Healing – How does it work? My Thoughts

Crystals for Healing

As I write this I am recovering from a seriously nasty virus, so have been thinking a lot about healing (well I was thinking about it before but have had even more time now!) and what it is that makes it work, be it reiki, acupuncture, crystal healing, qi gung, self hypnosis or any one of the many other types of alternative and holistic healing.

First off I’d just like to point out that I’m by no means a healing expert or guru, but have a small amount of experience in that I have taken the first level of reiki training, have received different types of healing, and have been working with meditation and energy work for many years.

The first thing that all these types of practices have in common is the use of energy (or Qi, or Chi or life force, or vital energy or whatever you prefer to call it/think of it as.

Practices such as reflexology and acupuncture work (as my basic understanding of it goes) by realigning the energy pathways, or meridians that flow through your body.  In common with so many alternative healing practices, these systems believe that many things (including physical and emotional events) can cause blockages in your energy lines, leading to illness and disease.

I once spent some time listening to a Paul Mckenna self-hypnosis CD which aimed to help you keep your immune system strong and healthy by learning to give yourself an endorphine boost.  He sescribes how the place where endorphines are released can be different for different people, but for me it was the heart chakra, the same place as the reiki energy fills up first before going on to heal the rest of me, interesting I thought….

The plot thickened the other day when I read that certain people believe that acupuncture works by stimulating your endorphins.

Things continued to get more confusing when I practiced a relaxation meditation that involves following the path of energy around your body, common in things like mindfulness, yoga, and also in Robert Bruce’s New Energy Ways.  I felt the energy course around my body, particularly in my hands and feet – very similar to what I have felt when practicing the tarot, but also when trying out QiGong.

Reiki, unlike say reflexology or acupuncture, is a passive form of healing in that the healer is merely a channel for a an energy source that exists outside (but also inside!) of our bodies.  My reiki healer would often say how much she liked giving reiki treatments since it was also a treatment for her.  Yet I began to wonder, since the feelings of energy, the burst of pleasure associated with endorphins, was pretty much the same as what I had experienced from all these other metaphysical practices.  Was reiki just a self delusion?  Tricking yourself that there is something greater when it’s all within you?

But then I realised the (perhaps obvious) answer – This energy, this Qi, Life Force, Love, Divine Light, Mother Nature, God even if you are religious, whatever you call it, is not only within us, but also powers the universe.  It is the thing that I think I have always believed makes the world go round so to speak.  And importantly, it’s all the same thing!  Whatever you call it, however you manipulate it – drawing it in from the world or redistributing it in your body, it’s the same, all is one!

The feeling of endorphins being triggered is a sign of us connecting to that universal force. love, whatever, and is a very healing thing.  Even before I connected all this I began to intuitively feel that whenever I triggered that feeling, I was getting some strong healing.

We love to be in love as that triggers that feeling, but a relationship can also bring negatives, but if, as someone once suggested to me, we can hang on to that feeling of love, regardless of there being a single object of it, we can be happy and healthy.

You probably know the way that when you start thinking of something it keeps coming up in new ways, (some people call this synchronicity) and having just started QiGong, the first exercise I am learning is called ‘Butterfly Dancing in Front of Flowers’ and is all about opening your heart to the universal energy – what a great time and place to start this journey!

What are your thoughts on this?  Was this obvious to you all along or has it made you think?  Do you have other ideas on the way healing (and energy) works?  Get involved below!!

Wiccan Supplies – My Top Five

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Here are my top 5 Wiccan Supplies that I couldn’t live without!.

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Spell Candles

Spell Candles

If you’ve read much of my blog you won’t be surprised to see spell candles in my top five Wiccan supplies!  Not only are candles beautiful and atmospheric, they are inexpensive, and a great way to add extra power to your spells, rituals and meditations.  By choosing a candle with a colour suitable for your spell, it can really set the tone.  Candles are also great as they enable you to draw magickal symbols and sigils into the candle.  Check here if you’d like to try some candle magick. There are many stores that carry different candle packs and even Amazon carries a set of Mixed Colour Spell Candles which are great for topping up your spell and ritual kits, particularly as you can specify which colours you need!

 

Incense

Again if you’ve read much of what I wrote you’ll know how much I love Incense and the power that it brings.  Something about smells seem to bypass much of the conscious thought process, I’m sure you’ve had it where you’ve smelled something that reminded you poignantly of someone or some time in your past – before you even had to think about it.  The power of smells on the subconscious is what makes me so fond of incense since it can evoke emotions and mental states, perfect for spell casting and also relaxation, meditation and even invigoration.

Incense sticks are handy for trying out a new fragrance as they are inexpensive, but tree and plant resin incenses are ideal for serious use due to the strength and intensity of the smells, also I like the way they come from nature, I feel this adds extra power to any spell. One of my favourite joss stick fragrances is Satya Sai Baba Nag Champa Incense Sticks
for it’s exotic and mysterious scent.  My two favourite tree and plant resin incenses are Premium  Dark Amber for it’s ability to help wash away sad thoughts and feelings, and Francincense for it’s versatility, being able to be used for meditation, purification, luck and consecration as well as for blessing, energy, strength, visions, healing, meditation, power and courage!

 

Herbs

Hops Flowers
Hops Flowers

Being a hedge witch at heart, I love using things that come from nature, particularly herbs in healing, spells and rituals.  Herbs can be used within spells, mixed into holy water, sprinkled in a place that you want to cleanse or bring energies to, or even popped into a little bag which you can keep with you, perhaps to give you confidence, or help you with having prophetic or lucid dreams, or astral travelling.

To help me sleep I sometimes use Hop Flowers
in a small organza bag near my pillow.  When I want to have prophetic dreams I use a mixture of Star Anise, Yarrow and a few Hops flowers.  Yarrow also makes a tasty tea which helps to increase your psychic awareness!

 

Crystals

Botswana Pink Agate
Botswana Pink Agate

As well as being absolutely stunning and fascinating to look at, crystals possess useful powers, making them ideal for a Wiccan supplies kit.  Sometimes I like to focus the energy of my spell into a crystal, (choosing one with suitable properties for the purpose of the spell) and then carry the crystal or gemstone with me till the spell has been sucessful.

Crystals can help focus the mind, and I still wear my blue sodalite bracelet which I bought for studying, as it helps to clear the mind and help you to think objectively.  Rose quartz is my healing stone of choice, and can be got in tumblestones, wands or pendulumsCitrine is well known for it’s ability to encourage wealth, and a recent customer of mine advised me to put some in my wealth corner of my house (the furthest left corner of your home away from your door) as she says it works well for her, I’ll be trying this shortly, thanks for the tip! 🙂

 

Meditation Tools

Tibetan Singing Bowl for Meditation
Tibetan Singing Bowl for Meditation

As any Wiccan knows, being a witch is not just about doing spells and rituals, it’s also (in fact much more) about living your life in a good and happy way, doing the best you can for others and yourself.  To be able to do this it’s important to have a clear and calm mind – at least some of the time!  I often find a lot of mental chatter rattling around in my brain, so meditation is a vital tool for me.  It helps me sleep, helps me when I am feeling tired or stressed, and also helps me to connect to my psychic side, particularly through being able to calm the mind.

I’ve already mentioned the value of frankincense and other incenses in meditation, but something else I use a lot is guided meditation apps and videos from YouTube which help me to calm the inner chatter!

What are your favourite Wiccan Supplies and tools? What do you use them for? Let me know! 🙂

Crystals for Healing

Fleur de Venus – Rose Quartz Pendant for Peace and Understanding

There are many ways to heal yourself, from visualisation to meditation or Reiki, but a powerful assistant can be a crystal or gemstone. Crystals are great for healing as they vibrate with concentrated energies inside them – hence why quartz is useful in watches. But before you can use the gemstone you need to learn how to activate it and what to do with it. In my shop you can see a great selection of crystals for healing, and what the properties of each stone are, I have lots of gift sets that use a combination of crystals to heal you more holistically (for instance to cure insomnia you can have a crystal to clear the mind, one to relax the body, one to ease anxiety etc), or as a general rule Crystal Quartz, sometimes known as rock crystal, is the master healer, generally boosting immune system and helping most ailments. Take a look at my article to see easy step by step instructions for activating and using crystals.