DailyOM Double Shot...
December 28, 2006
Gem of Light
Garnet
A garnet’s inner sparkle stirs something within us - the recognition of beauty, perhaps, or a feeling of strength in its energy that reflects our own. Throughout time, people have harnessed the energy of this gemstone to purify, heal, and protect themselves. But the stone’s true magic lies in its capacity to help us have faith in ourselves. Its reddish hue inspires passion - although garnets can be found in a number of vibrant colors, including red, orange, green, and bluish pink. The garnet’s radiant beauty reminds us of our inner fire and magnifies our power.
Ancient mariners watched the garnet‘s glow as it shone in the darkness, acting as a talisman against dark forces. For use as protection against nightmares and disasters, the garnet is embraced by people for its comforting glimmer - a light they can focus on as they dispel their fears. Ancient Egyptians saw the power of purification in the garnet’s radiant blaze and used it to cleanse the body of toxins, such as venom and poison. As a cleanser of the body’s energy, the garnet works on all levels of the mind, body, and spirit. From stimulating vivid dreams and past life memories to helping increase one’s focus for meditation, the garnet assists us in powerful ways. The garnet can also heal and intensify relationships by helping to transmute them to a higher, more spiritual level.
All of the many benefits attributed to the garnet’s influence - increased confidence, self-esteem, ambition, popularity, and success in business - can come easily to anyone who combines passion and focus with faith in themselves and the universe. The garnet offers us this gift by allowing us to harness our power. Every time we turn to the garnet for support, we see our own abilities reflected back to us in the brilliant glow of this magical gem.
December 29, 2006
Cause for Celebration
Honoring Everyday Life
We all know someone who keeps plastic covers on his or her couch in order to protect it. The irony is that many of these people may live their lives without ever having actually made contact with their own furniture! This is a poignant and somewhat humorous example of the human tendency to try to save things for special occasions, as if everyday life weren’t special enough to warrant the use of nice things. Many of us have had the experience of never wearing a particular piece of clothing in order to keep it nice, only to have it go out of style in the meanwhile.
It’s interesting to think of what it would mean to us if we let ourselves wear our nicest clothes and eat off the good china on a daily basis. We might be sending ourselves the message that every day we are alive is a special day and a cause for celebration, and that we are worth it. There is something uplifting about treating ourselves to the finest of what we have. It is as if we rise to the occasion when we wear our best clothes and set the table beautifully, as if for a very special guest. We are more mindful of where we place things, what we are eating, and who is with us. Using the good china, eating in the dining room, and taking the plastic off the sofa might be an invitation to be more conscious of the beauty and grace inherent in our everyday lives.
If there are things you’ve stashed away for a special occasion-a bottle of special wine, a gorgeous pair of shoes, an antique lace tablecloth-consider taking them out of their hiding places and putting them to use tonight, just because you are alive now to enjoy them, and that’s a great cause for a celebration.
Gem of Light
Garnet
A garnet’s inner sparkle stirs something within us - the recognition of beauty, perhaps, or a feeling of strength in its energy that reflects our own. Throughout time, people have harnessed the energy of this gemstone to purify, heal, and protect themselves. But the stone’s true magic lies in its capacity to help us have faith in ourselves. Its reddish hue inspires passion - although garnets can be found in a number of vibrant colors, including red, orange, green, and bluish pink. The garnet’s radiant beauty reminds us of our inner fire and magnifies our power.
Ancient mariners watched the garnet‘s glow as it shone in the darkness, acting as a talisman against dark forces. For use as protection against nightmares and disasters, the garnet is embraced by people for its comforting glimmer - a light they can focus on as they dispel their fears. Ancient Egyptians saw the power of purification in the garnet’s radiant blaze and used it to cleanse the body of toxins, such as venom and poison. As a cleanser of the body’s energy, the garnet works on all levels of the mind, body, and spirit. From stimulating vivid dreams and past life memories to helping increase one’s focus for meditation, the garnet assists us in powerful ways. The garnet can also heal and intensify relationships by helping to transmute them to a higher, more spiritual level.
All of the many benefits attributed to the garnet’s influence - increased confidence, self-esteem, ambition, popularity, and success in business - can come easily to anyone who combines passion and focus with faith in themselves and the universe. The garnet offers us this gift by allowing us to harness our power. Every time we turn to the garnet for support, we see our own abilities reflected back to us in the brilliant glow of this magical gem.
December 29, 2006
Cause for Celebration
Honoring Everyday Life
We all know someone who keeps plastic covers on his or her couch in order to protect it. The irony is that many of these people may live their lives without ever having actually made contact with their own furniture! This is a poignant and somewhat humorous example of the human tendency to try to save things for special occasions, as if everyday life weren’t special enough to warrant the use of nice things. Many of us have had the experience of never wearing a particular piece of clothing in order to keep it nice, only to have it go out of style in the meanwhile.
It’s interesting to think of what it would mean to us if we let ourselves wear our nicest clothes and eat off the good china on a daily basis. We might be sending ourselves the message that every day we are alive is a special day and a cause for celebration, and that we are worth it. There is something uplifting about treating ourselves to the finest of what we have. It is as if we rise to the occasion when we wear our best clothes and set the table beautifully, as if for a very special guest. We are more mindful of where we place things, what we are eating, and who is with us. Using the good china, eating in the dining room, and taking the plastic off the sofa might be an invitation to be more conscious of the beauty and grace inherent in our everyday lives.
If there are things you’ve stashed away for a special occasion-a bottle of special wine, a gorgeous pair of shoes, an antique lace tablecloth-consider taking them out of their hiding places and putting them to use tonight, just because you are alive now to enjoy them, and that’s a great cause for a celebration.