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Gemstones, Essential Oils & More: The Joys & Benefits Of Home-Style Alchemy

Gemstones, essential oils and herbs on a table for esoteric alchemy

 

Gemstones, essential oils and herbs on a table for esoteric alchemy
Enjoy the benefits of home-style alchemy, gemstones, and essential oils. A Shutterstock Licensed Image.

What’s Alchemy? 

First of all, you’re beautiful. You are the embodiment of light and love. Thank you for reading this article and seeking to expand your Self. It’s just wonderful!

Let’s get to it!

Over the past 30 years, people have become abundantly dependent on western medicine and less aware of the spiritual, healing, and rejuvenation powers of the natural elements around them. The internet has made things better in some ways, but, overall, we’ve all become a little lazy. 

Not too long ago, brilliant and proactive Moms and Grandmothers ran their kitchens like highly productive, scientific laboratories. They practiced creating tinctures and salves using recipes handed down to them from their ancestors. Every day brought new ideas and in-home exciting explorations. As folklore, family stories, and rituals were added to the mix, a family’s unique practices became their private, homespun alchemy.

When we think of alchemy today, we might conjure images of wild witches howling at the moon to turn an evil lord into a rat or angry wizards demanding that their Sorcerer’s Stones turn their piles of lead into gold. This is known as outward or exoteric alchemy. The idea being that we can change one substance into a complete and wholly different substance through rites and rituals. 

While I personally believe these things are possible, although not anywhere near probable, the idea that divinity arrives from the external is somewhat antiquated. In some circles, this debunked branch of alchemy is called “exoteric.” 

Mystical or esoteric alchemy is the other branch. Its aim is to inspire the awakening of our devotion to eternal consciousness. In this category of alchemy, every aspect is a metaphor. 

But wait, there’s more! 

Esoteric alchemy is based on the fact that we, as conscious, living beings, living within a three-dimensional reality, can affect the world around us through the realization of our connection to and embodiment of the universe. This shift in perspective can affect not only our lives, but the lives of those we love and serve.

Even the famous scientist Sir Isaac Newton, also referred to as the Father of Modern Science, had a high regard for all branches of alchemic sciences. Because of this, Isaac had the foresight to use alchemy during the early stages of his research, laws, theorems, and principles.

 

Thought to have begun up to 12,000 years ago, there is a large collection of notable alchemists who have left their mark on the ideology. This fascinating mix of prayer, invention, and manifestation thrived up until the mid-1800s, when science turned its attention away from the depths of the human condition and leaned toward researching shallow symptoms and capitalistic gain. In short, the industrial revolution brought the demise of alchemy, forcing many akin esoteric ideologies to hide under cover. 

This jarring change stunted alchemy’s potential trajectory and eventually shoved alchemy into the category of fantasy. Because of this, alchemy became known for its secrecy. As such, practitioners often chose multiple methods of protection to keep themselves and their loved ones safe from religious and government persecution. 

Sadly, with all the secrecy, we don’t know the extent to which vital teaching completely disappeared or were left behind. 

Luckily, with the birth of the Aquarian Age, many inventive, spiritual, and open-minded people are becoming liberated. Their collective awakening is giving alchemy a long, overdue, and well-deserved comeback. 

Because all truth is stored within the ancient and eternal Akashik Records, built into every living soul’s multi-dimensional fabric, all lost truths will emerge once again. 

While it would be impossible to highlight every alchemist who’s ever contributed to this transformative science, here is a short list of alchemists who have inspired me throughout the years. Each of these remarkable souls made a substantial impact to the collective consciousness of their times: 

  • Zosimos of Panopolis
  • Wei Boyang (AD 151 – 221)
  • Jabir ibn Hayyan (AD 721 – 815)
  • Rudolph Steiner
  • Paracelsus
  • August Nordenskoid 
  • Diana Di Prima
  • Leonardo Da Vinci
  • Nagarjuna
  • Alain De Lille
  • Carl Jung

I’ve written more in-depth about several of these alchemists, but I’d encourage you to take some time and research them (or others) on your own. You never know what you may learn along the way! 

 

Alchemy in Today’s World 

After alchemy’s downturn in the 19th century and the debunking of some of more bizarre exoteric theories, our beloved alchemy became widely known as a fake science tied to new-age practices and mysticism. It even began to draw criticism as being antithetical to science! 

Thankfully, there’s a growing population of awakened, enlightened individuals who understand alchemy for what it is – an effective pathway to personal growth, transformation, and empowerment. 

It can be used to heal and transform our bodies, minds, hearts, relationships, and overall lives. It can also help us serve others by expanding our empathic abilities and connections to the electromagnetic grid that is our Universe. When we magnify our connection and embodiment of this grid, we become very powerful. 

Meanwhile, when we shift our realities or help others shift their realities for the better, we improve our vibrations. This adds to power. 

Today, there are thousands of people exploring the secrets, symbolism, and ciphers used by alchemists throughout history. 

The original list of alchemical symbols includes many elements that are referenced within today’s periodic table. However, the ancient list holds far more importance than this. The old symbols have a far deeper meaning, intrinsic to the rituals and ideologies of alchemy’s traditions and history. There is great power to be found within these symbols!

 

Can Alchemy Improve My Life?  

Absolutely, YES! 

Toss out the garbage idea that alchemy is nothing but pseudoscience. Forget the notions related to converting metals to gold and other improbable claims. Let’s focus on real-world, real-life value.

It’s time to openly embrace the fact that as far as its useful, valuable, esoteric principles are concerned, alchemy ticks all the boxes. It provides a practical ideology and solution that can help humanity transform all of its sadness, conflicts, fear, pain, and other restrictions into a stew of energy available to our evolutionary processes. 

To be an alchemist is to enjoy taking right-action that leads to healing ourselves, fulfilling our desires, manifesting wonders, and shifting realities. 

You might be thinking, “That’s too good to be true!”

But it is true. And it’s 100% attainable for every living Being who chooses to nurture and empower their connection to the abundant, eternal light. 

Like all things worth having or doing, these ideals are only achieved through dedication and practice. Instead of feeling discouraged or overwhelmed by it all, focus on making small shifts in your life. While these changes won’t happen overnight, it’s quite remarkable what you can accomplish in one day or one year. 

What matters is that you’ve chosen to improve your Self and reality. You can use these free resources to get encouragement and review pre-written rituals, prayers, and mantras to help you along your journey to enlightenment. 

According to alchemy, we should engage in love-based, prayerful, and thoughtful intentional action in order to heal, promote, and enhance our lives and the lives of those around us. 

What are the primary tenets of alchemy?

  • Heal Your Mind, Heart, And Body
  • Serve Humanity With Love
  • Release The Past And Pursue Forgiveness Of Everything
  • Set And Achieve A Primary Set Of Goals And Aspirations
  • Attract the Most Illuminated And Loyal People To Your Life (Lovers, Business Partners, Friends, etc.)

By opening yourself and allowing yourself to be vulnerable, you get a step closer to creating miracles. They can only be born when we find ourselves in the most humble and pure state of spirit. Release your expectations, feel gratitude, and open your heart so you can speak to your soul!

While being vulnerable can also attract attacks from knuckleheads, remember that both positive and negative experiences are equal in their abilities to inspire our personal growth and eventual transformation. Whichever path brings to your liberation, embrace it and be grateful for it!

What are some ways that we can get closer to a universal connection to everything around us? Alchemic teachings are one path, but there are other methods of the same vein. This is why I love essential oils and gemstones!

 

What Are Essential Oils?  

Essential Oils are plant and flower extracts collected by a variety of methods. Most are extracted by steam distillation, a process that involves pressurizing plant material with a basic steam operation. Aromatic and bioactive compounds release into the steam which is then condensed, cooled, and bottled as essential oils.

Cold pressing and microwave-accelerated distillation are two other production methods. While it’s likely that there are few differences between the processes, in terms of benefits and application, it is also possible that these two options might lower vibrational frequency related to the oils. 

Ultimately, only you can know what will improve your connection with the universe and natural world around you. Try experimenting with different oils, but don’t fall for the ubiquitous marketing schemes that want to convince you their product is better because it’s all “farm-to-home, organic, blah, blah, blah, bullsh*t.” Don’t get pulled into their misleading slogans. And do not sign-up for those ridiculous MLM programs where you have to purchase a specific amount every 5 minutes. Fuck that. 

Do your due diligence and don’t overpay for something that is part of your birthright. 

There are way too many essential oils on the market to list all of them, but here are some popular ones that you probably recognize: 

  • Sage
  • Pine
  • Tangerine
  • Lavender
  • Rose
  • Peppermint
  • Cinnamon
  • Chamomile
  • Myrrh

The raw materials are each associated with a certain attribute. For example, sandalwood helps you feel grounded, lemon cleanses your liver, and tea tree oil relieves skin inflammation, psoriasis, and dandruff issues, to name a few. 

 

How Do I Use Essential Oils?  

The great thing about essential oils is that there are many ways to incorporate them into your life. So much so that it can almost become effortless to enjoy them and reap their benefits. 

To Start:

Mix several drops of your favorite oils into your liquid soaps. This way, you can spell and feel them every time you wash your hands! There’s also incense and oil diffusers. The most common way might be massage oils.

A few drops of oil on your fingertips can be massaged into your temples, wrists, chakras, or tops of your feet.  These places are near veins and areas of thin skin, so you feel the effects more stronger than if you massage elsewhere. 

But that’s not to discourage you from incorporating essential oils into all of your massage sessions!

A controversial method is to ingest it. Most manufacturers will say they aren’t safe to consume, but I believe just a few drops can improve our vibrations and states of mind. Use your best judgement, though! Only you will know what is best for you.  

These lovely medicinal oils can also be used to assist in rituals, ceremonies, and prayers. One of my favorites involving essential oils is a heart-clearing ritual performed to cleanse your chakras.  

Don’t be afraid to create a custom blend to your liking. We might be alone in the universe, but these methods help us further elevate our connections with the divine and the eternal consciousness. 

I made these free rituals and declarations accessible to you with love. Use these to practice incorporating essential oils into your life. 

What other natural substances can help you invite feelings of joy, peace, love and abundance? Gemstones! 

I LOVE GEMSTONES! BRING ME THE GEMS!

 

What’s So Frickin’ Special About Gemstones?  

Gemstones are like little, pretty living Beings who love you and wish to reflect back to you – your nature – in abundance – and with more light! 

Every stone throughout all the universes and galaxies are born with genetic infusions unique to each. Similar to you, these attributes and footprints are exclusive to that individual stone. 

In Hinduism, it is believed that there are nine gemstones (also called Navaratna or The Nine gems) able to help us in this life. They are connected to our specific celestial forces. Wearing these stones can provide remarkable benefits for the specific purposes associated with the stone, such as protection from negative influences or experiencing a higher magnitude and confluence of light and love.  

Because birthstones were with us, upon birth into this world, they are often considered lucky and can expedite our journey to fulfill our desires, missions, and unfoldment toward the light. 

You’re probably familiar with your birthstone, but what you might not know is that those are probably different than the stones found in the original Vedic and zodiac lists. 

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, jewelers in both Great Britain and the United States created their own birthstone lists, associating one stone to each month and promoting certain gemstones for their marketability. 

Each gemstone has its own attributes and healing properties. The more you understand your personal attributes and negative tendencies, the better chance you have of choosing the gemstone that is most supportive to your situation. 

Should you avoid a stone if it isn’t your birthstone? No, not really. There’s no such thing as a wrong gemstone. In fact, if you feel drawn or connected to a particular stone, buy the f*cker! 

Choosing stones that are aligned to you will often return better results and lead to a healthier, happier you. 

Explore the properties behind each gemstone and try touching them when shopping in person. Pearls for example share some similarities with other gemstones: they help us connect to the universe and reconnect with creation, attune us to better frequencies, and even promote healing. But they also have their own attributes: they nurture purity, loyalty, faith, calming, and integrity, etc.

Now that we’ve looked at the connections between alchemy, essential oils, and gemstones, how can we make them make sense together?

 

Conclusion  

Every living Being is connected to every other living Being – and to all of consciousness – and to all of the energy through all of the cosmos, all of the realms, and all of the realities and dimensions, throughout all of spacetime. 

We are all connected to the All-That-Is, which spans across EVERYTHING AND EVERY THOUGHT. 

We’re each an embodiment of the universe which means we inherently have the ability to continuously improve our lives and environments. 

Everything we’ve discussed in this article speaks of opening ourselves up to the Divine and allowing us to become more aware of our connection with everything. 

By taking initial actions and embedding positive habits like prayer and meditation into your routine, you’ll attract and embody the light and power to grow stronger and more magnetic, change your current conditions, and manifest new realities. 

You have unlimited potential in EVERY DIRECTION! 

You are the embodiment of light & love!

If you practice positive intentions and actions, you’ll eventually uplevel your vibrations to the purest frequencies. 

Be careful though. For your own evolution, please avoid psychedelic drugs and dark rituals. Always remain in the light. 

Always. 

In all things, seek to move above and beyond the mind. Mind-altering drugs push us to live within or beneath the mind. If not immediately, over time, these types of drugs will harm, limit, or oppress you. 

While it’s true that a little peyote or mushroom might give you temporary mind-expanding experiences, these substances most often open too many doors and are built to birth distractions that will eventually inflame your inner conflicts, projections, and hang ups. 

Seek to become the light. Focus on love and become love. Focus on the rose and become the rose. 

If you desire to merge with God and embody your highest vibrations, then meditation, prayer, devotion to a guru, and love-in-action are the best modalities. 

YOU GOT THIS! STAY IN THE LIGHT! LOVE THE LIGHT! YOU ARE THE LIGHT!

 

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Highly Sensitive People: The Gifts, Challenges, And Miracles

Hand holding a flower and paper that says Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) - Paul Wagner
“Highly Sensitive Person” Written on Paper with Hand Holding a Delicate Flower. Shutterstock licensed image.

HSP: The Gifts, Challenges, and Miracles

A certain group of people is more vulnerable than others to feeling abnormal, setting them up for a lifetime of discomfort with themselves, and they’re called HSP. Do you often find yourself more in tune with others’ feelings or reacting more to certain events than those around you? Do specific environments, emotions, or situations bother you while others are unphased? 

It’s time to get in tune with your true self by learning what it means to be a highly sensitive person (HSP) and give yourself the care you need. While it might feel like a burden now, knowing more about yourself and altering your lifestyle to better suit your personality will help you take back control of your life and turn your quirks into assets!

What is a Highly Sensitive Person?

An HSP, also known as a highly sensitive person, has a highly active nervous system and sensory sensitivities. Studies are being done to show that highly sensitive people actually have brains that work a bit differently than others, causing them to react differently in their daily lives and relationships.

While this might sound abnormal and concerning, HSP is not a disorder. In fact, around 15-20% of people report that they experience these symptoms, making it a lot more common than you might think! At the same time, not enough people experience these symptoms for the personality to be widely accepted. Unfortunately, that can make highly sensitive people feel lonely and misunderstood.

What’s really unique about the HSP personality trait is that it can be found in all kinds of personality types. You could also be called an empath. You can be an HSP and an introvert, extrovert, or ambivert. HSPs also come from all different backgrounds. Depending on the culture an HSP lives within, they might be lovingly accepted or ostracized.

How Do I Know if I’m a Highly Sensitive Person?

You deserve to get to know yourself and be comfortable with who you are! If you’ve ended up reading this article, it’s very likely you have the traits of a highly sensitive person. In order to be sure, there are a few questions you can ask yourself to see if you’re a highly sensitive person.

HSP traits can manifest in several different ways. Some people are highly sensitive to environments with too many stimuli, such as loud noises, bright lights, and even distinct textures like on clothing. You might feel like you need to retreat into a dark, quiet place to recharge and prepare for your next outing.

Other HSPs are more reactive to emotional stimuli such as with friends, family, and romantic partners. A small spat might feel like a life-changing argument, and a light show of affection can feel like a profound moment in a loving relationship. Unfortunately, this also could mean that you might experience deep thoughts and emotions without receiving sufficient reciprocation.

Further, you might feel the need to avoid intense movies, art, books, and other experiences that overwhelm you. The feelings you get from being overwhelmed could be unsettling and anxiety-inducing, or you could feel deeply moved by beauty and experience a form of ecstasy. 

If you’re still unsure about whether you’re a highly sensitive person, there are tests you can take. Specifically, there’s a questionnaire by Elaine N. Aron written in 1996 that has 27 questions. If you say yes to at 14 of the questions, then there’s a high probability of being an HSP. Remember, though, that questionnaires like these are highly subjective, and you should never make changes to your life because of them without further consulting with health care professionals.

Is Being Highly Sensitive a Bad Thing?

Remember, everyone is unique! Everyone has their own personality with their different quirks and needs, and that never means you’re a bad person or need to change who you truly are. Having HSP traits can feel burdensome before you’ve recognized them and learned how to embrace them, but being an HSP is like a superpower!

Challenges for HSPS

If someone calls you “sensitive,” it is often meant negatively. It can hurt to hear that we “overreact” or “think too much” because it invalidates our emotions and experiences. People with HSP traits suffer these insults and invalidations more often than others because of their visceral reactions to life. 

It’s true – HSPs experience life, emotions, and thoughts on a much deeper level. What feels good to some will feel great to you, but what feels bad to others can absolutely devastate you. Pain, whether emotional or physical, is experienced much more by HSPs, and recovery time can be much longer.

As a result, many HSPs choose to take a back seat in life to avoid pain and disappointment. It might feel too much to handle when people or life obstacles let you down. HSPs can often pass up opportunities for growth and enjoyment because they’d rather avoid overstimulation, exhaustion, and potential pain.

Benefits of Being an HSP

Highly sensitive people have strong gut feelings and are incredibly intuitive. Having a sensitive nervous system means that you pick up on stimuli that most people can’t, and you have stellar observation skills. You won’t only be able to pick up on changes in your environment but also sense the needs of others with fantastic accuracy and foresight.

HSPs can enjoy intense and powerful relationships with others because of their ability to empathize, anticipate needs, and feel emotions deeply. For the same reasons, they make stellar parents.

Being able to pick up on stimuli and experience on an advanced level means you can also enjoy life so much more. Fine food, drinks, art, and experiences can be enjoyed on a whole new level. Responding to a heightened ability to enjoy stimuli with a positive attitude means being extremely grateful for life and all you have. 

Self Care for Highly Sensitive People

Overall, you should rejoice if you are a highly sensitive person! The people you should keep in your life are those who appreciate how deeply you understand and care for them. In exchange, they should understand your need for space and cooldown periods when things get too intense. 

Here are some great methods that HSPs can introduce to their daily lives in order to find balance, peace, and growth:

  • Schedule in positive experiences into your hectic days
  • Plan for alone time and relaxation periods after anticipated times of overwhelm
  • Suggest alternatives to experiences that you aren’t comfortable with – need no to push yourself
  • Come to understand your personal boundaries for environments, people, and tasks and be clear about your triggers
  • Create a soothing space you can use as a retreat when you’re overstimulated
  • Incorporate meditation, yoga, prayer, and other practices that allow you to center your body and mind to find balance

Proper self-care for HSPs will be a journey in which they must come to know themselves fully and incorporate helpful practices for keeping the peace in their bodies, minds, and hearts.

Embrace Your Sensitivity

If you ever become upset over your state as a highly sensitive person, remember that you aren’t alone. Some of the most innovative and vital people were HSPs and will go down in history as assets to humanity. Scientists like Albert Einstein, actors like Nicole Kidman, and social reformers like Martin Luther King Jr. are also HSPs who made the most of their sensitivity superpowers!

You are extremely intuitive, empathetic, expressive, and compassionate, and all your friends and family are lucky to have you in their lives. You’re on the path to seeing and doing great things; you just need to harness the power of your ultra-sensitive nervous system and unique mind!

REMEMBER!

You are a beautiful Living Being filled with light and love, born from stardust. You are unlimited potential in every direction. With a focus on discipline, virtue, and your own goodness, you can become as expanded and liberated as you desire. 

Pray for others and the Universe prays for us. 

 

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12 Habits That Harm Your Immune System

things-that-harm-your-immune-system-health
habits-that-harm-immune-system-health
Avoid habits that can harm or weaken your immune system. A Shutterstock Licensed Image

What does your immune system do?

Your immune system is an expansive, complicated network of organs, tissues, and cells that work together to fight harmful germs and other invasive antigens that can make you sick. 

It’s your immune system’s job to protect you, but it can only do so effectively when it’s healthy. There are plenty of ways to protect against viruses and strengthen immune responses, such as introducing probiotics and antiviral herbs to your diet. 

We can also cause damage and weaken the body’s defense if we expose our body to unhealthy life and eating habits. Being more mindful of how we treat our bodies can lead to less sickness and increased longevity. 

So what are you currently doing that interferes with normal immune system activity? Here are some of the more common reasons our immune system might be out of balance.

1. Excessive Amounts of Sugar

We’ll start with an easy one. If you’re like me, you’ve probably heard “sugar is bad for you!” hundreds of times in your life. People are quick to point out that it can lead to diabetes and obesity, but the truth is that it can also reduce your immune system’s defense.

Leukocytes, or white blood cells, are the immune system cells that fight all kinds of foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses. So it’s scary to think that your immune system could be ineffective for any amount of time–but that’s exactly what a study conducted by Loma Linda University found could happen. They found that with as little at 100 grams of sugar (roughly equivalent to a liter of soda) your immune system could be 10-50% less effective at fighting off invaders. For up to 5 hours after ingesting it! 

In that time it would be so much easier for a virus to slip by and get you sick. And to make matters worse, sugar competes with another vital component of your white blood cells–Vitamin C. 

Vitamin C in these cells are necessary for the destruction of bacteria and viruses. However, it shares a similar chemical structure with sugar, so they end up competing for space in your immune cells. More sugar means less Vitamin C, leading to a crippled immune system. 

2. Cigarettes & Marijuana

When your immune system isn’t working at its best, you’re more likely to get sick,  suffer more severe symptoms, and have longer-lasting illnesses

Smoking can throw your immune system out of balance. Along with all of the other health risks associated with smoking, nicotine is a known immunosuppressive. Just like sugar, it inhibits your body’s ability to fight off microscopic pests. It also reduces antioxidant levels in your blood.  

Marijuana alters immune cells found in your blood. The question around whether or not this change is beneficial or harmful is still being debated, but animal studies show marijuana suppresses inflammation and immune system function. If this is the same for humans, all of the issues surrounding poor immune health we discussed before could start to affect you. 

3. Caffeine

You may be surprised to find out that when consumed in moderation, caffeine helps to regulate the immune system. It also contains antioxidants that help prevent disease and cancers. 

But don’t go reaching for that guilt-free soda quite yet. 

If you drink caffeine in excess, it will have an opposite, harmful effect on your immune system. How do you know what qualifies as “too much”? According to the Mayo Clinic, 400 mg is around the safe average for healthy adults. If you need a visual to help compare, they equate it to 4 cups of coffee, two energy drinks, or 10 cans of soda. 

Straying from these levels can lead to major issues. High caffeine levels make your body release increased amounts of cortisol. This stress hormone is designed to give you physical energy to exert in times of high stress, so it dumps your body’s store of fat and sugar. Immune suppression, high blood pressure, higher cholesterol levels, skin breakouts, and weight gain. 

Excessive caffeine can also cause anxiety, insomnia, stomachache, panic attacks, nervousness, and addiction. 

If you feel like you can’t let go of your 12 daily coffee refills start by moving to drinks that naturally have less caffeine or set limits on how much you’re consuming. Try an herbal tea or another healthy alternative. You can also meditate if you’re feeling off or imbalanced to strengthen spiritual, emotional, and physical health.  

4. Red Meat

As with several other items on this list, there is a nutritional benefit to eating moderate amounts of red meat. It provides a source of proteins, vitamins, and iron. The issue arises when you eat too much of it, and over a long period of time.

Red meat has been linked to increasing cancer growth for as long as most of us probably remember. The cause is thought to be a sugar molecule found in lamb, beef, and pork skin called Neu5Gc. It isn’t produced by your body naturally, but it’s found in cancerous tissues. Red meat has incredibly high levels of the molecule while poultry, fish, fruits, and vegetables didn’t have any.  

Neu5Gc sparks a reaction from the immune system when consumed and it sends antibodies to get rid of the foreign invader. The inflammation that results from this response, if chronic, contributes to cancerous tumor growth. An animal study proved that the mice receiving Neu5Gc developed 5 times as many tumors.  

5. Not Drinking Enough Water

Drinking water flushes toxins and waste materials like sugar and salt. Otherwise the body has trouble eliminating the debris and it starts to compound, making you more susceptible to infection and sickness. 

Being dehydrated reduces energy levels too. Without energy you’re more likely to skip important exercise and experience a sluggish immune system. 

Drink more water! It’s easy to accomplish and you can set reminders throughout the day if you’re worried you’ll forget. Your body will thank you and you’ll feel so much better. 

6. Lack of Electrolytes

We routinely get all the electrolytes we need from the food and drink we consume. Which is great because these slightly charged particles play a key role in quite a few functions. They help maintain hydration levels and carry electrical impulses all around the body.

If your electrolytes get out of balance, you can experience a whole slew of nasty effects like:

  • Weakened musclesbook-live-intuitive-reading-with-paul-wagner
  • Muscle spasms, cramps, or twitches
  • Joint and bone disorders
  • Insomnia or other sleep disorders
  • Incorrect hydration levels
  • Less effective immune system
  • Anxiety
  • Fatigue

An electrolyte imbalance could be a sign of underlying medical conditions, but we also need a boost after strenuous exercise or prolonged heat exposure. Our digestive systems slow as we age, which can make it more difficult for our bodies to maintain a proper balance. 

Maple, coconut, and birch water are naturally high in electrolytes, making them a healthy way to replace the missing molecules. Especially for long-term electrolyte replacement. Don’t rely too heavily on other common solutions like sports drinks because they usually contain a ton of unhealthy sugar.

7. Skipping the Workout

Regular exercise is a common health recommendation, tied to a wide range of benefits throughout the body. Heart health, lower blood pressure, weight loss, and immune system defense are just a few.  

A sedentary lifestyle interrupts this natural flow and hurts you as a result. Working out improves circulation so immune cells can travel faster and work more efficiently. If you’re sitting down for most of the day, every day, your circulation could suffer, resulting in blood having a more difficult time maneuvering around the body.

You don’t have to throw a bunch of money at a gym membership you’ll never use. Home workouts are easy to find online and include almost any topic you can think of, from yoga to dance routines. Take a stroll through a nearby park or even your neighborhood if you really don’t like exercising.  

8. Sleeping Too Little

Everyone requires different amounts of sleep to allow their body to fully recover from the day before, but 6 to 8 hours is typically recommended. Any less than this, especially over a long time, can cause negative reactions in your body. 

Sleeping too little increases the chances of getting sick and the risk of chronic diseases. It’s believed this is directly connected to the fact that not sleeping interrupts immune system functions. 

Short-term sleep deprivation makes you more likely to catch a cold or flu, increases your chance of infection, and can even slow the speed of healing. If it becomes a long-term problem, people can also find themselves at risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and depression.

Despite what some people believe, your body can’t just “get used to” surviving on little to no sleep. In fact the continued inflammation caused from little sleep can create more issues for long-term health.

9. Skipping the Naps

Who put the idea in people’s minds that naps are only for kindergarten? So many adults find themselves fighting off the urge to nap during the day, even after a night of poor sleep. But it’s important to listen to the signals your body is sending–it needs that sleep to perform efficiently and keep you healthy. 

A short nap is a healthy way to make up for that crucial sleep you missed the night before. One study compared the levels of cytokines (inflammatory molecules) and norepinephrine (a stress hormone) between two groups. Both were limited to only two hours of sleep on the night of the study, but only one group was allowed to take 2 thirty minute naps the following day. 

Both levels are typically higher after a poor night’s sleep, but the nappers tested normal when the cytokines and norepinephrine levels as if they never lost that crucial sleep.

10. Vitamin Deficiency

Proper vitamin and nutrient levels are absolutely crucial for overall health and an efficient immune system. Nutrients like iron, folic acid, zinc, copper, selenium, and Vitamins A, B6, C, D, and E are all vital to give your body a proper defense against infections and viruses. 

A single deficiency is enough to throw off your immune system and change its response. So the risk of viral, bacterial, and infections increases for those with a poor diet and no additional supplements. 

Fresh, quality food is the best way to ensure ongoing immune health. Frozen fruits and veggies are a great substitute if there’s no fresh produce near you or you’re tired of forgetting things in the back of the fridge until they’ve rotted. Companies freeze them at their peak ripeness so they retain nearly the same amount of nutrients.

Multivitamins and supplements shouldn’t be used as a full substitute for a healthy diet, but they’re great if you’re unable to frequently eat meals that contain the nutrients your body needs. It’s important to remember that taking a supplement once isn’t going to do anything to change your vitamin levels. It’s something you have to stick with for a while to see results, just like you need to maintain a healthy diet over a period of time to notice a difference. 

Stay away from megadose supplements. They contain far more than the recommended dietary allowances which can inhibit immune system efficiency and cause other harmful side effects. 

11. 5G Technology

Some scientists say that we need stronger exposure limits in place to protect us from the effects of radio frequency radiation (RFR). Over 500 studies have found negative biological and health effects caused by RFR exposure and  long-term radiation is also possibly linked to cancer.

5G technology will be combining the older technology of microwaves with the new tech, millimeter waves. The amount of cell antennas required to maintain the service will expose people to this new millimeter wave radiation for the first time. 

There is still research being done to find the extent of risk when it comes to 5G technology, but limiting exposure will help you protect yourself and your immune system from potential harm.

12. Drinking Ice Cold Water

It’s important to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, but how we consume it can be just as important. 

Icy cold water may sound delicious, but it can slow your body’s digestion and hinder its ability to absorb nutrients. As your body tries to correct this imbalance, you can experience water loss that leads to dehydration. Chilled water too soon after finishing a meal can solidify fats from the food and make it difficult for you to break down the unwanted substances. This extra energy being exerted may have a negative impact on your immune system and make you more open to sickness.

Ancient Chinese medicine believes that mixing cold water with warm food creates an imbalance in our bodies. To combat this, room temperature water or hot beverages like tea often accompany meals.

If you’re feeling under the weather, warm drinks are also good at fighting congestion by making it easier to breathe. Cold water, on the other hand, has been found to thicken nasal mucous and makes the congestion feel worse.

You should also skip the cold water if you suffer from migraines or achalasia, as it can trigger or worsen symptoms you’re already suffering from.

Summary

These are just a few simple changes that can make a world of difference in your life. No one likes getting sick or feeling run down, and by avoiding bad habits and unhealthy substances you improve your ability to fight off viruses and bacteria.

It’s wonderful to work on your physical health, but make sure not to neglect other aspects of yourself like emotional, mental, and spiritual wellness. Finding the perfect balance can be difficult at first, but over time you’ll find that as you start to feel better these things will come more naturally to you.

Good luck on your journey to a healthier, happier you!

 

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Health Benefits of Garlic That Can Improve Your Life

health-benefits-of-garlic
health-benefits-of-garlic
Improve your life by adding garlic to your diet. A Shutterstock Licensed Image

Garlic is a common flavoring agent for cooking. So much so, that you may even have some in your home already. But did you know that it’s also good for improving your overall health and well-being? From boosting your immune system and heart health to its antioxidant nature, garlic seems to do a little bit of everything.

So, what makes garlic so good for you in the first place? What benefits can you expect to see? See if the following benefits convince you to overcome that garlic breath smell and elevate your health.

What Makes Garlic Medicinal?

Garlic has been used for thousands of years to heal and treat a variety of conditions. Why is it so special?

The power of garlic comes largely from compounds found in the vegetable. The whole cloves already contain the compound alliin, but the magic happens when you actually crush, slice, chew, or otherwise grind the garlic. This converts the alliin to allicin, a compound that’s responsible for garlic’s distinctive taste and smell.

It’s no surprise then that allicin is the main active ingredient in garlic.

This unstable compound transforms into other, more stable compounds that contain Sulphur. These are largely believed to be the reason behind garlic’s medicinal qualities and there are many studies that back this up.

What positive changes could garlic add to your life?

Boosting Your Immune System

Cold and flu season comes around every year so it’s important to keep your body as prepared as possible to fight back. It’s even more imperative right now with the pandemic going on to ensure your body is ready to take on these pesky viruses.

 In fact, if you’re interested in learning other ways to prepare your body for a pandemic or potential emergencies, there are a lot of ways to do just that (don’t worry, garlic is on the list!).

It’s no secret that viruses are behind the ill effects of both colds and the flu. That’s why it’s helpful to boost the number of T Cells found in your bloodstream, something that garlic can help with. T Cells are an integral piece of the immune system that fights viruses, so more T Cells means more defense.

 A study published by nutrition scientists in 2012 found that participants taking aged garlic extract not only experienced less severity when it came to cold and flu symptoms, but that those symptoms were also quicker to leave when compared to the people not using the garlic.

This superfood can also help your immune system by reducing stress levels. Whether it’s bills, work, or an unexpected mishap, life can be stressful. But constantly living under the burden of it can and will lower your ability to fight off viruses. And the last thing you want to deal with when you’re already under other stress is the idea of getting sick.

 Don’t worry though, garlic can help you here too!

It can fight off that stress and fatigued feeling by affecting your adrenal glands. It turns out that eating garlic alters your adrenal glands’ stress response. They’ll produce less stress hormones and that means you’ll start feeling less lethargic. Your immune system will be able to go back to fighting off viruses and bacteria in no time.

Anti-Cancer Properties

You read that right, garlic has even been found to have properties that aid in cancer prevention. That’s one of the reasons why it’s often included on lists of beneficial superfoods.

Garlic is antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and contains natural antioxidants. And while the role of garlic in cancer treatments is still being researched to find the scope of its effectiveness, its healing properties have already provided positive results in many studies.

For example, garlic has already proven its ability to assist in gene repair. This is especially important to note when discussing cancer, since it mutates important genes. By boosting DNA repair we’re able to combat some of that damage as it occurs.

A study as recent as 2018 shows that garlic enhanced the expression of tumor suppressor genes over the course of the experiment. It can change the cancerous cell’s behavior and lead to slowed growth and metastasis of the tumors.

Unfortunately, not all cancers will be affected by increasing your garlic intake, but you can potentially reduce your risk for:

  • Pancreatic cancer
  • Stomach cancer
  • Breast cancer
  • Colon cancer
  • Esophageal cancer
  • Prostate cancer
  • Glioblastoma
  • Rectal cancer
  • Lung cancer

Heart Health

Increasing the amount of garlic in your diet also promotes a healthy heart. Research has found garlic to perform better than placebos at lowering total cholesterol levels and blood pressure, both of which are risk factors for heart disease, strokes, and heart attacks.

There’s also evidence that garlic supplements have the ability to reduce the thickness of your blood and lower platelet aggregation (a fancy way of talking about blood cells sticking together). People with hypercoagulability, a condition where a person’s blood is thicker and stickier than normal, can be prone to excess blood clots. Garlic’s capacity to both thin blood and reduce the number of sticky cells means they’ll experience lower risk for the dangerous clots.

 

 

Garlic also has a significant stabilizing effect on arrhythmias in animal studies. While it hasn’t been confirmed in humans yet, we know that there are many diseases related to irregular heartbeats that could stand to benefit from these results. Less stress on the heart can mean a longer, more fulfilling life.

Clear Skin & Combat Acne

Remember allicin, the stinky but delicious main ingredient of garlic? Thanks to its antibacterial properties, it can help fight off the bacteria that causes acne. It can also help the skin receive nutrients more easily by improving blood circulation, leading to a clear complexion. Garlic’s anti-inflammatory properties can reduce the appearance of blemishes, too.

There are also other vitamins and minerals found in garlic that’s good for healthy skin, like Vitamin B-6 and C, copper, zinc, and selenium.

At this point you’re probably thinking that you don’t want smelly garlic all over your face, even if it means clear skin. The good news is that you can get a lot of the benefits just from ingesting it. But if you want to get rid of a particularly annoying pimple, there are also topical treatments that incorporate garlic.

If you do go the topical spot treatment route, make sure to test it out on a small non-obvious area first to ensure there are no adverse effects. If it starts burning or stinging, wash the area immediately.

Clear Skin & Combat Acne

As we age, some areas of the brain connected to cognitive functions like planning, learning, and memory may shrink. Narrowing arteries can lower the amount of blood flowing to the brain. Inflammation and free radical damage can also take a toll on our brain over the years.

Garlic’s anti-inflammatory properties help to increase memory and cognitive functions by tackling these problems. It can prevent or slow decline due to Alzheimer’s Disease, another well-known memory loss illness.

We’ve already looked at garlic’s cancer prevention capabilities, but it’s worth noting that a 2013 study demonstrated its ability to protect against glioblastoma—the most aggressive and deadly form of brain cancer. A compound in garlic called dilly trisulfide (DATS) is not only effective at preventing tumor growth but also causes apoptosis (cell death) in active glioblastoma. As an added bonus it doesn’t have any adverse effects on liver function either, a potential side effect of other treatments.

Warning/Risks

Any time you’re looking to introduce a new supplement into your diet you should be mindful of interactions it might have with other supplements and medications you’re already taking. Consult with a doctor before adding garlic to your health regimen to make sure you’re taking proper doses and that it won’t have negative interactions with any health issues you have.

Excessive garlic consumption can cause side effects, with bad breath and body odor being the most common (good for maintaining that six feet of social distancing, but not all that great for your loved ones!). Eating raw cloves, especially on an empty stomach, can cause gas, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, acid reflux, and heartburn.

If you’re going into surgery, be mindful of garlic’s blood thinning properties as it may increase bleeding during the operation. Stop using the supplement at least a full week before the procedure and follow up with your doctor if you feel unsure.  

Summary

Garlic is more than just a smelly vegetable that makes food delicious. It’s been used as a medicinal supplement across the world for thousands of years. Its benefits have drawn enough attention that hundreds of studies have been done, solidifying its healing properties in science.

It contains important vitamins and minerals and provides health benefits for nearly every part of your body. Compounds inside like allicin and DATS are proven to assist and reduce the risk of many life-threatening illnesses.

The exact preparation and dose recommended differs from treatment to treatment. There’s ongoing research that is trying to discover the best way to maximize garlic’s healing properties.

Overall it’s an easy, inexpensive way to boost your physical health and defend against many viruses and diseases.

Meditation, prayer, laughing, and a good snuggle session are also great ways to heal—physically, emotionally, and spiritually!

 

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How to Be Truly Woke: Are You Just Full Of It?

you woke

Woke Consciousness: A Shutterstock Licensed Image

There’s a lot of crazy talk these days about being WOKE. Have no fear though. This is part of the “It’s Okay To Be A Narcissist” movement. This whole ARE YOU WOKE bullshit has become so cliché, every person with a bleeding heart or conspiracy theory is now calling themselves WOKE. This is a trend and it means nothing.

You have to ask yourself:

  • Do we become WOKE (or awakened) when we sniff-out hashtags and taglines that feed our fears?
  • Do we become WOKE when we use these fears to concoct poorly baked conspiracy theories that then define our lives?
  • Isn’t it possible that flubbed lines in audio files are just that – a mistake, rather than a masked secret to put a chip in you dick?
  • Is being WOKE all about seeing society and business as always “out to get” us?
  • Is being a WOKER about hating the government and imagining the worst of everyone in it?
  • Is it about hating factions of society that do not think like you?
  • Isn’t it possible that WOKERS are just lazy, illiterate lovers of fantasy?

Here are a few conspiracy theories for you:

WOKERS don’t have library cards because they don’t like to read.

TRUMP-PETS can’t imagine a benevolent, peaceful world because they’re not benevolent, peaceful people.

QANONers prefer their fantasy opinions, beliefs, and ideologies over thousands of collective years of training, education, and research because they’ve trained themselves to be overreactive, presumptuous, victim-minded, and fearful. This is an addiction. As you think, so you become.

All of these things are prominent in low IQ, low emotional intelligence (EQ), and non-empathic people.

Empathy is EVERYTHING.

Alas…

To be TRULY WOKE, AWAKE, or AWAKENED, it’s about understanding who you are, where you are, where you’re going, and who’s going with you. It’s about knowing your divinity and depth. It’s about stripping away the layers of assumptions and learning how to access your core, authentic nature.

Being WOKE is about responsibility, research, forgiveness, proactivity, and respecting people who are 100X more brilliant and better trained than you. 

I never tell my mechanic, “Nah, I don’t think it’s that hose. I think my car blew up because of the Republicans.”

WOKE IS:

  • Knowing that you may not have been told the truth about everything, while also acknowledging your limitations.
  • Respecting that there are many anomalies and complexities in this world, some of which are so embedded, they will be impossible to eradicate without a colossal, global, life-eradicating war.
  • Knowing that your spirit and how you relate is more important than your protests. Once peaceful and aware, then protest. Otherwise, you’re just an idiot waving a banner that you know nothing about.
  • Being able to fathom that this life of yours is a temporary metaphor meant to educate, enthuse, and enlighten.
  • Understanding that it’s all a mess because it’s supposed to be a mess. Internal and external evolution cannot happen without chaos.
  • Understanding that your pain, inability to forgive others, and refusal to have empathy for those less fortunate than you are far worse than blaming others for their invisible friends, obsessions, insanity, and lack of education.
  • ALL ABOUT forgiving everything, detaching from it all, refraining from feeding the madness.
  • ALL ABOUT bout focusing on expanding your deepest aspects and learning how to truly nurture yourself.

Being Woke is not about continuously reacting to your government and those who oppose your party of choice.

Being Woke is about being coherent enough to do research so you can defend your position using facts, rather than a contrived, manipulated, twisted ideology based on father-projection, charisma, fantasy, and fear.

Being truly AWAKE is not about falling off your bike then blaming 5G or Bill Gates.

Being Woke is about thinking clearly without influence from a religion or trending movement.

Being Woke is not about continuously complaining on social media platforms so you can self-validate your laziness and poorly researched addiction.

Hey, it’s not about posting hate against every opponent of your temporary, imagined identity and belief system. Yes, your identity and beliefs are temporary. They mean NOTHING. It’s all flawed. It’s all vapor.

The idea here would be to:

Stop fear-mongering because that’s what small-minded people do when they’re unable to imagine better outcomes. The fear gives them the illusion of control. Using fear as a response to challenges is a self-limiting habit and low-level coping mechanism for people with low IQs and devolved emotional intelligence.

Improve and evolve your ideology until it evaporates. It’s worthless to you because it’s not based on the truth. It’s based on the family, religion, and society you were born into. It’s based on contrived and self-serving ideas passed down from generations of codependent relating. 

Your ideology and belief system are mostly born from ego, media taglines, and fear.

The truth is far easier, simpler, and allowing. 

Being Woke means that you’re seeking to understand that the Eternal Consciousness includes every aspect in all of creation, which means that it will need to work itself out, even if it’s bumpy and horrible at times.

How To Be Truly Wokeprofoundly-inspirational-inuitive-reading-with-paul-wagner

If it’s part of consciousness, it’s part of you. 

Just because it’s outside of you and uglier than you, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t deserve the space it needs to work itself out.

Unless darkness steps forward, it cannot achieve the light. So if something horrible is happening, accept it, just as you would something positive. It’s all the same. Even darkness has a womb filled with light. Being WOKE is about owning your position in life and working with reality to improve upon it, helping where and when you can.

Being WOKE is about peacefully protesting, not causing damage.

Being WOKE is loving every color and living Being in all of creation, and feeling their pain to the point of knowing it.

Being WOKE is not about guilting or shaming yourself and others, it’s about working to rid the world of these things.

Being truly awake is knowing that all of your anger is about you and your deficiencies. (Well, except when it comes to banks, insurance companies, and military spending. You can be fuck-all, crazy angry about all that!)

If you want to be awakened and truly WOKE: work on yourself, improve your attitude, become more loving, deepen your empathy for humankind and suffering, and realize that this reality is nothing but a tiny leaf twirling in the wind.

It’s here and then it’s gone. So are we.

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How to Perfect Your Intuitive And Psychic Sessions

Tarot Readings, Psychic Sessions, Intuitive Coaching & More: A Shutterstock Licensed Image

How to Perfect Your Psychic Sessions and Intuitive Coaching

1. Take 5 minutes before each of your psychic sessions to center, call in your guides, and allow your clients to reveal themselves to you. You might chant the Om Lokaha Somastaha Sukino Bhavantu mantra 13 times to clear the space. You can also say, Shiva, Shivani, Shiva, Shivani 7 times, which will clear the energetic fabrics connecting you and your client to this moment. This will free reality to emerge and supersede the constructs at play.

2. Make note of any imagery that immediately pierces the veil and falls into your consciousness.

3. When the session begins, start with a prayer or invocation, short and sweet: Thank you Great Spirit and The Eternal Consciousness, we invite all light-beings, ancestors, and gentle souls from all the realms to join us today, in service of (client name). So it is, so it shall be.

4. Sometimes I’ll begin with a pre-reading 2-3 card pull and I’ll do a quick summary of my exploration prior to the call.

the-perseonality-cards-oracle-tarot-deck

5. I’ll then ask if they have any primary or burning questions or concerns they’d like to share before you do a full card pull and reading.

6. If they shared their questions, keep the categories and emerging imagery front-of-mind. Integrate these aspects into your interpretation of the cards.

7. Pull 3 primary cards, then 2 off to the side. Sometimes I wait to pull the additional two, allowing the energy of the in-play reading to influence the experience and electromagnetic nature of the reading and relating.

8. Remember to connect with them throughout the reading, with phrases like, is this true for you, are you feeling something around this, have your experienced something like this, etc.

9. If you feel they are energetically heavy or tense, mention that you sense this aspect emerging within them, and try to tie it into one of the cards. You might also pull additional cards along the way, especially in moments when you sense trepidation, hesitation, anger, sadness, and other emotions & states-of-mind.

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10. As you get to the 2/3 mark in the reading (usually 40 minutes for me), see if you can draw some conclusions, tying several elements from the experience together. This might provoke other questions.

11. In your closing, try to imagine ways the person can improve their feelings, perspectives, health, and conditions, especially within the situations that arose during the session. Over time, you’ll have a trove of helpful hints and suggestions.

12. During the reading, listen intently to every word they say, pay attention to the emotions you feel in them, and allow imagery to come in. It’s during the most vulnerable and tepid moments of a reading, that guides are thrusting information our way – all in service to our clients.

13. To close, tell them you wish for them light, love, peacefulness, and happiness, Tell them they are the embodiment of light and love, and they can always go within to expand themselves and find peace. Tell them you are here for them should they need you.

14. The moment you hang up, thank God, The Universe, your guides, and all the light beings throughout all the realms for their guidance and participation. Remind them that you wish to be in service To All Beings For All Time. You might chant the Om Lokaha Somastaha Sukino Bhavantu mantra 13 times as your closure.

Just remember that you are a Divining Rod and your guides are with you, always. Trust this.

If you need me, you can schedule a session HERE 🙂

GOD BLESS YOU FOR BEING IN SERVICE TO OTHERS!

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Best Dating Questions for Authentic Answers

How to find love, how to ask the right questions. Shutterstock licensed image.

 

Dating Questions That Inspire Authenticity

Whether you’re running hot on OkCupid, Tinder, Bumble, Coffee Meets Bagel, Hinge, Happen, Clover, Plenty Of Fish, Match, eHarmony, or a newly trending dating app or site, it’s helpful to set a vision for your pursuit. It’s also vital that you have a game plan – especially for folks who are wildly sensitive, spiritually-minded, super-prayerful, or all of the above.

Whether you’re a healer, doctor, thinker, laborer, teacher, executive, manager, or just a down-right hard worker, we all need wonderful, loving, and aware partners in our lives. Throughout the process of seeking a lover or partner, it might feel easier to place the responsibility on the other person, but, truly, it’s up to each person to uplevel his/her/their sensibilities and awareness at the beginning of the hunt. The best way to do this is to prepare dating questions that inspire authentic answers.

Chemistry is nothing. It can be contrived.

Ego is nothing. It can mislead.

Mind and mental acuity are often nothing. They can misinform.

 

What drives value and longevity in relationships?

Sensitivity, quality communication, awareness, attention, loyalty, presence, and empathy. If you and your partner can commit to these things, you will find your lives to be uniquely loving and enjoyable.

1 – Let Your Dating Vision Inform the Best Dating Questions

When starting out, it’s important to write down a few thoughts – and commit to them. When forming your Dating Vision, consider these dating questions:

  • How do you like to feel when with your partner?
  • What are your partner’s primary attributes?
  • How will your partner respond to confrontation, feedback, and communication challenges?
  • How will you respond to confrontation, feedback, and communication challenges?
  • How will you celebrate and allow for your differences?
  • How will you and your potential partner respond to upheaval and surprises?
  • How will you and your potential partner communicate when one or both of you is angry?
  • Are you willing to skip sex while you’re dating?
  • What do you require from sex?
  • Which potential habits will you not allow in your potential partner?
  • Which habits are you working on so that you can be the best you can be in your new relationship?
  • What areas of your life and how are you stubborn?
  • Are you truly willing to improve yourself?
  • How forgiving are you? Can you be more forgiving?
  • If your partner is not a relationship leader, can you be the leader?
  • How important will empathy and compassion be in your new relationship?
  • Will you allow yourself to have sex with potential suitors – before really knowing them?
  • Will you be cautious or revealing during the early days of exploring your new relationship?
  • Are you willing to pursue dharmic relationships (in service to truth and soul evolution) versus karmic (contractual, need-based) ones?

 

Click to get The Personality Cards from Paul Wagner

 

2 – Your Dating Game Plan

When in pursuit of a partnership, especially a romantic one, it’s important to have a game plan and dating questions. Consider these questions:

  • Which apps will you use and which ones will you refrain from using? Why?
  • Will you be paying for meals or will the other person be paying? Or will you split the bills?
  • Will you pursue having meals together or only coffee at first?
  • Are you looking to just have fun or to find a truly wonderful partner?
  • How much effort every week are you willing to dedicate to this pursuit?
  • Will you be extra prayerful during this timeframe?

 

Your contract is not with individuals, it’s with the Universe.

 

3 – Getting Over Yourself

The most important thing we can do in life is getting over ourselves.

To have successful relationships with primary partners and lovers requires transparency, humility, and accepting that each of us has something to work on within ourselves. There is no “other.” Most often, the other person is not the problem. Mostly, we are resistant to change, we refuse to acknowledge that we can be more compassionate, and when it comes to listening, we can all be a little lazy.

The second most important skill we need to develop is forgiveness. This doesn’t mean we allow harmful people back into our lives, it means that we are able to release our anger and resentment upon most infractions.

Your ego is fiction.

Your temporary self-identity is fiction.

Release what is false.

 

4 – The Best Dating Questions For Pre-Dating Exploration

When we’re using an app to find love, it’s important to use the app to its full extent. One rule that you might find helpful is to never meet anybody unless you spend 1-month texting with them via the app. This is important so that you don’t quickly jump into projections and allow chemistry to override your sense of reality.

When exploring a potential partner, don’t pretend to be someone else. In fact, it’s best to lay all of your aspects out in the first several exchanges. This way, you and your partner can keep projection and fantasy to a dull roar. Focus on being authentic, even if it upsets the other person. Be fully yourself.

Here are 65 dating questions you can ask within your favorite dating apps BEFORE you meet for coffee:

  1. What do you find most enjoyable in life?
  2. What do you find to be the most beneficial definition of success?
  3. How do you resolve conflicts in your life?
  4. In what ways do you demonstrate love when in a relationship?
  5. In what ways are you selfish in relationships?
  6. How forgiving are you?
  7. How do you feel about the words fuck, twat, asshole, and mother fucker?
  8. When you see a child, do you often smile at him or her?
  9. Are you affectionate?
  10. How important is sex to you?
  11. What specifically is sex to you?
  12. How often do you need to have sex – after the 2-3 year mark – in a relationship?
  13. What is the wildest thing you’ve done?
  14. Have you ever been arrested?
  15. Have you ever been addicted to drugs or alcohol? If yes, tell me more about your recovery and current status.
  16. What is your concept of God?
  17. What is your concept of The Universe?
  18. What are your most self-improving habits?
  19. What types of healthy food do you love to eat?
  20. What types of junk food do you love to eat?
  21. Ever bite your fingernails? How about your toenails?!
  22. Ever have sex in a department store?
  23. How do you feel about traveling?
  24. What is the most adventurous thing you’ve done in your life?
  25. What is your longest relationship or marriage?
  26. Do you believe that aliens from other planets and galaxies are living on our planet?
  27. Ever do anything playful with your privates, like put it into a pie or watermelon? (it’s a movie reference!)
  28. Ever use something unusual to penetrate your vagina for pleasure?
  29. What is the most compassionate thing you’ve done in your life?
  30. How would you describe your level of empathy?
  31. Have you ever taken The Empath’s Oath?
  32. How have you resolved your most traumatizing events from childhood and your younger years?
  33. When something challenging happens to you, are you proactive or reactive?
  34. When it comes to intentionally improving your life, are you a warrior or a victim?
  35. Have you ever been molested or raped? If so, are you still angry or upset about it? Are you still broken in some way? Do you pray for that person? Have you forgiven them?
  36. On a scale of 1 to 10, how positive are you in your daily life?
  37. When you’re angry or grumpy, what do you do to improve your state of mind and heart?
  38. How do you feel about ceremonies, rituals, and prayers?
  39. Do you ever envision praying with your primary partner or lover?
  40. What are you generally willing to do so that you can improve your attitudes, feelings, moods, and demeanor?
  41. What are your most unique skills and talents?
  42. On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you love being in nature?
  43. Are you vegetarian or vegan?
  44. Do you have any dietary restrictions?
  45. If you’re a meat-eater, have you ever hunted and killed your own animal food?
  46. Do you like to watch birds?
  47. Do you kill spiders that you find in the house or do you capture them and release them outside?
  48. Do you vote? Why or why not?
  49. Do you have a political party affiliation? If so, are you passionate about this party?
  50. What are your core beliefs (one sentence each) regarding welfare, minorities, immigration, free national health-care, and military spending?
  51. Have you ever traveled outside the US? If so, what is your favorite places to visit?
  52. What places in the US and Europe do you like to frequent?
  53. How do you serve or help others who are less fortunate?
  54. Do you invest money in the stock market, cryptocurrency, or anything related to your interests or passions?
  55. Do you like to garden?
  56. When you see a living creature flying or crawling on the ground near you, do you ever engage the little Being in conversation?
  57. When you pray, who do you pray to and what do you pray for?
  58. Do you believe in miracles? How so?
  59. What is the most lovely event that you’ve experienced so far in life?
  60. When you think about death, what comes to your mind and heart?
  61. Do you know the difference between co-dependent and co-interdependent?
  62. Are you willing to live co-interdependently, where each person seeks to uplift and encourage the other person to be self-sufficient?
  63. Are you willing to be in a relationship where there is no blame or shame, only patience and loving encouragement?
  64. Can you foresee a relationship that does not allow expectations and demands, and where there are only well-communicated agreements?
  65. Are you willing to commit to being peaceful and loving in all things, including yourself?

 

If you get push-back for wanting to only text for a while, say this:

“We’re all prone to poor decisions because of media influences throughout our lives. We’re all vulnerable. Each one of us needs some distance from images, perfume, charisma, intimacy tactics, and projection. Texting for a while helps a lot with these things. Also, I am a very open, kind, and emotionally-minded man. I love people from all walks of life. Choosing a partner for a life-long journey requires some deep exploration. It can be easy to fall into a relationship with someone for a myriad of reasons – some alignment, physical chemistry, passion, short-term connection, etc. With texting, we can explore some of the more pertinent questions, thereby accelerating the learning processes – without all the normal human distractions. Then we can determine whether it feels right to meet. This is akin to eHarmony, but without their contrived questionnaires and chemistry hooks. It’s real, it’s authentic, and it works for both parties – long term.”

 

You are the only person you ever interact with. There is no other.

“Don’t find fault with anyone. Not even with an insect. As you pray to God for devotion, so also pray that you may not find fault with anyone. Never think that you alone have true understanding and others are fools. One must love all, No one is a stranger. It is Hari alone who dwells in all beings. Nothing exists without Him”  – Bhagvan Sri Ramakrishna

EMBODY LOVE, SEEK LOVE, AND HUMBLY SERVE YOUR LOVER!

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Birthstones: How the Stars, Planets, And Elements Align Upon Our Births

Birthstones
Birthstones
Gemstones are the Universe’s way of holding your hand. A Shutterstock Licensed Image.

When each of us is born, elements throughout the universe are aligned in uniquely specific formations. Because every aspect of creation is connected, our birth stars and planets are positioned in ways that are meant to impact our lives, both positively and negatively. Similarly, birthstones also have a great impact on us.

Inherent in these constellations and formations is a unique set of influences and energetic attributes. We can choose to move with these constructs; as if being whisked away on mini rollercoasters throughout our lives, or we can challenge them by understanding how they function, then continuously choose to improve our responses to them. 

Therein lie two potential responses to our birth influences and the resulting karmic flows: roll with it or rise above it.

What is a Birthstone?

While the stars and planets are working with the energetic aspects within the heavens to bring you to life and then guide you through to your death, there are other players in the game: gemstones. All the stones throughout all the galaxies and universes are born with energetic infusions. This makes each stone unique in its attributes and footprint. 

Hinduism tells us that the nine gemstones connected to your specific celestial forces can help you in this life. In Sanskrit, they are known as Navaratna or The Nine Gems. By wearing some of them for specific purposes; you can protect yourself from the negative influences that were found in the heavens at the time and place of your birth. This is why birthstones can be extremely valuable to us. They can help us break karmic trends, heal ancient wounds, and escape the harshest aspects built into the fabric of our life trajectories.

What is the Origin of Birthstones?

Our birthstones were with us upon our birth, knowing who we are and who we might become. It’s in this way that our birthstones can be lucky for us. They can expedite our experiences of prior life karmas and the timelines that lead to achieving our desires. This can result in having a “lighter load” during this life.

While there is no specific destiny for the specifics of your life, there are certainly destinies related to the attributes and conditions you will attract in this life. By exploring birthstones and other gems, and with an understanding of your Vedic astrology, you can improve upon the conditions related to each category (house) in your chart. Every person’s chart is unique and every stone has a unique impact on each of those houses. Knowing your chart means knowing the details of each of your categories (houses), which also means knowing which aspects are your most palpable influencers. 

Popular Jewelry Associations

In The United States and Great Britain, jeweler societies formulated their own lists of birthstones, associating one gemstone to each month. While some of these lists seem to reference the original Vedic and zodiac lists, some of the stones they promote are merely for marketing purposes. 

This is why it’s vital to get your Vedic astrology reading from a talented, intuitive professional. Your birthstones may or may not coincide with those promoted by the gemstone industry. 

That said, the original lists for Vedic and zodiac gemstones are strong and can provide a good first step toward welcoming gemstones into your life as healing and empowering tools. 

What Is My Birthstone?

Here are three outlines noting a variety of birthstones and their meanings, as noted in the original Vedic and zodiac texts. Keep in mind that your best bet for learning how to use gemstones to enhance your life is through a traditional Vedic reading.

The Zodiac

  • Aquarius (Jan 21 – Feb 18): Garnet
  • Pisces (Feb 19 – Mar 20): Amethyst
  • Aries (Mar 21 – Apr 20): Bloodstone
  • Taurus (Apr 21 – May 21): Sapphire
  • Gemini (May 22 – Jun 21): Agate
  • Cancer (Jun 21 – Jul 22): Emerald
  • Leo (Jul 23 – Aug 22): Onyx
  • Virgo (Aug 23 – Sept 22): Carnelian
  • Libra (Sept 23 – Oct 23): Chrysolite (Peridot) and Aventurine
  • Scorpio (Oct 24 – Nov 21): Beryl
  • Sagittarius (Nov 22 – Dec 21): Topaz
  • Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 21): Ruby

While there are some similarities with the above list, here is the list according to Vedic astrology, with a few additional suggestions:

Vedic Astrology

purchase-the-personality-cards-oracle-tarot-deck

  • January: Garnet, Rose Quartz
  • February: Amethyst, Onyx
  • March: Bloodstone, Aquamarine, Red Jesper
  • April: Diamond, Rock Crystal
  • May: Agate, Emerald, Green Tourmaline
  • June: Pearl, Moonstones, White Topaz
  • July: Ruby, Star Ruby, Carnelian
  • August: Sapphire, Peridot, Aventurine
  • September: Moonstone, Iolite, Lapis Lazuli
  • October: Opal, Tourmaline, Smoky Quartz, Moonstone
  • November: Topaz, Yellow Sapphire, Golden Citrine, Tiger’s eye
  • December: Ruby, Turquoise, and Blue Zircon

By Planet

When you’re ready for your Vedic reading, you’ll be able to quickly reference your gemstones using this simple list:

  • Sun: Ruby, Garnet, Red Spinel, Rhodolite, Rubellite, Red Tourmaline, Rose Quartz 
  • Moon: Pearl, Moonstone, Rutilated Quartz
  • Mars: Red Coral, Carnelian, Red Jasper
  • Mercury: Emerald, Peridot, Green Agate, Jade, Green Tourmaline, Aventurine
  • Jupiter: Yellow Sapphire, Yellow Topaz, Citrine, Yellow Zircon, Yellow Tourmaline, Citrine
  • Venus: Diamond, White Sapphire, Clear or White Zircon, White Tourmaline, Clear Quartz, Phenakite
  • Saturn: Blue Sapphire, Blue Zircon, Blue Spinel, Amethyst, Blue Tourmaline, Lapis Lazuli, Sodalite
  • Rahu: Hessonite (Gomed), Garnet, Spessartite
  • Ketu: Chrysoberyl Cat’s Eye, Tiger’s Eye

The Stones And Their Meanings

Here are some of the primary and most popular gemstones associated with our births. When we understand our personal attributes and negative tendencies, we have a better chance of selecting the most beneficial and supportive gemstones.

Garnet

Attributes: January, Aquarius, Protection, Faith, Love, Energizing, Boost, Consistency, Flow, Empowerment, Feeling Alive, Wanting More, Dark Red

Garnets are powerful gemstones that can help us protect ourselves and rise into our personal power. They also prevent nightmares and can provide helpful guidance when we feel as though we are meandering in darkness. The stone can increase power and energy levels, and help nervous folks feel calmer. They can also help to stabilize challenging situations and help travelers feel safer.

Amethyst

Attributes: February, Wisdom, Courage, Peacefulness, Relaxation, Royalty, Meditation, Temperance, Serenity, Tuning-in, Violet, Purple

The word amethyst comes from “amethystos,” a Greek word meaning “not drunk.” These beautiful stones can protect us, keep us calm, and guide us when we’re faced with stressful situations and other difficulties. Amethysts can encourage us to have more self-control and be more proactive in our love relationships. They can also help to steady our restless minds and inspire expanded mental and emotional well-being.

Amethysts are worn by healers to help them relax into their talents and serve others. The person being healed might also wear or hold an amethyst to help them receive light, healing, and love. Amethyst crystal clusters are used to remove negative charges from the air and add life-force to a variety of environments. 

Amethyst clusters can also be placed in sunny windows which can magnify the healing properties of the stone. heal negativity in the home. You can place Amethyst clusters, points, or several tumbled Amethysts in the moonlight for a sense of home-wide calm.

Aquamarine

Attributes: March, Serenity, Strength, Healthy, Youth, Love, Creativity, Courage, Happy, Mental Clarity, Hope, Grounded In Power, Pale Blue, Cyan

Wearing this lovely gemstone is thought to reawaken married love, build courage, and increase happiness. Aquamarine’s soothing blue color is believed to help us reduce negative energy and improve our connection to our personal strength. Aquamarine is a symbol of perception, hope, and self-expression.

Aquamarine can quiet the mind and help us with meditation. While cleaning out our chakras, this powerful stone improves our magnetism. It can also guard mothers and babies against harm. For the rest of us, aquamarine can reduce the effects of sore throats, swollen glands, and thyroid problems. It can help to regulate our hormones, alleviate our allergies, and boost our immune systems.

Diamond

Attributes: April, Eternal Love, Romance, Lightning, Divine Power, Endurance, Courage, Purity, Innocence, Amplify, Eternity, Clear

In Sanskrit, the diamond is called “vajra,” which also means lightning; while in Hindu mythology, vajra was the weapon of Indra, the king of gods. In ancient times, diamonds were believed to be the tears of the many Gods. The beauty and brilliance of a diamond are unparalleled.

The diamond can amplify our subtler attributes and give us the consistency we need to drive to the finish line. They also enhance the power of other crystals, although they might also increase the aspects found in any item in your home, both positive and negative. Be careful with diamonds! 

Diamonds block electromagnetic frequencies that cause stress and feelings of inner-disconnectedness. They can protect against 5G emanations and help us purify and detoxify our bodies. Diamonds can also help us balance our metabolism, improve stamina, and treat chronic conditions. They might also help you with dizziness, vertigo, and healing your brain.

Emerald

Attributes: May, Hope, Fertility, Feminine Power, Devotion, Rebirth, Transformation, Resurrection, Beauty, Wisdom, Personal Growth, Nobility, Patience, Venus, Medium Green, Light Green, Rich Green, Dark Green

The emerald was one of Cleopatra’s favorite gems. The might ruler used emeralds to increase the power of her magnetism and inspire devotion in her subjects. Moreover, the emerald is truly one of the most enriching gemstones. 

Emeralds can help treat disorders of the heart, lungs, spine, and muscular system. They are thought to aid in the recovery from infectious illnesses and can help soothe our sinuses and eyes. These stunningly beautiful stones have a detoxifying effect on the liver and can lessen the effects of diabetes and arthritis.

Pearl

Attributes: June, Romantic Love, Old Love, Stability, Modesty, Chastity, Children, Ancestors, Confidence, Self-Esteem, Self-Worth, Joy, White

Pearl is worn to calm a restless mind and to control anger. It is believed that people who wear pearls feel more connected to their creativity and eternal muse. This glistening stone is also linked with being able to maintain a successful married life.

Pearls can be held to treat digestive disorders and heal the soft organs of the body, including the skin. They can also relieve conditions related to bloating and nausea. Pearls might also help to increase fertility and ease childbirth.

Ruby

Attributes: July, Vitality, Harmony, Kingliness, Emotional Intelligence, Empress Power, Passion, Lust, Sexuality, Enthusiasm, Success, Integrity, Loyalty, Red

Traditionally, the ruby has been regarded by ancient Hindus as the “king of gems.” It was believed to protect its wearer from darkness, shadows, and evil. It has been known to inspire the removal of negative energies from our paths. Also, it can help you overcome exhaustion and lethargy. It also imparts potency and vigor. 

The ruby detoxifies the body, blood, and lymphatic systems. It treats fevers, infectious diseases, and can improve blood flow. This sparkling gemstone will also stimulate your adrenals, kidneys, reproductive organs, and spleen.

Peridot

Attributes: August, Beauty, Mystique, Mystery, Goddess Power, Enchanting, Spells, Improvements, Uplifting, Lightness of Being, Strength, Light Green, Olive Green

Peridot is sometimes called “the evening emerald” for its light green color and resonance with the other realms. It was once believed that the green peridot crystals found in volcanic ashes were the tears of the Hawaiian Goddess of Volcanos known as Pele. Moreover, Tradition says we can ward off evil, enchant our lives, and ease depression when we wear or carry a peridot stone.

The peridot is thought to banish lethargy, apathy, and exhaustion. Also, it strengthens the immune system and metabolism. Further, it aids disorders of the heart, thymus, lungs, gallbladder, spleen, and intestinal tract. Some say that Peridot can also treat ulcers.

Sapphire

Attributes: September, Truth, Protection, Talisman, Old Religion, Ancient Rituals, Faith, Energy Cleansing, Dignity, Ancestral Wisdom, Deep Blue

book-live-intuitive-reading-with-paul-wagner

The sapphire is thought to guard against shadows, spells, evil, and poisoning. Moreover, Legend has it that venomous snakes would die if placed in vessels made from sapphire. Traditionally a favorite stone of kings, queens, priestesses, and priests, the sapphire can access the depth of our souls and natures.

Sapphires might also be beneficial against blood disorders, excessive bleeding, and weak veins. This majestic stone can also be used for cellular disorders, regulating our glands, and calming our anxieties.

Opal

Attributes: October, Faithfulness, Confidence, Consistency, Foresight, Visions, Psychic Abilities, Intuition, Empathy, Loyalty, Innocence, Healing, Pink, Green, or Multi-Color

The word opal comes from the Byzantine Greek “opalus,” meaning “precious jewel,” and in Sanskrit, “gem, stone.” However, Opal necklaces can be worn to inspire a deeper connection to others, expand psychic abilities, open the heart, and repel evil. Opals can also represent hopefulness. 

Opals strengthen memory and the will to live. Moreover, they can treat infections and fevers, cleanse the blood and kidneys, and regulate insulin. This stone eases childbirth and can alleviate the body during stressful experiences, like PMS.

Topaz

Attributes: November, Joy, Affection, Physical Connection, Sexual Expression, Strength, Intellect, Mental Strength, Serenity, Integrated Power, Dark Yellow

Yellow topaz stones are associated with strengthening the mind, heart, and overall body. Similarly, they offer protection to travelers and support good mental health.

Also, Topaz is linked to wisdom, strength, and courage. It can soothe physical pain, promote peace, and reduce our attachment to expressing our emotions with abandon. Topaz also promotes forgiveness.

Topaz aids digestion and combats eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia. Also, it fortifies the nerves and stimulates metabolism.

Turquoise

Attributes: December, Friendship, Love Charm, Magic, Angels, Protection, Pursuits, Achievements, Good Fortune, Positivity, Happy Life, Divine Light, Light Blue, Turquoise

Turquoise attracts success on both the physical and spiritual planes. It is believed to relax the mind and protect its wearer from harm. Moreover, ancient practitioners believed that turquoise would actually change color when the wearer was ill or in danger.

However, The turquoise stone aids in the absorption of nutrients enhances the immune system, stimulates the regeneration of tissue, and heals the whole body. It contains anti-inflammatory and detoxifying effects and can alleviate cramps and pain. Also, Turquoise purifies lungs, soothes and clears sore throats, and heals the eyes, including cataracts. This precious stone can also neutralize acidity, benefit stomach problems, and help to heal viral infections.

Which Birthstones Stand Out?

  • The most expensive birthstones: Blue Diamond, Musgravite, Jadeite, Alexandrite, Red Beryl
  • The rarest birthstones: Tanzanite, Black Opal, Larimar, Paraiba Tourmaline, Grandidierite, Alexandrite
  • The most powerful birthstones: Ruby, Emerald, Yellow Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Pearl, Red Coral
  • The luckiest birthstones: Peridot, Pyrite, Amethyst, Citrine, Tiger’s Eye, Agate
  • The most peaceful birthstone: Angelite, Amethyst, Celestite/Celestine, Fluorite, Black Tourmaline, Lepidolite, Larimar
  • The most healing birthstone: Amethyst, Rose Quartz, Iron Pyrite, Raw Emerald, Hematite
  • The loveliest birthstone: Rose Quartz, Chrysocolla Cabochon, Apple Green Chrysoprase, Moonstone, Kunzite, Lapis, Rhodonite, Sapphire
  • The most enlightening birthstone: Labradorite, Blue Lace Agate, Lapis Lazuli, Rose Quartz, Amethyst, Blue Sapphire

Birthstones – Commonly Asked Questions

Are birthstones lucky?

Birthstones are lucky if they are aligned with your Vedic or zodiac chart. Also, they might be lucky if you feel a momentary connection to a specific stone. While the latter might be fleeting, it’s important to pay attention to the stones that you feel are aligned with you.

What happens if you wear the wrong birthstone?

There are no wrong gemstones. One stone might help you feel more peaceful, while another might help you experience expedited karma or a lightning-fast shift in consciousness. Even if there’s pain involved, your evolution might be worth it. That said, some stones can have negative impacts on us. Therefore, be careful to select the stones that are aligned with your astrological charts. Also, pay attention to how you feel when touching or wearing specific stones. Even though your chart or heart might point to a positive experience with a specific stone, it doesn’t mean you’ll have a positive experience with it.

Why do some months have two birthstones?

Some gemstones are connected to other stones. Also, there are primary birthstones for a given month or house, and there are secondary, third, and fourth stones. So, by being aware of your chart, you can improve the value that gemstones have in your life.

Use Your Birthstones To Help You!

Gemstones are powerful little amplifiers that can assist us in every area of our lives. When a gemstone is our birthstone, we receive even more power and presence from it. You might see your birthstone as your guardian angel. By inviting them into our lives, we can reap helpful benefits that we may have otherwise missed. 

I see all living Beings as a manifestation of the divine. Therefore, I talk to my house plants, vegetables in my garden, and the gemstones on my shelves and body. While they might be tiny, they are connected to the All-That-Is, as are you. Also, say hello to all the elements in your house. There is no “other.” There is only everything.

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