Category: Soul + Grace + Comfort

Spiritual Inspiration: Boxes and Jars

What do boxes and jars have to do with Soul Therapy or Spirituality? These are two ordinary things that can be utilized for various every day uses. However, like most things, the meaning and function that you give them can transform their purpose completely.

 

Here are a few fun, yet purposeful ways that you can use boxes and jars for spiritual inspiration:

 

Reiki Box – This is a great tool to assist with manifestation or healing. To create a Reiki box, you basically use any small box. Write down a dream or goal that you would like to manifest or an area in your life where you need healing on a piece of paper. Place this paper in the box. You can also add crystals or small objects of spiritual significance into the box if you like. Then send Reiki and positive intentions into the box.

According to Reiki Rays: “… whenever you want, you just send Reiki to the box, intending that it goes to the situations identified by the pieces of paper in the box. This works very well, because the energy is guided by your intent. And when you added the requests, you intended that the healing you send to the box goes to them.” (www.reikirays.com)

 

Calming Glitter Jar – A Calming Glitter Jar is a meditation tool. It can be used for both adults and children. Many people use them whenever a child feels stressed, overwhelmed, upset or as a time out. I made one for myself a while ago to use it in stressful moments. It’s amazing how watching the sparks of light reflecting from the glitter as it floats through the fluid helps me focus my thoughts and come back to the present moment. See how to make one here:

“Imagine the glitter as your thoughts. When you shake the jar, imagine your head full of whirling thoughts, then watch them slowly settle while you calm down.” ~ Angie Yingst

Find out how to make a Calming Glitter/Mind Jar –http://www.dumpyourfrump.com/2011/09/29/use-a-mind-jar-to-calm-yourself/

 

box

Pic via Pinterest

God Box – God Box is one of my favourite angel oracles in Doreen Virtue’s Angel Therapy Oracle Card deck. The angel message that accompanies this card asks you to write your worries, concerns or desires on a piece of paper. You then place this piece of paper into a special box, referred to as a God Box. This is meant to be a way of letting go of your concerns and allowing Divine Spirit to help you.

 

Dear Universe Jar – I came across this idea in the lovely Jen Sauders’ blog – My Smiling Heart. Jen created her Dear Universe jar as a way to help her focus on her gratitude and goals more. For this, all you need is an empty jar. You can paint it or decorate it however you like. Place this jar at your bedside or in your sacred space. Then when the inspiration arises, write little gratitude notes or requests to the Universe and place them in the jar. On days when you feel down or unfocused, you can also pull a note to two out to reread them to remind yourself of what you have to be grateful for or what is important to you.

jar

 

Pic via Pinterest

Becoming Empty

Winter has set in here in the Southern hemisphere. Although the part of South Africa where I live is blessed with sunny winters – the mornings, late afternoon and evenings are still chilly by our standards. For comfort, I light candles in the afternoon, burn warm cinnamon scents in my oil burner and of course drink hot cups of tea more frequently throughout the day.

Over the years, having a cup of tea has become a part of my spiritual practice. I love the variety, exotic aromas and adventure that every new flavour and type of tea brings. I love that it can be healing, soothing or energising depending on what you need. But most importantly, it offers me an opportunity to be present and mindful.

tea

pic via Pinterest

Fellow tea essayist, Frank Hadley Murphy, described the ceremony of drinking tea beautifully when he said that: “We make tea in an empty vessel and then we become a vessel to receive it. The practice of maintaining this emptiness runs through all the world’s mystical traditions.”

Zen philosophy uses the empty bowl in a similar analogy. In Zen, the empty bowl is a powerful symbol used to describe the state of emptying yourself and your mind of the things that present barriers to your connection with your inner world and Divine Spirit.

tea2

Pic via Pinterest

Adopting this idea has thus allowed each cup of tea to become a form of meditation. To allow spirit to flow through you, one must first become empty by releasing all preconceived ideas, thoughts and charged emotions. Each time I prepare to do a reading, healing session or meditate I allow myself to become empty. Whenever I have a cuppa I am reminded of that. Bringing meaning to ordinary activities in my day has a lovely way of grounding me in the present. It helps to take me away from busy thoughts or activities and to just shift my consciousness back into a soulful state of peace and love.

 

How Time Travel can Soothe Your Soul

*This post was inspired by my connection with my own Higher Self, as well as by my sci-fi fanatic husband who often ropes me into watching weird and wonderful sci-fi movies.

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spirit knows

She is gentle, yet radiant. I don’t have to see her face to know that she is smiling. I can almost feel her touch my shoulder as her calm, nurturing and uplifting energy envelops me.

Her words soothe me.

“Relax dear one, I am here for you now,” she whispers.

Her words are so soft they feel like fluffy clouds caressing my heart.

“There is no need to fret. Nor is there reason to rush. You have already reached your destiny.”

“But how do you know?” I asked

“Darling, I am here and I am all the proof that you need. Trust dear one.”

In my mind’s eye, I have a clear vision of her resting her head on mine. The love of her presence wraps around me.

“For now, all you need to do is trust and breathe through it all. Even when you can’t see how you are going to get through it all, trust that you already have,” she says.

Once again I feel comforted. I am able to be at peace in the moment. She always knows what to say to put things into perspective. She is my Higher Self.

Your Higher Self is your consciousness that is tuned in to the Divine intelligence of the universe. Connected with the Higher Self, infinite wisdom and love flows through you. Your Higher Self is also an expert time traveller who is able to consciously connect to the future. This Divine counterpart of your being has already lived through the experience, reached your ultimate destination of each potential future you can inhabit. While meeting the future self is not necessarily a scene out of Star Trek, he/she can help you get a glimpse of the YOU who is a published author, or who is married to their soul-mate, who is mothering three children, who lives in your dream house in Hawaii, who runs a successful business, or who is living the very dream that you are striving towards.  The future self therefore has an understanding of information that you may not be able to see clearly right now.

Forming a dialogue with your future self is an amazing process that often reveals profound insight. Each time I have connected with my future self, the guidance offered has helped me figure out how to be present with what is. Communicating with your future self is especially handy for anyone who feels stuck and has lost hope of where they are heading. You are bound to find the reassurance and direction that you need. Often the guidance that comes is not exactly a step by step 5 year plan, but it will definitely help you see the best way to move from this moment to the next. As you keep putting one foot in front of the other and flow with the whispers of Spirit, you move that much closer to where you want to be. With the bigger picture in mind, you are better able to accept yourself and where you are on your journey right now. It becomes easy to understand the nature of Divine timing and value the lessons and resources that you are gathering along the way.

 

 

” Gosh that takes me back… or is it forward? That’s the trouble with time travel, you never can tell.” ~ Doctor Who

 

Accessing Your inner Time Traveller

♥     Fortunately, this journey does not require a big time machine or the Tardis from Doctor Who. All that you require to travel across time and space is a peaceful meditative space and a little dose of imagination. Here are some suggestions:

♥     Take a few deep breaths, let go of your thoughts and allow yourself to become centred in a meditative state for a few moments.

♥     Invite your Higher Self to be present with you. Feel the energy of their presence. What does it feel like? What do you see in your mind’s eye? It is likely that you will feel a deep sense of love and compassion.

♥     Focus on a situation that you need assistance with, or a question that you would like to ask for guidance. Ask your Higher Self this question.

♥     Allow yourself to be open without any attachment to the outcome. Welcome any guidance or words that they have to share. Listen to what comes.

♥     Pay attention to the guidance that you receive and write it down so that you remember it.

 

You can also keep a journal specifically for communicating with your Higher Self/future self. I have one where I write letters from my future self. I am often amazed at how much of the wisdom I’ve receive through these letters has come to pass when I reflect back on them.