Readiness

I've been walking through some of my pieces from my Love and Magic show over the past few weeks. The show was one month long and the pieces had their titles but there was so much more meaning behind each piece - so I am sharing here on my blog. This is one of my favorites from the show and it's called 'Readiness'. Being ready sparks a lot of emotion - it can be anything from fear and anxiety to eagerness and anticipation. The thing I mostly wanted to talk about with this piece and readiness, is how much importance we place on 'being ready', as humans. If we aren't ready for whatever reason, we probably won't do it. If we are ready, we can be excited about it. If we are vacillating, the phrase 'ready or not here I...." comes into play. The most important thing to note about being ready is how you feel. We don't know how the journey will unfold which can stir up a lot of emotions.  What story do you set up for yourself? Is it usually a story of trepidation or willingness or is it a mixture of both? You can research a bunch, turn every stone and be the most prepared person on the planet but your emotions are often the deciding factor when you're standing at the precipice. No one can be totally and completely ready for anything but it's your eagerness to see what's down the road for you that gets you going. When you're eager, your excitement bubbles and the unknown is less scary and becomes more of an adventure. This is my interpretation of 'readiness', with all the swirling emotions that go with it.

Enjoy ❤

Crystal Adoration

I have a serious adoration for crystals and gems. I bought my first one when I was around 16 years old and my collection has grown and shrunk and grown throughout the years. Gems are little beauties, they always catch my eye and are very easy to collect. Not only are people naturally drawn to crystals by their beauty, they are scientifically the most interesting rock formations on the planet. Crystals and gemstones have been used for centuries for meditation, in medicine and rituals. It hasn't been exactly pinpointed when and where the meanings for each stone derived; but artifacts show ancient people used these stones as healing amulets and ornamentation. Each type has its own characteristics and meaning to them. There are numerous books and internet searches you can do to find a meaning of a particular stone. Some are said to be good for calming and centering, some ease sickness and some bring you luck in areas like love and money.

I have always been inspired by the early vintage illustrations of crystal and gems. Early illustrations started out before photography so it's amazing to see the way an artist chose to paint various specimens. There are so many ways to paint or draw mineral rocks and these are some fun ones I did from my Land show. I wanted to do a more abstracted version of crystal illustration, playing with watercolor, lines and meanings. The pink one is a love stone and the multicolored one is a magic stone.

What's your favorite gem?

Law of Attraction

I wanted to talk briefly about the Law of Attraction. Do you believe we attract what we want and don't want by our thoughts? There are so many authors, bloggers and researchers that have written on this topic and there are so many ways to create the Law of Attraction. People often believe that what we think attracts what we will get - like attracts like. However, the Law of Attraction is really more about how we feel rather than what we think. Words are just words if your energy is not in alignment with it. It really takes practice to shift your thinking until it's felt vibrationally in your body. Practicing positive thinking as well as positive feelings are important. The company you keep can also influence your energy. I'm not saying to avoid negative or fearful people but practice keeping your vibration up until what they say doesn't affect you. So start off small. My favorite way to play the Law of Attraction game is with parking spaces. If you think about what you don't want - the Universe will give you more of that. If you practice visualizing yourself finding the perfect spot at the right time - the Universe will give you more of that. It's important to know that the Universe isn't decisive with what is given and not given to you. The Universe is just picking up what vibration you are giving out with your "antenna". So, it's important to care how you feel. If you're still waiting for your "parking spot", relax and don't be so hard on yourself. Know that everything is arriving for you at the perfect time.

This piece is from my show last month at Land. It's based off of Carl Sagan's quote "We are made of star stuff" and how we are made of stars and connected by energy.

Creative Smudge Sticks

I thought I'd talk about smudging this week. It's been catching on over the years as a way to clear negative energy in a place, object or person. Sagebrush, white sage or sweetgrass is the most commonly used to smudge. I recently noticed sage becoming more expensive and harder to get. I found this out because it's less sustainable to grow, harvest and sell due to popularity and climate changes caused by colder temperatures in winter and drought in the summer.  There are so many other ways to smudge besides using sage. Other plants to use are: cedar, pine, rosemary, juniper, mugwort, palo santo wood (also in limited supply) lavender, various resins and roots. Bundle it by binding it in natural (chemical free) twine, jute or hemp rope to keep the smoke going. You can use incense or the loose leaves of your chosen brush to burn too. Of course, be careful to light your smudge stick with care - always have your sage stick with a metal or ceramic pan underneath to catch the embers. If you have a loose bowl that is burning, try not to walk to fast or the embers will blow out - a deeper bowl will help. Fan the smoke lightly around your room using a feather, your hand or a paper fan. Move your stick (or walk) clockwise in direction around your room, object or person. You can say meaningful positive affirmations, state your intentions or just meditate. Your main goal is to simply uplift and change your vibration - this is a nice way to do it and it smells really sweet.

I wanted to be creative with all the plants I was drawing in all my pieces in my art show at Land, so I visually took them and drew them into creative smudge bundles. One is a love smudge stick and one is a magic smudge stick. So get creative and light it up!

Enjoy!

adriennevita_magicsmudge

Self Love

In keeping with the love theme this month, I wanted to share something about self love. Self love is so important; without it you become disconnected from your true nature and you can't love others or the things you do fully. If it's difficult for you to find self love, then just be 'loving' in everything you do. Being loving can mean anything from watering your plants to taking a mineral bath to talking kinder to yourself (and about yourself) or taking a walk. You can also value your needs above others and put yourself first. This can be a hard one when you have family or work pressure but it can be done. It's important to know that there is always a way for you to get what you need. Embracing this belief changes your energy and you will always be taken care of. These are just general loving type things to do that don't involve the typical way we think of love around Valentine's Day. It takes practice but the more you exercise just being loving you will understand self love. So, be creative and inventive with ways you can be your natural loving self. Here is another piece called 'Self Love' from my Love and Magic show at Land Gallery here in Portland.

Enjoy! ❤ Adrienne