I’ve been slowly gathering a small collection of different crystals to use during healing. I have several Quartz points that I’ve used to make a crystal grid, and I also have some tumbled stones that I’ve used in meditations. Now that the sun is going down earlier, it puts me in the mood to start working more closely with the stones again, to discover their properties.

• Carnelian - This orange & yellow stone stimulates analytical capabilities. It provides enhanced perceptiveness & helps awaken inherent talents & ingenuity. It is a bright, happy stone that works well with the lower Chakras increasing physical energy, personal power, creativity, & compassion. Carnelian protects against envy,fear, rage, sorrow, & home sickness. All in all, it promotes a sunny outlook on life, and encourages you to shine brightly. I keep mine in a little red bag.
• Blue Quartz - this stone is also a boost for creativity and expression. Due to it’s soft blue-grey color, it is associated with the throat chakra and it enhances communication between the lower and higher chakras. It brings a sense of order to all things, releases fear and brings courage to one’s life.  I keep mine in a little purple bag.

These two stones really called to me today, and I think I’ll be using them for myself over the next few days. One of these days, I may just get around to getting a box just for the stones that I use for healing, just like this one below:

That way, I can have them at hand when I need them. It’s also a good reminder about the power of Reiki and it’s role in my life. This Reiki Heals design is also on t-shirts, bags, journals, cards, and all kinds of good stuff!

I’m a Gemini and I love change. It brings in creativity, growth, and a sense of purpose. There has never been a time in my life when I’m not dreaming of the future. My dreams include my personal, professional, and spiritual goals. My dreams include my hopes for a better society. My dreams include the belief that I have the power to make my life better if I just set my intention and work towards my goal. The past several years brought about many changes that were unexpected, and seemed to get in the way of my goals. Yet through it I have discovered my center, and a new purpose. My personal life and character has been tested with trials and tribulations. Facing them head on is daunting, facing them through the peace and solitude of meditation has been enlightening. Looking within, I have found horizons and a new vision for my life, and for my community.

Where were you when Barack Obama accepted the nomination for the Presidency of the United States of America? I know this is a Reiki Blog, it’s not about politics. But it is about hope, health, and change. It’s about a vision for my community of America, my community of the Earth that welcomes everyone as equals and with love. Where was I when Barack Obama accepted the nomination for the Presidency of the United States of America, which includes being the leader of the free world? I was home in Brooklyn Center MN watching his speach on TV, drinking my Sam Adams from the bottle, and petting my cat Jasmine. My husband was at work, I assume he was watching as well.

Hope. It’s something of substance to me, something that I know brings about positive change in my life. Emily Dickinson wrote in a poem that

Hope’ is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul

And as I explore my soul and the wisdom of my heart each night in meditation and reiki practice, I find that thing of beauty taking flight across a wide landscape as beautiful and as powerful as my dreams of a better tomorrow. I know how to take that and put paint on canvas and let you see that hope as well. I also know how to step aside and let reiki flow through me to heal your body, mind, and spirit so you can find your own vision of Hope in your heart.

Together, we can create Hope for each other, for our friends, for our neighborhoods, for our souls. Because one note rings true to all of us, and that is that we are in this together on this Earth. The moon and the stars shine at night to show us the beauty of light. The shadow in the heat of the day reminds us of the comfort of the cool breezes and peace and quiet that darkness brings. To be rejuvenated and to dream is our task as we  lay our heads to rest. And what defines our dreams? Our hopes. Hope with your heart and our dreams together can and will be fulfilled.

Did you know that this site is Green? That’s right! I have my website hosted by Dreamhost, which is all about the Green.

What does that mean? Well in Dreamhost’s own words:

Putting a price on carbon output is just one way to help make the world a better place. It’s a first step towards true energy sustainability. Organizations large and small are constantly working on reducing their environmental emissions. When they do so a neutral third party then steps in to verify the reduction and issues what are known as “Renewable Energy Credits”.

We’ve purchased enough of these credits - which are retired after purchase and not resellable - to account for our energy usage. The proceeds of these credit purchases are then put toward funding further emission reduction and renewable energy projects.

I just thought you’d like to know that. Of course I started with Dreamhost eight years ago…long before Green became the thing to be. I’ve stuck by them as a company, and I think they’re doing a fabulous job taking care of Mother Earth.

Have a wonderful night!

My current Netflix DVD is a Deepak Chopra video. There are two different productions on this DVD, one is a talk he gave on the Seven Spiritual Laws of Success based on his book of the same title. This video was made back in 2000, but I only discovered his teachings a couple of years ago. Now I want to buy the book and delve deeper into the meanings and how to apply them to my own life. He makes it sound so simple, and tonight I was meditating on The Law of Least Effort, and what could be easier than that?

In case you are wondering, here are the Laws according to Deepak:

1. The Law of Potenitality
2. The Law of Giving
3. The Law of Karma
4. The Law of Least Effort
5. The Law of Intention & Desire
6. The Law of Detachment
7. The Law of Dharma

Many of these are a challenge to the traditional American concept of success, most notably the law of least effort. We are programmed to believe that hard work and going above and beyond in our efforts is what it takes to be a success. But I want to introduce the idea of a garden, once you initially prepare the soil and plant things, something will grow there. It could be the plant you intended, or a weed. If I think of my success as a weed, then it can grow just about anywhere I plant a seed no matter what the environment around it.

The other thing to think about is that it is the law of Least Effort, not the law of NO Effort.  Some effort is required to get things going, but you can’t force a plant to grow, it will grow on it’s own if given half a chance. It’s my job to get things planted and give them half a chance. Nothing more, nothing less.

“Garden of Serenity” by David & Steve Gordon is my latest favorite selection when I’m meditating at night. It combines music with the sound of running water, which is something that I’ve always found very soothing. Normally, I would be joining the team of Reiki Masters and Students at Eye of Horus tonight, but it was a long week and I needed to be alone with the cats for a while.  Tonight my meditation was rather short, and I gave myself some Reiki as well, but what my body really needs is sleep. But there’s something about the picture of the beautiful rock garden on the cover of the CD which keeps calling me, so when I searched under the name of the title, up popped books on Japanese Gardens. Once upon a time I checked out a book on it from the library, and I remember pouring over the photos for hours. Now that I have a larger yard to play in, I was planning on planting a healing garden. My husband and I talked about it, but we had no idea where to start.

Now I know where I can begin, with Japanese Garden Design. I have all Winter to dream and study and make some plans, and with the internet at my fingertips I’m sure I’ll find all kinds of inspiration and practical help in getting started. When you Google Japanese Gardens all kinds of fun things pop up, like this page from The Helpful Gardener which gives some basics for my subconscious to chew on.

There is a certain calmness that comes to you as you view a well laid-out Japanese garden. While it is hard to define any one particular element as the source of this peaceful influence, I would suggest that it is the solid, anchored look that the stone features bring to the garden that do the most to impart that feeling of peace. This should come as no surprise as the Japanese gardener utilizes rock as the “bones” of the garden, with plants and ornaments as trimmings.

It’s a place to start, with the bones of the place. The flow and harmony of Yin Yang will be a conscious part of my garden design. And so my Reiki Adventure takes me down a new path, one that I will build with my own two hands to create an oasis of healing in my own backyard. I have lots to think about, there are current gardens, how to work with the buildings and existing plants, learning about the different styles of Japanese gardens…I’ll be keeping busy this Winter!

On busy days it’s easy to say “I don’t have time to meditate” and just move on and do all those nagging things that you need to do to manage your life. Except for some reason getting things done seems tougher because there’s always the next thing tapping you on the shoulder reminding you to do IT first. Pretty soon you’re being pushed and pulled by all those tasks, memories, ideas, that you can’t concentrate. And you can forget about getting a good night’s sleep because they will follow you there too. Nope, it’s much better to take the time to slow down and find your center, and spend some quality time with your own soul.

I skipped my meditation last night and boy did I miss it! It’s my mini-vacation from the chaos of daily living, and it gives me a much better Source to draw from than my To Do List. So now I have a date with my soul tonight, and nobody else is invited. The cats have even learned to leave me alone when the candles are lit and the incense is burning. So I think that from now on, on busy days I’ll make some time to meditate. And give myself a little Reiki to bring things into balance. Which brings us to today’s featured design from the Reiki Artist Store:

I chose this as one of my NetFlix options, because I’ve read about the video series and I was curious to find out how this video/time/space attunment process worked. The blurb says: “Learn the process of attunement — sacred meditation with specific intent — from Reiki master Steve Murray in this enlightening program.” Since I’m already trained through the Master level, I was interested in seeing someone else’s teaching style, and maybe learning a thing or two.

The DVD started with cool new age music and scenes from the Pacific ocean. Finally we get to see Steve Murray in person. He gives a little instruction on what this video is about and how it all works. Then he talks a little about the Reiki Master Symbol, and a diagram of the symbol pops up on the screen. It was imposible for me to see the correct order in which to draw the lines, and Steve did not demonstrate how to draw the symbol. It was slightly different from the version that I learned in class.

This is a 30 minute video with a large amount of time showing a crystal on some rocks by the Pacific Ocean during your attunement. At no point does Mr. Murray demonstrate how to actually do an attunement. That was a big dissappointment to me. He did say to visit his website for complete written instructions on how to pass on an attunement.

Did I feel something during the attunment? Yes, my hands tingled and my heart Chakra tingled, and I felt the presence of my Reiki Guides. So that part of it was real enough. The main thing that I learned is that there is no substitute for actually taking a class and learning directly from your Reiki Master.

Reiki connects us with what it means to be a whole human being, connecting body, mind, and spirit within ourselves…AND with those we share Reiki with.

Whether it is as a student, pracitioner, recipient, or teacher; Reiki unites us with each other and with the Power of Creation. Call it God, Goddess, The Force, or Reiki Energy — it will bring us all together for a brief moment in time. If the only available means is over a distance, then that’s what you have to do. Believe me, I understand what it’s like to hear the call of Reiki and want to move toward that healing center as fast as possible. But the Reiki will still be there for you, and if you ask for a real-life-in-person training experience, it will be made available to you.

So I will read my Reiki books again and again, I will continue to work with my clients, and I am starting to teach Reiki to others, the best I can. Reiki meets you where you are in life, and right now, I’m here in my Reiki Studio watching my cat Caruso sleep next to the door to the deck, anticipating my future here. I will always be a student of Reiki, no matter how many times I’m attuned and no matter how many classes I may teach.

It’s like being a kid again in springtime, and schools out for the summer and I’m free to explore everything around me. The world is a brighter more colorful place for me with Reiki in it.

Well…the house I did a blessing on in June is now the home I’m living in. Yes the Reiki Artist Studio has moved from Minneapolis to nearby Brooklyn Center. We’re on a quiet block with an apple tree in the front yard. The backyard is large with plenty of space to garden and my ever favorite Lilac bushes. This time of year they’re all green, but they will be blooming again next spring when we’re more settled in.

I had thought I was blessing this house to put up for rent, as we had been renting it since my brother-in-law passed away a year ago. But circumstances intervened and we decided it would be better to move here. The neighborhood that we saw surrounding our Minneapolis Bungalow went from up and coming back to down and out over the past three years. After my husband witnessed a drug bust three doors down while waiting for the bus in June, I knew we had made the right decision. This is the house that he grew up in, that his mother lived in until she passed away, and that his brother lived in after that.

The gardens she planted were overgrown with weeds, the renters left junk in the yard that we still have to find help to haul away, and there’s old furniture and other odds and ends filling up the garage and the shed in back that have to be sold or donated to charity. But the Reiki Room is on the main floor, with a sliding glass door that leads to a back deck. I can see the moon through the branches of the large silver maple that dominates the south side of the back yard.

It’s quiet here with fewer sirens, and Caruso, one of my favorite cats, grew up here and felt at home immediately when we brought him back here. A grasshopper came into the studio the other day too. The first room I painted was the bedroom, then I painted the Reiki Room a wonderful shade of purple called twilight. I’m back to my routine of meditating every night and giving myself Reiki.

One other new thing is that I am apprenticed to Reiki Master Maggie Sterba who I took Reiki I and Reiki III from. Every Friday night from 7:00-8:30 I will be joining her and her other students and Reiki Masters to do Reiki at Eye of Horus in Minneapolis. I still have to update my online calendar to reflect this change, and the many others that have been happening in my life over the past few weeks.

I haven’t been sitting idle artistically either, here’s a link to my new T-Shirt Design:

This should prove to be very interesting as time goes on. It seems that Frans and Bronwen are making the most of the web again. They’ve gone and created a Reiki Wiki for us all to go and play on, which I’m looking forward to reading at length at a later time. It’s already past my bedtime so I’ve got to get going now. Have a wonderful night!

Today I had the opportunity to bless a house with Reiki. It’s something that I do with my own house from time to time, and I find it helps clear the energy to create a healing haven in the home. Of course, I often do a blessing in my Reiki Studio before a client comes over or before I do my meditation, but it’s fun to extend that blessing throughout a whole house.

This blessing can be done by anyone, though you need to know Reiki II to include the Reiki Symbols. But any sacred symbol can be used if it’s meaningful to you, or just your intention will work just as well. Whenever I bless a house, I begin by going to the top floor of the house and calling on my Guardians, Guides, and the Gods. I ask for their aid in blessing the house and creating a dome of protection. Today I also did a moving meditation and chanted the Reiki Master Symbol DKM name to connect with the Spirit of Unity. Once I had a feeling of being grounded and empowered, I began the blessing.

I walked to the North and chanted the First Reiki Symbol’s name, CKR as I drew it and said “May there be Peace in the North” while I visualized CKR going to the edge of the property on the North and creating a shield of peace.  Then I walked to the South and did the same thing saying “May there be Peace in the South” and again visualized CKR creating a shield of peace in the South. Next I went to the West  and said “May there be Peace in the West” with the visualization, and then I went to the East and said “May there be Peace in the East” as I completed the circle and blessed the fourth and final quarter with CKR.

To tie it all together, I went to the center and said “May there be Peace throughout this whole house, and on this land, and in this city, and in this state, and in this country and throughout the entire world.” But I had one more step and that was to connect the quarters, this time with the Second Reiki Symbol SHK which I drew and chanted three times along the North/South axis and East/West axis. I then empowered the center with the Third Reiki Symbol HSZSN so that the blessing would transcend time and space, the Reiki Master Symbol DKM to connect to the Spirit of Unity, and then finally I sealed the center with the First Reiki Symbol CKR.

And so the house was blessed and a shield of peace and protection was created that would continue to bless the space in the future. I was alone during the blessing, but I’ve also done blessings with my close friends, sometimes with drumming and incense and chanting while traveling from room to room until the entire house is blessed. This is something that can be done at any time, but a good time to do it is just after moving in, or just as you are moving out as a gift of healing for the new residents.

It’s always a joyful thing connecting to Reiki, and to allow it to flow and create a healing energy throughout a large space is an additional blessing. If you have done any special house blessings you’d like to share feel free to put it in a comment, and bless the Reiki Artist Blog space with healing energy!