HOLY F*CK: A DARK MOON PRACTICE TO LIBERATE YOUR SPIRITUAL ESSENCE

Stuck under layers of conditioning and aching to break free? Alexandra Roxo shares 5 ways to liberate your spiritual essence …

alexandra roxo ruby warrington the numinous material girl mystical world moon club holy fuck holy f*ck spiritual striptease
Photo: Caitlin Mitchell

I’ve been doing stripteases since I was 12. In 1996, in Marietta, Georgia, my friends and I dressed in Victoria’s Secret matching leopard-print bra and panties sets, and knew all the moves to Elizabeth Berkley’s routines from Showgirls.

But the striptease I wanna share with you here is FAR sexier. FAR juicier. FAR edgier. It’s one that will have your heart racing. Your panties wet. Your knees trembling.

Because it’s time for us to bring it back to basics and get spiritually NAKED. We live in “apart”ments. We stare at screens most of the day. The way we eat, shit, talk, walk, dress are all programmed for us by the dominant schema that we are born into. A return to our spiritual essence is a deep call for each of us. One that could possibly change the course of history. Of Mother Nature’s well-being. Our grandchildren’s lives. The health of the ocean. The future of fashion magazines. Of culture. Of REALITY as we perceive it.

This means peeling away, layer by layer, of all the baggage we have inherited. The stories. The conditioning. The things that weigh on us everyday. Stripping this away and getting down to our spiritual essence is part of our individual and collective awakening.

You began taking on your family’s shit in utero. Your mom’s anxiety. Depression. Her busyness. The way her heart sank when your dad didn’t come home til late or just flipped the TV on after work. The pain at seeing her old body slip away. The abuse she endured perhaps. Or her mom’s or her grandma’s. From the moment you were the size of a pea in the womb you began to be clothed in layers. Your spiritual essence began to be shrouded.

When popped out you inherited a specific culture. The pressure to look a certain way, talk a certain way,  dress a certain way. Coats and veils of other people’s ideas and customs and ways of being.

As a teen, this led you to feel confused about your body. Why did it not look the way it was supposed to? People were mean at school. Boys touched you. You weren’t allowed to be gay or queer. So you put on some more layers. You hid yourself. You were too weird. Too much. Too sexy. Too fat. If people didn’t notice you they couldn’t hurt you.

Perhaps there were traumas. Date rape. An eating disorder. Abandonment. Neglect. Health issues. Things that forced you deeper into hiding. Further masked your wild, loving, utterly unique spiritual essence.

And now here you are today—wearing enough layers to survive an antarctic freeze of the soul! True healing? The ultimate liberation? Learning how to peel them back, one by one, until you are bare. Naked. Vulnerable and WHOLE.

Below are my tried and true tips for freeing yourself from those layers and living in alignment with your spiritual essence …

1// Learn to feel your feelings. You may think “Well of course I know how to do that!” But we all have days where we think we’re feeling but are actually THINKING, which prevents us knowing our soul’s truth. To learn to FEEL more, breathe into your belly all day. Stay soft. Pull your car over to cry when you need to. Start sentences with “I feel …” instead of “I think …”  and before you make a decision FEEL into it with all your being. Soon you will start to feel more of YOU.

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2// Begin to hunt for your true essence. Look for it in books, works of art, libraries, operas, films, museums, national parks, oceans, fields, and albums. As you do these things, BREATHE into your heart and FEEL. Did that book make me wanna jump for joy? Scream? Did it feel like a wildfire broke out in your veins? Then THIS my dear that is a KEY to your TRUTH and your ESSENCE! Keep it close.

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3// Speak up when something hurts or doesn’t feel right. This may seem obvious, but it’s the microhurts that betray our soul’s essence. If someone cuts you off in line for the bathroom than say “Excuse me. I’m in line.” If you’re in a class and the teacher says something inappropriate, stand up and say, “Excuse me. That didn’t feel appropriate to me.” This demand for integrity will tell your soul you are SERIOUS about your devotion to yourself. You’ll notice how often these little things happen. You think “Oh whatever. No biggie.” This puts you into complacency and is literally like an ice pack for your JUICY fire. Once you stop you doing it, you’ll begin to feel a POWER beyond words emerge from you.

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4// Dare to pave a new way. Notice how many times a day you do and say things because that’s what others do. Now try something new. If all the other wellness people on Instagram are taking photos with white backgrounds and green plants but it feels more “you” to do it in a vintage car on a deserted highway, then why not? Notice where you follow the status quo out of habit. When you feel afraid to shake it up, look to people who have not followed; Frida. Anais. Albert Einstein. There is a huge payoff for taking a risk that’s aligned with your truth.

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5// Surround yourself with Souls who are unafraid to bare their love and truth to the world. You are who surrounds you. Your community should feel like Butter Love, Fire Love, Honey Love, warm tea, firecrackers in your Soul. When you leave hangouts notice: Do you feel more YOU? More alive? More loved? If not, find the community that does make you feel this way.

**Bonus: Take this a step further with an actual striptease class or simply strip in the mirror with your sexy self. As you remove layers of clothes, imagine that you are removing “Mom’s catholic shame,” “my fear of being too big” or “society’s gender impositions” so that you’re stripping on all levels at once—multitasking your way into your Soul’s Grand Reveal to humanity.  

 

Alexandra offers one-on-one transformational coaching programs globally online, and in NYC and LA. She also is the co-founder of Moon Club where she guides group coaching, leadership training, and mystical moon school.  Find her @alexandraroxo and alexandraroxo.com

6 SIGNS YOU MIGHT BE A SECRET “SPIRITPRENEUR”

Feeling the call to put your heart and soul into work that makes a difference in the world? You may be a spiritpreneur in the making, says Ruby Warrington

spiritpreneur the numinous gabby bernstein spirit junkie masterclass
Photo: Jordan Whitfield

“To tip the world, it will take all of us.”

Cut to three weekends ago and I’m sat in the audience of Gabrielle Bernstein’s Spirit Junkie Masterclass. On stage, Gabby’s long-time coach and mentor, the incomparable Rha Goddess. Riffing on concepts like “massive collaboration” and “prophecy + strategy” in a lecture titled How To Step Up As A Spiritual Activist, Saturday morning sermon is ON.

When Gabby invited me to come check out her weekend-long spiritual business coaching deep-dive, I decided I would give the timing of my drop-in over to the Divine. I would not rush to be there in line at 8am, I would not cherry-pick which sessions sounded the most interesting to my logical mind. I would take my chances and trust that whatever seminar I found myself in, would be the one for me.

And here I am, with the Goddess herself proclaiming: “We are living in the Age of the Citizen. This is a unique moment in history when we get to have a say on the kind of world we live in.” Telling us how she’s named a certain orange-hued politician “The Accelerator,” since she believes that events currently unfolding on the world stage are compelling a new generation to call themselves “spiritpreneur” to do their dharma, and fulfill their “sacred duty.”

I get chillz even writing this now, because hell YES. Spreading this message has also become the bigger mission of this platform. It’s there in articles on How To Be A Spiritual Activist. It’s a guiding principal behind the teachings and community Alexandra Roxo and I have created with Moon Club. And it’s the golden thread running through my book, Material Girl, Mystical World—the chapter titled “Do Your Dharma, Fix Your Karma,” the one people tell me has impacted them the most.

Gabby and Rha Goddess at the Spirit Junkie Masterclass

In the words of all-time #basicwitch classic, The Craft: “Now is the time; This is the hour; Ours is the magic; Ours is the power.”

Feeling the call? Then read on for 6 signs you may be a spiritpreneur in the making …

1) You suspect there might be more to life than playing company politics in the name of climbing the corporate ladder. (Hint: THERE IS.)

2) You strongly believe that you have something very, very important to contribute to society. Even if this “something” is simply being the happiest, healthiest version of you—and in doing so inspiring others to be the happiest, healthiest versions of them, too.

3) You secretly want to become known (okay, “famous”) for the incredible work you do in the world. Even if this work is simply BEING THE MOTHERF*CKING LIGHT.

4) Your diet and workout regime is less about looking and feeling great, more about having the energy and motivation to make your dreams for a better world a reality.

5) Your main motivation for seeking financial abundance is … so you can hire an army to work on making your dreams for a better world a reality.

6) “Success” for you is a multi-dimensional concept, including, but by no means limited to: expressing your creativity; making your own schedule; working with people who feel like friends; making your family proud; financial abundance (so that you can hire an army to work on making your dreams for a better world a reality); having a voice; your work having a positive impact on the lives of others; being the mother*cking light.

Sound like you?

So here’s the thing. In my experience, stepping onto the spiritpreneur path has felt so so right … but is by no means easy. It might / will very likely mean a period of financial uncertainty (FYI, I’m still navigating this 4 years into starting The Numinous). It may mean pissing some people off (i.e. your parents, your partner, your boss). And it will most definitely require you to seriously up the stakes in the “self-belief” and “abilty-to-multitask-and-fake-it-til-I-make-it” categories.

Which is why, if you’re committed to making it as a spiritpreneur / making your dreams for a better world a reality, it makes sense to seek all the help you can get.

Which is where Gabby’s online Spirit Junkie Masterclass comes in—a digital training + business community based of her annual live event that you can access from anywhere, and that’s specifically designed to support you on your mission!

Gabby has been a HUGE supporter of The Numinous from the very beginning. She was one of the first people to befriend me when I moved to NYC, and was THE first person to tell me I should write a book. Thank you Gabby!!

Curious? Click HERE to find out more. PLUS, if you sign up via The Numinous using this link, you will also receive:

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*And a disclaimer: Hell yes, The Numinous will receive a financial kick-back for every sale via this channel. I’m putting this out there in the name of transparency—AND ALSO to let you know that signing on to Gabby’s affiliate program this year is part of my own journey in overcoming blocks to being rewarded financially for my “soul work.” Supporting each other in this mission is an essential truth of the spiritpreneur—and Gabby, bless her badass-business-leader soul, knows it! See you out there on the road less travelled …

spiritpreneur the numinous gabby bernstein spirit junkie masterclass

HOLY F*CK: 5 WAYS TO JUMPSTART YOUR LOVE AND SEX LIFE IN 2017

In her final Holy F*ck column of 2016, Alexandra Roxo has 5 ways to jumpstart your love and sex life in 2017…Portrait: Alexandra Herstik

Alexandra Roxo Holy Fuck The Numinous sex life in 2017

2016 has been a wild year for the planet and for America. For me it’s been a year of change and growth and reshuffling and purging and mourning and planting seeds and learning. I also hadn’t been single in 10 years, and have spent this one being VERY single. I’ve used this time to have a giant rethink of ALL my ideas, values, and beliefs about love and sex.

I’ve done some dating, sure, but I put the brakes on things in the name of some deep diving and learning and observing of myself and my clients, which is hard for a Piscean princess who loves to dive into romance. My birthday is just days from Anais Nin (if that means anything to you you’re prob my tribe!).

Last week, in search of my culminating thoughts about love and sex and spirit for the end of this year, I called my friend Gala Darling, whose latest love story is one of my faves! After a divorce, Gala met her adorable boyfriend online a little over a year ago and I’d been swooning over them via Insta for a while. I wanted to hear the dirt…Did she believe in soul mates? Manifesting the man of your dreams with spells and rituals? Making a list of important things in love and meditating on them? I had a lot of questions for her.

Gala said many things but what stuck out the most was: “Relationships are not meant to be easy. Marriage is not easy. They are not meant to be comfortable. They are meant to push you to see things about yourself that are not actualized. Having a soul mate is not a party!” This sentiment is way too overlooked in the twin flame/soul mate discourse. Where’s the footer that says “Hey BTW this shit hurts”?

Gala Darling and her boyfriend Garnett Holy Fuck The Numinous sex life in 2017
Gala Darling and her boyfriend Garnett shot by Juliane Berry

She also reminded me that there is no certainty. Like ever. In marriage. In relationships. In any of it. People who are single think “Oh when will I meet that special someone?” And then people who are in partnership may be asking “Is this right? Is it supposed to hurt this much? Be this hard? Do I still love them?” There is no certainty but our devotion to ourselves, and our practice of keeping aligned with our heart’s needs.

So in order to do just that I’ve prepared some writing exercises for this column, to help you too rethink/ rewrite / jumpstart your love and sex life in 2017…

So get out your journal. Put on a kimono. Or silk PJ’s. Select some quiet tunes. Burn some incense.  Make yourself a cozy nest. I rec bed surrounded by blankets and pillows and some rose tea and a few candles.

  1. RETHINK YOUR “LIST”

We all make these grand lists of what we want in a partnership and we often forget that the human we imagine coming into our life will also be flawed. Just like us! Do you have some list you’ve been working on for years? Fantasies in your mind about how your partner should or shouldn’t be? This can change as you grow so def revisit every six months. So use this time to make a list of HARD YES’s and HARD NO’s, and to really meditate on them.

Ask yourself big questions like: “Could you be with someone who doesn’t believe in God? Or do you absolutely need to be with someone who wants kids?”

 

  1. BROADEN YOUR IDEA OF A SOUL MATE

Do you have people in your life you have let see the whole spectrum of your madness and beauty? Your most ugly side and your most beautiful? I believe all the people who can hold all of us and push us to our edges are our soul mates. If you’ve never let your darkness come out with anyone I say deepen a friendship with someone who you can do that with. Not in an abusive way, but in a way where the connection can go deep under the surface. That will get you ready for partnership, and if you’re partnered it will keep you deep diving into yourself.

My friend Rebecca and I really did NOT like each other when we met. I thought she was a dirty hippie and she thought I was a stuck up goodie two shoes. 15 years later we are best friends. During that time we’ve hated each other. Not spoken for a year. Had the most heinous of fights.  But had the most enlightening and fun and hilarious moments together too. She knows me in a way no one else can. Our love is as deep as the ocean.

Ask yourself: “Who are my soul mates now? Who has pushed me to the edges and helped me grow? What can I learn from these relationships about myself?”

 

  1. COMMIT TO A PRACTICE AND STICK WITH IT

If you haven’t dated in a while, will you commit to a dating practice? Perhaps you and a friend can buddy up, open an online account, make a ritual of creating your profile (which Gala says is “like casting a spell!”) Practice connecting with strangers in a non-attached way. Go on coffee dates with no agenda except chatting with a stranger. Maybe 1 out of 10 will be someone you’re actually attracted to, so keep it chill. No expectations. Treat it like a morning yoga practice!

If you’re in a relationship commit to a growth practice. Is it seeing a relationship coach once a month to make sure you are growing? Does your sex life need a reboot? Can you commit to an afternoon every other week of sexual exploration time to keep expanding there? If your relationship has become too dependent can you commit to developing and nurturing solo space?

Decide what practice you want to commit to in 2017 and break it down over the months and weeks.

 

  1. GET TO KNOW YOUR LOVE STYLES

How do you like to be loved? (If you need some inspo you can do the 5 Languages of Love quiz.) I know I mostly need to be loved with touch and kind words, and if I feel I can communicate that to my next partner they don’t waste their time buying me gifts or giving me rides or cooking for me. I told Loulou (one of my besties) about this, and now we know that we both highly value a solid compliment we pay each other loving compliments regularly! It just takes knowing and asking.

Make a list of ways you like to be loved, either within a partnership or solo. Do you need more touch? Schedule a weekly massage or trade with a friend. 

 

  1. LOOK IN THE MIRROR

Don’t make me quote Michael but um…he had a point! If you were a potential partner meeting yourself for the first time what would you think? What would you want more of? Less of? This is good to look at whether you’re single or attached. Would you prefer someone who is more available? Someone who is more financially stable? Someone in better shape? Someone who meditates daily? Well, this is a great way to see where you need to make changes on yourself.

For example, I was thinking I would just love a partner who can chop wood—so fuck it, I guess I’ll learn to chop wood in 2017 too! You can also be the partner you want to your friends. I mean, don’t make out with them passionately or anything (unless that’s how you roll!) but love your friends like you wanna be loved. Cook for them. Write cute notes. Romance your friends and yourself!

Set some goals for how you can become the best partner and self and friend.

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If you want to go deeper with this work sign up for my Holy F*ck course where we will be using creative writing and storytelling to dive deep into our habits, tendencies, hopes and dreams in love and sex in a conscious way.  I also see clients one on one for six month periods of mentorship and on off coaching sessions. More info here.

Alexandra Roxo is a critically acclaimed filmmaker, writer, entrepreneur and mentor currently residing in LA. She recently co-founded Moon Club with Ruby Warrington (founder of the Numinous) and has been featured in Well + GoodNylon,  Out Magazine and more.

5 WAYS TO MAKE MERCURY RETROGRADE WORK FOR YOU

Imagine if Mercury retrograde was actually here to help? Here are 5 ways to make Mercury retrograde work for you.

Mercury Was in Fucking Retrograde slogan print by Baron Von Fancy. Click to read more!
Image: Baron Von Fancy

Mercury retrograde gets a lot of bad press. In fact it’s kind of become like the “gluten” of the Cosmic calendar—we’ve been taught we’re all allergic and that the symptoms, as my friend Michael puts it, are basically a total “cluster flux.”

But what if Mercury retrograde was actually here to help?

I mean, how often to do you get things perfect first time around? How many people do you have “unfinished business” with? And how many situations have you pretty much given up on, assuming they’ll never get resolved?

Instead of counting down the days to the messenger planet’s next retro phase in a state of alternating panic and dread—how about you make Mercury retrograde work for you, and use it to shine a light on the areas of my life that are due for a do-over.

Okay, maybe it’s not the best idea to go hunting down the ex who totally sapped you of your self-esteem and left you feeling like an empty shell—some things definitely are best left in the past. The trick is to trust that anything it’s in your best interest to revisit will present itself to you.

As the brilliant Astro Twins always put it; “Think of the prefix “re-” as a guide for a smoother Mercury retrograde: rethink, redecorate, revise, research, reunite…and so on.”

Read on for five ways to take their advice and make Mercury retrograde work for you…

The Last Romance fashion illustration by Kelly Smith. Click to read more!
Illustration: Kelly Smith

Revise a passion project
Got a blog idea, or half-finished novel sitting in a folder on your overcrowded desktop? Now’s the time to dust that puppy off and make the necessary tweaks to fine-tune your vision. Just hold off on launching your project until the retro phase has passed.

Revisit a favorite workout
If you’re stuck in a workout rut (THIS spin class because it’s convenient, that particular run on autopilot) and feeling unmotivated as a result, cast your mind back to the last time you felt really inspired by your exercise regime. Revisiting a favorite instructor or YouTube workout could re-inspire you to get your sweat on.

Reconnect with the people you love
Life gets busy, and it’s oh-so-easy for weeks (hell, months) to go by without so much as a text exchange with the people you actually hold most dear. Take the Mercury retro phase as your cue to write those email and make those calls. Your heart will be so happy you made the effort.

Realize you can’t just erase your past
That niggling health issue you kinda just put a “band-aid” on hoping it would clear up by itself? That friendship you let fall by the wayside rather than have the “honest talk” you need to clear the air? The emotional trauma you stuffed in the closet, but that’s haunting your dreams at night? Now is the time to do the deeper work to address these once and for all, and emerge from the Mercury retro phase feeling lighter and god-to-go.

Revamp your actual closet
No shopping (and especially not online, as Mercury retro will probably mean techno fails and “RE”funds), but rather a re-evaluation of the contents of your closet. Use this post on the art of the psychic closet clear out for some tips, and once you’ve got rid of what’s not working you’ll be able to see what’s missing and THEN hit the stores to re-stock.

So there you have it—five ways to make Mercury retrograde work for you, and come out the other side a shinier, happier person to boot!

Was this article useful? Moon Club is a new monthly mentoring program from The Numinous and Alexandra Roxo that combines astrology with real time coaching on love, sex, work, wellness, and spiritual activism. Read more and sign-up here

DEEP INSIDE: READING FOR THE SCORPIO NEW MOON 2016

The Scorpio New Moon is an invitation to journey deep inside—so that we may emerge reborn, says Sandra Sitron…Artwork: i MANIPULATE

Scorpio new moon 2016 The Numinous

 

On Sunday October 30th at 1:38 pm ET (17:38 UTC) we have a New Moon at 7 degrees Scorpio.

The Moon and it’s message: “Cradle your heart in your hands.”

This Scorpio New Moon asks you to get quiet, so that you can hear her persistent whisper…Slow down. Study yourself. Prepare to let go of that which is no longer serving you. Be brave. Trust yourself. Cup your hands around your heart in honor and protection. Be your best witness. Hold space for yourself. Listen to the quiet, still, emotions that have been buried beneath “busy-ness” and action.

Your job right now is to Be. Your job is not to Do.

Every New Moon marks a new beginning; a time to plant seeds of intention for the upcoming Moon cycle. To visualize the manifestations of the coming 28 days. And the Scorpio New Moon especially is here to show us what needs to be eliminated in order to make room for the new.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Scorpio New Moon arrives with the season of Autumn in its fullness. It invites us to witness the trees as their leaves fall away. The leaves are ready to die, to decay, to go back to the earth. The leaves have served their purpose. The tree trusts this. There is no effort in letting the leaves fall away. The only action is to let go—trusting that the next cycle will bring new leaves.

Scorpio tells us about cycles. As such, it rules Sex. Birth. Death. Rebirth. You may not fully understand the cycle that you are moving through. But trust that you are moving. You may not understand why letting go is so important. Yet let go you must. This watery, intuitive moon is not about logic. So let go of logic and open your heart to trust.

But also, don’t expect to be shown the easy way out.

Scorpio’s ancient ruler is Warrior Mars, while her modern ruler is Transformational Pluto. She will challenge you. She will prod you. This Scorpio New Moon may poke at your underbelly. May knowingly turn your eyes to what is decaying in your life. She wants you to see what is ready to be burned and transformed. She wants to help you eliminate the old to make room for the new.

The challenge of this Scorpio New Moon is to explore our deepest, most habitually fixed emotional reactions. The emotional grooves that are scored deep into the nooks and crannies of our psyche. Want catharsis? Recognizing these buried emotions could bring a lot to the surface. Releasing them could set a fresh new cycle in motion. So show up courageously. Look closely at your wounds. Don’t shy away from intensity.

Look at the part of your life that you are trying to control. Scorpio rules letting go AND control. Can you loosen your grip?

Ask: what are your thoughts and feeling about this area of your life? Is there some fear there? If so, is the fear triggered by a thought? What is the thought? Why do you believe the thought? What proof is there? When was the first time you thought this? What was going on in your life at that time? Is there another thought that could replace it? How would you like to feel instead?

Free up some time this weekend to just sit quietly and see what comes up. Scorpio archetypes are the Detective, the Researcher, and the Psychologist. It is the job of all these archetypes to search and uncover. To reveal a hidden truth. Do this with your emotional self. Take a steady, close look beneath the surface.

Then slow down. Trust. Witness. Let go. Cradle your heart in your hands.

Read on for the cosmic aspects at play PLUS New Moon self-inquiry by sign…

Scorpio new moon 2016 The Numinous

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NEW MOON CONJUNCT MERCURY
The pitter patter of rain.

Chatty Mercury joins the Scorpio New Moon to help communicate to you what you are ready to let go of. These communications may be quick and persistent, like the pitter patter of rain. All you have to do is allow the message to come through. Mercury is bringing lots of ideas and new information. Areas of your life that you think you have all figured out may be ready for new interpretations. Get ready to start up a conversation with your highest self.

NEW MOON TRINE NEPTUNE
Finding your way through the maze.

Dreamy Neptune is in a harmonious Trine aspect with the Scorpio New Moon. This energy will help you open up to your intuition to receive a message from across the veil. The symbol promises that if you use all of your senses and follow your best hunch, you will arrive at your destination. Let your third eye help you navigate.

SUMMARY
You are ready to go inward. Explore your deep feelings. Let the unnecessary fall away. The leaves have fulfilled their purpose. Let them go, reflect, and prepare for the next cycle.

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NEW MOON SELF-INQUIRY BY SIGN :: For a more accurate reading, see which house in your birth chart contains 7 degrees Scorpio.

Aries or 8th House
What desires are you avoiding? What is blocking you feeling into what you truly want? What do you see when you lean into the feeling you would like to have right now?

Taurus or 7th House
Are you holding on to any assumptions about relationships that you are ready to let go of? Where did these ideas originate? Can you see how they are no longer serving you?

Gemini or 6th House
Is anything preventing you from making healthy choices for your body? What is one habit you can let go of this week that feels aligned with your goals for your health?

Cancer or 5th House
What is blocking your creative self-expression? Why are you allowing this to persist? How might you bring more creativity and fun into your life?

Leo or 4th House
Take a moment to tune into yourself and have your notebook ready: If your inner child could talk to you, what would she tell you right now? Is there a pattern she is holding onto that she is ready to let go?

Virgo or 3rd House
What is coming up for you mentally right now? What are the ideas that won’t go away? How can you pay attention Do you see any assumptions that are influencing you in relation to this topic?

Libra or 2nd House
What is blocking you from realizing your self worth? What limiting beliefs are behind any instances of poverty consciousness (“I am not enough / There is never enough”?)

Scorpio or 1st House
Let yourself breathe more fully, and see if you can get more deeply in touch with yourself. What is blocking you from expressing your unique energy in the world? How can you step past this?

Sagittarius or 12th House
What is the dominant feeling surfacing for you right now? What’s it like to feel this way? Journal on this feeling and then ask yourself: What can I let go of in order to heal?

Capricorn or 11th House
Jot down some hopes and dreams for your future. Who in you might interfere with your goal? (Can you give a name to the part of you that may interfere? Can you have a conversation with that part?)

Aquarius or 10th House
Where would you like to be ten years from now in regard to your career? Can you imagine how you might get there? What must you let go of to realize your greatest ambitions for yourself?

Pisces or 9th House
What deeply held beliefs have you found yourself questioning? How could you chose to see things instead? How could this help you progress on your spiritual path?

HOLY F*CK: HOLDING SPACE FOR MY SHADOW SELF

“Just like our sexual self don’t have much space to roam in this world, neither does our shadow self…” says Alexandra Roxo.

Which is a mask, which is a shadow, and which is my truth?]
Which is a mask, which is a shadow, and which is my truth?

Last week in my Holy F*ck salon I felt a heaviness as we gathered on the call, and so I asked: “How many of us are in pain today?” To which everyone replied: “Me.” Some quietly, some more boldly. We were about to do a round of storytelling around transcendental orgasms, but instead I decided: “Fuck talking orgasms today. Let’s talk shame. Sorrow. Rage.’”

I myself was in the deep throes of having let my shadow out to speak her voice at Burning Man, having been silenced for months. I’d literally called on my WHOLE healing team to help me process the experience. Coach Perri Gorman. Intuitive wizard Luke Simon. Michael Ventura, who’s been working with me on this for three years! And a psychologist I met at Burning Man, Justin Hartery.  Plus all my besties. LIKE WHOA IT TAKES A VILLAGE, and I’m so grateful I have help when I need it.

Somewhere during Eclipse season, at the Temple on the “playa”, some old wounds had gotten a fresh surface scrape. As a result I was oozing blood onto everything in my life. And as my wounds and the wounds of all the ladies of the salon were given a voice on that call, I realized—just like our sexual selves don’t have much space to roam in this world, neither do our shadow selves. But when they come knocking we have to answer.

We put on happy faces left and right and keep our shadow tucked away. We don’t want to “be a downer” at a party. So we tuck those feelings away. They get judged, while the “positive” feelings get center stage. Sometimes these are the shadow itself behind a clever mask, and sometimes the positive feeling is holding its hand over the “negative” one, creating a carefully curated dialogue.

“Who, me? No! I’m not insanely horny today! I’m great! Been meditating and doing Bikram!”  Or….”I’m fine! I’m not grieving the fact my dad forgot my birthday for the 18th year in a row. I’m a grown up. I should be over it by now, right?”

We walk around as if “doing okay” and “keeping it together” are badges that will earn us Love and Life Merits. We live by “shoulds.” I “should” be grateful. I ‘should” be strong (p.s. I have eliminated SHOULD from my vocab and I challenge you to do the same).

One shadow that surfaced in the salon was the overwhelming shame of being single. Of showing up to weddings and dinner parties alone. Of having people ask you, “Are you seeing anyone?” before asking about your work, your passions, your friends.

Another that floated into our call was about being in your 30’s and having your parents still supporting you. Many women I love deeply are supported by their families as adults, and since society says this is wrong, it creates yet more shame. When in truth their tribe is caring for them.

On the flip-side, another of my own shadows has been wearing the “Independent Woman” costume (ahem armor) that serves me so well at times, but had become hard to pull off, creating a tough barrier to deeper connections and vulnerability’—until it got ripped off at Burning Man that is.

As we gave these feelings a voice, they were like orphaned children being held tightly for the first time in a long time. How beautiful it was to each other say: “I pretend it’s okay. But I’m in pain.” As we each cried, the rest of us just listened. And I got to thinking…

What if we did this at dinner parties? What if we could eschew some of the socialization that keeps us separate and lonely by keeping these feelings—our truths—hidden away? And what if when I said: “I just feel ugly today”—instead of you replying, “Girl, you’re beautiful!” you just honored my feeling?

What if we just held space for that feeling like two wild witches on a Full Moon in the woods, and watched her fly around the room until she disappeared out the window and into the stars to be at home with all the other parts of our souls? And then we ate spaghetti with marinara sauce until it made our lips red, and talked about where we want to travel before we die and danced to Bowie.

Dancing with my shadows at Burning Man
Dancing with my shadows at Burning Man

How about we reclaim old rituals for honoring the shadows together, and make some new ones of our own? How about I just listen as you speak every fear to me…and I don’t try to fix them. I don’t offer you a solution. I don’t tell you “Everything is going to be okay.” I just hear you and see you and witness you and hold you.

After all, we came here to be wild. We came to make “mistakes.” We came to try things and fail. We came to let our hearts be smashed to bits and to carefully sew them back together. We came for glory. And we came for failure.

They tell us to keep it neat and pretty. To “be the light.” But your shadow is your asset. When you hide her away you teeter along as a half version of yourself, dragging a corpse of old, half-acknowledged feelings around. And so next time shame or grief comes calling, answer her. Make her a temple. Throw her a party. Give her center stage for once.

Will the shadow start running the ship? Most likely not. But if this fear exists, then create a container for these feelings. If you know rage could cause chaos, then take her moshing at a concert. Or give her a punching bag at a boxing gym.

In my Holy F*ck salon that day, I made a pledge to my group and we made a pledge to ourselves:

“When you cry I promise not to comfort you. I promise not to usher away your feelings with my ideas of what’s “right” and “wrong.” When you scream, I promise not to shush you and tell you it’s going to be okay. I’ll admit I don’t know if it will be, but I’ll listen and stand tall with you, and be by your side.”

I pledge this to you now and welcome you to share this with the people you call tribe.

This column is dedicated to those Wild Women and Men who are willing to go there with me and grieve and mourn and rage and laugh and cry and dream with me. Who don’t shut me out when things get ugly, and who aren’t afraid to get down and dirty in the name of growth and change. You know who you are.

Alexandra Roxo is a Spiritual + Creative Mentor, Writer, and Filmmaker living in LA.  Find out more on alexandraroxo.com and instagram.com/alexandraroxo/

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

PSYCHIC AWAKENING: FROM FASHIONISTA TO SHAMANISTA

Fashion stylist Colleen McCann knew something had to give when people started shouting “witch!” at her in the street. Here’s how she went from fashionista to shamanista, and found a way to merge both her worlds…

Colleen McCann Style Rituals shamanista on The Numinous

Shit got real when I heard my first “voice” in the Bodega on South 4th Street and Bedford Avenue over a fight about bananas – and I haven’t looked back. Okay, let me rewind a bit first.

My name is Colleen McCann and up until six years ago I was a typical Brooklyn girl. I lived in Williamsburg, I rode the J-train to the city every day. I brunched at Five Leaves, I threw elbows at sample sales and I had a successful 15-year career in the fashion industry as a designer, stylist, brand consultant and serial entrepreneur.

So what happens when you add “hearing voices” to your repertoire? Well, you start hearing more voices and rubbing elbows with the spiritual renegades that roam the streets of the city.

During the next fashion week, a gypsy woman approached me and wanted to further examine my vibrant green aura at her psychic salon. I darted away and she kept calling “Wait, this is really important come back!”

Quickly followed by my encounter with Joe of the Marcy Street subway platform, who came up to me and said: “Don’t worry about him” and proceeded to read every single thought I had on my mind about my then recent breakup with my boyfriend. I said to Joe “Wait, what did you say you did for a living?” He was a mattress salesman. We enter a long pause together, and he then says: “But I’m really into Astrology.” He winked at me and got off at the next stop.

The real icing on the cake came when this crazy lady on 33rd Street started screaming violently: “witch, witch, witch!” I turned around to see who crazy pants was aiming her opinions at, and unfortunately it was me. Run! I thought…but was I running from the eccentric pupu platter of NYC street weirdos, or was I running from my newly found freakish self?

Colleen McCann Style Rituals shamanista on The Numinous
Colleen’s old life involved a lot of shoes

Okay Universe, I hear you loud and clear. Time to get a second opinion – and maybe not at the psych ward.

So where do you turn in a situation like this? I was scared, embarrassed, uneducated on all subjects of mystical matters. Also, just plain fucking freaked out. But as luck would have it a random girl, now one of my best friends, came up to me in the hallway at my client’s office in midtown and randomly (or not so randomly) asked if I believe in psychics.

“Ummmm, I guess so?” I said, thinking: “Oh god she knows! She sees something is happening to me!” She proceeded to direct me to a psychic who had his mystical lair in the back of a 2nd floor botanical emporium in the flower district.

Following my nose, I soon found myself walking up a set of rickety, shabby chic stairs and swatting cherry blossoms and orchids out of my face to get to the unmarked door of my future destiny. I felt like I was headed for the latest speakeasy – one that was not yet reviewed on Yelp.

Walking in, I was greeted by a man I don’t even think remembered my name. But his black eyes locked with mine and he ran over and grabbed my hands and said: “Oh, honey you’re not crazy, you’re psychic! Sit down and let’s discuss.”

I stood, frozen, and as if watching a movie montage I flashed back through all the “WTF” moments I actually experienced since childhood. Do you remember those grade school contests where you had to guess the number of jelly beans in the jar? Well, I would guess the exact amount every time.

There was the time my little sister was playing tea party with her two imaginary friends, Dan and Carl, and I sat in silence thinking: but I see them, what’s she talking about?

Well – I may have been a weirdo, but at least I now knew what kind of weirdo I was, and I embarked on a mission to figure it all out. Which meant I did what any brazen New York girl would have done…I traded my high-heels for hiking boots and decided to get educated on all things mystical.

Colleen McCann Style Rituals shamanista on The Numinous
Shamanista boot camp…

I attended Shaman school in the wilds of the Chilean outback and against the desert back drop of Joshua Tree. As part of my training, I traveling the unpaved paths of Mount Shasta, Hudson Valley, Big Sur, Kauai, and any other energetically charged hot spot I could get to between days on set.

I have studied Peruvian Shamanism with the Four Winds Society where I learned how to do hands on healing with the chakra system and how to connect with my spirit guides. I also learned the art of channeling in the Nordic and Celtic traditions and regularly attend sessions with a group of Curanderas where I learn about plant medicine and tinctures.

In my free time? You can generally find me in a crystal shop in the back woods of Chinatown, where I learn about gems, mediation, astrology, auras, Feng Shui and medicinal teas from a group of women I affectionately call “The Chinese Crystal Mafia”.

I really put myself through the mystical wringer in an effort to work with my inner freak, but in the process I found I had manifested a whole new calling out of this adventure to reclaim my sanity. So now what?

As I continued my trip down the crystal-laden rabbit hole I started feeling a lot of internal moral conflict, not to mention external physical exhaustion, with the double life I was living. Arriving on set, it would be impossible to ignore the toxic side of the fashion industry: greed, vanity, ego, drug addiction, workaholism, alongside a whopping dose of eating disorders. Did I really want to subject myself to this any longer?

Being a fashion stylist is back breaking work. The hours are long and the work very physical. There are always a plethora of personalities to juggle in the room, and not to mention the constant jet-lag. So what’s a girl to do? I had been maneuvering this double life for six years straight, and I needed to make a shift. So instead of turning my back on the industry that had embraced me for so long, I decided to take my lemonade…and make a lemonade stand!

Colleen McCann Style Rituals shamanista on The Numinous

It was simple: my fashion clients have become my healing clients. These days, I address the underlying issues in my well-dressed community, as who better than me to truly understand the unique brand of pressure and stress they experience day-to-day.

Truth be told I was a little nervous to start telling my crew what I had been up to in my free time. Would I be socially ostracized? Would I lose my clients? As I started confessing my weekend whereabouts, people would stare in silence for a minute and then say something: “Ohhhhh, that explains a few things. When can I get a session?!”

Eureka! There was room in my life for my passions to coexist. I did however have to make a few changes to accommodate my morals, schedule, energy level and a budding new business.

Since coming out of the Shamanic closet, I started a business called Style Rituals. I use my fashionista roots AND my spiritual know-how to realign the energetic body with the physical body. I may still clean out someone’s closet, but we are removing low vibrational clothing, along with a hands on healing, manifestation techniques, altar building and a discussion with their spirit guides.

And while the majority of my work now is healing-based, I also made a conscious decision to do fashion projects with people I enjoy being around, or who’s projects are doing good in our society.

Next up? I’ll be taking my place as resident Shaman with LA-based Daily Bliss Yoga Retreats when we head to Thailand in March. And I’m creating an online webinar to help women who are spiritually blasting wide open and have no idea what’s happening to them work out the, ummm, “kinks” shall we say.

Having been there and done that, I’m honored to be able to help others that are going through exactly what I did. To help them remember who they really are, and re-gain their sovereignty – while navigating modern life in the modern world.

Find out more about Colleen and her work at Stylerituals.com

SIT WITH IT: A NEW WAY TO WORK WITH DEPRESSION

Depression can be a signal of deep discontent from your soul. As tough as it is, try diving into those feelings through meditation and self-reflection to clear your psyche, says Erin Telford

a new way to work with depression rainbow in the dark by erin telford on The Numinous

 

“Winter is a great time for depression,” I joked at a Breathwork group last month. I was met with some very nervous giggles. As with most things, it’s only funny because it’s uncomfortably true.

All humor aside, I got really depressed last winter.

It wasn’t an unfamiliar feeling. The first time I remember feeling depressed was when I was about 14 years old. It felt like being trapped in a glass, banging on the walls with no one listening, fatigue and a vague sense of loss and hazy unmet needs.

When I started to sink down and enter that deep gray landscape, I just felt tired and defeated. You again? After all this work?

I was involved in a group-coaching program at the time. I was honest with everyone about the despair I was feeling. They came full force with the positivity. You got this! You just need a spa day! Self-care! Find your gratitude!

“Seriously?” I thought. I was surprised by how fiercely irritated I was with their advice. And it hit me. I did not want to be cheerled out of this. I wanted to go down into the dungeon of my psyche and find some f*cking answers.

My response to feeling depressed in the past was to wait until it was over. Back pedal out of the icky feelings. Utilize the usual anesthetics. Self-medication. Self-isolation. Online shopping. Staying busy. Hitting the crack pipe rabbit hole of social media.

This time needed to be different. I’m not a confused teenage girl anymore. I’ve been waking up for a long time and I have an arsenal of tools in my bag, perfect for this emotional renovation. So I made a commitment to going down and in – and not coming back out until I found what I was looking for.

So what did that look like in real life? I turned my phone off. I sat in my favorite spot in my apartment, this little nook with a bunch of plants, great light, and a big window, and I checked in. I sat with myself. I did some writing. I asked many times and in as many ways as I could, “what is underneath all of this pain?”

I was really gentle with myself. This line of inquiry did not involve self-criticism, curse words, belittling myself or my process or any feeling of needing to hurry up and get back to “normal” life. I did not take time off but I did give myself all of the time that I had and needed.

What I found was a deep well of sweetness for myself.

The supposed truth that had taken me down to these depths was uncovered as just another clever way that I had fooled myself into believing that I was separate, that I was unloved, that I was unsupported. I discovered that I had the power inside to be able to break a life long pattern by looking at my wounds with tender curiosity rather than frustration or disdain.

***

Depression is often framed as something that just happens to us like getting a cold or a bummer draw of a genetic card. While environment, brain chemistry, and family lineage can be part of long-standing major depression; many of us experience it simply as a response to what’s going on in our lives.

We sell ourselves short by saying, “I’m just depressed.” As if it has nothing to do with the emotional pain that we’ve endured, the unattended wounds, the countless hours spent confused and alone or in groups of people who fail to see or help our hurt. The real life existential crisis that is: “I was told this would make me happy and I’m not. That must mean something is wrong with me. “

Very few of us have been taught any kind of practical way to channel and work with emotional pain. Most likely the instruction we covertly receive is to tuck away the unlovable, messy parts of ourselves. Shove them way, way, way into the back of the closet so we never have to look at the shame or hurt or confusion we feel. Or, let anyone else see it!

There is a single seed of discontent within you that is begging to be acknowledged.

It could be linked to:

Wrong job
Wrong friends
Wrong city
Wrong relationship
Wrong environment
Wrong…paradigm

Only you know, and facing it down is what I call Constructive Depression. It will require your participation. It will require fierce internal responsibility. And it is your job and your job alone, since no-one else can connect to your deepest parts but you.

The longer you’ve been feeling this way, the more wildly uncomfortable you may be with the truth that is banging on the door of your heart, begging for bread and water. How honest are you willing to be with yourself when your wellbeing is on the line?

So how to you do this?

You can think of Constructive Depression as a soul expedition. So what do you need for an internal journey? Nutritious snacks, great music, paints, journals, talismans, crystals, instruments, quiet, something to burn away the energy. Gather all of your supportive resources.

This is not an intellectual exercise. This is a reckoning. You with you.

This is a slow immersive dip into your soul. A psychic cleansing. Mental decongestion. Moving toward rather than away. Your resistance to this idea is equal to your commitment that all of this is due to the outside rather than inside forces. You ARE up to the task.

We experience the full range of human emotions for a reason. We feel sad because something is breaking our heart. We feel angry because something isn’t right and it needs to change. We feel fear because we are threatened or being asked to expand.

Depression is an opportunity for internal exploration. You are not depressed because you are a bad person or you skipped too many days of yoga or gratitude journaling.

You are depressed because something is not working for you. There is a yearning. An emotional chasm. Something that is crying out to be witnessed and seen like it’s never been seen before. Our wounds are rarely greeted with the exact kind of care and response that we are craving. When we accumulate a lifetime of hurts that have gone unnoticed or unattended to by others, the responsibility falls back to us to determine what we need.

So meet yourself with all of the tenderness, all of the sweetness, the hugs, the love, and the acceptance that you hold within you. Go inside, find your golden nugget of truth, and only come back out when you are ready – holding your treasure high.

*Mental health can be very tenuous. If you feel like this is something you can safely undertake, please do. If it feels like too much, please seek professional support for this internal exploration.

MY MYSTICAL LIFE: XMAS GIFT IDEAS, AND BINGEING ON TRANSPARENT

Read on for at least three high-vibe Xmas gift ideas, an astro walking tour of NYC, and all the reasons I love Transparent…

Ruby Warrington head shot by Francis Catania for The Numinous

:: MONDAY ::
Whipped up a batch of my favorite new thing – hemp milk. I’ve been making my own nut milks for most of this year, mainly as, oh let’s see, it’s way cheaper and tastier and healthier than buying the store-bought stuff. I’ve been through almond (too much pulp) and cashew (digestive no-no for me), and had settled on Brazil nut as my fave. But then I got my hands on a copy of Rich Roll and Julie Piatt’s plant-based lifestyle bible The Plantpower Way (an excellent Xmas gift btw), and was convinced to give hemp a try. OMG, it’s lighter than air, mixes like regular dairy milk into hot drinks, AND YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE TO STRAIN IT. Here’s my recipe:

1/2 cup hulled hemp seeds
4 cups of water
Pinch sea salt
1/2 tspn raw honey

Blitz.

:: TUESDAY ::
When Bess Matassa, a.k.a. Street Sign Astrology, invited me on an “astrological walking tour of NYC” obviously I wasn’t going to say no. Even better, Bess’s tours are based on your actual birth chart – taking in sights, stores, and hidden secrets of the City that act as experiential representations of different aspects in your chart. Wow! Mine began beneath the giant whale at the Museum of Natural History, since so many of my planets are in the watery (read: totally emo) 4th and 8th houses of my chart. We then moved on to check out some fierce mammals, since the “learning edge” that Bess saw in my chart can be summed up as: “getting cozy with savagery.” Grrr…(p.s. a tour with Bess would also be a great Xmas gift)

:: WEDNESDAY ::
Hello, exchange economy. Since I was in need of some energetic clearing, and my friend Aly wanted some advice on her website…we agreed to do a swap. A healing session for me, a coaching session for her. We met for the exchange over a 2-hour session today, with amazingly high-vibe results! It got me thinking: what skills could you exchange with one of your friends for an alternative kind of hang-date? It’s a win-win – you both get something out if it that you might otherwise pay a couple of hundred dollars for, and it’s so so much more bonding than getting your gossip on over a bottle of wine. Promise.

Transparent season 2 poster on The Numinous

:: THURSDAY ::
Totally binge-watched the entire second series of Amazon Video’s Transparent, which is definitely one of my favorite shows to have emerged in the past year. If you haven’t seen it a) it’s the story of a (fictional) boho Jewish family in LA coming to terms with the shift in tribal dynamics after the father comes out as trans (“trans-parent,” geddit?), and b) basically clear your diary and get stuck in. Reading this back, it strikes me that it’s essentially a clever, hilarious, emotionally resonant version of the Kardashians – with some really great music, plenty of sex, and copious amounts of medicinal marijuana thrown into the mix.

:: FRIDAY ::
Not quite sure how this happened already, but this is the last weekend you (London crew) can visit the mystical Astrolounge Xmas boutique we curated with the team at Selfridges Oxford St. It’s really been such a special project, and what an amazing opportunity to bring all things Numinous to life…in one of Britain’s most iconic department stores, no less. You can also get your custom birth chart tee printed to order while you wait – oh hello, excellent Xmas gift idea no. 3.

Numinous founder Ruby Warringon at the Selfridges Astrolounge opening in October
Me at the Selfridges Astrolounge opening in October

MY MYSTICAL LIFE: 7 VIBRATIONS, AND A LESSON IN BEING A TEACHER

This week, I learned a new way to say grace, and got some Spirit Junkie teachings…

my mystical life gabrielle bernstein spirit junkie masterclass featured on The Numinous

I created a rainbow blessing code. Last night I went to the official launch of my friend Raquel’s coaching program, 7 Vibrations. I was actually with Raquel the week she began testing the program on herself – and the methodology went something like this: We have all these amazing spiritual and wellbeing tools at our disposal. What would happen if we used all of them, at the same time, intensively and with intention, for a whole week?

As in do a juice cleanse (or similar), while you do daily affirmations + coaching + reading of spiritual texts, and you incorporate a daily mind-body-soul movement practice. The results create a state of what she calls “living vertically” – or being able to navigate life with “a Penthouse state of mind.”

She’s since refined the program a whole lot, and also created 7 Vibrations yoga, which is essentially a vinyasa practice that also incorporates affirmations, breath work, some kundalini kryas, and which is also customized for each and every client. Wowzer.

One fun takeaway from the night, which I will share with you here, was also the idea of creating a “blessing code” for the food you eat, to raise the vibration of everything you eat. A bit like saying grace, but WAY COOLER.

– First, think about all the parts of the process the food went through before it got to your plate. The people who produced it, the way it was transported, stored, and perhaps prepared. Some of this was likely pretty low vibe.
– So okay, now you want to spend a bit of time blessing every step of that process. Raquel suggests writing it down so you don’t miss anything.
– Next, because you’re not exactly going to wanna go through this every time you grab a quick bite at Sweetgreen, choose a symbol that represents, or becomes a sort of shorthand, for this extended blessing.
– Raquel gave the example of a star – and this then becomes your blessing code, to energetically be “placed” on your food every time you eat!

Love, love, LOVE IT. And since I’m still boarder line obsessed with them, I’m making mine a rainbow 🙂

Raquel’s intensive 7-day 7 Vibrations coaching program, including a custom high-vibe diet plat, custom yoga practice and daily coaching, usually costs $1350 – but she’s offering Numinous readers a friends and family rate of $995 if you sign up before September 24th 2015. Contact [email protected] and just quote “NUMINOUS”

my mystical life gabby bernstein spirit junkie rainbow on The Numinous

I asked what it takes to teach. So a lot of people I know have been doing my friend and spirit sister Gabby Bernstein’s Spirit Junkie Masterclass – a course on how to become a leader, a teacher like Gabby, and set up your own spiritual business. Just like Raquel’s done with 7 Vibrations!

You can get a taste of the teachings from the Masterclass in this free video, in which Gabby explains what she considers the three essential elements that helped her launch her business.

And the message in the vid has really got me thinking – what does it mean to be a teacher in the Now Age? Well for starters, we can’t all be Gabby Bernstein. We don’t all – myself especially! – have what it takes to stand up on stage in front of hundreds of people and, well, preach. That’s Gabby’s gift, and she uses it to beautiful effect.

We can’t all express ourselves authentically, and with meaning in the written word (which is what I hope I am able to do); we can’t all guide others to elevate their yoga practice to another level; we can’t all heal using sound, or food, or the wisdom of our spirit guides.

But what we can all do is teach by example, right? It’s what I’ve heard Gabby call “being the light.” And to me this means working on ourselves to get clear of all the c*** and all the conditioning that’s stopping us from identifying our own unique and inspirational gifts. I’d love to know your take on this conversation – can we all be a teacher in the Now Age? Watch Gabby’s video and comment below, or connect with me and share on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

my mystical life september 18

BEHIND THE BEYONCE VEGAN BACKLASH

What’s up with the Beyonce vegan backlash?! Body image expert and spiritual healthy eating coach Heather Waxman responds to the haters – and talks to Ruby Warrington about diet and spiritual development

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Beyonce by Kei Nicolee via Behance.net

Beyonce’s fans were mad because they expected a tour or album announcement (to which I say, “Give her a break and get over it, people!”). Meanwhile, many in the vegan community are angry because they think she’s a hypocrite for wearing fur and “posing with captive elephants and tigers” as one person commented.

Here’s the thing: judgment doesn’t get us anywhere. And since I don’t know Beyonce personally, I don’t know her heart and I don’t know her lifestyle, so it’s not really my place to comment. But what I can say is that we need to appreciate how much publicity eating vegan is receiving as a result. Let’s celebrate that! It’s awesome.

But let’s also focus in on what she said in connection to veganism and positive body image. Here’s a direct quote from Beyonce’s interview on GMA: “I am not naturally the thinnest. I have curves. I’m proud of my curves and I have struggled since a young age with diets and finding something that actually works, actually keeps the weight off, has been difficult for me.”

From what I understand, Beyonce started to eat vegan after she had her baby as a way to lose the baby weight in a natural way – opposed to a quick fix. As a result, she said she experienced many other beneficial side effects – like better sleep quality, improved digestion, and a positive feeling that her vegan choices could effect the people around her and the environment.

Which is all great. But I will point to the contradictory of saying you love your curves, but also saying things like you’ve tried everything to stay a certain weight.

If we have true BODYpeace, we don’t feel the need to do something to “keep the weight off” because we can naturally live and eat in a way that allows us to experience peace with our body. As a result, weight becomes a non-issue. It’s just not something you’re concerned about anymore.

This has got to get way harder living in the public eye, and I’m not sure if this was just a poor choice of words or if she actually does still struggle with body image. But either way, I hope that we can all agree that a.) this is great for the vegan movement and b.) pray that Beyonce (and all women for that matter!) is peaceful and happy in her body and continues to make choices from an authentic and ethical place for her.

Read on for Ruby Warrington’s interview with Heather Waxman about spirituality, diet and body image…

Beyonce kale sweatshirt featured on The Numinous
Get Beyonce’s “Kale” sweatshirt here!

I feel like starting to eat ‘healthy’ like Beyonce is the beginning of a lot of people’s spiritual awakening. Do you agree? Why is this?
I absolutely agree. As we let go of foods that are not serving us, we notice that those foods were doing a really good job at numbing out a bunch of stuff we didn’t want to feel. So as we start to eat cleaner, our thoughts and feelings become cleaner too – and that can feel amazing and joyful, but also very intense depending what we were avoiding dealing with. And that’s usually when people turn to spiritual practice for help.

We also see a lot of ‘extreme’ diets in spiritual + self-improvement circles – why is this?
Whenever I see or hear the word ‘extreme,’ the concept of perfectionism instantly comes to mind. And that’s what causes problems, isn’t it? We’ve all heard the cliché “perfection doesn’t exist” – but we don’t live by it as a society, as Beyonce knows only too well. I think most people opt for extreme diets because they think looking a certain way will help them truly love themselves. But that’s not how it works.

I want to add that I actually think that the word “self-improvement” is also damaging, particularly for sensitive souls, because it implies we’re somehow not good enough, which only perpetuates the quest for perfection. What I’ve come to conclude lately is that we’re not necessarily here to improve ourselves. It’s more that embarking on a spiritual path the aim is to become more of ourselves. It’s more about an unfolding, a peeling back, layer by layer, of who we thought we were, only to allow who we really are to be revealed. Which can be messy, beautiful, and terrifying! But, I believe, it’s what we’re all called to do.

But discipline and asceticism have long been associated with spiritual development – do you see echoes of this in things like juice cleansing, etc?
I do, but I think we need to define “discipline” before we dive into this. The word has the same root as the word “disciple” – which means to be a devotee of a certain philosophy. But the word discipline has been turned into something that’s just not fun – so, I prefer to use…devotion.

I think when we lean into our spiritual development with a strong air of devotion…that’s when the miracles unfold for us. And so I also think we need to be disciplined with, or devoted to, things that we have discovered we need to do so we can show up for life ready to give love, receive love, and serve those around us.

This can include juice cleansing, if that’s what you feel called to do! But as every individual body is different, I think it’s important to first get to know your body and also to consider your own mental / spiritual relationship with the concept. I tried (and failed) so many detoxes and cleanses. So, when it came time for me to want to consider detoxing for spiritual purposes, I had to first heal the mental issues I had with cleanses and learn the real “why” behind them, before I was ready to check it out.

What are the warning signs for you as a coach that healthy has tipped into obsessive?
There are a bunch of warning signs, but these are the most common ones I have seen, and they’re always present in my clients.

– You know things have turned obsessive if you’re doing one or more of these:
– You’re constantly thinking about your next meal and counting calories
– You’re obsessed with counting your macros, or avoiding certain foods or food groups because you’re afraid they’ll make you gain weight
– You’re avoiding certain foods or food groups because you want to “fit in” with the fitness / spiritual community you’re a apart of
– You restrict your food all day and then binge eat at night
– You have to work out for a specific amount of time or you have to do a specific type of workout because you’re afraid of gaining weight…and if you don’t have a chance to do that work out, you feel depressed and like your day is ruined

So what do you think a healthy and spiritually aligned attitude to food really looks like?
Our definition of health and spirituality is very individual, but I do believe there is a common thread tying every version of a healthy relationship to food together, and it sounds something like this: “I eat for vitality, freedom, and pleasure.” (Notice how I said vitality – not vanity).

This is definitely where I’m at now, and it’s allowed me to feel the happiest in my body I’ve ever felt. Vitality, freedom, and pleasure are not exclusive, though! I went on vacation last week and vitality went out the window for me. I wanted to eat for freedom and pleasure. So, I ate a bunch of things I normally don’t eat when I’m home like frozen yogurt, sweet potato fries, and chips and guacamole. It was great! When I returned home, I couldn’t wait to return to feeling that vitality. It’s a constant dance.

And what role does taking pleasure in what we eat play in our spiritual development?
Do you have a year to talk about this?! I think one of the most volatile things we’ve done as a society is completely neglect food as a source of pleasure. For example, some of my clients – even though they enjoy eating healthy meals – still equate healthy eating with it being stripped dry of pleasure. Or they think of making meals as another annoying chore on their to-do list instead of an incredible act of self-care and self-pleasure. We’ve lost touch with our feminine relationship to food – which means that for a lot of us, our bodies and our souls are screaming at us, “I just want to feel pleasure!” Enter those “guilty” vegan ice cream binges.

When we hear the word “pleasure” we instantly think of sex. But to me, pleasure is about actively engaging all my senses: sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing, and intuition. When we can become devoted (there’s that word again!) to bringing all our senses to every meal, that’s when we really start to feel pleasure and come to a place of BODYpeace that allows to finally feel spiritually and physically nourished.

Has changing your diet connected you to your spiritual practice? Connect with us and share your story on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter

If this conversation resonates with you, you can read more from Heather Waxman in her and Kasey Arena’s book BODYpeace: Release Shame and Discover Body Freedom
– a 30-day guidebook marrying the spiritual and the practical side of food and body discovery. To book a 1:1 session with Heather, click here.

TAROTSCOPES: APRIL 2015

Tarotscopes April 2015 cast by Louise Androlia using the Tarot Of The Holy Light deck

Aries / Aries Rising – The Lovers

Aries, you always feel more active when your solar year actually begins. The power that comes with being the first sign in the zodiac resonates with you, and I feel that in April there will be a sense from within that says ‘I’m ready’ – the tiptoeing since January is over.

So, what are you ready for? The energy I feel coming upon you is intense, ambitious, active, and absolutely needs to be channeled in a way that is totally of the ‘positive selfish’ way of thinking I always encourage. Everything needs to be directed from your highest self and for your best footing. All the action plans you create won’t go in your desired direction if you aren’t prepared to log in to your deepest truth, which you can tap into by simply asking; ‘What do I want?’

But I’m actually going to re-frame that as; ‘What do I need?’ What do you need in your life to feel good over the coming months? What new emotions and feelings are you searching for to accompany the material changes you are seeking? Relationship-wise, if you’re in a couple this is a great month to reconnect as team mates and soul suitors. Recognize that you are in this to learn, so step back and listen to what your partner has to teach you right now. I feel your other half has some untapped (by you) wisdom that is going to be helpful, especially in a business sense.

If you’re single, then this month will help you reassess what you need and want from a partnership, as well as supporting you to let old, repetitive stories go. You need someone to look at the world with the same creative perspective as you, to support you in your wildest ideas and not clip your wings.

Decision-making is certainly a theme this month – and why is that filling you with anxiety? Of course you’ll make the right choices for you, there’s no such thing as a ‘wrong’ choice when you’re on the road you’ve created. However, it will help you to get out of your own way – which means realizing that nothing is about you, yet everything is about you (as in around you). The next stage of your journey isn’t about giving others what you think they want, it’s about pursuing what you know you need. Think of all decisions as potential lovers; would you want to go to bed with that idea? Is this a one-night stand or an all in love connection?

I also want you not to peddle backwards, trying to fix things from the past. Shake it off and know that you’ve created space for the new. Pursue with wide eyes and a will to be surprised.

Have you downloaded your full 2015 Tarotscope? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

 

Taurus / Taurus Rising – The Fool

Back here again, time for another new beginning! It’s almost like you’ve been confronted with one fresh start after another for maybe even the last year. Things are constantly changing around you, and your desire to control or have everything ‘just so’ often throws you off balance. But everything is perfectly lined up for right NOW, the big leap.

Harnessing this fresh energy is all about perspective this month, your ability to look at everything and choose to see it with fresh eyes. This means looking at your work, all your relationships, and all your options as if you’re seeing them for the first time. This also means looking past your anxieties, so that you actually see reality – those layers of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ are made from a mist of fear. Return yourself to the original sense of possibility and wonder that lead you to where you are in the first place.

There is no avoiding the winds of change this month, but the feeling is all brand new and awake. You may also experience shifts in your spiritual outlook, as you step into more of a teacher than a follower roll. Your calling to share information in order to change the world is more than just a flash in the pan. As I said before, you are ready – and you feel it too, don’t you? Even if you’re fighting it a little, it seems as though some recent anxieties might lift a little this month. Surrender always helps, so try to think of this a way of living – simply allowing everything to breathe and flow, allowing yourself to breathe and flow. Think; what can you do right now to help you feel more comfortable about the space in front of you? Do it.

Finally, remember that the start of a new cycle is supposed to feel bonkers. Weird, wild, and downright odd. For those of you falling into new love, it can be a panic-ridden time, with the butterflies and all that jazz. But I encourage you to ride the waves, trust your feelings, and even appreciate the anxiety. It’s new, therefore it’s teaching you something. However D0 stay aligned with your gut instincts though – this is definitely not the moment to be sharing your awesome self with those who cannot show up for you.

Have you downloaded your full 2015 Tarotscope? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

 

Gemini / Gemini Rising – Page of Discs
Oh thank goodness – your power is returning! You, Gemini, have been seriously shaken and stirred in the last six months, within and without. Now it’s time to turn your energy around. No more feeling like the victim, or even, for some of you, purposefully choosing the victim mentality over relying on your own inner strength. It can hurt to pick yourself back up again, but it’s natural and you were born to do it.

This month is all about material world manifestation. Grabbing life by the balls and reminding yourself what you want to throw in the fire pit. What sparks do you want to light up? What do you need to do to feel alive again today? It’s never too late to pursue a new idea, whatever your age or your history, and the fact that you feel a bubbling under the surface right now is a sure fire sign that it’s time.

So manifest, then take action, and then surrender – this is about honoring the whole process. I also have a feeling that you need to put your foot down. Somewhere you have sidelined your own authority, maybe to please someone else, maybe just to fit in – but your voice has been lost somewhere, and it’s time to claim it back. Be reassured that the space just ahead of you is safe to work with, and also a place to stretch your creativity. I feel that some of your work-related projects need to be stepped-up a level. You are ready for more responsibility and more recognition. You have valid and valuable skills to share – don’t undersell yourself!

So, step back into your superpowers and check in again with what you had planned for this year before a few obstacles were thrown in your path. Many of them romantic by the way, right? And that’s good! But check in with your power there too.

You have the urge to feel more in control again – the positive kind of control, of course. I hope that a few of you with monetary concerns might also see a return on investments over the next few weeks. Keep throwing out the net and expect to haul some good back in. Be active, yet patient, and the month will flow to a tee.

Have you downloaded your full 2015 Tarotscope? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

 

Cancer / Cancer Rising – Page of Swords

The more serious vibe from last month isn’t exactly going anywhere, but it is more independently directed by you now – opposed to last month, when it may have felt like you were at the beck and call of a more stubborn external force. Instead, this month is about reclaiming your sense of self, with links back to any personal challenges that popped up around six months ago.

Back then, I feel you may have been having some concerns around trust, as in whom to put your faith in, but also some lack of self confidence that stopped you from really standing up and asking for what you want. In the workplace, yes, but also in relationships where you felt rather powerless or without voice.

So now it’s time to re-access your highest self and most authentic voice. Speaking your truth doesn’t mean going off on one or being aggressive, it’ merely about being as close to your inner soul system as possible, and speaking from the heart – asking for what you know you need, and also know that you are allowed to have. For those of you who’ve felt as though you just couldn’t express yourself, then this is the month where things will start to shift. Your job is just to be ready, and also to claim the power that comes from your own personal losses. Feelings such as shame and embarrassment are entirely human-created, and our job is to fight them and come out on top – proud of all our experiences, warts and all.

Meanwhile this is a great energy for anything communication related, whether it’s checking in with your therapist, booking into a workshop or just pulling out your journal. You will feel the most clear when expressing and sharing ideas, pure brain fuel! If you’re in the dating pool, you will likely find yourself turned on by uber-intelligence right now – you can’t be bothered with anything less than being served up a thought based challenge. With the Air element riding high, keep watching for moments of genius, rather than allow yourself to be dragged under by any old fears tapping on your shoulder. You know them so well now, and it’s a lot easier to shake them off that you might think. So keep shaking, keep moving.

Have you downloaded your full 2015 Tarotscope? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

 

Leo / Leo Rising – Three of Swords

A powerful month for your surrender practice, my wild ones! I will say this to you until my voice runs out, but this practice really is your superpower – to be able to tame your fears in order to allow your most free range creative spirit out. I suspect that over the coming weeks you may find yourself poked and prodded by needing to ‘let go’ of something, most likely a situation involving another person.

I know how easy it is for you to hold onto a grudge, and don’t worry, it happens to everyone. Right now though, it feels as though you are forcing blame or punishment on someone, and in fact this is only weighing you down. So let’s talk about forgiveness – forgiveness as a radical act of self-love and freedom. When you set someone loose, you free yourself to move forward. Forgiveness is absolutely nothing to do with letting someone ‘get away with it’ or suggesting that a painful experience was okay – it’s all about self-love, and I want you to seek personal freedom, wings wide open. Know that it’s also okay to feel pain also, to sit with it, to trust in it, and believe that it is malleable and can and will shift.

I feel that for many of you there’s also a need for release around an aspect of yourself. What punishing stories have you been replaying to yourself on repeat? Are you hauling up an old anxiety like a sword from under your bed and stabbing yourself with it? What are you blaming yourself for? What do you feel disappointed about? Where is your heart hurting? Know that it’s okay to set yourself free now, that restricting yourself won’t move you forwards, and you are allowed to keep on trucking.

It also can be hard to allow yourself to pursue the future when you see those around you as less fortunate. Trust in your journey and it’s timing, it’s not supposed to look exactly like everyone else’s. Nearer the end of the month, I feel you will receive a nice energetic boost – off the back of all this release – positioning you in a more empowered state to go forth and pursue a project you’ve been sidelining because of the aforementioned fears. Go back to your Fire element – that part of you that propels you towards your dreams – and work with it. The blame game is over, it’s time to shine.

Have you downloaded your full 2015 Tarotscope? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

 

Virgo / Virgo Rising – Ace of Wands

You’ve been knee-deep in or hovering around a lot of intense feelings and thoughts of change recently. For someone so ‘on it’ with their word, you may have also been feeling unusually scattered and less confident than you like to portray. When I turned this card for you I felt a strong surge of dynamics shifting for you, and want to give you a green light along with a loud IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY when it comes to the action you are planning to take over the next few weeks and months.

This month is focused on reclaiming your Fire energy, in a new way. This is a highly creative force but I want to focus on the passion, the drive, the sex! A.k.a. the good old life force that can so easily ebb away to be eaten up by our anxieties. Your mojo is ready to be switched back on, and it’s time to strike the match one more time. How are you feeling when I talk about this energy? Like you have none of it? Or like it’s consuming you? The Fire element is so powerful and needs to be directed and channeled in the way that suits you the most.

So, prepare to launch yourself head first, heart first, and soul first into life this month. This is a wonderful chance to release new projects into the world, to share ideas and shout about your skills from the rooftops. You will be supported whether you take giant strides, small leaps, and insane cliff jumps. It’s also time to plant the seeds for the next year. I picked this card for you just about this time last year, so you may notice some serendipitous links to back then, but it also means you might get the chance to finish up or gain clarity on an old idea you let fall by the wayside. Be open to reviewing and renewing.

Relationships need a firecracker under them right now, and whether that means reigniting the spark itself or rocket fueling into a new space for a new you – again it’s a good time to be active and involved. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need, or of honoring the support and inspiration you seek. Finally, get making. Only you know the precise frustration you feel when you aren’t creating, or learning, so get your brain reconnected to your soul and see what comes out. Get absorbed by yourself, and marinate in what feels magnetic right now.

Have you downloaded your full 2015 Tarotscope? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

 

Libra / Libra Rising – Knight of Swords

To your delight a much more active month is upon you, and I feel will be able to gain a little more clarity after some misty weeks recently. For a lot of people there has been this tug-of-war going on, from feeling so uninspired to wanting change right NOW. You are ready to be on the receiving end of the shift, and so it’s important that you get connected to the exact direction that you’d like to be headed in.

DON’T PANIC – but I feel that as your mind clears you are going to really want to do everything all at once! We all know this is a recipe for anxiety, so just remind yourself that it’s totally okay to do things step-by-step – in fact this is the way things actually get done. This is also a great month for brainstorming though, so it’s okay to be doing lots of thinking. Just keep yourself in the top level of the mind, where your expansive ideas and most malleable thought patterns live. Also remember that intuition is sparked by clear thoughts – they are a wonderful duo the brain and the soul, so allow them to work together.

So then, where are you headed? I feel like a bunch of you are ready to just ‘sack something off’ and say ‘SEE YA!’ to anything that’s not working – but HOW? First you need to build a bridge. This is how change happens, start making the connective links from where you’re at to where you want to be, and have faith in the fact that you are allowed to feel fulfilled in your job, excited by your relationship, and aware of a sense of perfect health. Commit to the desire and you will get there.

Trust is another important subject for you over the coming weeks, especially as I mentioned last month with regards decision-making. When taking action, try not to take the detour into fear – which we all know can be pretty easy; just keep connected to your enthusiasm and you will be right on track. Also, don’t be afraid of asking for what you want, and don’t be scared if you feel intimidated! Sure, some moments are awkward or uncomfortable, but then they’re DONE, and you are free. You’ll never be let down if you commit to walking on through challenges, even when you can’t see the other side – it is there. Commit to everything that is alive in the present moment, embrace your wild heart and stride on.

Have you downloaded your full 2015 Tarotscope? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

 

Scorpio / Scorpio – The Chariot

I for one am excited about the surge of forward motion that’s come upon you. You’ve probably felt it over the last ten days – synchronicities rife, those webs weaving together, movement on old projects or even just a touch more clarity of the mind. You’ve been really trying to get authentically connected to YOU recently – and last month you kept trying to tune more into your natural life force. Did you discover what truly fuels you? It’s THAT energy that will propel you forward now. In fact, I feel almost overpowered by what is ahead of you; big ideas, strong, rooting forces, and a lot of unapologetic self-expression.

You may be tested on your will over the next few weeks, and it might feel like everyone is asking you; ‘what is it you do?’ If you hear this over and over, realize that the Universe is testing your ability to stand in your authentic voice and say out loud ‘this is me!’ Think of it as a game of Highest Truth or Dare, and enjoy it. Practice standing in the self that you know is real – even if it’s new to you. See how things flow better when you release expectations and drop what you ‘think’ you should be?

So now you have permission to move forward, think of your soul’s calling as the destination. But you aren’t chasing it – your soul is always there with you, and it’s light is your beacon, to pull you from the shadows in every moment that you need it. Of course this is also a good time to travel, within and without. This fairly masculine energy gives you stride and force – you want to go places and be seen – so show your face! You’ve had moments recently of wanting to hide away, so I love to think you might be forced into the spotlight. It’s definitely time to get out of your comfort zone, and you will know in which area of your life that sits. Which corner of your life needs to be given a kick in the backside?

Finally, if you’re one of the Scorps who’s been shaking your fist at the heavens and reprimanding the Universe then…have you even been claiming ownership of your life? Are you present with everything you’re feeling TODAY? No? Well, it’s time to take back the controls. Time is never wasted and movement is always supported.

Have you downloaded your full 2015 Tarotscope? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

 

Sagittarius / Sagittarius Rising – Two of Cups

The coming weeks bring forth an important shift in your thinking, and there’s a sense of positive reconnection to your journey. It may not be an earth shattering epiphany, but I feel many of you will just become raw and real about the ways in which you’ve been working against yourself. Or, the ways in which you’ve backed yourself into a dark corner. Raw and real, got it? The great gift we have as humans is that we can shift our perspective any time we choose. You can also simply acknowledge the different phases in your life – for instance the Saturn Return, a time renowned for shaking you to your core, in order to align you with your highest self.

This month, the cycles are well and truly turning, and you are being pulled up and out of a cloud now as you are gifted with a new sense of clarity. The thing about moments of clarity is that we often assume they’re going to be prophetic lightning bolts from the sky, but usually they are revealed in quiet moments of simplicity. You may suddenly just ‘get it’ in a few new areas – and in regards to your own self, suddenly release some pressure that has been weighing on you for years, a lessening of anxiety brought forth by simple measures.

There is a great sense of allowing yourself to be free, and you will most likely know which old habit needs to truly kick the bucket. I also see a new pathway for you, and feel that you are ready to embark on a new exploration of your creative self, one that’s paved in rainbows. This will see you feeling alive and excited, and is something you’ll pursue over the rest of the year. It doesn’t have to break the bank or even change the world (though can if you’d like it to). This is you purely about pursuing new feelings, and where on Earth they might take you.

I imagine you are going to be bursting with ideas, over the next few weeks especially. Don’t get overwhelmed by what your own mind is capable of, appreciate how weird it is, and share your out-there ideas with fiends. Strike the match on new adventures with those people you feel drawn to, those whose eyes pop at the same stuff – this is where the magic lies. Anyway, to experience all of this you need to get up off the floor, so come on!

Have you downloaded your full 2015 Tarotscope? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

 

Capricorn / Capricorn Rising – The Four of Wands

This is such a lighthearted month for you my brave warrior. Dare I say it’s time to swoon about all the good things? Because…there are some good things, right?! Something, or more than one thing, to celebrate? This is a month of luck and gratitude, for of all that you’ve been working so hard on. Think of it as simply a bit of a stop and smell the roses scenario.

The good vibes that are flying around you are all about RESULTS, and so I feel you will be pulling in the rewards and compliments from what you’ve been cooking up over the past few months – or even longer. I’m hoping that this might be an energy you like so much you decide it can be permanent. Consider it as an experiment in lifting yourself up out of the struggle zone, to be that fly on the wall in your own life and to gaze upon situations from a simplified viewpoint. Can you see how there could be a more peaceful solution to anything that feels a little chaotic?

Gratitude is important for creating expansion, and I’d like you to practice self-gratitude this month, a.k.a. an admiration of your own talents and quirks. Write down all that you admire about yourself as an invitation to the Universe to deliver more of the same back to you. This is also a good exercise if you’re trying to meet new people. Write down the aspects of yourself that you wish to be seen, so that you’ll see them in others. It can be difficult, as you often bump into your own self-confidence anxieties, finding it hard to bring forth what talents and admirable qualities you have. Let me confirm to you now – you have many!

By becoming aware of what we have opposed to what we lack, we stretch time and space a little in order to hold more good things. That’s gratitude in a nutshell. BUT don’t ever undervalue your negative feelings by thinking you ‘should’ be thankful. It’s important to feel all your feelings equally.

I’d also love to encourage you to embrace a few leaps into the unknown this month – to hold someone’s hand,  shout YES, and dive bomb your life. Don’t hide in the shadows, experiment with what makes you feel the most alive. Also, tell your nearest and dearest how great they are, and make some time to get to know them. Don’t assume anything.

Have you downloaded your full 2015 Tarotscope? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

 

Aquarius / Aquarius Rising – The Tower

You’re sitting in quite a similar space to this time last year in regards to an idea, way of thinking, or career prospect. Look back to last April – where were you? I feel that for many of you, a final phase of healing come up now, taking you to a better place. But there may still be a challenge in this – as all roads out of the woods conceal a few twists and turns. Be kind to yourself and release time pressure. If you are feeling that ticking clock, know that it’s a timeframe built only from fear and that you are exactly where you are supposed to be – always.

It’s a month for shaking things up and bringing forth the change that you want to see – as opposed to sitting and waiting for things to shift themselves. What’s the thing that you feel is missing in your life right now? And how are you speaking about that thing? Are you using a tone of lack – for instance; ‘I never meet anyone I like’ or ‘I can’t do that’? Check your internal and external dialogue and see how you can shift it to something more expansive – a thought process that has stretch.

You see, when this card comes into play there is always change around you, and my job is to make sure you are the master of it. I feel a great entrepreneurial energy high for the next few weeks, where you have the power to throw out your greatest ideas to an audience who really want to listen. It may be that you’ve recently met someone who will be pivotal to that great leap – a business partner or even just a new friend that you feel finally gets you and your weirdo ways.

Romantically, expect and be willing to be surprised. Everything that’s not right for you will move quickly, so avoid falling into a sense of loss – remember that space is being cleared for the correct jigsaw piece. But with that lightning bolt effect, those great experiences are usually in the space to the sides, not in our blinkered tunnel-vision. Perhaps you just say YES a few more times this month, to the things that scare you the most. Or you decide to show up for the people that have shown up for you – and don’t worry about the rest. Finally, be ready for divine inspiration and don’t ignore the directions from your soul – the signs are there.

Have you downloaded your full 2015 Tarotscope? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

 

Pisces / Pisces Rising – The Six of Discs

A month for recalibrating your thoughts about what an equal partnership means to you. I feel that in recent times you have experienced higher than usual feelings of disappointment to do with others – whether it’s those closest to you, or even just feeling aghast about the human race in general. In those moments it’s difficult to not feel judgmental or, more likely for you, overwhelmed and hopeless. The great news is that help is en route via your greatest comrade – YOU.

You may want to start the month with a flash of forgiveness. Give it all up, surrender your ego, part ways with your anxieties, and trust the path that got you here to be able to work with the moment that you are in. Forgiveness sets you free, remember. And now, it’s time to just check in with the scales of balance. It’s easy to complain that you’re giving more than you’re getting, but if you shift your goals and desires to a higher level then the harmony might well return. Try to avoid statements like; ‘Why does this always happen to me’ – or a belief that you are locked in any patterns. The great thing about noticing repetitive cycles is that once you’re aware of them you’re able to see what you can do differently. So how can you change your attitude?

We also can’t ignore the gratitude factor. Good things are coming your way and good things surround you, so try and put yourself in a space of receiving. Be ready to see the unexpected opportunities that might crop up nearer the end the month. I feel you may also tune into bird and flower symbolism. Perhaps you already have a lucky winged friend (angels included of course!) who you see every time you need some reassurance. You can also make the magic game more fun by requesting specific signs – it helps keep you in a more expansive and open space.

In your romantic endeavors the same themes apply – don’t give out to people who can’t seem to show up for you. This isn’t all about you, but you are the only one who can raise your mood by choosing to partner up with someone who at least is willing to try. For those of you already in the L.O.V.E. zone, I feel the coming weeks are a gorgeous time to just be in your love. Feels good, doesn’t it?

Have you downloaded your full 2015 Tarotscope? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

SPEAK YOUR TRUTH: CHANELLING THE ANGELS OF ATLANTIS

Fear of public speaking? Imagine if the Angels of Atlantis had your back…Stewart Pearce, a.k.a. The Alchemy of Voice, explains to to harness Angel energy and express yourself from the heart.

Divine Consciousness by Daniel Sanchez featured on TheNuminous.net
Divine Consciousness by Daniel Sanchez via Behance.net

We’re currently living through a vast vortex of a spiritual revolution – this is known as the Human Potential Movement. Through this period we are reaching points of initiation where people are waking up to the fact that their soul is crucial to the fabric of their life. I tune people in to the Song of their Soul through my role as a voice coach. Coaching in this way is about working with a person’s inner being, because our voice is an intimate part of our psyche…”

Stewart Pearce is a Master of Voice, and created The Alchemy of Voice as a process of sound healing using the human voice. He also has a leading edge team of celestial helpers that appear as Orb Light Beings, and which we know as Angels. In fact, Stewart channels the Angels of Atlantis to help guide his clients, who have included Princess Diana and Anita Roddick among other luminaries, to an harmonic communion with the Divine.

The more, shall we say, advanced students among the Numi community will be familiar with the 12 Archangels, who in turn represent the 12 archetypes of consciousness. For the uninitiated, there follows a conversation with Stewart about his work, and an introduction to each Angel and their specific realm of Cosmic prowess…

Did you always have a connection to spirit?
“I grew up with the ability to see angels, but around the age of 9 or ten I shut that side of my self down because I realized that not everybody could see the things I did. I became an actor, and then a voice coach for actors, which is when I began to switch back on. I remember a leading actor in the West End telling me: ‘My God, you’ve helped me so much! But how could you know that my mother’s death had such an effect on me?’ I told him, ‘Well, she’s standing right next to you.’ And so I came out of the closet as a psychic.”

And when did you begin to work with the Angels of Atlantis?
It was in Glastonbury, during the time of the Harmonic Convergence in August 1987. This was a very unique astrological configuration, where it was suggested by the Mayans that 144,000 Rainbow Light Warriors would be awoken to prepare for the great shifts leading up to December 21st, 2012. During that weekend, I went to sit on the tor to meditate, which is when I heard these extraordinary sounds. I was sitting with my eyes closed and when I opened them, I saw huge orbs of light, and I heard inside me: ‘We are the Angels of Atlantis, and we are going to give you a Temple of Sound Healing, called The Alchemy of Voice.'”

Saint Michael the Archangel by Jesus R. Sanchez on TheNuminous.net
Saint Michael the Archangel by Jesus R. Sanchez via Behance.net

Far out! So how can we connect to the Angels with our voice?
“We’ve been educated to be very cerebral, but we can all learn to emit certain frequencies, particularly through our voices, that allow us to feel a preternatural, a supernatural presence. What I do is I use sound, be it through speaking, or through chanting, to help people to feel a sense of harmony with their Angelic guides. There’s no formula to working with the Angels. It’s an experience. Do we think fall in love? No. We just know we’ve fallen in love. We feel it. And while humans love for the sake of being loved, Angels love for the sake of love, and so what they do is help us awaken to what’s in our own hearts.”

Why do people choose to work with you?
“Most people come to me because they’re sad, the shit is hitting the fan, or they feel that life is completely moribund and mundane. The questions they ask are: “Why is this happening to me? What is my purpose? Where is the joy in my life?” There begins a conversation about the crises and the conflicts that have taken place in their experience, that have taken this beautiful being, this person of crystalline light, away from the source. What I do is plug people back in, so that the Angels can begin to provide them with magic and miracles again. We create an opening, an aperture into the council of the divine. And life is never the same again.”

In what ways do people begin to express themselves differently?
“This relates to speech because when words arise from the heart, they will enter the hearts of those who are listening. And also because as soon as you plug back into the core of what we and life are all about, it is like falling in love – you want to tell the whole world. Out of that love, our physiology in turn opens up, and we become immediately very expressive. For as soon as we move into this frequency, people step forward with congruence. The quality of conversation one is having matches the quality of frequency one is holding. As with everything else, our experience is not happening to us, it is responding to us. That’s the Law of Attraction.”

Stewart Pearce introduces the Angels of Atlantis…

Archangel costume sketch by Milan Covacevic on TheNuminous.net
Archangel costume sketch by Milan Covacevic via Behance.net

:: G A B R I E L ::
Archangel Gabriel is the DIVINE MESSENGER of God, who brings us inspiration in order to assist us with transition and change. Gabriel inspires us to receive divine unction directly from the Source. For Gabriel’s messages align us with who we truly are, blessed in the soul’s arousal of our spiritual path. Therefore, receiving this Angel’s inspiration means we fully discover that love and compassion are the only way forward to freedom – an initiation that is announced in the breath of heaven.
Click here for a meditation with Archangel Gabriel

:: H A N A E L::
Archangel Hanael invokes us to champion our willpower with the shield of humility, and to live sustainable love through strength, integrity, courage and purpose. As the SACRED WARRIOR, Hanael evokes our spiritual muscles to be in peak condition, fostering a sense of direction that emits peace through each breath, hope in each movement, and integrity in each step. For make no mistake, we are receiving cosmic encouragement from the Angelic kingdom at this time of great soul-striding, to harmonize our cardinal virtues, so that we may meet the ascending vibrations of the Galactic Heart, and to ultimately move into the fifth dimension.
Click here for a meditation with Archangel Hanael

:: J O P H I E L ::
Archangel Jophiel is the cosmic force brought forth to aid us with the nature of our spiritual liberation. Jophiel lovingly frees us to comprehend the greatest teaching of the HOLY LIBERATOR, and like the great Buddha, to detachment through stillness. For this profound quality always releases us from conflicting feelings and erroneous thoughts, thereby we stir forgiveness, liberation, meditation and ultimate joy within our lives.
Click here for a meditation with Archangel Jophiel

:: M E T A T R O N ::
Archangel Metatron brings us the iridescent force of the SUPERNAL TEACHER concerning the things that were, things that are, and things that have not yet come to pass. Thus Metatron speaks from the core of this Oracle with Divine intelligence, miraculous power, refined wisdom and great mercy, startling us to act upon that which concerns our soul, that which helps us to recognize our wholeness.
Click here for a meditation with Archangel Metatron

Archangel Raphael by Carlos Quevedo on TheNuminous.net
Archangel Raphael by Carlos Quevedo via Behance.net

:: R A P H A E L ::
Archangel Raphael, like the calm of the woodland spring, exists as an exquisite HOLY HEALER bringing our beings to commune with Mother Earth. This enriches our journey through the knowledge of interconnectivity, empathy and oneness, bringing all aspects of our lives back into harmony as we embark on our soul’s odyssey.
Click here for a meditation with Archangel Raphael

:: M I C H A E L ::
Archangel Michael is the embodiment of the Art of Alchemy, and like the Egyptian God Thoth, the Scribe of the Gods, skilfully enchants cosmic forces through us into direct rays of action. For Michael is the COSMIC LEADER of the Angels of Atlantis, lasering our lives in order to cleanse all negativity. Michael is aligned with the planet Jupiter’s energy, which moves us to expand our horizons through transmutation, patience, and the I am Presence, bringing us to enchantment. In this, Michael uses the love of the heart as a unique dialling force to make sure integrity takes full lodging in our consciousness.
Click here for a meditation with Archangel Michael 

:: R A Z I E L ::
Archangel Raziel is the keeper of the DIVINE MYSTERIES and so this guardian Angel of Illumination is the keeper of the supreme knowledge of the soul, just as the Great Pyramid and Sphinx hold the secrets of bygone civilizations. Therefore, drawing Raziel into your daily devotions will allow you to experience life drawn from a deeply profound connection with the sacredness of the Cosmos. Once you allow this magic into your life the veil of illusion parts, and you will see life truly as it is, full of a love that stretches for infinity.
Click here for a meditation with Archangel Raziel

:: S A N D A L P H O N ::
Archangel Sandalphon’s unique force is as the SACRED GUARDIAN of the Planet, and of our earthly presence. Sandalphon is destined to draw the creative energy of Planet Earth into the evolutionary ascension of the Galactic Force, and through all living beings with love, intention as seen in the icon of Avebury Henge.
Click here for a meditation with Archangel Sandalphon

Archangel Michael by Romnick Toledo on TheNuminous.net
Archangel Michael by Romnick Toledo via Behance.net

:: S H A M A E L ::
Archangel Shamael is the ultimate DIVINE GUIDE who watched over Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemene, and is appointed to equally look out for you in moments of great challenge. The vast love of this great Angel creates a ray of hope that always overshadows the burden of the mortal flesh, and transforming us to create the beauty that is always waiting to emerge.
Click here for a meditation with Archangel Shamael

:: U R I E L ::
Archangel Uriel represents the union of Heaven and Earth, made manifest through the great OM, and the beauty of the human heart, for within the individual heart is a space for a potential marriage between the physical flesh and the Godly Spirit. For the sonar of the heart is where the super coherence between Heaven and Earth, between Human and Divine takes place, in order for us to be conduits for the abundance of the Cosmos.
Click here for a meditation with Archangel Uriel

:: Z A D K I E L ::
Archangel Zadkiel as the DIVINE COMFORTER bestows beneficent wisdom upon us, allowing clear vision to take place over the obstacles that perpetuate the self-limiting beliefs we may hold – the impediments that stop us from enjoying spiritual abundance. Zadkiel not only shows us what needs to be brought forth into the light to be healed, but also clarifies how to intuitively heal it, which brings gratitude and security. So this exquisite Archangel, who governs the Tenth Chakra, and who arises from Uranus, teaches us to trust in God’s utter benevolence and guidance – to yield and let God comfort us.
Click here for a meditation with Archangel Zadkiel

:: Z A P H K I E L ::
Archangel Zaphkiel inspires us to great acts of sacred loving and thus governs the Second Chakra, which contributes to the depth of our relationship behaviors, and encourages us to feats of personal compassion and divine romance. Zaphkiel arises from Venus, the Planet of Love, and always appears when we call, reminding us of the love that arises from deep within the Source, that can be easily forgotten. This Angel moves us to find true compassion and ecstasy through the romance of life – those ideals of love that replenish our force – allowing us to surrender to passion, and pulsate with bliss and devotion for the Divine.
Click here for a meditation with Archangel Zaphkiel

STEWART SHOT 2013 1Stewart Pearce will be hosting a workshop titled The Angels of Atlantis and the Enchantment of Love in Los Angeles on February 14 2015. For more information visit Thealchemyofvoice.com

 

TAROTSCOPES: JANUARY 2015

How are you feeling about 2015? I notice that around this time my Facebook feeds starts filling up with people saying how awful their year has been and that next year BETTER be good. I never really resonated with the idea of threatening the year ahead? It doesn’t seem like the most proactive or positive way to introduce yourself to something. Imagine if when we met a new person we shook their hand and shouted at them: YOU BETTER BE A GOOD FRIEND OR ELSE!

Everything is of value, so how about we offer some compassion to ourselves instead? Maybe a bit of a pat on the back to say YOU DID IT, 2014 was tough but you kept walking. The learning from most challenging times does not usually present itself to us in an instant, we have to trust it will appear at some point. For now, just urge to be kind to yourself, rest, and when you are ready, be curious about what positive developments might just be ahead.

Now, onto your scopes! This month’s Tarotscopes are a sneak peek from your 2015 Tarotscopes that are now available for instant download in my shop. Each scope is over 4500 words and reads like a coaching session that you get to keep on hand throughout 2015! I’ve also created an Astro Goddess illustration for each sign, to act as your spirit guide for the year ahead.

As a treasured reader of my writing for The Numinous I’d like to offer you 10% off your 2015 Tarotscope using the code NUMILOVE2015.

Happy New Year. I love you and I am so grateful for each and every one of you.

Capricorn / Capricorn Rising

I feel this is a very important year to grow up and get real! Over 2014 you saw perhaps some of your most intense and challenging moments and the same themes kept coming up over and over again. You questioned your abilities, your confidence and your identity. You fought against yourself many times, because it felt like the only thing you knew how to do. However, near the end of the year, maybe even in the last few weeks, something has shifted, an awakening of sorts. You are in place to receive the truth from your highest self and guess what, it doesn’t want you to keep working against yourself!

So over the course of the year I feel you will be constantly releasing this pressure and practicing it hard, knowing that you can change the course of your whole experience. You also get to discover that Monday mornings don’t have to be a dread when you love what you do. You are invited to pursue and explore what an enjoyable and lucrative career would be for you. You are allowed to give yourself permission to move away from what sucks your energy dry and what just doesn’t seem to cut it for you anymore.

You will also (as usual) be called upon by others for advice and guidance this year. Know that since people act as mirrors for each other, as you dish out the sage advice, you must take it for yourself too. Some people will stand in front of you with anxieties that match yours word for word. This is to remind you that you are never alone.

Every time you take some pressure off yourself you will receive a wink from the Universe, as every time you are willing to do this you will open a new space to receive something that feels good to you. Experiment with valuing all of your feelings and know that it is safe to honour them. I’m excited to say that I feel your confidence and self worth is set to get a great boost if you choose to participate with a fresh perspective towards your journey. Your best self is waiting patiently for you to show up fully, honestly and with vulnerability. You are loved.

This is an extract from your 2015 Tarotscope. Read more here. Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

 

Aquarius / Aquarius Rising

I feel so energized, excited and so proud of you for just ‘shaking it all off’ recently. I feel like the year ahead is like fresh soil, waiting for you to plant, so don’t be afraid of shifting up anything and everything. Your motto for 2015? Surrender forever! Your ruling element this year is the fire energy and so it’s a huge year for embracing your own independence, freeing your spirit and exploring your passions. This is completely available to you if you also complement it by being kind to yourself!

I’d like you to start this year with a commitment to your own wellbeing. I want you to know that you can still be loving and supportive of others while caring for yourself. You don’t have to exchange your health to boost someone else’s! I also want you to not feel guilty about your life being well and good when others around you struggle. You are so loved and everyone is dying for you to really pursue what makes you happy.

You’ve learned a lot of lessons over the past year and now it’s time to embody them and really allow yourself to receive the good stuff. It’s time to release self-sabotaging habits and forgive the past. The surrender practice is pivotal to this year, because the more that you believe your life has a perfect and natural flow to it, the more you will be surprised by it’s unusual and exciting offerings.

Imagine what it would feel like if the dark forest were truly behind you? Imagine if that rollercoaster really had come to a stop? What if if you really have evolved into a fresh space? Embrace life and the world around you as if it still has something to offer. You are at the start of a new cycle in your life, trust that the unknown holds more gifts for you; don’t you want to see what they are? Magic is real don’t you know. Be the calm within the storm.

This is an extract from your 2015 Tarotscope. Read more here. Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

 

Pisces / Pisces Rising

I feel that in comparison to last year there is a distinct shift in your journey now, as it becomes much more active and appealing to you. You did a lot of ‘going through the motions’ last year, processing experiences, recovering from heartbreak and just doing a lot of life admin. Now that we move into a fresh space you are invited to believe in your life again. You are also going to have to take a chance on trusting it too.

This is a super divine year for your sense of confidence and ability to get your best self and/or message out to the world. You are naturally a creative thinker and doer and it feels to me like this year has been designed for you to be able to really learn to sit comfortably within your passions.

You also have a wonderful opportunity this year to really embrace and admire the human experience, rather than blame it for its pitfalls. You are able to shift away any thoughts you have about your story not being valuable and are free to dive back into exploring what the world has to offer you. You will find that your old worn out negative self-beliefs start to become tiring to you as you prepare to commit to positive change for your mind, body and spirit.

What is going to be really eye opening for you this year is accepting a new mentor or teacher into your life. This guidance is something that you feel really ready for, although that currently might be a subconscious knowing as your conscious self fights against it! In regards to your anxieties, there is still a part of you that perceives yourself as broken and therefore unfixable. Some of the most negative stories you tell yourself are so familiar that you either totally believe in them or think that this is ‘just how it is’. It’s time to now accept that as a human you are a master of change and can shift your thoughts when and as you choose.

This is an extract from your 2015 Tarotscope. Read more here. Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

 

Aries / Aries Rising

My wonderful warriors; 2015 is a year for embracing the self and not being afraid to explore your own truths. You have an important mission and it’s to release your own self-sabotaging stories. You can be hard on yourself and it’s time to instead start to see what those around you see. You are embraced and adored by your journey itself, and life is waiting for you to dive in. There will be many opportunities this year to test your trust in your intuition and to believe that you are a success story.

You are really needed this year, not only by yourself but also by others. You are often seen as a mentor to many, did you know that? Your fire energy is appreciated, people see you as far more capable than you sometimes see yourself, and I want you to see this energy within yourself too and be able to bathe in it. You aren’t lacking in empowerment at all, but you aren’t always quite as attached to it as you could be. Sometimes you shed your skin and forget to put a new one on and it leaves you feeling a little lifeless or uninspired. Failure is only an illusion. Your highest power lies in every moment you feel a spark of interest, a buzz of hope and a flicker of the great and wild unknown.

As I speak on behalf of your highest self, I feel uplifted about the open space you have to explore. You are definitely going to feel that sense of having to get out of your own this way, as demands for your talents and time arise, you will really have to claim your true confidence!

Coming out of 2014, I feel you are more apt at managing your feelings and this will give you a bonus super power of being able to connect to your intuition at the drop of a hat. You only need to trust that, when faced with internal drama or chaos, there is always a simpler solution if you are open to receiving it.

This is an extract from your 2015 Tarotscope. Read more here. Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

 

Taurus / Taurus Rising

Fear of failure is the same as fear of success – they are both an unknown space. This year I’d like you to get comfortable with the idea that maybe things will turn out in a perfect way that works for you, but you must be willing to throw yourself off into the unknown to receive the benefits. It won’t come as a surprise to you that I’m going to bring up my favorite practice of SURRENDER as a gift for you to work with throughout the year, as it is truly going to be your super power and a chance to take on a whole new more relaxed way of thinking.

I feel that the coming months are going to bring through the changes you have been building up to over the past year, and as the year moves ahead it will be essential to keep checking in on how within your flow you are. Do you even know what the natural flow of life feels like? It’s when you notice synchronicities all around you, and you don’t feel like you are fighting against yourself!

This is a year for absolutely and completely tearing down the foundations of how you approach your own will and successes. Lets call it a classic case of breakdown to breakthrough. Don’t panic though, I’m not anticipating that you’re about to hit the floor and dissolve! But I do want your attitude to be shaken up and changed so that you can think about your material world with a whole new attitude this year.

Don’t be afraid to rise up and try again. Pick yourself up this year from whatever you feel has got your knees a knocking. Make your will bigger than your won’t. You will certainly not be short of ideas, the only thing you need is a clear channel to bring them through. Work on getting familiar and comfortable with your anxieties and fears; then you can give your deserved energy where it belongs – to your passions. It’s time to get up, stand up, open up and ultimately accept yourself as the golden soul you are.

This is an extract from your 2015 Tarotscope. Read more here. Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

 

Gemini / Gemini Rising

I feel that this year you are embodying and mastering all the lessons that the past year brought to you. You felt the push and pull so strongly in 2014 and now you get to truly take back your power and put it into play.
You can be a perfect combination of organized and scattered, lost and found. This year you are being urged to realize that there aren’t all these different versions of you, but that you are just one person who is constantly evolving. You no longer need to try to fit yourself into a mold; you are the mold.

Your being is as stretchy and expansive as the Universe itself. Your only job is to learn how to be fully embodied within your self without being controlling and restrictive. As you will be working on upping your inner and outer confidence all through the year, self-care is the absolute key to your personal and financial successes. You may have to work hard to release some old negative stories that you have written for yourself, but you totally have the strong super powers within you to do so!

Get excited about the shifts you are making for yourself and the potential of feeling truly good. Don’t be afraid to drop that to do list and let life flow in a natural way; know that you have got this. It’s also an amazing year to allow yourself to receive help, as well as new friendships and relationships, and it’s certainly your turn to embrace love and guidance as an alternative to being the constant facilitator. You will be mastering a new way of communication so that you can feel more connected to those around you.

You are never short on thoughts and ideas – they are there, very frequently whizzing in all directions, but managing them into a place of authentic expression can sometimes be challenging for you. You often have a fear of being misunderstood so sometimes try and put across what you think needs to be heard, rather than what you actually want and need to say. You can really trust your self, now, just believe that you can.

This is an extract from your 2015 Tarotscope. Read more here. Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

 

Cancer / Cancer Rising

You will no doubt be aware that you are standing in a significantly different place to this time last year. Even those of you who feel that nothing has shifted are likely to have had an arc of experiences in 2014 that at the very least has awarded you with a beneficial shift in perspective. I feel really excited and vibrant tuning in to your year ahead, and have the urgency to sit tall in my seat. Your confidence has heightened and you no longer have any desire or need to play small. The energy that surrounds you is in grand support of you really ‘going for it’ within your adventure.

This year is all about firing yourself back up and showing up for your life. The fire energy is so powerful for you, although it’s not your natural state being a sign powered by water. So although your go-to is usually to work with your feelings and intuition, as you move through the year you’ll realize that your sense of personal power explodes when you stand firmly and walk tall. Your ability to start really asking for what you want, without guilt, will put you in a very special and enchanting place.

What is essential for you over the coming months is to really be open to releasing self-judgment, guilt and shame. To loosen up all those expectations that you have piled on yourself and to seriously stop obsessing about what others might think of you. Get obsessed with Y O U. I call it a positive selfishness. You’ll discover that the more you pursue what you have the urge to bring forth into your life, the more confident and capable you’ll feel.

Finally, you have to allow the magic to happen in perfect alignment. You have to accept that perhaps divine timing is better than your timing. It’s a tough one to crack but boy does it help you when you just stop, surrender and get on with the minute in hand.

This is an extract from your 2015 Tarotscope. Read more here. Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

 

Leo / Leo Rising

I see you starting this year with some serious plans and ideas in place, and in fact much more of a practical approach to last year. Over the past 12 months there was a lot of coasting along, not laziness, but less of a structure. There were times when you felt like you were just saying yes, yes, yes to everything, which sometimes went in your favour and sometimes, not so much.

What you have learned in recent months is to really connect to your own inner workings and desires in your day-to-day life – and you are building up your confidence to complement this. It’s time to restructure your views on manifesting so you aren’t just going through the motions while wishing some things would change. Instead you are in full on magical action mode!

This will also be a year of stripping back the layers and strengthening your support systems underneath. You are so easily sociable but often see yourself as a loner within the world or having to always put on a brave face. It’s even easy sometimes to feel aggressive towards the outside world and accusatory of those around you. Keep going within. Then ask for help from the people you get super excited and inspired by.

There is also a real need for self-love and nurture throughout your whole year, as it will be what brings that sense of personal harmony to you. You want to be the mother to yourself and continuously ask yourself ‘what do I need right now?’ – which is actually a very valuable and effective morning meditation to get right to the core of what your soul needs. There is always information available to you from your highest self; you must only make space to listen.

This is an extract from your 2015 Tarotscope. Read more here. Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

 

Virgo / Virgo Rising

To begin 2015 in the most productive and positive manner I want you to cast a respectful eye across the year gone by. Can you believe how things have changed? Did you know things were going to shift so much? Aren’t you kind of impressed with how you navigated those highs and lows and are still standing? Yes. The past does not need to be re-written or re-organized and time is never wasted.

Trust, faith and education are your revolving doors for 2015 – kicking off with a need to really claim your confidence and KNOW that you really do have things within your power. Recognition that fighting against yourself is no longer an enjoyable act, and that accepting yourself as an ever-evolving person really does make sense!

Your voice is yours to claim and get to know. You are going to be called countlessly to have to speak your truth and learn what your truth is. Many of you will have to cut the ties from past anxieties to not feel afraid of standing powerfully in your own mind, body and spirit. Surrender is your most valuable tool here, and learning to take pressure off yourself will also be a repeating cycle.

Learn to recognize the instant that you start piling on restrictions to your ambitions and potential. Every time you become aware of this is a chance to step back and realize that you don’t want to be hard on yourself. I’m excited for you to realize how far you’ve come. Getting yourself into confident phoenix mode will be forever helpful – so recognize that you are supposed to be continuously rising from your own ashes. There is no such thing as being broken or weak, you have this in hand. Choose to get connected and feel empowered.

This is an extract from your 2015 Tarotscope. Read more here. Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

 

Libra / Libra Rising

Last year felt like a struggle for many of you, as all your anxieties surrounding friendships and romantic partnerships seemed to be charging at you with sharp teeth. What is happening as you emerge into 2015 is a clearing of this tension and a push to realize that maybe the hard slog is now over.

You have reached a major tipping point of change. You are shedding your skin as the year begins and allowed to take a breather and really acknowledge how far you’ve come. You’re are possibly or probably going to experience a lot of the new this year and although that can feel quite terrifying it is also an indication of a lot of fresh starts in your internal and external world. The sense of catapulting yourself into the unknown and knowing that you will be okay is a strong message for you.

I want you to practice a lot of self-gratitude, as I feel you’ve been down on yourself recently and it’s time to recognize that maybe you are as wonderful as those around you believe. We constantly get urged to believe in ourselves, and it’s only because it kind of, well, works! You don’t have to show off about how awesome you are, but you can congratulate yourself for showing up and trying. You have certainly been doing that.

Now it’s time to stop the fight and start allowing things to open back up. Times are changing for you from a personal perspective, and it’s important that you show up ready and willing to acknowledge and connect to your own divine sprit. You are way out of the woods and that magical space you always hoped to see is right in front of you. You’ll see it when you believe it. You can trust that it is safe for you to step into the natural flow of your journey again.

This is an extract from your 2015 Tarotscope. Read more here. Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

 

Scorpio / Scorpio

2015 feels SO positive and exciting for you Scorpio and I feel so light when tuning into your year! This year marks the beginning of a wild adventurous new time for you, and you will come to see the efforts of the last few years bloom. The past two and a half years have held a lot of hardcore lesson learning for you, with Saturn sitting in your sign and acting as the intense taskmaster! This is not to say you haven’t been up to it, many of you have felt strongly called to get completely connected with what your purpose in this world is today and beyond. Now that Saturn has moved on you are poised to be able to loosen the stress grip just a little!

I feel that overall you are going to be feeling much more balanced this year and aware of the elements within you and how they twist and turn. You have the ability to create harmony between the material and spiritual as you recognize they were made to be a team. Think of your intuition as a light that you can pull down and spread onto the world around you. You have gained a lot of wisdom recently and there will be moments where you notice yourself processing knowledge and feeling the empowerment that you can receive from truly owning and respecting your experience.

I feel I could write all day about the great potential the year has in store for you, the energy feels so abundant and exciting, but I really feel you already know that…In fact some of you are shaking a little, because you really feel that you do have the power of co-creation with your life. As a Scorpio you are designed to constantly reinvent yourself and embrace change. Recognize that the Phoenix (rising from the ashes) is your natural state and you may never need fear ‘what might happen’ again.

This is an extract from your 2015 Tarotscope. Read more here. Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

 

Sagittarius / Sagittarius Rising

This year is wide open for you to fully embrace and explore its offerings. There will be many opportunities for you to up your game and get into full on Phoenix mode and I encourage you to try it. Change is still very present for you, and tied strongly into magic making! The more open you are to perceiving the world around you with new eyes – the more of the weird and the wonderful you will see.

You are the only one who can hold yourself back this year. Some self-doubt has been rattling at your door here and there in the past year. Unlike some others, you really do know that you are capable and talented, and love setting your sights high. Why then, do the confidence anxieties still walk in? Or those worries about what others might think? Well, I have to say it – these feelings are NORMAL.

You may find that trust issues come up around work situations, but be aware that no one is ‘out to get you’, instead you can combat those fears by really reminding yourself how tuned in you are. It’s time to trust that it’s impossible to make bad decisions if you listen to what feels right. The more you get apt in saying NO to things that aren’t working for you the quicker your confidence will elevate – and in order to experience the big wows of 2015 you are required to practice upping your trust quota regards your inner voice.

Finally, the glow of joy is hovering over this whole year and you are encouraged to really discover what your sources of happiness are. This is something it’s easy to lose touch with as we get older, but remember that smiles are not exclusive to a destination named Happiness – they are accessible in every moment you choose. Put yourself into receiving mode to make up for any energy lost over the past year, and allow others the chance of getting to know you on a deeper level.

This is an extract from your 2015 Tarotscope. Read more here. Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse