The Sun invites us to welcome illumination, while protecting ourselves from the burn of over-exposure, says this month’s reader-in-residence Alisha Cigalotti …
Ruby Warrington
HOLY F*CK: HOW TO REACH ECSTASY
Want to have Divine on speed dial? In her latest Holy F*ck column, Alexandra Roxo reveals that experiencing ecstasy is the key to strengthening our channel …
People have been seeking ecstasy for a long time. Whether it’s through herbs and psychoactive and psychedelic substances, or through ritual, prayer, meditation, fasting, sleep deprivation, pain, sex, and extreme temperature baths, most cultures have rituals and celebrations that invoke deeply ecstatic states.
From Greek rituals involving mind-altering substances, to the Sufis’ dance into ecstatic bliss, and the tantrikas’ journey into oceans of “samadhi” (ecstatic union with God/Goddess), religious texts usually speak of this search. In Norse mythology, the berserkers would enter into an altered state to be able to fight. And even animals have sought out herbs and fermentation that brought about some sort of consciousness shift.
These exercises can allll produce states of BLISS that allow the participant to commune with “God” or the Divine. And, well, who wouldn’t want that?
I’ll tell you who! A culture that DOES NOT want its people to be empowered to know the Divine on our own terms. That would prefer us to have to pay into the Divine via tithing (offerings), and bow to the leaders of a church. This being one of the epic reasons WHY ecstatic states became stigmatized in the U.S., specifically, and in the Western world in general.
Personally, I blame the Puritans for labelling seeking ecstatic states as scary, transgressive, or somehow shameful. If people, and women especially, had the Goddess on speed dial, than what would they need the church for?!! SO, they got the ax. Or rather, in the case of the Witch trials, when women would dance themselves into states of ecstasy, the noose.
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What exactly is an “ecstatic” experience?
In my terms, it is an experience that overrides the default mindset, the internal and external conditioning, and allows for a mind/body/spirit connection that transcends the normal, the typical, and the everyday.
This can result in waves of bliss, with senses ablaze and alive, heart open to a massive flow of love. Where the normal perception and experience of reality is transcended and expanded into a massively blissful, joyful, and loving one that shakes you at the core.
I’ve been exploring this for many years. At age 12, I was attempting to speak in tongues and faint on the floor at Baptist Church camp. And I experienced my first waves of sexual ecstasy around the same time. Since then, I’ve experimented with meditation, prayer, fasting, ritual, dance, song, pain, sex, and psychedelics. Each produces a different type of ecstasy.
Now, I take other people on journeys in my work through ecstatic states that can reframe and contextualize trauma, release stored emotions, and promote a deeper connection to self. Within a safe space, this process of finding ecstatic states can be very, very healing.
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A dating app for ecstasy?
I am drawn like a fly on honey to people who know and experience ecstatic states without drugs.
A few years ago, I met two men who had participated in the Sundance ceremony, which involved piercings on the chest, and days of dancing and fasting. To me, these were the HOTTEST men alive! “Um, you spent multiple days with flesh wounds on your chest while fasting and dancing and singing, in the name of uniting with Divine energy and helping save the Earth?! Sign me up!!!”
There is nothing sexier to me than someone who sees and understands the value of finding ecstatic states on the regular without having to pop a pill. Someone so adept at meditation that turning their body to light is NBD. If there was a dating app for this category of human, it would make my life a lot easier!
It’s not Burner vibes. It’s not adventures with psychedelics. I’m talking about people with a thirst for ecstasy that comes from wanting to know the Divine. Wanting to know love. From a remembrance of a state that your soul knows, and longs for.
Anybody else with me on this one?
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5 paths towards ecstasy for the Modern Spiritual Human
**A disclaimer: When you enter into ecstasy, you are opening yourself up massively, so you want to allow for this shift in your reality, perception, and internal state to happen in a safe setting. If you enter into an ecstatic state in a train station for instance, you could get taken away to a mental institution. So set and setting are key! You want be in a safe space. Surrounded by people you trust. Or alone. Remember you are opening ALL the channels and you want to do this with care. Especially if you are new to it.
1// Start simply. If you want to start safely, you can explore ecstatic states through something simple like chanting or ecstatic dance. Many cities have “Ecstatic Dance” communities and classes. Places with DJs and it’s sober and you just shake it out.
If you’re a yogi, chanting mantras in Kirtan could produce these states. You can seek a Bhakti yoga practice. Many cultures and religions have their own styles of song, and some may take you into ecstasy. Some not. When I used to go to the Agape Church in LA, their gospel choir had me in tears and I sang and danced til I lost myself.
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2// Explore your blocks.
Because it can take years to release your default programming and open to the ecstasy available through song and dance, many people reach for a psychedelic or drug—because it offers a quick way in! But that also means it may have the most emotional, spiritual, and physical hangover, since you are literally stretching into an expanded state very quickly, flooding your body, and then snapping out fast.
You can micro dose different plant medicines if you want to go slowly. But beware; before you are granted ecstasy, you will likely first be shown any blocks you have to ecstasy! If you take MDMA, for instance, you may be opened quickly, but will likely be asked to deal with some spiritual and mystical pain the day after from that flood of chemicals and expansion, and the ensuing lack thereof.
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3// Ease in with meditation.
It may take years before you get to ecstasy this way, but it will happen. Trust me! I’ve been meditating for 15 years and it happens often now. I feel like I am being made love to by an invisible force (consensual of course!) and it is amazing.
If you want to reach ecstatic states in meditation and not wait 10 years, you can try White Tantra or a Vipassana retreat. Both are in-depth practices and you’re likely to access ecstasy faster. But no guarantees of course!
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4// Get it on (consciously).
If you establish trust, a deep connection, and emotional and physical safety, you can achieve insane ecstatic states with sex. Again though, if you open too fast, without a safe container and the spiritual and emotional components, you will suffer the repercussions. Chances are, you will feel depressed, anxious and shitty for days after. Perhaps you will feel guilt and shame as well.
Conscious BDSM is an amazing way into ecstasy in a safe space. Set the intention to open to the Divine before you begin. Japanese rope bondage and suspension work in particular has taken me to great heights of ecstasy, and I led two retreats last year that took women into that space for transcendence, ecstasy, and healing.
Pain can be a tried and true portal to ecstasy. Again, within a safe container, an intense consensual pain session with spanking or flogging or whipping or caning can produce deep and ecstatic bliss. Some religious sects also used pain as a portal to divine and ecstatic bliss. Light spankings are a safe place to start!
You can also start a self-pleasure practice that opens you to ecstasy. It will take time. Practice. A safe space so you can let go and scream and cry and release. At dinner the other night with my two besties, I was talking about my magical rose quartz wand and the orgasmic bliss I have with it, and their jaws dropped. It’s profound!
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5// Remember that integration is KEY.
Integration means the time you take in between practices to process, rest, release, and allow your system to recalibrate. If you mix drugs and sex and pain and all of it you may go into wild ecstasy, but have a “WTF did I just do?!” the next day, feeling like you got hit by a train.
Unless you have stretched yourself internally to hold some levels of ecstasy over time, you will fuck with yourself psychologically, spiritually, emotionally and physically if you rush things. Seriously. I’ve learned this the hard way.
If you don’t have the skills or tools to integrate ecstatic experience into your life, you can blow a fuse, go back to exactly where you were before, or contract even smaller. But if you integrate your experience fully, you can allow the ecstatic experience to expand you. And you can STAY expanded, therefore experiencing levels of ecstasy OFTEN.
Begin by simply noticing when you feel ECSTATIC and take note. Breathe it in. Don’t zip by. As you notice, your capacity will grow. As you practice, you will stretch into holding more.
Rest. Be gentle on you. You’re re-teaching your system that’s its safe to feel this good. After centuries of being told that IT IS NOT. Write. Journal. Take salt baths.
Start slowly, but be diligent and don’t give up on finding this KEY and GIFT to your human system!!
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Stay tuned for more Holy F*ck from Alexandra. Over the next few months, she will be interviewing women who learned how to access deep healing and ecstatic states during her yearlong program. Learn more about Alexandra and her work HERE.
THE 2018 LIBRA NEW MOON WANTS YOU TO CHOOSE HEALING
Intensified by powerhouse Pluto, the 2018 Libra New Moon wants us to sit with challenging emotions, tend to deep-rooted wounds, and embrace release through conscious healing, says Sandy Sitron …
New Moon :: October 8, 2018 :: 11:47 pm ET :: 15 degrees Libra
A droplet of rain rolls slowly off a leaf and lands in the shadows below. The sun comes out and the leaf quickly dries. But the water that has pooled in the shadows remains.
The symbolism reads: just become a tiny puddle. Find your spot in the shade and wait. While you’re there, feel your feelings and heal.
This New Moon is in the sign of balance, and the Moon and Sun are making a square to Pluto, the planet that symbolizes grief, loss, letting go, healing the past, and rebirth. This is an emotional New Moon, but in air sign Libra, it’s an intellectual time as well. Tending to your feelings will help you make room for new ideas.
Letting yourself go through the phases of grief will support your ability to speak your mind, say what your boundaries are, and communicate diplomatically with those who have different viewpoints. This air sign New Moon can help you verbalize and communicate your emotions.
Because this is a New Moon, it’s a time of germination. A chance to plan the future. While you’re resting in your emotional puddle, tucked away in the shadows— pinpoint what you want. What are your intentions for fairness, harmony, balance, healthy relationships, and open communication?
The balance that is developing will feel like fresh air after a thunderstorm. But the first step is to slow down and sit quietly with what you’re feeling.
Remember that somewhere along the way, it’s important to face challenging emotions. The Plutonian wound is festering. This New Moon invites us to perform a sacred purge. The only way to move past this moment in history is to push right through. We must sit with the wounds. Let the emotions move. Let the emotions flow. Release. Burn it up. It will take time. This is a cathartic process of healthy release.
Heavy healing. We don’t always want to do it. But here we are, working with personal and collective wounds to move through and come out the other side. Pluto’s symbols are the Phoenix rising out of the ashes, the butterfly coming out of the cocoon and the snake shedding its skin. We can move through this phase with the resilience of a Phoenix, the grace of a butterfly, and the wisdom of a snake. The cycles continue and change is wonderful.
The heaviness of this moment will soon funnel into action and activism because of an upcoming t-square between Uranus (change), Mercury (clarity), and the North Node (purpose). So don’t worry, we won’t be sitting in the emotional muck for ever. But sitting here for now can help
Heal as deeply and powerfully as you can. Put your conscious attention on it. Ponder the parts of you that are triggered and asking for support. What kind of support do you need to rally, so that your inner child feels safe? Imagine your healing happening on a cellular level.
As this is an intention setting time, keep part of your vision trained on what you are creating. Mark some intentions. Visualize what you want to see when the healing is complete.
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New Moon Trine Mars
A fire ball. An important part of this New Moon story is the energizing jolt that comes through its trine to Mars. Drive, enthusiasm, motivation. Where does this energy want to go? Let it help you integrate your healing and impassion your speech. Having energy can help you feel that you can get through whatever needs to be done. This aspect offers a dose of spirit.
New Moon square Pluto
Sharpening a stick until it becomes a spear. Getting yourself to sit down and do the work of emotional healing may be a challenge. The Moon and Pluto are square, which is an aspect that requires practice before it can be mastered. Repetitive, steady effort is required. Keep chipping away and soon the stick transforms. Eventually, you’ll break through into a new shape. Look at whatever is happening in your life and notice where persistence may be the answer.
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Use the below journal questions to help you set intentions the 2018 Libra New Moon. Look for the house containing 15 degrees Libra in your chart for the most accurate insights. Don’t know your chart? You can enter your birth details HERE to calculate it for free.
Aries // Aries Rising // New Moon in the 7th house
“My most healing relationships allow me to …”
Taurus // Taurus Rising // New Moon in the 6th house
“I feel most joyfully productive when I …”
Gemini // Gemini Rising // New Moon in the 5th house
“I am falling in love with …”
Cancer // Cancer Rising // New Moon in the 4th house
“Truly caring for my self means …”
Leo // Leo Rising // New Moon in the 3rd house
“I can’t stop myself getting excited about …”
Virgo // Virgo Rising // New Moon in the 2nd house
“I understand my value in the world when I …”
Libra // Libra Rising // New Moon in the 1st house
“My confidence gets a boost whenever I …”
Scorpio // Scorpio Rising // New Moon in the 12th house
“I am taking the steps to seek closure with …”
Sagittarius // Sagittarius Rising // New Moon in the 11th house
“When I rise above the small stuff I see …”
Capricorn // Capricorn Rising // New Moon in the 10th house
“I feel most confident in my abilities when I …”
Aquarius // Aquarius Rising // New Moon in the 9th house
“My next big adventure will be …”
Pisces // Pisces Rising // New Moon in the 8th house
“A deeper level of intimacy requires me to …”
NUMINOUS TAROTSCOPE OCTOBER 4 2018: 4 OF SWORDS
The 4 of Swords asks us to break the endless sweat cycle and take time for deep rest, says this month’s reader-in-residence, Alisha Cigalotti …
NUMINOUS TAROTSCOPES: OCTOBER 2018
Dive into this month’s medicine for your sign with our Numinous Tarotscopes October 2018, cast by Melinda Lee Holm. Artwork: Invisible Light Tarot by Brandy Eve Allen
LIBRA // LIBRA RISING
Two of Pentacles
Happy Solar Return, Libra! Your birthday gift from the Tarot is a brand new relationship with the vast possibilities inherent in the material world. While the Aces are the pure gift of their element, you could make an argument for the Twos carrying the most promise. Two gives us something to bounce off of, something to stack, it’s the number that lets us know that something MORE is possible. When this card comes up in readings it always gives me the image of that spark of expansion that happens when, after a period of relative financial hardship, you finally have those 2 proverbial nickels to rub together again. It’s that sweetness of anticipation that really colors this energy and it’s truly a fabulous way to begin your personal new year.
What are you truly wishing to receive for your birthday this year, Libra? What special gift has your eye? Is it something you could begin building yourself? Is the real gift this year that you awaken and heighten your power to create what you’ve been waiting to receive? Try to keep this grounded down in the Earth, your physical world. With Venus retrograde starting the 5th, bringing it up into the watery emotional realm will not prove as fruitful. If you are looking for love, focus on building your own platform. Water does find its own level after all. You don’t want to be down rolling in the mud when it comes calling. I mean, unless you do … What you draw into your sphere to fill it is a choice. Use this month to build out the container.
Libra stone for October: Carnelian. Carnelian is the stone of the warrior. It ignites the Fire of courage, strength, and passion needed to keep pursuing goals when the going gets tough.
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SCORPIO // SCORPIO RISING
Three of Pentacles
Your passion has the power to draw collaborators into your sphere this month, Scorpio, and they will posess skills highly complimetary to your own. Whatever it is that you were getting fired up about last month has a great opportunity to start to become very, very real in October. Now is the time to look around and identify people around you who posess three essential qualities: 1) High level of enthusiasm about you and your ideas 2) Skilled in a discipline you are not, and that is needed for your planned endeavor 3) You like being around. This last one is so important. Sometimes we can be quick to pull people in who are admirably talented, but have personalities that can conflict with our own. It can be tempting to try to “make it work” in the service of long term goals. Avoid this temptation at all costs.
The thing is, Scorpio, you are a deeply emotional person at your core. You need to feel supported and appreciated to feel accomplished. Sometimes your enviable ambition can get in the way of prioritizing this need. But getting into a partnership with someone who does not provide this support will only be bring more delays down the road when you have to take a break from productivity to work out interpersonal issues. And with your … “gift” for cutting to the core with your words when cornered, these could prove to be lengthier than you think. Keep everything in alignment with your heart and you’ll be on your way to building that metaphorical (or literal) castle you’ve always dreamed of.
Scorpio stone for October: Rose Opal. Rose Opal brings a soft serenity to the emotional and energetic body. It helps to provide a tranquil place for the mind to clear and more accurately assess a way forward.
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SAGITTARIUS // SAGITTARIUS RISING
Six of Wands
Be ready to bet high and win big this month, Sagittarius! You’ve got the energy of accomplishment in the realm of Fire on your side. In Pamela Colman Smith’s classic illustrations, this energy is depicted as a figure riding into town on a white horse and I like that vibe – triumphant, not ashamed to celebrate victory, close enough to the chaos and devastation of battle to not take any of it for granted. That’s the real secret to betting big – never forgetting how you survived what came before, always remembering you posess the tools to fight your way out of the worst of situations to emerge victorious. There’s a scrappiness to the sixes and I feel it most strongly in the suit of Wands. That ability to act instinctually, to intuit the best way through and out of a jam, to turn those sticky lemons into lemonade.
So, what’s it gonna be this October, dear Archer? Did the housekeeping you got into last month reveal any areas of your life that could use a little love and attention? Has the changing of the seasons got you remembering some goals you were distracted from over the summer? If nothing’s coming up immediately, take some time to clear your mind and tap into your intuition. Drink ginger tea, eat spicy food, light an orange candle, carry blue kyanite in your pocket, meditate like your life depends on it. Acting on instinct will lead you directly to the places where you can safely take the risks you need to take to come out on top.
Sagittarius stone for October: Blue Kyanite. Blue Kyanite forms a bridge to the astral plane, opening intuition and psychic abilities. It helps to clear energetic static and barriers to receiving non-verbal and non-physical messages.
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CAPRICORN // CAPRICORN RISING
The Fool
I just knew last month was getting you ready for something special, Capricorn. And here we are, sending off into October with the cleanest slate in the cosmos! The Fool is a dreamy, child-like energy. Not immature, but closer to Source, lacking the buildup of barriers to trust and perception that our human lives inevitably gather. This is not to be mistaken for naivety! Often it means quite the opposite. To earn the ability to walk in the enlightened footsteps of The Fool, we most often must endure hardship, learn hard lessons, and have our petty concerns stripped away by circumstances beyond our control. Getting here is not easy and it is not usually comfortable, as you likely found out in last month’s chaos of communication.
All through October, I want to invite you to experience your life and the world with a trust you’ve never allowed yourself to have. Imagine what the world would be like if it didn’t matter if you tried and failed, if you stumbled and everyone saw, if you spoke your truth and it fell on deaf ears. Would you believe me if I told you those things really don’t matter? The ultimate embodiment of strength is being impervious to the woudings the world can inflict. What better way to accomplish this than by being utterly and radically vulverable and open? Stripped of artifice and hiding nothing, we can have no regrets or doubts about how we’ve presented ourselves. The ultimate freedom. How would you live if you had no fear of falling?
Capricorn stone for October: Lemurian Seed Quartz. Lemurian Seed Quartz Crystals are imprinted with the records of ancient Divine wisdom handed down from the lost city of Lemuria. They elevate consciousness and promote trust in the Universe.
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AQUARIUS // AQUARIUS RISING
Page of Swords
You’re being carried into October on a fresh, youthful breeze, Aquarius! And not a moment too soon. You’ve had your thoughts wrapped around the weighty topics of work and productivity (or perceived lack thereof) lately and this should be a very welcome reprieve! The Pages don’t seem to know the word “should.” They never got the rule book and they do not make it their business to read posted signs and regulations. Children of the Earth, they trust in their inherent connection to the most stable of elements to keep them steady while they freely explore the vast field of possibilities in the element of their suit, in this case, Air. The freedom to try out new and unfamiliar ways of thinking, of communicating inwardly and outwardly, of creating intellectual frameworks, is knocking on your door, Aquarius!
Take advantage of this while you can. These bursts of fresh perspective are incredibly valuable and they don’t come around very often. Getting the opportunity to open your mind to new ways of thinking and of expressing these thoughts can be revolutionary. Our whole experience of life and our world is shaped by language – a tool of Air. How can you broaden the reach of your experience by expanding your vocabulary? What old definitions are you ready to update? What new words and concepts can you integrate into your lexicon? Is there a whole new language – verbal, written, symbolic – that you are finally ready to take on as your own?
Aquarius stone for October: Aquamarine. Aquamarine is at once calming and empowering, soothing the emotional body and strengthening connection to the divine feminine. It can help uncover deep subconscious emotions and open clear, loving communication.
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PISCES // PISCES RISING
Queen of Wands
Remember when I said last month was not the time to make any big changes in your life, Pisces? I hope you took my words to heart and got all your internal alignments in order because now IS the time for those changes. And the direction is coming straight from your sweet spot – that big dreamy heart. Queens all carry a center of Elemental Water. As a type, this means that they whatever suit they are in, they lead with their emotional self, always checking in with the heart before taking action. In the suit of Wands, this develops into a kind of emotional instinct for magick that has your name written all over it. October should have you feeling right at home!
Enjoy this cozy feeling, but don’t let it make you complacent. Fire needs fuel and it’s up to you to provide it in whatever form feels right to stoke the flames. Feeling a need to burn away past disappointments or failures? Great. Feed that to the Fire, but get it out of the way early in the month. You’ve got more forward-looking pursuits to tend to. What can this Fire burn a path toward for you? What kindling will clear the way most quickly? What are you willing to let go of to make yourself light enough to keep up with the most unpredictable of elements? Look deep into your heart to find what it is you want to manifest, put on that wizard’s hat, and get to work.
Pisces stone for October: Prehnite. Prehnite gently releases emotional wounds and provides a deep inner peace that allows motivations and actions to be intrinsically connected to the heart.
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ARIES // ARIES RISING
Two of Wands
Your journey of Fire continues, Aries! Beginning in July, you’ve had a string of lessons from the Wands family. From chaos to mastery to play, it’s been a pretty well-rounded curriculum. And now in October, it’s time to begin to explore the real, tangible possibilities of all the concepts you’ve opened up to and integrated over the past few months. The twos offer the first spark of practicality in their element, giving us a glimpse into what we can accomplish in their suit. In Fire, it’s a promise of magick, of finely tuned instinct, of acting and knowing from the gut. If the Pages ask us to throw out the rule book, the Twos ask us to begin to compile our own personal grimoire based on lived experience.
Being an independent spirit at heart, this should be music to your ears! Essentially, the Universe is graduating you from your studies and offering up an internship where you can put all your hard-won knowledge to work YOUR way. You have four glorious weeks to take advantage of this opportunity. How will you spend them? Have you been eager to get deeper into your practice of magick? Wanting to hone your intuition? Get moving on a particular project – professional or personal? Whichever aspect of the element it is that has you yearning to jump out of the frying pan and into the Fire, dive in early and keep going all month long. That magic wand isn’t going to wave itself and it would be crying shame to let all this incredible potential go to waste!
Aries stone for October: Pyrite. Pyrite is the master stone for manifesting dreams into reality. It promotes the confidence, creativity, and willpower needed to accomplish goals large and small.
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TAURUS // TAURUS RISING
King of Pentacles
Could this be the culmination of your entire year’s journey, Taurus? Or is it just the beginning? The Kings offer us both. Being the last in line on the subtle journey of elemental flavors that is the Court, they hold the satisfaction of completion and the inevitable return to the role of novice in the Page or even the original gift of the Ace. I’d like for you to keep this in mind this month as you celebrate this moment of mastery in your native element. I subscribe to the system that names Kings as the Air of their suit, the intellectual of the bunch. While in some cases this can make the energy veer a bit cold, in the case of the Earth suit, it brings a much needed lightness to the heaviest element.
What can you see about your material world when you climb up onto the Air that you can’t when you’re down digging around in it? How does your understanding of your world, your place in it, and your ability to mold it change when you consider it with an intellectual distance? My usual takeaway from this card is that the surest path to abundance is to allow and encourage everything in your sphere to be exactly itself, nothing less and nothing more. The appeciation and cultivation of natural inclinations and talents – in humans, communities, situations, even materials – allows us to expend minimum energy for maximum results. And what do we do with all this leftover energy? We’ll leave that to the Ace and the Page.
Taurus stone for October: Agate. Agate emanates an energy of gentleness and overall wellbeing. It has a stabilizing influence that allows small concerns to fade away so focus can be turned to the bigger picture.
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GEMINI // GEMINI RISING
Judgment
Now that your emotional core has been thoroughly stirred by the Queen of Cups’ visit last month, Gemini, it’s time to sift some of the heavier stuff out of that beautiful mud. All through October, you’ll have opportunities to let go of emtional patterns, frames of reference, old woundings, limiting thoughts, and anything else that is generally not in service of your personal evolution. This can sometimes be an unpleasant process, but with all the work you’ve already done to soothe and renew your emotional body, I don’t see it being too painful for you. Instead, my guess is that you’ll welcome this wave of release as a well-earned thank you gift from your future self and the Universe for your kind efforts and gestures.
Though you’ll be working at this all month, you’ll have a major push with the Full Moon on the 24th. I like Full Moons for releasing work, setting intentions and then feeling the pull away as the Moon wanes. You have a lot of time to prep for this one, so make it count. Let go of the little things that don’t give you much trouble throughout the month and make notes on things that are a little stickier. These will be your focus on the 24th. Keep the energy in release – not banishing. The more we stay in a loving mode with ourselves and the rest of the world in our magickal workings, the less risk we have of getting a cosmic backlash.
Gemini stone for October: Epidote. Epidote is a powerful ally for being made aware of and releasing any attachments or patterns that stand in the way of achieving full potential and enlightenment.
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CANCER // CANCER RISING
Queen of Pentacles
You really are getting into the spirit of harvest season, Cancer! The Queen of Earth is all about gathering up the bounty she’s carefully and tenderly cultivated and using it to create something magnificently and utterly her own. This level of personal creation requires a level of dedication bordering on obsession. Every card has a challenging aspect and with the Queens, this tendency to shut out the outside world must be managed carefully. Make sure to lift your head up from your project now and then this month. Take daily walks, share a meal with a friend once a week, go out for coffee once in a while instead of making it at home. Remember – you are a human taking guidance from a Tarot archetype. You are not expected to embody this archetype in ways that impede your ability to live a healthy human life.
The keyword we want to embrace with Queens is devotion. Pick a project early in the month, one close to your heart, and devote yourself to it. Make it something that really reflects your highest aspirations for yourself, something truly and uniquely your own. This can be work-related or purely personal, private, or intended to shine out to the whole world. The important thing is that it’s of you, by you, and in the service of your own happiness and personal evolution. Unsure if what you’re thinking of checks all those lofty boxes? Ask your heart. She always knows. You don’t want to miss out on this chance to indulge your reclusive side in such a richly productive manner.
Cancer stone for October: Lapis Lazuli. Lapis Lazuli opens intuitive inner vision, allowing the deep insight, self-knowledge, and reflective wisdom needed to fully embody the role of King or Queen of the Self.
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LEO // LEO RISING
The Hermit
Ooooo, Leo, I have to admit I’m a bit jealous of your card this month! Being called to get snuggly with wisdom right as the seasons turn is absolutely perfect in my book. As the days begin to shorten in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s a wonderful time to be called inward, to pull back on all that beautiful magick you’ve been pouring forth and take some time to reflect, gather, and regroup. And for my friends in the Southern Hemisphere – this calculated retreat can be just the thing to get you set up for a gloriously productive spring, spiritually speaking. Any time the seasons shift, getting a moment to really process all that we’ve learned over the last few months with purpose and dedication is an absolute gift.
So, whichever season you’re headed into, consider what lessons this past one has presented and seek out ways to lean further into those teachings. Whether you’re curled up alone under a blanket or out on a beach, synthesizing knowledge and experience into fully formed wisdom is a pivotal excercise in spiritual and personal growth. After all, if we don’t take time reflect, we can find ourselves doomed to relive the same lessons over and over! Now there’s one more piece here that cannot be overlooked under any circumstances: The intention you hold as you churn through this information you’ve piled up MUST be one of putting the wisdom in a container you can hand out to others. Wisdom is just a plain old secret until it’s shared.
Leo stone for October: Sodalite. Sodalite carries a dual influence of inward journeying and discipline. It assists in identifying and staying on the path to greatest personal evolution and expansion.
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VIRGO // VIRGO RISING
Justice
Usually when this card comes up, Virgo, I get a strong feeling about a decision needing to be made, a single motion or situation that tips the scales from one side to the other. We so often think of Justice as a pretty heavy energy, a sign that someone or something is going to get what’s coming to them – for better or worse. But with you this month, I am seeing things differently. Why not ride the scales of Justice like a seesaw, reveling in the incredible ability we have as intellectual, emotional, and spiritual beings to consider both sides of any debate? After your wild ride through the heady realm of Air last month, even an Earth child like you should be up to the challange. And I have to admit, the mental image this creates brings me great joy.
I’d like to propose a game for you to play all month, Virgo. Whenever you are confronted with a situation or question that seems to have an obvious answer, especially if that answer is “right” or “wrong,” just take a moment to try on the other answer for size, just for sport. The idea is to stretch out your thinking a bit, get you out of your comfort zone, expose you to new points of view. You have an incredibly fine tuned moral compass, even if your views dont always mesh with those of others, and with that comes a real imperative to try on different points of view. Without these exercises, we risk falling from discernment into harsh judgment.
Virgo stone for October: Black Tourmaline. Black Tourmaline provides protection from negativity and purification of the energetic field, and helps in establishing and maintaining healthy energetic boundaries.
NUMINOUS WEEKLY HOROSCOPES OCTOBER 1-7 2018
Get this week’s astro symbol for your sign with Sandy Sitron’s Numinous Weekly Horoscopes …
Libra // Libra Rising
Releasing doves. Let a part of your spirit fly. Journey to discover what riches are available. Lift up your thoughts and your words to a higher standard. Lift up your mind. The doves return home having received a message of inspiration. If you calibrate your mindset toward positivity you’ll become inspired too. And it will help you feel more alive and creative.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Scorpio // Scorpio Rising
A sponge in the sea. You can’t possibly clean up all of this emotion. You need to let it overflow. Swim in the feelings. Don’t try to stop them. Soon you’ll understand exactly what brought you here. Soon you’ll know how to navigate. In the meanwhile, pray and serve your spirit by spending sweet time with yourself. There’s no need to worry. Wonder instead.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Sagittarius // Sagittarius Rising
A drawing of wheels etched into the sand. You are ready to travel, but remember that everything is changing. You can’t use up all of your energy by trying to plan. You must go with the flow and let the plans change around you. The urge to get into motion is strong. Follow the urge and come up with the plan after the fact. Trust in your ability to innovate.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Capricorn // Capricorn Rising
A polar bear stands on hind legs. You shout it out to the rooftops … I am here! I am ready! I know what I need to do. Don’t let fear of success or fear of failure stop you now. You actually are ready. Examine resistance and discover that it can be squashed. Your habits are important. Notice which ones are muffling your war cry.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Aquarius // Aquarius Rising
A blade carves a pumpkin. Carve out this new identity. Your dream can become your reality. Your brand is malleable and ready to undergo renovation. Make a new face for your jack o’ lantern. Make a new face for yourself. Let it be carved by inspiration. Your highest truth can be your visage.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Pisces // Pisces Rising
The jack hammer makes a hole in concrete. You’re ready to drill down. Anything that brought you pain in the past can be understood by digging deeper. Hold steady, hold true, and go further into the past than you want to go. Look at old pictures. Let yourself cry. Soon you’ll reach a a layer of gold. You’ll understand why the excavation had to be done.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Aries // Aries Rising
A racing sled. You speed down the hill and physics takes over. Most of life is a physics experiment. How much control do you have over your momentum? How much of your direction is determined by past decisions? To change direction you must factor in the inertia that’s built up. If you need a new beginning, start with honesty. Tell yourself the truth and be bravely honest in your relationships. That’ll help you know where you really stand.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Taurus // Taurus Rising
A hippopotamus runs. The sheer force of the hippo’s feet clobbering the ground is impressive. Are you the hippo? This symbol says that there’s a force coming— you’ll either be the power or you will need to react to the power. Which would you choose, if you had fair warning? How do you harness your power? What gives you energy? Build up your stores of energy, drive, and determination. It’s time to make things happen.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Gemini // Gemini Rising
A golden ticket. Jackpot! This is your moment to believe in yourself. Set goals that are your very own. These are the things that you want for yourself, they aren’t what anyone else would have you do. Goals that bring you joy and spark your heart fire. A golden ticket is the license to realize your dream. What concrete steps can you take to tell the universe you’re ready?
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Cancer // Cancer Rising
Houndstooth pattern. Patterns are real. They guide us, they drive us. Our subconscious minds use thought patterns to keep us safe and conserve energy. But it’s easy to stay stuck in limiting beliefs. There are times when you need to break free of the patterns. This is a moment to bring consciousness to your emotions. Feel and release. Get familiar with the old metal habits and let them go. Start by noticing where you feel stuck and dig into the story that keeps you there.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Leo // Leo Rising
The keys, hammers, and strings of a piano. It’s time to fire up your mind. Start hitting the keys and activate the hammers and strings of your mental piano. Maybe that means that you read more, talk more, listen more. Engage and start firing on all circuits. When you’re learning, there’s no time for self-criticism. That’s why it’s so much fun. Nurture a fertile mind.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Virgo // Virgo Rising
A beehive. You’ll get to start fresh. You’ll get to discover a new part of yourself. All you have to do is share. Share your resources and trust in security. Then you’ll truly believe in abundance. Just like a bee, you’re an integral part of your ecosystem. Don’t separate yourself because of fear. Participate, give, promote your skills and flourish.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
THE 2018 CANCER WANING MOON WANTS YOU TO FIGHT FOR YOUR FEELINGS
As Venus prepares to travel retrograde, the 2018 Cancer Waning Moon marks a powerful moment to integrate our feminine and masculine, and embrace the fierceness in putting our feelings first, says Jennifer Racioppi …
Waning Quarter Moon / October 2 2018 / 5:45am EST / 9 degrees Cancer
The 2018 Cancer Waning Moon invites a poignant pause. With Venus moving towards her retrograde station and descent into the darkness, the Cancer Waning Moon asks everyone, regardless of their gender orientation, to adopt the feminine qualities within.
This can be an aggressive position for Venus when she embraces her warrior aspects, and this Moon’s relationship to Venus profoundly amplifies our powers of intuition, empathy, and feminine moxy. As we prepare for her retrograde journey by surrendering what is no longer aligned, feminine values and voices will rise …
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//The Cycle//
The Waning Quarter Moon falls at the halfway point between the recent Harvest Aries Full Moon and the upcoming Libra New Moon. This halfway point asks us to actively release our blocks to success. What’s standing between you and the fruition of your most heartfelt intentions and goals? Consider what you can let go of, and burn it, baby.
From a long-term perspective, this Waning Quarter Moon brings intentions set with the Cancer New Moon on July 4, 2016, to fruition. What are you cultivating in your life now that relates to what you hoped and prayed for on the New Moon in July 2016?
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//The Transits//
This Moon occurs just three days before Venus, the planet of love and beauty, stations retrograde. Venus will travel retrograde from October 5th- November 16th. Unlike Mercury, who goes retrograde 2-4 times per year, Venus only travels retrograde once every 18 months. As one of the most potent transits of 2018, this brings with it strong and necessary medicine. Her retrograde periods support realignment with feminine values.
This Waning Cancer Moon forms a perfect manifestation trine to Venus at the degree of her station, 10 degrees of Scorpio. The water trine deepens emotional introspection, and supports inner alignment in preparation for the upcoming retrograde cycle. And with Mars simultaneously clearing his retrograde shadow (finally) at 6 degrees of Aquarius, he makes an air trine to the Libra Sun.
This combination offers us profound resources that we can use to harmonize the masculine and feminine, both within ourselves and for the collective.
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//The Square//
This cardinal square between the Libra Sun and Cancer Moon instigates an in-depth look at personal values. Fairness (Libra) squares safety and security (Cancer). As you prep for both the Venus retrograde station, and October 8th’s Libra New Moon, let the cardinal focus empower you to stand strong in your values. Now is not the time to let old limiting beliefs and insecurities stand in your way.
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//The Opportunity//
This Waning Quarter Moon amplifies feminine prowess. The Sun in Libra, who is ruled by Venus, prepares us for Venus’ descent into her underworld. Venus, who represents love and beauty has two sides— she the goddess of love and the goddess of war. The feminine, after all, protects what she loves.
We can expect this lunar moment to elicit deep emotional connection. Use it to your advantage. Prepare yourself for the upcoming Venus station and Libra New Moon by standing up and fighting for what YOU believe!
For more Moon wisdom, or to book a coaching session with Jennifer visit Jenniferracioppi.com.
USE YOUR BIRTH CHART TO MEET YOUR SHADOW SELF
With Pluto stationing direct on September 30th, it’s time to meet your shadow self—and you can use your birth chart to come face-to-face with the skeletons in your own closet, say Ruby Warrington and Bess Matassa …
Ruler of Scorpio, the planet Pluto urges us to dive deep into the more Numinous realms of being—which can feel downright scary, depending on how comfortable we are with our more primal urges and shadowy desires.
Pluto governs the parts of ourselves we tend to keep buried under layers of social conditioning, but which are aching to be witnessed in all their gory glory.
But there’s no need to be afraid of these less fragrant parts of ourselves. And in fact, the more time we can spend acknowledging, loving, and socializing them, the less likely they are to leap out of the shadows and bite somebody’s head off. And our birth charts are a great place to begin.
There are several key placements in each and every chart that give clues to the more shadowy parts of our beings, giving us the opportunity to unlock our own secret basement rooms and hidden passages. Read on for 7 ways to use your birth chart to go behind the veil …
*If you don’t have your birth chart, you can do yours for free HERE.
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The 7th House: Hello, shadow self
Known as the house of relationships and sitting opposite the 1st House of self and personal expression, the 7th House can also represent the parts of our nature where we’re in denial. Planets here can show aspects of ourselves that we’d rather not “see,” and which we project onto our life partners (in marriage, friendship, and business) instead. We may also seek relationships with people who embody these traits in order to “complete” us. For example, Mars in the 7th House could represent suppressed or unacknowledged anger, meaning we seek partners who either express their anger easily—or know how to push the right buttons to help us to express ours!
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The 8th House: How we dance with our demons
Ruled by Scorpio herself, the wicked witch of the zodiac, the 8th House is where we walk the tightrope between the two worlds. In our earthly lives, planets in the 8th House can show how we access our psychic powers (for example, the Moon here suggests strong gut feelings, while an 8th House Mercury may mean we actually “hear” voices from the other side). The sign ruling the 8th House meanwhile (look for the sign it intersects at the bottom), shows our relationship to our shadow self. For example, Leo ruling the 8th House has no problem expressing its demons—while Cancer here may need to find a safe place to let it all hang out.
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The 12th House: Let go and let God
Representing the most profound depths of the chart, this house is often described in vague terms such as “the house of self-undoing,” or “secret enemies,” and you can think of this zone as the underground cellar of your chart. Any planets living down there are sometimes kept under lock and key—while they may rise up and “possess” you from time to time. For example, Pluto or Mars here can lead to repressed anger and control impulses that suddenly break out of the cellar and threaten to smash all the china. Meanwhile, Venus here marks an invitation to notice where you deny yourself pleasure. If you’re a 12 house astro babe, your work is to embrace whatever planets hang in this basement, and invite them into the main house for a midnight snack.
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Neptune: Your inner spiritual guru
Neptune is the planet ruling mystical Pisces, representing our spirituality and our connection to the higher realms of existence. The sign and house containing Neptune in our birth charts shows how and in what areas of life we experience this connection most strongly, and also where we may seek to “merge” with the Universal oneness—or lose our sense of “self.” The biggest emo of the zodiac, Neptune also shows our sensitivity, and where we may try to escape from the “real” world in search of something altogether softer and more forgiving. Any kind of mystical or dreamlike experience, from being guided into a Shamanic trance, to losing ourselves in music at a concert, will have Neptune at its helm.
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South Node: Your soul’s old clothing
Have you ever slipped into some threads that feel oh so comfortable but just a little bit stretched out? Think of your South Node placement as your house clothes. Whatever sign and house its in represents an old way of being from another lifetime. This time around, channel your North Node placement for a soul upgrade. The North Node may feel itchy and challenging and take some breaking in. At first, you may not even recognize yourself when you embrace this behavioral pattern. But you’ve got to risk slipping into this new party frock and and heading out on the town to really fulfill your mission.
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Chiron: Your secret superpower
Often called the “wounded healer,” you can think about this placement in your chart as a deeply painful spot that needs you to apply the energy of allowing. Dress that wound, love up on it, and let it break you open towards the human experience of tenderized acceptance. Along with Saturn, Chiron is all about something we think we never received and/or don’t deserve. By element it shows us what we perceive as our weakness (ex/Chiron in Earth, connection to the pragmatic, material realm; Chiron in water, fears around surrendering to our emotional tides). But unlike Saturn’s hard work energy, which compels us to apply effort to overcome this placement, Chiron doesn’t respond to “work.” Instead, we must move alongside and with this energy, and use it as a gateway to connecting with others. Sweetly attending to this touchy-feely place lets us tap into our empathetic superpowers.
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Pluto: Where you glow in the dark
This planet of hardcore soul collisions and amped-up intensity, which rules the badass energy of Scorpio, shows us where we can practice grip and release. It gives the house it inhabits a glow-in-the-dark kind of light, where we illuminate our life and death battles, and what we’re willing to protect at all costs. Its gift is to reveal to us where we’re most carnal, and to help us mine this intensity for juicy gemstones. Can we learn to live with what lives inside of us, even the inkiest dark matter we’d rather discard? Harness this energy to fight for exactly what you desire, while noticing when your primal beasties can be slightly softened.
NUMINOUS TAROTSCOPE SEPTEMBER 27 2018: 4 OF WANDS
As we begin to harvest the fruits of the year so far, the 4 of Wands invites us to spark unbridled joy and celebrate our precious life force, says this month’s reader-in-residence, Alisha Cigalotti …
LIBRA SEASON BEAUTY: APPLY IN TWOS
Ruled by pleasure-seeker Venus, Libra energy invites us to connect with both our inner and outer allure. Let Eunice Lucero‘s top beauty duos for Libra Season kick-off a month of perfectly-paired pampering …
With the Sun now in the beautiful, billowy sign of Libra, the astrological weather forecast is for more diplomatic, harmonious times (side-eyeing you, retrograde season).
Ruled by Venus, Libra Season activates our urge to indulge and treat ourselves, and with the recent Fall Equinox marking the official reaping of the past year’s harvest, we’re invited to take a pause and celebrate how far we’ve come with some well-deserved pampering.
Let this roundup of luxurious duos help you lean into the beauty gods and goddesses within …
**We’ve listed beauty duos for each Libra placement, but these pairings are for everyone. Curious about what planet and /or house Libra rules in your chart? You can do your birth chart HERE for free.
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1// Sun in Libra / Libra Ruling the 5th house: Province Apothecary Dual-Action Jade Facial Roller, $44; Rejuvenating + Hydrating Face Serum, $26. Little luxuries that offer sophisticated upgrades are what feed your soul—particularly if they look as good as they feel. This two-step, on-trend facial roller helmed in jade, the ancient stone of beauty and money, helps reduce fine lines, promote circulation and aid lymphatic detox. Supplement it with a pure botanical antioxidant serum either before or after your mini-rolling ritual, just in time for your birthday celebrations.
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2// Moon in Libra / Libra Ruling the 4th house: Lenajapon LJ Moist Shimmer Clear CC Day Serum, $55; LJ Pearly Powder Moisturizing Beauty Face Powder, $55. You put the social in social justice, seeking fair-mindedness in all forms. Your diplomatic nature will resonate with products that mirror a sweet, emotional spark that’s always shimmering below the surface, like this shimmer serum and powder duo that both imparts moisture and a natural, goddess-like glow.
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3// Ascendant in Libra / Libra Ruling the 1st house: When Rose Coconut Gentle Exfoliating Scrub Mask, $14; When Glamour Base Mask, $28 for a set of 5. Looking the part is half the battle; for your charming, and yes, appearance-conscious approach to facing the world, it’s never just a frivolity. You move through life with a tasteful, refined eye, and making sure your look is on point is a daily priority. A luxurious facial scrub made with natural coconut powder and French rosewater helps gently slough off impurities, while a bio-cellulose, all-natural, collagen sheet mask gives a smooth, flawless makeup base.
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4// Mercury in Libra / Libra Ruling the 3rd or 6th house: Alder New York Texture Powder, $27; All Purpose Comb, $10. You have the gift of gab—making you a facile communicator who loves a two-sided, good-natured debate. You can easily see both sides to a story and love witty repartee that doesn’t take away from the topic at hand. Clean, uncomplicated, and genderless beauty touches on this appreciation for inclusivity; a dry shampoo and travel-friendly comb also give you some glam on the go for your mercurial travels.
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5// Venus in Libra / Libra Ruling the 2nd house or 7th house: Amaranthum Gentle Hydrating Set, $187. Elegant, cultured, and sensual, your penchant for artfully crafted experiences extends to everything you can see, feel, hear, taste, and touch. This cleanser-and-essence power duo honors your love of all things feminine and romantic, while upholding your need for integrity—it also effectively clears pores and locks in hydration.
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6// Mars in Libra / Libra Ruling the 1st house: Elate Essential Mascara, $28; Elate Liquid Eyeline in Origin, $25. Making a point without ruffling feathers is your calling card, even when things get heated! A sense of diplomacy serves as your baseline when getting things done, even as you’re girlbossing your way to the top. Punctuate your eyes-on-the-prize mentality with a crisp, sexy cat-eye, from a line that delivers awesome pigments, but which also has a heartwarming credo: They’re currently 75% waste-free, with goals for 100% in the next 4 years.
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7// Jupiter in Libra / Libra Ruling the 9th house: Everyday Resting Beach Face SPF30 Anti-Pollution Sunscreen Serum, $30; Club BFF Natural Rescue Balm, $15. Your gracious, warm-hearted persona will appreciate paraben-free beauty that also packs a punch, and this anti-aging sunscreen serum is the Holy Grail. A blend of beloved superfoods (kale, spinach) is mixed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, all while shielding against UV rays (it also has anti-blue light technology, for protection against your iPhone and laptop glare!) Compliment with a petroleum-free, all-purpose balm.
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8// Saturn in Libra / Libra Ruling the 10th house: Amour New York Hemp & Gold Hand Cream, $39; Hemp & Gold Foot Cream, $28.50. A polished, dignified, earthy sense of beauty and a knack for tact are the gifts you bring to the table. Your hardworking, exacting manner finds the perfect outlet in the realm of intellect and relationships, giving you an edge in both business and love—a cohesiveness you thrive on. A premium hemp-infused, non-greasy foot cream cares for your peds, as you (diplomatically) climb the corporate ladder, while its matching hand moisturizer makes sure deals you shake on are good.
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9// Uranus in Libra / Libra Ruling the 11th house: Ethique Tip-to-Toe Shampoo & Shaving Bar, $15.50; Bombshell Gradual Tanning Bar, $32. Breaking free from traditional habits, especially in favor of innovation, is your loudest battle cry; revolutionizing old relationships (whether with people, things or the world in general), a close second. A completely no-nasty, Certified B-Corp, sustainable, Leaping Bunny-certified offering that urges you to #giveupthebottle by using bar products instead tugs at your environmental heartstrings, while satisfying your need for being on the new new.
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10// Neptune in Libra / Libra Ruling the 12th house: Lacfin Composited Revive Facial Sheet Mask, $34.99 for pack of 5; Anti-Aging One Step Revive Cream, $39.99. Blessed with an artist’s soul, you’re the sensitive flower child whose poetic, idealistic touch becomes obvious when caring for partners or other people. Tuning inwards to tend to your practical needs first—you can’t draw from an empty well—is the karmic lesson on your plate this lifetime. Small acts of self-love, like pampering your skin with the world’s only cream with Micro Collagen Technology, and using a safe, EWG-verified (!) mask, can keep your hippie heart happy as well.
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11// Pluto in Libra / Libra Ruling the 8th house: bāsd Indulgent Crème Brûlée Coffee Scrub, $19.99; Indulgent Crème Brûlée Body Lotion, $24.99. Lie your tendency to nitpick at perceived flaws to rest with a decadent body duo that invites you to make nice with your complexion. The natural, organic coffee scrub exfoliates to reveal fresher, smoother skin, while also improving microcirculation. And its follow-up body lotion, which boasts five hard-hitting moisturizers, seals in nourishment to satisfy the over-thinker in you.
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12// *Bonus placement—Chiron in Libra: Way of Will 01 Natural Deodorant Spray in Peppermint + Lavender, $12.75; 27 Cool Fix Energizing Spray Clear Your Mind in Peppermint + Lemon, $19. Free your mind … and your relationship insecurities will follow! Well, a high-vibe practice like yoga, meditation or reiki and crystal work can help temper these love demons, at least, and help you realize a codependent attitude only serves to hold you back from your highest potential. Amp up the serenity in your practice with athletic sprays that have your best intentions in mind, for a truly synergistic flow.
NUMINOUS WEEKLY HOROSCOPES SEPTEMBER 24-30 2018
Get this week’s astro symbol for your sign with Sandy Sitron’s Numinous Weekly Horoscopes …
Libra // Libra Rising
Tetris. All the blocks are falling, can you help put them into place? It’s a master feat of organization. You need to be on your toes and you need to survey the whole scene. Don’t leave anyone out and don’t take anything for granted. Orchestrate a powerful sequence of events that magnifies your relationships and galvanizes your own goals.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Scorpio // Scorpio Rising
On your knees. Look to spiritual texts for resolution and understanding. You don’t have to believe everything you read. But find something that inspires you and reminds you that there’s a big unknown universe. Surrender. When you’ve released control, then you can begin to get things organized on the micro level of your life. There are arenas where smart systems will help you feel grounded amidst the awe of the unknown.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Sagittarius // Sagittarius Rising
A needle and thread. Start small. To make a quilt start with two pieces, then connect three, four and so on until there are hundreds of interlocking designs. The small, powerful connections you make create a network of love and memories that will expand far beyond your lifetime. As you give of your own spirit through action and charity, so you receive the gift of community. Take nothing for granted. Start with a tiny stitch and discover where the action takes you.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Capricorn // Capricorn Rising
A monkey eats fruit at the top of the tree. To get to the top of the tree you need to be playful. To get to the top of the tree, there needs to be stability at the roots. You are so close to your goals. Stay playful and stay deep. Emotions may run high, feel them fully. Sit with them and wait for the tides to ebb. Hold onto all of these reminders because this is a time for centering yourself before the focus turns to productivity.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Aquarius // Aquarius Rising
Pulling carrots out of the ground. Unearth the thing that will spark your interest. A carrot is a treat that keeps the donkey curious, driven and engaged. What’s your “carrot?” What do you turn to when you’re stuck? Illuminate your mind with travel, knowledge, and connection. It’s time to challenge yourself so that you can comprehend the promise of your future.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Pisces // Pisces Rising
A beacon of light. This time you’re not looking for your why. You already know why. You are looking for your how. How will you stand? Will it be gracefully? How will you reflect your deepest values? Will it be honestly? How do you want to move through the world? And do you feel secure enough to make it happen? If not, have a heart-to-heart talk with your ego. It’s the only thing standing in the way of grace.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Aries // Aries Rising
Texas hold ‘em. You’re playing the game. You’ve been dealt an exciting hand. There’s a need for risk and a need for strategy. Meld both together. Spontaneity will drive your game, so have fun and be yourself. Stay positive, but don’t forget what you’ve got riding on this. And remember, your own agenda is exciting, but your relationships are important too, so tread gently while living your life to the fullest.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Taurus // Taurus Rising
A diamond necklace. The stone is of high value. But more than anything else, a diamond represents strength. Is your strength in unexpected places? Do you convince yourself that you are weak? Or do you coach yourself toward strength? Your concept of your own strength is only a habit. Build it up however you want.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Gemini // Gemini Rising
A tiny window. It doesn’t matter how small the window is, if you can fit one eye in it, you can get a grand view. Work with what you’ve got. You may not understand the whole picture yet, but if you keep searching you are soon to learn more. Ask everyone for help. Send emails, make calls, put yourself out there. This is how you’ll receive the scope of information that you need.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Cancer // Cancer Rising
A toothpick sticking out of a sandwich. You can’t stack the sandwich up without a little infrastructure. Nothing works without structure, not even lunch. Hold yourself up to a higher standard and success will come out of nowhere. Don’t forget about the foundation. If you feel solid emotionally, what you create in your career will be solid too. Nurture yourself.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Leo // Leo Rising
A piercing whistle. Will you heed the call? It’s so visceral you can’t ignore it. The call is to follow your inspiration. Stop the game and take a timeout. Remember why you’re playing to begin with. What inspires you? What fascinates you? What’s your mission statement? Now get back into motion and feel your energy flow easily.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Virgo // Virgo Rising
A branch cracks in the forest. There’s a mystery to be discovered. Become a tracker. Look for clues. You’re looking for the thing that will help you love yourself fully. Watch out for any thought or feeling that pushes you away from love. Stay on the trail. Keep digging until you forgive yourself and forgive others. This is deep work and now is the time for resolution.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
THE 2018 ARIES FULL MOON WANTS YOU TO TAKE A STAND
The fired-up 2018 Aries Full Moon wants you to balance honesty with grace, banish victim consciousness, and take a clear, conscious stand for what’s real, says Sandy Sitron …
Full Moon :: September 24 2018 :: 10:54 pm ET :: 2 degrees Aries
A chariot is pulled by a team of horses. The horses are driving forward at breakneck speed. The momentum builds. The pounding of hooves could start an avalanche.
The horses signify your spirit. You are here to make your mark. Drive forward. Do something. Make decisions. Take action. The question is, are you driving or are you getting carried away?
When emotions kick in, who’s in the driver’s seat? Will your feelings prod you to react with the power and speed of ten horses? Fast reactions often end with saying the wrong thing or burning a bridge.
If instead you can combine speed and drive with gracefulness and balance, you’ll be able to reach higher heights in you relationships, work, and your understanding of yourself.
On every Full Moon we are given the challenge of working with two opposites. Our goal is to create awareness of the whole. Aries teaches self-fulfillment, drive, and action. Libra teaches of the relationship between self and others, deliberation, and balance.
There are challenging aspects at this Full Moon. It’s time to stand up for yourself and, if it’s appropriate, others. Say the things that need to be said and set those healthy boundaries. Take an inventory. What has been left unsaid? What needs resolution?
Be honest, loving and kind. And be firm. The Moon represents the emotional reaction. Since the Moon is in Aries you might find your reactions are fired up, quick, and hot. The goal is to strike the balance and find diplomacy. Don’t let those horses run away with you. Be wary of getting carried away.
The horses halt in a field of blossoming flowers. This is a moment to celebrate the things that are blossoming in your life. Celebration is a ritual for honoring the emotion happiness. Happiness doesn’t always get noticed, so its important to take time out for it. Celebrate yourself and give gratitude.
And take action today! (That’s an Aries thing). Do something glorious that helps you feel alive. The horses eat only the blossoms and leave the rest.
Ingest beauty. Find your inner harmony and pay attention to the things that you consume. Center yourself from within. This will take time and attention and luckily, you have all of Libra season to steady the scales. This Full Moon in Aries may push you to emotional extremes, so it’s especially important to take the time to center yourself.
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Sun and Moon in a T-square with Saturn
A rosebush with thorns.
With serious Saturn having a tough conversation with the Sun and the Moon, you’re reminded to take responsibility. Only you are responsible for your choices. The things that are challenging can make you stronger, if you show up for the challenge. Keep picking yourself up and looking for a better way. You are not a victim. If you don’t learn how to deal with the thorns, you’ll never get to smell the sweetness of the rose.
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Full Moon conjunct Chiron
A wilting violet.
There is a note of sadness. The wounds are your best teacher. Give yourself the best hug you’ve ever had. You deserve to know that you are beloved. There is a lot of tenderness at this Full Moon. Slow down long enough to feel it.
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Full Moon sextile Mars
A beach ball bounces down the beach.
An easy place to find resolution is through movement. With the Moon in the sign of Aries gleaming a luminous beam to Aries’ ruling planet Mars, we know that we get in motion, and that it will help. Find the most natural place to put your energy and move. Not as a reaction, but as an action. An intuitive action that helps you know yourself better. Just bounce along quickly like the beach ball.
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Full Moon opposite Mercury
Naming every grain of sand.
The name of the game at this Full Moon is relationships. How do you communicate in your important partnerships? How do you talk to yourself? What are your boundaries?
Define yourself and define what you want from another person. Say the things. Name what needs to be named. Communicate fully. With all of the aspects of this Full Moon. It might be hard and it might hurt a little, but you’ll find that you truly learn what needs to be learned. You have an opportunity to stretch your mind into a whole new dimension. It’s a rewarding place to be.
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Full Moons are a time to gather. Use the conversation starters below to journey deeper into how the 2018 Aries Full Moon is impacting your world. Look for the house containing 2 degrees Aries in your chart for the most accurate insights. Don’t know your chart? You can enter your birth details HERE to calculate it for free.
Aries // Aries Rising // Full Moon in the 1st house
“I am fulfilling my ambition of …”
Taurus // Taurus Rising // Full Moon in the 12th house
“I am ready to forgive …”
Gemini // Gemini Rising // Full Moon in the 11th house
“I am being super inspired by …”
Cancer // Cancer Rising // Full Moon in the 10th house
“I am taking more responsibility by …”
Leo // Leo Rising // Full Moon in the 9th house
“The adventure I am on is …”
Virgo // Virgo Rising // Full Moon in the 8th house
“I am no longer obsessing over …”
Libra // Libra Rising // Full Moon in the 7th house
“I am falling in love with …”
Scorpio // Scorpio Rising // Full Moon in the 6th house
“My healthiest new habit is …”
Sagittarius // Sagittarius Rising // Full Moon in the 5th house
“I am excited to be creating …”
Capricorn // Capricorn Rising // Full Moon in the 4th house
“I feel most nurtured when I …”
Aquarius // Aquarius Rising // Full Moon in the 3rd house
“The coolest thing I learned lately was …”
Pisces // Pisces Rising // Full Moon in the 2nd house
“I am investing more of myself in …”
NUMINOUS TAROTSCOPE SEPTEMBER 20 2018: 10 OF WANDS
As we prepare for Libra Season’s major cosmic shifts, the 10 of Wands asks us to keep our goals front of mind in moments of difficulty, says this month’s reader-in-residence, Mademoiselle Danielle … Cast using the Dark Days Tarot by Wren McCurdo
HOW TO WORK WITH YOUR LILITH SIGN
In astrology, our Lilith sign connects us deeply to our primal instincts and natural impulses. As she travels through revolutionary Aquarius until 2019, Rebecca Farrar reveals how to use your Lilith sign to awaken your inner wildness …
Both revered and feared, the goddess Lilith has long been associated with the more shadowy aspects of spirituality. Stemming from the Hebrew word laylah, meaning “night,” her symbols include creepy crawlers such as serpents and the screeching owl, as well as the dark/crescent moon.
The first wife of Adam, Lilith refused to submit to his sexual domination and fled Eden to mate with the Angel of Death, giving birth to hundreds of demon babies per day. After realizing his mistake (how could he not miss a woman like that!), Adam asked God to bring Lilith back—but she refused. And God created docile Eve as his new mate.
While Eve represents the patriarchal, acceptable version of womanhood, closely associated with Venus, Lilith represents the primal, instinctual feminine that puts her needs first and seeks approval from no-one. A feminine that is rising in 2018, and which we each embody—irrespective of biology, gender expression, or sexual preferences. In astrology, it’s little surprise that Lilith in Capricorn from November 2017 through August 2018 (the sign ruling the patriarchy), has been the backdrop to the #metoo movement.
There are four astrological points representing different aspects of Lilith’s dual role as both devouring mother and enlightened goddess. But the most talked about is Dark Moon Lilith—an alignment position rather than a physical planet, indicating the point in the Moon’s orbit farthest from Earth.
Last month Lilith moved into Aquarius, where it will remain until May 2019, awakening consciousness around Lilith’s unpredictable and earthly instincts, and pioneering a new vision of empowered femininity. Currently, Lilith squares Uranus in Taurus and is in exact conjunction with the South Node, calling on us to birth something radically new as a collective.
On a personal level, our Lilith sign and house placement shows us how we can uncover a deeper connection with our own primal instincts. To find Lilith in your chart click HERE, enter your birth information, choose “Extended Chart Selection,” scroll down to “Additional Objects,” and select “Lilith.” *Make sure to read for both your Lilith sign AND the house that holds Lilith in your chart.
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LILITH IN ARIES // LILITH IN THE 1st HOUSE
With this placement, Lilith craves expression that matches a strong identity, and is asked to explore how personal passion fuels instinct.
Journal Prompt: How does my sexuality inform an aspect of how I or others see me? In what situations do I use my intuitive gut-instincts and where am I afraid to?
LILITH IN TAURUS // LILITH IN THE 2nd HOUSE
Related to self-worth and values, with this placement Lilith wants to own her power without relying on others. Cultivating magnetism beyond seduction and in service of love itself may be a part of your Lilith mission.
Journal Prompt: What skills of sustainability or survival do I practice? How can I cultivate more of my own self-acceptance (who cares what God or Adam thinks)?
LILITH IN GEMINI // LILITH IN THE 3rd HOUSE
Here, Lilith wants to create a healthy dynamic with receiving and giving information, and its important to learn to own wisdom for yourself.
Journal Prompt: Where can I open up my sense of wonder about myself and the world around me? Am I afraid that learning new things from people means they are dominating me in some way?
LILITH IN CANCER // LILITH IN THE 4th HOUSE
Emotions or home life may be where Lilith in Cancer reveals her raw side the most (though 100 babies a day may be out of the question). The relationship to the family may also be a catalyst for expressing and harnessing the goddess’ power.
Journal Prompt: Am I willing to express my feelings to the fullest extent or do I keep them quieted down? How can my emotions offer a gateway into my connection with the natural world?
LILITH IN LEO // LILITH IN THE 5th house
With this placement, Lilith may manifest through more private sexual and creative acts of self-expression. Take pride in the many ways artistic potential moves through you.
Journal Prompt: Do I hide my creativity or art for fear of rejection or isolation? Can I integrate Lilith through story, visual art, another form of expression?
LILITH IN VIRGO // LILITH IN THE 6th house
With this placement there can be a sense of duty or responsibility that takes over Lilith’s needs. Pay attention to when you may be afraid to leave “Eden” because of an agreement.
Journal Prompt: How can I become less rigid of my day-to-day routines and allow more creative chaos? Do I feel tied to what I should do rather than doing what is best for me?
LILITH IN LIBRA // LILITH IN THE 7th HOUSE
There can be a tendency to project Lilith qualities onto others with this placement, and it’s important to reclaim her within so that she doesn’t show up through external domination.
Journal Prompt: How can I own more qualities of Lilith for myself? If I’m befriending or connecting with people who hold this energy, how can I reclaim it for myself?
LILITH IN SCORPIO // LILITH IN THE 8th HOUSE
Here, Lilith becomes a powerhouse for personal transformation and awakens depth through intimacy (though it may be necessary to have sex with the Angel of Death to do so!)
Journal Prompt: Do I hide my desire for power and domination? How can I honor Lilith’s wildness and primal power as a part of my internal process?
LILITH IN SAGITTARIUS // LILITH IN THE 9th HOUSE
Aspects of Lilith may consciously or unconsciously be a guiding force for ideals or religion. Here, Lilith leads with the heart and seeks truth. Above all else, utilize this placement to be guided by instinctive wisdom.
Journal Prompt: What is my relationship to religion and to the feminine in my spiritual seeking? Is my instinctive self expressed in my spiritual practices?
LILITH IN CAPRICORN // LILITH IN THE 10th HOUSE
With this placement, Lilith may be reflected in how you’re seen publicly but not how you feel internally. Claim your natural self-authority and allow it to inform your own version of feminine legacy (who knows, maybe you too can have four astrological points named after you?)
Journal Prompt: Can I use Lilith’s power in my career or work? Do I take responsibility for themes of authority, or fear them?
LILITH IN AQUARIUS // LILITH IN THE 11th HOUSE
As Lilith nears your natal placement, you may feel called to bring more of Lilith into modern consciousness. Your ability to tap into the collective means you are able to help create a future vision of how this goddess serves the whole.
Journal Prompt: Is my community full of Liliths or wild feminine figures? Or do I play that role of going against the grain in groups?
LILITH IN PISCES // LILITH IN THE 12th HOUSE
In the placement of spirituality and unity, Lilith craves connection to the whole. Gifts of this Lilith position include opening up to visionary abilities and intuition.
Journal Prompt: Do I fear Lilith and my own unpredictable nature? Can I integrate more of Lilith through connecting with the spiritual dimension of nature?
NUMINOUS WEEKLY HOROSCOPES SEPTEMBER 17-23 2018
Get this week’s astro symbol for your sign with Sandy Sitron’s Numinous Weekly Horoscopes …
Virgo // Virgo Rising
Feathers falling from the sky. Lighten up. Discover how you can drift more gently through the situation at hand. Dip in and dip out. Don’t take anything too seriously, but get a good overview of what’s going on. You could think of yourself as a channel surfer when you are considering the important issues you are working with. Check out everything, without getting too attached. Float on by.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Libra // Libra Rising
Plug in the extension cord. You need more power. The source of power is hidden, but it doesn’t matter because you can reach it by extension. Go off into a quiet room and rejuvenate. Charge your batteries. When you step back into the center of activity you’ll be making powerful decisions.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Scorpio // Scorpio Rising
A herd of galloping horses. If you move with the herd, you’ll save yourself time and energy. This symbol evokes the power of the group. Cherish your community and find ways to connect. Move in unison so that you can make a big impact. There are moments to be great leader and there are moments to make yourself of service. Find the right balance for now.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Sagittarius // Sagittarius Rising
Walking across a wide open field. There’s nothing you can’t handle. There’s no need to look back. When you move forward you let go of the past and you trust in your potential. No matter where you are in life, you must trust in your potential to rejuvenate and start again. Now is a moment to gather inner peace and inner trust. Through meditation you’ll know exactly how to meet your goals and stride forward.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Capricorn // Capricorn Rising
A star forms a window into another universe. A little light peeks through from unknown dimensions. What will you do to reach a fresh way of thinking? Can you see the world around you in a new way? Use your imagination and play with different perspectives. Maybe that sewage grate leads somewhere magical. Maybe that tired old conversation can lead to an exciting realization. Nothing is as it seems.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Aquarius // Aquarius Rising
Cup your hands. Your hands are an extension of your heart. When you hold hands, you share love. When you reach out your hands you reach for connection. Cupping your hands creates an emotional container that can be filled. Pause and feel your emotions. Hold onto the feelings instead of pushing them away. Before you can let go and move on, you need to feel fully. Take the time to do so.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Pisces // Pisces Rising
X marks the spot. Get clear about the focus, the goal, the treasure. It’s so easy to miss the mark. To dig in the wrong places. To ride out bad communication patterns and be aggressive or defensive. You know you’ve found irreplaceable treasure when you know how to diffuse defensiveness through clear communication and healthy boundaries. The hidden treasure is your ability to create interpersonal connection. Find it.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Aries // Aries Rising
A squirrel leaps to a new tree. Small woodland animals represent the daily work that you do to survive. A squirrel fills her day with chores and she is constantly organizing. Pay attention to your workflows and systems. Get grounded. But, it may also be time to leap to a new tree. There is something big that must change. Maybe that means a new habit, a new challenge. The trick is to stay grounded and organized through this busy process.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Taurus // Taurus Rising
A heart shaped hole in the ground. Let’s unpack this symbol: love is a big focus for you at this time. The ground is your foundation. A hole usually ends up being filled— some action must be taken. Fill your foundation with love. Love for yourself will be the soil that fertilizes all the seeds of your life. Love for yourself is your foundation and from there you can share your most creative and vibrant self. The way to love yourself more is by taking action. Do something positive that helps you believe in yourself.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Gemini // Gemini Rising
A spider rests in her web. People often get creeped out by spiders. If that’s you, look closer. What are you afraid to look at directly? What do you need to see that you aren’t seeing? Whatever it is will help you come home to yourself. You can unlock the thing that must be acknowledged through meditation, journaling, art, or music. The spider is a weaver— she creates. Create something that helps you feel.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Cancer // Cancer Rising
A butterfly is reflected in a clear pool. You learn and change and grow. You transform from the caterpillar into the butterfly. Now you continue to find yourself reflected in new ways. You are still changing. There are so many different ways that can live. The goal is to be limitless. The joy is to find the fun in variety. Don’t box yourself in. Let yourself continue to change. Nothing is finite.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
Leo // Leo Rising
A field of warm coals. There is so much warmth, so much heat, so much energy. You’ve got the fire of life as your foundation. The hot coals mean that the potential is there. Now you just have to decide where you’ll start the bonfires. Don’t worry about how you’ll do your most important work. Just decide where to stack the wood right now. You have everything you need.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandy here or follow her on Instagram.
