This stone has a special place in my heart as I feel it's secret understanding of our shadow selves.
Often we think that our shadow selves need to come to the light, be obliterated, or undergo fierce reform. But black tourmaline understands that the shadow has its place.
The truth is we can't embody our wholeness if we only embrace our light without acknowledging the existence of or understanding our darkness.
Black tourmaline understands there is wisdom, skill, and treasures to be found in the shadow. The “shadow” is often parts of ourselves that we have splintered off because it has not been approved of, given permission for, or had words to explain it's difference...
Our shadow selves are expressing that there's more to life than the boxes we have been given.
Black tourmaline can bring a sense of love and acceptance, a sense of forgiveness, and a knowing that there is a rightful place for everything in the universe. Bring black tourmaline in your life to purify the dark corners and bring comfort to the shadows.
My invitation to you is to ask yourself what is the core desire underneath the shadow self? Is this part of yourself asking to be loved, safe, have better boundaries, or asking you to end something you have been holding on to because you think it is right and good?
I believe there is much to learn from these cast out fragments of our wholeness. That without these most authentic, brilliant, and beautiful parts of ourselves, there is no wholeness.
In 2021, what are 5 new ways you can show more love for all of you?
Can you listen to your grievances with compassion and curiosity?
Can you take time to refuel before your cup is empty?
Can you pause before reacting to a trigger enough to ask yourself what you are wanting underneath?
Can you choose you over others more times this year?
Or be of more service in place of self-serving in the next months?
A Ritual with Black Tourmaline
This stone pairs well with Ylang Ylang, Jasmine, and Black Pepper. You can get them by clicking the links.
In any ritual my focal point is the altar - you can get my Quick Start Altar Guide here - of course including black tourmaline in your altar creation for this one.
The act of creating an altar can start to... bring you into an altered state of awareness and slow your mind so that it is more open to hearing your intuitive wisdom and spirit messages.
If you are feeling more simple you can place black tourmaline in your hand or on your lap in place of creating an altar.
*Always call in protecting ones, loving ones, and energies of the true self or greater to do any spiritual practice. Ask specific gods, goddesses, spirits, guides, angels, and others that are invested in your most benevolent outcome. State your intention out loud or silently in your mind.
The intention of this ritual is to ask the higher consciousness of you, or the most benevolent, compassionate version of you: How can you bring those cast-away parts of yourself closer, listen to what it is they are desiring, and embrace the entirety of you with more love.
Often we find that under pain, anger, and grief we are desiring to be heard, understood, witness, loved, and safe.
Use beautiful music, preferably without words, to allow your mind and body to relax so that you can listen in.
You might find that you need to journal for a while or even talk to yourself so that the mind can clear and settle down and get into a listening way.
Emotions might start to stir and take this opportunity to move out of the body. Say yes to this and allow yourself expression, verbal, as well as physical. Maybe you throw a fit on your bed, scream into a pillow, yell that "Life is not fair!" and "How could they!" and "I hate you!"
This is a big energetic movement. Whatever has been inside, bottled up, is seizing this opportunity to rise and move, to open up and pour out.
Allow it.
Do you see young children subdue their emotions? No!
They have an inner knowing that the truth of that moment and their feelings - that they do not hide - and the rawness of that emotion is the energy that needs to come up and out so that peace, calm, a new perspective, a fresh start, and clarity and openness can come again.
We are energy conduits. Our emotions are the raw material giving us access to much, much, much more energy than we may understand. This energy, just like our soul, is too big to stay in one small package.
You can send this energy to something - to the center of your altar to transmute, to a project that is in the works that you would like to move more quickly, to the heavens to evoke the wishes you have cast to the stars.
And maybe none of this raw energy comes bubbling up. Maybe this is a time to go within and listen...
I suggest using breathing techniques as a tool during this centering and calming or releasing time.
Plant Wisdom:
Anoint the circumference of your face with (diluted) black pepper. Ask the spirit of this plant to reveal your truth. Ask for black pepper to melt away a mask or a role that is no longer serving you.
Anoint the insides of your wrists with Jasmine and bring them up to inhale. Allow Jasmine to remind you of your innocence and the purity of your spirit. If you need self-forgiveness ask Jasmine to help you, hold you and offer it's forgiveness first.
Anoint the bottoms of your feet and on either side of the chest, LU1 acupressure point, with Ylang Ylang - the oil of shadow work! Inhale from what is left on the fingertips.
Again ask these plant allies to help with the discovery of a new way to love yourself. Maybe a new way to honor you, a new way of being in the world, caring for yourself, or allowing yourself more moments of pure pleasure without guilt or shame.
After you spend some time listening in be sure to write down the information you hear, feel, know, sense, or download. I always think I will remember and then find that the details slip my mind.
Now put it into motion, whatever yourself is asking from you - bring it into physical reality by planning for it, reminding yourself of it, and possibly even scheduling it in your calendar.
At the end of your ritual time. Say thank you. Give thanks for all the things! The spirits, the time to do this, this ritual, and you. Send that appreciation out as a prayer and contribution to the world or a friend in need or simply hold more love in your heart for you.
May this be a beautiful and healing ritual for you.
If you curious about bringing essential oils into your life for your spiritual practice reach out to me here.