It's been a rough couple of weeks.
Whether it's because you're feeling the unrest of the political world, or you're sensing the retrogrades of the planets, or you're going through challenges with your own personal journeys, whatever the reason, the bottom line is it's been a rough couple of weeks.

It has felt like I've been riding an emotional roller coaster for awhile now, and yesterday my body said "okay - enough is enough - you need to stop and rest." I am an advocate for telling people to listen to their bodies so I took my own advice. I cancelled my dinner obligation, I put on my pjs and rested. I gave myself a Reiki treatment, I smudged, I cleansed and rested some more. I woke up feeling refreshed and renewed.

Being an empath means we have a responsibility to take care of ourselves - yes, we are receptors to everyone and everything around us. Yes, we sense other's feelings and moods. Yes, we can detect energy good or uncomfortable, AND with that knowledge, we have a responsibility to be our own advocate for our own self-care and nurturing.

Here's some of my favorite tried and true ways to taking care of myself that I have discovered over the many years of my doing energy work:

Lavender = having fresh or dried lavender in the room. I also make a tea out of the dried lavender flowers, the same way you make regular tea. Boil the water, put the lavender in a loose leaf tea ball, steep for several minutes. Put the "tea" in the spray bottle and spray your room to clear the air of negative energies.
Selenite = Mother Nature's gift of a crystal that acts as a self-cleaning air freshener. It continually clears the air, transmuting negative energies into clean, fresh energy. Great to have with teenagers in the house. Also a great crystal to clear your oracle tools.
Smudge Sticks = my favorite smudge stick is white sage. It's the all purpose cleaning smudge stick. It is a strong scent, though. There are other choices in smudge sticks - it's a personal choice. What is important is your intention and your focus during the act of smudging. Set your intention, focus, breathe and smudge away.
Water = we can always benefit from drinking more water. Soak in a hot bath, take a hot shower, surrendering to the steam and relaxing, letting the stresses of the day release from you.
Sea Salt = whether you use a Sea Salt scrub, or salts for your bath, the Sea Salt will instantly help you to ground with Mother Earth, helping you to find your center again. I wash my hands every night with Sea Salt soap, asking my Angels to cut the negative cords that have accumulated throughout the day. When I need a boost, I use a tropical Sea Salt scrub - it's an extra boost of Sea Salt, and it's a special treat to my senses.

The final bottom line = It's our responsibility to take care of our self, no matter what anyone else brings into our vicinity. Take time out to care for yourself. Nurture yourself. Replenish and refresh while these planets are in retro-high gear!