Think magic has to be hard? It requires no expensive tools or elaborate ritual. If you were here for yesterday’s Take 30 you know the drill.

The first step in more balanced and effective ritual or magic is tuning yourself to the greater, cosmic energies all around us.

One simple way to do this is to take 30 seconds each day to tap into the power of one of the eight directions at a certain time and ask for guidance. 30 seconds! What could be easier?

This short meditation and prayer practice can even be shared with non-pagans. It works regardless of belief system.

Tuesday morning, between 7 and 9 AM, face North East and take 30 focused seconds to connect with the energy of dissolving blocks in your life. That’s it!

Tuesday’s Forecast: All things must come to an end as nothing is permanent.

Today is the very last day of a 10-day cycle. Unfortunately, the feeling of being tied down and being caught up in the drama and the problems of others will be highlighted today. Today is a reflection of your experience of the last 10 days, illuminating what needs to be dissolved. The best way to navigate this Groundhog Day is to just slow down, observe and learn. Lay low and just let the world move along without trying to change anything. Remember to be patient with both yourself and others, as not everybody around you is aware of what is unfolding around them, so tempers could be frayed and unpredictable.

Think magic has to be hard? It requires no expensive tools or elaborate ritual setups. This short meditation and prayer practice can even be shared with non-pagans. It works regardless of belief system.

If you were here for yesterday’s Take 30 you know the drill. The first step in more balanced and effective ritual or magic is tuning yourself to the greater, cosmic energies all around us. One simple way to do this is to take 30 seconds each day to tap into the power of one of the eight directions at a certain time and ask for guidance.

30 seconds! What could be easier?

Think magic has to be hard? It requires no expensive tools or elaborate ritual setups.

If you were here for yesterday’s Take 30 you know the drill. The first step in more balanced and effective ritual or magic is tuning yourself to the greater, cosmic energies all around us. One simple way to do this is to take 30 seconds each day to tap into the power of one of the eight directions at a certain time and ask for guidance.

30 seconds! What could be easier?

Sunday afternoon, between 1 and 3 PM, face North West and take 30 focused seconds to connect with the energy of self-awareness.

That’s it!

Sunday’s Forecast: Today’s energy cycles shine a brilliant light into ourselves and our relationships with other beings and the wider world. Our sub–consciousness thoughts project themselves onto others and society; for good or for ill, we then form our view of the world. What goes around comes around! We create and manifest what we think.

As the center of our own social group, we attract like-minded souls and we form circles of friendships around these thoughts. In order to really see what you think, have a good look at your circle of friends and influences. Do you like or dislike what you see?

This self-awareness (or lack of it) can be the starting point for undoing obstacles— or creating them. So let’s collectively unravel what’s holding us— and our societies— back. True humanity is filled with compassionate warmth, a love for all beings which attracts others, rather than a power dynamic. This is a good goal to aim for in all of your relationships, mundane as well as spiritual.

For help on this journey, connect to the energy of self-awareness by facing North West between 1 and 3PM. At this time, say a short prayer, mantra or set your intention to ask for guidance on how to improve your relationships and your life by discovering who you are and what you can change about yourself, first. You are the center of your own worldview. Be patient with whatever lessons or insights are reflected back to you today!

(Can’t find North West? Well, look up. The sun will be almost directly above your head, toward the southwest. Now, turn around and turn a little to your left. Or look a bit to the right of where the sun sets, about 1/8th of a turn on a circle. You’ll be roughly in the neighborhood.) If you can’t make the group time, just join in at the closest point that day before midnight.

If you had a rough day at work, your inner critic was overactive or are just feeling a little down, try this as lovingkindness meditation.. It can be difficult cultivate self-love but it is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. The very peacefulness you create with this ritual, you can also send to another,  Begin by sitting quietly, taking relaxed, slow, deep breaths and wishing yourself happiness. After sitting quietly begin to speak this mantra aloud::

May I be happy.

"Just breathe"

Such a simple statement. A reminder to just breathe. Why do we say that? Does it really help?

I'm preparing to receive my Reiki II attunement, and I've been thinking a lot lately about anger.

There are countless things in my life that make me angry right now. My kids drive me up the wall. My husband leaves messes in the kitchen. I don't particularly like my day job, but I haven't yet figured out how to quit it and still pay the mortgage. My back hurts a lot. Also, we're in the middle of a late capitalist apocalypse.

Five of us, variously exhausted or uplifted, sat distributed on couches in the interview room. Our meditation teacher was checking in with us in the midst of a week-long silent retreat. One by one we responded. As usual, there were the usual happy yogis who had reached new heights of concentration, complete with interesting spiritual effects. The rest of us were detailing our rather more mundane struggles with the practice: distractions, obsessive thoughts, doubts. I had just finished adding my troubles to the pile when the teacher sent me a level look and said: “This is how it is right now.”

This is how it is right now. The whole of the Dharma in seven words.