LULULEMON LONDON: LAUNCHES WITH A NEW MOON RITUAL FOR SUCCESS

Lululemon launched their London flagship store yesterday, their first outside America and Canada. And just to ensure it’s a huge success? The team created a New Moon ritual, of course.

“Is a ritual the right thing for launching a new market and making sure it’s a HUGE success?” was the question from Amanda Casgar, the main lady overseeing the lululemon London launch.  This is a person who doesn’t do things by halves. The answer from custom ritual designer Emily Tepper, who Amanda employed to help her create the ritual, a resounding “YES”.

In her words; “Whenever you bring a bold new vision to the market or have a new vision for your life, ritual grounds the essence of your project and sings your desires to the world like a song.”

Add tomorrow’s auspicious Aries New Moon to the equation, a powerful harbinger of new beginnings and pioneer spirit, and the stage was all set.

Amanda describes the ritual itself below, and we invite you to borrow this process to usher in your own successes this New Moon season;

“We planted seeds for the new moon by creating an altar. Each person went down one by one, with a white flower  around their neck so they felt supported by the group, and placed their “gift” on the altar. The gift was a symbol of the personal sparkle and energy they are bringing to the project.”

So who brought what to the altar?

Amanda; “A sassy pink lipstick and a crystal from one of my teachers and lululemon’s “director of possibility” Susanne Conrad.  The lipstick because whenever I put on bold lips it brings out the sass and I want every one of our educators to feel that confidence in themselves.  The crystal because of all I’ve learned in my five years at lululemon, which I want to create for this new team in London.”

Natalie (lululemon educator): “Florida state university yoga pants; Florida State university brought me to London through study abroad and that’s when I met my now husband. These are also really crappy yoga pants that I’m trading  out for lululemon pants, and the culture and lifestyle in general that we spread throughout the world.”

Sasha (Director of brand and community for Europe): “Champagne; I think we should always take time to celebrate, and for me it’s also about remembering all the celebrations to come.  If we’re not having fun, the guest isn’t having fun.”

www.lululemon.co.uk

@lululemonuk

HOW DO I LOOK? BEFORE YOU GET BOTOX, READ THIS

This is the transcript of a conversation with magical energetic aesthetician Maureen Dodd that talked Ruby Warrington down from the Botox ledge. Literally. Until a few weeks later that is…but enlightenment is a work in progress, right?

“Botox is cheating yourself, not anybody else. There’s a way of seeing ourselves where we don’t even notice the little lines that’s completely different to what we’ve been taught. That’s what energy is. That’s what this new wave of consciousness that’s coming in is all about.

Beauty is different now. It’s not about how porcelain your skin is, it’s about seeing beyond the obvious to the true depths of beauty. We really are mystical creatures, and yet we keep defining ourselves by a three-dimensional image.

Do you ever meet people who are completely free of that, and who are just shockingly beautiful? Because in their presence you feel free of any external expectations. We all want our mother, husband or boyfriend to tell us we’re beautiful, and if you can see the divine beauty in everything, then everybody IS beautiful.

People who’ve had work look distorted – and it becomes addictive. It’s like drinking a cocktail to make you feel better, but what is the drinking fixing? Before you get Botox consider this – the fix has to come from within. If somebody feels beautiful, I guarantee they’ll look beautiful. That’s when it becomes a spiritual thing.

We limit our thinking about healing all the time, by not considering how it works on the grander, infinite scale. Do we really believe in our full potentiality? And it’s the same with beauty. Why would you judge yourself, or deflate yourself at any age? Where does that come from? The biggest evil in the world is how we belittle ourselves.

I think this hyper visual world we’re in is a phase, at some point we will all be asked to forget about these petty concerns and think about how we can come in with our full essence. Like what does it really mean to embody LOVE? It won’t be about how good you look in a selfie.

That’s all I’m interested in, the idea that we all realize we are all as valuable and beautiful as each other. Soon somebody will take it to the next level and end that conversation. In the meantime, it’s a total test. And glamour is also huge business. But it’s not reality, and a very small facet of humanity.

Fear of ageing is because mostly people are afraid of getting unhealthy and dying, because we all know that beauty comes from how you see yourself and not caring any more about what men, or other women, think. But embodying that really is a precarious little platform.

But just like you create any other success in life, you create it on the inside. I think the soul shines through regardless of what procedures you’ve had – it’s the soul that’s luminous and larger than the physical body, and somebody’s who’s really radiating light, body and soul, they’re ridiculously beautiful.

If you’re truly in love with yourself and your life, and God or whatever, you couldn’t possibly think you were anything less than beautiful. I’ve never once looked at my daughter and thought; “yuk!” – so why are we so hard on ourselves?

Sure it’s about eating right every day, relaxing, being purgative of all toxins. But essentially it’s about the relationship with yourself – there’s no escaping your face. Natural healing is always about a belief in something that’s untangible, surrendering to the idea that your body knows what to do if you can just get out of the way.

Our bodies can heal from open heart surgery, yet we don’t we believe we can get rid of a few little lines organically and deeply from inside…what’s wrong with us?

Botox is a little poisonous Band-Aid. It’s like being bitten by a snake. Beauty beyond Botox is about a complete shift, and lifting your consciousness to where everybody is beautiful. It’s about dropping narcissism, the self-obsession that goes beyond ordinary awareness and becomes distortion. Can’t you do something better with that energy?

Stop thinking about the way you look all the time and just actualize yourself beautiful. It’s like dressing up for Hallowe’en – just do it, just be it.

The whole Botox question become so silly when you think about just how magnificent we are – like, who cares about some lines on our face? Honest to God, what is wrong with us? What is that? Maybe it’s a calling to a higher level of consciousness. After all, life is full of initiations.”

Maureen Dodd is Director at Spiritual Wellness and Energy Therapies at The Ash Center.

HERBAL BEAUTY: LOVE THE SKIN YOU’RE IN

Calling all New York Numis! This coming Wednesday March 26, Victoria Keen will host green witch Robin Rose Bennett in a special Urban Wellness Workshop on herbs to lift your spirit and enhance your natural beauty. And why not let vanity be your gateway into the magical world of healing herbs?

Ahead of the event, we caught up with Robin for a crash course in herbal enhancements…

WHAT WAS YOUR INTRODUCTION TO WORKING WITH HERBS?
I was looking for answers to my own health challenges that no doctor or dentist could solve for me and thus my deepest, most frustrating and painful physical challenges led me to my path and purpose and greatest joy. I always think it’s worth pointing that out. It can help us to focus on the expansions that naturally follow contractions when we’re going through difficult times, and help us to trust life more. And in fact, this is the best beauty treatment there is!

WHICH ARE THE HARDEST WORKING HERBS IN NATURE’S BEAUTY CABINET?
Roses. Both the flowers and the berries are rich in skin-healing compounds that increase the circulation in our skin and also smooth out wrinkles. The same is true of elder blossoms. The bio-flavanoids in these flowers are beautifying as they nourish the skin, just as you nourish your body when you are hungry. I believe we should think of our skin as another mouth – and only put onto the skin things we would put in our mouths.

Oats are another favorite, both used externally as smoothing scrubs and internally to build the health and vitality of our skin, hair, nails and bones, not to mention our nervous systems through an abundant array of vital minerals and vitamins. Calmness shows up as glowing vitality, a natural beauty, and so your constitution, whether you run hot or cold, lethargic or have too much energy, will influence the herbs, both internal and external, that will be the best ones for you.

Roses: increase the circulation in our skin and smooth out wrinkles

WHY DO OUR EMOTIONAL AILMENTS WREAK SUCH HAVOC ON OUR SKIN?
Well, this is a great question that we’ll explore more deeply in the workshop, but one way I look at it is that our skin is the natural “boundary” between us and everything outside of us. When stressed, that boundary often feels violated which will show up on the skin through inflammation that occurs as rashes, pimples and the like.

WHAT ARE THE OTHER ROOT CAUSES OF MOST WOMEN’S SKIN PROBLEMS?
Challenges in the body’s other natural filtration systems are the root causes of most skin problems. When the kidneys, liver, or lungs are in need of more support to work optimally, our skin will often do its best to filter out what our body can’t use. So skin challenges are a call to investigate what other systems deeper inside the body and psyche are in need of more nourishment.

Of course, when you put the right substances into the body, you don’t need to be so worried about what to remove. Having said that, sometimes certain foods trigger skin reactions. Also, hormonal system nourishment, particularly through aiding the liver which performs over 500 known tasks for us on a regular basis, will often help clear up and beautify skin and hair.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR OWN HERBAL BEAUTY REGIME?
Well, I’d like to quote musician-artist Joni Mitchell. When she was getting older and her mother was challenging her lifestyle choices, she replied; “Mom, happiness is the best face-lift!”

Joni Mitchell: Happy

So, it starts with attending to my happiness, which means getting enough physical movement and time outdoors with my feet on the earth, barefoot as often as possible, taking in the plants through my skin, and when that’s not possible, taking in the plants through putting my hands on the trunks of trees. Making time for myself and what feeds me is something I’m learning how to do more than ever before.

I also love oil baths with homemade oils such as pine needle oil, herbal infusion baths with oatstraw and facial masks with homemade herbal honeys infused with roses and violets (see recipe below).

A fresh clay masks is another one of my favorites. I harvest clay from a natural clay bed upstate once every couple of years and keep it covered in a jar with fresh water and it keeps wonderfully well. When you don’t have fresh, mixing dried green clay with water or aloe gel is a good second choice.

Finally, I use olive oil and coconut oil on both my hair and skin.

An herbal beauty regime is another form of nourishment. And nourishing ourselves translates to healing ourselves and healing ourselves translates to owning our gifts and our power, so that we then have vitality and energy to use in service of our Earth family, including all of nature, which, as we all know, is imperative.

The below recipe is from Robin Rose Bennett’s newest book, The Gift of Healing Herbs. With its aphrodisiac zing, she suggests it as the perfect “remedy” for spring fever!

ROSE VANILLA BEAN HONEY

Fresh rose blossoms or buds of any fragrant species – unsprayed
1 dried vanilla bean, as fresh as possible
1 jar wildflower, linden or clover honey

Cut off the ends of the vanilla bean, open it up lengthwise and scrape out the insides. Then cut the pod into small pieces and place every part of thr bean into a pint jar. Fill the rest of the jar with the fresh rose blossoms or buds. (If you are using dried roses use about 1 cup to fill the jar half full). Cover the herbs with honey and stir gently, poking here and there with a chopstick to make sure the honey saturates the herbs completely, and continue filling the jar to the top. Cap it, and wait six weeks or more before decanting. When you’re ready, decant the herbs by gently heating the honey until it pours like water, through a strainer into a fresh bottle.

Meet Robin Rose Bennett in person and get a lesson in creating your own herbal infusions for the skin and the spirit on Wednesday March 26 as part of Victoria Keen’s Urban Wellness Lecture Series. Tickets are $40 and available thought this link.

 

 

INNER VISIONS: A LESSON IN LUCID DREAMING

If turning on to your spiritual journey is often described as the process of “waking up”, lucid dream coach and Hay House author Charlie Morley explains that actually we can reach the same higher state of being by…going to sleep. He explains all to Lisa Luxx.

Lucid dreaming is the coveted state of being able to navigate your way around your dreams, like playing in the virtual reality of your own esoteric landscape. Which can be shed loads of fun. For example, Charlie Morley got seriously into lucid dreaming when he was 16, and revelled in the opportunity to have loads of sex and be awesome at skateboarding. But alongside the obvious kicks, lucid dreaming can be used as a technique for enlightenment and even as a preparation for death, while he says one of its key side effects is increased kindness in your waking life.

I sat down with Charlie at the Hay House Ignite event in London for a lesson in the hows and whys of lucid dreaming.

So how do we begin training ourselves for lucid dreams?
There’s no quick way to learn lucid dreaming, but there are ways to help your mind move towards the lucid dreaming state. The first is to start remembering your dreams. Keep dream diaries to work on your dream recall and start to get to know the territory of your dreams. Eventually you’ll begin to recognize that territory when you’re in it, and go “aha, I’m in a dream right now.”

What if you’re one of those people who never seem to dream?
Our dream world is behind a sliding door, not a brick wall. Those people who don’t remember their dreams simply need to ask for a dream before they go to sleep. Try repeating this; “I remember my dreams and I have excellent dream recall.” Present tense affirmative works like any good hypnotic suggestion, so say that right before you go to sleep and you’re going to have much more vivid dreams that night.

But the work we do to train ourselves is done during the day?
There are more difficult practices such as falling asleep consciously, and a lot of people try going straight to that but they miss the lazy man’s option. That is to train your mind in the waking state so that the mindfulness muscles are so strong and so flexed that when you go to sleep at night lucidity will dawn naturally.

Image: Karolina Daria Flora

How does working our mindfulness muscle translate in our unconscious mind?
It’s all about awareness and recognition. If you spend your whole day walking around going “could this be a dream right now? Can I see anything dreamlike right now?” you’ll do the same thing when you’re asleep.  In a dream you might ask yourself; “can I see anything dreamlike right now? Oh, there’s a pig flying through the sky! I’m in a dream!” And boom. You become lucid.

What is the relationship between lucid dreaming and dying?
Within Tibetan Buddhism, lucid dreaming is used as preparation for death and dying. It’s because of a concept called “the bardo”. A Sanskrit word meaning “in-between,” the idea is that don’t just die and are instantly reborn, rather you enter this in-between state, which occurs when the mind stream separates from the physical body at the point of death. The mind stream then flips inward on itself and experiences its own projection. Which is not dissimilar to what happens when we dream.

If you can train yourself to recognize the dream world consistently by having lucid dreams, then at the point of death you might be able to recognize the death process. So rather than going “aha I’m dreaming, great I can fly!” you can go “aha, I’m dead.” If you can have the presence of mind to realize you’re dead, you’re experiencing the mind beyond the limitation of the physical body, and as separated from the Self. So you’re experiencing the raw nature of mind. This opens up the potential for full spiritual enlightenment at the point of death.

Wow. So, what changes should we expect to manifest in our waking life through lucid dreaming?
It makes you aware of your own projection. So in a lucid dream you literally recognize that what you thought was real is in fact a projection of your own mind. Lets say that you’re having a dream that you’re the Queen of Egypt – you totally believe you’re the Queen of Egypt, right? In a lucid dream you recognize that you’re not the Queen of Egypt; you’ve woken up to the fact that what you believed was real is in fact the projection of your own mind. So you’ve trained your mind to see the difference between physiological projection and the reality of the situation. In the daytime state you might be projecting onto someone you’re in conversation with, arrogance for example, and then you’ll get this moment of lucidity. It’ll taste like a lucid dream – it’ll be a sudden realization.

Which makes you a more compassionate person I guess?
I spoke to my teacher about this and he said; “Soon you’ll get to the point where you’ll recognize a projection before you do it. This is when you really start to open up to compassion.” 99% of the times we’re mean to each other is because we’re projecting onto each other. It’s very rare to meet someone who is actually a nasty person. Usually it’s the fact that we’re so unaware of our projections that we project our darkness on to others without seeing it in ourselves. If we can start to see it in ourselves before we project, we start to open up to more feelings of kindness.

Is there a way to bring that clarity of the bardo into our daily life?
You’re talking about is that which isn’t constrained within this contained vehicle of me. And yes it is in us at all times. In a lucid dream you see that you’re everything. If I dream about you tonight, I know it’s not you, it’s my projection of you. So I realize that whatever you represent to me has come into my dream to communicate. If we can apply those same contemplations to our waking state we can enter that numinous space while we’re awake, while we’re doing the washing or going to work, or sitting next to the guy on the bus with BO. We can realize that this is available at all times, if we could only step out of the self and into something bigger.

If you can do whatever you want in a lucid dream and reach a higher state of being, surely waking life becomes dull in comparison…
Lucid dreaming helped me wake up to my potential and see how much more I could be doing with life. In lucid dreams you can fly through the sky, walk through walls and hug your demons. The next day is different. Because you think; “maybe I can fly through my own limitations, maybe I can walk through the wall of my own arrogance, maybe I could embrace the demons of my phobias or my relationship issues in the waking state.” The lucid dream becomes a rehearsal for waking life. It’s not that you want to stay asleep all day. After a lucid dream you can’t wait to wake up and put it into practice.

Dreams of Awakening: Lucid Dreaming and Mindfulness of Dreams and Sleep by Charlie Morley is out now on Hay House. 
Charliemorley.com

Lisa Luxx is the editor-in-chief of Prowl magazine.
@ProwlHouse

SIMPLY ME: REDEFINING SUCCESS THROUGH SELF-KNOWLEDGE

What does “successful” look like to you? Redefining success on your own terms can only be done by going within, says Ruby Warrington.

The SUCCESS bracelet by Melissa Curry

What does “success” mean for me? It’s a question that’s been circling my very being since last summer when I interviewed Arianna Huffington about The Third Metric – her campaign to encourage us all to consider “success” beyond the relentless pursuit of money, accolades and power. And this week, I met a woman who has helped put into words the journey I’ve found myself on.

Melissa Curry is an Irish jewellery designer whose SUCCESS collection features a motivational amulet, designed to be gifted to the woman in your life you want to encourage to be the best she can be. A delicate rose-gold bracelet or necklace features an 18 carat gold bar inscribed with the word “Success.” And if, “the bar represents our inner strength, success can mean…everything,” she told me.

For Curry, whose personal journey has taken her from glittering career in Paris to destitute, single-mother of one, meaning some radical shifts in her own perception of success over the past decade; “it’s not about external power, and, for a woman, it’s certainly not about competing with men. It’s about being you, knowing what makes you tick, what makes your heart work, what makes your mind work, and embodying that.”

YES. Success for me is simply about being true to being me. At work, in my relationships and in my physical body. And this is when I realized that so much of what we cover on The Numinous is about tapping into exactly that.

From learning how to read and work with what the Astro Twins call your “factory settings” in your own astrological chart, to developing your intuition or “psychic powers” or embarking on a transcendental juice fast, isn’t so much of modern new age (what I like to call “now age”) thinking, about seeking to develop a more intimate and comfortable understanding of who we really are on the inside – and, therefore, what we really want?

For me, stepping off the media merry-go-round and leaving a high-profile magazine job to launch my own Internet project last year was the beginning of this journey. Creating something from my heart, working in my own environment, to my own hours and with the people of my own choosing has made me feel successful in ways that far eclipse the glamour, status and influence of my old life.

Of course, the fact that I can also structure my day to include a guided meditation to meet my spirit power animal is by no means going to tick the success box for everybody – but that’s the whole point. There is no one-size-fits-all definition of success.

And the fact I get emails every week thanking me for creating The Numinous is the icing on the cake. It’s also an illustration of how stepping into a definition of success that means something to me personally, I find myself giving something back and having a positive impact on the world around me almost by default.

My friend Jennifer Kass, a happiness coach and self-described “love pioneer” put a brilliant post up on Facebook the other day. In it, she described “The 3 Stages of Human Evolution (from my perspective, of course),” with step one, “Sleeping,” defined as; “Being stuck in a job and/or relationship that is toxic, causing physical mental and emotional ailments, denial, addiction, living in fear, anxiety, suffering, doubt, lack and limitation.”

Step two, “Waking up,” involves using all the Numinous tools – “meditation, self-love, healing, a return to wholeness, freedom, self-knowledge, joy” – to engender step three – “Action.” And here’s where the rubber really meets the road; “We take full responsibility for choices that will change our lives, and we let go of what is no longer serving us by taking courageous action.”

Further, she argues, “Now that we know who we are and what we’re here for, we go out into the world, sharing the gifts and passions we came here to, which in turn perfectly align with ending suffering on the planet in various forms.” A lofty ambition, maybe, but why not? Human suffering – and what alleviates it – comes in many forms too.

I’m not a big one for a motivational quote (quality over quantity, people), but I saw this, from Howard Thurman, at a Lululemon event recently; “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” And knowing your SELF – that is, being in direct conversation with the spirit being piloting your human form on a daily basis – is the only way to answer that question too.

Each piece in Melissa Curry’s collection comes with a little card, where you can write your definition of success. So what does it mean to you?

Melissacurry.com

SXSW SPIRIT GUIDE: 36-HOURS IN AUSTIN

Yee-haw, here comes the annual music and culture mash-up that is Austin’s SXSW festival. But there’s a whole other side to the town that’s more hippie than hipster (in a good way). Here’s our recipe for a weekend of self-discovery  and spiritual hi-jinx in the Portland of the South…

SATURDAY

9AM BLACK SWAN YOGA

The girls who run this donation based studio ($10-$15 suggested, $7 minimum) made a grainy, black and white freaking yogic music video as the intro to their website. All classes – Beginner, Power, Sweaty and Flow – take place in a 90-degree heated room, and if you can’t get to one of the four Austin locations there are even online classes to do. We suggest kicking off your Austin tour with the 9am Power class taught by Adam M at the Downtown studio. Set to a soundtrack of hip-hop, reggae, and, um, tango; “The idea is that we’re working ‘towards’ being the best version of ourselves and having some fun doing it,” he says.

Blackswanyoga.com

11AM JUICELAND

rbz-Juiceland-Cleanse-01

Now it’s obviously juice o’clock, and with seven locations dotted throughout Austin this is the place to get your greens on. We say go straight for the hard stuff and make your selection from the “Next Level” menu. How about a Cold Shower (cucumber, parsley, mint, watermelon, lime, salt) to cool you down after that hot yoga session? Or if you really need waking up, the Xtra Holla Pain Yo! (jalepeno, garlic, carrot, orange, cilantro, lime, salt) should do the trick. They also do smoothies and soups, and there’s a vegan, gluten free “Functionally Good Food” menu too.

Juiceland.com

12 NOON THE HERB BAR

You’re invited to switch off your mobile phone before you enter this magical mystery emporium, which, open since 1986, looks like Bilbo Baggins hobbit cave with its little red door almost buried behind the ivy bush that covers the front of the building. Inside, you’ll find everything from herbal tea blends and massage oils to locally produced natural beauty products and remedies, astro paraphernalia, crystals, prayer flags and wind chimes, all served up by super-friendly owner Twila Dawn Willis. Yep, it’s basically Numi retail heaven.

Theherbbar.com

1PM UNCOMMON OBJECTS

 

 

There’s plenty more magic to be found at this Austin stalwart, but rather than try to describe the kind of treasures a root around this sprawling space might uncover, we repeat for you their manifesto; “We relish the time worn and well loved. We are crazy about genuine patina. We cherish folk arts and parlor crafts from around the world. We reflect the melting pot that is the American experience. We adore ingenious repair. We honor beauty found in unexpected places. We are inspired by the joy found in serendipity.” And seriously, where else are you going to find a skate board that doubles up as a ouija?

Uncommonobjects.com

2PM MR NATURAL

There’s A LOT of amazing vegetarian food in Austin, but we’re sending you to this meat-free take on a traditional Tex Mex joint for a couple of reasons. 1) It comes highly recommended from Twila at the Herb Bar. 2) They do an ENTIRE GLUTEN FREE MENU. 3) There’s an yoga studio attached where they offer a ‘spiritual Hatha’ practise. And, maybe most importantly, 4) They produce a huge assortment of insane wheat / sugar / dairy / etc free cakes and pastries out of the on-site bakery.

MrNatural-austin.com

5PM SPARTAN

This ridiculously hip lifestyle boutique is essentially what the Numinous would be if we had a store (now there’s an idea…) Owner Currie Person has curated THE chicest collection of spiritually aware fashion, jewellery and homewares, while some new arrivals for spring include a crazy cool tie-dye leather bag from Creatures of Comfort, a selection of vintage Andean blanket rugs, this set of Bing Bang skull studs and the great felt hat by Janessa Leone pictured here.

Spartan-shop.com 

8PM CHEER-UP CHARLIE’S

With kombucha on tap and the MOST delicious vegan food truck parked out back, this indoor-outdoor bar / live music venue is a one-stop healthy hedonism shop. They also serve fresh pressed juice cocktails, while a parachute canopy covering the patio creates an other-worldly, that-bar-from-Star Wars kinda vibe. Oh, and check out the rad décor on the dance floor! Who needs ‘shrooms with all this trippy black light s*** going on?

Cheerupcharlies.com

12.30AM STARRY EYES

If you can drag yourself away from the fun times at Charlie’s (see above), Starry Eyes – described as “an occult tale of ambition, possession and the true cost of fame,” is being screened as part of the official SXSW schedule. Following the (mis)fortunes of a wannabe actress in Hollywood, after a series of strange auditions she lands the lead in a new film from a mysterious production company. “But with this opportunity comes bizarre ramifications that will transform her both mentally and physically…” Yikes!

SXSW.com

SUNDAY

10AM BARTON SPRINGS POOL

This man-made pool in Austin’s Zilker Park is filled from the water of the Main Barton Spring, the fourth largest natural spring in Texas. Open for year ‘round outdoor swimming, long before the pool was built the springs were considered sacred and were used for purification rituals by tribesmen of the local Tonkawa tribe. So where better to refresh your Sunday morning head?

Austintex.gov

11am JYOTISH ASTROLOGY WITH ANNE BEVERSDORF 

This renowned Austin astrologer goes back and forth between traditional Western and Vedic astrological systems during a reading, cross-checking information to give a totally in-depth, 360-reading. Coming to astrology as a healing modality, “My goal is to open doors for a deep flowering of your innermost Self in relation to the world. My peace is in hearing that YOU have found meaning in both joys and sorrows,” she says.

Stariel.com

1PM WHOLE FOODS RAW VEGAN FOOD BAR

Not only does Austin have one of the biggest Whole Foods in the world (or at least what feels like it, this is the home of their HQ after all), there’s also a WHOLE counter of the infamous salad bar dedicated to vegan (and mainly raw) cuisine. Well, hello broccoli cashew crunch, chickpea chix salad, pumpkin seed cheese, and raw German chocolate cake. Oh, or how about a raw flax seed tortilla was topped with kale and avocado, spicy cashew cheese, mock sour cream, cilantro and pico de gallo? Yes please.

Wholefoodsmarket.com

3PM GARDEN OF THE ANCIENTS

A 15-minute drive out of town, this “herb emporium and nursery” carries over 300 medicinal and culinary herbs, while the store itself is set among the creeping vines of a sprawling working herb and vegetable garden. They also grown a large selection of “ethnobotanical”, or medicinal, plants, including Daturas and Morning Glories, Wild Dagga, Baby Hawaiian Woodrose, Wormwood, Skullcap, Wild Lettuce, Wild Tobacco and the legendary San Pedro cactus. Properly witchy stuff.

Gardenoftheancients.com

5PM CUSTOM CRYSTAL DESIGN SESSION WITH FORREST LEE

Fort Worth native Forrest Lee has been creating his beautiful Healing Vortex Crystal Wraps since 2009, when he was gifted his first crystal – “with intense compassion from a dear brother in a hard time” – with life changing results. Now, “my goal is to spread healing and compassion by igniting that heart flame in each human. The crystals help remind us of our divinity,” he says, and a custom design session with Forrest is the best way to find the crystal that will work the hardest for YOU.

Facebook.com/healingvortex.crystalwraps

7PM BANGERS

Time to balance today’s air and water energy activities with some low down and earthy SAUSAGE. Bangers is Austin’s famous “sausage house & beer garden” – and, yes, their veggie options (beet and goat cheese or veggie BLT) get a huge thumbs up from us. The veggie ranchero brunch and sides (jalepeno cream corn with onion gratin anyone?) are also ridiculous, and all washed down with libations from the gluten free beer menu (yep, you read that right!)

Bangersaustin.com

9PM SOUND HEALING WITH TINA RODRIGUEZ

This incredible local healing artist, who works with crystal bowls as well as the sound of her own sweet voice, hosts regular group sessions and is available for one-to-one healing. As the rest of the SXSW revellers rock out to the closing sets of the festival, send your spirit soaring high on her beautiful cosmic vibes.

Facebook.com/tinalasirena

For full listings of what’s up at SXSW go to the festival website.

@SXSW

With thanks to Caleb Campaigne.

NEED TO KNOW: A CUSTOM FLOWER REMEDY

Of all the plant medicines available to us, flower remedies offer the most subtle – and perhaps the most profound – path to inner healing. Are you willing to believe, asks Ruby Warrington? Images: Addie Juell. Prop styling: Cindy DiPrima

Over breakfast green juice with my girls, I’m trying to explain how I feel since I started taking the flowers. “It’s subtle. You know those days when it just feels like things are going your way? Then imagine feeling like that all the time…” And they’re intrigued, want the number of the fairy who gave them to me. But still the general consensus, as Kerrilyn puts it, is that: “of all the mystical healing arts, don’t flower remedies require the biggest leap of faith?”

At the tail end of summer 2013, burnt out from too much travel and an avalanche of deadlines all at once, I was ready to take that leap. Introduced to Kerri Aab, a.k.a. Seed To Blossom, by a mutual friend, what did I have to lose? And, when I dissolved into tears during our initial hour-long Skype consultation, what had presented as minor stressors revealed much deeper issues that had been long been festering.

Like a lot of people, I’d had positive experiences using Bach’s Rescue Remedy – but my experience with Kerri took things to the next level, and then some. After that first call (read: therapy session), she mixed a custom blend of seven flowers to address the core issues that had come up. To give you some clues, this included Rock Water, to help balance out perfectionist tendencies, Pine, to help with feelings of guilt, and Elm, to put my large workload into perspective.

The prescription? Four drops, four times a day, while the bottle of drops (the essences are held in an alcohol solution and administered with a pipette) would hold it’s potency for three weeks, so we scheduled a catch up for a few days before that.

Over the following 18 or 19-day period, it’s true that things quieted down on the deadline front. But the change in outlook – and “in-look” – I was able to report back to Kerri in our second session went beyond this external change in circumstances. The best word to describe how I felt I was coming to see things is “acceptance” – of myself, of my surroundings and of the challenges I still faced.

Kerri, who was introduced to the flowers during a 50-hour labor with her daughter, describes her personal experience as that flowers; “making space for my natural light to shine.”

Was it really the flowers? As Alexis Smart, widely recognized as one of the leading figures in flowers, puts it; “why is it so hard to believe that plants and flowers have healing properties or effects? Many of our drugs come from plants.” And it’s not as if the notion of “plant medicine” is exactly alien to us in the now age.

In my second session with Kerri (by the way, one of the least “witchy” purveyors of potions and tinctures I’ve ever met), we switched out the Elm for the aptly named Impatiens flower, to help ease feelings that I’m always running out of time. And slowly, bottle two is doing its work too.

If you think a custom flower remedy might be for you, here’s what you Need to Know:

Know that there are 38 flowers in the Bach medicine cabinet, and that your custom blend can include up to seven.

Know that an initial consultation with Kerri lasts up to 90 minutes, and that the more you’re prepared to bare your soul the more you’ll get out of it.

Know that you can use the flowers alongside any other natural or man-made medicines and that they will still have the same effect, while not interfering with any other remedy you are taking.

Know that unlike other plant medicines (ayahuasca, marijuana) Bach flowers work on a solely energetic level and affect no purely physical changes whatsoever.

Know that this makes them safe for children, pets and even…other plants! Further, infants and animals are impervious to suggestion and the success of flowers in treating them disproves any placebo effect. 

Know that Crab Apple comes up most frequently among Kerri Aabs female clients. A cleansing remedy for both mind and body, it works particularly well for people who struggle with negative self-image and issues with obsessive neatness or physical perfection.

Know that in each subsequent session your blend will likely change, as the issues which feel the most urgently in need of a remedy will shift with the ebbs and flows of your life.

Know that you won’t feel the flowers working, but you will know that they are.

Visit Kerri’s website to learn more about her work or book a consultation.

Additional research Andrea Kasprzak.

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TAROTSCOPES: MARCH 2014

PISCES – QUEEN OF PENTACLES

Happy Birthday sweet swimmer! As the two bookends of the Zodiac, you and Aries both have the same cards come up as last month. To say February will merge it’s energy with March is obvious, but whatever you were working on last month will follow through too and I feel that much of the mood is a continuing search for stability.

It can be easy for you to swim against your own tide or, dare I even say it, flee from the idea of being ‘tied down’.

Yet you are always searching for something that feels like home. What does the steady flow that you desire look and feel like to you? It’s good to work with this to remind yourself that your journey isn’t a prescription laid out with no fluidity – instead it’s quite the opposite. If you desire a partnership but don’t want to feel like your wings have been clipped, then know that it’s completely possible to find someone who rides the same wave as you and gives you the space you want. Instead of running from people who express interest in you, allow everyone else the option to be unique and different – don’t try and label or pin people down to what you think they are. This will limit your opportunities to bring in the right kinds of friends, lovers, partners and work mates to expand your experience.

Along with this search for solid ground, know that there is a balance between the material and spiritual and that it’s ok to be in both worlds. I feel that this month you may be working with that balance and occasionally questioning which is the ‘right’ way to be. Remove this pressure and again, allow yourself to expand in all directions. There is no need in this day and age to separate the two. You can be practical with your intuition and be spiritual in your day to day.

This month allows you to stop and re-shuffle priorities, feelings and plans. The joy lies in your ability to create an environment that works for you. I feel that you may also be considering the ground you walk on; some of you feeling like putting down roots and committing to new homes, classes and jobs, while others are experiencing the opposite – purely because these foundation may not feel right. In this case, you will maybe even relocate.

The main thing I’d like you to work on though is a steadiness. The fact that this very earthy card has come up twice makes me want to let you know it’s okay to slow down. You don’t need to make hasty decisions and a little going over of matters and thoughts will not do you any harm. Maybe during last month’s Mercury retrograde it already felt like your brakes were being pulled (or plans thwarted) – so allow this and take time to go over plans. It’s so easy to be impatient, but what if the only thing you are really supposed to do this month is stop, look and learn?

Chat with Louise Androlia about how your month is going @louniverse

 

ARIES – TWO OF SWORDS

Like Pisces you have the same card come up as last month. I know you are always ready to race from the starting blocks and again this month there is still a cause for stillness. In February I mentioned decision-making, and how hard it can be when you feel impatient. You might notice that theme continuing over the next few weeks. Although Mercury is no longer retrograde, Mars (your ruler, planet of motivation) has taken over the retrograde throne so it’s perhaps still a point of slow down. Again, no need to fear this, but use it to your advantage.

When I look at the card this time around I feel quite a strong sense of peace. I feel that you know there is a lot of potential change around you and upcoming and that you are ok with it. It’s always more important to put your energy on being excited about the future and what it might bring, rather than the fear of what might happen. I love the idea of making your ‘will’ bigger in your mind than your ‘won’t’. So let this month ease you into the changes you have planned.

I feel a certain amount of the next few weeks might also be about succumbing to working with other people, something you love doing but which can easily stress you out when all decisions aren’t ‘yours’ to make. Any time you feel that your sense of personal control is tested this is a chance to grown and expand within your journey. Make the surrender practice your mantra this March – and know that maybe letting someone else lead you a little is like actually giving you space somewhere inside that melting pot of ideas to rest. The main thing though is just to allow flow, in as many ways as possible. That way, if things do become frustrating you will just laugh it off – knowing that you are ahead of the game and you love all the twists and turns your adventure brings.

I also feel that dreams might be significant for you this month (who knows, maybe you might give lucid dreaming a shot?) and possibly time to start up a journal to write out what your subconscious throws out – you may find some of the answers you seek are packaged up in unusual ways, so be on the look out for hidden messages and sly synchronicities.

What I feel you might discover is that right towards the end of the month you notice opportunities blooming and answers arriving in new forms. I feel that by April there also could be someone new arriving into your career space. It could be collaboration, business coach or even an awesome new accountant – either way, someone that might take your work life up a notch in your desired direction.

Chat with Louise Androlia about how your month is going @louniverse

 

TAURUS – DEATH

Ch-ch-ch-ch-chaaanggeees. You know change is all around you, right? I feel quite confident that none of you reading this is unaware that plans are a-foot, things are a-coming and horizons are expanding. Right. The main question though is how are you approaching this? Are you full of fear or standing with arms wide open ready to embrace the new like a long lost BFF?

Last month I spoke about new work opportunities so this card may be bringing in your desire to get prepped for the launch of a new project. Don’t worry too much if the change you had already anticipated doesn’t swoop in as soon as you hoped, this month still has a sense of slowness to it. But remember slow and stead wins the race. This is the chance to elegantly move in the direction you desire, and not panic or obsess about when the outcome is coming. It IS coming, so just let yourself breathe. For instance if you are waiting for a few technical details to come through, it doesn’t mean you can’t still be out and about sharing your plans with others. Talking about the new is also an on the down low manifestation exercise. Talk as if it what you want is already happening and you bring in that energy. Before you know it BOOM – it has.

This month I also want you to keep working with the possibilities that life can bring when you move positively with a sense of flow. Admittedly you aren’t the first one to shake up your foundations, yet you’re often surprisingly (to yourself) good at coping when the ground shakes. I don’t feel this is a time of unexpected change, It feels too upbeat for that, I would rather you think of how you can invite change in to make your life better and brighter for you.

How to do this? Well an easy way is to give a scan of your environment and take note of anything that you feel needs a shake up. Perhaps you’re desperate to get out of a job that’s no longer working or even just revamp your schedule to make it work better for you. Maybe you have a relationship that needs to finally be kicked to the curb. OR, on the contrary, one that needs more love and nurture. Do you need a major mind-body-spirit reconnect?  Is it time to change your schedule so you have more time for yourself?

This month might not bring all the action, but it should bring in the ideas and certainly the intentions. So settle and make plans and baby steps. There are a million possibilities and you are the one with all the answers. I’m not going to tell you what you need to shift – you know exactly what it is babe. Arms open wide.

Chat with Louise Androlia about how your month is going @louniverse

 

GEMINI – NINE OF SWORDS

What have you got to worry about? I feel a major sense of anxiety, but it doesn’t feel so present – did last month dredge up a bunch of old fears and niggling irritations? If you are feeling sleepless at night and restless in the day because of worries and too much chatter in your own mind – it’s okay. We all have times like these, and really it’s always a swift shout out for nurture and self-care. It is really easy to feel bound up by your own thoughts, especially as an Air sign, but it’s equally important to learn to sift through them and consider what is real and what is a fear based illusion.

I have a real sense that there is less to be stressed about than you think, and actually if you open your eyes and look around you it’s likely you will find that all those around you have been feeling the hard push recently too. While it’s not good to indulge in a ‘misery loves company’ vibe, it’s super important and essential that you know that you are not alone. Talk it out with your nearest and dearest, ask for help if you need it, check in with your therapist or coach for a boost of advice, and print out some of your favorite quotes. There are a myriad of resources around you that might just give you the pick me up that you need.

Also remember that your challenges are only ever in place to lead you to higher ground. Even that slightly annoying work colleague is an assignment for you to take on. Everything always makes a little more sense in retrospect so just keep moving.

Meanwhile make time to be kind to yourself this month. Even if you don’t feel you are held up with fears you could, like many of us, have just been really overworked recently and need to tap in to the slower moving astro energy that is around due to energizing Mars taking over the retrograde motion (thought Mercury is now direct woo-hoo!)

With this in mind, approach your own wellness with the kiss of kindness – this is not the time to set yourself a punishing regime, no way! Instead just think about raising your energy by nourishing your body with whole foods and gentle exercise. Get outside; there is something to be said for simply brushing off the cobwebs. If you feel stuck or frustrated, stop and take even just five minutes to march round the block – it’s amazing what that burst of movement and fresh air can do.

Of course you can also go the full on self-love route and book yourself in for spa treatments, blowouts and private meditation classes – do what you feel and feel what you do. Anything you do this month that is for your own sense of well-being will propel you out of any fear funks.

Chat with Louise Androlia about how your month is going @louniverse

 

CANCER – FIVE OF WANDS

Drama only exists if you participate in it. I live by these words as often as possible, even when tempted out of them by the bells and whistles of my ego or the world around me. Now I know that you aren’t the gossip of the group, so you are on a right footing, but what do you do when commotion is all around you? I’m diving right in here, but it may be that you know exactly what I’m on about. Family dramas, friends in blabbermouth mode or some major nitpicking happening in the workspace? Of course all you want to do is batten down the hatches and go underground, but of course it’s not always that easy.

The best thing you can do is not indulge any of these things that are rattling your inner being. Sure you might not be able to stop others waving their egos around the room, but you don’t have to join in or encourage it. It’s really okay to just stand back. I always press the idea of being the fly on the wall in your own life. There is an amazing clarity you can get when you stop to view your own situation as an outsider. Of course this is exactly why a life coach or therapist can be so helpful as they start out with a third person point of access. However it’s a great personal practice so get buzzing and fly to the corner of the room. What exactly is happening here? Is there a real drama or is it self-made? Is everyone actually fighting for the same cause? Maybe you might just need to leave everyone to it and stay in safe mode – you know that behaving in a way that isn’t true to yourself never gets you anywhere anyway.

Meanwhile as always make a point of being kind to yourself this month, especially if anything in your sphere feels chaotic – just enjoy your own time. There is a juice of fun creativity to be squeezed from this month if you manage to choose you time over theatrics. In fact, isn’t creativity your best therapeutic tool? Why not paint it all out, draw, dance, explore? Plan your adventures for the rest of the year, encourage and support your best self to bring in a boost of confidence.

Don’t pin yourself down to having to ‘achieve’ things this month, just set your intentions and tackle each day as it comes. You may also find that friends come running to you with their issues, after all you are one of the best empathetic advice givers they know! This is all and well, but just be sure not to let your energy take a dive in consequence. Recharge your inner soul system with taking a moment to check in with your inner guide – especially if you have been a little out of touch recently.

Chat with Louise Androlia about how your month is going @louniverse

 

LEO – THE SUN

A little nod back to October for you my lion, as again this card pops up. And as the Sun is your ruling planet too, of course it’s never a bad one to reacquaint yourself with. So what has been happening the last few months? It’s been a hard slog for many people recently, you too? Feels like you’ve been over working and under appreciating yourself. If that rings true then you know the answer already and with this card it’s pretty simple. Make some time for joy.

Why is this so hard sometimes? It is such a human mindset to believe in a ‘no pain, no gain’ mentality, to trudge up the hill and believe that there will be no let up until you are total beaten down. It really doesn’t have to be like that.

What does happiness mean to you? It’s a question that can stump us. Where is it? But happiness and joy are not destinations, which means you have to open up to seeing something good in any given moment. It can be a challenge but it’s actually a fun game to play. What is outside your front door tomorrow morning will be different depending on the way you perceive it. I really believe that positive energy is something that you can tune into and that you can tweak your sight to see things in a more expansive way.

So this month practice that tune in. Recognize that relief from stress might be found in five quiet minutes alone if you stop to be in the moment. If you find that your mind is running in all sorts of directions apart from the present then try a writing practice. Make a list of all the fears, thoughts, what if’s and plans that are on your mind. Then give them recognition and choose to focus on one thing that is in your present moment – it might be drinking from your glass, taking a bite of food, connecting with nature or reading from a book. Every time you feel a scatter of mind, try this and just go back to whatever is with you in the minute. Your energy will benefit from this and reboot your system to connect mind and body to a more conscious state.

Combine the above with a gratitude practice to up your state of positive awareness. You can write what you are grateful for down as an evening journaling practice or try a site like happyrambles.com that will email you at the time of your choosing asking ‘What are you grateful for?’ You have a free pass to take a break and enjoy life this month, and if you really must look to the future, make it be about the vacation you are planning!

Chat with Louise Androlia about how your month is going @louniverse

 

VIRGO – ACE OF WANDS

Raring to share? With this card in play you are no doubt feeling ready to get something out into the open and whether that is a personal announcement or a business launch the time feels right. I turned over a lot of strugglesome cards this month, as energetic Mars takes the retrograde flag from Mercury, but I have a feeling you are going to breeze through with a little fire on your side and in your heart.

This is a month of prepping for a new start, and you have the passion. This doesn’t feel like a boring, got to get things done kind of a vibe, more so that you can’t keep your new in. I feel one of our big missions in life is to share, in fact I’m sure it’s why we have all of our experiences – in order to help others with what we have learned. This is something to always keep in mind when you are having a challenge, to recognize that you are being lead to higher ground and that the moment has purpose, even if the reason is clouded in mist right now. So if now does happen to have a foggy overtone you will get to the clear skies by honing in on what you are passionate about and participating in it unapologetically!

Yes I did say that, you have a green light to go for your own gold. I know you are working hard and deserve some loving payback. So start by giving that love directly to the source, aka YOU.

Anyway, back to those ideas, I feel you have a cauldron bubbling up, in fact it’s likely you even feel overwhelmed with the potential you can see for the next few months or year and are wondering where to start. Back to the moment and just start by taking one step or making one move – by putting your faith in and taking the starting action you bring in trust that the direction will become clearer ahead. If you always send out your projects with solid integrity and love then it’s hard to go wrong and allow things to be different to what you perhaps expect. It could be that the big success this month is something you hadn’t put in the forefront – but surprises are awesome right?

I feel that you are also going to want to spend some time with fellow trail blazers, in fact you’ll probably feel high in the company of those who inspire you. It’s likely that some pals may need your advice over the next few weeks too and teamwork will be an all ‘round win. Anyway, I know you have it in the bag, just know that you are allowed to be confident in your ability to be out living your life and doing your do. There is no other you, remember?

Chat with Louise Androlia about how your month is going @louniverse

 

LIBRA – JUSTICE

This is a month of getting things done and dusted and I feel participating in something system oriented will probably bring in some calm. The last few months may have flown by in a whirlwind of emotions and feelings and so stopping to check in and do some material world prep might rather suit you.

So what do you want to start with? Prepping early for your taxes? Some spring cleaning? I feel that it’s likely you are quite aware of where the balance has tipped and will know what to do. This isn’t about turning into a control freak and setting totally unmanageable targets though, quite the opposite. I want you to feel happy about just being present and getting through some tasks, there is no deadline here. I laugh saying that, because it’s easy to be unharmonious on purpose right? Always seeking grace yet ever so slyly tipping the barrel?

This is a slow moving energy and so don’t panic if you feel like you are waiting on results for something – this is why I say just focus on the clean up at your end. It’s easy to get really attached to the outcome of a project, an idea or a dream – we all do it. However you need to allow fluidity to what it is you are hoping for and the best way you can do that is just do one action based thing today. Some of you may even be dealing with legal matters, whether it’s committing to new work contracts or even just having to research into the system of something, and it could feel a little boring. Remind yourself that logistics and stuff that just ‘needs to be done’ is only in place to lead you to an easier road ahead and I know you’ll get a lot of satisfaction from a clean filing cabinet or a rearranged closet.

Meanwhile this energy can also be used for you to reshuffle and check in with your own list of do’s and don’ts. Feeling moralistic? Avoid going on a judgmental rampage and giving yourself permission to decide what you think about everyone else’s lives – this is just a form of procrastination. Instead hone in on how you are feeling right now in regards to your attitude and approach to life, maybe you need a little tune back in to the positive? It’s not as simple as an on/off switch but stepping up and deciding you would like to participate in your experience is a good start. Life is never happening at you, but it is happening with you.

Meanwhile for any of you having control issues, If you want to get focused about anything then get set on your own health and wellness, especially if you’ve neglected it recently. Turn over a new leaf and bring in some passion for a new system – whether it’s splashing out on the juicer you’ve been dying to get or signing up to a different type of yoga class – make it fun.

Chat with Louise Androlia about how your month is going @louniverse

 

SCORPIO – THE TWO OF WANDS

It’s funny, because I feel that you have been under as much stress as everyone else recently, but you have your eyes on a prize and it’s keeping you afloat. Last month I spoke about making time to allow yourself some joy and I want you to keep honoring that as we move into the next few weeks. I feel that you are really looking ahead right now, and it’s not a bad thing – that carrot dangling in front of you is certainly appealing.

It’s important that you don’t step into fears of not knowing the outcome over the next few months. You might be launching a new project, at the start of a relationship or waiting on some important news and would kind of appreciate a look into the crystal ball right now. You know I’m not going to do that, but I feel that the answer is going to be in enjoying the anticipation – really? Yep. Make it fun. A forced surrender can actually be a pretty healing time. You are in place where your powers of manifestation are heightened – so throw your ideas out and trust that the return is going to be great. Maybe it will be different to your prediction, but it will be exactly as it should be.

I feel inspiration is also running high, while you have many new plans for your life waiting to get started you also have a million new light bulbs going off each moment. This is a good thing, but can also feel just as confusing as it can productive, so no need to get overwhelmed. Of course the answer is always going to be to try and stay in the moment. Treat each day as a possibility for something new to bloom that will be added to shape the experience ahead, who knows what might come into play in the next day let alone month.

I also feel travel is ahoy, or that you’re are planning it, because you do seem to have itchy feet. Satisfying the need to get out of town doesn’t have to mean booking an expensive around the world trip. Even just leaving the town you are in can give you a change of pace and attitude. There’s a lot to be said for exploring your own surroundings and your country. That said, if you are planning a move or big adventure then this month supports that and it might be fun getting creative with travel plans – vision board anyone?

Finally you are in a collaborative mood and following on from last month you still need to be connecting with those who support your cause and boost your soul system. So keep in touch – whether it be chatting via facetime or making some time for real face time. Oh and p.s. Learning a new skill could be a surprise success over the next few months so check out your local collages and get out of your comfort zone.

Chat with Louise Androlia about how your month is going @louniverse

 

SAGITTARIUS – THE FIVE OF CUPS

A nod back to November this month as this card comes back in to play, so you may see a link to how you felt at the end of last year. Even better, look for any lessons you learned then and pull them out to be your super power over the next few weeks. Last month I spoke about getting a little more in tune with your life and participating in shaping your destiny. With Mercury now direct I feel you may have dredged up some old fears, habits and maybe even faces recently and are wondering what to do in the face of the new and the old combined.

Well the hot news is that our guidance is always a lot more simple than we expect it to be, and as this is a slow and steady month and your main task is just to carry on sitting at that wheel and allow things to play out. Of course the action is to put your eyes on the positive and not those spilt cups of milk. I feel that you’ve been whipped into a frenzy of busy busy busy recently and it’s all been good, but oh boy are you wiped out. It feels like you might have a combination of social and career tiredness. It’s not that you are having a bad time but you wouldn’t mind a time warp that allowed you to climb into a still space for a month and then return to your overloaded diary.

You can manage it all though, by making sure to put space in your diary for nothing. Yes, schedule in a big gap here and there and forbid yourself to fill it up with activity. If you get in the moment then even five minutes sat down and acknowledged can be enough to boost your system.

So what do you do about the dance of nostalgia that flared up? You like to analyze, but beware of its paralyzing effect on you, or your ego’s desire to come out on top. Maybe that person that you need to let go of can just be freed, there is no benefit to ‘having the last word’ – in fact it often remains as an energetic hook to keep you connected to the situation. Forgive and forget is kind of an annoying phrase, but it’s sentiment is strong. Sending love in the direction of your annoyances is surprisingly freeing and creates a nice space for new opportunities and connections to swoop in.

Finally I feel that you might notice any career craziness calm down into a schedule that actually makes sense. Any contacts and contracts that suddenly slip away are doing so in order to give space to what is really going to work for you, so don’t even bother entertaining any sense of perceived failure. If you give everything in your life room to breathe this month it will definitely work in your favor.

Chat with Louise Androlia about how your month is going @louniverse

 

CAPRICORN – THE KNIGHT OF SWORDS

Last month I encouraged you to reconnect with some of your passions and remind yourself that you get to shape your own experience. As March arrives you probably feel a little more connected to what you do and don’t want to have in your life. Of course this reshuffle can be frustrating when you are dying to get that dream life on the go – just rest assured that your intentions are enough of a good start.

Anyway, back to business. You do have a green light to make some moves – in fact you are one of the signs this month that is feeling less static. The key is in moving in the direction that you want and not rushing ahead like a wild fire. We all know that you can be a workaholic but spreading yourself too thin on projects that aren’t even your life and soul – what is the point? You have time to pick and choose what is going to work for you, but you also have to trust that it’s ok to be the boss of your own life. This is a great few weeks to stop and breakdown projects that you are working on and piece them together in a way that works for you.

You also have a good communicative energy this month and so let your talk give you your walk. You may in fact be bursting with pioneering ideas and so it’s good to share – even if it’s just in your journal for now.

Energetically, for an earthbound sign you could be feeling quite scattered over the next few weeks, possibly due to with your mind buzzing with so much information and ideas. When we’re ungrounded it can express via our health with feelings of anxiety or even dizziness. You know that feeling when you don’t feel quite connected, because you are thinking in too many places at once? To bring back in some of your earth energy try a perma visualization of strong roots growing out of your feet and into the earth – connecting you back to the present moment. Other great ways to get your earth on are stocking up on whole foods – eat items that you could grow yourself and stay away from too much sugar (a classic spacey brain inducing product).

You may notice that there is a touch of chaos in your external environment, maybe some age old dramas in your friendship group or people you know going through their own challenges. It’s likely that they will call on you for advice and opinions and while you love to be the support rod (and are a guardian angel to many) it can be a big energy sapper for you. Being of service doesn’t mean draining your own supply, so be on guard to make sure you are on the receiving end in equal measure. You know the drill… BE KIND TO YOURSELF!

Chat with Louise Androlia about how your month is going @louniverse

 

AQUARIUS – THE TOWER

And lightning strikes! People often want to run a mile when they see this card but it carries a wealth of useful guidance and also, adventure. It’s likely that things have really shaken up recently, and in all sorts of weird and wild ways. I feel that this month may just be cementing that ‘out of the blue’ mood and it’s nothing to be afraid of. Have you been surprised by things that have happened recently? It could be in your external environment or even that you had a strange change of mind or opinion. There are shifts at play and I feel you might only be aware of the effects. I also think this could be a fun opportunity to embrace and new and unusual – and be less scared of it than you used to.

I kind of want you to embrace every possible positive approach to this card, are you up for it? Okay let’s go.

Accept people into your life that you perhaps would never have given a chance before – who knows what you might learn! Feel brave enough to say a final N.O. to something you’ve been dying to let go of for a long time. Feel brave enough to try everything and anything new. Shake up your own foundations in order to get ahead of the Universe – bring in any change you need, and welcome it with open arms. Be the support system for someone who has helped you in the past – they might not be asking for help but you may feel a silent call. Switch up your attitude to everything that fears you.

Is it money? Shock yourself by getting super passionate about your finances, because you deserve the abundant life you want you know. Is it relationship issues? Shock yourself into a new cycle by giving commitment a shot, sure you don’t know the outcome – we never do, but if it feels right then recognize it’s part of your journey. Give your body a boost too, by experimenting with eating for your symptoms and your unique self and enjoy a whole new mind-body connection. Take down your own ego by choosing to become BFFs with your intuition instead, it’s time to check back in and say ‘hello me’! Leave the job that you hate so much. Apply for the dream job that scares you.

Then write a letter to yourself aged 15 and tell them everything is going to be ok. Be the change you want to see in the world, right? Forget about obsessing over dramas, just shine as bright as you can and let others absorb that vibe. And don’t indulge chaos – if you don’t participate in theatrics then they rarely explode. Be the lover. Start that book, write that proposal, forgive yourself and be willing to forgive your challenges. Step up to the adventure that is your life and check yourself in.

Chat with Louise Androlia about how your month is going @louniverse

Cast by Louise using the Rider Waite Tarot Deck