communication

Dreamwork and Crystal Combinations: Labradorite, Lepidolite, and Moonstone

Since the last blog regarding crystal combinations I have worked with a new trio. The results were pretty intense. I found I fell asleep faster, and the dreams were vivid, and with great recall. Using same meditation technique described here, or see below.

-Labradorite is a stone that aids in reducing stress and increasing calmness, which is great for falling asleep. Helps to increase intuition, psychic abilities, visions, clairvoyance, prophecy, communicating with higher realms and spirit guides, accessing Akashic records, and moving between realms. This quality will help in getting to a state of lucidity. This stone encourages new ideas, which will help you be open to new experiences in the dreamscape. This is also a stone of protection, which I look at it as protection from nightmares, and night terrors.

-Lepidolite is another calming stone. It triggers deep meditation, theta state, which is a dream state used in lucidity – or astral projection. This stone stimulates coincidences and synchronicity – little moments that catch your eye, seem to line up – this is great for setting intentions on triggers for lucid state in the dreamscape.

-Moonstone yet another calming stone (yes, I want you to have a really restful sleep, it triggers lucidity and helps with recall!) this stone is said to cure sleeplessness, and drives away nightmares. It creates a channel for prophecy, helps access subconscious, intuition, and clairvoyance. This is a stone that provides protection for night travellers – I see this as the travellers of the dreamscape, and the astral travellers.

Clockwise from top: lepidolite, moonstone, labradorite

I will repost the steps to the meditation I do before falling asleep:

Place crystals under pillow, in pillow case (so they don’t get knocked everywhere), or you can put them in a drawstring bag under your pillow if you don’t want them inside the case.

Meditation:
– Take a few deep and calming breaths
– Focus on the crystals under the pillow
– Visualize their energy merging with my energy and filling my entire body
– I think of the particular qualities of the stone and state it in my mind “lepidolite to reach theta state, labradorite for visions, moonstone accessing subconscious” (they all promote calm and relaxation, so I do not state that)
– If I have a purpose, such as receiving a message from a spirit guide, I state this in my mind now
– Take a few more deep breaths and drift off to sleep as I sense the calming energies around me

Brightest Blessings,
Phoenix Rose
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For more info on healing crystals check out some of my go-to sites:
https://www.crystalvaults.com
https://www.gemselect.com
http://www.healing-crystals-for-you.com/
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Tarot Talks: Stop Comparing and Start Gaining Clarity

We all search for clarity in various ways. While the motivations may be different for the individual, it all comes from a place of comparisons – wanting what others’ have that we don’t, believing the grass is greener on the other side, or even comparing our current reality to what we think our life “should” look like. This place of comparing emphasizes our insecurities and doubts. It makes our frustration signal rise and the downward spiral begins. We become clouded and need to clear the way to make more effective decisions in our lives.

Tarot is a tool that helps move from a place of comparing to a place of clarity

Tarot is a tool to help gain clarity into a confusing or frustrating situation. The place of comparing isn’t necessarily a negative thing, as humans we need to be able to compare, make sound judgments that could literally mean life or death. We tend to take this comparing to other levels: jealousy, envy, self-doubting, insecurities, and feelings of worthlessness. This was not what our filters of comparison was designed for.
When we are angry or frustrated it often means that we are not in balance. We see, hear, think something that does not line up with our quality, or ideal, existence. Uncomfortable feelings often urge us to act upon “fixing” what may be wrong. This is the process of acting out of anger and winding up with results that actually made things worse for us.  

Tarot can assist in seeing things from different angles and gaining a new perspective, it can help interrupt our negative thought and behavior patterns and suggest new thoughts and behaviours that can assist in getting more effective results.

We have not been taught to listen to our intuition much less trust it. Tarot is a direct line of communication to that inner voice, Higher Self, that sometimes seems to scream at us, though we may be too wrapped up in our own BS to even notice. Thoughts appear, we have beliefs on those thoughts, we have stories we tell ourselves – which may or may not be true – we have all these things circling our minds and it gets muddled up with the voice of our Higher Self which is trying to guide us on our life’s purpose, trying to guide us to succeed and attain our goals. Our mind gets all muddled up with thoughts that we don’t know whether we are legitimately supposed to do something or not. We can no longer tell if it’s our intuition or is it just self-doubt.
A dear Soul Sister of mine said, “we wouldn’t need tarot if we trusted ourselves and didn’t let insecurities hinder us.” One of the first things that you learn in tarot is to trust your intuition. Above all else, no matter what the interpretation books say, go with your intuition and gut feeling on what you see within the cards.  

Tarotists don’t have all the answers, and we are not full of clarity and enlightenment, we are humans and often seek other readers to help us gain clarity in situations.  

Sometimes we cannot see the forest for the trees, and that is okay as it’s a natural part of life, learning, and personal growth. It is normal as humans to need things mirrored back to us to get deeper understandings, and this includes understandings about our own Inner Being. When we compare to others and focus on our have-nots, or to the should-haves it will cause only frustration for ourselves. When we start using tools such as, but not limited to, tarot we can start self-reflecting on our thoughts and behaviours and begin creating a quality life for ourselves. We can start tending our own garden, plant the seeds for the things we want to see grow and weed out the things we do not want. 
Brightest Blessings,
Phoenix Rose
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Tarot Talk: Importance of Interviewing Your Decks

Have you ever been really excited about a new tarot or oracle deck that you just received, but then you start working with it and you just don’t seem to mesh well with it even though you really want to?  This has happened to me on a couple occasions until I learned what a deck interview was.

It’s important to learn how to best work with your decks.

A deck interview is a spread that can help you determine the “personality” of your cards.  Instead of answering typical questions about you and your situation, you are asking the tarot cards questions about themselves.

The point of doing this is to help you to work with the deck in a more meaningful way.  I learned the importance of this when I first started using Healing with the Angels oracle cards by Doreen Virtue.  I was new to working with angel decks and I thought I would use this to study the archangels.  For some reason all my readings and spreads were way off in left field, and I ended up feeling progressively disconnected from this deck the more I used it.  I came across the below “New Deck Interview,” laid the spread and in the “what are your limits as a deck?” position the “Study” card came up.  Once I stopped trying to use it for study purposes I was able to better open and receive its messages.

“Never just remember how to do something, understand how it works”
-Adam Dachis (read more here)

Here is a break down on my latest deck interview. The Seekers Oracle by Barbara Ford and Alysa Bartha.  I usually note the first thought/feeling that comes to mind when I see the cards, I also check the included book for any keywords that feel helpful in determining what I will get out of working with this deck.

(I switched position of 2nd and 3rd cards from original spread)
New Deck Interview
…5……6…
……4……
…2……3…
……1…….
1. Tell me more about yourself; What is your most important characteristic? 
“Power of Three”
Power of 3 transcends time and space. Wisdom, protection, wish fulfillment. 3 card draws work best.
2. What are your strengths as a deck?
“Ring of Fire”
Allows heaviness of life to give you strength. Fine tune your focus. Mindfulness.
3. What are your limits as a deck?
“Tree of Life”
Unmoving. Unchallenging.
4. What do you bring to the table; What are you here to teach me?
“The Architect”
Connection. All view points are equal. Balance. Do not compare yourself with others.
5. How can I best learn and collaborate with you?
“The Seer”
Lifting the veil. Embracing gift of second sight. Connect to own inner wisdom.
6. What is the potential outcome of our working relationship?
“Sacred Scarab”
Protection, rebirth, regeneration. Balance. Potential unfolding like the lotus. Be a leader. Have healthy boundaries.
In summary, this deck will work best with 3-card spreads – one card may not have enough info and more than three cards may become too convoluted.  This is an empowering deck that can help when I need some positivity.  Because it’s limitations for me are “unmoving, unchallenging” this may not be the deck to use when I need some flat out kick-me-in-the-ass messages, because it will not waiver from a balanced and uplifting perspective.  Though, this deck will be great to use the imagery for meditation and reflection, and can assist in embracing my gifts.
Now, what if I was to use this deck to try and get some kick-me-in-the-ass messages?  I wouldn’t be receiving that message at all.  I might say, “oh, this deck is too fluffy in it’s messages.  I need something to tell me flat out what I’m doing wrong, not something that’s only seems to give trite advice.”  Since I now know how best to work with this deck I shouldn’t have any issues in receiving its messages. 
Every deck will work differently with every person.  You may have the same deck and it could be real hard on you, and not positive and uplifting at all.  Doesn’t mean that the deck is bad or that you aren’t a good reader, it just means that you need to make sure you are using the tools appropriately.
Do you have any new deck spreads that you use? Comment below!  Would love to hear your experiences with interviewing your decks.
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Please contact me if you have any questions, or topic suggestions for future Tarot Talks posts.

Brightest Blessings,
Phoenix Rose
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Template of New Deck Interview:

****** 5 ****** 6 ******
********** 4 **********
****** 3 ****** 2 ******
********** 1 **********

1. Tell me about yourself. What is your most important characteristic?
2. What are your strengths as a deck?
3. What are your limits as a deck?
4. What do you bring to the table — what are you here to teach me?
5. How can I best learn from and collaborate with you?
6. What is the potential outcome of our working relationship?

I have seen a few different spreads, but I like this one the best. Sourced from FireRaven listed on Tarot Forum.
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If you liked the featured deck, check out their shop on Etsy:
https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/494758639/the-seekers-oracle-card-deck-barbara

Featured Crystal: Axinite

Featured Crystal – AXINITE

I was browsing some crystals at my favourite local metaphysical shop, and I noticed Axinte, which I have never seen before.  It is one of those stones that you can get lost gazing into.  It’s is refractive, seeing it in sunlight is different that seeing it while indoors.  Hold a light up to it to see all the layers within it.  It reminded me very much of my fire agate ring.

 Axinite, side one

The info card said “Healing: communication, mind, fractures, organs, mental, physical.  Magickal: Brings spirituality into the world. The stone of friendship.  Helps develop psychic power.  Builds trust in hostile communities.”  Sounds good to me.
I studied it more when I came home and, as with any brown stone, there are  great grounding properties to it, and helps create connections to Gaia, Earth Mother.  It is recommended to use in crystal grids for healing and connecting with the Earth.  It resonates with the Earth Star chakra, the chakra below our feet anchored in the earth.
Combine with a higher vibration stone when tapping into higher realms.  Due to the great grounding properties it is a great stone to accompany in astral projections, and to keep under pillow for lucid dreaming.  It aids in the return to your body, as well as aids in remembering the astral trip and in remembering dreams – lucid or not.
Axinte, side two

This is where my experience with axinite has solidified my newfound love for this gem stone.  I immediately felt grounded holding this stone.  For the past two nights I have been sleeping with it under my pillow and the dreams I’m having are extraordinary and I am remembering a large portion of dreams, including small details.  The dreams are like movies!
I look forward to working further with this crystal.  It is said that it helps accessing Akashic records.  Meditate laying down with the stone over your 3rd eye to help you in dismissing intrusive thoughts, and help calm your mind faster.  Axinite can help in transmuting negativity and minimizes the ego.  It allows you to be more flexible and aides in making changes that may otherwise be hard.
It is the zodiac birthstone for Aries.
It is a good stone to use in business and interpersonal relationships.  Wear a piece around your neck, or keep in a pocket.  It aides in communication and helps build trust.  It can help keep things clear and calm in otherwise sensitive and confrontational situations.
In the healing aspect. a Reiki practitioner may use these stones to help with issues of adrenal glands, the stone is said to give strength, endurance, and gives extra earth energy.  Helps when mending breaks and fractures to bones.  For those with back problems is aids in the alignment of the spine.  This is something that I may find use in, as I have an RSI (repetitive strain injury) to my upper back and neck.
Brightest Blessings,
Phoenix Rose

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