The 2018 Gemini Waning Moon asks us to cleanse, clarify, and use honest assessment to clear the decks for a new cycle, says Jennifer Racioppi …
Photo: Qi Bin
Waning Quarter Moon / September 2 2018 / 10:37pm EST / 10 degrees Gemini
As La Luna wanes back to new, she travels through Gemini and makes a 90-degree angle to the Virgo Sun. This point in the monthly lunar cycle asks us to check in and consider what’s served its purpose and is ready to be laid aside as we begin to train our sights on our next lunar manifestation.
With Mars now direct, and Saturn also about to station direct on September 6th, we currently find ourselves with exceptionally productive potential. And with the Gemini Waning Moon’s ruler, Mercury, now direct and finally clearing his shadow at the time of the Quarter Moon, we have the green light for communications of all kinds.
Following the cosmic challenges of the past eight weeks, this could feel like a welcome relief! The Gemini Waning Moon not only marks the halfway point between the Pisces Full Moon and the September 9 Virgo New Moon, but on a deeper level, it asks us to make sense of all the places we’ve been before we begin to move forward …
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//The Cycle// While this Moon marks the halfway point between the recent Full and upcoming New Moons, it also marks a culminating moment going back over two years. Think back (or actually look in your cal or email inbox) to June 4, 2016, when we experienced a New Moon at 14 degrees Gemini. This New Moon seeded what we are seeing come to fruition in our lives now.
Choices made then have profoundly informed where we now find ourselves. Who was in your world? Where were you situated? What were you working on? And what intentions from June 2016 are coming to fruition now? What do you still want and need?Spend some time considering the connection between your present-day reality, and events of June of 2016. Acknowledge the chapter that’s closing, and the fresh beginning you are about to step into with September 9th’s Virgo New Moon.
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//The Transits// With Mars and Mercury now direct, and Saturn about to station direct too, forward movement is upon us. However, Venus, the planet ruling love and beauty, stations retrograde on October 5th.So pay close attention to what’s emerging now, as the Gemini Waning Moon foreshadows the Venus Retrograde curriculum.
With Mercury currently in a sextile (supportive aspect) to Venus, and Neptune opposing the Sun and squaring the Gemini Waning Moon (more challenging energies), moments of discomfort could birth intuitive hits about the lessons in love and abundance that you’ll be gifted during the upcoming Venus Retrograde.
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//The Square// Mercury rules both Virgo and Gemini, and these mutable signs tend to live in their heads so you could feel a wee bit mental during this Moon. But rather than living in your head, capitalize on the Gemini influence and journal. Think back to 2016, and consider what choices you made then that influence where you are now. If needed, make lists. Be mindful of rumination. Then get out of your head and into your heart.
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//The Opportunity// The Gemini Waning Moon is closing an old chapter. So give yourself time and space to appreciate where past challenges have brought you to today, and let your head lead you back to your heart. Getting honest with yourself about your exact wants and desires now will also support you as we move toward next week’s Virgo New Moon. It’s a special one, so you want to be READY!
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For more Moon wisdom, or to book a coaching session with Jennifer visit Jenniferracioppi.com.
As a soul-shaking summer draws to a close, the 4 of Cups invites us to make gentle space for processing heavy emotions, says this month’s reader-in-residence, Mademoiselle Danielle … Cast using the Dark Days Tarot by Wren McCurdo
When Love By Luna reached out to see if The Numinous would be interested in co-creating a signature crystal-infused polish for their Mystic Mani line, it was a “hell yes”! The result is a cosmic purple polish designed to help you create a manicure to max out your meditation practice and get “sober curious.”
Inspired by Pantone’s 2018 Color of the Year, Ultra Violet, the deep, mystical purple correlates with the crown chakra, making this a highly meditative shade. Thought to help activate higher consciousness, dissolve blockages and create balance, you still have to do the actual work of befriending your thoughts and practicing equanimity in the face of adversity, but in today’s hyper-triggering world, we’ll take all the help we can get …
The color also reflects the blend of micronized amethyst and obsidian infusing the polish. Known as the “sobriety stone,” amethyst promotes clarity and tranquility, while obsidian is a protective stone that encourages honest introspection.
PSA: this polish will NOT stop you from downing 3 glasses of rosé when you’d planned to have a night “off” (only you and your desire to experience a more … clarity and tranquility can do that). But allow having it flash on your nails as you reach for the glass to invite a moment to pause and reflect.
Best of all, The Numinous x Mystic Mani crystal polish is perfect for when you want the benefits of crystal healing but have nowhere to stash your stones—as now you can “wear” your crystals everywhere you go, including into the gym or yoga studio!
This limited-edition crystal polish is the first Mystic Mani collaboration from Love by Luna and will only be available for purchase 8/28 through 12/31 2018 at www.lovebyluna.co.
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Priced at $18/bottle USD 10% of all sales will be donated to LIFE Camp, Inc., a Queens, NY, anti-violence and youth mentorship initiative.
Get this week’s astro symbol for your sign with Sandy Sitron’s Numinous Weekly Horoscopes …
Photo: Frantzou Fleurine
Virgo // Virgo Rising Horses trampling down a path. The horses stomp on blossoms as they walk, releasing flower essences into the air. You can get where you want to go if you stop and smell the roses. You need to connect to your body, earth, nature. Remember, there is a path. You’re on it. You don’t need plan B and plan C. Just keep moving and keep connecting to the moment.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Libra // Libra Rising Pieces of cotton float on the breeze. A dreamy, gauzy time. If you let yourself drift, finding the right direction becomes easy. If you let yourself be pushed by the breeze, you can use less energy. Find the path of least resistance. Release control. Instead of worrying about where the breeze will carry you, fill yourself with wonder. The journey is special.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Scorpio // Scorpio Rising Digging until you reach water. There’s more to the story. There’s more than meets the eye. If you keep digging, you’ll understand your own motivations and you’ll be able to unpack the situation with clarity and perspective. Look deep within for emotional understanding. This will help you prioritize your next steps.
Sagittarius // Sagittarius Rising Crystalline shapes. Geometric forms with sharp edges. You can get to where you want to go by being razor sharp and getting right to the point. Don’t avoid. Hold your integrity, just like a high quality diamond. You know what you stand for. Stay firm and align with your values.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Capricorn // Capricorn Rising Wearing sunglasses. Be incognito. Avoid the spotlight and pay attention to how everyone else is getting things done. You have a lot to learn. Position yourself as a student and you’ll expand much more quickly than you would if you were trying to be the teacher. You won’t be holding back forever. Study up so that you are well prepared for a leadership role.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Aquarius // Aquarius Rising Sugar cubes. Dissolve into sweetness. You don’t need to control anything. You don’t need to keep your shell up. You can forge a connection that is sweet and honest. A relationship that is intimate and trusting. If it feels safe to do so, pour sugar onto your relationships. As long as the gesture is genuine, it’ll result in healing.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Pisces // Pisces Rising A quilt. The stitches go back and forth, binding two separate pieces together. You can find compromise. You can find the words that bring you together. It might be a slow process and it might take work. But if you keep your attention on connection, your stitches will be even and true. Through compromise and dialogue you can turn the past into something new.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Aries // Aries Rising Biting down. You want to take a bite out of life. Start with the small bites. You have a lot of energy to organize and make things happen. Don’t delay, but keep it simple. This is the time to work. Focus on service. How can you use your energy to best be of service to your community? The world needs what you have to offer.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Taurus // Taurus Rising A bunny peaking out of its burrow. Muster up your courage. It’s time to be brave and go after all the fun things. Hop and play. Eat and enjoy. Live life to the fullest. There might be a risk that you need to take, and you might need to make yourself more noticeable. Don’t be shy. You’ve got a lot of creativity to share.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Gemini // Gemini Rising Setting the table. Make your preparations. As you carefully lay out the flowers and linens, you prepare to nurture yourself. Create an environment conducive to self-care. Hold space to feel your feelings, so that you have enough stability to hold space for others. Make this process into a ritual that you can repeat on a daily basis.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Cancer // Cancer Rising A snowman. A snowman starts life as a little snowball. Begin with whatever it is that you are curious about. Build from there. Continue layering on more knowledge. There is an order to your education. As you go, you’ll unlock new levels of interest. You’ll continue to find inspiration and the goal will take shape. But for now, just start with a snowball of curiosity.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Leo // Leo Rising Gathering bouquets of flowers. There is so much abundance. Let your arms spill over. Share generously. Revel in the flow of money, revel in your ability to be giving. Build up your sense of gratitude and appreciation so that you can feel abundant down to your very core. Keep a gratitude journal to help yourself remember.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
As practical earth energy meets deep emotional waters, the 2018 Pisces Full Moon invites us to let intuitive waves wash us onto solid, new shores, says Sandy Sitron …
Full Moon // August 26, 2018 // 7:56am EDT // 3 degrees Pisces
When a tidal wave washes onto the shore, it changes the landscape. Seashells and debris from the ocean floor are deposited, while the old familiar spaces are rearranged. Boundaries between land and water blur.
On Sunday, August 26th, the watery 2018 Pisces Full Moon strikes a pose opposite to the Sun in earthy Virgo. Earth and water meet. The result offers a choice.
Do we float out into the emotional stratosphere and avoid reality? Conversely, do we get so caught up in our practical needs and mundane existence that we repress our feelings—viewing them as only a hindrance to productivity? Or do we build our earthly lives in alignment with our feelings and intuition?
A Full Moon is an opposition. Two opposite signs are illuminated—Virgo, representing compartmentalizing and organizing, and Pisces, showing us how to dissolve the boundaries.
During Virgo season we have an opportunity to solidify our earthly base. To get grounded. Organize, cleanup, structure, and rearrange. We can streamline and refine our workflows. We are called to take care of our bodies, to connect with nature, and to appreciate the moment. We make ourselves of service. We get to work. We focus on the task at hand.
And yet this weekend there is an offer on the table. An invite has landed on your doorstep to take a ride on a tidal wave.
If you accept, you’ll have to let go and surrender to emotion, while trusting somewhere in the back of your mind that your Virgoan preparation has created a solid enough container for you to completely let go.
Taking an emotional journey can at moments feel like you are being tumbled under water. Butmaybe you can catch the wave just right and crest high above the horizon line like a surfer. The emotional wave can bring freedom. A new intuitive perspective is available. When we are guided by our intuition, we can break into surprising new territory. The grind begins to feel like flow.
However, it can be hard to go with the current if we feel inherently unsteady. While drifting in the Pisces sea of feeling, Virgo energy can help us stay rooted in the moment. The key is to stay attuned to the body. Pay attention to your physicality and your breath. Meditation is the ultimate tool for at this 2018 Pisces Full Moon. Through attention to the micro (breath and body) the part of you that is pure consciousness can flow into the macro Piscean realm of heightened awareness.
There’s a lot of momentum to this Moon, as it forms a kite with the Sun, Uranus, and Saturn. The energy of a kite takes the solid base of the current earth grand trine (Sun in Virgo, Saturn in Capricorn, and Uranus in Taurus, all at 2 degrees on 8/26) and pushes it into flight. The push is toward emotion and intuition. What have you been building? What are you refining? And now, how do you want it to feel?
This momentum can help us build lives that are fully in alignment with our feelings and intuition. Our empathetic understanding of ourselves as part of something greater. It doesn’t have to happen fast. Nature moves slow. But we can use the energy of this Full Moon to tune into our feelings.
What path will your intuition light up for you? Open yourself to the waves to find out …
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Full Moon in a kite formation with the Sun, Uranus, and Saturn Walking along a snowy mountain path, close to the edge. You are going somewhere. The outlines of the journey aren’t crystal clear. There are moments when it’s hard to see the exact path, but you are still climbing. If you can look up, past trepidation, you might catch quite a view. Spiritual perspective is available, so nudge yourself toward it.
This perspective might filter in through fantasy and dreams. Ideas could drop in while you’re taking a shower or walking the dog. Let yourself be surprised. Because of Uranus’ influence, the path might take surprising turns. If you follow it without compulsively reaching for the map, you’ll open up space for creativity and change.
Saturn’s appearance in the kite formation is represented by the mountain. You’ve been building something all along. Yes, there are surprises and changes because of Uranus. But you are working with a solid base. The mountain is there. All you have to do is climb and trust your path.
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Full Moons are a time to gather. Use the below conversation-starters to help you journey deeper into the 2018 Pisces Full Moon together. Look for the house containing 3 degrees Pisces in your chart for the most accurate insights. Don’t know your chart? You can enter your birth details HERE to calculate it for free.
Aries // Aries Rising // Full Moon in the 12th house “My last vivid dream was telling me …”
Taurus // Taurus Rising // Full Moon in the 11th house “The thing that excites me most about my future is …”
Gemini // Gemini Rising // Full Moon in the 10th house “I feel so proud of myself for …”
Cancer // Cancer Rising // Full Moon in the 9th house “The teacher who has had the greatest influence on me lately is …”
Leo // Leo Rising // Full Moon in the 8th house “The boundary that will allow me to let go fully is …”
Virgo // Virgo Rising // Full Moon in the 7th house “I feel compassion in relationships when I …”
Libra // Libra Rising // Full Moon in the 6th house “I am streamlining my life by …”
Scorpio // Scorpio Rising // Full Moon in the 5th house “Being seen feels good because …”
Sagittarius // Sagittarius Rising // Full Moon in the 4th house “The self-care practice that makes me feel safe is …”
Capricorn // Capricorn Rising // Full Moon in the 3rd house “I am having lots of ideas about …”
Aquarius // Aquarius Rising // Full Moon in the 2nd house “The craving I am ready to satisfy is …”
Pisces // Pisces Rising // Full Moon in the 1st “Putting myself first would mean …”
Virgo Season 2018 will teach us the meaning of hard-earned, earthy worth. Bess Matassa introduces the key aspects of the season … PLUS Numinous resident astrologers Bess and Sandy go deeper on the themes in our all new Astrocast podcast
Step into the witchy sanctuary of your inner knowing. Virgo Season 2018 invites you to move to the rhythm of a more private dance, and wed yourself to an unshakable code that gives nothing away for free. It’s a subtle, soft-lit season for exploring your most elemental self, for divining your personal emotional weather patterns, and for rising to meet the moment with whatever resources you have on hand.
With Saturn and Mars stationing direct in Capricorn, and a tasty Grand Trine happening between the zodiac’s earth Goddess power trinity (Sun in Virgo, Saturn in Capricorn, and Uranus in Taurus), it’s a moment for embracing magical realism. How can you reframe the constraints and contours of the right here, right now, as the solid gold containers that support your creative liberation?
Venus also begins a slow roll through the leather and latex of intimately intense Scorpio this month, bringing a reminder that pleasure and pain don’t have to be polarized. That when we release judgement about our carnal cravings, a dose of friction can feel really good.
So plunge your hands into the rich chocolate earth, and bow at the altar of your own flesh and bones. Remember that your beautiful body is made of exactly the same stardust and precious stones that built the whole Universe, and that when the conditions are precisely right, there is magic to be mined in every moment…
Listen to the full Virgo Season 2018 report from Numinous resident astrologers Bess + Sandy HERE and get more on the season’s 4 key astro events from Bess below …
Sun and Mercury in Virgo (Sun in Virgo 8.23-9.22; Mercury in Virgo 9.5-9.21) // Signature Scents
After the over-the-top glamorama of Leo Season, Virgo Season 2018 reminds us that divinity is in the details. While Virgo’s ability to parse out and assess can sometimes come across like crystal-cut critique, in its highest octave of expression this season urges us to embrace the full range of the tastes and particularities that make us human. Explore your own distinctive essence and sport it close to the skin with a signature scent. What is it that only you can contribute to this scratch and sniff world?
Mars and Saturn station direct (Mars direct in Capricorn 8.27, enters Aquarius 9.10; Saturn direct in Capricorn 9.6) // Shoulder Pads
Mars and Saturn’s forward movements mark a moment of cosmic mojo, as we power up to face what frightens us and get schooled in the sweaty sweetness of the long haul. With Mars also entering Aquarius mid-month, braving your body against the bedrock of limitation will liberate future visions that are built on solid ground. Let constraint feel creatively juicy, as you play with shapes fit for ruling your personal corporate kingdom.
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Grand Earth trine between the Sun in Virgo, Saturn in Capricorn, and Uranus in Taurus (8.23-8.26) // Classic Hollywood Sirens
Virgo Season 2018 hosts a majestic meet-up between the zodiac’s luscious earth babes, and the invitation is to lotion up your life, and feed your senses with second and third helpings of everything delicious. In this energy, you have nothing to prove, so allow yourself to move more languidly through the world. Pamper yourself silly, be perpetually ready for your close-up, and channel the fine art of receiving with a nod to Classic Hollywood Sirens.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDbPYoaAiyc
Venus enters Scorpio (9.9) // Björk’s Human Behaviour
As Venus begins its long sojourn through the Scorpionic underworld (where it will remain until October 31st, after stationing retrograde on October 5th), we’re asked to get ripe and real about our carnal cravings and our desire for intimacy. This transit plunges beneath the surface of superficial love affairs to rock us to the red-hot magma core. Think soul-shaking, transformative partnerships, to a soundtrack of triple Scorpio Björk’s classic crash course through the human experience. Welcome to the romantic jungle.
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Read more from Bess on the styles, scents, flavors, and sounds of Virgo Season HERE.
As we dive into the measured medicine of Virgo season, the 6 of Crystals (Pentacles) invites us to find a balance between giving and receiving, says this month’s reader-in-residence, Lindsay Mack …
Lindsay’s Soul Tarot School is now open for enrollment too. An 8-week deep-dive into a lifetime’s Tarot wisdom, learn to read the cards for your own soul’s evolution an take your practice to the next level. Class begins October 4—check out all the details and reserve your space HERE!
Wanna hang on to the Leo Season vibes a little longer? Eunice Lucero shares her top Sunflower beauty finds to have you shining on long after the Lioness has left the skies …
Photo: Hi Wildflower
Leo Season brings the passionate, slightly #extra drama of Sunflower mythology.
According to Greek myth, the nymph Clytie, scorned lover of the Sun god Helios, resorts to staring at her ex for nine days without food, water, or clothing, in a show of unabashed lovesickness. She pines longingly as he rides by in his chariot, till she dies and is then transformed into a flower—the Sunflower.
Unlike its sad heroine, Sunflower seed oil is no martyr. Long celebrated in beauty circles for its moisturizing, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant benefits, as well as its heart health and energy boosting properties, Sunflower beauty provides a rainbow of good stuff both inside and out.
What better way to cap off the high summer than with smoother, more nourished skin and hair, increased vitality, to get you looking and feeling at the top of your game come fall?
**We’ve listed Sunflower beauty suggestions for each Leo placement, but these confidence boosters are for everyone. Curious about what planet and /or House Leo rules in your chart? You can do your birth chart HERE for free.
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1// Sun in Leo / Leo Ruling the 5th House: Languidly stretching out those last vestiges of summer is probably high on your agenda. Stay on the safer side with Badger Tinted Unscented Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 30, $15.99, 2.9oz, a certified organic natural sunscreen that also prolongs a sun-kissed complexion, while leaving no residue. Set off your late summer glow with Clarins 4-Colour All-in-One Pen, $30 (below), a fun lip-and-eye pen, in warm, desert-inspired shades.
Clarins 4-Colour All-in-One-Pen
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2// Moon in Leo / Leo ruling the 4th House:RMS Luminizer X Quad, $48, is a subtle yet high-impact shimmery highlighter, just be what an expressive, behind-the-scenes goddess like you needs to navigate the limelight. The silky payoff also speaks to your inner loyalist, who values quality output above all else. Alternatively, use a sponge to apply a few drops of calming vegan Pacifica Super Flower Rapid Response Face Oil, $16 (below), for a glow that puts even Mother Moon to shame.
Pacifica Super Flower Rapid Response Face Oil
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3// Ascendant in Leo / Leo Ruling the 1st House: A glorious lion’s mane deserves to be showcased in its highest, flashiest expression, i.e. thick, full, and brimming with a healthy-looking sheen. Rinsing with Andalou Naturals Sunflower & Citrus Brilliant Shine Shampoo, $9.95, a vitamin-laden shampoo containing fruit stem cells, will keep your locks in tip-top shape. There’s also no mistaking that classic magnetic leonine sex appeal, particularly when punctuated with RMS Lip Liner in Dressed Up Red, $20, a traffic-stopping lip liner sure to get your roars heard.
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4// Mercury in Leo / Leo Ruling the 6th House: Most times, an infectious enthusiasm and zest for life is enough to bring on your signatire blush of excitement; other times, faking it is the next best thing. Enter W3LL People Nudist Multi Use Cream Stick, $23.99, a no-nasty, natural-looking, sheer multi-stick that evokes a warm, satiny flush in seconds. Alima Pure Eye Primer, $20 is a vegan, gluten- and fragrance-free eye primer also keeps your shadow vibrant, for a more convincing twinkle in your eye.
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5// Venus in Leo / Leo Ruling the 7th House: Indulge in a seriously luxurious bath session with Leonor Greyl Huile Secret de Beauté, $66, a romantic hair-and-body oil with sunflower, apricot and almond, takes the edge off working your queenly duties (or running your empire) 24/7. Use as a pre-wash treatment or a styler on hair for sleek, frizz-free tresses. For the face, use as a skin moisturizer, then follow up with Alima Pure Pressed Foundation with Rosehip Antioxidant Complex, $34, a mineral pressed powder that leaves a beautiful, velvety smooth finish that’s selfie-ready.
Leonor Greyl Huile Secret de Beauté
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6// Mars in Leo / Leo Ruling the 1st House: Never one to shy from the heat of the matter, Le Labo Coffee Body Scrub, $44, is a robustly tactile body scrub that will appeal to your down-and-dirty aesthetic, which also skews rather minimalistic. Coffee and sunflower seeds exfoliate without the drag and help promote cell renewal, while priming you for the next step: a refreshing, straightforward (and nasty-free!) shower experience withLe Labo Mandarin Shower Oil, $30, to further energize and help you conquer the day ahead.
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7// Jupiter in Leo / Leo Ruling the 9th House:Goop Luminous Melting Cleanser by Juice Beauty, $90, is an award-winning gel cleanser with a generous blend of oils and butters to gives you the clean, wholesome pampering you deserve. Take the self-care party one step further with Juice Beauty USDA Organic Treatment Oil, $42, a potent certified organic anti-oxidant face oil, ideal for soothing and revitalizing dry spots and keeping your optimistic radiance on point. Shining for others means shining first for oneself!
Goop Luminous Melting Cleanser by Juice Beauty
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8// Saturn in Leo / Leo Ruling the 10th House:White & Elm Deep Pore Oil Cleanser, $18, will satisfy your skin OCD by drawing grime from your pores simply and efficiently. It also multi-tasks as a makeup remover and acts as the first step in a double-cleansing method, which is awesome, since you have that whole global takeover thing to oversee. Follow up with Elemis Superfood Day Cream, $45, a pre-biotic moisturizer that not only gives your skin a healthy dose of “supergreens,” but also balances its flora and which, like you, are big on protection.
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9// Uranus in Leo / Leo Ruling the 11th House: Your unconventional approach to beauty has you experimenting with creative new formulations on the reg. You favor those with a green angle, which speak to your humanitarian spirit—so Youth to the People Superfood Peptide Eye Cream, $35, an eye cream that blends scientific breakthrough with healthy superfoods is a no-brainer. Top things off with RMS Lip & Skin Balm, $25, an all-encompassing healing balm that satisfies your dramatic, ever-changing moods.
Youth to the People Superfood Peptide Eye Cream
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10// Neptune in Leo / Leo Ruling the 12th House: Your super creative, theatrical approach to life has you gearing towards the Golden Age of Hollywood and all its trappings—so make Hi Wildflower Botanical Matte Lipstick in Mala, $27, a vampy, screen-siren red lip, a staple in your boudoir. Then have Vapour Organic Beauty Spirit Solid Perfume, $40, a sexy, enigmatic scent, pull your captivating femme fatale persona together.
Hi Wildflower Botanical Matte Lipstick in Mala
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11// Pluto in Leo / Leo Ruling the 8th House: Your ego overcomes any adversity thrown its way, particularly when it demands a change in approach—which you’re always willing to take on with an open-mind. Sylveco Smoothing Facial Scrub, $25, is a moisturizing facial scrub, that leaves a delicate film after rinsing, making it perfect for skin that has renewed itself time and again. W3LL People Expressionist Mascara, $21.99, offers a “boundary-breaking” mascara formula, with a botanical blend and unique brush that will also appeal to your Plutonian laser-focus.
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12// *Bonus placement—Chiron in Leo: A few uses of Kiehl’s Sunflower Color Preserving Deep Recovery Pak, $25, a deep-conditioning, silicon- and paraben-free hair mask, and you’ll be confidently hair-flipping that crowning glory in no time. You can also boost your boldest self-expression with Paula’s Choice Skincare Perfect Cleansing Oil, $21.25, a renowned cleansing oil that’s got many an editor’s seal of approval. Bonus: a spritz with Pinrose Sun Saint Eau de Parfum Travel Spray, $24 (no sunflower oil, but with loads of fun!), a positive, summer-drenched fragrance, will help give you the elusive laid-back flamboyance you desire, all year long.
Get this week’s astro symbol for your sign with Sandy Sitron’s Numinous Weekly Horoscopes …
Photo: Falguni Vyas
Virgo // Virgo Rising Playing dice. You need to take a gamble. Think of it as a game. Allow yourself to have fun in the moment and just go for the option that feels best. You can’t control the outcome, but you can finesse the experience. So go with the roll and keep your mindset positive. After all, you’re here on Earth to play.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Libra // Libra Rising A puffy cloud of cotton candy. The world can become less real and more fantastical. Cotton candy is a little bit unreal— a fantasy food. How can you make your everyday experience more out-of-this world? Leave reality and drift into the star-scape. You don’t need to make such a big deal out of all the earthly details. Dream instead.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Scorpio // Scorpio Rising Following the scent. Follow your nose. Where does your trail end? Where does it lead? What are you looking for? Are you merely following the scent or are you also determining the destination? Why not do a little of both? Set your mind on the feeling you want to embody, and then follow your path as it lights up ahead of you. You’ll get there in good time.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Sagittarius // Sagittarius Rising Pushing a path through tall grasses. Clear the way. You have come so far. You have journeyed long. You may not see the destination but you are in a position of leadership. Make the moves you need to make, especially when it comes to your career. This is an activating time so don’t hold back. You can meet your goals.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Capricorn // Capricorn Rising Ice skating. If you take away distractions and remove any friction, you can fly across the surface of the ice. This symbol represents speed and clarity. Move quickly and go after what you want. Be more philosophical so that you smooth out the mental pathway. This will help you stay on target. Have fun exploring your terrain. Push any nonsense out of the way and cut across the ice with a clear direction.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Aquarius // Aquarius Rising Sprouting seeds. Start fresh. This is a time for renewal. Let go of the past and offer yourself a rebirth. Maybe you do so through ritual or emotional release. Maybe you release the past with the help of therapy or energy work. Remember that starting fresh is an option when you are present in the moment. Every moment is new.
Pisces // Pisces Rising A flower blooms. An opening is available. Open your mind and heart to the potential of connection. You have more petals to peel back, more layers to release. Everything has a season and there’s no reason to force any of this. But if you can relax and trust, you’ll find that you’re more available in your relationships.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Aries // Aries Rising Sprinkling fish food into the pond. Tend to the details. When you take good care of yourself and others, every moment becomes more special. Don’t just go through the motions. Pay close attention to your movements and actions so that you’re operating with a sense of service instead of obligation. When you treasure each moment, everything that you do becomes an offering.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Taurus // Taurus Rising Candy necklaces. It’s time for some sensuous decoration. Bedazzle yourself with jewels. Live larger than life. Every bite you take is like eating sweet diamonds. You sparkle inside and out, so revel in your royalty. Let your inner queen and king arise. There’s no time to play it small. Let the world know who you are.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Gemini // Gemini Rising Baby blanket. What’s your snuggly quilt? What helps you feel comfortable and safe? It’s time to destress. To retreat into a safe and comfortable zone. Keeping a hard shell exterior takes energy, so go somewhere where you don’t need to be on the defensive. Let yourself melt. Let go of the struggle so that you can truly rest and restore.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Cancer // Cancer Rising The noisy ecosystem of the marshlands. Croaks and chirps echo out into a cacophony of sound. You have a lot to say. Share your message. Find your own vibrant ecosystem. What kind of connection do you crave? What discussion would lighten your mood and help you shift your mindset? Connect with like-minds. Share your thoughts. Keep the vibration high while you do so.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Leo // Leo Rising A family heirloom. You have a legacy. We all do. You have history. We all do. Connect with your roots. Remember what you have. Meditate on how far you’ve come. You are stable and secure in deep and powerful ways. The ideas is to align with that depth. Visualize the root of your soul, the place that is unshakable. Your higher self holds a record of your true security.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
In the wake of a heavy-hitting Eclipse season, the 2018 Scorpio Waxing Moon beckons us back into our magic, and reminds us of the potent divinity in pure desire, says Jennifer Racioppi …
Photo: ActionVance
Waxing Quarter Moon / August 18 2018 / 3:48am EST / 25 degrees Scorpio
With some of the sweetest transits of the summer upon us, the 2018 Scorpio Waxing Quarter Moon brings a heavy dose of magic.
Ready to dig in? August 18th’s early morning opening square ushers in divinity, and reconnects us to the healing that happens when we embrace our deepest desires …
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//The Cycle// This Waxing Quarter Moon comes on the heels of the August 11 partial Solar New Moon Eclipse of Leo. This eclipse asked us to launch a vision that will carry us through the next 19 years. NBD, right?!
Given the intensity of the summer transits thus far—3 eclipses and 6 major planets in retrograde—the universe has been priming us to leave old patterns in the past and to begin to reach out for something new. The most recent eclipse provided the perfect opportunity to plant the seeds for a fresh beginning. What was stirring for you last weekend? How can you keep watering the seeds?
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//The Transits// With Jupiter, the planet of good luck and good fortune, in an exact trine to Neptune at the time of the Waxing Quarter Moon, truthfully, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
One of the sweetest aspects of 2018, and which will last through August 23, Jupiter trine Neptune (a water trine) brings deep healing and mystical potential. Further, with Mercury simultaneously stationing direct after a multi-week retrograde cycle, be prepared for your intuition to feel vibrantly lucid. Tap in and listen.
To sweeten the pot even more, Mercury sextiles loving Venus at the same time. Put your mind towards what you want to create. Now is the time to attune yourself to your deepest desires.
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//The Square// The Sun in fun-loving, fiery Leo, makes a challenging angle to the Moon in penetrative, watery Scorpio, both at 25 degrees. Yet, together, fire and water create steam.
While squares usually suggest curveballs and challenges, this one brings with it a deep sense of playful intimacy. Leo, after all, brings a heavy dose of fun, while Scorpio goes deep. Given the five-star aspects surrounding this waxing square, all signs point to this mash-up bringing a heightened creative and sexual tension that you can feel all the way to the bedroom—whether you’re playing solo or with a partner(s).
In terms of healing, this is also a potent time to dive into your shadow work. The Scorpio Moon won’t let you off the hook, while the Sun in Leo brings the courage to face any demons.
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//The Opportunity// This Waxing Quarter Moon brings with it an aura of holiness. Use it to get clear on your vision and take time to really commit to your goals.
Sanctify your time in such a way that you have space to digest what it is you really want. Be mindful of your speech. Journal out your difficult emotions. Commit to shining a light into your darkest shadows.
Don’t back down. Take a stand. And with your stake firmly in the ground, have some fun with it! With the Sun in Leo, Mercury stationing direct and sextile Venus, and Jupiter trines Neptune, the weekend has the feel of an astrological holy day. Embrace the intensity and dare yourself to enjoy it!
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If you’re in NYC this weekend, join Numinous founder Ruby Warrington for her Sober Curious Writer’s Group + Community Brunch at Divya’s Kitchen—safe and supportive space to journal and commune on the 2018 Scorpio Waxing Moon!
As Mercury prepares to station direct, the King of Swords urges us to speak a powerful truth that starts in the heart and rocks the world around us, says this month’s reader-in-residence, Lindsay Mack …
Lindsay’s Soul Tarot School is now open for enrollment too. An 8-week deep-dive into a lifetime’s Tarot wisdom, learn to read the cards for your own soul’s evolution an take your practice to the next level. Class begins October 4—check out all the details and reserve your space HERE!
On a solo journey of spiritual self-discovery in Mexico, Danielle Dorsey decided NOT to visit the famously witchy Sonora Market. She explains why …
Mexico City’s Sonora Market was up there as I had compiled a list of the city’s witchiest landmarks to visit during my two-week stay. The sprawling bazaar is famous for being the largest market dedicated to witchcraft in the country, offering patrons everything from tarot readings to limpias (or spiritual cleansing), banishments, love potions, and more. Earlier in my spiritual journey, I likely would have sated my curiosity and went, but the more I learned about the market’s offerings—which range from healing arts to the darkest magic imaginable—the less inclined I felt to go.
One obvious reason to take precaution before visiting the Sonora Market is its location. Nestled in the historic La Merced neighborhood, the market and its surrounding areas suffer from higher crime rates and poverty. Although generally safe during the day, those who stand out as tourists are more likely to be targeted for theft and scams.
Along with candles, herbs, and other trinkets for your spells, you’ll also find vendors selling animals in various states—taxidermied, encapsulated in liquids, or even alive (and often malnourished). Each vendor is its own business, so supporting a tarot reader who happens to be working there does not necessarily equate to endorsing animal abuse, but still I felt cautious about the volatile energies that might be encountered in such a space.
For all intents and purposes, the Sonora Market is an energetic vortex, where one can cleanse themselves of suffering at one booth and then curse someone at the next. For anybody not familiar with how to protect themselves with such conflicting energies at play, it could be easy to fall victim of a psychic attack.
I spoke with Shannon O’Neill-Loyola of Radical Reiki, who currently lives near Mexico City and has familial ties to the region that trace back for centuries. She told me that, “Aside from the fact that there’s dark magic, I won’t go because of the polarization of forces that occurs there. It attracts so many lower entities and earthbound souls who will do anything to latch onto anyone who has an opening in their auric field. People go there out of novelty, and with a superficial view of magic, and don’t realize how impactful these rituals and ceremonies are. Ultimately, this shows a lack of respect, and people who visit as ‘spiritual tourists’ don’t realize that they may leave with attachments.”
Another reason I decided to pass on the Sonora Market is my wariness of casual tourism through others’ sacred belief systems. One of the best things about social media and the internet are their ability to connect us to cultures and people all over the world, but it’s also easy to trick ourselves into believing that we are more familiar with these practices than we actually are. We might mistake watching a video of a sacred ceremony with being qualified to host our own, even though we have no ties to that culture or deeper understanding of what it represents. Not only is this appropriative and intrusive, it belittles the spirituality of those that we are borrowing from.
When you take into account the different intersections of privilege and the historical oppression of certain cultures whose rituals are now being profiled by Vogue et al., it becomes even more vital that—if and when we participate—we make an effort to do so with intention and respect. That might mean sacrificing an Insta-worthy picture of creepy Santa Muerte statues and respecting the merchant’s request to keep your phone in your pocket. It might also mean that if your Spanish isn’t advanced enough to have a genuine conversation about someone’s offerings and what they can do for you, it might not be the right time to visit.
A good rule of thumb for distinguishing cultural appreciation from appropriation, is that appreciation typically includes an invitation to participate. If you’re truly interested in learning from Mexican brujas or brujos, you’ll have to foster a genuine relationship and prove that your interest stems from more than simply colonizing their beliefs. This might be difficult to achieve if you’re only visiting for a week or two. There’s also a chance you could approach somebody in a completely respectful manner, and they still won’t be interested in mentoring you. Remember that no one owes you their labor, spiritual or otherwise.
However, this doesn’t mean that spiritual enlightenment isn’t awaiting you in Mexico. If you’re looking for spellcraft items, you’re likely to find a few botanicas in just about any neighborhood market or tiangui, which are weekly pop-up markets that occur all over Mexico City. I also recommend a visit to White Willow Cafe in the Roma Norte neighborhood, which hosts weekly tarot and other mystical workshops.
Mexico is a country with a rich history and the same wisdom you are seeking from a bruja or brujo can also be found by simply tuning into the energy of the land. I was surprised at the downloads that came through during a few minutes of meditation at the ancient ruins of Teotihuacan, located just an hour outside of Mexico City. I had a similar experience in Frida Kahlo’s house and was struck with visions as I toured her bedrooms and kitchen, leading me to spend some time journaling in her garden. Even during long bus rides, I found myself bulldozed by spiritual insights while my eyes drunk in the gorgeous countryside.
If you do decide to visit Mexico City’s Sonora Market, take appropriate measures to protect your energy. As with anything else, do research so that you can be sure of what services you’re asking for and don’t get taken advantage of. Meditate and ground yourself before embarking on that trip. Slip a black tourmaline or obsidian crystal into your pocket to ward off negativity and envision yourself in an impenetrable bubble that one must be invited inside.
If, like me, you’d rather be safe than sorry, there are plenty of other ways to find spiritual healing in Mexico without putting yourself at the mercy of such potent energetic forces and engaging in spiritual appropriation.
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Danielle Dorsey is a content creator, publicist, copy editor, social media coordinator, and event planner. Read more from her at Danielledorky.com and follow her on Instagram.
Leo // Leo Rising Throwing a frisbee. Backyard games. What do you do that’s purely for enjoyment? This is a chance to be creative about how you have fun. So much from the past is getting dredged up, and there are many distractions. Fill your mind with games instead of details. Connect to body and breath. Playfulness can bring perspective.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Virgo // Virgo Rising A swan floats on the river. Tell yourself it’s easy. That’s how you’ll float gracefully. Pushing doesn’t work. Letting yourself be intuitively guided is the key. So much of this is about how you anticipate. Do you anticipate things to be easy or a lot of work? Chill out more and you’ll float through it all.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Libra // Libra Rising An airplane flies just above the clouds. You have gathered tools that help you rise above. Are you using them? Some level of foresight and mental organization is necessary so that you don’t get caught in the storm. Envision how you want to feel. Visualize your future. Dedicate yourself to this practice.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Scorpio // Scorpio Rising Flipping pancakes. The idea is that you have a bunch of chances. Each decision turns out a little differently, but that doesn’t mean they’re inedible. You have to try. So much is changing in how you see yourself in the world. Your growth is monumental. So try out different approaches. This is how you’ll find your stride.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Sagittarius // Sagittarius Rising Plucking daisy petals. Don’t get caught in the binary, “He loves me, he loves me not.” Whatever your question is, there are more shades of gray to the answer than you can imagine. Connect to your ethics, principles, and goals, and these will help you find your answers. What do you value? What do you care about? What’s the big picture?
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Capricorn // Capricorn Rising A solitary tree in a meadow. It can feel so much easier to take care of yourself when you’re alone. You can keep things simple and you can focus on the work. It’s less messy. But the mess is where the learning happens. The mess can be magic. People should still love you, even when you’re a mess. So trust. Say what you need. Try to connect with others. You don’t need to feel alone.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Aquarius // Aquarius Rising A heartbeat. Bum-bump, bum-bump. Center yourself in your heart. Connect to your feelings and to your love. Love needs to be shared. You need to vouch for the importance of love in your life. There is a need for humans to love more fully, generously and unconditionally. Lead with your heart.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Pisces // Pisces Rising A slinky. Find your momentum. It’s more effective to clear obstacles and let things flow than it is to force things that aren’t working. Take a nice walk to clear your mind, then do the busy work afterwards. Meditate before you have the tough conversation. Evaluate your workflows and notice where you can make things more holistic.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Aries // Aries Rising A piece of a pie. You are owed your share of enjoyment. Hold out for it. Fight for it. Look for it. Life is too short for scarcity. There is abundance and pleasure available everywhere. A life of more enjoyment is available to you at every turn. You may have to adjust your mindset so that you can see what’s already working.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Taurus // Taurus Rising Playing maracas. Find your rhythm and find your footing. There’s always a feeling of belonging when you’re playing in time with the music. When we are synced up with the rhythm, it feels so good. You are being presented with more chances to march to the beat of your own drummer. If you start by being comfortable with who you are, you’ll feel comfortable everywhere you go.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Gemini // Gemini Rising The Enneagram. Get to know your own psychology and personality. This is a highly educational time for you. Your new perspectives will help you save energy and make things work. There are many different methods you can use to study yourself. If you know yourself, you can see your opportunities and challenges more clearly. Pay attention to your mindset.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Cancer // Cancer Rising Sturdy leather shoes. What is keeping you grounded? What helps you believe that you are secure? So much is unknown. Your mental comfort resides in your ability to trust your own resilience. There’s no need to know the future. Knowledge and understanding come exactly when you’re ready for them. So don’t play the “what if” game. Just settle in and find strength in what you already know.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
The 2018 Leo New Moon marks the grand finale of Eclipse Season, and asks us to reignite the passionate fire that has never left us, says Sandy Sitron …
New Moon Solar Eclipse // August 11 2018 // 5:59 am ET // 18 degrees Leo
Orange light streams through a narrow opening in a cave wall. If you’re a brave spelunker, you can squeeze through and retreat into deeper chambers. You reach the core. The temperature rises. Here in the recesses of your subconscious mind, a central hearth fire burns.
It’s a magical fire that burns continuously without emission.
A cleansing fire. The fire of spirit. At this New Moon, you must connect with your spirit fire.
Leo is the sign that encourages you to share your true self with the world. Now is the time to set intentions about creativity, spontaneity, recognition, playfulness, sovereignty, and generosity. All of these themes have something to do with your fire offering. Your connection with your fire will help you make better decisions. It will help you supersede ego and be playful instead.
Before you can share your fire, you have to locate it in the recesses of your inner world. You have to journey deep within and simply trust that it’s there. Believe wholeheartedly in your uniqueness.
Because the 2018 Leo New Moon Eclipse is a time to begin anew, this is a powerful opportunity to reboot. Leo rules the sun. At the eclipse, the light of the sun is partially extinguished.
This is why the fire must be reignited.
Fan the flames of your hidden spirit fire by reconnecting with what makes you feel alive. Reignite your pleasure, passion, and self-expression. Without these themes as priorities, the season loses its glitter and sparkle. Boredom sets in.
Save yourself from monotony. Cure your apathy with creativity. Share your enduring sense of personal worth through creative expression. Kids are connected to the hearth fire within them. It’s what pushes them to continuously look for the next fun thing. They make and play, they’re impulsive and wild.
Journeying through the caves is like wandering through your memory to re-groove a path that already exists. How would your inner child like to express itself? Make changes in your environment and schedule so that there’s room for fun and play.
Burning bright is an ongoing practice. Do it because it’s fun to have fun! And because sharing your fire light with the world is the most generous thing you can do.
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New Moon conjunct Mercury Popcorn flies out of the pan. There’s a flurry of mental activity. Some of the popcorn kernels are memories, some are ideas, some are worries, and some just moving thoughts. Which ones will you eat? Putting a lid on the pan and containing some of these thoughts might feel nice. If the heat and pressure are unchecked, you might mentally burn out—which would also cause an emotional flare. So turn down the heat when it’s time. Be gentle with yourself about what comes up. Remember, you are the chef. You’re in control of the whole process.
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New Moon square Jupiter Eating watermelon. Juice running down your face. Revel in the sweetness. There’s more where that came from. This aspect can help you expand. If you are going to exaggerate anything this weekend, let it be your perception of sweetness and connection.
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Sun and Moon are the focal planets of a yod with Neptune and Pluto The starship dematerializes to travel at warp speed through time and space. The intention is to reach your destination with your enthusiasm intact. A real transformation is available. Transcendence of some kind is beckoning. Imagine that you’re in that dematerialized spaceship. The only way you can guarantee that you’ll re-materialize is by holding a steady intention to live a full and creative light. The pressure is on. Show up and shine.
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Use the below journal prompts to help you journey deeper at the 2018 Leo New Moon Eclipse, and use what you write to inform your New Moon intentions. Look for the house containing 18 degrees Leo in your chart for the most accurate insights. Don’t know your chart? You can enter your birth details HERE to calculate it for free.
Aries // Aries Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 5th house Write about yourself as if you were a character in a movie.
Taurus // Taurus Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 4th house Describe all the things that make you feel safe and warm.
Gemini // Gemini Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 3rd house Write down 10 things you are curious about and the people you could ask about them.
Cancer // Cancer Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 2nd house List the reasons you undersell yourself and why they are not true.
Leo // Leo Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 1st house “I feel like I am living my soul purpose when I …”
Virgo // Virgo Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 12th house Ask your subconscious a question before you go to sleep, and journal about your dream in the morning.
Libra // Libra Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 11th house Create a vision board for the next six months.
Scorpio // Scorpio Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 10th house Write about the most recent time you felt a sense of achievement.
Sagittarius // Sagittarius Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 9th house Travel to somewhere exotic in your mind and describe what you see.
Capricorn // Capricorn Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 8th house List all the qualities that make you a “good investment”—financially, sexually, energetically.
Aquarius // Aquarius Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 7th house Write down 5 ways you can have more fun in your closest relationships.
Pisces // Pisces Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 6th house “A healthy routine for me means …”
Eradicating systemic racism is THE healing issue of our times. For anybody confused about your role in this, make Radical Dharma your must-read this summer …
Around this time of year, book stores and magazines are filled with suggested summer reads, the books the publishing industry has decided will best satisfy our yearning to escape into a good read. But you likely won’t find the book I am going to recommend as your “must-read” for summer 2018 among them. Because this year I am more interested in the notion of escape as it pertains to liberation.
Radical Dharma is a seminal work by Rev. angel Kyodo williams, a queer Black (her capitalization) Buddhist author and activist. The subtitle is “Race, Love and Liberation” and in it, Rev. angel, along with co-authors Lama Rod Owens and Jasmine Syedullah, PhD, (also both Black and queer) explain how genuine liberation means not needing to escape, because there is no longer anything to escape from. Means living free of the chains which seek to bind us, free to be unapologetically ourselves, unbeholden to any systems of oppression.
Published in 2016 in a rush ahead of the last U.S. election, in the intro Rev. angel writes: “We foresee an increasing collective anxiety about transitioning from the first Black U.S. president.” And in the 18 months since, this prediction has played out in every area of life. This time has been a period of awakening in which the notions of liberation and oppression have taken on extra weight for me—as they will have for anybody with so much as a toe in the healing, wellness, and self-help communities.
As a socially conscious person in a post-Trump era, I know I have not been alone in attempting to integrate the implications of my white privilege. A term that was barely on my radar two summers ago, and which, thanks to everything from Black Lives Matter to the voices of women like Layla Saad (among many others) has since become the lens through which I see the world. Meaning, through which I can no longer not see the world.
To be more specific, in my case this also extends to my educated, mixed-class, hetero, married, cis-gender, thin, white privilege. Sort of like the opposite of rose-tinted-spectacles, through this lens I have been able to see how the circumstances of my birth and my upbringing have placed me within a system of oppression—in which my whiteness makes me the oppressor. Not that the ravages wrought on marginalized and indigenous people by “the system” is exactly news. What’s new is that my eyes are now open to exactly how insidious our acceptance of this has become.
During this time, I have struggled against my own conditioning (“but I’m not racist!”) to accept that alarming terms like “white supremacy” and “systemic racism” absolutely apply to me. As they apply to each and every one of us. I have felt my throat constrict as I have tried to swallow this jagged little pill, while simultaneously being made aware that taking time in silence to absorb and process this information is another function of my privilege.
I have also been slow to speak up on this issue because I am ashamed I didn’t get here sooner. Embarrassed. But I am also not surprised. After all, I was raised to consider the term “racist” to be on a par with “pedophile,” the knee-jerk reaction on hearing it applied to me to deny it, vehemently. And yet, on closer inspection, this does not reflect the world that I grew up in. A world where I can count the number of black and brown people in my school classrooms on two hands. Where I had not one teacher with darker skin than me. Where in 16 years working as a journalist in London, I encountered only one black colleague—who was subjected to subtle racial bullying.
Where every TV show, awards ceremony (besides those attached to sporting events), industry bash, and beach holiday has been predominantly white. A world, after moving to NYC, where nine out of 10 of the service jobs (as far as I can see) are performed by people of color. Where these discrepancies are routinely normalized to the point of invisibility.
Of course, as a white person, my life has been a procession of predominantly white spaces. We are a pack-oriented species, we move in groups, and we gravitate towards our own. Thing is, what makes a space “white” is not just the ethnicity of those occupying it—it is the entitlement, the education, the opportunities, and the affluence that are available. Confronting my own racist conditioning (the unconscious belief that I am somehow entitled to the privileges of my whiteness) has been like discovering I have been host carrier for a highly infectious disease, without displaying any symptoms. Having received my diagnosis, the work now is to eradicate it from my system.
Which has meant reading a lot of articles and watching a lot of TED talks (find a comprehensive list here). It has meant keeping following Instagram accounts which can trigger week-long bouts of internal gaslighting (“I am not racist … and yet my whiteness makes me racist”). Showing up for pot-luck discussions on the topic of “Race and Wellness” with others in my community committed to doing this work. It means that, behind the scenes, I have been engaged in a thorough inventory of my work on this platform, working with a diversity and inclusion coach to identify my blind spots and craft a content mission going forward that takes into account the implications of all of the above. Not to mention help me make sense of all that has been arising in me.
Rev. angel Kyodo williams
You may well be further along this path than me, and I acknowledge all those who have been the torch-bearers in this movement. For this is the literal raising of consciousness in real time. The whole point of all the healing and the personal development and the “self-love” practices. Rather than disavow or shrink from it, it’s thanks to the spiritual resilience I’ve been able to develop over the years building this platform, that I am now able to lean in to the shadow of shame and guilt and fear that has accompanied this part of my awakening. To not take each and every post and op-ed on white privilege personally and to accept responsibility for my part in our collective healing around race.
The reason I am recommending Radical Dharma as your summer must-read is that it’s the egg that has helped everything come together.
Presented as a series of essays and conversations dissecting systemic racism from a Buddhist perspective, the wisdom contained within its pages has helped me to feel fully seen and understood within the problem of my whiteness. Has helped me understand that racism (particularly as it relates to hyper-capitalism) is, literally, the physical manifestation of our modern “disconnection epidemic.” The pain of our separation from each other, from self, and from Source. That I am as deeply implicated in this suffering as any person of any ethnic background. Above all, as a person invested in helping others heal, it has shown me that we will never escape our suffering, as individuals and collectively, will never be truly free, until we heal THIS.
In short, in a year where the conversation about race has had me questioning my sanity at times, this book has helped me feel more whole. And I am suggesting that you read it because I know you want to feel this way too. Below, I have shared a few of my favorite teachings from its pages—and before you go ahead and finish this post, you can order your copy HERE.
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ON THE CONSTRUCT OF RACE “Race is the ultimate delusion in that it both does and does not exist in reality. Somebody went on around and decided to come up with something so that they could sell folks that they could be ‘better’ than other people, and yet, because of the paradigm, because of the system and the structures, the impact of that creation, that projection, this is felt and experienced as suffering—not only by the people who are on the shit end of the stick but also by the people who are, often unbeknownst to them, continuing to carry that stick.” – Rev. angel Kyodo williams.
ON DECONSTRUCTING WHITE PRIVILEGE “The lens of awareness must be placed outside of the construct. As a direct result of privilege, white practitioners (and teachers) have mistakenly entitled themselves to place the lens of awareness inside of whiteness, hence they are unable to see it’s machinations.” – Rev. angel Kyodo williams.
ON GETTING MESSY “The tiptoeing around race and other forms of difference as if in fear of waking a sleeping lion is one of the most subtly toxic attributes of whiteness in our culture right now. Everyone fears making mistakes. For white folks, though, the coexistence of being historically lauded as the creators of what is right, making mistakes must be hard. We are all waking up. It is going to get messy.” – Jasmine Syedullah, PhD
ON ALLOWING FOR IGNORANCE “We also have to demystify this notion that somehow people of color have all the information and know it all and white folks don’t, and that it’s just like Black and White. Because it just isn’t. We have to really allow ourselves to create some space for people now knowing, not understanding, and just saying stupid things. I mean stupid as in ignorant … we have to figure out how to create room for that, rather than policing each other, so that people can actually get into the conversation.” – Rev. angel Kyodo williams.
ON THE LINK BETWEEN RACISM AND HYPER CAPITALISM “I have this theory that racism is required in order to keep capitalism in place … I’m not mad at trade and exchange and barter and all of that … but cancerous capitalism, hyper-capitalism, parasitic capitalism … requires a division of people so that we have people that consume, people that are producing what is consumed, and frankly, people that are consumed.” – Rev. angel Kyodo williams.
ON DISRUPTING COMFORT “We have to disrupt spaces that are not seeking truth, that are not upholding our potential for liberation, because they are invested in their comfort. Usually that comfort means they are invested in perpetuating white supremacy … And not disrupt them by trying to figure out how to be on their boards and their diversity communities; we have to disrupt them by saying ‘I am out.’ I am not going to participate in this and letting them know why.” – Rev. angel Kydodo williams.
ON DISCOMFORT AS THE PATH TO LIBERATION “If you’re going to any place of spiritual enrichment in which you are not meaningfully experiencing discomfort, not all the time, but meaningfully uncomfortable frequently, you are not doing your work, and you are not walking the path of liberation.” – Rev. angel Kydodo williams.
ON HEALING BEGINNING ON THE INSIDE “I’m working to end racism, but at the same time I want to be liberated. I want to thrive. I want to be happy … I think it’s an immature view that believes ‘I have to do all the external conditions and have them change before I can be happy.’ I’m not willing to have my happiness wait for what might happen out there.” – Lama Rod.
ON BEING THE CHANGE “If you are a really well-positioned member of a sangha (spiritual community), make sure you’re reaching out. If you’re a person of color in a sangha, make sure you’re reaching out to other new people of color coming through the door. Be the one who extends your hand and welcomes them and just talks openly. Model that kind of inclusivity for people.” – Lama Rod
Get your copy of Radical Dharma HERE and visit Angelkyodowilliams.com for more on Rev. angel and to find her upcoming speaking dates. You can also follow @lamarodowens on Instagram
