Happy Halloween

Now that my son is older and would not be seen dead dressing up for Halloween, I find myself free from dressing up, guising, dooking for apples and wondering what it is all about?!

Being my curious self, I wanted to investigate the true meaning and understanding of Halloween.

As many of us know, the Western world celebrates Halloween on the 31st October. The main symbol is a jack oʼ lantern, carved out of a pumpkin with a scary looking face, usually lit up by a candle inside.

Our children dress up in ghostly outfits, go guising also known as trick or treating, talk about all things spooky and are rewarded with sweeties, and if theyʼre lucky some money. So when did all this begin?

Originally All Hallowsʼ Eve was a Christianised feast which celebrated Saints and martyrs.
This feast was influenced by Celtic harvest festivals, celebrating the last harvest of Autumn. These festivals had pagan roots and in particular, the Gaelic Samhain which marks the end of the harvest season.

Having pre Christian roots, Samhain is mentioned in the earliest Celtic literature in Scotland, where bonfires were lit because of their protective and cleansing powers.

Like the Beltane festival, Samhain was seen as a liminal time, when spirits and fairies could easily come into our world. Offerings of food and wine were left for them, ensuring livestock and people would be protected and survive the cold winter months.

The souls of the dead were thought to visit each house, so a place would be laid at the table for each deceased family member offering food and wine. It was a time to celebrate the dead with love and protection.

With this knowledge so far, I am not feeling fearful or spooked out?! At what stage did Halloween become scary and based on fear?

History tells us that when Christianity came to Scotland, many people were murdered because they were believed to be witches or worshiping devilish pagan ways. We now have awareness that this was a propaganda campaign to eradicate old Celtic traditions, allowing room for new Christian worship. Celebrating the Samhain was viewed as an evil practise which could cost you your life, so the introduction of All Hallowsʼ Eve to celebrate Christian saints and martyrs replaced Samhain. Pagan ways and worship became secretive and went underground. Anyone found to celebrate Samhain would be killed - now thatʼs scary. 

So, modern day Halloween is actually a celebration of our dead which pre dates Christianity, originates from Scotland and is based on our ancient pagan ways. Who would have thought a tiny country like Scotland, would have such a strong influence on how the world celebrates Halloween?

I may find myself offering food and wine this evening to my Celtic family and ancestors, wishing for a safe passage through winter and lower gas and electricity bills? Just a thought?!

Whatever you and your family choose to do this evening, have a spookily wonderful Halloween! And if you have family that have passed away, give them their place with a thought of love, thanks and a wee dram.....feeling gratitude on the inside will boost your energy on the outside, but thatʼs a whole other blog!

Even though my son is amid his teenage angst years, I still carve a pumpkin for his room.

Click here to visit my website 

 

Physical health and the Root chakra

Our first chakra is called called Muladhara or the Root chakra. It is the colour red, and governs the physical area from our hips and coccyx to the tips of our toes, including skin, bones, blood and the adrenal gland.

If we look at our physical health and in particular our adrenal gland, itʼs purpose is to maintain stress levels and blood pressure. Relate this into our lifestyle, some of the main reasons our blood pressure can hit the roof increasing stress levels are finances, not having work/life balance or relationship issues.

With this in mind, would it surprise you to know that the life aspects within our root chakra are work, home, finances and relationships. If we look deeper into our root chakra and find it blocked, then this blockage will directly affect specific physical areas within our physical body. Some of the most common symptoms are adrenal fatigue, sore lower back/hips/legs/knees/ankles/feet. Having blockages within work, home, finances and relationships really does affect our health and wellbeing. How do we change this?

When we add positive energy into these life aspects, allowing for change and growth, our life and physical health will become balanced.

Aligning our energy with a job that really suits who we are, not only promotes our health, it increases our happiness. The same applies to being in a home with a partner we love and having abundant finances. Meeting our needs within the root chakra is very important, because it builds the foundations on which our life will grow. Time to revitalise the root chakra!

If you find yourself reading this and thinking this is me Iʼm blocked, whats next? Here are a few helpful basic tips:

• Are you happy in your job? Unhappy toxic work environments are energy drainers.

• Create a career you LOVE, that way it wonʼt feel like job.

• Make healthy finances and spending habits your reality - seeking advice if needed.

• Allow your home to give you serenity - space to unwind and relax.

• Upgrade the energy in your home by clearing unwanted items (charity shops will be grateful).

• Fully accept yourself, celebrating who you are right now in this present moment.

• Be with a partner that enhances your life and energy.

                                                  

Create the life that works for you

http://www.nataliealexander.com/

Contact me

Personal Development Life Coach

Why I do what I do

I wrote my Inside Out - 7 week program in 2012 and launched it in January 2013. It is based on my own personal lifestyle, sharing simple yet powerful techniques and tasks I use to enhance my energy. It was created by chance, mainly due to requests from my clients who wanted to know my secret to having peaceful energy. Realising it was my lifestyle, I embarked upon an energetic journey of awareness and looking at my habits.

And so it began...

The program is based on and journeys through the 7 main chakras, each week exploring and enhancing the established relationship within each chakra.

Week 1 - Abundance
Week 2 - Beauty
Week 3 - Strength
Week 4 - Love
Week 5 - Truth
Week 6 - Intuition
Week 7 - Peace
 
Embracing your full potential, heightening your awareness and creating fantastic energy, is my personal mantra, and so Inside Outʼs mantra too.


Having guided many groups through this program and other individuals on a one to one basis, I embrace opportunities to work with businesses. Stress levels can make any work environment a toxic place to be, affecting staff morale and productivity.

As our work is an extension of who we are, looking after ourselves is the most important act we can do. Without good health and wellbeing, what do we have?

I recently received an email from a business I was working with some time ago. Its fills me with gratitude and reminds me why I choose this profession. Thank you Catharine. This is what they had to say about the course:

"We’ve recently embarked on an energy course called ‘Inside Out’ with Natalie Alexander, visiting and focusing on our different energy centres, in order to improve the flow of our business. Through heightened awareness we’ve discovered areas where we can improve and do more, unraveled these and had a good crack at solving the source issue. We’ve improved communication by being acutely aware of how we show up to each other, to our clients and to our suppliers. We’ve learnt about ourselves and we’ve learnt about one another, coming together to revisit our priorities and realign our energy."

I do what I do because I feel it in my heart and love to add positive energy into lifestyles. I think out of the box to create new material that helps those who are not mainstream and crave simplicity.

I endorse individuality and am an ambassador of authenticity - just be you, youʼre perfect at it. And I love working with people, showing them life can be beautiful - even in the work place!

ʻBe responsible for the energy you createʼ

Looking to change your work environment, lifestyle or yourself?

Click here to contact me