Retrogrades: Mercury

Retrogrades: Mercury
(Original publication date unavailable)
Yup we are in the first “official” mercury retrograde of 2017, we will have 2 more this year, so let’s dive in, shall we ;D
Retrogrades: when the planetary forces are moving backward or are reversed.
Translation: Things are gonna get a little wonkyfied.
Mercury Represents: 
Communication, Technology, Transportation, Travel, Intellect, Trickery, Business.
Ruler of the signs Gemini & Virgo
Mercury retrograde:
Mercury retrogrades three times per average year for anywhere from 3-5 weeks each time.
When the planet of Rational Thinking, Communications, Equipment, and Business Transactions, stops operating normally, it leads to all sorts of annoying events.
This is a good time to take stock of where you stand and come to terms with reality- no rose-colored glasses …no Fluff… just the facts.
It’s a time to lay low, process and digest the information that you have on hand rather than adventure out into unknown & undiscovered territory.
Visualize and perceive things from your internal point of view and don’t start anything new until after the last retrograde shadow zone is passed. When the planet of “business” is going in reverse, it is also a good time to finish up old business (i.e., pay bills, clean out the closet, etc.)
*Also for the Mercury ruled out there,
 I’m talkin to you Gemini and you Virgo …don’t be surprised if you feel a little off and your normal clear mind & eloquence desert you.
Keep calm, all storms pass!
Actually, you know what, go dance in that rain!!!!!!
The Three phases(remember a retrograde is like an Oreo cookie- 1st shadow zone, retrograde, finale):
March 27th, 2017, Mercury enters shadow zone :
During this phase, you will get an idea of the communication, business, travel and technology issues that will be of concern during the retrograde phase.
 
#2  The Actual Retrograde=  the planet during its retrograde phase “revisits” that issue or event, which may also entail delaying the resolution or realization of action.
April 9th, 2017, Mercury The Retrograde:
Areas of life that were a major focus during the 1st shadowzone now come to the forefront for our working out-through-against.
May 21st, 2017, Mercury retrograde finale/ 2nd shadowzone:
This completes the final phase of the first Mercury retrograde of 2017. Your communication, business, travel, and technology issues that were in focus during Mercury retrograde can now be finalized & will be brought to a close (like it or lump it).  
 
Advantages, Opportunities & how this helps us:
A Mercury Retrograde teaches us the value of silence, rest and unplugging from our technology-saturated lives.
There is so much noise in our society!
Sometimes it’s nice to just enjoy Rain on a roof, a walk in the woods or a steamy mug of hot tea in PEACE!
Well, this is what Mercury Retrograde brings you, the excuse to shut up, sit down, and take a load off!!!!
Computers, laptops, phones, tablets, and technology tends to fritz up. Arguments, disputes, misunderstandings, problems, and mistakes go on the rise.
No new business, don’t sign any contracts, buy new items or start new projects.
Transportation in all of its forms will have a plethora of hiccups and mistakes,
Communication becomes twice as difficult
(lots of miscommunication and misunderstandings! If you have any altercations during this time, just forgive everybody involved and move on!!! Because I guarantee that nobody meant for things to go sideways and they probably couldn’t get the right words to express themselves properly to come out. If possible wait to talk things out with any loved ones or anyone important to you),
Because instead of actually COMMUNICATING,
we are REACTING-
from our needs, our hurts, from our buttons being pushed, or the way that we take care of others and neglect the crap out of ourselves. Some astrologers like to call this acting from our shadow, in reference to our shadow selves- emotional id- etc.
Also now is the worst time to do anything untoward!
Just stick to being aboveboard and honest, Communication is gonna fuzz up anyways so why make it worse?
It is a great time, however, to plan, research, and prepare for things that will come later.
 
These are things that can help mitigate its influences:
Preparation and allowances for hiccups and technical difficulties in the above-mentioned areas, wait the 5 weeks till this is over to chat about anything important,
REMEMBER: things generally have nothing to do with YOU,
so take NOTHING personally right now,
Mountains are mountains and molehills are molehills- keep them separated by strong defining lines.
Crystals:
Blue calcite– Speak what you need to say, cuts through  Mercury retrograde garble, allows you to truly listen to the other person, filters garble
Blue lace agate-helps you actually find the words and say what you want to say without the  Mercury retrograde garble
Sodalite– clears out mental fuzz (which is synonymous with Mercury retrograde)
Green calcite-happy harmonious communication-overcomes trust barriers
Prehnite– compassion for others and healing oneself along with moving past trust issues
Peridot-calms tempers(which will flair with all of the miscommunication)
Dragon quartz– motivation (gets you over the sluggishness and fogginess of Mercury retrograde )
Or if you wish to use this time to your advantage: 
Slowing down, talking less, unplugging from tech overload, relax & read a book. Just kick back as much as possible right now!!!
Enjoy the break!!!
Crystals:
Rose quartz-who doesn’t need some self-care after all the person to person BS of  Mercury retrograde
Prehnite-lots of healing work after  Mercury retrograde
Sodalite-calms a mind full of anxiety and fog
Amethyst-clears up depression and helps with sleep & intuition
Citrine– keeps you sunny and positive, keeps others negativity at bay, shuts down an overactive inner critic
Moonstone-tunes you into your intuition so as you can navigate some of those major road bumps ahead.
 
Mercury Retrograde dates for 2017:
January 1st
April 9th
August 13th
December 3rd
*Updated for re-publication dates*
Mercury retrograde dates for 2018:
March 23 to April 15
July 26 to August 19
November 17 to December 6
Here is what you can do to counteract it:
You really cant, so sit down and enjoy the ride!
****But don’t just take my word for it, get out there and research it!****
      ~Alicia Anspaugh-Mccullough, DMNAS

Himalayan Salt lamps, Hype or Help

Himalayan Salt lamps, Hype or Help

(Original publication date unavailable)

 

Ok,
HSL’s (Himalayan Salt Lamps) have experienced a huge boom in the last 2 years, everyone wants one, has one, needs another.
In my personal experience, These things are a HUGE help.
You don’t know what you’re missing if you’ve never slept or sat by a Himalayan salt lamp. It’s like having an open window – a softly glowing natural source of fresh, clean air – on your desk, in your living room, next to the bed, or anywhere you decide to put it.
 
How does it work?
The warmth of the candle or light bulb reacts with the natural crystal salt, releasing negative ions into the air.
Nifty factoid:
Looking at the light also boosts your serotonin ( thought to be a contributor to feelings of well-being and happiness) level making it easier to sleep, concentrate, and meditate.
On a strictly energetic level, Himalayan Salt Lamps are a great cleaner.
They cleanse & purify the environment around them.
And it is still salt, It is awesome for keeping negative stuff out of your space.
“It’s just a big chunk of salt with a light bulb inside, I’m skeptical on all of these health benefits that I see advertised?” you might say…….
No worries, I was too.
And yes and no, it IS a big ol’ chunk o salt…..but its also a little more complicated than a big block of salt with a bulb inside.
Himalayan salt lamps purify air through the power of hygroscopy ((of a substance tending to absorb moisture from the air, relating to humidity or its measurement.) , meaning that they attract water molecules from the surrounding environment and then absorb those molecules – as well as any foreign particles they may be carrying – into the salt crystal.
As the  Himalayan Salt Lamp warms up from the heat produced by the light bulb or candle inside, that same water then evaporates back into the air and the trapped particles of dust, pollen, smoke, etc remain locked in the salt.
Nifty, Hunh?
 
What are the benefits?
Here are a few of the benefits (just punch Himalayan Salt  into google and you can read a ton of articles on the lamps, the salt, the shot glasses, the cutting boards, etc):
  • Increased energy levels
  • Better sleep
  • Improved depression
  • Reduced stress
  • Salt Lamps Cleanse & Deodorize the Air
  • Neutralize Electromagnetic Radiation
  • Treat Seasonal Effective Disorder
  • Reduced allergy or asthma symptoms
  • Plus they are super pretty!!!!!!!
 
How big of a lamp do I need for my home?
The equation is roughly 1 pound of Himalayan Salt for every 2 square feet of an environment.
Below are some of the more popular sizes of Himalayan Salt Lamps and the area that they cover:

 

5-7 lbs. salt lamp — 10×10 sq. feet (small bedroom)

9-11 lbs. salt lamp — 12×12 sq. feet (large bedroom)

12-15 lbs. salt lamp — 14×14 sq. feet (living room)

40-50 lbs. salt lamp — 30×30 sq. feet (joined rooms & commercial spaces)
How can I tell if I have a fake on my hands?
(yup, just like everything else in the world people have stooped to faking salt lamps, the sadness in this is epic)
Here are a few signs to watch for:
*Its very light colored and is stupidly cheap
 White Himalayan salt is harder to come by than the usual pink that you see everywhere. Genuine white Himalayan salt lamps tend to cost several times as much as regular ones.
White Himalayan salt lamps are the preferred variety for detoxification and healing by some schools of energy healers. For everyone else, the Pink variety is gonna be awesome
*Its very heavy but lights up the entire room.
When a Himalayan salt lamp exceeds roughly 20 pounds, it is not going to give off light in a uniform pattern That’s just the nature of the creature.
So, If you have a large  Himalayan Salt Lamp that lights up your entire bedroom without any striations, a pretty & effective lamp for sure, but not an actual Himalayan Salt Lamp.
*It doesn’t break or crumble, no matter what
Himalayan salt lamps tend to be fragile. And are very poorly affected by moisture and humidity (they start sweating and condensating, then you have moist salt dust-its gross).
So if you’ve dropped yours, put it in a steamy bathroom, or the shipping box has arrived rather roughed over. But the lamp looks good as new, its a quality piece of merchandise, but it’s not a Himalayan Salt Lamp.
*The Lamp Handles Moisture Well
Genuine Himalayan salt manufacturers recommend that their products be placed in a cool, dry area. That’s because the salt will absorb any moisture around it and begin to shrink.  You can test your lamp by taking a damp cloth and gently rubbing the lamp. The part of the cloth you’ve rubbed should have noticeable discoloration and the lamp should look like it’s “weeping.”
*You don’t experience any changes
All of your life’s problems are not going to be solved by a Himalayan salt lamp.
(But it would be super nice right lols!!)
But after a couple weeks of using one in your home, you should notice a few differences. One of them being a more content feeling, the other a noticeably better nights sleep.
Should I get one?
I don’t know, that’s up to you.
Personally, I have one in almost every room of my house, no bathrooms (Because I want mine to have a nice long life )due to the humidity(Its still hardened salt after all), and the effects are very noticeable.
I am more at peace, I sleep better, I have fewer allergy symptoms, I find meditation easier, I am more focused, I concentrate easier ( And that is saying sumthin with a 13-month-old lol).
I will warn that if you have a bunch of them all lite up, some people have related stories of the lamps having a drying effect. I haven’t experienced this but, I got one for my Mom and she said her eyes dried out.
*Side note:
As I type this up, I am sitting in my shop with 8 of them on. And IT IS GREAT!!!!!!!!
****But don’t just take my word for it, get out there and research it!****
      ~Alicia Anspaugh-Mccullough, DMNAS

Gemstone Therapy: Grounders

Gemstone Therapy: Grounders
(Original publication date unavailable)
What is Gemstone therapy?
It is using the innate energy of a particular gem, crystal, stone, mineral or set thereof to boost, catalyze, influence, initiate or prop up your own energies. Example: you’re having a horrid day and your feeling really down in the dumps. So you go over to your mega positive friend’s house and hang out with them for awhile. Strangely, you feel a lot better. You leave and the uplifted feeling stays with you. That, in a nutshell, is what crystals do.
What do crystals do?
A lot of different things! They can de-stress,  help jettison emotional baggage, keep you in a sunny state of mind, bring harmony to a home, help to facilitate honest communication,  etc
Today though, I am focusing on Grounders!
 
Definition:
Grounding: an energetic and mental state of being present, in your body and in the here & now.
That doesn’t sound so hard, right?
WRONG!!!!
In the day to day stresses and struggles we often forget to be IN the moment.
So worried about all that needs to be done, or all that should have been done.
We pile on oh so much worry and anxiety,
when we really need to realize- the past is over, the future is yet to be, and the present is all that we can truly effect.
Some side effects of not grounding:
Anxiety
Irritability
Excessive fatigue
Stress (& stress-related illnesses)
Daydreaming
Dizziness
Feeling checked out (if this happens a lot, its time to take up dance and meditation)
Forgetfulness
Light sensitivity
Noise sensitivity
Feeling drained, panicked, angry, overworked, overwhelmed, etc and the thoughts /mental state that goes with these emotions
Falling asleep during meditation
We make ourselves SICK (Mentally & physically) with worry, and so other than breathing or using sound therapy or yoga to find our calm stillness within, I give you CRYSTALS!!
Some Top notch Grounders:
Hematite-Grounding & stress relief
Amber-grounds you & reminds you of all of the blessings that you have.
Ruby-grounding, vitality
Garnet-strength,courage,grounding
Smokey quartz-grounding, organization, tunes you into the cosmic energy flow, removes negative energy
Red coral-motivation, ambition, relaxation, removes negative energy, optimism, and enthusiasm, abates depression & lethargy
Black onyx-grounding & protection from negative energy
Citrine– muzzles an overactive inner critic, keeps you centered in positivity, reflects outside negative energy
Tiger eye-grounding, protection from negative energies, concentration, energy
Obsidian-grounding & protection from negative energies
Black tourmaline-Grounding & empathic blocking
Sodalite-calming down a busy mind, quieting mental chatter, grounding the mind
Red Jasper- is a softer grounding crystal, a crystal of empowerment, it brings strength to resist emotional domination by others, also the courage to overcome domestic violence. *
*It will sustain those in the process of healing & recovering from a variety of violent Trauma & sexual experiences.
These crystals do MORE then what is listed, but these are the most relevant attributes that they convey concerning this particular article.
There are other crystals for different types of grounding, but Iv found these are  great starters.
****But don’t just take my word for it, get out there and research it!****
      ~Alicia Anspaugh-Mccullough, DMNAS

Pendulums???

Pendulums???
(Original publication date unavailable)
So let’s get down to the ugly truth!!!!!
We are all a little lazy when it comes to maintenance, self-care, discipline, organization, etc.
So why would I be any different (Just cause I’m chasin enlightenment, doesn’t mean that I’m any less human),
When I recommend stuff,
it is going to be easy care, low maintenance, straight to the point, and budget-friendly (well as budget friendly as possible lol)
So in that vein, I give you the pendulum!
It’s AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You can do all kinds of cool things with it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dowse for lost stuff, find waterways, divine answers, you can use it as a tool to tap into the Akashic records (Compendium of all that is, was and will be), check your chakras, some even use it to communicate with spirits, etc.
In short, IT ROCKS!!!!!
And it’s super simple and user-friendly!
Fun facts:
There are a few different records, but we do know that it was used for divination at least as far back as the Han dynasty in China.
It isn’t until centuries later when the use of the pendulum as a divination tool can be found in Europe.
One of the earliest European uses of the pendulum was through Dowsing.
**Dowsing: *a way of searching for underground water, minerals, or anything invisible, by observing the motion of a pointer (traditionally a forked stick, now often a pair of bent wires) or the specific changes in direction of a pendulum, in response to unspecified unseen influences.**
Some of the earliest stories of pendulum use for divination comes through Italy and traveling gypsies. To escape persecution for possessing ‘tools of the devil’, early gypsies would wear their pendulums as necklaces.
Neat, Hunh????
Basic How to:
  1. Grab a string or thinner chain and put a weight on the end of it (Generally, I use crystals, but I’m really into shiny’s 😀). Make the weight with enough heft that the wind won’t catch it, but light enough that your not gonna get arm strain. Or just drop by the shop and buy one from me lols 😀
  2. Now, brace your elbow on a stable surface (this ends a lot of arm and hand shake, we all shake slightly- so no worries).
  3. Now, hold up your forearm with that elbow braced on a stable surface and suspend your pendulum from between your forefinger & thumb
  4. Still your pendulum as much as possible, then ask it POLITELY which way is yes
  5. Now ask your pendulum which way is no.
  6. Now ask it a few tester questions ( stuff you already know the answers to)
  7. Then phrase all of your questions in a yes or no vernacular, and your set!!!!
It is truly THAT easy!!!!
Make sure you have something to put it away in when you are done with it(pouch, box, etc)
Always say THANK YOU when you are done using it.
Always be respectful, it is a tool like any other divination instrument, and they all have personality- so don’t piss ’em off!!!!!
Cleanse your pendulum if it starts to feel off (uncomfortable feeling when you hold it, shakes a lot, gives no answers or is wrong A LOT!).
Basic cleaners apply here- Salt, selenite, sunlight (Depending on the material the pendulum is made out of, i.e. don’t put a fluorite or an amethyst pendulum in direct sunlight or you will have murky grey quartz)!
Ask your question a few times, but remember (just like with Tarot, Oracle, etc) if you just keep asking the same question over and over again…Your pendulum will either start screwing with you and give you some pretty ridiculous answers or it will quit talking to you altogether.
If you have ever had an Askhole friend (Askhole definition: Someone who constantly asks for your advice, but never takes it. Asks the same crap over and over again, and never listens.), eventually you just quit dealing with them because its a waste of your time.
That is exactly what happens with your pendulum! 
Don’t be the Askhole friend!!!
 
Chakra check method:
I put this in as an example of non-divination work that can be done with a pendulum, and also to help with energetic monitoring.
This is the method that works best for me, and the people that I help.
But by all means, feel free to find your own.
Hold your pendulum over each of your seven chakra centers.
I usually start at the Crown and work my way down from there. So Crown, Brow, Throat, Heart, Solar Plexus, Sacral, Root.
(*Standing up is the easiest way to do this in my experience. Some people prefer to lay down, but they are a good deal more limber then I am.)
 
If the pendulum swings counterclockwise, your chakra is blocked.
If your pendulum swings clockwise, your chakra is in fine form.
If your pendulum stays still, you need to do some deep work on that chakra.
Want to know more?????
Want to go farther with your pendulum???
Contact Des Moines New Age Shop about my course, Pendulum 101 😀
OR…. Just message Des Moines New Age Shop on their FB page
****But don’t just take my word for it, get out there and research it!****
      ~Alicia Anspaugh-Mccullough, DMNAS