Whether it’s a beloved pet, a fluffy social media meme, or even a lowly housefly, animals are reaching out to you constantly to offer their assistance. Aria Mae shares how to work with your spirit animals and start receiving their medicine. Main Image: Mathilde Aubier
It’s the third raven you’ve seen this week. Or, your friend mentions otters just moments before you notice a billboard featuring their fuzzy faces …
Are these coincidences, or something more? Serendipitous events are actually the language of animal medicine. Animal totems can come to us in many ways—you simply need to open wide to receive the magic! It’s easy to forget that we, too, are part of the animal kingdom, and that out furry, scaly, and feathered friends are asking to communicate with us all the time!
If you have a specific animal that you feel wants to work with you, read more about how to work with your spirit animal here.
If you’re new to working with spirit animals, here are five ways to start working with their medicine right now …
>>>
1/Pay attention You could have an animal dream, vision, shamanic journey, or an encounter in nature … but there are also reminders for us in magazine ads and funny videos posted on Facebook. Yes—spirit animals are responding to technology by being present in virtual spaces!
Notice what element(s) the species is associated with, what the archetypal characteristics of this animal are, both in our culture and in other societies, and what kinds of messages you receive when you tune in to this species.
When you track your spirit animals moments, you will see the patterns and signs of species reaching out to you.
>>>
2/Ask for Visions Remember that you can ask your animal animals specific questions too. Seeking guidance for a big decision? Request their assistance!
While riding a bus on one of the most dangerous mountain passes in northern India, I asked my spirit animals for help. Immediately I had a funny vision—in my mind’s eye, I saw a tiger hopping around inside the bus, totally enjoying the harrowing adventure. It reminded me to let go in that moment and to enjoy the ride!
>>>
3/Build Uncommon Altars There are so many species we don’t think of as “power” animals, and yet they contain huge medicine for our lives—think insects, worms, or other creepy-crawlies, predators we don’t romanticize, like hyenas, and birds we love to hate like starlings and vultures.
Pick something that really bothers you about these creatures, and ask: what are these spirit animals messages for me? Create an altar with images of them, a love poem, and something to represent their favorite foods as an offering.
As you pass your altar daily, feel gratitude for the role this animal plays in their ecosystem, and remember your own importance in nature, too.
4/Cast Spells, in Love Writing poems is a beautiful way to draw boundaries with spirit animals while also honoring them. I use this often for so-called “pests” like mosquitoes and ticks when I’m out in the woods. If you live near the ocean, you could do this for sharks or jellyfish …
For example: Ticks I love you/But I don’t need you/Find your food another way/Leave me in peace on this glorious day!
The trick is to hold the poem spell in love, not fear. Be grateful for your ability to enter the spirit animals’ homes, as you practice holding boundaries.
>>>
5/Own YOUR Animal Medicine A beautiful thing about our relationship with other species is realizing we can give our own animal medicine back … We are spirit animals, too!
What does your unique medicine look like? Do you want to donate your time to a farm sanctuary? Can you organize a fundraiser or give cash to a well-researched wildlife fund? Is it time to adopt a rabbit, rat, or donkey from a shelter?
>>>
And most importantly, have fun with it! Let yourself be in awe of the inchworm that somehow landed on your sandwich. Smile and wink at the ducks in the pond at the park. Surrender to the beauty of the housefly before you open the window to let it outside.
Keep this attitude of joy at the forefront of your journey with animal guides, and you will receive more than you imagined possible …
Aria Mae is an Ancestral Healer, Priestess, and Spiritual Heart Surgeon. She creates heart-awakening medicinal experiences through her Magical Monday private retreats, three-month AWAKEN program, and group gatherings. Using a medley of family constellation therapy, shadow work, sociology, animal communication, tantra, mindfulness and love, Aria helps others mend what may have been deemed “broken” by life’s trials – forever activating the vibrancy of their heart’s intuitive abilities.
The perfect drink pairing for summer in the city? Adaptogenic Gynostemma, a.k.a. The Tea of Immortality, will help you burn the candle at both ends for those long summer nights, says Ysanne Spevack.
Image: Jason Briscoe
Want a beverage that helps you burn your candle at both ends? Just say no to coffee, and “Oh hi!” to gynostemma tea!
Known as Jiao-Gu-Lan (the Tea of Immortality) in parts of Southern China, gynostemma is a green leafy adaptogenic plant that’s the go-to for busy urbanites in the know. It’s especially well suited to help us surf summer life in the city, with its fluctuations in the weather (especially this year, what happened, NYC?!) and June’s dawn-to-dusk increased outdoors time.
With the most adaptogenic saponins of any wild-crafted plant in the world (four times the amount of ginseng), this stuff strengthens your natural ability to stabilize blood sugar, supports your immune function, and enhances endurance. And it doesn’t speed you out or crash and burn. It’s all about balancing the nervous system—as with all adaptogens, by definition gynostemma can energize you when you need it, yet help you to relax and sleep at night.
But the real reason it’s known as “The Tea of Immortality” is because of its benefits to liver and cardio function. It supports the body’s production of superoxide dismutase, an antioxidant that protects the liver from free radicals. And it helps arteries, veins, and capillaries release nitric oxide, which helps them to relax.
The taste is a little like the stevia herb, but less sweet—not at all bitter, but an unusual green herby flavor that makes a fantastic base for other drinks and a pleasant iced tea.
And get this … it’s also a beautiful cascading plant that you can grow in a city apartment as a decorative house plant, so long as you have a sunny window. Alternatively, it’s easy to find at stores like Kamwo Meridian Herbs on Grand Street in NYC or in their online shop, which is my go-to for anything to do with Chinese medicine.
>>>
June Gynostemma, Shiso, and Goji Ice Tea Don’t smirk at the gojis!!! This is what you’ve been missing all these years. Dry gojis are nasty—but gojis in tea are FABULOUS. And they’re a natural partner to gynostemma, the strange flavors of both combining into a perfect sweet herby balance. And then basil, or if you’re super lucky and can find it, fresh shiso herb. Oh. My. Gosh.
Recipe Makes 1 cup
Ingredients: 1 gynostemma tea bag OR 1 teaspoon dried gynostemma herb 1-2 fresh shies leaves** 10-20 dried goji berries
**Shiso is a kind of basil, so it’s totally possible to switch out shiso for regular Genovese or another type of basil. That said, shiso has flavor magic—it’s the third leg on the stool for this recipe to really stabilize and pop. Find it in Japanese stores, or grow it yourself. It’s easy to grow during summer in New York.
Method: Bring some water to a rolling boil—not in a microwave, please!
Put the herbs and gojis in a coffee mug.
Pour the freshly boiled water into the mug.
Leave on the counter to steep and cool naturally.
Drink as it is, or if preferred, transfer to a tall glass and add ice.
Get this week’s symbol for your sign with the Numinous Weekly Horoscopes from Sandra Sitron, a.k.a. Strong Eye Astrology …
Gemini :: Gemini Rising Sharing a meal. Show true hospitality to the people or situations that are challenging you. Whatever you are struggling with, throw the door wide open to receive the lesson. Show it a seat at the table. Welcome the experience.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Cancer :: Cancer Rising Jumping on a trampoline. Jumping higher and higher, almost as if you are trying to jump out of the atmosphere. Looking for a higher faith or purpose or connection. Transcendence. Use some kind routine or practice to help you find the spiritual opening you are seeking.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Leo :: Leo Rising Birds singing in the trees. Sometimes when the birds sing, it’s almost as if the trees themselves are singing. Blurring the boundary between the birds and the trees. Raise your vibration. Can you become so full of joy and creative self-expression that you become joy?
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Virgo :: Virgo Rising Laying bricks. Brick by brick you build yourself up. Start with the foundation. Make sure that you have good habits for working with your emotions. Is there any feeling that needs attention or healing? Give yourself time to feel and express.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Libra :: Libra Rising Playing hopscotch. Keep your mindset light. Don’t get too caught up in one problem. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Just keep hopping along. Move along to the next idea. Make it a game. You’ll accomplish more through play and lightness then you will through self-criticism.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Scorpio :: Scorpio Rising Putting post-it notes up on the wall. Organization and practicality. It may be time to back up a little bit and get things a little more organized. Make sure that you are getting your basic needs met. Make things systematized and structured. Have a plan. Follow through.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Sagittarius :: Sagittarius Rising Standing at attention. Take yourself seriously. You’ve got to have respect for yourself first. Then you can attend to creating respectful relationships. Make sure to express yourself in all of your relationships. Say what you’re thinking in a way that doesn’t put the other person on the defensive, but gets your point across.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Capricorn :: Capricorn Rising A parrot eating food. Taking good care of yourself will help you be bright and confident. The parrot energy is helping you speak your mind and get attention. It’s a little bit fun and flashy. By taking care of yourself physically, you’ll feel ready to go out and take on the world.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Aquarius :: Aquarius Rising A light bulb turns on. Innovative ideas and new directions are headed your way. Make sure you’re ready to gather the bright ideas as they flow in from the collective consciousness. Have your pen and paper handy. Keep your mind clear and curious. Look for inspiration everywhere.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Pisces :: Pisces Rising A shooting star. What are you wishing for? Would you be ready to say it when the shooting star gleams by? Would it be right on the tip of your tongue? Make sure you have your dreams defined. It’s much easier to manifest your ideal life when you know what it is that you want.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Aries :: Aries Rising A high speed train. There’s more exploring to do. Zip along, fueled by the desire to know answers to the big questions in life. Why are we here? What’s the meaning of life? Why do we humans have different experiences? Travel to find the answers.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Taurus :: Taurus Rising Laying in a field, watching the clouds drift by. Letting go. Watching old emotions release and drift away, just like clouds drifting in the sky. Leaves floating on the surface of a lake. The emotions come and go. Experience them and release them. Open up to forgiveness.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Numinous founder Ruby Warrington introduces a very special Moon Magic Retreat with her and Alexandra Roxo—a weekend deep dive to get aligned with your soul purpose (for real!)
Last year, Alexandra Roxo, Elyssa Jakim and I teamed up with Maha Rose North to host our very first Numinous retreat—a weekend deep dive into our love stories, and a celebration of sacred sisterhood. This year, Alexandra and I are back July 21—23 with a very special MOON MAGIC RETREAT: A DEEP DIVE TO DISCOVER YOUR SOUL PURPOSE.
To say last year’s weekend upstate was life-changing is an understatement, as that weekend kicked off a year of the most profound growth for me. In the following months, I collaborated with Alexandra to create Moon Club; I have overcome my fear of public speaking; I published my first book (!); and I have got clearer than ever about my unique gifts and contribution to humanity.
Most recently (and most importantly, actually) I received an email from my mom telling me how she believes the work I’m doing with my life now is healing the “mother and woman” wounds for the females in my family lineage. This note came from out of the blue, and I know in my heart, soul, and bones, that it was our retreat that fully aligned me with this very personal mission. (You can read more about how and why I know this here.)
Never before have I experienced such spiritual alchemy. Sure, Alexandra, Elyssa and I were the anointed “leaders” of the experience, but the circle of love, support and growth we created with our retreat sisters affected me to my CORE. It also made me understand how any time a group comes together with the intention to truly create a shift, we are all equal participants in the process. We each have a unique and vital role to play.
And this year, Alexandra and I have set the stage for a weekend that takes this theme even DEEPER. The big important message of my book, is that the time has arrived in human history for us to become equal participants in healing the mother & woman wounds of our Mama Earth. And that this mission, should you choose to accept it, will bring you more purpose, more fulfillment, more abundance, and more ADVENTURE than in your wildest dreams!
So, are you with us?
The full itinerary for this year’s retreat is below, with pricing options and details of a special FULL MOON DISCOUNT that’s valid through midnight Friday June 16!
Accommodations at Maha Rose North
FRIDAY NIGHT—Opening Ceremony: FINDING YOUR SOUL PURPOSE. Ritual with Alexandra and Ruby to open the container for a weekend spent deepening your relationship to your purpose and your mission with ritualized intention. Set your intention for the weekend and drill down into your Soul Purpose, with a group ritual and 1-2-1 coaching.
SATURDAY MORNING—MATERIAL GIRL, MYSTICAL WORLD: ASTRO 101 with Ruby Learn how to open up astrology as a tool for aligning with your Soul Purpose, using your birth chart as a blueprint to tap your unique mission in this incarnation! Ruby will also share insights from her own journey of marrying of the material and mystical, and living a life of total alignment.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON—HUSTLE & FLOW WORKSHOP with Alexandra How to do your Spiritual Hustle while keeping the Mystical Flow alive! Alexandra will share her medicine on helping you align with you Soul Purpose through partner work, writing work, and some deep investigation of your path. We’ll finish with a Shamanic Journey that takes the work offline and majorly deep. Some things we will touch on: How to Run a Spiritual Business, How to Deal with “Haters,” How to Keep it Mystical in a non-mystical workplace, and all kinds of other goodies!
SWIM BREAK!
SATURDAY EVENING—NEW MOON FEAST + FIRE RITUAL. Ritualized plant-based feast to celebrate the Leo New Moon! We will break out into groups to do some deeper work on our Soul intentions, finishing with a Moon Fire Ritual to anchor in what energy has moved and what we need to release moving forward. After dinner we will do a potent releasing ritual with an outdoor fire.
SUNDAY MORNING—STORY MEDICINE: TIME FOR A NEW STORY. Share your story. We want to hear from your heart. You blocks. Who you wanna be. Who you’ve been. Throughout the weekend you’ll have found the story you want to share today. Could be letting go of an old one or calling in a new one. Ritualized, intentional story-telling is both a cathartic release and an opportunity to feel connected to others by our shared human experiences. Let’s close our experience using the power of words as spells, to create the lives we want to live.
CLOSING BRUNCH. A final festive feast to fill our cups and share about the weekend before we return home ready to shine bright like a DIAMOND.
>>>
:: EXCHANGE :: GET 20% WITH THE CODE “MOONMAGIC20” THROUGH MIDNIGHT FRIDAY JUNE 16th! Payment plans are also available. Contact [email protected] for details.
$750 for workshops + food + lodging. ($600 WITH DISCOUNT)
$650 for workshops + food + camping. ($520 WITH DISCOUNT)
Since the May 25th New Moon in Gemini, we’ve been exploring different versions of the truth. With the 2017 Sagittarius Full Moon, we’re asked to put that exploration to work and rediscover our soul mission, says Sandra Sitron … Artwork: Andreas Preis
Full Moon :: June 9th 2017 :: 9:11 am ET :: 18 degrees Sagittarius
As the Sagittarius Full Moon opposes the Gemini Sun, we’re asked to explore how we form our beliefs. Get really honest with yourself. Ask yourself the hard questions so that you can create awareness:
Are you feeling scattered because you’re caught up in the details? Are you comfortable with being inexperienced, the fool at the beginning of the journey? What’s your “why?” (aka mission statement) Are you willing to let things be messy, if it means that in the end you will understand something profound? What do you need to see that you aren’t seeing? Is there an emotion or belief that has been hidden from view?
Gemini is the feisty sprite—the shopkeeper in the marketplace, the community leader in the town hall, the reporter getting the scoop. An air sign, Gemini wants to bring people and ideas together. It’s basic, logical and conceptual. Gemini zips through town, fueled by curiosity, collecting perspectives.
Sagittarius is the galloping centaur who wants to learn about the big picture. What is the point of being alive? What does it mean to be human and how have different cultures answered this question? What is love? What is time? Is there meaning to any of this?, asks Sagittarius.
This Full Moon is high energy because the two opposite signs are seeking balance. Sag is seeking the higher truth, but the potential pitfall is that getting too attached to one truth can veer close to fundamentalism. Gemini is gathering information and making connections, which can become pointless without Sagittarius’ wide-angle perspective.
The aspects to this Full Moon want you to find a system that helps you expand. When you have a philosophical truth that you can center your life around, you can bounce back from challenges because you understand the arc of your own divine direction—you have perspective. Make it even more magical by remembering that it’s okay not to know everything.
The gold of this 2017 Sagittarius Full Moon is that it’s helping you create faith and meaning …
>>>
Moon conjunct Saturn A tower of giraffes. Giraffes symbolize the ability to obtain things that might otherwise be out of reach. You are ready to reach high, but you might need a different structure or system in order to do so. To reach higher you need to build yourself up. Watch out for self-criticism. Speak sweetly to yourself, just like the gentle giraffe. Surround yourself with others who are supportive. Remember that you’re not alone.
>>>
Moon square Neptune Beam me up Scotty. Are you ready to transcend? Are you ready to go beyond what you know? Can you trust in the process? During this Full Moon, exercise your intuition and creativity. Use your third eye to look deeper. Let your intuition, wildness, animal instinct, creativity, hope, and faith be your focal point.
>>>
Moon sextile Jupiter Red parrot feathers floating down from the sky. Parrots bring in new growth and new direction. Expansion and easy optimism are possible. How do you align with luck? You’ve got to fly higher to reach the vibration of luck. Reach up to grab the brightly colored feathers.
Speak, just like the parrot. And be sure your words represent your philosophy and that they reflect your positive intentions.
>>>
Use the questions below to dive deeper into the lessons of the 2017 Sagittarius Full Moon. For a more accurate reading, calculate your chart for free here and see which house holds 18 degrees Sagittarius …
Aries or Full Moon in the 9th House How will you explore today?
Taurus or Full Moon in the 8th House What do you need to let go of?
Gemini or Full Moon in the 7th House What lesson is a relationship or the concept of relationship teaching you?
Cancer or Full Moon in the 6th House What healthy habit are you ready to make space for?
Leo or Full Moon in the 5th House How can you let your creativity shine out into the world today?
Virgo or Full Moon in the 4th House What can you do to nurture yourself more?
Libra or Full Moon in the 3rd House How can you be more moderate in your thinking?
Scorpio or Full Moon in the 2nd House What belief or concept would help you feel worthy?
Sagittarius or Full Moon in the 1st House What’s your next step when it comes to building up your confidence?
Capricorn or Full Moon in the 12th House What are your dreams trying to tell you?
Aquarius or Full Moon in the 11th House How can you make an impact in your community?
Pisces or Full Moon in the 10th House What’s your mission statement when it comes to career?
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandra here.
Think you have to endlessly study your crystal bible to tap into your stones’ powers? Leave the bible behind, take your rocks out on a date, and find your own crystal meanings says Wolf Sister. Main Image: Beth Hoeckel
The meanings of crystals aren’t literally set in stone. Despite what the dusty description from your local crystal dealer says, the medicine doesn’t end there …
Crystals are formed from of the deepest parts of Mother Earth, so of course there’s so much more meaning to them than just inviting love into your life, warding off anxiety, protection from some less than desirable energies, or waking up your third eye.
Here’s how to start finding your own crystal meanings …
>>>
1/Discover Your Crystal’s Personality (Yes, Your Crystal Has a Theme Song!) Just like Tinder dates, crystals are individuals with their own personalities that go WAY beyond the profile pic. Instead of playing out the relationship in your mind before you’ve even met them, go out on a few dates with your crystal.
Keep the crystal’s bio info in mind and the reason you initially choose it, but then take the time to listen …. Even holding a crystal in your hand for a few moments in silence with your eyes closed can reveal its personality. So how does it make you feel? Stay open to any ideas and epiphanies that download in your mind at that moment.
The first time that I initiated myself with Rose Quartz, Florence + The Machine’s version of “You’ve Got the Love” drifted into my consciousness. This had nothing to do with the crystal bible’s traditional meanings of romantic love or fertility. Instead, through the lyrics, Rose Quartz was showing me that I had all the support that I needed to get through a project when I’d lost my confidence.
Now every time I hear that song, it’s as if Rose Quartz is talking to me.
>>>
2/Open Your Full Body to the Magic When you’re getting to know your crystal, actions speak louder than words. Your crystal won’t do all the work—you need to play your part in this deal and put some muscle in!
For example, if you buy Citrine because you wanna get on with your dharma, then you need to start taking physical action towards it. Instead of endlessly researching courses and workshops about your chosen field while secretly hoping that the Citrine in your pocket is listening, it’s time to actually book the course and do the homework!
>>>
3/See Life Through a “Crystallized Lens” Seeing your day through your crystal’s eyes can help guide you towards innovation when you’re feeling stuck.
This kind of experience comes from actively imagining, “If I was this crystal, what would I do?” Rather than just keeping it by your bed or at the bottom of your make-up bag, imagine, for example, that you’ve teamed up with Smokey Quartz and can fully step into your power and take up all the space that you deserve!
If you were the actual embodiment of your crystal, how could your perspective radically change?
Society 6 Crystal Phone Case
>>>
4/ Supercharge your Meditation with Crystals During your meditation practice (if you’re new to meditation, just find a quiet space and focus on your breath!), you can choose to place your crystal on your third eye, somewhere in the space, or in your left (receiving) hand.
Imagine the energy and colors of your crystal infusing and permeating throughout your body. Invite the crystal to recalibrate any distracting energies so that you’re recharged and nourished. Take as long as you like in this crystalline space that you’ve created to integrate these new frequencies. When you’re ready, ground yourself back into the here and now. Again, ask how the crystal you’re using has made you feel, and what new perspective it’s granted you.
>>>
5/Spark a Conversation With Your Crystals The best way to find out what your crystals really mean is to start asking questions!
Why did you ask for this crystal to come into your life? What does it mean to you? How does it make you feel? Why did you choose this one instead of the others? What action can you take to bring it to life?
Keep your crystal with you and free-write the answers to these questions in a journal. If you have Tarot or oracle cards, ask the crystal to communicate with you through the cards. Think of what you’d like guidance with, or use the questions from above as you pull the cards.
>>>
We’re here to create our own experience. Guides are a wonderful starting point, but the only way to find out what your crystal means is to get to know them personally. Be curious so you can work with them, and you’ll soon realize what it wants to guide you towards!
Starting this Friday, June 9th, join Wolf Sister for Get Your Rocks Out—a free online crystal healing workshop where you’ll learn to listen to what your crystals want to say!
Ruby Warrington talks to stylist Anna Trevelyan about alien abduction, Trump as a catalyst for change, and being vegan in the fashion industry …
I first encountered stylist of the moment Anna Trevelyan at our mutual friend Sah D’Simone’s Happiness Equation workshop. She was the girl with the green hair and the quick, curious mind (a Gemini, of course), dressed in a kind of Manga-meets-Atlantis mash-up that would be more at home in the streets of Tokyo than Brooklyn’s Maha Rose Center for The Healing Arts.
But then as she puts it in her IG profile, Anna is: “A bit fashion. A bit cosmic.”
Having come up through the fashion ranks assisting Gaga’s former creative director Nicola Formichetti, Anna followed her childhood love of fantasy into the industry. In her own words, “I’m just not into reality stuff. I have a crazy and borderline confusing imagination!” Growing up in the heart in England, this meant: “I always died my hair and made my own clothes. But I had no concept that something like fashion even existed.”
Fast-forward to 2017, and fashion totally knows Anna exists, and her work is all over the top mags and ad campaigns. Like this one for Cara Delevingne’s Do You collection for Puma.
But what I love most about Anna (as well as the mermaid hair), is that she’s one of few voices in the mainstream fashion arena to be super vocal about being vegan, and the environmental impact of animal agriculture. She’s also majorly pro-diversity, casting models of every color, shape, size and gender in her long-standing catwalk collaborations with Brit designer Ashish.
Then there’s her lifelong fascination with alien abduction, and the crystals she keeps like pets in her Brooklyn apartment. Curiouser, and curiouser …
Ruby Warrington: So Anna, how long have you been into the more spiritual, numinous side of life? Anna Trevelyan: Since birth, I guess. When I was little, I was into aliens, UFO sightings, crop circles. I was such a nerd. I had all these UFO sighting maps on my wall and stuff. I was kind of obsessed with alien abduction, the history of the Earth and evolution. Like, what else is out there and where do we come from?
RW: All the deep questions! But then you pursued a career in fashion, which can be very superficial. What are your practices to bridge the gap or how do you find meaning within the fashion industry? AT: Well firstly, a lot of people in fashion genuinely have a love for art and creativity and inclusion. It’s not all about consumerism. Personally, I don’t want to do anything that doesn’t have meaning to me—especially this last year, with so much crazy stuff going on. So I always try to spread a message of positivity and what I believe in. For example, I work with this designer called Ashish and this season we did all these slogans like, Love Sees No Colour, and Be More Tender.
But then there is the consumerist part of the industry and the environmental part, that I personally have a really difficult time with. And the issues about racial inclusion on catwalks an in ad campaigns. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done.
RW: You’re also very vocal on your social media about veganism. Why is that so important to you? AT: I’ve been vegetarian for 20 years, and vegan on and off—unfortunately I love cheese! But this is super important to me, as the beef industry is one of the most damaging things to the environment at the moment. It also really hurts me to see people eating meat. You’re essentially killing, and then eating that trauma. I just don’t understand why you would do that. And before, I never really expressed my feelings about it, but now I’m just like, “You know what? Fuck it … “ I don’t want animals to be traumatized just so they can be slaughtered. And I don’t want people to be consuming trauma.
RW: The fashion industry also loves fur. Do you feel as passionately about that? AT: I never wear fur, and I never shoot fur anymore. I have done it in the past and I felt horrible about it. But I love shoes, I collect shoes like crazy, and so I do still wear leather. That’s something I need to look into, you know? I think of fur as this evil thing, so why do I think leather is okay? So I need to check myself and do a bit more research on that for sure. I would love to make a vegan shoe line, something super sexy!
Ashish FW17
RW: I think it’s amazing that you’re actually putting yourself out there and saying these things, because so many people are like, “These are my beliefs … until the next big money job comes in.” But having that integrity, I think, is part of leading a spiritual life. Like if your actions are aligning with your beliefs, you’re living your spiritual truth. AT: Exactly. One massive publication asked me to do a fur shoot for them. It would have been great for my career, but I couldn’t do it. I was like, “let me do a faux fur story instead?” They didn’t reply. But then faux fur is actually the 8th worst fabric for the environment. So I need to start thinking about all these things.
RW: Don’t you think that eventually, if public opinions start to change significantly, then brands are going to have to follow suit? In the same way it’s happening with with organic food … AT: Yes. It has to start somewhere. It’s the same with mass produced clothing—like yeah, it’s great that you can get a bunch of stuff for cheap, but what conditions are people working in? I don’t even really know how to begin with that.
RW: How about taking more direct action? AT: Well after Trump’s immigration ban, I did this meditation, and I was imagining all of the souls of the world together, happy and warm, and just free to move wherever they want to move and experience what they want to experience. It was such an intense meditation and afterwards I saw light coming out my hands. Crazy! So I got all my influential girlfriends together and hosted a Girl’s Fight Club to raise money for the UNHCR, which is the UN refugee support.
It was also a statement about how I hate females being convinced we have to compete, when we are so much stronger together. That amazing goddess energy! That raised, not loads, but like 500, 600 dollars. I have a sort of theory that Trump is this kind of higher power, doing all this crazy shit to bring us all together. Either that or he’s reptilian.
RW: I swing between the two myself! So you meditate, how about any other spiritual practices? Your work means you have this crazy travel schedule and you’re very out there. How do you take care of your inner world? AT: Last year I started doing yoga, which I never did before because I’m not like a super athletic person or anything. And you know those people that do yoga, and all they talk about is doing yoga? Now all I talk about is yoga! That has really helped me to settle down and focus and be strong and feel good. I love Bikram yoga, Kundalini yoga, Vinyasa. They’re all great.
My house is also full of crystals and plants, and the energy I get from them is amazing. I feel more grounded just looking at them, and I even kiss them and speak to them. I take my crystals around with me too. Like I choose a few and just take them when I travel and stuff. I also use them in my yoga and meditation.
RW: Spoken like a true Material Girl, balancing it out in the Mystical World. Finally, what’s the most otherworldly experience you’ve encountered in your life? AT: The first time I did past life regression, when I was like 15 or 16. In it, I walked down a tunnel and there was a doorway, which was the door to the past life. I was shaking, physically shaking, and I as walked through the door it shut behind me. I immediately felt so calm. And then in my past life I experienced my own death, and it was amazing. I died, and my soul felt so light, as if being human, having this body, was the heaviest burden. From then on, I’ve had no fear of death. I’m actually excited for it, now that I know how it feels.
>>>
:: MATERIAL GIRL ::
My label: My favorite brands at the moment are Ashish (always a glitter protest), Hyein Seo (‘Final Boss’ collection for bad girls), and Gucci (of course).
Ashish S17
My shoes: Pretty much always sky high stilettos and platforms—Marc Jacobs is killing me at the moment—and then Nike’s for when it’s sadly necessary to be practical.
My pampering: My hair, nails and eyelashes are super regular and necessary upkeep takes a lot of time tbh.
My food: Vegan deliciousness—I wish they had Cafe Gratitude everywhere!
My home: Lots of windows and sunshine, plants, and I collect robots.
Robot inspo
:: MYSTICAL WORLD ::
My awakening: Say thank you each day to the Universe and be grateful.
My sign: Gemini through and through. But I have Cancer rising and my Moon in Taurus. I think the Cancer brings me back and the Taurus grounds me and helps me feel more balanced.
My mantra: I don’t have a mantra.
My healer: I have practiced with several energy healers, and I have one psychic in London and one in California. And they’re both good at different things. But the greatest healer is your self, and self realization.
My mission: Bring light, be genuine, be kind, speak from the heart, be unafraid, show love, make people aware of the importance of vegetarianism for themselves and for the world, work for humanity and Mother Earth, take no shit.
Get this week’s symbol for your sign with the Numinous Weekly Horoscopes from Sandra Sitron, a.k.a. Strong Eye Astrology …
Gemini :: Gemini Rising Dancing close. It’s time to reach for a connection. Sometimes, our relationships are our greatest teachers. Whatever the lesson is, take responsibility for your experience so that you can find your internal power. Carry a sense of optimism into your relationships. Bring the love with you, and you’ll always find it there. Create a philosophy that says, “I don’t let other people’s moods tell me how to feel. I love myself and as I move through the world, my love expands.”
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Cancer :: Cancer Rising A rushing waterfall. Cleansing the spirit. Wash yourself clean by making sure all of the details are organized. Literally clean your home and your body. Plan out your meals for the week ahead. Pay attention to your nutrition and exercise. Be a busy bee, getting everything settled and sorted. These healthy foundations will help you feel refreshed and even optimistic.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Leo :: Leo Rising Writing in cursive. You’re doing things with an extra flourish. Allow yourself to be even more showy and creative. Have you been spending enough time in the limelight? You deserve a gold-star, so make sure that the world knows it. Sometimes you have to really push yourself to get out there and get that recognition. Do it! It’s what you’re here for.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Virgo :: Virgo Rising An earthworm churning the earth. You’re making sure that you get all of the nutrients you need. Does your environment serve you—do you feel sheltered and safe? Do you have a support system— family and friends who listen to you, see you and hold you close? Do you have opportunities to nurture other people? If any of these areas need attention, begin by deciding how you would like it to be. Create intentions for home, family, intimacy and nurturance. Make sure that your environment supports your growth.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Libra :: Libra Rising Sailboats racing across a channel. Let your mind move faster. Explore new ideas. Brainstorm. Look for solutions where it might seem that there are none. This is your time for learning. There’s pressure on you to “apply yourself.” You can do that. And you can also get a little more cheerful about the stuff you’re learning. Be thoughtful and ethical, but also increase your sense of fun and adventure.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Scorpio :: Scorpio Rising A leopard waiting on a rock ledge. You’ve got a stable foundation, but you’re ready to jump. The last couple of years have been teaching you how to provide for yourself. You’ve been learning how to get yourself all stable and secure. Now it’s time to take a leap. Nothing irresponsible, but maybe a little bit wild. By leaping forward, you’ll come to understand just how strong you’ve become.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Sagittarius :: Sagittarius Rising Fireworks in the sky. Celebrate yourself. You’ve been learning how to view yourself as an authority and get your message out there. But don’t forget that you’re a nature-loving, soul-seeking, zestful adventurer! You need a chance to bound joyfully across the vast and glorious Earth. You need to let loose and remember how to play. Search for a sense of optimism in everything you do. From that place of uplifting self-confidence, imbue your day with an air of celebration.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Capricorn :: Capricorn Rising An ostrich with it’s head in the sand. This symbol represents oblivion, but maybe it’s just asking you to seek a different perspective. View your world upside-down. Instead of relying on logic, become a little more intuitive. You’ve got to look at things in a new way. And if do happen to be doing that oblivious ostrich thing, this advice definitely still applies. If you’re feeling very foggy or confused, binge-watching TV, or reaching for anything compulsively, that means it’s time to tap into your intuition.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Aquarius :: Aquarius Rising Vetiver grasses blowing in the breeze. Vetiver is cleansing, grounding and stabilizing. You’ll want to be grounded and stable because it’s time for a new approach. Open your mind to fresh possibilities. You’re ready to get into the jet-stream of Aquarian innovation. The breeze is blowing, so let the wind carry you to new heights of consciousness. If you open yourself up to it, you can think about things in a new way. Keep your feet on the ground, but let your imagination break free.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Pisces :: Pisces Rising A school of fish. Intuitive leadership. Who leads the school of fish? How does that level of synchronicity develop? To us humans, it may look like just a keenly developed instinct. A survival skill. But how does it feel for the fish? Does it feel like being part of one big living thing? Is it an incredible feeling of connection? You’re learning how to shine as a leader. Use your sensitivity and your intuition to choose actions that feel perfectly in sync.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Aries :: Aries Rising Hot air balloons in the distance. Journey far from what you know. Allow your sense of adventure to take over. You can see new things, you can learn new things, you can reach new levels of joy. Don’t let yourself get stuck in beliefs that you never agreed to. Reassess everything. Let go of the beliefs that need to be upgraded. Ride a hot air balloon to the wisdom that awaits you just over the next hillside.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Taurus :: Taurus Rising Freshly planted seeds lined up in even rows. You know what you’re doing. You have all the facts. You have the science backing you up. But it’s never a sure thing, even when you’ve done all your research. There are still variables. The rabbits might attack in droves or the sun might hide behind the clouds. The important take-away here is that you can’t control everything. So why try? Do your best, let go of the rest. This is how you cultivate inner peace.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
In search of the deepest act of spiritual surrender, Alexandra Roxo gets bound and discovers boundlessness with the ancient art of Shibari bondage …
“Shibari (Japanese Rope Bondage) can be erotic, intimate, loving, sexy, quiet or raucous, meditative, artistic, insightful, transformative—all depending on the people engaged and how they both feel at the moment” – Victoria Blue
>>>
I am always on the hunt to find ways to get free, to go wild, to let loose, and to go deeper into myself. Over the last 15 years, my search to explore the depths of my sexuality and spirituality has taken me everywhere from witch camp in the woods of Oregon, to working as a dancer in a truck stop strip club in New Mexico, to banging a drum at a Rainbow Gathering in West Virginia, to an orgasmic meditation circle where I had my clit stroked by an old Indian man … and SO many other places and practices.
Drugs. Sex. Spirit. Art. It’s been a lifetime of exploration that started the first time my mom pulled Louise Hay off the bookshelf when I was 7, and the first time I kissed a boy, and girl, at 8 …
So for an explorer of depths who hasn’t left many stones unturned, I am always seeking something new to try and am always ready with a big fat YES!
>>>
WOMEN TYING WOMEN My next yes fell straight into my lap after my dear friend Kyp Malone (who played the “urban shaman” in my web series “Be Here Nowish,” and whom I consider a Yoda of sorts), took me to a dinner party, introduced me to a woman in the corner named Victoria Blue, and said “You two should talk.”
It all remained a mystery until months later. I was on the bus back home from 3 days of steeping and soaking in the magical Orr Hot Springs of Northern California and I suddenly thought to myself: I want to be tied up. This was especially random after spending 3 days in a tub reading a book about Jesus’ mystical life. But the words were clear and from my heart.
I’d been tied up by lovers before and engaged in a fair amount of BDSM in sex, but I knew there was something more here that I wanted and I began to investigate the ancient form of Japanese bondage called Shibari. Whereas other types of BDSM include performed dominance or submission, or the giving and receiving of pain as practice, Shibari is a fine art. Comparing a “50 Shades” rope scene with Shibari would be like comparing an IKEA rug with one from a Moroccan souk.
Interestingly, when I googled “Shibari LA” and the first thing to pop up was a workshop called “Women Tying Women” with none other than Kyp’s friend Victoria as teacher! The next day, the magic continued when I walked into my 5Rhythms class and a cute woman ran up to me, handed me a card, and said “Come to ‘Women Tying Women!’ My friend Victoria Blue is teaching!“ “She has one private session left. Do you want it?’
FULL. BODY. YES!
Victoria in a state of calm, suspended surrender
>>>
GOING OFF LEASH So why did these words spring from my soul and why did I even want to be tied? Perhaps there is some past life witch healing there. But really, I think it’s because I crave deep surrender. And I crave deep catharsis. And I long to become art as often as possible …
How many places in your life can you TRULY surrender in? By surrender, I mean LOSE YOUR MIND. Let go of the reins. My friend Andi calls it “going off leash.” When you go “off leash” you slip into an altered state of ecstasy and sometimes agony and the mind goes quiet. Void.
Mind-blowing, expansive sex is a place one can find surrender. Meditation can be. Some good old fashioned tequila and a night of all night dancing with some MDMA licked from a tiny plastic bag in a Brooklyn bathroom worked in my late 20s. Plant medicine ceremonies too. Dance can be ecstatic and deep. But being tied up seemed like a depth of surrender and catharsis that my soul needed now.
Even though I’d been “off leash” many times, I was still nervous before going to see Victoria. Because not only was I going to be tied, I would also be suspended. Not like suspended from school—like suspended from the ceiling off a rope. Yes, this may conjure some morbid images of hanging corpses, but I thought of it like making myself into an ornate chandelier hanging as a centerpiece.
I told Victoria I wanted to be tied in a pose of expansion—heart opening, if possible. She quietly blindfolded me …
>>>
BOUND & BOUNDLESS I closed my eyes and Victoria began to play a German instrumental album that was integral to my sexual awakening in my early 20s. Out of all the music in the world she chose the goth band that the first person who ever tied me up used to play, and whom I had learned some of the most beautiful and fun things about sex at the age of 23. This moment of kismet softened my heart like butter, and as she tied me I felt myself starting to relax after being reminded of the divinity present.
She bound me tight, hands up and open, back arched up, heart to the sky, one leg extended, and one folded. I let the ropes hold me. They were tight. Not soft and sweet. I began to turn into pliable flesh with no other option but letting go. I was like an infant. Helpless. Paralyzed almost. But the more and more I was tied, the more and more relaxed I felt. Like someone was caring for my soul.
Then she hoisted me up and I lay back, being held only by this rope around my waist, floating in the air. The whole of my weight resting on one piece of rope. Completely bound. Angelic even.And that’s when the full surrender and deep catharsis began …
Tears streamed down. Then they broke into deep, deep sobs from some place inside me that I had never met before. And moans of pain mixed with joy. Of release. Of heartache and heartbreak. I hung there. The pain escalated until the discomfort quieted the mind in the most nurturing way. The only thing possible to do was breathe.
I sobbed and breathed until I reached that edge that I have loved to flirt with for so many years. I whispered to her: “I’m at my limit” with tears streaming down my face and my chest. And then, ever so gently, Victoria pulled me down. She stroked my head and told me that I stayed up there a very long time and that I was very strong. As she pulled the ropes off me, my body felt lighter and freer than it had in ages. I felt my consciousness move into every cell. I could breathe into corners where breath hadn’t touched. I felt alive.
Victoria and @sophiashibari
Discover more about Victoria’s private sessions and group classes HERE, and join she and I this October for a two day overnight retreat in Topanga that will bring together Shibari, Shadow Work, Storytelling, and Sexual Healing. If you’re interested in this deep work, add your name HERE and we’ll send out applications and full retreat info in a few weeks.
The Universe, or The World, signals the ending of a huge karmic cycle. We’ve learned all we need, and it’s time to trust what’s next, says Lindsay Mack …
