Albatross Medicine

The albatross signifies long periods of time. The breeding and chick rearing process takes up to a year and for some species, the young can not fly until 10 months of age. Plus these birds are renowned for their ability to soar for long periods of time, taking advantage of air currents and expending so little energy they don't even have to flap their wings. People who have been drawn to the albatross may be seen as dreamers or unfocused, drifting from one focus to the next without a strong commitment. However as they albatross patiently awaits for the right opportunity, they teach us to do the same. Be open and aware of signs and when they come you must act. Once you have found what you need, it can sustain you for a long time, even the rest of your life.

If the albatross has appeared to you recently, it may be trying to pass on a message related to the above information. It may appear in reality, dreams, pictures, conversations or any other form.

First Snow Rituals

If you live in a place where it snows, the season’s first snow is an important event. It signifies that autumn has come to an end and the cold winter is now upon us. By now we should have cleaned and cleansed ourselves and our space and be ready to spend the winter resting, meditating, going inward and self reflecting. This is the time to start planting the seeds of the “fruits” you will reap the rewards of in spring and summer.

Snow falling is such a wondrous event and to see it for the first time for the season is truly magical. There are a few things you can do to embrace the moment.

Go For a Walk
Take a walk in nature. When dressing for the walk, wear warm clothes but you still want to feel the chill of the air. Embrace the coldness. If it has been a heavy snow, observe the silence. Tune in to how the Earth is resting. Feel the peaceful energy. Near the end of your walk, place your hands in the snow and connect to the energies.

Cleanse Your Crystals
Find some clean and pure snow and place it in a container. Select your crystals that are related to either the element of water or divination and inward reflection. Place them on top of the snow and leave them in a place where they can cleanse. Note that some crystals are not meant to come in to contact with water. Leave them out of this ritual.

Snow Bath
Collect some of the first snow and run yourself a bath. Feel free to add some essential oils to the water. Once the bath is full sprinkle the snow into the water, watching it melt feel the energies combine. Now enjoy the essence of winter as you relax in your bath

The True Meaning of Halloween (Samhain)

Halloween is an anticipated event on each year’s calendar. Kids in neighbourhoods around the world, giddy on sugar, dash from house to house, yelping trick-or-treat while the bigger kid in all of us dons a crazy costume and prepares for a night of fun-filled havoc. However just like many complain that the true meaning of Christmas is forgotten, do people know the true origins behind Halloween?

Halloween, also known as Hallows Eve or Samhain is viewed as a New Year by many pagans. It is also believed that this is the time of the year when the veil between the physical world and that of the spiritual realm is at it’s thinnest. Thus this is the best time of the year to contact people that have passed away. The tradition of dressing up originated from the idea that as the veil was thin, ghosts and unwanted spirits could come back to our world. Dressing in scary costumes was believed to make spirits feel comfortable and unlikely to haunt or terrorise you, believing you are one of them.

Samhain, meaning “summer’s end” is the name of the traditional Celtic or pagan festival. The name Halloween comes from when on May 13, 609 A.D., Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome in honour of all Christian martyrs, and the Catholic feast of All Martyrs Day was established in the Western church. Pope Gregory III (731–741) later expanded the festival to include all saints as well as all martyrs, and moved the observance from May 13 to November 1. This holiday is now known as, All Saints’ Day. As Samhain was still a widely celebrated festival at the time, All Saint’s Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows’ Eve and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a secular, community-based event characterized by child-friendly activities such as trick-or-treating many know today.

As witches this is an ideal time to contact great spirits. The focus is not on using an Ouija board to contact a passed relative or friend but rather to tune into the spirits of the Long Dead. This includes old masters and leaders, archetypal entities and great people who have served the land. You can also connect with your guides at this time. This can be done easily done by a simple meditation or prayer or you can create your own more elaborate ritual. Perhaps ask them to visit you in a dream. Drinking nutmeg with almond milk before bed may assist your dreams to be more vivid. Other foods related to clear or lucid dreaming include beetroot, orange and other fruit juice, cheese, mustard, fish ice cream, popcorn and taking a supplement containing 100 to 250 mg of vitamin B-6 just before bedtime. Eating or drinking anything disruptive to your sleep cycle, such as caffeinated drinks and difficult-to-digest foods, is likely to have an adverse effect on dream content.

Samhain can also be a time of healing and to let go of anyone who you may still be holding on to emotionally. Complete the following either inside your magic circle or just as a simple meditation.

Take a small candle. It may be white, black or another colour you find appropriately represents the person. Relax, take a few deep breaths and then light the candle. Reflect on the great memories you have of that person, see their beauty shining in the flame of the candle. Smile, cry, do whatever comes naturally. Once you feel that you have connected to the person’s energy it is time to let them go. Maybe visualise them floating or walking away towards light or into a field or forest. Feel the emotions attached to them leaving your body. Feel free from any angst or pain you have been experiencing. When you are ready to complete the release, blow out the candle.

If needed you can do this activity several times until the candle has totally burned out. Doing it during a waning moon is better after the Samhain. Note that the focus is not to forget about the person, but rather to release the negative emotions that are holding you back from moving on with your life. You will always have the beautiful memories. Another version of this ritual can be done with a crystal, feeling it’s energy, then sending your love and emotions into the crystal, then burying it in a special place, returning it to the earth.

Other ways you can observe Samhain include:
- Wearing colours such as black, brown, gold, orange, red, silver and/or yellow.
- Meditate on the energies of the animals associated with Samhain such as bat, cat, crow, jackal, owl, robin, scorpion and stag.
- This is one of the best times for scrying and divination. If you use a divination technique utilise it at this time. Otherwise go and get a clairvoyant reading. It’s a great time to get guidance as you start a new year.
- Eat foods such as apple, nuts, pomegranate, pumpkins, squash and tubers.
- Spoil yourself with a nice cider or wined (mulled).
- Burn incense or oils with the fragrances of almond, benzoin, cinnamon, myrrh, passionflower, patchouli, pine and/or sandalwood.
- Meditate or carry bloodstone, carnelian, garnet, hematite, jasper, jet, obsidian, onyx, pyrite and/or smoky quartz
- Plant an apple, hazel, oak or pine tree while setting your goals for the upcoming year.
- Follow some of your New Year’s Eve traditions such as set goals, change habits and cleanse clean the house. If you have a house fire burning, let it go out totally and then light a new one, symbolising a new start.

Raccoon Medicine

Much of raccoon medicine revolves around their famous mask. Ever wonder how raccoon got his mask. The Seneca tribe tells the following story

A long time ago, Raccoon had no mask. It was the coldest winter ever. Raccoon had to follow people around and steal food. One night, my people lit a fire to keep them warm. It was a cold night. The fire had gone out. Raccoon quietly crept up to the longhouse. Raccoon put his nose down to sniff out the food. His nose fell on the hot ashes of the fire, which had burned out only recently. It stung horribly, and Raccoon put his nose in the snow to cool it down. Now the ashes are stuck to Raccoons face forever. The moral of the story is not to steal from people, for there are consequences.

Raccoons are able to disguise themselves and sneak around subtly. Do you need to do the same? Raccoons are extremely dexterous and can live in any environment. Raccoon medicine can teach you how to become dexterous in the masks you wear. The raccoon holds the knowledge of how to change our faces. Raccoon holds the knowledge of transformation through masks and disguise. This knowledge can be applied to religious and ritual practices or within normal everyday life. Do you need to present a different face to people for greater success? Are you hiding your true self? Are others hiding their true self? Raccoon can help you find the answers.

Raccoon also encourages us to use this skills to benefit those less fortunate than us. Raccoon is like the good Samaritan or Robin Hood. Ensure that you are using your versatile skills for the greater good.

If a raccoon has shown up, you may see its influence for an extended time. If you are trying to make changes or endeavoring to hide changes you are making from others until you are in a better position, plan on using about a 20-week cycle. You will find it more effective.

If a raccoon has appeared to you recently, it may be trying to pass on a message related to the above information. It may appear in reality, dreams, pictures, conversations or any other form.

Crystals for the Heart Chakra Meditation

The heart chakra is the central chakra which connects the three lower chakras that are physical based (the base, sacral and solar plexus chakras) with the three higher chakras that are spiritually based (the throat, third eye and crown chakras). Thus the heart chakra nurtures our feelings of higher love to the physical word. When it is balanced we see the beauty in all things and offer love unconditionally.

Green or pink crystals can be used to balance the heart chakra. Simply relax with a crystal on your heart chakra located in the centre of your chest where your heart is. Some crystals I have found effective are:

Aventurine: A good all round healing and happiness stone. It brings luck especially for those looking for love. If you are single this will also help dissolve anxieties around dating, being single, etc.

Rose Quartz: The true stone of love. Rose quartz, with it's gentle pink colour, really promotes and attracts unconditional love in all it's forms; self-love, family love, platonic love, and romantic love. Rose quartz will also help remove anger, fear and other negative emotions that are blocking a loving relationship.

Malachite: Malachite is a crystal for bringing to the surface of your awareness any issues around love that you are unaware of. If you feel you are stuck in being able to love someone whether it be romantic or otherwise, utilise malachite. However be warned, as malachite will bring the issue to the surface but you must be ready to deal with it. Use rose quartz in conjunction with malachite to resolve the issues that arise. Try placing a malachite crystal on your heart chakra and a rose quartz in each hand.

Jade: Jade promotes serenity and purity. It increases wisdom gathered in tranquility.  Jade will assist you to feel nurtured and be more nurturing. It is also a stone to promote luck and prosperity.

Rhodonite: Rhodonite is the stone of compassion. It helps removes emotional scars and grudges from the past and see the higher good. It is a good balancer of yin-yang energies preventing you from being too aggressive or too emotional.

Bloodstone: Bloodstone is often utilised by American Indians and is a great healer of illness. When you are sick, bloodstone promotes speedy recovery. It can assist with oxygenating and cleanse the blood. Gives courage and teaches you how to avoid dangerous situations. Bloodstone encourages selflessness and idealism.

Previous blog entries have covered crystals for the base, sacral and solar plexus chakras (click on the word to view entry). Stay tuned in coming weeks for the entries on the final three chakras.

Connecting with animals via the chakras

The chakras are energy points identified within the human body originally recognised in Hindu texts, featured in tantric and yogic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. The word “chakra" comes from the Sanskrit word for "wheel" or "turning". Humans have seven major chakras located along the centre of the body from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. These subtle energy points regulate and represent our balance in different aspects of life. For an interesting test to see how balanced each chakra is click here. Chakras that are out of balance indicate an unbalanced life and there are varying techniques to obtain realignment. To find out more about balancing chakras, click here.

As humans have chakras, so do animals. They have the seven major chakras as humans which are located in similar positions. However it is also identified that they have an eighth chakra called the brachial chakra. This is located between the shoulders. This chakra governs the animal’s connection with humans. If an animal has a reluctance to be touched or is unwilling to “connect” these are signs that the chakra is unbalanced. Of course, if the animal is unwell due to medical reasons and refuses to interact or a wild animal isn’t willing to run up to you and be patted this is something other than an unbalanced brachial chakra.

If you are working with healing with animals or simply want to bond with a pet you can more visualise balancing this chakra. The colour associated with this chakra is black, or occasionally turquoise. Simply see a wheel of light spinning peacefully and growing in size in the area. When possible touch or hold your hand over the place in the body. Using black tourmaline, diamond, smoky quartz or clear quartz can strengthen the healing. 

Do humans have a similar chakra that assists with connection to animals? There doesn’t seem to be much evidence of the existence of one however there are two chakras that may be relevant. They are:

1) Ta Chui or Big Vertebra Centre in the Chinese system - is located just below the seventh cervical vertebra, where the neck joins the shoulders. This is associated with your ability to embrace others with warmth and love and when unbalanced causes stubbornness, denial and low self esteem.

2) Gai Pe is located between the fifth and sixth thoracic vertebrae, between the shoulder-blades and opposite the heart chakra. When balanced you have a feeling of freedom and a deep sense of the meaning of life and the universe and feel your will to be in harmony with the Divine Will. When unbalanced you will have hostile feelings towards the world.

Whether you tune in to an animal using one of these two chakras or the better know heart or throat chakra this technique can be an extra tool in your tool kit of working and connection with animals in your home or out in the natural world.

Cougar Medicine

The cougar, also known as the mountain lion, puma, mountain cat, catamount, mountain screamer, painter or panther, is the second largest cat in the Americas following the jaguar. Due to it’s power and grace the cougar appears in mythology and beliefs throughout the Americas. The sky and thunder god of the Inca, Viracocha, is associated with the cougar. In North America, to the Apache and Walapai of Arizona, the wail of the cougar was a harbinger of death. You can hear the call in the video below. Amongst the Anishinaabe the cougar or puma clan was responsible for healing and protection of the people.

The cougar or mountain lion holds similar metaphysical traits to that of it’s larger counterpart on the plains of Africa, the African Lion. The cougar stands for leadership. Cougar encourages you to take leadership of your life and the situations you are in. Do not allow someone else to dictate your destiny. Like a mother cougar, you may have developing kits looking up to you. If so, you must protect and guide them to also be great leaders.



If a cougar has appeared to you recently, it may be trying to pass on a message related to the above information. It may appear in reality, dreams, pictures, conversations or any other form.