The 2018 Leo Waxing Moon reminds us to savor our juiciest pleasures, feel fully into our beautiful bods, and own it completely. Let the cosmic good times roll, says Jennifer Racioppi …
Waxing Quarter Moon // April 22 2018 // 5:45pm EST // 2 degrees Leo
With the first Mercury Retrograde of 2018 complete (phew!) and the Moon waxing towards full, the energizing momentum builds …
This Waxing Moon in Leo, the sign notorious for having a good time, asks us to boldly express our sass and sense of self, and have fun in the process!
Paired with the Sun in grounded and sensual Taurus, with love planet Venus also holding court here until the 24th, tune into what feels good—really good—and savor it …
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//The Cycle//
This Leo Waxing Moon harkens back to the summer of 2017, a summer with two new moons in Leo, the first one happening on July 23rd at zero degrees of Leo (pre Great American Eclipse.)
Think back to seeds planted then to see what’s blossoming in your life now. What decisions were made then that are beginning to bear fruit now? What became clear last summer in late July? Connect the dots between what was going on then, and what’s emerging now.
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//The Transits//
As we move towards the upcoming Scorpio Full Moon, the relationship between the Leo Moon, Taurus Sun, and retrograde Saturn in Capricorn asks us to rely on grounding force to support our embodiment.
On the same day as this Waxing Quarter Moon, powerhouse Pluto also stations retrograde. The Pluto station has the potential to unearth shadow and amplify the need to own your power. And with Mars in Capricorn conjoining Pluto (exact on the 26th, but the energy can be tangibly felt right now), this combo fuels your desire to find and experience pleasure in your body.
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//The Square//
With the fixed Taurus Sun squaring the fixed Leo Moon, the energy can potentially feel stubborn. The purpose of fixed signs is to stabilize a season, and their shadow is the potential for ridigity, the need to be right, and the unwillingness to change. With very little emphasis in air signs during this Waxing Quarter Moon, this may even feel truer.
The solution? Get out of your own way, drop the pretense, and open your mind to new perspectives. Embrace freedom (Leo) and pleasure (Taurus). It might not look how you want it to, but does that really matter?
And for the love of the Goddess—have a little fun!Breathe. Let go. Join in.
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//The Opportunity//
If seized, the Waxing Quarter Moon presents the opportunity to sensually embody yourself. As Venus reaches the tail end of her journey through home base sign Taurus, connect to the pleasure of being in your body.
With Mars and retrograde Pluto conjoining, you may feel power erupting within like a geyser exploding. If so, embrace it. Follow the lead of the Leo moon and connect with what feels fun, sassy and uniquely you. Whatever it is, own it!
For more Moon wisdom, or to book a coaching session with Jennifer, visit Jenniferracioppi.com.
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 …
Taurus Season 2018 sees us looking to the past to mine hard won gems to re-imagine our future, says Bess Matassa. PLUS listen to our all new Taurus Season Astrocast podcast with Bess and Sandy Sitron.
Are you ready for more, more, more, Numiverse? The Sun’s sensuous saunter into earth empress Taurus brings us back to the basics of love, and asks us to sink our teeth into the touches and tastes of what truly turns us on, without an ounce of shame.
Taurus Season 2018 is electrified by Saturn and Pluto retrograde, Venus in Gemini, and electric slider Uranus in Taurus. The coming month will feel like a faux-fur trimmed welcome mat to our own jungles, asking us to lovingly look into our wells of self-worth and deservedness, feast on our all our bits, both shadowy and light, and treat our personal demons like tropical flavored gummy worms that are meant to be celebrated.
What simply feels good to want? Where have you not allowed yourself to fully feel it? And what no longer fills you up? You are more than worthy of your weight in snackable stardust, astro babes.
So tell yourself what you want, what you really, really want, and open your channel wide to receive it …
Listen to the full Taurus Season 2018 Astrocast from Numi resident astrologers Bess + Sandy HERE and use Bess’ cosmic crib sheet (below) to get the quick and dirty on the season’s 4 key astro events.
**And make sure you check out our latest Numiversity Astrology Course, Venus: Your Total Guide to the Planet of Love, available only during Taurus Season 2018 (April 19—May 19). Complete with custom astro info for your Venus sign, hypnosis, tarot, and more!
In its highest octave of expression, Taurus energy teaches us that there’s always more than enough to go around, and that we don’t have to scramble one bit to sit down and fills our plates with seconds and thirds. Revel in the sense of endless supply with the glossy goodness of still life oil painting and photography, where you can access the immediacy of the rich and ready material world that springs eternal.
The sober duo of boundary heavy Saturn, and primal transformer Pluto, sees us putting in the hard-edged work of personal reckoning with our pasts. But rather than fearing the reaper, revel in all the shapes you’ve inhabited, and the time it takes to grow it real and right, as you delight in mining the gemstones from trips to your own shadow lands that are gorgeously badass.
Pleasure seeker Venus’ shift into Gemini’s prismatic perspectives reminds us that our love lives can be slumber party style sampler platters, and that partnerships come in all sizes and flavors. When we look upon what we love with curiosity, we reaffirm our right to the wide-range of pleasure that’s always available. Get with your friends and take to the streets, as you figure out what you really, really want, and debut your desires to the whole wide world.
Uranus’ radical electricity challenges Taurus’ sensuously secure nature, asking us what’s really filling our cups, and what’s no longer a serviceable source of supply. This powerhouse primal energy invites us to renovate our relationship to our most basic needs, and to question where we’ve been gripping onto feeds out of compulsion and fear, rather than a settled sense of satisfaction. Release what you think you should want, and step into what you need, as you slip in and out of carnal costumes that fit you right here, right now.
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Our Numiversity Astrology Course Venus: Your Total Guide to the Planet of Love is only available through Taurus Season 2018 (April 19—May 19). Get your copy HERE and learn all about your personal relationship to the planet of love, money, and pleasure, as well as a complete understanding of Venus through the signs. 10% of all sales will be donated to Project HEAL, the leading non-profit in the US delivering prevention, treatment financing, and recovery support for people suffering from eating disorders.
My self-care tips are all about balance, and it doesn’t have to cost a thing. PLUS the best self-care books of 2018 reviewed …
Photo: Caitlin Mitchell
When Kelley Hughes of Philly-based apothecary brand Wilde Gatherings offered to show me her signature facial, it was a no-brainer. Right, you say. But being on book deadline while overseeing a total Numinous re-brand (coming v. soon!) and somehow juggling all my other projects means zero space in my diary for heading up to Midtown on a random Thursday afternoon. I don’t even really like facials.
But. Right now, anything to get me BACK INTO MY BODY is a no-brainer. With a chart that’s all Fire and Water and a work life that runs on Air (elementally and literally, since my Macbook and me are inseparable), Earth is what’s lacking. Grounding. Which means it’s on me to make sure I make space in my iCal for it. (And thank you so much Kelley it was divine! I like facials again!)
Meaning, for practices that invite human touch. For IRL conversations with hugs and vibes I can feel. That remind me of my physicality from the inside out. Without this WEIGHT to balance me out I may as well just float off into the Cloud.
Kelley’s line is based in Ayurvedic principals, which is also a science of balance. On a daily basis we can feel we’re too much of this, too little of that. The same imbalances that find us reaching for a quick fix. Coffee, sugar, booze. Mindless TV. Things to liven us up or calm us down. When often all we need is some time away from our phone, a nourishing meal, and a decent night’s sleep. Inviting in what brings us balance is the essence of self-care to me.
Here are four of my surprising self-care tips (which also don’t cost anything):
1 // Journaling in the middle of the night. When I get too Airy, my head gets full of crazy thoughts. They get so loud they often wake me up, and since SLEEP is my ultimate self-care rule, I will do anything to protect it. The best way to stop the thoughts? Get up and write them all down, IN THE DARK (turning a light on only makes the thoughts think they’ve won), on a piece of paper. Works like magic.
2 // Taking Instagram off my phone at night and on weekends. As an entrepreneur, I used to go around bitching / bragging about how I was always ON. How doing what I love means my work is my life, and how this is great, but can also feel relentless and like its own kind of treadmill. Then I realized I could create my own “office hours” by just simply IG off my phone! Game-changer! Of course I still work evenings and weekends, but in the peace and quiet of my own mind.
3 // Not drinking. The morning I began writing this post (including the “not drinking as self-care” tip) my friend Mia from @thesoberglow put a comment on Insta that basically said it all. Which is this: “No workout. No juice cleanse. No spa visit. No massage. No colonic. No vacation. No meditation. No dry scrub. No salt scrub. No detox. No wheatgrass shot. No hike. No manicure. No smoothie. Nor will any of the million things I could do to take care of myself ever be more potent, more radical or more important than my choice not to drink..” Alcohol is only fuel to my already raging Fire. A flood of Watery feelings where I already have plenty of those floating about. An ejector seat into the Airy ethers. My Sober Curiosity, above all, is what keeps me cool, dry, and with my feet planted firmly on the ground.
4 // Giving myself an extra hour in the morning. For drinking lemon water and meditating, yes, but mainly to give myself time for a proper poop 🙂
Want more pro self-care tips? Below, Lisa Kjellsson reviews 5 of the best self-care books for 2018 …
Recharge: A Year Of Self-Care To Focus On You, by Julie Montagu (Piatkus) When yoga teacher and nutritionist Julie Montagu’s husband became seriously ill, caring for him and their four children soon left her drained of energy and she realised she had to make some changes. Her book is a one-year commitment to self-care, split into monthly chapters focusing on topics such as mindful eating, stress management, digital detox and self-esteem. The chapters on finding your truth and living with purpose are especially inspiring. This refreshingly jargon-free book is essential reading if your intention for 2018 is to put yourself first, but will the format work for everyone? Most of us want to feel better now.
Self-Care For The Real World, by Nadia Narain and Katia Narain Phillips (Hutchinson) The long list of celebrity endorsements had me wondering whether this hyped title would be all lifestyle shots and hot air, but my initial scepticism was soon replaced by true book love. The Narain sisters touch on everything from body confidence to heartbreak, and share their strategies for navigating life with self-love and kindness. The tips on how to inject more self-care into the workplace, for example, might just make all the difference if you work in a high-pressure environment. This is a beautifully crafted book and, like Kate Moss, I want to give it to everyone I know.
The Self-Care Revolution: Smart Habits And Simple Practices To Allow You To Flourish, by Suzy Reading (Aster) As a psychologist specialising in stress management and healthy lifestyle change, Suzy Reading certainly has the credentials to write about self-care and her book draws on lots of interesting research as well as her own life experience. The ‘vitality wheel’ she has devised to help readers diagnose which areas of their life need more attention is particularly useful as it illustrates just how multifaceted a full life should be and how easy it is to neglect any one aspect. This practical guide to wellbeing also has excellent tips on goal setting and developing strong coping skills and will perhaps especially resonate with busy parents.
The Self Care Project: How To Let Go Of Frazzle And Make Time For You, by Jayne Hardy (Orion Spring) Having struggled with her mental health for most of her twenties, Jayne Hardy often wondered which came first, her lack of self-care or her depression. Her account of feeling too low to leave her bed or brush her teeth highlights the need for support for those in the same situation, and Hardy now runs a social enterprise in aid of those affected by depression. Her advice is to form a ‘self-care squad’, a group of friends to rely on for different types of encouragement. Sadly the good points she makes – about people pleasing and overcommitting, for example – are somewhat lost in a writing style best described as a stream of consciousness. Overall this is more of an insight into the author’s mind than a source of self-care inspiration.
The Little Book of Self Care: The Tiny Everyday Habits That Will Transform Your Life, by Mel Noakes (Ebury Press) Despite enjoying professional recognition and a social life filled with travel and parties, Mel Noakes had always battled with low self-esteem and for years used food, exercise and work to numb herself. After reassessing her life during a year of travel, she changed direction and became a life coach. Her book may be small in size but it packs a punch – covering everything from decluttering your home and nurturing your relationships to getting more sleep and managing your money. Financial self-care, as Noakes calls it, is not just to do with budgeting but also tackling the beliefs and values that may be holding us back from prosperity. The bite-sized chapters with actionable advice make this a great little book to refer to for a dose of mindful transformation.
For more book recommendations, check out @thelkedit on Instagram, where Lisa shares inspiring non-fiction reads.
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?
Would last weekend’s Club SÖDA NYC urban retreat have been so successful without a little candle magic?
With co-presenters Siri Rishi and Sah D’Simone
When I started this platform, I had literally zero idea—or desire—to become an event organizer. And yet when it comes to all things numinous, it’s been proven to me time and again that there is no substitute for real-time, human experiences to bring the magic to life. And so a LOT of what I do now (introverted, bookish, solitary, me), is producing and hosting events. And last weekend’s Club SÖDA NYC urban retreat with Kin Social Tonic was one of the best yet!
It was a tall order. Ambitious. A day-long takeover of new NYC members’ club Habitas, with nine workshops, family-style lunch, a panel discussion on the Future of Alcohol, tarot readers, sound and reiki healing sessions, and a Kundalini Disco to round it all off. And the way things worked out, my SÖDA co-founder Biet Simkin and I also only had 10 days to promote it. But we pulled it off AND THEN SOME.
Over 150 people showed up to celebrate with us. Yes, celebrate—since it was also mine and Biet’s birthday weekend, AND the 2-year anniversary of our first Club SÖDA NYC event. But mainly it was a success because of the feedback we got. Happy faces all day long. Revelations had. Friendships made. “Please can you do another day like this again soon!”
Yes, we had a killer line-up. Had called on some of our favorite and most talented guest presenters and co-hosts. Yes the mocktails from Kin got people just the right kind of buzzed. Yes, people are craving ways to connect and experience joy and transcendence without using booze. AND I called in some extra assistance behind the scenes!
A few weeks back, I received a pair of Conjure Fixed Candles from Haus of Hoodoo (a.k.a. modern mystic Jessyka Winston). When I lit the Crown of Success candle the Thursday before our event, my intention was for this project to bring happiness, healing, and new possibilities to all who come into contact with the Sober Curious movement I am spearheading. Leaving it to burn over the course of the weekend, continually checking in and praying over it, I could feel the candle magic working!
I’ll definitely be using Jessyka’s candles again. Not that I don’t trust my own ability to make magic, or the necessity and the power of my message—but when it comes to stepping up, loud and proud, and sharing my work with the world, introverted, bookish me will take all the help I can get.
Below, Jessyka explains the method and the myth behind her candle magic. And scroll down to the bottom of the post for some pics from our event!
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RUBY WARRINGTON: Where does the concept of fixed candles come from and how did they become part of your practice? JESSYKA WINSTON: The term “fixed” comes from Southern Conjure/Rootwork/Hoodoo. Other traditions called them “dress” or “anointed.” A candle is “fixed” or “dressed” with oils, herbs, and minerals.
RW: How can you explain how they work? JW: I consider it a form of alchemy used to manifest a certain outcome or change current conditions. The ingredients added into the candle fixing hold their own spirit energy that is activated by breath and fire. These aren’t just candles you light and leave. There’s a connection, reverence and devotion that comes with this work. We communicate with our candle and pray over it daily. It is a ritual of its very own. The more faith you put into the ritual, the more devotion you give your candles the stronger the connection. Therefore, the more successful the outcome will be.
RW: What does the fixing involve? What spirits are you working with? JW: I have my own spirits who work with me and bless my work. My ancestors, my guides, angels and, of course my Vodou, since I am initiated in both West African Vodoun and Hiatian Vodou. I work in my shrine room in front of my spirits surrounded by their altars. The spirits in the fixing are nature spirits. The spirit of each individual herb, the spirit in the minerals, the spirits in the oils, which are made of herbs and essential oils, as well as the spirit of fire. All these elements come together to make this work happen. In addition, the candles are blessed with prayer and intention. I pray over my candles and speak to them as I’m fixing them. The connection begins with me and then it is carried out and continued by the client receiving and lighting the candle.
Conjur Fixed Candles, $29, Haus of Hoodoo. Jessyka re-stocks her online store every Saturday at 6pm CST.
RW: Can anybody learn / use candle magic, or is this something you need to be initiated into? JW: Yes, candle magic is for all! No initiation necessary. Candle magic is something you’ll most likely find in all spiritual practices and traditions. Even in Catholicism. Every traditions does it differently. It is a practice that can be used by all and learned by all who wish to learn about it. But I do believe it is something that can take time to master and perfect.
It’s not as simple as throwing some herbs and oils on a candle. A connection needs to be established between you and your craft. Learning which ingredients go well with each other. Also, which herbs and elements respond to you most. Though I work with hundreds of herbs I have my go-to herbs that I know will always do the trick. Each herb is a spirit and just how we connect with some people’s energies and not with others, same happens in this crafts. There will be herbs, ingredients you connect with more than others. Which is why this craft takes time. There is wisdom to be gained before you can master this work.
RW: When are the best times to use these candles – and what are they NOT for? JW: My Fixed Candles come with instructions advising on which day of the week and time of the day to light your candle and begin your work. It is always best to be in good energy when doing any ritual or any other spiritual workings. If you aren’t in the best of energy, or are feeling ill it is best to skip lighting your candle until you’re in better spirit.
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Below are some images from our Club SÖDA NYC urban retreat. A success indeed! Sign up for our FREE weekly magazine to be the first to know about upcoming events, and join the Club SÖDA NYC Facebook group to connect with our Sober Curious community.
Pre-Kundalini Disco warm-up
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Gathering for our plant-based family style brunch
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My SÖDA co-founder Biet Simkin with keynote speaker Hawk Newsome of Black Lives Matter
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Biet leading a meditation before our panel discussion
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And thanks to amazing Kin Social Tonic for the adaptogenic mocktails!
After a lifetime of food issues, Jillian Murphy discovered that living fully in her own skin was the key to her magic. She shares how body positivity can unlock your intuition …
Photo of Jillian by Wild Little Hearts Photography
“Before you can hear, much less follow, the voice of your soul, you have to win back your body.” – Meggan Watterson
I remember the day I first abandoned my body.
I was 8 years old and visiting the mysterious temple my mother escaped to every evening when my dad got home from work—she called this evasive place of worship “the gym.” It was a Saturday open house and I was an immediate convert. The place was magical – dusty rose carpet, slick chrome and mirrors, George Michael pumping through the speakers, and LYCRA. So much lycra! (It was the 80s, k?)
I could tell right away that this was the place for me—a space of transformation, potential, and movie-worthy —this was a place where life happened. I grabbed a pop and a hotdog and then I naively hopped up on the scale where they were weighing everyone. And that’s where “It” got me.
As I scarfed my lunch, the two staff members in charge of weighing me began sniggering. Whispering about something clearly “adding 5 pounds” while looking at my body.
I wasn’t exactly sure what was going on but I knew the joke was on me.And I knew it was bad. Bad enough to remember but never ever talk about, until 25 years later, when I finally started to heal my relationship with food and with my own shape and size.
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Coming face to face with “it” … “It” is not that creepy clown from the Stephen King movie you’re picturing. No, no, the “It” I speak of is much worse—its name is diet culture and it spews a thin-is-best, fatphobic, classist, able-ist, racist, gender-biased rhetoric where the gold standard of beauty, body, and more recently “wellness,” is blatantly clear, objectively unhealthy, and unavailable to most.
Beyond the gym, there were many other moments when “It” got me, some that obvious, highlighted in Technicolor and frozen in time—a mental photo album created to prove my lack—while others were so subtle I internalized them without realizing, recognizing the damage only in hindsight.
From health messaging at school and dieting advice from teen magazines, to negative looks from boys and the admiration of “beautiful” girls in front of me, the signs were everywhere.
Once, I remember hearing an older male cousin condescendingly laugh about the shape of a specific woman – stating that “to be attractive to men your shoulders needed to be at least “X”cm wider than your waist. Though I thought it harsh, I internalized the comment as though it were about me. In a diet culture with rigid beauty ideals, no woman is left unscathed.
Everywhere, the message I absorbed was: you are not good enough. More specifically: your body is not good enough.
Even more specifically: your body is not good enough and, as a female, it’s your personal responsibility to take charge of your weight and beauty and behavior and do what it takes until you fit the ideal lest you remain unworthy forever. Also, hot sticks of processed meat are un-ladylike.
Photo of Jillian by Wild Little Hearts Photography
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Your intuition lives in your flesh … It might look like a criticism, a comment, a side-eye (sometimes much worse), and it makes you gasp, the foul gas of “you’re not good enough” filling your lungs and seeping into your tissues. From that day on, the myth of diet culture is no longer just a story around you, it is a story about you.
You disconnect. You abandon your physical self. You override your female knowing that your curvy, lumpy, bumpy body is beautiful and normal and you do your best to crush the voice that says “I’m hungry” or “carbs would be nice” because that voice is clearly an idiot that doesn’t know bikini season is coming up.
The result? Food issues, yes. But diet culture doesn’t just destroy our relationship with food and distort our body image—it separates us from the most powerful ally we have—our inner knowing.
Your intuition lives in your flesh and speaks to you through your body. She is nourished by pleasure, abundance, approval, and desire.
When she has been dampened and starved into submission, you are left living a storyline that keeps you doubtful, unsteady, competitive, and unsure. An ideal that keeps you distracted from your most important work in the world and suggests your worth is up for debate.
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Amplify the whisper … When we discourage (read: flat out ignore) the whisper of biological feedback that tells us we need more calories or carbs or a day of rest—we simultaneously diminish the whisper that helps us discern and decide in all areas of our lives.
These whispers are one in the same. Learning to hear and trust the signals from our very intelligent, self-regulating, female appetites is a super-powered short cut, reconnecting us to our broader inner knowing. It amplifies the whisper.
I lost so much time sacrificing my wellbeing and connection to self in the pursuit of worthiness via weight loss and superficial beauty. I made bad decisions. I was distracted. I lost time. I learned slowly that, in order to write a new storyline for myself, I would need the power of my intuition and that the first step in rebuilding a connection with my soul voice was winning back my body.
Photo of Jillian & family by Wild Little Hearts Photography
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Here’s how to start amplifying the whisper and winning back your own body …
1// Give up the pursuit of weight-loss. The pursuit of weight loss is THE thing that disconnects us and keep us looking outside of ourselves for shoddy solutions. Weight-loss attempts fail over 90% of the time, long-term, and the collateral damage is your relationship with food and your connection to your inner knowing. Start by pretending that you aren’t in control of your weight (because you really aren’t) and that your only goal is to feel vibrant and energetic and joyful in your body.
2// Counter the deprivation narrative. Tuning into our hunger and reliably feeding our bodies is the first step in repairing the collateral damage of deprivation and moving towards a more intuitive relationship with food.
Start the process of consistent nourishment by connecting with your hunger signals. See if you can rate your hunger on a scale of 0-10 (0 = not hungry at all, 10 = “hungry,” low blood sugar, shaky). Can you notice the subtle differences between a 4 and a 7, or do you regularly swing from overstuffed to starving?
3//Discover your delicious. The basics when it comes to nutrition and movement have been well understood and unchanging for generations – move your body regularly, get fresh air, drink water, eat lots of plants and unprocessed foods – not too little, not too much, and honor your mental/emotional need for pleasurable, celebratory foods.
Now, from this magical place—without all the rigid rules, “shoulds”, and fears—what do you feel like eating? How do you feel like eating it? How do you want to move your body and for how long?
*Note: There is a good chance you have NO IDEA. Start by asking the questions and experimenting. Follow your curiosity and see how it goes—maybe you hate plain raw carrots but you love them roasted or with dip (Hot tip: DIP IS DELICIOUS). Allow yourself to try new things and neutrally observe how your body feels.
4// Fully live with the beautiful bod you’ve got. When your physical appearance stops representing your entire worth and is, instead, just a fun outward expression of your personality, the game changes. Start living the life you aspire to have when you are in the perfect body and watch the shift!
Make a list of all the activities you are waiting to do when you lose the weight, get more toned, have your nose fixed, are more perfect, etc. Make the list as exhaustive as possible. Next step? Start doing all of those things IMMEDIATELY. Wear the red lipstick, rock the shorts, eat the gelato, show your navel, go on the date, try the tap class, climb a mountain, go back to school. Do it all!
Dr. Jillian Murphy is a registered, licensed Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine. She has dedicated the past 8 years to studying intuitive eating and body image, and works with diverse, smart, health-conscious, women who are DONE WITH DIETING, and looking to get out of their heads and re-connect with their bodies. Follow her on Instagram, listen for more wisdom on her Podcast, and join The Food Freedom/Body Love Collective, her monthly membership space that provides you with the tools, strategies, support, and community you need to live healthfully in the body you are IN!
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.
