Spirit Sisters

I am having trouble managing my anxiety. its too intense for me to be able to handle my usual methods of meditation.i usually do seated meditations, guided one on the chakras, or mediation for twin hearts. I can't seem to visualize lately, i am finding following the breaths to be frustratingly ineffective too. i am curious if anyone has any more active meditative practices to suggest.

Forest therapy (x-posted to Spiritsisters)

Interesting article in my local paper, picked up from The Yomiuri Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper.

Sorry to anyone who tried unsuccesfully to read it from the link I first included. It's now pasted below the cut.

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"Phytoncides -- chemicals emitted by trees to repel harmful insects -- may be one reason why people feel better after spending time surrounded by nature. Studies have found that phytoncides' effect on humans include lowering blood pressure and promoting psychological and physical relaxation."

(The article ends with inviting readers to visit the website of the Society of Forest Amenity and Human Health Promotion in Japan, but if you go there, it's all in Japanese with no link that I could find to an English version.)

hi my name is tam. I am a 30 yr old scorpio who lives in northwest florida. I have a family of origin that is mostly Baptist, some are hoaders, a few are majorly depressed, and a couple are addicts. Overall  a loving but often chaotic scene. My family of choice includes my sponor, mz. m, and several close friends. I do not have any pets and i feel good about that. From kindergarten til seventh grade, i attended a conservative christan school. i was baptized at and in regular attendance at a black southern baptist church that most of my family still attends, I may have stayed there and never questioned the path had it not been for, sexual abuse by a deacon  and realizing that i liked girls as more than friends.
I am grateful for the energy to explore spirituality that came out of these issues. Now, i am an eclectic member of god's posse. I pray, meditate, journal, scream, dance, do yoga, chant, attend a unity church, prostrate, walk outside and curl up at home as needed to connect with god.
I joined this community in hopes of being reminded that i'm not the only seeker and stumbler on the path, that women can support and encourage each other along the way, and because i was feeling a little suffocated by stress at the moment.

Hi! This looks like a really interesting community, and I've been reading here so thought I should introduce myself.
Name: Astra
Age: 24
Location: Ontario, Canada
Family: Mother father and brother
Pets: We have a schnauzer. He’s the cutest dog ever and he’s my baby
Spiritual/Religious experience past: I was raised Catholic but joined a nondenominational Christian church in high school. I’m no longer welcome there because of my sexual orientation and have been reading a lot about other religions, mostly earth-based religions under the umbrella term of “pagan”
Current spiritual/religious beliefs: Not entirely sure at this point. I’ve been doing a lot of reading and inward exploration to figure that one out.
Spiritual/religious goals and plans for the future: To re-establish some sort of connection with the divine and hopefully to grow spiritually in some way.
What are you looking for from this community?: I’m mostly just curious to learn about non-traditional spiritual practices. Having grown up in a Christian family and in a community which was also primarily Christian, I find it interesting to learn and read about different paths that people follow.

Well, it's looking pretty dead in here. Guess I'll have to stop lurking and breathe some life back into here, hm? :)

So here's a question --> What kind of things do you usually do to get yourself feeling spiritual, or receptive to whatever form of Divinity you believe in (if you believe in any at all)?

Music is the usual for me, the types of which can vary. If I'm looking to raise energy or get in contact with a livelier face of Divinity, then I'll listen to more upbeat stuff or songs in rag-time. Otherwise, it's usually something quiet and peaceful... and since I'm a nerd, it's usually video game music. XD

Other than music, I really like drinking tea and just looking outside. I find that sharing a cup of tea with Divinity really helps me connect, mostly because I find tea so relaxing. Also, it's a great way to strengthen a bond between ANYBODY, in my opinion. Tea is lovely that way. ;)

Now how about you guys? ^__^

Name: Kat
Age: 30
Location: Indiana

Family: my husband (married since june 2008, but we've been together since halloween 2002), and my son should be born sometime in may or june.

Pets: i have a lovable head-butting tuxedo cat (BB) and a little grumpy fat black midget cat (Panda).

Spiritual/Religious experience past: i tend to have a mix-and-match attitude. find what you like from everywhere and incorporate it into your own system. i've been to all kinds of churches, and when i was in college (Indiana University), i met the Dalai Lama because his brother teaches there, and he's always visiting Bloomington at least 3 or 4 times a year. i go to a local church, because it doesnt feel all "churchy" and the pastor doesnt preach, which is nice, and everyone comes in street clothes, nobody dressed in their "Sunday Best." but i tend toward the paganistic belief system.

Current spiritual/religious beliefs: see the above answer :) i just made a post in my own journal about my spirituality, so it's weird i found this community at the same time. i'd x-post it, but it's way too long (new friends are always welcome tho).

Spritial/religious goals and plans for the future: to stick with 1 belief system (if it's possible for me), become more spiritual.

What are you looking for from this community? not quite sure. hopefully spiritual inspiration.

I got the witchy mood back after a few years of following a bit different routes and now I realize that I've got ridden of most of my old magical books and would like to find some new ones. So I thought maybe you have some recommendations for me? I'm not looking for basic books on wicca, sabbats & rituals as I've read so many of those already BUT I'd like to find some new inspirations, knowledge and projects to do.. Maybe something to do with natural & creative magic, moon & sun, shape shifting, magical animals, faeries & nature energies, profound work with myths, archtypes & Goddesses sounds good too and anything about green, kitchen witchery and creative crafts that help to make life more magical.. ;) Thanks in advance!

Blessings dear Sisters! :) I'm totally stoked to find a spiritual community devoted to women! SWEET!

Name: mittsie ... or, more commonly, lisa or lis.
Age: 27 years
Location: hamilton, ontario
Family: common-law hubby
Pets: 3 kitties - minou (orange tabby), bubbles/bubbas (tuxedo), wilma (white "panther")
Spiritual/Religious experience past: i grew up in a Christian church, but formed my own path (Pagan) at the age of 14.
Current spiritual/religious beliefs: even though i dislike labels, i tend to classify myself as a "shakta witch". i also fall under the broad category of "indopaganism" - the blending of hinduism & paganism. just as a side note, "shakta" is one who follows "Shaktism", which is a denomination or sect of Hinduism.
Spritial/religious goals and plans for the future: Stop cursing at myself for losing my Grimoire when we moved halfway across Canada & just collect my research already ... start a new one! (I so want a blank Grimoire like the one they had on "Charmed"!)
What are you looking for from this community? Friendship, comraderie - and if anyone wants a snail mail penpal ... *waves* hi! look to me! ;)

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here's my question -- what do you think about ghosts? real? not real? angry or benevolent? does it depend? are they spiritual creatures, or just spectral images?

I'm feeling energy quiver in my toes. I'm feeling it race through me. I feel spirals and tendrils of it slipping out my hair, curling around my ears, buzzing around my eyes and pouring out of my fingertips. I want to speak, and when I do, there will be magic. Blue magic, which swirls and stirs in the air. I'm feeling energy, magic, myself-ness curling, shivering, quivering, being in the air, in myself, I am electric.

Where does this electricity come from? I am a horse person. Oh so much. Let me tell you, my friends, I went to this equine (horse) workshop which was absolutely right for me. Totally right and natural for me.

Why was it so right? Because the second, or nearly thereafter, that I stepped out the porch door to go have experience #1, being with the horses (no touching or talking), I felt an IMMEDIATE psychic/telepathic link with one Arabian, Justice. OMG, you guys, I heard ze ask me, "Don't you want to come closer?" I wasn't shaken by this, but rather was like, "oh wow!" And as I drew closer, a few steps at a time (holy shit guys, a horse is talking to me, and I'm hearing it crystal clear like it's the most natural thing in the world and I've been able to do it all my life and just now "realized" it), I began to be hit by giggles. Pure, pure joy just running, racing, turning cartwheels within me.

It was AMAZING, holy fuck, seriously. I've never experienced such utter, pure joy MINDFULLY, as in all in my head but definitely in my body and racing everywhere else (there was no other person in my head, just this connection), with a four legged being. Well, I have with a cat before, actually, but not this words-connection. I think it had to be words to get my attention or something like that, but after that, words weren't needed. It was all this telepathic joy-bond.

So anyway, after that happened, we had this body scan meditation where I felt, "well I certainly don't need this so I'll do my own thing." I was tempted to move away from the group, but something kept me there, a herd mentality or something like that, and I began writing stuff, really important stuff that made total sense to me and filled me with a sense of empowerment. I was silent, no disturbing the other humming beings.

Then, OMGOMGOMGOMG the SECOND exercise was called "give and take" where you get to choose the horse (though in I think all three cases (two other participants, other than me) the horse chose us) and you're in the paddock with them and you walk until they give notice, and eventually they come to you or not. And coming to you is a powerful experience, like giving them the full reins in the relationship, acknowledging the authentic self that is a free spirit, deserving of all the room and space it needs.

Not coming can be just as powerful, as one participant found out - ze found out, after talking with the group leaders in some degree of frustration, that the horse was suffering a respiratory illness and so wasn't feeling well. I know I wouldn't reach out to someone, if I were ill, but might wait for them to, or not, if I didn't feel like I wanted contact - and so ze went back to the horse and began to pet it, which was a huge release for me energetically and emotionally since I'd been watching this interaction and did in fact know what this horse wanted.

Mine though.. I went first, and omg, it was.. wow. I knew that the Arabian who had chosen me would come to me, it was only a matter of time. Ze played around, rolling in the dirt (to which I laughed aloud as it was FUNNY, and I felt the joy of it from zir), eating some grass, trying to engage me. But I wouldn't have any of it.

Instead I simply watched and waited as ze finally came to me, and oh. my. god/dess. it was like shaking hands with myself, with this shining being who had finally decided to just stop playing and be real. Ze was like a puppy in my hands, and we nuzzled and it was just amazing.

I really felt totally at peace there, totally myself, able to move around, and I let the connection play out as long as it would, then left it feeling joyful.

I still hear zir voice in my head, as a guide.

I'm amazed. Absolutely amazed. And yet, it feels right, and totally natural that I would have that sort of connection. Just wow.

*giggles*

ee!

cross posted to my own journal and to isistemple