HEALTHY HEDONISM: IBIZA’S NEW SPIRITUAL PARTY SCENE

A Nu way to vacation on the ultimate hedonist’s playground: Jodie DS introduces Ibiza’s new spiritual party scene…

Ibiza's new spiritual party scene boho dancing

Ibiza. The quintessential hedonist’s playground, and ecstasy-fuelled party paradise. But, in keeping with the global shift in consciousness that’s about tuning IN to our innate bliss verses getting OUT of it with drugs and alcohol, the summer of 2016 has witnessed the birth of Ibiza’s new spiritual party scene.

And these parties have depth. Designed to take you on a journey though the senses, the idea is to leave you hangover-free and feeling inspired, revitalized and refreshed. Many events also have a conscience charity focus to help participants to be the change we all want to see in this world.

In a sense, it’s a return to the hippie roots of Ibiza’s original party scene, which was about coming together to raise consciousness through dance, often out in the open air, on beaches beneath the stars. And if an influx of big money over the past decade has seen flashy conspicuous (champagne Sangria) consumption, then high vibe events this summer have ushered in a welcome alternative.

The height of the summer season might be coming to an end, but there are still plenty of happenings in late September and into October. Check out our selection and let Ibiza’s new spiritual party scene inspire you to get high on your own supply…

Ibiza's new spiritual party scene woomoon on The Numinous

WooMoon
Wednesdays at Cova Santa 6pm-6am.

Now an island favorite, WooMoon is a party that will take you on a beautiful artistic journey with a new story at every event. Imagine a night out that’s all about art, live performances, healing and interactive experiences, paired with mesmerizing music to feed your soul. There’s also a great variety of food and drink for all dietary requirements including vegan and vegetarian curries, ice creams, cocktails and organic acai bowls from Amazonia EU. The event is also family friendly with a kid’s circus and face painting. You will fall in love with the picturesque location of Cova Santa located in the beautiful mountains in San Josep, while at midnight the party continues downstairs all the way until dawn. All you need to enjoy this party is an open mind and an open heart.

Line up includes: Atish, Audiofly, Behrouz, Begun, Chancha Via Circuito, Chris Len, Crussen, Hraach, Ida Daugaard, Jhon Montoya, Luca Musto, Lulacruza, Mees Dierdrop, Noema, Rampue, Sabo, Timur, Unders, Valentin Huedo, Viken Arman and More.

Ibiza's new spiritual party scene cosmic pineapple on The Numinous

Cosmic Pineapple
Thursdays in September at Ibiza Rocks at Pikes Hotel 4pm-4am

Every Thursday in September at the eccentric Ibiza Rocks at Pikes Hotel it goes Cosmic Pineapple! The conscious event positions itself as a place to dance, connect, create and transform. From spiritual workshops to cosmic activities there is something for everyone, combined with great music from the word’s most visionary DJ’s with the lineup remaining a secret until the day. Workshops and activities include yoga, energy work, live art, cosmic hairstyles and make-up, conscience talks, card readings, astrology, nature workshops, outdoor cinema, night market, healthy food and drink and much, much more. The community and charity focused event is free entry and welcome to children before 10pm. All proceeds going to Green Peace, Young Minds, Love Support Unite and the David Lynch Foundation.

Ibiza's new spiritual party scene boho dancing

 

Sundance: a dancing freedom practice
Various Saturdays from 7:30pm to 10:15pm announced sporadically at Lamuella Ibiza

Dancing is a medicine to express yourself, and to heal and transform, and this mindful dance practice helps you to surrender, to let go and to focus on the present moment. For two hours there is no speaking, while one of the best inspirational DJ’s will take you on a musical journey through the senses—connecting you to Earth, Water, Fire and Air to allow you to connect deep within yourself. The sessions usually begin with a powerful meditation. Dancing is living, living is moving, moving is dancing. No dancing experience is necessary.

Ibiza's new spiritual party scene spirit festival on The Numinous

Ibiza Spirit Festival
October 2 at Atzaro 11am—10pm

An event that brings the people of Ibiza together to share in the joy of our true spirit. The event combines creative dance, yoga, tantra, musical meditations, workshops, inspirational talks, singing circles, natural food and drinks, great music and much, much more!

The schedule for the day is endless, but a few not to miss party alternatives are:

Kundalini Flow Dance with Cecilia Dyaljot
This workshop involves dancing with spirals and waves beginning with a short meditation to ground to Mother Earth to awaken your Kundalini Energy. The dance movements connect you to the source of the power to produce heat to unlock the energy that is rooted at the base of your spine.

New Moon Dance with Veetmaya
This dynamic ritual will inspire you to set new intentions and help you manifest it. You will dance together to express your intention through the body allowing energy to flow. Through your breathe you will charge your body with energy and dance to let go of what needs to be released making space for your manifestation to begin.

Music Moves the Spirit of Ibiza
Various musicians and DJs will be filling the air with melodic and uplifting sounds from the day to night. Kareem Raihani will do a Sunset Dance Celebration through Ecstatic dance paired with inspirational music. Celebrate life through rhythm, sound, movement and expression. Kareem doesn’t just mix music, he mixes emotions.

Ibiza's new spiritual party scene hotel es vive on the numinous

Virtue Ibiza brought to you by Rainbow City
October 27 to November 1 at Hotel Es Vive

After their success with Yoga Mornings in Ibiza, Rainbow City are back with a full retreat for healthy hedonists at a new location, the Hotel Es Vive. The 5-day experience at this magical venue will have a party vibe—but without any toxic substances. Virtue is a concept to show you can have fun and be healthy at the same time, with alcohol completely removed from the bar and replaced with fresh fruits and super foods. Daily yoga, reiki, mediation and more will help guests settle into a beautiful, peaceful environment that will be hard to leave.

The 5-day launch week package is 595 Euros per person. The package includes:

Welcome party themed 70’s, 80’s and 90’s
Organic, plant powered health bar
Daily healthy buffet or menu breakfast and dinner
Sunrise and sunset yoga, healing and meditation sessions
Mystery group excursion
Daily live sacred music
Regular guest DJ’s and pop up healthy pool parties
Rainbow hippy market
Spa access with Jacuzzi and sauna
Healthy cooking, raw food and nutrition workshops
Ppop up workshops, including dream catcher and jewelry making, reiki, essential oils and more
Ecstatic dance
Group sound healing
Moonlight mantra session
Detox guidance and support
Lots of hugs
Cacao and Matcha farewell ceremony

STRONG EYE ASTROLOGY SEPTEMBER 12—18

A weekly horoscope for your sign, direct from the third eye of Sandra Sitron—a.k.a. Strong Eye Astrology

strong eye

Virgo or Virgo Rising
Tea leaves forming patterns. It feels so good to know. To have the facts. To step forward sure of your path. But right now you can’t know. You have to hold space for the mystery. You have to make room inside of you to allow for other people’s chaos. And your own chaos. And the chaos of the universe. Find your footing in the truth of your heart. Respect your intuition. Inspect the tea leaves. Even if you don’t know how to read them, you will know how to read them. All you need to do is listen very closely to the beating of your heart.

Libra or Libra Rising
A seesaw. This is a week to find balance. But you must use gravity to help you. You must not push too hard or you will disrupt the delicate order. You have to think about cause and effect. You have to tread lightly. Control only the things you can control. These things are logistical and mechanical. They have to do with cause and effect. Let go of the emotional and spiritual things that you cannot control. These things you can only witness. Show up as a witness but do not apply pressure here. You have two goals this week and they are on opposite sides of seesaw. One is to refine. The other is to listen. Your challenge is to fulfill each goal at the right moment.

Scorpio or Scorpio Rising
Kittens eating food. The world needs your sweetness, your wildness, your generosity, your fire. Kittens are crazy, innocent, and fun. Be all of these things. Nourish your inner child. Push yourself to frolic. Let go of everything you’ve learned and focus on the part of you that is innocent and wild. Notice where you are being critical or judgmental and be creative instead. You need to express yourself now. It’s not always easy. We get caught up. We have responsibilities. We are sometimes habitually detached from joy. You can wash all of that off right now. Get joyful and nourish your inner wildness. Be courageous enough to give yourself the gift of freedom of expression.

Sagittarius or Sagittarius Rising
Cross-country skiing. You are moving so fast. You need to be on the move right now. It’s healthy for you to explore your philosophies about humanity so that you can create new structure for your life. But this week offers you a chance to notice what grooves you are creating. What tracks are you following at breakneck speed? These grooves are foundational and they must be examined. The grooves in the snow are like the stories you tell yourself about life. Don’t tell yourself the story you don’t want to believe. Tell yourself the story you want to believe. Tell it to yourself over and over again. Make it into a love letter that you write to yourself. Nurture yourself with the story of your success.

Capricorn or Capricorn Rising
Going through the tunnel of a slide at a waterpark. You are moving quickly through darkness. So much is unclear. So much is not yet understood. There is so much to be learned. It is time to tell yourself a different story. You can start by noticing where you are anxious.Your anxiety is really fear. And fear can be annihilated by changing the story that you tell yourself. Tell yourself a story in which you are safe. And brave. Begin at the beginning of the story. Begin fresh. Begin in the darkness.  You don’t always love the mystery of the darkness. You would generally prefer to be an expert, not a beginner. But right now you are learning the basics and nothing is as clear as you would like it to be. So champion your curiosity. Make this process lively, fun and adventurous.

Aquarius or Aquarius Rising
Picking petals off a daisy. This symbol says something about hope. It’s a wish. “He loves me, he loves me not…” “She loves me, she loves me not…” A wish to merge. A hope to be together. This week you are reminded that you are always enough. And that you are always connected. Take the energy of your desire to be joined with another person and pour it into your own cup. Whether you are in a relationship or not, there is always an opportunity to feel more held by the universe. More safe and supported. So imagine the way it feels to be satisfied, fulfilled, secure and centered. Imagine these feelings with high emotion. Then fill your heart with gratitude for this experience. This is how you fill your cup. This is how your remind yourself of abundance.  Your task for this week is to sink into your rightful place on the crust of Mother Earth and to know through and through that you are enough. You are safe to be alive in this world and to be supported by it.

Pisces or Pisces Rising
Finding a path through tall grasses. Looking for a new path, leading the way. This week you lead. But here is the catch, you may be feeling more deeply and more intensely than usual. You have so much empathy for the experiences of other people that sometimes you can become overwhelmed. And when that happens you try to disappear. Don’t disappear now. Stay present. Keep listening closely for the voice of your intuition. That is the voice that will tell you where to lead us. It is the voice of your truth. It is the voice that you may have to be brave in order to hear. Trust your gut. There will be new heights of emotion this week. Conflicting emotion. But underneath all of that emotion, there will be the song of the truest part of you. Get quiet so that you can hear it.

Aries or Aries Rising
A unicorn’s horn. Something powerful and imaginary. Something ephemeral. This week you can experience a new flowering in the realm of your being that is concerned with faith. Are you a believer or a non-believer? Normally you prioritize reality, and reality is defined by the environment you can change at will. You believe in action. You believe in your own motivation. You believe in fire. But what about water? What about non-action? What about the void? What about the imaginary? What about the places that you can’t see, that you can’t change, that you can’t be certain of? What about the worlds that are behind the veil? The worlds that are made of chaos and dreams. The worlds that you can only guess at. The worlds that are too gauzy and vague to become the subject of your force. This vagueness must become the place where you focus your attention this week. Because in the vague and misty void you will find your new beginning. You may have to guess at it more than be sure of it. You may have to believe in it rather than see it. This week allow yourself to dissolve. Allow yourself to be unsure. Open your mind and surrender. Do this so that you can discover where to put your faith.

Taurus or Taurus Rising
Eating the highest leaves off the tree like a giraffe. Adapting. Creating innovative solutions. This week you can be gifted with a new solution. Something sudden and unexpected. Something that changes your future. But here is the catch— you have to be willing to receive it. And we all know how hard it can be to receive. You are meant to receive inspiration. To receive fully you have to get into your best receptive state. This is a state of gratitude. Begin with gratitude for the simple things. The air that surrounds you. The light through the trees. As you practice gratitude your neck will grow longer like a giraffe and you will reach a higher perspective. This higher perspective will help you receive inspiration. Your new solution. You can’t get to the solution from a place of lack. You must get to the solution from a place of gratitude. So go to the gratitude. If you try, you can easily put yourself there.

Gemini or Gemini Rising
A castle on the horizon. This symbol foretells of your dreams realized. Your stability. This week you are reminded that you must create a vision and then dig and in and work for it. Do the work. Roll up your sleeves. But keep your eye on the prize. This week you envision the ladder. You envision it rung by rung, step by step. See the structure that will take you where you need to go. Focus. Make a plan. It’s not always easy for you to do this. There are so many delightful places for the mind to wander. But keep batting away distractions and pour your heart into the vision of your destination. You have been on a bit of a roller-coaster lately. Now you need to feel your stability. Nothing offers stability like a very good plan. This is your chance to create a plan that you can repeatedly say Yes to.

Cancer or Cancer Rising
A spear flying through the air. When working with symbols, it is helpful to describe them the way you would to an alien who had never had contact with the imagery. “A spear flying through the air,” becomes “an object that is moving with force and is designed to impact the surface it contacts.” You are moving with force. You are moving toward knowledge. You are moving toward having an impact. You are philosophizing. You are hunting. You are seeking a new understanding and when you land, you will wish to change the nature of your environment with the thrust of your newfound opinion. This week you must go out of your shell and explore. Give up your safety and go. Let go of your container. Surprise yourself by being brave and vulnerable at the same time. You must soften your mind so that you can open up to new heights of knowledge. You will learn about your own humanity and the nature of humankind all at once.

Leo or Leo Rising
The long stems of a lily pad. Leo, this week you are learning how to open up and connect intimately with another. Whether you are in or out of relationship, you get to practice sharing your feelings honestly. This is how intimacy is birthed. Because of the nature of our society, sharing feelings is often a struggle. Often, it is not what we are taught to do. We must stretch ourselves to name our true emotions and share our true emotions. The stems of a lily pad stretch from the sandy soil at the bottom of the pond, all the way up to the surface. When they break out onto the surface of the pond, the lilies bloom in the full light of the sun. In just this way, you can stretch yourself to tell your emotional truth and breakthrough into full intimacy with another person. Take this risk. It is a practice that will help you share your light with the world.

A COSMIC PORTAL: THE NUMEROLOGY OF 999

The numerology of 999 is a powerful invitation to let go and move forward in our journey, says Felicia Bender. Artwork: Victor Moatti 

NUMEROLOGY OF 999 The Numinous artwork victor moatti

999

Ah, sweet surrender.

September 9, 2016 breaks down to 9-9-9 (since “2016” = 2+0+1+6 = 9, making this a Universal 9 Year). The code is a message and also an energetic reality.

This day opens us to surrender on the highest realm. It is the end of a concerted struggle and a transition into wisdom or even a sense of rebirth.

Think about what has constituted your biggest or most consistent struggle—either in the past year, or even throughout your life. This is the time to put this issue (or issues) to center stage and into the spotlight. Now is the time to make some deep changes.

In Numerology, the number 9 is sacred and offers all of the lessons related to all the numbers 1-8. It challenges us to take the lead and embrace independence (1), to love and serve the needs of everyone (2), to express emotions in a healthy way and to be creative (3), to work hard and create stability (4), to use freedom constructively and have fun (5), to nurture and create a home (6), to live with a spiritual base and also ask questions (7), and to empower ourselves and to manifest in the material world (8).

The numerology of 999, day where there is a TRIPLE serving of 9 energy, it opens us—whether we “like” it or not—to our truth, in ways that we have been both searching for and avoiding. While we can say we want enlightenment, we often romanticize it, when the actuality is that enlightenment a painful process. It is a constant stripping away and revealing of Truth and also shines a light on how we must participate in creating what we want in the world.

There is true beauty in the transition opening on this special day. And given we also have two eclipses in September—which themselves are known to accelerate change in a big way—the numerology of 999 in this particular year presents an opportune time to unveil your deepest desires and visualize what it would look and feel like to step into your new reality.

So how to maximize the numerology of 999?

TAKE THE LEAP. Have you been hovering around a decision for so long you can’t remember a time when it hasn’t been eating at you? For example, I know people who have been thinking about getting a divorce for years and just continue to hover in the relationship. A friend of mine said it so well: If you’re constantly thinking about whether or not you should be in your marriage, you shouldn’t be in your marriage! If you’re meant to be there, thinking about whether or not you should stay or go is simply not on the radar.

BE REAL about your actions and participation—while forgiving yourself fully and completely. Do you keep beating yourself up about something you did or didn’t do in the past? Do you replay it over and over again? I think it’s Byron Katie who observes that often we have one traumatic experience and yet our mind relives it so often, it is if we experience the trauma every time we replay it. This is the time to find a way to truly forgive yourself and move on. It’s up to you to find your way to do it—Therapy? Energy work? Hypnosis? A “Release” ritual? Whatever speaks to you, try it it.

EXPAND YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS. Oh, sure. Sounds so cliché. Yet the energy of the 9 is optimized when we can truly live the Buddhist tenant of being Present—when we can live in the moment, let go of the past without resentment, and be open and curious about the future. If there’s ever a time to clear our slate of negativity, this is it. And this is made more challenging by the current conditions we’re experiencing in the world. There is so much tumultuous change, it can be disconcerting. Yet if we can be the eye in the center of the hurricane—even in the most intense times—the rest of it will become so simple.

MAKE A WISH: JUPITER IN LIBRA FOR YOUR SIGN

With the lucky planet’s move into the sign of harmony, relationships and social justice, Jupiter in Libra will bring blessings for every sign, says Ash Bonelli… Artwork: Paula Duró

jupiter

Jupiter, our cosmic Santa Claus, will enter the sign of Libra on September 9, 2016, and will stay here until October 10, 2017. Jupiter spends roughly a year in each sign creating a 12-year cycle. He basically vacations through each house of your natal chart giving you the opportunity to experience his qualities in each area of your life, and so each 12-year cycle signifies an all-encompassing period of growth. In astrology, each house also builds on and balances the one before it, bringing you experiences that help you gain knowledge and maturity with each passing phase.

Jupiter has been in the sign of its detriment, Virgo, for the last year. In non-astro speak, this means he’s been a bit uncomfortable. Jupiter wants to go BIG, and has the tendency to indulge if not kept in check. Virgo likes to look over each detail until everything is absolutely perfect no matter how long it takes. This past year these two opposing energies have made for strange bedfellows for sure! Jupiter has had to learn the art of pure focus and Virgo has had a chance to see the entire forest, not just the bark of each branch. Now that Jupiter is moving into the Libran area of your chart, life will run a bit more smoothly.

A reason to celebrate, since gratitude is the quickest way to usher in more gifts—which is what this planet is all about! Jupiter in Libra 2016 will highlight relationships of all kinds, which I will touch on below. Libra also likes elegance, balance, and fairness. Jupiter stands behind justice and equality. This transit will also highlight the other three cardinal signs, so you will also notice a boost to any area where you are Aries, Capricorn and Cancer.

This will be a welcome reprieve as the cardinal signs have been hit really hard over the last few years with the consciousness shifting Uranus/Pluto square. No matter where your planets reside you all have these signs in your chart so everyone will get a taste of Jupiter’s blessings! Listed below are some suggestions as to how Jupiter in Libra 2016 may express itself for your sign. If you have your chart, you can get a more accurate read of how Jupiter in Libra may impact your life by checking which house is ruled by Libra. Don’t have your chart? You can do it for free here—but you will need to know your exact time of birth to know which sign rules each house.

These are not rigid interpretations but rather some inspiration to get you thinking about that part of your life. Little jumping off points to help guide your free will and connect you to the flow of your path!

LIBRA :: LIBRA RISING (Jupiter in the 1st house)
Jupiter in the 1st house is about to expand possibilities around how you put yourself out in the world. This transit can add a nice boost to your self-confidence and can give your aura an extra sparkle. Jupiter in Libra can help you express yourself in a more successful way which in turn can bring about more opportunities for healing and growth. You may notice that you desire to be seen and heard more, especially in your personal relationships. You could use this transit to get more in touch with what you need out of your relationships and really be mindful of how your energy is given.

The 1st house also rules our bodies so this would be a great time to kick start any healthy endeavors that have been lingering about at the end of the to do list. You could switch up your diet to include more greens, start meditating to connect more to your higher self or start exercising. Whatever you choose to embark on will grow and most likely at a faster rate than usual but keep in mind that Jupiter can blow up even the negative choices. So choose wisely about your body, health and relationships this year!

VIRGO :: VIRGO RISING (Jupiter in the 2nd house)
This transit could amplify all 5 senses. You may feel the need to dive deeper into self-care and start a new routine around how you could love yourself more. The things in life that you value most could come up for review and this includes the relationship you have to yourself. Where and how you find pleasure will likely be more important in the year ahead. An emphasis could be placed upon your material world and how your possessions either make you feel more safe and secure or weighed down.

This transit can be a boost to your finances through a raise, promotion or career shift. This house usually doesn’t lend itself to quick abrupt changes though so the pace may move a bit slower than usual for Jupiter’s liking. Slow and steady wins the race though so enjoy the finer things in life without completely blowing through the extra funds you may find yourself having. Jupiter can blow things out of proportion so embrace what feels good while always keeping a foot planted on the grassy hills of reality. Also, enjoy the boost to your self-esteem and take time to figure out how you can create more stability in your life!

LEO :: LEO RISING (Jupiter in the 3rd house)
Jupiter is about to have a year long conversation with you. As he glides through your house of communication you might notice yourself becoming a bit more chatty. You may become more involved in your community or social groups. Your relationship to your siblings might be more prominent at this time as well. The 3rd house symbolizes our ability to express through teaching, writing and engaging so you may go back to school to catapult at new career path. Simply learning a new skill either through a structured program or a DIY book could capture your interest.

If you ever wanted to become a better public speaker, write an article for a magazine you love, start a blog or get involved with a charity, this would be your year to do it. Jupiter riding side saddle here can bring blessings that make us more confident and open. People seem to receive us in a really positive way which just builds on that amped up self-esteem! So get out and connect. Be open to possibilities such as fun weekend mini-trips, learning opportunities and all around growth in how you express you!

CANCER :: CANCER RISING (Jupiter in the 4th house)
Jupiter comes homes for you during this transit. The 4th house represents our family, our homes, our security and our roots. You may find yourself being more of a homebody than usual. Also, the desire to be more involved with your loved ones could grow stronger. This can also signify a time when a new member gets added to the family unit. Baby bells may be chiming! Home improvements or moving to a new residence could be in order. Jupiter wants room to grow and expand his independent intentions so you may need to work on creating more freedom within your family dynamics.

This could be a healing time for you, where you discover more about what you need to feel more secure and stable. Sometimes we have to grow past our comfort zones to really see what we are capable of and what we really need in our hearts. Elements of the past may come up for review as this house symbolizes our roots. You may discover more about your ancestry and get a better understanding of yourself via a new perspective and appreciation for the blood pulsing through your veins. Use this transit to connect deeper to someone in your family, blood or not and embrace what you need to feel more centered.

GEMINI :: GEMINI RISING (Jupiter in the 5th house)
Welcome to the party! Jupiter likes to enjoy himself in this house. This is traditionally the house of Leo so all things playful, dramatic, creative and expressive are going to be highlighted this time around. This is also the house of falling in love and dating. It’s the house where we flirt and the first flutters of romance are in the air. With the jovial king here you may meet someone new and have a passionate love affair. Considering this is a Jupiter in Libra transit, the potential for all romantic relationships will be highlighted. A jolt of new sparks could fly for the longtime couples as well so never fear if you are already happily paired up.

This could also be a time of heightened artistic expression. Keep in mind you don’t have to be a traditional artist to be creative, although if you are this could be an amazing year for you. Any hobby or craft already in your life could really grow in importance or you may find a completely new creative passion. This is also the house of indulgence so to keep from going overboard be respectfully mindful of the fact that Jupiter also enjoys the act of going over the top. He will big up anything he touches. So with that in mind embrace the fun and enjoy life but remember to keep your head above the water!

TAURUS :: TAURUS RISING (Jupiter in the 6th house)
Jupiter gets a new routine here. The 6th house governs over our bodies, our health, our need for perfection, our work routine and acts of service. Considering this transit is moving through Libra you may notice that you are paying more attention to the relationship you have with your body. This would be a great year to start eating more whole fresh foods, to start a new workout program and just be more aware of your mind/body connection. Another point of focus could be on your daily routines, (the little tasks that make life a bit dull) and how you could move through them with more efficiency.

The daily grind will either feel more fluid or you will recognize you need more freedom from certain routines. Now will be the time to correct your daily habits to better suit your needs. You may also see some success at work via a promotion or you may shift jobs entirely. Also, this could be a time where you get involved in some type of charity work that speaks to heart. Jupiter has faith in humanity and the universe so you may feel yourself naturally tap into that altruistic energy! Use this benefic presence to find perfection in the imperfections and to get healthier!

ARIES :: ARIES RISING (Jupiter in the 7th house)
Ah, the house of love! With Libra ruling this house, relationships of all kinds may always be a big focus in your life but with Jupiter moving in for the next year, he will be kicking things into high gear. This could be the year that you take your romantic relationship from dating to co-nesting or a bigger option, (remember Jupey poo likes BIG) wedding bells! With that said if you are in an unhealthy relationship this could also be the time that you cut those toxic strings and work on the love affair with your own heart. The Jupiterian energy will be there helping you to make big leaps that you may have been too scared to make beforehand. Just trust your heart and forge ahead with your head held high!

On the less love focused front, you may meet someone who would make the perfect business partner giving you the spark you need to embark on bringing those indie business dreams to fruition. Collaboration of all kinds could be major themes for the year! Get social and connect because you never know who is coming onto your path to help you out! We can meet our earth angels anywhere.

PISCES :: PISCES RISING (Jupiter in the 8th house)
Jupiter goes deep into the soul with this transit. This is the house of sex, death and taxes. The human shadow. Our spirit wounds. Our power and how we use it. You may find that you desire to have more control over your life in general and the positive energy now available with this transit is here to help you attain that goal. You may need to do some soul searching though because power is only a good thing when the intention behind it comes from a healthy and balanced place. You may start to see where you are out of balance when it comes to wanting to control certain people, situations or experiences in your life.

This is Scorpio’s house so stepping into the fire to come out anew is a dominant theme here. You may need to let go of an attitude, belief or person in order to overcome and heal. With the benefic energy here though you will have aid at your side. You will find the strength needed to evolve and grow past any self-imposed limits. This could also be a time of increased money in your pocket. This would most likely come  from an inheritance, property sale, legal issues being solved or any situation where the finances come from someone else instead of your job. Use this good energy to move past any soul blocks and come out on the other side with a happier healthier spirit!

AQUARIUS :: AQUARIUS RISING (Jupiter in the 9th house)
Jupiter loves the 9th house! This house governs all of his favorite subjects. Traveling, teaching, law, publishing, spirituality and philosophy. You may find yourself traveling or studying foreign cultures. Getting totally immersed in another language and lifestyle. Adventures are highly smiled upon during this transit. Also, education could be a big focus this year. You may go back and get the Master’s Degree that you’ve been dreaming about for years. This will probably be a year of thinking, understanding, learning, sharing and preparing. Like the 3rd house description above you may go to a traditional institution for your area of study or you may choose to teach yourself something new.

Either way, the amplified learning energy is there for the taking. Diving into a new spiritual practice or getting involved more intimately with your existing religious practices could be highlighted. Understanding your place in the world and understanding other people’s ways of life could provide valuable insights into your soul’s growth. Faith and optimism will be key features this year which you can apply to any section of your life for a boost of good energy. Use this auspicious time to learn more about yourself and your world! Learn a skill that you never thought you could before. Surprise yourself!

CAPRICORN :: CAPRICORN RISING (Jupiter in the 10th house)
Jupiter meets the boss! The beautiful benefit will be bringing the blessings to your career house. Polish up your public persona because you may find that you are in social situations where you are the focal point more often than usual. This is a good time to make your mark and put yourself out there for the world to see your greatness. You may get a promotion or venture into a new career field. This can be a very exciting time because everything you’ve been learning via Jupiter’s previous transits can be put to good use in how you express yourself. Think about any valuable lessons you have learned over the past year while Jupiter was in Virgo.

Those lessons can be applied into action steps now. You can also find a great new mentor during this transit as the 1oth house rules elders/bosses/authority. This could be someone who can help you shape up your goals to reach the next level. Be open to any opportunities to get in front of people because you never know who you will meet next on the path that could change your life! Jupiter is here to help you be in charge of your life. So get your GirlBoss on and go after your best dreams!

SAGITTARIUS :: SAGITTARIUS RISING (Jupiter in the 11th house)
Time to get social! This transit helps you expand your tribe. The people that you feel on a soul level really get you. All your unique traits are appreciated and even celebrated during this transit. You may have the desire to be way more social than usual. This always throws off the introverts, so never fear my little home dwellers, it’s only a year! Plus this isn’t the painful socializing we must do to “play the game.” This is fun, optimistic, heart opening experiences that make you fall in love with how awesome humans can be.

The 11th house is the home of hopes and wishes so it’s possible that your birthday wish could come true or something you worked very hard on over the past year while Jupiter was amping up your career house will come to fruition. You may also find a charity or cause that really speaks to your heart. You could find yourself giving back and discover a new way of being seen via really seeing others in an amazing, vulnerable way. Your attitude could also shift into more eccentric, unique and striking ways! Embrace your own quirky behaviors, have fun with your new friends and get connected with a cause that makes this a better world for us all!

SCORPIO :: SCORPIO RISING (Jupiter in the 12th house)
Jupiter goes undercover. This is more of an internally felt transit. After a year of Jupiter being in your social 11th house you may want this year ahead to be more private. This has a very healing, lunar, yin energy to it. You can use this time to integrate all of the experiences good or bad that you’ve had via your previous 11 Jupiter transits. This is a great time to start a meditation practice to let go of any unwanted gunk that has built up in your psyche. Restorative Yoga or Tai Chi would also be good choices to help cleanse the energetic body. Jupiter can bless you with the positive energy to work on your relationship to self-love and help you create new healthy practices.

You can think of this next year as healing prep for the new cycle that will begin when Jupiter moves into your 1st house and touches on your Ascendant. Shedding old skin and parsing through your soul’s needs so you can move ahead fresh and ready for Jupiter’s next 12 year sojourn. There can also be a focus on any health issues that have been buried or ignored that need addressing. Use this time to deeply check-in with yourself, find something to revere and honor in your life and allow the time needed to emerge from this blessed chrysalis!

 

YOGI SAYS: “IS THE ENTREPRENEUR LIFE FOR ME?”

“Is the entrepreneur life for me?” Resident Yogi and philosopher Eddie Stern responds… Artwork: Francesco Clemente

Two of Wands tarot by Francesco Clement

“After years of working for other people and putting all my creative energy into their dreams, I finally decided to do my own thing a couple of years back. I have worked on various projects since, some more successful than others—and while I try to always learn from the lessons of my ‘failures’ it can be hard not to focus on things that have gone wrong, and blame myself. Lately this has made me fearful about continuing on the entrepreneurial path and I’ve been fantasizing about the ‘easy life’—i.e. working for somebody else again—even though I know in my heart this would make me depressed and leave me craving my freedom again. How can I get past my mistakes and remain confident about pursuing my own dreams?”

Dear Dreamer,

Almost everyone sometimes feels trapped between two worlds; one world we know, the other we don’t really know…but we have some ideas. One world is exhilarating and free, and the other is safe, but is a prison. The world of safety, as you pointed out, can often be boring, unfulfilling, and limiting, while the world of the unknown—where our hidden, unlimited potential lies—is scary. Until we jump in, that is.

These two realities are spoken of in Hindu philosophy. There is the reality that can be measured, is logical, has size, shape and weight—and the reality that cannot: thoughts, emotions, inspiration, potential and creativity. We can measure our bodies, possessions, money, buildings, cars, cities, even the Universe, but we cannot measure that things that inhabit these spaces: knowledge, love, compassion, empathy, dreams, ambitions, hopes, desires, potential and friendship.

The reality that can be measured is called sakala, “with form,” and the reality that cannot is called nishkala, “without form.” However, they are both real—they both exist! The realm of man is the sakala realm, and the realm of the Gods—as well as our hopes, dreams, potential and feelings—is nishkala.

We get stuck in the world of quantification, of measurement, because that is what our world demands of us. How many followers do we have on IG? How much money do I have in the bank? Do I have six packs in my abs, or only one and a half? We measure, we compare, and we are miserable in doing so, because we always come up short. And we measure because we don’t know who we are.

In Yoga, this knowing who we are is the solution to all misery. It is the plug that let’s all the dirty, stinky water down the drain. For when we truly know who we are, we are immeasurable, pure consciousness. When we don’t know who we are, we are limited by the things we measure ourselves against.

When we don’t know who we are, we imitate those who project the kind of confidence and knowledge, or beauty or wit, that we wished we had. We give up the struggle of discovering who we are, by playing it safe, and taking on someone else’s self-expression. But in the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says to Arjuna, “It’s better to do your own dharma poorly, then to do the dharma of another well”, meaning, it’s better to do your own thing and fail, rather than do someone else’s thing and succeed.

Why? Because you’ll never be happy and never find fulfillment with someone else’s purpose, only with your own. And it’s only you who can discover what that is. When you do, is when freedom begins. It’s how you access the realm of nishkala, and bring it forward, actively, into your life.

In the Tarot, a card which seems to accurately represent the dilemma that you are in right now, is the Two of Wands. The image on the card is of a person standing between two upright wands; he is holding onto one of the wands with his left hand, and in his right, he is holding a globe, or, the world, as he gazes off towards the distance.

The meanings of the card can relate to decision making; you have reached a fork in the road, so to speak, and there are two directions you can go. One direction will lead you towards freedom and abundance, and the other towards safety, which is binding, and will be fraught with self-doubt. The card symbolizes independence and boldness on the one hand, and fear of failure, and dependence on others, on the other.

Being bold is an expression of personal power, which is simply another terms for your unique potential and creativity. Now may be the time for you to own that originality within you, and be bold enough to express it in the world. You may have had some failures, and you will definitely have fears to face head on, but in the end, regardless of success or failure, you will have the inner satisfaction of knowing that you were brave enough to listen.

The important thing is to keep at your work. Your creativity will continue to grow as you feed it. It will continue to grow as you use if for work that aligns with your own vision.

There are three key words I’ve seen associated with the Two of Wands: personal power (which I read as infinite potential channeled through us each as unique individuals); boldness; and originality. Your potential will become clearer the more you exercise it; your boldness will increase when you face your fears directly and don’t let them rule you; and last, connecting with your own work, and your own originality, will lead you towards personal fulfillment, which is true success.

But the Two of Wands reminds us of one other thing: we do not own our creativity, or our potential, or power. These are channeled through us, and if we are lucky, we can tap into them and express them through our actions and attitudes. We should remain humble knowing that we are not the authors of our creativity or power, that we are conduits, and that when creativity flows through us, all goes well. But when we try to control it, or think that we are special because of it, things will eventually go south. Be bold, but be humble. Be fearless, but also, be grateful.

A yogic practice you can try to balance out the two realities that we all live in is alternate nostril breathing. It’s fairly simple, is calming, and balances both hemispheres of the brain.

  1. Begin by sitting comfortably in a chair, or cross-legged on the floor.
  1. With your right hand, you make the Vishnu Mudra, which looks like this.
  1. Place your right thumb against your right nostril, inhale and exhale 3-5 times through your left nostril. Your breathing should be smooth and even, not too long, and not too short. Usually a 3-4 second inhale and exhale is a good place to start.
  1. After 3-5 breaths, close your left nostril with your right ring finger, and breath the same amount of times through the right nostril. Your breathing should be smooth and even, with the same length of breath that you used on the left side (3-4 seconds inhale, 3-4 seconds exhale).
  1. After 4 breaths through the right side, place your right hand back into your lap or on to your knee, and take 3-5 slow deep breaths.

You can do this once or twice a day—morning and evening, and before having food, are optimal times to try it. There are many variations of alternate nostril breathing, that overall have some of the same effects. This one in particular is single nostril, or unilateral, breathing, and has been show to have positive effects on both spatial awareness (knowing where you are in space, and where things are in relation to you), and improving cognitive abilities. I think the two wands in the Two of Wands card are reminiscent of the nostrils, and the subtle energy channels that are attached to them! Try it, and see if it helps.

Yours,
Eddie

GASTROLOGY: A RECIPE FOR VIRGO SEASON

A unconventional lentil soup is the perfect recipe for Virgo season…Concept and styling: Georgia Ashdown, Dish Pig; Words: Mojave Rising; Recipe: Alex Watts, Dish Pig; Image: Chris Chen

mojave

Virgo season conjures careful concoctions, herbaceous blends, process-based cooking, and the delicious sensation of detoxification. The zodiac’s most meticulous minx invites us to break out our measuring cups and to revel in acts of sorting, discerning, and finely chopping.

It’s a month to celebrate how singular flavors contribute to the integrity of the whole, hearty stew of being human, and how complex proportions demonstrate that in doing the difficult work we are sumptuously rewarded for our care.

We’ve chosen a spicy, delightfully intricate yet simple, sweet and sour soup for Virgo season—perfect for channeling the earthy goodness inside masked by outer complexity. There’s also the collisions between perfectly proportioned piles and the glorious moment of blending, where we let distinction merge with the world as it is and serve it on up.

Astrology’s so-called “virgin” is actually a wild, witchy woman who lives by her own code and gathers provisions for a proprietary brew befitting a self-contained queen of everyday alchemy. Her soup is for celebrating each piece of ourselves: from the tangy lime cheeks, to the sweet, sweet coconut cream on top!

RECIPE FOR VIRGO SEASON :: SWEET AND SOUR LENTIL SOUP

serves 4-6

Chefs notes ~ with the addition of some a dollop of coconut cream and harissa this soup can really come to life.

1 red onion diced
1 red capsicum, charred and peeled
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp ground coriander
100ml grapeseed oil
600g Kumera diced approx. 1cm
4 ripe tomatoes diced
2 garlic cloves sliced
1 long red chilli, de-seeded and sliced
1tbs tamarind pulp
100 ml boiling water
1 tbs vegan fish sauce
½ tsp tumeric
1 cup Red Lentils, soaked
1.5litres veg stock
1 handful chopped coriander
1 handful shallot (scallion) rounds
2 Lime cheeks

Wash the lentils under cold water, and repeat three times then strain off the water.

Soak the tamarind pulp in boiling water and pass through a sieve to remove seeds.

In a heavy based saucepan, fry the onions and garlic in grape seed oil until, soft but not coloured. Add the chilli & spices and cook for a further 5 mins stirring constantly. Add the kumera, red lentils, tomato, tamarind, red capsicum and veg stock. Cook until the Kumera just begins to soften and remove from heat.

Season with fish sauce, chopped herbs and serve with a grilled lime cheek.

JUPITER IN LIBRA: STRONG EYE ASTROLOGY SEPTEMBER 5—11

How will Jupiter in Libra affect your sign? Get a reading of this week’s cosmic climate, direct from the third eye of Sandra Sitron—a.k.a. Strong Eye Astrology

strong eye astrology jupiter in Libra frog lily pad the numinous

Virgo :: Virgo Rising
A frog leaping among lily pads. A frog represents transition. You are using your strong legs to propel you to a new environment. Strength and flexibility. Let yourself expand without fear. Sometimes it feels scary to change and grow. Just leap through it. This week you experience an unveiling that affects your relationships and your home/family. This unveiling has been building since November 2015 and now reaches a point of new understanding. Neptune (mystery) is in your relationship house and has been squaring off with Saturn (lessons) in your house of home and family for the last year. Whatever has been coming up for you because of this face-off between idealized relationship and restricted home/family will work through its final stages over the next two weeks and the lessons may become more clear.

The frog symbol helps you remember to transition easily and naturally from tadpole to frog body and from land to water. Use this symbol to help you move easily through transitions. Jupiter, the planet of expansion, moves from your personality house to your house of self-worth this week to stay for a year. Over the last year, you have been expanding in your knowledge of who you are. You have been able to make your mark on the world. Now you move forward to expansion in your feelings of self-worth. This shift may even bring you financial abundance in the next year. You are entering a time of building your sense of security in the world.

Libra or Libra Rising
Stone steps leading through a garden. You find stable footing as you move through an enchanting and mysterious natural world. Stepping on the stones is like finding a solid idea to hold onto. You are trying to reconcile your conceptual ideas with your daily existence. Your daily habits may be feeling unbalanced, you may not be feeling grounded. Yet it’s not for lack of knowing how you want to your health and habits to be. This week you experience an unveiling that affects your mindset and your habits. This uncomfortable energy has come up a couple of times since November 2015 and now it becomes exact for the last time. Neptune (mystery) is in your house of health and habits and has been squaring off with Saturn (lessons) in your house of conscious thoughts or mindset. If you have been foggy about how you would like to feel in your body or in your daily health practices, this week marks the final tension between these two energies.

After September 20th the garden of your life will feel less mysterious and more practical. You will be better able to bring your ideas into practice. Yet, don’t move away from this time without learning your lessons, they may revolve around two questions: Where are your ideas about the world limiting your experience? and What are you in denial about regarding your health and habits? Jupiter, the planet of expansion, moves from the realm of your subconscious and into your identity sector, to stay for a year. Get ready for a year of expanding your awareness of who you are. You are ready to be seen, noticed and remembered. You are ready to lead. Take yourself seriously this year. Use the information you gathered about your subconscious patterns to help you create the life you want. Learn about yourself and shine bright with your true identity.

Scorpio :: Scorpio Rising
A horse taking jumps. The enthusiastic horse approaches a new challenge. There is an energy of risk-taking, sport and abundant energy to this symbol. You’ve taken a leap and you’re just about to land. A successful leap is only possible when you have sure footing. Over the last year, you’ve been learning lessons about your stability in the world. Stability makes fun possible. This week you experience a new understanding that affects both your sense of stability and your joyful self-expression. This new understanding is a point of tension that has been building since November 2015 and now reaches it’s final apex. Neptune (mystery) is in your creativity house and has been squaring off with Saturn (lessons) in your house of security. You must now reconcile security limitations with your dreams of self-expression.

After September 20th, you will have resolved the lessons of these tense energies. Take this time to feel really really safe. Embrace your sense of security and reaffirm your belief in the abundance of the world. If there has been fog or confusion around your creativity, let it burn away now. Question any self-imposed limitations. Jupiter, the planet of expansion, moves into the realm of your dreams and subconscious to stay for a year. This year you’ll be able to heal karma and subconscious stories that are no longer serving you. Use powerful positive affirmations and hypnosis to shift your subconscious beliefs. Take leaps and jumps into a new subconscious awareness.

Sagittarius :: Sagittarius Rising
Scooping ice cream. This symbol is about independent choice (you scoop the ice cream) and self-nurturance (food symbols usually ends up being about nurturance.) Do you know who you are? And, how do you take care of yourself? This week you experience an unveiling that affects your sense of self and your home/family. This unveiling has been building since November 2015 and now reaches a point of new understanding. Neptune (mystery) is in your house of home and family and has been squaring off with Saturn (lessons) in your house of identity. This could create a friction that has to do with knowing who you are in relation to where you came from. Or it could be about expanding into your true personality while freeing yourself from a need to be a caretaker to others. You are ready to take yourself seriously. Now you need to reconcile that with your idealizations about your home and family.

Idealization is not inherently good or bad. We all need to have a clear ideal that we can navigate toward. But, idealization that’s a denial of reality is a problem. Find your stability. Nurture yourself. Create a stable sense of home for yourself by honoring your emotions. This week, Jupiter moves into your house of hopes and community, to stay for a year. Your dreams for yourself and for society get a boost this year. Tune into your purpose and your sense of social justice. You will gain the most expansion from sharing and connecting with large groups of people. Open yourself to inspired thinking that will help you re-envision your future.

Capricorn :: Capricorn Rising
A sling shot. Cause and effect. Pull back the sling and let physics take care of the rest. Aim true. This week you experience an tension that affects the relationship between your subconscious and conscious mind. This tension has been happening since November 2015 and now brings awareness to this issue one final time. Neptune (mystery) is in the arena of your conscious mind and has been squaring off with Saturn (lessons) in the arena of your subconscious. The sling represents your subconscious mind. It is on automatic. Whatever action you apply to the sling, it will use the equal reaction to shoot. What conscious action will you apply?

Wherever you have been on automatic, you have been experiencing pain. In fact, look at the issues where you feel stuck. Those issues are where you will need to start to apply a new kind of conscious pressure. Jupiter, the planet of expansion, moves into your career house to stay for a year. This is an excellent time for you to reach for your highest career goals. You will be supported in shining in the public eye. Use this time to align with your purpose and feel the satisfaction of social recognition.

Aquarius :: Aquarius Rising
Fairies in the woods. Fairies signify healing. You are being nudged to heal your sense of personal security and commune with like-minded individuals. This week you experience a tension that affects your sense of community and your sense of security. This tension has been building since November 2015 and now reaches a point of new understanding. Neptune (mystery) is in your security house and has been squaring off with Saturn (lessons) in your house of community and future visions. You may have been learning how to reconcile your individual security with the needs and dreams of a tribe. You are learning to feel safe enough to be connected. You won’t lose any part of yourself by engaging with the group.

By September 20th, you will feel much more secure in the world and the limitations you have felt in either community or dreams for the future will take a different tone. Stabilize yourself by looking at the natural world for clues of abundance. Go out into the woods and commune. Jupiter, the planet of expansion, enters your house of philosophy, travel, and exploration this week. Jupiter is happiest in this house. Let yourself expand to the highest perspective you can find. Travel and explore to learn more about yourself. Broaden your horizons this year.

Pisces :: Pisces Rising
Crossed axes. The crossed axes are instructing you to stop and review.  This week you experience an unveiling that affects your career and your identity. This unveiling has been constant since November 2015 and now reaches a point of final understanding. Neptune (mystery) is in your identity house and has been squaring off with Saturn (lessons) in your career house. This is a moment of discovery. If you have not felt quite clear on how to assert yourself in your career, the lessons will become more obvious. The fog is ready to burn away, but not quite yet.

By September 20th you will have more clarity about who you are and how you are making your mark on the world. If you have felt stuck in relation to career or identity, this influence is simply showing you what you are ready learn. Slow down and review your lessons. This week there is another major shift. Jupiter, the planet of expansion, is entering the house that rules your ability to let go. This is also the house that signifies merging in emotional, physical, psychological and spiritual union with another person. Throughout the year your abundance will come from letting go of all of the things that no longer serve you. Allow space for all of your emotions. Feel expansion through trusting yourself and trusting your ability to merge in union with another.

Aries :: Aries Rising
Mountain climber. Climb higher to get a better view. Enhance your perspective. This week you experience a tension that affects your philosophies and your subconscious. This tension has been constant since November 2015 and now reaches a moment of new understanding. Neptune (mystery) is in your subconscious house and has been squaring off with Saturn (lessons) in your house of philosophy and exploration. As you climb the mountain, you gain a larger perspective of the world. Right now you are learning through expansion of your mind. Higher learning. This is not always easy. You may be breaking through some out-dated mental constructions.

This is a time for you to notice where you feel mentally pinched. Is it time for a new philosophy? Is it time for more awareness about how your subconscious habits are affecting your life? This is a wake-up call. Get out into the brusque mountain air and find clarity and a new perspective. This week brings Jupiter into your house of one-on-one relationships. Jupiter is the planet of expansion and this year you are able to create more joy in partnership. Expand through understanding that you are supported. You are safe to be seen. Your identity is enhanced through partnership.

Taurus :: Taurus Rising
Leaves falling from trees. This week brings you to a tension about how you control your environment. You are being asked to majorly let go of control. Wherever you experience a need to have power, that is where you will need to dissolve. This tension has been present since November 2015 and is now exact for one final time. Neptune (mystery) is in your community house and has been squaring off with Saturn (lessons) in your house of control/letting go. Your friendships, your community, how you interact with the world around you… all of this is changing color like the leaves of the trees and falling, falling, falling. You must let go. You must examine your emotions and surrender to the changes. Get your emotional needs met without trying to control your environment. It’s a delicate balance.

Over the last year you have had Jupiter moving through your house of creativity and self expression. Jupiter has brought you abundance and growth in these areas. Joy, love and creativity have been flourishing. Now Jupiter, the planet of expansion moves into your house of health and habits. You are entering a year of growth around health and efficiency. This year, set intentions for your most grounded and structured daily habits. Feel good in your body. Make your days happy and healthy. Learn about what habits would suit you best. Let go of whatever is no longer working for you and find new ways of living.

Gemini :: Gemini Rising
Dominoes lined up. The dominoes show how everything is connected. One moves and the rest move with it. This week you may experience tension that has been affecting your relationship and career since November 2015. This tension now reaches a point of new understanding. Neptune (mystery) is in your career house and has been squaring off with Saturn (lessons) in your house of primary relationship. Relationships teach the biggest lessons. They are a mirror for self. You have been learning great lessons from relationship, and there has been some fog or confusion around it. Career has also been limited because the dominoes aren’t lined up correctly.

These lessons will reach final resolve by September 20th. Use this time to write about where you have felt limited. Jupiter enters your arena of creativity and self-expression, to stay for a year. Amp up your experience of joy. The key here is playfulness. Watch children play and emulate that kind of action. Expand through joy and expression.

Cancer :: Cancer Rising
A porcupine. Porcupine is helping you move from self-judgement toward imagination and innocence. This week you experience an unveiling that affects your habits and your philosophies. This unveiling has been building since November 2015 and now reaches a point of new understanding. Neptune (mystery) is in your philosophy and world view house and has been squaring off with Saturn (lessons) in your house of daily habits. Sometime we can be hard on ourselves. If you have been self-critical about how you live your daily life, it’s time to expand your philosophies. Find a more imaginative philosophical framework that will let you ease up on yourself.

This week Jupiter moves into your house of home and family to stay for a year. This is a year of building your emotional security. Be very gently with yourself. Nest and feel loved. Expand through your emotional support systems.

Leo :: Leo Rising
Sledding down a hill. Coasting. Blades cut through the snow. Cold air. Breathless. Letting go. Surrendering control to allow for joy. This week you experience a tension that affects your creativity and how you let go of control. This tension has been building since November 2015 and now reaches a point of new understanding. Neptune (mystery) is in the area of your chart that rules control/letting go and has been squaring off with Saturn (lessons) in your creativity zone. You may have been feeling restrictions around how you express yourself. You may have been feeling lack of clarity around your emotions and what they are trying to tell you about your psychology. You are being reminded to define and validate your emotions. Allow them. Let go of trying to control them. This week marks the final tension between your creativity and your need for control. Just let go. Get out of your own way. Let yourself be. Let yourself shine forth just exactly as you are. Coast. Fly free.

Jupiter, the planet of expansion, moves into the area of your chart that rules thoughts and communications. Jupiter will stay here for a year, helping you define your ideas and communicate your truth. It’s time to embrace the “beginner’s mind.” Your biggest growth will come from opening your mind, studying and learning. Rev up your curiosity about the world. Look at everything fresh. Speed up your thinking. Remember that children learn through play, so make your year of education fun and imaginative.

TAROTSCOPES: SEPTEMBER 2016

Cast by Lindsay Mack, using The Starchild Tarot.

 

VIRGO :: VIRGO RISING – Two of Swords

Happy birthday, sweet Virgos! The collective energy for the month could be summed up with the following phrase: we go in to come out. Think of September as an opportunity for us all to “Kondo” our souls, to consider whether our thoughts are useful, or bring us great joy. If they do not, to be willing to upgrade them. No more wasted energy on anything that doesn’t really serve our growth. This shift will have a profound impact on our lives, our families, our dreams, our careers, and everything in between. And you are leading the pack with this sacred invitation, Virgo, beginning with your journey through Two of Swords this month.

The Two of Swords teaches us how to achieve and maintain ourten inner balance through any situation, be it imagined or actual. It calls us to go deeply inward, past our internal experiences, past any external triggers, and into the ocean of true equilibrium at the core of our being.

And here’s the deal, sweet peas: it’s not that you won’t experience stress, fears, worries, self doubt or concerns this month. You definitely will—you’re human, after all! You just don’t have to let it shake your walk of peace. You don’t have to let it drive the car of your life, or be the motivator in your decision making. You don’t have to believe your thoughts. You get to take empowered action around how you choose to let your thoughts affect you. Practices like journaling, tai chi, meditation, yoga or breathwork can help. Focusing your attention on upgrading your mental energy will create and carve out so much more space for what you do want to cultivate in your life, and what you desire to focus on. You are clearing the internal to upgrade the external.

You can begin to live joyfully in the space between your stresses this month, Virgo. Doing so will transform your life, preparing you to take off into your next great personal expansion. The upgrades we make during this time will lift both us, those around us, and everything we touch, to new heights. There is strong potential for huge career advancements, exciting inspirations or “lightbulb” moments. The door will be open for new levels of connection with loved ones, too. The sky’s the limit! Radical change is possible for you this month, Virgo. The first step is to come back inside to clear out what no longer serves.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

LIBRA :: LIBRA RISING – Ten of Pentacles

This month is going to feel like a cup of cold water after weeks in the desert, Libra. Ten of Pentacles is here, offering tremendous relief and regenerative blessings. You have worked, you have labored, you have walked a dark path these last few months—and even though you might not have known it at the time, you were walking back home to yourselves. Now you have arrived. This month will bring two gifts, each equally exciting and precious: the perfect conditions to birth something brand new into the world, and the chance to truly see how far you’ve come as a person. There is much to celebrate this month.

Ten of Pentacles is a card of great success and creativity, both financially and personally. It is a bountiful harvest of good fortune, and offers a ripe opportunity to step forward into an even greater arena with our work in this lifetime. It helps us to say, “Wow, look at how far I’ve come! Now what?” It is time to bring your gifts even more fully into the world, sweet Libra. It is time and you are ready. You might feel some fear, but so what? Fear hasn’t stopped you yet! Recognize how brave you’ve been. Open your eyes and really look at how far you’ve come and the garden of beauty all around you. You planted that garden with your courage, your willingness to wake up and be seen for your gifts. Now it is time to share them.

Ten of Pentacles, I believe, is also a card of karmic healing. The journey of the Pentacles isn’t just body and money; the suit really teaches us how to live spiritually in a material world. It brings us face to face with our karma, our dharma, our family legacy, our work in the world. The Ten of Pentacles shows us just how far we’ve come, and how much we’ve healed: allow this card to be a mirror for you this month, Libra. Celebrate yourself. There will be an abundance pf joyful evidence of your growth and evolution as a human being all around you. Enjoy every moment of it. Whenever you forget, come back to the truth. Drop the armor; you don’t have to defend against anything anymore.

Drink deeply from the cup of your own courage, the light of your heart, and the authenticity of your personal work. You deserve everything you desire. Share what you’ve grown, and plant new seeds.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

SCORPIO :: SCORPIO RISING – Oppression

Where do you oppress yourself, Scorpio? Where do you get stuck in “shoulds” and judgments, guilt, shame or doubt? Where do you obsess? More importantly, and more directly, where in your life do you beat yourself up for having the above thoughts, impulses and experiences in the first place? These are vital inquiries for the month of September—ones that will set you free if you allow them to.

Oppression, or The Devil card in the traditional Tarot deck, is going to be walking you through the process of releasing any old mental patterns or addictive cycles that are causing you suffering. Moving through this inquiry has the potential to expand you in a way you could never imagine, to open you up to more peace, trust, and access to your intuition than you’ve ever had before. Your nervous system will relax in a way it never has before. It has the potential to transform your life.

It’s not a thought, or an addictive cycle itself that puts us in Oppression: it’s the belief that there’s a problem with us for having the thought in the first place. That’s what keeps us hooked, chemically. Our brains and egos are SO much more addicted to “there’s something wrong with me” than they are to any external person, place or thing. And the thoughts themselves are also benign at their root; it’s our reaction to them that creates the true addictive cycle of oppression, the one that keeps us small, scared and locked in self-judgment. Any time we can remove the veil of self loathing around our habits or behaviors, there is the potential for personal transformation and freedom.

How do we break the chain of oppression of the self? Drop the story completely that there’s a problem with any invitation of the mind. It doesn’t matter what it is, ANY thought is just a thought; you don’t have to believe it, and there is nothing wrong with you for having it. You are ready to let go of a BIG cycle of self-oppression this month, Scorpio. Allow The Devil card to be the way home, the mirror into truth. It holds the key to freedom from the chains that bind us. The medicine of this card will give you the opportunity to free yourself from any outdated mental cycles that keep you stuck and small. Liberate yourself from the jail of your own beliefs, and plant new seeds of self love in its place.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

SAGITTARIUS :: SAGITTARIUS RISING – Four of Wands

Stability, accomplishments, celebration and joy are just a few words that could define your journey through September, Sagittarius. Four of Wands is a truly beautiful card, filled to the brim with blessings. Think of this entire month as a rite of passage, a celebration of yourself: how far you’ve come in your life, how much work you’ve done to get there, and how magnificently you’ve done it, even though great challenges. Those of you who are ready for the “next big thing” in your lives will walk closer to it than you ever have before. You can also expect big expansions this month around whatever you’ve been calling in energetically.

For some of you, it’ll be a month of professional blessings. For others, it might be more time off from work for play, the deepening or beginning of a relationship—even a wealth of fresh creative inspiration. The “four” in Four of Pentacles is significant, too, as fours signify stability in the Tarot. In other words, Sagittarius, the other shoe is not going to drop. There is a rational container around this time of joy: the one you built with your hard work. You get to reap your harvest this month. Enjoy it to the fullest degree, cultivating joy and self-celebration in every moment, every breath of this month.

You do have to trust in the invitation to celebrate, though, loves. That’s a part of this month for you, too. Trusting that you deserve this—to play, to rest, to receive more abundance, more attention, more time off. You have to be willing to be lighter; weeding through any old stories that argue against how much you deserve what’s manifesting at this time is imperative. This doesn’t darken the day—it just makes it sweeter. You’re not only getting what you want this month, Sagittarius, you’re learning how to accept it, how to say yes to it.

Receiving anything is a master class; it is truly hard work for everyone. Just keep celebrating alongside any discomfort or contraction, keep walking toward the light, bowing to the harvest you have cultivated. Then make room for even more goodness, even more joy. We cannot accept the blessings being showered on us if we don’t know how to open our hands to them—and you are going to be offering your palms up to the Universe on a whole new level this month, Sagittarius. Get excited.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

CAPRICORN :: CAPRICORN RISING – Temperance

Temperance is the alchemical bringer of transformation; it makes the impossible possible, and teaches us how to replace striving with allowing. The energy of this month is asking you to trust in the unknown in a way you never have before, Capricorn. If you can bow over to the great mystery, it will be a month full of beautiful and potent upgrades to your life.

You are learning to walk gracefully through the world while unseen and incredible threads are being woven together on your behalf. It’s a much better option than pushing, working or struggling to tie the threads together in a way that exhausts or drains you. Let it be easier; begin to foster trust that you will have everything in your life that is aligned for you in one way or another. The moment we surrender and release what we most desire is often the moment when enough space is made for it to come flowing in.

The medicine of Temperance is largely mysterious. Even the imagery on the traditional Rider Waite card suggests that miracles are happening: the blending of fire and water, the angel’s ability to balance on two uneven surfaces, the pouring of the water at a scientifically impossible angle. It’s letting us know, visually, that events are occurring in a magical way, in a way that would be impossible for any human being to accomplish. If we attempted any of the gravity defying feats that the Angel in the Temperance card does so effortlessly, we would fail. We would spill the water, we would lose our balance; we would put out the fire with the water over and over again.

We don’t just “get” this card in a reading—it is earned. It is earned through the willingness to release the grip of control in favor of surrender and trust. It is a very powerful sign of all things good and transformational, and indicates that you have done potent work to get to where you are. You are ready to level up and receive something new from the Universe, Capricorn, and Temperance is preparing you to do so. Lay yourself bare; let fire and water flow within you. Energetically surrender anything you are manifesting or wishing for, even without knowing the how or the why. The more you release, the more will come flowing in.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

AQUARIUS :: AQUARIUS – Ace of Cups

You will truly be sipping from the overflowing cup of Universal love and abundance this month, Aquarius. Sparkling and regenerative, it will be here to flood your life with some true magic. Ace of Cups is a card of holy self-love; falling in love with yourself, embracing all that you are, inviting joy and fun into your life. It can sometimes be a card that indicates that we could connect with someone new and special, but we have to start first from within.

Loving the self is its own special frequency. At its barest foundation, self love is a blend of spiritual re-parenting, a deep gratitude for the physical body (regardless of weight/appearance), and an emphasis on spontaneity, play, focus and helpful, nourishing discipline. It is centered in a kindness toward self, a willingness to make amends to the body, and to the heart. The body forgives, again and again and again, no matter how we may misstep with ourselves.

The deepest invitation of the month for you, Aquarius, is to truly learn how to drink from this cup of love in the first place. Many people just literally don’t know the how of self love. They might follow all the steps, doing everything that seems right and smart, and come out with a half empty well, the heart still crying for more. September is not only about drinking and marinating in the blessings of such a beautiful month, but learning how to love yourself in a way that fills you up and makes your soul shine. It takes time, reflection, willingness and curiosity to learn to love yourself and allow yourself more pleasure into your life; it’s a deep journey of the spirit.

It is time for all of you to know, beyond question, that you are enough. Deep enough, nourishing enough, rich enough to fill your own well. You don’t need anyone or anything else to fill it for you. Many of us work through this on a regular basis, of course, but this month feels like a truly expansive one for your whole sign in this area. Ace of Cups is here to deeply evolve your relationship with yourself. To sweeten your relationship with yourself, and in turn, expand your relationships with others. As you drink more from your own cup, more externally loving mirrors will pop up around you. Take the first sip and dive deeply into your body and heart.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

PISCES :: PISCES RISING – Seven of Wands

Expect to dive into the depths this month, Pisces. This plunge is going to help you foster a newfound trust around any area that triggers a sense of lack, scarcity or competition in your psyche. It’s a big shadow, but you’re ready to look at it squarely. You will be empowered to truly know, from the core of your soul, that only you can do what you came here to do. No one can take or steal anything away from you, and you can’t miss what is yours. Never, ever, ever. I absolutely trust that the logical part of your brain knows this beyond a shadow of a doubt—this is a healing for the sensitive, tender, vulnerable part of you that’s still not 100 percent convinced.

September’s invitation to you will be to understand that it’s not the adult in you that gets scared about this—it’s the inner child. When we understand that we are free to step forward into our greatness, regardless of our fears and insecurities,             we find ourselves speaking our truth, dropping our armor, and healing our inner child with every step.

Seven of Wands is about helping us to cultivate an unshakable trust that all things align as they are meant to for us. Whether the doubt around this area of your life is most prevalent in your career, finances, family or your love life, it’s all the same; you can never miss what’s meant for you. The key to rewiring these beliefs is to turn a soft focus and loving attention to the inner child part of you when those thoughts start whirring. Doing so will shift the difficult feelings around this subject out of shadow and into the light of awareness. Once the feelings are out in the light, we can begin to truly rewire them.

Fearing that there won’t be enough for us can sometimes manifest as insecurity, jealousy, comparison, even obsession. If you’re experiencing even an ounce of these difficult emotions around any aspect of your life, this month will be a blessing and a relief. It will present a ripe opportunity to transform them. Releasing these untrue beliefs will clear up space within you to be more expansive, trusting and sure of yourself. The waters around this are deeply vulnerable, but ultimately freeing—if you’re willing to swim in them. If anyone can do it, it’s you, Pisces. Dive deep and come out shining.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

ARIES :: ARIES RISING – Three of Wands

Three of Wands is a spectacular energy, one that is deeply creatively fulfilling. The month will be overflowing with excitement, potential and reason for celebration. This card comes up when we have worked—and worked you have, Aries. You know what it takes to fulfill your goals and dreams, and you have hustled to get there—now you get to experience the payoff for much of it. Honoring how hard you’ve worked, how far you’ve come, and what exciting opportunities lie ahead will be a delicious part of September. Much of what you have planted in the first half of 2016 will be in full bloom this month, ready to harvest and share with the world. Expect this time to be very sweet.

Also expect that you will start getting hungry (in a great way) for new projects, material and collaborations; to teach and learn on a whole new level. This will be awesome, and I highly encourage you to lean into it fully. Just as you have mastered and reaped the wonderful things you’ve been growing, you will begin to want to lay down new seeds: Three of Wands at its finest. Just go with it, and start planting those dream seeds, even as you celebrate.

The pace of this month for you, Aries, to quote Jim Gaffigan, might feel a bit like “you’re drowning, and then someone hands you a baby.” Sorry to say it, but as sweet as this month promises to be, the actual work load and intensity is not going to let up much for you. Its an amazing time, full of potential and an indication of all of the hard work you’ve been doing, but not much slowing down. The best thing to do is work within that structure. This month is really an opportunity to learn to integrate a bit more rest and fun within the breakneck pace, cultivating more ease in general. It is advisable to do this now, especially within the bridge of this month’s Mercury Retrograde, which is providing you with some organic resting points within the chaos. It will be a very busy, but amazing month for you in general, full of lessons and potential expansions.

Again, Aries, really celebrate yourself this month. Raise a proverbial glass to your hard work. Let any potential setbacks or disappointments become learning opportunities; don’t let anything break your stride too much. Let yourself dream big, and dive into your creativity fully.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

TAURUS :: TAURUS RISING – Four of Swords

September is an organic invitation to really rest, Taurus, avoiding any unnecessarily stressful, chaotic or frenzied situations. Taking a break from more dramatic friends or family members is also advised, as well as allowing for ample alone time to re-center through the month. Trust your gut completely on the amount of recharge time you need, as it truly will be the compass that guides you through a peaceful September. If you happen to be more open, empathic, or intuitive, the above advice will be a requirement, not a suggestion.

Four of Swords calls for a mental break, a true rest of the mind. It usually arises when we are in transition, or moving through something that is kicking up a lot of emotional dirt. The card’s energy actually serves to sweep away the debris, leaving us clear and lighter. Respect the fact that you might need more time to yourself this month, Taurus, and that that’s perfect for you. I mention that because FOMO can sometimes arise with this card, which can be painful—know that if you truly need to take a month away from people and recharge, you can honor that completely. They will still love you when you feel more called to be social.

It is wise to offer yourself as much space as possible during this Mercury Retrograde in Virgo, which is just going to want to make you curl up into your blankets and take it easy. Please treat yourself to that as often as you are able! This particular retrograde might be a little intense for you, especially around situations that make you insecure and more paranoid. You just might need a little more space to distinguish between whether something is your imagination or whether it is fact. Within this time of being more internal, emphasize sweetness and really treat yourself when you can. Make sure you are clearing yourself every day with sage, palo santo, and using selenite at night before you go to bed to cut any cords or release energy. Keep your third eye and crown chakra really beaming bright.

If you’re someone with very little personal time, don’t be surprised if the Universe helpfully hands you some more time to yourself: a shift to your child’s nap, a surprise work day from home, an evening obligation that gets cancelled. Just flow with the energy of the month, and take the chance to go within.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

GEMINI :: GEMINI RISING – Queen of Crystals

Err on the side of pragmatism this month, Gemini. Go slowly through September, ground yourself regularly and drop into the body before making big decisions. It is extremely advisable to be as classically oriented as you can with this Mercury Retrograde: not too many big decisions, not too many far reaching plans. Let it be a time that is more in than out, more thoughtful and mellow than energized. A good rule of thumb is if you feel really personally stretched, it would be wise to shelve what you possibly can until October.

Queen of Crystals, or Pentacles, is bringing a depth and a groundedness to your daily life that will be a deeply beneficial energy to your movement through the Retrograde this month. She’s slowing you down, and the main reason is because October is going to be bananas for you!

The fall will hold LOTS of movement, expansion and energy, so take measured steps while you can. Let this Queen show you the way. The Queen of Crystals is the holder of water and earth; she is the healer of the body and the keeper of wise ways. She is doing two things for you, Gemini, she’s slowing you down and bringing you into your body.

You can look at the latter as being very straight forward: emphasize physical exercise, nourish your body with foods that make your cells sing, hydrate like it’s your job, and love yourself up. Take baths, have beautiful sex and/or self-pleasure, go on walks, lay on the grass before it gets too cold. Soak up the fading summer days and meditate on this particular cycle for yourself: what worked, what didn’t, and what are you manifesting for the next cycle. This is all some beautiful Queen of Crystals body magic.

September is also the perfect time for you to review your finances, take an inventory of any areas of your life that need it, or to do a deep clearing of your home and space. Again, let this time be an intuitively pragmatic reflection, rather than a leap into new projects. You’re basically doing a full check in on everything in your life, inside and out. Embrace it fully and completely; it is a perfect time to get your ducks in a row for the upcoming season, both energetically and practically. Let your every step be a meditation on the present moment.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

CANCER :: CANCER RISING – Page of Cups

Travel deep into your magical weirdness this month, Cancer. I mean that in the best way possible! September’s energy wants you to come out and play. It wants you to trust yourself, to bathe in the waters of your imagination, to get back to a pure, childlike, magical place within your being. Like Gemini and many of the other signs this month, September is more of an internally directed time for you, Cancer, and it will be very wise to embrace this invitation. That doesn’t mean that it’s not aligned for you to be out and about, but there is a very rich inner landscape that awaits you this month. Do your best not to skip over it, as it contains many treasures.

Page of Cups is the embodiment of the child spirit, or in other words, a completely free and intuitively guided human being. Sensitive and individualistic, the free child spirit is able to express themselves from their heart, fully and totally. They are creative, imaginative and spontaneous, just like Page of Cups. The being on the card owns himself, wears what he wants, and doesn’t care if you don’t get him: he knows who he is and feels fabulous. Page of Cups is a full expression of love, magic, weirdness and creativity borne of the freedom to be fully ourselves.

The way back home to the child spirit within you, Cancer, is play. In order to play, our nervous systems must be relaxed. In order to have it be play, it means we don’t worry so much about what other people will think, or what it means to create what we are creating. We do it because play and imagination are the purest forms of channeling, and that’s the Page of Cups’ highest invitation for you this month: to expand your instinct, and to download new forms of connection with Divine that feel creative and joyous.

Look for the people in your life who express a Page of Cups frequency as inspiration. Be inspired by actual children, who are the perfect embodiments of this energy. For this month, do as your inner child does, or as a child would do, and notice how it makes you feel. Dive into your inner landscape and let it be fun, spontaneous and deeply creative. You might be very pleasantly surprised by what gets birthed from this free space.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

LEO :: LEO RISING – Four of Cups

Four of Cups is offering you a much needed and well deserved break in external engagements this month, Leo. It will be a potent opportunity for career advancements, personal projects, deep study into something new, or focusing on your health and wellbeing. Just be willing to create a little space between yourself and others this month, unless the person feels like true soul family. If it feels effortful, or if there are any “shoulds” involved, steer clear—at least for this month. The Retrograde is going to be extremely important for all Leos, providing an organic opportunity to clear away any past relationship karma, and to develop a new level of personal trust in your decisions. If exes come back up out of the woodwork this month, that’s great—you get the chance to definitively release them. Say bye and then block ‘em.

I always mention this in some capacity with the Four of Cups in my Tarotscopes: the traditional meaning of this card is, in my opinion, extremely misunderstood in one important capacity. Many people believe that there is deliberate self-sabotage happening with Four of Cups, that we are in some way making ourselves unavailable to new situations or potential relationships, saying no when we should say yes. I call bullshit. That fear (that we are going to miss something) is the very reason why we need Four of Cups energy in the first place.

The pure essence of the card is a wise inner break: an emotional clearing and a chance to go within and digest past experiences. This decision to heal and integrate is largely shunned in a culture that tells us to push through everything and to be on high alert constantly, lest we miss something. We can never, ever pass by what is truly ours. It will always find us. It is safe to trust in our decisions.

I mention this because it is important to trust yourself within this energy, Leo. Trust the time it takes you to heal, to clear and to ready yourself to engage again. You owe an explanation to no one. Four of Cups, like Four of Swords can bring up an intense feeling of FOMO; know that this is not only part of the card, but part of life. Don’t let it stop you from saying “no thank you” when your body is really asking you do. Trust yourself, go within, clear what is ready to be cleared—including self-doubt.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.