TAROTSCOPES: AUGUST 2016

Cast by Lindsay Mack, using The Starchild Tarot.

 

Leo :: Leo Rising / Ten of Cups
Dear Leo, what a sweet month you have ahead of you. And it is so deserved. You’ve been frickin’ warriors the last few months, and now you get to bask in the fruits of your labor a bit.Recent months for you have ranged from a little tough to intensely challenging. I will remind you that the recent crunch has only been in service of birthing you back into your power, helping you remember your innate strength.

And you’ve said yes so bravely. Many of you have had to migrate from your homes. Many of you took the leap and quit your jobs, left your lovers, changed your life. It’s truly been a “do or die” time for your wild souls, and most of you are saying a passionate yes to yourselves. Embracing the medicine of the Ten of Cups is to choose to be available to the beauty of the present moment, however transient it might be.I’ve said this before and it bears repeating: the Ten of Cups is a rainbow; a sunset; a sunrise; a shooting star; a cool breeze on a hot night; the miraculousness of your child.

It is the full hearted understanding that there’s just this moment and that the moment is perfect, filled with treasures. The treasures are there, even though life surely will be filled with its relative challenges and uncertainty. You might not know where you’re going, Leo, but guess what? Neither does anyone else! You can drop the idea that you should know the next step. Who says? It’s just an old ego echo, keeping you from the sweetness of the moment. By boldly embracing the beauty of now, you’re daring to be grateful, to be vulnerable, to be awe-struck. You’re daring to live with your heart open.

True strength is weeping over a beautiful sunset, even though you might have zero dollars in your bank account; even though your marriage might be falling apart, even though you might not know what’s next. Just like the sun will surely set and rise, your bank account will fill again. Your heart will break and heal and be fiercer and brighter than it ever was. You will love again.

So the question is, can you hold both? The not-knowing and the awe? The fear and the wonderment? The dread and the excitement? If this moment is all there is, are you brave enough to choose the beautiful?

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

Virgo :: Virgo Rising / The Fool
August is going to be incredibly exciting for you, Virgo. The month will be ripe with new possibilities and ideas, an immensely fertile time where nearly anything you want to create or manifest in your life will be within your reach. You do have to stretch your hand out to take it, but the fruit is on the vine, ready and waiting.

The sacred invitation of The Fool will be to leap boldly and bravely into the unknown, into the next great expansion of your life. Think BIG with this energy. The Fool is not foolish; the fool is the ultimate knower of truth. The Fool is willing to look foolish, all because only s/he knows what’s true for them. The Fool is inherently magical, a child in utero—in the world, but not. Anything is possible. The rules don’t apply. The Fool is card 0, the Void, the Starseed. This energy knows that to leap with a fearless heart into whatever we want most, into the unknown, is a commitment to personal expansion.

It is the jump that sets off an entire karmic journey, an entire wheel of experience, wisdom and teachings. It’s the beginning of a new level in your life, Virgo. You stand to gain everything, but you have to be brave. And I’m going to tell you right now: there is no road map for this jump. Don’t bother looking! There are no guarantees on paper, no assurances; there’s nothing to encourage or push you off the cliff—it has to be totally voluntary. It is that energy, that voluntary energy, that sets the whole beautiful cycle in motion. The more commitment you employ, the softer and more abundant the landing will be.

A gentle reminder: please don’t worry if the people in your life see your great leap as foolish. Thank them for their opinions, and leap anyway. Trust yourself. Trying to resist The Fool is exhausting and impossible; you can’t do it. To deny yourself the plunge is to deny your soul. Let them be concerned, but don’t stop for them. They don’t have to get it. Neither do you, in fact! If the dissenting voice is coming from your own mind, tell it “thank you” and just keep going. Leap forward, no matter what. I invite you to be brave, courageous and even a tiny bit excited in the possibilities of The Fool this month. Screw fear, screw resistance—just take the joyful leap forward.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

Libra :: Libra Rising / Death
The Death card is bringing in deep “rite of passage” energy for you this month, Libra. It will be presenting the opportunity for important inner work to unfold within you, if you are willing to surrender to it. You will truly be walking from one world into another this month. Life will not be the same—thank goodness! The piece that’s most ready to be recycled in the Death card has to do with emotional calcification.

It is time to thaw and release old thoughts, behaviors and patterns. But even more to the point, it is time to consider that your emotional inner life can swirl around you without you letting it stop you or slow you down. THAT is what is ready to die and be reborn in a new paradigm within you. You are the ocean; your feelings are the waves. You can allow big and distracting emotions to be there without being ruled or controlled by them. It’s time to wring out these old experiences and let them become sacred fertilizer; let them become background music rather than your main event.

The Death work is important for your next big step, because it is carving out so much more room and space within yourself. The energy of the card is really coming through as a “spiritual death” for you, so treat it spiritually. Treat it with reverence. Do ritual or ceremony if it calls to you. Intentionally ask to release all that does not serve your highest expansion to the Great Mother and Father. Reconnect to the idea that you are actually rebirthing, not dying. There’s so much more to come. I strongly advise you to shower yourself with compassion this month. Be sweet to yourself, please, please. Be gentle. Be soft. Make it your most sacred, disciplined practice to regard yourself with tenderness, this month and always.

A lot might come up for you emotionally this month; or nothing might. Just intend to treat whatever arises with kindness. The Death card is here because you’re ready. It is here to compost the outdated processes and stuck emotions, turning them into what feeds the new growth inside of us. Can you imagine all you could do, accomplish and create without the old stories at the wheel? Imagine the joy. Surrender over to it and start feeding the new habits you want to cultivate—your new life. You are ready to step into it.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

Scorpio :: Scorpio Rising / Six of Swords
Six of Swords brings an opportunity to use your mind in sacred objectivity, Scorpio; seeing the forest for the trees and understanding difficult things from a larger perspective. Genuinely rising above your circumstances, compassionately and calmly, is the potential of the Six of Swords. You have the chance of getting very clear on certain parts of your life that might feel dark, confusing or weedy in the thick of the situation. When you intentionally rise above the clang of the ego and brain, there will be so much more of an empowered perspective available to you.

You stand a much better chance of accessing this objective space with loving community around you, which is a huge part of this card. To have a chorus of dear friends and kin around you who can live as your trusted eyes and ears, the hands that lift you out of darkness, is imperative for you this month. Lean on them. If you don’t feel like you have that soul family around you, ask for them to come into your life. They will.

Remember: any Sword card is bringing a specific frequency, an invitation to master an aspect of our brain chemistry. We move through these—from Ace to 10, then from Page to King. At the end of the journey, we ideally will have gained more wisdom around how we think, communicate and move through the world; how we can be more aware of our complexes and ingrained patterns. Being in a Sword card means mastering some aspect of your thinking, Scorpio, so treat it that way. You have the chance to really rise above some old stuff this month. Lean into it hard.

The second thing is that it’s a Six. Sixes are an expansion following a contraction; the Fives in the Tarot are a much tougher lesson for the brain/ego. There’s more opportunity for luminosity and clarity in this card—in fact, that’s the point of it. This month, feeling the connection of community, friendship and empowerment through the journey out of the weeds of your thinking is the brightest treasure. You don’t have to be an island, Scorpio. Let people in. Let people help you. Be willing to be brave and vulnerable. Practice seeing the forest for the trees in any given situation this month, big or small. It’s a part of your mastery as a human being, so say yes to it.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

Sagittarius :: Sagittarius Rising / Four of Pentacles
Honor your “energetic doorway” this month, Sagittarius. Be mindful of who you allow into your life, and what you open your door to. Not because anything bad will happen, but because your soul might be feeling more tender. There might be more of an instinctive call to be in your own company in August. If this is your experience, it is deeply wise to give yourself sacred space. Doing so will allow you to go deeper within, doing important boundary work. For some of you, you might need the space because you’ll be birthing or channeling new work. If that’s the case, take it!

Four of Pentacles is a woefully misunderstood card. Many folks believe it’s a kind of parable about being closed off and stuffy; holding your money close to you, Scrooge style, shut off from people and the world. That’s NOT what we are talking about here. Fours in the Tarot are a kind of white salt circle, inviting us to draw important lines in the sand around ourselves and the world. They are often very important to the health of the spirit, and it is imperative that we honor these circles with great integrity to self.

The Four of Pentacles is a energetic boundary card for the body and aura. On the Smith-Rider tarot card, the man is holding the coins over his head, heart and feet. His heart, crown and root chakras are closed for business for a little while. This is appropriate, and important, especially for those of you who are more social or work with people in a helping profession. Redraw the lines around where you allow people in, how you give people your space and time—redefine how you nourish yourself. It will be very important, so you can weed out emotional vampires, or where YOU may be reacting out of fear and ego to someone else.

Sometimes this card arises when we need to do some gentle inquiry on where our “stuff” pops up with other people: jealousy, comparison, making mini wars inside the mind. If you have someone in your life who makes you feel that way, Sagittarius, be willing to take some space from them. Inquire about why they trigger that in you. Clear out the wound. Gift yourself the space and time you need, loves. Get clear, and come back into the world refreshed and renewed, open in all ways.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

Capricorn :: Capricorn Rising / The Hermit
This month is offering you the opportunity to deeply retreat into yourself, Capricorn. You are being invited to soften and listen to the subtle voice within you. To do this, we must explore the bones of how we get there in the first place.

Let us land on this word: retreat. Movement away from any stressful or exhausting situation so that our personal well can be refilled. How comfortable do you feel with this idea? Do you believe you deserve such a thing? Is it weak to take breaks and retreats? Do you long for it? Do you know how to give it to yourself? Do you feel that you are only effectual by “doing” and “making shit happen”? All such important questions. You have to check out your personal beliefs around The Hermit, around the value of inner time, before you can come to his cave on the mountains — if you don’t inquire, you won’t even get a foot out the door. That is the first step.

The second step is the journey there itself. How to journey to The Hermit an important piece, which is why you were asked to examine your beliefs around retreats. It’s important to know what blocks you, or you run the risk of just not showing up to greet The Hermit at all. It is a journey to get to him, to get to that place within ourselves. It is supposed to be—just like a retreat. We must live this journey, walk this journey. It’s a doing and a being, not an intending and a “thinking about”. We have to commit to the Hermit, just as we are invited to commit to ourselves. The how of dropping into The Hermit is just as important as the commitment to take the first step. Resolve to explore this within yourself this month, Capricorn.

The main medicine of The Hermit is very similar from sign to sign, from person to person: it is a sacred pause, a time of deep and mindful retreat, and an invitation to go within the self and commune with the wisdom there. It comes to teach us how to refill our own wells, how to listen and pay attention to the inner landscape. Say yes to the first steps, and it will feel as though everything in the Universe is a master teacher.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

Aquarius :: Aquarius Rising / Strength
The Strength card has shown up as an initiation journey for you this month, Aquarius. It has nothing to do with physical strength; it is a mental, emotional, soul strength that is stoked and fired up with this card. It brings up an instinctive understanding that we must walk through a “night between two days” to truly know ourselves and what we are capable of. That is the initiation; to truly know the depth of your ability to walk through darkness and come out brighter than before.

You’ve been through this initiation many times before, Aquarius. You know that every time you step forward to place your hands on the lion, as the woman is doing in the Strength card, you are shown that what scares you or holds you back is nothing but vapor. Take big, brave steps—within those steps are the keys to a big personal expansion this month. The Strength card asks us to befriend something that scares us. To say yes to it—to invite it in and listen to what it has to say.

It is very similar to the Buddha inviting Mara in for tea; the more we say yes to the things that bring up fear, the faster they will dissipate. You’re being invited to regard whatever you’ve got going on in your life with the heart of a warrior, Aquarius. To be brave and courageous. To move, travel, tell them you love them, show everyone your art, tell your boss you’re quitting—to embrace the lion with softness and trust. Whether internal or external, this place of fear actually has a very important message for you. It is bringing a treasure, make no mistake.

For the more courageous you are this month, the more abundance will flow into your life—monetary or otherwise. You came here to live in a very different frequency than the rest of us, Aquarius. The more you claim it, the more your life will overflow with what you truly desire. That’s the mastery of the Strength card in the first place—to venture past what scares us into the medicine that lies on the other side of the fear. The medicine is truly that we don’t have to let fear stop us from being in our power. Any piece of you that doesn’t want to be seen in the realm of what you are passionate about is the piece to be untangled this month. Step up, speak up, be freed.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

Pisces :: Pisces Rising / Ace of Wands
Ace of Wands is all about sharing with the world who you are and what you’re here to do, Pisces. An extremely valuable energy, it can feel like we are blazing forth through life on a wave of energetic passion in this card. Other times it can feel like a much quieter thing. No matter how it feels, use it. When we get the chance to create fire, we use it. Whether you’re crafting a little campfire to cook your food, or a bonfire to conduct ceremony with dozens of people, you have been initiated by fire and by creativity with this card. You must use it well, and share your gifts with the world.

The message that I keep getting for you this month, Pisces, is a deeply resounding: “you’re ready.” You’re ready. You’re always going to be the deep and watery starbabes that you are. It is really about finding a safe way to be out in the world and rock out your dream, blending fire with your water; whatever feels emotionally, psychically and mentally stable and consistent for you, walk in that direction. Some of you are doing this beautifully, but the heaviness of the world is still tough on any Pisces, mainly because you are picking up on all the heaviness, competition and blocked energy out there. No matter where the source of it springs from, it can be tough to bear after a while. How do you cope? You use the Ace of Wands.

You let the fire come through you to be a magical ally for the water within. In other words, you have to start working with the idea that while you might absorb a ton from others, it’s your responsibility to wring out the sponge. Cleanse it with your inner water, let it just flow through your nervous system and out the door—then blaze forth and keep going. You have much to do, and much to create, all flowing from the eternal energy of this particular Ace.

You’re ready, Pisces. Ready to “come out,” so to speak, ready to take up space, to claim your power, to live in your flow, your creative nature, and your freedom. Aces are gifts from God: so stretch your palms and heart open, willing to receive whatever inspiration will blaze you forth into your next great creative expansion.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

Aries :: Aries Rising / The Star
Aries, do you remember “Mary Poppins”? She was the magical nanny who swept into the lives of Jane and Michael Banks, taking them on chalk painting adventures and to tea parties with penguins. When the parents have stopped “seeing” their children, when there is a disconnect within a family, Mary Poppins is called. She shows up (literally from the sky) to heal the divide, and stays until there has been a reconnection, a rebirth within the unit. She is the quiet healer of fractured families.

You’re in The Star this month, Aries, and the best way that I can describe the energy of this to you is that of an Aquarian Mary Poppins. She comes to the door with her magical suitcases, and doesn’t leave until the job is done. Her job is to heal your nervous system from past trauma, hurt, burnout, and fear, to reconnect you with your inner child. She doesn’t stir up; she soothes and calms. She integrates. She brings the dawn of a new hope, a new way within our being; she opens our hearts up to the Goddess. Once the work is done, she slips away so quietly we don’t even notice. The Star is here to heal any fractures within your being this month, weaving and reconnecting all aspects of your inner family web, making you whole again.

You cannot go forward without saying yes to The Star. Do you hear me, Aries? The invitation is not going to go anywhere, and to say a full hearted yes to this energy will make your life so much smoother. Don’t worry about the future this month, don’t worry about what’s next. You must rebuild before your next steps can unfold. You must clear, reintegrate, and allow for softness, gentleness, caring, and self-soothing. You must allow the healing to wash over you like a warm bath. There’s no other option for you this month.

Once you have space within your body, heart and mind, so many new things will flow in; so much more will be possible and available to you. Life will be easier and more luminous. This is the deep medicine of The Star. Healing as a requirement, and as a total restructuring of our foundation. Crack open the door to your heart open and let the Divine caretaker, the Star, the Goddess, heal your ancient wounds. Trust and set yourself free.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

Taurus :: Taurus Rising / Nine of Wands
Building up and maintaining your energy wisely is August’s highest invitation for you, Taurus. It feels very much like you are poised on a divine diving board, waiting for the sound of the whistle that will kick off the swim meet. The entirety of the month might feel like you’re on that diving board in chair pose—knees bent, arms stretched out in front of you, building heat. The key will be to hang out in the excitement, intensity and anticipation without jumping the whistle. If you can sustain the build up, this month will be the energetic preparation for the next big leap in your life.

You are really being invited to explore what it means to choose rest within pressure, to find comfort within discomfort. Softness is always available to us, even within more pressured moments. Nine of Wands is a divine signal for us to emphasize physical and mental decompression during an intense energetic time. It is also an incredible sign of wonderful things to come—it really only arises when we are about to embark on a really powerful, energetic expansion. It is important and crucial that you have a full well to meet this new expansion with, Taurus, so take the nourishing rest where you can. If you push it too hard, you will burn out.

August’s key self care tools for you are: conscious breathing, grounding and good food. Starting with breath assures that you are consistently clearing out any stress or buildup of emotion. Grounding is an intentional connection to the Great Mother, to the heart of what it means to recharge and receive. You can start very simply: laying your body on grass, taking yourself to the Ocean, working with crystals. Lastly, make sure you’re feeding your body for health, stamina and wellness. It doesn’t have to be complex. Keep it very light and simple within the intensity of the energetic build up.

Remember, Taurus, this is all happening because you’re ready for a soul stretch! For a heightened ability to take on more passion projects. It’s a really juicy time. Really be present and mindful, say yes to active and empowered self care—it is all in the name of giving your body what it needs to sustain these high frequency energies without pushing yourself too hard. It is only bringing goodness your way. Hold the pose until you hear the whistle.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

Gemini :: Gemini Rising / King of Cups
This month is a powerful leveling up for you, Gemini, especially around the areas of creativity, emotional balance and leadership. King of Cups is a really beautiful energy and a true emotional master. What does that mean? It means he is someone who has truly embodied what it is to differentiate between feeling and fact, and chooses to live exclusively in the realm of truth. The waters may swirl, storms may arise, but King of Cups understands that he is the unshakable container that holds everything—he knows that whatever he is feeling cannot be bigger than him, which is exactly what makes him a great leader.

As a result of this mastery, he is gentle and emotionally available. He’s a beautiful listener, and can weather most things. King of Cups is someone who can be of service even when they have a headache, personal issues, or stuff on their mind. It’s not that King of Cups is pushing, forcing or hiding anything he’s going through—he just knows how to walk in both worlds. He knows how to care for a headache and go about his day, all in the name of sacred service. August is going to give you situation after situation to invite you up into this mastery, too, Gemini—into the place of holding those two worlds within yourself. Even if you are not in healing work, this energy will be important and useful to you. It will make you better parents, lovers, co-workers and humans on the planet.

The first place to start is by doing deep inquiry and grounding work on your thoughts: are they feeling or fact? What are you believing? Are you more in the inner world than the outer world. Very important questions. The second is to step up into more service, whatever that means to you. Say yes to giving a little bit more. Be willing to consider that by being available to others, you’re also giving a healing to yourself. It will show and prove to you how expanded you are and how much more so you can become.

You will have so much more room in you for creativity, for psychic flow, and for mindful peace in this card, too. Once you loosen the slack on absorbing all the emotional business around you, you will see where this great emotional and intuitive leader lives in yourself. Be willing to be of service and not take it home with you—you have a lot more room on your plate than you believe you do.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

Cancer :: Cancer Rising / Four of Cups
Rest and digest is your mantra this month, Cancer. Live, eat, drink and breath this wisdom over and over again. Say no when it is really a no for you. Process what’s already come. Give yourself generous space and time socially, romantically and emotionally. It is imperative that you honor August as an important transition, a portal, one that has the potential to foster a deep and unshakable trust within you. It is here to help you embody that it is safe to rest and take breaks; that everything comes at the right time and you need not worry about missing anything. Truly.

The most important and challenging aspect of the Four of Cups is that of trusting our intuition. This card carries a golden medicine: that what is meant for us cannot miss us. Never, ever, ever, ever. Not even if we disregard it, slam the door on it, wreck ourselves with guilt, indecision, and longing over it. Whatever is ours will always come back to our doors effortlessly; you do not have to question or suffer over your choices this month, Cancer. The emotional break is exactly what’s needed, so give it to yourself.

When we continue to eat food after we are full, we can get a stomachache—and our emotional centers work in much the same way. Take the time and honor your spiritual digestion this month. Doing so will allow all that you’ve imbibed and absorbed over the recent past to really drain out of your system, clearing and making room for the new to drop in.

Honor the tough moments within this sacred integration and digestion with lots of self love; FOMO, or fear of missing out, can really arise with this card, and in a more existential way than we might initially perceive. But it’s all good—its just the brain, the ego, the inner little one. Simply scoop that part of you up, explain the truth to her (that we cannot miss what is meant for us), and keep honoring your sacred space. This is the way we evolve; living our truth and giving ourselves what we need while honoring our fears, worries and inner experiences. Doing so is not only facilitating the integration of that trust in the timing of your life, but also preparing a clean emotional slate for you to receive the new on.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

HOLY F*CK: RELATIONSHIPS AS A PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT

In her latest Holy F*ck column, Alexandra Roxo finds herself on the path to enlightenment with relationships coach Perri Gorman

Holy fuck relationships as path to enlightenment perri gorman alexandra roxo on The Numinous
Lettin’ my hair go full Leo in the Croatian sun…

I met Perri Gorman when someone who I had met once messaged me on Facebook and was like: “I think you would like this teacher.” Perri was leading something called a “Relationship Detox,” and it DID seem appropriate, since I had decided to take a six month break from sex, dating, alcohol and drugs to focus on my healing. But then again, randoms send me FB messages all the time so I couldn’t be sure.

When I got Perri on the phone she was INTENSE. I’m an intense woman too, so when I come head to head with another of my kind I can adopt a “been there done that” attitude. Like, “Oh yeah, I’m not afraid to look at my shadows. I do it all the time.” And “Um duh. I’ve done the work.” But somehow she convinced me to sign up for her class. And it was the best gift ever. She called me out on places I had been hiding from my truth and still living from deep rooted childhood fears. (Ugh when does it end????!) At the end of the class I felt palpable changes. Like major shifts. Like, I had looked at all of my uglies in the face and hugged them and given them space to, well…turn into butterflies. Cheesy, yes, but true!

I sat down with Perri to try and understand this alchemical process a little deeper.

Alexandra Roxo: Your website says “TRANSFORMATION IS NOT OPTIONAL” in huge letters which kinda freaks me out but in a good way. Why did you choose that?
Perri Gorman: It’s a bit of a story. When I was living in Hong Kong back in 2007 my life felt like Ground Hog’s day. I had actually hit a certain level of success, but I was like “Is this IT? Like, Is THIS my life?” I had a magnet on my refrigerator that was my savior, which said: “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.” Oh, I must be in a cocoon I used to think. This part sucks. But just hang in there! After my life began to transform (longer story), my online moniker became and still is Bethebutterfly, and the butterfly is my inspirational creature.

Later, I went to a lecture by someone who was also fascinated by the life of the butterfly. She told a story of going to a butterfly farm and asking the keeper; “Does the caterpillar have a choice?” The answer was no. They either transform or they die. It’s not optional. And in this life, I think it is similar for us. Sounds grim but the stakes are really that high.

AR: I agree, and I also feel like the world needs transformation more than ever. Which is what I experienced on your relationship detox course. It’s hard for me to describe how you work though. It’s alchemy! Can you explain?
PG: Well, I am a guide and I create experiences. I walk people down a path that I have been down to and experienced transformation myself. If I haven’t been able to personally alchemize it (whatever “it” might be) I don’t create the experience. Rather than teaching, I help my students facilitate this in themselves. This part is really important. Often if you just “tell” people something, then either the Ego rejects it and can’t hear it—or the Ego hears it, rejects it and turns on you in the process! So in order to stun the ego, you have to guide the spirit and let the “aha” moments come naturally.

Each person has a different speed at which they transform, too. Mine was REALLY slow—partly because I had so much pain inside, it wasn’t safe for it to come out all at once. It was a process. Think of it like detoxing from chemicals. Since your body stores toxins in your fat cells, it won’t actually LET you lose weight too fast if you are toxic because it would poison the body. Awakening is similar. There is a massive pain body that you need to work through in order to open fully.

With the Relationship Detox specifically, it is designed to reframe your entire experience with relationships and have you see the divine messages that meant for you in each experience. By going through the process you are able to let go of behavior that is no longer serving you and choose something new.

Holy fuck relationships as path to enlightenment perri gorman alexandra roxo on The Numinous
Perri Gorman: relationships guru

AR: In the moments you’re coaching me I always start “strong” and then you get in there and crack me open. How do you always manage to do that?!
PG: I think a big part of my work is feeling “you” underneath the “strong,” which is usually a defense mechanism. It’s there to say “yeah I’m cool, nothing to see here, keep moving!” But if you listen closely there is another voice in there saying, “Hey! Don’t listen to her! I’m in here!”

My work is not for the faint of heart as you know, and I think it’s unique because I live it deeply myself. I am not perfect or enlightened but I have a deep deep practice of looking at my own stuff in every situation. I have unwound some really complex and tricky (and not so attractive) patterns in myself, so I can see the patterns more easily than others in many cases. So if you are like me and you have patterns that fog or trick other people, you come to me and I slice the head off that puppy and you feel so much better!

AR: So how is a relationship a crucible? That sounds scary as hell.
PG: Relationship as a crucible means that you don’t do this fairy tale thing of “acquiring” a relationship and then passing out back to sleep. It means staying conscious within the relationship, and being willing for it to “burn” the patterns in you that no longer serve you. It means looking deeply at the other person as a mirror and using that mirror to look at where you can be a better version of yourself.

AR: Yes! I find the deepest work I do is often in partnership. It’s like boot camp. No hiding! Wanna give us an example of what this can look like?
PG: Sure. Right now in my own relationship (I am getting married in October) I am working on a pattern where I try to fix him when he is down because his pain makes me really uncomfortable. So instead of letting him have his experience, I do things that would make him feel better. That sounds like the “nice” thing to do but it is not the “kind” thing to do. The thing to do is focus on myself, support him how he wants to be supported and not need him to be any way other than how he is.

As I started to look more deeply at it, I was like “Why do I do that? Where does that pattern originate?” It comes from childhood and being afraid that things going wrong were my fault and not wanting to get in trouble. But if I fixed it then that meant I did something good! It’s a rescuer pattern where I get personal validation that I am a good person by making him feel better.

But if we are practicing being conscious, then I have robbed him of his down which it is NECESSARY for him to get through himself to get to the freedom on the other side. By trying to help him feel better, (i.e. distract him from his feelings or helping him cover them with yummy things like a chocolate milkshake) I have helped him numb out and I have kept him from feeling what he needs to feel. So I notice it and then I actively practice doing something different so I can shift that piece of myself internally. It’s a practice.

Holy fuck relationships as path to enlightenment perri gorman alexandra roxo on The Numinous

AR: I love this, and I’ve been on both sides of this same coin. Allowing the uncomfortable is tough. People are always looking to “be ok.” But I wonder if some of us are avoiding the shadow. The truth. The messy side. Hiding under a mask of “zen.”
PG: We all have masks and patterns, which is why relationships as reflection from others is so important. I surround myself with people who can penetrate my defenses so the truth can get through. Of course we avoid it. I don’t think that I ever said “Oh hey, I want to be awake and spiritual.” I was a fucking walking ball of chaos and destruction, and I had no choice. It was transform or die. I had to learn how to use all the energy. For others, they feel dead inside or their relationships don’t work or they are bored. In this sense, it’s like we all have different locks that require a different key.

***

So there you have it. Perri always pisses me off with our work, but then she breaks me down and then I cry and feel so happy and see the light!  It’s an amazing process if you surrender to it.

And next up from Perri: self-love. Something I think gets misunderstood A LOT. Self-love doesn’t just mean treating yourself to a mani pedi. It means cutting off toxic relationships. Releasing self-judgment. Body shame. Sexual shame. Owning your voice. Standing up for your needs. Creating healthy boundaries. Self-love is deep. I’m still learning it more and more everyday.

Perri’s new experience, PRESENCE, is all about coming home to yourself through the path authentic self-love. Not in the “everything needs to be good and nice” kind of way, more like “I will sit here with you through it all—good or bad”—something she admits has been one of the most challenging practices for her, and so a major focus of her own healing journey.

Registration for PRESENCE opens August 1 for a limited time. To sign-up, and to learn more about Perri Gorman and her work visit: Theschoolofalchemy.com

FEMININE ESSENCE: THE POWER OF LILY HEALING

Reclaim your femininity and embrace your personal power with the aid of lily healing, says Camilla Blossom BishopArtwork: Dasha Lyskovets

lily healing

I am a flower whisperer. And recently I have been hearing the voice of the lilies—the feminine flowers of rebirth—whose message is for us is to create our own lives, and in doing so create a new Earth. Lily healing wants us to treasure our unlimited creative potential and reclaim our feminine nature as sacred.

The power to create is the most beautiful energy on the planet—and it’s potent. Creation energy is a powerful force for good, and our bodies thrive when we express our creativity, artistically or otherwise. The lilies want us to celebrate this!

Lily healing and the lily flower deva, or spiritual icon, is inviting in a new way—a kinder, gentler, more loving and compassionate time. She wants to co-create with us to anchor new fields of expression on our planet, new paradigms. To allow our feminine intuitive selves to take the lead. And when our intuitive and feeling sense is the guiding force, nothing can be forced into being. Only presence will work in as we call in these new earth energies.

Lily power is gentle, subtle, fluid, and graceful. She works like a water Goddess to purify our emotional waters, especially regarding our sexuality, since sexuality and creativity go hand-in-hand. She can help us clear shame, guilt, and grief by connecting our heart and essential innocence with our sexuality.

I believe the lilies have chosen to speak to me now since our societies are missing important vibrational yin frequencies. For how can we express our true selves without access to our full sensual creative power? We can’t.

And the lilies want to help. Lilies bloom to remind us to take full reins of our self expression. To begin expressing ourselves to ourselves—and to then allow this to expand naturally out in the world. Accept this invitation and you will exude feminine self-love and self-worth.

Lilies blanket hills, hide in dark forests, and survive and thrive in severe weather conditions of Oregon where I live. Below are the messages these wild lilies asked me to pass on to you…

lily healing

“Lilies give women permission to be women.”
Stop waiting for others to reassure you, notice you, or tell you how. You have PERMISSION to express YOU…even if others around you aren’t. Spend time feeling your own essence, listening to your womb, asking your heart what it needs, and following your intuitive guidance. Go within. Enjoy your unique feminine expression.

“Tears are your medicine.”
When I first met Avalanche Lily, a delicate white lily with petals that splay back, it was raining. All her petals were drooping with tears of rain. I felt so sad. I sat down on the wet forest floor and wept. Hard. Like the grief of womanhood had caught up with me. My frozen avalanche tears were thawing out and flowing again. This lily helped me cry. Avalanche Lily want you to cry, too. Let your tears flow. Let go of grief. Tears awaken your beautiful heart and purify your soul.

“Create! Women, Create!”
Bright orange with brown spots, the Tigress lily led me to tribal belly dancing to open up my hips and creative 2nd chakra. Tiger Lily tells you to fire up your sexual creative expression. Get those hips moving. Be wild, untamed, free.

“Create the life you want. You have the power to do this!”
I was hesitant to enter a relationship with Trillium because I was resistant to my own power. Trilliums are the midwife’s flower and hold the power of rebirth. Soul rebirth is never easy. Trillium holds you like a midwife when your soul is in labor pains. She whispers in your ear to keep going…you are birthing your sacred feminine nature. There is no going back. Let her energy move you along. It’s worth it. You’re worth it. Keep going.

“You can release the sins of our fathers.”
Queen Bead Lily is a stunning white beauty that glows in the dark forest at night. I was told: “Use this flower for the sins of our fathers.” It’s medicine has been a Goddess-send. The Queen helps you cleanse abuse trauma and cellular memory from your body with great compassion and unconditional love. Create a space of love so trauma can be released. Queen Bead Lily can offer you her compassionate presence and love.

“Do not be afraid to take up space.”
I was guided to drive up to Mt Hood when I spotted a statuesque white and pink lily. Mt Hood Lily’s heady fragrance is a delight. This glorious wild lily tells you: Be large. Take up lots of space and claim your full-sized energetic self. Make lots of room around yourself so your creativity can blossom. Spread your arms wide and say: this is my creative space! Be a glorious BIG woman.

lily healing

***

Lily’s spirit is like an angel, and the lily devas will assist anyone who asks. To connect with her spirit yourself, meditate and ask the lily deva for an energetic transmission. Allow your body to receive her healing energy frequencies. Smell lily flowers, take lily flower essences, grow them in your garden, or visit them in the forest. Make lily art, poetry, books, dances, songs, and creative projects to connect with her more.

The lilies celebrate our rebirth. They celebrate our sacred bodies and the creative space we claim. The lilies offer their medicine and messages to help us realign with our innate feminine nature and self-worth. When we honor our beauty, we create a new world full of blossoming lilies. Our fragrance lingers on and touches all those who want to celebrate and reclaim the sacred feminine too.

Camilla Blossom Bishop is a catalyst for the mystical, an empath, fairy shaman, and flower essence alchemist. She has written and taught widely since 1997. She connects deeply with the spirit of nature and fosters relationship with the lands, waters, plants, nature spirit, devas, Ancestors, and nature elementals. Camilla’s products, including the White Lily Essence, are available at her on-line ETSY Shop: NatureSpiritMedicine.Or visit CamillaBlossom.com.

STRONG EYE ASTROLOGY: WEEK OF JULY 25—29

A symbolic reading of this week’s cosmic climate for your sign, direct from the third eye of Sandra Sitron—a.k.a.Strong Eye Astrology

strong eye astrology leo symbolism sunflower on The Numinous

Leo :: Leo Rising
Noticing all the tiny seeds inside a sunflower. Can you count the grains of sand in the world? Can you count the stars in the sky? This week has you vacillating between feeling so in love with the bigness of the universe and feeling frozen in the details. Hold true to the knowing of your infinite self. Ride the wave even if it feels as if it isn’t going anywhere. The more that you pay attention to that flame of intuition deep inside of you, the better you will be able to decide what to do. Travel and exploration are about to become less erratic, giving you time to catch your breath and make necessary internal changes. In the coming months, you may be more focused on your finances. These shifts are beginning this week and it may feel dizzying momentarily, the way it feels when you’ve been spinning in circles and then suddenly stop. Give yourself a moment to catch up with your new tempo. Be wary of self-criticism. Simply allow. Find a cozy seat in the sun and count the seeds, pondering the perfection of life.

Virgo :: Virgo Rising
A bird taking flight. Like the bird, you may feel as if you can shift into another plane of experience. From the land to the air. From the mind to the heart. From frenzy to stillness. From upheaval to understanding. Over past weeks, your deepest waters have been churned. Meaning, some major emotions have been coming to the surface. Now you have a moment to process. You are shifting into fluency with some of the issues that have been rising up. You are moving to a plane of deeper understanding. In the coming weeks, your greatest gift and challenge will be your mindset. Whenever your brain tells you that you are separate, remind yourself that you are connected. Be analytical and refine your world, yet do it from a place of acceptance. Allow the new understanding that you are acquiring to fly from your heart to your mind and back again.

Libra :: Libra Rising
A river, current moving quickly. You are zipping into motion. It’s lovely when the lists get made, the ideas get shared, and the people come together. Rally your team. Find the power of your master-mind group. Share those ideas. Flow fast like the river and pick up leaves and sticks and feathers along the way. Carry and be carried. Co-operate with the weather and the topography. And then, at mid-week the massive changes that have been rocking your relationship realm slow down and start to be processed more internally. The top of the river stills and underground springs bring in new cold, fresh, pure water. At the end of the week your river pools into a lake and you float. You drift as the understanding of the past month sinks into your bloodstream and your cells. The pain is processed and understood and transferred into the symbolic realm of your subconscious mind. The symbols of the subconscious mind rise up for review, are pondered and dissolve back into the primordial lake of your being.

Scorpio :: Scorpio Rising
Seeing the depth of an ocean in the eyes of another. You. Them. As you share a gaze, your reflections repeat infinitely in each other’s eyes. The understanding of humanity that you have been working for over the last two+ years has come to a point of crescendo. Through the realest of real experiences, you have been digging to learn all about human motivation, human pain, human merging. It’s been real. It’s sometimes been down-on-the-ground-big-tears-and-pillow-punches real. A lot of it has been centered around your #1 way to learn— relationships.
Now all of those intense emotions find themselves outlet in your career and in your health. What can you do with what you’ve learned? What do you do with your greatest gift— being able to hold space while others shy away? And how do you take care of yourself? Get a grip on your body. Hold your own space as you hold space for others. You’ll have a little time here to reflect and soon the intensity will ease off. So take the cue to position your watery body in the physical world. Make manifest.

Sagittarius :: Sagittarius Rising
Hay drying in the sun. Make hay while the sun shines. Take action early in the week. Get out there and maximize the resource that you have available—the Sun is shining and the grass is abundant. Action and expansion are what will make you feel in alignment. What is the “hay?” Seeking new philosophies, physical or mental explorations, break-throughs, actions, travel, relishing in the abundance of nature, following the path of truth, forming opinions, taking risks. In other words, shooting your arrow and following to see where it lands. At the end of the week, don’t discount your creative urges. Follow them like a beacon of light. They will lead you to internal break-throughs.There is also some friction around this time that causes you to examine your subconscious stories. If you feel paralyzed by a decision, it’s a clue to go deep into your beliefs around that topic. What is really holding you back? By the weekend, thoughts move to your career, so it makes sense that you’ll be doing your explorations first. You will be entering a phase of more responsible and analytical thinking about work. This “small-picture” way of thinking isn’t always comfortable for you. Prepare yourself by fostering an optimistic mindset and go make that hay.

Capricorn :: Capricorn Rising
Eating flowers. Nourish yourself with kindness, compassion, and gentleness. You are so often on the go, working, building and climbing. This is your time to learn about gentleness, and let that flow into loving-kindness for yourself and others. Early this week focus on nourishing and supporting yourself in your grounded way. This kind of self-care prepares you for merging in union with another person, which is another part of the current theme. Around the end of the week you may experience some frustration around being unable to take action in your greater community. Or it could be that intense feelings are overflowing. Is there something that you are finally able to grieve? Keep eating those flowers, feeding yourself beauty and grace. By the weekend, thoughts move to the bigger picture and things become more clear.

Aquarius :: Aquarius Rising
Skipping stones. A lot of things in your life are catching air. Air is connective- bringing together people and ideas. This week you are actively learning about a relationship. There is some easy energy here— just as long as you stay open-minded. The moment you shut down or try to maintain the status quo is the moment you lose out. Keep skipping. Stay in movement. At the end of the week, there may be some friction in your career. Try to aim for “assertive” and “boundaries.” At the same time, the door opens for you to shift your earliest beliefs about learning, thinking and communicating. You could be attracting powerful, genius-level downloads, (aka inspired ideas.) The question is— will you notice? It will be super subtle. Pay attention to your dreams. The Inventor archetype is strong within you, but she will be going incognito for a few months to do some very important inner work around how you think and communicate. Don’t lose her trail!

Pisces :: Pisces Rising
Swimming laps in a pool. Back and forth. Back and forth. This is your moment to add structure and repetition to your repertoire. Urge yourself to form healthy habits. You are supported in making changes. If they are the right changes, you can get them to stick. You need to be gentle with yourself as you form the new habits that you need. Put in place special buffers and transitions. You aren’t always great with “hard and fast” habits, so focus on moderation and flexibility. Create habits that are firm but fluid. You are so good at adapting that it almost makes sense for you to focus on the structure around how you create the habit then the habit itself. Utilize the power of your incredible subconscious mind. The tool of hypnosis is wonderful for this. At end of week a desire to explore or do something rash, may lure you away from your methodical habit building project. Keep swimming back and forth and as you nourish your physical body you will naturally build health that allows you to explore and make mental leaps into new territory.

Aries :: Aries Rising
Walking on a long hike. You are making progress and taking action. This is a time for your creativity to flourish. Try to receive recognition for your self-expression. Take just a little solo time to center yourself in your spirit—what do you want to create? Early in the week, you have energy, so use it to do things that are simultaneously joyful and expressive. Mental stimulation abounds, so keep a journal of great ideas as they flow in. At end of week the tone becomes more inward, you will be working with your emotions. There may be relationship friction as you reconcile your own needs with those of another person. This is a good time to remind yourself of the concept of ego. Around Friday, start asking yourself where you can let go of ego in your decisions and reactions. By doing this, you open up a lot of mental space for yourself. You are entering a chapter of internal personality shifts. This will be a slightly less erratic time and the changes will be more subtle then they have been. So listen to your inner self with a trained and sensitive ear. Walk on your path in a contemplative state, checking in periodically to see where you ready to grow.

Taurus or Taurus Rising
Snow angels. Get down on the ground and make magic. This week your home and family take on great importance. Your foundation takes on great importance. Early in the week focus on centering yourself and nourishing your inner child. As you do, you may find that you make a subconscious break-through. Something about how you take care of yourself and how you feel safe cracks open and you gain new understanding. This is the magical part. This is the part where you transcend and shift from a space that was in the fog to one that is out in the open. This is when you make an angel appear out of the snow. It’s especially important that you nurture your innermost self, because you may find that a relationship needs your attention by the end of the week. And relationships are best attended to when you are secure and self-love is abundant. So fill up your cup. Remember the concepts “patience” and “flexibility.”

Gemini :: Gemini Rising
A bullfrog’s call. Shout it out. Communicate. The group needs your knowledge. We need to know where you are. You may find yourself inspired by your larger community, so connect. Push your thoughts toward the future, your own or the collective’s. This is where the fertile swamp of ideas awaits, dear froggy. Then just pluck inspiration out of the air like flies. What evolution is coming next? You’ve tackled land and water, what plane of existence awaits? This is a mentally active time for you. Learn fast, contemplate and communicate. Just make sure that you don’t hop around too much. At end of week there is friction that inspires you to improve the practical aspects of your life. Take care of your body and bring your daily habits into alignment.

Cancer :: Cancer Rising
Holding a beating heart. You are meant to take action that comes from a heart-centered place. You are the one holding the heart, so you hold the responsibility to make a change. This change has to do with work and security. If you are unclear about what this change is, connect with your intuitive heart-center to find out. Name your feelings. Understand where they come from. Focus on nurturing yourself, so that you are strong enough to work and build. You have a strong urge to build, but when you try to create a structure, especially at work, the result may be erratic right now. This may feel frustrating. By the end of the week, the shifts you want to make become less erratic but more mysterious. You’ll have to dig a little deeper to see what needs to change in your career. Keep coming back to groundedness. Keep coming back to security. Hold your heart firmly and remind yourself that you are safe. Bear witness to your innermost workings. Build from a place of internal alignment. Open to your own inner wisdom.

To book a reading with Sandra email her at hello@strongeyeastrology.com or visit Strongeyeastrology.com

A SENSORY EXPLORATION OF LEO SEASON

Leo season is an invitation to shimmy onto the dancefloor and unleash your realness, say Cara George & Bess Matassa of Mojave Rising

mojave leo season on The Numinous
Kali Uchis

Leo season grabs us by both hands and pulls us onto the dance floor to shake and shimmy with the sweet sensation that all we have to do is become more of what we already are. Yet the fluorescent feline’s secret jewel box lies buried within the deliciously difficult feeling that when we show up as ourselves, absolutely and completely, sometimes we dance alone, lit only by the fire of our realest, most generously unapologetic essence.

We’re not for everyone—but we cannot be for anyone if we’re not for ourselves. So turn it on, turn it up, and shine your light as you step into the strobe-lit center of your own incandescent value, powered by the sheer deliciousness of being. The message, glamourama glitter kittens, is that it’s alright to trust this life, even when it leaves us to bask alone in our own glow. Because we’ve got to let it show and it’s time for the world to know.

The keyword: Realness

The song lyrics: “What you find/What you feel/What you know now/To be real”—Cheryl Lynn, To Be Real. And check out our Leo season playlist, complete with bubblegum pop, heart-on-sleeve anthems, and glittering grooves.

Leo season mojave rising on The Numinous
Leo lady Cara Delevigne

The color palette: Fully saturated jewel tones and glowy, sun-kissed shades—think gold lamé, mouthwatering magentas, and torrid corals.

The style: Lisa Frank and a Vegas showgirl vacation in the tropics—think over-the-top sparkles, shine, fluff, bronzer, silliness, sex and, of course, rainbow leopard print.

The scents and flavors: Sunbaked and succulent—think juicy tomatoes, citrus collisions, tropical infusions, and ice cream dreams. Think coconut La Croix, gourmand scents, Caprese salad, and creamsicles.

mojave rising

The healing: It’s glamorously direct and deliciously simple—go for rollerskating, drugstore makeovers, beachfront carnivals, shared popsicles, or anything that offers full, earnest immersion in the precious present.

SENSUOUS INVITATION OF THE MONTH :: UN-GUILTY PLEASURES (by sign, below)

With this month’s pack of Leo planets beckoning us to become more completely ourselves than ever before, and Mars finally out of retrograde and moving from Scorpio into Sagittarius, we’re being asked to recommit to what turns us on and lights us up, even when our pleasures might be perceived as “uncool.”

This month, we invite you to abandon “good” taste and strip the supposedly guilty of its guilt as you dive heart first into the gaudy, tacky, sentimental, and over-the-top. Start with the suggestions below and then let your imagination run absolutely wild into pure, guileless pleasure, no matter its reputation.

mojave rising leo season on The Numinous
Nicki Minaj

::  ARIES ::
Leo season invites you to infuse your stripped down, embattled spirit with some larger-than-life glamorama and tenderized sweetness. Un-guilty Pleasure: Talk about love and feel it all with Celine Dion’s heart-wrenching, vocal acrobatics.

:: TAURUS ::
Leo season invites you to savor ephemeral pleasures that can’t be tied down or objectified, and to trust so deeply into your worth that you have nothing to lose. Un-guilty Pleasure: Divine the cosmic messages in lottery tickets, happy meal prizes, and boardwalk palm readers just like you would a serious tarot session with a seasoned professional.

:: GEMINI ::
Leo season invites you to utilize your endless penchant for information gathering to playfully and emotionally relate to others’ stories. Un-guilty Pleasure: Old-school slumber parties complete with Cosmo quizzes and rounds of “Never Have I Ever.”

:: CANCER ::
Leo season invites you to own your need for retreat and not wait for permission to feed the secret parts of your soul. Un-guilty Pleasure: Slip away and tuck yourself in with a solo Snuggie and Yankee candle.

:: LEO ::
Leo season invites you to glow, glam, and shine without worrying about who’s watching. Un-guilty Pleasure: Break out the bedazzler and blue eyeshadow and take yourself out for a romantic Olive Garden pasta dinner for one.

:: VIRGO ::
Leo season invites you to step into the scorching-hot spotlight as you rightfully claim full credit for your behind-the-scenes labors. Un-guilty Pleasure: Karaoke lounge night without opting for the private room; think ABBA, Barry Manilow, and beyond.  

:: LIBRA ::
Leo season invites you to trade the shoulds for the wants as you release into multiple versions of the ideal. Un-guilty Pleasure: Challenge your sense of acceptable aesthetics as you celebrate inspirational kitten and sunset photos, colored bras under white shirts, or even toe rings.

:: SCORPIO ::
Leo season invites you to find the juicy humor in your emotional intensity without having to scale it back one single bit. Un-guilty Pleasure: Binge on soap operas and reality shows where the drama runs high; think Melrose, The O.C., and The Real Housewives.

:: SAGITTARIUS ::
Leo season invites you to relax fully in the present moment of courageous creation without having to imbue it with philosophical meaning or needing to sniff out what may be next in line. Un-guilty Pleasure: Get wild and weird with jazzercise, prancercise, square dancing, or line dancing.

:: CAPRICORN ::
Leo season invites you to suspend some of your hard-earned perspective for the deliciously innocent belief that you’re worthy of being adored without having to exercise any effort. Un-guilty Pleasure: Adorn your living space with some Liberace-style “palatial kitsch”: gold- plated picture frames, red velvet lamps, and pink cherubic statues.

:: AQUARIUS ::
Leo season invites you to feel fully into the arduous heat of passionate attachments and let them burn and burn. Un-guilty Pleasure: Start a Nicholas Sparks’ book club and cry your damn eyes out with the ephemeral human beauty of it all.

:: PISCES ::
Leo season invites you to assert yourself completely without needing to ask permission. Un-guilty Pleasure: Clear the dance floor with a show-stopping boogie down to the smooth, mellow sounds of Michael McDonald’s yacht rock.

MY MYSTICAL LIFE: EARTH MAGICK WITH MY MOON SISTERS

Earth magic, moon magick, astro magick and the magick of sisterhood…so so so so much magick to report this week!

With my retreat co-creators, Elyssa Jakim and Alexandra Roxo Maha Rose North on The Numinous
With my retreat co-creators, Alexandra Roxo and Elyssa Jakim

:: MONDAY ::
Still high / nursing a slight vulnerability hang-over following our Re-Write Your Love Story retreat upstate with Maha Rose North. If you saw my IG post Monday morning you’ll have got an idea of just how transformative the experience was for all involved. And I’m not gonna share too many details here (what happens on retreat stays on retreat, y’all!), EXCEPT to tell you about the moment we made actual freaking Earth magick.

Cut to Saturday night, and we’re ready to purge some of our old love stories around a crackling bonfire out in the forest, and we gather beneath the trees to a rumble of thunder and distant flash of lightening in the rapidly darkening sky. One by one, we begin to throw our old stories, our out-dated patterns, and our most deep-seated fears into the fire. Once we’ve all gone, we hold hands and a peaceful silence descends on our circle. The fire gently smolders, and another clap of thunder tells us the storm is getting closer.

Then, a lone voice opens the releasing up again, sparking a new wave of purging into the fire—purging of societal shit, of global shit, of deep, deep, deep ancestral shit. And as our words becomes more raw, more vulnerable, and more elemental, the first drops of rain begin to fall. Soft at first, and steadily building until the trees above can no longer shelter us. “I release not feeling lovable enough to be a powerful woman in the world.” “I release…the Rules.” “I release all hatred towards my body.”

It’s the last one that sets it off, and the heavens open, sending a deluge of water cascading down on us, washing the ashes of our words back into the Earth. I can’t contain a whoop of joyous laughter, and I look up to the sky, shouting: “THANK YOU FOR HEARING US!” Goddess responds with another huge smack of thunder, and we all lose it—laughing and sobbing and whooping, before finally running for shelter, fully electrified by the experience of what felt like communing live and direct with Mama Earth!

Like I said, real deal Earth magick in action. And, I now believe with every cell in my being, available to each and every one of us when we show up and give it up as our purest, most vulnerable, unadulterated animal selves.

ruby warrington alexandra roxo elyssa jakim maha rose north the numinous retreat
The posing before the storm…

:: TUESDAY ::
Speaking of feeling connected to the Cosmos, today’s Capricorn Full Moon (marking a culmination point in finance and career for me—due to my Sagittarius Rising and Aries Sun signs) saw me banking the second and final payment for the advance on my book. This, after last month’s Sagittarius Full Moon (lighting my houses of self-image and publishing) was the day I submitted the edited draft of my manuscript/memoir. Confirming my belief that the more closely you align yourself with your soul path as written in your stars (i.e. your birth chart), the more closely the stars align themselves with YOU.

:: WEDNESDAY ::
Did I mention that my retreat sisters (Alexandra Roxo and Elyssa Jakim) and I were also all bleeding together over our weekend upstate? “We’re in the Red Tent,” Elyssa nodded wisely Sunday morning—the night after our bonfire. And today when I met with Alexandra Derby, who facilitated the actual Red Tent ceremony I attended last summer, and who’s Cosmic Cycle tincture system I am crediting with finally (like, for the first time in my life) regulating my menstrual flow, we were wearing almost identical red dresses AND she was on her moon time too! Seems like the Numi tribe is synching up. OBVIOUSLY.

:: THURSDAY ::
A trip to Connecticut to experience forest bathing—a.k.a. a guided meditative walk through the woods, a.k.a. the Japanese art of Shinrin-yoku. New to the spa menu at the fancy Mayflower Grace hotel, research in Japan has shown that regular walks among deciduous trees shows increased scores for vigor, attentiveness, relaxation, friendliness, self confidence and clearing one’s mind—as well as decreased the scores for hostility, boredom, depression, anger, fatigue and confusion.

Oh, and it fights cancer and stuff too. The major reason for these findings is the presence of phytoncides in deciduous forests—particles produced to help plants & trees protect themselves from harmful insects and germs, which also decrease stress hormone levels and improve immunity. The forest “bath”? A slow, meandering stroll among our friends the trees, taking extra time to stop and smell the…phytoncides. Bliss. Book at www.gracehotels.com/mayflower

:: FRIDAY ::
OMG and there’s yet more Earth magic to come, as today I’m getting excited for OBONJAN! Read all about it here, but Obonjan is a summer-long music and wellbeing festival taking over a private island in Croatia, where I’ll be giving a talk on how to Get High On Your Own Supply next Saturday. They’ve also invite some of my favorite Numi friends + fam to be part of the experience, and so I’m also looking forward to some hang time with Alexandra Roxo (again, yay!), the New Age Hipster, Jayne Goldheart, Morgan Yakus and Shauna Cummins, and the guys from She’s Lost Control. Come join us! I’m only staying a week, but the island is open from July 28—September 6. You can find all the booking details here.

obonjan island trees logo on The Numinous

EMPOWERED ACTION IN THE FACE OF TRAUMA

Recent world events have stirred up many emotions. Louise Androlia shares her wisdom on how to use our feelings as a catalyst for empowered action…. Images: Katya Volpato

empowered action people hugging by Katya Volpato on The Numinous

Recent world events have left many of us feeling traumatized, whether or not we’ve been directly affected by acts of mass violence. These are turbulent times, and having been working on my own path to trauma recovery recently, I feel called to share some thoughts on how to work on being present in reality—but at the same time not becoming immobilized by fear.

At the root of it all, whether facing our own crisis or confronted with mass crisis, the difficult art to master is that it is safe to feel our feelings and continue to connect, especially when we feel as though it would be wiser to shut down.

The strong emotions being stirred up among switched on communities now are actually a valuable call to action. Here are some ways we can use them—while avoiding losing our connection to our highest selves, or getting swept up in the hype.

THE EMOTION: Overwhelmed
THE GUIDANCE: You can’t save the whole world at once
THE EMPOWERED ACTION: Focus your attention

Pick something you currently feel very passionate or perhaps frightened about, and then learn and feel your way through it. Endless browsing through social media feeds may make you feel more frustrated because you also end up reading the comments, which can lead to yet more overwhelm. Instead, choose to focus on your chosen subject and learn all you can. Yes this will be hard if you are used to endless scrolling—because as well as learning, you are re-training your mind to be present.

THE EMOTION: Fear
THE GUIDANCE: Catastrophizing only fuels the fears
THE EMPOWERED ACTION: Get involved in local politics and community

Looking on Facebook lately, all I’ve seen is people screaming into the Internet abyss about the apocalypse and giving fuel to their own fear and sadness in the process. This helps no one, including you. So look at how you can actually get involved within your community, and if you don’t see anything obvious, start something. It is so easy to just say ‘Fuck the world’. But this is not the time to give up. It’s time to shout louder, IRL, and to remember your voice and your vote DOES count.

THE EMOTION: Anger
THE GUIDANCE: Do not fight fire with fire
THE EMPOWERED ACTION: Feel your anger; then channel it into positive action

The elements can always teach us something—for example, anger is a fire element emotion, while compassion and feelings are water element emotions. And you don’t put out a forest fire by setting another part of the forest on fire! Action, and so activism, is a positive channel for anger, and if what’s needed now is more of the water element, become an activist for love, compassion, equality, empathy, and connection.

empowered action people hugging by Katya Volpato on The Numinous

THE EMOTION: Grief
THE GUIDANCE: It is safe to feel your feelings
THE EMPOWERED ACTION: Explore and nurture your shadow side

Man of us are experiencing a huge collective sense of grief, coming in all forms, and for anybody not used to this emotion, this level of pain can seem very frightening to the mind, body and spirit. This is not a time to numb the pain, but instead an opportunity to dive deeper in your own self-inquiry practice. Checking out of reality serves no one, including you. Allow yourself to acknowledge and feel all the fears that have arisen recently and know that it is okay to do so. It can sometimes feel like our own personal crises are not ‘bad’ enough to warrant being the focus of our compassion—but ignoring your own pain will leave you unable to serve. By learning to compassionately address what is currently coming up for you, then you are actually helping to heal the collective and creating connection between yourself, your peers and those strangers you are really feeling for.

THE EMOTION: Helplessness
THE GUIDANCE: Re-connect to yourself
THE EMPOWERED ACTION: Take a media break

First of all, avoid watching or reading the mainstream news on a loop. Studies show that when we keep recycling the news over and over we are re-traumatizing constantly. And the more scared we feel, the more helpless we can feel. To be able to start being of service it is essential that we learn to reconnect to our selves, as once back in the present moment we feel more stable to help others. I’ve also lost count of how many people I hear saying they wish they could use social media less, as this can have a similar way of hooking us into judgment and fear, and distancing us from our own truths. The great news is…you can!

Some easy ways to start:

  • Leave your phone at home and go for a walk in your neighborhood.
  • Put your phone on airplane mode at night.
  • Create a ‘no social media after ***pm’ rule.
  • Log out of all your social media channels on your computer and phone. This means that when you go to use them you become aware that you have to login. This allows using them to become intentional.
  • Move your social icons on your phone to a folder and put it on the last page of scrolling. Again this means you CHOOSE when to look rather than it just being there.
  • Do not read the comments. I repeat DO NOT READ THE COMMENTS.

These small actions may feel massively uncomfortable, and if so, good. If you feel anxious without your phone, good. The present moment will continue to feel painful until you learn to be IN it. And look how much time you now have! What would you like to do with it? I suggest reconnecting to PLAY. Connecting with your inner child is another way to ease anxiety and help you reconnect to your natural energy of love and connection. When you refresh your true north, you are more likely to be able to shift your helplessness into self-love.

empowered action people hugging by Katya Volpato on The Numinous

THE EMOTION: Frustration
THE GUIDANCE: Express yourself in the way that works for you
THE EMPOWERED ACTION: Show don’t tell

It can be really hard to express yourself in a way that you feel helps, especially when you’re angry and upset. It’s good to remember that we rarely get our point across when we try and force it upon someone and so preaching doesn’t usually feel good. You will always feel better when you can express yourself articulately and if you find it difficult to feel confidence with expressing yourself with words, remember also that you can always just BE the change. We always positively affect those around us with our behavior. So think: what small steps can you take in your day-to-day life that will provide example of the kind of world you’d like to live in?

*** 

A Final Word on Black Lives Matter. Vs All Lives Matter.

This is an argument that’s been raging, and below are a few of my favorite simple ways to explain the situation to someone who is having trouble understanding. It is part of human nature to make everything about ourselves (regardless of the topic) since in times of trauma our survival instinct kicks in. But it’s important to learn to recognize that not EVERYTHING is about us. The more that we can see ourselves connected to everyone else, the more empathy we can ignite.

  • “When we say ‘Save the Rainforests’, it doesn’t mean that all other forests suck.”
  • “Choosing to go to a rally for Breast Cancer does not mean that Liver Cancer is less important.”
  • “Saving an animal that’s about to go extinct does not mean that other animals aren’t important, it just means that right now, this one needs our help.”
  • “Yes, of course all lives are important, but currently it doesn’t feel like black lives are as important as other lives—and until the world is equal, meaning ALL people receive the same level of kindness and judicial treatment, then we need to speak up.”
  • “Choosing to support black lives does not mean your life is any less significant.”

You get the idea.

PERIOD PRIDE: IT’S TIME TO LOVE YOUR LADY LANDSCAPE

Lisa Lister is the British witch and all around goddess at the forefront of the period pride movement. Ruby Warrington hears all about her new book, Love Your Lady LandscapeArtwork: Merakilabbe

love your lady landscape period pride art by merakilabbe on the numinous

The Numinous: Love Your Lady Landscape is a call to action for Now Age women. Tell us about it…
Lisa Lister: Well there was a time, roughly 5000 years ago, when the space between a woman’s thighs was considered a power portal with a direct hook up to Source. But for over 2,000 years now, the potent powers of our wombs, our cyclic nature and our menstrual cycles have been disregarded, and we’ve lost our daily connection to mumma earth, to the Moon, to the seasons and their cycles.

As a result, we often ignore our deepest needs as women because we no longer trust ourselves and our own body wisdom. We apologize for our tears, suppress our anger, and self-medicate with whatever will numb the pain of not being heard or telling our truth.

Worst of all, we have an epidemic of ‘down there’ pain and dis-ease—PMT, polycystic ovaries, endometriosis, fibroids. Overwhelm, anxiety and infertility are at an all-time high and we manage our menstrual bleed with synthetic hormones, denying ourselves the experience of living fully in our power.

So, Love Your Lady Landscape is about exploring, navigating and loving your lady parts. It’s about how to care for them, how to trust them and how to reclaim them.

TN: What is the number one thing a woman needs to understand about her period?
LL: That we are cyclic, not linear. Each month we try to maintain the same level of energy and productivity as our male counterparts throughout our whole cycle, so we can ‘compete’ and ‘keep up.’ But our energy, hormone levels and sex drive ebb and flow each month as we cycle through the four phases of the menstrual cycle—pre-ovulation, ovulation, pre-menstruation and menstruation.

Each of these phases hold super powers and hot spots and when we understand that we show up differently in each phase of our cycle, we are then able to use our menstrual cycle as a map to understanding ourselves better each and every month.

love your lady landscape period pride art by merakilabbe on the numinous

TN: Your previous book, Code Red was all about periods too. Why is this your pet subject?
LL: My entire 20’s were ruled by my menstrual cycle. I bled more days than I didn’t every cycle, I had to cancel social engagements ALL the time because I was too scared to bleed through my clothes, the pain was debilitating at times.

I also got myself a reputation as a total flake, because I was too embarrassed to say: ‘I can’t come out/to work/to the meeting because I’m bleeding through industrial super-size pads and my bed looks like a scene from the movie Carrie.’

So, when at 25 I was diagnosed with Endometriosis, there was a moment of relief. I had a name for it. Except in the very next breath the doctor said: ‘Endometriosis means that babies are no longer an option, so it makes sense that we whip out your womb and ovaries so you can function normally again.’

What???

For a moment I considered it, but, and I didn’t know the incredible power that we hold in our womb space at the time, this woke a fierce rage in me that meant I simply wasn’t going to let this happen. Instead, I read about other women who have endometriosis – each case was different – and most importantly, discovered that it didn’t necessarily mean I couldn’t have children. I then got extra mad at modern medicine’s quick fix ‘whip it out’ mentality, and for the last ten years I’ve been on an adventure to explore, navigate and most importantly, love my lady landscape.

And that work starts with the most powerful game-changer of all—knowing ourselves through our cycle.

 

TN: Why are periods a feminine ‘super power’?
LL: Our blood is GOLD. The actual act of bleeding used to be considered sacred and it was honoured by both men and women, from the first day you bleed through to the day you stop bleeding, you are a witch, a sorceress, an all powerful woman. You are a lightening rod for the divine, your womb is an oracle.

And when we work WITH our cycle and not against it, we have access to a series of feminine super powers all month, all of which can be leveraged and used to create a bloody amazing business, relationship and life. A concept I go into in detail in Love Your Lady Landscape!

Book

TN: So many women have irregular cycles. Why do you think this is?
LL: Many reasons, but some of the top ones are:

– As I said previously, when we try to do life in a linear way, we work against our cyclic nature and we suffer for it. Sometimes that will manifest instantly in the form of PMS, irregular cycles, cramps, heavy bleeding (all of which are our body’s way of trying to slow us down and pay attention) or over time in the form of anxiety, stress, depression and ‘lady-parts’ dis-eases like Endometriosis, PCOS, fibroids.
– We’re not listening to the wisdom of our bodies and our monthly cycle because we’re medicating her with synthetic hormones—the pill, implants, coils.
– We’ve not been taught what a ‘regular’ flow looks and feels like because menstruation is still seen as taboo subject. It’s spoken about in hushed tones and advertising teaches us to ‘stuff up’ our bleed with tampons so we can ‘carry on as usual’ partying, riding on boats and rollerskating in white jeans – this is shown as ‘normal’ when it’s anything but for most women.

TN: I love your term ‘called girl’ for a woman who’s in touch with her cycle—can you give an example of how this looks from your life?
LL: The Called Girl experiences life moment-to-moment. She’s in tune with the feminine cycles, rhythms and seasons that allow her to fully own her divine power. She works in, not out. She trusts herself and thoroughly enjoys inhabiting a female body.

A Called Girl doesn’t hold on too tight to a defined and specific outcome. Instead she shows up, roots into mumma earth, listens to her pussy, trusts her gut, raises her heart and boobs to the sun and remains open to the infinite possibilities that occur when you collaborate with what I call SHE.

I trust my body’s wisdom and the way that SHE (divine/source/goddess) uses my cycle to work through me. Each and every month in each and every phase, I unravel and unfold more and more understanding about the woman that I am.

This means I can grow strong and powerful roots in the truth of why I’m here, what I need to learn, who I’m here to serve and how I’m meant to do it—meaning I can fully rise as a woman who trusts herself and is fiercely in her SHE power. Rarrrr!

LISACrowned ‘the defender of female awesomeness’ by Cooler magazine, Lisa Lister is the author of Love Your Lady Landscape and Code Red. She’s a menstrual, fertility and reproductive health practitioner and founder of the SHE Flow system; a personal invite to celebrate the fiercely feminine, sensual pleasure of being a woman through movement, massage, mysteries and magic. Discover more at www.thesassyshe.com

 

HOW TO WORK WITH YOUR SPIRIT ANIMAL: A TOTAL GUIDE

Tap into the wisdom of the animal kingdom by learning how to work with your spirit animal, says Wolf SisterArtwork: Erin Petson

how to work with your spirit animal peacock art by Erin Petson on The Numinous

 

A spirit animal is a reflection of you, and is there to remind you of your inherent wisdom. They represent archetypal energies, typical traits that are personified by a specific creature. Acting as our allies, teachers, guides and protectors, if a spirit animal is showing up in your life, it has a message for you and wants to work with you.

Think, what are this animal’s strengths and how does it act? This is the message for you.

To work with your spirit animal is to step into the power you need most in any moment. This can help you feel more grounded, give you the confidence for a job interview, make you feel more alluring for a hot date or give you the strength to ask for help when you need it. Above all, it can help you to feel more confident, proactive and supported.

:: WHO IS YOUR SPIRIT ANIMAL? ::

Spirit animals have an energy you will resonate with and feel drawn to, sometimes inexplicably. This doesn’t have to be specific to an animal either, it could also be a deity, super hero or even a celebrity! Yes, you could count Beyonce or Mary Magdalene as your “spirit animal.” There will be something familiar about your animal, and they’re there to teach and guide you in a direction that supports you.

Maybe you already have a strong affinity with a particular spirit animal, but if you don’t feel like have the connection yet here are some tips to help you to activate your connection.

A Vision Quest
In the morning, take some time to meditate and invoke your spirit animal to show itself. Create a presence of awareness throughout the day and look out for signs that could represent your animal. Your spirit animal is likely appear to you in a series of synchronicities, where you may literally see it everywhere—on street art, the internet, magazines, books, posters, gifts you receive from friends, dreams or even a chance encounter with the animal itself.

When your animal wants to be seen, it’ll make sure you notice it so keep your eyes wide open. Journal your encounters as these encounters are all insights into what is being revealed to you. You may come into contact with more than one animal, but the animal you see most often is the most prominent message. Think of the additional animals as the supporting acts.

Meditate
You can connect with your spirit animal through meditation, while a guided shamanic journey will lead you to your animal and hold space for you to communicate more deeply with them. There are guided meditations available online (search: “spirit animal guided meditation”) and workshops that hold space for you to meet your spirit animal. Check event listings for sessions in your area.

Dreamtime
Before you go to sleep, ask your spirit animal to reveal themselves to you in your dream. Your intention could be, ” Spirit animal, who serves my highest and best good, please come to me in my dreams tonight. I am open to your wisdom. Thank you for your protection and guidance. You will be remembered in the morning.”

Repeat this invocation as you fall asleep. Make sure that you have a pen and paper by your bed for when you wake up in the morning, and write down what you remember as soon as you wake up and the memory of the dream is still fresh.

Oracle Cards
One of the quickest ways to connect with your spirit animal is to use an animal oracle deck (we love the Wild Unknown Animal Spirit deck). Connect with the deck and draw a card (or a few cards) to represent what serves you. You can take guidance from the reference book that accompanies the deck but I would also recommend journalling how this card makes you feel, use your intuition to find the meaning. Meditate on the card and see what messages come through to you from the unseen realm.

If you draw an animal that makes you feel uncomfortable, brings up a phobia or a feeling of dislike, this animal can represent your shadow side. This could symbolize something in the animal’s character that you’re avoiding in your life. Take this as an opportunity to tune in to what may need healing in your life. Remember, if this animal is showing up for you, it is there to be seen, and it’s because you are ready. Even if you don’t think you are…

how to work with your spirit animal giraffe art by Erin Petson on The Numinous

:: HOW TO WORK WITH YOUR SPIRIT ANIMAL ::

Act Like Your Animal
Use the animal’s instinct as a guide for what action you need to take. How does your animal think and act?

Here are a few examples: Stand strong and committed like the bear. Be sensual and independent like the cat. Do some Vinyasa yoga to connect with your flexibility like the snake. Howl at the moon to embody the wolf. Share your wisdom as a teacher like the owl. Seize an opportunity like the magpie.

Check out youtube or some David Attenborough documentaries to study the characteristics of your animal. Have fun with how you embody your animal, no-one else needs to know, and watch to see how people respond to you after you’ve been channeling the ways of your animal.

Dress Like Your Animal
Wear the colors and patterns of your animal to connect with their spirit. This can be a subtle act, for example wearing leopard print underwear to honor your inner wild cat. Let your hair loose to unleash the lion in you. Think of black as the color of mystery and transformation. If your animal is colorful then it’s a sure sign that you need to been seen.

Eat Like Your Animal
Food nourishes us and gives us energy. Animals use food to do this in the purest way, no fad-diets! They forage or hunt for what their body needs and eat specifically to adapt to their environment. Use the dietary habits of your animal as a guide for what will nourish you at the moment. If your animal is a herbivore, try a plant-based diet and see how your body feels. Birds have a very fast metabolism to enable them to stay light so that they can fly, eating little and often. Maybe the message is simply that you take time to slow down to eat.

Meditate With Your Animal
Using a guided meditation, journey to connect with your spirit animal. Ground yourself and when you’ve connected with your animal, visualize the animal’s energy merging with yours. Feel yourself integrating its strength and wisdom. Set the intention to embody the animal’s empowerment for the day ahead. Working with animals is very grounding, so know that your energy will be protected by the animal as it serves you.

Animals are wise and gentle guides. They haven’t forgotten their connection with earth and with us, and they need our help to protect and heal our planet. As always, the healing journey begins with us. This is an invitation to call on your natural superpowers and work with animal instinct to create the change in your life that you’ve been waiting for.

HONOR + PROTECT: A READING FOR THE 2016 CAPRICORN FULL MOON

The message of the Capricorn Full Moon is to create structures that allow you to honor and protect your most emotional self, says Sandra Sitron.

Capricorn full moon 2016 on The Numinous

We experience a Capricorn Full Moon on July 19th at 6:57pm EDT.

THE MOON AND ITS MESSAGE
“We can be parents to ourselves by adoring and providing for our own Inner Child. Let’s figure it out. Let’s help ourselves grow.”

A Full Moon always creates awareness between two opposite energies. And since it requires a lot of energy to expand into greater awareness, Full Moon vibes are always active, outward, and high-intensity.

The opposite energies involved in this Full Moon are: Sun in Cancer and Moon in Capricorn.

The ancient archetype of Cancer is Mother. Cancer teaches us to actively nurture. Cancer is focused on the personal and the private. Emotions, home and family.

The ancient archetype of Capricorn is Father. Capricorn shows us the importance of building structures and organizations that can function efficiently. This energy teaches how to prioritize what is important to us. Capricorn is focused on the formal and public. Career, institutions, society.

And so the polarities of this Capricorn Full Moon have to do with home vs. professional life, and emotion vs. rationality.

When I did a journey to understand the energy of this Full Moon more clearly, the symbol that came through was: A lizard half submerged in water.

The lizard reminds us to slip down into our emotional waters. To center ourselves in our inner truth, yet adapt to our environment. To find a way to be fluid in where there is structure. To become so efficient and effective that we can remain emotionally robust.

And so any time your actions out in the world feel at odds with your emotional needs during this Moon phase, lean in to what feels self-supportive instead. For example, if you are feeling overwhelmed remember you can always soothe yourself with empathetic words.

To find balance in the beam of this Capricorn Full Moon, call in archetypical Mother and Father energy.

Father: (Capricorn)
Protect yourself. Create structure in your life. Make sure you are safe and provided for.
Mother: (Cancer)
It’s all about nurture and love. Show yourself how cherished you are. Give yourself unconditional love.

***

URANUS IN ARIES
“We are training the vine in a new direction. We are wild, free and autonomous. We take bold action in service of our growth.

The Capricorn Full Moon also forms part of a T-square, with Uranus in Aries as the focal planet. The symbol that came through for this t-square aspect was: A duel in the wild west.

The Sun and Moon are in the signs that manage the emotional and the vocational. They are trying to reconcile with each other and are simultaneously in a tense aspect to Uranus in Aries—the planet of change in the sign of leadership. The energy of this moment is fraught. This intensity can feel like it leaves us with no option but to make hard and fast decisions, simply for the sake of survival. Impatience, and a desire to take action are running the show.

This aspect can feel like who you are and what you do are being questioned. It can feel like shifts need to be made immediately. Freedom becomes of utmost importance. I call this “eject button” energy. Something’s got to give and it’s got to happen now!

But whenever there is a T-square (which looks like an arrow in the sky, and holds both motivating and challenging energy) we can look to the sign that is unactivated to find resolution—the logic being that if three signs are activated, it’s like a table that has three legs and is missing the fourth. Thing’s are a little wobbly.

The signs that are activated right now are Cancer, Capricorn and Aries—while the unactivated sign (or missing table leg) is Libra.

Libra reminds us that relational skills are needed now. So to work with this Capricorn Full Moon, try to put yourself in other people’s shoes. Veer toward compassion. Communicate with diplomacy. If you get angry, go slow. Allow the adrenaline to subside before you speak. Unless you are facing a true emergency, know that you have time to breathe and decide rationally how to set a boundary.

***

MARS SEXTILE THE MOON
“We are comfortable with our light and our shadow. We support ourselves by allowing our emotions to flow.”

Action planet Mars is another supportive force for this Capricorn Full Moon. He makes a tender trine aspect to the Sun and a harmonious sextile to the Moon.

Mars is currently in Scorpio, reminding us that all the answers we are looking for are available when we dig deep. Go inward. Find the places in our body where old emotions have been stored. Mars in Scorpio gives us permission to let go. To cry. To go all the way down into our center, to where we feel feel grounded.

Feeling all the things we never let ourselves feel before actually helps us feel safe. To feel whole. It shows us that we are complete. This cathartic process of grieving and letting go is how we can mother ourselves through any conflicting emotions the Capricorn Full Moon may bring up at this time. Your job is to simply allow.

The symbol that came through for Mars sextile the Moon was: A magical cloak that can transport us to faraway lands.

Maybe there is some tool or technique you can use to heighten your experience in this world. Look around. Is there something you can utilize that’s actually right next to you? Something that can help you better navigate your emotional state? It may be a mindset, a meditation, a favorite healer, yoga practice or book. Open you eyes, your heart and your mind, and it will be be easy to find and emotionally supportive.

The symbol that came through for Mars Trine the Sun was: A very young tree growing straight toward the Sun.

This image helps us remember that we find true alignment in striving for our essential truth and nourishing our root system. If you are looking for motivation, pay attention to your emotions. Make peace with limiting beliefs around your family and ancestral system, where you came from. Make sure that you are tenderly telling yourself the whole truth about how you feel.

***

IN SUMMARY
During this Capricorn Full Moon phase, which will color the two weeks ahead of the August 1 Leo New Moon, make unconditional self-love your guiding principal—and choose your actions accordingly!

Protect and nurture yourself. Be loving toward yourself and create efficient structures designed to make you feel supported. Break free where you need to, but not at the cost of what you have so carefully built. Give yourself time. Through bravely investigating your emotions you will find relief and understanding. You will find your truth and discover new ways to protect it.

To book a private readig with Sandra email her at [email protected] or visit www.strongeyeastrology.com

FACE YOUR FEARS…AT A SEX, DRUGS AND DEATH RETREAT

Personal development can sky-rocket when you decide to face your fears—as Rose Surnow discovered on a sex, drugs and death retreat…

face your fears by rose surnow on The Numinous
Here’s me facing my fear of looking fierce AF.

I’m afraid of… basically everything. Swimming in a dark pool? What about sharks? Even though that’s impossible. Cute guy asks me on a date? He probably just wants to murder me and sell my pubic hair on Craigslist. Amazing job opportunity falls in my lap? It’s obviously a Ponzi scheme run by terrorists. So many fears, so little time!

Raised by intelligent but pathologically anxious parents, I was taught that the world is a land mine where nothing is safe. Wear a sweater! Wear a helmet! Wear a hazmat suit! Better yet, just don’t go outside. SOMETHING COULD HAPPEN. “Being Jewish is so relaxing,” said no one, ever.

So, it goes without saying I’d be terrified of things like sex, drugs and death. My greatest fear is probably having sex on drugs, and then dying. So, when I was invited to a mindfulness retreat called “The Taboo Weekend” to discuss these exact topics, I jumped at the chance. It was time to face some fears.

Organized by bohemian power-couple Michael Hebb and Angel Grant, the event is meant to help people open up about difficult subjects in order to live a more meaningful life. Hebb and Grant started the company Death Over Dinner, where they host dinner parties all over the world, to get people talking about death.

Held at a beautiful luxury retreat center in Atlanta, called the Inn at Serenbe the event was three days of discussion, meditation and reflection. And it was an incredible. I felt my heart break open a little more, my walls come down a couple inches, and my spirit get lighter and more free.

If you ever find yourself at the Taboo Weekend (which I highly recommend) or any retreat at all, check out my tips on how to get the most out of it. Because if I can get out of my fears and be present, literally anyone can.

:: PARTICIPATE FULLY ::
It’s easier to be a Skeptical Susan, judging life from the sidelines, than a Participating Pam. But Pam always wins in the end.

On the last day of the retreat we had a “sex lunch” which meant we sat in randomly assigned groups, ate fried chicken and took turns answering really personal questions about our sex lives. A dude in recovery confessed that sober sex was really intimidating. A beautiful blond talked about how her anti-depressants made climax impossible. And a hot German guy admitted that he didn’t like casual hook-ups and needed an emotional connection.

Everyone just spilled their insecurities like it was no big deal, and it was kind of an epiphany. Maybe our biggest insecurities aren’t that big of deal. Maybe we’re all just people doing the best we can trying to figure it out. I left that conversation feeling lighter than I have since I was a kid.

face your fears by rose surnow on The Numinous
This was our bangin’-ass hot tub where I met my retreat boyfriend.

:: GET IN THE HOT TUB ::
I think it was Shakespeare who said, “Hot things happen in hot tubs.” So get in already! (And, if your retreat doesn’t have a Jacuzzi, what the fuck are you even doing there?)

On the first night of my Taboo weekend, I ended up in a Jacuzzi with a group of cute, young people because, doy. Slowly, everyone left to go to bed until it was just me and this hot guy named Brian. HOW CONVENIENT. We looked at the stars for a while and pretended to ignore the implications of being the last ones left. Then he walked me to my hotel room where we made out until the sun came up.

The point is you could die at any moment, so get in the hot tub of LIFE and make-out with Brian. Sidenote: straight men who go on mindfulness retreats are amazing lovers. Slow, sensitive and sensual it almost makes up for every single dude you slept with in college.

:: INTERVIEW A HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR BUT, SOMEHOW MAKE IT ABOUT YOURSELF ::
The speaker who gave us a lecture about drugs was best-selling author, addiction expert and Holocaust survivor, Gabor Mate. Even though he’s 72 years old, he’s still fine as hell in that tormented Eastern European way. He looks like if Adrien Brody melted.

Gabor spoke a lot about the mind-body connection and if I can reduce his two-hour lecture to one sentence, it would be: Every problem in your life stems from not getting the love you needed as a child.

Obviously, that’s incredibly simplistic, but I can’t summarize his entire lecture here (but you should definitely watch his Ted Talk).

After hearing Gabor talk, I interviewed him about his life. I asked about his experience in Budapest during the Holocaust and then somehow we ended up talking about depression. Gabor has been on and off Prozac for decades, and I’ve been on Lexepro since I was 19. Then Gabor started asking me all these really personal questions about my life, my childhood, my family. Suddenly, I found myself crying about my parents’ divorce…when this motherfucker SURVIVED THE HOLOCAUST.

I’ve never felt more millennial: “Oh, your grandfather was murdered by Nazis. That sucks. My dad didn’t support my art!”

By the end of the conversation, Gabor had me smiling and laughing. “How do you feel now?” he asked me.

“I feel great, relaxed,” I said.

“That is your true essence,” he replied. “That is who you really are.”

Gabor thinking deep thoughts. face your fears on the Numinous
Gabor thinking deep thoughts.

:: STAY CALM WHEN A WOMAN GETS POSSESSED BY KUNDALINI YOGA SPIRITS ::
Weird things happen at New Age retreats. I was sitting in a small lecture with Gabor Mate when all of the sudden this woman started violently convulsing. Gasping for breath, jerking, and shaking, I thought for sure she was having a panic attack.

Apparently, she was experiencing some kind of “Kundalini episode.” Whatever it was, it was scary to watch. I was starting to feel a little panic-by-proxy, when Gabor started to calm her down.

“What’s going on, right now?

“I can’t control it,” she said.

“That’s okay. How are you feeling?” he asked.

“I’m embarrassed. I feel like I’m being too dramatic. I feel like I’m too much for people,” she cried as she flailed around.

Then Gabor asked us all to stand up and get out of our chairs and imitate her movements. “We will do it with you, so you’re not alone.” We started jerking and shaking and it was kind of fun. We looked like a group of white people trying to dance. Finally, she calmed down.

It was like magic. Gabor turned this weird, edgy experience, into a supportive, playful exercise. Everything was okay. She was okay. She just needed to feel like she wasn’t alone.

***

If there’s one thing I learned over and over again on this retreat is that we’re all WAY TOO HARD ON OURSELVES. I spent three days having radically honest and open conversations with all types of people, from all types of backgrounds. And the thing I heard most was how much pain people were experiencing at their own hand. And I’m no exception.

All our problems are rooted in not feeling loved enough. And it starts with ourselves. I realize this article vacillates between sarcastic and cheesy, genuine and silly, but that’s me. I had no idea what to expect on a sex, drugs and death retreat. But what I got was compassion. A real sense of compassion for other people, for myself and for life.

When you face your fears, maybe the world’s not such a scary place after all.

TEMPLE OF VENUS: DRESSING FOR YOUR BIRTH CHART

In her latest Temple of Venus column, Elyssa Jakim shares how to magnetize your star quality by dressing for your birth chart…

Elyssa Jakim dressing for your birth chart on The Numinous
Dressing in red for my Aries Sun sign

Personal style—that Venus-ruled, ever-elusive, je ne sais quoi that some people seem to exude and others find totally elusive. Is this something we’re born with? Can it be cultivated?

I have always been a clotheshorse and a believer in the power of dress to transform and heal us. But when I graduated college, I suddenly felt shy with my fashion choices, and didn’t completely trust myself to choose what worked and what didn’t. My embarrassment and confusion around this reflected a general insecurity that I was feeling, a very poignant and painful: “what the f*ck am I doing with my life?” kind of insecurity.

I began to find my stride in life and fashion as I turned toward healing as a path. Fast forward to a one-on-one shamanic healing training, during which my teacher told me: “You need to wear a bra sometimes.” Yes, really!

She also pointed out that I seemed to be hiding myself under too-loose pieces. I realized that her focus on dress was her way of encouraging me to feel my femininity, my sexuality, my radiance, my strength, and my beauty. And this is what Venus teaches us—that our clothing helps us cultivate our grace and sense of higher/inner self.

Meanwhile, I came across Kimberly Peta Dewhirst of Star Sign Style, an astrologer who helps people navigate the fashion and aesthetics of the zodiac, after she wrote a Numinous article about dressing for your Venus sign. And since Venus is my homegirl, I soon became obsessed and had to know more.

So Kimberly and I sat down for a reading and an in-depth discussion on the astrological tenets of style. She taught me that we are absolutely born with a style and that yes, it really IS personal. “The symbols of the zodiac are archetypes that translate further through color, accessories, image, patterns and attitude. Fashion is a metaphor for who we are, and astrology—the circle of the birth chart—is who we are,” she says.

As such, your chart, an imprint of the moment you were born, contains valuable clues about how to dress completely as yourself—and rather than blindly follow trends, to use fashion to enhance the traits that make us naturally irresistible, and completely comfortable in our skin.

During a reading Kimberly uses the birth chart as a starting point to identify key style signifiers, going on to create a style prescription based on the aspects at play—providing a mood board with images and inspirational celebrities: “That’s a big part of what I do—helping people to relate to their character through the style of the stars,” she says.

For those of us who don’t follow celebrity culture, this may seem irrelevant, but Kimberly insists that: “We all identify with public figures, their struggles, relationship patterns and mode of expression. Beyond the gossip mags, we need to work with these heroes because they tell us who we are—they’re our mirror, in a way.”

My personal style icons, mapped on my chart
My personal style icons, as mapped on my chart

Kimberly has a full style guide for each zodiac sign on her website—and there follows an overview of the key points to consider when dressing, a la Venus, for your chart.

:: RISING SIGN ::
The key is to dress for your rising sign, not your Sun—since the rising sign speaks to the outer personality that you present to the world. This makes it the sign to lean into when making a first impression. My Scorpio rising means I can come across private and secretive, so I do well in styles that shroud me in mystery. Black and deep reds are the colors of this sign, and because Scorpio is the sign of all things unknowable—the occult, taboo sex, other people’s resources, death, and rebirth—it speaks to a dark glamour, suggesting much hidden under the surface.

Elyssa dressing for her Scorpio rising sign
Rocking my Scorpio Rising, as compiled by Kimberly

:: SUN SIGN ::
The sun is the brightest star in the sky, and as such we often really resonate with our Sun sign which can feel like our “superpower” sign. With my Sun in Aries, a Mars-ruled sign, I can experiment with power dressing and also wearing brighter reds. Attention-seeking Aries rules the head, so can I can also wear statement headgear—which I always have! Kimberly suggested that because of how my Sun sits with the rest of my chart, I can lean into this Aries boldness, and rather than overpowering it will be luminous.

:: MOON SIGN ::
It’s really fun to dress for your Moon, since this represents your emotional core—what makes you feel comfortable, and “at home” (in fact this could hint at your preferred behind-closed-doors style). With my Moon in Scorpio too, no wonder I feel so safe and grounded in black. And when I’m at home, I love to wear a barely-there silk or satin dress, which makes me feel sensual, but is more mysterious than no clothes at all.

:: VENUS SIGN ::
Venus represents how we like to spend money, make friends, flirt, and how we dress to impress. She’s also the sign of beauty, so whenever you align with your Venus, you’re going to feel more beautiful. My Venus in Gemini adds a fun curveball to my fashion sense, since Gemini is a light, mischievous imp—a fairy that’s gone into the dress-up box and come out in a mishmash of sequins and stripes! She likes butterflies and magic dust and is attracted to jewels like a magpie. This has me mixing all types of patterns, wearing pink and babydoll dresses, and generally choosing playful and conversation-provoking pieces (Gemini’s a talker).

:: MARS SIGN ::
If Venus is more about flirting than sex, which is the domaine of passionate Mars. Mars rules our personal power place, and our deep, primal urges. So dressing for a night out on the prowl? Get cozy with your Mars sign. You can also totally dress for the gym in your Mars, which is how we assert our energy. My Mars in hard-working Capricorn means I feel sexy in clothes that are chic, understated, tailored, and just so. Think pantsuits, black lace, button down shirts. Ditto when I want to GET IT DONE, I happen to love white button down shirts at work.

Kimberly also pointed out that I kind of look like a lion, hello Leo Midheaven!
Kimberly also pointed out that I kind of look like a lion, hello Leo Midheaven!

:: THE MIDHEAVEN ::
The Midheaven is the impression we give off before people have met us. It’s our reputation and the spirit that precedes us. Oftentimes, our Midheaven is connected to the tenth house of fame and honors. It flavors our career. It’s how we come across on social media, which is a good starting place for personal branding. I have my midheaven in Leo, which means I am a natural thespian (I pursued acting for the first 25 years of my life). Leo is also proud, and can look regal with gold trimmings (especially about their face), baroque touches, crests, and crowns—hair can be styled to reflect this also, and I would definitely call my hair my crowning glory!

:: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER ::
Through investigating all of these aspects of your chart, you can get a clearer sense of how you can dress as your most alluring, confident and authentic self. Even if you’re intimidated by the idea of dressing for some aspects of your chart, you may find that, through dress, it becomes easier to embody that part of yourself. Then you’re living more fully. And from this place of fullness, your style, like the perfect outfit, can come together seamlessly.

Kimberly is available for personal style consultations via starsignstyle.com or email: [email protected].

Need more Venus inspiration? Check out Elyssa’s last Temple of Venus column on water magic.

THE MOON SIGNS AT WORK IN YOUR CAREER

Sarah Gottesdiener, the artist behind the cult Many Moons workbook, breaks down how your Moon Sign plays a role in your career. PLUS! Numinous readers receive free shipping on of her site through July 13. Use the code: NUMI

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Some astrologers believe that your Moon sign reflects your most essential self, your intuitive make-up, your emotions and innate talents. As such, for any entrepreneur—where what you “do” is a fluid reflection of who you are—a connection to your Moon sign is essential.

For example, having my Moon in Gemini (with Cancer Sun and a Taurus Ascendent), could  explain why I’m obsessed with research and reading, and why my childhood dream was to illustrate and write children’s books. Also why, as an adult, I have many interests and endless subjects I am curious about, while almost everything I do professionally requires some form of communication, whether it is design, writing, or reading people’s Tarot cards.

Day-to-day, my Gemini Moon means I can be funny, charming, witty, and engaging. It is easy for me to communicate what I intuit, and to utilize messages from spirit and channeling while I give Tarot readings or write. All my clients know how much I love to chat and talk things out!

But I also have a moody side, to be sure, and having many different pursuits can also lead to feeling scattered, which in turn affects my nervous system and adrenals. I’ve also experienced having people think that my flirting is more than just a fun exchange.

For my Gemini Moon, as well as the smooth running of my business, serving my body through physical exercise is really important to me, and my nervous system. As is drinking enough water, meditating, getting enough sleep, and listening to my body. I did not do this at all until my 30’s—and if there is one piece of advice I could give to any person running their own business, it would be to prioritize this kind of practical self-care!

Below, I share some wisdom for each Moon sign at work…

Sarah’s Many Moons workbook has attracted a cult following

:: ARIES MOON ::
At your very best you are pure fire water, a flickering flame of warrior inspiration. Bold and brazen, most likely you are a natural leader. Put your ideas out there—they are almost always completely unique to your vibrant vision, and usually serve the greater good. Just know that patience, long-term commitment, and compromise are parts of the process.

:: TAURUS MOON ::
The Moon is exalted in loyal, steady Taurus, and financial fortune may favor you. Try to flex your manifesting muscles, particularly with Earth-related projects and possessions: tangibility is the name of your game. The key here is making sure your self-worth is strong, and that you feel emotionally secure, with all sensory modes intact and engaged. Accepting how lovely you are, inside and out, is the key to sharing and spreading and harvesting more harmony.

:: GEMINI MOON ::
Curious, whip smart, lively Gemini Moon! Overanalyzing and over-communicating your emotions will not help you: utilizing your strong gift of communication to engage others will. The need for variety is strong; spreading out your many intriguing versatilities amongst different projects and groups is a way to keep interest piqued.

:: CANCER MOON ::
Sweet Cancer Moon, what a kind delight you are. With your Moon in this placement you are most likely emphatic, supportive and sensitive. As the Moon rules Cancer, there could be a strong chance you are psychic, a healer, a deep nurturer. It is imperative that you address your own emotional desires and boundaries, and the needs of your highest self before taking on the energy of others.

:: LEO MOON ::
Liberated, passionate, Leo Moon! You expect r-e-s-p-e-c-t, you regal, royal creature. And you deserve it: when you share and give to those you love, they feel lit up with all the shining force and power of the Sun. Incorporate your natural gifts for play, dramatic flair, and creative expression as much as possible when you lead the pack.

:: VIRGO MOON ::
Virgo Moons are naturals at writing and analyzing. Health, healing, and self-care is of upmost importance to those of you with a Virgo Moon: don’t forget that tending to your SELF must take precedence. You could be happy to be working behind the scenes, since being of service is a natural state for you. When things are organized and well-structured, the sky is the limit for you.

modern women projects moon dress moon signs on The Numinous
Photo: Seth Gottesdiener

:: LIBRA MOON ::
The emphasis for those with a Libra Moon is emotional and inner balance. Harmony, peace, and beauty are a priority to you: Libra is ruled by Venus, after all. You might be straight up gifted at art-direction, hosting, and anything that involves grace and design. While you are at your best around others, don’t let the perception of having to cater to others’ needs swallow yours whole.

:: SCORPIO MOON ::
Scorpio Moon: passionate, penetrating, and powerful! Part of your lifelong struggle may be dealing with the “feelings vs. facts” equation that all emotionally vibrant, attuned beings on this weird rock of ours must reckon with. But when you’ve poured your endless energy into something you care deeply about, there is no stopping you. With the suggestion of psychic and intuitive gifts here, you might be a psychologist, an investigator, healer, a change-maker, a trail-blazer.

:: SAGITTARIUS MOON ::
Teacher, preacher, permanent student, wanderer, brutal optimist: those with a Moon placement in this sign do not want to be pinned down. You want to inspire and be inspired. You want to wake others up and expand your own limits. Design your life and work so that your love and passions get expressed through metaphoric or actual travel and different perspectives.

:: CAPRICORN MOON ::
A Capricorn Moon most likely will have no trouble paying the bills, advancing in a larger company, and thriving in a long-term relationship. You are high-achieving, capable, reliable, and realistic: what a wonderful relief in this flaky day and age! Let your impeccable standards serve as an example to others, and not a harsh expectation, an excuse for flagellation. Let others catch a glimpse of your huge and warm heart sooner than you might feel comfortable.

:: AQUARIUS MOON ::
A big advantage you have is your ability to see the bigger picture: the collective is an easy point of access for you. Your propensity towards originality and the avant-garde is a gift. Your vision is future-forward, wide, expansive, celestial—at times you might even feel like an alien observer. Put your formidable intellect to use and help us turn the page towards progress.

:: PISCES MOON ::
Those born with their Moon in Pisces are lovers, sweethearts, romantics, idealists, dreamers, and old-souls. You might have heightened gifts in multiple art forms. Nurture your creativity and helping nature, give it the time and space it deserves. Use the urge towards escapism in a healthy way by recharging in the wild, making art, and through channeling. Show us the value of your subtle power.

YOGI SAYS: ”HOW CAN I BE OF SERVICE?”

In a new column, yogi and philosopher Eddie Stern offers advice from a yogic perspective—with additional guidance from the tarot. This month’s question: “How can I be of service?” Artwork: Lucy Dyer 

artwork by Lucy Dyer on The Numinous

QUESTION: “All the recent socio-political unrest has left me feeling equal parts vulnerable and impotent. Alongside feelings of fear about what the future holds (environmental issues obviously play into this also), there is a huge sense of compassion for communities who’ve been affected directly and a newfound depth of empathy for all the displaced and marginalized people in the world. This has stirred up a desire to want to help in some tangible way, but it’s so hard to know where to start—and to not feel hopeless about the impact one individual can possibly have on such monumental global issues. How can I be of service?”

SUGGESTION: Knowing where to start is often the hardest part of service—the same way you might look at your kitchen sink after preparing a huge feast. Your sink will be overflowing with dirty dishes, pots and pans, fragile glassware and sharp knives, all covered in gook, and the thought of washing them, while you are tired and overfed, is overwhelming. Your initial thought might be to leave them for the morning, and perhaps you secretly hope that one of your guests or your partner will do it for you. However, while the whole mess is indeed completely overwhelming, washing just one single cup, or one plate, is not. If you start by washing just one dirty dish at a time, before you know it, the whole kitchen sink will be clean.

We can look at the world in the same way. For one person to clean up the whole mess of global warming, geopolitical conflict, poverty and hunger is not only impossible, it’s completely overwhelming to even think about. But taking personal responsibility for trying to do one thing better, and inspire others to do something better, is totally doable. In yoga, Sun Salutations—breathing slowly, and connecting each movement with one breath—teach us to embody a step-by-step approach to our lives. Further, if you can choose that one thing that you are going to work on or perfect about your behavior and attitude while here on our small, green and blue planet, you’ll also find that you are re-inspired, and will become filled with energy, inspiration and creativity.

In the Tarot, the Eight of Pentacles might be a good card for you to meditate on. This card shows a young man absorbed in his work; he is an apprentice, meaning that he is learning and perfecting a new skill, and has committed himself to hammering out the details that will lead to mastery. He works on one coin at a time, without stress, only moving on to the next coin when the one he is working on has been completed. The Pentacles are the suit of physical work, and are representative of the Earth energy. This is essentially what your question was regarding. Our planet Earth is a mess, what work can I do to help?

TAROT IMAGE

The first thing is to be grounded, stable, and practical, like the Earth; and then to take it one step at a time. Come up with a simple strategy that you can stick with, like the washing of one dish at a time. This is how a big job gets done. Your commitment to being of service to the world will strengthen and blossom when the job before you feels like it is attainable. The Eight of Pentacles also teaches us that we should not isolate ourselves for too long, for the kind of work you wish to do is not the work of one person.

We need spiritual friends to work with, and communities to develop who share our ideals, values and desire to be of service. Cleaning up the world is not the job of one person, it’s the job everyone! If you take it all on your shoulders, it will just be depressing. So look around, see what is close by that you can take participate in, or what you can create from scratch. After you have taken small steps, you can build bigger teams if you wish to, delegate more, and fulfill your vision of creating a more loving, compassionate world.

Discover more about Eddie Stern and his work here. Do you have a question for “Yogi Says”? Email: [email protected]

MY MYSTICAL LIFE: AN ENCOUNTER WITH ROSE HEALING

Following the emotional July 4 Cancer New Moon, it’s been a week for connecting to Universal mother energy—with the beautiful experience of rose healing…

pink rose healing with padma on The Numinous

:: MON-WEDS ::
Many many magical, manifestational meetings—TF for Mars direct! Finally life feels like it’s moving again, which means you can expect all sorts of Numinous fun in the months to come. Also, checking out potential covers for my BOOK (woot), a special acupuncture + deep tissue massage situation (amazing combo), being quoted on a new era of astrology for self-actualization in British Vogue, and an invitation to join an actual “coven” (!) But I want to focus on Thurs and Friday this week, so…

:: THURSDAY ::
It’s been an emotional time for many of us, for so many reasons. And against the backdrop of a deeply saddening series of world events, I’ve been feeling extra vulnerable since my mum has been reading the manuscript for my book. Vulnerable because it’s made me realize how much I have chosen not to share with her over the years (which I have shared in my story)—mainly for fear of her judging or being disappointed with some of my life choices.

Naturally, this is something I also had in mind when writing the report on Monday’s super, super emo Cancer New Moon—which, forming a grand water trine, opened the floodgates for some deep emotional healing this week, particularly to do with issues of family, and the mother. So fitting, since discussing my manuscript with my mum has also brought up a LOT of realizations for me about the ancestral wounds I am carrying for the women on both sides of my family tree—my paternal Grandmother, somebody I barely knew but have a strong genetic connection to, in particular.

But little did I know how perfectly events this week would line up to help facilitate healing around this for me!

So cut to a couple of weeks ago, when amazing Deborah Hanekamp introduced me to a healer friend visiting NYC from India. Padma works with rose healing, which she described as: “a very beautiful technique inspired from the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico, where I place fresh roses on a persons body and they connect to whatever form of the Goddess they resonate with. Would you like to come and experience a session?” she asked. I signed up without asking any more.

I was instructed to bring a selection of pink roses along with me, and when I arrived for the session Thursday, I asked Padma to explain more. “When we work with pink roses, we are clearing hurt and wounds from our mother relationship, from the lineage of women in our family tree, and asking them to be transmuted, so that we are open to receive unconditional love from the Universal, cosmic Mother,” she told me. Just WOW. And what a testament to how the cosmos begins to align with our needs once WE get attuned to the energies currently available to us.

rose healing session with Ruby Warrington on the numinous
Feeling serene at the end of our session

During the treatment, Padma placed the roses on different parts of my body, played a crystal singing bowl, chanted over me, and recited prayers to the Goddess. And I remembered what my friend Aly had told me about how, as a conscious being, it was within my power to call on the spirit of my Grandmother and let her know that I was ready to take her wounds from her. As I did exactly this, internally evoking her image and connecting to her energy as a young woman, tears began to flow and Padma seemed to sense what was happening—instructing me: “now take this and offer it to the Goddess, back to the Universal Mother.”

Afterwards, we spoke for almost an hour about what had come up—particularly my need to soften around difficult situations, surrendering emotional upsets rather that hardening around them. A valuable take-away for us ALL right now. I also got to take my roses home, with instructions to sleep with some of the petals in my pillow case, with some stems in a vase by my bed, and to return the two “deposit” roses I’d been holding in my hands back to the Earth.

Overall, this was one of the most beautiful healing techniques I’ve experienced, and Padma (who actually spends most of the year on Amma’s ashram in India), is a truly angelic being. And NYC Numis—she’s only here until July 22, and practicing out of Maha Rose (of course) in Greenpoint. If this resonates and you feel so called, I urge you to take the opportunity to book a session! Contact: [email protected]

:: FRIDAY ::
And there’s a sweet postscript to my experience with the roses too. I’m part of a distance Reiki healing group facilitated by Kerri Aab, who I often commission custom flower remedies from. She sends a sweet note to the group each morning with whatever message came up, and today I got a personal one:

“Just wanted to let you know that you came up STONG during Reiki this morning, bathed in and bursting with pinks, reds and magentas. It was pretty stunning. The image was accompanied by a joyful, child-like energy. I almost got the impression it was a younger version of you. Perhaps you’re doing some inner child work right now?”

I mean, DOUBLE WOW. And thank you, Universal Mother.

Kerri is also accepting new people into her group Reiki healing circle. If you’re interested, you can fill in the sign-up form on her website: Seedtoblossom.com