Tarot, Spirituality, Positivity
Have you ever wished to make contact with your spirit guide? Are you searching for some loving guidance in your life? Maybe you have felt a presence holding your hand and helping you through the ups and downs of life, and you’re looking to understand it more completely. In this post I am talking all about spirit guides.
I’m the type of person who doesn’t have a birthday… I have a birth week, minimum. Because why not celebrate yourself! And Mother Earth’s day should be no different. So… Happy Earth Week! I wanted to share some of my favourite sustainable products that make a low waste lifestyle seem more possible for everyone.
So, without further adieu, let me share my Top 5 Zero Waste Products for a sustainable lifestyle.
Blessed Beltane! I have to admit, this May Day of rituals is one of my favourite pagan sabbats. May is my birth month, so that could have something to do with it. Ushering in spring is exciting every year, especially after a long, harsh winter.
If you want more info on Beltane, including some solo ritual ideas, I’ve linked my more in-dept post right here. In this post, I am offering you a Tarot Spread channeled specifically for Beltane, that you can use for yourself or others.
The energy of Beltane is best harnessed between April 29th and May 3rd, but you can use this spread throughout the month of May for further clarity.
The full moon is an excellent time for introspection. Many people enjoy having a full moon ritual to enjoy this celebratory and energy-rich time. You may wish to add some tarot reading to your full moon ritual, for yourself or for others. I’ve created this full moon tarot spread that you can use to harness the moon’s energy and receive divine guidance.
It’s time for another segment of Toronto Trips! A couple weeks ago Nick and I were invited to a grandiose engagement party at the luxurious Heintzman House. It was very exciting. Along with it being the first properly warm day of the year, the Gatsby grandeur of it all made me feel as though I was being taken back in time to a magnificent garden party.
The Heintzman House is one of the oldest standing structures in the greater Toronto area (it is located in Richmond Hill, not Toronto proper). It was built in 1798 which is absolutely ancient from my perspective here in Canada. It began as a farm house and was later converted into the mansion you see above in the early 1800’s. It is now owned and named for the Heintzman’s who are famous for their piano business.
It has strong Loyalist Upper Canada roots. The Heintzman house isn’t just a pretty face, it’s also full of history. It was magical to think of the conversations Canadian Loyalists of yore would have had in the halls I walked through about the rise of William Lyon Mackenzie and the like. As we walked I was prompted to imagine how it would have felt with a long and heavy skirt and corset.
It was extra fab to see the Heintzman house this month as I was currently binging Alias Grace on Netflix -which I highly recommend- and that series takes place in the early 1800’s in Toronto and Richmond Hill!
When I go to a new building the first thing I do is explore everything! Which might make me a less than perfect guest, but I promise I interacted with everyone after I slipped away to admire the rooms.
Happiness is something I’m known for in my group of friends. I’m smiling the majority of the time and I’m not quick to anger. Of course I have a variety of complex emotions, but I’m pretty good at letting the negative go quickly and getting back to the positive.
Today I’m going to share my tips with you on how to feel happy everyday.
Carve out some time in each day to just be with yourself. Yes, that means turning off your phone too. I try to turn my phone off an hour or two before going to bed and don’t use it until after my morning routine the next day. Being off my phone, especially in those influential hours before and after sleep, makes me so much happier. I use this time to meditate, journal, stretch, or read inspiring books. I really recommend meditation if you haven’t tried it already. I started with guided meditations and now I can do it on my own.
Some of my favourite alone time practices are moon rituals and connecting with my spirit guides.
Comparison can be an evil thing, and I’ve fallen prey to it many times. But, as cheesy as it sounds, we are all special in our own way. I encourage you to switch to an abundance mindset. Instead of wishing you were as beautiful or talented or adventurous or, or, or as others accept the fact that we can all be successful and wonderful with our own unique looks, talents, and desires. If someone else has what you want there is no need to be jealous because you can have it too. We can all succeed. There is no lack. There is only abundance.
The most important relationship in your life is the one you have with yourself. Be kind to yourself. Treat yourself like you would your best friend. A starting tip I have for you is the mirror affirmation. Stand in front of the mirror and say one thing you honestly love about what you see. “I love my eyes”, “I love my skin”, “I love how confident I look.” Choose something everyday and you will feel your love for yourself start to rise, and therefore your happiness.
Every morning think of three things you are grateful for. During the day if you are feeling off or upset remembering the things you are grateful for can bring your happiness back in. I practice the five senses grounding exercise with a grateful twist. Name something that you can see, hear, smell, taste, and feel in your present moment, and realize why you can be grateful for them. The gratitude can be as specific as, “I see a beautiful Cardinal, my favourite bird” or as general as “I’m grateful I can see the sky.”
We all have a unique set of talents and passions. I recommend feeding your passions daily and simply because you gain joy from it, not to impress anyone else. For me I gain joy from singing and dancing around my apartment, without anyone watching and without a care in the world. Try doing something you love just for yourself and you will feel optimal happiness. Of course sharing these talents with the world is also amazing, but doing it just for yourself is invigorating.
A surefire way to feel a surge of happiness and confidence is to do something productive. This can be a workout, an assignment, or even sending out an email or making an important phone call. Anything that promotes the feeling of accomplishment. Looking back at the end of the day and seeing I was productive makes me feel a lot of happiness.
It’s true what they say about endorphins. It doesn’t have to be an intense cross-fit workout -unless that’s exactly what you want it to be! There are so many fitness options out there and you will find the one you love. My favourites are ballet barre workouts and good old-fashioned walking.
You want to feel happiness when you’re looking around your home. Only have things in your home that bring you joy. Take the time to tidy your space -care for it like it’s an extension of yourself. Pay special attention to the corner or wall you see when you first open your eyes in the morning. Choose what you would like to see to feel inspiration and peace.
Choose media that promotes joy. I like to listen to meditation music because it makes me feel purposeful and relaxed. I reserve my favourite music with lyrics for waking up on early morning and long car rides. For me simplicity = happiness, so I like the no lyrics vibe. You may like your happy music to have lyrics! But I encourage you to limit your listening of sad and angry music. Consuming media with happy vibrations will always bring in more joy for you. The same goes with books. I always have a self-help book on the go because I find them really inspiring. My favourite self-improvement books are by the author Danielle Laporte. I also like to watch meaningful content about self-improvement and happiness on Youtube.
We already covered self-love, but make sure you’re sending out that love to the people in your life -and even strangers! Smiling and making eye contact with others and being kind in every interaction makes me feel happiness and tends to bring kindness back to me. It is the walk-the-walk and talk-the-talk of happiness. The flip side is you must gently let go of people in your life who are unkind to you. It will be hard, but if you are being mistreated you will feel so much better with those people gone.
I know. You’re thinking “What? I clicked on a post about how to feel happiness!” The truth is I think it’s unhealthy to gloss over our negative emotions in the pursuit of Feeling Happy All the Time. If you’re feeling sad or angry, that’s there, and that’s valid. Maybe you know why and maybe you don’t, but let yourself feel it. Acknowledge it. Being mad or sad doesn’t make you less of an amazing person. I like to journal during these times to try and find the way. Definitely acknowledge your pain but don’t sit in it for too long. When you’re ready, move on to one of the tips I listed above.
This is your life and you can do whatever you want with it. Start to imagine your life as exactly what you want it to be. Set goals, work hard, act as if you already have achieved them, and soon you will have them. This is called manifestation and it is a key component of my happiness. I will definitely write more posts about it later.
Thank you so much for reading my blog today and I wish you so much happiness.
Love,
Megan
There is an unmistakable magic about a full moon. Scientists and storytellers alike have been obsessed with it for centuries. The man in the moon, the space race to conquer her, the tides being controlled by the moon, howling wolves… The list goes on. But what if I told you you can partake in her power by creating your own full moon ritual.
Spring is finally here in my home city Toronto, but we had quite a long wait for all this beauty. Sunshine is very important to my general happiness (hello, SADs, I see you) and across the long winter months I had the pleasure of taking a couple vacations to sunny locales that boosted my mood. But who’s to say you can’t find that same effect here in Toronto? If you know where to search… That’s why today I’m bringing you into the magical world of Allan Gardens.
The scents of this beautiful conservatory hit you the minute you open the door. It definitely made Nick and I want to start planting an ambitious garden. And it was warm! Especially when we visited the desert plants.
I love being a tourist in my own city and I have always been drawn to old things (that’s why I’m so excited for my Europe adventure this summer!) Allan Gardens first came to be all the way back in 1858. That’s ancient for Canada. It has since been burned down once and been reconstructed, possibly to do with it’s political origins (it’s founder George Allan was mayor of Toronto).
So much history, beauty, and a touch of spooky always has me interested. Are there ghosts? I didn’t see any, but who knows! Despite it’s history the Gardens have an indisputably zen vibe. I recommend visiting this fragrant and peaceful place and logging it away in your mind’s eye for future meditations.
Allan Gardens is open 365 days a year and is completely free to the public.
