​I'm currently sitting in my office drinking Earl Gray lavender tea. There's a nice breeze blowing through the window. The palm trees sway against bright blue skies. 

Another day in paradise. 

Except that the world is topsy turvy at the moment. I stood in line for an hour at the grocery store yesterday; everyone had at least two carts worth of food (not toilet paper because we have butt sprayers - ha!). The ballet I was performing in next week has been postponed and all rehearsals canceled. The news is a constant flood of discouragement and worry.

When will it all end? Will anyone I know get sick? Will I get sick? I have a lung disorder so will it affect me more? Oh God, my throat hurts!

It's easy to feel upset about the state of the world right now. It's normal to feel frustrated. You might find yourself wondering, how can I live a magical life and find beauty in all this muck? 

Life as we know it has changed (for the moment), but it's not over. There is plenty of beauty still around, plenty of magical moments to be found, plenty of opportunities to turn some lemons into pink lemonade. 

But for those moments when you feel anxious, angry, sad, and frustrated, here are some magical ways you can calm and cleanse your spirit. And remember, just take it one day at a time.   

Journal 

Whether you already journal every day or haven't touched a notebook in years, now is a good time to get your thoughts on paper. Writing down your feelings about what's going on in your life, whether it's about the virus or not, is a great way to clear your mind and understand what you're thinking.

Sometimes I have no idea why I feel a certain way until I journal about it. Taking all that brain chatter and putting it on the page brings me peace, even if whatever situation or problem I'm writing about isn't solved. Just the fact that I've given those thoughts a place to rest helps me move forward.

Try it. Don't worry about grammar. Just scribble away. Get artistic if you want. Whatever helps you transform those negative feelings into more peaceful ones. 

Start/End the Day with a Calming Meditation 

You know the benefits of meditating so why not use this time (especially if you're stuck at home) to start and/or end the day with a meditation that soothes the soul? 

Try different styles to see which ones work for you: guided, instrumental, vibration-based, ASMR, or this Collective Peace Meditation by Sage Goddess.
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​Aromatherapy Using Essential Oils 

Whether it's a drop of essential oil perfume on your wrist or in an oil diffuser, scent is a powerful force that can transport and transform us. When you feel stressed, tired, anxious, or scared, use a corresponding oil to uplift and calm your nerves. You can wear the oil, place in a diffuser, rub on or drop into candles, infuse your bath, etc. 

Essential oils to try:

• Eucalyptus - a healing aid that can be used after an illness or for purification
• Geranium - healing and eases pain
• Hyacinth - a relaxing oil that brings peace of mind
• Jasmine - relaxing, helps one sleep
• Lavender - healing, purifying, and relaxing
• Lilac - brings peace and harmony
• Nutmeg - aids in sleep
• Sesame - provides hope in times of sickness and to those who feel discouraged

Cast a Spell 

A truly witchy way to calm and cleanse during trying times is to cast a spell. I found three simple spells that are perfect for easing anxiety and refreshing the spirit. Practice them throughout the coming weeks and allow peace to unfurl within you.

💜 Worry and Anxiety Spells

💜 A Happiness Ritual Bath

💜 A Spell to Help You Sleep


Drink a Cup of Herbal Tea 

It's always important to stay hydrated and you can and should drink water throughout the day, but you can also add a cup or two of calming tea to your refreshment repertoire.

​Lavender and chamomile tea are lovely to drink before retiring for the evening, as they help soothe nerves and aid in sleep. You can also find herbal tea blends that provide tranquility and healing. 

Make a Salt Bowl 

Have you ever noticed how soothing, clean, and energetically refreshing the ocean feels? Whether you're admiring the rolling waves from the shoreline or immersing yourself in the healing waters, worries, fears, and frustrations seem to melt away. 

One of the reasons the beach is such a magical place is because of the salty sea and air, which have a purifying affect.

You can bring a little of that beach magic into your home by crafting a salt bowl. A salt bowl can aid in absorbing negative energy, leaving your space cleansed and refreshed. 

Starlight Witch has an in-depth post about salt bowls and how you can create one that best suits your purposes. 

Vibes, energy, positive mindset. We talk a lot about these things and how to maintain them. Everyone wants to be high vibe all the time, but in reality, that's just not possible. There are times when you just want to repeatedly hit your pillow or sulk while listening to that one song that always makes you cry.

But there are other times when you feel in a slump, have a case of the Mondays, or want a little happiness boost to power through your day. 

The good news is, raising and or/maintaining your positive energy is easy to do. Many times, it's a matter of choice. Being able to choose to transform your thoughts and amp your vibes is a powerful thing! If you want to change something, be it your current vibes or a situation in your life, you have the ability to make a different choice, shift your thinking, and come out better on the other side. 

Gabby Bernstein said it beautifully:

Really think about that.

​There have been many times in my life when a shift in my energy made a difference. One particular moment that stands out was my last day in high school.

During my sophomore year I decided I wanted to drop out of school, get my GED (the high school diploma equivalent), and go straight to university. I was in a low state, self-esteem non existent, thought the world was against me. I thought my fellow students hated me, thought I was weird and ugly and didn't want to have anything to do with me. I needed to get out and get away from my surroundings. 

But here's the thing: on my last day, my vibe shifted. I was elated knowing that I'd no longer have to sludge through another 10th grade day. I smiled, I laughed, and I might as well have skipped through the halls.

During that day I noticed people reacted to me differently. People seemed more friendly. People I had never spoken to said hello to me in the hallway. Honestly, I was a little freaked out because it seemed like everything had changed overnight. 

The truth is, I had changed. My high vibes were reflected back to me. It took me many years to realize people never hated me or thought I was weird or ugly (okay, maybe...definitely weird, but in a good way). That was how I saw myself and that energy radiated out and mirrored back. 

Think about people you love being around versus those you don't. People's energy can drain or uplift you. Likewise, your energy can do the same. 

You have the choice. If you want to have a sad or angry day, go ahead. Maybe you need a day to cry or yell or take a nap to chill. But if you want to raise your vibes and pull positive energy towards you, try these high vibe suggestions.

(This is a guest post by the folks at Hello Rory.)

In our world of social media and smartphones, it’s much too easy to stay glued to a screen during your free time. Whether you're checking your Instagram likes or firing off work emails, this habit can become damaging over time. That’s because you’re focusing all of your energy outward, instead of spending time introspecting and figuring out how you’re really feeling.

In order to help you stop checking your phone and instead check in with yourself, below are 16 self-discovery questions from the health experts at Rory. Take time every day to ask yourself some of these questions so you can make sure you’re at a healthy place emotionally and mentally.
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I've been thinking a lot about money mindset and healing from money blocks and fears (The Money, Manifesting, + Multiple Streams of Income Course is helping loads with this). Sometimes it feels like I'm grasping at prosperity, so afraid that I'll never have enough (even though I have more than enough). Sometimes, a lot of times, I think I don't deserve to have wealth, especially when there are so many people who barely get by.

Who am I to want more?
Who am I to be blessed with more?

My freelance work is going through a bit of a dry spell at the moment (taking the blame for this one) and it's scary, but also refreshing. It's given me time to enjoy and appreciate what's already in my life, practice gratitude, and explore new money-making avenues. I tell myself that I haven't lost any work, I'm just making room for new and better projects (re-framing: thank you years of therapy).

The thing is, I'm blessed beyond belief because I've been given this day. I know a man who's battling cancer and may only have less than a year to live. The other day he told me how unsettling it is to not know if today will be his last. When he wakes up each morning, he thinks, okay, I'm still here so I want to enjoy one last (fill in the blank). One last sunset, one last drink with friends, one last kiss. Because it very well may be, and isn't that true for all of us?

You and I are here on this earth for whatever reason, so shouldn't we enjoy it? Shouldn't it be as easy and fun as possible?

I don't want to feel like I have to suffer or have less than in order to make up for all the wonderful things I've experienced in life. 

The better off you and I are, the more we can help others and the more joy we can bring to life. Give and receive. Flow. Ease. We don't have to try so hard or beat ourselves up. 

We can be excellent containers of money, use it responsibly, enjoy it and share it. 
​  

Now that all that's out of the way (and thank you for reading), I'd like to share an abundance ritual with you. 

I have no idea where this came from. I was flipping through my magical journal (a grimoire of sorts) and found it, but there's no indication of where I snagged it from. Maybe Veronica Varlow or a witchy book I read. 

Basically, the credit for this ritual goes to someone else. I appreciate you, whoever you are. 

Abundance Ritual in 7 Easy Steps

Step 1: Be aware of the negative ideas you have about money that might be blocking you from attracting more. Write them down, then destroy them (burn, bury, etc.).

Step 2: Practice gratitude by writing down the abundance that's already in your life. Look around you. Everything you see is something you wanted, you created, you manifested into your life. Do you appreciate these things? Do you appreciate your relationships? Write it all down. Dig deep.

Step 3: Be clear on what it is that you want to magnetize. Be specific and visualize what you will do/how you will feel when the money/object/moment appears.

Step 4: Help bring what's in your imagination to life by creating an abundance altar (like mine above), carving candles with sigils, cutting out pictures and making a dream board, etc.

Step 5: Create an abundance magnet and place it on your altar or somewhere where you'll see it often. My abundance magnets include a vintage key (to unlock doors of prosperity) and a piece of green aventurine. 

Step 6: Five days after completing the ritual, list five things that have come your way (even if they aren't what you asked for). This is to simply show you what beautiful blessings are already flowing into your life.

Step 7: Continue to let the abundance flow, and as it does, ask yourself what you can give back. 

Magical tools from (or related to) the ones you see on my altar:
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• Breakthrough Beeswax Candle
• Summon Perfume
• Green Aventurine Skulls
• ​Pyrite Stone

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Please note that these links, as well as the one mentioned at the top of the post, are affiliate links.

Biophilic design is a way of decorating your home that focuses on reconnecting with the natural world. This way of thinking is based on biophilia, the idea that humans have an innate attraction to nature. 

You know the feeling you get when you’ve hiked a mountain and you’re standing at the top enjoying the view with the wind brushing past your face? Or when you are standing with your toes in warm sand staring at the ocean waters that expand for miles and miles?

This attraction to the natural world is something that we often block out in our homes, offices and schools. We create functional buildings that separate us from nature.

To combat this, you can try incorporating the 14 patterns of biophilic design into your home. These patterns include sensory items that will reconnect you with the natural world. Something as simple as adding shells or plants to your space can lead to more positive emotions in your daily life.

ApartmentGuide has created a guide on biophilic design to help you incorporate it into your home. Browse through to see which patterns you already have and which you should consider adding!

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​I grew up in Texas. More specifically, west and central Texas, both with vastly different landscapes (flat desert/hills and rivers), but one thing in common: no ocean. 

I remember moments staring out into the cotton fields, pretending that the blanket of white buds were waves. And when my family did make it down to the Texas coast, I savored everything and collected memories like tiny grains of sand in a charm bottle.

And of course I combed the beaches for shells, little reminders of a place that felt more like home than the deserts and rivers I was used to.

Little did I know that all that yearning and dreaming would manifest into the life I live now. For nearly seven years I've called the Philippines home and I've never lived more than 10 minutes away from the ocean. 

I've collected a lot of shells and sea glass and pieces of jade. And as I've grown in my witchyness, I've learned a lot about how to use the ocean and shells in my magical practices. 

Shells can teach us many things and can be used as tools to help you meditate, manifest, and create magic in your life. 

Whether you already have a vast collection of seashells or plan on starting one next time you're near the sea, keep these magical uses for shells in mind.
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MAGICAL USES FOR SHELLS

• Healing and grounding
• Connection (put in your bath with sea salt to connect to the ocean and the shells' properties)
• Divination (like runes)
• Casting sacred circles
• Gridding
• Meditation (like you would with crystals)
• Altar decor
• Spell work (write sigils on them, put in a wish or spell bottle, use in your spells)
• Wear as an amulet
• Crafting (attach to your wand, adorn boxes, chests, besoms, and candles)
• Charge with your crystals​​

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SHELL MAGICAL PROPERTIES

Best shells for:

Grounding: auger, barnacle, pearl

Creativity: radiant, spiral, pearl, spindle

Healing/Cleansing: spiral wand, dish, pearl

Grief/Loss/Sadness: heart shaped cockle, spiral, pearl, barnacle

Energy boost: spiral, radiant, sand dollar, starfish

Protection: coral, pearl, starfish, auger

Beauty/Love: heart shaped shells, pearl, clam, conch, oyster, nautilus

Abundance/Growth/Strength: coral, starfish, cowrie, scallop, whelk

Meditation/Serenity: starfish, moon shell, spindle

Radiant shells include scallops, limpets, and cockle shells. 

Spiral shells include long and round augers, nautilus, harp, cowrie, and cone shells. Round spirals are best for energy flow and enhancement. Long spirals are best for connecting with spirit (when pointed up) and earth (when pointed down).

Dish shells like clams and abalone act as a container and can support us in healing and cleansing. 

Scallops are the quartz crystals of the ocean, as they can be used in place of any other shell, as well as amplify your shell magic. ​