The Sagittarius New Moon is here to help us to refine our unique mission—and aim true for humanity, says Sandra Sitron…
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New Moon :: 7 degrees Sagittarius :: November 29th 2016 :: 7:18am EST
Think of this moon as your arrow. And hear it whisper, “What are you shooting for?” As long as you are true to yourself, it will help guide your hand. It will assist with you aim. So spend a little time getting clear. Take a moment to form and nurture an sense of direction within yourself.
The New Moon is a time for inward contemplation. It’s time to get quiet and write down your intentions for the month ahead. Let this Sagittarius New Moon help you plant the seed of your own desires. In Sagittarius, this moon is here to help you understand your “Why.” Why are you doing what you are doing? What do you BELIEVE in?
The symbol for Sagittarius is the centaur wielding a bow and arrow. The centaur is half man (intelligence) and half horse (wild). He is a philosopher and also a hunter. The philosopher side helps you understand, the hunter side helps you go after what you want.
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The Sagittarius New Moon and it’s message Infant bees eating royal jelly.
This Moon is so quiet and so nurturing. She is helping you grow so that you can become a contributing member of the hive and of the world. The Sagittarius New Moon wants you to understand your own humanity, your place within the world as whole, and the creative spark within you that is for you to share.
This time may also be fraught with many conflicting messages. Many energies and desires are coming to the surface. Use the energy of the Sagittarius New Moon as your quiet respite for reflection and intention. Let this moon help you define and nurture your voice within the larger chorus of humanity. Define your approach. Reach for a higher philosophy. Reach for spiritual teachings that soothe and heal your sprit.
This Moon doesn’t want you to keep going through the motions. She wants you to know WHY and for what. She wants you to mark your destination. She is the archer and she says—hone your target! She is the philosopher and she says—study your motives! She brings you a quiet moment of contemplation. Use it to nurture your future and conceptualize your approach.
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Sagittarius New Moon Conjunct Saturn A single blade of grass growing very tall.
You must keep growing even if the path feels lonely at times. Keep feeling all of your feelings. Notice the storm clouds, notice the challenges you are working with, but push through anyway.
Take yourself more seriously. Don’t shy away from your responsibilities. Commit. Think about who the work you do is serving. Think about the philosophies that give you structure. Be determined.
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Sagittarius New Moon Square Neptune Swimming into an underwater cave.
With Neptune now Direct and in a motivating aspect with the Moon, look for a new truth. There has been some murky, muddy fogginess. Something may now become clear. Of course, there may still be denial and confusion. Nothing is yet resolved. Peer into the darkness of the underwater cave of emotions and reactions. Stay in the water. Move bravely through the unknowns to reach new levels of understanding. The only danger comes when using this energy as a way to sink deeper into denial and compulsion. Stay clear in your mind and in your heart so that you can use your intuition to perceive deeper mysteries.
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For some additional guidance in your New Moon self-inquiry, the following journaling suggestions are by sign. To further help refine your insights, see where 7 degrees Sagittarius falls in your birth chart, and read for that house as well.
Aries or 9th house In what area do you feel constricted in your thinking? Write down five different ways you could be doing things.
Taurus or 8th house What are you ready to let go of? How will this allow for a transformation to occur?
Gemini or 7th house How can you make more space for another person in your life? Can you do it while being clear about what you need at the same time?
Cancer or 6th house What healthy habit is your body crying out for? What unhealthy habit are you ready to shift to make room for this in your life?
Leo or 5th house How can you expand your opportunities for creative self-expression? What was your favorite way to play as a child? How can you reenact this in your adult life?
Virgo or 4th house Where in your life could you use more support? Can you make a plan to ask for it? Write down what would make you feel most nurtured right now.
Libra or 3rd house What kind of extra-curricular reading would be most helpful for you now? Who in your circle can lead you to this?
Scorpio or 2nd house What assumptions about money are ready to let go of? Where did these ideas originate? Can you see how they are no longer serving you?
Sagittarius or 1st house How do you want to leave your mark on the world? What is your mission statement?
Capricorn or 12th house Think about how you feel. How you would like to feel instead? Can you lean into the feeling you would like to have right now?
Aquarius or 11th house What are your hopes, dreams and aspirations? Write them all down. Visualize them.
Pisces or 10th house What are your highest intentions for your career? Write down all the things that qualify you for the job.
If you’re interested in working with the cosmic energies of each moon phase with a group of likeminded seekers, and with weekly LIVE mentoring, check out Moon Club—our new monthly membership program!
A week ahead reading for your sign direct from the third eye of Sandra Sitron, a.k.a. Strong Eye Astrology…
Sagittarius :: Sagittarius Rising A needle pulling thread. The driving force behind progress. You need to find your driver. What is the philosophy that is pushing you forward? What is your mission? Look for clearcut understanding. Find the structure that you can use to help define who you are. It’s time to take yourself seriously. You aren’t being given much room to cut corners right now. You have to show up. If you experience conflict this week, it will be because you are trying to skip a step. It’s not any more complicated than that. Go back and check your work. See where you’ve been putting in less than your full effort. Check your stitches.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Capricorn :: Capricorn Rising A fountain. The inner wellspring. It’s time for you to focus your attention inward. Your emotions are begging to be noticed. You have to rewrite your subconscious stories so that your reactions are more comfortable. You can back-engineer this process. When you have an uncomfortable emotion, start asking yourself lots of questions to get to the root of it. Interview yourself. Ask, where is this emotion in my body? When was the first time I felt this way? What does this circumstance remind me of? What are the personality traits of the people involved? Who else in my life has these same traits? Are the emotions actually about this other person? Start digging to reach the source of the deep emotional waters. You get to form new subconscious beliefs this week, start an excavation to see what is ready to change.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Aquarius :: Aquarius Rising A flock of birds taking flight. You’re ready to reach higher ground. Everyone is going with you. You may need to mobilize a group of some kind— friends, work, volunteer organization, community board. Don’t shy away from this opportunity to structure your vision of progress. Use your organizational skills to take action on a higher level. Move. It feels serious right now. It feels like there is work to be done and you have both the flexibility and the dedication you need to make change happen. Stay upbeat and objective and keep your eyes on the goal.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Pisces :: Pisces Rising Ferns growing tall. You are poised to unfurl your talents. You are reaching for a higher level with your career. This week, you can restructure how you think about your work. Allow yourself to step into the limelight. Think about how you want to be seen. Think about what you want to do. Then make some plans. Get really grounded in your intentions. Consider it a responsibility. The world needs your work. The world needs your special offering. Set yourself up so that you can deliver.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Aries :: Aries Rising Running on new legs. Like Bambi. You’re a little unsteady, but excited and ready to move forward. Figure it out. How do you do this? How do you explore the world? What are you looking for? Where are you going? You are trying to re-orient yourself now. Things have changed and new direction is needed. Only you can hold yourself up. Only you can get yourself through this nascent stage of discovery. Keep yourself oriented toward gratitude and love as you make your way through a new world of unknowns. Don’t let fear creep in. Embrace the invincibility of youth.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Taurus :: Taurus Rising A picnic basket. You have everything you need. You are prepared. So let go of fear of survival and step into trust. You’re safe enough to take the journey. Your work right now is to know that you are safe, know that you are prepared and loosen up your grip on control. Let go. Forgive. Flow. See where the path takes you. Make a promise that wherever you go this week, you will witness yourself. You will stand by, securely tethered to trust in yourself, but open to understanding and merging with the other person’s perspective. Witness your emotions so that you can hold space for another person’s experience. Take the journey toward union. You have what you need to stay safe along the way.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Gemini :: Gemini Rising Kneeling in prayer. You can have lots of conversations this week that help you grow. Share yourself with another person. Share your mind, your heart, your trust. You will find support in relationship. But you may also have to remind yourself that structure in relationship can bring freedom. You just have to get over feeling limited. The stretch that you want to make is toward security. Stability may seem dour and boring, but you can make it light and expansive if you want to. Ask for the experience that you want to have in relationship and then trust that you can have it.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Cancer :: Cancer Rising Penguins sliding down slopes. Make fun a part of your day. If you don’t, you may become fatigued. Truthfully, you are about to put a lot more structure and meaning into your daily schedule. The important thing is that the new habit you are creating need to come from within. So that they don’t feel forced. The healthy choices need to feel like an offering of love that you give yourself. Don’t shy away from structure. Meditate more. Eat the foods that your body needs. Plan to get enough sleep. Celebrate your accomplishments on a regular basis so that joy is a part of your daily life.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Leo :: Leo Rising A new kind of pottery. Something sculptural, yet utilitarian. Something wild and perfectly creative. This week, you take leaps and bounds forward with your self expression. You can be truly alive, exactly the way you want to be. You need to focus on it though. It won’t just happen automatically. You have to think it through. What kind of offering are you prepared to make? The world is begging for your light. What will you give? It can’t be random. It must be planned. It must be envisioned. Go to the drawing board and outline your plans for creative expression. Don’t get distracted from this task.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Virgo :: Virgo Rising Birthday cake. A nostalgic moment. It’s time to make sure your inner child is really pleased. They need to be celebrated. Take them out on the town with you. Make sure they feel included and loved. Think back over each of your childhood birthdays and remember how they felt. Which ones were joyful? Which ones are forgotten? Which ones lacked something important? Give your child self whatever was missing, now, in your mind. If you needed attention, give yourself attention. If you needed understanding, give yourself understanding. Time doesn’t really exist, so this process is truly fulfilling. It will allow you the structure you need to move forward with emotional security.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Libra :: Libra Rising Playing paddle ball. Watching the ball go back and forth. Watch your thoughts as if they are balls bouncing back and forth. The path is somewhat logical. This week you are making new connections in your thought process. Notice what you are thinking about with clarity and alacrity. If your thoughts are tending toward work, get clear about what you are working on. If your thoughts are dense with emotions, get clear about your emotions. If you are grieving, remember the five stages of grief and be aware of which one you are in at any given moment. Get clear. Think of yourself as a narrator— as you think, tell yourself what you are thinking about. This will help you define yourself and stay on track. You have a lot to do this week and you need to be operating at a high level of consciousness. Step up to take your place in the game.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Scorpio :: Scorpio Rising A dusty letter. Epiphany. You are ready to uncover a hidden understanding. New realizations. Does it seem like self-discovery is speeding up? It is. You are in a fast and furious evolution. A new cycle has begun. It may be helpful to remember that you have resources that will protect you as you continue to learn about yourself. Your self-worth is intact. Do what you need to do to remind yourself of that. Do what you need to do to feel solid and structured. You are strong enough to grow. You are strong enough to see new parts of yourself. Trust in the process as you accumulate new knowledge and experience.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
A symbolic week-ahead reading from your sign from Sandra Sitron, a.k.a. Strong Eye Astrology…
Virgo :: Virgo Rising Eating prickly pears. This is about nurturing yourself and self-protection. You must find a perspective that keeps you feeling secure. The Full Moon on Monday is in your house of philosophical seeking. Use this idea as a reminder that you need to keep yourself inspired. You must eat the fruit of revelation. Keep yourself sustained and mentally protected by seeking a higher philosophy that can be your light in the dark. Toward the end of the week, you can easily break open your subconscious beliefs about partnership. Seek illumination about whether you’ve been projecting unwanted feelings onto someone else, care-taking, or just generally in a relationship fog. Ask to see what you’ve been ignoring.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Libra :: Libra Rising Rabbit rooting under the fence. Digging deeper. You need to turn over some stones. You are about to break into new emotional and psychological territory. Maybe you’ve been blocking yourself from accessing this realm. Maybe you weren’t yet ready to take the journey. The Full Moon on Monday is in your house of union and evolution. You have built up some understanding of your self-worth and now you feel secure enough to advance to the next level. Before you can advance you must burn. You must examine the nooks and crannies of your psyche and burn out unnecessary attachments. You must cleanse yourself of stagnant emotions. Be brave in the knowledge of yourself and your strength. Bravely let go of your baggage. Forgive. Move on. It’s time. This is the deep dive. The feeling that you need to get your habits in order increases towards the week’s end. There’s been general murkiness in the structure of your daily life. How you take care of yourself has not been a high priority. This week you gain some clarity around what you need to do to get your life in practical order. Listen to your body. Clean your house. Make your habits work for you.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Scorpio :: Scorpio Rising Explosions in the sky. Does this all feel like a test? You have a desire to share. Maybe it’s triggering some old fears of inadequacy, or lack of support. Challenge yourself to open up. Challenge yourself to trust. You get to be supported in the exact right way! You get to lean, to hold, to cherish. “Stronger together” is a real thing. So much of the time, you are a solo warrior. Sometimes, going all the way with someone emotionally, spiritually, and physically, can just feel like a vulnerable thing. But this Full Moon is happening in your partnership house, and it is ready to explode some part of that old mindset. Ready yourself for some shift around partnership and meet it with welcoming arms. As the week progresses, you might find yourself yearning to make. Follow this urge. Your creativity will be high. You may find that you into new levels of vision. Do what feels good. Allow space and time for creativity and joy.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Sagittarius :: Sagittarius Rising Taking a horse over jumps, riding crop whipping the air. If you’ve been pushing yourself hard, your body may be sending you a reminder. You need to take good care of yourself. Adrenaline doesn’t last forever. The Full Moon on Monday takes place in your house of self-improvement. This is illuminating your habits, efficiency, productivity, cleanliness, work and health. Sounds like a lot? It is. You are being propelled to notice what has been working for you and what hasn’t. Get grounded. Chip away at the projects that will make you feel better in your body, and improve your daily life. The Moon will illuminate this area of your life, but the energy won’t stay here forever. You have to take initiative to get the wheels in motion. REFINE. At the end of the week your subconscious stories about home and family are ready to get blasted open. Nurture your inner child. Hold her close and dear. You are ready for movement, clarity, and healing around how you love yourself.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Capricorn :: Capricorn Rising An insect methodically nibbling a leaf. You are ready to grow larger. One thing that makes sense right now is consistency. You have to keep building up your strength. Monday’s Full Moon in your sector of joy and creativity suggests that you are primed, fed, and ready to break free. You are ready to share the joy that you have been storing up within you. The world is ripe to receive your particular brand of leadership. Don’t hide your light from the world. One thing that symbol can reassure you of is that you are prepared. Share your voice, your vision, and your fire. Inspire your audience and surprise yourself. Make it fun. Around the end of the week your language may become quiet inspired. Do some journaling to explore your beliefs. If you are usually concrete in your thinking, an opening will allow you to be more dreamy and intuitive. Let your imagination guide you to new territory.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Aquarius :: Aquarius Rising A game show contestant. There are certain areas of your life where you need to take chances. You may be feeling uncertain about your future. The Full Moon on Monday takes place in your house of home, childhood, and family. Go back into your memory bank. When did you first feel so unsure? Examine moments of your childhood when you may have felt uncertain. It’s important that you heal any fear that is still stagnant from this time. You may be getting triggered right now. Be very kind to yourself. Use gentle language when you speak to yourself. Give your inner child a hug. Take her to yoga class with you. Tell her that everything is going to be okay. Doing all of this will help you make choices that are based in love instead of fear. At the end of the week follow instincts that you have about making money. Use you intuition to tap into your ability to earn and your self-worth. (Big surprise- in astrology, these two things are connected.) You can get spiritual right now about your self-worth if you so choose. You are inherently valuable.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Pisces :: Pisces Rising A zebra in a herd. Things are not always as they seem. You need to look more closely to parse out the facts. With the Full Moon on Monday in your house of conscious thought, you are being primed to get clear in your thinking. Separate out the true from the false. Have lots of conversations with friends and neighbors about the orientation of your thoughts. Find solace in community. Share ideas. Believe in the changeable nature of society and remind yourself of the measurable trend for consistent progress. The end of the week opens your intuition. Identify yourself as intuitive. Take action to use these skills to help yourself and others. Trust that you are learning more about yourself all the time and that you can always continue to define your personality. You are a work in progress.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Aries :: Aries Rising A sit-in. You are feeling the urge to bear down and resist. Find your spiritual center. Find the stability within you that always exists. Use that knowledge of self-worth as a stabilizing force. You can always hold your ground, if you believe that you deserve to take up space. Monday’s Full Moon takes place in your security house. Now is the time to convince yourself that you are grounded, safe, and secure. After that, you can lead. The end of the week opens up space for your imagination and vision to flow into. If you are a creator, create. If you are a producer, produce. If you are a parent, guide. Whatever you do, do it from a place of inspiration and not from a place of fear. Fill your cup with intuitive wisdom and let it overflow with confidence that can be shared.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Taurus :: Taurus Rising A small sailboat. Navigating in rocky seas. Just by being yourself, you are compact, directed, and powerful. This Full Moon happens in your identity house. You are meant to know yourself. Having the Full Moon in your identity house can cause you to question and redefine yourself. Follow this journey all the way through. And stay the course. Keep your hand on the rudder. Guide yourself on a powerful path of self-exploration. Let it open you up to new growth and insight that helps you be a better leader. Don’t take anything for granted. Everything is a clue. Anything could be the fuel for your next epiphany. At the end of the week you will gain new awareness about the political structure that you exist in. Draw back the veils by looking very closely at what is true and what is a lie. Opacity is no longer an option. You are ready to get very clear on what kind of group and system you would like to align with.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Gemini :: Gemini Rising Gum drops. Yearning for innocence. Desiring of escape. Monday’s Full Moon takes place in your house of the subconscious, the spiritual, and the hidden. These gummy candies are a strong symbol that you need to nurture the little kid in you. Maybe you are wishing for an easier time. Use this lunation to connect with your deepest needs and desires. Take care of yourself emotionally. Be a good parent to yourself. Look more closely at your reactions. Notice where you are getting triggered. Be careful of slipping into denial or fog and instead pay attention to your dreams and feelings. The weekend brings a new perspective about your career. Tap into your intuition to discover what moves you should make next. You may have really creative ideas about a project you are working on. Keep track.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Cancer :: Cancer Rising A bear and her cub. The bear and her cub is a symbol of strength and protection. Monday’s Full Moon takes place in your house of society. This house also rules the future and hopes and dreams. The message coming through is that you are ready to take a stand. You have something to protect and you are strong enough to fight for it. How will you fight? What values will you be championing? What is your vision for the future. The presence of the cub in this symbol shows that this lunation is firing up your protective instincts. It is making what is often abstract and periphery feel very close to home. Keep coming at this one from a place of hope. Keep tuning into your dreams. They’ve always been there. How do they need to be refined at this time? What’s your stance? This lunation reminds you that you connected with world around you. You are a part of the group. Your horoscope asks not whether you will get involved, but rather, how. At the end of the week you check in with your philosophies for perspective. Let your intuition lead you to point of view that is perfect for you at this moment. Stay very open minded.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
Leo :: Leo Rising Two horses nuzzling faces. You have the power to change anything and everything in your life. The Full Moon on Monday takes place in your house of career. For a moment, focus your mind on freedom. On a scale of 1-10, how free do you feel? Do you know why you chose this number? Is there another way to think about this that would make you feel more free? Freedom is important for you this week because you are needing to elevate yourself in your career. If you feel trapped by something in the outside world, you may not take the initiative necessary to progress. Fight against complacency! Fight against what you think is available for you. Break the boundary of what you think your allotted share is and exceed your expectations. This is your time to climb. As the week comes to an end, you gain intuitive insight around the cycle you are completing. Make sure you have enough quiet time alone to feel all your feelings. Process. Let go if you are ready.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandrahere or follow her on Instagram.
What if you applied the life changing magic of Marie Kondo’s tidying methods to choosing the right friendships, asks Victoria Cox? Artwork: Found on Pinterest
Friendship is a constantly evolving thing. We have our inner circle of friends, our coven of trusted confidants. Then there is a secondary circle, comprising people we are friendly with but who are less likely to know our strange quirks and deepest desires; work colleagues, gym buddies or school friends.
Over time, lesser known friends move into the inner circle, whist others move out of the constellation entirely. The point being that our friendship circle is ever changing, as we mature and grow. It is not designed to be stagnant and fixed.
Some friendships gain strength year after year, reaching surprising levels of intimacy. Some fade away entirely either through neglect, distance or simply growing apart. Then there are others that come to an abrupt end, the flame of friendship extinguishing itself in a dramatic fashion.
I understand all of this. So why do I still find myself trying to maintain friendships that no longer serve me? The answer to this question can often be surmised in one word: obligation. After all, if we’ve spent years building up a friendship, investing our time and our hearts, it seems counter-intuitive to throw it all away.
But what if we could learn to accept that if things aren’t what they once were? Acknowledge that it’s time to move on, with no hard feelings?
After all, I’ve learned to do this is every other area of my life. I’ve walked away from dysfunctional relationships; shitty bosses and unfulfilling jobs without even looking back. Why not apply the same thought process to my friends?
And then I finally read Marie Kondo’s book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and a light-bulb went on in my head.
Kondo, a Japanese organizing expert, touts the virtues of tidying by asking of everything you own: “Does this spark joy?” and if not, thanking it for its service and getting rid of it. But instead of pondering whether inanimate objects in my apartment sparked joy, what if I applied this method to choosing the right friendships?
Admittedly my first thought was to question whether or not I would qualify as a sociopath in comparing my friendships to my heavily stained shower curtain.
But really, what if we were to scroll through every friend listed in our phone contacts and ask ourselves: “Does this person spark joy in my life?” I would hazard a guess there’s probably a good thirty percent of people about whom we would either answer with a long “hmmm…”—or else blurt out a “Hell No!”
And when you really think about it, why would we choose to spend our valuable time with friends that no longer spark joy in our life? It simply doesn’t make any sense. Until you factor in that godawful G word. Guilt.
So powerful is the G-word (evil twin of the that O-word again—obligation) that I recently found myself spending hours with a friend who I didn’t want to hang out with, doing things I had no interest in doing and wishing I was somewhere else. Talk about soul-destroying.
And so turned back to Kondo’s book, seeking more pearls of wisdom to apply to my friendship circle.
She also wisely counsels that nostalgia is not your friend when it comes to your closet—and it turns out it’s not much help when it comes to friends, either.
How many times had I continued to hang out with a friend based solely on memories of what fun we used to have together? As it turns out, way too many. Our conversations always took a detour back down memory lane, peppered with “Remember when’s?” rather than “I’m so excited for…”
Sadly, the past is the past and if the only connection is over what was instead of what will be, then it might be time to reassess what purpose that particular friendship is serving. Is this person invested in your future dreams? Do they relate to the person you are today, or only the person you used to be?
Friendships are unique. Unlike relationships with our family, we choose to enter into them. And unlike a marriage, there’s no piece of paper reminding us we’re obliged to try and make it work. We choose each other because the relationship means something to us, it brings us joy, makes us laugh, brings over pizza when we’re feeling down and out.
Whilst it may be incredibly sad to bid adieu to a friendship that just isn’t working for us in the same way—because we’ve changed, they’ve changed or it simply doesn’t jive the way it used to—it’s also freeing to remember that since we chose to get into it, we can also choose to get out.
Taking an inner work break is fun—and also give you space to BE the transformations you’re experiencing in your life…
Fresh off my #innerworkbreak
:: MONDAY + TUESDAY :: A month or so ago I noticed that my friend Valerie Oula had tagged a couple of her IG posts #innerworkbreak. There was one about a night in with Pretty Woman and some fro-yo, another simply titled: “Jenga + beer.” Valerie is the brains behind these beautiful intention candles and mists and works as a kundalini yoga teacher, meaning she’s usually up at 4.30am for sadhana (her daily spiritual practice), meditates with the best of them, and generally lives about as “clean” an NYC existence as you can get.
But, a fashion industry veteran like me, her posts showed that embracing a more mystical path has not meant totally forsaking her inner “material girl.”
And I can totally relate this week, having just come off a similar “inner work break” myself (also a break from this column, you might have noticed). Two weeks visiting friends and family in Europe found me setting aside my usual Numinous tools (besides my morning TM session) and dipping a toe back into my old life—which essentially became an exercise in honoring myself as a unified, material-mystical woman.
And fuck it’s been FUN! Not just the eating a bunch of pizza, drinking a bunch of beer, dancing until 7am at an outdoor rave in Poland, or investing in a new pair of summer kicks from Alexander McQueen (see below). But also the giving my numinous soul an opportunity to just be, for the inner work I’m so invested in to settle into my physical body, and to witness how my internal transformations are impacting my outer experience of the world.
Yes, they’re from Alexander McQueen
A lot of what we cover on this site—and therefore what I’m invested in personally—is about excavating the depths. It’s about investigating who “I” am, with the aim of bringing this “true” self to the world. BUT please please not to the extent that we forget we’re still human-freaking-beings!
Human beings who are here to forge meaningful relationships, to do meaningful work, and to hopefully be of service in some way—easy to forget if we spend so much time looking “in,” diligently monitoring our progress on our personal journey, we’re never “out” there, shining our light in the world. Which might look a lot like eating pizza, drinking beer, and simply being a loving daughter, sister, auntie and friend to people who don’t necessarily give a fuck what planets are conjunct your moon this week, since they’re got more pressing “real world” concerns they need to talk to you about.
Because: all this against the backdrop of the devastating news of the Orlando shooting, and frankly medieval talk of Britain’s potential exit from the EU. If ever there was a moment to simply embody the changes your inner work has brought about, then NOW could be a good time to step away from the crystals—and be out there living the changes our world needs to see.
My beautiful brother and his beautiful family…let’s make a more beautiful world for baby Henry!
:: WEDNESDAY :: In love with Alexandra Derby’s new four-part gem + flower essence system, which is designed to support your system holistically during every stage of your moon (yes menstrual) cycle. The idea is you take one of four tinctures depending where you’re at—Visionary for week one, Manifestation for week two (ovulation), Serenity for week three (a.k.a. PMS), and Womb Wisdom when you’re actually bleeding.
My cycle is generally pretty irregular (something I’ve been working on with Aly for a while now), so I just made a note in my diary what days I should perhaps switch up this past month. And wouldn’t you know. Coinciding with my touch-down back in NYC, today I began to bleed as the “Womb Wisdom” notification popped up. I might have felt like I was on an inner work break in Europe—but something inside is working. The Cosmic Cycle Elixirs go on sale Monday June 20 at Alexandraderby.com. A percentage of proceeds will go to Femme International—supplying girls in east Africa with reusable menstrual cups.
:: THURSDAY :: Planning details of a FREE virtual Full Moon + Summer Solstice ritual I’ll be hosting with Numi contributors Alexandra Roxo and Elyssa Jakim next Monday, June 20. You can join anywhere in the world, and the idea is to celebrate and give thanks for the manifestations we are brining into the world, and set a solstice intention for the summer. Think: an overview of the current cosmic climate, self-inquiry for the Solstice, and a guided meditation connected to like-minded spirits around the world. Spaces are limited—click here to sign up!
:: FRIDAY :: And looking forward to our Club SÖDA NYC Solstice Picnic in McCarren park in Williamsburg this Sunday too! As mentioned above, there’s been some (very high-vibe) beer-drinking going on these past couple of months, but I’m now almost two weeks into my latest EPS—my dad’s term for the “extended periods of sobriety” I launched Club SÖDA NYC to help people navigate—and FEELING IT. The feeling of being high on life, that is, that I get when I get booze out of my system for a while. The picnic is gonna be a super low-key “friends of the Numinous” type thing, but if you’re in the hood, swing by and say hi!
Two high vibe and super healthy Sunday brunch recipes we’re currently crushing on…DIY Faux-coa Puffs & Chia Chickpea Pancakes w/ Coconut-Cinnamon Whipped Cream. By Raquel Griffin. Photo: Ashley E. Davidson
DIY Cocoa Faux Puffs (V,GF) Filling, healthy, and party in your mouth!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED 1/4c raw amaranth 1c unsweetened fresh (or store bought) almond milk 2T maple syrup [or honey, brown rice syrup, etc..] 2-3t unsweetened cocoa powder 1t vanilla extract 1/4t cinnamon 2T dried unsweetened coconut
DIRECTIONS Pop amaranth, 1-2T at a time. Popping instructions. In a bowl mix together amaranth, cocoa powder, cinnamon, dried fruit + coconut. Pour 1c milk in a bowl and whisk maple syrup + vanilla in until combined. Pour milk over your new favorite Saturday morning treat and dig in!
***Optional additions for the adventurous or… not so much *** Add in chopped nuts to up the crunch factor (almonds, walnuts and pecans could all be major). Add in dried fruit like raisins, cherries or goji berries to give your faux puffs a little haute healthy flavor. Not a fan of dried fruit or coconut? Leave ’em out – it’ll still be a party in your mouth.
Chia Chickpea Pancakes w/ Coconut-Cinnamon Whipped Cream (V,GF) This recipe has been my go-to for the last month. I cannot seem to get enough pancakes, but then again can you really ever have enough pancakes when they’re gluten-free, vegan, AND crazy high protein? I think not.
So before we jump right in let me give you the stats on these beauties. Two medium pancakes have about 20-22 grams of protein, 19 grams of fiber – plus you could easily hit 25+ grams of protein by adding a smattering of nuts into the mix. And did I mention they taste great and not like chickpeas at all? So buckle your seat belts because this recipe is about to become a mainstay in your Sunday morning repertoire.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED: 1T Chia (soaked for 10 min in 3T water)* 1T flax seed 1/2c chickpea flour 1/4t baking soda 1 capful of white vinegar 1/3c water 1 1/2t stevia sprinkle of sea salt Coconut oil (enough for frying pancakes)
For Coconut-cinnamon whipped cream 1 can full fat coconut milk *(stored in the fridge overnight) 1 1/2t ground cinnamon 1 capful vanilla extract Sweetner to taste
DIRECTIONS For the Pancakes Combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix until lump free. Heat your lightly oiled pan over low-med heat. Next, pour or scoop the batter into the pan, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Cook on both sides till golden brown, serve hot and topped with coconut-cinnamon whipped cream.
For the coconut-cinnamon whipped cream (v,g) Take your chilled coconut milk and empty the entire contents into a bowl and add your sweetener of choice, plus 1 1/2t of cinnamon and a capful of vanilla extract. Finally, whip on high using an electric mixer for 5-7 minutes until the whipped cream is soft, fluffy. Et voilà! *Sealed in an airtight container the whipped cream will hold for approx. 4-5 days in the fridge.
***Optional additions for the adventurous or… not so much *** Top with jam (I’m currently obsessed with fig, but orange marmalade, ginger, and of course any berry could all equally rock your world!) And of course, one can never go wrong with the classic pairing of nuts + fresh fruit + maple syrup.
Read on for at least three high-vibe Xmas gift ideas, an astro walking tour of NYC, and all the reasons I love Transparent…
:: MONDAY :: Whipped up a batch of my favorite new thing – hemp milk. I’ve been making my own nut milks for most of this year, mainly as, oh let’s see, it’s way cheaper and tastier and healthier than buying the store-bought stuff. I’ve been through almond (too much pulp) and cashew (digestive no-no for me), and had settled on Brazil nut as my fave. But then I got my hands on a copy of Rich Roll and Julie Piatt’s plant-based lifestyle bible The Plantpower Way (an excellent Xmas gift btw), and was convinced to give hemp a try. OMG, it’s lighter than air, mixes like regular dairy milk into hot drinks, AND YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE TO STRAIN IT. Here’s my recipe:
1/2 cup hulled hemp seeds 4 cups of water Pinch sea salt 1/2 tspn raw honey
Blitz.
:: TUESDAY :: When Bess Matassa, a.k.a. Street Sign Astrology, invited me on an “astrological walking tour of NYC” obviously I wasn’t going to say no. Even better, Bess’s tours are based on your actual birth chart – taking in sights, stores, and hidden secrets of the City that act as experiential representations of different aspects in your chart. Wow! Mine began beneath the giant whale at the Museum of Natural History, since so many of my planets are in the watery (read: totally emo) 4th and 8th houses of my chart. We then moved on to check out some fierce mammals, since the “learning edge” that Bess saw in my chart can be summed up as: “getting cozy with savagery.” Grrr…(p.s. a tour with Bess would also be a great Xmas gift)
:: WEDNESDAY :: Hello, exchange economy. Since I was in need of some energetic clearing, and my friend Aly wanted some advice on her website…we agreed to do a swap. A healing session for me, a coaching session for her. We met for the exchange over a 2-hour session today, with amazingly high-vibe results! It got me thinking: what skills could you exchange with one of your friends for an alternative kind of hang-date? It’s a win-win – you both get something out if it that you might otherwise pay a couple of hundred dollars for, and it’s so so much more bonding than getting your gossip on over a bottle of wine. Promise.
:: THURSDAY :: Totally binge-watched the entire second series of Amazon Video’s Transparent, which is definitely one of my favorite shows to have emerged in the past year. If you haven’t seen it a) it’s the story of a (fictional) boho Jewish family in LA coming to terms with the shift in tribal dynamics after the father comes out as trans (“trans-parent,” geddit?), and b) basically clear your diary and get stuck in. Reading this back, it strikes me that it’s essentially a clever, hilarious, emotionally resonant version of the Kardashians – with some really great music, plenty of sex, and copious amounts of medicinal marijuana thrown into the mix.
:: FRIDAY :: Not quite sure how this happened already, but this is the last weekend you (London crew) can visit the mystical Astrolounge Xmas boutique we curated with the team at Selfridges Oxford St. It’s really been such a special project, and what an amazing opportunity to bring all things Numinous to life…in one of Britain’s most iconic department stores, no less. You can also get your custom birth chart tee printed to order while you wait – oh hello, excellent Xmas gift idea no. 3.
Me at the Selfridges Astrolounge opening in October
