MATERIAL GIRL, MYSTICAL WORLD: MELINDA LEE HOLM

With her custom jewelry prescriptions, Melinda Lee Holm combines her twin passions for crystals and the Tarot—with the wider mission of awakening her clients to a life of personal evolution…

Melinda Lee Holm Tarot jewelry The Numinous

The Numinous: What card and stone best represent your current life #goals? 
Melinda Lee Holm: The Empress and Pyrite. The Empress rules over a richly abundant world that she has created for herself by caring for everything around her with love and encouragement. She is the giver and the protector of life and she revels in her gifts by beaming love out all around her. I dressed as The Empress for Halloween this year, and am focused on actively working to embody her to create a world where we are all loved and treasured for our gifts and we are all safe and cared for.

This election threw me into despair and leaning harder into The Empress is helping to guide me as I step up to act to protect the rights and safety of women, people of color, immigrants, LGBTQ people, Muslims and the poor. And Pyrite is the gas to fuel this action. It supplies confidence, willpower, and motivation and it enhances our innate powers of manifestation. I invite everyone to print out a picture of The Empress and place her in your home as an inspiration and carry a piece of Pyrite!

TN: What came first, jewelry or Tarot, and when did you first combine the two? 
MLH: Tarot came first. I grew up in suburban MN and I was 13 when I got my first deck (the Thoth deck), the accompanying book, and a book on witchcraft. It changed my life. When I started doing readings for myself alone in my bedroom, I remember having this immediate access to a meditative, connected state. I would close my eyes and focus on visualizing white light shooting from my third eye and would be physically rocked by the sensation of being flooded with this magical connection. Looking back, I see baby me doing these vibration-raising rituals and I am so proud of that kid. I had a pretty rough childhood and finding this solace helped me survive with my soul intact.

20 years later I had a friend suffer a sudden and tragic loss. I went to my cards seeking guidance on how to help and as I turned over the cards, a strong aesthetic theme emerged. I felt called to make a necklace with natural stones in colors and numbers corresponding to the cards, and with energies for emotional healing and spiritual connection. As it turned out the colors and numbers were favorites of the loved one who had passed. It was incredibly moving. I knew it was the beginning of something great.

TN: Why does every modern woman need a talisman? 
MLH: Because self-adornment is an ancient sacred act. By wearing a talisman, we connect to our lineage of ancestors who adorned and anointed themselves with oils, scents, clothing, and jewelry imbued with magical power and purpose. In our contemporary culture, we are removed from this process and instead offered mass-produced items we have little to no energetic connection with. Wearing a personal talisman is a silent yet radical act of self-assertion and reconnection with the earth and with our ancestors.

Melinda lee Holm Tarot jewelry The Numinous

TN: What themes are most common among your clients, and what stones do you use to address them? 
MLH: The culture we live in means there are a lot of blockages around communication and balancing work and play, especially for women. So I often use Aquamarine to open clear communication with oneself and others and to soothe anxiety, Green Tourmaline to re-connect with the heart, and Garnet to ignite a passion for building dreams in a realistic, grounded manner.

I also work a lot on balancing the elements, which isn’t something I set out to do. For example, if someone has a ton of Fire and Water going on, but little Earth or Air, they are likely to feel exhausted from a lack of grounding, and frustrated and possibly even despairing that their message is being misunderstood. In this case, I would pay close attention to the elemental attributes of stones. There are so many levels to a reading. It’s what makes my work incredibly interesting and fulfilling.

TN: What’s your favorite way to cleanse and charge your crystals? 
MLH: I’m a huge fan of Selenite, a purifier and spiritual activator that I find to be extremely effective. I have big slabs of it in my studio and every jewelry piece I make gets a nap on the Selenite before it goes home. I also keep a piece with my personal jewelry. My pieces are also blessed with Palo Santo as I ask them to work with the client’s guides, angels, and ancestors to carry their energy to where it is most needed.

For my personal collection of crystals, I do a water rinse once a month on the Full Moon and then roll the cart (it’s a big collection!) over to the window to soak in the moonlight overnight. I also give them a really good smudge when I do my weekly house cleansing.

:: MATERIAL GIRL ::

My label
I’m living for everything Michele Alessandro makes for Gucci. If I could buy it all I would, but instead I admire it from afar and buy vintage. I’m crazy about vintage clothing for stylistic and environmental reasons.

Gucci fall 2016 Melinda lee Holm The Numinous
Gucci AW16

My shoes
Oxfords and sneakers. I’m tall, I have foot issues, and I’m a HUGE fan of a butch shoe look.

Saint Laurent sneakers The Numinous
Saint Laurent sneakers, $595, Net-a-porter.

My fragrance
Tea rose oil – opens the heart and smells amazing.

Tea Rose Oil Melinda Lee Holm The Numinous
Tea Rose Oil, from $14, Body Time.

My jewels
I’m constantly making myself things depending on what I’m feeling, but I always wear the gold Sigil necklace from my collection, piles of rings, and a piece of Black Tourmaline somewhere to keep my energetic field clear.

Sigal necklace, from $175, Melinda Lee Holm The Numinous
Sigal necklace, from $175, Melinda Lee Holm.

My pampering
A soak, a scrub, and a hot stone bibimbap at the Korean spa.

My home
A purple house filled with crystals, art, music, and animals in beautiful Los Angeles.

My food
All of it. Everything. I love food. That hot stone bibimbap at the spa may be my favorite, but it would be really hard to choose.

dolsot bibimbap vegan Melinda Lee Holm The Numinous

 

:: MYSTICAL WORLD ::

My awakening 
It’s ongoing. I think we all need to focus on being in a state of constant spiritual awakening until we’re dead. Not doing so assumes we’ve gotten as close as we can or as we care to the Divine. I’m greedy. I want as much expansion and evolution as I can get in this lifetime.

My sign
Cancer Sun, Virgo Ascendant, Taurus Moon, year of the Fire Snake.

My mantra
“This time will pass”—it works to soothe during the lows, and as a reminder to really be present and soak in the highs. It relates very closely to the Wheel of Fortune card, which offers an additional comfort of being looked after by the Universe.

Wild Unknown The Wheel of Fortune Melinda Lee Holm The Numinous

My healer
As with all of us, ultimately myself—with and assistance from guides here on Earth and in the Spirit realm.

My reading
I always go back to Angela Davis, Joseph Campbell, and many, many metaphysical texts.

My mission
To empower and inspire as many people as I can to commit to a life of constant personal evolution.

Discover more about Melinda Lee Holm and her work, and schedule a Prescription Adornments consultation at Melindaleeholm.com

MATERIAL GIRLS, MYSTICAL WORLD: SAKARA LIFE

Sakara Life puts the sexy into plant-based cuisine. Founders Danielle DuBois and Whitney Tingle invite us into their Mystical Material world…

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Sakara Life founders Whitney Tingle (left) and Danielle DuBoise (right)

 

Sakara Life is like the final nail in the coffin for the notion that eating whole and plant-based is anything less than seriously sexy.

Founded by best-friends-since-grade school Danielle DuBoise and Whitney Tingle in 2011, Sakara is an all-organic meal delivery programme based in NYC, while the ladies themselves have become poster girls for the movement.

Yay hot blonde girls-about-town spreading the word that whole = food-for-the-soul! But beyond their obvious poster girl credentials (no surprises that Danielle is a former model), hailing from the hippie enclave of Sedona, Arizona, they totally walk the Numinous walk.

“We believe that health and well-being are dependent on several factors: nutrition, relationships, career and love for the self,” goes their philosophy. Which is also a lot about balance (read: eating right all week like totally cancels the vodka shots on Friday night, right?) Read on for a peek into the Mystical World of these pioneering Material Girls…

Sakara Life meal delivery plans start at $99 for a 1-day trial, and are available in these zip-codes on the East coast. The service will roll out in California in June 2015

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:: DANIELLE DUBOISE // MATERIAL GIRL ::

My label: anything from a second-hand store

My shoes: chunky platforms

Jeffrey Campbell Boogaloo Leather Platform, $170.00, Nastygal.com
Jeffrey Campbell Boogaloo Leather Platform, $170.00, Nastygal.com

My fragrance: Jasmine+magnolia+rose

Flora by Gucci in Glamorous Magnolia, $77, Sephora.com
Flora by Gucci in Glamorous Magnolia, $77, Sephora.com

My jewels: Bliss Lau

Elixir earring, $540, Blisslau.com
Elixir earring, $540, Blisslau.com

My pampering: Borax baths

My home: The Line

Tabula Rasa x The Line Oulu Cushion Square, $375
Tabula Rasa x The Line Oulu Cushion Square, $375

My food: Plants

Sexiest Salad in NYC by Sakara Life
Sexiest Salad in NYC by Sakara Life

:: DANIELLE DUBOIS // MYSTICAL WORLD ::

My awakening: Kisses. I always start my morning with kisses

My sign: Gemini

My mantra: “Be the light, always”

My healers: Ally Bogard+Betty Kay Kendrick+Elena Brower

Art of Attention Yoga Healing Cards by Elena Brower and Erica Jago
Art of Attention Yoga Healing Cards by Elena Brower and Erica Jago

My reading: Sakara Book Club

My transformation: learning to love my body again

My mission: To help everyone learn to feel good & sexy in their bodies

 

:: WHITNEY TINGLE // MATERIAL GIRL ::

My label: Hand me downs

My shoes: Cowboy boots

MEXICANA Zapopan ankle boots, $607, Sarenza.co.uk
MEXICANA Zapopan ankle boots, $607, Sarenza.co.uk

My fragrance: Vanilla

Jo Malone Vanilla & Anise cologne, $120
Jo Malone Vanilla & Anise cologne, $120

My jewels: Family heirlooms

My pampering: Energy facials with Maureen Dodd

My home: Sakara!

My food: High quality, fresh, straight from the earth

"Straight from the earth" includes pancakes in Sakara-land
“Straight from the earth” includes pancakes in Sakara-land

:: WHITNEY TINGLE // MYSTICAL WORLD ::

My morning awakening: Spending time being fully in my mind and in my body before sharing my energy with the outside world

My sign: Capricorn

Capricorn ring, Jessica De Lotz
Capricorn ring, Jessica De Lotz

My mantra: “What I think I create”

My healers: Maureen Dodd + Taryn Toomey + my mom and sister

Workout inspiration Taryn Toomey
Workout inspiration Taryn Toomey

My reading: You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay

My transformation: I don’t think I’ll ever stop transforming, or at least I certainly hope not! Change is essential

My mission: Help as many people in the world as possible feel GOOD

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