Mantras, yoga (movement married with breath such as yoga — pretend you’re a dolphin), and crystal and candle practices go a long way for supporting your mental health and spiritual wealth while living in crowded, stressful cities.

When living on islands you are surrounded by pure and magical protection that radiates off of the sea. It seems to snuggle you in its wings and waves and fix your crown.

Being back on dry land these past couple of years -- the difference is astounding and undeniable. It shook me.

It feels off hearing so much about being empowered enough to block those who try to rise against us, or offend our energies in some way, from our social media and virtual networks. As if that is more powerful than the energy that connects us.

Energy knows no bounds. Energy is everything. Everything is energy.

It feels important to learn the real deal, deep down in the dirt and clouds, powers of protection, the universe has gifted us all. Harnessing those beautiful energies filled with the wonders of darkness and light, oozing with the deliciousness of the divine - feminine and masculine, and shielding ourselves, and the ones we love with it.

If you are on an island, surrounded by the majestic sea waters, if you did not know already, you are protected in many ways. If not, those with lower vibrations who do not honor boundaries, truth, or respect the laws of nature are around us. Make no mistake -- they want what you have. As you grow more powerful, sadly, you may find yourself under attack, so to speak. It may also be a matter of shielding yourself from controlling people, certain thoughts or even haunting memories that just aren’t serving you, or aren’t great for your beautiful evolving self right now.

Learning those innate powers of protection is a thing of great natural beauty. I believe deeply that we are above all magical beings, and our human beings are a house for that to flourish, or not. It is up to us to decide. Just as it is up to us to heal in our own way on our own time.

Here are a few ways I like to grow my wings and train them to protect myself and my loved ones:

Mantras, simple chants that are all your own are pure love in delivering the powers of protection. If you sit with yourself, they will come to you. This morning these helped me. I often say the mantras with both, “me” and “we” to include those I love.

I am protected by the powers of darkness and light. My wings surround me.

I am shielded. I am safe. I am protected by the universe. May the magic of my heart surround us, as the sacred fire shields us.

These loving words, while visualizing the actions, and my highest self really seemed to have a ripple effect.

Crystal and candle spiritual practices: candles of black, pink, green, white, and blue, burning sacred smoke like palo santo or sage, botanical oils, gems from all around the world like sea shells, rock formations + sediments from the ocean /near the oceans / in the sands, amethyst, lapis, atlantisite, larimar, rose quartz, quartz, pink amethyst, K2, black tourmaline, pink tourmaline, bloodstone, amazonite, red aragonite, Auralite (auralite 23 and emerald auralite), emerald, Lemurian seed, calcite, aragonite, raw citrine (not heat-treated), top-secret ones and others are potent teachers of protection. The gems that call to you are the ones you need.

Listen to your heart, always, despite what I say in my romantic thriller novel. It is fiction after all.

Movement married with breath: dance, allowing the breath to take you, sun salutations, and moving from your heart are powerful tools of magic.

Don’t let anyone tell you how to move, how to breathe, or how to heal. These have been some of the powerful tools for me as I begin creating a more bountiful, protective energy field around me full of love, gorgeous dark, bright light, wings of grace, and sacred fire.

Don’t let anyone tell you how it works best for you, not this blog, not anything, or anyone! You are your own guru, your own psychic, your own teacher, your own shaman. Work in unison with others, vibrate together, hear and sense one another, and love one another, but do not give your power away to anyone, or dim your light, or fires.

It serves none.

You are the only one who knows. It is within you. There is magic within you and there lives your healing, your destiny, and your contribution.

Cheers to Sovereignty.

Listen to your heart and fuck everything else.

I love you.