The Magic of Life
Your adventures in rest start tonight.
This package contains treasures that have held meaning for leaders and creators from different cultures around the world.
It provides everything you need for a journey that takes place over seven evenings.
This sequence is designed to increase positivity, connect you to nature and humanity, inspire your creativity, offer clarity, activate abundance, and bring you peace, in preparation for a fresh new year.
Each evening, take ten minutes to follow directions and experience something from nature or society that someone, somewhere, recognized as wonderful and powerful.
Over the course of the week, you will explore artifacts that sparked magic for civilizations from around the world. Each one will help you rest in different ways.
A journal is included to track any insights, feelings, ideas, or questions, that arise as a part of the experience. Notice any interesting dreams or thoughts, and write them down.
You can review the daily sequence in advance; notice there’s nothing time-intensive. So begin tonight, and enjoy.
May it bring you love. May it bring you beauty. May it bring you truth. May it bring you peace.
Night One: White Desert Sage
Native American tribes in western North America believe that white desert sage, when burned, has the ability to protect and cleanse us from negativity. The aroma has been known to improve mood, reduce stress, and increase intuition. The smoke it creates has the added benefit of removing bacteria and viruses from the air.
Before going to bed, place the dried leaves of sage in a non-flammable dish or bowl. Use the matches to light the sage, then blow it out after a few moments so that it releases a pleasant wisp of smoke. Encircle your body with the sage, top to bottom, and walk around the bed to distribute the smoke, with the intention of bringing calming energy into your sleep tonight.
Night Two: Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is from Australia, and is used by the Aborigines as a cure for everything from fever to toothaches. The scent is thought to bring balance and fresh energy into situations that caused regret. In your package, you’ll find a Eucalyptus shower bomb.
Unwrap it and place it in the corner of your shower or tub, so that it’s not in the direct stream of water. Turn on the shower, step in to bathe, and enjoy the scent of the steam.
A simple meditation that works for people who have trouble meditating is to get into the shower and imagine the water washing away all of their stress. Do this with the added benefit of eucalyptus. See how you feel when you go to sleep after this beautiful therapeutic shower.
Night Three: A Candle Flame
Light, in many of the world’s religions, is the antithesis of darkness. Symbolically, darkness is linked to despair or desolation.
For those who do not care for religion, think of light as the first major innovation of humankind – fire, as a substance, brought exponentially greater chances of survival.
Is there anyone that’s been on your mind, who you are worried about? Is there anyone you miss or remember? Is there anyone you love who has passed on, whose memory you are committed to keep alive?
Light this candle for one or more people who you love, who might be struggling or lost to you. Let it represent your devotion.
Alternatively, consider that fire is called agni in India, and represents wisdom and divinity. Maybe your worries or grief have less to do with someone else, and more to do with yourself. If this is the case, let the flame represent your intention for inner peace.
(This candle lasts six hours. Place it on a fire-safe dish or holder, and remember to blow it out before you go to sleep.)
Night Four: Mugwort Tea
If you have ever experienced moxibustion during an acupuncture session, you know mugwort. It is the herb that’s burned to help stimulate circulation.
But mugwort is not just important in China, Korea, Japan, and other parts of Asia… it grows all around the world, including in Europe and northern Africa.
In Europe, mugwort is sometimes used to stimulate vivid, memorable dreams. It increases relaxation and helps people recall their dreams instead of forgetting them.
Feel free to do your own research on this herb before choosing whether or not to drink a cup of it this evening before you go to bed. Another option is to unwrap the tea sachet and place it under your pillow; the scent of mugwort is also said to promote vivid dreams.
Not a tea person? Eat a bit of mustard. People report having vivid and colorful dreams when they consume it before going to bed.
Night Five: Have a Heart
Rose quartz, and a majority of the other gemstones available in the world, were mined in Africa. They were traditionally used by tribal people during spiritual ceremonies to call forth qualities like compassion, self-love, and fertility.
In the United States, crystals, ivory pieces, coins, beads, and shells were often found in slave quarters, and thought to have been used as a part of African divination practices.
This stone is a reminder of humankind globally, and of the resilience and strength of those who came before us, those who are all around us, and those who will populate the future world.
Your calm and gentle heart is a gift that radiates. It is the technology that leads us to a peaceful, equal world.
Researchers have found that the electromagnetic field emitted by the human heart ranges from fifteen to twenty-five feet in diameter. (See? There’s a scientific reason for why certain people can “light up a room”.) The heart constantly sends information to the brain, making us more heart-based than we realized, even if we do see ourselves as rational and pragmatic.
Tonight, place the little crystal heart onto your chest and count off ten statements of gratitude, silently or out loud. Do this again and again until you feel a release in your chest or shoulders, or until you feel access to your feelings – whether happy, sad, or otherwise. Place the heart on the nightstand beside you. Carry it in your pocket daily as a reminder to be grateful, and to have deep compassion for those all around you.
Night Six: Prosperity
In modern day, the idea of treasure usually implies currency and wealth. It’s in the seeking of this wealth that some of us lose our satisfaction, joy, or integrity. It’s in depriving ourselves of this wealth that others of us lose our self-worth, confidence, or dignity.
Retrieve your golden pen and the $1M bill. On that bill, write down something you currently have in life that is worth $1M or more, or is priceless. Be grateful for your million dollar prize – the thing you didn’t even have to pay for.
Tuck this bill into your wallet, or place it somewhere in your work space, so that you remember that you are already rich. (It’s in the belief that you are wealthy, that tangible wealth follows.)
Use the golden pen in your daily life as a reminder that you are abundant. It’s wonderful to wish for more (write down these wishes in your notebook), as long as you’re appreciative of what you already have.
Night Seven: Palo Santo
Palo Santo means “holy wood”. It is used in the Andes, primarily in Peru, during shamanic rituals, to clear negative energy and provide protection. The smoke from the burned wood also stimulates the immune system and nervous system, to protect you from viruses and relieve stress.
As your week completes, we return again to a precious plant from Mother Earth.
Burn one end of this stick and hold it securely from the other end. After a few moments, blow out the flames and paint in the air with the smoke. Just as you did with the sage on Night One, use the smoke to cleanse yourself and your bed. Remember to place it somewhere non-flammable after gently burning it. It is a beautiful way to end your week!
Thank yourself for trying something new, and for preparing for a wonderful New Year by being open and connecting to the world and to the world’s people.
Continuing the Journey
A navy blue vinyl EVOLVE sticker is included in your box. It is waterproof.
You can place it on a useful object such as a water bottle to remind you that you are constantly evolving and improving. It will remind you to be open minded and open hearted in the year ahead.
Reflect on your week and determine which of these experiences meant the most to you.
Consider repeating them regularly (perhaps even on a nightly basis). Using one or more of these practices routinely will generate evening rest that is more and more relaxing and fulfilling, over time.
I personally journal a list of gratitude each evening, with a candle lit beside me, or a cup of tea, or some nice burning sage or incense. I play music that opens my heart, including songs from around the world. I play a sound machine with ocean sounds, or other sounds from nature, when I sleep.
Sometimes, I step outdoors first, to say goodnight to the moon and take some deep breaths of fresh air. This is my own routine. These are a few of the things I do to keep the Magic of Life alive. What is that you want to do?
If there’s anything you’d like to share about your 7 night adventure, feel free to message me at amisha@mytreeoflife.com and let me know.
Happy Holidays, and a very Happy 2023!
Love, Amisha
