THE 2017 LEO SOLAR ECLIPSE WANTS YOU TO LET LOVE DRIVE

Ready for a radical reset? The 2017 Leo Solar Eclipse wants you to drop the ego, fire up your heart space, and turn your true love into empowered action, says Sandra Sitron … Main Image: Spectra Art Space

Leo new moon eclipse 2017 the numinous Sandra sitron

 

New Moon Solar Eclipse :: August 21 2017 :: 2:30pm ET :: 28 degrees Leo 

An eclipse is like a huge inhale. A complete exhale. And then stop. Hold your breath. At the next inhale it seems as if even your cells spin in a different direction.

At the next inhale everything will be different …

Eclipses are about reset. Something must be let go of. Something new must begin. The way that you recalibrate yourself now— both in your private inner world and outside in the public world, matters. The effects of this reset may not be fully felt for six more months. But the calibration is happening now.

During this Leo New Moon, the Sun and the Moon line up, as they do at every New Moon. But now they are also in direct line with the Earth. The Moon’s shadow falls over the Sun. The Sun appears darkened. The light of the core energy source is “extinguished.” In the void of light, new seeds can be planted. A new code can be written.

The Leo New Moon Solar Eclipse wants you to drop your ego and let true love shine out of your heart center.

Leo is the sign of fiery love. All fire signs take action- fire only exists in the activity of the dancing flame. Leo shows that it’s not enough to just love. It’s necessary to bring your love into action.

It’s time to put love in the driver’s seat. Go somewhere. Do something. Use ALL of the four elements to manifest change in the world. Use your words (Air element), use your action (Fire element), use your resources (Earth element), use love and prayer (Water element).

The path forward is not simple. A paradigm shift is never easy. The energy of this New Moon is high. There’s a shortage of patience and a high potential of being triggered.

You need a plan, so you can move in alignment with your intention. How do you want to act? How do you want to be? Decide how you will take care of yourself, how you will confront your beliefs, how you will take action in the coming months, and how you will follow through on this plan.

Let the calibration and reset that is available for you now be fully intentional.

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New Moon conjunct Mars
A bunny dives into a hole.
Fight or flight. The bunny flees instinctually. What do you do instinctually to keep yourself safe? Do you hide out and keep silent? Are you a fighter?

Mars brings the energy of action and aggression to this Moon. At this time of heightened fire energy make sure to keep yourself safe, but don’t let that stop you from taking action. Meanwhile, make sure to monitor your aggression.

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New Moon conjunct Mercury
A tidal wave.
We are thinking and communicating A LOT during this New Moon, and our thoughts have their own momentum, like a tidal wave. Break up the momentum by noticing the unconscious beliefs that fuel your thoughts, feelings and behaviors. It’s important to know which beliefs are running the show.

Ask yourself what belief is underneath an uncomfortable feeling. At what age did that belief get formed? Can you have compassion for the part of you that formed that belief? Can you replace the belief with a new one?

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New Moon inconjunct Chiron
Missing puzzle pieces.
This New Moon will bring opportunities to confront old wounds. Notice where you get triggered. Notice where you need to heal. It may all seem futile.

How can you solve the puzzle if pieces are missing? With enough attention, effort, and creativity nothing is impossible. Keep coming at it from different directions and you may find the healing you are looking for.

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New Moon in a Grand Trine with Uranus and Saturn
The pillars of the temple.
This aspect is the New Moon’s saving grace. We are staunchly supported by the Great Awakener Uranus who may introduce a new paradigm, and Saturn who may provide the structure to implement it.

The only danger is that too much harmony can result in complacency. Stay mindful of a tendency to think that someone else will “take care of it.” Say a prayer to invite forward positive change and deliberate integrity within yourself and within the world.

These potentials are activated. The only thing left to do is take action on them.

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The study questions below are to help you get deeper into what the 2017 Leo Solar Eclipse means for you. For the most accurate reading, look to which house holds 28 degrees of Leo in you chart and use the question for that house. 

***New to your birth chart? Calculate yours for free HERE

Aries or New Moon in the 5th house
What new creative practices will you put into action now?

Taurus or New Moon in the 4th house
Do you feel safe enough to be yourself? Why not? What do you need in order to experience more safety, comfort, and nurturing?

Gemini or New Moon in the 3rd house 
What do you need to be thinking about in a new way?

Cancer or New Moon in the 2nd house 
What will remind you of your self-worth?

Leo or New Moon in the 1st house 
What new changes are you inviting forward?

Virgo or New Moon in the 12th house 
How can you tune into your intuition this week?

Libra or New Moon in the 11th house 
What can you do to build your network? Challenge yourself to take some action steps.

Scorpio or New Moon in the 10th house 
What are new risks you can take in your career? What kind of expansion might taking these risks bring you?

Sagittarius or New Moon in the 9th house 
What is your mission statement?

Capricorn or New Moon in the 8th house 
What are you willing to release? Write it down. Burn the paper.

Aquarius or New Moon in the 7th house 
How can you be more diplomatic?

Pisces or New Moon in the 6th house 
What new healthy habits are you ready for?

Supercharge your eclipse season transformation with a powerful virtual Astrology + Breathwork practice led by Sandra Sitron and Erin Telford. August 21 2017. Details + sign-up HERE.

10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SOBER DATING

Leo season means the romance AND the party vibes are in full force. How to navigate the love landscape sans booze? Caitlin Cecil shares 10 things you need to know about sober dating …

Sober dating The Numinous Club Soda NYC
Photo: JD Mason

Once upon a time, my favorite part of dating was getting ready for the date: mixing myself a rum and Coke to take the edge off, jamming to some Blink 182, choosing my outfit and make up, and sipping on my beverage to alleviate the first date jitters. Even if the date turned out to be a bust, I really enjoyed having a drink with myself in anticipation of a night out …

Two years ago, alcohol having wrecked havoc on my health through migraines, anxiety, and the occasional total melt down, I chose to go booze free. But I’m certainly still dating. And as a 29-year-old single woman in Texas, the constant go to when I’m asked out is, “Do you want to grab a drink?”

How to navigate this new terrain? Whether you’re sober or just sober curious, here are 10 things you need to know when it comes to sober dating …

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1// Know what you want. Whether you want to date a fellow non-drinker or don’t mind dating someone who drinks, make a clear decision. This takes some research. Go on some dates and see where you fall on the spectrum. I’ve done both and discovered that while I don’t need to date someone who’s also sober and can handle a partner who enjoys a drink, dates who get blasted over and over again are certainly not for me.

2// Reveal only as much as you want. Decide ahead of time how much you want to give away. When I first quit drinking, I was still a little embarrassed to tell people I didn’t drink. In a dimly lit bar with an attractive man, I’d feel silly saying, “Oh this? It’s a Shirley Temple.” It’s your call if you want to obscure the truth while you get to know somebody. Or if you’re totally vibing with the person and want to reveal your alcohol free lifestyle, go for it … any judgement is on their part.

3// Know your secret drinks. The magic concoction that got me through the early stages of my new life was a little drink called bitters and Coke. Bitters has an orange flavor to it, most people do not know what it is, a lot of my dates just assumed it was a type of alcohol, and bartenders would never charge me much for it. The truth is, it has a teeeeny bit of alcohol in, it but not enough to cause any sort of difference in your BAC. And the more comfortable I got, the more I was able to move away from dependence on sugary sodas.

Sober dating The Numinous Club Soda NYC
Photo: Matthew Henry

4//Take the lead suggesting date ideas. If you have a date coming up and he or she asks you if you have any ideas about what to do, suggest something that doesn’t involve alcohol. Coffee, bowling, hiking, dog walking … one time I even visited a wolf sanctuary! Once you open your mind to what a date “should” look like, the possibilities are endless. Check your local listings and start exploring.

5// Find your time zone. I used to say yes to dates at 8 or 830pm. Now? Heck no! Too close to my sober life bed time. If someone wants to take me out, they’re going to get my best self earlier in the day. Let your date know your best time zone, give them some options, and don’t be afraid to suggest earlier times if your alcohol free lifestyle has your schedule shifting.

6// Do NOT feel pressured. A big part of dating alcohol free is remembering that you are a ROCK STAR for choosing to live the way you want to live in the face of social pressures. You are making a choice that goes against the grain and yes, many people will be confused. I recently went on a bowling date and ordered a beer for my date, but he felt really uncomfortable because I wasn’t drinking too. I assured him that I wanted him to enjoy himself and that my not drinking was a choice I made for me—nothing to do me with judging him.

7// Craft your answers. When people have serious addiction problems and enter into AA or other treatment programs, others seldom ask why. But choosing to be alcohol free for other reasons often leaves others confused and asking a lot of questions. Never feel pressured to respond in a certain way. Sometimes, I reveal medical information and talk about my migraines. But other times, I choose to keep it short and simple. You can simply say “I’m doing a cleanse,” or “I’m alcohol free to support others who cannot drink.” Say what you want to and what feels right, and remember that if somebody’s weirded out, they’re probably not for you.

8// Feel for real connections. Dating is a two way street and sober or not, you have to actually get along. When you’re sober and really connecting with someone, you’ll have even MORE amazing conversations about the universe, TV shows, animals, political drama … and guess what? You’ll actually remember them the next day!!

9// Irish goodbye if you need to. The Irish goodbye stems from the idea of an Irish person being so drunk they just leave a social event without saying goodbye, but in this case it’s a reverse Irish goodbye. While this may seem like regular dating ed 101, for the newly alcohol free it may be harder to do. If your date is drunk or you are uncomfortable for any reason, Irish goodbye on out of there.

10// HAVE FUN! Do not let the disappearance of alcohol hold you back from meeting people, discovering fun activities in your city, and trying new things. Remember, being booze free and feeling healthy will actually liven you up—not the opposite!

Caitlin Cecil is a Houston-based wellness coach who focuses on helping people with stress, burn out, anxiety, and finding balance. She has a degree in Rtvf, a NESTA wellness coaching certification, teaches barre, and loves coaching women to their highest potential. Connect with her on Facebook and Instagram, sign up for her newsletter HERE, and check out her “Cruise from Booze” wellness program. 

MOONERS & SHAKERS: WHAT IS A PHOTOGRAPHY HEALING SESSION?

With her Embrace The Light photography healing sessions, Moon Club member Tanya Alexis is helping others share the beauty of their energy with the world …

Tanya Alexis Embrace The Light photography healing sessions The Numinous Moon Club

A photography healing session is …
The aura adventure begins at a location where feel you are your most authentic self: in your home, at the ocean, in the woods … anywhere you feel joy! We will find a quiet spot and you will spend 15 to 20 minutes receiving Reiki channeled through me.

After your healing session, we will spend the next 40 minutes photographing you at your most peaceful, at your most joyful—meditating, dancing, twirling, moving your body in any freeing manner that makes sense to you in that moment. During this time, I will shoot 36 frames of film.

Following the session, you and I will sit together while I rewind the film, holding an intention of authenticity and love. When the time is right, I will open the bottom of the camera to let the light in, to let your light in.

One to two weeks following our session, you will receive three to seven beautiful color photographs. A completely unique mixture of film, you, me, and light, they are not to be photoshopped. They will be yours to keep as a reminder of who you truly are, your vibrant spirit.

Tanya Alexis Embrace The Light photography healing sessions The Numinous Moon Club

The inspiration for the idea …
My partner passed a few years ago, and on the anniversary of his death I went to the place we spread his ashes to pay my respects, to take photographs, and to grieve. The next day when I went to drop the film off at my lab, I opened the bottom of the camera thinking the film was rolled up. It wasn’t. I quickly closed the bottom, heartbroken that the images were going to be ruined. But they weren’t. Instead, I discovered something new to me, a way to create beautiful effects that expressed how I felt inside.

It would be another year before I used this technique intentionally. I was photographing a dear friend who happens to be a healer in Los Angeles. I felt compelled (as my intuition strongly suggested) to expose some of her film to light, to see if I could mix her energy visually onto the film. It created some incredibly powerful images, and I knew I wanted to create more work like this, perhaps find a way to incorporate photography into a healing session.

About nine months later, I photographed another incredibly powerful Los Angeles healer. This time, I wasn’t worried I was going to ruin the film. I just went for it, and after I saw her images—even thought my belly was filled with butterflies—I knew it was time for me to create a way to share this experience with others. It was time to encourage others to see their inner beauty, strength, and abilities, and to help them share these numinous aspects of themselves with others.

Tanya Alexis Embrace The Light photography healing sessions The Numinous Moon Club

The work as a reflection of a personal healing journey …
When I received a phone call telling me my partner had been in an accident and had not survived, I was heartbroken. But even during the earliest days of grieving, I knew his passing was meant to break me open. The love we shared was palpable, and I chose to honor him, to honor us, by putting in the work to heal from losing him, and perhaps more importantly to heal all the aspects of myself.

I began meditating more. I wrote to him every day. I began having weekly energy work. I began being kinder to myself, making self-care a priority. During this process, I would take photographs to work through the various emotions that arose. I was just getting to a point where I thought everything would be okay, and then … my father passed. And my heart broke again, but it was different this time. I knew from the beginning of grieving his loss that it was in my power to heal myself.

Tanya Alexis Embrace The Light photography healing sessions The Numinous Moon Club

Not long after my father passed, I took a Reiki 1 and 2 course, followed later by more advanced and Master Reiki training. I intended to use it solely as a way for me to continue to work through all that needed to be released and sifted through in me.

But the more I healed, the more I realized healing myself AND healing others was always meant to be a part of my path. And then, one day, I had lunch with an incredibly vivacious 91-year-old, and she asked me what I would want to do with my life, if I could do anything. I smiled, and in that moment, I accepted that this is my path.

The big mission …
Others judge us, we judge ourselves. If I can offer people a space to feel love and support for who they truly —solely from a place of love—and leave them with a reminder of how beautiful they are on the inside as well as the outside, my heart will be happy.

Tanya Alexis Embrace The Light photography healing sessions The Numinous Moon Club

The Moon Club inspiration …
Moon Club is one of the reasons I feel so comfortable sharing my Embrace the Light project with the world. Knowing that like-minded souls are here to cheer me on and support me allows me to step outside my comfort zone with confidence. It’s invaluable to me as a creative, but also as a human. I am so grateful to know that I am not alone in my experience on this Earth!

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Tania Alexis is currently booking Embrace the Light sessions in Los Angeles, and building wait lists for sessions in NYC, London and everywhere. You can email here here and follow her on Instagram here and here. Sign up for Moon Club and join our tribe of cosmic change makers at Moonclub.co

Tanya Alexis Embrace The Light photography healing sessions The Numinous Moon Club

5 WAYS TO CELEBRATE SUMMER SOLSTICE 2017

The longest day of the cosmic year, Summer Solstice 2017 is your time to strip it down and skinny dip straight back to your roots, say our resident Numi astro babes Danielle Paige, Jennifer Racioppi, and Bess Matassa

summer solstice 2017 ruby warrington the numinous jennifer racioppi danielle paige bess matassa mojave rising
Photo: Jerry Kiesewetter

5 Ways to Activate the Summer Solstice 2017 Energy Right Now!
*And make sure to read on for our resident astro babes’ full breakdown of this cosmic event … 

1/Go Skinny Dipping: This Solstice asks us to get deliciously stripped down and dip into our private lives. Whether you choose to risk taking the plunge at midday with friends or go solo at midnight, celebrate slipping back into your own skin and connecting with your internal world.

2/Throw a Slumber Party: Celebrate the longest day of the year by pulling an old-school all nighter. Break out the hot rollers and face masks, and channel those nostalgic Cancer Season vibes with Old Hollywood classics, high school yearbooks, and prom pop.

3/Spend a Spa Day with Your Patron Saints: Ruled by the Moon, the Solstice asks us to connect to our feminine progenitors, whomever this means to you. Who has held you close? Who has tenderized your heart? Who have you bowed down at the altar of as a f-ing serious force of nature? Honor those people, whether it’s with an elaborate spa day or a simple, home-cooked brunch.

4/Become Your Own Summer Lover: Light the candles, let the R&B jams play, and deck yourself out in a luscious romper and sky-high wedges. Get nocturnal with yourself- figure out exactly what turns you on in your most private moments and romance yourself with that.

5/Refuel Your Fantasy Life with a Blockbuster: The Solstice marks the Sun’s entry into the sign of Cancer and this little mermaid’s energy is all about the creative force of our fantasies. Whether it’s Wonder Woman or a juicy, romantic beach read, celebrate the unbridled potential of your inner visions by getting whisked away by fantastically real tales of heroism.

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Danielle Paige 
More light means more consciousness

The Solstice helps us to define time and get in touch with the sacred rhythm of the Universe. It marks a point of transition from one energetic phase to another and as this is the longest day of the year, more light means more consciousness.

You’ve spent the last 6 months (since the Winter Solstice) in a yin state … lots of rejuvenation, inward processing, and clearing. Now, it’s time to open up and shine your light!

Visualize a seed being planted at the Winter Solstice. After the fertilization process,  it grows into a beautiful flower and opens its petals …. THIS is the energy in the air …. Ahhh yes, well hello there!

Moving forward, honor the fullness and richness of life that is tangible to you right now. The more you can honor this, the more you move into your heart space, which is how you attract your desires to you.

To find out more about attracting your desires and working with your karmic energy to find your purpose, you can connect with Danielle here. 

summer solstice 2017 the numinous ruby warrington jennifer racioppi danielle paige mojave rising bess matassa
Photo: Pineapple Supply Co.

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Jennifer Racioppi
Get grounded, connected, and clear

With Eclipse Season just around the corner in August, use the Solstice and Cancer season to get grounded, connected, and clear. The New Moon in Cancer will follow this the Solstice by just two days, and it’s time to initiate new intentions, have fun, and enjoy those summertime vibes! 

At the exact moment when the Sun enters Cancer, the Waning Crescent Balsamic Moon in Taurus connects with Venus in Taurus. This fortuitous and auspicious alignment in the Solstice chart indicates that the seasonal shift bestows gifts of bounty. The Moon rules Cancer, is exalted in Taurus, and Venus, Taurus’ ruler, is dignified in this position! To compliment this even more, the Moon forms an exact trine, a supportive angle of manifestation,  to powerhouse Pluto.

We can expect this piercing and luxurious alignment to ground us as the Sun reaches his zenith, and we prepare to enter the season of Cancer. Cancer, a sign that loves to connect deeply with those it loves, opens the doorway to nourishing our connection to close friends and family as we reach into our roots for more safety, security, and abundance.

For more Moon wisdom or to book a coaching session with Jennifer visit Jenniferracioppi.com

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Bess Matassa 
Skinny dip straight into your own heart

What does midnight feel like in your soul? This Summer Solstice, it’s time to dim all the lights, strip it down to bare, beautifully bio-luminescent skin, and take a naked plunge into your heart’s most private spaces  …

With Neptune Rx and the Sun and Mercury entering little mermy Cancer on the same day, this Solstice is a water queen’s dream. But this isn’t the treacherous undertow of Scorpionic and Plutonian storm surges. This salt-kissed Solstice is a homecoming invitation to wash gently, yet fiercely, back onto our own shores, to remember where we’ve been, and to let everything that’s lived in our heart-shaped lockets and treasure chests give us the strength to jet-ski into the future.

So burn out the bulbs and turn on the sea sparkles. Click your heels three times and bring it all the way back home. And trust that you carry your home on your back, nomadic hermit-crab style, because you belong absolutely everywhere and always, to yourself …

Summer Solstice Mantra: I bow at the altar of my most tender night moves.
Theme Song: The Commodores’ Nightshift
Style: Bond Girl Ursula Andress meets Dorothy on her way back to Kansas. Sweetheart necklined one-pieces, gingham print hot shorts, tan halters, stacked raffia wedges, coral and emeralds.
Flavors: Nocturnal snacks and homecoming helpings. Think nightshade fruits and veggies, cardamom-infused milks, and hearty, family-style pasta dishes.

Want more juicy cosmic insights and sensory explorations? Arrange an astrology reading or private event with Bess here or follow her on Instagram

HOLY F*CK: WHY SHIBARI BONDAGE IS THE ULTIMATE SURRENDER

In search of the deepest act of spiritual surrender, Alexandra Roxo gets bound and discovers boundlessness with the ancient art of Shibari bondage …

Alexandra Roxo Ruby Warrington The Numinous Victoria Hawkins Shibari Bondage Holy Fuck

Shibari (Japanese Rope Bondage) can be erotic, intimate, loving, sexy, quiet or raucous, meditative, artistic, insightful, transformative—all depending on the people engaged and how they both feel at the moment” – Victoria Blue

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I am always on the hunt to find ways to get free, to go wild, to let loose, and to go deeper into myself. Over the last 15 years, my search to explore the depths of my sexuality and spirituality has taken me everywhere from witch camp in the woods of Oregon, to working as a dancer in a truck stop strip club in New Mexico, to banging a drum at a Rainbow Gathering in West Virginia, to an orgasmic meditation circle where I had my clit stroked by an old Indian man … and SO many other places and practices.  

Drugs. Sex. Spirit. Art. It’s been a lifetime of exploration that started the first time my mom pulled Louise Hay off the bookshelf when I was 7, and the first time I kissed a boy, and girl, at 8 … 

So for an explorer of depths who hasn’t left many stones unturned, I am always seeking something new to try and am always ready with a big fat YES! 

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WOMEN TYING WOMEN 
My next yes fell straight into my lap after my dear friend Kyp Malone (who played the “urban shaman” in my web series “Be Here Nowish,” and whom I consider a Yoda of sorts), took me to a dinner party, introduced me to a woman in the corner named Victoria Blue, and said “You two should talk.”  

It all remained a mystery until months later. I was on the bus back home from 3 days of steeping and soaking in the magical Orr Hot Springs of Northern California and I suddenly thought to myself: I want to be tied up. This was especially random after spending 3 days in a tub reading a book about Jesus’ mystical life. But the words were clear and from my heart.

I’d been tied up by lovers before and engaged in a fair amount of BDSM in sex, but I knew there was something more here that I wanted and I began to investigate the ancient form of Japanese bondage called Shibari. Whereas other types of BDSM include performed dominance or submission, or the giving and receiving of pain as practice, Shibari is a fine art. Comparing a “50 Shades” rope scene with Shibari would be like comparing an IKEA rug with one from a Moroccan souk. 

Interestingly, when I googled “Shibari LA” and the first thing to pop up was a workshop called “Women Tying Women” with none other than Kyp’s friend Victoria as teacher! The next day, the magic continued when I walked into my 5Rhythms class and a cute woman ran up to me, handed me a card, and said  “Come to ‘Women Tying Women!’ My friend Victoria Blue is teaching!“ “She has one private session left. Do you want it?’ 

FULL. BODY. YES! 

Alexandra Roxo Ruby Warrington The Numinous Victoria Hawkins Shibari Bondage Holy Fuck
Victoria in a state of calm, suspended surrender

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GOING OFF LEASH 
So why did these words spring from my soul and why did I even want to be tied? Perhaps there is some past life witch healing there. But really, I think it’s because I crave deep surrender. And I crave deep catharsis.  And I long to become art as often as possible … 

How many places in your life can you TRULY surrender in? By surrender, I mean LOSE YOUR MIND. Let go of the reins. My friend Andi calls it “going off leash.” When you go “off leash” you slip into an altered state of ecstasy and sometimes agony and the mind goes quiet. Void.

Mind-blowing, expansive sex is a place one can find surrender. Meditation can be. Some good old fashioned tequila and a night of all night dancing with some MDMA licked from a tiny plastic bag in a Brooklyn bathroom worked in my late 20s. Plant medicine ceremonies too. Dance can be ecstatic and deep. But being tied up seemed like a depth of surrender and catharsis that my soul needed now.

Even though I’d been “off leash” many times, I was still nervous before going to see Victoria. Because not only was I going to be tied, I would also be suspended. Not like suspended from school—like suspended from the ceiling off a rope. Yes, this may conjure some morbid images of hanging corpses, but I thought of it like making myself into an ornate chandelier hanging as a centerpiece.

I told Victoria I wanted to be tied in a pose of expansion—heart opening, if possible. She quietly blindfolded me … 

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BOUND & BOUNDLESS 
I closed my eyes and Victoria began to play a German instrumental album that was integral to my sexual awakening in my early 20s. Out of all the music in the world she chose the goth band that the first person who ever tied me up used to play, and whom I had learned some of the most beautiful and fun things about sex at the age of 23. This moment of kismet softened my heart like butter, and as she tied me I felt myself starting to relax after being reminded of the divinity present.  

She bound me tight, hands up and open, back arched up, heart to the sky, one leg extended, and one folded. I let the ropes hold me. They were tight. Not soft and sweet. I began to turn into pliable flesh with no other option but letting go. I was like an infant. Helpless. Paralyzed almost. But the more and more I was tied, the more and more relaxed I felt. Like someone was caring for my soul.  

Then she hoisted me up and I lay back, being held only by this rope around my waist, floating in the air. The whole of my weight resting on one piece of rope. Completely bound. Angelic even. And that’s when the full surrender and deep catharsis began … 

Tears streamed down. Then they broke into deep, deep sobs from some place inside me that I had never met before. And moans of pain mixed with joy. Of release. Of heartache and heartbreak. I hung there. The pain escalated until the discomfort quieted the mind in the most nurturing way. The only thing possible to do was breathe.

I sobbed and breathed until I reached that edge that I have loved to flirt with for so many years. I whispered to her: “I’m at my limit” with tears streaming down my face and my chest. And then, ever so gently, Victoria pulled me down. She stroked my head and told me that I stayed up there a very long time and that I was very strong. As she pulled the ropes off me, my body felt lighter and freer than it had in ages. I felt my consciousness move into every cell. I could breathe into corners where breath hadn’t touched. I felt alive.

Alexandra Roxo Ruby Warrington The Numinous Victoria Hawkins Shibari Bondage Holy Fuck
Victoria and @sophiashibari

Discover more about Victoria’s private sessions and group classes HERE, and join she and I this October for a two day overnight retreat in Topanga that will bring together Shibari, Shadow Work, Storytelling, and Sexual Healing. If you’re interested in this deep work, add your name HERE and we’ll send out applications and full retreat info in a few weeks. 

THE SPIRITUAL MEANING OF YOUR SUGAR ADDICTION

Can you balance unhealthy compulsions without losing your appetite for pleasure? Emma Whitehair wrestles with the demons of alcohol, love, and sugar addiction, and asks herself: “What are you really hungry for?”

what are you really hunger for ruby warrington the numinous emma whitehair food addiction

“Could I continue to sink my teeth into life with enthusiasm while learning balance around an unhealthy compulsion?”- Emma Whitehair

Ughhhh … Krispy Kremes. Never something I’d choose to put in my body. So why, when a colleague turned up with a box full of them, did my inner werewolf rear its head? A demon who was frothing at the mouth to demolish the lot, while my sensible side tried to argue the case to “go-halves” on one.

The demon won, leaving me to contend with a toxic dose of self-loathing. 

My sweet tooth kicked in with a vengeance when I quit booze over a decade ago, and I felt that this new appetite was part of my continued search for escapism and relief. Love, too, came under this dopamine-inducing umbrella. My hunger for gratification also showed up in romantic fantasies of that one magic person who’d be capable of making me happy forever after …

However, unlike sobriety, going cold turkey on sugar (and love for that matter) didn’t feel like the right approach. Isn’t fruit sugar? Not to mention nutrient rich blackstrap molasses and antibacterial raw manuka honey? Where to draw the line? I’ll admit that my justifications sounded a bit like the arguments I used to have against quitting booze. “I just want to be able to enjoy a nice glass of Rioja with tapas, or champers at a wedding.” I know where those odd glasses can lead me though—the tail end of a two-day bender.

With an addictive personality, could I become moderate in this one area? And how not to lose my wildly passionate side and my appetite for pleasure in the process? I set out to discover if I could continue to sink my teeth into life with enthusiasm while learning balance around an unhealthy compulsion …

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:: BELLY BACTERIA BALANCING ::
My first step was to go into my gut. An overgrowth of yeast in the digestive tract can manifest as fatigue, a foggy head, anxiety and, most noticeably, sugar cravings. Overdoing it with alcohol, refined carbohydrates and sugary foods commonly causes this problem. Perhaps this was my werewolf’s lair?

I consulted Nutritional Therapist Claudia le Feuvre, who placed me on a course of Dida supplements and probiotics to tackle any pathogenic bacteria and to re-inoculate my gut with antimicrobials.

A few months later, I noticed my urge to bury my head in a bag of Haribo had disappeared. I now had the confidence that the issues were not tied to gut health. It was time to take my journey even deeper.

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:: IT’S ALL A METAPHOR ::
Claudia prescribed a reading list as a key part of my healing, and I consumed each title with gusto.

After living with the patriarchy for thousands of years, we’ve literally been starved of our divine feminine. The result? We’re now going wild with addictions and disorders as we fill our bellies to fill the emptiness in our hearts. Women Who Run with the Wolves and Eating in the Light of the Moon both have this concept at their core, and show how cravings can be metaphors.

The Gift of Our Compulsions inspired me to meet my compulsions with curiosity rather than resistance in order to get at what lived underneath them. By cultivating detachment from my thoughts, feelings, and sensations, I could witness my cravings.

When I declare ‘I’m hungry,’ I am identified with this experience. Whereas ‘this is hunger’ creates space for me to relate to what’s really happening, and ask if the statement is true. And in most cases, it’s not true at all. It’s more like ‘this is boredom/procrastination/loneliness,’ which I can either try to remedy or simply observe without needing to ‘fix.’

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:: A SESSION WITH THE SPIRITUAL NUTRITIONIST ::
The final part of my work with Claudia involved a 1-2-1 session where she called upon her spirit guide to help us “recode inner conflict” and used kinesiology to identify a potent mantra.

During our session, my arm suddenly gained strength from the words: “I am in tune with my body’s nutritional needs, and have no hunger for food beyond them.” This was then used as a mantra in a kind of Psych-k self-hypnosis meditation, where after about 10 minutes Claudia was shown by her guide, with a shiver through her body, that our work was done.

Although, I didn’t feel a bolt of lightning during the session, it’s like a spell has been broken. I feel relaxed around my usual triggers, and noticeably more tuned in to the intuitive whispering of my body.

Now, when I get the urge to eat when I’m not hungry, I often seem to instinctively know what tactic will help me ride it out. A few deep breaths, a drink of water, or a big stretch is usually all it takes.

what are you really hungry for emma whitehair ruby warrington the numinous food addiction sustici
Art: Sustici

:: THE FAST OF ENLIGHTENMENT ::
My newfound gut feelings also told me that the next step in this journey was to introduce a fasting practice to help me regain a sense of the true nature of my body’s hunger. Fasting is the most natural way to rest the body, giving it the chance to do the “housework” needed to repair cells and cleanse the itself, while improving immunity.  

When I started losing my appetite for a meal in the evening, I took it as a sign that my body wanted the benefits of some regular light fasting. So from around 5pm to late morning, I often stick to water and herbal tea. And although I sometimes go to bed feeling hungry, intuition tells me my digestive system needs this rest. I’m now sleeping more deeply and I wake feeling light and much less hungry than if I have a meal the night before.

I’m also committed to fasting at least a couple of days per month, usually over the New Moon—my version of the “Lunar Diet.” Near the Full Moon I often crave extra calories because of my cycle, whereas during the New Moon I feel more like hibernating. It’s also the ideal time to go inwards and set intentions for the coming astrological season.

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:: WHAT AM I TRULY HUNGRY FOR? ::
Using tactics to pause when I’m tempted to grab a substitute for what I really need has been a total (third) eye opener!

It’s given me the sense that my appetite is primal. We’re first comforted as babies through sweet breast milk and so sweetness will always be associated with mother love. An absence of that kind of nurturing can show up in dysfunctional relationships with comforting substances like sugar, alcohol, or the dopamine hit you get with the first flush of ‘love’.

So what to do in the present about a void from the past? Some sweet ass self-loving of course! We all have the chance, right now, to be the parent we needed growing up. Allowing feelings that have been buried in the past to move through us is how we evolve …

My epiphany about my constant low-level hunger? There’s fulfillment to be found by relishing my appetite, rather than chasing gratification. It’s summed up in this quote from one of my all-time favorite movies, Take This Waltz: “Life has a gap in it. It just does. You don’t go crazy trying to fill it like some lunatic.” I simply need to accept, and even celebrate, the fact that there will always be this hunger within me.

So when Krispy Kreme (a.k.a. my Soul Challenge on this journey) announced their new flavor (Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Crème, in case you were wondering) by sending a truckload to my office, I met my inner wolf with curiosity. I saw that she wasn’t a “demon” at all, and just a part of me wanting to be comforted. “Be moderate in order to taste the joys of life in abundance,” says Epicurus. So I enjoyed half a donut. Leaving enough room to still be able to taste the sweetness of life.

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Emma Whitehair is the founder of London based boutique lifestyle PR agency, WHITEHAIR.CO, which specialises in fashion, beauty, and wellbeing communications. 

TAURUS SEASON 2017: A GUIDE FOR EVERY SIGN

In keeping with their Sensory Guide to Taurus Season 2017, Cara George & Bess Matassa of Mojave Rising channel a slumber party for each sign…Main images: Satellite Paris SS17

Satellite jewelry ad campaign ss 17 The Numinous Taurus Season

Let it all burst into brilliant bloom! Taurus season invites us to fully feast at the lush, tropical table of our own unshakeable value. The zodiac’s buxom bovine bombshell asks no less of us than the sexy, stalwart trust that this Earth is on our side. So sit down, settle in, and savor the flavor of a dinner party with no end. You’re absolutely, ALWAYS, worth it and there’s always more than enough to go around.

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The keyword: Flourish

The song lyrics: “The only two things in life that make it worth livin’/Is guitars that tune good and firm feelin’ women/I don’t need my name in the marquee lights/I got my song and I got you with me tonight/Maybe it’s time we got back to the basics of love”- Waylon Jennings, Luckenback Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)

Check out our Taurus Season Playlist, complete with earthy anthems, sensuous songstresses, and savory slow jams.

Valentino SS17 Taurus Season The Numinous Mojave Rising
Valentino SS17

The color palette: luxe, buttery, candy box shades of cream, caramel, deep pink, and pure gold.

The style: Caesar’s Palace meets West Texas roadhouse—bombastic medallions, button-down denim, voluminous Dallas dos, worn-in leather, malachite accents, and studded belts.

dark cherries cacao The Numinous Taurus Season Mojave Rising

The scents and flavors: overripe and headily hedonistic—tuberose, truffles, Mexican chocolate, dark cherries, sweet blonde tobacco, and musk.

The healing: directly embodied and sensorily complete—tasting menus, buffet brunches, love making, and horseback riding.

Image via Chakrubs

Want more juicy cosmic insights and sensory explorations? Arrange an astrology reading or private event with Mojave Rising here or follow them on Instagram

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Sensuous Invitation of the Month: Slumber Party!

Ruled by Venus, Taurus season invites us back into the boudoir to harness the pure power of private pleasure. Our Venus sign reveals both what we seek in relationship and what we must learn to value in ourselves. This month, just say yes to exactly what turns you on and let it lead you straight to the heart of your truest desire. Below, your sign-by-sign guide to snuggling between the sheets…

***New to your birthchart? Discover your Venus sign here!

Venus in Aries
Taurus season invites you to celebrate a fresh, minimalist approach to feeling good in your body. Slumber Party: Strip it down completely with naked solo sleeping on a Japanese tatami mat.

Venus in Taurus
Taurus season invites you to let luxury be totally necessary and lead you all the way back home. Slumber Party: Wrap yourself in a bearskin rug by a roaring hearth and lie down on a bed of rose petals.

Venus in Gemini
Taurus season invites you to delight in your desire for playful communication and curious encounters. Slumber Party: Deck out bunk beds with cartoon sheets and invite a bestie to join in a nocturnal gab fest.

Venus in Cancer
Taurus season invites you to savor the lineage of all your past loves while staying open to the present. Slumber Party: Sink into memory foam and let your emotional history feel buoyant and supportive.

Venus in Leo
Taurus season invites you to settle into luscious loyalty and commit to embracing and exposing exactly what you are. Slumber Party: Experience straightforwardly sprawling slumber with classic cotton sheets.

Venus in Virgo
Taurus season invites you to celebrate your desire for discernment and your romantic integrity that doesn’t give it away for free. Slumber Party: Rest on the interwoven intricacy of a well-fashioned hammock.

Venus in Libra
Taurus season invites you to fuse your clear-minded thinking with some more impulsively collisional romps. Slumber Party: Discover an unexpected Murphy Bed or pull-out couch with a new lover or friend.

Venus in Scorpio
Taurus season invites you to let your desire for intensely intimate encounters become your most potent gift to the world. Slumber Party: Enjoy a torrid roll in satin and silk, whether solo or partnered.

Venus in Sagittarius
Taurus season invites you to discover a sense of security even in your adventurous desire for transience. Slumber Party: Hit the road with the campfire containment of a weather-ready sleeping bag.

Venus in Capricorn
Taurus season invites you to completely trust in your 24-karat value with absolutely no proving. Slumber Party: Dominate a California King with sheets of the highest thread count.

Venus in Aquarius
Taurus season invites you to revel in your penchant for eccentric experiences while also pausing to process. Slumber Party: Take a nap on-the-go with a zebra print neck pillow as you prepare for the unknown journey ahead.

Venus in Pisces
Taurus season invites you to explore the limits of your physical body and lovingly embrace every last sensation. Slumber Party: Pull an all-nighter and take in the shifting light, sounds, and smells of the world as it rests.

Want more juicy cosmic insights and sensory explorations? Arrange an astrology reading or private event with Mojave Rising here or follow them on Instagram

THESE CARDS ARE YOUR TAROT GUIDE FOR VENUS RETROGRADE

As the planet of love, beauty, and relationship prepares to re-enter red-hot Aries, Maria Soledad has a tarot guide for Venus Retrograde…

maria soledad the numinous ruby warrington tarot journey through venus retrograde

Sunday, April 2nd :: Venus Retrograde Enters Pisces ::

Saturday, April 15th :: Venus Stations Direct in Pisces ::

Friday, April 28th :: Venus Direct Enters Aries ::

Venus retrograde is all about falling back in love with your truest desires …

A retrograde means Rediscovering, Retreating, Recharging, and letting ourselves look twice before deciding. This pause is not because we’re second guessing or doubting ourselves—it’s bonus time to relax and clarify our intentions.

Think of Venus Retrograde 2017 as a luxurious retreat in Bali where we have the extra time to recreate our love stories effortlessly and easily. It’s a time to give ourselves the luxury of remembering buried dreams, and to bring them back to life with a refined vision.

Planetary cycles are opportunities to work with archetypes, and the tarot deck gives us direct access to these symbols. So let’s dive into the unconscious and use the wisdom of the Major Arcana to navigate this dreamy season … 

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:: Venus—The Star ::  
The Star arcanum reminds us that we are channels in service of the divine and that we must manifest this divinity on earth. This is pure Venus retro energy … RE-membering and RE-fining your worth, accepting that you deserve and want recognition for your precious gifts, and shining brightly!

The Star empowers us with Divine Feminine energy that lets us shine with certainty and receptivity. This card guards and takes care of our survival instinct so we can shift our focus from doing battle with the ego to planting seeds of our true creations and letting them burst into glorious blossom.

You can work with the Star through your second chakra, just below your navel. Visualize your unique flame like your own personal oven in your perfect kitchen. Feel your lower belly filling with the fruits of your wisdom and a craving to devour the world!

By working with the Star we ask our inner Goddess to let our lives be in total communion with existence. Oh my! Do you feel it? You can feed the world! 

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 :: April 2nd- 15th. Venus Retro in Pisces—The Hermit & The High Priestess :: 

The sign of Pisces is a combo of The Hermit and The High Priestess, fusing the masculine and the feminine, embracing it all, and allowing this totality to wash away any connection to ego or trauma.

Both of these cards are about Retreating and finding ourselves through solitude, so we can arrive again in the world with our fire reignited (pure Aries power!)

*The High Priestess: We are in The High Priestess when we fall back in love with ourselves and the pure ecstatic joy of simply being alive. She reminds us to give ourselves the luxury of listening to each one of our heart beats, and that it’s a privilege to manifest the divine in a human body.

When you can relax into the full certainty of who you are, you can leap into the unknown carrying only your essence—a totally Piscean release!

*The Hermit: Activating this wisdom is all about letting ourselves feel a little scared when we think about the deep, dark place where we might have left a dream long ago. Only by going to that place and truly passing through it can we finally trust, let go, and let Goddess.

The Hermit is the positive crisis before the super sunshine that reminds us we are already perfect, and that we don’t need anything more than what we already have to travel into new worlds.

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:: April 28-June 6. Venus Direct in Aries—The Chariot :: 
The Star’s journey through The High Priestess and The Hermit has assured us of our infinite store of internal goodness and our faith in our path. Now, we can emerge ready for some fiery action.

It’s time to bring all our awesomeness back out into the world!

Aries is masculine to Venus’s Divine Feminine, and when we think of masculine energy we can think of aggression. But empowered masculine energy is pure Inspired Action—action that’s dictated by the soul and performed from the heart.

The Chariot (Aries) knows exactly where he’s going and sets his GPS, but the Earth is what’s carrying him, with The Star (Venus) lighting the way. Channeling The Chariot means taking a deep breath before acting, and asking yourself each time what you are ready to give and receive in every situation.

Coming out of this Venus retrograde period, may you feel ready to embrace the world as your playground, and allow it to take you on an unpredictable, infinite, and joyful journey.

Sounds exciting, huh?!

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Want to ground this energy in your daily life? Put it into practice with these rituals …

-SING!!! Go back in time and do a shuffle of those songs that you used to sing out loud—whether this ends up with you crying in the shower or laughing out loud while walking.

-“Be water my friend!” I quote my beloved Bruce Lee here. Run a bath and fill it up with the intention of pure self-love.

-Go back in time and remember your little self playing “grown up.” Dig in … what did you want to do or be? Ask yourself in front of the mirror if that’s still true and if it is, ask yourself if you have allowed it to happen.

-Dare yourself to play. Send a written letter by mail to someone from the past just saying thanks. Tell someone you don’t know you are happy for being alive. Smile at cats. Buy yourself toy rings and jewelry and make a treasure chest and hide it.

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Maria Soledad is a human/actress extraordinaire, exhilarating evolutive tarot reader, astrologer fantastique, meditator goddess, and absolute artist mon amour. Follow her on Instagram, book a tarot reading, and make sure to check out her next signature manifestation meditations on April 11th and April 25th at Jill Lindsey in Brooklyn, NY.

HOLY F*CK: HOW HEARTBREAK CAN BE THE MOST POWERFUL MEDICINE

When Love is our teacher heartbreak can be the most powerful medicine, says Alexandra Roxo in her latest Holy F*ck column…

alexandra roxo holy fuck heart break open the numinous ruby warrington

So maybe just maybe some mega shit has been hitting the fan during this Venus Retrograde? Or perhaps it’s minor pieces of shit for you. Little annoying pieces of shit you thought were gone…but are still stinking up the place? Perhaps it’s around romantic love, rejection, partnership. Or perhaps self love, worth, value.

Chances are you’ve been stung. But guess what??! This means your heart is open—that it’s accessible, soft, tender, growing, reshaping, adapting, expanding. THIS IS A GOOD THING. Heartbreak can be the most powerful medicine.

Committing to living with an open heart it is not an easy road. It can mean letting your heart break and break and break, but each time it breaks it swells and becomes bigger and messier and wider and has the capacity to hold more.

This is the way of Love. (Cue Rumi.)

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CRUCIFIED BY LOVE  

Love has always been my personal teacher of choice. When I was 20 and all my friends had gurus, I was secretly writing the words “AHEM PREMA” (I am divine love) on my hand and telling folks, “Love is my guru!” I’ve been obsessed with Love for as long as I can remember. I’ve been in Love MANY times and rejected MANY times more, and still I keep on going for it.

How do I define Love?
Love is that which we were made from and that which we will return to. The primordial ooze in us. The ever present God-Goddess sparkle living in each cell. Which we feel when we”fall” in Love. Really what I believe happens is that this “falling” is us OPENING to the Love that already exists within us. What if you could feel that without an other person? This is what I’m talking about!!

And because I also never quit being curious and doing things that scare me, I signed up for a two-day intensive last week called “The Yoga of Intimacy” with Londin Angel Winters and Justin Patrick Pierce (who also may be the hottest couple on the planet. Major #RelationshipGoals.)

Arriving at a beautiful inn in Topanga I prepared myself to be “crucified by Love.” (My ideal Saturday!) Standing across from a man whose name I didn’t know, who wasn’t “my type,” I let Love show me where I was guarded. And I let it make me feel safe enough to pull down the walls and completely open to said stranger.

I looked into his eyes and cried. I shared my depths. And it felt as powerful as an Ayauasca ceremony. If not more powerful! With eyes open and locked onto someone else’s, instead of eyes closed solo-style like in plant journeys, I couldn’t escape my demons or pain or shut down or dissociate. Justin said it perfectly … “If you think ayahuasca is crazy, try love.”

I could literally NOT form a sentence afterwards. As a writer and wordsmith I was kinda freaked out by the temporary mush in my brain. But I was assured that this meant I had surrendered to the pure-as-hell-delicious Shakti/Divine Feminine energy that resides outside the mind.

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99 HEARTBREAKS & I DON’T WANT TO SOLVE THEM

At the workshop, I also had to go on a practice dinner date with an older doctor from Beverly Hills who talked like I imagine Freud would have sounded. I did NOT wanna get vulnerable with him but I did, and I broke into tears across the dinner table as I revealed to him my deepest desires. He was beyond grateful that I showed him my Heart.

As I cried and told him of all the times I had broken my heart, he said “At the end of your life would you rather have loved and had your heart broken 99 times and on the 100th found someone special, than hidden your heart and not loved at all?” It was true. And all 99 times of heartbreak are heart opening and “special” in my book.

Two days at this intensive rocked me to my core. It was SO terrifying to let go and let Love do its thing. Yet I felt more delicious than I had in ages.

alexandra roxo holy fuck heart break open ruby warrington the numinous

SO HOW CAN YOU WORK WITH LOVE’S MEDICINE? 

When Love becomes a skill and a medicine, you can hang out with a close friend and feel deeply nourished and fed when you leave them, like you just got 10 hugs and a bowl of soup from your Grandma.

Or you and your Lover can be in a constant state of divine communion, and one glance feels like 1,000 gourmet raw chocolates for your soul.

A solo Love practice means at a stop light in the car you can feel the depths of Love swimming through your body and yoni, and you have the power to release a warm honey glow throughout your body that feels like you are cumming. Try walking into a meeting from that place!

Here’s how to start … 

– Love and be loved. Identify the 5 ways you feel most Love(d). I do this with all my clients. Perhaps it’s petting your cat. Or watching your fave film. Meditating. Chanting to Goddess. Get to know the direct path to your Heart, if you don’t already, and start feeling the Love vibes often by using those tools.

– Connect to humans/animals. The internet doesn’t count unless you are one-on-one on Skype with someone. IRL is the best way to go. Make this a priority. It is the remedy against overeating, loneliness, indulging in bad habits, overworking … I’m talking real connection! Even one solid hug and “Good Morning” from a roomie is something.

– Let your heart get naked. This is where you get vulnerable. If you can practice this daily, you’ll either deepen your already existing partnerships or tenderize the nest of your heart to get it ready to let love in. Call a new friend and share something intimate. Write a poem and share it online. Ask someone for help. Practice vulnerability and practice receiving some Love. (Like let the guy at Trader Joe’s help you to your car already!)

– Feel, feel, feel. Sounds obvious, right? But how often do you feel your feelings in the moment? Practice vocalizing your pain. Frustration. Sadness. As you’re experiencing it. Let yourself feel the depths of your yearning/your rage/your sadness/your joy DAILY.

– Daydream. Do a little bit of daydreaming each day. Imagine your lover caressing your neck. Imagine your lover giving you that “I wanna fuck you” look across the room at a crowded party. If this sounds cheesy to you then work on the vulnerability of your heart.

Whether you are in partnership or flying solo, you can play with Love every day. You can become more and more conscious of living in your full beauty and radiance and sexiness the more and more you release the fear of getting hurt. You can just open. The pain becomes part of your practice too and, trust me, you even start to love that! WHAAA?!!! Can it be?!!! Yeeeep.

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Londin & Justin’s next intensive is September 16-17th, and I’ll def be there crying and loving and embodying all the Shakti I can, Goddess willing. You can discover more about them and their work Londinangelwinters.com

THE 2017 ARIES NEW MOON WANTS YOU TO GET EXCITED ABOUT LIFE

The message of the 2017 Aries New Moon is to streamline, get excited and leap into action, says Sandra Sitron

moon club The Numinous
Get a brand new workbook for the coming Moon phase when you join Moon Club! Sign up here.

New Moon :: March 27 2017 :: 10:57 pm EST :: 7 degrees Aries

Do you remember what excitement feels like? Do you remember what anticipation feels like? This is the energy of the 2017 Aries New Moon. She whispers, “Ready?” But not into your ear. She whispers into your heart. And the question builds there like a drumbeat, until it pounds along in tempo with the rhythm of your spirit. And suddenly, you know you are. Ready.

March 27 brings us a New Moon in Aries. The New Moon is the time when the Sun and the Moon join together. The Moon does not reflect the Sun’s light from this angle, so the Moon is dark. In the darkness, we ready ourselves for the next stage of growth by planting seeds of intention.

As the first sign of the zodiac, fiery Aries symbolizes the new seed. Aries is the grand initiator of the Zodiac. It all begins with Aries energy. In the beginning of our lives, when we are babies, our only responsibility is to be ALIVE. This is the Aries life stage. I like to describe Aries as the baby’s first cry. That sound is the assertion of Self into the world. “I am here!” Aries’ work is to live, lead and act.

This energy is coming in strong at this New Moon with five planets grouped together in Aries. This brings exciting creative possibilities. We can harness this energy to know ourselves better. We can become leaders and producers in a completely new way. And yet, there can be a proliferation of aggression or rashness as well. To maintain your balance stay actively engaged and present. Watch your thoughts. If things are making you angry, find out why. Can you choose a different thought?

The 2017 Aries New Moon makes only one major aspect, a conjunction to Venus in Aries. To me, this signifies simplicity and focus. The overall feeling of the 2017 Aries New Moon is that it’s time to bathe in your own fire of purification. It’s possible that you’ve been processing, working, holding, and storing. As this new energy comes in, see what you can burn away. Notice what you no longer need. Clearing and purifying yourself in this way will make you ready for action. Imagine yourself ready to take on the world totally unencumbered.

How to do this? You may try meditating to clear out and simplify your thought patterns. Breathwork, shamanic practice, crystal bed healing, reiki, or acupuncture to energetically clear. Exercise to clear yourself physically. Feel your feelings to clear yourself emotionally. Use all of this as momentum to help you spring into action.

Let yourself become energetically, mentally, physically, and spiritually refreshed. This will allow you to surprise yourself with higher energy levels. Meditate on how you are ready to lead. Make yourself more free. Assert your individuality. Define yourself. Make strong choices and take action.

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New Moon Conjunct Venus in Aries
Fire at sea.
Normally, Moon conjunct Venus is liquid love. It’s love in all of it’s facets, love for self, friendship, love for family, and passionate love. And this love expands and crests on the sea of lunar emotion like a tidal wave. And yet, in this scenario, Venus is slightly uncomfortable in Aries. She hasn’t quite got her groove on, and it can make her a little bit angry. There’s a fire on the water. Keep tabs on Venus in Aries to make sure she doesn’t become passive-aggressive. Give her gentle nudges to remind her that being defensive isn’t going to get her anywhere.

But do allow your passion to rise with the 2017 Aries New Moon. Get yourself in a fiery, loving mood. Take yourself out of your comfort zone to love even harder. Declare it. This is a great time to affirm to yourself that you are worthy. You deserve.

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Use the questions below to dive deeper into the lessons of the 2017 Aries New Moon. For a more accurate reading, calculate your chart for free here and see what house holds 7 degrees Aries…

Aries or New Moon in the 1st house
What project do you need to begin this year? What are action steps you can take now to get the wheels in motion?

Taurus or New Moon in the 12th house
How can you more actively connect with your intuition? This post could help you find new ways.

Gemini or New Moon in the 11th house
What can you do to build your network? Challenge yourself to take some action steps.

Cancer or New Moon in the 10th house
What are five risks you can take in your career? What kind of expansion might taking these risks bring you?

Leo or New Moon in the 9th house
Write “I should” on a piece of paper, then write all the things you “should” do. Now change “I should” to “If I wanted to, I could.” Does this change give you more freedom?

Virgo or New Moon in the 8th house
What are you willing to release? Write it down. Burn the paper.

Libra or New Moon in the 7th house
How can you love more passionately? How would you express your love for another if there was no risk of rejection?

Scorpio or New Moon in the 6th house
What new healthy habits are you ready for? What area of your life feels toxic and how can you purge this?

Sagittarius or New Moon in the 5th house
What new creative practices will you put into action now? When do you feel most in your “flow”?

Capricorn or New Moon in the 4th house
Do you feel safe enough to be yourself? Why not? What do you need to experience more safety, comfort and nurturing?

Aquarius or New Moon in the 3rd house
What do you need to be thinking about in a new way? Arrange to meet up with a friend who always gives you new ideas.

Pisces or New Moon in the 2nd house
What risk would you take if you were completely confident it would all work out perfectly?

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandra here.

THE TRUTH ABOUT SOULMATES

Think love should be like a screening of “The Notebook”? The truth about soulmates is dutch ovens, stretch marks, and past life pacts, says comedian and energy healer Jessica Brodkin. Main Image: Mariano Peccinetti.

jessica brodkin the truth about soulmates ruby warrington the numinous mariano peccinetti 

Want to learn the truth about soulmates? Then listen to a psychic healer who’s had two divorces and a broken engagement. Trust me—I’ve met a lot of soulmates. But after massive heartbreak, and seeing my own clients through theirs, the same patterns and solutions have begun to emerge.

And I’ve discovered that real soulmates aren’t like the people you see in The Notebook. They’re more like my Mom and Dad, who believe they are soulmates…and who make fun of each other. “I must have been a real jerk to your father in a past life to have to put up with him now,” my Mom frequently quips.

With Venus retrograde until April 15th, we have an opportunity to re-examine our relationship with love, and to determine what is and isn’t working for us. Here are the five things I wish I’d known about soulmates ten years ago… 

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1. Your Soulmates are Not Just Your Lovers 
I think of incarnating (being born into your current life and body) as traveling with a plane full of your friends to Cancun, with only a few vague plans. “Marissa—see you on Tuesday in Tulum. Mark—save the last night for me, we’re going dancing and I wanna make out in the sand. ”

As someone who has always believed in past lives, I was one of those creepy kids who remembered how I died. I have a strong conviction that we travel throughout our lives with some of the same people in order for our souls to grow. Your mother, your siblings, your nephews, your boss, and even your roommate can all potentially be your soulmates.

Reading List: Carolyn Myss’ Sacred Contractsand Michael Newton’s Journey of Souls. 

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2. The Person You Think is Your Soulmate is Probably Healing Your Parental Issues
If you feel that your partner is tormenting you, he or she is probably helping to heal your parental issues. According to a lot of psychological theories, we choose partners based on the hurts we either experienced or witnessed as children.

In the summer of 2015, my then husband and I were planning on having a child. Two healers had something to say about this—the first that things weren’t going to work out as planned, but I wasn’t ready to hear that my marriage was going to end soon. However, the second healer convinced me to do a detox in order to have a healthy baby and halfway through, I realized I could not have a baby with this man. His issues, and our issues, were unresolved stuff from my childhood. He was definitely one of my soulmates, if not necessarily “the one”…

Reading List: Harville Hendrix’s Getting the Love You Want

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3. Love the One You’re With
We all like to think we’re royalty, but we’re more like Princess Fiona—expecting some charming prince or princess, but falling in love with Shrek instead. While Fiona became a green ogre in order to love him, when I got married and ruined my credit rating. Which is to say, your soulmate may not come in the package you expect, and he or she may be more into dutch ovens than you’d like.

What if the imperfect partner you have right now is your soulmate, and what if soulmates didn’t have to be forever? All of our partners are teachers—and some are here to show us our shadow side. If we abandon our current partner without doing the inner work they ask, we’ll find ourselves repeating our relationship patterns over and over again.

Reading List: Deepak Chopra’s A Path to Love

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4. Love Yourself, Too

There’s nothing more important than loving yourself. Trust me—I’m trying to get a crystal sex toy company to sponsor my radio show. This isn’t about arrogance, or attention-seeking behavior. It’s about accepting yourself where you are, and seeing the perfection in your imperfection. So love yourself so a partner can meet you where you are in life—the partner in your life is always a vibrational match for how you feel about yourself right now.

Write a gratitude list of all the awesome things about you. Talk to your stretch marks and scars, and tell them that you love them. Think of all the fun you had creating them! Practice self care. What makes you feel like a queen? What brings you bliss? Follow that joy.

Reading List: Gala Darling’s Radical Self-Love and Louise Hay’s How to Love Yourself

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5. And Finally … Trust Your Intuition
I once went to a psychic who told me I had a ghost baby living inside of me…and that I needed to pay her $700 to have a ghost abortion. I told her that for $700, I was going to keep the ghost baby. When I was in the middle of my divorce, another psychic told me that a new suitor was my twin flame (a.k.a. super soulmate). After being stood up multiple times, I started to think differently.

If I could give only one message to people who feel any sort of fear or insecurity about their love lives, I would say “Don’t go to psychics!” Even though I’m also a psychic and medium, I work primarily as a healer because I want my clients to develop their own intuition instead of relying on something outside of themselves.

People usually go to psychics to calm their fears. But one of the most difficult (and beautiful) parts of being human is to embrace your life despite those fears. To live your life, and love with reckless abandon. If your heart gets broken you will survive, eventually heal, and then learn to love again!

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Jessica Brodkin is a Reiki energy healer and stand up comedian based in New York City. She is an MIT and Johns Hopkins graduate who worked for the Central Intelligence Agency for 11 years, and has been featured on the cover of the New York Post, and on TruTV, AMC, and SiriusXM radio. She also has a weekly radio show on Journey Into the Light. Follow her on Instagram and discover more about her energy healing here.

A GUIDE TO VENUS RETROGRADE FOR YOUR SIGN

Does the sound of another retrograde have you reeling? Chill! Venus Retrograde 2017 is a time for rediscovering where our true love lives, says Danielle Paige … Main Image: Carlos Bongiovanni 

venus retrograde 2017 venus retrograde the numinous ruby warrington danielle paige carlos bongiovanni

Saturday, March 4th :: Venus Stations Retrograde :: 14 degrees of Aries

Sunday, April 2nd :: Venus Re-enters Pisces  

Saturday, April 15th :: Venus Goes Direct :: 26 degrees of Pisces 

Lovers. Love. Sex. Money. The Feminine. Self-worth. Intimacy. Values. Relating. Giving. Receiving. Ahhhhh yes … all of the above is up for RE-discovery, right now.

While our first reaction to the word “retrograde” might be to let out a sigh of frustration, these cycles are actually moments of deep review. Think of this as an opportunity to work with your shadow side, heal those parts that need to be integrated or purged, and upgrade your patterns.

But of course, it’s not all sweetness and light—doing shadow work prompts us to address things that have been pushed under the rug. There will be breakups and there may be confusion in your current relationships. Whether you’re pretending you have a perfect relationship when you know it’s not truly nourishing your soul, or are stuck in the same relationship patterns over and over, it’s an optimal time to get real about what’s no longer working. And with this realness, eventually comes clarity. 

Ex-lovers? Venus Retrograde energy always tends to dig up the past in order to end old cycles, so don’t be surprised if old flames pop back up. New relationships? This can definitely be a time where people enter your life for karmic work. Be aware that “karmic” doesn’t always mean roses and sunshine! These will be relationships that force you to confront parts of yourself that you’re suppressing.

However, the energy of Venus is two-fold. While she symbolizes how we connect with others, each relationship has everything to do with what we VALUE, since we often project our core desires onto others. Remember to keep this broader message of Venus Retrograde in mind. Ask, how are you working with your feminine energy? Does it need more balancing? What’s your relationship to money like? Are you having a hard time discovering your core desires and values? Now is the time to dig deep into your heart and explore all of these themes—without judgement!

And please, don’t force it. Simply remain mindful that after Venus goes direct, you may start to see things differently. Whatever happens during this time, trust that your heart always knows the way home!

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Wondering where to start? Discover your Venus sign by looking at your birth chart and following the guide below. 

mariano peccinetti ruby warrington the numinous danielle paige venus retrograde 2017
Collage: Mariano Peccinetti

:: Venus in Aries :: Venus Retrograde is encouraging you to reconnect with your courage and independence in a balanced way, instead of just diving in head first. You are good at pushing others to find their independence but sometimes that means you forget about yours—reconnect with your courage and your truth!

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:: Venus in Taurus :: Venus Retrograde is encouraging you to connect back with your own sensuality and your core values. You are good at sustaining others in love but have you forgotten to sustain yourself as well? Take your time in love—you’re meant to go at your own pace.

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:: Venus in Gemini ::Venus Retrograde is encouraging you to communicate your needs clearly, but to do so in a way that moves beyond the surface and gets real. It’s easy for you to skim the surface but what happens if you get a little deeper? You move beyond the shadow energy of Venus in Gemini and you may actually find something that doesn’t bore you!

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:: Venus in Cancer ::Venus Retrograde is encouraging you to nurture yourself as you would a child. You spend so much time taking care of others, and with this Venus energy redirected, it can help you better care for your own feelings. You are the mamma bear of love but don’t forget that mamma bears need love too.

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:: Venus in Leo ::Venus Retrograde is encouraging you to shine your love and light on the world in a way that motivates others, instead of only making it all about yourself. You have such an ability to show others the way—use it to serve, inspire, love, and cheer people on and raise them up! In doing so, you raise your vibration as well.

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:: Venus is in Virgo ::Venus Retrograde is encouraging you to clean up your diet, health, and routine so that you can be of service to yourself in a way that you haven’t before. You are dedicated with your love, so make sure you are dedicated to yourself as well.

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:: Venus in Libra ::Venus Retrograde is encouraging you to find the right relationship for your soul, not just any relationship. Libra enjoys partnership and can often lose themselves in one. Instead, this is a time to really get connected with what you need and desire in a divine partnership that lifts you up rather than simply fills a void.

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:: Venus in Scorpio ::Venus Retrograde is encouraging you to connect deeply with those around you. Surface relationships are not your thing so if it’s not activating your heart then it’s time to go deeper or move onto something else. Out of all the Venus placements, you know when to purge a relationship or when it’s a call for deeper intimacy—trust that you know what to do!

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:: Venus in Sagittarius :: Venus Retrograde is encouraging you to spread your wings! Go on adventures either with your lover or by yourself, because you never know who you might meet. This is the Venus sign that says “yes” to expansion. Have you been stuck in a rut? It’s time to explore and let your passport lead the way…

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:: Venus in Capricorn :: Venus Retrograde is encouraging you to find your own inner authority. You are always very good at helping others rise to the top so now take the time to plan out your next steps for inner and outer success. In your uphill climb, remember that slow and steady wins the race for you.

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:: Venus in Aquarius :: Venus Retrograde is encouraging you to play up your intelligence and your uniqueness. Often times, you may subconsciously hide these qualities because it challenges societal expectations, but thisVenus Retrograde is the time to tap into all that makes you, you! This is your path towards the free-spirited love you so desire.

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:: Venus in Pisces :: Venus Retrograde is encouraging you to make sure you’re seeing love clearly. Pisces energy can sometimes focus solely on the good parts and ignore the red flags in relationships. Instead of focusing so much on others, this is also good time to be sure you are seeing yourself clearly as well. Are you ignoring your own inner flags? Refocusing on your own process will help you find more clarity in love as well.

Speaking of feminine energy—is a vacation in Greece calling you? Discover more about Danielle’s upcoming Greek Goddess Island retreat (only 2 spaces left) and all her astrological services HERE

HOLY F*CK: RECLAIM YOUR SEXUAL POWER & HELP HEAL THE WORLD

Reclaiming your sexual power and potential is part of the collective awakening happening now. And it’s never too late, says Alexandra RoxoPortraits: Alexandra Herstik

alexandra Roxo holy Fuck The Numinous sexual power

I’ve taken a few months off from really diving into topics of sex, eroticism, and partnership here in my column. Why? I must admit, I’ve been distracted by politics and found myself thinking: “How can I dare talk about sex, as the world is seemingly in dire need of discourse about so many other things?!”

Well, as my passion for sharing about love and sex wandered around my brain like a disenfranchised child with no home, who else but Sigmund Freud swooped in to validate it—and shove it back into the world!

Freud said that sexual repression is the chief psychological problem of humankind, and the root of many crimes, illness, war and woe. As if I need a dead white man to remind me of something I already knew! But I did. Touché Dr Freud, touché.

And his theory reminded me that it’s okay to continue sharing about love, sex and partnerships—even in a time when ICE raids are being done to innocent people, families are being separated and deported, and the whole structure of a country that felt like it was moving towards progress is being threatened.

Because this includes LOVE and SEX.

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THE SEXUAL LANDSCAPE YOU WERE BORN INTO

Let’s take a very brief tour of history. Some say that we once lived in a “partnership” society, where people co-existed in some states of harmony. This shifted into a “dominator” society. Have you seen the movie or read the book “Mists of Avalon?” In the book there is a battle between the “old” religion—a religion honoring nature, The Goddess, the many faces of the Divine—and the “new” religion, a religion honoring ONE man.

Pantheistic to monotheistic. This shift changed everything for humanity. When the Goddess religion/pantheistic religions went out, so did our connection to nature, to ecstatic states, to sex, to the Feminine. By denying sex we denied nature! As Terrence McKenna said in his book Food of the Gods: “The dark night of the soul for planet Earth began.”

The “Wild Woman” (seen as a reflection of nature herself) was then sought to be tamed. We saw the literal possession of women. Burning of witches. Corsets. Chastity belts. Women’s rights being taken away in many many cultures. The polarization of “the virgin” and “the whore.” And this, my dears, is what YOU were born into.

Fair enough, in this country we got it about the LEAST bad—we are able to vote, get an abortion, wear what we want. BUT this also created a dichotomy that can be VERY confusing.

You were told you can speak up and be you. But you must also be sweet and pretty and skinny. You were told it was slutty to enjoy lots of sex. But you were told also “Claim your sexuality!” You were told you could wear what you want. But when you wore it you were treated differently. At least when it was scandalous to show an ankle it was very clear. ANKLE = SLUT. Now the dial is all over the place.

If you were born into any religion that is monotheistic and patriarchal then whether you want to accept it or not, you probs have internalized all kinds of sexual repression with a side of shame, and a dash of guilt on top. (If you somehow escaped all this then…GODDESS BLESS!)

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SO, HOW THE HELL DO WE MOVE BEYOND THIS?

It’s going to take a lot more work. See my piece from last year about “Sexual Healing” for a refresh and jump start.

The biggest thing we can do is keep QUESTIONING. Everything. In sex. Redefining our experiences as our own. Making our own rules. Reclaiming what is our human right.

FOR EXAMPLE. Perhaps by society’s standards it’s not acceptable to sob uncontrollably during sex. HOWEVER, the energy of sex is MAD powerful, and when used to it’s full conscious potential can be a shamanic experience. So, if you are having conscious deep deep sex, and start releasing trauma or shame or guilt from your body you will probably sob. This can cause more shame because we’ve been taught that’s not okay.

My first girlfriend was a shamanic mover of energy and she knew it. The orgasms I had with her moved massive amounts of shame I had internalized growing up in the Christian south, out of my body. She held space for me. Made me feel safe enough to completely release into my body and use the energy of sex for deep healing. Sometimes that meant opening further and further when I thought I couldn’t anymore, but she helped me keep going, much like in a plant medicine ceremony, or even running a marathon. The altered state that one enters during sex can be a place where so much work can take place.

So how do you allow yourself to let go enough to work with the energy of sex, or even love or partnership, for healing and ecstasy?

alexandra Roxo holy Fuck The Numinous sexual power

HOW TO LITERALLY RECLAIM YOUR SEXUAL POWER

Create a conscious container. By container I mean a defined space. Whether you are coming together just for sex or also for a certain amount of time weekly for sexual exploration define the rules, the terms. How long? What do we do if someone wants to scream or cry?

Communication! If you want to have a soul sob with a deep cervical orgasm you have to make sure your partner can “hold” you through it. Instead of saying, “Hey babe. What’s wrong? Don’t cry,” educate them to hold the space for you, and say instead: “I’m here. Let it out. Stay with it. I love you.”

When you release some of the pain in your body that’s hidden deep within your cervix or womb of COURSE there will be tears, shouting, laughing—ALL OF IT! But you will feel so much lighter and freer afterwards if you let those emotions come out and you don’t hold them in. Not worrying about what you may look like or sound like. Instead, being like a raging river, embodying Kali, embodying Venus, the rivers of Oshun, the energy of a storm, the energy of the ocean. She is never ashamed for her moods and needs. She just IS.

If you look at sex as expansion beyond the “get in and get off” vibe we’ve been taught by movies and TV our whole lives, you will see it has massive healing potential to clear through chakras and move blocks—while increasing your radiance and attraction levels in a major way! It’s a super power and that’s why it has been repressed and controlled for so long.

If you think back to how you “learned” sex it was probably mostly through media. Women “sound” like this or that. They make these faces during sex. They lay on the bed in this or that way. What if that was all learned behavior and in order to reclaim your full sexual potential you get to go on the journey of FINDING OUT what your natural sexual state is?

What faces you make. What sounds. Maybe you sing when you cum! Or make low guttural grunts. Maybe you sob uncontrollably for A YEAR as you release shame from your body. Does that mean something is wrong with you? NO. HELL NO. Maybe you find your fantasy and realize you like to be flogged or spanked. Does that mean something is wrong with you? NOPE.

It’s a choice. You make the choice to embody Bridget Jones. Or Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. Or Carrie in Sex and the City. Or…Venus emerging from the ocean. Kali emerging from a fire. Persephone diving into the Underworld and coming back renewed. You choose.

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RE-WRITE THE SEX SCRIPT

Here are some practical ways to begin to rewrite some of your sexual programming…

– Be Curious! Read books. Listen to podcasts. Don’t be ashamed if you want to learn about polyamory. Or multiple orgasms. Or whatever the hell you’re into. Nothing is too strange. Nothing is too weird. As you begin to delve, protect your little seed of curiosity before sharing with everyone. You don’t need anyone’s opinions about your desire to learn about 1950’s Occult Sex Parties or prostate massage. It’s your exploration. Keep it sacred.

– Look at your demons. Your shadows. Your shames. Have you engaged in healing around your sexual history? Chances are your first sexual experiences were rather “unconscious,” maybe with alcohol attached and not centered around heart opening and connecting. And if not, well, kudos to you! (Mine were pretty dope with candles and a fountain and fairy lights and soft music and eye gazing even when I was a preteen cause I was #BornThisWay. But then I’ve also had about 100 that were NOT like that at all…) If you feel you have work to do around love and sex then start journaling about your programming, stories, traumas. Engage in conversations. Do the healing work with a coach or in a group.

– Create the space to explore. If you’re in partnership then consciously communicate with your partner about wanting to make the sex more conscious and expansive, and work to bust through some of the cultural norms together. Perhaps this means engaging in some connecting work before sex. Eye gazing. Doing some tantric breath. Giving each other space to hear fantasies without judgement. That means if your lover says “I’m turned on by watching horses fuck” you have to listen and hold space for that and not be like “EW!” immediately. Trust is very important when opening in this way. If you’re solo then start getting in there and doing your own exploration work with your self. Learn your fantasies. What feels good and what doesn’t.

– Be aware of your words. Stories you perpetuate with your words which can cast magical spells. Sometimes I catch myself talking like Samantha from SATC and I stop myself. Some of that languaging and programming is NOT conscious at all. Sure, it’s fun, but it’s creating a reality that I picked up from TV. Not my own heart.

– Question everything. This can be fun! “Do I actually like to wax my puss? Or do I do it cause someone told me to?” Hmm well for me honestly I think it’s the later. “Do I actually like lingerie and Agent Provocateur?” Resounding YES for me on that one! “Where is my sexuality at on the Kinsey scale?”

– Talk to your friends. THIS IS HARD. One time when I brought up the transcendental power of fisting to catapult you into an altered state in a car of women there was RADIO SILENCE. It was awkward. But without discussion things continue to be taboo Unspeakable. Hidden away in dark corners. So moving past that awkward silence with some laughter and humility is enough to open the floodgates. Before you know it someone will be sharing how they once used a cucumber as a dildo and you won’t feel alone.

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If you want to work with a group on this, I’m doing a monthly HOLY F*CK workshop starting on the New Moon of 2.26!  This is a little different than the salon I did last year as this is deeper work, and enough to keep you busy exploring and reprogramming and rewiring your sex energy until the next month’s workshop! Sign up HERE. And as always I do one on one mentorships and coaching sessions which you can book HERE.

A SACRED SPACE RITUAL FOR VALENTINE’S DAY

Laurey Simmons of The Colourful Dot Boutique, shares a sacred space ritual to open your heart this Valentine’s Day…

Laurey Simmons sacred space ritual for Valentine's rose quartz the numinous

Beyond the chocolates and red roses, Valentines Day for me is a precious reminder to keep our hearts open. As psychotherapist and spiritual teacher John Welwood says, our heart’s true purpose is really: “to be an open channel through which great love flows into this world.”

One of my favorite ways of opening this channel is by spending time in my sacred space. A sacred space is simply one corner of our home environment where we keep beautiful objects that are special or sacred to us. The space can be as large or as small as you want. Even if you only have a small section of a shelf, this too can be a perfect place to make your sacred space.

Keeping a sacred space is a precious gift to our soul, a reminder of how we want to be in the world, a mirror reflecting back to us our Inner Beauty.

Read on for a sacred space ritual for an open heart…

Laurey Simmons sacred space ritual for Valentine's rose quartz the numinous

1. First thing to do is to cleanse the energy of your space. One of my favorite ways to cleanse is by burning Frankincense resin. Dropping a few pieces of the resin onto a burning charcoal disc allows for the heavenly smoke to rise and fill the surrounding air. Breathing in this aroma, I find my mind-chatter settles, my body relaxes, and my energies become grounded.

2. With the theme of Love in mind, I’ll be adding a few drops of Rose Oil into my diffuser. The combination of Frankincense and Rose Oil smells seriously divine! Rose of course exudes love and beauty, both visually and through her perfect scent. Did you know that Rose essential Oil has been proven in studies to reduce anxiety and produce deep levels of relaxation?

3. Now for some visual beauty. Nothing opens my heart more than beautiful objects from Mother Nature, especially crystals. Three pink, heart-centered stones I’m working with a lot at the moment are Rose Quartz, the mother of Love stones; Mangano Calcite, which radiates the energies of the heart in a very gentle, nurturing, and soothing way; and Pink Morganite, also known as the Pink Emerald, and a wonderful tool to help cultivate qualities of the heart, like compassion. I also love to add fresh flowers to my sacred space—in this case, either fresh pink roses or a bowl of dried pink roses.

4. The next step is to connect to the energy of those who radiate an open heart or Unconditional Love. It could be a spiritual teacher, a historical or mythical figure, a friend or family member. At the moment, the chosen beings of light in my sacred space are Ram Dass, Maya Aneglou, Thich Nhat Hann, Joni Mitchell, and Heqet (the Ancient Egyptian goddess and symbol of new life). Ideally, print off some small images of these people so they can beam their light right back at you from the heart of your sacred space.

5. An open heart is only truly open if we can keep it so in challenging situations. With this in mind, I like to have an object in my sacred space that symbolizes this challenging situation or person. This practice is taken from one of my spiritual teachers, Ram Dass, who spoke about his own puja table and how he’d have pictures of his teachers there, Buddha, Hanuman, Maharajah, Mary, and how every morning he would greet them with love. This included a picture of one of his most difficult people, Caspar Weinberger, President Reagan’s Secretary of Defense. An alternative to a picture of a specific person is simply to include a broken or damaged object. I sometimes use a decaying leaf to, reminding me of those spaces in my heart that sometimes struggle to stay open, allowing feelings of compassion towards that situation or person that challenges us.

6. To finish this ritual, I love to place my hand on my heart and set a little intention: to keep the people who inspire me and the beauty, especially the beauty of imperfection, in my heart throughout the day, so I can be a more compassionate and loving person in the world. I also recommend placing your hand on your heart throughout the day, especially if you ever feel it closing up. This simple gesture can bring you directly back to that inner space of Beauty and Love.

Discover more about Laurey and her work at The Colourful Dot Boutique, an online sanctuary for Inner Beauty. Pre-order her new book, The Inner Beauty Bible: Mindful rituals to nourish your soul, today.