When I moved to North Carolina seven years ago, my husband and I first lived in Chapel Hill, so the sad events of last week’s shooting hit literally close to home. It seems like it’s getting harder to tune into any news source these days; whether there is tragedy locally, nationally, or globally, the influx of heartbreaking news feels especially high right now, and all the stories of kindness and community, while still present, have been buried deep.
I think this is taking its toll on all of us, so this week, I wanted to offer a simple healing ritual to you. This ritual can be done alone or with a group, but one note: make sure you approach the ritual from a place of love, not a place of anger. Anger breeds powerful magic, but in my opinion, that kind of energy may do more harm than good right now. So ground and center and find your stillness before you begin, and remember: small acts can have large effects.
You will need:
A white candle, any size
If it’s part of your practice, cast a circle, or jump right to a short seated meditation. Ground and center with your eyes closed, allowing your breathing to become slower and unmodulated.
Focus your attention on your heart center, bringing your hands to your chest, palms touching your body. Inhale deeply, and as you exhale, feel all negativity leaving your body. Stay here for a few moments, breathing into your heart and releasing on your exhale.
Open your eyes, and then open your arms at shoulder height, palms facing forward, and as you exhale, lower your palms to the ground or floor where you are sitting. Feel the flow of bright, pure energy from your heart, into your arms, out your hands, and into the earth beneath you. Breathe here, focusing on love and healing.
If you want to say something (perhaps read a poem you’ve written, or sing or chant, or maybe speak an invocation about where it is you want to send healing energy) this would be a good time to do that. However, you can simply sit in silence.
After breathing here for a bit, light the white candle and hold it between your hands in front of your heart. Say, “I offer healing to…” and fill in the blank. Be as specific or as vague as you like, “I offer healing to everyone affected by the shooting in Chapel Hill”, “I offer healing to the women of the world”, “I offer healing to those who suffer”, etc.
Carefully, place the candle somewhere that it can burn undisturbed by any kids, pets, or other folks you may share your space with. (If you have a home altar, that’s where I put mine, but the kitchen table or on top of a bookshelf works just as well, too!)
Close your ritual however you are accustomed to; for me, if I haven’t cast a circle to begin, the minimum I’ll do is bring my hands to my heart in a prayer and say, “Namaste”, bowing both to my inner fire and to the divinity of unseen world around me.
Namaste, friends. Every ounce of love and light matters, now and always.
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Photo courtesy of shutterstock: shutterstock.com
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