#dear zee

[ener-chi]

Hey Z! How’ve you been, any news? I wanted to ask you if there are any downsides to getting a Reiki attunement as I’ve been considering it. As I understand it’s quite a commitment as you’re totally readjusting your energy body to channel Reiki, and it requires time and practice to integrate this new skill. Any reasons you think a person might not be suited for it? Does your energy body become dependent on Reiki to be healthy? Would it clash with other energies? Hope you’re doing well, and thanks for your time!

Heya!

I am laughing to myself cuz I've been thining about this recently and NOT EVEN 10 MINUTES AGO I was going through the conversation I would have with people about this in my head 😂😂😂

Reiki is a wonderful practice and energy, I'm excited for you! I can truly say it's been transformative for me in my own life, and I wouldn't be where I am today (or with this blog for that matter) without it

So when you get a Reiki attunement, you are getting attuned to Reiki (duh). With each level, the amount of Reiki that you can work with and that is available to you goes up, and with that so does your energy and your vibration.

As you go up in energy, anything in your life that is below that frequency then becomes out of sync, and can no longer abide.

Thus, with each attunement, it is common to have a "detox" or a "healing crisis" as you purge things that no longer suit you. It's kind of like doing a big detox or liver cleanse. And yes - this means people too! It is very common for the relationships in people's life to shift (some more dramatically than others), as your compatibility with people changes with your energy.

With the Reiki I attunement, the detox is likely to be more on the physical level. This can be anything with your physical body, and commonly includes dietary changes as well. This period on average takes about a month to three months, but can take up to a year.

With the Reiki II attunement, the detox is going to be more on the mental and emotional levels. Here it is quite common to be working through trauma, mental patterns, and stuck emotions/energy. This period, imo, usually lasts about 6 months, but could go about 2-3 years or longer.

With the Reiki III attunement, aka the Master's Attunement, well... this is The Big One. At this level, you become fully open to the energy of Reiki. With such an increase in energy and vibration, this usually has big, big shifts. The detox here continues to happen at the other levels but now also happens at the spiritual level, and you begin to heal spiritual blocks, past lives, karma, and intergenerational trauma. The period for this lasts a lifetime.

There are Reiki Masters who are of the mindset that when the person comes to you and wants it, they are ready, and will give them the attunement, even if the time between attunements has been shorter than usual.

I do kind of agree with this, but after my experience, I think that it is important to inform and recommend people of the detox periods - what they entail and their length - and recommend that they go through the appropriate period before moving on. Then if they still wanted to move forward, they can do that informed.

But the most important thing I think for people to consider would be if they are ready for the detox/healing crisis or not. Some people are just not in a place where they are ready for that, or it isn't the right time for them, or that it isn't something that they could do at all. It is extremely important that you take the time to sit with and think about these things and if the wonderful changes that come with Reiki is something that you are ready for or even want. And if this feels good with you, then I think that means you are ready.

For me, my level 1 attunement was definitely on the physical side. I found quite quickly that my diet changed - and not just preference, either. I not only no longer had a desire for like sweets and junk food, but those things made me feel sick, both physically and energetically. My body craved more natural and whole foods, and my energy felt better when I ate them. This also was the catalyst for my spiritual journey and I moved states shortly after this.

My level 2 attunement lasted like 2 years, and was more digging into trauma and emotional things that I was dealing with. I think I also saw a much bigger shift in the people in my life at this time. This was also when I saw massive growth spiritually and energetically - which I forgot to talk about!

As part of the Reiki attunements and going up in energy and frequency, it is quite common for people to become more sensitive, and have the development and cultivation of intuition and intuitive gifts. I've always been sensitive and kind of gifted, but my first Reiki attunement kind of opened the door and things began happening (when I astralled for the first time!) And then things really took off after my second attunement.

Anyways. My Master's Attunement... it was The Big One. It was described to me prior to my attunement that level 3 is like getting on a rollercoaster that once you get on, you cannot get off. I kind of laughed that off, like okay yeah whatever but... it is definitely true lol.

The day after my attunement I woke up and was like "fuck. I need to quit my job asap" and it was like painful for me to be there until I left. Long story short I then had some very intense life situations and immense stress with school and a relationship, and it brought up actually literally all of my trauma as well as intergenerational trauma and some deep spiritual stuff as well. My attunement was 3 years ago, and in that time I feel like I've been completely undone as a person.

But who I am now and who I am becoming is... absolutely beautiful and wonderful. The way life is and the way I see and experience things now absolutely couldn't have happened without all that stuff happening, even though they were the hardest things I've ever had to go through, and I am very grateful for them.

Rapid-fire answering your other questions, no your body/energy doesn't become dependent on Reiki, and no it won't clash with other energies. Reiki doesn't really clash with other energies, it's like the stem-cells of energy.

Thanks for the ask! I hope this answered your question. I love that I've been thinking about this lately for some reason when in reality the reason was in my inbox (:

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Blessings!

[ener-chi]

Hello! Hope everything has been going well for you ☺️.

I've read some of your post on learning acupuncture and such, and I just wanted to ask: in your opinion would learning and practicing acupuncture on you on/yourself be safe and practical or would you recommend to others that they go to classes to learn.

I've always been a bit of a do it by yourself person but figured sticking yourself with needles even with references and such maybe I should ask someone I some what know who learning/ practicing it what they'd think 🤔.

Thank you for you time and have a good day!

Hi anon!

Thank you so much for asking! I'm so glad that you're interested in learning acupuncture - it's super cool!

I would highly recommend NOT learning acupuncture on your own, and highly recommend NOT practicing needling on yourself without supervision.

Practicing needling without proper training on technique and education is dangerous. If you don't understand what/where you're needling into, and haven't been taught how to needle parts of the body safely, you have a variety of risks, including:

Bruising, bleeding, hitting and causing lasting nerve damage, piercing arteries, and more serious risks like needling into organs and body cavities and potentially causing infection, puncturing and collapsing a lung, and even death.

It is very important that you receive proper training before needling yourself or other people, otherwise you could seriously hurt yourself or others.

And this even goes for people who have prior medical training in other fields, as well. This is a bit of a controversial topic - but there is something called Dry Needling. Basically, it is a technique that some biomedical practitioners (like physical therapists) will do where they will insert needles into muscles to help treat and relax them and to alleviate pain.

The reason that I say this is a controversial topic is because almost every single acupuncturist agrees that dry needling is dangerous. Why? Because they don't get adequate training. The people that practice dry needling are not acupuncturists, and usually will learn the techniques and get certified for dry needling in a weekend seminar or a short series of classes.

It's like I mentioned before - that is not enough nor proper training on technique or structures, and thus the risk of serious adverse events and injury is very high.

One of the most dangerous complications of acupuncture is called a pneumothorax, or a punctured/collapsed lung. This can be life-threatening, and requires an immediate trip to the hospital.

Here's a stat for you - the rate of a pneumothorax with dry needling is 3% of patients. And the rate with acupuncture? 0.001% of patients!!! (source and source)

That is a really big difference! And the reason is, of course, proper training and education.

In conclusion, please don't practice acupuncture on yourself without training and supervision (and also please don't get dry needling - see an acupuncturist instead).

That being said, you can still learn about and do things with Chinese Medicine without acupuncture needles. You can learn the points and do acupressure! Also there is something called Teishin and Enshin - this is a Japanese style that uses small metal toolsl that are used to stimulate and treat the points without actually puncturing the skin. It is extremely gentle, and can be as effective as acupuncture needles - there are practitioners who will just use Teishin and not use needles at all!

I am learning this, and it's wonderful. It's a great way to treat yourself, or people who don't want to do needles. I highly recommend the book A User's Guide to the Teishin and Enshin: A Quiet Revolution in Traditional East Asian Medicine by Bob Quinn (link). It's a wonderful book, and I've studied with him in person a few times now. And if you want a book that is a good primer/introduction into Chinese Medicine and the theory behind it, I recommend the book The Web That Has No Weaver by Ted Kaptchuk (link).

Thank you for the ask! And thank you for the well wishes, I have been doing great (:

Blessings!

[ener-chi]

Experiences with servitors? How powerful can they get or become a hassle to manage? Typically I hear about the creations having a "growing up" phase where they explore and integrate something the creator didn't expect and having more of their own personalities.

Hi anon!

In my experience, servitors that have this "growing up phase" or servitors that somewhat seep beyond the bounds of their original intention are a result of poorly delineated or not enough boundaries/instructions when created.

The less walls (i.e. rules) or the more blurry the lines are, the more room there is for changing/development of the servitor. So I would recommend being more specific and having more rules when creating servitors.

Even for servitors that are very specific and well-made, there is a chance that they develop their own personality and "sentience" as it were. I think this is somewhat rare, and typically more happens if a servitor isn't like destroyed upon completion of its' task, leaving it to roam aimlessly and evolve.

Thanks for the ask!

Blessings!

[ener-chi]

Heya Zee! This year has been upping my sense of danger like crazy but especially at night😅 So recs for crystals with the intent to protect against lurking dangers?

Heya!

Here's some info from my cheat sheet that I'll share with you!

Crystals for negative energies:

-Jet

-Tourmaline

-Smoky Quartz

-Hematite

-Fluorite

-Tourmalated Quartz

-Chalcedony

-Pyrite

-Jasper

-Bloodstone

Crystals to protect against spirits:

-Fluorite

-Kunzite

-Black tourmaline

-Amethyst

-Smoky Quartz

-Aegirine

-Jet

-Tektite

Personally I lovee Kunzite! It's a higher-frequency stone, yet somehow still feels gentle to me. It's very protective, both in terms of energy but also spirits. It's always been one of my go-to crystals.

For you I definitely recommend looking into more of the black stones - black tourmaline, hematite, obsidian, jet etc. Very protective and grounding stones.

Thanks for the ask! Hope this helps!

Blessings!

[ener-chi]

Zee! Since you're winter inclined and have worked with a deity whose domain is that season, some nuggets of wisdom winter has taught you? It feels like whenever a winter comes it has a tendency of bringing on melancholic feelings and or things become uncomfortably slow. I like the idea of holiday cheer where despite the gloominess there's a brilliant hope inside or will eventually come about.

Hi anon!

Minor correction but I STILL work with Skadi! Been a few years now and still going strong 🥳 and now that we're in the middle of Winter we've both been LIVING

I like that you bring up the "melancholic feelings" and the "uncomfortable slowness" - that's exactly what Winter is about!

Winter is all about going within, about slowing down, about stillness, being in a raw, pure state. Think about a tree in the winter - it is completely bare, lost all of its' leaves, and is sending all of its' energy deep within to conserve it and survive and wait for the upcoming transformation and blooming of Spring.

We are all no different from trees - we too, in the Winter, slow down, lose our leaves, become raw, and go within. It's the time of year where you are encouraged to let things fall away as they need to, be introspective, and sit in the pure rawness of your being - however comfortable or uncomfortable that may be.

I understand where people who don't like Winter come from. Winter can be cold, and harsh, and everything loses their color, and the energy of the season is really low.

But for me... I have always found that there is such a beauty in all of that. There is something so wonderful about being so... raw, so still, no matter how brutal or exposed that might be.

Anywho. HmmmMM some Winter Nuggets of Wisdom for you:

1 . Don't fight it!

Nature is slowing down this time of year, and everything I described above. We are all a part of nature; don't fight against it! It will most likely end up poorly for you.

2 . Conserve your energy!

According to Ancient Chinese Medicine and Theory, this is the most Yin time of year, and as such you also want to be as Yin as possible. This translates to: lower energy activities! Spend time within, inside, do activities that restore your energy rather than expend it, etc.

Bonus: If you are into exercise, avoid running/cardio (more Yang activities) and try to spend more time doing weight-lifting until at least Spring.

3 . In order to bloom, you must first lose your leaves

In order for Cherry Trees to blossom, they must first lose their leaves. In order for you to bloom and grow, you must also lose your leaves. Fall is about things in our lives falling away, and the Winter is about sitting in our raw, bare states. While uncomfortable, this state/time actually has a lot of potential energy being built up that can then blossom into something beautiful and new. So let it happen, and stick through it, and even embrace it - it will be okay.

Thanks for the ask!

Blessings!

[ener-chi]

Thank you for your words❤️❤️❤️ Am not having the greatest time with my life atm :"). In your old journals, you mentioned reluctantly coming to terms with how bad stuff is part of life I wanted to ask how you went about that? I'm like perpetually submerged in quick sand when something doesn't go my way.

Hi anon!

Bit of an old ask, and apologies for getting to it now.

This is the question, isn't it? How do we grapple with the Suffering and the Bad Stuff in our lives?

Ya know the saying that within a block of marble, the statue is already there, you just have to find it?

The moment you are born, you are a block of marble, and within is this absolutely gorgeous statue. And this statue is You - who you are, who you are meant to be, and who you are going to be.

But in order to turn the rough block of marble into a pristine statue, it has to be chipped and cut away, until it gradually takes the shape and then the final form of its' beauty and splendor.

If the marble could talk, do you think that it would think the chipping and cutting and shaving away was painful? Unfair? Do you think it would try and run away from it? Try to make it stop?

If it did, it would be an unfinished, rough, raw piece of marble, and not the beautiful statue that it was always meant to be.

It hurts to become. But it's entirely worth it. Know that every chip and carve that life and the experiences you have does to you is part of the process of you becoming something absolutely wonderful.

Embrace everything that life gives you, both good and bad, and you will begin to see your inner statue slowly become revealed as the process unfolds.

Thanks for the ask!

Blessings!

[ener-chi]

So, now that we're 2 weeks into stuff involving the new Presidency.. You said that when we last spoke, stuff feels.. Foggy in terms of the future. Has anything cleared up for you? I've had.. Many small quirks of 'oh, that's what that meant' involving past dreams, and it's lining up, but... Maybe since I'm afraid, I'm blocking the full extent of what's coming.

Heya!

When I tune into the Universe about this, I see... a terrible storm coming. Great dark clouds... lots of fear... catastrophe... very much The Tower vibes.

I don't see details, but I see that it's generally going to be rough. I know that sounds terrible - and tbh it very well might be. I know you're scared. I am too - we all are. The important thing for you to do right now is to hunker down and take refuge - just like you would if you metaphorically saw a big storm coming.

Dress appropriately, get your supplies, find shelter, gather people around you for safety and warmth, and wait it out until it passes.

Translating, this means that you should find shelter (be safe physically, as best you can), hunker down (stay away from social media and news and other places that fear monger), dress appropriately (self care, support systems, community support), gather your supplies (literally (food money etc) but also things that make you happy, things/activities that are important to you), gather people around (stay connected! Family, friends, and community), and wait it out.

It was always going to get worse before it gets better. The Tower brings catastrophe, but it also brings change and new beginnings.

It will be okay. The storm WILL pass. And when it does, life will be different, and the storm will have changed the landscape - but in a good way. I think that we will look back on this one day and realize that while it sucked, it absolutely needed to happen this way, and we'll be grateful for it.

Just don't let yourself get caught up in the storm.

Thanks for the ask!

Blessings!

[ener-chi]

Thoughts on facial and mole reading? Is it mentioned much in TCM for "lucky" or "unlucky" placements?

Hiya!

As far as I know, TCM does have a system of facial diagnosis, but "lucky/unlucky" aren't terms that we use with it - it's more about organ and pattern diagnosis. What you're referring to is a part of Chinese Astrology, I think.

I will say that my training in facial diagnosis has been pretty limited, so I this is only based off of my limited training and experience. I am sure that those more knowledgable would have more insights than I can currently provide.

Thanks for the ask!

Blessings!