The 2018 Scorpio Full Moon is priming us to dig deep into our process, slough off the old, and imagine a re-birth, says Sandy Sitron …
Full Moon :: April 29th 2018 :: 8:59 pm EDT :: 9 degrees Scorpio
A branch scrapes against a window. Long twigs and budding leaves comb the air. The tree reaches through space to get your attention.
Come out and play. Leave the world that is safe and predictable and go out into the dark night, the tree says. Out here there is a hint of magic in the air and an opportunity for connection.
Embrace a world that is more raw and more real. Dance naked around the tree in the gentle rain. Feel alive.
On Sunday at 8:59pm EDT we are lit up by a Full Moon in Scorpio, opposite the Taurus sun. This Moon in Scorpio is helping you understand your true power. Power that is built like a tree. Rooted. Grounded. Ancient. Naked. Regenerating year after year.
To encounter this raw, rooted power it is necessary to venture toward the unknown. Be brave enough to get vulnerable.
What is vulnerability and why is it so important? Dr. Brené Brown defines vulnerability as, “uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure” and she says that “vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy courage, empathy and creativity. If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper or meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path.”
When I think of vulnerability, I think of Scorpio. Scorpio is the sign that yearns to merge with another person emotionally, sexually and spiritually. To truly connect with another person is often scary. So the less mature Scorpio tries to control the experience. However, the fully realized side of Scorpio urges you to build trust, and then challenge the knee-jerk reaction to try to stay in control. If you feel safe enough to do so, you can open up vulnerably so that you experience true connection.
The 2018 Scorpio Full Moon is the perfect time to stretch your tree branches to new levels of vulnerability. Go out into the dark of night and play. Scorpio urges you to merge and Taurus, the sign of self-worth and value, urges you to know your own strength. To be vulnerable you need to believe in your self-worth. As the Moon in Scorpio and the Sun in Taurus face off, this is a chance to get clear about your self-worth and stability so that you can let yourself be vulnerable. Be naked. Be real. Put in the effort to build trust with another person that you can share. And from there you experience true connection, transformation and healing.
Part of your power at this 2018 Scorpio Full Moon comes from letting the old patterns fall away to make room for new growth. This is about letting go on every level. Letting go of control and letting go of old patterns. Scorpio rules the life cycle. Transforming from birth to procreation to death to rebirth. Be brave enough to evaluate that which is no longer serving you and shed. Release.
Does the tree grieve when it loses it’s leaves? Does the tree understand that they will come back? Maybe the tree can feel the promise of new growth even as the old is dying away.
Help your systems refresh at this time. This Moon is high energy as all Full Moons are. Make space and time for getting grounded. Connect with your senses so that you feel present in your body and in the moment.
A watery 2018 Scorpio Full Moon can bring on the feelings! If you are feeling heightened emotions be brave enough to lean toward the shadow. Look at the feelings that you might try to avoid. Feel them fully so that they can slough off like dead leaves when the time is right. New growth is blossoming already.
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Full Moon sextile Saturn Nailing down a board.
This Full Moon is propped up by a force of stability. Saturn is sextile the Moon and trine the Sun. These aspects say, if you’re willing to do the work, you can build anything you want. It should be as simple as an inhale. This moon can deliver the outline of your next steps. Use your energy in ways that are practical, yet deeply meaningful.
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Full Moon conjunct Jupiter A fireworks display
This is big expansive energy. Show up for yourself. Give yourself a lot of love. This Full Moon will help healing happen at a faster rate. If you invigorate this energy by thinking positively and celebrating your accomplishments, fireworks will explode all around you. Sometimes, this kind expansion can be uncomfortable, a little bit like growing pains. Lean into it and see where it takes you.
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Full Moon trine Neptune Bunnies with cotton puff tails.
Where do they go when they disappear from sight? There’s a hint of magic in the air. A possibility of getting swept off into another dimension. Like Alice you can get curiouser and curiouser. Follow the white rabbit all the way down and connect with yourself in a new way.
The energy that is building up with this Full Moon helps you feel stabilized enough to be vulnerable, so that you can expand into healing. With a soothing trine to dreamy Neptune, you can do all of this while connecting to your heightened intuition. This Moon offers you an opportunity to see the world in a more magical way and maybe even dream of impossible things.
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The below study questions are designed to help you dive deeper into the energy of the Scorpio Full Moon. For the most accurate insight ready for the House that holds 9 degrees Scorpio in your birth chart. Don’t have that info? Do you chart for free HERE.
Aries // 8th House What old pattern or belief are you ready to let go of?
Taurus // 7th House How can you safely bare your soul in an important partnership?
Gemini // 6th House What are you ready to refine in your daily habits?
Cancer // 5th House When you feel happy, what can you do to feel the positive feelings fully?
Leo // 4th House How is your home a reflection of your well-being?
Virgo // 3rd House What are you yearning to learn?
Libra // 2nd House When will you let yourself feel rooted?
Scorpio // 1st House What would help you trust in the process of transformation?
Sagittarius // 12th House When do you get dreamtime and alone time?
Capricorn // 11th House What friendships need to be invigorated?
Aquarius // 10th House What are your goals for your sacred vocation?
Pisces // 9th House What inspires you and keeps you thinking positively?
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here. And check out our Numiversity digital course VENUS: YOUR TOTAL GUIDE TO THE PLANET OF LOVE with a special Venus guided hypnosis from Sandy, plus symbols and activations for each Venus sign.
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.
As we crack ourselves open to even deeper levels of vulnerability, The Moon card asks us to step outside our comfort zone and become the heroes we were born to be, says Melinda Lee Holm …
QUESTION: “I’m full-time in the healing arts, and found this path through a lifelong obsession with all things mystical and witchy. Now that it’s become my main gig, I struggle to keep connecting to the mystical practices that have always supported me, which have now started to feel like just more work. How can I keep parts of this world sacred and separate, so all the healing magic I’ve always loved can still serve me off-duty?”
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LISA’s ADVICE:
#1 Stay present to your needs. There are certain tools for certain times in our lives. Tools that served us for many moons in one capacity, may need to shift over time. Magic comes from staying in the present moment and listening to our intuition and our connection to Spirit. “What do I need right now?” is a good question to ask ourselves. It may not be the same every day. A practice that’s become your full time gig may need balancing with other activities in your off time.
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#2 Know that our relationship with ANYTHING will have ups and downs. Think about a romantic relationship. There are the weeks where you’re totally in love and in the magic and the flow, and then there are the weeks when you aren’t, when it’s off, challenging, feels out of alignment or just bad. Do we leave the relationship when it is in a dull or difficult period? That depends on our level of commitment. If we are committed to somebody or something we ride through the waves of challenge or disinterest. We don’t abandon the puppy when it turns into a dog.
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#3 The Universe loves commitment. I felt this when I got married. There are different things that we can work through when we commit to something. Our relationship to our work is not unlike our relationship to our partner. Sometimes magic, sometimes not. Stay in it and move through the __________________. Commit to seeing what’s on the other side…
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#4 Find ways to keep the spark alive. Speaking of love relationships, how about romancing your practice? Get a new tarot deck, give your crystals a bath. Take them outside and talk to them under the stars. Be creative. Show how much you care.
#5 Seek fun. If you spend all day with your tarot decks, after work you need a different way to connect your magic. If a practice you used to heal part of yourself is being fully explored at work, try something different after hours: painting, dancing, singing, running, cooking. Follow your heart, make FUN your guiding principal as you explore the other healing arts.
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#6 Receive. Get a reading, get a massage, get a reiki treatment. Chances are, if you are giving lots of energy through your work and not receiving back, you may just be tired, making it harder to connect to the magic. RECEIVE. Healers, I can’t say this enough, RECEIVE! The more we receive the more fun it is to give. The more we then have to give. Also you will most likely be inspired and learn from other peoples’ ways of doing things. It keeps the journey feeling like an adventure.
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#7 Vacation. I’m an all-in mama CEO to my baby Maha Rose, but it is important for me to step away from her. And I mean far away from her. She can grow without me and I can grow in other ways outside of work. With distance comes clearer perspective. When we are so in something all the time, our nose in it deeply like a book, it can be hard to see the bigger picture.
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#8 Gratitude and perspective. Back up and see how beautiful and magical and amazing it is that you get to be doing this work for your living. Thank you Goddess, thank you Angels, thank you Guides. Think of the jobs you were doing before and wishing that you could be doing what you do now for a living. Think of all the jobs you could be doing for a living that you don’t have to do. We are so blessed and so fortunate. Remember this to keep perspective.
Got a question for Lisa’s monthly “Ask a Spiritual CEO” column? Email [email protected] with the subject line: “Spiritpreneur Questions.”
What’s this week’s cosmic symbol for your sign? Check out our Numinous weekly horoscopes from Sandy Sitron …
Taurus // Taurus Rising A precious diamond. You have an opportunity to get familiar with new facets of yourself. Let your individuality shine. You can begin by complimenting yourself and being kind to yourself. Take good care of your body. That will help you feel the confidence to bedazzle. Tend to your body, mind and spirit and you will feel more grounded. Then you can truly sparkle.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Gemini // Gemini Rising A wicker basket. There’s a pattern to the weave. The pattern makes the basket strong. When you create a simple practice, you feel stronger. The types of practices that you can invigorate now are emotional, spiritual and intuitive. Meditate to lift your vibration. Get alone time so that you can process your emotions. Turn inward and listen to your internal guidance.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Cancer // Cancer Rising A sacred text. By opening your mind to higher knowledge, your heart will follow and you’ll feel better. Don’t get caught up in the mundane dimension of your everyday life. Discover new levels of inspiration. You can truly innovate how you think. You can surprise yourself. Connecting with friends will help. Move ideas around through conversation and find a new way.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Leo // Leo Rising An hourglass. You are reaching a new pinnacle of success. Don’t let your concept of whether or not you are “on time” overwhelm you. Throw out the sand in the hourglass and stop comparing yourself to others. It impedes your creativity. Goals only help when they inspire you with hope, not when they become a torture device. It’s time to update and recognize what you’ve achieved.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Virgo // Virgo Rising A jar of jelly beans. This is about having sugary, gummy, candied fun. Encourage yourself by building yourself up with rewards, rather than tearing yourself down with criticism. You can be even more optimistic in general. Exercise to get your heart rate up and create endorphins. It’s time for you to think positively. Go out of your way to have a good time.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Libra // Libra Rising A butterfly drifts over a field of flowers. Remember that the way to become the butterfly is through the uncertainty of transformation. Don’t be afraid of going all the way in. Alone time is absolutely necessary. Sitting quietly with your feelings is necessary. The time in the cocoon is a little bit scary at first. Face it all and lightness will follow.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Scorpio // Scorpio Rising As the crow flies. The crow moves directly to its destination. Be open and honest in your relationships. Get right into saying what needs to be said. Be direct, clear and communicative. Don’t get lost in the weeds of indecision. Communicate what you need in an open way. Listen to what the other person needs. Directness and openness will take you far.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Sagittarius // Sagittarius Rising A fairy sprinkles fairy dust. You can make every day more magical. You need to sprinkle fairy dust on your life. Make a list of all of the ways you could do this. What would help you elevate your everyday? Boredom is stressful. Come up with simple, effortless gestures that can make your life just a little more sparkly.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Capricorn // Capricorn Rising A spider web. The spider is the master creative. She is constantly weaving elaborate displays. How do you employ your creativity? Now is the time to expand out of the old routine and into a new creative process. Find new ways to play. Anything that feels fun counts. Enjoy yourself and express yourself.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Aquarius // Aquarius Rising A baby blanket. It’s time to wrap your inner child up in a baby blanket. Remember yourself as a small child and in your imagination, give yourself a big hug. Tend to yourself on all levels of body, mind and spirit. You need a little bit of a break. Nurture yourself.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Pisces // Pisces Rising A hot air balloon ride. Use your curiosity as the powerful air that lifts you up. A curious mind is a light and open mind. Get interested in learning. Make new connections. Soon you’ll find that your thoughts elevate. Float along looking at everything from a fresh perspective. Your curiosity will lead you to explore new terrain.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Aries // Aries Rising The roots of a young tree. You are tenderly and tentatively taking root. You can feel settled. You can feel secure and fed. Just believe that it is. In recent weeks you have developed a fresh new expression of yourself, now you need to tend to what you started. Believe that abundance is your reality.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
The Tarot is both a mirror and an evolutionary invitation towards change. Lindsay Mack offers us a guide to the so-called “scary” cards and reveals how we can use our decks to turn fear to medicine …
Fear is a highly unpleasant, but profoundly important emotion — one that deserves a place at our table of feelings.
Fear, when considered for what it is, can offer information, wise counsel, direction, and clarity on our deeper feelings. We don’t have to believe everything our fear communicates to us, but it can be transformative to hear it out. By doing so, fear can become an ally, especially when we understand the strength that can arise within us through working with it.
Fear has always been a very deep teacher in my life. I live with a long term brain condition. I’m a healthy and joyful survivor of extreme childhood abuse, and have worked through complex PTSD for most of my life. I have traveled through some of the darkest places a person can experience, and every time I take one of those journeys “through the woods,” I am shifted for the better, having gained deeper strength, trust, and faith, my fear shifting into medicine with wisdom to offer me. The more wisdom I cultivate through those paths of darkness, the more I have to offer to myself, my students, and my clients.
The Tarot is a profoundly useful tool to turn to in moments of fear, trauma and stress. It can help to contextualize what’s happening underneath our fear, and how it is trying to help us evolve. It can also bring a visual landscape to something that we may not be able to communicate or understand with words. Whether you are a reader or not, The Tarot can be a deep aid in moments of darkness.
There are six Tarot cards in particular that, when we look at them through a soul centered lens, offer a beautiful invitation to evolve through fear.
Read on for how use them as guides in our own journey, exploring what it means for us to shift from fear to medicine. You can also check out my brand new course, From Fear to Medicine: A Six Week Journey into the “Scary” Cards of the Tarot. The first class begins on April 22nd – find out more HERE.
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// THE FOOL // Trusting The Invisible Have you ever been called to take a giant leap of faith with hardly any proof that it will pay off? If you have, you’ve been in the energy of The Fool. It is the invitation to jump into the unknown, and begin a whole new cycle of our lives. We are drawn to the edge of a cliff in this card, but it is up to us to jump off of it. The soul work that we are asked to do in this card is to trust ourselves, and trust the invisible.
To our brain chemistry, The Fool can feel like death, a loss of control for the ego. If we can move through this deep contraction with mindfulness, leaping into the unseen, the treasures we will gain will be priceless. We will begin to truly know that when we jump in The Fool, we will be supported. We will begin to trust our intuition, and we will be a co-creator in our own evolution and growth. Trusting the invisible takes deep work. The Fool is here to help us learn.
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// WHEEL OF FORTUNE //Centering in the midst of change The Wheel of Fortune heralds the coming of great change, the marriage between our choices and our destiny. The change that Wheel of Fortune brings is always for our good. There is no “bad” turn on this card, and there is no reversal.
When we work with the Wheel of Fortune, we can never see the change that’s coming. It teaches us to root into the unknown, and to stay centered in the Wheel, rather than flailing on the outer edges. When we work with this card, we get to learn how to root into ourselves in times of change, staying calm in the eye of the storm. Beautiful wisdom for life.
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// DEATH //Sacred Compost There is no greater metaphor for the Death card than that of composting. I eat you, then you eat me. Nothing truly dies in the Death card, just like nothing ever truly dies here on Earth. It merely changes form, becoming a different version of what it was.
The Death card is the transformation of something – a relationship, a thought pattern, a belief – into something new. When we work in this card, it is a signal that we are no longer being fed by something growing in the garden of our lives. It lets us know that it is time to pull the weeds up and allow it to become sacred fertilizer, encouraging the new things in our lives to grow. The work we do in this card is profound ego surrender, letting go of the things that are ready to go.
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// THE DEVIL //Blessing the Shadow The Devil is an opportunity to look deeply at our shadow. Are we judging ourselves? Believing that there is something wrong with us? Are we spiraling into an old, destructive pattern out of fear or contraction? If we are, The Devil will let us know.
If we pull this card, it is a sign that we are doing everything right. The Devil always shows up as a little mindfulness bell around our expansion, letting us know that the brain is trying to pull us into some old, limiting patterns to keep us in what it perceives as safe and known. We get to drop into these patterns and say no thank you to the invitation, whatever it may be. By doing so, we liberate ourselves from believing that we are “bad” or “wrong,” to thinking that there is anything adverse about us for our desires or our anger, and allowing all parts of ourselves to just be there.
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// THE TOWER //When Things go Wrong Everyone has experienced a Tower moment in their lives. It is a moment where it truly feels like everything has gone wrong – it can feel like we are living in a nightmare. A beautiful metaphor for The Tower is a forest fire. We watch everything burn, knowing that it is clearing the soil for new growth.
It is an intentional shaking of the foundations underneath us, all to help us grow, and shed some part of ourselves that is no longer aligned with our expansion. The Tower can be intensely uncomfortable, or it can be a very minor, internal experience. When we survive and move through Tower experiences, we emerge stronger, clearer and transformed, our lives shifted on its very axis.
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// THE MOON //Floating in the Darkness In The Moon card, we learn how to hang out in the Void – no easy feat! Ruled by Pisces, this card goes as deep as it can go. It is an experience of truly not knowing where we are going next, not having any answers, and feeling like we are floating back into old, shadowy feelings and emotions. To experience this can be very uncomfortable, and can make us want to really swim to shore, to find the light, to get some semblance of clarity and direction.
But, the more we kick, the deeper the waves become. We eventually learn the most profound surrender in The Moon card, letting the darkness become an ally, learning from the quiet, tuning in with ourselves beyond the din of our ego. When the light finally dawns, we learn that we have been moving all along, allowing the currents to take us to our next destination.
Want to go deeper into these energies, and learn how to work with your own fear in a mindful, empowered way? Please join me for my brand new course, From Fear to Medicine: A Six Week Journey into the “Scary” Cards of the Tarot. The first class begins on April 22nd – find out more HERE.
After all that’s been uncovered, Starseed (The Fool) asks us to get comfy with vulnerability, radically trust the Universe, and burst into bloom, says Melinda Lee Holm …
What’s this week’s cosmic symbol for your sign? Check out our Numinous weekly horoscopes from Sandy Sitron …
Aries // Aries Rising Bunnies in a field. You’re eating and growing. Look around for inspiration in the new grasses and tiny flowers. You are fresh and new. Can you feel it? Trust that you have every right to be here and relax into softness if possible. When something startles you, your instinct this week may be to overreact. Look for ways to feel safe and happy just being yourself.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Taurus // Taurus Rising Holding a tin can telephone to your ear. You’re listening for messages to come down the wire from your higher self. This is a week to step into a new playing field and begin to manifest some of the ideas and insights you’ve received. Notice if you are working with any subconscious fear or resistance. Find a way to offer yourself reassurance on deeper levels.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Gemini // Gemini Rising A sparkly diamond. You need to find a new way of reaching a broad audience. You’re entering a phase of working through any fear that comes up around standing on a public platform. Look in your heart for the truth of who you are and then see that reflected back from your friends and larger community. Your confidence as a leader is ready to expand from all levels of mind as shiny new facets of yourself are revealed.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Cancer // Cancer Rising Jumping rope. You can jump higher than you think. You’ll be learning now how to achieve higher heights. The lessons will be around feeling safe to stick your neck out and go for it. Let yourself shine out in to the world. And meanwhile, attend to your visions for the future. What do you desire now?
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Leo // Leo Rising Holding a kite string. The kite soars way up in the sky. A part of you ascends. There’s a sense of awe when you connect to vastness of the big sky above. Without overthinking it, familiarize yourself with the path leading up. You’re simultaneously learning to heal any place within you that feels trapped or confined. This will help with the process of ascension.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Virgo // Virgo Rising Horseshoes on the trail. Heart centered, eyes ahead, fast trot. You have a chance to heal any old perceptions of stuckness. This is about freeing yourself from repetitive patterns. Bear down and ride hard and fast into life, facing what comes up, then continuing down that path of change.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Libra // Libra Rising Off-roading. This time you take a different path. You look for balance in a new way and with fresh vigor. You can’t force balance, it has to be reflected within yourself. You have to trust that it exists and then watch it emanate. Take a road that hasn’t been mapped and give gratitude for any thorns you encounter along the way. They’re helping you see what’s true.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Scorpio // Scorpio Rising Painting the side of a building. You must paint with precision and efficiency. Slowing down and attending carefully to everyday activities will help you get grounded. Find meditation in mundane actions. Maybe this same kind of careful attention will help you see what you’ve been taking for granted in relationships and illuminate your joyful partnerships. You’re not going it alone.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Sagittarius // Sagittarius Rising Holding a torch. You have access to creative expression. Hold out a torch and let it light up the path ahead of you. Let yourself follow and lead at the same time. You must put yourself out there in new ways. Just wait and watch for the torch light up the first simple steps. That’s where you begin.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Capricorn // Capricorn Rising Baking a pie. Show gratitude for the ones who have gone before you. You are here and you are enough. Honor your ancestors by knowing this deep in your soul. It is your birthright. You’ll be working with deep-seated emotions and as you do so, remember that happiness is an emotion too. What is your recipe for fun and happiness? If you don’t know the recipe, you can’t make the pie.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Aquarius // Aquarius Rising An exhale. Meditate on the exhale and imagine where your breath goes. This breath, this air is here for everyone. It’s an unseen connecting force. Remind yourself that you are connected to community and love. There is room for healing in this area of your life. You can begin by taking care of your inner child. They need to know that they are connected, so whisper the truth to them on your next exhale.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Pisces // Pisces Rising A deeply rooted tree with budding leaves. Steady yourself. Get really rooted in the Earth. You are learning that you are safe— it’s okay to be here, it’s okay to experience abundance. Look around yourself for proof of abundance in nature and start to tell yourself new stories. You’ve got a chance to rewrite the old beliefs that have been activated for years. Your mind is opening up.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
The 2018 Aries New Moon wants you to set your intentions, spark the match, and take a calculated leap into a brand new way of being, says Sandy Sitron …
New Moon :: April 15 2018 :: 9:57pm EST :: 26 degrees Aries
You stand on the edge of a diving board. In the action of jumping, two things happen: you leave behind the position that you knew, and you start developing a new arc.
Before you jump it helps to know your intention and direction. Where do you want to go? How do you want to act? Who are you becoming?
Aries is the first sign of the zodiac. This is the birth, the awakening. The sparked match that starts a bonfire. Warm yourself in the toasty flames of your brilliant visions.
The past weeks have been combative. Can you orient yourself toward inspiration instead? Plant seeds around the actions you’ll take, the creations you’ll make, and the new ways that you’ll put yourself out there. Conceive your new beginnings.
At the time of this New Moon, Mercury stations direct. Let your jump unfold slowly. There will be action, but it needs to uncoil from within you. It can’t be forced or rushed. Feel into the energy of the leap.
The chart of this New Moon has no air and very little water. It’s a dry burn of earth and fire. Balance it through conversation, learning new things, journalling, and letting your feelings flow. Get your ideas and emotions moving. Take care to set intentions that are aligned with your soul and make room for surprises.
When you jump off the diving board, you are leaving solid ground behind. With this Moon squaring Pluto, you’re being asked to let old ways of being fall away. By trusting in the energy of regeneration, you will create more spaciousness and ease for yourself. If you notice yourself getting grippy or controlling, step back slowly. Turn toward enthusiasm and spontaneity instead.
As the Sun and Moon in Aries meet the Great Awakener, Uranus, you will shake things up. You will break free of old patterns. There will be innovation. Changes are triggered on all levels. Be alert to what is being jostled inside of you.
You’re getting ready to leap. And if you open yourself up to a new way of doing things, the jump might be fun …
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New Moon conjunct Uranus A Unicorn’s horn. Maybe the horn points to something you need to see. Raise your gaze, lift up your heart and mind. With an attitude of hope and inspiration, you can shake something off this week. It might be something that’s been hindering you for a long time.
Reevaluate your relationship with change. What’s the cost of keeping things the same? And alternatively, how are you benefitting by keeping things the same? Answering questions like these will raise your awareness about why you’ve been stuck. Now you’re ready to break into a higher level of consciousness and open up to a new way that may have once seemed like a fairy tale.
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New Moon square Pluto The jungle swallows up an abandoned shopping mall. Trust in the next stage of the process. Let yourself go along with it. Once you turn your mind toward “allowing” the phase progresses and very soon, new information arrives. Allowing does not mean inaction. It means accepting what is so that you can gather better information about how to direct your life force. Watch, learn, allow, release, and tone yourself for aligned action.
The study questions below are to help you get deeper into what the 2018 Aries New Moon means for you. Use them as journal prompts. For the most accurate reading, look to which house holds 26 degrees Aries in your chart and use the question for that house.
New to your birth chart? Calculate your chart for free HERE
Aries or New Moon in the 1st house How will you ignite your confidence?
Taurus or New Moon in the 12th house What needs to be resolved?
Gemini or New Moon in the 11th house How can you reconnect with your friends?
Cancer or New Moon in the 10th house When you will you believe that you are successful?
Leo or New Moon in the 9th house How can you feel more free right now?
Virgo or New Moon in the 8th house What do you need to see that you’re not seeing?
Libra or New Moon in the 7th house When will you stand up for your need for balance?
Scorpio or New Moon in the 6th house What is your body trying to tell you?
Sagittarius or New Moon in the 5th house How do you prioritize fun?
Capricorn or New Moon in the 4th house How can you take care of your inner child today?
Aquarius or New Moon in the 3rd house What are you most curious about now?
Pisces or New Moon in the 2nd house What intentions will you craft regarding your relationship to money?
Yikes, the dreaded Saturn Return. The moment in our lives when Saturn, the karmic task-master, returns to the same place it shows up in our birth chart—often bringing with it an epicccccc cosmic wake-up call.
Like an SAT test from the Universe, we experience a Saturn Return at ages 27—29, and ages 54—58—a.k.a. your classic quarter and mid-life crisis years! Depending how aligned we are with our true path, and where saturn is in our birth chart, this can a period of deep, dark existential self-enquiry—often accompanied by game-changing life events.
But the good news is our Saturn Return ALWAYS brings huge opportunity for personal growth—particularly when it comes to getting us back on track with our SOUL PURPOSE.
Which is why our resident astrologer Sandra Sitron has teamed up with transformational coach Dana Bilicki to create the SATURN RETURN WORKSHOP! A 7-week digital deep-dive designed to help you understand and work with the unique gifts of your Saturn Return, this is a MUST—whether you’re in the thick of it, have a Saturn Return around the corner, or want to make sense of your Saturn Return as the lessons have played out over the years.
To give you a taster, Sandra has 10 Reasons to Celebrate Your Saturn Return (below) … She’ll also be hosting a FREE live webinar on how to navigate your “cosmic rite of passage” on 4/11 at 2pm EST. Click HERE to register!
Your Saturn Return Guides Sandy Sitron and Dana Balicki
You learn not to care (as much) about what other people think. Everyone says that after the age of 30 you just don’t care as much what other people think, and astrologers often attribute this to your Saturn Return. The changes that happen during this time help you stand up a little bit straighter and feel a little more confident (btw, Saturn rules the spine). The growth that happens during this phase teaches you that your worth comes from within and it doesn’t matter what other people think. All that matters is your own self-respect.
You learn not to compare yourself to others. Saturn teaches us that everyone has their own timeframe and their own unique goals. Events may happen at the Saturn Return that are unexpected and cause you to reassess. Things start to look less black and white. This offers an amazing chance to switch into a new paradigm and take yourself out of the old habit of comparing yourself to your classmates at school. Surprisingly Saturn, the stern, authoritative teacher, can help you become more gentle with yourself, by reminding you that life is complicated and everything is not as it seems. There’s no reason for comparison.
You start to think about time differently. Instead of feeling like you have to have it all sorted out by age 30, you discover that there’s actually way more time. Some people report feeling way younger after their Saturn Return than they did when they were 29. Saturn encourages you to age gracefully and enjoy your golden years. Once you pass your first Saturn Return, you realize you’ve got more time than you thought to experiment, goof-off and explore.
You become more aware of your thought patterns (a.k.a. self-limiting beliefs). We rely a variety of “false” beliefs when we’re kids, because we just don’t have all the facts yet. For example a kid whose parents got divorced may think she caused the split, so as a result she may decide “I’m not good / lovable enough.” Of course, from an adult perspective, that’s not what happened at all. But the child can subconsciously hold onto that “false” belief for years. Luckily, the Saturn Return brings an extra dose of logic and maturity, helping you become more aware of these kinds of harmful thought patterns. The transit is the perfect time to upgrade to a healthier way of thinking.
You become more aware of your coping mechanisms. In the same way Saturn helps reveal the honest truth of how you are thinking about things, Saturn also shows you what habits keep you from feeling all your feelings. Most of us have got something we reach for when the going gets tough: food, alcohol, drugs, sex, work, shopping, video games, etc … Sometimes, these compulsive actions are so effective we don’t even realize we’re using them to shield us from our true emotions. But at the Saturn Return, coping mechanisms either stop being as effective, or they become more uncomfortable. And this is definitely something to celebrate, because now you get a chance to ask yourself: “am I sad? am I lonely? am I angry?” And begin to work out why. It might be difficult to feel those tough emotions initially, but with practice honoring your emotions will free up a ton of energy!
You get to be the boss. At your Saturn Return, you start to see yourself as more of an authority. Maybe you become more of an expert in your field, a manager at work, or a parent at home. But even if you don’t actually become an authority in the most obvious sense, you certainly start to feel more of a sense of authority come from within. You start to trust yourself more.
It’s your cosmic rite of passage. And as such, for many people, the Saturn Return can bring in big life events that help you grow up real fast. Some people solidify a relationship (marriage, moving in together.) Some get their first solo, grown-up apartment. Some have a kid or take a step up the ladder at work. Saturn teaches about progress, so it definitely makes sense that you could reach a new milestone at this time.
You learn the value of hard work. Saturn, that scrupulous cosmic teacher, is pushing you to buckle down and get to work. So you do. You dig in. In some area of your life you push yourself. And if you do the work, rest assured, it WILL pay off. Saturn rewards effort. Sometimes during the Saturn Return it feels like you’re banging your head against the wall. But that’s a mirage. Eventually, this effort pays off. You may also notice that you start showing up on time more at your Saturn Return. You might find that you volunteer for a leadership or management role. This is definitely the primo moment for the Universe to give you more responsibility, and this will undoubtedly result in a sense of pride and accomplishment. Definitely worth celebrating!
You end up with more energy. One of the best thing to celebrate about your Saturn Return! All of the changes during this transit are designed to help you clear out the parts of your life that are no longer efficient. Unnecessary beliefs, behaviors, patterns, relationships, commitments—anything that’s taking up too much energy has got to go! Freeing you to come out the other side with more energy to live your purpose.
Goals, goals, goals … The confidence that you’re building at your Saturn Return helps you think about your trajectory in a more clear-cut way than you may have before. You may become even more directed and better at planning than you were before. This is definitely a benefit that usually rides the tail of your Saturn Return. Your return is meant to help you steady yourself, trust yourself and know yourself better. When it’s over it’s that much easier to set workable goals for the ideal future that you desire.
Got questions about your Saturn Return? Don’t forget to join Sandra and Dana for their FREE LIVE webinar Wednesday April 11 at 2pm EST! Click HERE to register!
What’s this week’s cosmic symbol for your sign? Check out our Numinous weekly horoscopes from Sandy Sitron …
Aries // Aries Rising Spools of thread and ribbon. It’s time to make something new. A new creation can be a risk. Determine where you are ready to take a risk and go for it. It will help you feel reborn. You’ll see yourself in a new way. You can decorate yourself and even expand upon a new persona. Use your spontaneous sense of creativity as a guide and have fun.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Taurus // Taurus Rising Hidden crystals. You can find a way to go deeper in. Way down underneath the layers of your body and into the center of your heart. You might have to slow down a lot to do this. If you’ve been craving new structure, a new plan, a new way— you’ll find it by going inward. Get some good solid alone time and listen to your heart.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Gemini // Gemini Rising Puffy clouds. Look for a new way of thinking to help you break through. Use your imagination. Have you been actively doing that lately? Do you remember what imagination is? It will take you up to a new jet stream of consciousness. If you’re looking for innovation in any area of your life, your imagination will lead you there.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Cancer // Cancer Rising A dolphin swims right below the surface. It’s waiting to come up for air and leap out of its environment. You may also be leaping out of your environment. Focus on setting new intentions for your career so that you can have more fun. This is your time to change it up. Be intentional about how you want to leap. Make a plan.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Leo // Leo Rising A blade of grass. Usually a blade of grass is one amongst many. But this is the one that got singled out. Are you ready to be singled out? It will work best if you believe in yourself. If you understand that your story resonates with many other people in the world. You’re not alone so you don’t have to feel isolated on the hard days. But you can be a leader if you want to be.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Virgo // Virgo Rising Scratching words in the sand. Whatever you write in the sand will be washed away soon. Nothing is permanent. If you try to hold on tightly, you’ll get stuck. Don’t get stuck. Perfectionism can keep you on lock down. Self criticism will lead you no where. Take risks because everything is always changing.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Libra // Libra Rising Making pies, rolling out the dough. Follow a recipe in your relationships. Form your actions and communications consciously. Map out simple steps that help you process your feelings in your relationships, so that no emotion gets stuck or stagnant. Keep it fresh. Follow the steps of communication that work well. Then put your relationship in the oven and let it bake without worrying or overthinking.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Scorpio // Scorpio Rising A waterfall. A waterfall is inspiring, but on a practical level it’s pretty mundane. It’s just water and gravity meeting together. What simple habit are you ready to begin that could end up inspiring you profoundly? A daily practice of gratitude will help you feel cleansed. A meditation routine may break you open. Find the practice that’s right for you.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Sagittarius // Sagittarius Rising A spider in a web. Although spider can be intimidating, she is the great weaver. This symbol is about your creative energy. If it doesn’t light up your creativity, is it worth it? You are driven by meaning, purpose and higher learning. Keep your eye on the bigger goal, but use the fire of creativity and self-expression as the catalyst that helps keep you going.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Capricorn // Capricorn Rising A penguin in Antarctica. This is a dedicated animal, spending its entire life working for its offspring, devoting itself to family. It’s time for you to nurture. Nurture your inner child or nurture someone in your family. Love. Go inward and feel all the feelings. Don’t move forward from here without setting new intentions for how you want to love yourself and others.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Aquarius // Aquarius Rising Playing checkers. You’re making moves. The outcome depends on if you are seeing the whole picture. You may need to study the board. Take time to learn, don’t just go through the motions. Get curious. You may need to take a class or expand your mind so that you feel good about your next move.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Pisces // Pisces Rising Holding out your hand. It’s time for you to receive. Don’t block this. You deserve to feel abundant and flourish. What’s your history with receiving? Are you comfortable with just being and allowing? This isn’t about laziness, this is about trust. Hold out your hand and be patient. In the meantime appreciate where you are now and be present.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
The sobering glow of the Capricorn Waning Moon asks us to befriend our shadow side, release addictive patterning, and align with our highest destiny, says Jennifer Racioppi …
Photo: Geo Martinez
Waning Quarter Moon // April 8 2018 // 3:17am EST // 18 degrees Capricorn
Are you ready to take charge of your transformation?
Next week’s New Moon in Aries offers tremendous potential to blast off in new directions. As we build towards this energy, the Capricorn Waning Moon asks us to release our shadow and get ready to open up to all this new potential.
First, we’ve got to assess what’s no longer needed. Conjoining Pluto, this Moon urges us to befriend denied aspects of Self and surrender the extra baggage.
With Mercury in the midst of his retrograde journey, use this Waning Moon to get clear on what no longer works for you! Release what stands in the way of creating what you desire.
Look for what’s coming to completion and make a choice …
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//The Cycle// This Moon harkens all the way back to the New Moon in Capricorn on January 9, 2016. Think back to the intentions you set at the start of 2016. What’s culminating now that correlates with the beginning of the new year in 2016? What did you manifest then that you no longer need now?
Intentions often take an extended gestation period, and aspects of life coming to fruition now may correlate to this New Moon from over two years ago. Simultaneously, it’s essential to release what you no longer need (whether you consciously want to or not), to make room for a new level of maturity that’s emerging.
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// The Transits // With Saturn, Mars, the Moon, and Pluto all conjoined in Capricorn, this powerful combination puts pressure on you to befriend the truth and let go of addictions. Saturn represents purpose, Mars action, the Moon emotional needs, and Pluto represents shadow. Look at lies and addictions with clarity.
Luckily, Jupiter, the planet of growth and abundance forms a productive and supportive sextile to the Moon in Capricorn, signifying that good luck comes in the form of honesty!
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// The Square // With the Moon traveling through work-oriented and ambitious Capricorn while squaring the Sun in assertive Aries, now’s not the time to resist change.
This Capricorn Waning Moon has the power to not only reveal secrets but to also disintegrate shame in the process. With the Moon conjoining Pluto and squaring the Sun, the ego not only has to confront issues it’d prefer to avoid, but simultaneously needs to integrate learnings.
*Warning: this tough medicine requires you to participate in your transformation. The good news though is that Jupiter is there to support you!
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// The Opportunity // This Waning Moon offers up tough love, and asks us to release any blocks that hold us back from thoroughly enjoying our success.
Look to addictions and get honest about what you no longer need. Consciously think positive thoughts, get rip-roaring clear on what you need to release, and align your mind with your highest destiny!
*Want to celebrate this Waning Moon’s clarity and consciousness, Numi style? Join us this Sunday, April 8th for Moonrise Kindom, a one-day urban retreat dedicated to deep connection and conscious un-cocktailing!
And for more Moon wisdom, or to book a coaching session with Jennifer, visit Jenniferracioppi.com.
Want to ignite your Aries season with sustainable fire? Eunice Lucero reveals the best red lips to power up for a consciously gorgeous month ahead …
Bite Amuse Bouche Lipstick in “Aries”
We’re in the full flow of Aries season, Numiverse! A.k.a. the only time when red means anything but “stop,” urging us to get in gear to fulfill our goals for the astrological new year ahead.
We’re paying homage to the month of the ram with a roundup of pure, sustainable, and purposeful lipsticks and balms guaranteed to fire you up and get your point across—all in the sign’s signature power color, of course.
**Bonus: We’ve paired each look up with a natal Aries planet! But regardless of your personal planets, read on to get your red on …
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1// Sun in Aries: RMS Beauty Wild With Desire Lipstick in Firestarter (fiery red orange), $28. Feeling hot, hot, hot? Naturally, and with good reason: This certified organic feisty red orange has a luxe satiny finish, perfect for getting your word out in style. Its wildcrafted ingredients also speak to the unbridled passion and ambition you have coursing through your veins.
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2//Moon in Aries: Burt’s Bees Satin Lipstick in Ruby Ripple (jewel toned ruby red), $9. Your feelings have an unmatched emotional pull, so why not gift them with the powerful vessel they deserve? Voice it out and gild those lips in a deep, moody, gem-inspired red fit for a goddess, in a formula that’s 100% percent natural and provides 8-hour moisture. #NoCompromises
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3//Aries Rising: Axiology Natural Organic Lipstick in True (classic vermillion red), $30. Your Aries Rising definitely loves making a loud-and-proud statement. A classic true red lippie is the most straightforward accessory for your passionate, goal-oriented personality—and one that’s 100% vegan and natural, and cruelty-, palm oil- and gluten-free is a rare bullet we can get behind.
Axiology Natural Organic Lipstick in “True”
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4//Mercury in Aries: Beautycounter Red Color Intense Lipstick (creamy medium orange red), $34. There’s no risk of misunderstanding what you say, as your message is potent and your communication style direct AF! This already-ethical, safety-first brand takes it one step further with a lipstick that’s a call to arms for Congress: the anniversary edition bullet supports Beautycounter’s cry for better health laws for the personal care industry.
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5//Venus in Aries: Lune+Aster PowerLips Quickstick in Date Night (deep neutral red), $24. A romantic who never shies away from your passions, you also know that the sexiest aesthetic touches always include a bit of spice. A dark neutral red in a vegan, paraben-free infusion, inspired by modern go-getters (“Date Night”’s muse is Cameron Hardesty, head of merchandising at Urbanstems) expresses your business-always-meets-pleasure credo—in a handy stick formula, no less.
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6//Mars in Aries: Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick in Aries, $26. You’re feelin’ yourself this month, and those enthusiastic sparks of creativity are no coincidence. Blessed with intense physical energy and a headstrong drive to go with it, pity the toxic soul that dares to stand in your dreams’ way. No holds barred here: this all-natural, bespoke fiery red orange stick is totally on-brand for winners like you.
Lune+Aster PowerLips QuickStick in “Date Night”
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7//Jupiter in Aries: Aveda Feed My Lips ™ Pure Nourish-Mint ™ Lipstick in Goji (vibrant red), $24. Born leaders like you need no introduction, but a bright, inspiring red can’t hurt the case, right? Whether it’s life-coaching or putting up a new business, give that positive, entrepreneurial spirit a boost with cosmetics that echo your innate optimism and transparency, like a 95% naturally derived lipstick chock-full of organic botanicals.
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8//Uranus in Aries: French Girl Organics Le Lip Tint in Terre Rouge (terracotta red with a copper sheen), $16. That crazy-electric burst of inspo in the middle of the night? Yeah, you’re ready to put that into action very soon, and nothing can stand in your way … most especially a fussy routine. You’re resourceful and energetic, so a sheer, wear-anywhere tint (made of pure organic essential oils, shea butter and natural oxides, natch) is just the low-maintenance glam you need to fit your frenetic, boho-chic vibe.
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9//Saturn in Aries: Ecco Bella Flowercolor Lipstick in Claret Rose (shimmery red-brown), $21.95. No lip service for you! Capable and confident, you demand clear-cut results and not just blind action—which is why a clean, no-nasty formula in a work/play hue of reddish brown is just the thing. We love the smooth, creamy payoff we get from this vegan, naturally-preserved and gluten-, petroleum- and fragrance-free lippie.
French Girl Organics Le Lip Tint in “Terre Rouge”
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10//Neptune in Aries: 100 Percent Pure Fruit Pigmented ® Lip Glaze in Pomegranate (deep pinky red), $26. Not everyone can get away with inspired conviction without getting the dreaded roll-eye, but you do with ease and a trademark shimmery charisma. Not only is this semi-sheer, romantic berry red shade vegan and fruit-pigmented, it’s a unique red that’s as nuanced as your visionary beliefs too.
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11//Pluto in Aries: MAC Viva Glam Sia (warm, matte vivid red), $17.50. You’re all about the power of change and transformation, whether brought on by an unapologetically sexual red lip, devoting yourself to a higher calling, or supporting a cause to kill off a stigma. Either way, this is the iconic pick that checks all those Plutonian boxes.
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12//Chiron in Aries: Ilia Lipstick in Perfect Day (soft, warm coral red), $26. Although going easy on yourself is oftentimes easier said than done, it pays to remember that you are not only enough—you’re downright awesome, perceived flaws be damned! A flattering, gentle coral red helps put you in the best light whenever you need a quick ego lift; its clean, organic ingredients also offer up a guilt-free swipe.
