Would you like to win a FREE pair of owl talon earrings AND a double talon ring

Ya’ll know I love to celebrate, it’s my Libra moon but also the fact that I truly love gathering with my friends and family and laughing and sharing new memories.

So with that said I want to share in the celebrating with YOU. I’m giving away not one but TWO pieces of jewelry. You only have to do 5 things (that’s not much at all):

1. Sign up for Eilisain’s email list HERE

2. SHARE the IG post with the giveaway on your IG STORY

3. TAG 3 friends in the comments of the IG post

4. LIKE the post

5. FOLLOW Eilisain Jewelry on InstaGram

The winner will be announced on Friday, February 4th round 6am. The winner will be announced on Instagram and the winner will receive an email with confirmation for ring size and shipping address.

I can’t wait to announce the WINNER, maybe it’ll be YOU!

Empowering Yourself Through Ritual

I have been stuck lately, for all my posts of goals and intentions, staying consistent can be hard. Especially when there is uncertainty and a global pandemic. But one thing that brings me back to the present, and out of my anxiety is ritual.

We humans are hard wired for routines and consistent actions, just think about it, when your routine gets thrown off or around the holidays we get excited for hanging up decorations there is a beautiful ritual that marks the beginning of a season.

Ritual also grounds us in the present and allows our brain to associate an action with a feeling. So how does ritual empower you? Ritual brings awareness to our action. I have a ritual, as do most parents, of reading a book to our children before bed. What does this do, this brings calm and a way for children to settle down from a long day and it empowers children to feel safe & secure.

My ritual of writing out my plans for the day empowers me to feel a sense of control and direction. We need this especially right now, where so much is out of our control.

Take some time now to think about the rituals you do daily, and consider new rituals that will empower you to achieve balance, sanity and focus.

My all time favorite ritual is my morning routine, I move my body for about 15 minutes, I thank my body and then I move on to meditation, prayer, mirror work (hyping myself up for the day) and then I journal and read a tarot card.

And look, there are days when I just want to lay in my bed longer, however this one simple routine/ritual has had immense ripple effects in my life. I’m much more calm, full of gratitude AND more importantly I feel empowered.

If you’d like to stay in touch and learn more methods for bringing intention, curiosity and joy in your life, follow along and join the Eilisain list. Click the link below my dears, and thank you as always for reading!

The Moon Phases and Learning to Work with Them

Where to begin, with this journey I’ve had with the moon lately. Somehow it all started to happen at once, the social media accounts the people I listen to on podcasts all of it started to have a theme…a lunar theme.

And then bam I became just like every other spiritual person on instagram, posting about the moon and the cycles. What really blew me away was this interesting and enlightening fact I learned from Kate Northrup, that the day and yearly cycles are geared toward a more masculine/yang way of doing things. The average business day matches a men’s cycle, they are energized in the morning through midday and then hit a lull in the afternoon, whereas a woman’s cycle matches the lunar cycle meaning there are peak times of the month usually the full moon when we are at our best energetic self and then towards the crescent and waning moons we slow down and reflect aka 3pm. And when I really thought about it and how it does match my mood and that there are times of the month when I’m ready to burst with ideas and then towards my period I begin to slow down.

Okay so how can we work with the moon cycles? Journaling and really just paying attention to phases of the moon and how they match our own sense of feeling and intentions. For example, you could plan intense projects and goals for when you are most energized and at your peak potential which would be during the full Moon. During the New Moon you will want to set intentions and plan for your month. In this way you are working with the rhythm of your cycle and the moons.

I keep a super beautiful piece of artwork by artist Jess Weymouth by my bedroom and I love glancing at it as I walk through to the kitchen.

How gorgeous is this drawing?!! By jess Weymouth.

Confession, I don’t work with the moon phases all the time, but what I’ve noticed is that if I’m having big emotions or if I’m feel super energized I will pause and look at the moon cycle we’re in and see how it corresponds. I also look at my own menstrual cycle to see how it matches with the moon cycle.

Write down and journal your thoughts or if that isn’t your style, dictate into your phone so that you have a recording. There are so many apps for this, honestly that I don’t know of but I know they’re out there that can help you with taking notes (aka evernote).

Small actions, small rituals help to ground us and also bring centeredness and peace. In my morning ritual I write several pages in my journal and I like to note what phase of the moon we’re in, tracking my own mood and phase of the cycle. For example right now (aka March 25th) we are in the New Moon in Aries and this is a time of goal setting and working with the zodiac sign of Aries (pure fire and action) to move into this phase.

Full Moon pendant reminds us that we are wild, we can be untamed every once in awhile, like during the full moon.

It’s so fascinating to me that right now in our history and cultural zeitgeist tracking and connecting with the Moon has become very popular. It is no wonder, as our world is in the thick of the yang energy and we crave and need the feminine, the yin.

So take some time this month and the next to watch the phases of the moon and your own feeling and energies and you will see that you can use the phase of the moon to sync and ground yourself.

OH and it may be nice to have some moon themed jewelry on too…

La Luna Gift Box

Yes BOX gifts are all the rage and I can honestly say I understand why, because you get a fun box full of tiny treasures that you can keep for yourself AND gift some of the box treasures.

Several years ago I purchased a gift box from my fellow maker, Priya Means Love, and it contained wonderful creams and lotions. It made the perfect gift for my close friend.

And so as I was brainstorming gift ideas for you, a giant LIGHTBULB appeared above my head. A Moon inspired gift box. Because as you know I’ve been connecting with the moon phases and this box celebrates the intention and tranquility of syncing ourselves with the moon.

In this gift box are magical tools:

• A round luminous moonstone orb, large enough to fit in the palm of your hand.

• Herkimer earring studs, these will help open your third eye chakra

• A rose sage and lavender cleansing bundle that will last you months

• A silver polishing cloth, to maintain all your favorite Eilisain Jewels

Also a suggestion here, you can use this gift box to cover small gifts for your friends and family, give the sage and lavender wand to that one friend that needs some calm and clarity, or the earrings to gift your mom, they may not be real diamonds, but herkimers are the next BEST thing, and keep the polishing cloth for yourself then use the magical moonstone orb as a touchstone for when you want to open up your crown chakra.

I wanted this gift box to reflect complete intention and sacredness to your life.

How My New Morning Ritual Has Improved My Mindset

Lighting my sage and lavender bundle marks the beginning of my meditation.

I’ve written on here before about meditation and several methods and ways to meditate but on this post I wanted to share some of my newest methods and also the immense benefits of a meditation practice.

I’ve created a new ritual in my life and it’s having massive impacts on my mental and physical health. I wake up about an hour before my daughter Tallulah wakes up, sometimes this varies, like I’ll have a half hour and some days I struggle but on average I get a lil chunk of time in the morning to set myself up for the day.

Here’s how my routine begins: I wake up around 5-530am and I head to our kitchen and pour myself a glass of lemon and basil or rosemary water (I’ve heard and read that it’s a great way to cleanse and hydrate your body), then I head upstairs to my meditation room. I light some candles and sage and then I sit at my altar for about 10 minutes for mediation and prayer. I’d eventually like to increase this to 20 or 30 minutes but for now it’s ten. After I’ve meditated and prayed I go through a 10 minute yoga routine. I absolutely love how the stretching and yoga poses work out kinks in my back, arms and neck. After my yoga I sit in my comfy grandma chair and journal, I also do a short tarot reading, usually it’s a three card spread. This act of journaling does two things: it cleanses my mind of the clutter, thoughts and dreams I’ve had AND it gives me time to reflect.

I love this sacred pace so so much.

Ya’ll, this ritual really has changed how I behave throughout the day, I just feel centered and reprogrammed for intention. I’ve become more focused in my goals, felt energized throughout the day and I just feel so much more connected to my ancestors, spirit guides and most importantly my inner teacher. In addition I’ve noticed how my perspective on my life and reaction to situations has become calm and centered. When my daughter has a meltdown or something sudden and perhaps typically stressful would happen I breathe and allow myself to let it go.

No surprise here, Tallulah loves playing with all my ritual objects.

Maybe some of you are thinking, well I just can’t get up at 5am to do all that. I’m not suggesting you do, although I honestly believe you’ll get used to it and come it enjoy it. What perhaps I’m hinting at for you is that carving out anytime, maybe during your lunch break or in the evening setting aside anytime to journal, go for a quiet walk with no phones, or maybe playing Frisbee outside - ANY kind of act that allows you to be still is incredibly helpful to your mental health.

“We need to listen to ourselves FIRST before anyone else, what do YOU need to feel happy and whole. Often times we get up and go, look at our phones or flip on the tv but we don’t give ourselves the time and space to LISTEN.”

— Lisette Fee

You are so worthy, worthy of your time to BE.

Back in my mid-twenties when I began meditating and praying and when I look back at how that time I had gave me space to dream about this time right now, HERE, I know that it was well spent. I dreamed of being a jeweler, of being the weird, nerdy and jewelry obsessed person that I am today.

So my dear friends, take back your time away from the distractions and noise and just BE.

If you want to continue to read more of these blog posts and shop some of my newest one of a kind jewels please sign up for my email list and I will keep you in the loop. Thank you as always for reading!!

Summer Rituals and Habits

Being half Spanish I have inherent comfort level with heat and warm temperatures. I love being warm, baking in the sun by a pool. And despite some of the oppressive temperatures lately, I still love summertime.

So here are some of my favorite rituals and things to do this time of year.

1. Enjoy the sunsets! I try to get outside in the early morning and in the late evening. Even if there is a warm drizzle, being outside with my daughter is so fun in the late summer nights. She enjoys a popsicle while I sip on rosemary seltzer water and we soak in the natural beauty.

2. The Uptown Umbrella market and all farmer markets - Ripe red tomatoes, local honey, shaved ice and live music, it’s free and we get to see our friends! And if I’m lucky we go to my favorite farm to table restaurant Starlight Cafe.

3. Outdoor concerts and movies - another fun and FREE activity. Now that our daughter is running around and has all the energy it makes sense to take her to a musical outdoor event. It’s another excuse to be outside enjoying the late nights.

4. Harvesting - For our garden summertime explodes with green and purple peppers, Japenese eggplant, mint, basil and cherry tomatoes. It’s so gratifying to go in our backyard and pluck fresh vegetables.

5. Stay inside and paint - Yes I love warm weather but I also enjoy the cool temps inside. I’ve taken to setting up a paint station for my daughter and we get totally creative. It’s also a meditative activity. You don’t think, you just paint and allow your mind to empty!
   

Every season has it’s extremes, fun and drudgey but overall, I try to enjoy each season for the wonderful offerings and ways to move with time.

Thanks as always for reading, stay in touch with me via my email list and I’ll send you more rituals and ways to celebrate a more present life.

5 Super Easy Ways to Celebrate Earth Day - EVERY DAY

What they said is wrong, being green is easy. Seriously, in our convenience led world we don’t need to be wasteful. Our beautiful planet needs us to be protectors of her abundance and generosity.

Life is cyclical right? We can not take something without giving. And the same goes for all that we consume on a daily basis. So here are five super easy ways to be less wasteful, recycle, reuse and especially REDUCE.

1. Take your own water bottle or coffee mug when you step out of the house. As a matter of fact, stash a to go container, a reusable water bottle and coffee mug in your canvas shopping bag.

2. Reuse any of your plastic bags. And clean and drop off any plastic film and bags at your local Food Lion or grocery store. It’s SO convenient.

3. Unplug and turn off any cellular charging stations or lights that you aren’t using. This will not only save energy for the planet BUT it also SAVES YOU MONEY!

4. SHOP second hand and Salvation Army. You guys, this one is fun - you can find the best treasures at thrift stores.

5. Grow a garden, plant trees and pick up trash where you see it. It all begins in your community. the more we time we spend outside in nature and the wilderness the more we appreciate and love our world.

I hope that you take this time of year to venerate and give gratitude for all the our mother earth provides for us. I know I sound all hippy dippy but trust me when I say that what YOU receive in return for your gratitude is so much more.

If you enjoyed my tips and want to learn more, sign up for my email list below and you’ll get more advice AND ways to improve your life.

Tap Into Your Third Eye With Your Jewelry

This is a super brief yet easy reminder that we can always tap into your inner teacher and third eye to guide us to more clear and conscious living. 

Tonight is the pink full moon in Sagittarius.  We can use this time look deep inside ourselves and ask, what is calling to us? So take a lil time out, even five minutes to be still and quiet and use your jewelry as a source of focus. 

thanks as always for reading and stopping by.  And click on the link below that takes you to my One of a kind jewels that will aid you in your meditation and journey to your inner teacher.

How I've Juggled Being a Momboss

It's been one year since I became a mom and it's been one fun, overwhelming and gratifying experience.  I've also somehow managed to keep my business going while caring for our baby everyday.  Even though one year is very little time, I thought I'd share with you what I've learned and how I continue to juggle two of my biggest roles. 

First off, it wasn't as scary or impossible as I thought it'd be.  And somehow my flow of work continued only with minor adjustments.  Nap time is KING! That is when I run around the house and my studio.   Whether it be working on jewelry at the bench, preparing and shipping out orders or handling administrative tasks.  Tuesdays are my full on work days, as my generous inlaws watch Tallulah all day.  My husband also watches her in the early evening and one day on the weekend so I can get more intense pieces finished.   It truly does take a tiny village to raise a tiny human!

My husband and I can't afford childcare and honestly, I feel so grateful that I can stay home and raise my daughter.  Most days it can get quite boring watching Sesame Street on repeat BUT I get to feed her the food that is good for her, take her for walks and generally enjoy raising her. 

My 'office space' in our second kitchen, it's part of the mother in law suite of our 1950's house.

I think the hardest part of working from home AND watching Tallulah is deciphering what to address as the most important and pressing need of that day as well as planning for the future.  I'm just now hitting my groove where I can finish work in my studio but also sit down and plan for the following weeks and months ahead. 

Now if you have any friends or family that are business owners themselves, you know that there are SO many facets to running a small business.  What has really helped me to not feel so overwhelmed is to compartmentalize each task.  For example, scheduling specific days for certain tasks.  Mondays I plan out the week and handle administrative work, Tuesdays are primarily studio days (finishing jewelry or wax work), Wednesdays I may follow up with clients, reach out to boutiques and press, Thursdays are for sketching, planning and working on new or current designs and Fridays are for doing any of the other tasks I didn't do earlier in the week.  Then on a Saturday or Sunday I'll working half or full days in the studio depending on the time of year, holidays are crazy busy so I definitely work on the weekends. 

Tallulah and I on her first birthday.

I will admit though that lately I've come to a place where I'm viewing my business and goals from a new perspective and I'm thinking of changing the overall model of what I produce.  I absolutely love making one of a kind, highly personal pieces versus more production jewelry.  I think this is due to the fact that I can't churn out a ton of work because I also care for our child, which demands the most amount of time.  

I also acknowledge that over the years, my demands as a mother will change and so will my business, so I'm trying to be 'loose' with my schedule and go with the flow.  Which can be SO incredibly hard because at the same time, if I don't stay on my toes and maintain a consistent level of communication and new jewelry for my clients and customers then I won't keep that flow of sales which are essential to our household income. 

She doesn't even have to try and be cute!

The pressures are there, but when I reflect on our life before Tallulah, it seems less bright and I wouldn't change that for the world.  Tallulah has given me a new meaning to life and I'm so grateful for that.

Thank you for following me on this journey and for reading my blog.  You can stay in more touch with me on my newsletter - sign up at the link below!

Maiden, Mother and Crone - And What You Can Learn From Each Archetype

As a mother I've entered a completely new and life altering stage in my life and it didn't really dawn on me until I reflected on the fact that I have a new title.  And I also reflected that my own mother is in the crone stage.  Several of my friends are in the mother stage as well despite not having biological children they are very maternal and I look to them for guidance.

The maiden, Brigid, young, alive and naive. Photo by Aileen Devlin.

This really had the wheels in my head turning when thinking how many of us can benefit from understanding these roles and how throughout our entire lives we need the wisdom and lessons from each archetype.  And especially as women we're often pigeonholed to remain static - that you shouldn't have long hair when you're older, or it's not proper to have gray hair when you're younger etc.  

So let's go over what each of these roles mean and the lessons we learn in each of them.

Maiden: By word association we can go by - youth, enchantment, excitement, carefree and erotic.  She is represented in several mythologies in the Greek myths she's Persephone - purity - and a representation of new beginnings. Other maiden goddesses include: Brigid, Nimue, among others. 
What we learn from the Maiden - When we are weary, over worked or the feeling of disparity enter our minds we can remind ourselves that everyday is a new beginning, every year we can start over and allow the maiden mind frame to give us the time to wipe the slate clean.  In addition, there is a strength in being naive and unburdened by the toils of life.  You look at life with a new perspective.  This is what I love about my younger girlfriends, their zest for life!

Mother: She is the caregiver, nurturer, loving, ripeness, fertility, fulfillment, stability, and power.  The Mother Goddess in Greek mythology is Demeter, representing wellspring of life, giving and compassionate. Other mother goddesses include: Aa, Ambika, Ceres, Astarte, Lakshmi.
What we learn from the Mother aspect:  To nurture and care for a project, another life, even our animal and plant babies we find that we learn so much in ourselves.  A sense of passing on wisdom, education, pride and fulfillment.  We also learn a great deal of patience and the lesson of giving immensely.  Oh and one major aspect is protectiveness and a very fierce love.

Crone:  Wisdom, clarity, insight, repose, compassion and knowledge.  The Crone in Greek mythology is Hecate - wise, knowing, a culmination of a lifetime of experience. Crone goddesses include: Hel, Maman Brigitte, Oya, Sedna, Skuld, and others.
What we learn from the Crone aspect:  What I find most insightful from the Crone is letting go, that death is only the beginning and we must embrace the change and pain.  And she is often what we do not want to confront and accept.  We only gain wisdom through our experiences whether they be good or bad.  I'd also say that I ADORE the crones in my life, the women that teach me how to love myself and how to take time and learn. 

We receive so many blessings from each aspect of the trinity.

I hope that you enjoyed this post and that it gives you pause for thought in the areas of your life that the triple goddess can guide and assist you. 

More thoughts on the triple goddess:

These aspects may also represent the cycle of birth, life and death (and rebirth). Neopagans believe that this goddess is the personification of all women everywhere.

Followers of the Wiccan, Dianic, and Neopagan religions, as well as some archeologists and mythographers, believe that long before the coming of the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the Triple Goddess embodied the three-fold aspect of Gaia, the Earth Mother (Roman Magna Mater). A mother goddess was worshipped under a variety of names not only in the Ancient Near East and the Aegean and Anatolia, but also in pre-Islamic Arabia.

Neopagans also claim historical antecedent for their beliefs, holding that in Old Europe, in the Aegean world, and in the most ancient Near East, the Triple Goddess preceded the coming of nomadic speakers of Indo-European languages.

In South Arabia the moon-god Hubal was accompanied by the three goddesses: Uzza the youngest, Al-Lat "The Goddess" and Manat the Crone, the three cranes.

Wiccans often work with the Goddess in her triple form but may sometimes look at a particular goddess as Maiden, Mother and Crone even when there is no historical proof of this. An example of this would be the goddess Hecate, who was originally depicted as three maidens when in triplicate or as an old woman by herself in later times. Another example is the goddess Morrigan.

Another cross-cultural archetype is the three goddesses of Fate. In Greek Mythology they are the Moirai; in Norse mythology they are the Norns. The Weird Sisters of Shakespeare's Macbeth and Wyrd Sisters of Terry Pratchett's novel of the same name are believed to be inspired by these Fates. The three supernatural female figures called variously the Ladies, Mother of the Camenae, the Kindly Ones, and a number of other different names in The Sandman graphic novels by Neil Gaiman play self-consciously on both the triple Fates and the Maiden-Mother-Crone goddess archetypes." -via Crystalinks

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What is White Noise?

Last week I was driving and running errands while listening to one of my favorite podcasts Boss Girls about creating space for white noise.  I sorta knew what they meant but I was still perplexed - white noise? Which essentially means doing nothing.  Not looking at your phone, not cleaning, simply sitting or laying around doing nothing. 

Now, I used to be a master of that when I was in middle school because when your a 12 year old kid you don't have many responsibilities but now that I'm older and attempting to do everything it can be incredibly difficult to make yourself do nothing!

Laying in a field of flowers - ultimate white noise location.

However, your mind and body really need a good 30-60 minutes of this precious activity, just as your body needs sleep.  Why? Because that is when your mind is processing and filtering out all the activity and thoughts that you've been having you're able to learn so much.  And when you truly think about 'white noise' it's sorta like meditation.  But that word is intimidating isn't it?

I can see now that when I had to ritual of my bath time it was my white noise, my time to lay in a bath of water and relax! It's self care and it is SO essential to your sanity.  With a 4 month old baby it's been a bit harder to carve out white noise time but I do make it a priority, for myself and my husband.  When we're both healthy and sane so is our family.

Do do yourself a favor and give yourself permission to DO NOTHING!

thanks for reading.

The Nesting Period Is Over

I'd be remiss if I didn't elaborate more on my pregnancy; despite being my own boss I still answer to someone and that's you!  With that said, I'm due any moment now and I'm quite thrilled, nervous, scared and ready.   And I wanted to share with you some of my thoughts and plans on this new phase in my life. 

Tallulah's room.  I had such a fun time decorating it.

As an artist and jeweler I create for a living but now I'm creating something that will be my most precious treasure and it will change everything.  The most beneficial part of being my own boss is that I work from home (most of the time) and I'm so incredibly blessed and thankful for that, I'll be able care for Tallulah and have the flexibility to work in my home studio.  Yet it'll be a balance of juggling home life and work life all in the same space. 

What changes can you expect with your Eilisain Jewelry orders?
I'm taking three weeks of 'maternity leave' - it won't be official as business never really stops but I will be more removed from social media posts and marketing.
With that said, it will take me a bit longer to respond to inquiries and direct messages, perhaps 2-3 days.
I will of course continue to take your orders, as I've already prepared stock inventory and new one of a kind pieces ready to ship.  It may take a bit longer though for select pieces of jewelry.  And as you know I'll communicate with you the timeline of your order.

Leading up to the pregnancy it's definitely been a bit of struggle using my hands, which I didn't think would be an issue.  No one really talks about the bloated and swelling feeling you can get in the latter stages of pregnancy.  As well as being constantly tired.  It's been frustrating as I'm used to being able to run around and get things done.  

I think I was about 30 weeks pregnant in this photo. 

It's a strange feeling carrying another life in your body and feeling the movements.  It'll be strange when she's actually born to meet someone that has been in the womb for nine months.  I've been reading as many books as I can get my hands on, reread them and imagined what it'll be like holding her and as you'd imagine, it probably won't compare to the real thing.  I've compared it to taking a test or preparing for a marathon, you can train and study all you want but you won't know the experience until you actually have it.

Anywho, I wanted to share with you a little bit of what I've been going through personally.  And those of you that do know, thank you so much for your constant support and generosity - it has meant SO much!

As always thank you for reading. 

Who is Ursula?

When I was dreaming up my newest collection, set to release in Monday, March 20th, I wanted to present a contradiction of dark and light.  To me it is a universal truth in our world - that you can't have light without dark and vice versa.  Often times it's a tough pill for many of us to swallow.  Why wouldn't we want to be happy all the time? But I've learned over the years that going through difficult times and situations can make you so much stronger and change your destiny.

Ursula is that evil queen that shows us our mirror image - y'know the one that you don't show anyone? Just like in the Little Mermaid movie, she revels in her naughtiness, in her own self obsession.  But without her would we acknowledge that inner demon? I don't think many of us would. 

So with this collection, of varying pieces and combination of Eilisain elements, such as the crow claw, bird bones, owl talons along with sea shells I went to work with using a bit of everything.  AND I am excited that I got to work with Becky Parker, primarily a lifestyle photographer.  We had fun shooting my friend Dru Lindsay Patrick - with her shock of red hair and sassy attitude. 

We shot looks that had a ethereal quality as well as sublime, moodier looks.  I can't wait to share them with you and especially this month - of the Pisces - it's my favorite time of year.

As always thank you for reading!

How to Create a Meditative Space

As I've told you in a previous blog post, this year I'm trying to meditate and take more quiet times throughout the day and week to pray and be quiet.  It's harder than you think, everyday I tell myself I'm going to meditate the first thing I do when I wake up and I have yet to do that!

However, i do much better at night, when I need to play out the scenes of the day.  I've also read that you don't need to be in a defined space to meditate or let your mind relax and wander.  You can do it at the park, on your lunch break, at your desk or even in your car.  The point is to allow your mind to 'rest'. 

It does help though to have a space carved out to meditate and relax.  It could be a corner in your room or living room.  But adding a few touches can truly help.

Buddha and a rosemary wreath my friends gifted me. 

1.  Setting the scene with ritual.  It could be lighting a candle or incense, pulling out your favorite blanket or pillow.  Rubbing scented oils on your pulse points.  Whatever it is, do one (or several) thing to put you in a meditative mood.  Ritual is very powerful when it comes to habits and a sense of serenity.

2.  Unplug completely.  Put your phone on vibrate, or do not disturb and put it in another room.  This is really essential to letting your mind and body rest.

3.  Make it completely comfortable.  Put on your pjs or leave them on, wear warm socks, or keep the air cool.  Surround yourself with lots of pillows.  You want to feel relaxed and sedated.

My 'grandma' chair and handmade pillow get me comfy and cozy for a tarot reading.

4.  Add special momentos in your space. It could be a photo of a beloved ancestor, or a rock you found on a hike.  Anything that brings back peaceful and happy memories is perfect for your meditative space.  I keep a photo of my me and my niece on my wedding day on the bookshelf next to my chair.  It fills me with happiness and joy just looking at it.

5.  Tell your partner or loved ones you need quiet and space to meditate.  This goes along with unplugging.  close the door or move cats, children and spouses out of your zone.  So that you can completely unwind. 

And one last word of advice, even if your mind wanders in the beginning, don't worry about it.  Often times our mind needs a moment to 'come down' for the activity of the day, to slowly allow the mind to shake off all the thoughts.  Then you can begin a ritual of connecting your body to the earth and the sky (my best way of getting into the meditative state).  Visualization really helps with this. 

I hope these tips help you to move into a state of peacefulness - meditation is like stretching, the more you do it the easier it becomes. 

thanks for reading!