The Haven

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas yesterday!  All the presents have been opened and the ensuing mess has been picked up.  Today is for relaxing with a nice big cup of cocoa and playing with your presents.  Enjoy the rest of your day as we look forward to the New Year! By the way...all the holiday greenery and floral arrangements are SERIOUSLY discounted today at Publix (if you have one).  I got a huge bunch of greenery today for $2!  I ran out of coffee so I had to go to the store. ~ Heathen

Before I settle in for the night I like to "put the house to bed".  Let me explain.  Prior to actually going to bed for the night I like to have some time to settle in and relax, usually in front of the TV since that requires minimal brain power.  But before that, I like to get my house in order; make sure the kitchen is clean, put away anything I dragged out during the evening, basically put things back in their proper place.  I call this putting the house to bed.  By doing this, the house feels calmer and more peaceful and therefore I can relax and feel calm. Now, because this is the real world, I don't live alone, and we all keep different hours, this doesn't always happen.  Let's face it, sometimes life just gets in the way and life is more important than an orderly house.  I refuse to stay up late to do "chores".  But there is something almost meditative about the simple routine act of putting things in order each night.  I'm not talki...

One of the simplest ways to make your home a magical space is to invite the positive energies of each day.  This is as easy as burning a candle and some incense each day.  I call this Magical Maintenance.  You don't need a special candle for each day of the week; just use a standard tea light and any incense with an appropriate scent for that day.  Remember, if another goal needs your attention, work towards that instead.  Let's go ahead and start with today, Monday: Monday is ruled by the Moon and the energies to invite in today are peace, nurturing, and compassion.  Some appropriate scents for Monday are jasmine, coconut, lemon, and mint.  If you want to go all out and use a different candle for each day of the week, try to use a pale blue one for Monday. Now, here's the easy part.  Light your chosen candle and incense while visualizing your home filled with today's energies.  If you want you can even say something aloud while lighting ...