Month: April 2018

NUMINOUS TAROTSCOPES: MAY 2018

Posted on by Melinda Lee Holm

Dive into this month’s medicine for your sign with our Numinous Tarotscopes May 2018, cast by Melinda Lee Holm using the Starchild Tarot …

numinous tarotscopes may 2018 melinda lee holm the numinous ruby warrington material girl mystical world the starchild tarot

 

TAURUS // TAURUS RISING
Seven of Crystals
Happy Solar Return, dear Taurus! There is a deepening of the lessons of April in store for you this month. The Sevens bring us opportunities to overcome doubts, and in the realm of Earth that generally equates to confronting ways in which we doubt the ability of our work to bring our desired results. While last month was more around trusting timing, this month is about finding ways you can more deeply trust in yourself and your abilities. The element of Earth is your safe place, so digging deeply into finding your true power within it is essential to living a truly fulfilled life. This means trusting not only in your ability to form the world you live in, but also that you have a place in it and are a worthy and necessary part of it.

How are you holding yourself back by doubting your own Earthly abilities? Are there things you are hesitant to even try to achieve because you have failed to see the results you desired in the past? Are you pushing yourself to keep refining your skill and methodology during the time spent waiting for work completed to ripen and blossom? This month, work on being your own biggest fan. Dare to believe in yourself like you never have before. Keep moving forward with the knowledge that the work you have completed was perfect and that it is ok to move forward and keep building upon it. Every day brings a new chance to create and grow.

Your stone for May: Red Jasper

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GEMINI // GEMINI RISING
Seven of Wands
How you holding up, Gemini? I’m guessing if you were to use the vernacular of my home state of MN your answer would simply be “uff da.” Last month was A LOT. Needed, transformative, world-shifting, but probably a tad exhausting. This month is going to bring a gentler breeze to your airy shores as you dive into the task of overcoming ways in which you doubt your intuition. Elemental Fire has a strong duality in action and intuition, but based on the energy you’ve been presented with these past couple months, my hunch is that the intuitive aspect is going to be more strongly spotlighted in May. Here’s the thing – when you’ve had the rug pulled out from under you, even if it served to bring you to a better place, it can be very hard to trust what you feel in your gut is true.

This month, all month, every chance you get, allow yourself to trust your intuition in small ways. Reach out to that friend that keeps popping into your head, take the route that avoids an intersection you are inexplicably leery of, throw those leftovers out that may or may not have sat out a little too long. Build your relationship with your inner voice back up in small ways and work your way up to higher stakes stuff. Just as with relationships with others, there is no shortcut to earning trust. Sink in and do the work. You have enough trouble with decisions as it is, dear Twin Stars. You cannot afford to have your direct line to your Higher Self down for repairs for long.

Your stone for May: Lapis Lazuli

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CANCER // CANCER RISING
Nine of Wands
There is so much work to be done this month, Cancer! And you are well positioned and supported to complete it all. You were gifted this same energy in March and then went into a major shift and expansion in April. Now the Nine of Wands is back to show you how far you’ve come and present you with an opportunity to prove to yourself how much more you can accomplish. Think back to projects or ideas that surfaced in March. Now is the time to again push forward to see where you can take them. Whatever your work, whatever your goals, this month is your chance to double your productivity and clear out all the lingering chores taking up precious space in your brain and energetic field.

A major part of you getting all you can out of this energy is going to rest on your ability to not take things personally. As the cardinal water sign, you feel things more strongly than most and have a tendency to let your emotions lead the way when it comes to decision making. Not this month. When you feel that familiar rush of Water heightening your emotional reactions, let the Fire of the Nine of Wands turn it to steam and watch it float away – or even better, harness that Air energy to make practical assesments of the situation! Our reactions are not our reality, they are simply a way for us to cope and navigate through life. Take the reins and lead with your gut.

Your stone for May: Citrine

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LEO // LEO RISING 
Two of Crystals
Dearest Leo, you are getting back to basics this month in the realm of Earth. The Twos bring us the wisdom of their suit, the promise of the possibilites held in their Element. You are being offered an invitation to reconsider what you see as possible in the material world around you, to perhaps see a new landscape unfold with the proverbial sound of two nickels rubbing together. It is time to dig down to the root and foundation of your financial plan, your physical Earth-bound framework for your life, and see whether there are places that are in need of an update or a change in direction.

I keep getting an image of a plant that is not doing as well as it seems it should be, hands digging in the dirt to uncover the roots and finding a manufactured object blocking the natural growth of the root and consequently stunting the growth of the whole plant. What unnatural barrier is interfering with the natural growth of your material abundance? Is it a physical thing, the choice of a type of bank account or corporate structure, a poorly planned work space, a simple accounting oversight? Or is it more emotional, ethereal, energetic? Is it an issue of perceived worthiness, leftover debts from past lives, or misplaced anxiety? Whatever it is, this month it is your duty to dig in to the dirt and find it. Take nothing for granted. Be ready to examine all aspects of your Earthly life to see how they support the expanive possibilites of the Two of Crystals.

Your stone for May: Quartz Crystal

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VIRGO // VIRGO RISING 
Nine of Cups
Ooo la la, Virgo! It’s been a fairly work-focused year so far in pretty much every aspect of your life and now it is time for you sit back and drink in all of the lovely emotional support you’ve built up by being a wondeful friend, collaborator, co-worker, and individual (working on yourself always benefits everyone around you, after all). This month I want you to spend as much time as possible with those people that make you feel loved, secure, and seen. They are your mirrors. When you look at them and marvel at how wonderful they are, how smart and funny and talented, what incredible capacity for emotional understanding and supprt they offer, know that that is a direct releflection of you as well. Water finds its own level and this is especially true in the spiritual/energetic realm!

Your driven nature may make this actually feel like a frustrating task, to focus on emotional connection and reflection as opposed to “real” work in the areas of Earth or Air or even Fire. If that resistence comes up for you, remind yourself that this IS real work and that the element of Water is integral to the successful presentation of all of the other elements. Our emotional bodies need this attention and care to support us through the tough times and buoy our productivity. Doesn’t it always make it easier to push yourself in any type of work when you know people you respect and love care about the outcome and about your personal accomplishments?

Your stone for May: Pink Tourmaline

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LIBRA // LIBRA RISING
Five of Cups
I am going to ask you to be very kind to yourself this month, Libra. Allow plenty of time to rest, to be alone, be sure to feed yourself healthy, nousirhsing food, drink plenty of water, and get some exercise. May is bringing you a lesson in mourning. Mourning is often seen as a synonym for being sad following a loss, but that doesn’t really cover it. To mourn is to activley participate in the emotional processing of events that may cause sadness, it is an active verb, not a passive feeling. It’s time to face your feelings and to bravely step forward into the place where you can examine them, understand their origins and utility, and gather the lessons they hold to move forward.

Lean into the wisdom of the King of Cups that visited you last month. Integrating that ability to ride out rough seas of emotion will serve you well now. You don’t have to suffer. There are no extra points for unnecessary trauma or drama. This is simply a lesson in engaging with emotional rough spots in real time to fully experience life and grow and evolve with the passing of time instead of hiding from the hard parts in an effort to appear strong to yourself and others. I speak often of the profound strength inherent in vulnerability and I reiterate that for you now. Opening up to the unpleasant, the difficult, the challenging of the emotional spectrum is just as important as opening up to the positive. You’ve got this, Libra. Be kind.

Your stone for May: Chrysoprase

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SCORPIO // SCORPIO RISING
Six of Wands
May is bringing you a taste of victory, Scorpio! The sixes all indicate an achievement of some sort in their Element and this achievement in the realm of Fire should prove to feel very satisfying. Given your deeply intuitive emotional nature, it is likely that this will come in the form of a confirmation that your intuition about a person or situation was spot on. But why limit yourself to just one victory? Be on the lookout all month long for confirmations and celebrations great and small of your acute intuitive abilities and the fruits of your decisive actions. Let this victory inspire you to push even further and show you areas that are particularly rich for you to pursue greatness.

Seeing as this energy is coming to you hot on the heels of that Divine gift of the Ace last month, there is a great chance that some of your celebration will be around affirmation that you have used that gift wisely. Pay special attention to any messages around what you started forming last month. The places where you do not receive affirmation are just as important to note as those where you do. To NOTE. Take it as information, not judgment. Not every idea lands. Be careful not to get bogged down by despair or disappointment over a lack of energy around ideas or projects you considered your favorites. Keep the energy flowing to where it is most useful and keep your eyes on the prizes that manifest with the most grace and ease.

Your stone for May: Pyrite

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SAGITTARIUS // SAGITTARIUS RISING 
Ten of Cups
Oh you are on quite an enviable roll, Sagittarius! You’ve had some major blessings in energetic/spiritual expansion the past couple months and now you are able to ground all of that personal growth and Divine connection into your daily emotional life. By now you should be pretty open to trusting in the Universe and now you can trust in your fellow humans. Look to those closest to you to show you how grand true love can be. I am not just talking about romantic love, though that is a good possibility. I am talking about a depth of mutual admiration and adoration that lifts everyone up together, people inspiring each other to be greater together than they could be alone. Love of family, community, in the full expansive definition of both of those words.

The Ten is the inhale to the Ace’s exhale. When we are graced with the broad support of the Ten, it becomes our duty to look ahead and begin to prepare to do our part to pay it forward by pushing that energy back out as a gift to others in collaboration with the Divine. So as you drink in this beautiful emotional fulfillment, be on the lookout for ways that you can inspire others to recognize and accept the pure gift of Water the Universe provides. Practice random acts of kindness. Be a leader in love and radical acceptance. This would be an excellent time to volunteer your time to help someone in need, whether caring for a family member, mentoring a child, or cooking at a shelter.

Your stone for May: Emerald

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CAPRICORN // CAPRICORN RISING
Queen of Crystals
Ok, Capricorn, the riches of big archetypal feminine energy that has been flowing your way all year honestly has me a bit envious. Between The Moon, The High Priestess, and now your second Queen in two months, I daresay you may be on your way to becoming a bonefide master of the vast power of receptivity. And now this month brings that energy to you in your home element of Earth. Queens represent the Water of their suit, they have a gravity and a determination to them, and in the realm of Earth they have a profound ability to inspire dedication to creative projects. What is the Water of Earth, after all, but the clay we were all formed from according to folklore from cultures and religions all over the world?

What will you form this month, Capricorn? What will you give shape to with your bare hands and build lovingly from the ground up? I bet you could find some clues in all that communicating you did last month. These energies follow one another for a reason. What we build almost always takes form first in our thoughts and then our words as we turn them over and hold them in our mouths to see how they feel. You now have beutiful support to bring those thoughts and words down into the physical world. Of course, this doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily be building a physical object. Bulding a business or reforming how your home is organized would be in line with this energy as well. Find what is in alignment with you and set aside the time needed to do it right.

Your stone for May: Garnet

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AQUARIUS // AQUARIUS RISING
Queen of Wands
This month will show you just how much you learned from watching all that chaos unfold last month, Aquarius. And in case there was any confusion in the matter, it was A LOT as evidenced by your jump from the five to the Queen in the suit of Wands. Your intuition is sharp now as is your ability to act when action is called for and opportunities to use both will be in abundance all month long. You are naturally a dreamer, happy thinking through fantasy scenarios over and over until you fall into a decision, but now you will effortlessly intuit the answers and choices that will best serve your Highest Good and find yourself ready to execute on them immediately.

Since this is somewhat foreign territory for you, be sure to give yourself the best possible base to work from. Get enough sleep, make a schedule and stick to it, keep your home and workspace clear of clutter – everything you can do to remove distractions that could keep you from tapping into the inner voice yearning to guide you. Take time to reflect on chaotic events and situations April presented to you and how they looked and felt before, during and after they occurred. You can use that information to tune your intuition in to the signals you need to pick up.

Your stone for May: Sodalite

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PISCES // PISCES RISING 
Transformation (Death)
Ooo, Pisces, you’re not done with April’s lesson of release quite yet! Last month was just a warmup for the main event. A much-needed warmup. Now that you’ve had some experience in purposeful, directed, mindful release of things that no longer work for you, it’s time to dig deeper. Way deeper. Ever thought about having a past life regression? This would be a great time for that. That’s how deep I’m talking – across time and space deep. This isn’t how I usually frame the energy of the Death card, but this isn’t a usual situation! When cards come in a certain order there is often a very clear shift or amplification in the energy. And then on top of it, you are the sign I can most count on to be VERY cozy way out in esoteric waters.

What are some other ways you can dig in to this expansive clearing? If you are unable (or unwilling, which is totally fair) to go in for past life regression or head out to a ten day silent vipassana retreat, you can still get the full benefit of this energy by staying alert to it and calling it in. Light a black clearing candle on the Full Moon, cook with sesame oil, spend more time than you normally would alone in reflection, and always always ALWAYS be taking note of what is enhancing your life and what is not. Be brutally honest with yourself. The likelihood that the things you need to release are originating from within is high.

Your stone for May: Charoite

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ARIES // ARIES RISING 
King of Swords
Your Cardinal Fire directness will get a boost this month, Aries, with powerful Air energy lighting up your ability to think and communicate quickly and easily. Kings represent the Air of their suit, so we get a double dose of it here in the suit of Swords. If there’s a problem you’ve been trying to solve or an issue you’ve been struggling to communicate, you can clear it up this month. Your ability to sharpen your thoughts and articulate them outwardly will be enviable, just be careful that sharpness doesn’t extend to your tongue. Sometimes this energy can manifest in a directness that can be off-putting for some and get in the way of your true message. Consider the situation, modify language and delivery to the needs of the recipent, and reasses frequently. You’ll be able to do this at lightning speed, so don’t worry you’ll slow yourself down in the process.

I highly encourage you to do a LOT of journaling this month. When you have this level of Air energy on your side, you want to take full advantage. There may be things you need to communicate to yourself that you won’t have time to reflect on until later, so get everything out and down on paper that you possibly can. With your Solar Return still looming large in the rearview mirror and a fresh take on what’s most important on your hands, this is a wonderful opportunity to download information from your Highest Self that can help you set the agenda for the entire year to come.

Your stone for May: Fluorite

 

NUMINOUS WEEKLY HOROSCOPES: APRIL 30—MAY 6

Posted on by Sandy Sitron

Get this week’s astro symbol for your sign with Sandy Sitron‘s Numinous Weekly Horoscopes …

Lightning strike Numinous weekly horoscopes Sandy Sitron April 30 2018

Taurus or Taurus Rising
A lightening bolt. A lightening bolt is surprising. It comes out of nowhere and its trajectory is unpredictable. How will you let yourself be broken open in fresh surprising ways? A partnership can stretch you and help you pop into a whole new way of being. Be brave and zap yourself out of your comfort zone. You’re grounded enough to help the current of change flow in the right direction.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Gemini or Gemini Rising
Compost fertilizes flowers. This is a week to focus on all of the details. The mundane parts of your life need your attention now. If you can get grounded and attend to the basic aspects of your workflow, schedule and physical health, the payoff will result in well fertilized flowers and a bountiful harvest.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Cancer or Cancer Rising
Riding an elephant. You will expand only by reaching higher. You need to have fun and expect more enjoyment. If you can open yourself up to pleasure, you’ll be riding high. Focus your attention on what you need to do to make room for joy. The result will be a better outlook on life.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Leo or Leo Rising
A hand carved swing. Swing higher and higher. This might feel like a trip back in time to childhood. Meditate on your early years to regain some of your imagination and notice how your inner child is doing. Do they need feel your love? Do they need your protection? Do they just need to have more fun?

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Virgo or Virgo Rising
A butterfly has patterns on its wings. The butterfly symbolizes transformation. You can change your mental patterns now. You are in charge. There is so much potential, now it’s time to reset your vibration so that you can manifest a different story. Look for ways to change the patterns of your thoughts.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Libra or Libra Rising
A life raft inflates. You are safe. You have resources that will keep you afloat. So can you relax into the rubber raft and let yourself drift? It’s time to put down the oars and see what self-reflection has to offer you. This new perspective will enhance your sense of safety.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Scorpio or Scorpio Rising
Looking through the cabinets. Many people want to be a part of your life. Look through your metaphorical kitchen cabinets and make a feast. Invite people in. Use what you’ve got. Don’t hold back for one reason or another. This doesn’t have to be planned or fancy. It’s just an everyday meal with friends. True intimacy.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Sagittarius or Sagittarius Rising
The light flickers. Go into dream world. Important messages are coming through symbols and feelings. Take care to get lots of rest. There’s potential to open up to new information from your guides. New emotional truths are revealed. Be quiet and listen to the truth that is within you.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Capricorn or Capricorn Rising
Walrus tusks. The Walrus symbolizes getting together with close friends, security and protection. Walrus tusks are valuable. Bring value to your social groups. Find a group of like-minded people and show up with kindness and warmth. You can be fed from the steady well of community that surrounds you. Trust your friends and count on them for a sense of security.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Aquarius or Aquarius Rising
Chewing gum and blowing big bubbles. Show up with a pop and make your presence known. You are ready to take up more space. This is an exciting time where you get to see what’s possible. Open up to new possibilities in your career and show what you can do. You’re ready to expand.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Pisces or Pisces Rising
Panning out for the broad perspective. Zoom out with your camera and see what’s there to be seen. Get the birds-eye view. You can watch the birds around you and notice how they are constantly changing their vantage point. If something is starting to get stale it’s because you need to reframe it. Look at the world in a new way.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Aries or Aries Rising
A handprint. Being yourself is a practice. Maybe you were told as a child to make yourself smaller or take up less space. Maybe you were told to put yourself second. Notice the way that these messages have affected you. Let go of any outdated beliefs that no longer serve you. It’s time to make your mark.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

THE 2018 SCORPIO FULL MOON WANTS YOU TO LEAN INTO THE SHADOWS

Posted on by Sandy Sitron

The 2018 Scorpio Full Moon is priming us to dig deep into our process, slough off the old, and imagine a re-birth, says Sandy Sitron …

2018 Scorpio Full Moon The Numinouc Sandy Sitron

Full Moon :: April 29th 2018 :: 8:59 pm EDT :: 9 degrees Scorpio

A branch scrapes against a window. Long twigs and budding leaves comb the air. The tree reaches through space to get your attention.

Come out and play. Leave the world that is safe and predictable and go out into the dark night, the tree says. Out here there is a hint of magic in the air and an opportunity for connection.

Embrace a world that is more raw and more real. Dance naked around the tree in the gentle rain. Feel alive.

On Sunday at 8:59pm EDT we are lit up by a Full Moon in Scorpio, opposite the Taurus sun. This Moon in Scorpio is helping you understand your true power. Power that is built like a tree. Rooted. Grounded. Ancient. Naked. Regenerating year after year.

To encounter this raw, rooted power it is necessary to venture toward the unknown. Be brave enough to get vulnerable.

What is vulnerability and why is it so important? Dr. Brené Brown defines vulnerability as, “uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure” and she says that “vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy courage, empathy and creativity. If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper or meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path.”

When I think of vulnerability, I think of Scorpio. Scorpio is the sign that yearns to merge with another person emotionally, sexually and spiritually. To truly connect with another person is often scary. So the less mature Scorpio tries to control the experience. However, the fully realized side of Scorpio urges you to build trust, and then challenge the knee-jerk reaction to try to stay in control. If you feel safe enough to do so, you can open up vulnerably so that you experience true connection.

The 2018 Scorpio Full Moon is the perfect time to stretch your tree branches to new levels of vulnerability. Go out into the dark of night and play. Scorpio urges you to merge and Taurus, the sign of self-worth and value, urges you to know your own strength. To be vulnerable you need to believe in your self-worth. As the Moon in Scorpio and the Sun in Taurus face off, this is a chance to get clear about your self-worth and stability so that you can let yourself be vulnerable. Be naked. Be real. Put in the effort to build trust with another person that you can share. And from there you experience true connection, transformation and healing.

Part of your power at this 2018 Scorpio Full Moon comes from letting the old patterns fall away to make room for new growth. This is about letting go on every level. Letting go of control and letting go of old patterns. Scorpio rules the life cycle. Transforming from birth to procreation to death to rebirth. Be brave enough to evaluate that which is no longer serving you and shed. Release.

Does the tree grieve when it loses it’s leaves? Does the tree understand that they will come back? Maybe the tree can feel the promise of new growth even as the old is dying away.

Help your systems refresh at this time. This Moon is high energy as all Full Moons are. Make space and time for getting grounded. Connect with your senses so that you feel present in your body and in the moment.

A watery 2018 Scorpio Full Moon can bring on the feelings! If you are feeling heightened emotions be brave enough to lean toward the shadow. Look at the feelings that you might try to avoid. Feel them fully so that they can slough off like dead leaves when the time is right. New growth is blossoming already.

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Full Moon sextile Saturn
Nailing down a board.

This Full Moon is propped up by a force of stability. Saturn is sextile the Moon and trine the Sun. These aspects say, if you’re willing to do the work, you can build anything you want. It should be as simple as an inhale. This moon can deliver the outline of your next steps. Use your energy in ways that are practical, yet deeply meaningful.

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Full Moon conjunct Jupiter
A fireworks display

This is big expansive energy. Show up for yourself. Give yourself a lot of love. This Full Moon will help healing happen at a faster rate. If you invigorate this energy by thinking positively and celebrating your accomplishments, fireworks will explode all around you. Sometimes, this kind expansion can be uncomfortable, a little bit like growing pains. Lean into it and see where it takes you.

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Full Moon trine Neptune
Bunnies with cotton puff tails.

Where do they go when they disappear from sight? There’s a hint of magic in the air. A possibility of getting swept off into another dimension. Like Alice you can get curiouser and curiouser. Follow the white rabbit all the way down and connect with yourself in a new way.

The energy that is building up with this Full Moon helps you feel stabilized enough to be vulnerable, so that you can expand into healing. With a soothing trine to dreamy Neptune, you can do all of this while connecting to your heightened intuition. This Moon offers you an opportunity to see the world in a more magical way and maybe even dream of impossible things.

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The below study questions are designed to help you dive deeper into the energy of the Scorpio Full Moon. For the most accurate insight ready for the House that holds 9 degrees Scorpio in your birth chart. Don’t have that info? Do you chart for free HERE.

Aries // 8th House
What old pattern or belief are you ready to let go of?

Taurus // 7th House
How can you safely bare your soul in an important partnership?

Gemini // 6th House
What are you ready to refine in your daily habits?

Cancer // 5th House
When you feel happy, what can you do to feel the positive feelings fully?

Leo // 4th House
How is your home a reflection of your well-being?

Virgo // 3rd House
What are you yearning to learn?

Libra // 2nd House
When will you let yourself feel rooted?

Scorpio // 1st House
What would help you trust in the process of transformation?

Sagittarius // 12th House
When do you get dreamtime and alone time?

Capricorn // 11th House
What friendships need to be invigorated?

Aquarius // 10th House
What are your goals for your sacred vocation?

Pisces // 9th House
What inspires you and keeps you thinking positively?

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here. And check out our Numiversity digital course VENUS: YOUR TOTAL GUIDE TO THE PLANET OF LOVE with a special Venus guided hypnosis from Sandy, plus symbols and activations for each Venus sign. 

QUEER HERO: 7 WAYS TO HEAL FROM SEXUAL TRAUMA

Posted on by Danny Brave

In the wake of Jupiter’s transit through Scorpio, sexual trauma has been brought to light over and over again. In his latest “Queer Hero” column, survivor and healer Danny Brave shares 7 ways to process the deep pain and move from #Metoo to I AM … Photos by Tal Shpantzer 

danny brave ruby warrington tal shpantzer the numinous material girl mystical world 7 ways to heal from sexual trauma queer hero
Portrait of Danny by Tal Shpantzer

The #MeToo movement exploded onto social media on October 15th 2017, only four days after Scorpio’s transit into Jupiter (the sign of intimacy, sex, secrets, and power). The hashtag was created by Tarana Burke, the black woman whose brilliant activism started the movement all the way back in 2006. Her decade of advocacy reached mainstream awareness when Alyssa Milano tweeted #metoo in response to accusations of sexual assault & misconduct in Hollywood.

Whether or not we wanted to deal with it, molestation, rape, and sexual trauma was being brought to light over and over and over again. Some of us felt ready for this darkness to reveal itself so dramatically and intensely, while others of us felt ill-prepared for all of the undigested emotions and traumas that these women were bringing to the forefront of our consciousness.

With Jupiter still retrograding through Scorpio, and April marking Sexual Assault Awareness Month (S.A.A.M.), I have been reflecting on all that has transpired since the initiation of this powerful planetary movement … 

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Widening the sexual trauma narrative
The stories of who is sexually assaulting who are as varied as the number of people on earth. I know white cis gender men who have been assaulted by cis white women, and I have met men who were molested by their mothers as boys. Sexual violation has been perpetrated by gay men to other gay men, by queer POC to other queer POC, by fathers to girls who come out later in life as non-binary or trans men, by white people to black people and vice versa.

The list of race, gender, sexuality, body type, and age variable narratives continues, as is reflected by the statistics:

– 47% of transgender people are sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime
– Of trans people of color: American Indian (65%), multiracial (59%), Middle Eastern (58%), and Black (53%) have experienced sexual assault
– American Indians are twice as likely to experience rape/sexual assault compared to all races
– 1 in 3 women experience sexual assault
– 1 in 10 men experience sexual assault
– 44% of lesbians experience rape
– 61% bisexual women experience rape
– 26% of gay men experience rape
– 37% of bisexual men experience rape

*Statistics are for the United States only, from the U.S. Trans Survey in 2015, RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), and the National Intimate Partner & Sexual Violence Survey). 

And the effects are staggering. From persistent and debilitating anxiety and/or depression, to the shutdown of one’s sexuality, and a sense of complete worthlessness and suicidal thinking, the wake of this abuse’s devastation goes on and on.

For the sake of everyone’s healing, we must not confine this widespread epidemic to old stereotypes and the rigidity of the gender binary.

danny brave ruby warrington tal shpantzer the numinous material girl mystical world 7 ways to heal from sexual trauma queer hero
Portrait of Danny by Tal Shpantzer

7 ways to heal your sexual trauma …
To provide some solutions, below is a love letter—a list of tools, rituals and advice that have helped me and my clients reclaim our lives, sexuality, and bodies in the aftermath of sexual trauma …

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1//Make art. Whatever your creative medium, express it! You don’t have to show what you create to anyone at all (unless you want to!), you don’t have to be good at it, and you don’t have to spend much money (writing, for example, costs about $3 for a cheap notebook and pen). The purpose is just to get the energy moving.

Creativity is governed by the sacral chakra, located in the pelvis, genitals, and lower back, and connected to sexual energy. When you are being creative, you are helping to unearth, clear, uplift, and release some of the stagnant or painful energy that got planted there during moments of abuse.

If you are struggling with depression in particular, making art makes you active again. It puts the ball back in your court and helps you remember that life can be beautiful, and that it is okay to feel. Become the transmuter of your own pain through your creativity and I promise you catharsis will be there, and that this will eventually (if not immediately) lead to feeling better.

*Recommended:  The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

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2//Tell someone who makes you feel safe and who you know will believe you. One of my mentors taught me that the lips of the labia and the lips of the mouth have the same nerve endings—they are connected. What this means is that sexual trauma silences us; it makes us somehow incapable of voicing our truth, standing up for ourselves, and asking for our needs (emotional or otherwise) to be met.

Telling our deep dark truths to someone we can trust can be one of the most healing experiences. Here’s a loose structure to get you started:

1 – Contact the person you are going to meet and ask them, in your own words, if they will meet with you in person so that you can vent and get something really difficult off your chest.

2 – Tell them exactly what you need from them afterwards. Is it a quick hug? To be held for a while? To say “I’m sorry that happened to you,” to say “thank you for telling me your story”? It can feel weird to make such a clear and specific requests, but people aren’t mind-readers, and our abuse stories are so intense that we often require a very specific type of support to feel just that: supported.

3 – Tell them your story and provide as many details as possible. I am talking about the date and time, who did it, the location of the abuse on your body, how you felt—the whole thing. If it makes it easier, you can write this out all out in advance. Notice the resistance to doing this and try to push through and speak your truth anyway.

4 – Set up something really lovely to do for yourself afterwards—something that makes you feel comforted, brings you back to the present moment, or brings you joy. Do you love to go see movies? To plant a garden? To paint? To go for a joy drive and blast music? After unleashing your powerful truth, make sure you engage with this activity for as long as it takes to get you back to the present moment.

*Recommended: Vagina by Naomi Wolf

danny brave ruby warrington tal shpantzer the numinous material girl mystical world 7 ways to heal from sexual trauma queer hero
Portrait of Danny by Tal Shpantzer

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3//Realize that what happened to you is NOT your fault. Something that tends to get built into the experience of sexual abuse is that we, on some level, caused or created it.

The mind of a child is more straightforward than the mind of an adult, and it does not understand that bad things that happen are not caused by them. If the abuse is being perpetrated by an adult to a child, the child knows that the parent is the one feeding and clothing them and therefore will do any and all mental gymnastics to repress, imagine, or self-blame the abuse away by taking on and in all of the pain and blame.

If you were an adult when the abuse happened to you, it’s still easy to think: “If I hadn’t been drunk, if I had been wearing something different …” If we are spiritually-inclined, we might even torture ourselves with spirituality and the law of attraction, asking ourselves ridiculous things such as: “Why did I create this experience? Maybe I wasn’t thinking positively enough … I wonder why I attracted this abuse?”

Why do we try to make something as awful as this our fault? The truth is simple: it is easier to blame ourselves and engage in self-hatred then it is to deal with the fact that what happened was not in our control and not our fault whatsoever. Doing this also prevents us from having to deal with the emotional reality of holding someone else accountable for their actions.

Hating ourselves or trying to make ourselves responsible for something we clearly didn’t cause or do is an incredibly effective defense mechanism to either defend the memory of our parents because we want to maintain a relationship with them, and/or to avoid holding the perpetrator fully accountable for the painful emotions associated.

It is because of this that I cannot stress enough: what happened to you was not your fault. What happened to you was not your fault. What happened to you was not your fault. What happened to you was not your fault.

It wasn’t.

And coming to terms with this is an all-too-necessary step that needs to happen before forgiveness and letting go (after all, if we don’t hold someone accountable to begin with, then what is there even to forgive?)

*Recommended: Repressed Memories by Renee Fredrickson; Queering Sexual Violence by Jennifer Patterson; Stacyann Chin’s powerful speech: Not my fault; Diana Oh’s incredible feminist art/activist installation My Lingerie Play (Especially Installation 3/10: “Even If You Found Me Like This”).

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4//Perform a releasing ritual. Ritual is a powerful way that we can find closure and healing for experiences and situations that seem impossible to ever gain closure from. By doing something physical, ritual provides a concrete moment that serves as a bridge for us to walk over and into the next phase of our lives.

Here are a couple of suggestions for releasing rituals that I have found to be incredibly powerful in healing my own sexual trauma:

1 – Write a letterto the person who did it (and don’t send it). I know, it’s intense. The thing is … if you have not done something like this already, it is likely that the thoughts and feelings you would communicate directly to this person are rolling around in your head and your body, anyway, and without an outlet.

What we are looking for here is catharsis and closure. It is not meant to be sent to the person, and that being said, it does not have to be respectful or kind in any way. Get it aaaaalllll out. And then, safely destroy it! Rip it up, or light it on fire. Afterwards, make sure you set yourself up with some really lovely after-care: a relaxing walk alone or with a friend, a gentle movie that makes you feel comforted, etc.

2 – Go somewhere in nature. Preferably a body of water (and especially the ocean). Take a stroll to find either a seashell or rock, and place it in your hand. With the object in your hand, charge it up with all of the feelings and experiences of the abuse, and all of the things that have happened as a result of it.

Take a moment to really feel all of that energy and pain moving through and out of your body and into the shell or rock. Then, THROW IT IN THE OCEAN! Boom: it’s done, it’s over. Give yourself some time to sit and have a leisurely walk or maybe even journal after you release this- again, with everything involving your recovery, taking the time for gentle after-care is important.

*Recommended: She Let Go by Rev. Safire Rose (adjust pronouns accordingly, brave ones!)

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5//Adjust your sexual expression accordingly. While it may not be the case for everyone, it has been my own, and many of my clients’ experiences that sexual abuse tends to create a polarity of subsequent sexual expression: either way too much, or way too little (basically non-existent).

This is not an invitation to judge yourself, rather to become self aware of your sexuality and sexual patterns from a place of unconditional love. Remember, the extremity is not your fault (re-visit bullet point #3 if you’re beating yourself up).

*For my way too much-ers: Take a vow of celibacy for 3 months (it’s ok: you can still masturbate). During this time, when you do masturbate, take a few breaths and ask to connect to God/Spirit/the Universe (whichever term you prefer) through your sexual energy (and prepare to be blown away!!)

Make a list of 10 other ways to feel loved, outside of engaging in sexual activity with another person, and commit to exploring one of them each week during your temporary celibacy.

*For my non-existent/way too little-ers: Make it a non-negotiable commitment to exploring your sexual nature and opening up to sexual experiences on a bi-weekly basis, working up to sharing yourself with a consenting partner, if it feels right.

Also, dance. Yes, DANCE. Take dance classes that bring the energy down into the lower chakras: African dance, hip hop, pole dancing, etc. Get out of your comfort zone!

*Recommended: Why Mother Nature is the Ultimate Goddess of Love by Tirzah Shiya

danny brave ruby warrington tal shpantzer the numinous material girl mystical world 7 ways to heal from sexual trauma queer hero
Photo of Danny by Tal Shpantzer

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6//Invest in healing that is holistic and takes your body into account. We know that the conscious mind governs only 10-20% of the totality of our consciousness. Traditional psychotherapy is typically working with the 10-20% of the conscious mind to try to get to the 80-90% that’s less conscious. Unsurprisingly, I prefer methods that go straight to the 80-90%: reiki, shamanic healing, and meditation. You might also try sound healing, hypnotherapy, tapping, somatic experience, or any other mind-body practice you feel drawn to.

The site that is typically inflicted with a sexual trauma wound for women, trans men, and those assigned-female-at-birth is the vagina, or “yoni.” Mystics and shamans know this place to be the gateway to the universe, and the key to creation of life itself—not only human life as in childbirth, but also the creation of all things, such as personal dreams and manifestations.

In my personal shamanic healing practice, I use a tool called a shamanic extraction, which uses the intelligence of crystals to safely extract pain, fear, and any other energy intrusions that were inflicted on the individual’s yoni during the time of abuse out, followed by the channeling of reiki healing energy into the area. This allows the individual to have agency over their yoni, one of the deepest and most powerful tools for us to create our lives from this place- a place of health, clarity, and integrity.

Another incredibly effective tool I use is shamanic cord cutting, which is a powerful ritual in which we take the cord of energy that is usually still subconsciously or unconsciously connecting the client to their abuser via a vibration of pain, and we release it, and follow up by channeling reiki or healing energy into the area for deep healing.

*Recommended:  My one-on-one healing work, Moon Mysteries by Nao Sims & Nikiah Seeds & Boundaries by Henry Cloud & John Townsend

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7//Connect with community. The patriarchy thrives off of separation. Pain and darkness prevail when we are in isolation. This is not normal or natural, and we need matriarchy now—a matriarchy that is for all genders, races, body types, and ages.

It is imperative that in your healing journey, you find some sort of community to join where you feel safe enough to be seen. It can be a shamanic community, a monthly women’s circle, AA, a hiking club—there are tons of things to do and join in this world, both in-person and online.

Don’t do this alone. You can’t do it alone. Other people need you and you need them, and that’s okay. My hope is that we start to live in a world where our emotional needs are no longer judged as being “needy.” We all need each other, and we all heal each other. So let’s do that.

*Recommended:  If you’re located in NYC, sign up for my upcoming 6-week transformational community group HERE; also check out the Red Tent Movement, Moon Club, and Meetup.com

NUMINOUS TAROTSCOPE APRIL 26 2018: THE MOON

Posted on by Melinda Lee Holm

As we crack ourselves open to even deeper levels of vulnerability, The Moon card asks us to step outside our comfort zone and become the heroes we were born to be, says Melinda Lee Holm …

ASK A SPIRITUAL CEO: 8 WAYS TO RECAPTURE THE MAGIC

Posted on by Lisa Levine

Are you a full-time healer whose mojo feels more 9-5 mundane? Maha Rose founder Lisa Levine shares 8 ways to recapture the magic …

lisa levine maha rose spiritual ceo ruby warrington the numinous material girl mystical world recapture the magic
Photo: Sorin Sirbu

QUESTION: “I’m full-time in the healing arts, and found this path through a lifelong obsession with all things mystical and witchy. Now that it’s become my main gig, I struggle to keep connecting to the mystical practices that have always supported me, which have now started to feel like just more work. How can I keep parts of this world sacred and separate, so all the healing magic I’ve always loved can still serve me off-duty?”  

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LISA’s ADVICE:

#1 Stay present to your needs. There are certain tools for certain times in our lives. Tools that served us for many moons in one capacity, may need to shift over time. Magic comes from staying in the present moment and listening to our intuition and our connection to Spirit. “What do I need right now?” is a good question to ask ourselves. It may not be the same every day. A practice that’s become your full time gig may need balancing with other activities in your off time.

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#2 Know that our relationship with ANYTHING will have ups and downs. Think about a romantic relationship. There are the weeks where you’re totally in love and in the magic and the flow, and then there are the weeks when you aren’t, when it’s off, challenging, feels out of alignment or just bad. Do we leave the relationship when it is in a dull or difficult period? That depends on our level of commitment. If we are committed to somebody or something we ride through the waves of challenge or disinterest. We don’t abandon the puppy when it turns into a dog.

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#3 The Universe loves commitment. I felt this when I got married. There are different things that we can work through when we commit to something. Our relationship to our work is not unlike our relationship to our partner. Sometimes magic, sometimes not. Stay in it and move through the __________________. Commit to seeing what’s on the other side…

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#4 Find ways to keep the spark alive. Speaking of love relationships, how about romancing your practice? Get a new tarot deck, give your crystals a bath. Take them outside and talk to them under the stars. Be creative. Show how much you care.

lisa levine ruby warrington maha rose spiritual ceo recapture the magic material girl mystical world the numinous
Photo: Carlos Dominguez

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#5 Seek fun. If you spend all day with your tarot decks, after work you need a different way to connect your magic. If a practice you used to heal part of yourself is being fully explored at work, try something different after hours: painting, dancing, singing, running, cooking. Follow your heart, make FUN your guiding principal as you explore the other healing arts.

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#6 Receive. Get a reading, get a massage, get a reiki treatment. Chances are, if you are giving lots of energy through your work and not receiving back, you may just be tired, making it harder to connect to the magic. RECEIVE. Healers, I can’t say this enough, RECEIVE! The more we receive the more fun it is to give. The more we then have to give. Also you will most likely be inspired and learn from other peoples’ ways of doing things. It keeps the journey feeling like an adventure.

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#7 Vacation. I’m an all-in mama CEO to my baby Maha Rose, but it is important for me to step away from her. And I mean far away from her. She can grow without me and I can grow in other ways outside of work. With distance comes clearer perspective. When we are so in something all the time, our nose in it deeply like a book, it can be hard to see the bigger picture.

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#8 Gratitude and perspective. Back up and see how beautiful and magical and amazing it is that you get to be doing this work for your living. Thank you Goddess, thank you Angels, thank you Guides. Think of the jobs you were doing before and wishing that you could be doing what you do now for a living. Think of all the jobs you could be doing for a living that you don’t have to do. We are so blessed and so fortunate. Remember this to keep perspective.

Got a question for Lisa’s monthly “Ask a Spiritual CEO” column? Email [email protected] with the subject line: “Spiritpreneur Questions.” 

NUMINOUS WEEKLY HOROSCOPES APRIL 23-29 2018

Posted on by Sandy Sitron

What’s this week’s cosmic symbol for your sign? Check out our Numinous weekly horoscopes from Sandy Sitron …

The Numinous weekly horoscopes diamond april 23

Taurus // Taurus Rising
A precious diamond. You have an opportunity to get familiar with new facets of yourself. Let your individuality shine. You can begin by complimenting yourself and being kind to yourself. Take good care of your body. That will help you feel the confidence to bedazzle. Tend to your body, mind and spirit and you will feel more grounded. Then you can truly sparkle.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Gemini // Gemini Rising
A wicker basket. There’s a pattern to the weave. The pattern makes the basket strong. When you create a simple practice, you feel stronger. The types of practices that you can invigorate now are emotional, spiritual and intuitive. Meditate to lift your vibration. Get alone time so that you can process your emotions. Turn inward and listen to your internal guidance.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Cancer // Cancer Rising
A sacred text. By opening your mind to higher knowledge, your heart will follow and you’ll feel better. Don’t get caught up in the mundane dimension of your everyday life. Discover new levels of inspiration. You can truly innovate how you think. You can surprise yourself. Connecting with friends will help. Move ideas around through conversation and find a new way.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Leo // Leo Rising
An hourglass. You are reaching a new pinnacle of success. Don’t let your concept of whether or not you are “on time” overwhelm you. Throw out the sand in the hourglass and stop comparing yourself to others. It impedes your creativity. Goals only help when they inspire you with hope, not when they become a torture device. It’s time to update and recognize what you’ve achieved.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Virgo // Virgo Rising
A jar of jelly beans. This is about having sugary, gummy, candied fun. Encourage yourself by building yourself up with rewards, rather than tearing yourself down with criticism. You can be even more optimistic in general. Exercise to get your heart rate up and create endorphins. It’s time for you to think positively. Go out of your way to have a good time.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Libra // Libra Rising
A butterfly drifts over a field of flowers. Remember that the way to become the butterfly is through the uncertainty of transformation. Don’t be afraid of going all the way in. Alone time is absolutely necessary. Sitting quietly with your feelings is necessary. The time in the cocoon is a little bit scary at first. Face it all and lightness will follow.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Scorpio // Scorpio Rising
As the crow flies. The crow moves directly to its destination. Be open and honest in your relationships. Get right into saying what needs to be said. Be direct, clear and communicative. Don’t get lost in the weeds of indecision. Communicate what you need in an open way. Listen to what the other person needs. Directness and openness will take you far.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Sagittarius // Sagittarius Rising
A fairy sprinkles fairy dust. You can make every day more magical. You need to sprinkle fairy dust on your life. Make a list of all of the ways you could do this. What would help you elevate your everyday? Boredom is stressful. Come up with simple, effortless gestures that can make your life just a little more sparkly.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Capricorn // Capricorn Rising
A spider web. The spider is the master creative. She is constantly weaving elaborate displays. How do you employ your creativity? Now is the time to expand out of the old routine and into a new creative process. Find new ways to play. Anything that feels fun counts. Enjoy yourself and express yourself.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Aquarius // Aquarius Rising
A baby blanket. It’s time to wrap your inner child up in a baby blanket. Remember yourself as a small child and in your imagination, give yourself a big hug. Tend to yourself on all levels of body, mind and spirit. You need a little bit of a break. Nurture yourself.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Pisces // Pisces Rising
A hot air balloon ride. Use your curiosity as the powerful air that lifts you up. A curious mind is a light and open mind. Get interested in learning. Make new connections. Soon you’ll find that your thoughts elevate. Float along looking at everything from a fresh perspective. Your curiosity will lead you to explore new terrain.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Aries // Aries Rising
The roots of a young tree. You are tenderly and tentatively taking root. You can feel settled. You can feel secure and fed. Just believe that it is. In recent weeks you have developed a fresh new expression of yourself, now you need to tend to what you started. Believe that abundance is your reality.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

THE 2018 LEO WAXING MOON WANTS YOU TO LIVE IT UP

Posted on by Jennifer Racioppi

The 2018 Leo Waxing Moon reminds us to savor our juiciest pleasures, feel fully into our beautiful bods, and own it completely. Let the cosmic good times roll, says Jennifer Racioppi …

Photo: Hybrid
Waxing Quarter Moon // April 22 2018 // 5:45pm EST // 2 degrees Leo 
With the first Mercury Retrograde of 2018 complete (phew!) and the Moon waxing towards full, the energizing momentum builds …
This Waxing Moon in Leo, the sign notorious for having a good time, asks us to boldly express our sass and sense of self, and have fun in the process!
Paired with the Sun in grounded and sensual Taurus, with love planet Venus also holding court here until the 24th, tune into what feels good—really good—and savor it … 
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//The Cycle//
This Leo Waxing Moon harkens back to the summer of 2017, a summer with two new moons in Leo, the first one happening on July 23rd at zero degrees of Leo (pre Great American Eclipse.)

Think back to seeds planted then to see what’s blossoming in your life now. What decisions were made then that are beginning to bear fruit now? What became clear last summer in late July? Connect the dots between what was going on then, and what’s emerging now.

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//The Transits//
As we move towards the upcoming Scorpio Full Moon, the relationship between the Leo Moon, Taurus Sun, and retrograde Saturn in Capricorn asks us to rely on grounding force to support our embodiment.

On the same day as this Waxing Quarter Moon, powerhouse Pluto also stations retrograde. The Pluto station has the potential to unearth shadow and amplify the need to own your power. And with Mars in Capricorn conjoining Pluto (exact on the 26th, but the energy can be tangibly felt right now), this combo fuels your desire to find and experience pleasure in your body.

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//The Square//
With the fixed Taurus Sun squaring the fixed Leo Moon, the energy can potentially feel stubborn. The purpose of fixed signs is to stabilize a season, and their shadow is the potential for ridigity, the need to be right, and the unwillingness to change. With very little emphasis in air signs during this Waxing Quarter Moon, this may even feel truer.

The solution? Get out of your own way, drop the pretense, and open your mind to new perspectives. Embrace freedom (Leo) and pleasure (Taurus). It might not look how you want it to, but does that really matter?

And for the love of the Goddess—have a little fun! Breathe. Let go. Join in.
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//The Opportunity//
If seized, the Waxing Quarter Moon presents the opportunity to sensually embody yourself. As Venus reaches the tail end of her journey through home base sign Taurus, connect to the pleasure of being in your body.

With Mars and retrograde Pluto conjoining, you may feel power erupting within like a geyser exploding. If so, embrace it. Follow the lead of the Leo moon and connect with what feels fun, sassy and uniquely you. Whatever it is, own it!

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

FROM FEAR TO MEDICINE: USING THE TAROT TO FACE WHAT SCARES US

Posted on by Lindsay Mack

The Tarot is both a mirror and an evolutionary invitation towards change. Lindsay Mack offers us a guide to the so-called “scary” cards and reveals how we can use our decks to turn fear to medicine …

from fear to medicine lindsay mack ruby warrington the numinous material girl mystical world tarot

Fear is a highly unpleasant, but profoundly important emotion — one that deserves a place at our table of feelings.

Fear, when considered for what it is, can offer information, wise counsel, direction, and clarity on our deeper feelings. We don’t have to believe everything our fear communicates to us, but it can be transformative to hear it out. By doing so, fear can become an ally, especially when we understand the strength that can arise within us through working with it.

Fear has always been a very deep teacher in my life. I live with a long term brain condition. I’m a healthy and joyful survivor of extreme childhood abuse, and have worked through complex PTSD for most of my life. I have traveled through some of the darkest places a person can experience, and every time I take one of those journeys “through the woods,” I am shifted for the better, having gained deeper strength, trust, and faith, my fear shifting into medicine with wisdom to offer me. The more wisdom I cultivate through those paths of darkness, the more I have to offer to myself, my students, and my clients.

The Tarot is a profoundly useful tool to turn to in moments of fear, trauma and stress. It can help to contextualize what’s happening underneath our fear, and how it is trying to help us evolve. It can also bring a visual landscape to something that we may not be able to communicate or understand with words. Whether you are a reader or not, The Tarot can be a deep aid in moments of darkness.

There are six Tarot cards in particular that, when we look at them through a soul centered lens, offer a beautiful invitation to evolve through fear.

Read on for how use them as guides in our own journey, exploring what it means for us to shift from fear to medicine. You can also check out my brand new course, From Fear to Medicine: A Six Week Journey into the “Scary” Cards of the Tarot. The first class begins on April 22nd – find out more HERE. 

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// THE FOOL // Trusting The Invisible
Have you ever been called to take a giant leap of faith with hardly any proof that it will pay off? If you have, you’ve been in the energy of The Fool. It is the invitation to jump into the unknown, and begin a whole new cycle of our lives. We are drawn to the edge of a cliff in this card, but it is up to us to jump off of it. The soul work that we are asked to do in this card is to trust ourselves, and trust the invisible.

To our brain chemistry, The Fool can feel like death, a loss of control for the ego. If we can move through this deep contraction with mindfulness, leaping into the unseen, the treasures we will gain will be priceless. We will begin to truly know that when we jump in The Fool, we will be supported. We will begin to trust our intuition, and we will be a co-creator in our own evolution and growth. Trusting the invisible takes deep work. The Fool is here to help us learn.

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// WHEEL OF FORTUNE // Centering in the midst of change
The Wheel of Fortune heralds the coming of great change, the marriage between our choices and our destiny. The change that Wheel of Fortune brings is always for our good. There is no “bad” turn on this card, and there is no reversal.

When we work with the Wheel of Fortune, we can never see the change that’s coming. It teaches us to root into the unknown, and to stay centered in the Wheel, rather than flailing on the outer edges. When we work with this card, we get to learn how to root into ourselves in times of change, staying calm in the eye of the storm. Beautiful wisdom for life.

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// DEATH // Sacred Compost
There is no greater metaphor for the Death card than that of composting. I eat you, then you eat me. Nothing truly dies in the Death card, just like nothing ever truly dies here on Earth. It merely changes form, becoming a different version of what it was.

The Death card is the transformation of something – a relationship, a thought pattern, a belief – into something new. When we work in this card, it is a signal that we are no longer being fed by something growing in the garden of our lives. It lets us know that it is time to pull the weeds up and allow it to become sacred fertilizer, encouraging the new things in our lives to grow. The work we do in this card is profound ego surrender, letting go of the things that are ready to go.

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// THE DEVIL // Blessing the Shadow
The Devil is an opportunity to look deeply at our shadow. Are we judging ourselves? Believing that there is something wrong with us? Are we spiraling into an old, destructive pattern out of fear or contraction? If we are, The Devil will let us know.

If we pull this card, it is a sign that we are doing everything right. The Devil always shows up as a little mindfulness bell around our expansion, letting us know that the brain is trying to pull us into some old, limiting patterns to keep us in what it perceives as safe and known. We get to drop into these patterns and say no thank you to the invitation, whatever it may be. By doing so, we liberate ourselves from believing that we are “bad” or “wrong,” to thinking that there is anything adverse about us for our desires or our anger, and allowing all parts of ourselves to just be there.

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// THE TOWER // When Things go Wrong
Everyone has experienced a Tower moment in their lives. It is a moment where it truly feels like everything has gone wrong – it can feel like we are living in a nightmare. A beautiful metaphor for The Tower is a forest fire. We watch everything burn, knowing that it is clearing the soil for new growth.

It is an intentional shaking of the foundations underneath us, all to help us grow, and shed some part of ourselves that is no longer aligned with our expansion. The Tower can be intensely uncomfortable, or it can be a very minor, internal experience. When we survive and move through Tower experiences, we emerge stronger, clearer and transformed, our lives shifted on its very axis.

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// THE MOON // Floating in the Darkness
In The Moon card, we learn how to hang out in the Void – no easy feat! Ruled by Pisces, this card goes as deep as it can go. It is an experience of truly not knowing where we are going next, not having any answers, and feeling like we are floating back into old, shadowy feelings and emotions. To experience this can be very uncomfortable, and can make us want to really swim to shore, to find the light, to get some semblance of clarity and direction.

But, the more we kick, the deeper the waves become. We eventually learn the most profound surrender in The Moon card, letting the darkness become an ally, learning from the quiet, tuning in with ourselves beyond the din of our ego. When the light finally dawns, we learn that we have been moving all along, allowing the currents to take us to our next destination.

Want to go deeper into these energies, and learn how to work with your own fear in a mindful, empowered way? Please join me for my brand new course, From Fear to Medicine: A Six Week Journey into the “Scary” Cards of the Tarot. The first class begins on April 22nd – find out more HERE. 

NUMINOUS TAROTSCOPE APRIL 19 2018: STARSEED

Posted on by Melinda Lee Holm

After all that’s been uncovered, Starseed (The Fool) asks us to get comfy with vulnerability, radically trust the Universe, and burst into bloom, says Melinda Lee Holm …

TAURUS SEASON 2018: YOU ARE WORTHY

Posted on by Bess Matassa

Taurus Season 2018 sees us looking to the past to mine hard won gems to re-imagine our future, says Bess Matassa. PLUS listen to our all new Taurus Season Astrocast podcast with Bess and Sandy Sitron.

Taurus Season 2018 The Numinous Bess Matassa black woman flowers
Photo: Clarke Sanders

Are you ready for more, more, more, Numiverse? The Sun’s sensuous saunter into earth empress Taurus brings us back to the basics of love, and asks us to sink our teeth into the touches and tastes of what truly turns us on, without an ounce of shame.

Taurus Season 2018 is electrified by Saturn and Pluto retrograde, Venus in Gemini, and electric slider Uranus in Taurus. The coming month will feel like a faux-fur trimmed welcome mat to our own jungles, asking us to lovingly look into our wells of self-worth and deservedness, feast on our all our bits, both shadowy and light, and treat our personal demons like tropical flavored gummy worms that are meant to be celebrated.

What simply feels good to want? Where have you not allowed yourself to fully feel it? And what no longer fills you up? You are more than worthy of your weight in snackable stardust, astro babes.

So tell yourself what you want, what you really, really want, and open your channel wide to receive it …

Listen to the full Taurus Season 2018 Astrocast from Numi resident astrologers Bess + Sandy HERE and use Bess’ cosmic crib sheet (below) to get the quick and dirty on the season’s 4 key astro events.

**And make sure you check out our latest Numiversity Astrology Course, Venus: Your Total Guide to the Planet of Love, available only during Taurus Season 2018 (April 19—May 19). Complete with custom astro info for your Venus sign, hypnosis, tarot, and more!

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Taurus Season 2018 The Numinous Bess Matassa still life flowers vase shadow
Photo: Kristina M M

Sun in Taurus (4/19-5/20) // Still Life

In its highest octave of expression, Taurus energy teaches us that there’s always more than enough to go around, and that we don’t have to scramble one bit to sit down and fills our plates with seconds and thirds. Revel in the sense of endless supply with the glossy goodness of still life oil painting and photography, where you can access the immediacy of the rich and ready material world that springs eternal.

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Taurus Season 2018 The Numinous Bess Matassa blue pink crystal
Photo: Krystal Ng

Saturn Retrograde & Pluto Retrograde (Saturn- 4/17-9/6; Pluto 4/22-9/30) // Crystal Growing Kits

The sober duo of boundary heavy Saturn, and primal transformer Pluto, sees us putting in the hard-edged work of personal reckoning with our pasts. But rather than fearing the reaper, revel in all the shapes you’ve inhabited, and the time it takes to grow it real and right, as you delight in mining the gemstones from trips to your own shadow lands that are gorgeously badass.

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Taurus Season 2018 The Numinous Bess Matassa spice girls Toronto

Venus in Gemini (4/24-5/19) // The Spice Girls’ “Wannabe”

Pleasure seeker Venus’ shift into Gemini’s prismatic perspectives reminds us that our love lives can be slumber party style sampler platters, and that partnerships come in all sizes and flavors. When we look upon what we love with curiosity, we reaffirm our right to the wide-range of pleasure that’s always available. Get with your friends and take to the streets, as you figure out what you really, really want, and debut your desires to the whole wide world.

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Taurus Season 2018 The Numinous Bess Matassa leopard print coat
Photo: Philipp Arlt

Uranus Enters Taurus (5/15) // Animal Prints

Uranus’ radical electricity challenges Taurus’ sensuously secure nature, asking us what’s really filling our cups, and what’s no longer a serviceable source of supply. This powerhouse primal energy invites us to renovate our relationship to our most basic needs, and to question where we’ve been gripping onto feeds out of compulsion and fear, rather than a settled sense of satisfaction. Release what you think you should want, and step into what you need, as you slip in and out of carnal costumes that fit you right here, right now.

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Our Numiversity Astrology Course Venus: Your Total Guide to the Planet of Love is only available through Taurus Season 2018 (April 19—May 19). Get your copy HERE and learn all about your personal relationship to the planet of love, money, and pleasure, as well as a complete understanding of Venus through the signs. 10% of all sales will be donated to Project HEAL, the leading non-profit in the US delivering prevention, treatment financing, and recovery support for people suffering from eating disorders.

MY MYSTICAL LIFE: 4 SURPRISING SELF-CARE TIPS

Posted on by Ruby Warrington

My self-care tips are all about balance, and it doesn’t have to cost a thing. PLUS the best self-care books of 2018 reviewed …

Ruby Warrington My Mystical Life The Numinous Self-care tips
Photo: Caitlin Mitchell

When Kelley Hughes of Philly-based apothecary brand Wilde Gatherings offered to show me her signature facial, it was a no-brainer. Right, you say. But being on book deadline while overseeing a total Numinous re-brand (coming v. soon!) and somehow juggling all my other projects means zero space in my diary for heading up to Midtown on a random Thursday afternoon. I don’t even really like facials.

But. Right now, anything to get me BACK INTO MY BODY is a no-brainer. With a chart that’s all Fire and Water and a work life that runs on Air (elementally and literally, since my Macbook and me are inseparable), Earth is what’s lacking. Grounding. Which means it’s on me to make sure I make space in my iCal for it. (And thank you so much Kelley it was divine! I like facials again!)

Meaning, for practices that invite human touch. For IRL conversations with hugs and vibes I can feel. That remind me of my physicality from the inside out. Without this WEIGHT to balance me out I may as well just float off into the Cloud.

Kelley’s line is based in Ayurvedic principals, which is also a science of balance. On a daily basis we can feel we’re too much of this, too little of that. The same imbalances that find us reaching for a quick fix. Coffee, sugar, booze. Mindless TV. Things to liven us up or calm us down. When often all we need is some time away from our phone, a nourishing meal, and a decent night’s sleep. Inviting in what brings us balance is the essence of self-care to me.

Here are four of my surprising self-care tips (which also don’t cost anything):

1 // Journaling in the middle of the night. When I get too Airy, my head gets full of crazy thoughts. They get so loud they often wake me up, and since SLEEP is my ultimate self-care rule, I will do anything to protect it. The best way to stop the thoughts? Get up and write them all down, IN THE DARK (turning a light on only makes the thoughts think they’ve won), on a piece of paper. Works like magic.

2 // Taking Instagram off my phone at night and on weekends. As an entrepreneur, I used to go around bitching / bragging about how I was always ON. How doing what I love means my work is my life, and how this is great, but can also feel relentless and like its own kind of treadmill. Then I realized I could create my own “office hours” by just simply IG off my phone! Game-changer! Of course I still work evenings and weekends, but in the peace and quiet of my own mind.

3 // Not drinking. The morning I began writing this post (including the “not drinking as self-care” tip) my friend Mia from @thesoberglow put a comment on Insta that basically said it all. Which is this: “No workout.
No juice cleanse. No spa visit. No massage. No colonic. No vacation. No meditation. No dry scrub. No salt scrub. No detox. No wheatgrass shot. No hike. No manicure. No smoothie. Nor will any of the million things I could do to take care of myself ever be more potent, more radical or more important than my choice not to drink..” Alcohol is only fuel to my already raging Fire. A flood of Watery feelings where I already have plenty of those floating about. An ejector seat into the Airy ethers. My Sober Curiosity, above all, is what keeps me cool, dry, and with my feet planted firmly on the ground.

4 // Giving myself an extra hour in the morning. For drinking lemon water and meditating, yes, but mainly to give myself time for a proper poop 🙂

Want more pro self-care tips? Below, Lisa Kjellsson reviews 5 of the best self-care books for 2018 …

Wilde Gatherings the numinous self-care tips ruby warrington
Product’s from Kelley’s line, Wilde Gatherings

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Recharge: A Year Of Self-Care To Focus On You, by Julie Montagu (Piatkus)
When yoga teacher and nutritionist Julie Montagu’s husband became seriously ill, caring for him and their four children soon left her drained of energy and she realised she had to make some changes. Her book is a one-year commitment to self-care, split into monthly chapters focusing on topics such as mindful eating, stress management, digital detox and self-esteem. The chapters on finding your truth and living with purpose are especially inspiring. This refreshingly jargon-free book is essential reading if your intention for 2018 is to put yourself first, but will the format work for everyone? Most of us want to feel better now.

Self-Care For The Real World, by Nadia Narain and Katia Narain Phillips (Hutchinson)
The long list of celebrity endorsements had me wondering whether this hyped title would be all lifestyle shots and hot air, but my initial scepticism was soon replaced by true book love. The Narain sisters touch on everything from body confidence to heartbreak, and share their strategies for navigating life with self-love and kindness. The tips on how to inject more self-care into the workplace, for example, might just make all the difference if you work in a high-pressure environment. This is a beautifully crafted book and, like Kate Moss, I want to give it to everyone I know.

The Self-Care Revolution: Smart Habits And Simple Practices To Allow You To Flourish, by Suzy Reading (Aster)
As a psychologist specialising in stress management and healthy lifestyle change, Suzy Reading certainly has the credentials to write about self-care and her book draws on lots of interesting research as well as her own life experience. The ‘vitality wheel’ she has devised to help readers diagnose which areas of their life need more attention is particularly useful as it illustrates just how multifaceted a full life should be and how easy it is to neglect any one aspect. This practical guide to wellbeing also has excellent tips on goal setting and developing strong coping skills and will perhaps especially resonate with busy parents.

The Self Care Project: How To Let Go Of Frazzle And Make Time For You, by Jayne Hardy (Orion Spring)
Having struggled with her mental health for most of her twenties, Jayne Hardy often wondered which came first, her lack of self-care or her depression. Her account of feeling too low to leave her bed or brush her teeth highlights the need for support for those in the same situation, and Hardy now runs a social enterprise in aid of those affected by depression. Her advice is to form a ‘self-care squad’, a group of friends to rely on for different types of encouragement. Sadly the good points she makes – about people pleasing and overcommitting, for example – are somewhat lost in a writing style best described as a stream of consciousness. Overall this is more of an insight into the author’s mind than a source of self-care inspiration.

The Little Book of Self Care: The Tiny Everyday Habits That Will Transform Your Life, by Mel Noakes (Ebury Press)
Despite enjoying professional recognition and a social life filled with travel and parties, Mel Noakes had always battled with low self-esteem and for years used food, exercise and work to numb herself. After reassessing her life during a year of travel, she changed direction and became a life coach. Her book may be small in size but it packs a punch – covering everything from decluttering your home and nurturing your relationships to getting more sleep and managing your money. Financial self-care, as Noakes calls it, is not just to do with budgeting but also tackling the beliefs and values that may be holding us back from prosperity. The bite-sized chapters with actionable advice make this a great little book to refer to for a dose of mindful transformation.

For more book recommendations, check out @thelkedit on Instagram, where Lisa shares inspiring non-fiction reads.

NUMINOUS WEEKLY HOROSCOPES APRIL 16-22 2018

Posted on by Sandy Sitron

What’s this week’s cosmic symbol for your sign? Check out our Numinous weekly horoscopes from Sandy Sitron …

sandy sitron sandra sitron ruby warrington the numinous material girl mystical world numinous weekly horoscopes

 

Aries // Aries Rising
Bunnies in a field. You’re eating and growing. Look around for inspiration in the new grasses and tiny flowers. You are fresh and new. Can you feel it? Trust that you have every right to be here and relax into softness if possible. When something startles you, your instinct this week may be to overreact. Look for ways to feel safe and happy just being yourself.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Taurus // Taurus Rising
Holding a tin can telephone to your ear. You’re listening for messages to come down the wire from your higher self. This is a week to step into a new playing field and begin to manifest some of the ideas and insights you’ve received. Notice if you are working with any subconscious fear or resistance. Find a way to offer yourself reassurance on deeper levels.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Gemini // Gemini Rising
A sparkly diamond. You need to find a new way of reaching a broad audience. You’re entering a phase of working through any fear that comes up around standing on a public platform. Look in your heart for the truth of who you are and then see that reflected back from your friends and larger community. Your confidence as a leader is ready to expand from all levels of mind as shiny new facets of yourself are revealed.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Cancer // Cancer Rising
Jumping rope. You can jump higher than you think. You’ll be learning now how to achieve higher heights. The lessons will be around feeling safe to stick your neck out and go for it. Let yourself shine out in to the world. And meanwhile, attend to your visions for the future. What do you desire now?

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Leo // Leo Rising
Holding a kite string. The kite soars way up in the sky. A part of you ascends. There’s a sense of awe when you connect to vastness of the big sky above. Without overthinking it, familiarize yourself with the path leading up. You’re simultaneously learning to heal any place within you that feels trapped or confined. This will help with the process of ascension.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Virgo // Virgo Rising
Horseshoes on the trail. Heart centered, eyes ahead, fast trot. You have a chance to heal any old perceptions of stuckness. This is about freeing yourself from repetitive patterns. Bear down and ride hard and fast into life, facing what comes up, then continuing down that path of change.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Libra // Libra Rising
Off-roading. This time you take a different path. You look for balance in a new way and with fresh vigor. You can’t force balance, it has to be reflected within yourself. You have to trust that it exists and then watch it emanate. Take a road that hasn’t been mapped and give gratitude for any thorns you encounter along the way. They’re helping you see what’s true.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Scorpio // Scorpio Rising
Painting the side of a building. You must paint with precision and efficiency. Slowing down and attending carefully to everyday activities will help you get grounded. Find meditation in mundane actions. Maybe this same kind of careful attention will help you see what you’ve been taking for granted in relationships and illuminate your joyful partnerships. You’re not going it alone.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Sagittarius // Sagittarius Rising
Holding a torch. You have access to creative expression. Hold out a torch and let it light up the path ahead of you. Let yourself follow and lead at the same time. You must put yourself out there in new ways. Just wait and watch for the torch light up the first simple steps. That’s where you begin.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Capricorn // Capricorn Rising
Baking a pie. Show gratitude for the ones who have gone before you. You are here and you are enough. Honor your ancestors by knowing this deep in your soul. It is your birthright. You’ll be working with deep-seated emotions and as you do so, remember that happiness is an emotion too. What is your recipe for fun and happiness? If you don’t know the recipe, you can’t make the pie.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Aquarius // Aquarius Rising
An exhale. Meditate on the exhale and imagine where your breath goes. This breath, this air is here for everyone. It’s an unseen connecting force. Remind yourself that you are connected to community and love. There is room for healing in this area of your life. You can begin by taking care of your inner child. They need to know that they are connected, so whisper the truth to them on your next exhale.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

Pisces // Pisces Rising
A deeply rooted tree with budding leaves. Steady yourself. Get really rooted in the Earth. You are learning that you are safe— it’s okay to be here, it’s okay to experience abundance. Look around yourself for proof of abundance in nature and start to tell yourself new stories. You’ve got a chance to rewrite the old beliefs that have been activated for years. Your mind is opening up.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.

THE 2018 ARIES NEW MOON WANTS YOU TO TAKE THE LEAP

Posted on by Sandy Sitron

The 2018 Aries New Moon wants you to set your intentions, spark the match, and take a calculated leap into a brand new way of being, says Sandy Sitron …

ruby warrington sandy sitron sandra sitron the numinous material girl mystical world 2018 aries new moon
Photo: Mohamed Nohassi

New Moon :: April 15 2018 :: 9:57pm EST :: 26 degrees Aries

You stand on the edge of a diving board. In the action of jumping, two things happen: you leave behind the position that you knew, and you start developing a new arc.

Before you jump it helps to know your intention and direction. Where do you want to go? How do you want to act? Who are you becoming?

Aries is the first sign of the zodiac. This is the birth, the awakening. The sparked match that starts a bonfire. Warm yourself in the toasty flames of your brilliant visions.

The past weeks have been combative. Can you orient yourself toward inspiration instead? Plant seeds around the actions you’ll take, the creations you’ll make, and the new ways that you’ll put yourself out there. Conceive your new beginnings. 

At the time of this New Moon, Mercury stations direct. Let your jump unfold slowly. There will be action, but it needs to uncoil from within you. It can’t be forced or rushed. Feel into the energy of the leap.

The chart of this New Moon has no air and very little water. It’s a dry burn of earth and fire. Balance it through conversation, learning new things, journalling, and letting your feelings flow. Get your ideas and emotions moving. Take care to set intentions that are aligned with your soul and make room for surprises.

When you jump off the diving board, you are leaving solid ground behind. With this Moon squaring Pluto, you’re being asked to let old ways of being fall away. By trusting in the energy of regeneration, you will create more spaciousness and ease for yourself. If you notice yourself getting grippy or controlling, step back slowly. Turn toward enthusiasm and spontaneity instead.

As the Sun and Moon in Aries meet the Great Awakener, Uranus, you will shake things up. You will break free of old patterns. There will be innovation. Changes are triggered on all levels. Be alert to what is being jostled inside of you.

You’re getting ready to leap. And if you open yourself up to a new way of doing things, the jump might be fun … 

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New Moon conjunct Uranus
A Unicorn’s horn.
Maybe the horn points to something you need to see. Raise your gaze, lift up your heart and mind. With an attitude of hope and inspiration, you can shake something off this week. It might be something that’s been hindering you for a long time.

Reevaluate your relationship with change. What’s the cost of keeping things the same? And alternatively, how are you benefitting by keeping things the same? Answering questions like these will raise your awareness about why you’ve been stuck. Now you’re ready to break into a higher level of consciousness and open up to a new way that may have once seemed like a fairy tale.

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New Moon square Pluto
The jungle swallows up an abandoned shopping mall.
Trust in the next stage of the process. Let yourself go along with it. Once you turn your mind toward “allowing” the phase progresses and very soon, new information arrives. Allowing does not mean inaction. It means accepting what is so that you can gather better information about how to direct your life force. Watch, learn, allow, release, and tone yourself for aligned action.

Want more wisdom? Check out Sandy’s 6-week SATURN RETURN WORKSHOP and book a 1-2-1 reading with her here.

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The study questions below are to help you get deeper into what the 2018 Aries New Moon means for you. Use them as journal prompts. For the most accurate reading, look to which house holds 26 degrees Aries in your chart and use the question for that house.

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

Aries or New Moon in the 1st house
How will you ignite your confidence?

Taurus or New Moon in the 12th house
What needs to be resolved?

Gemini or New Moon in the 11th house
How can you reconnect with your friends?

Cancer or New Moon in the 10th house
When you will you believe that you are successful?

Leo or New Moon in the 9th house
How can you feel more free right now?

Virgo or New Moon in the 8th house
What do you need to see that you’re not seeing?

Libra or New Moon in the 7th house
When will you stand up for your need for balance?

Scorpio or New Moon in the 6th house
What is your body trying to tell you?

Sagittarius or New Moon in the 5th house
How do you prioritize fun?

Capricorn or New Moon in the 4th house
How can you take care of your inner child today?

Aquarius or New Moon in the 3rd house
What are you most curious about now?

Pisces or New Moon in the 2nd house
What intentions will you craft regarding your relationship to money?

Want more wisdom? Check out Sandy’s 6-week SATURN RETURN WORKSHOP and book a 1-2-1 reading with her here.

MY MYSTICAL LIFE: MANIFESTING SUCCESS WITH CANDLE MAGIC

Posted on by Ruby Warrington

Would last weekend’s Club SÖDA NYC urban retreat have been so successful without a little candle magic?

With co-presenters Siri Rishi and Sah D’Simone

When I started this platform, I had literally zero idea—or desire—to become an event organizer. And yet when it comes to all things numinous, it’s been proven to me time and again that there is no substitute for real-time, human experiences to bring the magic to life. And so a LOT of what I do now (introverted, bookish, solitary, me), is producing and hosting events. And last weekend’s Club SÖDA NYC urban retreat with Kin Social Tonic was one of the best yet!

It was a tall order. Ambitious. A day-long takeover of new NYC members’ club Habitas, with nine workshops, family-style lunch, a panel discussion on the Future of Alcohol, tarot readers, sound and reiki healing sessions, and a Kundalini Disco to round it all off. And the way things worked out, my SÖDA co-founder Biet Simkin and I also only had 10 days to promote it. But we pulled it off AND THEN SOME.

Over 150 people showed up to celebrate with us. Yes, celebrate—since it was also mine and Biet’s birthday weekend, AND the 2-year anniversary of our first Club SÖDA NYC event. But mainly it was a success because of the feedback we got. Happy faces all day long. Revelations had. Friendships made. “Please can you do another day like this again soon!”

Yes, we had a killer line-up. Had called on some of our favorite and most talented guest presenters and co-hosts. Yes the mocktails from Kin got people just the right kind of buzzed. Yes, people are craving ways to connect and experience joy and transcendence without using booze. AND I called in some extra assistance behind the scenes!

A few weeks back, I received a pair of Conjure Fixed Candles from Haus of Hoodoo (a.k.a. modern mystic Jessyka Winston). When I lit the Crown of Success candle the Thursday before our event, my intention was for this project to bring happiness, healing, and new possibilities to all who come into contact with the Sober Curious movement I am spearheading. Leaving it to burn over the course of the weekend, continually checking in and praying over it, I could feel the candle magic working!

I’ll definitely be using Jessyka’s candles again. Not that I don’t trust my own ability to make magic, or the necessity and the power of my message—but when it comes to stepping up, loud and proud, and sharing my work with the world, introverted, bookish me will take all the help I can get.

Below, Jessyka explains the method and the myth behind her candle magic. And scroll down to the bottom of the post for some pics from our event!

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RUBY WARRINGTON: Where does the concept of fixed candles come from and how did they become part of your practice?
JESSYKA WINSTON: The term “fixed” comes from Southern Conjure/Rootwork/Hoodoo. Other traditions called them “dress” or “anointed.” A candle is “fixed” or “dressed” with oils, herbs, and minerals.

RW: How can you explain how they work?
JW: I consider it a form of alchemy used to manifest a certain outcome or change current conditions. The ingredients added into the candle fixing hold their own spirit energy that is activated by breath and fire. These aren’t just candles you light and leave. There’s a connection, reverence and devotion that comes with this work. We communicate with our candle and pray over it daily. It is a ritual of its very own. The more faith you put into the ritual, the more devotion you give your candles the stronger the connection. Therefore, the more successful the outcome will be.

RW: What does the fixing involve? What spirits are you working with?
JW: I have my own spirits who work with me and bless my work. My ancestors, my guides, angels and, of course my Vodou, since I am initiated in both West African Vodoun and Hiatian Vodou. I work in my shrine room in front of my spirits surrounded by their altars. The spirits in the fixing are nature spirits. The spirit of each individual herb, the spirit in the minerals, the spirits in the oils, which are made of herbs and essential oils, as well as the spirit of fire. All these elements come together to make this work happen. In addition, the candles are blessed with prayer and intention. I pray over my candles and speak to them as I’m fixing them. The connection begins with me and then it is carried out and continued by the client receiving and lighting the candle.

Conjur Fixed Candles, $29, Haus of Hoodoo. Jessyka re-stocks her online store every Saturday at 6pm CST.

RW: Can anybody learn / use candle magic, or is this something you need to be initiated into?
JW: Yes, candle magic is for all! No initiation necessary. Candle magic is something you’ll most likely find in all spiritual practices and traditions. Even in Catholicism. Every traditions does it differently. It is a practice that can be used by all and learned by all who wish to learn about it. But I do believe it is something that can take time to master and perfect.

It’s not as simple as throwing some herbs and oils on a candle. A connection needs to be established between you and your craft. Learning which ingredients go well with each other. Also, which herbs and elements respond to you most. Though I work with hundreds of herbs I have my go-to herbs that I know will always do the trick. Each herb is a spirit and just how we connect with some people’s energies and not with others, same happens in this crafts. There will be herbs, ingredients you connect with more than others. Which is why this craft takes time. There is wisdom to be gained before you can master this work.

RW: When are the best times to use these candles – and what are they NOT for?
JW: My Fixed Candles come with instructions advising on which day of the week and time of the day to light your candle and begin your work. It is always best to be in good energy when doing any ritual or any other spiritual workings. If you aren’t in the best of energy, or are feeling ill it is best to skip lighting your candle until you’re in better spirit.

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Below are some images from our Club SÖDA NYC urban retreat. A success indeed! Sign up for our FREE weekly magazine to be the first to know about upcoming events, and join the Club SÖDA NYC Facebook group to connect with our Sober Curious community. 

Pre-Kundalini Disco warm-up

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Gathering for our plant-based family style brunch

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My SÖDA co-founder Biet Simkin with keynote speaker Hawk Newsome of Black Lives Matter

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Biet leading a meditation before our panel discussion

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And thanks to amazing Kin Social Tonic for the adaptogenic mocktails!

@NUMINOUS_BOOKS