:: MONDAY :: Got interviewed by badass yogi Guru Jagat for her RaMa Radio show “Reality Riffing,” which was really kinda cool because usually I’m the one interviewing people! And luckily the moon was in Gemini and I was feeling extra chatty. We got through a bunch of stuff about spiritual activism, walking the wellness talk, and how “being in a human body feels like walking a tightrope right now” (her metaphor, but who isn’t feeling this one??). But guess what? Maybe the tightrope is the only way across the abyss. In which case, let’s keep calm, clear, centered, and never quit cheering each other on. You can listen to the full interview here.
:: TUESDAY :: First virtual Full Moon ritual for our Moon Club members, and we had people attend from Belfast in Ireland, Toronto, London, Mexico, and all over the United States. YES, this community is global! Since this week’s Gemini Full Moon was the last full moon of 2016, it has felt like a good week to take stock of a year that has brought so many harsh lessons, so much anguish (the tightrope, remember?), and, as a result, such tremendous opportunity for growth. What have you been through this year, and who have you become? This was the theme of Alexandra Roxo’s moving guided meditation, in which we journeyed to meet the different “selves” of 2016, and ask for their lessons, and their blessings. Intrigued? New members can access a recording of the session via the private Moon Club Facebook group any time you sign up.
:: WEDNESDAY :: Finalizing details for Club SÖDA NYC, the new name for my “sober curious” Club Soda events—which I am bringing to London on January 11 due to popular demand! And speaking of previous selves…when I left my home town five years ago for a new life in NYC, I was a full-on party girl, using alcohol and other drugs as a way to bridge the fulfillment gap (the abyss…?) that has since been bridged by creating The Numinous, and all the offshoot projects of this platform. London is also the kind of town where saying you don’t drink is often met with eye rolls and extreme pressure to “just have one,” followed by intense gossiping about how you must be a) in AA, or b) pregnant.
So to say I’m apprehensive about how my new attitude to booze will go down, is kind of an understatement. But it seems that even in the UK, the conversation is changing. Ever since I announced the launch of Club Soda on this side of the pond, I have received messages from Brits asking me to bring the events to the UK—”because we really need something like this.” Not to mention loads of newly sober (and sober curious) friends offering to help me stage a London event. Which means…it’s happening! Read more and get your ticket here.
:: THURSDAY :: New sweatshirts, new sweatshirts! A couple of months back, Urban Yogis co-founder Eddie Stern approached me with the idea of creating a limited edition print of his Broome St. Temple tees (worn by people like, oh, Russell Brand and MADONNA). The Temple was Eddie’s iconic ashtanga studio in Soho, which he vacated earlier this year to set up the equally beautiful Brooklyn Yoga Club—the tees a riff on the logo for punk band The Ramones. Our version? Went went kinda glam with gold foil! As with our Chakra and Vinyasa shirts, a percentage of proceeds will go to the Urban Yogis, to help fund the amazing work they do bringing peace to marginalized communities in the city. You can check them out and shop the collection here.
:: FRIDAY :: And speaking of Madonna, if you didn’t already then please, please watch her acceptance speech for the Billboard Woman of The Year award she collected this week. So many truths, such powerful vulnerability, and what a fearless statement about the need for true sisterhood. But above all a reminder, fitting in the final days of 2016, that: “in life there is no real safety, except self-belief.” The tightrope is real. You’d better believe.
When it comes to astrology for entrepreneurs, it’s about knowing your cosmic career signature—and following a few hard and fast rules, says Rebecca Gordon…
Found on Pinterest
I grew up learning astrology with my step-mother, and I simply could not get enough. As soon as I opened my first book on the subject, I knew that this was going to change my life in a profound way. Here was a timeless and symbolic language that seemed to describe all the happenings in our lives.
Astrology occupies such a sacred space, the space where the cosmos meets the soul and inner-psyche. I simply could not think of anything better to do with my life than to decode the wonderfully poetic language of our skies and use it to help others align with their own life-path.
Since launching my subsequent career as an astrologer, I have consulted many people on astrology for entrepreneurs—and my strategy has always been to simply apply what I know about astrology to running a business.
This could be as simple as scheduling meetings at the most ideal cosmic alignments, and using lunar cycles, planetary returns and so much more to inform business practices. But on a deeper level, it’s about letting the clues in somebody’s birth chart to help unearth their “calling.”
For when you are aligned with your natal chart, your own path, and the natural cycles, a feeling of great support and synchronicity pervades. We all have a specific role here on earth and something unique that we are here to share, and life is as much about the journey to discover this. Your path to your calling is truly what makes you who you are. Value each “misstep” as nothing but a teaching, all of which are vital parts of your unique journey.
:: DISCOVERING YOUR COSMIC CAREER SIGNATURE :: How can we know the type of career best suited to us? The first indicator I look for is temperament, as seen through the balance of elements in the chart: fire, earth, air and water. Each element rules a different kind of function in work and life, and each unique combination of elements and signs has its most ideal work habitat and daily practice.
The other thing it’s important to note are the modes which are: cardinal, fixed and mutable. These tell me your strengths and weaknesses as an entrepreneur and your most ideal platform on any team. It’s really about knowing ourselves and finding a way to express what we do best.
Some people have a balance of all of these elements and modes, though most of us do not. So I am a firm believer in hiring out in the places where you are lacking. For example, if you have no air, you may need to hire a big picture strategist or consult with.
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:: THE CAREER HOUSES :: There are three houses (sectors of your birth chart) that deal with ideas around work. These are the “Earth houses,” which deal with the practicalities of life, and are sectors two, six, and ten. Each of these houses deals with a different aspect of your work day; cash flow, daily practices, and your vocational calling.
Each of the 3 houses speaks to another aspect of career. The 2nd house is synonymous with the concept of “your farmland—your crops.” It represents the inherited skills, attributes, talents and also the attitudes around them and the ways which we may derive self-worth.
Your 2nd house will reveal attitudes around money as well as inherited and karmic wealth stories. If any entrepreneur wants to integrate astrology into their business plan, the first thing is to understand your own 2nd house and how it works.
The other house that deals with running a business is the 6th house. This house deals more with what sort of business atmosphere and work-flow suites you best. The 6th house also relates to the style in which you will deliver your service and what kind of service this may be.
The 10th house, in my opinion, is the most important because this deals with the concept of your ‘true calling’ or your ‘vocation’. Not everyone has their 2nd house (income) aligned with 10th house (vocation) though they can be congruent.
The 10th speaks about where you will find your dignity in the world and this is a key to happiness at work. I feel the 10th house must be awoken somehow for anyone to feel like they are on their true path. Think of the base of the chart (the IC) as your root system and ancestral stories and the top of the chart (the 10th house) as the fruit you bear—what you may emerge into when you follow your calling.
:: THE CAREER PLANETS :: There is not one planet that rules career. Though I often look at the ruler of the 10thhouse, as well as the “conversations” that planet is in (how I refer to the different aspects it is making) and where it is positioned. Also, and planets in the 10th house speak volumes about your career interests. This and the ruler of the 10th will usually tell me a pretty in-depth story about your calling.
:: CHOOSING A TIME TO LAUNCH :: Choosing a launch date for a business, product or service can be make or break, and it’s something I put a great deal of time and energy into. First there are a series of questions I ask because the chart of your business (calculated using the time, date and location of the launch) must speak to the mission statement and goals of the business.
What is a stellar chart for an online coaching business may not work at all for someone opening a restaurant! I also consider the entrepreneur’s natal chart, to make sure the timing also works for them.
There are also a couple of hard and fast rules when it comes to astrology for entrepreneurs:
– Stay away from Mercury Retrograde for your launch. – Try to also have Mars, Jupiter and Saturn direct, if possible. – Friendly aspects to Saturn show stability so I like to have some of those – Jupiter and Pluto alignments with the luminaries (sun and moon) can bring wealth and abundance – I try to make sure the important planets for your business type are in a sign they function highly in. – Launch on a friendly New Moon, ideally one that’s near the top of the chart. – Stay away from launching on Full Moons and especially not on a Lunar Eclipse. Full Moons and Lunar Eclipses are times of endings and culminations, not beginnings. – I look for the Moon to be applying to a positive aspect, for example a conjunction to Jupiter or trine to Venus.
I have seen my clients launch under all kinds of personal transits, though Saturn and Jupiter are the two main ‘business planets’—as Saturn rules consolidation and stability, and Jupiter expansion. Both equally important.
Sometimes a Saturn transit gives someone the discipline they need to actually concretize something. Another person may need a Jupiter transit to give them the vision and confidence to let go of all of the preparation and studying and finally set sail.
BEST ASPECTS FOR CAREER TRANSITIONS… I have also seen people change career paths suddenly under a Uranus transit or transform their life direction under a Pluto transit. One client I had a years ago had Pluto crossing her 10th house, and she left the cosmetic counter at MAC and went to study Chinese medicine. Now she’s a full time doctor and loves it. Pluto rules over medicine and research, so we used astrology to successfully time her transition.
BEST ASPECTS FOR LAUNCHING A WEB-BASED BUSINESS… For launching a website or online business, I look for a strong Mercury because “communication” is the main focus here. Also I may emphasize the 3rd and 9th houses (axis of communication), although the details of the chart will depend on what sort of website it is.
BEST ASPECTS FOR A MARKETING CAMPAIGN… If the marketing campaign is oriented to bring in revenue or sell items, I’d arrange the chart to have a healthy 2nd or 8th house depending on the revenue stream. Maybe both. Also I would like strong aspects to the 11th if there will be affiliate partners.
BEST ASPECTS FOR HIRING STAFF… Hiring is definitely something to avoid in Mercury Retrograde as the agreed terms would change down the road anyhow. Hire when planets are occupying Earth and Air signs so judgment does not get too clouded by emotions and there will be clear communications about the role and expectations. Also hire when you are not under a Neptune transit or any challenging influence for that matter because whoever enters your life while you’re under that transit, will likely be another manifestation of the lesson it brings.
BEST ASPECTS FOR HOSTING AN EVENT… You will get a much better turn out on a Full Moon then a New Moon, generally speaking, as a Full Moon has a more celebratory feel, making people want to go play in the magic and connect to others.
For International Peace Day, September 21 2016, conscious lifestyle sites The Numinous, The Hoodwitch and Tribe De Mama are coming together to promote #TuneInPeaceOut—an IRL and digital initiative to spread the message of peace, equality, and compassion among all beings.
A series of heartbreaking world events in 2016 has shone a light on the divisiveness, hatred, and violence that still plagues our societies. Many of us were left feeling angry, frustrated, afraid, and wanting to help but unsure how. And, with a potentially game-changing US election this fall, our aim in creating #TuneInPeaceOut is to inspire those invested in forging a more peaceful path for humanity to use our voice.
The Numinous and The Hoodwitch founders Ruby Warrington and Bri Luna will host events with the theme #TuneInPeaceOut, in NYC and Seattle respectively, linking up via online conference during the evening to come together in a guided meditation for peace.
And we want you to get involved! There are three ways to take part…
1) We are inviting any and all interested parties to organize their own event for Peace Day (yoga class, workshop, talk, dinner with friends, etc) in your local area. Each event should also be themed #TuneInPeaceOut and we invite hosts to use the opportunity to share healing, wisdom and tools to inspire their guests to become activists for peace within your local communities. We will endeavor to share as many of your events as possible on our social feeds!
2) Register to take part in the guided meditation for peace broadcast LIVE from The Numinous and The Hoodwitch events on September 21. Click here to sign up.
3) Attend our FREE live “Peace In The City” event in NYC! Click here to save your spot.
We’ll be posting details about what we have planed, along with inspiration for YOUR events, on our social media feeds in the coming weeks. Meantime, you can reach out with any questions in the comments below, and follow @The_Numinous and @TheHoodwitch on Instagram.
Let’s come together to #TuneInPeaceOut—and remind each other that our intentions, our voices, and our actions CAN and DO have an impact in creating the peace we want to see in our world.
High on Dopamine beans, reunited with a favorite healer, and lighting a candle for Supreme Abundance this Taurus New Moon…
:: MONDAY :: I’m all about my dopamine beans! Which sounds like a 1990s rave drug, but is actually a high-grade supplement from “transformational food” company Sun Potion. An extract of Mucuna Puriens (a.k.a. the Velvet Bean, how lush), it’s said to improve brain function, elevate mood and sooth the nervous system (a.k.a. a Retrograde essential!). Containing a naturally occurring Amino acid, that transforms to Dopamine in the brains, Mucuna Puriens is also described in Chinese medicine as a “Jing tonic” – a tonic for the life force. And way more high vibe than a Gin Tonic, one of my old preferred mood enhancers, lol.
:: TUESDAY :: The Retro also bought amazing Kerri Aab back into my life today, who I first met a few years ago and who creates the MOST potent and perfectly blended custom flower remedies. But I forgot how equally uplifting and supportive the Skype consult alone with Kerri is (which is when you determine the flowers going in your blend). To me, this woman is the definition of LIGHTWORKER—a gifted healer who makes the darkness so much easier to navigate. Book a session: Seedtoblossom.com
:: WEDNESDAY :: Mercury Retro might have tried to keep it from me, but I finally tracked down my delivery from Mama Moon Candles—an amazing witchy apothecary based in the UK, which I discovered after I connected with founder (whose identity remains a mystery!) on Instagram. Hand poured, 100% vegan, and paraben free, I’ll be lighting up some Supreme Abundance for my New Moon ritual Friday…www.mamamooncandles.com
:: THURSDAY :: Doing final preps for our Mercury Rising event at the Standard, High Line this Saturday—including a chat with Ophira from the Astro Twins about our F*ck You Mercury Retro salon (one of three workshops taking place throughout the day). My big realization? Exactly how much I NEED this. Life has been intense this past couple of months, and I can’t wait to spend the day talking it out, soaking up some amazing cosmic wisdom, and doing some much needed emotional healing in the evening breathwork session. See you there!
:: FRIDAY :: Happy Re-birth Day Jackie O’Shea! One of our beautiful contributors shared with me this week how today’s Taurus New Moon marks one year since she left her old job in banking to pursue her dharma working as a channel and healer (a nicely cosmically aligned move, I might add). Which got me thinking about the concept of a “re-birth day.” Because just like we celebrate our solar return, and have anniversaries for our relationships, or began a new business for example, isn’t there also a date in all our calendars that marks the day we too took that one giant leap? For me, I think it’s February 18 2012 – the day I packed my bags and moved to New York City. Which makes this part of my journey Aquarius, with Gemini Rising and a Capricorn Moon – (OMG, favorite new game). What’s yours?
Join us and Standard Talks for our Mercury Rising event, a full day of next level wellbeing and cosmic empowerment…
YES – we’re organizing a day-long event right in the middle of the up-coming Mercury Retrograde period. Are we crazy? NO. Because it’s time to break some taboos and show you how to make this much maligned Cosmic aspect work FOR YOU.
Numinous founder Ruby Warrington has curated Mercury Rising – a very special roster of talks and workshops, featuring some of our favorite modern mystics. Co-hosted by Standard Hotels, the day-long event is designed to help empower you in navigating this tricky astrological climate.
Famous for creating delays, miscommunications, and wreaking all kinds of havoc with our schedules, Mercury Retrograde has become the Donald Trump of the astro calendar – but there’s nothing to be afraid of! With awareness and a willingness to embrace what comes up, this can be a potent time for healing old wounds, tidying up unfinished business, and working WITH the Universe to carve out your best future.
Our Mercury Rising event has been designed specifically to show you how – with 3 instructional, fun and interactive workshops, PLUS individual tarot readings to leave you feeling fully empowered and with a Cosmic goddess glow!
DATE: Saturday, May 7 2016 LOCATION: The Standard, High Line, 848 Washington Street, New York, NY, 10014 (PLUS make a weekend of it with a 15% discount on rooms with the code MERCURYRISING)
TICKETS: Full day – $89 (including drinks and snacks) Individual workshops – $35 each
RUN OF PLAY: 11am-12.30pm – F*ck You Mercury Retro Salon with The Astro Twins Elle.com astrologers Tali and Ophira Edut break down WHY Mercury Retrograde gets such a bad rap, while providing expert insight about how we can actually make the energy at this time work in our favor. They will also provide an in-depth overview of the planetary aspects influencing this specific Mercury Retro phase, to further illustrate how to maximize the cosmic potential of the times – with a view to setting up your best summer ever.
12.30-1.30pm – Break (with refreshments from the Montauk Juice Factory + option to add on a lunch-box from Standard Hotels)
1.30-3.30pm – Lead Your Own Moon Ceremony with Deborah Hanekamp As well as teaching participants the proper protocols for creating your own New and Full Moon ceremonies, this workshop includes an overview of how to work with the different phases of the Moon each and every month – including diet, lifestyle, and wellness practices. Living in alignment with the lunar cycles is a way of connecting to your own innate power source, giving you the inner strength to navigate any Mercury Retro hi-jinx!
3.30-4pm – Break (tea + pastries)
4-6pm – Breathwork for Mercury Retrograde with Erin Telford Breathwork is an active meditation technique designed to move stuck or heavy energy, and a super fast way to emotionally detox – the perfect healing for clearing anything that’s come up during the Mercury Retrograde period. Think part self-healing technique, part catharsis, part adult temper tantrum, and part psychedelic experience! Set to music, you will be held in sacred space during the entire session, releasing what isn’t yours to hold anymore and emerging with more light and clarity.
6-7.30pm – Individual soul tarot readings with Lindsay Mack (drinks + canapes) We finish the day with sunset refreshments on the terrace, where The Numinous resident tarot reader Lindsay Mack will be available for mini one-to-one soul tarot sessions. With this final piece of cosmic guidance in your toolbox, you’ll be primed to thrive despite whatever the Mercury Retro phase sends your way – you may even find yourself looking forward to the next one!
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THE ASTRO TWINS Through their popular astrology website, identical twins Ophira and Tali Edut help “bring the stars down to earth” with their unique, lifestyle-based approach to astrology. They are also the official astrologers for Refinery29, ELLE.com, Elle Australia, Virgin Hotels, GaranceDore.com and Interview Germany.As well as being featured in numerous publications, the sisters have read charts for celebrities including Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder, Jessica Simpson and Sting. www.astrostyle.com
DEBORAH HANEKAMP Deborah Hanekamp is a Seeress and Medicine Woman carrying over 15 years in the healing arts as an Initiated Amazonian Curendara, Reiki Master and Yogini. Guided by the present moment, Deborah has facilitated Medicine Readings and healing ceremonies all over the world. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Time out New York & The Numinous. www.unityessences.com
ERIN TELFORD Erin’s mission is to help people heal their relationships with themselves. She pulls from a toolbox of therapeutic conversation, lifestyle and spiritual counseling, essential oils, crystals, mantra and other healing tools. She is a healer, acupuncturist, herbalist and Reiki Master and leads individual and group Breathwork sessions. She was recently featured in Refinery 29 as one of “6 Women Who Are Redefining Wellness in New York City.” She is also a regular contributor to The Numinous and Live the Process online magazines. www.erintelford.com
LINDSAY MACK Lindsay Mack is an intuitive tarot reader, teacher and heart centered healer based in Brooklyn, NY. She is the founder of Sacred Tarot School in NYC, and regularly tours her classes, workshops and Soul Tarot readings all over the world. She is the co-facilitator of Brooklyn Fools Tarot Intensive, located at Maha Rose in Brooklyn, and she is a full time tarot teacher at Spirit Weavers Gathering. www.lindsaymack.com
Plus an intro to astro dating, birthday fun, and I’m reunited with my Starchild…child.
:: MONDAY :: THIS WEEK IS ALL ABOUT OUR NUMI SWEATSHIRTS! Which you can now finally buy from our ACTUAL store, which is now fully up and running. We’re selling them in aid of an amazing charity called Urban Yogis, which helps bring the tools of yoga and meditation to inner city communities to help lessen violent street crime. YESSSS. This kind of initiative is WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT. When I asked Bob Roth, director of the David Lynch Foundation, what he thought the world would look like if everybody learned to meditate, he told me: “If even one per cent of the population learned to meditate there would be less divisiveness, and less violence. There would be more consensus and willingness to work together and be collaborative.” So…get your shirt and help support, world peace?
:: TUESDAY :: An “astro date” with amazing Luke Simon. Luke is one of my very favorite people in the entire Numiverse (found out today he’s a Libra – and Libra men, what’s not to love), and he recently announced he was offering a new kind of birth chart reading. Namely, it takes place at a spot that’s a physical reflection and manifestation of the major aspects of your chart. For me, this meant a windswept walk dow to the East River park in Williamsburg, where he told me: “the ongoing construction work taking place represents the intense period of transformation you’re going through right now.” Um, u-huh. Then there’s the view across the water to the Manhattan skyline, representing all the ambition of my Aries Sun and Sag rising – but built on the watery vulnerability of the Hudson River. A snapshot that’s me to a tee. Contact Luke here for a reading.
:: WEDNESDAY :: Got my Starchild Tarot deck back, which I’d lent to lovely Lindsay Mack when she stepped in to take over Tarotscope duties last month. Lindsay liked the cards so much she decided to invest in her own deck, and for my part, I just didn’t realize how much I’d MISS them! Like the number of times I’d be all, “hmmm, I wonder what the Starchild would say?” and then experience mild panic that they were not in my possession. I have never felt like this about a deck before. It must be love.
:: THURSDAY :: Love how somehow a cosmic metaphor follows you around – in my case, this week, life as a rollercoaster. 1) my niece and nephew arrive from the UK and suggest a trip to Coney Island this weekend. I text my friend: “I feel like what I actually need is to go on a rollercoaster and just scream my head off this week.” 2) my Strong Eye Astrology reading for the weekend advises me to “flow with the vibrant energy of the carnival.” 3) my life coach send me this link to this Jimmy Fallon skit titled “The Joy of The Rollercoaster,” as (another) metaphor for the intense period of transformation I’m going through right now. #surrenderforever
:: FRIDAY :: Counting down to my Club SÖDA NYC next Thursday with Biet Simkin. Did you get your ticket yet? And there’s a reason I’m getting a little over-excited about this one – it’s kind of also mine and Biet’s birthday party. Last night she sent me this text: “This birthday for both of us is telling a tale of the year to come, and the next decade.” Come join us to find out what she meant, and help us celebrate!
High sobriety, a tasty new balm, a shout out for interns, and a visit with some yogis doing some good s*it
:: MONDAY :: Plotting for our April 7th Club SÖDA NYC event in NYC with it-girl meditation artist Biet Simkin – and discovering a true soul sister in the process. As in, we’re both Aries with birthdays two days apart (and on either side of the April event – she’s 4/6 and I’m 4/8), with Fire element rising signs (Leo for Biet, Sagittarius for me), and emo watery moons (Pisces, Cancer). The event itself? A celebration of HIGH SOBRIETY, a subject close to my heart, that we’ll bring to life with a blissful guided meditation experience, a group discussion on ways to GET HIGH ON YOUR OWN SUPPY, and seal with an intention-setting ritual for the Aries New Moon. Find out more and snag a ticket here – they’re selling out fast!
:: TUESDAY :: Is everybody reading Lauren Groff’s Fates and Furies? I guess I’m a little late to the party, and I wouldn’t say it’s gonna make my top 10 novels ever (which, to date, includes The Secret History, Glamorama, Super Sad True Love Story, and The Corrections – so, y’know, I can do DARK) – but one thing I love SO much, and which I’ve always wished more authors would do, is that early on Groff describes the main male character as: “A Leo, which explains him entirely.” And it totally does!
:: WEDNESDAY :: Delivery of The Balm, the signature product from LA-based Nucifera – that comes with instructions to be applied abundantly “to your face, hair, scalp, skin, hands, feet, nails and more.” Intrigued by the “and more” part – my cat? Morning bagel? Lol, just kidding, but it DOES smell good enough to eat, formulated with a high grade blend of medicinal oils and scented with all our Now Age faves – Sandalwood, Patchouli, Palo Santo,and Frankincense. Delicious.
:: THURSDAY :: Forgot to add this to our newsletter, but we are on the hunt for a DESIGN INTERN to help with flyers and general art-related tasks on the site. Our Numinous Presents event series is going from strength-to-strength, and it’s time for some assistance producing kick-ass supporting visuals and materials. Does this sound like you? Email me directly: [email protected]
:: FRIDAY :: A visit with the incredible Eddie Stern at his new Brooklyn Yoga Club (which is decorated with stuff like the light in the main pic). Eddie is one of the main people behind Urban Yogis (see main pic), charity partner for our “Designer Yogis” sweatshirt line that’s launching on the site next week. Follow us on Instagram and sign up for our newsletter so you don’t miss the announcement, we have a feeling they’re gonna sell out FAST – another sneak peak below! We’ll be donating 10% for every sale to the Urban Yogis, a Queens, NY-based initiative to bring the tools of yoga and meditation to inner city communities to spread peace and positivity and reduce violent street crime. #highvibelife
Join The Numinous & Guided By Biet for SOBER CURIOUS, a social experiment to discover what it means to get high on your own supply…
“Numbing vulnerability also dulls our experience of love, joy, belonging, creativity, and empathy. We can’t selectively numb emotion. Numb the dark and you numb the light” – Brene Brown
There’s a reason sobriety is in, and it’s because it feels amazing. Blissful, even. Within days of alcohol leaving your system, you become aware of how much more at peace you feel in your body. A little longer, and you’ll notice how even a friendly text sends a tingle of physical pleasure along your limbs. Give it a few weeks, and you may find yourself breaking into spontaneous laughter at the sheer ecstasy of being alive.
This is what it feels like to get high on your own supply. But modern drinking culture makes it easier, often way too easy, to choose booze as our go-to method for feeling good (by simply numbing the “bad”). The price? We’ve all been there.
And so SOBER CURIOUS 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” (an accusation they love to levy against non-drinkers), what if choosing sobriety 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 proposed series of meet-ups, talks, workshops, and other events, SOBER CURIOUS could be for you if:
– You drink to feel good, but it often leaves you feeling worse (and it helps to talk about it)
– 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
Sign up for the Numinous newsletter to see how the conversation unfolds.
And a caveat: SOBER CURIOUS 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.
Getting my emo on at Story Medicine, and Gwyneth being Gwyneth at the Goop MRKT….
No column last week since it was Thanksgiving and, frankly, I was drunk. And it was so good to let my hair down and switch off for a day! It’s been a HARDCORE YEAR (any other life path 8s out there feeling it??) and I’ve been pretty much tee-total in the name of getting some serious inner and outer work done. But turns out a dose of “spirits” medicine was actually just what the doctor ordered 🙂
Anyhow, I’m back, and I’m also trying a new format for this column, mapping my week Mon-Friday. Lemme know what you think!
:: MONDAY :: I got to see an advance screening of the new J-Law movie Joy, and entrepreneurial ladies, this is a holiday season MUST. It tells the story of legendary inventor Joy Mangano, and busts the myth of the “overnight success.” So many times building the Numinous I’ve been like, “oh man, this isn’t not working, it’s never going to work.” And then something DOES work, and I just keep going. Joy’s story is a reminder that making your dreams real and running a business is hard. You will feel completely vulnerable. You will encounter setback, after asshole, after humiliation, after enormous IT bill from somebody who didn’t even do what you asked, but it’s what it takes and it’s worth. Every. Minute. (watch the trailer below)
:: TUESDAY :: I was reunited with my sweet soul sister and Temple of Venus co-creator Elyssa Jakim, who spent the past few months over in Portland (only meeting the love of her life…on Tinder!) She introduced me to two exciting things: a documentary series called The Quest For The Cures, all about one man’s search for the best natural cancer treatments (weekend watch-list sorted), and the fact she’s doing Akashic records readings from 12-5pm tomorrow at Species by The Thousands in Williamsburg. GO. She’s amazing.
:: WEDNESDAY :: I went to meet Gwyneth Paltrow at the opening of her Goop MRKT – which is essentially the NYC version of our Astrolounge @ Selfridges, a high-vibe holiday pop-up decked with all things mysti-cool. A lot of people don’t like GP, but we say back-off bitches. As beautiful Alexandra Derby (who invited me) put it: “She comes from privilege, so her putting $1K sweaters on Goop is just her being her authentic self.” And isn’t that what it’s all about?? Enough hating on the sisterhood. Less envy of those who “apparently” had better breaks than us. How about just be inspired and go get yours.
Me + GP @ the Goop MRKT
:: THURSDAY :: Story Medicine! So Alexandra and I cooked up this idea for a crazy-ass event, where YOU, our guests would create the content by coming to share your stories. And in the process get heard and get healed. The amazing team at lululemon’s HUB seventeen said “yes,” and we hosted the first Story Medicine event last night. There were tears, there was laughter, there were many, many hugs, and there was a vegan feast from Daphne Cheng (see pudding below). There were even three dudes! But best of all was hearing all the stories. Raw, honest, human storytelling is the BEST entertainment you guys. We’re planning the next one for Feb 2016.
Out of this world chia pudding by Daphne Cheng
:: FRIDAY :: In the spirt of no such things as TMI (see Story Medicine), I got my period today. Now, I’ve been researching how to work with your cycle, and the wisdom all says “on day one, retreat from society and go within” – since this is when your intuitive powers reach their peak. Thing is, that would have meant no column again today. Also canceling four really important meetings this afternoon. Truly committing to working with my flow is totally on my to-do list for 2016, but since my cycle is really irregular it’s hard for me to plan for down days when my bleed begins. So period experts reading this, any insight on this one much appreciated!
The story behind our new event series – Story Medicine…
A couple of months back, Aly Derby and I hosted a Meditation for Peace at Maha Rose in Greenpoint, as part of a global synchronized meditation for the International Day of Peace. It began with Aly leading a guided meditation to tap us into the oneness energy of the event, and afterwards we both shared some stories around what had come up for us. And then so did everybody else in the group, and the conversation flowed, and the stories became more personal. We all left feeling connected and uplifted, and with the glow of having been heard.
This event was the inspiration for Story Medicine, the monthly gathering Aly and I will be hosting at Hub 17, a beautiful and expansive community space below the new lululemon flagship store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. As Aly wrote beautifully in the blurb for the event:
“When we come together we create community; and when communities share our stories with each other we weave unity. In every experience we share, there is a valuable lesson for someone. And listening in itself is a gift – it’s when our stories are heard that we become healed. In this simple yet profound exchange we find ourselves uplifted, connected and more inspired by our own lives than ever before.”
As a “reserved” Brit, when I first started attending Moon rituals, and healing workshops and events I used to silently dread the “sharing” segment – when we’d go around the circle, and participants would be asked to talk a little about where they were at, and their intentions. Not least because I would often get so emotional! But if I’ve learned anything on my numinous journey, it’s that often when I cry is when I know it’s working. The healing that is.
So with Story Medicine we’re making the sharing the main event. Each month will have a different theme, and as with the Meditation for Peace we’ll kick off with a guided meditation from Aly. Then, each person in the circle will be invited to share a story related to our theme – which could be a story from your own life, a story you heard which has inspired you, or even just the story of what happened to you today.
Our first Story Medicine event will take place December 3, and you can get more details and sign up here. Since it’s right after Thanksgiving, we’ve chosen GRATITUDE as our theme. So, what does being thankful really mean for you?
