Sharing a friend's blog

I would like to point you all toward my beautiful friend Sharon's blog. She is sharing a picture of a spirit board on this one. Yes, I did paint it, isn't it beautiful? It was a custom order and it now lives in England! I have art living in another country! How cool is that?

Anyway, go look at Sharon's blog. :)

Sharon's Blog

Chakra Series: Throat Chakra; Express Yourself

This article is part of Kallan's wonderful Sunday Stew. Please hop on over and read all the different flavors added by each chef. I know that you will love it!

I've had fun putting these chakra "lessons" together. They've helped me with my meditations and my focus. I hope they are helping you and that you are enjoying them.

Now we are going to be looking at our throat chakra, the Vishudha. The Vishudha is important for several reasons. For one, it is the connection between your body and your mind. For another, it is there to help your speak your own personal truth. This chakra works in all sounds, words, and communication.

Some people have trouble speaking what needs to be said in a responsible and tactful way. The throat chakra is there to help you do just that. It helps to filter everything your mind thinks. Your Vishudha seeks to unite your mind and body. It will help you find your life purpose.

Your creativity is also connected to this chakra. Why would creativity be connected to this chakra? Because creativity is a form of self-expression. Self-expression is this chakra. Forms of self-expression come in the art that you make, the music that you create, the books and poetry that you write. Do you have a mental block with your art, writing, or music right now? The reason could be that this chakra needs nourishing.

As I said before the Sanskrit name for this chakra is Vishudha. Vishudha mean pure. So what your throat chakra wants more than anything is for you to be able to express your true self. The enemy of this chakra is lying. To express yourself as something other than who you are at the very core of your being would be a lie. When you lie about who you are, when you keep secrets that need to be told, when you fail to speak up at appropriate times, then you are denying your Vishudha of it's very need.

Your truth is what is true to you. It is your dream, your reality, your hopes, your deep intuition. When your Vishudha is at it's full power, you will speak your truth with the integrity, clarity, grace, and courage that it needs....and wants.

Since your throat chakra helps your to express your truth, it also helps your to pursue your life goal. If you are having trouble figuring out what you want to do with your life, then working with this chakra will help to bring your goals and vocation to realization. As you evolve in your life, your goals, too, will evolve. If you are no longer happy doing what you once loved, maybe it is time to work with your Vishudha and find your new life truth.

The throat chakra is one of the upper chakras. It has a few psychic gifts that are related to it: channeling, clairaudience, and telepathy. I have a few of the Seth books. Seth is a spirit that was channeled by Jane Roberts. When you channel a spirit, you are letting it use your voice to speak, so of course this would be a gift that is associated with the throat chakra.

This wonderful chakra is located at the front of your throat and it is a clear, bright blue. It actually begins to develop around the 16th birthday. It's body associations are hearing, speech, thyroid and para-thyroid glands, your body's metabolism and temperature, your intellectual development, the pharyngeal plexus, the etheric template, attentiveness, verbal expression, the neck, shoulders, mouth, teeth, gums, nose, throat, tongue, vocal cords, ears, and your cervical spine, arms, and hands.  Other associations are: the elephant, Jupiter and Mercury, the deities Ambara, Sadashiva, and Shakini. Musical note G, and the Beej Mantra.

Symptoms of a deficient Vishudha:

1. Shy and withdrawn

2. Poor speaking skills or a fear of speaking

3. Unable to know your own desires or act on them

4. A difficulty with putting your thoughts and feelings into words

5. Not able to trust your own instincts

6. Blocked creativity

7. sore throats

8. swollen glands

9. hypothyroidism

10. poor sense of ethics

11. lack of a sense of humor

12. unwillingness to face the truth

13. anxiety

14. dental problems

Symptoms of excess Vishudha:

1. Talking too much

2. Bad listening skills

3. Dominating talker

4. Blunt speech

5. Hyperthyroidism

6. Dental problems

7. Taking yourself too seriously

Signs of a balanced Vishudha:

1. Able to express your creativity

2. Communication will be constructive and graceful

3. You will be content and centered

4. You will be able to express yourself in positive ways

5. Excellent listening skills

What can you do to balance this chakra:

1. Meditate: 

G note, throat chakra

2. Yoga poses

3. My favorite chakra journal series: 

http://timelessrituals.blogspot.it/p/chakrart-fifth-week.html#.U6D0MfldWSp

4. Employing the use of crystals and gemstones during meditation. Any blue stones: Turquoise, Fluorite, Blue lace agate, Silver, Lapis Lazuli, Blue Topaz, Aquamarine, Sodalite, Chrysocolla, Blue Kyanite, 

5. The use of oils during meditation: Lavender, hyacinth, patchouli, frankincense and white musk

I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Chakra Series.

Brightest Blessings,

Saga

My latest artworks and PLUGS

I've been busy creating new things. Mainly spirit boards, but I've done some other things here and there. I've begun woodburning some runes and painting a rune casting board, a clay goddess, I picked up some wood ornaments to paint yesterday. I have visions of bright red cardinals sitting on a snow covered pine tree. I have also had an idea for a new type of spirit board and I began that today.

My latest board is my most favorite board. I love how the colors turned out and just how everything came together.

I'm going to be plugging myself and a couple of my friends. It is Yule time after all and maybe you will find a couple of gifts *wink wink*

It is now available to purchase at Lapulia Studios. If you have never visited Lapulia, you really should. Besides my awesome spirit board selection, they have the most gorgeous magickal books! They are so nicely made. And yes, I own one. I have the Celtic Moon Book of Shadows Here is a picture of me holding it to show you the sizes of their books. If you decide to purchase one know that Rita and her people will make a magickally delicious book of beauty just for you.

Anyway, my latest boards are now available on Lapulia. Each of these are lovingly handpainted by me and only me.  My boards are works of art that can be put on display when not in use.

I just finished the Edgar Allan Poe Board. Edgar is in the middle with the Masque of the Red Death on the right, The Raven  with the Cask of Amontillado, The Telltale Heart are on the left. Nevermore for No and Doubtless for Yes. The Pit and the Pendulum is represented by the pendulum planchette. 

My next board is the Aleister Crowley board. I am proud as punch with this one. I think it turned out quite nicely. He has the Book of the Law on his left and the Unicursal Hexagram on his right. He also has an Eye of Horus planchette.

I have 3 other designs but these are my two latest designs. 

I have made a new, wonderful friend. She is an author of the book "The Spirits of Ouija" Karen A. Dahlman is just an excellent author on this subject. I had thought about writing my own pamphlet how-to to send with each of my board sales, but this book was recently released and I purchased a copy. OH MY! If I was going to write a book about my own experiences, it would be like this book. So, I spoke with Karen and she granted permission for me to include this book with my board sales. 

I mean, I can't send tools such as this out into the world all willy nilly with no instruction. You have to know what you are doing and this book includes an opening prayer, 13 steps for use, history of ouija boards, Karen's personal experiences and lots more!

From the back of Karen's book:

In this "Ouija Tell All" a 40-year odyssey spent communicating with spirit friends from the Great Beyond! They speak of personally-relevant insights, beneficial healing, closure on grief, opening to greatness, developing your empowerment, spiritual growth and soul evolution, to name a few. Karen shares with you the unfair misconceptions Ouija has received over the years, from its fall from grace of the parlor rooms of yesteryear to the forgotten corners of today's closets. Karen provides the how to's, the don'ts, the warnings, the recommendations and identifies various consciousness with whom she has communicated. Come read stories of animal communication, specifically pets we love, dead and alive! Yes, I said "alive" Plus, you'll learn how to use Ouija to tap into your own divine guidance, your Higher Self, and learn to listen to this guiding principle that resides within. Karen shares actual accounts from her sessions, including the various entities you can meet, what happens when we are dead, and what happens in between lives. Get ready for a phenomenal exploration into consciousness. Come with Karen as she takes you behind the veil to meet her spirit friends, up close and personal. A whole new world is awaiting you!

Small Update

I'm going to be taking a small break from blogging, except for showing my art.

My most best friend/sister in the whole entire world  just received bad news from the doctor  and I really want to be there for her. My son has a fall break from school coming up in October and I am hoping to make some sales to help with funding the trip.

I have painted a few new plaques and I've turned one into a print (see above) and I am also handpainting plaques for Samhain.

I can add anything to these or change them any way you would like, these are just basics to show my work.

I also paint a familiar plaques

The pug portrait below was purchased using the familiar plaque item on etsy. It was painted on canvas and I was told what they wanted. 

My etsy shop is here:

Saga's Cottage Storybook Art

New look coming soon!

My official blogging will begin when I premier my new look that Tara at PIP Designs is making for me! I am so excited to begin sharing my thoughts, my art, and life with you!

In the meantime I will leave you with my latest mural that I'm working on in my home.