliefs as we celebrate all paths to the divine.  Also feel free to leave comments and be involved in our discussions.  Comments are encouraged as they will help to widen our topics, conversations, and points of view.

                   We are still looking for more authors to help with our blog. 

          If you are a spiritual person, and have a high knowledge base or strong spiritual opinions, then we would love to have you be one of our authors.  You do not need to be a professional writer, but must have good writing skills and grammar, and be able to provide original discussions to avoid plagiarism.  This is a voluntary position and compensation is not available.  Message us if you would like to blog about all things spiritual and we will provide you with access so you can blog till your spirit is content.

          My favorite addition in 2012 is our new program Instant Karma.  With our Instant Karma program we will be giving an additional free gift, added to all orders of any returning customer.  The gift value will vary based on order size.  Instant Karma is just another way we want to show our appreciation to our loyal customers throughout the year.




          2012 is finally upon us and it’s time we embrace our true nature and our spiritual beliefs.  As you all have probably heard, 2012 is said to be many things from the end of the world, great changes, and or spiritual enlightenment to mass destruction, polar shifts, and even extraterrestrial   visitations.  What ever it is that you believe, our paths and goals should be the same. Unity and enlightenment for every being is a great common view for all of us in this new and exciting year.

          There are a number of ways to become more in touch with your inner spirit and enhance your connection to the infinite, no matter what spiritual path you follow.  It is just a matter of connecting, practicing, and giving attention to the signs, feelings, and attempts at communication from your guides and enlightened beings.  I know how busy life can be, and how easily “life” can push our practices and spiritual traditions to the bottom of our priority list.  I myself suffer with the issue of making time for my spirituality and have made my 2012 resolution to giving my spiritual beliefs priority over my life.  Scheduling time for daily meditation, and writing in my book of mirrors.

          Some signs to look for if you are wakening to a  spiritual enlightenment include, increase in insomnia but still feeling energized and refreshed as though you had a full nights sleep.  You feel the need to eat healthier foods and be more active.  You may have a surge of energy and will have a feeling similar to a limb that has fallen asleep do to lack of blood circulation.  More commonly felt as a tingling in your crown chakra or in your heart chakra.  Seeing flashing light in your peripherals, or seeing things more spiritually – nature seems more vibrant, seeing auras or energy waves coming off of people and items.

          Once you are aware of these feelings and changes in your spirituality you will become more connected and be able to enlighten more quickly.  Just don’t fear the changes and embrace who you are as a being of energy and light.  Whether we enlighten by some supernatural means or we focus on whom and what we really are, allowing us to enlighten on our own; enlightenment should be the path for all of us.  So, no matter what resolutions you have made for the New Year; let’s just not forget about our spiritual habits and what we can do to better ourselves and our loved ones. 

Book of Mirrors

          I mentioned my book of mirrors earlier and would like to go over what exactly a book of mirrors is and how to use it.  One of the easiest ways to become more connected besides making sure to set aside time each and every day for divination and meditation is to keep a book of mirrors.  A BOM is similar but very different then a BOS (book of shadows).  A book of mirrors is for self reflection and is a personal journal of your spiritual path.  Unlike a BOS, a BOM is meant for your eyes only and should never be shared or viewed by others.  If you have something in your BOM that you would like to share, then you would want to re-write it in your BOS.

          In your book of mirrors, you want to keep a detailed writing of your spiritual path no matter how big or small.  You will want to write down any experiences you have while in meditation, along with all your knowledge on paganism and spiritual development.  This is a tool for exploration, recording your reactions to spells, rituals, meditations and dreams.

          Write about any spiritual thoughts and thoughts of gratitude.  You can include thoughts of manifestation (things you want to happen).  But most importantly, be honest with your writings.  This is not the time to be polite but to be honest with your self.  (No one will see your BOM but you)

          Your BOM is used to help show who you are - it is a reflection of you. It should be a guide for you as you embrace and enhance the world of spiritualism, magic and yourself. You should never change anything in your BOM; if something you have written changes, write about the change, but do not alter your BOM. .

          You will also want to write about any possible signs of enlightenment or growth in spiritual abilities….
Exp – if you have a psychic connection or get a vision, hear voices, or see lights, shadows, and/or full apparitions. You may even want to keep track of your sleeping, eating, and exercise habits since any changes in any of these areas may be signs of enlightenment. 

January 2012 Moon Phases

The first full moon of 2012 will be on Jan 9.
The first new moon of 2012 will be on Jan 23

January Sabbats

There are no Sabbats for January.
                                                                          




          With the passing of Yule we have celebrated the birth of our Sun God, and will be feeling his warm embrace in the coming months ahead.  The next Sabbat for us to celebrate is Imbolc which is in February.  There will be more information on Imbolc in our February news letter along with rituals and spells that can be used in your celebration.

May 2012 bring greatness and enlightenment into your lives, and may we all be united with divine spirituality and awakening consciousness.

This newsletter was originally written by Brooks Brown and is the sole use of Divine Spaces.  If you did not subscribe to this newsletter, please message us and we will unsubscribe you, or you can log into your account at www.divine-spaces.com and can subscribe or unsubscribe from your account.  If this letter was forward to you, or you are reading it on our website, blog or on our social networking sites and would like to subscribe, please visit www.divine-spaces.com and create an account.  We appreciate your business and look forward to many more years servicing all of your spiritual needs.