Last week’s New Moon in Cancer felt like a tipping point for some major personal transitions. And all because I womaned-up, learned to love my Moon and embraced my emotional body. By Ruby Warrington.
When I first met Marma Katie a few months back (as in Ayurvedic “marma” massage – she’s the go-to girl among my NYC Numis), she started telling me all about her Moon Puja. We were at the launch of Nadya Andreeva’s Happy Belly book, which felt like a fitting place for a discussion about an ancient spiritual fasting practice designed to support your mental and emotional balance, while also easing any issues with the digestive system (unsurprising that the emo Moon rules the gut).
The Puja, which is performed every Monday (yup, Moon-day), involves taking only clear or white liquids from sun up to sun down, at which point you chant your Moon mantra, light a candle and break the fast with a small white cookie, sweet or piece of cheese.
“It’s for anybody who’s Moon, or mother energy, is in a compromised position in their chart,” Katie explained. As the Moon also rules the feminine principal, “treating mainly women on a Monday, particularly mothers and grandmothers, has become part of my practise too,” she went on.
We didn’t go into the details of her Moon placement there and then, but obviously our conversation got me thinking about my Moon, which I’ve been feeling very tender towards lately – to the point that Moon signs have become my latest astro obsession.
Representing the mother, as well as our emotional body, my Cancer Moon sits directly square (challenges, tests, inhibits) my Sun, in my intense eighth house (death and rebirth, sex and money). Even more “compromising,” it’s in a tight aspect conjunct Saturn (self-sacrifice, patience, austerity). Poor little Moon! Um, perhaps the Monday Puja was for me too?
Turns out that in Vedic astrology (relevant because the Puja is an Ayurvedic practise) my Moon is in my ninth house, and is actually “very, very blessed” – this info via text from Marma Katie’s astrologer out in LA. “Your mom is kind of like your guru, though she’s very tough. She’s a truth teller. Not always fun, but at least you know where you stand,” he told me.
Uh…word. She’s also a Jungian psychotherapist, and so let’s just say that conversations can get pretty deep, pretty fast. There’s not a lot of space for small talk in our relationship (but hey, at least we know each other’s deepest, darkest insecurities).
So anyway, no Puja for me. I have to say I was a little bit disappointed, as I quite liked the idea of a diet of coconut water and cauliflower soup one day a week – plus I’d already been eyeing up this pearl ring, as you’re supposed to wear a piece of jewelry to rep the Moon energy too. But all my research has actually felt like part of an on-going process of getting to know my Moon, which has been a healing journey in itself.
I first began to understand my Cancer Moon on the Astro Twins’ Become Your Own Astrologer retreat last year. Cancer is ruled by the Moon, which I interpreted as a double whammy of sensitive, watery, intuitive energy – and sitting right below disciplinarian Saturn, in that medieval eighth house, first I wanted to make it my scapegoat. “Moon, it’s your fault I get so insecure about money. Moon, it was you who let my first boyfriend use sex as a weapon of control. Moon, you’re the reason I have such an emotional digestive tract!”
But I quickly got over all that self-pitying bullshit, and realized I should actually welcome my emotionally empowered Moon as a soulful counterpoint to all the fire in my chart (Sag rising, Aries Sun and a Chinese Fire Dragon to boot). “Do you sing?” asked one of the other women on the retreat. Apparently all the divas – Mariah Carey, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin – are Aries with Cancer moon. In other words, walking egos with serious soul 😉
And actually, my first conscious effort to bring forth my Moon energy was an East Village karaoke session with the Twins soon after the retreat. Usually enough to bring on a mild anxiety attack at the mere thought, but surprisingly empowering in the moment.
Of course, with Saturn RIGHT THERE my hardest lessons happen to be where my Moon is (all the money stuff, the sex stuff, the personal power schtick). But I’ve also come to understand that she, along with my girl gang of incredible female friends, is there to nurture me through them. And that confronting my most emotionally painful, most basic truths (safe in the knowledge that my courageous Aries Sun is also right there by my side) is the fast track to some seriously high vibe eighth house transformations – not least when it comes to my relationship with my mother. It also makes sense that the energy surrounding last week’s New Moon in Cancer felt like a tipping point for many of these transitions.
So where’s the Moon in your chart? If living a richly textured life is about connecting mind (as I see it, your Sun), body (rising sign) and soul (the Moon), then embracing your Moon and all it has to teach about your emotional life is an essential part in bringing your whole self to the table – in life, in love, 24-7.
Once you’ve downloaded your personal birth chart, click here for a full interpretation of the Moon in each house.
Looking for an alternative New Moon manifestation ritual? Artist Monica Ruiz makes prayer flags for herself and her friends as a way of reppin’ her love for the life she gets to live. Main image: Larry Louie
Home made prayer flags – Numi style
When I think of prayer flags, fabric panels ranging in sizes and colors with spiritual images, hanging and swaying in a breeze in a secret garden or a cute storefront, I always see and feel peace, wishes fulfilled, Universal love and freedom.
I had given to friends and also received the mini-squares from Tibet that represent light and all the elements, thus bringing health and harmony to all. After the panels naturally fade away due to the elements, it is believed that the mindful loving intentions within the flag fade into the Universe, contributing to an ongoing cycle of the flag’s blessings.
I wanted to re-create my own using images I had already saved from magazines, old books and stamps, and even just cool paper that felt special to my heart. After I made a quick one just to see if my vision was as easy as it seemed (it is!) I kinda went prayer-flag crazy. I made them for everyone around me, including many for myself.
The two that hang in my studio today represent the surfing elements for my Pisces ocean-loving soul-surfer boyfriend, along with some “Marie Antoinette/ French masquerade” vibes pour moi!
And then I have one hanging up in my vanity room / lounge reppin’ my love of books, writing, and my job at the library that supports my life and allows me to live out my daydreams. While I’m putting on my mascara in the a.m. I can glance up and give thanks with a smile.
My flags are small pieces of art that I feel serve as sacred reminders of the simple things that make us smile and lift our spirit. While I like to hang ours on our year-round blue fairy lights in our bedroom, doorways and windows are fun too. I have also hung them up on bulletin boards on my desk at work and on a huge collage at home. There was even one point they were nicknamed “Purr Flags,” by a friend who felt all warm and fuzzy on receiving hers.
“It felt good to give away something beautiful that I loved”
Having got such a great reaction gifting them to people I know, I decided to make a special one as a birthday gift for my spiritual teacher Gabrielle Bernstein a couple of years ago. I’ve written about my gratitude for her before, as she’s kinda been the vessel for many hardcore lessons I’ve needed to start receiving, and for learning more about forgiveness, love and how to listen to my heart and angels.
I felt compelled to make a prayer flag a la Gabby, with images that included her love of street art, the cosmos, her recent engagement in Paris, sacred Buddha statues, mystical silhouettes, powerful words, vibrant energy and of course just lots of LOVE.
Only Love is Real is Gabby’s motto, and I felt like I wanted this flag to have my love and appreciation for Gabby literally bursting through because of the gifts she has shared with me. It took all day, but it was so enjoyable and groovy to create. I was also happy and excited to put many of the images I’d save for future flags of my own on my guru’s flag, because I actually felt the transfer of love: it felt good to give away something beautiful that I loved. It was a true gift of appreciation from the heart.
Because of Hurricane Sandy that year, Gabby didn’t actually receive my flag until May 2013, while her birthday was November 1st! Regardless, my birthday/gratitude gift cosmically made it to her six months later. The morning I woke up and saw it unexpectedly on her Instagram feed, I felt like I was lucid-dreaming. She had it hanging up already and was allowing the magic and love from my home into hers. She loved my gift and I loved making it for her, and the prayer flag looks so cool in Gabby’s “zen den”.
The flags Monica made for Gabby hanging in her guru’s zen-den
Are you inspired to make one now? Let’s do this…
Here’s how to make a prayer flag for a sweet soul in five simple steps.
Supplies needed:
Paper images (magazines cut-outs, computer graphics, old books, saved stamps, cards, clip-art, etc)
Scissors
Double-stick tape
Glue stick
Twine (pre-cut to the length you want your flag)
Card stock or construction paper
Paper clips (optional)
Think about how many panels you’d like to work with. I’d start small at first with either three or five (odd numbers work best and the traditional flags come in sets of five, but remember there are no rules!) However many you choose you will need enough images to cover both sides.
You can either pre-cut your card-stock and then alter your images after or cut your card-stock around the image leaving about an inch as a border. Remember, this is not about being “perfect” or having exact straight lines – you’r e creating something from the heart to bring joy into your heart and home!
Glue one image to each panel’s center, one side of the panel only.
Grab your double-stick tape and twine. Lay the panels down in a row, with the image just glued on face down with a little space in between each panel. Now along the top, lay the twine across about one inch below the top edge and place a piece of double-stick tape in the center of the twine on each panel.
Glue the remaining images in the center of each panel, on top of double-stick tape/twine combo.
Voila! Your flags are ready to be shared and invoke feelings of peace, spirit, strength and magic.
Sacred and simple, have fun bringing the tradition of prayer flags into your home. Tie some little loops at the end and use a couple of twisted paperclips if needed and they can be draped wherever you like. Enjoy the process of making each panel personal but keep the process simple.
Whether you make a prayer flag for yourself or for someone special, just remember to use images that make you feel good, because whatever is made with your heart is your art. And don’t forget they are reversible! Switch ’em up depending on your mood or needed inspiration. Sometimes I will do an opposite theme on each side, like maybe sweet dreams contrasted with powerful sun energy. Use your intuition and just pick art and pictures you like! Be whimsical.
When I commented on the prayer flag I made for Gabby the last time I saw it on IG, she sweetly replied; “I look at them every day and I love them!” Wishes-fulfilled and blessings received, Amen.
Island dweller Monica Ruiz is a collage artist, hardcore daydreamer, HayHouse book reviewer, bloggess, burrito lover, cat enthusiast, librarian assistant and wanderluster who is obsessed with good hip-hop beats, Lana Del Rey and Paris, France. She owns way too many black clothes, swoons over Sofia Coppola films and loves the concept of protecting your magic with an open heart.
In this month’s column, Ellie Burrows investigates how the ancient Shamanic art of shapeshifting has infiltrated her relationships – and what she’s learned about herself in the process. Portrait: Katie Fischer.
Ask any of my friends – when it comes to my lovers, I’m known to be a shapeshifter. As in, I change form depending on my bedfellow. I admit it.
In 1998 I met my high school sweetheart. We wore Air Max 96’s, Jordans, Nike snap pants, and listened rap music in his black two-door Ford Explorer Sport. I had cornrows and rhinestone sunglasses. He was captain of the basketball team and regularly had one pant leg scrunched up to the knee. Young love at its finest, we were a match made in 1990s high school heaven. We were each other’s dawgs.
In the summer of 2006, I met an Israeli businessman twenty years my senior. It was always DJ Tiesto and the mispar echat (number one) everything: the number one restaurant, the number one hotel, the number one vodka, the number one yacht. Lots of excess, free love and bacchanalian behavior. Everything was a teachable moment and I learned all sorts of sexual lessons. He was a bird of prey and I was his helpless kill.
In my twenties, it was my seriously cool East Village architect. All raw denim all the time. No shampoo. He taught me how to dial down the fancy, wear my curly hair like a mane and eat meat off a bone. I was a lioness and he was my lion, the king and queen of a concrete jungle. We had a lot of pride. And frankly, that’s what killed us.
Shapeshifting litters the landscape of divine folklore and shamanic traditions. Magically speaking, it’s all about changing form in order to take on and assume the nature and qualities of a specific creature. A shapeshifter morphs in order to alter or enhance particular thoughts and perceptions or acquire new abilities. One changes shape to see and access the world from a different perspective.
As the dawg, the kill and the lion, I fully embraced and emulated the quality of each manimal I was with. I immersed myself in our love and thoroughly explored their natural habitats. I invoked their energy within myself, adopted their characteristics and saw the world from their vantage points.
This was a practice of sorts, the method by which I connected to the symbol of my desire. And it was most definitely a symptom of my immaturity. When I loved what they loved, enjoyed what they enjoyed and preferred what they preferred, I felt a deeper sense of closeness and communion. I think it goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, not love. And in fact I royally fucked up because I lost myself completely in each beast.
As of late, my ability to shapeshift is non-existent. Turns out, I prefer not being anything but myself. Venturing into someone else’s habitat and taking on their views, behaviors and tastes to enhance our connection no longer serves me – especially when that person drinks like a fish, doesn’t work out, lacks a connection to the divine or fucks without reverence for the act of fucking itself. I tried to get down with that species and it just didn’t work.
Changing form to align myself with my partner stifles my own needs in relationship. I became unrecognizable in the mirror and then there was no perspective at all. And if I can’t see my self in the mirror, then it defeats the whole point of partnership in the first place.
The mirror is one of my favorite metaphors for a lover, spouse, significant other, partner, friend or soul mate. It can feel vulnerable to step in front of a mirror and take a good look. You will see all your beauty, your ugly, your gains, your losses, your shortcomings and strengths. It can be exhilarating, humbling, ecstatic and painful. The human mirror is an extraordinary thing because we have the capacity to really understand our very existence in the presence of another being.
What ultimately serves me in my relationships now is to be in my true form, my authentic self, and see how I occur in the context of another human being. I’ve learned that it’s my responsibility to grow as a result of that reflection. And if I’m really honoring myself, then I can honor the other too, and hopefully be the ultimate mirror for them.
Ellie Burrows is a storyteller, seeker, mystic and guide living in New York City. Discover more at Ellieburrows.com
From a regular yoga or meditation practise to the way you like your morning latte, we all have our daily rituals. But what happens when design one that’s just for you? You become a vacuum to receive, that’s what. Ruby Warrington shares her experience of creating the custom ritual that helped call in The Numinous. Video: Shine Creative.
Last month, the Numinous hosted a guided meditation to meet your Spirit Animal, with the Modern Shamanic Practitioner Marika Messager. The event took place on a balmy early summer evening in London, at spiritual concept store Celestine Eleven, and attracted an elegant crowd – including jeweller Gina Melosi, illustrator Erin Petson, a talent booker, some girls from Elle magazine, and the fashion designer Henry Holland. The atmosphere was one hundred percent high vibe, and after the meditation, when people shared about their experience meeting their animals, they were like five-year-olds on a sugar high. In short, they were amped to have participated in this ancient Shamanic ritual.
And how funny, it took place almost six months to the day after I enacted a custom ritual, designed, in part, to ensure that when people experienced the Numinous they’d feel; “a sense of discovery, more joy and happiness and a way to connect to their true life purpose.” These were my exact words to “receptivity expert” Emily Tepper, the woman who helped me design my ritual, which eventually took place as a day-long series of events. The manifestation of which I could expect to see, yes, six months down the line.
Let me back track a little. I met Emily at one of Gabrielle Bernstein’s lectures in New York City, towards the tail end of last summer. The Numinous had only recently launched, and when she told me she designed custom rituals for people, to assist in calling in their deepest desires, I was obviously intrigued. The Numinous was a new born at the time, with so much potential ahead of it, and like a proud mamma I wondered if a ritualistic or ceremonial baptism would help set my project on the right path from the get-go. But actually, working with Emily turned out to be so much more than that.
We met on a grey day a month or so later at the Ruben Museum in Chelsea, where sombre gong music in the deserted cafeteria created a fitting backdrop for the initial ritual design session. With a background in dance, Emily, an empathetic and mystical yet earthy Piscean, described “a yearning for other people to experience their body as an agent for change, like I had from a very early age” as one of things that led her to this line of work. Studying for a degree in Experiential Design then helped her create a modality in which “everything we touch becomes the props we use to facilitate relationships, exchanges, transitions and personal growth.” And so her company, Receive Everything, was born.
Emily’s ritual design clients receive a “Receive” necklace as part of the process
Because we’re pretty well versed in the concept of manifesting these days (like attracts like, act “as if,” yada yada) – but what happens if the conditions in our body, and our life, aren’t set up to receive? What if there are “energetic cysts”, as Emily put it, stored in our tissues that need to be removed before it’s safe for our manifestations to land? This is where ritual, physical acts designed to empower our intentions, weed out doubt and link us directly to our creative, or feminine, energy comes in. It could be described as literally “going through the motions” to hardwire your body to receive. If, “your nervous system is like a riverbed, and the water is used to flowing one way,” Emily’s ritual – “a piece of performance art for your life” – would be about “taking the flow slightly outside the well-worn groove. It’s a quantum physics service!” she joked. Kind of.
Emily’s ritual process is divided into three parts – Design, Do and Download – with the design part acting like an opportunity to really get clear on what you’re calling in, as well as any impediments (negative beliefs and crazy talk) in its way. In this sense, it also rapidly becomes a bit of a therapy session. “Why is it so important to you that people feel a sense of self-ownership and freedom to choose their own life when they connect with the Numinous?” asked Emily when these emerged as key words and phrases around crystalizing the essence of my project.
Of course, it came back to a time in my life, between ages 16 and 22, when I’d been a very controlling relationship with an older guy, who imposed his tyrannical worldview to the extent that I lost all my self-confidence and developed an eating disorder. It was like I’d been brainwashed by a cult made for two. If I’d had access to the kind of tools I’ve discovered through the Numinous then – tools designed to empower us to trust our intuition and truly know ourselves and our life purpose – who knows how differently things might have gone.
From there, it was a question of coming up with visual symbols to represent the different elements of my manifestation – which would then be transformed into the elements of my actual ritual. “When you think of the Numinous, what do you see, feel and taste?” asked Emily. If the Numinous was about “enlightenment and beauty, a playful experimentation with ideas – fashionable, stylish, the zeitgeist,” what were the visual metaphors for this? In my mind’s eye, these words immediately conjured an image of white sails billowing in the breeze against a clear blue sky at high noon. Emily jotted that down.
Thinking about my former relationship, my nostrils filled with the cloying scent of skunkweed. My ex was a dedicated smoker, and I believe being stoned myself for the majority of our relationship was one of the key reasons I felt so powerless to leave him. And when Emily asked; “what would it look like if the Numinous could really change the world?” I saw a tribe of Numis taking to the streets for a party/ protest to celebrate our connection to the Universe and the freedom to chose our own belief systems. And on and on her questions went, until we had the bones of what would become my custom ritual.
In the end, we devised a day of interconnected events, beginning with me using some of my Numinous tools (smudging my space with sage, meditating with my chakra totem), before taking in a trip to the center of the Brooklyn bridge to fly a white flag at noon (see above). Then we’d travel to Emily’s studio in Bushwick, where I would bestow Numinous gifts on my friends, and stage the ceremonial burning of a time capsule representing my ex (would anybody notice the burning joint inside, I wondered?) Finally, we’d all take to the streets in celebration of our collective freedom and empowerment. My friends at Shine Creative would capture the whole thing on film, as Emily highly recommends creating a visual record of the ritual. And I now had two weeks to produce it.
The day itself, November 22, was cold and bright and went by in a happy, emotional blur. I felt like the star of my own reality show, or a bride on her big day. I was happy I’d involved my friends, as so much of creating the Numinous was about wanting to collaborate creatively with my soul tribe, and being followed by a film crew made the whole thing feel somehow more real.
And if that was “Do,” then the final part of the ritual process was to “Download,” which meant a bodywork session with Emily, who is also a certified Pilates instructor and craniosacral therapist, to ground the teachings and intention of the ritual into my tissues two weeks later. When I arrived at her studio, she asked me to write down some key phrases that summed up how I’d been feeling since. I came up with; “No more apologies,” “Trusting myself,” “Stepping up to the next level,” “Who cares what people think?” A process she described as “crystalizing my new energetic signature.”
And a little over six months later, I can feel myself stepping into all of this as I prepare to host two Numinous Live talks for Lululemon at this weekend’s Wanderlust yoga festival. The first? I’ve invited Emily to join me in introducing The Art of Ritual, what she calls a “lost social technology.” And something that, for me, has been a powerful tool in showing the Universe that I’m ready to receive the gifts I know it’s sending my way.
Numinous Live will present two talks at the Wanderlust yoga festival in Vermont. Both talks are fully booked, but clink the links below to be added to the wait lists.
King Neptune, planet of intuition, imagination and illusions, has begun its annual backward spin of the Zodiac. Ruby Warrington gets to grips with this elusive but powerful entity, and asks what this retro period will ask each sign to confront.
Neptune is the planet I find it hardest to get my head around – but then, that’s to be expected. Ruler of Pisces, Neptune is the dreamer and the empath of the cosmos, the planet ruling our imagination, our intuition and our ideals. One of the slower-moving celestial bodies (or “collective,” as their influence extends over generations), in the natal chart of anybody born between November 1970 to January 1984, and again briefly between June and November 1984, Neptune will be in Sagittarius, a sign where this deep-sea diver feels quite at home.
Sagittarius appreciates high ethics, prophetic thinking and spiritual seeking too, and has been working hand-in-hand with King Neptune to wire today’s thirty-something generation to idealize a broadening of our collective worldview. Welcome to the global village, baby, where the lure of escape into foreign cultures and spiritual codes is felt like the pull of the poles, altruism is aspirational and even the yoga or meditation practice we idolize is often seen as a gateway to a higher state of consciousness.
For Neptune the escapist and the mystic, mind-altering substances are another portal to the other dimensions that are always there in our peripheral vision. And with expansive, optimistic Sag on hand to pour or roll us another one, “go on, why not, it’ll be fun!”, it’s not surprising we found a stairway to heaven through ecstasy culture and invented binge drinking in the 1990’s. Or that addiction is the symptom of so many Neptune-in-Sagittarius casualties. Lucky we’ve learned to embrace the Neptunian notions of self-help and self-love too.
With Sagittarius rising, I have also have Neptune in my first house. Enter the body dysmorphia that led to an eating disorder in my teenage years, compounded by my controlling Scorpio North Node return – but also, Sag, for granting me the compassion to love myself out of it, allowing me to learn from it and refusing to let me take it too seriously. Neptune in the first house can also mean an effortless slide into the deeper reaches of the imagination, an alluring shape-shifter and a storefront displaying the mysteries of the Universe. So go figure, Numis…
Why all the Neptune research this week? On June 9, he began his annual retrograde cycle. Of all the outer planets, Neptune spends the most time treading water in retrograde motion – 158 days every 12.07 months – a fitting pattern for the planet that also governs subconscious memories of distant childhood and even past lives. In a Neptune retrograde cycle, the mysteries he usually conceals are brought to the surface for us to examine in real time. Our intuition is given more currency. Dreams demand to be interpreted. Illusions, and delusions, are exposed, and creative ideas that have been gestating come forth and begin to take shape in the material world.
Currently in Pisces, Neptune’s cosmic castle, I was curious to explore what this might mean for me in the coming months (he resumes direct motion November 16) and what subtly sensed waves his backward strokes will send across the Zodiac at large.
* For a truly accurate reading, get your birth chart for free here. As an Aries with Sag rising, I will feel ripples of Neptune retro in Pisces in both the twelfth and fourth houses. But as Pisces actually rules the third house in my natal chart, I’ll look here for the most meaningful and relevant insights.
Aries / Aries rising (twelfth house) Here is your chance to dive deep and rise to the surface of your subconscious with that most highly valued prize: the truth. Pay close attention to the neuroses that occupy your thinking now, and be bold in seizing the opportunity for healing that comes with smoking them out. Avoid indulging in mind-altering substances. Be honest with yourself and embrace clarity as a tool for lasting personal development.
Taurus / Taurus rising (eleventh house) Choose not to ignore your paranoia about issues affecting any area of your life where group dynamics rule. Demand to know the details of the political dealings you rightly sense are going on behind the scenes. Then, think not what your friends can do for you, but what you can do for your friends. Fall into compassion and fire up your humanitarian efforts. Meditate on the germ of a revolutionary idea, and watch it flourish.
Gemini / Gemini rising (tenth house) Duties or responsibilities you’ve been avoiding can no longer be ignored. It’s time to take the reins and begin to steer your ship into deeper waters, however intimidating this might feel. Don’t be afraid to tap into your inner ball-breaker. Act “as if” you’re the boss. When the limelight beckons, don’t hide away in the shadows. Get real about the sacrifices you need to make if you want your career to take off the way you envision.
Cancer / Cancer rising (ninth house) Come out of your cave and give in to your wanderlust. A spiritual awakening could be in store for you when you open your mind and put paid to fears you can now see are completely unfounded. Dive into your studies in the University of Life, and embark on a vision quest or spiritual pilgrimage. To achieve enlightenment, deal only in what you know in your soul to be the truth, and demand the same of others.
Leo / Leo rising (eighth house) Like a butterfly, you are on a journey of transformation and rebirth. But now you’re being asked to come clean about wherever wallowing in your comfort zone is stunting your personal growth. Escape into obsession and control will only compound your sense of being stuck. Ignore your intuition at your peril, and pick up creative projects with Leonine gusto. A mystery about an inheritance or money owed could also be resolved.
Virgo / Virgo rising (seventh house) Expect a breakthrough in your couple’s therapy sessions, as deep-seated fractures in your closest relationships come up for air and healing. Embrace situations that show your creative and business collaborators’ true colors, and resolve to accept what you see. Give in to the notion of compromise. See past your ego for ways for justice to be served. Accept that the skeletons in your closet could actually be good PR.
Libra / Libra rising (sixth house) Any flaws in your logic will be exposed now, so arm yourself with a backup plan. Details you’d prefer to gloss over will demand your attention. Tackling mundane-seeming tasks could actually lead to the breakthroughs you’ve been looking for. Knuckle down. And no more excuses about your emotional over or under-eating. Your health and wellbeing is at risk if you continue to delude yourself about your diet. Be ready to redraft a creative project to perfection.
Scorpio / Scorpio rising (fifth house) A clandestine affair or flirtation could come to light, or maybe you’ll be asked to play your hand in matters of the heart. Your secret vice won’t stay a secret for long. A creative project you’re personally invested in could come to fruition now, and this fertile creative phase could also see your parental urges kick in. Be wary of situations that allow you to escape into over-indulgence. A hidden talent for the performing arts could also be revealed.
Sagittarius / Sagittarius rising (fourth house) Expect the unexpected from a family situation, as whatever’s been going on behind the scenes is unveiled. Family constellations therapy could prove especially insightful. In all other areas, embark on a Dream Quest to get to the heart of the matter, and let your subconscious be your guide. Now examine your daily habits. What nourishes you and what is holding you back will be clearer to you now.
Capricorn / Capricorn rising (third house) Be ruthless in speaking the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Allow yourself to hear the same in what others are saying. A hidden affinity with writing or speaking may come to light, embrace opportunities to explore this. Allow your logical mind to be infiltrated by your intuition. Journal about your dream life. False advertising won’t be tolerated. A sibling’s or neighbor’s secret may be revealed.
Aquarius / Aquarius rising (second house) Get real about your finances and banish your credit cards to the back drawer. No more hiding your head in the sand and spending beyond your means, especially if shopping is a means of escape for you. Ask yourself; who am I without my luxuries and creature comforts? A creative way to add to your income may be unlocked. Look out for it, leave no stone unturned. Then act.
Pisces / Pisces rising (first house) You’ll see past what’s in the mirror and view body image issues for what they really are: nothing but a figment of your insecurities. Now is the time for honest self-observation. Get real as you analyze your actions. In what ways do you allow your emotions to sabotage your personal vitality? Clean up your act. Insist on clarity of self-expression, no lying to yourself or your inner child.
Yay, you’re going on a yoga retreat! You want to get the most out of your experience, right? Who better than Heather Lilleston and Kumi Sawyers from Yoga For Bad People to lay down some summer retreat etiquette. We’re talking less freaking out, more more F.U.N.
Respect your roomie. Adults sharing accommodation is basically a very tricky situation, so when you’re sharing, let them have their space. We’re not here to make best friends, and if that does happen it should be a natural thing. You don’t need to hit the beach together every time.
Now give everybody else their space. The first day is always hardest and weirdest because everybody is landing. Maybe you’re dealing with some travel issues – your luggage gets lost, you can’t poop. Whatever it is, just know that you need to give yourself and everyone else the time and space to deal.
Be presentwith your packing. On a retreat in India for example, of course bring your yoga clothes but be prepared to honor local dress codes and maybe wait until you get there to buy something to wear. But Brazil is all about spandex and booty shorts. Also bring enough yoga clothes so you won’t need to wash them. Nobody likes a stinky yogi.
Don’t list your shitin the sharing circle. Sure it’s one way to get to know each other, but telling a 20-minute story listing the injuries you’re here to heal is too much. Choose your moments, and your listeners. Often people are blind to being the talkers, so practise a little self-awareness. Be responsible for your own situation.
Respect the property. It the place has a homey vibe, it can be a fine line but it’s not an open kitchen. You’re getting two meals a day and possibly some snacks, and no, it’s not okay to just go and open up the fridge.
Bring your own props. Check with the teachers about what’s available, and pack a block and a strap if you need them so you’re not shorted in your practise.
Remember this is not a private. If the classes are either too advanced for you or not fast enough, complaining to the teacher is not the way to go. But do ask, “how can you help me modify?” – it’s why we’re here. Don’t just slam your yoga into an hour like you do back home. When your teacher is there at breakfast with you, don’t waste the opportunity to use us. We chose to do this work because we love it.
Let the teachers be the leaders. If you speak the local language, by all means step in when it’s useful, but part of the whole lesson is; “this is your time to retreat, not to run the show.” Especially you, men. You may see two female yoga teachers and feel like you need to be the man – but you know what, we have this. Chill out.
Don’t be too schmoozy. When people come out of savasana, especially after a few days of yoga, they’re in a calmer space than usual and might not want to talk. If you’re in the mood to chitchat, feel out where everybody else it, and give people a little transition time.
Be tech appropriate. We have no problem with people using their cell phones or computers, we’re equally addictive about technology, but on other retreats that might be really annoying. Also, ask before you Instagram.
Show up, whatever the weather. Rain can ruin an entire retreat – but only if you let it. Don’t let it. If the forecast is bad, how about you just don’t look at it. Now is the time to remember your meditation teachings. We don’t angst about the things we can’t control, we just let them be.
Hook up with your fellow yogis. Why not? You’re on vacation and it’s cute. But if you end up in a couple or you’re travelling with your partner to begin with, maybe keep the PDAs to a minimum (#smug)
Enforced skinny-dipping? No.
Yoga For Bad People’s next retreat will take place in Turkey, August 18-25th. For more details and booking information click here.
Artist and island dweller Monica Ruiz shares why she finds a deeper connection to her Tarot practise at the beach, where the elements conspire to create soul connection, serenity and focus. Will you follow her lead this summer?
“…treat them kindly. Build a relationship with them that is respectful. Spend time with them, especially at first. Look through the imagery and handle the cards daily…Be sensitive to how you feel when you handle the cards…Allow the ritual of using them to be positive, exploratory, & even fun…” ~ Kim Krans
I’m in love with my practise of Beach Tarot: besides breathing and meditating with my cats (of course), it’s one of my favorite ways to center my energy and bring much needed clarity to my dream endeavors, my emotions and the daily happenings in my life.
At first I was hesitant about bringing my deck to the beach with me, thinking the sand, spray or a random raindrop may “ruin” them. But when I thought about it, I remembered how much I love the elements of the beach with all of my heart: the sand (earth, grounding); the ocean (water, flow); the clouds and mists (air, breath); and of course the SUN (fire, heart).
Breathing, reading, thinking and writing, as well as watching the love of my life surf in the swirl of these elements, as represented in the Tarot, brings me pure joy – so why wouldn’t my beloved cards benefit from the same energies and vibrations that I treasure so much?
When I use my cards it’s about listening to my heart, inspired by intuitive visual imagery that vibes with me and my mind’s eye, which is why I gifted myself with The Wild Unknown Tarot deck by Kim Krans at the beginning of this year. From the first time I came across Kim’s magical illustrations, I felt like my spirit became entwined with the secrets of the Universe and the soul of Mother Nature when I gazed at them. That’s the thing with art: when it makes your heart tick, you FEEL it.
I pull a card at least every other day at home, when I’m setting intentions, looking for some guidance or just in need of a friendly reminder to listen to my gut. I LOVE to cover my art projects in my Tarot cards as well, to infuse them with the same beautiful and natural gifts I get from the sun at the beach. Gifts of light and energy.
But I breathe deeper and slower at the beach, and because of the love and respect I have for this environment I believe it creates a stronger more authentic connection with my deck, and so the guidance the cards provide feels more loving and natural. The beach allows me to tap into a “Be Here Now” experience, where pretty much all nonsense dissipates. When I gaze at the horizon, I immediately start to feel calmer and am able to rationalize my thoughts and keep my intentions solid without the innocent distractions I may find at home. The voice in my head sounds loving and knowing, while the elements contribute to an overall feeling of serenity, and I can focus.
Mother Nature provides the best environment to heal, meditate, ponder and celebrate your existence – wherever that may be. Forests, the mountains, a meadow, park, your backyard or even a favorite garden, are all amazing places for sole/soul attunement. Even just sitting with your houseplants helps. I take advantage of this as a form of self-love, so it makes sense that my Beach Tarot practice brings me a sense of true connection to my core being.
Once settled on the sand, I shuffle my cards for a few minutes and just focus on the ocean and my breath, to help center my mind on what is truest in my heart at that moment. When I draw my card, (or, as actually happens quite often at the beach, the wind chooses a card for me during my shuffle) I sit with it for a couple of minutes. During this pause I absorb and contemplate the image, along with my thoughts, paying attention to my heartbeat, before looking up its meaning.
After reading about the card and meditating for a moment, I set my card in the sand and allow it to “re-charge” while I stretch and usually do some writing. I will journal about my connection to my card, about its meaning and usually write out a set of affirmations that pour out of me, inspired by the card. If it feels like an extra potent card, like the message couldn’t be more perfect, I’ll usually carry it with me for a few days afterwards, in my journal or whatever book I’m reading.
In this way, bringing my cards to the beach with me has become a fun, sacred practice, combining heartfelt intuition and magical imagery with energetic pulse of the majestic sea. This is my Beach Tarot.
Island dweller Monica Ruiz is a collage artist, hardcore daydreamer, HayHouse book reviewer, bloggess, burrito lover, cat enthusiast, librarian assistant and wanderluster who is obsessed with good hip-hop beats, Lana Del Rey and Paris, France. She owns way too many black clothes, swoons over Sofia Coppola films and loves the concept of protecting your magic with an open heart.
Forget what life stage you’re at. Every age carries its own unique energy for you to master, says Practical Numerologist Felicia Bender.
In every culture, the day we were born has special significance. We celebrate it every year. It defines us in ways we can’t even comprehend. Darn near all of us know who we are – on a most basic level – Astrologically. You can meet someone and ask: “What’s your sign?” and most people can answer that question without missing a beat.
And Numerology offers yet another window into our life potential. Think about how powerful it is to have both tools at your fingertips! Anyone who says that we don’t come with an instruction manual needs to look into these two powerful arts and sciences to really get their Lesson Plan for Life.
Since I love looking at the practical way Numerology can guide us in this material world, here’s a little “Happy Birthday” message for each and every one of us.
Numerologically speaking, what does our AGE reveal about us?
In Numerology, each number – one through nine – holds a particular frequency that carries with it meaning and influence, even if we don’t know it’s there. It’s like gravity or cell phone reception; we don’t have to believe it’s there in order for it to be operating and exerting an influence on us. Know it or not, like it or not.
So let’s take some “turning point” ages as we experience them in our Western culture, and what the numbers might bring into our lives as we experience these benchmark birthdays.
The way to look at it is this: Each number will carry with it a “theme” for what you’ll be asked to learn and master during the year. And you’ll be given all kinds of different opportunities from a variety of angles to experience and master your particular theme.
So check these out:
Five Years Old: Entering Kindergarten! In Numerology, the “Five” is the number of freedom. It’s supportive of pursing adventure, change and fun. It’s a frenetic number and is full of life. Do you remember your own Kindergarten year? Or the Kindergarten year of your children? It can be a year of fearless adventure, or a year of fear. Or both; back and forth and back and forth. Which was it for you?
Sixteen Years Old (1 + 6 = 7; also this is a Karmic Number 16/7): Driver’s License! In Numerology, this is a “Seven” year and it’s the number of spiritual seeking, of digging for the Truth, of testing your sense of trust and openness, of using your gifts of analysis to expand upon your sense of your authentic self and how it connects to the world as a whole. What better energy to surround you as you get your “wheels” and gain a sense of personal responsibility and a grander sense of yourself as you connect with the world at large?
Interestingly, the 16/7 is also a Karmic number in Numerology. I’ll address Karmic Numbers more directly in another posting since it’s a lot to cover. Yet the bare-bones of what that brings to the party when you’re sixteen years old is this: With this number, you’ll be taunted by issues surrounding self-awareness, pride, secrets, lies, and lack of accountability. DUH! Yet the energy of that Karmic number demands that you conquer these issues, master the demons, and prove to yourself and the world that you can operate on a higher plane.
Twenty-One Years Old (2 + 1 = 3): Cocktails! In Numerology, this is a “Three” year and it’s the number of joyful self-expression and emotional sensitivity. This energy is all about fun, socializing, getting out there, and enjoying life. It’s a year that supports really digging deep into your emotions and healthy expression of them. It’s also a number that supports communication of all kinds, including performance. Of course, you must learn to temper the extremes. Dancing on a table with a lampshade on, anyone?
Forty Years Old (4 + 0 = 4): OMG. In Numerology, this is a “Four” year (with double intensity, given it’s followed by the “0” which intensifies whatever it accompanies). This is a “Holy-Cow-Who-Am-I-Really and Where-Am-I-Going” year. The energy of this year is more serious and is about hard-work and setting up foundations. It’s about facing old emotional/family stuff that may be holding you back. It’s a demanding year that will set the stage for what you’ll manifest in your forties.
Fifty Years Old (5 + 0 = 5): The Big Five-OH. This is traditionally the age of the “Midlife Crisis!” Notice, though, how this is the same “Five” (FREEDOM) energy that you experienced in Kindergarten! Except this five is accompanied by that zero, making it a double-whammy. So Numerologically speaking, this is a year that requires that you again redefine your sense of yourself in terms of freedom and self-discipline. And the added “0” makes that energy super-intense. So no wonder many people do “crazy” things in their 50th year – like getting a divorce, finally telling your mother that you aren’t going to call her three times a day anymore, moving to Tuscany, or getting a tattoo.
I could go on, yet you get the general idea.
What I focus on over and over again about knowing your numbers is this: When you can have some clarity about certain key words or themes that are at play in your life, your chances of aligning more successfully with the positive aspects of those themes raises substantially.
And it makes things a lot more fun.
It won’t make whatever you’re going through any easier, really. Yet it certainly does provide a difference lens from which to view, experience and process things along the way.
So Happy Birthday! Now blow out your candles and make a wish.
Mercury Retrograde begins almost as soon as the month does – but please don’t indulge in the ‘OMG IT’S MERCURY RETRO’ panic, and instead make it work for you. Be kinder, clearer, nicer, and sweeter. Astrologers always say be wary of signing contracts and plans changing during this time, but you can’t put life on hold. If you are busy (and you are, I know) just double check everything and don’t dive into things that don’t feel fully aligned with your highest self. You’re smart – you know what to do. I’ve included a tip for this astro energy within your scope and feel that it’s going to be quite a nice few weeks – hopefully with a few welcome surprises in store. The more you let go of what you ‘think’ you want, the more likely you will find what you need.
I love to chat with you about your ‘scopes and how your month is going, so find me on twitter and instagram @louniverse
Gemini / Gemini rising – Ten of Cups
Maybe you’re having a good run – or maybe you’ve just started to feel a little more at home with your own ability to shift your mindset. This is a shiny and bright card of hope and happiness. However, it’s not always that we pull out this card and feel like this light image we see – so I can’t sit here and assume that every one of you is beaming with joy. But I do have a feeling that there has been some renewed faith in your ability to actively participate in your life. You have at your fingertips a constant and bountiful gift – your journey. You’re always exactly where you should be and everything is aligned as it should be to further you in your storybook.
I feel that you will be able to make a shift up in your spiritual development over the next few weeks – and there is support for you that you might not even be aware of, especially I feel a connection to loved ones that have passed. Think of them like your own team cheering you on. There is great comfort from even just imagining that there’s an invisible force field surrounding you with support. On a material level, think of this time as offering you up a spark of light and a different outlook towards any challenge you have going on right now. You might feel ready to seek help and advice from books and friends that you’d normally dismiss from a fear of being vulnerable, and your deepening of senses will be achieved merely by giving more value to your present moments.
If you’ve been very distracted by a lot of work and material world dramas recently then it’s time to get back in check with right now – it is your birthday month after all – how about a pause in the programming? Embrace the side of you that can’t be bothered to indulge in stress and have some fun! One of the meanings for this card is the idea of heaven on earth – so where are the places that connect you most to a peaceful sense of joy?
This of course is a super charged card for L O V E and a wink to embrace whoever you have hold of, or open up to stepping out of your comfort zone. In other words, not a time to be operating on your lowest level – if things at the bottom of your gut feel wrong then trust in that, you are not here to be locked in a punishing roundabout. Value yourself and the world will appear to value you more. Work wise – you may find that people are seeking your advice and skills in a continuous loop – you are here to be of service so enjoy it, and make sure that you aren’t playing small. Be the rainbow.
Mercury Retrograde tip: Bathe in gratitude. All the small things that p*** you off are nothing in comparison to the positive energy you can absorb from everything that you are thankful for. Simple, right?
Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse
Cancer / Cancer rising – Six of Cups
I feel that you might be emerging out of what has felt like a foggy cloud recently, and now it’s time to reclaim your place in the world. Family and home matters may have been a bit unstable recently and you didn’t really like feeling so out of control. I know it’s easy for you to just block things out or go and hide, but you may have noticed that this familiar way of dealing with stress just doesn’t really cut it any more. You no longer feel so comfortable hiding in the shadows from your own sweat and tears. Rather, there’s a nice sparkly clean space that seems much more appealing now, and it’s been created from a renewed interest in your future.
Nostalgia is a gift and a curse – it’s easy to go and dance in those ‘what if’s,’ right? I feel that you might be casting your eyes back over the last few years, maybe even further, to seek answers for how you’re feeling right now. And it is important to empower the present moment by realizing that it wouldn’t exist without the challenges that came before. In order to make the path ahead a little brighter it helps to shout ‘thank you’ back in to those nooks and crannies – cobwebs and all. After all you have a vision for what’s ahead, and wouldn’t it be nice to start the preparations?
So, polish your lenses for tomorrow. You have some big plans up ahead and it’s safe to get excited about them. As you usher in a new cycle of life remember that even if you have instigated it yourself, then change can still cause you to feel like you’re on shaky ground. During this time you can create your own roots, formed from self care and love for your journey. You always have time for a few moments of stillness – just turn off the technology and be quiet, like the days back when there wasn’t always an iPhone to steal your gaze. It is only your intention to expand that will enable you to notice a place of limitless possibilities at your fingertips. Try to avoid placing fears on your plans before you even start – looking through a small tube isn’t the vision you want – so just use the word ‘expand’ as a permanent mantra over this month. There is a sight to behold.
Mercury Retrograde tip: If you notice the next few weeks dredging up moments from the past, acknowledge them but don’t carry them into the present. If you want to bring something forward from the past, make it every piece of wonderful advice you’ve ever had, from friends, teachers and relatives, and feel charged up from happy memories instead of wrapping yourself up in the sad ones.
Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse
Leo / Leo Rising – The Page of Pentacles
It feels like the last few months you have been swimming deep in your ‘behind the scenes’ life, and now it’s time to emerge back out into the material world and get present and active. Sometimes it’s a distraction to focus on what other people are doing, whether they are ‘better’ or ‘worse’ than you, and get lost in that which you cannot control. Understand that everyone else also has their journey and it’s not your job to change people but to participate in your own adventure and leave them to theirs, and with compassion not judgment.
This month you may be launching a new project or getting involved with some fresh ideas. I feel you have some sparks at your fingertips and you are ready for a new phase – just try to not get ahead of yourself with feelings of wanting to know the outcome too soon. To stay in the present moment is a gift, because it’s there that you can take productive action. Be confident that things will happen, but release your hold on what you ‘think’ you need and just work with your intention and deeds. You have been gathering wisdom recently, whether it’s because you are gearing up to share more with others or just putting new thought patterns into play – and this is a ripe playground for positive growth in the material world.
I want you to have fun with whatever you’re working on – rather than get locked into the drama of stress. Keep stepping back and viewing your day-to-day as if you’re a fly on the wall, it’s always illuminating to step outside of what’s bugging you and gift yourself a new and better perspective.
So anyway, this is a planning period for a new cycle and being grounded will help. All of the things that you feel are sometimes a little dull, like the orderliness and process of things, are what you should think to embrace now – but make it fun of course! This would be a good time to get creative with a vision board, and then at the same time write down practical ways to move forward. If you’ve been considering studying something new or are ready for a job placement then now is also a great time to send out emails and applications, and with that, to trust and know that whatever comes to pass is exactly as it should be.
Mercury Retrograde tip: Try and stay shy of gossip and dramatics, you have more interesting things to do with your time. If people are creating chaos around you just let them be and go back to your own drawing board. Peace begins by you claiming your right to it, and choosing it.
Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse
Virgo / Virgo rising – Wheel of Fortune
And so the wheel beings to turn again. Are you feeling aware of a new cycle? After all, life is just a series of phases, with some last a few weeks and others years, but we are always moving and changing, and ultimately (and hopefully) evolving. I feel that you are probably pretty present with the wobble and shake of change right now, and it’s not a bad thing – when you’re shifting your life around a bit then it’s a good time to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Anyway, I’m feeling kind of excited for you right now – well not kind of, I actually am! – as if there’s a fizz of energy coming your way, or maybe it’s already arrived and you realize even more than ever that you’re the star of your own show. It’s all about what works for you and not about squeezing yourself into a constricted and fear filled space.
The only rule I want to give you for the next few weeks is to hold on to those reins! When I see this card and think of how it brings in our response to the word ‘fate,’ I just want to shout “hold on!” as a reminder that you are the co-creator of your experience, and never the victim. Even though, granted, it can often feel like it. So let’s say you’re the ‘artistic director’ of your story – what are you going to put on the mood board for the month ahead? These next few weeks are unique to you, and for you to choose where you want to put your focus. For some of you it might be taking a renewed interest in your wellbeing – knowing that if you keep your wellbeing as a priority, you’ll always be empowered and able to find your balance.
If you’re prepping to launch a new career or work project then embrace this moment of newness and nurture it, but don’t hold on too tightly – allow yourself to move with your ideas and let them expand too. If something just doesn’t stick it’s not because you’ve failed, it’s just a chance to throw one of the other options (the right option) into the mix. You feel ready for a challenge that you are interested in, so I won’t be surprised if a few of you are chopping and changing what happens in your day-to-day in order to feel less stressed and more inspired.
Mercury Retrograde tip: On the romance front this is a good few weeks to not over analyze (paralysis of the analysis, remember) every word you hear from someone. Instead go inwards and just be aware of what you feel and be compassionate to that – no fireball throwing, okay?
Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse
Libra / Libra rising – Nine of Wands
I feel that June might bring in a spot of relief for you, a stroke of luck or a peek of a new and better route forward. As a seeker of balance you can occasionally swing really far in either direction – feeling the highs and the lows – and the last few months may have come with some serious knocks and blows. You have hope though; at least you should do, because you can now emerge from the battleground feeling like you’re ready to absorb the knowledge that you’ve discovered from recent challenges.
When things are shifting and changing in a way that seems out of our control it can be hard to reflect on life, or even be bothered to consider what you might have learned. So don’t overload yourself with searching for a meaning from everything, but instead just feel your inner power stabilize and know that you have a stronger type of inner armor now in place.
When I think about strength I don’t associate it with weakness – I think that perceived personal weakness, like failure, is a redundant way of thinking, and instead we can think of strength only in terms of personal empowerment. You can feel empowered by your own daily dose of highs and lows, because they are yours and embedded within you to give you the tools to keep moving forward. This month, think about how you are going to put your new sense of personal empowerment into play. Where are you going to place your will?
Choose to move forward with excitement, desire and love – leave cynicism at the door and embrace each single moment. You may have been feeling overwhelmed with work recently – like there’s a bit too much on your plate – but that should calm down over the next few weeks, as you begin to feel a bit more connected with your creativity again. Be the spark of light rather than the forest fire and connect to what feels fun. Fun? Yes that old trick, please dive into some light hearted enjoyment in all the ways that you know –take a holiday or even just go and get a massage.
Now is your time to nurture your mind-body-spirit and it’s a personal thing. Pose yourself the questions of what feels good and give yourself permission to make that choice, go to that place or be around that person. Work with your highest energy rather than being sucked into what you know, well, just sucks.
Mercury Retrograde tip: Be the Phoenix. It doesn’t matter what anyone else is doing, don’t even consider entertaining drama and put all your focus into your own evolution.
Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse
Scorpio / Scorpio rising – The Hermit
This year is a process of dipping in and out, throwing your energy full force into the world and then retreating to plug yourself into the socket of your inner soul system. And in fact, this works for you. It may have been a long time arriving but you really do ‘get it’ now – that you don’t have to be on high alert and full force all the time.
Over the next few weeks you are continuing this cycle – there is a lot to do – but an easy way to cancel out stress is just by being present with it, Oh all those meetings and events to plan, yep it’s kind of a headlock sometimes, but it’s supposed to be! It’s amazing how you can make your own worries redundant when you stop to just allow things to be as they are. You’re aware that the months ahead are full of new surprises, and also it feels like there’ll be a host of new faces to meet and greet – the energy Is buzzing, a little like you are in an endless wait for Christmas morning. It’s coming so just enjoy the process.
On a deeper note I feel that this month might bring up anything you’ve been trying to hide from, yes you know what or who it is. It’s easy sometimes to just try and sideline a bothersome task or thought process or avoid healing something from the past. An unprocessed memory is like an unfiled piece of paper, it’s going to flap around and bat it’s edges against your subconscious until you grab it, take a look and put it in its rightful cabinet. If you have unanswered questions about fears that you’re avoiding try guiding yourself in a meditation to come face to face with what’s bothering you – we don’t always know what it is. Sit quietly and visualize yourself in a safe space – somewhere cozy and comfortable – it might be your own living room or a magical garden. As you sit there you notice a piece of paper being placed in your lap. As you look down you see words emerge from the paper – it might be one word or even a list of things.
These are what your subconscious wants you to attend to and file away. As you look at the words, feel at peace with your ability to embrace your challenges and transform them into seeds of empowerment. As you begin your day, know that instead of being bound by old habits or thoughts, instead, you are in charge of them simply like items on your shopping list. You are the master of the moment.
Mercury Retrograde tip: Even though the material world might be calling out for you to sign on the dotted line, take plans with a pinch of surrender. Know that even when things change back and forth it’s a waste of your highest energy to panic.
Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse
Sagittarius / Sagittarius rising – Three of Wands
Are you feeling like taking over the world? Or at least your world? Well, get to it because the Universe is your playground! It’s a nice way of looking at life right? As an adventure rather than a boring straight line from A-B. If you’ve been in the ‘no confidence’ zone recently, then this is your wake up call to get up and at em.
Sometimes a lack of confidence manifests itself in the form of procrastination. Why are you avoiding working on something you love so much? It’s so damn easy to stand in your own way isn’t it? Right there like a big block of lead – I know this feeling so well. I’ve found that the easiest way to get out of your own way is to realize that this isn’t about you – easy right? Wait, what? Okay, if you’re working on a project or an idea or a dream, it means that you’re sharing your talents with others, which means you are aligned in place to be of service. This is about realizing that you must operate at your highest level so that you light up those around you. It’s time to move in the direction of your desires because that’s what will feel best and bring the most success.
So the next few weeks is a great time to take action towards what you have planned for the rest of the year – you’re moving out of the contemplating and the visualization stage, and on to putting miracles into place, with intent. Begin with an expanded viewpoint – don’t limit yourself on the first step. Set about with the possibility that your plans can work – this way you have a clear mind and heart. Also – instead of thinking about how much you want to be successful, respected and admired, think about the knowledge that you want to gain. You’re always in a position of learning, even when you’re at ‘the top,’ and if you stay in that educating mindset then you align with a kind energy, but a kind energy that’s also a frickin’ powerhouse.
Travel plans? Start prepping for a holiday or an internal adventure, whether you’re hopping on the plane or launching that new website, everything is in place for movement. All the more reason to clean up any anxieties – to be ready to reap the results in the months ahead. Rejoice!
Mercury Retrograde tip: There is no time for you to step on your soapbox this month. If you’re feeling judgmental or jealous than sit back and search for a fear of your own that’s being drawn out. Why are you so annoyed? Sit with where you feel a lack and know that it’s okay. This is much more productive than getting cross communication by firing out an angry text.
Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse
Capricorn / Capricorn rising – Two of Pentacles
Balance? That old trick. You know how much I like to check in and remind you to look after yourself right? No exception here! But let us deepen the idea. You might like to try and get comfortable with the fact that you’re always in demand, whether it’s with constant work opportunities or being the solid rock for those around you. You are someone that’s always going to be able to be busy. So why not just get present with that, because now you can actually see the reasons why your own stillness and wellness are the priority.
You like to be needed you see, and that is a good thing, we need you too. So when talk of being of service comes in, remember that the need to help others can come at a price if you neglect the need to help yourself too. I operate with the simple idea that if I don’t make myself the top priority, then I’m useless when it comes to being a friend, therapist, daughter, lover, and, at the most base level, feeling sane. You need to nestle into some of your own space and embrace it with the same sense of love and vigor you do for a work project.
I’m pushing you to go there again and again because things aren’t going to let up – you will always have so many ideas and so many things you want to do. Don’t be afraid of that urgency. It’s weird you see, sometimes the more you slow down the more you see things taking shape. Sounds odd doesn’t it, but it seems to be because of the ability to allow yourself to expand that you see how your world opens up to greet you. You can juggle for as long as you like, but even the finest magician needs a lunch break.
Over the next few weeks I’d like you to embrace the idea of treading water and get comfortable with some slow back and forth, instead of the usual panic about it. When it’s time to get going again, you’ll know – so perhaps it’s just listening more to when your body says ‘action’ and when it says ‘cut.’ You might have some challenges of your own to deal with so it’s very much okay to shut the external and internal doors and take a retreat. If the possibility is there, head to the hills, the desert, the sea, and the stars. Embrace your internal adventure.
Mercury Retrograde tip: Learn to say ‘no,’ the kind of no that creates a yes. You don’t have to say yes to everything if you trust that all the things you do choose are exactly right for you. So if you turn something or someone down in order to give yourself more space, then perfect – you are always making the right choice. Feels good doesn’t it.
Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse
Aquarius / Aquarius rising – The Five of Cups
You’re familiar with the ups and the downs – perhaps being very able to divide days, weeks, months and life into the good bits and the bad. They can feel the same to you, no action or too much, and you’re not sure that you like either. Now is your chance to perceive things in the brightest way and for the highest version of yourself. If you feel that you’ve come face to face with a loss or massive sudden change, how are you going to look upon it? I think about change a lot, because we get it in so many forms, and the base way to cope has to be nurture for you and your journey. An understanding of personal expansion will help you.
When we’re blocked it’s often because we’re staring at life through a tube, unable to see anything but the wall in front of us, so of course it seems impossible to escape. With a 360-degree vision there’s always a way to help your situation and to get that view, you just need to look. What is freaking you out or saddening you right now? Listen to your body and inner soul system; is there a tiny whisper in the back saying ‘It’s okay’? There is.
When panic takes over we can’t hear the more peaceful option, or the reassurance that we can walk through our fears. Give yourself some practical perspective – there probably is more balance in your life than you think. Although one thing may be feeling out of alignment, perhaps there’s some stability elsewhere? Fear tends to hold hands with itself in the past, and like a little chain each worry we have gathers power from all the times we have felt it before. Just as when the heart feels broken it hooks on to the sadness it remembers from before and feels hopeless. Anxieties seek comfort from anxieties that have been felt before. Stress makes a nice pile up with chaos from times gone.
This is why the present moment is your superpower. You can release yourself from the strings in the past by checking in with yourself as to whether the problem you have right now is being worsened by a memory of something similar before. Is it? If so, then self-soothe – remind yourself that now is a different time. It doesn’t mean it’s not stressful but it may not be as hopeless as before. There is always a chance to feel empowered in the present moment, grab it!
Mercury Retrograde tip: Gratitude is your secret weapon this month. Instead of giving energy to what is lost, give strength to what is stable and being gained. Marcus Aurelius said, “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”
Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse
Pisces / Pisces rising – Death
If last month was for surrender, this month is for change – the perfect follow-on in my opinion. We wait, we let go and then we move forwards. I have to confess Pisces, I think about you a lot. My moon is in Pisces and I embody and relate more to this sign than my own most of the time. I feel that having a dominant Pisces in your chart is a lesson on how to be okay with feeling like a weirdo. Right?
Anyway, I digress, and this is a big card and my favorite of course. Lucky number 13 brings the chance to evolve, step, or whimper towards your highest self. It’s your job to choose not to feel like the victim in your life, which is where the empowering of the weirdo comes in! To be okay with feeling overwhelmed by yourself and the world sometimes. The art of becoming comfortable within the uncomfortable is one of the finest tool in the box. Embodying the Death card is an exciting adventure – walking through the haze of fear and out the other side, over and over again until it’s a well-worn road.
So, it’s likely that you are prepped for a hectic few months, whether it’s a crammed work schedule or embracing some new ways of thinking. Keep your eyes wide open so that your perspective is always expansive – you can break through your own familiar blocks by taking off your favorite pair of blinkers. Whether you feel locked into familiar comfort habits or in the throws of a familiar procrastination, try not to hide from new experiences, especially with people. You never know, you see, and sometimes it takes a far-flung trip into the terrors of the unknown to be willing to let go of ‘what you think you know.’ You sometimes like to swim in the opposite direction to new possibilities – is it a fear of getting trapped or caught? The chances are you’re attracted to those who are like you, so know that you aren’t as alone as you think you are, and if the waters run deep they are filled with life and surprises.
Action is imperative this month, and in your highest energy you have the ability to shift yourself to another place entirely, a better place – even if it just means ditching one thought process that isn’t serving. Be willing to run wild with the unknown and the uncomfortable, and to be vulnerable. Get messy in all the good ways, growth is upon you. You can do it.
Mercury Retrograde tip: Remember the art of Surrender that you practiced last month? Bring it back into play every time you feel out of control, anxious, in a creative block or a romantic freak out. Breathe. It’s okay.
Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse
Aries / Aries rising – King of Cups
Are you losing your hard edges, Aries? Just kidding, but you have certainly made a shift into a little more of a squishy soft place – and it’s going to surprise you. Are you feeling the wild throws of a rekindled love affair or just finally feeling content sitting and embracing your own stillness? I hope something feels different and more full of flow, because it feels to me like the water element no longer feels to you like such an enemy.
When you are the action taker and maker there is often a fear that you’re going to be stamped out or trodden on. Is it a redundant or useless fear? Not really. But there is certainly a way to empower it rather than give in to an internal panic. This is your few weeks to own yourself like nobody’s business, and this is fuelled by a confidence about your own abilities. You see, this softening of the hard edges is what’s given you the edge, because you’re more embodied with all of your elements, mind-body and spirit, and so therefore sitting in your complete power. Don’t feel there just yet? No big deal – the simplest exercise is to honor every feeling equally as you start to blend into a whole, rather than rejecting parts of yourself. Inch your way there.
So as you move through your tasks this month don’t feel worried about ‘getting emotional’ because it’s perfectly possible to use your bang-on intuition and your charming business savvies to get what you want. Let your fire, drive and passion fuel you with the crazy and quirky ideas they bring, then check in with how they feels to you and only make your moves when it feels right. If you take on board my favorite trick in the book, the notion that failure doesn’t exist, then I pose the question; what have you got to lose?
Meanwhile, enjoy meeting new people this month. You may find yourself lining up with a new power posse as well as some soothing soul mates, like your support network is getting a little larger and more stable. This is possible because of your willing to be a bit more vulnerable and know that it’s okay, others will get it more than you think. The more you keep putting out the personality and work that you believe in, then the more others will swim in. You may find yourself feeling like celebrating by the end of the month. Remember there’s also no such thing as a small victory. Every moment has its place, so just allow it to be so.
Mercury Retrograde tip: Don’t feel tripped up if others don’t seem to be on your wave of super communication this month. Just make the effort to make your side of things as clear, kind and concise as possible then let others follow your lead.
Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse
Taurus / Taurus Rising – The Magician
Boom. It’s time. Don’t argue with me! I have serious business to talk to you about and it’s about getting swift with that project you’ve been working on. I know the one, so do you – we’ve talked about it before. That idea, that ‘in process’, that habit you’ve been trying to work your way out of. This is the start of what I’m going to call your Power Summer and so it’s time to align. The clock is ticking and you’re ready.
One hand to the heavens and one in the earth – my favorite way to work with this card is to again encourage you to keep hold of your balance. But this time, it’s not just for nurture, it’s for serious fire blazing empowerment. Connecting to your most primal force will give you healing and strength that you perhaps didn’t know were available. To do this, just be unapologetic about working towards your biggest passions, with no fear about what others might think. As soon as you let go of that detaching thought the more you have energy to be embodied and feel successful. To explore your potential is something that can be fun and productive.
If you’re hiding from or sitting on your own skills, what’s stopping you? Is it fear of failure or feelings that you don’t deserve to be big and bright? There’s no room for these worries any more, because after all they’re just thoughts causing you to feel unwell – and what’s the point? You’re not here to play a small game, but to share and teach and learn – on a loop. This is a time to embrace your ego in its finest form, by connecting to the life force and duality within you and using it to shine. It’s not about peacocking around and believing in your own hype – it’s being your own hype, in the best form. Shooting for the stars and landing on the moon, as they say.
Over the next few weeks if you feel stuck or switched off, work with the idea that you already have everything you need. I do believe we come installed with the perfect toolbox and we just need reminding as we go along our way. Half the battle of finding what we need is believing that we have it. Do you need to ask for help or advice? Do it. Do you need to take a break and let loose a little? Do it. Do you need to get out of your own way? Do it. You’re ready.
Mercury Retrograde tip: You may notice a lot of egos in battle all around you. Just step back and observe, rather than feeling the need to dive in and compete. Let others dance around you – you’re too busy to get involved in chaos.
Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse
