Live and Learn

Good Day and happy Zenful Sunday my Zenful readers. How are you all this (for me snowy Sunday)? I hope that you and your family had a great week and a wonderful weekend. I'd like to actually apologize to my readers that I made a large mistake on when the full moon was. I must have looked up a different date but it wasn't today as you all may already know by now. But this past Friday. Valentine's Day actually. So I am so sorry for my mistake. I have added an app on my trust cell to remind me of the new and full moons to come. So again my apologizes for my mistake. Wishful thinking for it to have been today., I kinda find it odd to have a full moon purging on Valentine's Day., not that I have a say it anything mind you. Lol. Just saying. I'd prefer it separate lol. I didn't do a full moon purging this full moon month. How about any of you guys? Did any one have a full moon purge ceremony? I'm waiting for the spring equinox that's when I'll have a special spring ceremony. Few more weeks for that. Especially since the ground in my area is still frozen. We had a snow storm last night that brought about twelve inches of snow or so we are in no way ready for any gardening just yet. Few more weeks just yet. I'm patient. But I won't lie I'm excited. Last week I mentioned that I would pot a flower in honor if my aunt. And I'm excited to get big pot of my lavender planted. Such a great beautiful, soothing, and scented flower. Since last weeks entry I've spoken to a few of my friends, and they too, thought it would be a great idea to pot a plant or flower in honor of our loved ones passing. 

I'd like to use this time, as you guys sip your water, to reach out and let a few of my friends know that I am thinking of them and I will be sending healing, positive, and strength energies their way in today's smudging. It is never easy when our journey takes us on a path we didn't expect. To have to let go of a situation in our journey we were so sure was meant to be; or to let go of how things were left when you know in your heart you deserved more. I want to help my friends and their families, by cleansing; smudging their mind, body's, hearts and souls. I want to help cleanse, smudge them from any pain they may be feeling, any sadness or confusion, any devastation of what the inevitable may bring to them and their your family. May you all find strength in this afternoons Sunday's Smudging, during this difficult time for each of you. Know that I am here for you and if you need me, I am only an email and or a text, a call away. Before we begin smudging, I hope these few quotes below, will also help us all gain some strength during this difficult journey. We are here to live and learn. Know and remember that you are not alone. 

Let's get us ready for some smudging, shall we? 

Opening smudge prayer

I'd like to ask The Lord our Father as well The Universe to be here with us today as I smudge & cleanse each of those that are reading this. 

I'd like to also ask my ancestors to be present, as well as the elements earth, water, air, & fire to be here with us. 

I'd like to call on the goddess of the north, east, south & west. As well as our archangels Raphael for healing, Michael for protection, Gabriel for revelation & Uriel for wisdom. 

Please release us all of any negative energy that does not suit or support our needs. Please Lord and Universe be here with us and help us during our time of needing healing, protection, revelation, and wisdom. 

Please let us all have a drama free and great work week. Let our kids have a wonderful week at school and or day care. Please let all issues regarding friendships, spouses or family be resolved as they are meant to be. In a kind and peaceful manner. 

    (Sage and sweet grass mix to release negative energy
        and enhance the loving and positive energy)

Please see the sage smoke carry away all your worries and blow them away with the element wind, burn them away with the element fire, soak them away with the element water so that the element earth may ground you. Take these few minutes to visual this and clear this away......

    (Cedar bundle for protection)

Closing smudge prayer 

I'd like to thank you Lord and the Universe for giving me opportunity to share my Zenful experience with others. 

I want to thank my ancestors for being present. I'd like to also, thank the elements earth, water, air, and fire for being with us. 

I'd like to thank the goddess of the north, east, south & west. As well as our archangels Raphael for healing, Michael for protection, Gabriel for revelation & Uriel for wisdom. 

Thank you Lord and Universe for always looking out for us and for giving us all the Blessings we have. Thank you for my yesterday, for my today and for the abundance of a wonderful week ahead. 

~ Blessed Be

A. Reyes. 

Gone but Never Forgotten

Hello my Zenful readers how are you today? How was your week? Hope it was a good one for you and your family. We had a snow storm this week which was exciting (for some not so much, lol) But besides the kids having a snow day and this past Thursday was the New Moon. All was calm and positive. Hope you all (if you live in a cold area) have been able to keep warm and or stay cool (if you live in a warm area). Did anyone do anything special for the New Moon this week? I did a little private ceremony which I used one candle and wrote my intents down, and placed them under the candle and smudged the candle and myself. I also sent out positive energies to those, I knew needed it. It was a nice little ceremony. This Sunday is the Eve of next (Sunday's) Full Moon. I do love when its on a Sunday. I feel it makes my blogging all the more special. :) I will be changing a few items in my alter to get myself ready for spring and the new season we are all waiting for. (are you drinking water to help with the cleansing/smudging)

Since my experience of gardening for the first time this past summer was such a wonderful one. It now gets me excited to know of the future harvest I will have. Mental note, grow a large amount of lavender. hehe Lavender is a lovely flower to burn, the scent is soothing for when you are unable to sleep. I can also imagine, not only lavender but, I can also scent between my fingers (after gently rubbing the leaves) basil, mint, lemon balm, and rosemary. Mmmm Good stuff. The only herb I have been able to keep alive is the lemon balm believe it or not. Lol. Which I have been using for teas this winter. I had mentioned in my earlier blogs that I was trying to grow some herbs indoors. (bring the summer potted herbs in doors for the winter) Well out of the ones I mentioned above; one out of five, survived the winter. Not bad, eh?! I'd say that's a success!!! Lets see how many I can keep alive next winter. hehe It's a great feeling to be able to mentally prepare my journey for the new Spring season. 

     (This was my herb garden from this past spring/summer. 

      What herbs do you have in your garden?)

So, since gardening is obviously out of the question for these next still winter weeks, I will bring the Spring in doors. Next Sunday you will begin to see a few spring like touches. I am excited to share this beginning of winter purging during my Zenful journey with you. 

Last week I wrote about change and how it is always around us. And in my past entry's I may have mentioned how someone that was very special to us and their passing. I'd like to touch upon this topic this Sunday again. I have a few friends close to me that has recently lost someone or people that they love. You are not alone. I have mentioned before in another entry that I have not felt this pain for quite some years. And am hugging those close, that have had to feel this pain of loss, despair. But I will say that no, these people who you, have loved and cared for so deeply, they are not here, physically. No, we can't see them, touch them or hear their voice. No more written letters, emails, and or texts. But they are here with us, with you everyday, Don't let the pain of that loss; they have left behind, take that away. Allow this thought to begin your healing,.... was this person in any pain? Where they suffering? As awful and painful as their not being here with you is. There can be a few things you can do to help your healing, and keep their memory alive. A friend of mine reminded me. She was visiting her father at his grave site. And she sent me a picture of his stone. And the loving and positive energy that came at me through her picture was amazing and I felt Blessed that she shared this with me. It inspired me to write this Sundays Zenful entry. 

    (Vicki, Amy, & Linda you are not alone)

I have a few ideas that I hope you will like. (& thanks to Mi BabyGirl for the inspiration to these ideas) Maybe you can light a certain colored candle that can represent them. Or maybe even plant a house plant that you know you will have for always. To care for, as you both so lovingly cared for the relationship you shared. During the summer maybe you can plant a certain special seasonal flower in their memory. Or pay homage to their favorite season? Maybe you can do something special during that season. You have lost the person but not the meaning of what your relationship with this person was...is. These are just my thoughts. And in these thoughts I will plant and pot a seasonal flower for my aunt that passed away when I was just a child. I was very close to her and it was long ago, but I still do miss her. As the time comes closer I will share with you which flower I have chosen to represent my aunt. 

Let today's cleansing/smudging be not only to cleanse any of our past week's negative and unwanted energy but let it also be to cleanse any negative energy that the loss of life can bring, and replace it with the love and positive energy that you shared with your father, mother, sister, brother, cousin, grandparents, or friend. For their spirit will always live on, within us. Lets begin this weeks Smudge Day Sunday.

Opening smudge prayer

I'd like to ask The Lord our Father as well The Universe to be here with us today as I smudge & cleanse each of those that are reading this. 

I'd like to also ask my ancestors to be present, as well as the elements earth, water, air & fire to be with us. I'd like to call on the goddess of the north, east, south & west. As well as our archangels Raphael for healing, Michael for protection, Gabriel for revelation & Uriel for wisdom. 

Please release us all of any negative energy that does not suit or support our needs. Please Lord and Universe be here with us and help us during our time of needing healing, protection, revelation, and wisdom. 

Please let us all have a drama free and great work week. Let our kids have a wonderful week at school and or day care. Please let all issues regarding friendships, spouses or family be resolved as they are meant to be. In a kind and peaceful manner. 

Please see the sage smoke carry away all your worries and blow them away with the element wind, burn them away with the element fire, soak them away with the element water so that the element earth may ground you. Take these few minutes to visual this and clear this away from us as well as cleanse the negative feelings that a loss of someone we care fire can leaveith us. Let the energy that is left behind be that of all the positive and loving energies of that person....

Closing smudge prayer 

I'd like to thank you Lord and the Universe for giving me opportunity to share my Zenful experience with others. 

I want to thank my ancestors for being present. I'd like to also, thank the elements earth, water, air, & fire for being with us. 

I'd like to thank the goddess of the north, east, south & west. As well as our archangels Raphael for healing, Michael for protection, Gabriel for revelation & Uriel for wisdom. 

Thank you Lord and Universe for always looking out for us and for giving us all the Blessings we have. Thank you for my yesterday, for my today and for the abundance of a wonderful week ahead. 

~ Blessed Be~

A. Reyes. 

Happy First Sunday of February

Hello and Happy Zenful Sunday to you all. It is the first Sunday in February. How was your week, for you and your family? Good I hope. Did anyone smudge for this past Thursday’s Super New Moon? I did not. As I said last Sunday, I will do it for next month. However, despite me not smudging for the Super New Moon, usually I do think of positive changes in my life that I want to make. And I become aware of them and apply them. So, no I didn't light my candles and smudge, but I do have my thoughts up in the ol’ noggin. I didn't smudge as much as I usually do this week either; one, I didn't need to and two, it does lower my energies when I do it too often and I have to make sure my energy is recharged. Speaking of recharging, lets start drinking water before I start smudging….

So rumor has it that the Groundhog has seen his shadow today, which means six more weeks of winter for us, eh. I know for most of us its a drag and we are all (rightly so) tired of the excessive snowfall and extra frigid cold temperatures, but lets face it we can’t change it. You want to go up against mother nature, good luck. I’m stay out of it. lol So instead lets all just keep and stay toasty warm. It won’t stay snowy and cold forever so lets take these next weeks to use it to begin our spring cleaning now. Just because the earth is still sleeping doesn't mean we need to stay dormant. I’d say the representation of this Groundhog Day whether winter was shorter or not, its a good start as any to begin cleansing our own energy which will help us be more Zenful. 

I have already noticed that the sun is still out a little longer as I leave work during the week, have you? Don’t get me wrong its not super bright out, but it beats leaving work (not two weeks ago) and it being dark out already. Even though I was well aware that I was in the negative digits for the past few weeks, I was also glad in knowing that Spring would be slowly approaching me. These cold few weeks will pass us as time does, and change the earth once more. The change as it does, will continue. Change no matter how presented to us, good or bad. Is good for us. Even if at that moment we don’t see it. Or it doesn't feel like it at the moment.

Change will teach us lessons that we need to learn, to become a better person. These changes can be quick lessons or it may be months, years even before we realize what that lesson is even trying to teach us. Sometimes these changes are toxic. They aren't good for us, and it’ll take us a while to release ourselves from these toxic changes, whether its a form of addiction; any form, being in an unhealthy relationship, any form. For me, I have had some major changes, some I am grateful that I wasn't alone during them and very thankful for the women in my life that were there for me at the time. But I also realized that I needed to be alone in my Journey of change. I learn better when I am alone with my own thoughts. It is hard for me to make any change when I am surrounded by others, energies and thoughts. After all what works for one doesn't and won’t ever work the exact same for another. And that's okay. This is what makes us all unique and different. Smudging has been with me, in helping me through my changes, makes things so much more easier, calmer. That and the gemstones that I collect. Using their energy helps with the changes that at times can be difficult. 

Here's this weeks Gemstone and meaning below:

     (My Lapis Lazuli Pyramid, on my Smudge Box and my 
        cedar/sage/sweet grass bundle) 

Lapis Lazuli Pyramid

Pyramids amplify and then tightly focus energy through the apex. This Lapis Lazuli pyramid can be used to draw off negative energy and blockage from the Throat Chakra.

This beautiful lapis lazuli from Afghanistan contains generous amounts of pyrite. Lapis lazuli is an ancient gem that has been mined for over 6000 years. It has many powerful energies, such as:

• Encourages self awareness
• Bestows wisdom and honesty
• Reveals inner truth
• Stone of friendship
• Opens many chakra centers with its high intensity

Remember, though change at times can be a very scary experience, but in the end we will be rewarded with a better sense of self, having walked our Journey of Change. Come and join me as I begin to smudge us for a positive week ahead.

Opening smudge prayer:

I'd like to ask The Lord our Father as well as The Universe to be here with us today as I smudge & cleanse each of those that are reading this. 

I'd like to also ask my ancestors to be present, as well as the elements; earth, water, air, & fire to be here with us. 

I'd like to call on the goddess of the North, East, South & West. As well as our archangels Raphael for healing, Michael for protection, Gabriel for revelation & Uriel for wisdom.

Please release us all of any negative energy that does not suit or support our needs. Please Lord and Universe be here with us and help us during our time of needing healing, protection, revelation, and wisdom. 

Please let us all have a drama free and great work week. Let our kids have a wonderful week at school and or day care. Please let all issues regarding friendships, spouses or family be resolved as they are meant to be. In a kind and peaceful manner. 

    (Lit and smokey Cedar/Sage/  Sweetgrass bundle over a 
     heart shaped rock that's been in my family for 17 yrs with 
     one of many lit candles in the background) 

    (Mixed Smudge Bundle and a few gemstones along with the 

      Gathering of the Goddesses coaster)

Please see the sage smoke carry away all your worries and blow them away with the element wind, burn them away with the element fire, soak them away with the element water so that the element earth may ground you. Take these few minutes to visual this and clear this away......

Closing smudge prayer:

I'd like to thank you Lord and the Universe for giving me opportunity to share my Zenful experience with others. 

I want to thank my ancestors for being present. I'd like to also, thank the elements earth, water, wind, & fire for being with us. 

I'd like to thank the goddess of the north, east, south & west. As well as our archangels Raphael for healing, Michael for protection, Gabriel for revelation & Uriel for wisdom. 

Thank you Lord and Universe for always looking out for us and for giving us all the Blessings we have. Thank you for my yesterday, for my today and for the abundance of a wonderful week ahead. 

 Blessed Be.

~A. Reyes~