bookmark_border2018 – Year of the High Priestess (Drawing)

Thurs 10/29/26 – The High Priestess says, this is where you stop playing their game once and for all. Full stop. They will never meet your needs anyway, nor give you what you truly want (vulnerability, reciprocity and their true self). They will always stall and never deliver their promise. And you’ll always feel used afterwards no matter how good it felt in that moment. You saw the signs earlier this week – 10 of Swords, 3 of Swords. Endings, and a necessary cutoff. You’ll be better off even if you miss it. Trust me, nothing will change (look at the last 3+ years). Focus on yourself, focus on what’s real.


February 2, 2018

It just dawned on me as to why I haven’t been posting consistently on Instagram for Metaphysical Vibes…social media feels whatever to me right now; it’s safe to say that I can live without it (I probably can’t). I don’t have FOMO either (liar). Ha! I do wish some people would try being mysterious for once and not post everything that they do; maybe we’d have something to talk about in real life? I don’t know, just a thought…

Unfortunately I can’t escape it entirely as it’s still a major part of my job.

Anyways…

In numerology it’s the year of the High Priestess in Tarot – add the numbers 2018 (2 + 0 + 1 + 8 = 1+1 = 2).

Last year 2017 was the year of the Magician; it makes total sense as to why I got inspired and was consciously making action-oriented moves with the crystal business.

The High Priestess to me is all about introspection, self-knowledge, deep inner wisdom but also isolation. Lately I’ve been just wanting to be alone; I mentioned in my last blog post that I don’t mind it at all. I love being alone and learning things about myself.

I also noticed that although I haven’t been posting a whole lot I’m still making sales. That is nice and I appreciate it. With all the people who are constantly hustling, pushing minerals on Instagram it feels nice that I don’t have to work so hard to “sell”, I don’t have to struggle or compete to be constantly in people’s feeds. The crystals and the reviews people have left me are doing the work for me; I didn’t even have to ask anybody to leave me a review – each person did it because they wanted to. I am so thankful that my selling/small business experience is matching my personal energy; I kept thinking that my introvertedness (sometimes ambivert, occasional extrovert) would ruin my chances of selling anything.

I’m also thankful that I can express my creativity through Metaphysical Vibes.

Cheers to everyone who is working on breaking free from their jobs. I haven’t fully done it, but I’m making my way towards it; at the pace that I’m comfortable with.

Call me a part time business owner for now I guess.

bookmark_borderDrawing: I Am an Avatar

I’ve been on a solo introspection kind of trip. Loner but not lonely. I’m an only child so I have never minded being alone. But I did come to earth to learn how to relate to others via Life Path Number 6 and The Lovers card in Tarot.

I haven’t been sales or business motivated either and I haven’t really been posting consistently on Instagram at all. I’m beginning to doubt whether I am good with this whole business/social media thing, as I don’t like to be pushy/force people to buy and post on social media a lot.

I feel like maybe I am just a perpetrator, pretending to be in these roles to see which one fits. I also feel like a perpetrator in marketing because I don’t do everything that marketers are supposed to do. I can go on and on really.

Perhaps January is just a dreary month and my energy will ramp back up.

I got sick around my birthday in December AND I got sick with the flu mid January 2018 so yeah – it took me out of the loop and it’s taking a while for me to get fully back in my body. I still feel like I’m not fully “here”.

And now that I’m finally getting better, I’m just thankful to not be sick. I appreciate my body a whole lot more, I was able to recover quickly and still go to work and do shit.

I’ve been traversing space and time, seeing myself beyond my own human consciousness – watching my own avatar do stuff in this 3d world. It gives me trippy feelings, like when I used to play a game on my phone like The Simpsons Tapped Out.

It makes me feel like YES – there’s an invisible, non-human force beyond me that is also ME, guiding me. Not like a puppet on a string, but more like a bigger, cosmic, infinite version of myself, watching me inside a sphere, the Earth…like a snowglobe.

The ALL is mind.

And though my mind can’t fully comprehend it, my intuition can. This is how we break through the feelings of being stuck, limited, trapped in a box; feeling like we’re not enough.

This is how one can be fearless, and to not worry that you didn’t save up your money in a 401k or didn’t follow your parents’ idea of what you’re supposed to be in this world.

Anyway, this is how I’ve been feeling lately. I had to draw this a few times before I was satisfied with showing it. Maybe I will draw it again, I need a bigger piece of paper though.

We are all avatars.

bookmark_borderOwl of Knowledge 01/08/18

Resting, observing, watching everyone from a higher place.

I blend in with my surroundings, I become one with it. I am comfortable and free in the cold night sky, hidden among the trees. My feathers keep me warm.

I find peace and freedom in solitude, I hear and see all.

The pale yellow moon is my light, illuminating the fields. Even without her, I see with perfect vision.

I see a slight movement, I can hear your tiny heart beating fast, nervous, anxious, afraid.

I am Death and I coming down on you swiftly.

My wingspan is majestic and my talons are sharp.

You won’t feel a thing.

You will die only to live again and again.

You will remember bits and pieces of a violent past, you will be drawn to certain things without fully knowing why.

You will remember. And when it all starts to make sense,

you will die again.

And will be reborn into another finite body.

The infinite cycle continues.

bookmark_borderA Crystalline Sky – Thursday 01/04/2018

To will, to dare, to dream, to want…

but don’t expect it to arrive exactly in the way you imagined.

Wanting without expecting it to be a certain way certainly feels like a balancing act; want it too much and you become obsessed, want it too little but then nothing happens. That’s why they call spirituality a practice – something you have to constantly work on. The non-attachment part can get tricky.

There’s lots of things I should be doing for Metaphysical Vibes to achieve certain results but haven’t quite gotten around to doing, like YouTube videos. I’m also supposed to be blogging a lot more too; actually I’m supposed to be creating LOTS of content on a consistent basis. Not sure if I can do it all though. Some days I feel like I should be posting more on Instagram or do an auction or a sale like everybody else yadda yadda…

But it all seems exhausting. Most of the time I just end up doing nothing and I’m totally fine with that.

But I guess I am doing something, I’m typing my thoughts here and practicing my writing. And I’ve been playing with the image above.

So I have resolved to not compete with anyone and just go at my own pace, that’s what I’m doing.

Reminding myself that I’m not everybody else so why do I feel the need to do what everyone else is doing?

Success is different for everybody, and I feel that I am already successful. Now I just have to step it up and see how far I can go with the resources I have.

I feel pretty grateful that I’ve gotten this far and I know it can only get better from here.

bookmark_borderA Celtic Cross Reading for Myself – 12/6/2017

I am and have been living in the eternal now moment more these days. Life has been feeling more and more timeless the more I let go of certain concepts, like birthdays.

Like today is supposed to be my “40th” birthday but what does that really mean? It’s a construct, created by humans to measure time.

Anyways, before I ramble on about esoteric things – the whole purpose of this blog post was to post my first Celtic Cross reading I did for myself today. For the longest time, I feel as if I have been intimidated by this spread and was actually looking for someone to read my cards for me; but through the process of searching for someone I realized that I ‘could’ just read for myself (even though I still need help from a book). To anyone who is reading this, I’m not a professional tarot reader at all – I just read for myself.

So here is a photo of my reading using my favorite deck the HK Tarot with the card and card position meanings:

Position 1  / Heart of the Matter: IV of Pentacles

Position 2 / Opposing Factor: I The Magician

Position 3 / Root Cause or Unconscious Influence: XV The Devil

Position 4 / The Past: Page of Cups

Position 5 / Attitudes and Beliefs or Conscious Influence: IV The Emperor

Position 6 / Future or Approaching Influence: Ace of Wands

Position 7 / You as Your Present Self: II of Pentacles

Position 8 / You as Others See You: IX The Hermit

Position 9 / Guidance: III of Pentacles

Position 10 / Outcome: X of Pentacles

I’ve definitely been focused on business stuff lately so of course it makes total sense that a lot of pentacles are present in my reading. I’ve had money on my mind a lot – how to make it, how to keep it, how to make more of it in a way that’s enjoyable to me. The devil is ever present, reminding me of my strong attachments to material wealth (money).

I used Joan Bunning’s Learning The Tarot book as my guide; it was one of the first tarot books I got for myself and seems to be the book I still go back to often.

Do you have a tarot book that you really like? I’d love to know what books you read.

bookmark_borderPetitioning The Spirits Through Candle Magic

So I don’t like to admit that I was sort of bumming out that sales had really slowed down at Metaphysical Vibes and on Etsy, a little depressed even. But I think that your first year as a small business is always the hardest – there are days when I start to question myself, there are days when I don’t know if I will even last. Luckily the crystals always know how to bring me back to my center and then I am myself again.

I learned recently that commitment to being consistent is the most challenging thing for me right now. Consistency when it comes to posting to social media, consistency in posting crystals to the shop. I’m definitely doing it but a small part of me is also getting a little tired.

Consistency is hard; I read something in a book that 60% of all new businesses fail within the first year. That and the motivation to keep at it especially when you’re not seeing the results you want is the hardest.

One of my flaws is that I’m impatient; kind and patient with everyone else but impatient with myself. I couldn’t just sit around anymore, I had to do something to get things moving a little bit.

So that’s when I finally decided to order 2 candles from Jessyka Winston of hausofhoodoo.com to help me get some business back. Everyone’s been raving about her fixed candles so I wanted to see for myself. Long story short, the candle did (and is still doing it’s work) even before I actually lit it and business started to pick up again. I’m so thankful for that.

I guess the point of this blog post is – don’t be too proud to ask the spirits for help. Yes we go with the cosmic flow of the universe, but we can also do some things to get it moving. We all need a little help sometimes whether we need money, a better job or a new relationship. For me, I wanted better business.

And while you are asking for help, don’t expect the spirits to do ALL the work for you. You still have to do your part – meaning that you have to be really intentional with what you want.

Pyrite with Quartz is not for sale, it’s from my personal collection. Pyrite is the perfect mineral for attracting money, wealth and making shit happen aka manifestation (especially for those who have a business or are thinking of starting one). Also a great and masculine protector from negative energies.

bookmark_borderQuiet Like the Stones

Random personal/small business update:

The more I work with crystals, the less I want to talk. I’ve not said a word on my personal Instagram or Twitter and I almost want to delete both of them. It seems as if I have nothing to say. I’ve also been watching less TV and am ready to cut off cable; I haven’t even watched Stranger Things Season 2.

I’m becoming more quiet and antisocial, except with the people I already know. Not wanting to be around basic people, talking about basic shit. It seems as if the crystals don’t want me to taint my energy either; it doesn’t mean I’m better than anyone, I just don’t want to talk about those things. If you don’t want to talk about those things, that also means you don’t want to be around those same people who talk about those things.

I’m also starting to sound like a crazy fucking person, talking about crystals and how they “talk” to me. FYI they don’t talk to me, at least not in the way that you and I would think; it’s more of a subtle, psychic impression that almost sounds like it’s coming from me but it’s not. And if you let your mind overthink you might just miss it.

Which brings me to the next point: I’m losing my mind and I couldn’t be happier. My mind has taken a back seat and I’m alright with that. I feel less judge-y and opinionated about people and things, including myself…ESPECIALLY myself. I just don’t care anymore.

The past version of me would probably be feeling nervous, anxious, afraid that I’ve spent a lot of money to fill up the crystal shop. But surprisingly, I don’t. This must be some kind of test to see where I’m at with the spiritual work I’m doing while simultaneously building the business.

I really don’t know if I’m doing the right thing at all, but it doesn’t feel wrong either. I trust that everything will work out if I remain consistent and not quit before reaching my first year.

The business of selling crystals is actually quite competitive; and while it is competitive, it’s also a good indication that business is going great – that there’s an actual market for it.

And that’s all I have to say. The world is evolving; a lot of women are speaking out about rape culture and inappropriate sexual behavior, the patriarchy is crashing down, a lot of people are realizing that there is more than meets the physical eye.

If you are interested in checking out my online only crystal shop, visit Metaphysical Vibes on Instagram.

Thanks to everyone who is visiting this little blog of mine, I hope it’s helping you in some way.

——————————————————

p.s. the title of this blog post was inspired by this song by Audioslave – Like a Stone

bookmark_borderHalloween Self-Portrait 2017 + Update

So sales have slowed down and I’m slightly frustrated by it. I guess I got spoiled when everything ramped up in the last couple of months. But I suppose this gives me time to reflect and be thankful for my accomplishments.

On October 22nd, 2017 I reached my 6 month mark being in business.

What are the pros and cons of having a small business? I will tell you from my perspective:

Pro #1: I really enjoy learning about the crystals as well as looking for crystals and stones to add to the shop.

Con #1: You WILL be spending money. There’s really no way around it.

===================================================

Pro #2: I get to design/create/market things my way.

Con #2: You WILL be spending A WHOLE LOT of money.

There’s more but I will stop right there.

I didn’t take out a loan either, I was using my own savings and putting everything on a credit card and paying it back in huge amounts. But something happened recently where a family member borrowed a huge chunk of money and now I have no idea if it will be paid back. That’s a whole lot of uncertainty right there. So now I’m trying to figure out how to keep the business going while spending less? In other words, how to make my money last.

So that’s where I’m at currently. I knew from the getgo that this would be challenging and a different experience for me and I’m not about to give up right before I reach my first year. I know lots of small businesses fail and I don’t want to be one of them.

This is not a cry for help by the way. I’m just putting my thoughts down. I know everything will be fine, I just have to stay motivated, especially when it slows down.

I guess I would be freaking out if I didn’t have a job.

bookmark_borderIs the Internet Mysterious…

Or am I just finally doing something right on this little blog of mine? I honestly don’t know. If you’re reading this, this is just a record of the personal and small business stuff that I want to share with the public. In other words, just a personal artsy fartsy, occult-y, small business blog.

I’m not sure why I’m getting regular visitors to this website now. Save the Savages was setup because I was transitioning from my graffiti artist identity to this. And I still don’t know what “this” is. I’ve stopped defining it. It’s just whatever I’m into.

Am I an artist? Yes. I don’t create art as much as I’d like to but I’m still an artist. Am I a designer? Yes, I design for work mostly and a little bit for my small business. Am I an online marketer, web designer, wife and cat mom? Yes, I am all of those things too. At this point I am multidimensional and always have been, as we all are really. Lots of things that I used to bitch about have come in handy for me as I apply certain techniques to the small business. I mean, how synchronistic is that?

I guess what I’m trying to say is don’t limit yourself anymore. Stop telling yourself that you can’t do it. Ask yourself why, and keeping asking why. Keep asking yourself until you’re out of reasons or excuses. If you’re passionate about something, mix it with your other passions. Combine them and create a hybrid niche for yourself. Figure out a way to make money doing what you love.

You are God/Goddess afterall. You are the Universe experiencing itself.

bookmark_borderThe Inner Temple

I end up revisiting old graphic artworks because they still hold meaning for me. As a matter of fact, they become more relevant over time.

We’re all constantly creating or recreating our own reality, our own microcosms. Everyone’s living in their own universe, a world that they created.

Shermgrafik > Save the Savages > Metaphysical Vibes > Crystal Healer LA are my worlds.

The more I look at this, the more I realize that this is my Inner Temple. My inner world where all the things I love reside and collide to create something new. And do I love using bright colors in my design work. I love seeing those same colors on window splashes and handpainted lettering.

Don’t live life by some cheesy, stale quote. I get that quotes are really popular on the internet right now. I get a lot of followers who post nothing but quotes. Learn to exercise your brain – create your own quotes that are unique to you.