Magic Moments

This morning I had the hardest time waking up and getting out of bed. All of the neck and back pain I mentioned in my last post seems to have doubled.. making it hard to turn my head, or even raise my arms. My stomach had sharp pains that screamed at me when I moved, begging me to stay in bed. And a stuffy nose has kept me congested, on the brink of a sinus headache. Every joint seems to be aching and screaming at me today. 

I sent Sterling a text message while still curled under the covers. I told him I was sick and he asked what I thought it was... My answer: "Stress. It's finally caught up with my body." 

I reluctantly pulled my stiff and sore body out of bed. It took me extra time to get dressed, to make the bed, and straighten up the room. By the time I got my boots on, I was out of breath. I sat down on the bed and made an intention for the day.  

Today I will nourish my soul through magic moments. 

I don't mean just nourishing my body and soul with good foods and rest.. 

but I mean noticing the magic moments between each bite. 

Magic moments that warm my soul through the sheer beauty of my day to day. 

Though I won't be doing much, I do plan to look for the magic, heart warming and soulful moments.

Opening a pomegranate and seeing it's beautiful patterns. Sacred geometry. Little gems. Working the seeds out of their beds and tasting them one by one. The first sip of coffee when I get the perfect amount of sugar.  No cream. Just sweet rich coffee. The warmth on my hands as I sip and stare out the window from "my spot" overlooking the city." Watching a girl in a santa hat put up Christmas lights in her solitary apartment. Breathing in my warm apartment. A pecan pie scented candle. Looking at my art space, the used brushes, the things that inspire me. My crystal collection that fills my home with positive and healing vibes. Heated blankets. Pups who love to snuggle. My favorite finds. Thrift store mugs. Found lights. Sinking into my deliciously deep bathtub. Where Merlin sits and watches the rose petals float. Watching him discover water, and bubbles, and waiting to see when he gathers the courage to jump in. Reading my favorite books. Listening to classical music. Doodling, painting, and drawing with no reason. The trees in the wind. The crisp outside air. The warm sweet inside air. 

And like that, my day is half way done. 

My body will repair itself on it's own. But I know right now, my soul needs to notice the magic moments. Because when someone is stressed, the stop noticing the magic moments. 

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Conjuring

We didn't go to any barbecues this year for the 4th. We didn't go to any firework shows or light any real ones off for that matter. Instead, we took the pups to the city to visit Sterling's sister and her kids. We hiked in the dark to a nice little summit and watched the city. We saw all of the firework shows all at once in different areas of the city.  We listened to soft meditative music and shared quiet stories as the wind put dirt into our hair. Later that night we headed home to play with sparklers of our own. 

We didn't have the typical holiday. Instead we did exactly what we wanted to do. We conjured up magic of our own. We practiced our own individual freedom. The freedom to do what we want, dress how we want, and the freedom to make our lives exactly what we want. Sometimes people forget the power they have to create their life. I know that I do. I often forget how powerful my own thoughts are.. how hard it is to get stuck in a rut, because the thoughts get too comfortable. I often forget that I can make the life I want, exactly how I want it through my own magic.

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Magical Mixtures and a Chance to Win One!

I've been all sorts of spacey today! I had some crazy dreams last night and can't seem to shake them! Does that ever happen to you? Anyways I've been meaning to do a blog post for a little while! I've just been busy and scattered lately.. Especially today. Like I mentioned, I woke from a crazy dream and am still feeling the effects. I saged my house, and myself. I showered, did yoga, and meditated to try to shake this energy off.. The dream left me feeling scared, vulnerable and panicky. I needed to be calm centered and relaxed. I'm a pretty big fan of herbs and oils as treatment, especially when it comes to feeling calm and protected. When I finally realized what I was needing, I heard the call coming from my bedroom, where I keep a jar of Vega from Gypsy Moth Sol . I smoothed the golden lotion into my hands and breathed in the smell. I felt a bit calmer. This lotion is infused with Labradorite energy, one of my very favorite stones.. this lotion is protective, calming, and grounding. Also, I protect it like the gold that it is. (It has a gold shimmer to it!)

This post wasn't meant to even be a giveaway, but after talking to Katelyn about wanting to feature her lotions on Talk2thetrees she offered to giveaway one of my favorite lotions! Vega has been a favorite of mine since the moment it came in the mail. Every single one of her items is amazing, and you can feel the magic power that comes from her packages.

Sterling saw Elemental Body Scrub in the bathroom and asked about it. He asked where I got it, and mentioned that he feels that jar's energy in the house. Every time he passed it, he asked "Have you mentioned this stuff on your blog yet? I feel you need to..." It's a body scrub with the elements in mind to keep you balanced and help you scrub off the old to welcome the new. Gypsy Moth Sol's mixtures are so magical, it has Sterling asking me to share it with you guys...

Another of my favorites is this. It's Coffee Butt Butter, and it's pretty amazing. I told Sterling not to touch that one. That one is mine. But, he already knows.. not to get in the way of me and my coffee. She's currently sold out of this one, but I think she may be accepting preorders.

I currently have jars placed strategically around my house. Like little potions if I ever need to alter my reality just a bit, nourish my skin, and nourish my soul... this is the stuff.
I wasn't paid to make this post, and when she sent these she wasn't expecting a review, but I just can't help it. This stuff is amazing, and I wanted to share that with you all!

Plus, she is having a sale on her herbal tinctures!  So go grab some! They've been made with clear intentions, in a cleansed and crystal charged environment.. and they are currently super cheap. So, go grab some!
But also save some for me...

Katelyn and I have been friends for a little while now, we met via Etsy I think.. it's been fun staying connected to others and watching them grow. I've watched with excitement as Katelyn has grown into this magical witchy goddess woman and I can't wait until the day we meet in person. (I'm sure it will happen!) She has an energy and authenticity about her, you can tell she is trying to live her Dharma.. and there is nothing more beautiful than that!
She is also an amazing photographer and creates the most hauntingly beautiful images.

Enter to win a jar of the lovely Vega lotion. Be sure to check out her art prints, and her magic shop. I promise you won't regret it.



a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Crystal Magic

We have an awesome guest post today. It's perfect, especially after my weekend full of crystal shopping, where I landed my hands on an amazing crystal ball. Marissa, actually posted her crystal ball she found from Target! Only 14.00!! I went and grabbed my own! So, enjoy this amazing post of crystals, and what to do with them! 


Hello Tree Talkers! I am honored to be over here today! I am Marissa and I reside over at Moondaughter, my mystical corner on the interweb :) If you are anything like Rachael or me (which I am sure you are) you love crystals! Or you are at least drawn to their mysterious pull. Once you begin to gather crystals for your collection, look out... you have opened the floodgates! You want to collect every crystal and gemstone you can get your hands on! Soon enough you have an alarming amount of crystals  on your hands, and you have no idea what to do with them! Does this sound familiar?

Do not be alarmed, I have been there and done that too. It's a normal addiction for us magical, artistic folk :) So I am here to help you take a deep breathe....... and figure out the, "now what?"

Let's begin by sorting. There are many ways to sort your crystals, so it depends on your intentions. 

Color: If you are more visual, it may be more pleasing to the eye and easier to sort by color. A lot of the same colored gemstones have the same vibrational frequency as well, so putting like and like together is a very logical choice. This will make it easier to choose which stones you want to use for chakra work (each chakra is associated with different colors) and, of course, you will have a beautiful crystallized rainbow to gaze upon!

Vibe/healing intentions: This will take a little more research on your part, but this also helps you get to know your stones a little better right off the bat. Each stone has a vibe that helps us realign our energies in some way. For example, you can sort 'calming' stones together such as Amethyst, Lepidolite, Celestite, and Aquamarine. Or stones associated with the Moon, like Moonstone, Selenite, Labradorite, and Ocean Jasper. How do you wish to work with your crystals and sort them that way!

Type: This will also take some digging (pun intended), but sorting them into types of stones can be very informative. Quartz is a large family of Clear, Rose, Smoky, Amethyst and Citrine, to name a few. Calcite is a large family, as well as the Jaspers and Agates. You'll be surprised by all the varieties in each of them!

Now that we have our stones sorted, let's figure out how to store them creatively!

Decor: A lot of my crystals end up being my decorations! For example, I have a crystal ball in my jewelry basket  and crystals make great center pieces on tables and shelves! Make sure pets and children can't reach them - shiny high-vibin' crystals are magnets but can be fragile. We don't want to hurt our little ones either.

Jars and Bowls: I love mason jars to store crystals when they are not in use. You can easily see them and you don't even have to open the jar to cleanse them under the moon or sunlight. Bowls create clusters of energy, so be intentional with which crystals you cluster together and they will look like candy dishes with yummy energy!

Drawers and Shelves: Don't underestimate jewelry armoires - they make perfect padded cubbies for stones of different sizes, and are very pretty too. I have a slender dresser I use for my metaphysical items and the top two drawers are dedicated to stones. A Curiosity cabinet and shelves have nice dividers as well. If you need less expensive storage options, there is no shame in using shoe boxes and plastic bead containers.

Now that you have sorted and stored them, explore and have fun!

What color, type, or theme are you drawn to right now? Gather those stones according to the way you sorted them.

Now line those stones up so you can see them in front of you about a foot away. Sit and relax and breathe deeply and gaze at your stones. As you relax deeper and deeper into yourself, soften your gaze until your stones begin to look fuzzy. From this state, which stone is calling your name? What color stand out? Reach for that stone and hold it in your hand and ask it to be your guide and friend. 

When you come out of this state what stone called to you? What are you holding in your hand? Begin to research your stone and how it likes to be used. I recommend these books below:

If you would like to learn more about stones with Lunar qualities, sign up for my newsletter for my free seven day workshop starting January 12th! Click here to sign up

Also, if you wish to learn the basics of crystal healing and learning to work with your crystals in a fun magical community sign up for my 6 week crystal course starting January 20th! Click here to sign up!

Lunar and Crystal Blessings!

Marissa Moondaughter

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