Month: October 2016

STRONG EYE ASTROLOGY OCTOBER 10—16

Posted on by Sandy Sitron

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

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Libra :: Libra Rising
A jigsaw puzzle. Interlocking. Interconnected. Intertwined. Your mission this week is to feel supported. Can you lean in, but maintain the integrity of your own stance? Can you speak your truth to another person? Can you say the thing that you have avoided? Do you know what you need? Can you ask for what you need? This week, the Universe offers you a cosmic trust fall. Take it. Feel the fall, the unknowing, the surrender. Feel yourself being caught and held. You may have to imagine it before you can do it. You may have to make room for it. You may have to know yourself well, by knowing all of your feelings, your desires, and your needs. Know yourself so that when you allow yourself to fall, you have no fear of losing your direction.

Scorpio :: Scorpio Rising
Drifting on a raft. Held afloat, moving in the ebb and flow. Allowing. This week you are creating space in your mind. Quiet your mind. Can you allow your subconscious thoughts to rise into your conscious mind? You can’t do this if you are running. Have you been slowing down enough lately? Can you take the time out that you need to process your feelings? To process what is not obvious? By making space in your life for contemplation and meditation, you can expand your consciousness. By making subconscious thoughts conscious, you can finally let them go. You must allow this process to happen. It won’t happen by force. It won’t happen by control. It must happen through spaciousness. Let yourself float and drift.

Sagittarius :: Sagittarius Rising
Peering through a telescope. Look! Push yourself into a new perspective. The old one is not working. Have you been dreaming big enough? This is your time to dream up your future. Don’t miss this opportunity to set into motion your future life. Set it into motion by intending it to be true and by believing that it is possible. Faith. Follow what you love to arrive at this vision. Can you imagine a life in which you are doing what you love? In which you are creative, joyful, and in love? A rich life? Look closely for your blocks. Peer through the telescope to see which part of your personality is afraid of being fulfilled. Is there a part of you that is holding onto the idea that “life is hard?” Investigate this part of you. Ask for her name. Talk to her. Find out if she is ready to be loved. Find out if she is ready to be taken care of. Convince her that she has better work to do. Let go of the burdens you don’t need to carry. Live the life of your dreams. Start by planning for them now. Plan for your joy.

Capricorn :: Capricorn Rising
Out of fertile soil a tall tree grows. Reaching your greatest heights. This week you find career expansion. You get to investigate your drive. What do you love? What are your greatest ambitions? What have you been putting off? Do you know what projects you are working on right now? Do you have a simple plan to see them through? At the same time that you grow your career, you can create awareness about your soil. Your “soil” is your emotional stability. In order to succeed in your career, you need to feel emotionally stable. You need to be nurtured, supported, loved and loving. Shine a light of awareness on your fertile soil. Is it nourishing enough to sustain you? It is your right to be loved. It is your right to be loving. Remind yourself over and over again that you are safe and supported all the way to your core.

Aquarius :: Aquarius Rising
Sunlight on water. The sunlight is representative of your intellect and your awareness of what is going on with you. This week you get clear about yourself and your own ideas. How do you think? What environmental and internal factors have contributed to your beliefs about life? How curious are you in your daily life? What part of your life are you refusing to question—your health? Your sexuality? Your emotions? Your relationship with money? Your relationships? Your fire this week falls in the realm of your philosophies. Shine a light here. This will help you formulate your path. A philosophy can be changed and adapted. What’s up for review? What is up for expansion? Most of all, where are you uncomfortable now? What framework are you holding on to that is keeping you stuck? So many questions, but this week is a chance for you to question. Do it boldly. You deserve to risk your comfort for the sake of your growth.

Pisces :: Pisces Rising
A shout through the darkness. Forgiveness. Holding on to old hurts can create an energy drain. It can stump you. Bind you. Keep you in one place longer than you want to be. But forgiveness is a long process. You can make a decision to set it in motion. Shout out through the darkness of the unexplored pains of your psyche. Take an inventory of your hurts. Bring them forward to be weighed objectively. Decide what you are ready to start forgiving– in yourself or in someone else. It won’t happen all at once. It might take decades. But right now you can decide if you are ready to begin. It’s time for you to flourish. It’s time for you to expand. It’s time for you move on to a greater purpose. Let go. Later in the week expect to build awareness around your self-worth. This is an opportunity to develop strength and confidence. The security that comes from this will help you find yourself in the darkness.

Aries :: Aries Rising
A game of poker. The focus is on relationship. The wisdom that is unfolding for you is that through partnership, you have a real opportunity to expand yourself. Can you bet on partnership? Can you put your chips all in for love? Can you trust the idea of togetherness so much that you lean in, even when it hurts? The message of the week is, if you know yourself, you won’t lose yourself. You are safe enough to merge.
During childhood, we all develop an idea of what the dance of partnership looks like. It’s usually based on what we see around us. This week offers a chance to decide what love looks like to you. And to ask yourself if that idea needs to be updated. If your relationship story doesn’t feel grand enough for you right now, this week offers you a chance to expand your beliefs. If the relationship area of your life is going good, it’s time to expand and refine. Come at this from a place of vision. What is your best vision of partnership? It’s time to speak this vision into life. Communicate. Ask. Show your cards. Don’t hold back. Share your desires with another person.

Taurus :: Taurus Rising
A beetle in a garden. The beetle represents hard work and clear planning, both of which are accented for you early in the week. The garden represents expression of your true feelings. Emotional flowering is what you are headed toward at week’s end. Hard work and emotions can feel disconnected from each other. Your task this week is to find out where they connect. Are you working hard in ways that don’t bring you emotional reward? Step back and asses how you’re spending your time during the day. Are you scurrying around and not feeling a sense of accomplishment, or are you building toward your dreams? Your tasks must be tied to an emotional necessity, or else you are living an empty life. Link every project you are working on to a deep and emotional desire that you have. Understand the value of what you are doing with your time. You may need to reprioritize. This week is your chance to zoom out of the daily grind and gain awareness of the bigger picture. Be the beetle, but know the garden.

Gemini :: Gemini Rising
A frog that wears pants and dances. Playfulness, joy and camaraderie. True playfulness is unburdened by self-consciousness. It is pure pleasure and lightness. It helps us adapt and learn. Playfulness communicates to others that we are safe to be around. It is unique to humans. This week, your focus is on lightness and love, for yourself and for your world. Think about your approach? Are you playful? Have you been making enough time for play? Do negative emotions about play keep you from letting go? Does your playtime feel truly playful? Don’t let these questions feel like more work! Let them open you up to unabashed, open-hearted, expansive, joy. Share your playful spirit. Let play help you adapt. Let play help you connect. Let play heal you. This is your birthright and you are meant to step into it now. But you must do it fully and by design.

Cancer :: Cancer Rising
Heart shapes falling from the sky. An imaginary symbol that speaks to your emotional wealth and abundance. You are unlocking your heart. You are opening. This week you flow deep down into your emotional truth. Honor your of feelings. They are your truth. You can always mother yourself more and this week is the time to give yourself the gift of high-level nurturance. You are really, really good at it this week. You are the most tender, the most thoughtful, the most kind. Empathize with yourself. Cradle and cosset yourself. Be the embodiment of warmth. And then, from this place of self-understanding, fly into the sky of your dreams like a heart-shaped rocket. Build up awareness of your ambitions. As you empathize with yourself, you gain emotional understanding of your priorities in life. And you can better define and structure them. This is alignment. This is what crafting a legacy looks like. First finding your emotional truth, then deciding how to build your desires into reality. This week you nurture and build.

Leo :: Leo Rising
Horses galloping across a field. You are expanding your mindset. Are you flexible enough to embrace a growth mindset? It’s a philosophy that holds that your abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. This week, your focus is on learning. Developing. Engaging. Your mind is clear and your outlook is expanding. Gallop forth. You are here to adapt and improve. You are here to move. Make sure that your most basic attitude– your mindset– allows for that kind of growth. What kind of energy are you showing up with? Are you dampening your surroundings with your mood? Or are you engaged? At the end of the week, you may feel an emotional need for heightened freedom. The awareness you will want to develop then is, where are you creating your own cage? Is it a cage of ideas? Can you set yourself free by letting go of attachment to an outcome? Adaptation and being free in the present moment are the places to focus your attention. Maintain a light touch. This approach is energizing and will provide you with plenty of horse-power.

Virgo :: Virgo Rising
A game of chess. The next move. How far into the future can you strategize? Your symbol and your astrology this week speak to strategy. Logistical and emotional strategy. First on your awareness will be expansion of logistical strategy. What are you building? Are you building a strong financial house? Any thoughts that come to mind that have to do with your “worth” (both financial and inherent, aka self-worth) need to be grabbed onto and examined. What do you really think about your worth? Whatever it is, it’s time to expand it. The Universe is whispering in your ear, “You deserve to have financial control over your life. You are worthy. You are safe.” At the weekend, your emotional strategies come under the microscope. Awareness is being called for around how you control and let go of your emotions. At every turn, you are asked to surrender. Your strategy is surrender.

MY MYSTICAL LIFE: SHARING MY “SOBER CURIOUS” STORY

Posted on by Ruby Warrington

WTF does “sober curious” mean anyway? Allow me to explain…

Pre-beers at Austin City Limits
Shiny sober people—pre-beers at Austin City Limits

:: MONDAY :: (and basically on my mind all week)
So the Pisces and I have embarked on a fuck-off road trip for the majority of October (planned very last minute, but totally fitting for my Aries Tarotscope this month)—and we kicked things off seeing LCD Soundsystem at the Austin City Limits festival last night. Coincidentally our favorite band just happened to be playing in the first city and on the first night of our trip. Thank you, Universe!

Those who follow me on social media will also know that I had a couple of beers at the festival (three, to be precise), which in turn led to a couple of comments from people asking “erm, what happened to #highsobriety?” Comments that were quite justified, since having begun hosting my Club SÖDA NYC events this year I have been talking a lot about my journey leading a more sober life.

These comments also made me realize I can’t then just randomly go drink a beer without properly explaining myself! As such, I have decided to share my sobriety story here this week—which I have done in person at my Club SÖDA NYC events (stands for Sober Or Debating Abstinence btw), but never in a post on this site. So here goes.

***

Having been a habitual binge drinker for the majority of my 20s and 30s, I have spent the past six years slowly but steadily unlearning the habit of reaching for a drink on autopilot in any and all social situations.

Why? Well firstly the hangovers had become pretty fucking unbearable as I entered my middle 30s, and never really worth the short-lived buzz of the night before. But on a more sinister note, I had also been able to pinpoint alcohol as, if not exactly the cause, then a major contributing factor to the daily anxiety and overall sense of doom that had begun to cloud my days.

I only made the connection recently, but this coincided with me first learning to meditate back in 2010—and subsequently having my first ideas about creating The Numinous. And stepping deeper onto my spiritual path over the following months and years, I began to question the nature of the “high” that I (we?) got from alcohol.

The more I worked on healing my emotional wounds (much of which is documented elsewhere on this site), and the deeper a connection I forged with what felt like my whole / true / spiritual self as a result, the more I began to feel naturally high a lot the time. The question became; why did I (we) even “need” alcohol, anyway?

But no way was this process proving to be a walk in the park. Booze was (is) everywhere, not to mention it being a highly addictive (in fact the most addictive) drug. They say the definition of madness is repeating the same behavior and expecting a different outcome—and considering I spent the next few years resolving not to drink, drinking anyway, then feeling like shit and hating myself for it, it could also be said that alcohol was beginning to drive me crazy.

So eventually, a little over a year ago, I asked a friend to bring me to a couple of AA meetings. By now I was only drinking maybe once or twice a month (versus what had been three or four times a week). But if I was still having a hard time saying “no” in certain situations—or else obsessing over the next time I would “allow” myself a drink—I must be in denial about a more serious drinking problem, right?

And while I could immediately see what an amazing source of support AA is to the people the program resonates with, sitting among these brave souls I felt like an imposter. When it came time to introduce myself with the classic: “hi, I’m Ruby and I’m an…” the word “alcoholic” stuck in my throat like a puke-inducing tequila slammer.

Some people might say I was (am?) simply in denial, but I had already made so much progress cutting back on my drinking by this point, it was hard to swallow the idea I was “powerless over alcohol” (the way they frame alcoholism in AA). I also knew from conversations I’d begun having with other friends that no way was I the only one who felt this way. And so I got a bunch of us together to talk about it over a pot-luck dinner at my apartment. Which was essentially the first Club SÖDA NYC meet-up.

We shared our stories, along with our conflicted feelings about booze (could be so much fun! but at such a high price…), and it felt good, and right, to shine a light on the shame and confusion most of us felt about this. Questions that came up were along the lines of: does continuing to drink even when life is generally better when you don’t make you an alcoholic? If so, does this mean total abstinence is the only answer? Or is it possible to be mostly sober, and still drink in a high-vibe way from time-to-time?

***

These questions are at the heart of a conversation I’ve since been having a lot, not to mention a subject I’ve been doing more and more research on. And besides plenty of soul-searching and at times painfully honest self-inquiry, discussions at Club SÖDA NYC events and a few great books (listed at the end of this post) have led me to draw the following conclusions:

1. Our brain chemistry is designed to a) seek pleasure and b) avoid pain, causing us to repeatedly seek out anything that ticks these boxes. And so, since alcohol is a substance that a) provides pleasure by b) numbing pain, human beings are essentially pre-disposed to become addicted to alcohol.

2. Since we are old enough to understand that certain behaviors lead to certain outcomes, we are conditioned to believe(by society, media, and relentless marketing) that drinking alcohol a) provides pleasure and b) numbs pain. Also, that it is a necessary component to any and all social situations, celebrations, dance parties and first dates, and that it makes miserable days feel more okay.

I’ve billed subsequent Club SÖDA NYC events as being for the “sober curious,” which basically sums up the way I feel about my journey with sobriety today—much of which has meant getting curious about the above findings, in both my thinking and my life choices.

It has meant questioning the nature of addiction, and the stigma we attach to alcohol addiction in particular. For example, you’d probably be happy telling people you’re addicted to coffee…but alcohol, not so much. But if evolution (not to mention a lifetime’s social conditioning) has pretty much set us up to believe alcohol is the answer to…let’s see…the existential crisis known as “being human,” then where’s the shame in simply acknowledging this?

After all, as Brené Brown teaches in Daring Greatly, shame-breeds-secrecy-breeds-stigma-breeds-shame—and shining a light on that shit is the only way to end the cycle, as any AA advocate will also tell you. (Despite the whole “anonymous” part kind of playing into the secrecy-stigma-shame game in my opinion…which is also NOT to dismiss how invaluable the support provided by AA is for many millions of people! Jeez. This can be such a slippery conversation.)

Living sober curious has also meant facing a lot of sober firsts. If my journey thus far had got me comfortable with sober dinners and sober networking events, say, now it was time to attempt my first sober wedding, first sober vacation, first sober nightclub, first sober family visit. A.k.a. the drinking occasions I had held onto as sacred (read: not going to be much fun / even doable without a drink).

And turns out that some of these things are amazing—if not waaaay better—sober, and that some are not as much fun / even worth doing without alcohol. Which I basically see as my soul telling me to a) either not do those things, or b) accept that life is simply not endlessly entertaining / enjoyable!

Because last but by no means least, living sober curious has meant getting super comfortable with the fact that being human is not—and is not supposed to be—comfortable. We are designed to experience a whole range of feelings on a daily basis, some “good,” some “bad,” and all in service of keeping us in alignment with the choices that are in our highest good. Feels good? Do more of it. Feels bad? Either don’t do it, or do something to make it feel better (like, maybe actually have that “difficult” conversation with your mom versus getting wasted on rosé next time you have to see her). Option three? Simply sit with it, feel it, and allow it to pass. (It will pass).

The way I see it, alcohol momentarily overrides the “feeling bad,” thus providing a fake “feeling good.” The problem being that we then never get around to addressing whatever it was that was making us feel like shit in the first place. And so another soul-destroying cycle is perpetuated.

And well, at this point on my sober curious journey, I can tell you that consistently choosing not to drink feels fucking GREAT. Feels confident, calm, safe, focussed, enthusiastic, engaged, and energized. And that it’s also great when it feels awkward, sad, angry, lost, or lonely—because it turns out all these feelings are just part of my human experience, and so choosing not to numb them out feels like choosing to be fully ME.

***

So then why drink those beers at ACL? Why not show up fully “conscious,” fully myself, to an experience I could pretty much guarantee would be awesome without alcohol?

The short answer is that dancing under the stars to my favorite music is still one of the very few (if not the only) drinking occasion I still hold sacred. Sacred as in…a way to connect to the undefinable, numinous, part of me that is pure sensation, pure experience. Yes, there are other (low and high-vibe) ways to attain this state—but as humans have known since the dawn of civilization, one other use for alcohol is to get there fast. Like, in the 90 minutes LCD Soundsystem are on stage. If (and it’s still an “if”) I choose to keep alcohol in my life at all going forward, it will be solely for…dancing under the stars to my favorite music. Like a Pagan.

Which is about where this becomes a tricky conversation again.

Because the sober stalwarts might say this is just my addiction talking…and to be fair, I might well agree with them. Is it fucked up that I’m also kind of okay with that? Yes…I guess…because they might also say that it’s irresponsible of me to be preaching the joys of #highsobriety, and then go drink a beer (or three)! Even if it’s only once or twice a year. And I take this on board whole-heartedly, since I know that my path to semi-sobriety is unique to me—and that, for many, alcohol poses more of a serious if not a deadly threat.

If this is you, then I bow to your sobriety, and to your spiritual resilience. You are an inspiration.

For now, this is who I am, and this where I’m at on my sober curious journey. I’d love to hear where any of you reading stand on the issues it’s brought up—since the more sharing, and the less shame, secrecy and stigma about alcohol and the slippery, slippery subject of alcohol addiction, the better.

FURTHER READING – 

The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction Is Not a Disease

This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol: Find Freedom, Rediscover Happiness & Change Your Life (Volume 1)

The Sober Revolution: Women Calling Time on Wine O’Clock (Volume 1)

The next Club SÖDA NYC event will be on December 1 2016 in NYC. Sign up for our newsletter for more details as they are announced.

THE LIFE CHANGING MAGIC OF CHOOSING THE RIGHT FRIENDSHIPS

Posted on by Victoria Cox

What if you applied the life changing magic of Marie Kondo’s tidying methods to choosing the right friendships, asks Victoria Cox? Artwork: Found on Pinterest

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Friendship is a constantly evolving thing. We have our inner circle of friends, our coven of trusted confidants. Then there is a secondary circle, comprising people we are friendly with but who are less likely to know our strange quirks and deepest desires; work colleagues, gym buddies or school friends.

Over time, lesser known friends move into the inner circle, whist others move out of the constellation entirely. The point being that our friendship circle is ever changing, as we mature and grow. It is not designed to be stagnant and fixed.

Some friendships gain strength year after year, reaching surprising levels of intimacy. Some fade away entirely either through neglect, distance or simply growing apart. Then there are others that come to an abrupt end, the flame of friendship extinguishing itself in a dramatic fashion.

I understand all of this. So why do I still find myself trying to maintain friendships that no longer serve me? The answer to this question can often be surmised in one word: obligation. After all, if we’ve spent years building up a friendship, investing our time and our hearts, it seems counter-intuitive to throw it all away.

But what if we could learn to accept that if things aren’t what they once were? Acknowledge that it’s time to move on, with no hard feelings?

After all, I’ve learned to do this is every other area of my life. I’ve walked away from dysfunctional relationships; shitty bosses and unfulfilling jobs without even looking back. Why not apply the same thought process to my friends?

And then I finally read Marie Kondo’s book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and a light-bulb went on in my head.

Kondo, a Japanese organizing expert, touts the virtues of tidying by asking of everything you own: “Does this spark joy?” and if not, thanking it for its service and getting rid of it. But instead of pondering whether inanimate objects in my apartment sparked joy, what if I applied this method to choosing the right friendships?

Admittedly my first thought was to question whether or not I would qualify as a sociopath in comparing my friendships to my heavily stained shower curtain.

But really, what if we were to scroll through every friend listed in our phone contacts and ask ourselves: “Does this person spark joy in my life?” I would hazard a guess there’s probably a good thirty percent of people about whom we would either answer with a long “hmmm…”—or else blurt out a “Hell No!”

And when you really think about it, why would we choose to spend our valuable time with friends that no longer spark joy in our life? It simply doesn’t make any sense. Until you factor in that godawful G word. Guilt.

So powerful is the G-word (evil twin of the that O-word again—obligation) that I recently found myself spending hours with a friend who I didn’t want to hang out with, doing things I had no interest in doing and wishing I was somewhere else. Talk about soul-destroying.

And so turned back to Kondo’s book, seeking more pearls of wisdom to apply to my friendship circle.

She also wisely counsels that nostalgia is not your friend when it comes to your closet—and it turns out it’s not much help when it comes to friends, either.

How many times had I continued to hang out with a friend based solely on memories of what fun we used to have together? As it turns out, way too many. Our conversations always took a detour back down memory lane, peppered with “Remember when’s?” rather than “I’m so excited for…”

Sadly, the past is the past and if the only connection is over what was instead of what will be, then it might be time to reassess what purpose that particular friendship is serving. Is this person invested in your future dreams? Do they relate to the person you are today, or only the person you used to be?

Friendships are unique. Unlike relationships with our family, we choose to enter into them. And unlike a marriage, there’s no piece of paper reminding us we’re obliged to try and make it work. We choose each other because the relationship means something to us, it brings us joy, makes us laugh, brings over pizza when we’re feeling down and out.

Whilst it may be incredibly sad to bid adieu to a friendship that just isn’t working for us in the same way—because we’ve changed, they’ve changed or it simply doesn’t jive the way it used to—it’s also freeing to remember that since we chose to get into it, we can also choose to get out.

CITY TOUR: A GUIDE TO SPIRITUAL CHICAGO

Posted on by The Numinous

Forget everything you know about the Windy City—there are plenty of high-vibe happenings in Spiritual Chicago, says Andrea Kasprzak…

guide to spiritual Chicago The Numinous

 

The Windy City may be better known for the Cubs than the cosmic, but it’s not all deep dish pizza and boozy baseball fans. When it comes to tapping spiritual Chicago, you just have to know where to look. Here’s our itinerary for a day of crystals, yoga, and high vibrational cuisine.

9AM :: Kundalini Yoga at Sat Nam Yoga
The second you step into this cozy, sanctuary-within-the-city you’ll want to curl up on a white sheepskin rug and never leave. Take a kundalini class in the sun drenched front room, shop for sage and crystals in the store, or book a treatment with some of the area’s most sought after healers. Not to be missed: lunar tune-ups in the outdoor courtyard during monthly new and full moon rituals and cosmic vinyasa (yoga and symphonic gong immersion under the projection of the stars).

sat nam studio spiritual chicago The Numinous
Sat Nam Yoga

11 AM :: Soak at Float Sixty
Whether you consider sensory deprivation tanks a spiritual experience or a just a slightly trippy way to spend an hour, you’ll never regret the experience. Head to this River North haven to soak in style. The industrial cool space features tons of tubs, a meditation room to hang out in post-soak, and a grooming area. Try the Samadhi Tank for a super cool intergalactic womb-like vibe.

1PM :: Juice and Crystals at Infiniteus
Kill two birds with one (high energy) stone at this Wicker Park rocks and juice shop. First, hydrate with a cold-pressed juice or purified alkaline water amidst massive amethysts and orange calcite covered tables in the cafe. Then, hit up the back room to shop for gems and crystals. Owner Alex Drummond is super knowledgable and on hand to help. Bonus: they’ll even deliver your gems and juices to your door.

2PM :: Gong Therapy with Mason Pain
Transportive, elevating, and a little bit other-worldly, getting gonged by sound therapist Mason Pain offers deep release on a higher level. Surrender to the healing vibrations of three gongs, as well as singing bowls and chimes. Sessions begin with Yoga Nidra to open you up to maximum receptivity.

mason pain gong spiritual chicago The Numinous
Maison Pain

3PM :: Nut Milk at Owen + Alchemy
Think you’re over juice after too many cleanses? This gothic cool Logan Square juice bar from Anne Owen and Jared Van Camp may change your mind. Try the nut milks. We suggest the dessert-y 54 (raw hazelnut, cacao, cinnamon, vanilla bean, raw local honey) or the fresh and creamy 59 (young raw coconut juice and young raw coconut meat).

4PM :: Tarot Reading with Laura Gonzalez
Laura, a self-described Mexican witch, has felt a true connection and psychic insights since childhood. Tarot card reading is her passion and it shows. Sessions are meant to offer guidance and clarity. Go deeper by asking specific questions. Laura’s hyper presence makes it easier to digest tough truths.

5PM :: Reiki with Jerry Mikutis
Clear energy blocks and connect with a like-minded sensi soul during a session with Reiki healer and yoga instructor Jerry Mikutis. Her warm personality and magic touch puts clients at instant ease.

6PM :: Vegetarian Dinner at Green Zebra
Bar and ballpark snacks may get first bill, but there’s still plenty of high vibe, creative and veggie-centric places to grab a bite. Case in point: Green Zebra. Fresh, local, and elevated, the West Town restaurant is a standout not to be missed. Small plate dishes like the Hen of the Woods mushroom pate and fermented beet tartare with borscht yogurt, candied pistachios, and dill pickles are plated to impress.

green zebra spiritual chicago The Numinous
Green Zebra

8PM :: Crystallsage Massage at Ruby Room
Cap off the night with a Crystallsage Massage at this Wicker Park healing hybrid space. Sessions start with a flower and gem essence spray and reading. Move into a treatment room for an intense 90-minute massage featuring Himalayan salt crystals for serious grounding. After, shop for crystals and spend the night in one of the upstairs rooms.

DREAM PROJECT: THE STORY OF THE DUST II ONYX TAROT

Posted on by The Numinous

When Courtney Alexander couldn’t find a deck that spoke to her on a soul level, she decided to create her own… All images: the Dust II Onyx tarot

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I had been reading and learning about the tarot for around two years, when I pin-pointed an issue I hadn’t been able to put my finger on. I had a hard time finding a deck that really spoke to me. I’d discovered so many decks, my favorites being the Wild Unknown and Fountain Tarot. And although the art was beautiful, there was still a disconnect for me at soul level.

Because, being a fat/black/queer woman there wasn’t a deck I saw myself in. I agonized for months over how to express the depth and diversity I wanted to see, and the idea to create my own deck—Dust II Onyx—began rolling around in my head.

Then life happened. I lost my job and found myself spiraling into anxiety and depression. This directly following an intense nocturnal vision. I had gone to bed as normal, but woke in the middle of the night thinking someone was in my apartment. Once I realized there was no one there, I attempted to go back to sleep.

At this point I slipped into a lucid dream. I heard noises again and when I got up to investigate, a shadow figure appeared in front of me—who I read as being my six-year-old nephew. When I went to turn on a light, I felt an intense sensation hit my belly, and I woke up with a yell.

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The following morning, I went to work completely shaken and lacking sleep, as well as still feeling the strange sensation in my stomach. I tried to go about my day as normal, although something felt different. That evening I received a phone call telling me not to come back in.

Although losing my job was stressful, I saw it as an opportunity to visit family. So I made a trip to my hometown and saw my nephew while I was there. We shared a moment, where we were dancing and singing together. Then he laid his head on my belly, and he turned his face towards mine with his eyes closed. His face had the most blissful look I had ever seen.

In the moment, I actually wondered if I could be physically pregnant—because of the dream and this experience with my nephew. But looking back I truly believe that my dream had been the moment of conception of the Dust II Onyx tarot.

By now, I had been mulling over art for my deck for a few months, and still hadn’t got a clear vision of how I wanted it to look. Then another dream came to me, twice! And in this dream I saw an intensely gorgeous black portrait, which has gone on to become the chief inspiration behind my deck.

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I began the work using my current knowledge of tarot and plenty of my own intuition. The imagery that comes forth is as new to me as it is for the readers who will use this deck, and it is coming from a place that feels far beyond my conscious mind.

Dust II Onyx was created from my desire to make artwork that resonated with my soul, and has become a work I want to share with others. I consider it an honor to create this deck and I look forward it being a tool for beautiful and transformative experiences for each and every reader.

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To fund the production of this deep and powerful multi-media collage collector’s tarot, Courtney is running a Kickstarter campaign through October 17 2016. 

For more information visit Dust2onyx.com and facebook.com/dust2onyx. You can also preorder your deck on Kickstarter. 

 

STRONG EYE ASTROLOGY OCTOBER 3—OCTOBER 9

Posted on by Numi Intern

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

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Libra :: Libra Rising
A rabbit hopping toward a rabbit hole. Who will you find yourself to be when you are put to the test like Alice in Wonderland? Dear Libra, you are coming to new clarity. You are understanding more about yourself now. This information will be conscious and you will be able to make changes in your life. The fog lifts this week. The subconscious processing you’ve been doing comes to an end. And now it’s game time. You will be able to make the plans that are in alignment with who you are. You will be able to identify what you want and make key decisions. You may have to make choices that are abrupt. Some things must die away. There must be some sacrifice. But you can move forward unencumbered. You can play by your own rules. You can step into your birthright. Stand by your word. Don’t waver. Don’t let the creatures in Wonderland trick you with their swirly-whirly mind games. Know yourself, be clear, and be strong. You’ve gotten this far and you know something now. Trust in that and love yourself for it.

Scorpio :: Scorpio Rising
Crossing the river in a boat. You are going into netherworlds. All is not as it seems. Trust all of your senses. Trust your intuition. This week your focus is on your dreams, your emotions and your intuition. You may have to heighten your use of your right brain and ignore your left brain for awhile here. Depending on your personality, this may be more or less uncomfortable for you. Focus on how you feel. And don’t judge yourself for how you feel. All of your feelings are valid. Learning new things might seem difficult for you now, so just go easy on yourself. You might even have to unlearn something. You might have to admit you are wrong. Surrender your ego so that you can do this easily. Let boundaries dissolve. Ignore your own rules. Use this week as a time to reflect. Journal, pay attention to your dreams, and notice how you feel about things. Don’t try to make big decisions or get into any major conflicts. Let yourself be. You may even decide to retreat from the world a bit so that you can process. Allow yourself lots of time to do nothing. See what comes up.

Sagittarius :: Sagittarius Rising
Blowing dandelion seeds and making a wish. How many wishes have you been making lately? Maybe not enough. You get no limit on wishes. You get no limit on dreams. You can’t over-aspire. This week, get down to some serious planning and praying. You can even get your friends involved and make this a group activity if you like. Think of all of things that you want out of your life. Start with the big thing. Craft a statement that defines your purpose in the world. What kind of impact do you want to make? Who do you want to impact? This statement is powerful and there are no wrong answers.  You can change it later, sure. But not knowing your purpose is not good reason to ignore this advice. You know something. And if you aren’t sure exactly, then focus in on how you want tofeel. Craft the feeling into your purpose. After you have crafted your purpose, make more wishes about your daily life. Where do you want to live, what do you want to eat, who do you want in your support system, who do you want to influence, who do you want to partner, how do you want to feel? You don’t have to limit your wishes. The Universe wants you to dream as big as you can.

Capricorn :: Capricorn Rising
Eating cotton candy. You are experiencing joy, but you aren’t sure what is solid. This week you might be worried about standing on shaky ground. This symbol asks you to enjoy things, even if you aren’t totally sure. You need to remember that there is joy in the journey. If you don’t enjoy the journey, you won’t know how to celebrate when you reach your destination. The whole endeavor will feel empty. So, slow down. Have fun. You are entering a time when success comes naturally to you, but you may also have to let go of something critical too. Don’t hold on too tightly. Allow. Your biggest gift this week is that people will easily see your career potential. You may make some advancements. Remember that one of your greatest career strengths is your ability to compromise. Use your diplomacy skills. If everyone wins, you win. Have fun this week and take the time to help someone else out if the opportunity arises. This is how you will make great strides in your career.

Aquarius :: Aquarius Rising
A cobbler making leather shoes. A shoe-maker can symbolize travel or exploration. It’s time for you to make sturdy shoes for yourself, figuratively speaking, so that you can reach greater heights and take on new adventures. Are you prepared to explore? You may need to get outside of your usual surroundings, or you may need to explore new ideas and philosophies. Heed this call so that you can get serious about what you desire for your life. You need to know more about the world. You need to know more about how you fit in. You need to know so that you can fulfill your purpose. Go exploring and come back refreshed with higher understanding.

Pisces :: Pisces Rising
Swimming underwater. To be submerged in water shows that you may have emotions you wish to discover. This week, validate your feelings. Be open to the changes that may come when you recognize how you feel. If you’re in denial about your feelings, you won’t change anything. If you’re clear about your feelings, you’re empowered. Are you someone who is really in touch with their feelings? If so, great! Sit in the emotional waters and notice how the tides ebb and flow. If you could use some help in this area, start by noticing what you’re reaching for. Compulsions like disordered eating, sex addiction, drugs, alcohol, over-work, or over-exercise are great clues that can show when you’re ignoring your feelings. The trick to understanding what feelings you are covering up is to slooooow down. Reflect. You can’t see what is really going on if you are going at top speed.  Make an effort this week to comfort yourself. Allow yourself to know that you belong. You belong to the world. You are allowed. You are loved. You are stable. Tell yourself this every night before you go to sleep. You don’t have to be anyone else. You are enough.

Aries :: Aries Rising
Two matching butterfly wings. Duplicates. Two of a kind. A pair. Your symbol and your current astrology speak to partnership. You’re a partnership expert. Sometimes you find yourself off-center as you figure out how to navigate the Giving and the Taking of relationship. You give too much or you take too much. Here’s a clue that can really help you this week, notice where you are holding onto control. And let it go. Chances are high that whatever you are trying to control is not going to matter in the end. Just breathe out and let it go. This practice is going to give you so much space to play! Let go of the squabbles and the outcomes and the little ideas that you have about who’s safe, what’s right, and how to get ahead. Then watch as your energy sky-rockets. This week you are going to want to start some fresh new relationship dynamics. Start new patterns with a partner. Or see who enters your life now. You thrive when you are initiating. And lately you may have been feeling bogged down with old patterns. So be brave enough to let go of what is no longer serving you. This doesn’t mean that you have to let go of the people in your life. You might. But it does mean that you have to let go of unhealthy dynamics. Be a loving warrior. Machete chop your ego. Look at your relationships from a higher perspective and see how you’re interacting with other people. Take 100% responsibility for your part.  Transition out of the old and into the new. Let what you don’t need to control fall away. And move like a butterfly out of the cocoon.

Taurus :: Taurus Rising
Going down a slide on a playground. Your current focus in on hard work. You are climbing the ladder. This week you need to go over all of the details in your life. What are you skimming over or “sliding past?” Use this time to it’s best advantage by taking it step by step. Look at your calendar. Are you working on the projects that are important to you? Have you blocked off time for them in your calendar? Are you taking care of your body? Do you have a morning ritual? Are you in a rhythm that feels good? There is obviously some fun in this symbol too, “going down a slide” is about the joy that follows the hard climb. This week, you’re balancing both the climb to the top and the exhilarating ride to the bottom. Get into a rhythm of work and play, exertion and rest. Focus your energy and master your levels of productivity. To be a high performer you have to fine-tune your physicality so that you have enough energy to succeed, you have to mentally focus yourself on your goals, you must create a good support system, and you need healthy habits. Get to work climbing that ladder so that you can fully enjoy the ride.

Gemini :: Gemini Rising
Taking flight. You are achieving creative lift-off. Harness all of your intelligence and mental energy into self-expression. No more hiding in the shadows. This week, step out into the light and be seen. Don’t deprive the world of your light. We need your special brand of genius. Take flight. Make it fun. If it’s not fun, it’s not worth it. Remind yourself that you are worthy, you are special, you are bright. Notice flying creatures around you— birds and insects. Meditate on how free they seem to be. How light and unencumbered. Bring that energy inward and let go of any beliefs that are holding you back from creative expression. Just fly. You don’t have to think about it from every angle, because guess what? It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you are sharing your light with the world.

Cancer :: Cancer Rising
Head bowed in sacred prayer. You need to let go of your worries and trust that things will work out best in the end. Seek help with your responsibilities. You are not alone! You’ve spent a lifetime creating a support system. Call on them. Ask for help. This practice will help you feel nurtured and nourished and loved. It’s so reassuring to have help. You may come to a point this week where a relationship causes you to question something. If a situation like this arises, the answer will have to do with trust and letting go of attachment. You are such a lover and you give so much. This week, find little ways to remind yourself that you’re supported too. You are loved and held. You are safe. The energy of prayer is the energy of trust, gratitude and connection. Hold this sacred space.

Leo :: Leo Rising
Steam engine. You are finding your speed and revving your engines. This week, raise your level of mental focus. Pique your interest. Learn about something new. Stay energized, alert, and present. Keep a fast pace and don’t get caught up in mental quicksand, aka worry. It’s time for you to be in love with life. It’s time for you to go. And not look back. And not get stuck. Follow your fascination. Follow what is interesting, exciting and alluring. Follow it with all your heart. When you’re interested, you’re shining bright. And we need you to be bright. We need you to be alive. We need you to be present. Stay in love with the moment. Stay curious. Be filled with the passion that drives you forward.

Virgo or Virgo Rising
A bull fight. It may be time for you to take a stand. Especially around either your finances or your self-worth. Do you need to dig in your heels a little bit and stand your ground? Do you need to ask for a raise, or charge more for your services? Be compensated for all of your extra work. You are worthy. You are safe. You are secure. You deserve to be alive. You deserve to be a part of the abundance that is existence on Mother Earth. Feel the strength of belonging. Feel the power of saying Yes to your worth. Fight for it if you must. But fight with grace and love. Do good and get paid.

GABBY BERNSTEIN: “SOBRIETY STARTED MY SPIRITUAL AWAKENING”

Posted on by Ruby Warrington

For Gabby Bernstein sobriety played an important role in her spiritual awakening. Ruby Warrington asks her, could we all benefit from a more sober life?

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I received my copy of Gabby Bernstein’s new book, The Universe Has Your Back, right when I was in the middle of organizing our #TuneInPeaceOut initiative for World Peace Day. Translation: I had zero time to sit down and read it. But an interesting thing happened.

Flicking through the pages, every time I stopped Gabby was riffing on how her sobriety had played such an important part in her spiritual journey. And experimenting with a sober life myself right now (check out my Club SÖDA NYC project here) the message that this is exactly the right path for me came through loud and clear (thank you, Universe!)

It was also clear that for Gabby Bernstein sobriety had played an important part in her spiritual awakening. I decided to sit down with her, to talk about the link between sobriety and spirituality, and get her advice on living sober.

(And p.s. the day I’m running this post—October 02 2016—is her 11 years’ sober anniversary!)

Ruby Warrington: So the reason I’m trying to be sober is because the way I feel when there’s no alcohol in my system is like, “Fuck, this is who I AM.” And honestly, I no longer feel like I can show up and properly serve on my mission these days unless I’m 100% myself.

Gabrielle Bernstein: I love that, and I think you should be sober then. That’s part of the reason I’m sober. This is the only consciousness I want to have. Although of course sometimes I’m like, ‘bye bye, get me the hell out of here’!

RW: That’s the thing, sometimes that still sounds nice! Especially when, and I know you’ve had issues with this too because you’ve written about it, I end up replacing alcohol with work. I fucking love what I do, so that’s okay. But then, where’s the release, where’s the escape?

GB: I have had to find that in the last five or six months. I realized I had become severely addicted to work, because I’ve been running for so long from these fears that I didn’t want to see. In the beginning stages of healing from this, I would find myself going to my desk and sitting down and literally numbing out with work. I was like, “Oh my God, that’s how I’ve been hiding.”

RW: I do that too. There’s a sense of relief when I can say, “Oh good, I’ve got like three hours of solid emails now and I can’t think about anything else.”

GB: Exactly. So what I’ve done is freed up a lot of that space for meditation. I meditate a lot longer.

RW: More meditation than your two TM sessions?

GB: I’m doing this Doreen Virtue chord cutting meditation in the morning, and then a TM meditation in the afternoon. It’s super good, I’m going to send it to you. As a result, I’ve been feeling more connected than ever. It also has to do with not playing into the word addiction, and being willing to heal.

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Carrot juice on our interview date

RW: So on the sobriety thing, one reason I created Club SÖDA NYC is because I don’t feel like I identify the word “alcoholic.” As somebody in recovery, do you believe there is a middle ground when it comes to alcohol addiction?

GB: Absolutely. And it’s so good that you’re doing that. There’s some people that don’t find their way to AA but they want to have a way to get out of alcohol.

RW: When do you remember first finding an escape with alcohol and drugs?

GB: I guess in college, when it was uppers that I liked. I didn’t really even like alcohol that much, it was more like the snorting things.

RW: You mean uppers like Adderall?

GB: Yeah that’s what I was in to. I never liked alcohol, I just needed it to balance myself out. But by the time I hit my rock bottom in 2005 I was doing drugs and drinking every day.

RW: Were you fully aware of that being a problem?

GB: Yeah everyday I’d be like, “Shouldn’t do that again.” And then do it again. It was probably only seven months that it was really bad. The really bad didn’t last that long.

RW: So how did you seek help?

GB: I went to an addiction specialist who helped me understand that I was an alcoholic, because at the time I thought that I was just a drug addict. He was like, “No, you have an alcohol problem.” And I was like, “what do you mean?” He’s like, “Well what do you do every time you have a drink?” I was like, “I do drugs.” He showed me how this meant I was drinking unmanageably.

RW: I recently read an amazing book on alcohol addiction called “This Naked Mind.” And based on the teachings of this, plus my personal observations, I feel like a lot more people than will ever admit—even to themselves—are in a similar situation with alcohol and drugs. Do you believe this to be the case?

GB: I think that people definitely struggle…but it’s hard for me to comment because most of my friends today are sober. Well not “sober,” they just don’t really drink because they’re really health conscious. So I don’t see that much abuse of substances in my day to day. A lot of people come up to me and say, “Oh I got sober because of Spirit Junkie.” I hear people’s sobriety stories, but I don’t see people in their addiction anymore. But overall, I think it’s an epidemic. I mean addiction is an epidemic.

RW: And actually alcohol still kills more people than all prescription and all illegal drugs put together…

GB: Even more heroin?

RW: Insane, right? And in tests it’s the only drug that falls into the “extreme risk” category for addiction. Yet it’s the one that’s pushed on you from every direction the minute you’re old enough.

GB: Right. And I do think that from a spiritual perspective, if you want to have a closer connection with God then you can’t be muddying your consciousness.

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RW: Which leads me to my next question. Do you believe that anyone who identifies as being on a spiritual path or who is seeking in that way, would benefit from at least trying an extended period of sobriety?

GB: Absolutely. I don’t want to say that if you’re on a spiritual path, you have to be sober. There are plenty of people that I know that are fine with a glass of wine. They have it once a week and they’re fucking fine. But I do think that it will only benefit you spiritually to have a sober life.

RW: My experience of this has been feeling truly “whole.” I think this is because as much as alcohol is about numbing out from fear, it’s also about hiding the parts of yourself that you don’t necessarily understand. That you find it hard to love and accept.

GB: Yes, that you don’t want to admit to, and you don’t want to feel.

RW: Totally. So I think for me, that sense of wholeness has been about accepting that even if I don’t really like myself today, that’s still me. It’s all part of myself. You know? So what about the plant medicines that everybody’s doing now, like ayahuasca?

GB: Well, I think sober is sober, and that’s a mind altering substance. You know my spiritual teachers do it and I’m not going to judge anybody, but I would definitely say that’s a relapse if you think you’re sober. Most sober people wouldn’t even take NyQuil!

RW: I hear you! So I’m kind of at this point where I’m experimenting with trying to experience each situation I would normally associate with drinking sober…

GB: You want to know how you quit drinking? You no longer give yourself permission. We all have permission giving thoughts—and, for example, I’ve been off sugar for three years now because I no longer give myself permission to have sugar. if you were like, “I’m no longer giving myself permission, any more, to have alcohol,” then interesting things could happen.

RW: Vacation are the really tough one for me…

GB: I feel like that’s okay! I think you can maybe not give yourself permission unless its a vacation. Except you have to be really strong, like, “When I come back I have to stop this.” Because even eating things on vacation that I wouldn’t normally eat, like cheese or bread. I come home and I want those things!

RW: Well I’m ready, because the more I commit to not drinking, the more I feel like this is a part of the consciousness shift that’s occurring right now. Like people are really invested in the idea that you can get high by tuning in, not numbing out. I think you’ve helped to spearhead this, and it’s actually been a really important part of your story, you know?

GB: There’s no doubt that getting sober was the catalyst for my spiritual awakening. I’ve had many, many more since that day, but that was the turning point for me. It was when I chose a life of deep connection rather than a life of numbing out. It was when I chose to wake up.

Gabrielle Bernstein’s new book, The Universe Has Your Back, is out now on Hay House. And we’re giving away one signed copy!

To win, tag your next Instagram post with #NumiUniverse. Make sure to follow and tag @The_Numinous and be sure to add the hashtag #NumiUniverse—otherwise we won’t see your post! Winners will be picked at random and notified via direct Instagram message.

Deadline for entries:  1 p.m. (EST)  October 5, 2016.

@NUMINOUS_BOOKS