Your intuition gets clearer
when you stop forcing outcomes
and start observing direction.
#IntuitiveLiving #Awareness

How To Achieve Mental Freedom | Alan Watts on Intuition and Taoist Action
Discover how to achieve mental freedom through intuitive action and trusting your subconscious intelligence. Learn the Taoist principle of acting without choosing and transcending the limitations of conscious thought.
Spiritual Takeaway
Mental freedom is not something you achieve... More details… https://spiritualkhazaana.com/web-stories/how-to-achieve-mental-freedom/
#MentalFreedom #AlanWatts #TaoistWisdom #IntuitiveLiving #Subconscious #ZenBuddhism #MindPower

Day 21 — My Soft Confession: The Fear Behind “The Other Shoe Will Drop”

Soft confessions are not easy to share, even when you’ve done enough healing work to name them out loud. They come from tender places. They come from the versions of us we protect the most. They come from wounds that no longer bleed but still ache when touched. Today’s prompt moves straight into that tender place.

My soft confession is this:
When I am at my worst — my most anxious, my most overwhelmed — I brace myself for bad things to happen.

I do not mean this in a dramatic, catastrophic way. I mean it in a patterned, conditioned, deeply ingrained way. It is the quiet expectation that joy has an expiration date. The subtle fear that peace is temporary. The instinct to prepare myself emotionally in case life decides to pivot sharply and take something away.

It is the mental whisper:
“When will the other shoe drop?”

This mindset didn’t appear out of nowhere. It didn’t build itself in a vacuum. It grew out of lived experiences, of survival instincts, of trauma responses, of watching stability turn unstable more times than I could count. It grew from rhythms I adapted to without realizing it, cycles of uncertainty that shaped my body and spirit long before I understood what anxiety was.

Growing up between cultures, in spaces that required toughness, responsibility, and resilience, I learned early on that good moments often came with shadows. Peace was often followed by disruption. Happiness felt fragile. Safety felt conditional. So my nervous system learned to stay alert, even when I didn’t want it to.

It was not pessimism.
It was preparation.

But preparation becomes fear when it never turns off.

For a long time, this mindset guided how I moved through the world. If something good happened, I waited for the balance, the moment life would swing the pendulum back. If something went right, I scanned for what might go wrong. If I experienced a stretch of calm days, a part of me braced for the impact of something unexpected.

This is not an easy thing to admit.
Especially as someone who has learned, slowly, intentionally, painfully, to embrace softness again.
Especially as someone who writes stories about healing, courage, and reclaiming magic.
Especially as someone who is actively trying to rise out of survival mode and into something more spacious and gentle.

The good news is that I am not as ruled by this mindset as I used to be.
Therapy helped.
Self-awareness helped.
Spirituality helped.
Taking deeper care of my nervous system helped.
The soft bruja challenge itself is part of my healing.

But even now, the old pattern shows up when I am most stressed or anxious.
That is the moment when the voice inside me, the one shaped by years of emotional bracing, tries to step forward again.
It tells me to prepare.
It tells me to expect loss.
It tells me to tighten my heart just in case.

And that is when my healing work kicks in.

Instead of letting that voice run wild, I meet it.
I name it.
I breathe into it.
I challenge it.
I remind myself:

Good things don’t have to be balanced with suffering.
Joy is not suspicious.
Peace is not a threat.
Life is not waiting to punish me for being happy.

I also remind myself of the emotional truth I’ve learned over time:
The shoe dropping isn’t destiny, it’s actually hypervigilance.
It’s my nervous system trying to protect me from disappointment.
It’s little-me, the child version of myself, trying to keep me safe the only way she knew how.

And she deserves compassion, not shame.

Now, when I feel myself bracing, I use grounding rituals:
A deep breath.
A hand on my heart.
An affirmation.
A lavender candle.
A tarot pull for reassurance.
A moment outside under the moon.
A reminder that I have survived everything life threw at me and still rose.

I’ve also noticed that when I am truly overwhelmed, the fear of the other shoe dropping is not actually about the future. It’s exhaustion plain and simple. It’s the part of me that needs rest, but instead tries to predict disaster. It is a signal that I need to pause, tend to myself, and ground my spirit.

Sharing this confession is vulnerable because it reveals a part of me that is still healing. But vulnerability is also medicine. Naming what scares us takes away its power. Naming what we’re working through reminds us, and others, that softness and strength can coexist.

I am not ashamed of this confession.
It is an honest reflection of where I’ve been and where I am going.

And the truth is this:
I am better now.
I catch the pattern more quickly.
I interrupt it more gently.
I remind myself more confidently that joy is not dangerous.
I choose softness more intentionally.

Yes, the fear still rises sometimes.
But I no longer let it steer me.
I hold it.
I breathe with it.
I speak to it.
I shrink its influence little by little, day by day.

And that is what healing looks like, not perfection, but awareness.

So here is my soft confession:
I still brace for the shoe to drop.
But now, when it feels like it’s falling, I remind myself:
I am safe.
I am capable.
I am healing.
I am allowed to trust joy.
And not every sound is a shoe.

#anxietyHealing #authorLife #emotionalVulnerability #hypervigilance #intuitiveLiving #LatinaMentalHealth #SelfReflection #softBrujaChallenge #spiritualHealing #TheOrdinaryBruja #traumaAwareness

Day 19 — The Hobbies That Fill My Love Bucket: Tarot & Honoring the Moon

There are hobbies that pass the time, and then there are hobbies that pour something back into you. Hobbies that refill what the world drains out. Hobbies that feel like coming home to yourself. For me, the two practices that fill my love bucket, emotionally, spiritually, and intuitively, are reading tarot and honoring the moon.

These two rituals sit at the center of my soft bruja practice. They are grounding, clarifying, and deeply connected to the way my body and spirit move through the world. They remind me that I am not alone in my intuition, my cycles, or my emotions. They help me understand myself in a way nothing else does.

Tarot: My Mirror, My Guide, My Clarifier

Tarot is not about telling the future for me.
It is about revealing the present.

It’s about listening to the parts of myself I spend all day ignoring: the whispers, the gut feelings, the quiet truths underneath the noise. Tarot is a conversation between my spirit and my awareness. Every card is a reflection. A nudge. A reminder. A question. A key.

What I love most about tarot is how honest it is.
It doesn’t sugarcoat.
It doesn’t lie to make you comfortable.
It doesn’t flatter.
It doesn’t rush you.
It simply shows you what is there, whether you’re ready to see it or not.

That honesty has been a lifeline during times when my emotions felt tangled, when anxiety made it hard to think clearly, or when a decision felt too heavy to make alone. Tarot helps me interpret my own intuition, especially on days where fear tries to drown it out.

Tarot gives me:

• clarity, when my mind is noisy
• validation, when I feel unsure
• comfort, when I feel overwhelmed
• direction, when I feel lost
• a spiritual check-in, when I need grounding

Some spreads hit me so deeply that I sit with them for days. Others give me tiny answers that shift my whole mood. Tarot reminds me of my power by returning me to myself.

It is a devotion to hearing the truth, softly.

Honoring the Moon: Working With Her, Not Against Her

Just like me, and like my menstrual cycle, the moon has phases.

And each phase has its own energy.
It’s own emotional rhythm.
Its own sacred pull.

I feel these shifts clearly in my body. Some moons make me reflective. Some make me creative. Some make me restless. Some make me deeply calm. Over the years, I’ve learned that my spirit is not random. It is responsive. My energy often mirrors the moon’s cycle more than anything else.

So I honor her phases, not because I am trying to perform witchcraft perfectly, but because my body moves with her.

• During the new moon, I feel inward and quiet. I rest and reevaluate.
• During the waxing moon, I feel openings, creativity, momentum.
• During the full moon, emotions intensify and clarity rises to the surface.
• During the waning moon, I release what is heavy and prepare to start again.

My rituals change depending on what season of life I’m in. Sometimes honoring the moon means pulling a lunar-themed tarot spread. Sometimes it means praying. Sometimes it means journaling. Sometimes it means simply acknowledging her presence when I step outside at night.

There is no pressure. No performance.
Just awareness, attunement, and respect.

The Body-Spirit Connection

One thing I became aware of as I grew deeper into myself is how much the moon’s phases influence my physical and emotional sense of stability. I can feel when a full moon is near because something in my energy heightens, not in a chaotic way, but in an alert, observant way.

I can feel when the moon wanes because my spirit starts letting go of things I didn’t realize I was gripping tightly. I can feel when a new moon approaches because my intuition gets quieter, wanting rest and reflection.

Listening to my body has become a form of spiritual practice.

I ask:

• What do I need today?
• What emotion is rising?
• What is the moon doing, and how is that mirroring my own state?
• How can I work with this instead of against it?

The more I listen, the more aligned I feel.

How Tarot & the Moon Work Together

Both tarot and the moon help me understand my inner world.

Tarot shows me what is happening inside me.
The moon shows me when to act on it.

When a tarot reading reveals a message about release, and the moon is waning, it clicks. When a reading calls for intention and the new moon is approaching, it syncs. When a reading encourages expansion and the moon is waxing, I follow that flow.

These two practices make me feel spiritually supported. They remind me that cycles are natural. That change is natural. That clarity comes in waves. And that healing is not linear. It is lunar.

Why These Hobbies Fill My Love Bucket

Because they bring me:

• comfort
• clarity
• connection
• peace
• self-trust
• spiritual grounding

They refill me when the world drains me. They give me guidance when life feels confusing. They remind me that my intuition is valid. They help me honor my inner rhythms instead of fighting them.

Tarot and the moon do not demand perfection.
They ask for presence.

And that is why they will always be part of my soft bruja journey.

#brujaLifestyle #emotionalHealing #honoringTheMoon #intuitiveLiving #LatinaSpirituality #lunarRituals #moonPhases #selfCarePractices #softBrujaChallenge #tarotClarity #tarotReading #TheOrdinaryBruja

Day 16 — My Favorite Mug: The Girl Boss Mug That Reminds Me Who I Am

There are objects we own because they are practical, and then there are objects we keep because they hold something deeper. Something emotional. Something spiritual. Something that reminds us of the version of ourselves we are constantly becoming.

For me, that object is a mug.
A white and pink mug with bold gold lettering that says: Girl Boss.

It was my husband who spotted it first. We were at Marshall’s, walking through the home goods aisle, and he held it up with this little grin as if he already knew exactly what it would mean to me. I remember laughing when I saw it, because it felt so on-brand. So me. So unapologetically affirming. I didn’t buy it because I needed another mug. I bought it because something inside me said, “You’re going to need this.”

And I did.

The Girl Boss mug is not about hustle culture or capitalism or being busy for the sake of productivity. It is not about projecting strength 24/7 or pretending I have it all figured out. It is much more personal than that. For me, the phrase is spiritual. Emotional. A grounding reminder. A talisman of empowerment disguised as something ordinary.

There are days when I feel strong. Days when I feel aligned. Days when my bruja energy is intact, my spirit is centered, and I remember exactly who I am and what I am capable of. On those days, drinking from the mug feels like celebration.

But there are also days when I feel the exact opposite.

Days when I am overwhelmed.
Days when anxiety sits too close.
Days when my self-doubt gets loud.
Days when life hits harder than expected.
Days when I feel tired in places I cannot name.
Days when the version of me who is powerful feels distant.

On those days, the Girl Boss mug becomes something else entirely.
It becomes a reminder.

A reminder that I have survived worse.
A reminder that I have risen from things that were supposed to break me.
A reminder that even when I feel small, the core of me is still strong.
A reminder that my softness and my power coexist.

This is why, when I returned to El Paso and settled back into my routine, I moved the mug to my bedside table. It was an intuitive choice, an emotional one, a small shift that felt significant. Now, every night before bed, I drink water from it as I take my medication. It has become part of my nighttime ritual, part of the way I close my day with intention.

There is something about ending the night with water — the symbol of cleansing, release, and renewal — held in a mug that reminds me of who I am. It is a gentle ritual of empowerment. A pairing of softness and courage. A practice of meeting myself with compassion and truth.

Some nights I pick up the mug and stare at the words for a moment longer than usual. On those nights, I am not just reading a phrase. I am speaking to myself. I am mothering myself. I am coaching myself the way a good trainer hypes up a boxer before a fight.

You are strong.
You are capable.
You are resilient.
You are evolving.
You are that girl — even when you forget.

It is amazing how something as simple as a mug can hold so much emotional weight, but that is the beauty of ritual objects. They become charged with meaning. They become extensions of our inner worlds. They hold reminders, affirmations, and energy that we return to over and over again.

In my soft bruja practice, I believe in using what feels aligned, not what looks stereotypically witchy. And for me, this mug is part of my magic. It empowers me. Grounds me. Comforts me. It fits into my spiritual lifestyle the way crystals, herbs, and tarot do — not through tradition, but through intention.

To anyone else, it is just a mug.
To me, it is a daily affirmation in gold letters.

It is the reminder that even on my weakest days, I am still powerful.
It is the reminder that I am still the author of my life, my story, my path.
It is the reminder that I continue to build, grow, and become — even when the world feels heavy.

One day, when my new reading and writing nook is built, this mug will sit on the little side table next to my chair. It will be part of my creative ritual, part of my grounding ritual, part of the energy I bring into my storytelling.

For now, it sits beside my bed like a quiet guardian — a daily reminder that strength doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it whispers through everyday objects. Sometimes it glows softly in gold letters. Sometimes it greets you at night, right before you close your eyes.

And sometimes, strength looks like taking a sip of water and remembering:
You are powerful. Even here. Even now.

#authorLife #brujaLifestyle #dailyEmpowerment #emotionalHealing #empoweringMug #GirlBossMug #intuitiveLiving #LatinaSpirituality #nightlyRitual #selfCareHabits #softBrujaChallenge #TheOrdinaryBruja

Day 13: My Favorite Witchy Song — “Brujas” by Princess Nokia

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#authorLife #brujaArc #brujaEmpowerment #culturalPride #intuitiveLiving #LatinaSpirituality #PrincessNokiaBrujas #reclaimingIdentity #softBrujaChallenge #spiritualAwakening #TheOrdinaryBrujaPlaylist #witchyMusic

Day 12: An Empowering Mantra — You Are Power Incarnate

There are moments in life when strength does not feel like strength.
Moments when your spirit feels tired.
Moments when the weight of everything you carry makes your chest tight.
Moments when you feel trapped in a situation with no clear exit.
Moments when you question yourself more than you trust yourself.

And in those moments, I remind myself:

You are power incarnate.

This mantra is not about being fearless or invincible or unshaken by life. I am human. I feel things deeply. I get overwhelmed. I doubt myself. I flinch when life hits too hard. But beneath all that softness is a core that has survived every version of me. A version that fought through things quietly, privately, consistently.

That is where this mantra comes from.

Because even when I forget it, I am powerful.
Even when life scares me, my spirit is stronger.
Even when I feel cornered, I always find a way out.
Even when my hands feel tied, my mind is still sharp.
Even when I want to give up, something inside me refuses.

This mantra is a reminder of that self.
The self that has walked through fire and come out with stories.
The self that has cried and kept going.
The self that has healed wounds that no one else knows about.
The self that has faced fear and still moved.
The self that refuses to die inside even when the world tries it.

“You are power incarnate” is the pep talk I give myself when I am standing in my metaphorical corner of the boxing ring. When the bell is about to ring and life is stepping back in. When the next round feels impossible. When the blows from the last round are still aching.

It is that moment when the coach looks at the boxer—bruised, sweating, exhausted—and still says,
You got this. You’re stronger than you think. Get back in there.

Except the coach is me.
For me.

This mantra recharges me.
It reconnects me to my resilience.
It reminds me that the version of me who got through everything before is still here.
It reminds me that I am not powerless even when I feel powerless.
It reminds me that I am capable of more than my fear wants me to believe.
It reminds me that my magic does not disappear just because I am tired.

And honestly? It’s the mantra I needed as a young girl, long before I ever knew the word “bruja.” Long before I understood my strength. Long before I realized that softness and power can live in the same body.

So I tell myself now, loudly and unapologetically:

You are power incarnate.
You have always been power incarnate.
And you will always be power incarnate.

This is my recharge.
My armor.
My reminder.
My spell.

#authorLife #brujaAffirmations #dailyRitual #emotionalResilience #empoweringMantra #innerStrength #intuitiveLiving #LatinaSpirituality #mindsetHealing #personalPower #softBrujaChallenge #spiritualSelfCare #TheOrdinaryBruja

Day 11: My One-Word Spell — Clarify

Some spells don’t need candles, herbs, or long incantations.
Some spells are simple. Soft. Direct.
Some spells are just a single word spoken with intention.

For me, that word is clarify.

I am the type of person who sometimes moves faster than she should. My mind tries to solve everything at once. My anxiety wants answers before I even finish asking the questions. My spirit starts jumping ahead while my body is still standing in place. And when I move that fast, things get blurry. Details slip. Emotions tangle. I miss the obvious because my thoughts are running marathons.

So I started working with a one-word spell — a word that grounds me, slows me down, and helps me see the full picture instead of reacting to the first thing in front of me.

Clarify.
To clear what is foggy.
To reveal what is hidden.
To calm what is chaotic.
To understand what is confusing.

When I whisper this word, I can feel my spirit soften. It is like telling my brain, “Pause. Breathe. Let me see what I need to see.” This single word becomes a signal for everything inside me to slow down and fall into alignment again.

Sometimes I repeat it out loud.
Sometimes I say it in my mind.
Sometimes I write it on a scrap of paper.
Sometimes I hold it in my heart.

But my favorite ritual is when I speak it before sleep.

There is something powerful about asking for clarity right before surrendering to rest. I will go to bed thinking on this word and trusting that my spirit will do the sorting while my body sleeps. And almost every time, I wake up with a spark of understanding. A softened truth. A direction. A gut feeling that clicks into place.

An a-ha moment.

Clarify is not a spell to force answers.
It is a spell to invite them.
A spell that says, “Show me what I missed. Show me what I need. Show me the truth.”

And clarity always comes.
Maybe not instantly.
Maybe not dramatically.
But gently. Softly. Quietly.
Like mist lifting from a morning field.

This word has saved me from spiraling.
It has saved me from reacting when I needed to observe.
It has saved me from assuming the worst.
It has saved me from my own anxious urgency.

Clarify helps me return to myself.
It helps me move with intention instead of fear.
It helps me trust that answers will come when I am ready to receive them.

One-word spells are powerful because they carry pure intention without distraction.
They bring your focus back.
They sharpen your intuition.
They call your spirit into stillness.

And for a soft bruja like me, clarity is magic.

#brujaMagic #clarityRitual #dailyRitual #emotionalGrounding #intuitiveGuidance #intuitiveLiving #LatinaSpirituality #mindfulnessPractice #oneWordSpell #slowingDown #softBrujaChallenge #spiritualSelfCare #TheOrdinaryBruja

Day 10: My Go-To Crystal — Citrine, The Light I Chose on Purpose

For a long time, I didn’t understand crystals beyond “oh, that’s pretty.” But then I discovered citrine — the bright, warm, sun-kissed stone known as the “happy” crystal — and something clicked. The moment I learned what it represented, I said, “Give me. I need that. Immediately.”

Citrine is all about joy, positivity, abundance, and shifting energy. It is the crystal of choosing light. Choosing optimism. Choosing softness. Choosing hope. And if I’m being completely honest, I needed every single one of those things.

Because I like to joke that I am a recovering pessimist.

For most of my life, I lived with a glass-half-empty mindset. Not in a dramatic way, but in a survival way. I always expected the shoe to drop. If I had too many good days in a row, I would start looking over my shoulder like, “Okay, what’s coming?” If something good happened, I braced myself for something bad to balance it out. I lived in a constant state of emotional preparation.

And it was exhausting y’all!

It took therapy, reflection, and witchcraft for me to understand that this mindset was not protecting me. It was harming me. It was keeping me small. It was attracting people and situations that matched that negativity. It was feeding the parts of me that believed I didn’t deserve joy without consequences.

Once I realized that, I knew I had to change something.

And that is when citrine entered my life.

This little crystal became a physical reminder that happiness is not suspicious. Joy is not a threat. Peace does not have to be earned by suffering first. Good days do not mean bad things are around the corner. And most importantly, energy flows where attention goes.

If I kept expecting things to fall apart, my spirit would keep searching for proof.
But if I trained my mind to look for light, my spirit would follow that too.

Citrine taught me that mindset is magic.

Holding it, meditating with it, or simply having it near me became a small ritual of shifting my perspective. Not to toxic positivity, but to balanced reality. Understanding that both good and bad days are on rotation, and neither defines me. Understanding that life is cycles, not punishments. Understanding that joy is allowed to stay.

Citrine helped me soften the part of me that expected disappointment.
It helped me breathe easier.
It helped me open my heart a little more.
It helped me trust myself again.

This crystal was never about fixing my problems.
It was about reminding me that I deserve happiness even while I’m healing.
It was about teaching me that fear and joy can coexist without canceling each other out.
It was about helping me unlearn the belief that peace is temporary.

Now, whenever I look at citrine’s warm glow, I hear it whisper:
“You’re allowed to be happy. You’re allowed to trust the moment you’re in. You’re allowed to believe good things can last.”

And honestly? That alone is magic.

You can read a little bit more about citrine here.

#abundanceCrystal #authorLife #brujaCrystals #citrineMeaning #crystalHealing #emotionalHealing #intuitiveLiving #LatinaSpirituality #MindsetShift #positivityRituals #recoveringPessimist #softBrujaChallenge #spiritualSelfCare #TheOrdinaryBruja

Go with the Flow: Release Control & Embrace Life’s Current
Discover how surrendering control, trusting the journey, and aligning with life’s natural rhythm brings peace, clarity, and joy. A soul-soothing WebStory for seekers of calm and clarity. Transform your mindset and align with universal energy. More details… https://spiritualkhazaana.com/web-stories/go-with-the-flow/
#gowiththeflow #followtheflow #spiritualsurrender #mindfulpractice #trusttheprocess #effortlessliving #taoismwisdom #intuitiveliving #motivationalinspiration

Day 9: My Favorite Tea — Chai, The Cup That Holds My Spirit

There are certain drinks that feel less like beverages and more like anchors. For me, that is chai.
Chai is one of the few things that can bring me back into my body instantly. The moment the scent hits me — that warm mix of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and black tea — my spirit settles. My shoulders relax. My mind slows. My heart softens.

I feel comfortable in my own skin.
I feel safe.
I feel like I am returning to myself.

Chai is magical in that way.
It holds you.

The richness of the flavor, the creaminess, the warmth. It’s like a hug in a cup. A grounding spell disguised as a drink. It reminds me to breathe deeper and move slower. It reminds me that softness is allowed. It reminds me that I am allowed to take up space in the world with warmth instead of tension.

But chai is not just comforting.
It comes with a history so deep and beautiful that the first time I read about it, it made my connection to it feel even more sacred.

According to the Chai Guys’ history of chai, the drink goes back thousands of years to India, where it began not as the sweet café version most of us know, but as an Ayurvedic medicinal tonic. Each spice had a healing purpose:

• Ginger for digestion
• Cinnamon for circulation
• Cardamom for cleansing
• Cloves for pain relief
• Peppercorn for metabolic fire

It wasn’t even made with tea leaves at first. It was a spicy healing brew meant to warm the body, support the immune system, and align the energetic centers.

Once colonial trade routes introduced black tea, the drink evolved into the chai we know today: sweet, milky, spiced, comforting, and deeply cultural.

Chai is more than a drink.
It is lineage.
It is medicine.
It is ritual.
It is story.

And maybe that is why it resonates with me.

Because as a Dominican-American woman walking her own spiritual path, I am drawn to things that carry both comfort and history. Things that make me feel rooted. Things that connect me to something older and wiser. Things that remind me that healing is not new. Women have been simmering herbs, spices, roots, and remedies for centuries — not just for the body, but for the soul.

When I hold a warm cup of chai, I feel like I am participating in something ancient.
Something intentional.
Something that has soothed generations of people.

And on days when my mind is busy and my heart feels heavy, chai becomes my grounding ritual. My warm medicine. My soft bruja spell. My reminder that calm is possible, even when life is chaotic.

Chai brings me back to myself.
And for me, that is magic.

#authorLife #AyurvedicHistory #chaiTea #comfortingTeas #cozyWitchAesthetic #DailyRituals #emotionalHealing #groundingRituals #intuitiveLiving #LatinaSpirituality #softBrujaChallenge #spiritualSelfCare #teaMagic #TheOrdinaryBruja

Day 8: My Go-To Herb — Lavender, My Softest Companion

If there is one herb that has followed me quietly throughout my life, it is lavender. I do not even remember the first time I smelled it. I just know that every time I catch its scent, something inside me exhales. Lavender makes my shoulders drop. My breath deepens. My spirit softens. It is the closest thing I have to an immediate grounding switch.

I am obsessed with it.
And honestly? I am not ashamed.

I drink lavender tea.
I buy lavender soaps.
I use lavender lotions.
I carry lavender essential oils like it is emotional first aid.
If a product comes in a lavender scent, I am probably grabbing it off the shelf like “thank you, this is mine.”

But the beauty of lavender is that it is not just a nice smell.
It is a spiritual ally.
A healer.
A protector.
A soft bruja’s best friend.

When I started researching herbs and their metaphysical properties, lavender came up again and again. Calm. Clarity. Cleansing. Protection. Intuition. Dreams. Peace. A balm for the nervous system, the mind, and the emotional body. It was like reading a list of things I desperately needed during some of the hardest seasons of my life.

And then I stumbled onto something that made everything click:
Lavender is deeply tied to my astrological sign.

According to multiple sources, including the one I found on Curious Cauldron, lavender aligns with my zodiac energy in a way that feels almost fated. The herb’s softness, its spiritual grounding, its calm clarity, and its connection to intuition are traits that mirror who I am and who I am constantly becoming. It felt like lavender had been whispering to me long before I ever understood its meaning.

It was always meant to be one of my herbs.

I think that is the magic of lavender. It is gentle without being weak. It is calming without being boring. It is soothing without making you numb. Lavender does not force anything; it invites. It lets you unclench slowly. It makes space for you to breathe. It comforts you without overwhelming your senses.

To me, lavender is the embodiment of soft bruja energy.

It is the herb of the woman who is tired but still trying.
The bruja who carries heaviness but still chooses light.
The girl who grew up learning hardness but is now learning softness.
The spirit who wants both grounding and magic.
The tender heart who needs peace in a world that feels too loud.

Lavender is that hand on your back saying, “Breathe. You’re safe.”

And I think that is why it has always been such a powerful companion for me. In every chapter of my life, lavender has been there — in a bottle, a tea cup, a candle, a lotion, a diffuser, a soap bar. It has always shown up when I needed to soothe my anxiety, calm my nervous system, or reconnect with my intuition.

It is not just an herb; it is a ritual.
A comfort.
A familiar scent that feels like home.
A reminder that softness is a strength too.

So yes, lavender is my go-to herb. It always has been. And now that I know how aligned it is with my spirit, my sign, and my path, it feels even more meaningful.

If you are on your own spiritual or emotional healing journey, I hope you find an herb that feels like this for you. One that makes you feel seen. One that speaks your language. One that holds you with gentleness.

For me, that herb is lavender.
Always has been.
Always will be.

Check out this article about the herb: https://curiouscauldron.com.au/blogs/sacred-space/magickal-properties-of-lavender?srsltid=AfmBOormeE6Rdk5veB4vxNaioLca_81dZSCpJm2nXQH3pwzGVlDmw0l1

#astrologicalHerbs #authorLife #brujaRituals #calmingHerbs #emotionalHealing #gentleWitchcraft #herbalMagic #intuitiveLiving #LatinaSpirituality #lavenderBenefits #lavenderHerbMagic #softBrujaChallenge #spiritualSelfCare #TheOrdinaryBruja

Day 7: My Favorite Superstition

Protecting My Money and My Magic

Superstitions are funny because half the time we do not even realize how deeply they’ve rooted themselves into our lives. They show up in the small things we do without thinking. The little actions we take “just in case.” The tiny rituals we adopt because someone, somewhere, passed it down with enough conviction that our spirit said, “Okay, noted.”

Some of the superstitions I carry are tied to my Dominican upbringing. But the biggest one? The one that shaped me the quickest? That one actually came from one of my Filipino friends.

One day I casually put my purse on the floor and she looked at me like I had just slapped God across the face.

I was confused.
She was horrified.

She said, “You do not respect money. Why would you put your purse on the floor if you want abundance to come into your life?”

The way she said it unlocked something in my chest.
Not in a shameful way, but in a wake up, bruja kind of way.

Because let’s be real. I am not ashamed of wanting abundance.
Not ashamed of wanting money.
Not ashamed of wanting life to be easier.
Not ashamed of wanting generational wealth for my kids.
Not ashamed of wanting enough to bless other people too.

Money is not evil.
Money is a tool.
And life is kinder when you have enough of it.

So once she explained the meaning behind the superstition, I rectified the situation immediately. I picked up my purse like it was a baby I had dropped and made a mental note that lives in my brain rent-free to this day:

Do not put your bag on the floor.
Ever.

And I haven’t since.

Superstition or not, the symbolism lines up with something spiritual inside me. If abundance is energy, why place it on the ground where it can leak out? Why disrespect what I’m calling in? Why ask for blessings if I treat them carelessly?

I also hold onto another superstition:
If my palm itches, that’s money coming in.

But I don’t just let the itch happen.
I press my palm into my pocket, because that is where I want the money to go.
Into my pockets.
Into my home.
Into my life.
Into my future.

The superstition makes me laugh, but it also makes sense energetically.
It is intention.
It is visualization.
It is claiming abundance before it arrives.

These little rituals help me stay connected to the idea that I deserve prosperity. That I deserve ease. That I deserve more than just survival. And it connects me to a long line of women across cultures who learned to blend intuition, ritual, superstition, prayer, and humor into a working spiritual system.

They did not always have the language to explain energy.
They just felt it.
And they trusted the feeling.

So today’s Soft Bruja Challenge prompt is for anyone who has ever held onto a superstition and felt comfort in it. Anyone who whispers “just in case” while doing something that makes no logical sense but all the spiritual sense.

Hold onto the ones that nourish you.
Let go of the ones that fear-monger you.
And always choose the ones that make you feel aligned, empowered, and a little magical.

And please… if your purse is on the floor right now, go pick it up.
Let’s be rich brujas together.
Let’s claim abundance with intention.
Let’s honor the little rituals that remind us we are powerful and deserving of more.

#abundanceMindset #attractingWealth #brujaRituals #culturalBeliefs #identityAndCulture #intuitiveLiving #latinaSpirituality #moneySuperstitions #prosperityRituals #purseOnTheFloorSuperstition #softBrujaChallenge #spiritualSelfCare #theOrdinaryBruja

Day 5: My Familiar — Dila, The Little Warrior Who Mirrors Me

If you have ever rescued an animal, you know it is never really you doing the rescuing. Somehow, without warning, they end up rescuing parts of you too. That is exactly what happened with Dila, my little feral kitten with the wounded eye, the fragile body, and the spirit of someone who has already lived a thousand lives.

Dila came into my life through my son. He found her in El Paso, tiny, injured, and fighting to survive among a pack of outdoor cats. Her eye had been scratched badly. She had ear mites. A severe skin allergy. Mange. The kind of list that makes you wonder how such a small creature could endure so much at once. And still, she fought.

When my son sent me the video of her on the Ring camera, something inside me cracked open. Because there she was: this little cat who looked different from the group, who might be shunned or abandoned because of it. A cat who was trying to balance feral instincts with the desire to be touched, cared for, and safe.

A cat who had every reason to run, yet still wanted to belong.
If that is not me, I don’t know what is.

I was born with a lazy eye. I know what it feels like to have a face that people stare at. I know what it feels like to be misjudged before you even speak. I know what it feels like to grow up aware that you look “different,” even when you’re just trying to exist.

So when I saw Dila, I didn’t see a stray.
I saw my younger self.
I saw the parts of me that felt out of place.
I saw the girl who always felt like she had to prove she belonged.

From that moment, I knew we had to save her.

When my son rescued her, I made time to drive back home because I knew she needed more than food and shelter. She needed care. She needed treatment. She needed someone who understood that healing takes patience, softness, and fight.

The wild thing is that even though I am trying so hard to keep her alive, she still battles me every step of the way. She wants to lick her wounds. Scratch her healing skin. Do things the way her instincts tell her to, even though it makes everything harder. And honestly? That is me too.

I know what it feels like to self-sabotage in the name of comfort.
To cling to old habits even when they hurt.
To want freedom even when I’m not ready for it.
To fight the very things that are trying to heal me.

Dila is a familiar not just because she is a cat I love, but because she mirrors my spirit.
She is me, and she is not me.
She needs me, and in a strange way, I need her too.

Little by little, we have been treating each issue. Disinfecting wounds. Treating the mange. Handling the allergy flare-ups. Eliminating the ear mites. And once she stabilizes, we can finally do the surgery on her eye. That surgery feels symbolic too — a reminder that the things that make us different do not make us unworthy of love or survival.

I cannot wait for the day when Dila feels strong enough to walk around the house like she owns it. I cannot wait for her to play with Octavia. I cannot wait for her to feel what it is like to be safe.

I cannot wait for her to know she belongs.

Because she does.
And so do I.
And so do you.

Familiar energy is real. Sometimes it looks like a black cat with bright eyes. Sometimes it looks like a stray kitten who refuses to give up. Sometimes it looks like a reflection of the parts of you that needed love long before you ever realized it.

Dila is my familiar because she is a reminder that growth takes time. Healing takes patience. And even those of us who seem hard on the outside can be tender and gooey in the center.

I am rooting for her healing.
And for my own.
And if you are reading this, I am rooting for yours too.

Day 2: My Morning Ritual — Learning to Water Myself Again

Stepping Into Softness: Introducing the 30-Day Soft Bruja Challenge and a Little Bit of Me

The 30-Day Soft Bruja Challenge: A Cozy Ritual for Anyone Reclaiming Their Magic

#animalFamiliars #authorLife #brujaSymbolism #emotionalHealing #familiarEnergy #feralKittenRescue #healingJourney #identityAndCulture #intuitiveLiving #latinaSpirituality #petBonding #softBrujaChallenge #spiritualSelfCare #theOrdinaryBruja

Day 4: My Walking Path — Finding Clarity Between Grass and Desert

Walking has always been one of the softest ways I return to myself. I do not need a perfect trail or a stunning view. I just need movement. I need the sound of my feet on the ground. I need air touching my skin. I need the reminder that I exist in a body that wants to keep going.

Right now, in San Antonio, my walking path is the stretch around my house. When it is not unbearably hot, I step off the pavement and walk straight into the grass. I love the feeling of being surrounded by something lush. Trees leaning into the sky. Grass thick and bright. Little pockets of green that feel like a soft place for the mind to land. Nature has always soothed me like that. It slows my thoughts. It pulls me out of overwhelm and back into the present moment.

I walk when my mind feels heavy. I walk when my emotions feel tangled. I walk when I need clarity because walking never fails to give it to me. Sometimes during the walk. Sometimes after. Always right on time.

But then there is my permanent home: El Paso.
There, nature speaks a different language.

El Paso does not give you lush grass or big trees with wide shadows. El Paso gives you desert. Brown earth baked under the sun. Cacti standing like warriors. Trees that look like they are made of bones. At first, I did not love it. I wanted green. I wanted softness. I wanted what I was used to.

The desert felt too hard.
Too dry.
Too unforgiving.

But that changed when I stopped resisting it.
When I leaned in.
When I let the land teach me something.

Because here is the truth I had to learn:
The desert looks hard on the outside, but inside it is tender.

A cactus may look spiked and armored, but if you cut it open, it is soft. Gooey. Full of water. Full of life. The flowers that bloom from a cactus are some of the most vibrant and striking flowers I have ever seen. They come from a place that looks like it should not be able to grow anything beautiful at all.

And that changed the way I saw myself.

Because I have become hard too.
Life made me that way.
Trauma made me that way.
Experience made me that way.
I learned to protect myself with sharp edges.
I learned to survive by being strong, guarded, and resilient.

But inside?
Inside I am soft.
Inside I am tender.
Inside I am gooey like a cactus.

And that softness deserves protection.
It deserves space.
It deserves to bloom.

So whether I am walking through the lush greens of San Antonio or the desert edges of El Paso, the land mirrors something back to me. It reminds me that clarity is always available. It reminds me that all landscapes, even the hardest ones, hold beauty if you open yourself to them. It reminds me that softness can grow in the most unexpected places.

My walking path is not just a place.
It is a lesson.
A grounding ritual.
A way back to myself.
A reminder that I can bloom too, even with my scars.

Stepping Into Softness: Introducing the 30-Day Soft Bruja Challenge and a Little Bit of Me

The 30-Day Soft Bruja Challenge: A Cozy Ritual for Anyone Reclaiming Their Magic

Day 1 of the 75-Day Joa Challenge: Why I Started and What I Already Learned

#authorLife #brujaGrounding #culturalIdentity #desertSymbolism #emotionalClarity #healingJourney #intuitiveLiving #latinaSpirituality #mindfulnessPractice #natureHealing #softBrujaChallenge #theOrdinaryBruja #walkingRitual

Day 2: My Morning Ritual — Learning to Water Myself Again

There is something sacred about the first moments of the morning. Before the world asks anything of you. Before the to-do lists and the responsibilities and the emotions you did not ask to carry begin to spill into your day. Those first minutes feel like a soft doorway. A quiet invitation. A chance to choose how you want to show up.

My morning ritual has shifted many times throughout the years, but one part has stayed consistent no matter the season of my life: I water myself.

It sounds simple, but it is everything.

Every morning, before anything else, I walk to the sink and let the cool water run through my fingers. I throw water over my face and let it wake me gently. I brush my teeth, take my vitamins, and drink water before rushing into the world. There is something grounding about that moment. Something that pulls me back into my body. Something that reminds me that before I pour into anyone else, I need to start by pouring into myself.

Water is cleansing. Water is clarity. Water is life.
And this tiny ritual reminds me that I deserve those things too.

Lately, though, I have felt the weight of the season. The stress. The worry. The pressure to keep going even when my spirit is asking for rest. And because of that, I dropped a habit that used to shape my mornings in the best way: journaling what I am grateful for.

I am not going to lie. I fell off.
Life got loud, and gratitude got quiet.

But this challenge is my return to the things that nourish me. Gratitude journaling used to be my anchor. It reminded me that even in chaos, there are small blessings that keep me going. It reminded me that my story is both heavy and beautiful. And it set the tone for my entire day.

When I start my morning with water and gratitude, everything shifts.
My mind feels clearer.
My body feels lighter.
My spirit feels supported.
And the day unfolds with more intention, more softness, and more hope.

So today, I chose to return to that practice.
Not perfectly.
Not aesthetically.
Just honestly.

I sat with my journal and wrote down three things I am grateful for.
The first was simple: “I woke up.”
The second was softer: “I am still here, even when things feel overwhelming.”
And the third was tender: “I am choosing to water myself again.”

Morning rituals do not have to be elaborate to be meaningful.
Sometimes the most magical routines are the ones that reconnect you to yourself in the smallest ways. And that is what today taught me.

If you are joining me in this challenge, I hope you find a ritual that grounds you, even if it is as simple as running water over your face and whispering a quiet thank you to the day ahead.

Because how you start your morning matters.
Because you matter.
And because watering yourself is the first spell of the day.

You Want to Join the Challenge?

Day 1 of the 75-Day Joa Challenge: Why I Started and What I Already Learned

Why Familiarity Breeds Contempt: Being Undervalued by Those Who Know You Best

Keeping Personal and Professional Lives Separate: The Art of Self-Preservation

#authorLife #cozyBrujaAesthetic #dailySelfCareHabits #emotionalWellness #gentleWitchcraft #gratitudeJournaling #healingRituals #identityAndCulture #intuitiveLiving #latinaSelfCare #mindfulMorningRoutine #morningRitual #softBrujaChallenge #spiritualGrounding #theOrdinaryBruja

https://youtube.com/shorts/ltfC6sTemeU?si=5b85F5phk2PKCudI

Is this the best life advice on the internet?

Linktr.ee/562AlexD

#ProductivityHacks #LifeAdvice #PersonalGrowth #StoicLiving #CherryPickingVirtues #FocusAndEfficiency #IntuitiveLiving #DigitalDetox #SocialSkills #ExperientialLearning #Mindfulness #Authenticity

Today I’m feeling deeply grateful for my country. In America, spiritual workers like myself are free to serve, heal, and express our truth. That freedom is a blessing I never take for granted. 🇺🇸💫
👉 Read my full reflection on the blog.

Blog: https://sdownie7tarot.com/uncategorized/grateful-to-live-in-america-a-land-that-honors-freedom

Website: https://sdownie7tarot.com

#Gratitude #FreedomOfSpirit #AmericanHeart #TarotCommunity #IntuitiveLiving #SpiritualCoach #LightWorkers #SpiritualFreedom #MindfulAmerica #RevSharonDownie #TarotWithHeart

Your morning brew holds more than caffeine—discover the hidden messages in your coffee grounds! ☕✨

#CoffeeReading #MysticVibes #IntuitiveLiving #MorningRitual

https://www.healcity.com/coffee-reading-mystic-guide/

You’ve got logic, sure—but your real power? It’s your intuition.
That quiet inner voice? That feeling you can’t explain?
That’s your primary brain.
It knows before you think.
Start trusting it, and watch how everything starts aligning.

#TrustYourGut #IntuitiveLiving #InnerGuidance #EnergyFirst #YouKnowTheWay