Biological Basis For Misophonia (Explained In Layman’s Terms)

I'm a guy and I had really cystic acne when I was 16 (now 18). I'm on my second treatment of acutane right now. The first was for 8 months and my current treat is on its 5th month. I just feel like shit all the time. I feel bad about myself. I can't look into the mirror and like what I see. I've already seen a therapist about this problem but it didn't really help much. I've learned to deal with it better, but I still struggle. Any advice?

I’m so sorry!! It’s really unfair just how much acne can affect ones self image. I had a really hard time with mine when it was bad, and I don’t think I can say that I know how you feel, but I went through a long period of self hatred just because of my skin. I definitely understand that it can take a toll on you and your happiness. I think the best advice I have is that in the long run, dealing with something like this can make you a much better person. It makes you understanding of others, less judge mental, and more accepting. That’s mostly how I got through dealing with my skin, but I know it’s not as simple as that. Just know that we are all here for you and you are so so so much more than your skin. Don’t forget that you have a personality and all the potential in the world to do what you want. And honestly, when I see someone dealing with acne it makes me relate to them more and have respect for them. When mine was at its worst I really reached to people that had similar problems and t made me feel better to have an unspoken similarity. It helped a lot to not feel judged because who I surrounded myself with understood what was happening. Another thing is that when accutane comes up with people I know, the people can’t seem to remember what my skin used to look like, because when it isn’t your skin it isn’t a big deal. Don’t worry, you’ll get through it and you’ll come out on top. If you ever need anything I’m here, and I’m sure tons of other people apart of this community and your life are there for you too :)

Ten Mistakes New Herb Gardeners Make (and How to Avoid Them!)

Mistake 1: Growing from seed. When you first start out trying to grow fresh herbs, I recommend you begin by trying to grow from seedlings rather than planting your own seeds. These great little starter plants are widely available in grocery stores in the late spring. For the same price as a packet of fresh herbs from the produce section, you can buy your own little starter plant. Lots can go wrong in the seed to seedling transition (including not thinning out plants properly), so its probably best to begin by skipping that complicated task or you are in danger of washing out before you really begin.

Mistake 2: Starting with the wrong varieties. I recommend you start by trying to grow fresh basil. It is the perfect trainer herb. First, basil grows quickly, allowing you to observe the effects of your care more easily. Second, basil leaves wilt visibly when not watered enough, but recovers well if you water the wilted plant. This makes basil a great ‘canary in the mineshaft’ to help you figure out how much water is enough.

Mistake 3: Watering herbs like houseplants. Instead, water herbs a moderate amount every day. While some houseplants flourish with one solid watering per week, most delicate herbs require moderate and regular watering. This is particularly true during hot summer months. If you have good drainage at the bottom of your pot (at least a drainage hole, possibly rocks beneath the soil), it will be difficult to water herbs too much.

Mistake 4: Not cutting early and often. As a novice gardener, it may seem like your puny little plant just isn’t ready for a trip to the barber, but then you will find yourself sitting there wishing for leaves without much success. Again, basil is a great herb to practice pruning. As with all herbs, you want to cut the herb just above a set of growing leaves. With basil, when you cut the plant that way, the originally trimmed stem will no longer grow. However, two new stems will grow around the original cutting, creating a “V” shape (see the photo above, can you spot the Vs?). If you don’t trim basil aggressively, it will continue to grow straight up, and become too tall and top-heavy. Making your first trim approximately 3-4” above the soil produces a nice sturdy plant. Of course you want to be sure you are always leaving a few good sturdy leaves on the plant (see below). As it continues to grow, continue to prune it approximately every 3-4" for a nice solid plant. I like to let it grow for some time and then cut back to within 2-3 inches of the original cut. After only a few early trial cuts, this usually makes for a nice clipping with plenty of basil to use for a pizza.

Mistake 5: Taking the leaves from the wrong place. When you are just starting out it seems to make so much sense to pick off a few big leaves around the bottom of the plant, and let those tender little guys at the top keep growing. Wrong. Leave those large tough old guys at the bottom alone. They are the solar panels that power your herb’s growth. Once your plant is big enough to sustain a decent harvest, keep on taking from the top, as you have been when you were pruning. That way you get all those tender new herbs that are so tasty, and your plant gets to keep its well developed solar power system in place. Plus, if you pluck from the base and leave the top intact, you get a tall skinny plant that will flop over from its own weight (and yes, I know this from experience). When you pluck from the top, instead of clipping off just below a pair of leaves, you want to clip off just above a pair of leaves. It is a bit counter-intuitive as a novice, but trust me it works. The place where the leaf joins the stem is where new growth will occur when your plant sends off new stems in a V.

Mistake 6: Letting your plants get too randy. If you are pruning regularly, this may never become an issue, but unless you are growing something for its edible flowers, be sure to cut back herbs before they start growing flowers. My friend once brought me to her backyard garden and pointed, frustrated, at her wimpy, small basil plants. “I just keep tending them, but they don’t even produce enough leaves to put on a salad!” she lamented. I pointed to the glorious stalk of flowers at the top of each plant, “That’s your problem” I explained. Because herbs are kind of like college boys: if you give them half a chance, they will focus all their energy on procreation and neglect growth. If you want leaves, keep cutting off the little flower buds whenever you find them (see photo above), and it will encourage your plant to focus on growing more leaves.

Mistake 7: Using tired soil with no nutrients. Tired soil that has been sitting in your garden or lawn for ages often looks grey and a little depressing. Would you want to grow in that stuff? Give your plants a dose of the good stuff and they’ll thank you for it. I grow my herbs in a combination of potting soil, used coffee grounds (with a near-neutral PH, available for free at Starbucks), and organic compost. If I have some on hand, I also throw in crushed egg shells. Those without access to compost (and no deep commitment to organic growing) may find Miracle grow useful. My momma swears by it for tomatoes. A diluted solution of Miracle grow occasionally can help many herbs flourish.

Mistake 8: Getting in a rut. There is an element to passion about herb gardening. In order to be good at it, you need to feel rewarded. So don’t stick too long with one or two herbs just because they work. Branch out to a few other basic herbs that you will use regularly in your kitchen. There are few things more rewarding as an urban foodie than being able to pop out to the fire escape to clip fresh herbs to use in my cooking. Once you have become comfortable with basil, I recommend moving on to try growing oregano, mint, rosemary and thyme. All are regularly useful herbs in the kitchen, and all are relatively easy to grow. You will notice that rosemary cleaves after cutting in a somewhat similar way to basil, but grows much more slowly, so the effect is difficult to notice. Some plants also respond to clipping by throwing out more full leaves at their base. I have long wanted to grow cilantro but have not had much luck with it.

Mistake 9: You mean there’s more than one kind of mint?When choosing herbs, read the label carefully. For example, there are two main varieties of oregano: Mediterranean and Mexican. Mediterranean oregano is the more common variety, and what you likely own if you have conventional dried oregano in your cupboard. I have Mexican oregano growing on my back fire escape. I love Mexican oregano in spicy dishes, for making beans from scratch, and often use it in tomato dishes where I don’t want the flavor to seem too much like marinara. Similarly, there are many different kinds of mint. You don’t want to be thinking of the pungent spearmint plant and accidentally take home the much more subtle (and not mojito savvy) applemint by mistake.

Mistake 10: Feed me Seymour! If you are planting in soil instead of pots, take care that your cute little herb seedling doesn’t become a giant plant that takes over your garden. A word of warning for oregano and mint: both can be voracious growers. If you are planting outside in a garden, rather than in pots, you may want to consider potting these herbs and then burying the pots in the ground. This will add a measure of control to the root systems of these herbs, which can otherwise take over a garden and strangle nearby neighbors. When in doubt, check out wikipedia, they usually are careful to point out which herbs are in danger of overwhelming your garden.

Some really useful info here if you’re new to herb gardening.

*slides Aphrodite a chocolate bar* need hold hand

Honey - Magic and Medicinal Uses

Honey is quite an amazing little substance, i often find myself using it my work ( seriously i have a 5 pound jar of it below my altar thats how much i use it). Honey is the general term used for the sweet nectar that bees gather and bring back to their colony for sustenance. (properly obtained honey doesn’t harm the bees at all) Collected around The late summer and early fall, honey is a common and staple crop in many parts of the world.

Magikal Uses- Honey has a handful of Magikal proprieties, uses  and distinct energies. the energies vary depending on which strain of honey you are working with. but overall i would describe them as positive, cleansing, gentle, soothing and warming. its great for spells, offerings and brews

honey makes an acceptable offering for deities,

 it can be kept on your altar i keep some on my altar to remind me that amongst the seemingly overwhelming bitterness of everyday life that sweetness can be found.

can be used in things involving Love, lust or sexuality

Purification (works great in bath scrubs)

health and healing

community or communication

abundance and prosperity 

used as a bonding agent in spells,(i find this nice because if you ever need to undo the spell, honey doesn’t permanently solidifies so whats bonded together can be unbound)  

spirituality

candle magic (for anointing  or beeswax candles)

honey can be used to represent wisdom, because gathering honey from hives can be difficult and painful if done incorrectly so it became a metaphor for obtaining knowledge through pain

Honey has a long medicinal history - it will help with allergies  if you eat a teaspoon of locally sourced honey each day. (buying local honey is great way to support your community and local agriculture) it is a natural immunity booster and has antibacterial properties, which is why it is good for soar throats.  if you Shop around for honey you will see a wide range of hues, some are lighter, others are darker. overall, the darker the honey, the better its antibacterial and antioxidant power

there is a MAJOR difference between natural raw unpasteurized honey, and most store bought honey.  Most commercial honey has no traces of pollen and lacks beneficial vitamins and enzymes among a host of other natural constituents which are removed due to pasteurization and processing. Most golden honey you see at your local grocery is dead and far from the health promoting powerhouse of its raw unpasteurized counterpart. Processed honey is not honey at all, and if you desire any kind of health benefits, you must stick to the real stuff. Read more at http://naturalrevolution.org/the-shocking-differences-between-raw-honey-and-processed-golden-honey/#u2vXTwjvo2iz60S7.99

3-card | t a r o t | spreads |

past / present / future

mind / body / heart

goal / blockage / guidance

in one week / in one month / in one year

true feelings / true intent / potential together

what / why / how

you / me / us

strength / weakness / guidance

you / them / relationship

situation / obstacle / solution

their wants / your wants / potential together

action / reaction / outcome

connection / repeating cycle / havoc

you / current path / potential

start / stop / continue

solution / alternative solution / how to decide

strengths / weaknesses / growth

pain / healing / advice

situation / attitude / advice

idea / manifestation / process

beauty / truth / knowledge

feelings / improve / caution

history / problem / advice

past life / present life / future life

physical / emotional / spiritual

Spell Casting - Time of Day

✨Dawn - renewal, rebirth, new beginnings, new ideas, creativity, cleansing, purification  ✨Morning - achieving goals, brewing potions, intellect, intelligence, love, relationships, companionship  ✨Noon - solar magick, confidence, success, attainment, wealth, courage, strength, protection ✨Dusk - release, letting go, reflection, breaking bad habits, transformation, banishing ✨Evening - cursing, banishing, binding, dream magick, cosmic magick ✨Midnight - lunar magick, psychic awareness, intuition, spirituality, divination, peace, relaxation  ✨Twilight - astral travel, traveling to other realms, spirit communication

*magical girl transformation but i turn into this*

15 Ways to Develop Better Intuition

What does intuition help you with?

Knowing you’re on the right path

Helping you find your joy

Speaking with spirits and entities

Discerning divination techniques like Tarot, pendulums, etc.

Learning about your past lives

Providing other people with intuitive/psychic readings

Energy healing and sensing energy

Seeing auras, developing your “third eye’s senses”

How can you develop better intuition?

Listen better: Your intuition thrives on listening, especially when it comes to hearing your own thoughts, feelings, and needs. If you practice listening with full attention to others, you’ll develop the skill to listen to yourself (and consequently this sixth sense) even better. In your next conversation, be fully attentive and empathetic in your communication.

Don’t run from your feelings: Escaping difficult feelings is one of the most habitual things we learn when it comes to feeling pain. We develop countless ways to avoid fully feeling, from addiction to just thinking about solutions to solve the pain before we let ourselves feel the emotion in the first place. When all emotions arise, try to stay with them and journey towards them, instead of running away. Deep with all feeling is the core of your intuition, so running away from these emotions pushes you farther from this amazing sense.

Take the leap of faith and trust your intuition, even when it seems risky: This one might be the hardest thing to do on this list, to blindly trust a sense you don’t feel you have much experience with. But, when you give it a chance to be right, you’ll be amazed at just how accurate it is! Trust in your experiences helps you build a confidence that fuels your intuition even more.

Listen to the answers you receive, even if they aren’t what you want to hear: Our intuitions may sometimes seem like our worst enemy, because they point out when we’re doing something bad for ourselves, when we’re acting out, or when we’re otherwise not following our best path. Start to listen to the answers your intuition gives you, even if you want the answer to be different. Although your mind may try to convince you otherwise, your intuition knows best and you’ll be the happiest if you follow it, even if it seems difficult in the moment.

Once a day close your eyes and sense the energy in the room around you: This exercise is a more conscious way to practice testing your intuition. There’s no right or wrong answer, so there’s zero risk, and you can practice it as often as you like. What does the room you’re in feel like right now? Without labeling temperature and other physical senses, try to get a picture of how pleasant (or unpleasant) the space you are in is. This sense is just like when you walk into a room after an argument and you can feel the angry energy left. Try this little exercise in different places and develop a feeling for each, notice subtle differences in each location.

The other 10 are right here at this links, so that this post isn’t too long! 

And, if you’re interested in an intuitive reading (spirit, energy, or past life), all of the ones I offer are at this link here.

Broken Spell Jar

My travel spell jar broke at last. That thing had been sittiing in my car all summer! Honestly I had expected the wax seal to soften before now but hey! What an opportunity, right?

There can be many reasons why a spell jar has broken or become unsealed, and it’s all dependent on what the jar’s intent was. For me, it was protection and reducing inner road-rage when travelling. So perhaps this particular jar has done it’s job and there’s nothing left of it to give. Figure out why this has happened to your jar and then go from there.

So what do you do when the spell jar breaks? Well, again it’s dependent on your situation, but here I’ll show you what I’ve done for this particular spell jar which can be utilized for other spell jars. Feel free to use this method for yourselves and to adjust it according to your needs!

First, empty its content and separate what is salvagable and what is not. Everything to be discarded you can- burn, flush down, throw away, bury, throw outside- whatever is appropriate for the materials you’re getting rid of.

Take what you salvaged and use whatever cleansing method you see fit for your own items. I’ve also salvaged the jar, because I am ALL ABOUT reusing stuff.

So now what? You can take your kept items and use them for other spells or rituals. Charge them, bless them, charm them, whatever! But deep in my heart guts, I feel like these items should immediately be reused for the exact same spell you previously had it in. But that’s just what my heart guts are telling me. If you wanna put them all back in the same jar for the same spell, go ahead! you do you.

Another method would be to just discard the entire spell jar, but I feel like this is such a waste of potential for the spell’s contents. Again, do what you feel is right. And if you have other suggestions on what to do for a broken spell jar, let me know!

Friendly reminder not to bury glass or plastic jars or throw them in the ocean :)

Environmentally friendly options include:

-seed starter pots

-bell peppers

-paper towel rolls

-toilet paper rolls

-tissue paper

-hollowed out vegetables

-hollowed out fruits

-eggshells

-wrapped banana peels

(Updated thanks to all of your lovely suggestions <3)

If you have any suggestions or concerns please let me know and they will be added