Passion, Power, Purpose

I believe that at some level each of us desires to live our lives with passion, power and purpose.  Those 3 little words really hold a charge and with them a desire to step up and bring every facet of our lives into alignment with our own passion and purpose.

One of my many passions is stones.

It’s one that I have been exploring and embracing for as long as I can remember.  But it wasn’t until I committed to creating gemstone jewelry that I began to feel the power of their transformation.

For the past several months I have been taking time to connect with each of the unique stone types in my collection…to photograph it, listen to its message, and then share that message.  It’s been powerful.  I have learned so much and this little journey has transformed how I work with stones.

My most recent study has been pyrite.  This heavy little stone packs quite the punch.  When I wear it I feel like my internal battery is charged.  I’m focused, on task and I flow from one activity to the next with minimal distraction…it’s like a cure for my creative spirit that often feels a bit add.

Not only does it keep me focused, but it seems to be a master manifestor.  Yes, I did actually say that.  Pyrite is a master manifestor.  Every time I place this stone on my wrist I become clear about my wants, desires and dreams…and not only that…my experience of life is coming into alignment with those desires.  It is incredibly refreshing.

I’m loving this stone and I am so excited to share the latest addition to the Journey Jewels collections:  Passion, Power, & Purpose bracelets….Shop Now

Passion, Power & Purpose Quotes

“To be blessed with visions is not enough…we must live them.”  – High Eagle

“The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.”  – Marshall Ferdinand Foch

“If you have a purpose in which you can believe, there’s no end to the amount of things you can accomplish.”  – Marian Anderson

“‘What will they think of me?’ must be put aside for bliss.”  – Joseph Campbell

“To explore what it would mean to live fully, sensually alive and passionately on purpose, I have to drop my preconceived ideas of who and what I am.”  – Dawna Markova

Follow Your Bliss

We’ve all seen them, people who follow their bliss.

People who are undoubtably doing what brings them the greatest joy.  They have found a way to weave together every aspect of themself and create their own unique way of expressing and living it in life.

When we meet such a person, their joy for life and for what they do feels contagious.   We simply want to stay in their presence, and we feel overjoyed witnessing them.

Actually, I think we all really want to be one of those people.  I think we all want to know what brings us to life and then without hesitation follow our bliss!…and if you are reading this post, I know you want nothing more than to live your life in alignment with your bliss.

This weekend my husband and I went out with a group of friends to a new restaurant
called Skaliwag’s (for those of you in Northeast Wisconsin…it’s in Algoma…check it out) where we met such a person.  The tag line for this very one of a kind dining experience is “food that’s 5 star in a crazy little dive bar.”

It is just that…great food in a dive bar that maybe seats 30 people…everyones laughing & sharing, the chef makes a point to meet and greet every diner and you can order off the menu or have him create something special just for you.

Yes, this is a person following his bliss…he knows who he is and is living his life in a way that reflects his every facet.

Here are 4 steps to begin living your bliss today:

1.  Stop Searching Outside…Explore Within:  Your bliss is not something that evades you.  So often we feel it’s something external we need to find, but really it’s something that lives at our very core…it may be masked by all of the other beliefs we have about what is expected of us, or how we should live our lives.

2.  Start Listening:  Each of those expectations and should’s are really important to listen to and acknowledge.  They need a voice, and that voice needs to be heard with compassion.  When we listen, we acknowledge where they came from and we can finally begin to move beyond them…stepping into freedom!

3.  Nurture what You Love:  As you sift through all of your ‘should’s’ and expectations you begin to find underneath them is your own voice whispering what it most longs for.  Begin writing everything it tells you…it may be a list, it may be a free flow of thoughts…give it space to express, listen, and nurture it.

4.  Celebrate the Little Pieces:  Don’t hold out for one big picture.  When you nurture what you love it begins to unfold and guide you in creative ways.  Too often we believe our bliss will reveal itself to us in a big neon sign (I know because I’ve waited for the sign).  But the reality is that when we nurture and love everything that inspires us we suddenly find that who we are and what we love to do was always with us.

Wishing you a week of following your Bliss,

Shine Brightly,  Lori

Follow Your Bliss Quotes

“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.” -Joseph Campbell

“Nothing is more important than reconnecting with your bliss. Nothing is as rich. Nothing is more real.” -Deepak Chopra

“Only a man who has felt ultimate despair is capable of feeling ultimate bliss.” -Alexandre Dumas

“Live with integrity, respect the rights of other people, and follow your own bliss.” -Nathaniel Branden

Fall: A time for planting seeds of intention

Welcome to fall, a season of letting go and planting seeds of intention.

When we plant our seeds of intention it is wonderful to work with our stone ally’s to support us in holding the vision and bringing it to life.
Enjoy this video on how to empower your stones with intentions for your journey.

Wishing you a wondeful week,
Lori

Step into Fall with Ceremony

I just love this time of year…it’s a season of change, and being a person of change I always welcome this season with open arms.  I know it is a time when I get to really shake things up, to dream, vision, let go and begin preparing for the winter journey within.

I have an opportunity to prune back the trees and growth within that may have become a tangled mess.  While yes this is a task I welcome, it can feel very overwhelming…kind of like the way I felt walking into my garden this morning as I saw the heaping pile of vines and branches that my husband trimmed back yesterday…only there are so many more branches that need trimming I just wanted to collapse at the thought.

We can feel the same way when we think about the tangled mess we see when we reflect on attitudes, beliefs, fears, relationships, stories, situations, etc that interfere with our own growth.  But when we recognize that feeling of overwhelm, the feeling of wanting to just collapse, it can serve as a fuel for the fire within…the fire that wants to transform that outwardly tangled mess into fertile soil for planting the seeds of our dreams.

That is the beauty and power of fall.  To cut back the excess growth and allow it to fuel the fires of transformation.

Every year, in the fall season I do this both metaphorically and literally.  I go into my garden, trim back the vines and shrubs and then use the cuttings as fuel for each of my fire ceremonies throughout the next three seasons.  It feels symbolic of all the pieces I am shedding and trimming from own life…fears, frustrations, angers, hurts, judgments…all of the pieces that interfere with my knowing of my true self.  I’m always intrigued by how the fall cuttings (still a bit wet with life) ignite slowly in the winter, through spring they ignite with a bit more ease, and then by the end of summer they rapidly burst into flame.  I just love the symbolism…what is fresh is a little more difficult to let go of, to burn, but with time, what was fresh & wet dries and rapidly ignites.  We transform what felt like a tangled mess into fertile soil and fresh new life within just a years time.

The tangled mess that we sometimes see at this time of the year is really just an opportunity for us to embrace a new level of transformation, growth and life.  Are you ready to take that step?

I personally love fire ceremonies, and it is a ritual I do with every season change.   With each ceremony, I prepare for it in a way that is reflective of the season.  I would love to invite you to prepare for your fall equinox fire by:

1.  Taking some quite time, preferably in nature, to reflect…  What within your life feels like a tangled mess?  Jot down some thoughts or perhaps put your pen to paper and just let everything flow until there is nothing left unexpressed.

2.  Go into a garden or wooded area and trim back some of the excess branches or gather branches that have been dropped to the ground.  Select some as kindling for your fire and then gather some items from nature to prepare as an offering for the fire that reflect your unique ‘tangled mess’ (I love gathering items like cedar bows, grapevine, pine cones, chestnuts, acorns, fallen leaves, small sticks, etc…just be creative).  Also find an item to reflect the seeds you would like to plant in your life.

A nature alter Chris & I found while camping

3.  With each of the objects you have gathered, create a little nature alter to honor what this fire is symbolizing for you.  I like to do this about 3 days before my fire, and I select a place within my garden…a place close to where I can revisit, and a place near where I will hold my fire so that I may take the items from my alter and offer them to the fire.

4.  By beginning this process you are opening the energy for transformation.  You may notice different ideas, thoughts, memories popping into your mind in the days leading up to your fire.  If they are a part of your unique tangled mess, add them to your alter so that they may also be trimmed back.

5.  Bring your awareness to how you would like to experience life differently.  On your alter place an object that symbolizes what you would like instead…seeds of some sort are great as they are of nature and they symbolize the seeds you are planting for their growth.

6.  When you do your fire ceremony, release each of the objects on your alter into the fire.  As you do honor what is being let go and celebrate the seeds you are planting…you will be nurturing them through winter so they may spring to life in spring bearing fruit in the summer

Click here for information about how to do a fire ceremony

Have a beautiful ceremony!
& Shine Brightly!

Lori

New Jewels…Introducing the ‘Crystal Clarity’ Collection

All of this recent talk about clarity, change and creating new space with the change of seasons has inspired me…and a New Fall Collection!

Yes, you guessed it…each piece features a Quartz Crystal Point!  They are a beautiful combination of my favorite stones and materials…quartz, moonstone, labradorite, freshwater pearls, and even deerskin leather.  They can be worn as separates or all together.  I am so excited to share these pieces with you…shop here

Have a beautiful week
and with the clarity of Quartz…Shine Brightly!
Lori

Crystal Clear

Greetings!
And to each of you in the US, Happy Labor Day!
In home changes seem to be a continuing theme for me.  This weekend my husband & I hung a family heirloom in our dining room…a crystal chandelier.  It’s beautiful and I love how the crystals scatter light throughout the room creating rainbows that fill my spirit with joy.

You’ve likely noticed a recent rise in the popularity of crystal chandeliers, and they can easily be found at places like Pottery Barn.  At first this trend surprised me (despite my own love for crystals, stones, and anything that fills a room with rainbows), but I really see this trend as a reflection of our collective desire and need for clarity as we move forward making changes in our own lives.  Within each change we hold the desire to be ‘crystal clear.

Maybe you’re recalling such a time…or perhaps it is something you’re seeking right now…the desire for absolute certainty, to be without doubt, without fear, without unnecessary caution.  The desire to trust in what you know and feel, and to then move forward with absolute confidence.

It’s funny how something so simple as hanging a new chandelier can cause such a ripple of thought.  It has led me to wonder about the times in my life when my decisions were made with ‘crystal clariy’ and how I arrived there…is there a path that I can follow to prompt that clarity with more ease?

I’ve discovered that there are several things I do every time I am seeking clarity.  Many of them include spending times in nature, nurturing myself with salt baths, essential oils, good foods, or rearranging my home.  I would love to hear some of your ‘Clarity Rituals/Practices’.  I invite you to share them with me here

Have a beautiful week & with the Clarity of a Quartz Crystal…Shine Brightly!
Lori

Clarity Quotes

“I experience a period of frightening clarity in those moments when nature is so beautiful. I am no longer sure of myself, and the paintings appear as in a dream.”  -Vincent Van Gogh

“Although our intellect always longs for clarity and certainty, our nature often finds uncertainty fascinating.”  -Karl Von Clausewitz

“Rain is good for me. I feel like I achieve clarity actually when it rains. The longer I have to sit and wait, the clearer my game becomes to me.”  -Venus Williams

“Like a welcome summer rain, humor may suddenly cleanse and cool the earth, the air and you.” -Langston Hughes

Seasons of Change – Clearing Your Space

I just love this weekend…for me it feels like the gateway to fall. I know, I know…it’s not technically fall, that’s nearly a month away, but every year when this weekend arrives, the last weekend in August, I feel like the door has opened to the fall season, and for me that feels like a season of change.

Most of my life has, in someway, revolved around the school calendar, and this weekend is often the final weekend of summer vacation.  When I was young I spent this weekend at the county fair, and now I spend it at our local ‘ArtStreet’.  It feels like a time of savoring the expansiveness of summer and a time for squeezing in the last couple summer projects.

So yes, you guessed it…this weekend I did both.  I welcomed this season of change by repainting my living room and I savored the expansiveness of summer by parusing the fabulous art at ArtStreet.

Re-painting a room is an incredibly cleansing process and one that often ignites a series of changes…not to mention I just love how differently I feel after.

Of course it’s not always possible to repaint a room, but there are many ways to get that fresh feeling.  I have some tips for you on space clearing.

Each room in your house hosts a different purpose and energy.  As you begin your clearing process, ask yourself what you would like to feel and/or experience every time you enter this room.  Allow this to be your intention in clearing the space and imagine that in every action you are weaving this intention into the room.

1.  Clear away any and all clutter – clutter is a distraction, not to mention it holds any frustrations, fears, or other heavy energies in your space.  It will pull you away from where and how you would most like to spend your time.

2.  Wash, vacuum, dust…thoroughly clean your space

3.  Let in the light, Let in the fresh air.  Open your windows and doors

4.  Smudge – use sage (for releasing any negativity, sadness, or heaviness), sweetgrass (for welcoming a mellow soothing feeling), palo santo wood (for cleansing and refreshing) or your favorite incense.  Gently sweep the smoke from your smudge throughout the room.  Open a window to allow the smoke and cleared energy outside.

5.  Crystals & Stones – yes…these are always a part of my cleansing process.  If they’ve been in that space, I clear them too (check out this video on how to cleanse your stones).  Then I carefully select the stones that will support my intention for this space and I create a sacred arrangement with to match my intention.

Here’s example of how I would use each of these tips if I were clearing my bedroom.  I like my bedroom to be a space where I feel nurtured, peaceful, loved and well rested.  So I would begin by removing anything from the space that does not support those feelings. As I cleaned, dusting under my bed and behind my furniture, I would think about how having a clean bedroom allows me to feel “nurtured, peaceful, loved, and well rested.”  As I smudged my room with sage I would also reflect on those words, releasing any thoughts or ideas that do not support that vision for my bedroom experience.  Then I would gather stones that also support those intentions and place them in a grouping on a plate on my nightstand.

Have a blast & enjoy Clearing Your Space

With the clarity of quartz, Shine Brightly!

Lori

Savoring the Sweetness

Have you ever had a really great idea that feels so brilliant you want to rush into action.  Only when you do, you feel overwhelmed and quickly lose your zest for the project.  This has happened to me…more than once.  I’ve met with a brilliant idea only to see my own enthusiasm fade before it’s ever brought to life because I rushed to action before its natural time.

Every idea has its own cycle, and I’ve come to realize that when those moments arrive it is a time to pause and simply savor the opening, the connection to inspiration, and savor the experience of connecting with Spirit.

Imagine those moments as just that…being with Spirit…when you do, you will recognize them as a Divine Sweetness that truly must be savored.

I’ve discovered 3 steps to really Savoring the Sweetness and allowing the inspiration to be fully birthed.

1.  Pause & take in all of your surroundings…tune into where you are, who you are with, the weather, temperature, what you’re wearing, what do you smell, see, hear, what does your body feel…do not dismiss anything

2.  Take time to journal about the idea…note everything you experienced during your pause…you may even feel as though you are right back in the moment, savor it.

3.  Create an alter.  An alter is simply a space where you place objects or items that honor your inspired idea.  It offers the idea its own sacred space to grow, bloom, and in its own time come to harvest.

Recharge Your Jewel Power

Have you ever wondered how to “freshen up” the energy of your crystals and stones after you’ve worked with them for a while?

Yes, after working with a stone for a bit, their energy can begin to feel a bit stagnant, or perhaps the piece of jewelry that you always wore may no longer feel as energizing.  This is a great way to know that your stones are ready to be cleansed and recharged.

I’ve prepared a video with some great how to tips…Enjoy!

Have a beautiful week!
Shine Brightly!
Lori

www.journeyjewels.com

Easing into Change

“Go bold or go home.”  That was my motto on Wednesday as I sat in the salon chair having my hair color radically changed.  Now I’m typically a pretty conservative girl when it comes to coloring my hair…but this week I was feeling bold, and my cousin (the master colorist & amazing stylist who does my hair) was up for the challenge.

It was frightening and completely exhilarating all at the same time.  Change is like that.  The idea is planted, and we think about it, contemplating how different we may feel if we make the change.  Maybe we get a little scared or scoff at ourselves thinking “why would I ever do that?”  But then something within continues to whisper…”It’s time!”  And finally we listen.

This week I listened, and yep, I was scared seeing my hair go from its familiar brown to a shade of blonde and even a red I never imagined seeing on my head…But it’s only hair right?  You Bet!  And during the 4 ½ hours I sat in the salon chair I thought to myself…if I don’t like it I can always go back.  But I Love it, and right now this change feels brave and daring and hat feeling is just the internal support I need to make my next RADICAL CHANGE!

Yes, there are many radical changes coming in the upcoming weeks.  These changes will impact how you receive this weekly newsletter, the look and shopping experience of journeyjewels.com, and even the look of my current blog loriaandrus.com.  I’m excited!

Change is good…and don’t worry…I will keep you posted as everything continues to evolve over the upcoming weeks.

Are you also ready for change?

Here are some suggestions for easing into change:

–       Dream, Vision & Imagine!  How will your life be different if you are living your dreams, your vision and what you imagine?

–       Create a sacred space for you dreams.  I love to create both vision boards and alters.  They are an active space for holding all of our imaginings.  They are a space to visually express our thoughts and ideas.

–       Keep your dreams Sacred.  Keeping them Sacred is very similar to keeping them secret.  You want to only share your dreams with those who are able to hold the vision of the dream with you.  Have you ever shared a dream with someone only to have them scoff at it?  The awakening of a dream is like planting a seed…it needs to be nurtured and it needs to be held sacred.

–       Invite support into your life…coaches, mentors, teachers, friends and others who’ve already walked the path you would like to walk  or are living in ways you would like to live have valuable insights that can make your journey so much more joyful.  All you have to do is ask.

My favorite quotes for this week:

“make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt.”  -Jon Krakauer

“So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.”  – Christopher Reeve

“Think about the people who’ve inspired you most.  Imagine what your life would be like if they decided to say ‘no’ to their purpose?”  -Mastin Kipp

“As we come to know, accept, and explore our feelings, they will become sanctuaries and fortresses and spawning grounds for the most radical and daring of ideas – the house of difference so necessary to change and the conceptualization of any meaningful action.”  –Audre Lorde