Crystal Starter Pack

Anyone who has ever walked into a metaphysical shop, crystal shop, or anything of the sort can tell you that there is a dizzying array of crystals to choose from. Some you’ve seen dozens of times, others may be totally new to you. If you're anything like me you could easily rack up a bill in the low $120s (remember, this is a judgement-free zone). To make the search a wee bit less stressful, and to keep you on budget, I've compiled the following list of the “essentials” for anyone planning to start working with crystals.

1. Clear Quartz - plays well with others. This crystal can be used to level up the energy of any other crystal.

2. Rose Quartz - the love stone. This crystal supports the quest for every type of love imaginable.

3. Amethyst - helps you tune into your intuition and the power of your dreams. I rarely dream these days, but I've found that keeping an amethyst point close to me as I sleep has helped me drift off easier on most nights.

4. Carnelian - a personal favorite. Work with this crystal on days where you really need to get those creative juices flowing.

5. Black Tourmaline - another favorite. Working with this crystal can help you keep negative thoughts and emotions at bay.

None of these crystals are absolute must-haves, but they're the best ones to start with on your journey. Happy clearing!

Feminine Energy vs Masculine Energy

Characteristics of Feminine Energy:

1. Creative

2. Deep sense of morality

3. Passive

4. Acute awareness of others’ thoughts and feelings

5. Tendency to sacrifice oneself for the health and happiness of others

6. Patience

Characteristics of Masculine Energy:

1. Aggression

2. Analytical mind

3. Assertiveness

4. Impatient

5. Strives for success

6. Quick to make decisions (sometimes with little to no real thought on the pros and cons)

Reading a list of characteristics assigned to those with feminine energy would lead someone to believe that your feminine energy makes you weak or less likely to get in there and get shit done. On the flip side, the characteristics associated with masculine energy would have you to believe that a lack of this energy source is a lack of any real ambition or assertiveness. BUT that’s taking a very short-sighted view. That’s taking the limited viewpoints on traditional male and female roles that we’ve been spoon-fed since birth and regurgitating them without any real context. There are two points to remember when defining feminine and masculine energy for yourself:

1. Feminine energy isn’t only for females; Masculine energy isn’t only for males.

   If you found your way here to Effing Spiritual chances are you’re pretty open-minded and liberal AF. It also stands to reason, then, that you’ve stopped thinking of human sexuality in binary terms. If not, perhaps it’s time to reconsider your limited thinking. Telling someone they have to fall under one or the other based on what your naked eye sees as their gender is just plain wrong. So stop the madness.

2. You have control over the energy source you tap into…to a degree.

   Tapping into either energy source is almost always a subconscious decision, one that that big beautiful brain of yours makes without you ever realizing it. When you want to get your way and you know that honey will get you there 20x faster than vinegar, bring on the feminine energy. When you need to be assertive and take no prisoners, that masculine energy gets the chance to flex on ‘em. Your intuition tells your brain which source to call on based on past experience and the desired outcome. Now, don’t get me wrong. You can definitely figure out which energy source works for you in specific situations so that you can call on the attributes you need to in order to get what you’re after, but in general it’s not something that you’re really aware of. And that’s not such a bad thing. Who wants to program themselves to be so acutely aware of every little thing they say and do and how it comes across that they end up being a robot?

Whether you tap into feminine or masculine energy by habit, by choice, or by intuition doesn’t matter. What matters is that you understand the role of both in the making of you.

The Power of Pussy

The single greatest and scariest day of a woman’s life is the day she realizes just how much power she has between her legs. No, seriously. Every day leading up to that point is pure drudgery. You’re trying to figure out if you’re cute enough, flirty enough, just…enough. You are! You totally are. But it’s not until this day that you fully get it. What happened? How did you suddenly go from shy gal to sexy mama? You came into your own and fully realized the power of your coochie, girl! Good on you.

Now, this power is fragile and must be handled with care. Plenty of otherwise smart women have fallen victim to their own power simply by drinking too much of the Kool-Aid too fast. Take it slow, honey. It’s not going anywhere. In fact, it’s like a really good bottle of wine. As you get more experienced (I can’t relate this to age because age is only a number and has absolutely nothing to do with experience) it’ll only get better. You will only get better. Take the time to figure out how to harness this superpower and release it full-force when you need to, and pull back when it’s necessary.

I’m sure by now you’re assuming that I’m saying your ONLY superpower as a woman is that sweet spot between your legs and what you can do with it, but that’s not what I’m referring to at all. Don’t get me wrong, learning how to make your lover of choice think about the things you have done, or will do, to him/her is a superpower of it’s own. But what I’m talking about is bigger than that. What makes you truly powerful is the confidence that comes along with this discovery. Confidence is a hell of a drug. The high is unlike any other. And just like you keep taking a drug to continue the high, you should continue the habit of monitoring and feeding your confidence. There’s nothing sexier or more endearing than someone who knows their worth and embraces it. But don’t do it just for others, do it for you. You deserve to feel like the shit every time you step outside your front door. Hell, you deserve to feel like the shit even while you’re inside your home wearing that ratty old t-shirt and yoga pants. Trust me, anyone who is lucky enough to be able to walk into your home won’t give a damn what you’re wearing as long as you wear it well.