Like, an older sister, Stacy leads by example; and a great one at that. My Adventure Sister confidently dances to the beat of her own drum. She brings out the magic in most everyone she meets. I really love that about her! She’s inspired me to share mine with you too.
I had reservations about writing on pendulums and magic. Then this morning I saw a Grackle at the bird feeder. This is not a bird that shows up regularly at my house. So of course I looked it up.
According to the interwebs Grackle has multiple meanings, the ones that rang true to me where; When Grackle shows up it’s a sign of good fortune, and spiritual protection. YAY! Some Indigenous traditions call it the Firebird and believe it carries the power of a phoenix – which brings the message of rebirth and resurrection. Yay!????
Since Grackles are known for their loud calls it’s a sign to courageously speak up for yourself. Be brave and speak your truth. It is my intention that sharing my stories of life lessons will somehow inspire others to see beauty even in the mishaps.
On the journey of life. I have constructed an eclectic spiritual belief system. Through trial and error and a dedicated practice of yogic principles. I’ve learned to trust my inner knowing. Mediation helps me to tune into the life force that animates the world. And helps me to pay attention to signs sent by the Universal Consciousness. I call it Higher Power, Spirit, Creation, or The Universe. Some call it God.
Yep. I worship the Earth; I think just maybe… Our planet is mankind’s community Garden of Eden. A gift we’ve been given to care for. It provides all we need to survive, stars, and aurora borealis to boot, it’s truly a miracle. Its ecological systems are so interconnected that not one event doesn’t influence another. (The Butterfly Effect)
How we act, treat each other, respect nature or not, absolutely comes full circle. I am a live and let live kind of girl. I believe thoughts become things, revealing our individual lived experiences. (What do you think about all day?!) And that Setting an intention is no different than praying.
I believe ‘magic’ is just being conscious of the energy I contribute to the web of life that connects it all together. By doing so I get to co-create with the energy of the cosmos, and the spiritual elements that surround us. There is no definition to my spiritual practice and there doesn’t have to be.
Either way, I think it’s important to accept that we all have different beliefs. While allowing others the freedoms to practice theirs, even if you don’t agree. In my opinion, it would be super cool if we all just followed the golden rule.
So, if I want to call on my inner earth worshipping sorceress I will!
Why not call on the healing element of water to help me flow with ease through the rocky rapids that pop up on my journey? Why not ask the wisdom of the wind to transport creative ideas into my awareness or carry my prayers to the Higher Power?
I know how to tap into the grounding stability of earth energy so I can sit down, focus and write about the thoughts I just asked for. What if I called on the transformative energy of fire to transmute painful life experience into lessons through joy too?
Maybe the Grackle/Fire bird was telling me to be brave enough to share my magical nature with others. So, they will feel free to do so too. It’s what Stacy did for me, and she made it so much fun! She exuded joyful confidence, which made me feel safe in doing the same. I love sharing stories of our magical friendship with you!
We started using Pendulums when planning our adventures in January. We would lay out the map and ask the pendulum to guide us where to go. I’d dangle it over an entry point number on the map, then watch what it says.
Sometimes it would just hang there and do nothing. That means move on. If it went counterclockwise, we took that as a sign it was not the place for us. When it started to circle Clockwise is a good indicator that was the entry point, we should plan for. We would even ask the pendulum which campsite was the best.
We are very earthy girls, feeling vibes, trusting signs, and when necessary, putting up boundaries. On the second BWCA adventure, we brought several pendulums. Each held colorful stones that signified the four directions North, South, East and West. With the intention to hang them from the trees to create an energetic circle of protection. When we arrived at camp the sun was high in the sky, so we used Stacy’s compass to identify the directions.
Thanking the trees for their assistance in holding the pendulums. We started in the North, the direction associated with the Earth element. Fertile and steady, earth is associated with the Goddess/Feminine energy. The stone hanging from the pendulum was made of green Jade. We thanked the spirit of the north for sharing nurturing guidance during our visit.
Circling clockwise we headed to the East to find a suitable station for the Pendulum associated with Air. We chose a white crystal quarts stone to represent prana, life force/breath. East and the element of air are associated with communication, wisdom, and intellect. We thanked them both for their assistance in carrying your intentions/prayers to Spirit.
Heading clockwise to the South we hung a pendulum made of a red stone to symbolize the element of fire. Fire has the masculine energy of the Sun. Connected to strong will and force. Fire is purifying. It creates and destroys, flames can heal and warm, or bring about new life by abolishing the old and worn. We thanked the spirit of the south and fire for the transformation that it would bring us.
Circling around to the West to hang a pendulum made of light blue stone. West is the direction associated with the element of Water. The healing nurturing womb of creation we all come from. Nothing can survive without water. Water is a feminine energy frequently associated with healing, cleansing, and purification, (holy water) it is correlated with flow of emotion.
To complete the circle of protection we continued clockwise to the North again to close the circle. We give thanks, and gratitude to the Universe for hearing our intentions of healing and protection. Protection against what we did not need to know… the forces that be, will surely take care of us now!
We did a second loop with a tiny sprinkle of black salt to solidify the intention of protection. And at that, our circle of protection was up and running. (Please take it easy with the salt if in nature, mother nature is not a big fan. It’s the intention, not the amount that counts.)
This is the campsite which housed us while we recovered from Billy Goat Portage. We had been so sore and eager to set up our camp that we had made another rookie mistake. One the circle of protection couldn’t protect us from experiencing. We had set up our tent on a semi flat clearing just at the base of a hill. The view was great, and it was in between the cooking grate and the pit potty trail.
We thought nothing of it as we set up cots under a tarp in a separate area of the very large campsite. The wind was picking up, and the night cooling down, so we went to bed early only to wake up a few hours later to 2-3” of rainwater in the bottom of our tent. Water drenched everything in it including us. I woke up very cold, and so exhausted I couldn’t think straight. I was already depleted from the adventures of the day. All I could do was sit on a cot hoping not to die in this misery.
Thankfully Stacy found me and knew exactly what to do to stop that from happening. Now you’re thinking that maybe our circle of protection didn’t protect us at all. But I believe it did. Having someone there who knew how to recognize hypothermia instead of diagnosing me as safe, just soggy suffering… did save me from getting very ill.
The circle of protection didn’t stop this from happening, but it did send me the help and support I needed. Not only with this experience but with the friendship Stacy and I have created. This makes me see that our circle of friends and family provide energetic and emotional protection as well.
The ones that see you suffering and come to your aid. Helping you in the way that they know best. Sometimes with expert nursing skills, other times sharing wisdom or a compassionate ear. These people, and sometimes even our beloved pets create your circle of protection in everyday life.
Sometimes when you call on the elements, they send you what you need, not what you want. Just like mother nature knows when it’s time to water her gardens and it happens to be on your wedding day. It all ends up okay. Some of the best conversations and laughs happen when it rains.
Like Jack Pines, which in my opinion are the coolest trees will only grow only after the seeds in its pinecone have been released by heat, usually a wildfire. Some people also need these kinds of interventions to support transformations. Nature is magical. Humans are encompassed in the natural world.
By realizing we have the ability to shift our energy/thoughts helps us take responsibility for the life force that resides in all of us. We had set the intention to stay safe. The Universe agreed but, in its intelligence, knew it was not going to let us skip out on the experiences that bonded our friendship with trust. Then got me to the gym. 😉
The beauty of Universal forces holds wisdom of divine timing. It orchestrates synchronistic events and meetings that deliver us to our destiny. Just like magic.
No pendulums needed.
Sending big love and many blessings,
Emy Minzel
Heart Centered, Nature Lover, Writer, Advocate, Adventurer, Yogi, and so much more…
EmyMinzel.com
Emy Minzel 