The tarot told us that this month our readers could benefit from a little encouragement about creating a positive balance concerning finances and emotions. Literally the cards drawn from the reading were Exu of Fire, a very strong growth card, and the Exu of the Seven Mountain Yellow Card.

The seven mountains yellow card has a positive and negative aspect to it, each having their own traits respectively. The positive aspect indicates a financial gain as well as a stable emotional outlook regarding other people in your life. The negative aspect of the card indicates a highly emotional and unstable state: not accepting positive changes in life and using emotions to gain certain things for yourself.

Everyone has the Choice to function on the positive or on the negative. If set on ‘auto pilot’, many people already function on the negative because these are traits that western society encourages and rewards in a person, unless that person was otherwise taught or mentored by someone with more wise, enlightened views. It takes recognition and effort from an individual to decide if, and to what degree, they function on their negative traits.

An example is the ‘one up’ concept which is easily seen in our society. We are told it is desirous to be at least ‘one up’ on other people. It’s no longer *keeping up* with the Joneses, it is *outdoing* EVERYONE around us. If our neighbor drives a Mercedes E350, then we want to do better. We need the E550 and one year newer with a few extra options wouldn’t hurt either. On top of that, our co-worker is planning a trip to the Bahamas. So now we need to plan an ever better vacation, and we’ll be driving ourselves to the airport in our new E550 because we ARE ONE UP!
The One-up concept is a pretty negative way to live. It is harmful because obviously it does not encourage people to find a true sense of value or worth, either in material possessions or in happiness to the self. The One-up concept encourages (or at least doesn’t discourage) the use of any means necessary to get One-up including using emotions for personal gain (reference back to the Seven Mountains Yellow card, negative aspect). It also teaches us to view other people as rivals (or even worse, objects of rivalry), which is unhealthy because it reduces another person to be ‘just another competitor which must be outdone!’ This of course comes along with the negative emotions of jealousy, anger, contempt and objectification.

Using your own emotions or, even worse, using other people’s emotions to gain things for yourself is not cool. It’s wrong. To varying levels and degrees, there are plenty of people out there like our Mister or Miss One-upper. You may know people like this, a friend, family member, etc. Be very careful that you do not allow them to disrupt your positive flow. If you see this trait in yourself to any degree, you need to fix it.

So what can be done then to function on the positive side and create a level of growth in our lives that enables the flow of finances and healthy feelings towards others without stress?
I am sure there are many answers to the above question, but we’ll just address some basics. If anyone feels like they would like to add something that is not discussed, please leave a comment!

A stable Self gives one the best possibility to create finances. When you are emotional or upset about something, it is very difficult to create financial gain, and in that frame of mind, money doesn’t seem that important anyway. Which it should be in the sense that you need at least enough to live relatively comfortably without the additional stress of scraping by. Example, if you’ve ever been in a fight with your partner or friend and then have to head off to work, you know how impossible it is to function and focus on your job or business. Emotional stress make us scattered, distracted, indecisive and can zap all sense of drive away. It is impossible to avoid all conflict, of course, even when minding your own business (just try driving in a big city!). So while you can’t control other people, you can control yourself. (Yes, its true. You can control yourself… No excuses!) Find a positive way for you to deal with conflicts in life. Hit the gym, go for a nature walk, do some art, make some music, dance, cook up a great meal just for yourself. Doing something creative or physical allows for more engagement of the senses and of the physical body which tends to bring us ‘back to center’. Above all, when emotions start mucking up your ability to work and generate personal finances, you need to put a stop to it as quickly as possible. At least make a deal with yourself, that while you are at work, you will focus on work and leave behind all other personal distractions until you can deal with them properly later.
Minimize the opportunities for conflict in your life as much as possible by choosing to surround yourself with people who don’t create arguments, drama or negative situations. Choose friends that have your best interests at hand and actually encourage you to succeed for the sheer motive of seeing you succeed, not what they can get from your success. Choose people who are supportive of you verbally, not those who are unnecessarily critical, apathetic (ie: “the too cool to care” syndrome), or verbally discouraging.

Finances beget finances. When you have a little money in your bank account, it’s easier to make more money. It’s not always within your control, but to the extent that it is… Be responsible. It’s much harder to create a consistent financial flow for yourself when you are spend happy or irresponsible with your money. People who live on the ‘feast and famine concept’ only add to their own stress, which makes being financially stable extremely difficult. The ‘feast and famine’ types will get a chunk of money then spend it very quickly, usually on more lavish items. (Why grocery shop for sensible items when we can go out to dinner every night?? Because its lazy and you’ll be broke before you know it, that’s why.) Well, you may know one of these people. After the feast is over, then it’s right back to the famine stage.

If you are not the budgeting type, then become one. Everyone should have a budget no matter how simple. Plan for bills you know and stash some away for unforeseen events. It’s okay to treat yourself (your energy actually wants you to treat yourself once and a awhile) but don’t overdo it. Keeps things in perspective. When treating yourself becomes a habit, it’s not a ‘treat’, it’s unnecessary overspending.

If you are young, starting over on your own, or new to this country, you may not have credit. Do yourself a favor and build your credit (or take steps to re-build it, whatever the case may be.) By having credit, you at least have a fanatical safety net, so that in the event you need to use it, it is there. Building credit is a long and slow process so start as soon as you can. Again, this is the money begets money concept. The more of a stable financial support system you can create for yourself, the easier it will be to create even more finances.

Of course, for most of us finances come from our job or business. Through our January blog post, we encouraged you to make any necessary changes in your life so that you can get stabilized in the first few months of this year, then settle in and kick some butt. This includes your job or career. If you have your own business, then hunker down and really make it happen. Give it your all… Don’t make any excuses! This is a great year to dedicate yourself to making a good run at generating financial gain. It may be helpful to set a few business goals, then set some more when you achieve those.
In all, we are reminded that to keep the finances flowing, it takes some emotional balance as well, in addition to being dedicated and consistent in our areas of business. You can do it!

So that’s our blog this month.
If you need some help maybe clearing your mind a little, try the ritual to clear your mind that we posted back in our August 2011 Blogpost, link: http://www.mountainrainbowark.com/blog/?p=38.
Keep yourself cleansed by doing your energy baths and candles. Ward off that external negativity!
You can burn a money drawing candle for yourself on your altar but also remember to do your best at staying emotionally stable so that the candle can work for you like it is supposed to.

Sometimes all it takes to get started on a better path is just to start.

Here is an easy financial candle that you can make:
White glass pillar candle (called seven day candles)
Cinnamon powder
Bay powder, or you can grind or crush the leaves yourself into small pieces

To prepare the candle, poke a hole in the wax with an implement, like a screwdriver. Make the hole at least a few inches deep, not too close to the wick or to the glass edge of the candle. Write your name with a pencil 8 times on a piece of paper. Write it small. Write your name eight times one underneath the other, like in a column. Cut the larger sheet of paper to make it smaller by cutting out the block of names. Now it will be small enough to put in the candle. Roll up the small paper with the names facing inward. Put it into the hole you made in the candle wax. Sprinkle the cinnamon and bay mixture into the hole as well on top of your name.
Burn the candle on your altar. It is a good idea to always burn candles inside of a larger bowl with water in the event the candle does crack or break.

Have a great March!
Don’t forget to visit us at our first Harmony Market held March 22nd from 4-8pm at the Holiday Inn, in Bozeman, MT. Call our store for more info: #406-224-3768

As always, we would be energized to hear from you! Leave your comments below and remember to get your necessary spiritual goodies from our Livingston store or online, available 24/7.

January’s blogpost is about Decisions and Partnerships.

Starting a new year means leaving behind old habits, especially habits that in the past have prevented you from moving forward as strongly as you could have! This year, in particular, it is important that you focus on two things: how you make decisions and your partnerships.
Decision making can be difficult, for some people more than others. If you are aware that you are the type of person who is, shall we say “indecisive”, then you really need to pay attention this year and force yourself to make decisions properly. Realize that by not making decisions on time, then you are in effect making a decision not to act at all… and things will pass you by or someone else will make the decision for you. Of course it is important to think things through before making decisions, but don’t take too long – lingering on a decision leads to doubts and that leads to indecisiveness. This year try not to struggle about decisions. Major decisions like a change in career or moving to a new town should be solidified as quickly as possible in the new year. You will want to have those decisions made and be on the right track as early on as you can in 2012. That way, you are using the rest of the months in 2012 to really make headway!!! Remember, that if you live in America it IS a decision making year. We have elections coming up and we all know this brings about tons of talk for the first half of the year, then a whirlwind of changes. If you wait until the latter half of the year to make those major decisions, you’ll be caught in the “rat race” with all those other people who are starting new jobs, going back to school, or looking for an apartment in a new town. Do it early! This year, focus on setting bite-size goals and make decisions that will help you reach those goals in a fairly quick amount of time. Measure your success. Keep track of things. Use your decision making skills to give you strength and drive! Make a decision, set a goal, work to achieve it, then make another decision to set another goal! This year can be very, very prosperous for those who make it theirs through good judgement and solid decisions that they will not go back on!

Next up… Partnerships. Partnerships come in many forms: Partnership with yourself / your own energy. Partnership with other people. Partnership with the world /environment around you as a whole.
Partnership with yourself: This year, we hope you have already made the *decision* (grin, grin!) to start a strong “self-partnership” by doing the 5 steps we outlined in last months blogpost: “It’s all about GROWTH – five things to do for the New Year, start now!” (link: http://www.mountainrainbowark.com/blog/?p=252). If you haven’t… it’s not too late! Read the blogpost and commit to growing your internal self-energy this year by following those 5 steps. Even though the year has turned over, you can still do a bath series, you can still do an energy offering, you can still refresh your personal altar, you can still do a reading for yourself to see how this year will be for you personally… so go for it!
Throughout the remaining months of the year, don’t let your commitment to taking care of your own energy get away from you! Keep your candles lit, keep cleansing your environment, keep it up for YOURSELF. You may not think it’s that important, but it is! It gives you strength. It feeds your energy. Out of all the partnerships in your life, commit to putting your “self-partnership” at the very top of the list. That includes your spiritual self, your mental self and yes, your physical self. Get in shape, get your body strong and healthy. You don’t have to look like a supermodel or an Armani guy, but commit to being healthy. Keep your mind active as well by doing things that invigorate and challenge you mentally. Above all, always keep a positive mental attitude about yourself! If you think successful affirmations are silly, don’t! Most people have absolutely no difficulty with negative self-(de)affirmation but we think positive affirmation doesn’t work. It does. Give yourself a little credit. Don’t be self-critical to the point it causes unhappiness. Don’t create negative scenarios mentally for yourself. Focus on good scenarios. Request positive outcomes for yourself from your own energy. Don’t allow disappointments or failures in everyday life define you… you define your own life! Because life twists, turns and changes around you, there are many opportunities to set things right, to achieve what you are going after. So keep your head up, keep a positive “self-partnership” going and you will do great this year!
Concerning partnership with other people: be sure that you are a good partner to those who deserve your friendship and loyalty… and to the rest of those people that don’t – well, stay away from them. This is not the year to have pity for others. This is not the year to be a do-gooder for those who use and abuse you. It’s hard, but remember these 2 rules: 1. Keep things simple and 2. It’s okay to say no. Those people who complicate your life because they use you, or dump emotional problems on you but never offer you quality support in return, or control you in anyway which prevents your success or happiness… get rid of them. Get them out of your life even if they are long-time “friends” or family. Let them deal with their problems on their own this year. You’ll be too busy kicking butt in your own life.
That said, be a very good friend to those deserving of your friendship. Help your friends become better; allow your positive mental attitude to inspire them to be positive about themselves as well. When you do things for your friends, do those deeds with true altruistic motives, not because you want something back. Do not be a user of others. If you have this tendency, fix it.
On the flip side, if you are naturally a “do-good” type of person: do not allow your good deeds, helpfulness or pity for people *enable* them. You are doing more harm than good. You are causing someone else to become dependent on your charity rather than allowing them to make decisions and take action for themselves. (Remember this is the year for decisions! Don’t be the cause of another person’s indecisiveness because your good nature keeps them dependent on you!) This means, for example, if you always help a friend in menial tasks because you feel sorry for them… don’t. Stop yourself. Encourage them to do the task on their own, even if it means they have to “google” instructions on how to do it or to ask someone to teach them so they can be self reliant from then onward.
Partnership with the world around you: Many ancient spiritual paths teach us that we are part and parcel of the very energy of this earth. The fresh water, the forest, the air, the ocean, the lightning, the storms, the herbs, the animals, the sounds, the iron and minerals that form the dirt. Tune into this concept and you will discover a greater respect for the earth, for others and for yourself. If you live near a beach, make a visit and pay your respects to the Energy of the ocean. If you live near the forests, pay your respects to the energy of the forest and all the beautiful creatures that live there. You get the idea.
If you have the opportunity to travel this year to other locations, make a point to connect with some element of that place, either natural (like the beach) or man made (like some cool architectural landmark). Reach outside of yourself and connect with the environment around you.

All of us at Mountain Rainbow Ark want to say “HAPPY NEW YEAR!” We are excited to see how great this year will be for you! Leave your thoughts and comments. As usual, we are energized to hear from you!

Energize,
MRA blogster
Please don’t forget to visit Mountain Rainbow Ark either online or at our Livingston store for all your spiritual needs! http://mountainrainbowark.com

December is not a month for reflection. It’s a month to get geared up for the upcoming year, 2012! This month, according to the tarot reading, we should focus on “growth” and the card pulled to blog about from the Axle of Keys Tarot Deck was the” Exu of Fire” card. This card literally means “A growth has started right now. If this is what you want, don’t give up and you will succeed.” Many times people get wrapped up in the holidays and end of year festivities that they forget to set aside enough time to develop a plan for the upcoming year.

In efforts to prepare for the new year, we have five things for you to do:
1. Cleanse your home (see our previous blog for very detailed instructions on how to do this)
2. Read how your upcoming year will be for yourself
3. Re-energize your personal altar
4. Do a series of baths prior to the new year
5. Do an energy offering at the turn of the year

Regarding the above, we have gone into pretty good detail on how to cleanse your home in October’s blog post titled “The Importance of cleansing your environment” (link: http://www.mountainrainbowark.com/blog/?p=206). So let’s expound on the other topics to get you going…. Remember, there are only a few weeks left in this year so here’s a guide for you to accomplish five easy but REALLY IMPORTANT things for yourself as an old year ends and a new year begins to open new pathways for you.

NUMBER 2: Read how your upcoming year will be for you:
The purpose is to get an overview of what the new year has in store. This is an important reading, so set time aside to do this reading when you can fully explore all aspects of this reading. You can use any deck for the reading as long as it will give you a clear enough answer for you to understand. (Note: It is best to use a deck that is “charged”, meaning a deck that you have been using quite often rather than a brand new deck. Decks that you use frequently will store information / energy from you and the questions that you ask them and the guidance that the deck gives back to you. Your deck is “alive”. That is why we suggest you read often and of course handle your deck with respect.)
Begin by asking an overview question: “How will this upcoming year of 2012 progress for me, (say your name)?” Do a full spread, OR, you can do a spread in which you pull one card for each month of the year, thus a 12 card spread. You may want to write down your reading and use this reading as guidance throughout 2012. This first reading is a VERY GENERAL reading. Look for an overall picture of the FLOW, the PROGRESS of your year. If you see any months or sections of the year where difficulty is showing, take notice but remember that since this reading is so broad, the difficulties shown could be from partnerships, finances, a job, etc so unless the deck pinpoints a specific difficulty in the meaning of the cards, then you may need to drill down deeper with a secondary reading to find out more. You can do a reading for the upcoming year on how you will do financially, etc. Feel free to continue reading until you are feeling satisfied with your understanding of what the deck says about your upcoming year.

NUMBER 3: Re-energizing your personal Altar Space:
You may already have a personal altar. If so, now is the time to renew that space. Be sure everything is kept clean and tidy. Sometimes people keep trinkets or spiritual novelties that may not really serve a purpose on the altar. Or, you maybe you have been doing work or using particular object on your altar that just isn’t needed anymore. Clean it up and change it around. Create a fresh flow on your personal altar to bring changes to you in the new year.

While it is a personal choice what to put on your altar, consider this: your altar is a sacred space and it’s purpose is to serve as a focal point for you to connect with your energy and a space to WORK with your energy. Sometimes people think that an altar for “special things” (like crystals, objects, etc.) where you can meditate is the best use of an altar. We encourage you to take it a little further: if you are not actually using your altar as a space to GROW your energy, you are missing out on an altar’s sacred purpose. This is a really vast topic, so we will stay to just a few points.
First, energies feed through light, so be sure you give them light on your altar by burning a candle or an oil lamp. Usually, the candle is prepared for a specific energy/ entity or purpose. You can get prepared candles at a botanica or a local spiritual store. If you are not working with a specific energy (an orixa, a deity, etc.) on your altar, you may want to then make or buy candles that have been prepared a purpose such as to increase finances, open roads, or strengthen your guardian energy.
When burning candles on your altar, do so in a safe way. It is not uncommon for candles to receive a dose of energy while burning and crack. It is a good idea to burn your candles inside a large bowl (ceramic, aluminum or cauldron /pot) with some water inside the bowl surrounding your candle. Your altar should be in a private spot.
Make sure your altar is high enough so that burning candles are not an issue for pets or kids (if your altar is in a space that is accessible to pets or other people.) Likewise, don’t burn any candle too high up either so that it is too close to the ceiling because you may end up with a dark spot on your ceiling.
If your altar is in the room where you sleep, you can put the candle out at night so that it does not keep you awake. Put the candle out by smothering it; never blow it out.
Some people like to put cloth on their altar to decorate it or because the color of the cloth is important to the energy of their altar. You may want to put foil paper underneath the cloth to protect the surface of the altar (whether it’s a desk or table, etc) from accidents.
By keeping your candles going, you provide a constant source of feeding and charging for your energy.
You can keep an active tarot deck on or near your altar to keep it charged.
Always keep your altar clean.
If you do not already have a bottle of perfume on your altar to spray your entities and altar with, go get one or more. We gave a ritual on how to charge the perfume bottle in the full moon (the 2 nights leading to to full moon and the night of the full moon). This was also in the Importance of Cleansing your Environment blogpost (link: http://www.mountainrainbowark.com/blog/?p=206). It is good to regularly spray your altar area with energized perfume in addition to incense and other methods of cleansings.

NUMBER 4: Do a series of baths before the end of the year:
This is to cleanse your energy so that you start the new year STRONG. It is important to remove past negativity and a series of herbal baths can help you do this. In general, herbal baths made with bitter herbs or fruits are to cleanse or remove negativity. Baths made with sweet herbs or fruits are to attract positive things. You can do a series of baths for 3, 7 or 10 days. If possible, do a series of baths for the longer amounts of time like 7 or 10 days. You can do a bitter herb bath at night and a sweet herb bath in the morning.
Bitter herbs or fruits would include: rue, sage, wild lettuce, sour orange, yerba mate, lemon or lime (you can use the leaves from the tree too).
Sweet herbs or fruits (and flowers) include: rosemary, mints, basil, cinnamon, dill, rose petals, carnation petals.
If you have access to fruit tree leaves like apple, banana, pineapple plant leaves, sweet orange, tangerine – the these make excellent sweet herb baths. Be cautious with mango tree leaves as some people are sensitive to the sap on the leaves.
Another good bath is made with shells of nuts (peanuts, hazelnuts, cashews, etc.) You shell the fresh nuts yourself. Put the shells in a pot with spring water, boil and allow cool. Strain and take over your head at night.
You can do a dry herbal cleansing along with the baths as well. Here is one: take a bunch of fresh rosemary, sage, basil or mint. Hold in your hand. Starting at the top your head, rub the herbs down your body in a sweeping motion, like you are pushing the negative energy down to the floor an doff your body. Ask to remove all negativity from you, from your life, etc. Make sure you do this all over your body starting from the head down to your feet (include the bottom of your feet.) You can dispatch the herbs in a moving body of water, or in the woods, or throw them away.

NUMBER 5: Giving an Offering:
An offering is a gift to the energy. An offering at the end of the year is done for the incoming energies that will be ruling or “guiding” the new year.
In general, fruits, pudding or flowers are nice offerings if you do not know what to give. You can try this offering too:
RECIPE: Get 4 or 5 different fresh fruits from the market. Cut the fruit up onto pieces, skin and all. Write your name one time on a piece of paper. Use a pencil. Write your date of birth one time on top of your name. Cut the paper small enough to fit inside a serving bowl or a gourd. Place the paper with your name in the bowl; be sure your name is facing upward. Put the fresh cut fruit into the bowl on top of your name. Arrange them nicely. Pour honey on top of the fruit. Before you place this offering on your altar, hold it close to your face, breathe in the aroma of the offering and make a few simple, positive requests that you want for yourself in the upcoming year. Don’t forget good health. Leave the offering on your altar for 7 days. On the seventh day, tap the offering on the altar 3 times and remove it. TAKE YOUR NAME OUT OF THE OFFERING AND SHRED IT IR LET IT DRY AND BURN IT. You can dispatch the offering in the woods, bury it in your yard or if none of those are options, you can throw it away. You do not dispatch the bowl or gourd, just the fruit.

Things to remember about giving offerings: Be sure you put your energy into the offering. For example, if you are giving pudding, make the pudding rather than buy it from the store pre-made in the deli department. Or, if you are giving fruit, cut the fruit yourself and arrange it nicely in a bowl. If you give your energy roses or flowers with thorns, always pluck the thorns off by hand before you give them to your energy.

You can do the offering the first few days of the year if it is not possible to do the offering right on December 31st or January 1st. You must plan the day however and do not push back the day that you have committed to do the offering to another day because “you don’t feel like it”.

REMEMBER! Do not start your new year off with a hangover. It’s pointless to do all of this preparation for a great year to come and make a mistake by having a hangover on the first day. Start your new year with a positive direction. Leave your comments and thoughts on our blog.

The post this month is about changes that happen only as a result of the passage time. We all can go through years in life where we feel we are moving right along, making choices, doing things properly, etc. But usually milestone learning only comes when you are mature enough to recognize the milestone opportunity and smart enough to take the learning seriously. This month’s post is from the lessons that Oxumare can teach us. Oxumare is the “changing energy” and often used for spiritual works related to changes; example: changes to increase finances. In this regard, Oxumare signifies a period of time in which a change will bring about a bountiful financial gain. But with Oxumare, the change only comes with the passage of TIME.

When embarking on a path into the world of energies / spiritualism/ mysticism, the vast majority of people start learning under the notion of quick fixes, instant success and overnight power. Of course there is something that draws people to these paths which is a good thing. However, when you are called to the unknown path (assuming you were not born into a family that practiced), you start your journey as a baby. It doesn’t matter what your physical age is: 15, 25, 40 or 80; you still start off as an immature, inexperienced little child who is entering into a new dimension that is vast and powerful. And, as that child, you will probably make childish requests. But as in natural cycle of things, the child is supposed to grow and develop. The special thing about learning is that the rate of growth is up to you. Of course sometimes, the growth (or periods of non-growth) become more apparent with time.

Sit down and chat with a spiritual reader or spiritualist sometime. (NOTE: Of course, when speaking to any spiritualist please be conscious that a spiritualist has a “spiritualist – client relationship”. In other words: their readings and dealings with their clients are confidential, so never question a spiritualist about things that would invade someone’s right to privacy. However, the spiritualist will likely share insight and experiences which generally relate to the types of help they have been able to provide over the years). You may learn that many people go to readers and spiritualists for the purpose of an immediate fix to a specific material problem in their life: perhaps a financial need, a cheating boyfriend/ girlfriend (or a suspected cheater), to attract a mate, to curse another person, etc. The spiritualist will listen to the person’s problem and do a reading to determine the best course of action to resolve such a problem. If the spiritualist is fair and learned in the spiritual world, he/ she will continue to do readings to see beyond the actual complaint of the client. The spiritualist must determine many factors which involve the past and present choices of the client that resulted in the complaint (problem). Many times we do not want to hear what we have done wrong that directly led to what we feel is our “problem.” A problem, of course, which must be fixed immediately with the help of energies and spirits! Very few people want to take the long, winding road of self improvement. They want the easy way out instead. Why? Because of time… we are impatient!

It is easy to want to place blame or even ask a spiritualist to curse another person for acts done by others which affect us negatively; But most of the time the actual cause of the actions by the other person are a direct result of our own actions. Before ever going to a spiritualist to perform negative work on someone, try to be very conscious of all the events that led up to the current situation. If you still feel it is correct to see a spiritualist for a negative purpose, YOU MUST TELL THE SPIRITUALIST THE WHOLE TRUTH AS BEST YOU KNOW IT ABOUT THE SITUATION. Most people try to only tell the part of the story that makes the other person look like they deserve to be punished. A good spiritualist will expect this from people (remember starting the journey as a child? What child confesses to breaking the cookie jar immediately?) and ask the right questions to the client so that the facts will be known, or at least enough can be known to begin the readings.

This also applies for requests that are “positive”, such as for finances, improvement of life, health, etc.
(Please note: Begin to start thinking of the balance of things when referring to energy work as “negative” or “positive”. They are not black and white; in fact they are really not even distinctly separated in the spiritual world. A work can be done on someone that most people would call “negative” and the result will end up to have many positive aspects. This is an interesting topic would require more than we will discuss in this post.)

The “long path” is a self change toward spiritual development and personal evolution. There are immediate results that can be realized with energy work. But the energy is clever, much more so than the person requesting their help. When a work is done properly by a spiritualist, the end result should always be a progression of the person along their “longer path” of self learning, even if the person gets an immediate result as well.

This all plays into the overall goal of an eternity of learning. A lesson from Oxumare: to make changes – including long lasting ones over the course of time. Take each day as a new beginning, as an opportunity to dig into that “milestone” learning. Be thankful and grateful for your life and your own self; including your own spiritual force (“energies”) which have taken you this far. Be grateful to the teachers you have met along the way and be humble enough to recognize the teachers who are to come into your life in the future. Request your energy to always surround you with people who want to be move forward and learn with you, not those who hinder you in learning. Be open to all other paths in life and understand you can learn from many sources.

It is infinitely important to not complain or create negative scenarios. Do not dwell in problems; it will only create more around you. When you hear someone complain, tell them not to complain. Be nice but firm. Tell them it’s really best to find the solution. Watch how it changes people’s attitude when they feel you are not sympathetic to their turmoils, but rather that you encourage them to fix the problem. They’ll either get strength from you to try and fix their issue, or they’ll just realize that you don’t listen to complainers and they’ll go complain to someone else. Either way, it is a good step to take. Maybe if the complainer hears the same message from a few people, they’ll start to think about fixing their problems instead of wallowing in them.

With time, you will begin to strip away the things that keep us from progressing as quickly as we know we can. With time, if you continue to learn, you will become more spiritually mature and ready to recognize the milestone opportunities.

ABOUT OXUMARE:
Oxumaré is an Orixa entity worked with in Candomblé. Oxumare is the changing energy. It is an energy that encompasses both male and female aspects in the regard that Oxumare will be male for several months of the year and then female for the other months. Oxumare can be signified by the snake, which is an creature that constantly sheds the old and changes into the new. It is an energy that prefers variety and diversity. Oxumare is always surrounded by a multitude of colors and can usually be symbolized by the rainbow.

We are happy to welcome Oxumare to the Mountain Rainbow Ark store. Yes! We have a new addition to the store: an Oxumare statue by Master Saint of Brazil. We just set her up this month and look forward to the many fabulous changes she will bring in our lives!

Feel free to stop by our store to greet Oxumare!
Please post any thoughts or questions on this blog. We will answer all comments.

Properly cleansing your environment is quite often underestimated or overlooked in everyday life, but plays a direct and vital role in the quality of your spiritual life.

There is a reason temples, spiritualists and readers take cleansing very seriously. It works. It is NECESSARY to achieve a level of energy required for what that temple, spiritualist, or reader is doing. And there is a required level. Some people think it’s a preference or an option. It’s not. When you do energy work, which could be as simple as having a space at home with a small altar to meditate or charge yourself… or it could be more elaborate if you have a botanica, a special room for reading or actual spiritual/ ritual work going on for yourself…. regardless… Whenever you do these spiritual things, you are on a path. You are constantly opening new doors for yourself to make things better. You are making requests to your own energy (energies) or to outside energies / forces that they assist you in achieving your goals. To facilitate this, it is an absolute REQUIREMENT that your environment be cleansed and kept cleansed.

Why?
Number one. Cleansing your environment removes negative energy. This is essential if you want positive things in your life: good partnerships, finances, a prosperous business, more. And that’s just the basic stuff. It becomes even more essential that your environment be clean of negativity when you are doing something specific, such as having an altar/shrine for yourself, doing divination readings (for yourself or others) or doing any form of spiritual work (ie. rituals, spells, candles, spiritual baths, etc.)

Number two. Increasing positive energy will not happen if the environment is filled with negativity. Pretty self explanatory. But maybe you haven’t experienced this yourself… there is a sustainable, energized vibration (for lack of a better word) to an environment that is cleansed. Think of your environment, say a room in your home as an axle. If it’s clogged with negative gunk, it won’t spin. As you clear away the negativity, it will start slowly to spin. As you feed it more positivity by keeping the cleanings up and doing candles, baths, or energy work in this cleansed space – the spin gets faster. That in turn pulls more positive energy which strengthens you and whatever energy work you are doing in that location.

Number three. Cleansing creates protection. Face it. Besides just the general incidents that life can bring (car breaks down, an extra unforeseen expense, loss of a job), there are also unsavory individuals out there wishing to do you harm. It could be born out of jealousy, ignorance, or just actual malice. But by having a cleansed environment (and also doing spiritual cleansing for your for yourself like energy baths) a “barrier” of protection is created for you. Why? Because your own personal energies want you to succeed, however people’s personal protective energy get wasted because that energy is so busy trying to get away all the negative energy from us when you live or work in an uncleansed environment. When you take the initiative to keep your environment cleansed, you have that much more of your own energy working to bring you GOOD THINGS INSTEAD! Now we’re talking.

Cleansing is easy to do. But no task is easy enough for the lazy. Don’t fall into that category! Do it, it brings so many wonderful things – you’ll never regret it.

Here are some cleansings you may do for your home, office or business (if you own the business).

(Note: It is suggested also do to the fruit tree branch cleansing below whenever you move into a new house, apartment of office. Do it immediately, as soon as the furniture is moved in but before you or any people occupy it. If the furniture / people move in at the same time, do the cleaning while the place is still empty.)

Ingredients:
A branch from a fruit bearing tree (does not have to be bearing any fruit at the time)
A spray bottle with a squeeze trigger
1800 Cologne Vetiver
1 lime

Procedure:
You will start at the door you enter the room or house and do this cleaning in a clockwise direction around the room. With the branch, sweep the walls starting at the top of the wall working your way down (in a motion like you are sweeping away cobwebs). Cleanse all walls this way. When you are done, take branch outside and discard it. Go back in the house / room. Mist the entire floor with a Vetiver / Lime mixture inside the spray bottle.
Mist the floor everyday, the morning is best.

You can burn incense daily as well after cleaning the floor with the cologne water / lime mixture. A good option to use is a charcoal bricket in a small cast iron skillet with some cut-up garlic skins or frankincense or dragon’s blood incense. Walk around the room / house and “smoke out”. White sage is also good, probably not everyday. Alternate your incenses. Stick incense does not work for this as you are supposed to walk though the environment with the incense smoke, not just light it and let it burn.

If you keep you environment clean with the daily spray and incense, you can do the fruit branch cleansing every couple of months or whenever you feel it helpful again.

An additional way to keep the environment uplifted:
(This does not replace the cologne water daily cleanings above, but can be used in addition to it.)
Get a bottle of new perfume. Pick one you like and at any price that fits your budget. Charge the perfume on your personal altar for at least a week. If you don’t have an altar, you may charge the perfume outside under the full moon ONLY FOR THE 3 DAYS LEADING UP TO THE FULL MOON. Example, the next full moon is Thursday, November 10, 2011. So set the perfume outside (where it will be hit by the moonlight as much as possible) on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday NIGHT ONLY. Remove it from outside during the daytime. This would be the 3 days leading up to the full moon. Do not leave the perfume out after this – if you do dispatch it and do it again next month. So, with your charged perfume, spray the room or house with it every day. You can make positive requests while doing so if you like. You may also spray yourself with this perfume. You can also do this daily. You can also add sprays of this perfume into herbal energy baths you make for yourself. Don’t let others spray it on themselves. If you want to give a gift to a friend or husband, wife, boyfriend, etc. you would have to buy them their own bottle of perfume, charge it the same way and give it to them as a gift explaining how to use it.

Energize,
MRA blogster
Please don’t forget to visit Mountain Rainbow Ark either online or at our Livingston store for all your spiritual needs! http://mountainrainbowark.com

Lack of Confidence

SEPTEMBER’S BLOG POST is based on the Axle of Keys Tarot Deck card: “Exu Cemetery”

Lack of confidence is a negative emotional state. It is an internalized feeling which is a direct byproduct of fear. Fear creates doubt and doubt creates lack of confidence. Like most other emotions (positive or negative), it can be flipped on and off almost immediately by numerous trigger events which are as unique as each individual.

Lack of confidence can:
• cause you to not pursue life desires (example: not moving to a new town, or not taking a new job)
• make you indecisive in all aspects of life even down to smallest decisions
• make you dependent on others who will do things for you (when you could likely accomplish the tasks yourself but you are afraid to try)
• create negative patterns in your life: i.e. holding on to the past- not because it’s good for you but because it’s “comfortable”
• be the basis on which other negative emotions gain control over you
• make you envious / jealous of others because you think they have it better or easier than you
• make you your own worst critic and ultimately be the cause of obstacles and failures
• inhibit your actual potential
• make you afraid to talk to people that you think have more money, intelligence or status than you

One of the classic tricks people use to address their lack of confidence is over compensation. But that isn’t genuine, it’s greasy salesperson. Overcompensation can cause more turmoil in the long-run because it can cause us to talk too much (ie. talk a lot of crap), become pompous, arrogant, come across uninterested or too aggressive.

Confidence requires an internal balance. It’s something you feel first and project secondly. Knowing ourselves is the key to recognizing, and ultimately resolving, the doubts and fears that keep us from being balanced… being confident. If you think about it, you are naturally are more confident when you feel knowledgeable or skillful about something. You can perform functions without fear of failure or explain something to another person without embarrassment or insecurity. So what if you were knowledgeable about yourself? Wouldn’t that make you more confident about yourself? Knowing yourself puts you on the road to becoming genuinely self-confident.

It’s not an easy task. Certainly. The examination of the self is hardly done “objectively”. It is quite subjective because we filter opinions about our own behavior, our desires, our decisions through the perspective of… (no surprise here) ourselves. But on the other hand, let’s reverse that mentality. You have a front row seat. You are the driver with all the access to the controls. You are in the unique position to have every options open to you because the subject matter is you – ALL YOU!

For this purpose, people often find divination tools very useful. Divination or reading tools can offer a means to gain valuable insight into who you are and what personal fears are blocking you from being confident, which will in turn stop you from moving forward. When using a divination tool, an “exchange” is created between your own personal energy and the energy of the divination tool. Therefore, as the reader, your own energy actually develops from the reading process and gains from the knowledge that the tool can offer. Divination provides insight into questions or situations we often can’t address on our own without additional guidance. Sometimes we seek answers but can’t even concisely form the question. Maybe we should talk more about divination tools in upcoming blogs! (Comment if you think this would be helpful!)

Note: It’s important that present day fears be addressed, not past ones. I think that too often people (and divination readers for other people) focus so much on the past. Certainly, a past event or circumstance can cause a present day insecurity or lack of confidence, but maybe not! Sometimes we resolve previous fears on our own, so why revisit unless it’s actually creating a problem for your life now?

We have included a little tool for self evaluation. It’s called the “Number Line Key”. Give it a whirl.

NOTE: I would encourage everyone, if you don’t already, choose a divination tool that you find (1.) easy to use (2.) comprehensive enough to answer your questions (3.) something you can stick to for a period of time. Those are 3 important things to look for when choosing, probably in that order.
Next, make it a habit to read EVERYDAY. You live each day and make decisions each day so why not ask for guidance in doing so? Read each morning for yourself. Write down your reading or leave it open (if it’s tarot, etc.) and reconcile yourself for a minute or two at the end of your day to see what happened.
Mountain Rainbow Ark carries a number of divination tools. If you don’t know where to start, comment on this blog. Some that this blog writer would suggest are: the “Axle of Keys” Tarot Deck as we are basing the blog posts on this deck for quite a few months. And, if you find the small “number” tool below useful, we have a cool divination product called Qua.Re (pronounced “Qwah-ray”) that specifically gives the “positive” and “negative” aspects of an answer at the same time; PERFECT for reading on people… especially yourself! It’s very neat.

THE NUMBER LINE KEY (i.e. “LACK OF CONFIDENCE” KEY)

With a ruler (or the edge of something straight) draw two parallel lines on a piece of paper. Just below the bottom line, write the numbers 1 through 10. Space the numbers apart as equally as you can, like below:

**If you are using a ruler, it is easiest to draw a line using the bottom edge of the ruler, leave the ruler in place on the paper, and draw another line using the top edge of the ruler.

Next, between the two straight lines you just created, you are going to close your eyes and try to freehand a straight line from left to right staying between the two parallel lines. You can place your pencil down on the paper somewhere above the number 1 before you close your eyes so you know where to start drawing your free handed line.

Once you are done, it might look something like this:

Now, compare your free handed line to the straight line with the numbers on it. The parts of the line that curve upward indicates where you have lack of confidence. Take a look at the numbers that the upward curved part falls between. (You can put dots or marks on your freehand line where the line curves upward the most if it helps you identify the parts. There are usually two or three spots you can easily see. I have done so in the example below to help me out.)

Looking at my free handed line, the two parts that curved upward the most were between numbers #4-5 and again between #7-8. I would also say the bump between numbers #8-9 fits as well so let’s include that too. Use the first number, so in the case of my example, it will be #4, #7 and #8. Then read the key below to see where your lack of confidence is. You may get a #1 or #10 if the start or finish of your hand drawn line is higher than the rest. You would also get a #10 if the line you freehand goes well past the length of the straight line.

Do the above FIRST before reading further… dn’t cheat or there’s no pint!

OK, THE “KEY” TO READING IT:

1: You are scared to try new things which causes a lack of confidence for you. You hang onto the past. Change is overwhelming so you allow many new opportunities to pass you by because of fear. It’s okay to think things through before taking new opportunities, but if you wait too long you might miss the boat. A good thing for you to do is not keep clutter or trinkets from the past. Try to do a once over and throw away things every so often and replace them with something new. Train yourself to let the past go and that it is safe to welcome in change.

2: You can be aggressive without remorse, so fear of failure (for yourself, not others) creates lack of confidence. You may be one of the “over-compensator types”, so be constantly aware of your behavior toward other people: don’t create disruption in the lives of those around you to gain what you want. As a personal note: don’t neglect your health and be careful that you can easily develop bad habits which will eventually affect your health / well being.

3: Believe it or not, you think you have “drive” but you are actually dominating, can be a control-freak, and like to be a “one man / woman show” therefor fear of public failure, real or perceived, causes lack of confidence. You can over-work yourself because you need to (1) prove your worth to yourself and others around you, and (2) as an escape from personal relationships or personal problems because, frankly, those things are difficult for you which is also an area of insecurity. Don’t allow your expectations of others to disappoint or anger you. Be happy others work at different speeds than you – it helps in the long run.

4: Your lack of confidence stems from your indecisiveness and assumptions. You alternate between feeling very strong and very weak. You can make money or have what other would call “luck” but you may not know how to harness it. Allow yourself NOT to depend on others for tasks you can accomplish yourself. It will inhibit your personal growth and you need a consistent feeling of success to maintain your confidence. You will do well to have an exercise or meditation program that you STICK TO. It will build confidence in your ability to stay consistent… and it will help you feel beautiful which may also be a point of insecurity, even though others see you as attractive.

5: Your crazy emotions are the source of your turmoils which causes lack of confidence when everything hits the fan. Don’t ball up all your emotions because when they come out, they usually destroy the good things around you. Find a way to resolve them without affecting others. You have a lot of bad habits based on emotions: spending money too freely, being envious of everything and everyone, constantly comparing yourself physically and mentally to others, and manipulating others through emotions (including “love” and ahem.. physical attractions) in an attempt to create a security blanket for yourself. You may be prone to an unbalanced view toward diets, food or “phobias” as well which is not healthy physically or mentally. Fix these things and you will be a better person which will make you genuine to yourself.

6: Your thoughts get in the way and cause lack of confidence. You tend to over-think things, get confused easily and forget the basics along the way. All those great, fantastic ideas never come to fruition because you make the project absolutely impossible to finish! Be careful not to attempt achieving spiritual/mental greatness through mind-altering methods. You are susceptible to have delusions of grandeur because in your mind you are someone entirely different than your actions determine. Become a “do-er” rather than a thinker and talker.

7: Your lack of confidence stems from your inability to be consistent. You are the perpetual starter, but never the finisher. Distractions always get the best of you. Your fears can become a distraction too. You avoid actually finishing something because you think there is always something around the bend that promises to be better. This is actually an aspect of immaturity. You will be more confident by completing tasks and goals successfully and realize better things come to you when you have built a solid foundation of previous accomplishments. Don’t give things to people expecting things back from them.

8: Your lack of confidence comes from being used by people. You can be too giving and people will take advantage of it. However, your motive for giving isn’t true to your underlying intentions. You help others or give to others because it creates a sense of “self” for you, not to truly benefit another being in the freest sense of giving. And the big one for you is… you give to others because you are afraid they won’t love you or will leave you if you don’t, this includes family or friends. Break the cycle.

9: Your lack of confidence comes from immaturity and carelessness. You will likely overcompensate on the outside through the guise that “you don’t really care”, but internally you may think about things more carefully. Change the people you hang out with – choose to surround yourself with more mature, responsible people: this will help you mature. If you don’t, then you’ll never change and eventually people will get tired of you. Curb your enthusiasm to argue and debate for the sake of stubbornness and being “right” when you have no idea what you are talking about. Your excuse of boredom is a way to go back and hang out with immature people that accept such behavior from you. Be careful not to have a reckless lifestyle or break the law; it will catch up with you and force you to mature but that’s not the easiest route to go. Take the “learning” in life rather than the “lessons”.

10: Your lack of confidence can come from a fear of failure when someone puts you in a position where you have to make decisions. You also have a high fear of the law even when you are in the right. You can be a compulsive spender to something you want to a point you may have a “hording” tenancy. It is important that you have direct, personal contact with people so go out and meet someone face to face; this allows you to develop your ability to communicate. If you don’t, you may become too reclusive. Substituting online chat instead of actual communication with people is not the solution: it will make you a liar. You can make a great teacher, judge, or pillar of a community but you must be fair and tolerant. If you already have a job in a position of power, never abuse it.

____________________________
Again, if you find the “number” tool above useful, try the divination product we carry called Qua.Re (pronounced “Qwah-ray”) that specifically gives the “positive” and “negative” aspects in your reading… PERFECT for reading on people especially yourself! Try it out.

-Energize!
Mountain Rainbow Ark blogster