Whenever I'm feeling stuck in a rut, I go out and buy myself a new houseplant. I usually do this when I get the sense that I am surrounded by stale energy. Most people can easily pick up on this kind of vibe -- emotionally you might be feeling stuck, bored, frustrated, or discouraged. This stale energy also often manifests itself on the physical plane -- the phone never rings, your loved ones and pets seem irritable, and the bills arrive long before you collect the money to pay them.

When you find yourself stuck in a chronic pattern, it usually means that your personality has somehow temporarily disconnected from your higher self. The traditional quick fix for reconnecting to your higher self would be to spend some time in nature. It is my personal opinion, that a half an hour spent in nature by a stream or pool can do more for a your body or soul than hundreds of dollars worth of self-help books, years of psychotherapy, or a prescription for Prozac. However, once you come back home, you might find yourself drawn emotionally and spiritually down again by the dull and oppressive vibes hanging around in your environment. The spiritual remedy for this is to bring a little bit of nature back inside to try and raise the vibrations in your home. Plants naturally have a connection to the higher realms that you can access just by having them in your energy field.

Different houseplants have specific influences and powers. For instance, if you feel that you are in need of some protection, try placing aloe vera, cactus, fern, ivy or a Venus Fly trap near your entrances and exits. If it's money you're seeking, you might try buying an African Violet and placing a coin beneath the pot. (A word of warning to those of you who are brown thumbed though. African violets are very high maintenance and there's nothing worse than watching one die and wondering whether or not that means your potential prosperity is dying along with the flower.) I suggest you pick something low maintenance, like a palm tree or an ivy plant, which is also thought to attract prosperity. If you want to feel more beautiful, try placing a crocus by your bed, which will also bring you pleasant dreams.

However, there is nothing better than roses to give you a lift and raise the vibrations in your home. Roses are traditionally associated with such compassionate female deities as The Virgin Mary, Quan Yin and Aphrodite. I like to buy a rose (or a bouquet of roses) and recite the following little poem by Elizabeth Clare Prophet: "As a rose unfolding fair, Wafts her fragrance on the air, I pour forth to God devotion, One now with the cosmic ocean." I visualize my entire home being blasted with pink, violet or white light and then the next thing I know, the phone is ringing off the hook, I'm paid, and there's a new Prince Charming standing at the door. Sure he doesn't have any money, or a place to live, but what can I say...nature abhors a vacuum and she's got to fill it with someone.