​Ancient inhabitants of Puerto Rico were known as Taíno Indians. They left behind a lot of their stories in the form of symbols.
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The Taíno society did not believe in private property. Whatever was grown or killed was for the whole. They did not believe the land, food or the resources was ever "thiers". In fact they celebrations nightly to give thank to the spirits for allowing them another day to live, breath and eat.
They honored all beings that lived and those that passed. #botanicataino

Receiving Elekes
When you receive sacred beads it is the formal induction into Orisha worship. The beads represent the energy of the various Orisha. The beads are a vehicle to connect you to the Orisha on a daily basis. It’s like a mini shrine being placed on your person.

The ceremony of receiving your sacred beads is like your baptism or first communion. It makes the statement that you belong to a family of worshipers in a particular line or spiritual lineage. The persons that perform the ceremony for you are your spiritual teacher guides or known in the New World as “Godparent.”
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This relationship is rooted in the traditions that go back thousand of years. The Godparents responsibility is to guide, advise, and support the Godchild/student, whenever he or she requires it spiritually, emotionally, physically and at times financially. The responsibility of the Godchild or student to the Godparent is to establish and deepen the already established relationship. The student is expected to learn the traditional protocol and follow them with regard to the Godparent. Respect publicly and privately is expected as well as a reciprocal caring relationship. Keeping an open communication with your Godparent is an important aspect of your life. On the Orisha birthday of the Godparent the godchild’s presence is required and offering brought to the shrine.

The benefits of lavender have been at the forefront of my mind lately… maybe it has something do with our home office being surrounded by the beautiful buds. It’s one of my favorite scents — my mind is soothed and I feel like I’m up in clouds every time it touches my senses.

​Lavender can help cure a lot of things and is an essential to have in everyone’s household. Lavender essential oil can go a long way. Here are some magical tricks you can do with it.
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Beat Insomnia – Place a few drops on your pillow before bed, or make your own lavender sleep pillow with muslin fabric and dried lavender buds.
Sooth Headaches – Massage the oil onto your temples, back of neck, and forehead to relieve any tension headaches.
Heal Wounds – Dilute lavender oil with olive or jojoba oil, mixing 1 part lavender to 10 parts of another oil and apply to wounds.
Cure Digestive Problems – Have a go at making some lavender tea at home to help sooth digestive problems and to relieve gas problems.

• Place one tablespoon full of culinary lavender buds into half a pot of water and boil
• After the water has boiled, place into the tea cup with your choice of tea bag (I love mixing them with earl grey tea) and sip away!

Ease Anxiety and Depression – Having lavender around the house can help soothe your mind. Place lavender stems with their buds in little vases – I usually place a big bunch in my bathroom and let the scent linger.

​Herbal Dream pillows have been used for centuries. By using a blend of specific herbs and flowers one is said to be able to experience vivid and meaningful dreams as well as receive relief from nightmares. Today we acknowledge the research that proves the smell of herbs, flowers and essential oils can have a positive effect on our ability to relax, mental health, and our dreams.

The practice of placing herbs under one’s pillow dates back centuries, and was originally done to protect against evil, calm bad dreams, foresee the future, bring good dreams, or conjure a lover into one’s life. Babies were often given small pillows filled with herbs to help calm them or to ease crying during the bedtime hours. They have also been called sleep or comfort pillows, and they were filled with relaxing herbs. No matter the reason, herbal pillows are beneficial for adults, children, and pets.

The scent of the herbs in these dream pillows will not be as strong as a potpourri, it will definitely be more subtle. The hope is that they will promote a more restful sleep and ward off bad dreams. If you, or someone you know, has trouble sleeping when traveling, bring a dream pillow with you to as a sleep aid.

To Prepare an Herbal Pillow:

1. Select a piece of fabric, preferably cotton or another natural fiber (perhaps muslin) * A mesh bag can be used as an insert for a dream pillow which the blend goes into so the pillow can be washed or the herbs switched out easier. This is the perfect opportunity to use leftover fabric scraps, vintage pillowcases, bandannas, or scarves.
2. Wash and dry the fabric, and cut it into whatever shape you wish.  Squares (5”x 5”) and rectangles are simplest, but you can also sew whimsical animal pillows for children and other fun, inspired forms. 
3. Create a blend of sleep or dream inducing botanicals from the lists below or craft your own mixture with fragrant herbs that you find especially calming, relaxing, or that evoke nostalgic, pleasant memories. 
4. With the right sides of the fabric together, stitch along the edges, making sure to leave an unsewn space along one side. Once finished stitching, flip the pillow out through the unsewn space, and fill with your herbal blend.  Note: Be sure not to overfill. The sachet should go unnoticed slipped inside the pillow case.
5. Finish the pillow by sewing the open area shut. 

For a sewing-free option, use cotton muslin bags or scraps of fabric tied tight with twine or yarn. * If using a mesh insert, you could sew really small buttons onto the dream pillow to close the bag or use Velcro. 
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To use: Sleep and dream pillows can be tucked inside, under, or next to pillows where they will emit their fragrance throughout the night.