Cancer Season 2018 brings a deep dive into our healing process, along with opportunities for true and lasting intimacy, says Bess Matassa … PLUS check out the latest installment of our Astrocast podcast with Bess and Sandy Sitron
Photo: Maria Badasian
Slip into your swimmies and prepare to be fully submerged. The night-blooming flowers of Cancer Season 2018 are ripe and redolent, ushering in a month to tuck into our vulnerability, bear witness to our own softness, and validate every feeling tone that emerges.
With Mars, Chiron, and Neptune all traveling retro, it’s time to stage a farewell party to outmoded illusions, drifting slowly and steadily towards new shorelines. For tapping into underground power sources that don’t need to be proven to be potent. Beneath any surface desires for action and achievement, subtler tidal shifts in soul expansion are sounding their siren song.
So skinny-dip into your shimmering sensitivities, water birth new notions of personal triumph, and let your longings lead you back home to your own private island. You belong to all the selves your secret cavern can hold …
Get the quick and dirty on the four key astro events of Cancer Season 2018 below—and listen to the full Cancer Season 2018 report from Numi resident astrologers Bess + Sandy HERE in the latest edition of our Astrocast podcast …
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Photo: Mong Bui
Sun in Cancer (6.21-7.21) // Think … Terrarium Building
Cancer’s cardinal water energy washes us back onto our own shorelines, and activates themes of privacy, belonging, and soul-centered security. Think of the luminous lunacy of your inner lifeworld as your own tiny biodome, a carefully tended shelter for your wildest dreams. Use this image to play with the edge between guarding your treasured visions, and slowly exposing them to the sunlit world.
As the planet of frictional force and engine-revving libido slows its roll, it’s a glorious moment for considering your relationship to “being” rather than doing. For celebrating the “actions” that happen on a soul level, even when you can’t see them directly manifest in the material world. Make this a month to allow for all flavors of growth and movement. Think of all that you can build without having to go hard or prove your right to exist (and check out the YouTube clip at the link above for some magically wacky inspo!)
“Hey baby, you’ve got to remember …” As the planets of pleasure and vocalization travel through the glitter kitten terrain of Leo, pin your bedazzled-heart to a ruffled-sleeve with this classic roller rink anthem of unabashed passion. Venus in Leo teaches us that allowing our affections to spill over generously and vulnerably is the gateway to loyal loving that lasts, while Mercury in Leo seals each messages with a magenta-lipped kiss. Come clean about your right to your fluffiest feelings and adorn your most cherished romantic hopes in their truest colors.
Photo: Simone Perrone
Jupiter Direct in Scorpio (7.10) // Film Noir Chic
As the planet of wild expansion stations direct in deep sea diver Scorpio, there are gems to be mined in our most intimate partnerships. How can fully embracing your own shadow lead to the veneration and celebration of your only-human partners? How can you integrate and assimilate your own darkness as simply another quality of the light? Play with the complete range of feeling in deliciously dramatic, film noir inspired fashions and remind yourself that taking this seriously is a tasty affirmation of your right to feel it all.
In the wake of Jupiter’s transit through Scorpio, sexual trauma has been brought to light over and over again. In his latest “Queer Hero” column, survivor and healer Danny Brave shares 7 ways to process the deep pain and move from #Metoo to I AM … Photos by Tal Shpantzer
The #MeToo movement exploded onto social media on October 15th 2017, only four days after Scorpio’s transit into Jupiter (the sign of intimacy, sex, secrets, and power). The hashtag was created by Tarana Burke, the black woman whose brilliant activism started the movement all the way back in 2006. Her decade of advocacy reached mainstream awareness when Alyssa Milano tweeted #metoo in response to accusations of sexual assault & misconduct in Hollywood.
Whether or not we wanted to deal with it, molestation, rape, and sexual trauma was being brought to light over and over and over again. Some of us felt ready for this darkness to reveal itself so dramatically and intensely, while others of us felt ill-prepared for all of the undigested emotions and traumas that these women were bringing to the forefront of our consciousness.
With Jupiter still retrograding through Scorpio, and April marking Sexual Assault Awareness Month (S.A.A.M.), I have been reflecting on all that has transpired since the initiation of this powerful planetary movement …
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Widening the sexual trauma narrative The stories of who is sexually assaulting who are as varied as the number of people on earth. I know white cis gender men who have been assaulted by cis white women, and I have met men who were molested by their mothers as boys. Sexual violation has been perpetrated by gay men to other gay men, by queer POC to other queer POC, by fathers to girls who come out later in life as non-binary or trans men, by white people to black people and vice versa.
The list of race, gender, sexuality, body type, and age variable narratives continues, as is reflected by the statistics:
– 47% of transgender people are sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime – Of trans people of color: American Indian (65%), multiracial (59%), Middle Eastern (58%), and Black (53%) have experienced sexual assault – American Indians are twice as likely to experience rape/sexual assault compared to all races – 1 in 3 women experience sexual assault – 1 in 10 men experience sexual assault – 44% of lesbians experience rape – 61% bisexual women experience rape – 26% of gay men experience rape – 37% of bisexual men experience rape
And the effects are staggering. From persistent and debilitating anxiety and/or depression, to the shutdown of one’s sexuality, and a sense of complete worthlessness and suicidal thinking, the wake of this abuse’s devastation goes on and on.
For the sake of everyone’s healing, we must not confine this widespread epidemic to old stereotypes and the rigidity of the gender binary.
7 ways to heal your sexual trauma … To provide some solutions, below is a love letter—a list of tools, rituals and advice that have helped me and my clients reclaim our lives, sexuality, and bodies in the aftermath of sexual trauma …
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1//Make art. Whatever your creative medium, express it! You don’t have to show what you create to anyone at all (unless you want to!), you don’t have to be good at it, and you don’t have to spend much money (writing, for example, costs about $3 for a cheap notebook and pen). The purpose is just to get the energy moving.
Creativity is governed by the sacral chakra, located in the pelvis, genitals, and lower back, and connected to sexual energy. When you are being creative, you are helping to unearth, clear, uplift, and release some of the stagnant or painful energy that got planted there during moments of abuse.
If you are struggling with depression in particular, making art makes you active again. It puts the ball back in your court and helps you remember that life can be beautiful, and that it is okay to feel. Become the transmuter of your own pain through your creativity and I promise you catharsis will be there, and that this will eventually (if not immediately) lead to feeling better.
2//Tell someone who makes you feel safe and who you know will believe you. One of my mentors taught me that the lips of the labia and the lips of the mouth have the same nerve endings—they are connected. What this means is that sexual trauma silences us; it makes us somehow incapable of voicing our truth, standing up for ourselves, and asking for our needs (emotional or otherwise) to be met.
Telling our deep dark truths to someone we can trust can be one of the most healing experiences. Here’s a loose structure to get you started:
1 – Contact the person you are going to meet and ask them, in your own words, if they will meet with you in person so that you can vent and get something really difficult off your chest.
2 – Tell them exactly what you need from them afterwards. Is it a quick hug? To be held for a while? To say “I’m sorry that happened to you,” to say “thank you for telling me your story”? It can feel weird to make such a clear and specific requests, but people aren’t mind-readers, and our abuse stories are so intense that we often require a very specific type of support to feel just that: supported.
3 – Tell them your story and provide as many details as possible. I am talking about the date and time, who did it, the location of the abuse on your body, how you felt—the whole thing. If it makes it easier, you can write this out all out in advance. Notice the resistance to doing this and try to push through and speak your truth anyway.
4 – Set up something really lovely to do for yourself afterwards—something that makes you feel comforted, brings you back to the present moment, or brings you joy. Do you love to go see movies? To plant a garden? To paint? To go for a joy drive and blast music? After unleashing your powerful truth, make sure you engage with this activity for as long as it takes to get you back to the present moment.
3//Realize that what happened to you is NOT your fault. Something that tends to get built into the experience of sexual abuse is that we, on some level, caused or created it.
The mind of a child is more straightforward than the mind of an adult, and it does not understand that bad things that happen are not caused by them. If the abuse is being perpetrated by an adult to a child, the child knows that the parent is the one feeding and clothing them and therefore will do any and all mental gymnastics to repress, imagine, or self-blame the abuse away by taking on and in all of the pain and blame.
If you were an adult when the abuse happened to you, it’s still easy to think: “If I hadn’t been drunk, if I had been wearing something different …” If we are spiritually-inclined, we might even torture ourselves with spirituality and the law of attraction, asking ourselves ridiculous things such as: “Why did I create this experience? Maybe I wasn’t thinking positively enough … I wonder why I attracted this abuse?”
Why do we try to make something as awful as this our fault? The truth is simple: it is easier to blame ourselves and engage in self-hatred then it is to deal with the fact that what happened was not in our control and not our fault whatsoever. Doing this also prevents us from having to deal with the emotional reality of holding someone else accountable for their actions.
Hating ourselves or trying to make ourselves responsible for something we clearly didn’t cause or do is an incredibly effective defense mechanism to either defend the memory of our parents because we want to maintain a relationship with them, and/or to avoid holding the perpetrator fully accountable for the painful emotions associated.
It is because of this that I cannot stress enough: what happened to you was not your fault. What happened to you was not your fault. What happened to you was not your fault. What happened to you was not your fault.
It wasn’t.
And coming to terms with this is an all-too-necessary step that needs to happen before forgiveness and letting go (after all, if we don’t hold someone accountable to begin with, then what is there even to forgive?)
4//Perform a releasing ritual. Ritual is a powerful way that we can find closure and healing for experiences and situations that seem impossible to ever gain closure from. By doing something physical, ritual provides a concrete moment that serves as a bridge for us to walk over and into the next phase of our lives.
Here are a couple of suggestions for releasing rituals that I have found to be incredibly powerful in healing my own sexual trauma:
1 – Write a letterto the person who did it (and don’t send it). I know, it’s intense. The thing is … if you have not done something like this already, it is likely that the thoughts and feelings you would communicate directly to this person are rolling around in your head and your body, anyway, and without an outlet.
What we are looking for here is catharsis and closure. It is not meant to be sent to the person, and that being said, it does not have to be respectful or kind in any way. Get it aaaaalllll out. And then, safely destroy it! Rip it up, or light it on fire. Afterwards, make sure you set yourself up with some really lovely after-care: a relaxing walk alone or with a friend, a gentle movie that makes you feel comforted, etc.
2 – Go somewhere in nature. Preferably a body of water (and especially the ocean). Take a stroll to find either a seashell or rock, and place it in your hand. With the object in your hand, charge it up with all of the feelings and experiences of the abuse, and all of the things that have happened as a result of it.
Take a moment to really feel all of that energy and pain moving through and out of your body and into the shell or rock. Then, THROW IT IN THE OCEAN! Boom: it’s done, it’s over. Give yourself some time to sit and have a leisurely walk or maybe even journal after you release this- again, with everything involving your recovery, taking the time for gentle after-care is important.
5//Adjust your sexual expression accordingly. While it may not be the case for everyone, it has been my own, and many of my clients’ experiences that sexual abuse tends to create a polarity of subsequent sexual expression: either way too much, or way too little (basically non-existent).
This is not an invitation to judge yourself, rather to become self aware of your sexuality and sexual patterns from a place of unconditional love. Remember, the extremity is not your fault (re-visit bullet point #3 if you’re beating yourself up).
*For my way too much-ers: Take a vow of celibacy for 3 months (it’s ok: you can still masturbate). During this time, when you do masturbate, take a few breaths and ask to connect to God/Spirit/the Universe (whichever term you prefer) through your sexual energy (and prepare to be blown away!!)
Make a list of 10 other ways to feel loved, outside of engaging in sexual activity with another person, and commit to exploring one of them each week during your temporary celibacy.
*For my non-existent/way too little-ers: Make it a non-negotiable commitment to exploring your sexual nature and opening up to sexual experiences on a bi-weekly basis, working up to sharing yourself with a consenting partner, if it feels right.
Also, dance. Yes, DANCE. Take dance classes that bring the energy down into the lower chakras: African dance, hip hop, pole dancing, etc. Get out of your comfort zone!
6//Invest in healing that is holistic and takes your body into account. We know that the conscious mind governs only 10-20% of the totality of our consciousness. Traditional psychotherapy is typically working with the 10-20% of the conscious mind to try to get to the 80-90% that’s less conscious. Unsurprisingly, I prefer methods that go straight to the 80-90%: reiki, shamanic healing, and meditation. You might also try sound healing, hypnotherapy, tapping, somatic experience, or any other mind-body practice you feel drawn to.
The site that is typically inflicted with a sexual trauma wound for women, trans men, and those assigned-female-at-birth is the vagina, or “yoni.” Mystics and shamans know this place to be the gateway to the universe, and the key to creation of life itself—not only human life as in childbirth, but also the creation of all things, such as personal dreams and manifestations.
In my personal shamanic healing practice, I use a tool called a shamanic extraction, which uses the intelligence of crystals to safely extract pain, fear, and any other energy intrusions that were inflicted on the individual’s yoni during the time of abuse out, followed by the channeling of reiki healing energy into the area. This allows the individual to have agency over their yoni, one of the deepest and most powerful tools for us to create our lives from this place- a place of health, clarity, and integrity.
Another incredibly effective tool I use is shamanic cord cutting, which is a powerful ritual in which we take the cord of energy that is usually still subconsciously or unconsciously connecting the client to their abuser via a vibration of pain, and we release it, and follow up by channeling reiki or healing energy into the area for deep healing.
7//Connect with community. The patriarchy thrives off of separation. Pain and darkness prevail when we are in isolation. This is not normal or natural, and we need matriarchy now—a matriarchy that is for all genders, races, body types, and ages.
It is imperative that in your healing journey, you find some sort of community to join where you feel safe enough to be seen. It can be a shamanic community, a monthly women’s circle, AA, a hiking club—there are tons of things to do and join in this world, both in-person and online.
Don’t do this alone. You can’t do it alone. Other people need you and you need them, and that’s okay. My hope is that we start to live in a world where our emotional needs are no longer judged as being “needy.” We all need each other, and we all heal each other. So let’s do that.
Smack in the middle of Eclipse Season intensity, the Scorpio Waning Quarter Moon arrives to help us face the shadow, purge past patterns, and get ready to revolutionize our lives, says Jennifer Racioppi …
Waning Quarter Moon :: February 7 2018 :: 10:53am EST :: 17 degrees Scorpio
Coming off the intensity of the Jan 31 Total Lunar Supermoon Eclipse in Leo, and building towards the upcoming Solar Eclipse in Aquarius, this Waning Moon cycle asks you to surrender the old (big time!) so you can prepare to call in and conjure the new …
Now’s the time to go beneath the surface (in good ol’ Scorpio style), befriend your psychology, and release those limiting beliefs, fears, and negative patterns. Fortunately, this Moon happens right next to good luck Jupiter, helping us get clear about what’s holding us back.
Be courageous and let your subconscious reveal itself to you. Then ruthlessly let go of the old and outdated, and prepare to catapult your life in the direction of your dreams …
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// The Cycle // February 2018, a month without a Full Moon, begins with a Waning Moon and ends with a Waxing Gibbous Moon. The first portion of the month cosmically asks you to clean up your past and tend to what the Total Lunar Supermoon Eclipse made so abundantly clear to you. What aha moment did you have then that you are still working through? In preparation for the upcoming Total Solar Eclipse—aka a New Moon on steroids!— now is the time to let go of and eliminate what’s not working.
Further, this Waning Quarter Moon harkens back to the Scorpio New Moon on November 11, 2015. Back then, Saturn, the planet of discipline and lord of karma was also in Scorpio, and was asking you to honor and commit to your truth. What vow or promise did you make then that’s up for reevaluation now?
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// The Transits // With the Moon right next to Jupiter, the planet of good luck and abundance, and also aligned with powerhouse Pluto, this Scorpio Waning Quarter Moon comes with a side of fairy dust. With the Sun, Venus, and Mercury all in Aquarius, a rebellious spirit prevails. So let your freak flag fly!
Your anchor? To faithfully honor and pursue your truth as it stands today (not what you thought it was months, weeks, and years ago).
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// The Square // As the Sun travels through intellectual and forward-thinking Aquarius, beckoning you to step into your leadership, the Scorpio Waning Quarter Moon squares the Sun, and asks you to dig deep into your subconscious and let go of the old stories. With one foot in the future and one foot in the past, you may feel caught between two worlds. How apropos for Eclipse Season!
Eclipses expedite growth. Think about it: during the recent Lunar Eclipse the Moon went from full to dark and red, back to fully illuminated again. As the Earth’s shadow covered the Moon, the Moon experienced a void, a blackout of light, and then returned to its position of receptivity (all within a brief period).
During that period, even though time seemed to pass as normal, cosmically things shifted, and a karmic cycle hastened. A portal opened. In another week, the second of this month’s pair of eclipses opens up a new portal of possibility. This expedition of karma and evolution may feel dizzying and confusing, yet it accelerates your growth massively.
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// The Opportunity // If you lean into your growth, and lead from a place of compassionate authenticity, February has the potential to revolutionize your life (I’m not exaggerating!).
Something in your life is coming to fruition, especially as it relates to where you were in November of 2015 (and intentions set then). Simultaneously, changes are seriously accelerated by Eclipse Season. It’s time to shed, release, and surrender the old, the outdated, what no longer works for you.
Don’t be shy. Now’s the time to be bold and brave. Step into your courage!
For more Moon wisdom or to book a coaching session with Jennifer visit Jenniferracioppi.com. And to learn more about how to work with each Moon phase, check out Moon Club, our community of lunar-loving cosmic change makers!
In the season of decay and renewal, we’re asked to open ourselves wide for soul evolution, says Melinda Lee Holm. Let your deck guide the way towards the light with these tarot cards for November 2017 …
The theme for November is POWER. We start the month clearing out the debris impeding our ascension with the Death card, and then move into a series of expansions in our emotional lives, our inherent magical powers, and the courage to pursue our goals. It’s a big month!
So stay open, stay flexible, and keep your eye on the prize.
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:: 11/1 Day of the Dead—Death :: Day of the Dead was celebrated in central and southern Mexico long before the Spanish invaded and matched the indigenous celebrations of the dead to their Catholic holidays of All Saints Day and All Souls Day. The holiday is a time to honor the dead, to celebrate their lives, and keep their memories alive by making shrines, picnicing at grave sites, and leaving trails of marigolds to lead the way back home.
While the teachings of the Death card can feel extremely difficult, the acceptance of Death as a natural part of life is one of the greatest lessons we can learn. This extends to the life and death of relationships, modes of thinking, patterns of behavior, and ways of being. The Death card reminds us that we are always evolving, always growing and expanding and, yes, dying. Embrace life to the fullest by embracing the wisdom of Death.
Calling in Death:
Wear or carry Obsidian to release what is not serving you and open communication with the Spirit World
Eat black sesame—a favorite of Shiva, the destroyer and transformer
Draw out your demons—literally. Drawing can help exorcise what needs releasing without the pressure of naming that comes with using written words.
Honor the dead through prayer, lighting a candle, visiting a marker, or simply telling their stories
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:: 11/13: Venus conjunct Jupiter in Scorpio—2 of Cups :: Remember that awesome dose of expansion I talked about last month with Jupiter arriving to hang out in Scorpio for 13 months? Well, on the 13th, Venus will join Jupiter in Scorpio for just a couple weeks, steering this major expansion into the realm of beauty and L O V E. Keep your ears perked up and your eyes open for fresh waves of love energy in new or existing relationships and take a good look at any aspects of your personal beauty routine and/or concept that could use a tune-up.
To bring on a new day in the land of love, we look to the 2 of Cups. Cups represent Water, the element of emotion, and in the 2 we see the spark of what is possible in the emotional realm when 2 hearts come together. This card is all about the maagic of the initial attraction we feel when we meet someone new. This is of course sometimes a romantic attraction, but it can also be a spiritual attraction of friendship or mentorship. Love comes in many forms!
Calling in the 2 of Cups:
Bathe with Rose Quartz—a stone or two in the tub will charge up the whole bath with heart opening energy
Make a date with someone new
Switch up your beauty routine with a new cosmetic—love the vessel you’re in!
Wear pink or green, the colors of the heart center
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:: 11/18: Occult Day—The Magician :: While there is very little information about the origins of this holiday, it is on every list of November holidays. And as a proud occultist, I will gladly take the invitation to celebrate! This Occult Day, get yourself in line for those downloads of secret wisdom by calling in The Magician.
The Magician is the Tarot’s master of manifestation. In almost every representation, he is shown with the power of all four suits (wands, cups, swords, pentacles) at his disposal. In this card, we see the figure of The Magician with one hand pointed up toward the Heavens and the other pointed down toward the Earth. When we recognize that we ourselves are beings of both the Earth and the Cosmos, we can begin to open up to our innate powers of manifestation and our Magician within.
Calling in The Magician:
Eat Cinnamon to accelerate your innate magical powers
Create a personal mantra and say it aloud daily—use your magic words!
Meditate with Labradorite, stone of magic and self-mastery
Finally get that Tarot deck (or palmistry book, or grimoire, etc) you’ve been wanting for so long
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:: 11/28 Red Planet Day—The Emperor :: This celebration of the planet Mars and its association with both Scorpio and the cardinal fire sign, Aries, asks us to embrace passion, direction, and intense energy. Whether you have Aries planets or not, look to where Mars falls in your chart and celebrate and capitalize on its big dose of fiery action from the Red Planet.
The Emperor is the perfect embodiment of Mars energy in the Tarot. Energetically, The Emperor is single-minded in his determination to accomplish his goals and create the world around him that’s in exact alignment with his personal vision. While he sometimes gets a bad reputation for being cold, the true nature of The Emperor is simply to pursue his goals and ideals with an enviable purity of passion.
Calling in The Emperor:
Wear or carry Carnelian, the warrior’s stone
Practice The Power of No and save your energy for your own pursuits
Power dress – suit? piles of jewelry? red lipstick? Get it.
Make a vision board – you have to dream it to make it happen!
Want more tarot magic? Book a session with Melinda here, and make sure to follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
Paralyzed by Tarot-noia, astro dates, and constant cleanses? You might be having a wellness overdose, says Mercedes Kiss …
Collage by the author
With planet of spiritual abundance, Jupiter, now in insatiable Scorpio, it could begin to feel like we’re caught up in a zodiac discotheque of wellness … knocking back the ‘booch and dusting all your friends in Astragalus to keep the party going strong.
But watch your step in those Bulletproof platforms, disco minx, because too many sips on this cosmic mix could tip your Health Hustle into the Overdose Zone.
When it comes to wellness, here are 9 ways to tell you’ve gone from “Hot Stuff” to “Le Freak” …
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1// You intro yourself as an 80/20-Intermittent-Fasting-Lacto-Keto-Paleo-Vego-Juicing-(Nutso) What started as a simple way to alert restaurants of your dietary preference has ballooned into a multi-hyphened food-entity.
The labels began as a way to help you to become THE BEST YOU. The problem is, so many of life’s glories—adventure, experimentation, spontaneity, surrender—require busting through those Bulletproof walls.
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2// You’re stuck in analysis paralysis You went to the drugstore for eye drops. After sitting on the itchy carpet comparing ingredients lists for 45 minutes, and diving deep into online review forums, you ultimately leave empty-handed (deeming it utterly irresponsible to put such chemically-laden toxic waste on your precious peepers).
When every purchase has become a debilitating tug-of-war between this-or-that-or-DIY, I dare you to just pick something by the count of three. If you hate it you can return it … but, babe, your free time isn’t meant to be spent under nasty drugstore fluorescents.
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3// You’re so “cleansed,” your digestive tract sparkles brighter than Martha Stewart’s silver Yes Martha is the original #girlboss and nearly everything she does is “a good thing.” But constant cleansing is not.
I certainly champion for a diet loaded with green leafy veg, where snacks aren’t shackled in crinkly plastic bags. But adopting the philosophy that certain foods are “clean” and others “dirty” can make a mess of both mind and body. The stress we place on ourselves for crushing that WHOLE movie theater box of Sour Patch Kids can be just as gnarly to our overall health as its nutrient (non)density or caloric hit.
Collage by the author
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4// D stands for Detox, Dharma, Dulse … and Debt After a recent super-natural shopping spree of powdered adaptogens, a highly-touted jade yoni egg, and a year’s supply of organic Jojoba oil, I crashed down with an ego-breaking thud when I checked my bank account.
Take a lesson from a gal who’s been there: all the green products in the world aren’t worth finding your finances in the red.
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5// E stands for Exercise … but also Exhaustion and Escape I love running for long stretches out in nature with fabulous company … like Blondie or Donna Summer’s greatest hits! But I knew I needed to ask myself why I was craving those daily 2-hour jaunts when no amount of sleep left me feeling rested and I was procrastinating on other obligations.
The warning signs were obvious but I pushed to the physical and emotional breaking point before admitting, “I’m a savage for sweat who’s literally running away from reality.”
So sure, go after the high. But listen to your body’s wisdom and keep your intentions honest.
Collage by the author
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6// You have more dates with your colon-hydrotherapist than with your lover Or your acupuncturist/Reiki Master/cryo chamber, and your best-friend/sister/mom …
Checking in with your tribe can bring tremendous satisfaction and healing all its own. The relief sought from your bevy of external therapies could mask other areas of life, and the relationships that really count, being swept under the rug.
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7// The stars. Must. Align Your astrology newsletter said the 1st would be a “compromised day for business relationships,” so you called in sick to work. The 14th is forecasted to be lucky for romance, so you triple booked Tinder dates (swipe right! – swipe right! – swipe right!).
The zodiac is many things: magical, intriguing, guiding, telling. But it is not a guarantee. We might be handed a roadmap with highlighted routes, but it’s up to us to fill up the tank and drive responsibly.
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8// You’ve turned into “Sage On The Stage” You find yourself in a social situation (a catchup over hemp milk lattes or dinner at that new “farm-to-upcycled-tablecloths” joint), and suddenly you morph into Gwyneth Paltrow meets Tony Robbins meets Anderson Cooper.
Sharing your wellness wisdom is a noble cause. Just remember, Your Highness of Health, that friends are equals and not a paying audience. They want to hang with you, not necessarily your monologue on ceremonial Matcha.
Collage by the author
9// “Wellness” just isn’t juicy enough Do you ever say a word so many times that it loses all meaning? It dissolves into syllables, then elemental sounds, then POOF! It’s gone.
Wellness is, well, one thing … and it doesn’t get to the heart of all we sumptuous creatures crave. With expansive Jupiter stoking our transformational fires through November 3 2018, how about we also go after GREAT-ness? FIERCE-ness? Some Scorpio SEXI-ness? When it comes to disco-diva FABULOUS-ness, I’ll take a strong hit everyday.
Mercedes Kiss is a Boston-based designer, writer, and holistic health coach. After rocking her 20s as an architect of fancy buildings, she jumped tracks and became an architect of the soul. Follow her on Instagram and discover more about A STAND OUT, her sparkly biz devoted to serving a growing tribe of babes through high-vibe articles, personalized wellness coaching, and a line of hand-crafted organic skincare.
The 2017 Cancer Waning Quarter Moon asks us to tap into our intuition, activate our inner warrior, and fight for our right to come back home to ourselves, says Jennifer Racioppi …
Waning Quarter Moon :: October 12 2017 :: 8:25am EST :: 19 degrees Cancer
As the Moon makes her way back towards new again, the waning period is a time to let go, release what’s no longer working, and tap into your subconscious spiritual needs.
This particular Cancer Waning Quarter Moon occurs just days after Jupiter, the most massive planet in the solar system, moves from Libra into Scorpio, where he’ll stay until November 2018.
Jupiter in Scorpio assists with psychological and subconscious excavations, while Cancer is the sign ruling our subconscious emotional body. This is a week to allow yourself to feel all the feels. And then to use this Waning Quarter Moon to listen to your intuitive voice, and stand up for yourself and your heart’s desires!
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:: The Moon :: With the Moon in sensitive Cancer, now’s the time to come home to yourself, make peace with your emotions, and build internal security.
However, as the Moon opposes Pluto in Capricorn and squares the Sun in Libra, this process might feel tinged with anxiety. How to work with this energy? Read on …
:: The Sun :: As the Sun sextiles the North Node in Leo, you are being supported to rise into the highest calling of your life. NBD, right?! With the Sun squaring both the Moon and Pluto, the path doesn’t feel straightforward. It might even feel contentious …
The solution? Remember that this is all cardinal energy, which initiates action, so don’t be shy! Despite the Sun being in peaceful Libra, it’s essential that you act right now in alignment with your own needs, and not of those of others.
:: The Square :: The Sun/Moon square is helping you get clear about what needs to be released before the October 19 Libra New Moon.
Because of the Cardinal T-Square in the sky (involving the 3 cardinal signs of Libra, Capricorn, and Cancer) we can look to the 4th “missing” sign for answers: Aries encourages active movement and courageous leadership, so use these qualities to support you as you work with this contentious energy.
:: The Message :: To deliver on the promise of this Cancer Waning Quarter Moon to come home to yourself, you must activate the Aries within. Call forth your inner warrior. Use this exercise of powering up to release any tension in your body.
Don’t be afraid to take a stand. On this Cardinal Waning Quarter Moon, you must!
For more Moon wisdom or to book a coaching session with Jennifer visit Jenniferracioppi.com. And to learn more about how to work with each Moon phase, check out Moon Club, our community of lunar-loving cosmic change makers!
It’s time to take soul contracts to another level! Jupiter’s transit through Libra set the stage with relationship 101 and now you’re ready to get out your scuba gear and go deep into the heart of your inner truth … Scorpio lives to feel total intimacy with another soul, but it’s only when we develop intimacy within ourselves that we can reach this with another.
Jupiter’s grand plan to expand wants to search and discover all that it can. As such, half of this energy is yearning to open with no limits, while the other is focused diving deeper and deeper within. It’s within this polarity that passion is born …
This transit will help us expand (Jupiter) to where our heart’s deepest desires align with our soul path (Scorpio). Because both Jupiter and Scorpio can be prone to excess at times (both like to devour in different ways), as the transit increases into 2018 you may feel an overwhelming internal need to investigate until you are blue in the face.
This will be a real test of balance, between going deep and uncovering the rhythm of your journey, yet not getting lost in the stories. As you plunge into unconscious territory, there is no beginning and no end.
It will be up to you and your boundaries to “know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, and know when to walk away.”
To find out more about how this will play out in your personal birth chart and to dive deeper into your soul contract, connect with Danielle on Instagram, her website, and in her private Facebook group for women.
This planetary shift offers us an opportunity to truly explore our darkness and the places we prefer to hold in the shadows, both collectively and personally. Scorpio asks us to dive deep into our psyche and our soul, and Jupiter asks us to use these deep dives to propel us towards an ideal society.
It’s time to birth a new moral stance on society’s power struggles. My hope is that we can use this cycle to empower all levels of society by fully acknowledging our shadow and the damage overconsumption has caused our planet, considering universal income, and envisioning a version of society that uplifts oppressed populations.
As the largest planet in the solar system travels through sexy Scorpio, get ready to bring your libido up a notch, reveal secrets, and touch on taboo topics.
While this will be particularly strong for Scorpio Suns, Moons, and Rising signs, no matter what your astrological makeup it’s time to embrace the depth this transit offers and come out on top.
While traveling through Scorpio, Jupiter will make a luscious trine of manifestation to Neptune, supporting gains in our spiritual practices and psychological explorations. This may manifest in the increased popularity of medicinal plant-based ceremonies—yet remain mindful of addiction, this is not the time to flirt with substance abuse of any kind.
As Jupiter aspects Pluto in Capricorn on January 15, we’ll have the tenacity to go the distance on behalf of our dreams. And later in the cycle on November 1st, the planet will encounter wounded healer Chiron in a supportive angle of manifestation.
Get ready for some subterranean healing!
For more Moon wisdom or to book a coaching session with Jennifer visit Jenniferracioppi.com
By definition, growth is uncomfortable. Like plants, we have to internally or externally fight against gravity in order to break out of the ground. If we can focus on becoming a flower, we have the opportunity to harness Jupiter in Scorpio’s beneficial expansion.
With Scorpio, every transformation necessitates a death or sacrifice. If we sacrifice what is no longer needed, we can create space for something new to grow. It’s time to choose what you throw into the fire and open yourself to regeneration.
On a broader scale, as Jupiter aspects the U.S. birth chart around November 8th, there could be the opportunity for elected officials to break out of the political deadlock and do what is truly best for the country.
As Scorpio also has to do with investments, this cycle could also bring opportunities for entrepreneurs and inventors.
Sacrifice is not always feel easy, but it may feel more optimistic during this time. And if we align ourselves with higher principles and ideals we can be assured a glorious rebirth. This journey will allow us to receive more creativity, more magnetism, and more opportunities to help other people through their death and rebirth process.
Discover more about Frederick Steinmann’s practice HERE, and check out his Youtube channel.
It’s flower food season, cosmic botanists, and Jupiter in Scorpio wants you to dig your hands all the way down into the rich, dark chocolate earth and fully feast on the cycles of longing for, having, losing, and learning to love once again …
Scorpio’s flavor of water energy is the liquid that calcifies into ice castles and amber-encrusted possessions. Yet this “fixed” sign’s highest octave of expression is the willingness to ungrip, open our palms, and let intimate collisions with our most intense desires melt us down into pure gold.
Infused with Jupiter’s swirling nomadic desert energy of freewheeling expansion, it’s a moment to take whatever you’ve been squeezing your heart around out into the high noon sun and finally let it thaw. Let it saturate the parched earth, and feed the juicy fruit salad and riotous tropical blooms that are yet to come. Know that you can absolutely handle the seasons of your life.
Jupiter in Scorpio Mantra:“When I plunge directly into my longing, my passion purifies me.” Theme Song: Pat Benatar’s Shadows of the Night Style: Bond girl meets 90s club kid. Think bronze bangles, plunging necklines, cat eyes, and luxe loungewear mixed with the Spice Girls’ ecstasy of sky-high platforms, feather boas, and neon animal prints. Flavors: Midnight snacks and challenging sweets like rock candies, gemstone colored jello, and tasty leftovers revealed in the glow of the fridge.
Want more juicy cosmic insights and sensory explorations? Arrange an astrology reading or private event with Bess here and follow her on Instagram.
Buckle up, divination divas. As we prepare to take on the dark side of the year, let these tarot cards for October 2017 help you face your fears and break on through, says Melinda Lee Holm.
As Fall brings a shift in the light, we are crossing through the veil into the collective and individual subconscious for some major breakthroughs.
October offers the opportunity to treat the dive into the dark side like a gift, as we expand our understanding, birth our passion projects, face our deepest fears, and learn to be better partners.
The energy this month is tailor-made to get you out of your comfort zone and into the fast lane. Buckle up!
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:: 10/9 Indigenous People’s —9 of Pentacles ::
Many cities across the U.S. have transformed what was formerly Columbus Day into Indigenous People’s Day, and this shift is the result of decades of work to raise awareness of and appreciation for the history and experience of the indigenous people in the land we now call home.
The 9 of Pentacles helps deepen our awareness of this experience. This card represents an accomplishment in the Earthly world, a recognition of the fruits of our labor, and an understanding of how we have been transformed by our experiences. But with this knowledge comes an awareness that what we have learned demands that we learn even more. We are driven to push ahead towards an ever more profound understanding of our world and ourselves.
Calling in the 9 of Pentacles:
Use tea tree oil on your body or in your home – it clears confusion, in addition to being a great antiseptic
Read a work of non-fiction
Dress foods with mustard – mustard seed promotes the courage and perseverance needed to learn and integrate challenging information
Keep African violets in your home to attract grounded wisdom
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:: 10/10 Jupiter Enters Scorpio—Queen of Cups ::
As Jupiter begins its transit through Scorpio, we’re in for 13 months of majorly deep dives into the desires we wish to expand. This is BIG DEAL energy for pushing hard to get passion projects up and running. The trick is, with the potential sting of Scorpio’s tail, we have to be sure that what we pursue is truly in alignment with our hearts.
The Queen of Cups has a masterful devotion to her passion. She knows her emotional self completely and is comfortable with all aspects of her emotional field. This makes her able to skillfully identify what is in perfect alignment with her heart and leaves her free to dive completely into that project and care for it as she would a child.
Choose wisely and give of yourself completely. This is a potent time.
Calling in the Queen of Cups:
Drink linden tea to fearlessly open the heart and follow its lead
Wear or carry Ruby to inspire passionate devotion to a goal or project
Eat legumes – plant the seeds of success in yourself via proverbial “magic beans”
Dress with intention – as the saying goes, fake it til you make it
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:: 10/13 Friday the 13th—The Moon ::
Getting a Friday the 13th in October is truly a gift for fans of the spooky and macabre. Long considered an unlucky day in the U.S., it is embraced and celebrated by those with a flair for the dark side. Today, take a cue from the goths and learn to love what scares you.
The Moon card is a great ally for stepping out of the day to day and into the murky darkness of the subconscious. This card is all about major growth through facing fears, and trusting our intuition and instincts to lead us safely through the wild unknown. It’s time to be brave and embrace the monster in the closet once and for all.
Calling in The Moon:
Cook with Cumin to exorcise any superstitions holding you back
Watch a scary movie
Eat pomegranate seeds – they were Persephone’s key to thriving in the Underworld
Wear or carry Moonstone
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:: 10/22 Mars Enters Libra—8 of Swords ::
Mars, planet of action, drive, and desire, enters the sign of partnership on the 22nd and stays until December 9th, putting a focus on harmony in all our relations with others. But with Mars’ fierce determination, there is a danger of becoming so fixated on harmony that we’re willing to bend the truth to get it.
Avoid sacrificing clarity for comfort with the 8 of Swords. This card brings a lesson in cutting out the chatter and getting grounded in what truly matters. This chatter can come from the opinions of others, societal norms, and internalized rules about how we should or should not think, feel, and behave. Get grounded, get clear, and be true to yourself in order to keep your relationships strong.
Calling in the 8 of Swords:
Wear or carry Fluorite to maintain clarity in your intentions
Season food or drinks with lime juice – lime promotes fidelity and peace
Write ‘morning pages’ daily (3 handwritten stream-of-consciousness pages) to clear the internal chatter before you start your days
Burn myrrh resin or incense to create a peaceful atmosphere
Want more tarot magic? Book a session with Melinda here, and make sure to follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
