Seem like everybody is deep in Burning Man prep? I’m getting ready for next week’s super intense Virgo New Moon Eclipse… Club SÖDA NYCimages: Katrin Albert
:: MONDAY :: A reiki session with Jessica Brodkin—an energy healer I met recently who used to work for the CIA, and does stand-up comedy on the side. My kinda Material / Mystical gal! And as well laying like a TON of crystals on me (including a perfectly clear quartz Ganesh on my second chakra), what I loved about the way Jessica works is that she also provided a running commentary about what was going on. I really love the concept of reiki—a mystical healing energy that we can all learn how to channel? Yes please!—but since the effects are so subtle I can often leave a session wondering, did anything just happen?!
But as Jessica got my chakras spinning (fave takeaway: “I’m not sure how to describe this except to say your sacral chakra is now looking on fleek”), she also spoke highly intuitively about issues I’m currently facing, gave a cool book recommendation, suggested some crystals for me to work with, and helped me say a forgiveness prayer. Overall, I left feeling like I’d had a total energetic tune-up. Find out more about Jessica and book a session at Loveandlightservices.com
:: TUESDAY ::
Club SÖDA NYC! Biet Simkin and I had an amazing turn-out for our second big Soda event, which (of course) we had timed specifically to coincide with the Sun’s move into Virgo—sign of health, wellbeing, and service. This is the month to really connect to the concept of how a healthy body and mind allows us to most efficiently show up and do our dharma. And, as we head towards next Thursday’s Virgo New Moon, now is the perfect time to let any and all unhealthy habits (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual!) just fall way.
The 9/1 New Moon is also a solar eclipse AND Mercury will have just gone retrograde. Add in a formidable T-square (the Moon, Sun, Mercury and North Node in Virgo will square Mars and Saturn in Sag, and oppose Neptune in Pisces) we are talking some intensely karmic and unpredictable REBIRTH energy out there. I for one intend to be clean and clear and fully on my A-game!
More Club SÖDA NYC vibes: a.k.a. how it feels to get high on your own supply
:: WEDNESDAY :: Some of my most mystical moments are found in the experience of deep, soul connection with my fellow humans. Doesn’t it feel like MAGIC when that chemistry happens? In love, at work, and in our most precious friendships. I took two hours out for lunch today with a friend who makes me feel that way—and time stopped, the cosmos aligned, and it fed me more than a thousand hours of reiki. Heaven on earth.
:: THURSDAY :: OMG. Got news that Cara Delevigne and her sister Poppy have ordered two of our Vinyasa sweatshirts to take to Burning Man. That is all.
:: FRIDAY :: In fact, for all you Burners out there, may I point you in the direction of some Numinous reading for your journey to the Playa. See you there next year!
Discover the truth about you and booze at Sex, Lies & Alcohol…our next Club SÖDA NYC event with Biet Simkin and special guest Betsy LeFae.
Found on Pinterest
“Sober isn’t lame. Sober is brazen, hilarious, kingly, free; Sober is a spiritual quest riddled with madness, authenticity, and true love.” The Sober Life
What are the stories you tell yourself about booze? About why you drink, when you drink, and what people will think if you don’t? About how alcohol makes you feel? About the role drinking plays in your friendships, your career, your dating life, and in the bedroom?
Our collective myths around drinking are ancient, worn smooth like old money. Learned from watching our parents drink, our peers at college drink; from how they drink in books and movies, from Cosmos in Sex and The City. New York is a drinkers town, right? Work hard, play hard. Alcohol a stimulant, a way to relax, a marker of sophistication, of camaraderie, the key to connection in a crazy world.
But what if some of the stuff what we thought we knew about booze, some of the stories we just swallowed, was a lie? What if we were actually more confident, more relaxed, funnier, sexier, and a better friend…sober?
Sex, Lies & Alcohol, the next Club SÖDA NYC event from The Numinous and Guided By Biet, will begin with a group discussion to debunk some of our most deeply ingrained drinking myths—including one of the big ones: that you have to drink when you date, and that sober sex lacks passion.
Celebrated meditation coach Biet Simkin will then share her favorite sober flirting techniques, before bringing the group together with her signature Center of the Cyclone meditation experience.
To finish, intuitive coach Betsy LeFae will guide us through some simple exercises to help us tune in to the voice of our intuition, of our TRUTH, to help us navigate beyond the half-truths we harbor around booze—leaving us free to approach our future drinking choices with more clarity, confidence and integrity.
Refreshments will be served.
Sex, Lies & Alcohol, will be held in NYC on August 23 2016. Click here for details and tickets, and sign up for our newsletter to see how the conversation unfolds.
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ABOUT Club SÖDA NYC
Club SÖDA NYC is a social experiment from The Numinous and Guided By Biet—a new space for the sober curious to investigate just how good life can get when we re-frame our relationship with alcohol. Far from “boring”, what if choosing a more sober life meant being “high” all the time?
This might not mean total abstinence from alcohol, either. The power of positive drinking can be a beautiful thing. A sacrament, even. But an occasional cocktail to celebrate life can also be a slippery slope into the kind of habitual drinking that becomes a substitute for sustained, self-generated joy; that dulls our awareness; that only exacerbates feelings of anxiety and emptiness; and that ultimately separates us from a true sense of self.
A series of meet-ups, talks, workshops, and other events, Club SÖDA NYC could be for you if:
– You drink to feel good, but it often leaves you feeling worse
– You want to drink less, but think this will mean the end of your social life
– You want to drink less, but think this will mean the end of DATING
– You want to cultivate a healthier relationship with booze
– You want to attend high-end, high-vibe events where alcohol is off the menu
– You love how good life feels when you don’t drink, and want to connect with other people who’ve discovered this too
– You want to experience getting crazy high on your own supply
And a caveat: Club SÖDA NYC is NOT an addiction recovery program – although it may be a stepping stone to AA for some people. If you think you might need a higher level of support to address a drinking problem that’s negatively impacting your life, or in dealing with any underlying emotional issues that may be part of this, we also have the resources to connect you with people who can help.
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ABOUT BETSY LEFAE
Intuition Coach Betsy LeFae holds a BA in psychology and has nearly two decades of combined experience in social work and intuitive consulting. An expert educator in intuitive development, she teaches that our body is the tool through which we can learn to hear the messages constantly streaming from our intuition and, as a facilitator of the mind-body connection, how maintaining regular practices is an effective way to keep the channel clear. She has been featured on Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, NPR, Vice and Refinery 29, and was named one of the top psychic mediums in New York City by Time Out New York.
All Hallows Eve is about more than slutty costumes and tequila shots. Here, our favorite modern mystics share their ideas for a super spiritual Halloween… Illustrations: Natalie Shau
Oh, wait…what if Halloween wasn’t just about dressing up as a slutty ghost and getting slammed on tequila shots? What if it were actually an ancient Pagan celebration to recognise the passing of souls, at a time when the veil between the two worlds is at its thinnest? Hmmm…
The way I’ve come to see it, there are two ways to get down and party with the concept of death. Laugh in its face (ridiculous costumes, booty shakin’ to Black Widow, copious amounts of alcohol), or look it calmly in the face and accept what you see.
Last year I chose option two. Dressed head-to-toe in non-costume black, I attended a séance on All Hallows Eve. The messages that came through for people were all supportive and loving, and afterwards we enjoyed a silent (pot-luck, mainly vegan) supper with our deceased ancestors.
Here, some of our favorite modern mystics share their ideas for a super spiritual Halloween. May the most fabulous phantoms be with you…
Halloween is the time when the veils between the worlds are the thinnest, making it an ideal time for you to simply sit quietly and connect with your ancestors. Find some time to yourself on Friday to tune in.
To get into the right energy and to make sure you stay safe, I recommend you clear and protect your energy first. Now turn off all electronics and light a candle.
Using your imagination and all five senses, your ancestors will speak to you through symbols, so be sure to have a pen and paper nearby to record any psychic impressions that come through for you to be interpreted later. When it comes to deciphering the messages in these symbols, trust your intuitive voice – and focus on the feeling associated with what you saw, felt, smelt or heard.
To honour this step forward into the darker part of the year, perform this simple and insightful Four Card Tarot/Oracle reading to honour your own shadow side.
Card 1: What aspect of my shadow self needs some light shining upon it right now? Card 2: What is holding me back from moving forwards? Card 3: What actions will help me nurture and explore this aspect of myself? Card 4: What secret message does my inner soul system have for me?
:: FROM INTUITIVE COACH AND ELEMENTAL REALMS EXPERT MADELINE GILES ::
In my opinion, animals are the bridge between heaven and earth, and thus act as messengers on behalf of Spirit. The below ritual is one of my favorite ways to intentionally ask for answers and see physical evidence of receiving guidance. Do not underestimate the simplicity of this exercise, it can produce many miracles as long as you are willing to trust and allow your intuition to take charge.
1. Prepare for a walk. Before you head out (or you can do this outside), center yourself by taking long, deep breaths. Call upon Divine source/angels/your guides/whatever resonates and the animal kingdom. Set an intention to receive a message, answer and/or sign from an animal who can help you with a particular situation for the highest good of all concerned.
2. Be Fully Present in your walk. That means no headphones, iPod, or cell phone. Really BE with each moment. Pay attention to the animals and insects you pass en route and assess your feelings about them. When you sense a true resonance with a particular animal or insect, accept that animal as your messenger.
(Note: you do not need to see the animal in flesh. If you spot an animal on a t-shirt, billboard, photograph, etc. – honor that. The animal is equally valid no matter the form it shows up in. This is why it’s extra important to pay attention!)
3. Once you’ve met your animal, ask what message it has for you and notice the initial feelings, impressions, and/or words you hear. Really feel into what this animal wishes to communicate to you before looking it up in a book or online. What feels true to you takes precedence over what anyone else says, including experts.
4. Express gratitude and continue to pay attention over the next three days. You can further synthesize this process by tracking your experience in a journal.
:: FROM PSYCHIC AND SPIRITUAL COACH TODD SAVVAS ::
Many people forget that Samhain, All Hallows eve and Halloween (and all variations of) can be used to express your other archetypal natures. Yes, many people express that as being a ‘sexy kitty’ or a ‘slutty nurse’. But why not try meditating for a moment on what your soul truly wants to express instead? This will reveal aspects of your self that want to reveal their power as the doorway of Halloween opens.
For example: perhaps you feel as if this year has been all about endings and new beginnings. You’ve left a job or a relationship, and come to some realisations about yourself in the process. You can call on the power of rebirth and transformation to honour and solidify this, by dressing as something that symbolises, signifies or represents transformation – like a phoenix. After all, the true Magickian owns their every action as an opportunity to shape the forces of the universe.
I suggest running a hot bath, adding some delicious lavender Epsom salts, essential oils and some of my TLC Healing Remedy. Add a rose crystal and some rose petals. Light some candles and put them all around the bath and bathroom.
Lying in this special bath, meditate on your own death, the celebration of passing to the next life and the beauty of life and death. What would people say at your funeral? What you could be doing with your life now to create an epitaph that reflects the impression you’d like to leave in this world?
Meditate on your ancestors and on all lost souls and send them light and love. Send this all over the world. To end your meditation, spend a few moments in simple gratitude for all you have in this life now, for breath and for love.
The short video below introduces the basics of Custom Altar Design – i.e. how to create an altar for Halloween that’s specific to what you want to manifest in your life at this auspicious time.
Betsy Cohen, a regular contributor to The Daily Love, is New York’s hippest psychic medium. She shares the story of her psychic awakening and tells how working with her gift has helped make a profound diference in the lives of others.
“I’ve always known I was a little different. As a child, my older siblings encouraged me to be as weird as possible. “How about I put jelly on this meatball?” I’d say. “Yes, Betsy, that’s a great idea!” But I also remember holding hands with angels at age four. When I was seven I had an experience of knowing ahead of time that someone was going to die. And at nine, my bedroom was moved upstairs and I began hearing footsteps coming up the stairs every night. When I would look out the bedroom door, no one was there. At the time I was unaware of how “different” these experiences were, and so I never shared them. I thought they were normal.
