Spiritual Protection and Hygiene

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Milena (00:56): Hello everyone and welcome to the Venusian Womb podcast. We are so excited to have you join us for this episode. This is a crucial foundational piece to any type of spiritual development, personal evolution, and just any type of energetic work.

So we are going to be talking about spiritual hygiene as well as spiritual protection. And when I say spiritual, I also mean energetic because spirit is energy. And when we're talking mind, body, spirit, spirit is the energetic component of our being.

And everything in the world truly in essence is energetic. So it's an incredibly important point. While it is so subtle and intangible sometimes, it is operating in everything that has life. And so to give you a little bit of a flow for this episode, we are just going to talk about what is the distinguishment between spiritual slash energetic protection and hygiene, how they're different.

We're going to introduce some tools about how we go ahead and do these things in our lives, how we can protect and cleanse ourself, our spaces, and how we utilize these things to cleanse the spaces that we're hosting with our women's circles, with any ceremonies that Meaghan and I have done. And what are some mistakes that we have made along the way so that you don't have to go and make the same ones. We have definitely been humbled through this process and through that we've realized that this is an incredibly important piece to touch on and we were actually not going to do this episode, hence why it's episode 0.5, but we were recording and we're like, how could we possibly not dedicate an entire episode to this? So here we are.

Meaghan (02:52): And I do want to make a comparison just so that it can be slightly more tangible yet abstract at the same time. ⁓ Is that our energetic body needs to be taken care of as much as we do our physical body. And that's why we really want to bring some tools, explain why it's important to make it more tangible. But as you would brush your hair, brush your teeth, take a shower, put deodorant on, all those hygienic things you do for your body as well as your mind.

You should be doing for your energy as well. especially after hosting over 25 circles together, we've got experience and doing ceremony and ritual together in the womb cave in the forest, just together for fun. We have learned a lot along the way. And we have made a crap ton of mistakes along the way as well. But that's all part of growth. That's all part of this process of hosting events of doing hosting ceremonious events of doing ceremony with ourselves and with each other. And we really want to bring forth a lot of the wisdom we've learned along the way, especially for those because we believe this is so so important for any space like even now going forward mean we're very conscious of spaces that we choose to go for healing because spiritual protection is so important for us. Yeah, do you have anything to add to that?

Milena (04:20): I do want to say that I want to de-shamify a little bit because we've definitely made mistakes in the way that we first started hosting circles. This definitely wasn't something that we were very conscious of at the time. And that's the thing with most things that you're really starting is that, yes, you can do all this research. You can prepare yourself as much as possible.

And there isn't ever this like full, I'm fully ready and I'm fully in this awareness of how to go ahead and do this new thing. So, you know, there is no true readiness in this process. The readiness is in your intention. I'm actually going to start taking the steps. And as you take the steps, the path unfolds along the way. And there are certain things that you will only truly learn as you start actually embodying the experience of going through the process of what you're trying to do, which for us, it was hosting these women circles and becoming spaceholders for these women. There was a lot of things that we had to experience for ourselves, especially as empathic beings, especially as highly sensitive individuals, right?

There was almost this normalization in my body of like, this is normal for me to feel this intensity of energy or for me to sometimes feel like it's life is overwhelming and then now in hindsight realizing that I just wasn't protecting myself and I wasn't cleansing my energy and that's why I was also feeling this intensity of energy that also wasn't mine and and it wasn't until I think Meaghan and I were both able to actually experience that like experience this this exhaustion after hosting our circles and like, don't get me wrong, in the circle, there was so much nourishment that was happening and like so much joy and connection and it felt wonderful.

But it wasn't until after we would finish our circle and close the container that it hit us. You know, it was just kind of like this wave of exhaustion and just feeling drained and, that was something that truly we had to, all, could only really learn. By experiencing that, especially when you're not hosting these bigger spaces. The shifts may feel very subtle or you may not even notice it, especially if you don't have this awareness around your energetic field and around the fact that we are absorbing energy around us.

Meaghan (06:52): And I want to talk about a spiritual pioneer in the field right now, Victoria Pipo, not too much because I'm still absorbing a lot of her lessons and taking in what she has to share and the truth she is speaking. And she talks a lot about interference and interference that comes into spaces from external but also from internal and in healing spaces, transformational spaces, empowerment spaces. Our triggers and trauma and wounds come up and that is interference in the space as well that can start distorting and causing illusions of not feeling protected and influencing the other people that are also in the space, especially if the spiritual protection is not there.

For this reason, protection is so, so important in these spaces because of this interference. And as Milena was saying, when we would leave the circles, yes, we were so nourished and alive and in deep intimacy in these circles. But the minute we would leave or give it a few hours after we would leave, depleted, drained, we would feel overwhelmed. I would feel irritable. was like, was too much of like this up and down, chaotic.

Chaoticism, that's not a word, but a lot of chaos and because of where we lacked in spiritual protection and also I do want to preface we started these circles heartbroken. We were deeply in our anxious attachment, in our wounds, in our abandonment wound and as much as there is shame and embarrassment for not protecting the space, properly, which again, it's a journey, it's a process, you're going to learn where you're falling short along the way. We learned so much. And because we were able to feel this dissonance in a way of how being in circle compared to after circle, we were able to adjust and get really real and radically honest with ourselves, what's going on here? And why is this happening? How is it that these circles feel so fulfilling, and yet drain us after?

And I know my mom was reflecting back to me. She's like, this doesn't, or even my partner was like, how is it that you're like super high after the circle and then you crash? Like you literally crash and burn. And then I would be like, but these circles are super valuable and important. And I would fight and I was like, okay, Meaghan, take a seat back. Let's actually look at this. Let's actually see what's happening here. And as we did more circles, as we perfected, which is not perfect at all by any means, but as we refined our method and how it is we guide and lead circles, we intuitively were guided in this process as well. We allowed our bodies to show us the way of how to protect the space. We didn't, yes, we've read books and we've been in this community for a while and we did the things that you're supposed to do for protection.

Milena (09:35): Refined, refined.

Meaghan (09:58): But there's a lot of things that just kind of naturally happened and became part of our process of protection that was not planned. It was just, it just happened. ⁓ So I think we're at the point where we should define the difference between spiritual hygiene and spiritual protection, which I think before this we were grappling between does one come before the other, but no, there really is a dance that's happening and

Again, that's leaning into your body to see what's more needed in moment to moment and as you're journeying with other people, because it's going to look very different if you're ritueling by yourself versus ritueling just with another person versus in a group or facilitating a group. Like it's all the same thing, but different flavors. So which one do we want to define first? Yeah, go ahead.

Milena (10:43): I'll start us off. All right, so we're going to start off with spiritual protection. Also energetic protection is there's this, it's this idea of containment of creating the container, the energetic container for yourself. This is a very masculine energy is sealing the space so that there are no external energies that are coming in so that there aren't any, there isn't any interference that's distorting your energetic field. That way you're able to stay within the purity of your energy without absorbing energy from outside of yourself. So this is when we're thinking protection, we're thinking of containment. And a way that I like to see this is thinking of your auric field or your energetic field that extends beyond your physical body.

This is a field of energy and I like to visualize it as this golden light, kind of like this golden sphere that extends beyond your body. And just imagining that this is contained, that there is no energy that is able to penetrate this field and this space. And so some ways that we can go ahead and create this containment. And also set the tone so that our feminine, our essence, our being can actually open and can soften and can be more embodied. And when we're able, expressed. And when we create this container, it allows yourself to actually open up and go much deeper than you would if this wasn't established beforehand.

Meaghan (12:10): Express.

Milena (12:24): This creates almost that safety piece for yourself. And so some ways that we can go ahead and do that is with our intention. Intention is ultimately the umbrella term for everything here is whether that's intention through the words that you are speaking, through a declaration of, do not allow any energy that is not in resonance with my own to come into this space.

Any energy that does not serve me, any energy that is not in alignment with unconditional love or whatever it is the frequency that you are choosing to connect to is not able to penetrate my fields. And this is something that really calls you into your spiritual authority and knowing that you are not a victim to the energy outside of yourself and there is autonomy, is spiritual authority and there is choice here. When you are truly stepping into this power, know that when you are not saying no, you are saying yes.

And so it's important to say your no and to declare what your no is and what you are not allowing into your space. So that's number one is a declaration. And that is just no, no, no, go ahead.

Meaghan (13:36): Before we move to the other, sorry, go ahead.

I thought you were going to the clearing. not just yet because I do want to speak about another concept that Victoria Pippo speaks about is energetic loops and how we have to close these loops as part of our protection. Especially if you think of you're in your day and if you're like me and you do a lot of things, you are opening these energetic loops constantly.

I wake up, go to the gym, that's one loop. I come home, I do my morning reading, that's another loop. And then I jump into filming an episode for Venusian Womb, that's another loop. And then I start working on my book, another loop. I work with a client, how many clients am I working in a day? Because that's gonna open their own loops as well. And if we're not intentional with closing these loops, just going on with our day and just allowing all this bombardment to our body, to our energetic field, that's a disaster for overwhelm.

A disaster for very non-clean spiritual hygiene. And no, no crap, no shit, you're gonna feel a little bit drained and overwhelmed and overstimulated by the end of the day because you never close these energetic loops. And this is part of like, and you can even do this in spaces noticing where there's any loops, if you could tune into the space, that's a whole different conversation. But closing loops is so important as part of the spiritual protection and just a quick little exercise Victoria people had given that I've been using. I don't use it every night, but I do use it most nights is going through each of the chakras starting with the crown and coming in with either a gold light, a white light and kind of viewing it come down through the crown and threading through. then going through your third eye, going from the front, going back to the back and then all the way down to the root like a threading a needle. And like Milena said, claiming, setting your nose and calling like I call and claim all of my power back to me all of my authority back to my body I close any loops that were I was in contact with during this day so it is however you want to say it whatever comes naturally to return to your natural energy so that you can be operating from this space and not from a space of distortion and interference that has clouded your discernment and your sovereignty

Milena (15:56): Wow, that is exactly, that is one of the most powerful practices and also just ⁓ pieces of awareness. Like I was not even aware of these things before. And so they're continuously operating, right? So it's so helpful to be able to develop this awareness. And that brings us into our second point, which is visualization. It's the power of visualization, visualizing that golden light, visualizing this threading, perhaps going through your chakras.

Visualizing whatever it is is supportive for you. I find that those are the two that that feel most supportive for me. Sometimes I visualize vibration as well. Like when I hum, I visualize vibration as well. Sometimes you can use that for protection, just kind of sealing the space. And the last one here that we will mention are boundaries. The importance of having boundaries. Noticing when you go out and you go to a space, when you are engaging with someone in your life, checking in and attuning to how you feel after. Are you feeling drained? Are you feeling nourished? This was the key point of awareness for us to realize we're actually absorbing so much. We did not contain our energetic fields. And this is why, because we did not say our no, we did not create this container.

It's absorbing. It's a no. A no is a yes, ultimately. So by not creating this container, we're allowing ourselves to be more exposed energetically to absorb energy outside of ourselves.

Meaghan (17:30): By not saying a no is a yes. Sorry, said a no is a yes and I'm like, by not saying a no is a yes. But I know that's what you meant.

Milena (17:33): By not, yes, thank you. That's what I meant.

Meaghan (17:40): So another piece with boundaries that is really important to speak to is the consumption of substances. And I'm going to speak from experience from an experience me and Milena actually had. And it was our shroom journey or a shroom trip. And we've done two. I was gonna say a couple, it feels like a couple because they were insane. the boundaries that you set in order to create safety, because boundaries are essentially creating safety in the space, creating space for you to be able to really drop in and not feel like you have to be concerned with other things that are going on, which I think our first room trip, definitely thank God.

Thank God, Milena jumped in and realized we did not protect the space beforehand. And she, I watched her drop to the floor as I'm like starting my experience. And I just remember being so, I'm like, thank God, because I can't do that right now. I'm already in it. I'm in my experience and I saw her setting the framework, setting the intention, calling in protection.

And claiming it out loud, which yes, there's probably a mistake on my end that I should have done that for myself, but I just feel like me and Milena are so intertwined at this point that it felt fine. It felt safe to do it that way. knowing, being aware that in these altered states of consciousness, that there is possibility for more interference because you're not in your natural energy. That is, yes, these are beautiful medicines and tools that you can use.

Milena (18:56): We guide each other.

Meaghan (19:19): But you are not in your natural energy anymore. And I do think that that is so important to be very mindful of and then to up your spiritual protection even more so in those instances and cases because it's important if you haven't got that from this episode already.

Milena (19:37): And having learned from that experience in our medicine ceremony that we did after that, we made sure the two of us, we cleansed that entire space. We made sure we called in our protection. We set up an altar for ourselves. Like the way that we created this safety for us to actually truly be able to open up to whatever the medicine was leading us on our journey.

Meaghan (19:44): Mm-hmm. my god. ⁓ it's...

Milena (20:08): That we were able to go as deep as we did because of the fact that we made sure we cleansed, which we'll talk a little bit about more, and protected the space. So again, right, you're learning through the experiencing of it and realizing and recognizing even how much safer I felt following having done that.

Meaghan (20:28): And another piece of protection that as you said that it just sparked in me is anticipating your needs, making sure you can have your needs met. Not only did we have cleansed and we made sure we like we checked in, do we need to eat before this? Or what are we what do we have that is easy for us to eat afterwards to make to eat afterwards? We had cushions and blankets, we had the bathroom so close to where we were, we made sure that our setup, there was nothing that was going to pop us out of our experience or take us away from being there so that our needs could be met in that time. And same thing in circles. We always encourage women, please go grab pillows if you need to stand up and move during the circle. We want to make sure people know that it's their responsibility to take care of their needs. But also we are here to guide you if you need support in taking care of your needs. And that's also a very big part of protection.

Milena (21:21): It's the reminders.

Meaghan (21:24): It's a huge part of protection because you need to feel safe to drop into these spaces. And protection is all about safety, providing more safety for the body, the mind and the soul.

Milena (21:38): Absolutely. And I do want to just add one more point or example. In addition, is that when we are also going into spaces that have a lot of people, there's a lot of energy. There's a lot of exposure. And that's, you know, that's not necessarily a good or bad thing. It's just something to be mindful of, especially when you go to concerts, for example, like any spaces that draw in a lot of people, there's a lot of energy.

And everyone else is bringing their own energy. They're bringing their own potential attachments that they have to their energetic fields. And so it's incredibly important when we're engaging in these spaces that draw in a lot of people, a lot of energy, people that you also don't know, to protect yourself, to ensure that you're not absorbing their energy. Again, these are things that are intangible. These are things that are happening without our conscious awareness of it. And this is why the more conscious that we can be before going into these spaces, the less that we actually have to think about it when we're in it. We're able to really just like, okay, I've done my protection. I've set my container, I've set my fields, I've declared my intention of protection for myself. Now I can actually fully be here.

I know that I'm safe and know that I'm protected and I'm not absorbing everything around me right now.

Spiritual slash energetic hygiene. Us off Meaghan.

Meaghan (23:12): So our hygiene is how we are clearing our energy, how we've closed the loops, but now we're just, we're clearing, we're clearing, we're making sure that nothing is staying sticky and stuck on us, and we're allowing it to dispel, transmute, go away. Essentially, it's just going away.

So there's so many different modalities, methods you can use to clear. We're gonna name a few, but I'm sure there's so many more that people can name. And I think our favorite is sound, breath and movement. So sound can be singing, can be making just sounds with your voice. It could be through instruments and that just helps the energy move. Movement, it could be dancing, it could be working out, it could be shaking, it could be anything, gentle tapping.

It's the movement of the body that moves the energy. Breath, you can use your breath to breathe deeply into the body and exhale, discharge, release. ⁓ So those are ways that you can do with your own body and no tools. don't need, none of this needs any tools. I do wanna clarify that too. You do not need anything to protect yourself or to clear yourself.

There's tools that can help to make it more tangible to help it also become a routine and a habit that you do. I know tools are very, very supportive for that. But I want to be clear, you do not need anything. All you need is yourself and your intention. So some tools that you can use is you can use water, you can set your intention into the water, you could take a shower and allow the shower to wash away anything to permeate into your skin, go into your organs, clear out your cells.

Whatever that may be, it could be in the bathtub. You put some salt in the bath and you soak in the bathtub and you stay in the bathtub and your intention is to just clear and cleanse and then when you let it go down the drain, everything you watch it spiral away down the drain and transmute into something different. You can go outside, going outside and grounding, being in your body, being present.

In the moment and allowing the earth to just hold you listening to the sounds of the birds, the wind, the leaves rustling. That is super clearing and cleansing and allows you to just land. I know there's so many more, so I'm going to give it to you.

Milena (25:32): I'm going to add some, I'm going to add some. So yes, Meaghan, you mentioned the transmuting with the earth, right? So sending any energy that we feel we've absorbed, it's not ours. I like to put my bare feet on the ground and just visualize that energy is literally moving. I go, I do like a nice body scan, starting at the top of my head.

And just visualizing that energy, any of that sticky energy that's been absorbed, just going all the way down to my feet, to the base of my feet and down into the ground and allowing the earth to transmute that energy.

We also have the element of air, so we can do some smoke cleansing as well. We can do that with honestly anything, Palo Santo, Eucalyptus, if you have pine needle, any of those things are supportive, even incense. So utilizing that and just allowing the smoke to come into your auric field, just clearing any energy not yours.

Meaghan (26:31): I do want to for smoke always open a window or a door so it has somewhere to go and it doesn't stay trapped in your space. That's also a very important piece of that.

Milena (26:38): Mmm. Yes. Yes. Thank you for that. And I did also want to say, let's see if anything else is coming through. Yes. I do want to say is that there are a lot of tools. You can get a million bajillion crystals, but you don't need them. Crystals are an incredibly useful tool as well because they do have their own natural energetic fields like these, there's a crystalline structure within these stones that carry their own energetic frequency. So anything that is not in alignment with that energy will inevitably be absorbed by the crystal. I've had crystals break on me. I do want to say I've had bulls, I had my crystal singing bulls when I was going through the one of the hardest heartbreaks, which Meaghan mentioned was that same heartbreak. I was going through that period of grief and just having my heart shattered open and my heart chakra bull shattered. And when I tell you it was the most ridiculous, ridiculous circumstances of how it even broke. Cause it was kind of one of those moments of like, it barely got hit, like there was barely any impact and it literally shattered in half, like irreparable damage.

While I was going through this heartbreak. So that to say is that these stones, they're absorbing that energy. And when they break, that is also showing that there was an energy that was absorbed, that was in dissonance with the crystalline structure and energy of that stone, which caused that rupture. And so these are, that's a perfect example to show, especially if you have a crystal and you lose it. Sometimes it doesn't get shattered. Sometimes it just gets lost.

Trust that if there is a crystal that's been lost that it was that it served it served the purpose it was meant to and it was time to release it and let it go because that energy is not for you to keep.

Meaghan (28:30): To be. And also if you work with tools, cleanse your tools. Spiritual hygiene for you and your tools, especially if you're using them on other people. That is like very, very important. Sorry.

Milena (28:41): Mm. With all of my instruments, I have to cleanse them before I use them as well as after. Anytime I use them for myself, same thing, cleansing before and after. I feel like this is just kind of like a rule of thumb. know, cleanse, protect, re-cleanse. Especially if you've been in a space where there's a lot of people, there's a lot of energy. If you've been moving a lot of energy within yourself, those are also critical moments.

When you feel that you're in conflict with someone as well, those are all critical moments for you of, me cleanse myself in case there's been any energy absorbed here.

Meaghan (29:28): Especially if you're in a role of leadership. This is your duty. And I don't say that lightly. That is something we have learned as a very powerful lesson that if you choose to lead other people and other people are off, it is an honour to be able to lead people in these spaces. And it is to be treated as such.

Milena (29:33): Mm-hmm.

Meaghan (29:53): Because when you are not spiritually protecting or taking your spiritual hygiene seriously, you are causing harm. That is truth. There is harm being caused. You might not be doing it intentionally. that might not that really might not be. Yeah, it's not your intention. But that is what's happening. And as a healer, as someone showing up in these spaces, it is our duty, our role to ensure that they're safe. And

Milena (30:17): Integrity.

Meaghan (30:21): I feel so emotional and so strong about this because this is what we want to bring more of. This is what is so needed in these spaces. Is this integrity? Is this protection? Is this holding and supporting other people in whatever ceremony or medicine you're bringing to them? And this is how you do it. Not to say that there's like a rule, especially when it comes to spirituality, I'm never really someone to say there's a way to do things and then not.

There's not a right way to cleanse, but you do need to cleanse. And there's not a right way to protect, but you do need to protect. And if there's anything, anyone takes away from this, if you're doing ceremony, even with yourself, these are essential. Essential, essential, essential.

Milena (31:03): Thank you, Meaghan. Honestly, this has been this has been a huge lesson. This has been a huge lesson of just like reverence, having respect for this kind of space holding is recognizing that there are people that are coming into these spaces that are also in an incredibly vulnerable state. They might be going through difficult transitions. They might be also coming because they're in need of healing. And so they're coming also in this state energetically where they're more exposed.

Right? And so in addition to we are human, like as spaceholders, we also have, you know, energy, we also have energy that we're bringing to the space, right? So it's important that like, we're also not allowing this external energy or energy from our triggers and our wounds to be the ones leading. And to also...

Meaghan (31:39): Shit.

Milena (31:54): Recognize like it's a there's there's such a strong integrity piece in that and there is no right way like you said of how to go about it but it's definitely something that is foundational and needs to happen and and I did also want to say I do want to add this piece of calling in support calling in support whatever that support looks like whether that support for you for protection or for cleansing is calling guardian angels calling in your ancestors calling in you any spirit guides that you may have connected to that serve this intention of protection, calling in God, God, source, universe, divine light, goddess, whatever that whatever it is in that space and time that you are connecting to the most invoke that.

Meaghan (32:31): Goddess.

Milena (32:40): And call that in because there are these forces, there are these energetic and spiritual forces that are also here to support your journey, to protect you, but they cannot actually intervene unless you've called them in and allowed them to.

Meaghan (32:58): I'm gonna put a little parentheses. ⁓ Be sure who you are invoking is who you are invoking. I don't wanna go too much into the woo woo, but there are trickster energies out there. And be clear and very crystal clear on who you are invoking. And not necessarily why, just who.

Milena (33:21): Who as well as knowing your authority, claiming your authority and knowing that when you invoke with authority and with clarity and with intention, is the, that is, are gonna, you are gonna, you're gonna be able to make sure that what you're calling in is what you're calling in.

And it really does take this trust. There's a lot of self trust here because like I said, this is energetic. We're talking about the energetic realms. This is intangible. It's not something that we can see with the human eye. We can see it with our third eye for some of us that are clairvoyant, but you know, we don't, we don't see it. We don't see it very often. And so there is a level of self trust of knowing that while you may not have the direct confirmation in that moment, trusting yourself and trusting in your authority as you do this.

Meaghan (34:13): I think this naturally leads us into speaking how we protect our spaces and what our process looks like so that maybe some people could be inspired. ⁓ And what this has developed into. So I think we'll start off with Milena and I with whatever theme we are moving through or choosing to move through. We always open it up. We always choose to connect directly to whether it's a goddess, a chakra.

An element, whatever it is, we connect directly to it. And again, this has been refined over time and how we do it, we typically go down to the water, we are always outside when we do it. Actually, we're always by a body of water. That's just the natural for how we do it. And we call it in, and we allow we tell it we're like, please teach us the lessons, whatever it is we're meant to learn as we journey through with you. And that is always how we open anything we're doing.

Milena (34:56): Mm-hmm.

Meaghan (35:12): Whether it's our own personal stuff, whether it's for a circle, calling that energy in. Step number one. Unless you think there's another step we do before that. No.

Milena (35:21): Hmm. ⁓ Nope, that's exactly it. Calling it in, making sure that also we've cleansed ourselves first, either before, during or after, all three. Also depends on like the state that we're feeling, right? Attune with yourself, see what needs to, what you need in that moment. ⁓ But yeah, there's definitely this element of cleansing and there's this element of declaring, invoking the energy of what we're connecting to.

Meaghan (35:30): Mm-hmm. Yes. Which then leads us into grounding ourselves. And this looks a little different every time. There's no cookie cutter way we do it. Either we drop into she's sounding, I'm moving, we're singing together, we're eye gazing, we're just closing our eyes and sharing what's on our hearts and crying. Whatever it is that we need to integrate and process before the journey, before we either facilitate or journey ourselves.

We allow ourselves and give ourselves space time to integrate it even before we film each of these episodes. We have been getting better at making sure we have time to speak to each other and just bring up what's going on in our lives before we jump on. And also we start talking about, how does this connect to the theme we're going to be talking about? How does this connect to what we're moving through and what we're bringing forth to share with our community? So we take that time to connect to ourselves and each other before anything else. So that's step two.

Milena (36:47): I do want to add to that is the way that we're also expressing this is very stream of consciousness. It's like in this present moment, what is coming through and what is here? It's not, hmm, let me think about it. And last week, no, no, it's like, may be something last week, but also it's just like, whatever, whatever is happening in this moment, that's also how we, how we go about

Meaghan (36:53): Mm-hmm.

Milena (37:11): Attuning to each other, holding each other, discharging in the expression of it, we're also discharging, we're giving sound and expression to that energy to allow it to come out.

Meaghan (37:22): Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yes. I love that. Step three. What's our step three?

Milena (37:33): When we get to the space. So when we get to the space, there is this is basically where we do our cleansing. So we make sure that we are cleansing the full space where we are facilitating in. We make sure that I'm cleansing all of my instruments. We're cleansing ourselves. We're cleansing our altar. Every object on our altar is cleansed. Even the crystals that we use, Meaghan, mostly you'll you'll be cleansing them in your home before we go. And then we re-cleanse with smoke when we get there.

Meaghan (37:34): Yes. ⁓Mm-hmm.

Milena (38:01): Also, yeah, so cleansing, cleansing the space, cleansing all of the objects within the space, cleansing ourselves. When we have the woman come in for our circles, we also cleanse each of them individually in case they're coming in with any energy, which I mean, most of us are, you know, we had a full day before we came to be in circle and ceremony. So cleansing each other. And then there's also this piece of protection.

So we protect the space before the women come in. will invoke, we will invoke protection into the space through our declaration. We will create some solid boundaries of what is not allowed in our space, making that incredibly clear. And what exactly is the essence, the energy that we are connecting to if we are.

If the energy that we're connecting, I mean, we just finished a goddess series. So we're also invoking the energy of that goddess in the space. Whatever, and again, this is just an example, whatever the energy it is that you're working with, we invoke that energy once more in that moment, before we go into circle. We've already been invoking it in our own bodies before when we've connected, but now we're bringing that energy and invoking it into the space that we're facilitating it.

Meaghan (39:17): And then once that's done, women start trickling in typically. And we invite more safety, grab cushions, grab pillows, make yourself comfortable. So that would be like step four. And also before we start the circle, or after we break, we call our energies in, we always set agreements for the space agreements to choose to opt into whatever we're moving through. And typically the agreements are just personal choice that let's not judge. We're not here to judge each other. We're here to love each other, to be compassionate, to this is a space of expression for you to explore yourself, to be curious. And we have particular agreements that we set and we always make sure that everybody is in agreeance. And it was very interesting at our last in-person circle, someone said, well, what if we don't agree?

And I'm like, I've never been asked this question before. I don't really know how to answer you actually. But after sitting and thinking about it, I would just open up a conversation of, okay, what do you not agree about? And then maybe there would be a shift in the agreement for whatever reason that the person brings up so that everybody is consciously choosing and consenting to the space. And then that way we're all coming together and it's kind of like closing the circle.

So that we all are like, yes, I'm choosing to be here. I agree to the agreements of the space and I see that everyone else has also opted in and it just creates more safety. And I really, suggest anyone who hosts an event does this. creates safety for you as a facilitator and for the group itself.

Milena (40:52): Something else that has been incredibly helpful is, and I feel like this is almost a form of clearing, is when we do our initial check-ins, a lot of that is also like, it's kind of like what Meaghan and I do, right? Before we even facilitate is stream of consciousness. What is present in this moment and how can we give it expression?

Let it be witnessed, and also let it be released. Maybe that's even something that you didn't even know was present and that's what you're choosing to work through in the circle. So we always do have our check-ins in the beginning. We have our check-ins at the end as well.

Making sure that if there's anything that maybe didn't have space for expression is also being expressed, is being released because there is a lot of release that is happening in these circles, right? Inevitably, it's a lot of removing energy. We're embodying the energy that we've invoked and that's inevitably going to cause energy to discharge. Anything that is not in energetic resonance with it is going to come up to the surface.

Meaghan (42:00): And anyways, our circle goes on and then we close. So I'm like, I'm just trying to think of my, I'm like, what do we do next? We cleanse when we get home, we go back to the water. We go back to the water to close and we typically have women write their names on the altar. We take all the names back with us and we burn it. We burn it to release it, to clear it, to end it, to close the loop. And we always close the loop.

Milena (42:11): Everything.

Meaghan (42:30): At the end of every circle, is been something we've done from the very, very beginning. We've never not closed a circle. I think all these other things that we named for those have been added on along the way. But closing a circle was something we intuitively and just naturally did. And we go to the water and we integrate and we think the energy we speak out loud the lessons we've learned along the way, and we release and we close it down.

Milena (42:56): Oftentimes, we'll give offerings. So if there were any flowers that we put in our altar, ⁓ the names are something that we release. And then those flowers, if there's any sacred objects that we feel we're ready to let go of, then that is also, we are releasing those as well. And that's part of a thank you to the energy for being present with us and being embodied in our own personal lives and truly shifting us. When you embody energy in this way,

Meaghan (42:58): Yes.

Milena (43:26): It will shift you internally in ways that sometimes you don't even realize until you're in the same situation and you act different and you're like, ⁓ there's just there's just a shift. There's a shift here. And I know I'm in the same. I'm in a similar situation as I have been in the past, but I feel different. My energy is different. And. let me tell you, it is not for the faint of heart sometimes because it can be very shadowy territory with coming up and bubbling to the.

Meaghan (43:45): It'll strip you naked. Naked. Bare.

Milena (43:55): From the subconscious into the conscious mind. And I did want to say that even in closing that loop, this is where we reopen. We'll open the next one.

And this is where we're invoking the next energy. And something that we did forget to say at the beginning of how we started this is when we do invoke that energy, we're also planting seeds. We're planting seeds of what is our intention with connecting to this energy. And we plant intentional seeds, specifically of what we are calling in as we are connecting to this energy. And let me tell you.

Meaghan (44:16): Mm-hmm.

Milena (44:31): Those seeds is exactly what grows in this process throughout that month. Every single, like almost every time, everything that we have intended in invoking that energy into our lives has been worked through in some way, or form.

Meaghan (44:49): Always. And I know we said we weren't going to talk about it in this, but it just lends to it. This is all about the gestation. I think spiritual protection has taught us so much how we've gestated and for and come up with a formula in some kind of way of how to spiritually protect ourselves, our ceremonies and the women that journey with us has gestated and has taught us a lot about the law of gestation about.

I don't know that quote by Rumi you shared before. don't know if you shared it in this one, but you have said it that you only know, I don't know what it is, but essentially it's every step you take, that's how you're gonna see the way it's gonna form itself. And that's what this process of gestation is. It's building down, building back up and like reforming and allowing it to just become as you do.

Milena (45:43): I found the quote. So the quote is, as you start to walk on the way, the way appears.

Meaghan (45:49): Yes. Yes. I think that especially as you plant seeds, like that's like you're starting to walk, right? You're like, this is what I intend. And then you just like surrender to it. I'm like, I don't know how this is going to happen in whatever way, or form, but I'm to start walking it. And then you just show me the way. And then that starts to gestate. And then by the end that we've closed a theme or we've closed an archetype or close a circle or whatever it is we're closing, we have the answers. the just like there's something that's been born out of that seed planting or that's sprouted.

Milena (46:21): And I want to say again, like coming back to his roomie quote, these are also things that we have learned, we've embodied, we've been humbled by significantly. And we've been able to refine through walking the way, through truly living the experience of it and having the humility of, I don't know what I don't know. And there are things, there are so many things for me to learn in this process. And when you kind of approach anything, anything new, any type of creation, from this place of beginner's mind of what can I learn here? That is going to open you up to actually really truly begin to receive these lessons and to refine your craft and the way that you are going about doing it and to really just adding more intention, bringing more awareness to the process of creation.

And so to any women that have experienced a circle with us, we hold you with so much honour and reverence. And we are so grateful that you've been part of us learning these lessons and also, you know, recognizing that we're not perfect. We didn't start this perfectly. We definitely made a lot of mistakes along the way, but yeah, we are human, but we will learn from it. This is, this is definitely something that, that we

Meaghan (47:35): Will continue to make mistakes along the way. It's not the...

Milena (47:45): We hold in really deep integrity is, you we are here to learn how to be better. And the ways that these women have mirrored so many lessons for us, and have called us into such deep integrity because of the love that we have for them and what we do. Truly so grateful for this level of trust and for them to also hold us in the messy and hold us in the lessons as we go along. So, yeah, I just wanted to end this off with some gratitude.

And gratitude for this whole process that's kind of brought us here. And, you know, we're here to also share what we've learned so that, you know, don't hopefully have to make the same mistakes and are leaving this coming feeling that you have more choice, you have more authority and autonomy in energetically and in how you're moving in the world. So is there any last points, Meaghan, that you feel to share?

Meaghan (48:40): Last point is if anything resonated in this episode, and you are feeling called to go deeper with us to learn more, ask more questions about spiritual protection, which we will be dropping so much into our collective. Our collective is going to be a beautiful space throughout this podcast that you can come to, to share your reflections to integrate what we talked about.

To join our circles because we will be hosting two circles a month, one for the new moon, which is gonna be less of an integration circle and more of really just a feeling circle and being with yourself and our actual womb circles to integrate what we talk about each month in these podcasts. So our collective is open door for anyone who feels called to it. And we're really excited to kick off the season. Season one, gestating the dream with the spiritual protection that is something that we want you all to know we hold with very much importance, and this podcast has been created in its essence as well.

Milena (49:43): Thank you so much, everyone, for tuning in, and we will see you when we see you. Bye.

Meaghan (49:49): Peace.