La luna llena & 11.11.11

I adore the moon. I've had an intense fascination with it since I was a child. My spirituality only reinforces my connection to her -  to her phases, to her fullness, to her shadows. The full moon each month is celebrated in my house. For a while I hosted monthly full moon parties that drew upwards of 50 people into my home to celebrate the energy shift that accompanies that one night every month when Luna shines her brightest. Most people have no idea of the impact of the moon on our planet, on tides, on the female body as it relates to menstruation, on a whole host of aspects of our lives, relationships, and energy levels. It's a mystery to many but somehow most of us find ourselves drawn to moon-gaze, even if we don't totally know why.

It's a basic human curiosity that connects us to the stars, the moon, the ocean, these forces and manifestations of nature's great power. I'm known in many circles as the keeper of moon ceremony but truly all I've done is drawn people's attention to this one day every month that's worth noting. Luna beckons us outside to see her brilliant glory. She doesn't hide from us. She isn't shy. She doesn't apologize for being beautiful. She lures us, seduces us, engages us, moves us. Her energy charges up water, gems, candles, whatever we leave outside in her path. We are made of water; she moves it.

She also conjures shadow - those things we're drawn to but can't possess. We can only gaze at her. We can't possess her. We can't control her. We can predict her phases but we can't harness them. We look up to see her in one position and a moment later, she has moved. She represents those deeply divine and feminine qualities that so many women deny and repress - our mysteries, our depths, our light, our connection, our sexuality, our power, our energy. She asks that we acknowledge it all and celebrate it. We find it so hard to do that because if and when we do, we're often judged and shackled. 

So here we stand between a full moon on 11.10.11 and the High Holiday to end high holidays, 11.11.11. An enormous shift is in progress. Can you feel it? Breathe it in. What's in the air is no longer an urge, a request, a whisper to let go; it's an edict. You must let go now or you'll be dragged - dragged through pain, heartache and their evil sisters ~ resentment, anger, frustration. LET GO. Can you do it? Can you let go of Ego, of expectation, of attachment? Of the "way things ought to be"? Of what you "thought you were supposed to do"? Can you just be with what is right now and sing out loud from the depths of your spirit? Can you love with an open heart and allow others to do the same? Can you observe without judgment?

Ahhhhhhh.

It's difficult. But it's time. I feel it in my bones. The shift is tectonic. It's planetary. It's deep. I've personally let go of SO MUCH this year, some things and people and places against my will, but all for my greater good. I've given the Universe a giant Yield sign in my life and wow - that made things happen. The Universe asks that we yield, that we GET OUT OF THE WAY in order for our best to manifest. But 90% of us stand right in the middle of that road yelling "stop!". 

I leave you then with this message at this time, full of love and peace in my heart: All as it's meant to be in perfect time for your highest good. Always.

Namaste at this sacred moment in our lifetimes, not to be replicated before we pass on to the next place. Not to come again in our children's lifetimes. And all transpiring under the light and watchful eye of that Lovely Luna Llena who's beckoning you to come see her. Get outside. Stand in the light. And let go.

Happy Samhain & Halloween

From my princess and me. We hope your holiday was bewitching and full of treats!

Custom sets are coming to my Etsy boutique!

I am so excited to offer all new sets on Etsy of all the healing items I make. I've been blending essential oils and creating a new line of perfumes that are coming soon; for now, I'm offering the blends one by one as part of larger sets that include my handmade beeswax candles, white sage bundles, and a mix of gemstones from my private collection. I'm also teaching a class in December on how to make your own perfume products using essential oils. Everyone who attends will take home three products they hand-create and blend, including hydrosols, bath salts, massage oils, perfume oils, shower gels, and a few other options. So far my favorite perfume blend is neroli (orange blossom) and ginger. It's heavenly. Every time I wear it people stop and ask me about it. It's a very sexy blend too!

The BEST part of all of this is ... I am finding incredible balance and joy between my hectic day job, the demands of family life, and creative work that fuels my soul. It's deeply gratifying and healing, and I really do believe that in every product I create there's just a bit of magic. I am blessed by my growing customer base of people who support my products and offer me the resources I need to keep on creating!

Wearing your crystals

This week my daughter and I organized my "treasures" as she calls them. I jokingly refer to her as their future owner. Lucky girl. In the course of studying crystal healing for 20 years I've amassed quite a collection of loose and set gems, all of which actually will be hers one day apart from the few pieces to which dear friends and other family members have laid claim. I cleaned all the pieces above and then took a snapshot of them as they waited to be returned to their armoire. A lovely sight to behold.

But I wear my gems with intention - each piece a decision made on the basis of the energetic level I'm at and how much I have to raise or lower that energetic frequency to achieve the desired balance in my field. I always tell people when they are buying jewelry to acquire the pieces they are most initially drawn to and then learn about the healing properties after the fact; 90% of the time the properties are related to some need - conscious or subconscious - of that person or the person to whom the piece will ultimately be given. That's the case with the gorgeous Navajo cuff in the photo above, a gift that I treasure. As such I didn't choose it but it clearly chose me. It has intense native energies attached to it and turquoise is a healing stone; for women, it reminds us of our inner power and demands that we engage our authenticity in relationships. Both of these energies were of great use to me this year. It's gotten a lot of wear lately.

Crystals and gems should be worn close to the skin. If you purchase a piece of jewelry, check to make sure that as you wear the piece the stone will come in direct physical contact with you. That's how to best make the energetic connection with it such that it can alter your frequencies. If a stone is outside your auric boundary, it can raise the vibration of your physical space but it won't be doing much for you physically or psychically (though a balanced living environment feels really good, as people attest when they visit my home).

Wear your jewels and treasures, as my daughter calls them, in perfect health!

You gotta have friends

The end of October is always a time of deep reflection for me. This year the reflection seems especially intense as the last 12 months have brought massive tides of endings and beginnings - a full-tilt career transition, a tectonic shift in my primary relationship, the loss of several significant friendships, the deepening of other friendships (I would argue, as a result). Not all of this movement is negative; it simply is. When the sand shifts under your feet, you can't trust your foundation. This is when you have to look up, and out, and around you. Turn to God or Source or however you imagine the great Being at the Center of the Universe who created you. Turn to your family who will, hopefully, keep your best interests in heart and mind at all times. And turn to your friends, those men and women in your life who can be called upon even in the most shadowy moments. I think of those people in my life who know all my secrets, my hopes, my fears. I share all with my Circle. And the people who inhabit that space have my lifelong and unyielding loyalty. It's a sacred trust. There is very little movement in that inner sanctum of my life. But you have to earn your way in.

I laugh a little as I write this - I have a massive outer circle (like 1500 contacts between Facebook, Linked In, and Twitter), and engage in regular communication with about 200 people a week. I run an executive leadership training program in the private sector and travel extensively in that role, which adds another several hundred people to the list of regular contacts. And yet that innermost circle, my tribal council, totals about 12 people. The contrast is stark. I am one of those people who everybody thinks they know, and yet there is much I never reveal to anyone but a select few. That's the witch in me, I suppose - the part of me that allows myself to be widely consumed in a vague sense but only narrowly consumed in Truth.

I am deeply grateful for the presence of the people who have walked that long way with me. They share my love of life, my passion for adventure and creation, my belief in things unseen, my distaste for judgment. We meditate together, sit in silence together, talk for hours about nothing together, laugh together, cry together, hold space for each other when we are separated by time or space. They text me at 11:11 with a happy face. And they know that I'll walk to the ends of the Earth for them. And back. Because to me, love is how you show up when life is hard.

Giveaway WINNERS (TWO!) announced

I decided to give away both of the Wishing Moon candles I made at this month's full moon (I made 2, 1 for the giveaway and 1 to keep). I just felt drawn to do so. They are slightly different with different stones but they were made under the same magical light on the same night.

I put your names on folded pieces of paper and let Zoe choose the winners out of a hat. And the winners are ... Jacque Hansen and Laura Sabin! Ladies, please send me your mailing addresses and I'll get them off to the mail to you. Talk about a fun package to receive :). I know you will love and enjoy them.

Thank you all for entering and for making wishes not only for yourself but for those you love. You've inspired me this week. 

Make a wish giveaway!

I *love* giveaways, and this is a good one my friends ... a candle I hand-made with a heart full of love on the night of the full Wishing Moon (10.11.11), all in shades of lavender and white, wrapped with a custom-blended Wishing Oil (lavender, rose, vanilla, orange blossom among other yummy ingredients), lavender blossoms and rose petals, and TWO gemstones, an amethyst and a piece of blue kyanite. Amethyst promotes dreams and visions, while kyanite balances chakras and connects you to Source energy. The label I created is a dreamy one, designed to be a constant reminder to dream big dreams and speak your wishes aloud. This candle is one-of-a-kind, specially made just for this giveaway to honor your wishes.

To enter the drawing and be eligible for the giveaway, you have to do two simple things: First, at the top right side of the blog, enter your email to "follow" the blog and second, comment on THIS POST with your biggest wish for the month. It can be a wish for you or someone you love. Please forward this post via Facebook or Twitter to friends you know who love candles! Anyone can enter for the giveaway by following the two steps outlined above. The winner will be announced right here on the blog next Thursday, October 20. One entry per person, please.

October is a magical month from start to finish, the end of the Celtic year and the time when the veil between the spirit realms and the physical world is thinnest. Hence the reason this month's moon was a wishing moon. I believe that wishes are intentions and that by setting intentions we co-create the course of our lives. I believe that dreams come true. I believe in wishing on the moon and stars. And I celebrate you, all month long. Enjoy!

When the Muse blows through ...

I chase her message on the wind, running after it until I catch bits and pieces in my hands and then scramble to decode it, craft it, and produce something worthy of the word "inspired." This summer the Muse blew through me and I caught her message; she prodded me day and night, in waking and dream states, sending me the poetry for these beautiful candles and the teacher I needed to arrive in order to learn to make these in the Old Ways. Here, a photo of manifestation - each candle and message was first a dream, or a flash of an image in my mind, or a painting or print that inspired me, and slowly the process unfolded - color correspondences, sacred oil blends to dress the candles all hand blended by me at the full moon, stones of significance to each goddess wrapped within - until at last the final products sit here, waiting to be sent to their rightful owners. Now I just need the time and space to create the Etsy listings. Four have been purchased even without the etsy listings yet live. These are moving away from me even as they sit in the basket - a product of my hands, the end result of much love and harnessed intuition, ready for the world. All the work of the Muse, blowing through me like the wind, waiting for me to chase her and read the signs.

Sacred spaces at home and at work

Sacred Space - that corner of a room or hallway, entrance to or exit from a home or business, where the air just feels a bit lighter, the energy brighter, where you come to relax. Growing up, I thought only churches held sacred space; later as an adult I came to understand that the word sacred is not synonymous with religious. The root of the word sacred is the Latin sanctum, which simply means "set apart." Thus I take sacred space to mean any space you designate as other than your normal living space, set apart because of its special meaning to you and the deliberateness of choices you make about what to include there. For many of us, sacred space must be confined to corners and elevated nooks because of small children with curious tendencies who are instantly drawn to bright, shiny objects. I have adapted my own spaces to reflect this challenge. I am also teaching my children, at the same time, to respect beautiful things that are sacred to others - to ask permission to see and hold them. My son already has a "favorite stone", rose quartz, and he knows what it represents. He asks to hold the stones on my altar space each night, and is careful to put them back where he found them once he's done. Below is an image of my personal sacred space, located in my bedroom; the photo at the top of this post is of my home office sacred space that contains items I associate more with my professional identity and development. The items below are much more connected to my home life and personal sphere. It's also divided into light and shadow, which I imagine is clear to see; thus it holds both aspects of my self, the inner and outer, the visible and the invisible, the known and unknown, at once. And because it holds both, it not only allows me to feel fully present in my home, it reminds me when I error too much on one side of being versus the other, which is a common occurrence for most people. Rarely are light and shadow in any kind of proportional balance, nor should they be (a topic for a future post!).

So how might you think about creating sacred spaces in your home and office if you don't already have them and what do you need in order to deeply personalize these spaces to your own essence such that they speak to you on many conscious and subconscious levels? Here are three ideas to inspire you:

1. Sacred space should be truly special to you. When you look at it, you should immediately feel at ease and embraced. Thus, small and large items can be included, and you should also consider the use of elemental themes such as water, fire, and earth. A candle for fire, for example, can be combined with paua shell for water, sand or stones for earth, etc.

2. Ritually speaking, you should not barter or ask for discounts on any items you use in your sacred space. Artisans should be paid for their work, and so if you include items that you purchase you are guided not to do so by negatively impacting others along the way. Gifts are wonderful inclusions, as they represent not only you and your essence but the thoughts and warm wishes of the people who gave them to you.

3. Remember that the ultimate purpose of sacred space is to raise the energetic vibrations where we live, work, sleep, play. Things that make you feel good and loved, that remind you of happy times and special places, hold high vibrations, as do gemstones and crystals. What you do not want in a sacred space, ever, is clutter or junk. Clutter actually lowers the vibration in any space. Have you ever walked into someone's cluttered office or home, or an antique store for that matter, and felt your pulse quicken, the sensation of wanting to run versus wanting to stay and relax? Energetically, clutter is suffocating. Choose 5 things rather than 10, or 10 rather than 20, and make them count. This is not a space for your collections of items, in my view; one amazing gem versus 40 in a row, is actually more soothing to your eye and to your soul.

Most of all, enjoy the process. As with everything in life, it's about the journey and not the destination. Creating sacred space is just as fun as enjoying it afterward. And finding new treasures along the path of life is an amazing bonus. If you introduce the concept to friends, family members, and your children you will also be doing important work of teaching others about the value of sacredness in their lives as well.

On weight, wellness, and the moon

I am asked pretty frequently about how I lost baby weight following two pregnancies in two years. The truth is that I followed a very strict low-calorie and low-glycemic index eating plan that made the most significant impact in my weight loss; but that wasn't all I did. I have had a complicated relationship with food and weight for most of my adult life and resolving those issues involved a lot more than just counting and restricting calories.

My relationship to my own spirituality has been the key to losing weight and maintaining the loss over time without following a plan or counting calories. I credit my connection to nature and my observation of moon phases, funny enough, for much of my ability to see food as it's meant to be viewed - as a source of fuel. Eating is pleasurable, and was meant to be so. But it's a source of energy for our physical bodies, nothing more and nothing less. And the more we eat whole foods in their most natural state, the healthier we will be. The more aware of our own physical activity levels and the more we attune our eating with our activity such that we burn the calories we take in, the easier it is to achieve a proportional and maintainable weight that is not a burden to our circulatory systems. Your heart has to work so hard when you are overweight! If for no other reason, you should pursue a healthy weight just to be kind to your heart.

So what does it mean to attune yourself to nature and follow moon phases in order to lose weight? It means that as the moon waxes and wanes (grows full and then less full), so your body is naturally inclined to hold on to water and excess calories at particular times of the month (this is true for both sexes, by the way, but is exacerbated for women by the menstrual cycle). I eat fewer calories in the first half of the month because I find that it's easier to maintain my weight as the moon wanes, which is in the second half of the month. I also look to the moon for guidance about harvest cycles and direction toward which foods are seasonally appropriate and freshest at any given time. I create gemstone elixirs at the new and full moons that I use at other times of the month to maintain and boost my metabolism.

Most of all, though, in connecting to my own spirituality I am "doing the work" of resolving inner conflict and addressing shadow issues in my life that I propose are tied to weight gain and obesity for many people. The thinner you are, the less padding you have against the pains of life. People gain weight to avoid love, intimacy, connection; as they lose weight, they become physically closer to those around them. The discomfort with such closeness is in my view the primary reason so few people maintain weight loss over time. Spirituality is the channel I use to process my own challenges in life such that I can appreciate intimacy with others and not avoid it.

Here's to your health and optimal weight, and to the moon for her guidance.

Tuesday's quick tip: Anti-aging secret(s)

You can take the girl out of research land, but not the researcher mentality out of the girl. I like to collect data on random things. I love asking people questions about how they live their lives. And my favorite question to ask of beautiful women is, "How are you staying youthful?" Because we all have secrets. And if you ask nicely enough, most women will share theirs with you.

Here are the top five answers I've received and pieces of wisdom I've gathered over the years.
1. Exfoliate
Get a dry brush, use a facial exfoliant, buy a body scrub. However you do it, get that dead skin off your body! It will reveal a more youthful layer of skin below.
2. Oil up
Put a few drops of rosemary oil in your bath, and a few drops of lavender oil in your moisturizer. While you're at it, place a piece of mookaite jasper in your moisturizer jar too. It's the fountain of youth stone.
And make sure your moisturizer has a decent SPF.
3. Stop smoking. Like right now. Forever.
4. Meditate daily.
5. Drink water. Then drink more. Eh, a little more.

Want one more tip? Take all your vitamins, especially the Bs and Omega 3s (but not Omega 6s).

Tales of the talking stick

Lately I've been very aware of time - how it passes, how I use (or don't use) it, how others perceive it, how it's written on my body and my face, how it manifests in my children's growth. So it's no surprise that my birthday felt ... different this year. Not a milestone birthday, I'm 38. But definitely a different one given my orientation toward time at the present moment. In thinking about what to do to mark the day, I considered lots of options and finally decided to do something I was sure others would find strange. Well maybe not for me, but certainly not something most people would choose to do on such a day: I got up early, packed some snacks, and drove to the middle of California along the Mexican border to a sleepy town called Boulevard and picked wild sage with a wild woman on her wild sage farm. The two-hour drive from San Diego was absolutely breathtaking, though punctuated more frequently than I anticipated by border patrol. I arrived and it was hot - a blistering summer day in the southeast desert. I drove down the winding path to the farm and wondered if I was in the right place. And then I saw it - the field of sage growing as tall as I stand, blowing in the passing breeze. I was greeted at the main house by about 8 dogs of all sizes and ages (some raced to greet me, others barely moved or looked up). And then the owners emerged and welcomed me.

The rest of the day passed so quickly, and there is so much to tell I could write a novel about the experience. I love that the couple who farm this land found the sage at the corner of their 22-acre property by accident on a hike about a year after they moved in and then used seeds from the mother plant to grow the others. They let me buy as much sage as I could fit in the back of my SUV, which is a lot. They know I make sage bundles and were happy to become my new wholesale supplier. I was amazed at the array of products they make (sage balms, tincture, essential oil, hydrosol) and the standards they maintain despite the incredible growth of their company. Most of all, I was inspired.

But perhaps the highlight of the day was a rare glimpse I got into the life of the owner as artist; she doesn't just run this farm, she creates all kinds of other things in other media using raw and organic materials. My favorite item she has created was also the oldest - it's the talking stick pictured at the opening of this entry. It is used by her family in all sorts of significant ways and is more than 30 years old. It gets passed around at Thanksgiving for people to speak their gratitude around the dining table; it gets used in ceremony to signal the opening of sacred space; and her grandkids carry it around the property when they visit, lending it additional wear but also additional beauty. Beads and feathers and other adornments are added each year. And the result is this beautiful physical cataloguing of what matters most in her life - art. And of course, love.

I am so glad I chose to drive out to this beautiful space on my birthday this year. Not sure how I'll top the experience next year. Not sure I need to. Or even could.

Crystal and gem basics

Tuesday's quick tip: Building your basic essential oil library

Healing work requires that you maintain a basic stock of essential oils at home. This can become an expensive hobby, or you can approach the purchase of your oils from a conservative place of just wanting to own what you need. I am listing my five personal favorites below. You can order them online (amazon.com carries an amazing selection from a variety of vendors) or go to your nearest Whole Foods/Sprouts/Henry's market to find them. Most can be purchased for between $5-7 per bottle.

1. Lavender - antiseptic, boosts mood, promotes relaxation.  A few drops in a warm bath after too much sun will help with sunburn.
2. Rosemary - also antiseptic, also mood-boosting, but this oil also helps with skin care.  It promotes smoothness of skin and with regular use and frequent dry-brushing, can eliminate cellulite and rough skin patches.
3. Eucalyptus - this oil you must keep on hand to diffuse into the air or just to put a drop under each nostril when ill.  It clears sinuses and helps prevent infection.  A drop or two in a warm bath serves the same purpose.
4. Tea tree or melaleuca - this oil clears blemishes and heals all kinds of skin and nail infections, even of a fungal nature.  It's a miracle oil!
5. Patchouli - is a strong one, so test it first to see if you like it.  It grounds you and calls you into present time, and can be used with the other oils to offer the grounding benefit as you heal specific ailments.

Others you might like include neroli, or orange blossom, which is pricey but beautiful and very intoxicating. Lots of people enjoy lemon and peppermint. A few drops of peppermint oil infused into a bottle of distilled water can be sprayed to stop ants from attacking indoors. That way you avoid the toxic fumes of ant spray! Lemon oil added to your kitchen cleaning supplies helps improve the scent and promotes effectiveness at cutting grease.

If you really want to take the oil collecting to the next level and already own "the basics", go here, to Young Living's site.  There you will find expensive but very exotic and incredibly high quality blends.  My favorite is Abundance, but I own lots and will be honest, they are all great.

Please use wisdom when applying pure essential oils directly on the skin; most need to be delivered via a "carrier oil" like almond or apricot seed, which you can get at your local markets as well, or you can add them to unscented lotion. Diffusing essential oils using a tealight burner (which you can also find on amazon.com) allows you to enjoy the scent without risks of physical contact. This can be very helpful in a child's room for example when little ones are sick, or in your own room when you just want to relax and unwind after a long day. And always with these oils, less is more; a little goes a long way.

Enjoy putting your oil library together!

Medicine woman

In 2010 I began walking along a new path. I recently read about shamanic initiation, and I'd venture to say that's what has happened to me. The path is strewn with petals and thorns, happiness and many tears. I've felt the joys, mourned the deaths, grieved the losses. The primary person who mentored, held, and guided me through this process is named Rose - an extension of the theme of petals and thorns. I've walked the path now far enough to see a meadow ahead, full of wildflowers and shade trees.

I've been studying metaphysics, crystal healing, and all forms of transformational living since I was 18; that's almost 20 years. But my learning has advanced exponentially. My work, as it has been communicated to me, is to remain as open as I can to all that is, all that can be, all that cannot be any longer. That openness demands vulnerability on a scale that, when I think about it too much, is totally overwhelming. And completely exhilarating. I do not know where this path leads. But it is mine alone to walk and the walking is liberating my soul.

I had no idea that I'd shapeshift and become myself finally at the age of 37. If you'd told me this at 25, or at 30, or even at 35, I would not have believed you. It all affirms my deep conviction that the best part about life is the notknowingness of it all. Tomorrow can bring just about anything; today, then, you must prepare. My preparation has led me to gather new tools, literally and metaphorically. The photo at the top of this post is my medicine pouch, custom made with a rose crafted out of leather - an homage to my own opening and blossoming, to my mentor-teacher-spirit guide who escorted me through the dark forest this year. I am just beginning to fill and work with my medicine bag and know that it will be my companion as I walk, for many years to come.

Fairy-inspired smudge sticks!

I love, love, love to burn sage. And I'm not alone. People have been drying and burning sage as a method of ceremonial cleansing for centuries. Maybe longer. But at least for as long as history of such things has been recorded. To me the smell of burning sage invokes an ancient wisdom, a deep connection to old ways, an invitation to sacred aspects of my own divine femininity. Doesn't it make you feel the same way? If you've never burned sage, well, that's your homework. Go! Go now! Find yourself a few dried leaves or even better, a smudge stick, and light the edge. Blow out the flame and watch the smoke rise. Take it all in. Like a warm hug, a summer breeze, a blanket pulled fresh from the dryer, let the scent soothe and cleanse your spirit in a way nothing else can. Let it lift you away to another place and time. Go with the flow. I've been wanting to make my own smudge sticks since I was introduced to the entire concept. And there's a lot to learn. There are "rules" for smudging, such as it has to be done with white sage (salvia apiana), cedar, or other sacred plant. The plant has to be dried before you can burn it and should be dried ceremonially. Then it should be burned in an abalone shell, which represents water (since the sage represents earth and the burning of it represents fire and air). Some native populations place the abalone shell on deer antlers to ground the process. Some have rules about how you work with the smoke - that you direct it with certain kinds of feathers over a person or object to cleanse it. And those feathers have to be harvested by sacred means. There are even rules about what color string you use to bind the sage, how many times you wrap the string around the bundle, and what kind of string is best. I've read two big old books on the subject and feel like I still don't understand everything there is to know about sage smudging. But of course in my efforts to trust my own inner wisdom, I am assured that I do in fact already know deeply and intimately what is necessary in order to proceed. You do, too.

This past week I had a rare opportunity to make my own smudge bundles. A good friend grows white sage aand needed to trim her plants back. Harvest time! We all got together and decided to make some very special bundles - tied with sparkly rainbow-colored thread, and filled with not just sage but lavender among other flowers and rosemary for healing. The result was a finished set of smudge bundles unlike any I have ever seen - colorful, magical, fairy-like, very glam! I feel like they represent something about me, some aspect of my unique rainbow-hued authenticity, some message about my creative potential. As we gathered and made these beautiful bundles while drinking wine and pink champagne, at sunset, at the new moon, while engaged in deep conversation, I thought about how many women have gathered before us, doing the same thing, creating sacred space and sacred objects together, weaving love and powerful intentions into each bundle, so that every person who receives one of these treasures (and there's something of a waiting list for mine!) can feel the energy as they enjoy the experience of burning them. What I took away from the experience is that you can follow all the "rules" for a process like sage smudging but what matters most is that you pour something of yourself into the work of creating the product so that the process itself is sacred. Sacred process, sacred product.