The 10 of Swords ends a cycle of up-leveling our awareness, and a time to integrate what we have learned, says Melinda Lee Holm …
Awareness
HOLY F*CK: IN CONVERSATION WITH DANIEL PINCHBECK
Alexandra Roxo meets radical thought leader Daniel Pinchbeck, to talk spiritual materialism, future planetary solutions, and the rise of the extreme right…
Daniel Pinchbeck is a writer, thought leader, speaker, and one of few modern radical voices that come from a grounded, realistic, and holistic perspective. Today we are in dire need of leaders and thinkers who can articulate and envision a path towards union and healing that includes our political, environmental, cultural, AND our spiritual state. Daniel speaks of the whole picture, with a balance of right/left, masculine/feminine, science/art.
His new book How Soon is Now REALLY resonated with feelings I’ve been having for years about the nature of the world we live in, which I have explored in my own writing here on The Numinous and in some of my films. This includes the need to make a shift from focusing on the personal, to focusing on the global. To overcoming spiritual materialism. To escaping hyper-individualism and coming together.
Also, how plants may be aiding in our evolution on multiple levels. How our approach to love and sex is so heavily politically guided and conditioned. The need for rites of passage and the need for ecstatic connections to the cosmos and to each other, through experiences like Burning Man, with psychedelic experiences, and a reconnection to the Earth.
Beyond all this, Daniel’s book reveals to us how we can engage with the planetary shift and initiation that we all know at soul level is in progress, and in doing so be a part of the healing of our planet.
Even better, Daniel is going to be LIVE with us for Moon Club this Sunday Feb 5, which means you can join and ask him questions too! Click here to sign up.
I sat down with him for a little prelude to Sunday’s talk…
ALEXANDRA ROXO: So you’re an author, a TED speaker, a radical thinker, a writer. You wear a lot of hats in terms of your work. What’s the common thread?
DANIEL PINCHBECK: I think that the core of my work is a philosophical quest for the nature of reality.
AR: Word. Was there was a clear point at which this search began?
DP: I had a major spiritual crisis in my mid to late 20’s. I’d been writing for magazines, and it just began to feel very nihilistic. I felt this kind of total emptiness. I also realized ultimately that when people believe conscientiousness is only based in the physical hardware of the brain, then life has no particular meaning. I was like, ‘okay, how can I actually inquire into this?’ I remembered my psychedelic experiences in college as having suggested that there were these other layers of psychic reality that I didn’t really understand.
So I went back to them and went to West Africa, to do Iboga and I went to the Amazon to work with a tribe in Ecuador with ayuasca and so on. These travels informed my first book Breaking Open the Head, and then new questions kept opening up—because these experiences had completely transformed my world view.
AR: The subtitle of How Soon Is Now? is: “From personal initiation to global transformation.” To me it feels like that is what we’re all being called to now, on a micro and a macro level.
DP: I came from a leftist background, and I always had this uneasy feeling about our culture and the direction our society was headed. And then when I looked more into the ecological disaster that we’ve constructed and the amount of poverty and inequality that the system creates, I also saw this whole “new age” spirituality thing, with the meditation and the yoga, as kind of like a trap—because I felt that people were using it as just another distraction, getting so obsessed with their own little healing journeys.
AR: There is definitely the idea of: “I’m entitled to my healing and my enlightenment and I gotta just focus on that.” Healing individually is very necessary too—but how do you see us then finding a way to integrate this into healing the Earth?
DP: It would require for those of us who’ve been on this evolutionary initiation path to reach another level of our capacity to…hold a new frequency, to express it to people who are out of the loop. One thing that really began to upset me overtime was Burning Man. When I first went I was like ‘oh of course, this is the model for this new society. The point is to now bring this out into the world.’ But overtime I saw it become more like another entertainment complex. I saw the people who run Burning Man being really kind of pleased with themselves because all these rich people wanted to hang out with them.
But I think a shift is actually happening, because of this geopolitical emergency that we’ve unleashed. For example, I saw a really good thing on Facebook—this guy wrote that he used to have three different groups of friends that didn’t really integrate very well. One was artists, one was meditators, and the other was activists, and he was, like, thanking Donald Trump because now they’re all in the same group. We’re basically confronting a very, very severe existential emergency with this situation, that I think people are beginning to comprehend in kind of waves.
AR: In the book you use Burning Man as an example to show how if society praises you for good behavior, like cleaning up your own trash for example, and if we praise each other for good behavior, we can start to rewire the conditioning that says it’s somebody else’s responsibility to ‘do the right thing.’
DP: I feel that what Burning Man reveals and why it was such an ‘aha’ moment for me is that our social nature is extremely malleable and changeable, and humans will conform like putty to whatever reward system presents itself. So, say you get laid by becoming a Neo-Nazi and hating on the Jews, a bunch of people will do that. If you have lots of lovers or one lover or whatever you need, as a result of being generous, altruistic, and sharing your gifts open heartedly, you’ll do more of that that.
AR: So how did things tilt so far to the extreme right?
DP: Unfortunately, the extreme right has managed to marshal a lot of collective intelligence by expert use the media system, whereas the progressive community has been much more slow and much less strategic and tactical.
There’s actually been a phenomenon of people on the coasts in LA and New York having greater freedoms, better lives, more opportunities, but we haven’t really taken care to transmit these benefits to the rest of society. And, rightfully in a sense, the rest of society realized they were just being shafted and got extremely angry. I think that theoretically, the more conscious we are of this, we have to bear the blame when things go this wrong.
AR: That’s a tough wake up call for people. If you’re living in light and love all the time, you don’t want to hear “hey, this is your fault, take responsibility, step up to the plate.”
DP: But this awareness is spreading rapidly right now. In a sense, what I am trying to show with the book is that the progressive mystical counter culture hasn’t done a good job of articulating the world that we want to bring into manifestation, beyond our individual process.
For example, let’s take The Beatles at their word: “All you need is love.” But how do you actually create a society centered around altruism and sharing and empathy, what does that look like? In the book I am pretty rigorous looking at this in terms of love and relationships, in terms of monetary systems, even questioning whether private property is good for us. I’m sure many people will disagree with some or many of my conclusions but that’s good. At least we have something to disagree about, which can lead to debate and innovation.
AR: I write about sexual healing quite a bit and you share an anecdote about the community, Tamera, in Portugal, that’s so moving—how a young man’s first lovemaking happens with all the group gathered around the house, celebrating and holding space for him. I cried. There is so much internalized sexual shame in our society. I grew up in Georgia in a very, very Christian space and I was totally shamed from a very young age. When I heard that story, I was able to envision people not “losing” their virginity, but embracing this as a rite of passage—leading to us totally flipping the way that we approach love and sex.
DP: One of the founders of Tamera in Portugal said that sexuality is a superpower that radiates throughout all different facets of society, and we can totally see that with this last election. We saw it with Trump and the grabbing of the pussy, Hillary and Bill Clinton, Roger Ailes who was the Fox News head who was taken down in a big sex scandal, and all of their connection to Jeffrey Epstein, the pedophile…
In a system where sexuality is oppressed, alpha male types seek power and wealth (versus creating a system that spreads wealth evenly) so they can have sexual access, you know? Since the sexual revolution of the 1960s, society is more open about sexuality, but it’s actually been reintegrated into a system of domination and control. So it becomes MTV Spring Break or Sex in The City, that type of vibe.
AR: Yes, those pop culture markers reveal that on one level we can “have sex” and “be sexy” but on another level it’s absolutely not okay as a culture to accept our sexual nature.
DP: Rupert Sheldrake writes about the idea of “morphogenic fields” or “morphic resonance”—that actually, when a small number of a species is able to fully discover or integrate something new it can become generally available to the collective sort of non-locally. So if there’s a small number of communities that have shifted into this different frequency of collective care and responsibility and kind of a truly liberated Eros, or attitude to love and sexuality, then that could really propagate quite quickly. I mean Neo-Nazism didn’t seem to exist two years ago…and now it’s all over the place. Or look at something like Facebook, and how quickly everybody began using it. Ultimately, I think it’s fully possible that positive shifts towards empathic and responsible social system could also happen rapidly.
Discover more about Daniel and his work at Pinchbeck.io. His new book, How Soon is Now: From Personal Initiation to Global Transformation
, is out February 20 2017.
NUMINOUS WEEKLY TAROTSCOPE: FEBRUARY 3—7
The Judgement card is “the reason for the season.” This week, it is an invitation to understand that there is no “other,” says Lindsay Mack…
THE NUMEROLOGY OF 12/12
The numerology of 12/12 is a portal to cultivate awareness of how we show up in relationships, says Felicia Bender…Artwork: Giulia Bersani
In Numerology, when we experience repeating number patterns it brings meaning and influence. It sets up a certain “vibe” or portal of energy from which to operate on a more evolved and optimal level.
The date 12/12 is no exception.
This combination is an intriguing mix because the energy of the 1 is focused on you—your independence and individuality. While the energy of the 2 brings in the need and desire for partnership, connection, and unity.
The numerology of 12/12 offers the energy to contemplate and make solid changes with how you show up for your relationships. And even if you’re resistant to making changes in this area, this number combination will force your hand. Often a transformation will be driven by forces you consider outside of your immediate control.
The numerology of 12/12 also offers a new start in some sort of relationship—or relationships—in your life. Business, intimate, family, or friends. 12/12 is bringing a frequency of change that focuses on relationships.
The number 1 is all about understanding your sense of yourself as an independent entity and the number 2 focuses on your relationship both with yourself and with others—so the numerology of 12/12 also has walks the path between yin and yang, masculine and feminine. And the harmonizing of the two within yourself and within your world.
So while this day offers a portal of energy encouraging dynamic transformation within one or more of your key relationships, it also reminds us to define healthy boundaries while also asking for and accepting the loving support of others. It’s a delicate balance to be sure, and yet a vital and expansive opportunity for us if we’re open to starting something new and different in the relationship realm.
:: 3 Ways to Optimize the Vibe of 12/12 ::
Get Real. As Dr. Phil might say: “And how’s that workin’ for ya’?” Ask yourself this question about your key relationships and lay yourself bare in your openness to the answer.
Take Action. The number 1 is not about contemplation, it thrives with action. Don’t think about it for too long. Forgo analysis paralysis and do what needs to be done.
Expose Your Heart. The number 2 is all about love, diplomacy, and emotional acuity. The danger is in folding yourself into others’ expectations and losing yourself in the process. So do evaluate your next move with love and compassion. Both toward yourself and toward others.
MARCH 2016 ECLIPSE SEASON: A TOTAL GUIDE
Eclipses are a time to surrender control. Get the scoop on the upcoming eclipse season, as Danielle Paige dives into their affect on your psyche. Artwork: Heather Heininge
The confusion, the pain, the sadness, the changes. The DIZZINESS. Welcome to Eclipse Season! The current cosmic energy is huge, and as a sensitive, energetic being it’s no surprise you’re feeling everything so deeply. But remember, this is just one way the Universe gets you to open up to a new way of life and a higher vibration – one you are being asked to rise to in order to be more in tune with your higher self and your soul’s purpose.
Eclipse Season occurs approximately twice a year, and has the potential to seriously ruffle some feathers. As a result, March is a huge month of change, as the Universe welcomes the new you to step forward. Your task, if you choose to accept it, is to let go of your ego control and breathe through the storm. Because you’re being called.
First, allow me to explain a little about the patterns and cycles in the sky and how they relate to us here on Earth.
It’s likely you’ve been feeling extra emotional since the end of February. February 22, 2016 to be exact. In so then good news, you’re right on track. The February 22 Virgo Full Moon was significant, because it was the closing act to the cosmic journey we’ve been on the past six months.
You see, approximately every six months we are subjected to a series of vibrational upgrades. We enter a new chapter of our soul’s story, this last one ushered in by the last Eclipse Season – in September 2015. The energy of each Eclipse Season spans this same six month period, leading us into the next chapter of our life – hence the energy of March 2016. A.k.a. the beginning of the NEXT chapter.
So if the Virgo Full Moon felt extra strong, it’s because it absolutely was! It was the last full moon of our previous collective chapter, and a finale to the energy of the September Eclipse Season. Look back over the past few months. How have you grown, what’s changed, and what lessons have you learned? Some will have been fun, others not so much. And now the Universe is about to push the reset button.
:: MARCH 8 SOLAR ECLIPSE ::
So, it’s March 2016 and we’ve officially entered a new eclipse season which starts off with a solar eclipse on March 8 at 18 degrees of Pisces. This energy is important for everyone even if you aren’t a Pisces sun sign because you all have Pisces in your birth chart and may have a planet at or around that degree.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon comes between the Earth and the Sun temporarily blocking the Sun’s light from reaching Earth. Because, in astrology, the Sun represents your conscious unfolding self, when it’s temporarily blocked we get a fresh start, often because something in your life changes – is “eclipsed.” You will all feel an eclipse; however, the strength of it always goes back to the activity in your personal birth chart.
When an eclipse activates a planet in your birth chart it means it’s time to use the energy of that planet in a new way. The thing with eclipse energy is the change is not always rational and logical. Most often it’s in a way that forces change in your life, as it’s here to push you to adjust to a new way of living.
It’s important to note that not all change is negative – but it is all necessary! Amazing events can happen during eclipses. I know a girl who is releasing her new book, another that won an award, and people can get engaged and married around eclipses because all these events are pushing you to the next chapter of your life.
The March 8 solar eclipse ushers in a new celestial chapter for everyone. Whatever happened the last six months is behind you now- and as we draw nearer, a new story is about to unfold.
This is where the magic begins, and which will then bleed into the coming months…
Eclipse energy is most active 7-10 days before and/or after the eclipse date and can start about a month before as well. But remember, don’t look for something to happen exactly on March 8. It can, however, events usually occur as we’re approaching the exact eclipse date.
In summary, this solar eclipse is the birth of something new. What will it bring in for you? Well that depends on your soul contract and how it’s activating your chart, however, the reset button will be pressed for everyone.
***
:: MARCH 23 LUNAR ECLIPSE ::
A solar eclipse is always followed two weeks later by a Lunar Eclipse. During a Lunar Eclipse, the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon blocking the Sun’s light from reflecting on the Moon.
This can be a very emotional time. The moon rules our emotions, so when she’s eclipsed she temporarily has no mirror to reflect the Sun’s light and as energetic beings we are also synchronistically cut off from our “power supply” and reintroduced to our shadow side.
This is a time when your unconscious takes center stage, and you can tap into a side of yourself that you’ve pushed down for some time. As a highly sensitive person, you can feel this shift in energy with every ounce of your being, as if you’re being asked to find your way in the “dark.”
Those suppressed emotions, the crap you thought you got rid of long ago – nope, still there! Deep fears, deep pain, deep wounds…this is heavy Scorpio territory – all things hidden that must be transformed for your evolution. But don’t worry – what’s happening is you’re clearing your emotional body of toxic emotions a.k.a. cleaning house! (Yes, once again…I know!)
As you can see, the energy of a lunar eclipse can stir an internal crisis (which is also often caused by external sources, especially relationships, which act as a mirror); and this often brings confusion, doubt, and panic to a head. All of this is designed to spur a conclusion, culmination, ending, or decision of something in your life.
Where and how this plays out will be different for everyone as it depends, again, on where the eclipse point is activated in your birth chart. If you don’t know, no need to worry, simply listen to your intuition and trust that you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.
This season’s lunar eclipse occurs on March 23 at 3 degrees of Libra. Note: The Lunar Eclipse on September 27 2015 was at 4 degrees of Aries which is the opposite sign of Libra. This means that themes could repeat themselves; however, the energy is new and will manifest differently. Less anger (Aries) and more cooperation (Libra).
***
:: MOVING FORWARD ::
In between these two fated celestial events (solar and lunar eclipse) is a magic window of change. Just as the ground shifts during an earthquake so too does the energy in your life. During the process it’s not uncommon for things to get messy. Give it time as you are breaking out of old patterns and new energy is coming in.
The energy of this eclipse season will continue to unfold until September 2016, as you continue to evolve as well, and at which time we will enter the NEXT round of eclipses. Or, as I like to call them, upgrades from the Universe.
Remember, there’s nothing to fear or anticipate. One of the main spiritual lessons of eclipse season is to surrender control – because truthfully, none of us have control over life events, only how we choose to react to them.
This article should only be used as a guide to help you understand the larger cosmic forces at work. The universe is not out to get you, it’s simply connecting the dots and speeding up events on your evolving soul journey based on your karmic contract and your free will. All eclipse related activity is destined and connected to your spiritual growth and higher purpose.
So breathe deeply. You’re not going crazy, you’re not losing your mind. Yes, you may be extra emotional right now and throughout the month of March, however, your true soul desires are being answered even if it doesn’t always look like it from your human perspective. Though if you look up and within you’ll see the patterns in the sky connecting to the patterns in your heart.
Many blessings to you, sweet child. You’re surrounded by angels, please call upon them for assistance if need be. The Universe is conspiring in your favor.
COMFORTABLY NUMB: WHY ARE WE ALL AFRAID TO FEEL?
Dry January opened my eyes to how I’ve been comfortably numb, so this year I’m committing to feeling it and healing it, says Kate Atkinson.
‘Hello, is there anybody in there? Just nod if you can hear me.” Ringing an opiate bell in your psyche? If you’re a borderline millennial like me, you’re shamefully more likely to recall the Scissor Sisters version before the much more pleasant, sedate and, well, numbing, Pink Floyd original of the track “Comfortably Numb.”
But this song bears a special significance in my world right now. Having completed my first ever dry January I, like I suspect many Instagramming, Malbec-drinking, Bumble-ing, Happn-ing global citizens, have realized to what extent I’ve been moving through my life in a similarly cozy but numbed-out state.
The Oxford Dictionary defines “numb” as depriving us of the power of sensation. So to do so in any capacity means more or less living and feeling at a fraction of our capabilities. Or in Numi speak: “vibing at a lower frequency.” By CHOICE. How depressing is that?
And it’s not just the booze. NYC might be a cultural smorgasbord, but it also offers ready access to all the compulsions that can take you down a rabbit hole of distraction and, eventually, longing.
Rather than dealing with our shit, we drink. Opposed to being alone, we over engage on social media (no wonder “Digital Addiction” has become an actual “thing”). Others get high on the rush of success and pepped on promotion. There’s addiction to substances, of course – legal medications, essential oils, cocaine. Addiction to online dating. Addiction to people. Addiction to pizza. Addiction to tattoos. Addiction to solitude. Addiction to sex.
The list is endless, and the more you get to thinking about it, the more it feels like anything can become an obsession when you’d rather numb-out than feel…and deal. Then there’s the replacement of one addiction with another. Partying for yoga. Work for a relationship…and so it goes.
Without booze to cloud this revelation, I’ve only become more aware of back-to-back evenings of time wasting on Facebook; the getting obliterated after a bad day at work; the 18 nights a month I eat pizza. And many more obsessions I don’t care to list in a public forum.
And I’ve decided this is no way to live. Along with this newfound awareness, I’ve realized how sick I am of the “terrifying Tuesdays,” the hours spent staring at my phone, of saying I’ll do things I never do, and spending my precious hours on mind numbing, opposed to mind-expanding activities.
So what’s the alternative? Bottom line is it’s tough to to feel the full spectrum of your emotions. It is hard to stay at home and sit with your loneliness, when grappling with an overwhelming desire to put it all behind you, just for one night.
Personally, that social itch and need to be surrounded by others is a compulsive distraction, and when I obey it and ignore my calmer (and undoubtedly more vulnerable) intuition, generally the more disasters head my way. The thing with numbing is it becomes a cycle. Drink too much. Make bad dating decisions. Attack your liver again with Advil. Waste $40 on breakfast. And so it goes.
With this in mind, I’m accepting you have to “feel it to heal it” – which means, for now at least, I am committing to a time of being UN-NUMB. And what this will entail exactly I don’t know, since I’ve been living comfortably numb for well over a decade.
Nonetheless, I want to commit to it this year. I have no idea what I’m doing – and already I’m finding myself interested in activities I would have laughed at this time last year. So welcome to my blank canvas of withdrawal…which right now seems to be manifesting into this column.
Signing off until next time, with one of my favorite quotes from Anais Ninn:
“You live like this, sheltered, in a delicate world, and you believe you are living. Then you read a book…or you take a trip…and you discover that you are not living, that you are hibernating.
The symptoms of hibernating are easily detectable: first, restlessness. The second symptom (when hibernating becomes dangerous and might degenerate into death): absence of pleasure. That is all. It appears like an innocuous illness. Monotony, boredom, death.
Millions live like this (or die like this) without knowing it. They work in offices. They drive a car. They picnic with their families. They raise children. And then some shock treatment takes place, a person, a book, a song, and it awakens them and saves them from death. Some never awaken.”
BEHIND THE VEIL: A HALLOWEEN RITUAL BATH
Amplify your psychic protection with this bath time Halloween ritual, says Deborah Hanekamp. Images: Zsuzsanna Dofka via Behance.net
As we enter the season of the winds, the veil between the spiritual worlds becomes thin. A time of strong psychic awareness, we open to valuable teachings from Great Spirit and our personal intuition. Energetically charged people and places, as well as lingering spirits, also become very apparent to the spiritually sensitive. For this reason, now is a time to work with extra psychic protection.
Dear One, understand this; the highest form of protection is awareness. And that love is the vehicle to awareness; become more loving, become more aware. Fear is the opposite of love, fear distracts us. But if in the midst of fear we can use our breath to go back to love and awareness, we are already so protected.
The below Halloween ritual bath and practices are tools to strengthen our connection to love, to awareness, and therefore protect us as we journey into winter.
:: THIN VEIL ESSENTIALS ::
- Black Tourmaline, a crystal of high psychic protection, is invaluable during this time. Carry a small piece in your pocket or as a piece of jewelry. Sleep with Black Tourmaline under your pillow to protect your dream body.
- Rosemary carries the protection of the divine feminine. Wear a drop of Rosemary essential oil on the crown of your head, and she will protect with the awareness of a mother wolf.
- Connect to nature. Offer tobacco or white sage to a tree, stand barefoot on the roots and hold your back body to the tree. As your feet connect to tree’s spirit release any charged psychic energy you are holding through your feet, asking the earth to transform that energy into love.
:: RITUAL BATH FOR PSYCHIC PROTECTION ::
Ingredients
1 cup of Epsom Salt
4 cups of Nettles Tea infusion
1 tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar
A few drops of Rosemary essential oil
A few drops of Rose Water or Rose Absolute Essential Oil
Crystals
Fluorite, Quartz, Citrine and Black Tourmaline
Add all ingredients to a bath of water as hot as you can stand.
Ritual
Light candles around the bath
Smudge your self by burning white sage and cedar around your body, wafting the smoke towards you with a feather
Step into the bath
Take three deep cleansing breaths
Place a candle directly in front of you and stare into the flame without blinking for five minutes. Let the flame clear your mind and bring you into psychic awareness
Dunk your head under the water
Place the Quartz crystal under you at the back of your heart, place the citrine on your solar plexus, hold the Fluorite in your left hand and the Black Tourmaline in your right
Chant the sound “Aum” (Om) at least three times
Soak in and enjoy the protective energy you’ve created
HOW TO WORK WITH EACH MOON PHASE
Symbolizing every step of the creative process, learning how to work with each Moon Phase will help you birth your deepest desires, says Hannah Ariel.
Every month we have the opportunity to creatively attune our awareness of our intentions to the rhythm of the lunation cycle. The Moon moves through time and space like a meditative mind in relation to the light of the Sun. When we steadily and willfully accompany this odyssey, we begin to see our potential manifest in a new light. We begin to live in a reality more closely related to the visions being illuminated in our mind as we see them through, every step of the way.
As the Moon changes its position to the Sun every day, a universal process of dynamic growth is being reflected here on earth. This means that every time we look to the sky upholding our dreams, symbolically we can see how much is possible – how much energy is available for us on a daily basis, so long as we maintain an awareness of this interplay. Every time we set an intention, by aligning our energy with the Moon our manifestation skills are sharpened, and we come that much closer to living out our most impactful prospects.
Approximately every 30 days, whether we choose to recognize and intentionally work with the energy or not, we all take a journey on Earth. Between the Sun and the Moon, between the unconscious and conscious worlds, the seen and the unseen, we birth new realities each month. There is a poetry contained within every lunation phase. There is a map for us to observe and subjectively identify with. Here’s how to work with each Moon Phase to let it guide the unfolding of your intentions…
:: FIRST QUARTER ::
When the Moon reaches its first quarter phase, it faces us at a 90 degree angle appearing half full, half illuminated, and half in shadow. We are beginning to see what it will take for our intentions to come to fruition and can sense the creative tension of the process. The first quarter is a rite of passage that vitalizes our awareness to take action, take initiation, put or intentions to work. Often a sense of outrageous courage begins to build as we wish to release our will into the world. This is also a time to engage in community, have conversation with those around you and begin to vocalize your intentions. Through action or conversation, is time to literally “get a reaction” in order to gain more insight into the dynamics of the world around you. Allow yourself to relate to what is taking place outside of you and acknowledge that there is a container out there for you to take considerably effective action.
:: FULL MOON ::
When the moon is full, it is aligned between the earth and sun where sun’s light is shining on to the moon leaving the illuminated side to face us as the shadow remains hidden in plain view. As the light is shone upon the moon we are shown there is another side to what we have intended, all we have thought of, real or imagined comes to the surface. Our consciousness expands into full bloom and we feel all the implications of our intention. All impressions are gathered and at a heightened frequency we realize whether or not our understanding as a whole fulfills us or not. It can be a time of brilliant clarity when we grow even closer to ourselves and deepen our self-understanding. Everything that takes place during a full moon reflects the accompanying reality of our intentions and points the way to realizing their power. Full moons can show us things have yet to see for ourselves.
:: THIRD QUARTER MOON ::
When the moon is at its third quarter phase it faces us at a 90 degree angle appearing half full again, while the sun rises, half in shadow and half illuminated. As the sun rises, unusual revelations dawn on us. We integrate with an expanded awareness, how we have been affected by the intentions we began to put out at the new moon; how they have been received. We are given time to process what has come to light and internalize the heart of the matter. We can interpret events around this time as “frustrating” when really we are truly trying for a solution. During a third quarter moon the time has come to either break down preconceptions that were not helping us fulfill our intentions or further crystalize ideas that have helped us take responsibility and have enhanced out ability to carry out our wishes and sense of purpose.
:: DARK MOON ::
The period right before the moon is new again, where there is no solar reflection and the moon passes through the zodiac constellation where the last new moon takes place we have what is referred to as a dark moon period. We have seen all there was to see no we must sense what remains, what will come before us in the next cycle. There is much mythology surrounding this particular phase. In India this phase of the moon is associated with the goddess Kali, black one and force of time. It is said when we are the most psychic and connected to the subtle worlds that whisper to us both our highest inspirations and our deepest subconscious fears ultimately allowing us to cut straight to the point of what remains. It is an incredible time to go within and observe what comes up within you as these are the secrets that will help shape your next moon intention.
:: NEW MOON ::
When the moon is new it is aligned between the earth and the sun in such a way that we cannot see what is illuminated from the other side. With a mysterious sense of new beginnings taking place this is a prime time to set an intention as we say, plant a seed; allow for a creative impulse to arise from the depths of a visualization or meditation practice. Whether you write it down or repeat it like a mantra, the idea here is to get it up and out; bring it to your attention and focus in on the potential. The slate has been cleared so to speak. We can breathe deep as the creative process begins. A certain universal positivity can be restored as we remember how life continues to give us space to move into uncharted territory. It is a time to live through the powerful imaginative forces of nature and intuitively grasp up for possibilities of what is to come.
Hannah Ariel is also available for Moon Phase readings – depending on which phase the Moon was in at the time of birth can help uncover a person’s natural born instinctual approach to problem solving. Contact her at: [email protected]
NEW YEAR, NU YOU: DEVELOP YOUR PSYCHIC ABILITIES.
We all have access to the sixth sense – so will this be the year you work on developing your intuition? Doing so could be key to creating a life that’s aligned with your highest purpose in 2014. Ruby Warrington reports on a growing trend.
When I interviewed Alexa Chung for the UK Sunday Times at the end of the summer last year, she told me a few stories about what she felt were her natural psychic abilities. Like the notebook she’d found recently in which she’d written, aged 16; “I’m going to be a TV presenter, but I don’t want to be.” About how when she first walked into her apartment in NYC’s East Village, a voice in her head told her; “I live here,” and how she often has to ask people what’s up “because I can feel all their shit, and it’s like ‘you have to tell me what’s going on because it’s killing my mind!’”
There was also a recurring pre-cognitive dream (where you dream something and then it happens) about escaping the 2006 Tsunami in Thailand. She described how, as events were unfolding, she thought she was having the dream again – only to realise that it was actually happening. A double Scorpio with Pisces ascendant, Alexa’s chart shows something of a natural mystic – but actually, haven’t we all had similar experiences? Isn’t everybody “psychic” to some extent?
Yes, says Louise Androlia, the gifted intuitive responsible for our monthly Tarotscopes. “The 6th sense is for us all – in fact we’re all very tuned in as kids. Having had an imaginary friend or pet as a child is a classic example of somebody just being very energetically sensitive. I think whether this carries on into adulthood just depends on the rate we forget.” Lisa Rosman, a Brooklyn based intuitive, agrees; “it’s our natural birth right to be able to tune in on deep levels to each other as well as what yogis call the ‘divine intelligence’ of the universe. But the less we have to communicate on that level, the less we do.”
She believes our reliance on modern devices – from computers to clocks – is partly to blame. “Rather than merely using cell phones or the Internet as shortcuts, we’ve been using them as a substitute to true communion with ourselves and each other. And yet in our dreams and disorders our deeper wisdom is still, always, clamoring to be heard.”
So will 2014 be the year you work on developing your psychic abilities? Betsy Cohen, a.k.a. Psychic Betsy, hopes so. This month she launches a six-week course titled Trust Yourself: Intuitive Development through Awareness, designed to “help you become your own psychic. The whole class is centered around the fact that your body is an instrument through which your soul speaks.” The goal, rather than learning how to read for other people; “is about learning to trust your own higher voice, because if you want to create anything – abundance, good health, relationships – it’s about bringing that awareness and taking action from the inside out.”
We’ve all said it a million times; I should have listened to my gut. When I attended a psychic development workshop last year, the tutor pointed out that; “often the only time we know our intuition was right is when we don’t listen to it and everything goes wrong.” And, as Lisa puts it; “Really, what I do is direct my clients to who they truly are – where they’ve been and where they’re going; what their natural strengths and challenges are – so they can step on a path that really works for them.”
With even the Mail Online reporting on the rebranding of psychics to “intuitive therapists,” the idea of tapping into our own inner knowing is very much in the zeitgeist. “The conversations about psychic ability now are all about healing ourselves and helping others,” says Louise. “The idea that it’s about predicting the future is very outmoded, and not at all productive because the future is totally fluid anyway.” The point of attending a class says Betsy, “is about getting confirmation in a group setting that what you think you’re hearing, seeing or feeling is valid. It’s about building your confidence, so that outside of class you’re more likely to trust yourself.” I had a taster of this when I attended the weekly Willamsburg Spirit Séance Betsy hosts each Thursday – where she explained to the group how messages from spirit might appear to us, and encouraged us to share anything that came through.
Louise studied Psychic Development and then Tarot at the College for Psychic Studies in London. Founded in 1884 to facilitate formal investigation into the psychic and mediumistic phenomena that were such a topic of debate in the Victoria era, far from a real life Hogwarts, she describes the collage and her fellow students as; “as ‘normal’ as it gets. People expect me to say that it was full of women in cloaks, but as a lingerie designer I was definitely the most ‘crazy’ person there.” Instead, she was surrounded by “teachers, social workers, GPs, accountants. A group of amazing people aged 25 to 75.”
That the idea we can all tune in to a higher power and affect each other’s energy with our minds alone should seem in any way weird, is baffling to Louise. “The fact we live on a gigantic living, breathing circular mass, in a totally infinite and pretty much unknown space surrounded by other planets and moons is actually the most ridiculous thing I can think of! The idea of being skeptical of ANYTHING is so odd to me, since the fact we even exist is so bonkers. So why not learn about the energy that’s around us and allow it to help us?”
Numinously put, but still, many people shy away from delving into their psychic or intuitive abilities – “mainly because they’re afraid to look inside themselves,” says Betsy. Alexa Chung even joked that; “if you spend enough time with me, it is creepy” – but that’s because, as Betsy points out; “We’re all afraid of dark places. I was scared of my abilities in the beginning, but going to classes myself was like getting headlights, so I could actually see the road I knew was in front of me. And driving in the dark is not a good idea!”
The idea of encountering ‘evil’ spirits or visions of horrific future events can also deter people from tuning in; “but it’s all about intention. Are there darker forces? Absolutely. But you’ll only attract them to you if you’re fearful of them. I always think about Cesar Millan, the dog whisperer, and how he can transform a dog’s energy with his energy, which is always calm and assertive. It’s about a shift in thinking towards; ‘I have the power’. Which, in the spirit world, we always do.”
And owning this power can be key to affecting positive change – both in your own life, and the wider world. “We can feel very helpless in the face of events that are seemingly out of our control, from the people we’re dating to the fact we can’t exactly write to President Obama and tell him to take all our troops out of Afghanistan,” says Betsy. “But by taking responsibility for our own lives, based on what we know is for our highest good, we’re automatically empowered and actually in a position to change the world in one of the only ways we can.”
http://vimeo.com/81863053
Psychic Betsy’s six-week class, Trust Yourself: Intuitive Development through Awareness, begins January 11 in New York City. For more information click here.
@PsychicBetsy
HOW PSYCHIC ARE YOU?
Louise Androlia shares five ways your soul may already be speaking to you.
- Smell – Have you ever suddenly had the scent of, for example, your grandmother’s perfume waft into a space? This is called “clairolfaction,” and is a way of connecting to people who have passed.
- Knowing that someone is about to call before they do – This is you being tuned into the energy of friends and family, so you have just picked up their intention.
- Collecting a mood or feeling from a person or a space – This is an example again of being tuned into a person’s energy, which is all a psychic ability is. When you feel sad because your friend is, that’s a perfect example of ‘tapping in.’
- The ‘gut’ feeling – This is your intuition, or your inner voice, at work. When you really know that you ‘know’ something, it’s the energy of the Universe that is outside of you and inside of you.
- Songs – Often when you get a song in your head from nowhere, it’s a useful gift – making a point of listening to the lyrics often gives you a useful message that you needed.
